Chapter 25 《”Relationship of Rivals”》
(I)
──── The kingdom fell to the vampire.
The news reached ‘Lilianel Greenfield’, the Prime minister of the Avilia Kingdom, just before they had only the northern fortress city, ‘Nevirthol’, left to reach.
“Ha, haha….”
Inside the luxurious carriage racing down the rough, unpaved road, her powerless laughter echoed. It was not laughter filled with joy, but rather a bitter chuckle mixed with various emotions.
She clutched her throbbing head and bowed her head. Then she muttered, seemingly to no one in particular.
“That damned Elzerba, she really—”
… Her prediction had come true: Elzerba, who was released from her seal, was indeed coming to the capital to find Lilianel herself.
While she had anticipated that Elzerba would seek revenge for what happened on that night a thousand years ago, she hadn’t expected things to progress so quickly.
Just four days after hearing the news of Elzerba’s release, the capital had fallen, following the fall of ‘Ermail’, as if she hadn’t rested even once.
… Without asking questions, she went straight for the capital.
That alone indicated the amount of rage the vampire had harbored for the past thousand years.
‘Still, two cities…’
The cities trampled by Elzerba were two: ‘Ermail’ and the capital ‘Lexia’.
Survivors from the western metropolis, ‘Ermail’, were estimated to be around 400, while survivors from the capital ‘Lexia’ were estimated to be around 1,200.
If those reports were true, it was equivalent to Elzerba effectively annihilating the two largest cities of the kingdom.
Although she knew Elzerba was strong even a thousand years ago, the thought that she could devastate cities on her own made Lilianel let out a hollow laugh.
“…But.”
… A monster that would hate her more than anyone else had been unleashed.
The two cities, which were the heart of the kingdom, had crumbled.
Hundreds of thousands were dead.
It was a situation that would normally warrant cold sweat and tension, but surprisingly, the strongest emotion Lilianel felt was none other than ‘joy’.
“In the end, it seems like a fruitless endeavor.”
… No matter how much chaos Elzerba created, in the end, she would not be able to capture her intended target.
By now, it was obvious that she was likely captured by the decoy Lilianel had set up and was confused. Or perhaps, she might be blissfully unaware and celebrating her revenge. After all, the decoy had been prepared to resemble her as closely as possible, in appearance and magical signature.
Either way, Elzerba was once again dancing on Lilianel’s palm.
… Just like a thousand years ago.
“Heh, idiot, why not try hard like a dog?”
Lilianel provoked Elzerba.
Of course, it was a taunt that would not reach anyone, scattered into the air outside the carriage, but it was meant to bolster her own courage.
She was undoubtedly afraid. The monster she had personally sealed away, striking from behind, had awakened—there was no way she wouldn’t be scared.
However, she didn’t want to feel cowardly either; it hurt her pride.
‘There’s nothing to be afraid of, Lilianel. You’re the Prime minister of the kingdom. You’re not the powerless person from a thousand years ago.’
She was, after all, the Prime minister of the kingdom. At the pinnacle of this country, possessing all wealth, power, and honor. Perhaps, she could wield the ultimate power that could dominate the entire continent.
Given her tremendous position, she didn’t want to feel fear over someone like Elzerba, who had been foolishly sealed away.
“Prime minister.”
“Yes?”
“… Are you not worried about the capital, about the kingdom?”
At that moment, her secretary, ‘Roderick Whitefin’, who was sitting across from her, carefully spoke up. With his white hair and cold gaze, he stared at Lilianel.
“Countless people have helplessly fallen victim, and we do not know the fate of His Majesty the King and other companions. This is a situation where the very existence of the kingdom is at stake. Why, then, are you smiling?”
“Roderick….”
Lilianel was taken aback by her secretary’s cold demeanor, her eyes widening as she grabbed Roderick’s shoulder with her pale hand.
“Are you worried about the capital?”
“Yes.”
“… Me? Not at all.”
“… What?”
“… Because I’m alive.”
“… What?”
“As long as I’m alive, that’s all that matters. What does it matter about others?”
Lilianel scoffed at Roderick’s concern as if it were ridiculous. She crossed her legs, looking down at her secretary with an arrogant gaze.
“I am the kingdom, and the kingdom is me. You know that, right?”
Having maintained the Prime ministery for 500 years with the strong support of the heroes, all power in the kingdom was already firmly in Lilianel’s grasp.
The king was a mere puppet, and no noble dared to oppose her. In fact, had she wanted to, she could have led a rebellion with the heroes to seize that position long ago.
Therefore, unlike other nations, where the capture of the capital and the king would mean their destruction, the ‘Avilia Kingdom’ had a peculiar political structure that could persist as long as the hero and Lilianel remained alive.
If the king died, the throne would simply pass to the closest living relative in another city.
Though Ermail and the capital had fallen, hundreds of cities and millions of citizens still remained in ‘Avilia’.
However, the Prime minister ‘Lilianel Greenfield’ was one of a kind, and there was no one who could replace her.
“… As long as I’m alive, ‘Avilia’ will endure forever. So there’s no need to worry.”
Thus, as long as Lilianel lived, worries about the kingdom’s survival were unnecessary.
This had been the case for the past 500 years.
And it would continue to be so.
“Oh, this opportunity will solidify that even more.”
Moreover, as the citizens of other cities rallied under Lilianel for revenge against the vampires, her power would only grow stronger.
… Becoming the hope of the kingdom, she would defeat the vampire of the disaster legend. If Lilianel could seal Elzerba once more, she could aim for a position beyond that of just Prime minister.
“… We’re almost there.”
… Just then, through the cracks in the carriage window, the sight of a massive, impregnable fortress wall began to emerge. It was a defensive wall so formidable that it seemed it would not budge even under the fiercest flame magic.
It was the fortress city ‘Nevirthol’, located at the northernmost point of ‘Avilia’, bordering the habitat of the demon tribes.
“Good.”
To prevent the invasion of the demon tribes, the fortress had seven layers of walls, along with various military facilities, traps, and defensive barriers installed.
… Thanks to leaving quietly without notifying anyone in the capital, Elzerba would be unaware that Lilianel had arrived here. Even if she did realize it, by blocking the ‘Teleportation Hub’, she would have no choice but to invest three days and come on foot.
In the meantime, Lilianel would hurriedly plan how to confront the hero, ‘Vellius Grandius’.
There was no better location for a final showdown than this.
Just seeing those thick fortress walls brought her a sense of psychological stability.
“Come on, let’s hurry.”
With a smile, Lilianel urged the coachman onward.
“….”
… And Roderick merely glared coldly at her.
(II)
“Uwaaa! I’m so sorry for being late!”
In the northernmost part of the Avilia Kingdom, ‘Nesril Village’, where battles with the demon tribes were ongoing.
The newly recruited party member, ‘Judith Evergrit’, who had just joined the hero’s party, rushed into the tent for the meeting with an awkward smile.
“I overslept after being on night watch yesterday…! I’m so sorry!”
Boasting a sea-blue hair, as soon as she entered the tent located outside the village, she bowed her head.
Inside the tent were four people already present, including the 21st hero, ‘Vellius Grandius’.
… They were the hero and her companions, the most valiant of all, and the best on the continent.
“It’s alright, come and take a seat.”
“Yes!”
As Vellius Grandius, with ash-colored hair, blue eyes, and gentle voice, spoke to Judith, she brightened and found her place to sit.
“Alright. Daniel? It seems everyone is here, so let’s start the report.”
“Understood, Hero.”
At the hero’s command, a tall man nodded. He was ‘Daniel’, a paladin from ‘Serion’, responsible for support in the hero’s party.
He began explaining while pointing at the map showing the battle situation with a baton.
“The situation remains the same. The demon tribes are continuously flocking to secure the resources of the ‘Holy Tree’ in this village, ‘Nesril’.”
“Hmm.”
“Moreover, the demon tribe’s sorcerer has unleashed a plague, causing the village residents to die continuously and turn into undead.”
“Undead….”
The hero muttered blankly while listening to the report.
‘Ugh, this is really the worst….’
Even Judith, who had just recently been deployed and knew little, immediately recognized that the situation was dire.
… The Holy Tree of ‘Nesril Village’, known for its incredible strength.
The demon tribes were invading this village in the north to secure the tree and create the strongest siege weapon.
As if they had planned it, they sent vast armies numbering in the thousands, and the hero and the companions had been repelling them day after day.
However, no matter how many they killed, the enemies continued to receive reinforcements, making the battle in Nesril Village far from over.
Above all, a plague from the enemy sorcerers was spreading inside the village as well, resulting in chaos both outside and within the village.
… After hearing the report, Judith shyly raised her hand.
“I think we should also request reinforcements and sweep away the enemies at once….”
This was the longest and largest invasion from the demon tribes in recent years. It seemed advisable to receive reinforcements from a nearby major city to eradicate the enemies all at once, as the hero’s party alone had its limits.
“Hmm, Judith, I was also thinking that would be a good idea, but look at this.”
In response to her suggestion, Daniel made a vague expression. He then took out a rolled-up parchment from his pocket and displayed it in front of everyone.
“… A letter arrived this morning.”
As he laid it down, Daniel’s expression suddenly darkened. Sensing something was off, the female knight ‘Yuna’ snatched the letter from him. She quickly scanned the writing on the parchment.
“This letter is from the Prime minister….”
“…!”
The letter sent by the effective ruler of the kingdom, the Prime minister ‘Lilianel Greenfield’. At the mention of that name, the hero ‘Vellius Grandius’ flinched.
Yuna slowly began to read the letter to everyone.
“Four days ago, the seal of the ‘Vampire Ancestor’ of the ‘Undying Labyrinth’ was broken….”
“….”
“Ermail and the royal capital have fallen, and ‘Maiden Alice,’ who was leading the army, has also been killed by the vampires.”
Yuna’s hand trembled as she continued reading the letter.
“Currently, only the Prime minister has escaped to ‘Nevirthol.’ The hero must hurry to meet the Prime minister and discuss how to deal with the vampires….”
“….”
“….”
No one could speak first after hearing the contents of the letter. The shocking news caused Judith’s hands to instinctively tremble.
“Th-this can’t be….”
There were too many unbelievable things.
The seal of the legendary vampire had been broken, the major city Ermail and the royal capital had fallen one after another…
…and their comrade, ‘Maiden Alice,’ had died.
“Alice….”
It was hard to believe that she, who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship in the kingdom, had died. Even though she had recently recovered from an illness and was resting, it was still difficult to accept that she had lost to a vampire, a creature whose roots were essentially monstrous.
“….”
However, at the end of the letter was the royal seal, clearly stamped, indicating that all of this was not a lie, but the truth.
…It wasn’t a magical communication transmitted by a carrier pigeon, and with the royal seal, there was no way the letter could be a lie.
“A legendary vampire… Were the contents of the ancient texts true?”
“…A vampire. Sounds strong.”
“Damn it, Alice….”
Each member of the hero’s party reacted differently.
Yuna frowned at the fact that the legendary ‘Vampire Ancestor’ actually existed.
The great magician ‘Milan’ was more astonished by the actions of the vampire than its existence.
Daniel, on the other hand, could only hold back his tears upon hearing the news of his dear comrade Alice’s death.
“….”
…Only the hero sat still, with the same expressionless face as before.
After a moment, everyone’s attention turned to him.
“Grandius, what will you do?”
“Hero, please make a decision. Are we going straight to ‘Nevirthol’?”
They asked the hero, their leader and the one ultimately responsible, about their next move. Without hesitation, the hero stood up and spoke.
“Is there anything to think about?”
“….”
“There is nothing more important than the Prime minister’s safety. We must leave for Nevirthol immediately.”
Without delay, the hero decided to head to the fortress city ‘Nevirthol,’ where the Prime minister had taken refuge. Judith, startled, shouted out in surprise.
“W-what? Leave? Then what about ‘Nesril Village’?”
‘Nesril Village’ had been barely holding off the demon tribes’ invasion, thanks to the hero’s party. With many villagers already sick from the plague, if they left, the village would fall in a day, and the ‘Holy Tree’ would be taken by the enemy.
“W-we should at least leave someone here to hold the line until reinforcements arrive! Otherwise, the village will….”
“Judith.”
“Eeek…!”
The hero’s voice interrupted her words, so cold and frigid that her whole body froze. He looked down at the newly recruited party member with icy eyes.
“…Nothing is more important than the Prime minister. Remember that. As a companion of the hero, you must prioritize the Prime minister above all else and follow my orders.”
“T-that can’t be…!”
Judith was shocked by the hero’s selfish and piercing gaze, which she had never seen before. She looked at her other companions with a confused expression, hoping they would say something.
“….”
She sent them a pleading look, asking for help, but they were already accustomed to the situation. They had begun packing their belongings to leave.
…There was no one on her side.
She had just joined the hero’s party and had no power to influence the decision.
Judith couldn’t understand why the hero was reacting so strongly to the Prime minister, but in the end, she lowered her head in defeat.
“…Understood.”
“Good, Judith.”
The hero, in a softened tone, patted Judith on the shoulder. He then glanced at the battle map spread on the table.
“…Still, we can’t just leave this place unattended, as Judith mentioned. That would tarnish the name of ‘hero.'”
“…!!”
Judith’s gloomy expression brightened once again.
Yes, of course, the hero.
He must have had a plan all along.
There’s no way the ‘Wings of Hope’ for the people would abandon them so irresponsibly!
“…Daniel?”
“Yes, Hero.”
“If the village’s ‘Holy Tree’ were gone, would the demon tribes stop attacking?”
“Yes, without the ‘Holy Tree,’ which is the only thing of value, there would be no reason for the demon tribes to attack this remote village. They would likely retreat.”
“Good.”
…The hero nodded in satisfaction at Daniel’s answer. He then called out to ‘Milan,’ the party’s magician, who was lazily yawning.
“Milan?”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“…Burn down the entire village, including the tree.”
“…The whole village?”
“Yes, and while you’re at it, deal with the plague victims who are about to become undead. If there’s nothing to gain or kill, the demon tribes will withdraw on their own.”
“Understood.”
‘…What?’
Judith patted her ears, thinking she had misheard something shocking. However, the hero continued issuing orders to the rest of the party, as if nothing was amiss.
“Yuna? In the newspaper, report that the people of ‘Nesril Village’ conspired with the demon tribes and all turned into undead, forcing us to blow up the village entirely. Oh! It would be even better if we could connect it to that ‘Vampire Ancestor.'”
“Got it! Leave it to me!”
“Daniel? Kill all the survivors who remained after the explosion magic. We can’t have any loose ends.”
“Understood.”
‘W-what…?!’
The hero’s shocking orders and his companions accepting them as if this were nothing new left Judith’s mind in chaos.
‘They’re going to kill not the demons, but humans, the ones we should protect? The sick and weak, just to get to the Prime minister a day sooner?’
How could a hero brutally kill those they were supposed to protect? Even the demon king took care of his own people!
‘No, this isn’t right. The hero shouldn’t be doing this.’
Just yesterday, the hero had been swinging his sword at the front lines to protect people. How could he change so drastically overnight, or rather, as soon as he received the Prime minister’s letter?
This couldn’t be allowed.
Even if the hero didn’t care, it went against Judith’s own beliefs for which she had joined the hero’s party, to protect the people.
No matter how many times she glanced at their expressions, the hero and his companions were serious about their orders.
They weren’t joking.
“…You’re going to kill innocent people?!”
…In the end, she drew her weapon and aimed it at the hero.
“That’s a crime! Hero, please reconsider your orders right now!”
“J-Judith!”
“Evergrit, what the hell are you doing? Put that down right now!”
Judith’s sudden actions startled the hero’s companions, who drew their own swords in response.
“….”
But the hero calmly raised a hand to stop them. Then, with a gentle smile, he spoke to Judith.
“…Judith, what did you say?”
“….”
“…Did you just say what I said was a crime?”
“…!!”
What followed was a rapid series of attacks that Judith couldn’t even track with her eyes.
‘M-my weapon…!!’
In an instant, the hero struck Judith’s weapon with the back of his hand, breaking it in two. He then drew his own sword, now aimed at Judith’s neck.
The speed, intensity, and strength were overwhelming.
What had happened occurred in the blink of an eye.
There was no time for counterattack or resistance—nothing.
“…Judith, listen carefully.”
“….”
The hero, having disarmed her in one swift motion, leaned in with a chilling gaze, whispering into Judith’s ear. The coldness of his voice made her doubt it was even human.
“…A crime isn’t a crime if it goes unnoticed.”
“Ah….”
“You understand, right? From this moment, ‘Nesril Village’ is filled with evil traitors against humanity.”
“….”
“…Answer me.”
“Ah, I understand….”
“Good.”
Judith’s trembling voice escaped against her will. Only after hearing her response did the hero smile and lower his sword.
“Hahaha….”
The strength left Judith’s legs, and she slid down to the ground. However, the hero didn’t even glance at his fallen comrade; he turned back to the magician, ‘Milan.’
“Milan, can you burn down the entire village?”
“Hmm, I’ll have to use all my magical power, but it shouldn’t be impossible.”
“Good, do it right now.”
“Understood.”
The young girl magician, having received her orders, hurried outside the tent.
…Then came the sound of a tremendous explosion and the screams of the people of ‘Nesril Village’ piercing the sky.
“Ah….”
As Judith Evergrit listened to those sounds, her vision started to blur. She had to stop this madness immediately, but with the hero here, with his companions here, there was nothing the weakest among them could do.
All she could do was repeat to herself.
‘…Everyone, everyone has gone insane.’
This was wrong.
This was madness.
This was not what a hero should be.
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