Chapter 38 《Night Whispers Are Heard by Vampires》- (2)
(I)
‘A vampire…?’
Edward frowned as he looked at the man with violet hair who introduced himself as “Arbelion.” Though his face was hidden beneath his helmet, Edward assumed his subordinates must feel the same.
‘A vampire in the Great Western Forest?’
His mind began racing.
…During the centuries-long Era of Peace, there had been occasional rumors of vampires. However, there had never once been a confirmed sighting of a vampire in the Great Western Forest under Serion’s jurisdiction.
Yet the man standing before him looked unmistakably like a vampire. Judging by the ominous magic emanating from his entire body, it didn’t seem to be some elaborate prank or someone in disguise.
In any case, who would be insane enough to play tricks in the dangerous Great Western Forest at night, and against holy knights, no less?
Thus, there was only one conclusion: this man was a real vampire.
‘The Vampire King? Are there more of his kind?’
…That wasn’t the only thing that bothered him. When the man introduced himself, he had called himself the “King of Vampires.”
Where there is a king, there must be subjects. This implied that there could be many more vampires in the forest besides this one.
‘…Looks like I’ll have to report more than expected.’
Confirming the existence of vampires in the Great Western Forest, noting their ability to speak a human language, and their apparent high intelligence—all of this needed to be documented.
Edward sighed deeply at the thought of writing an additional report to submit to his homeland upon reaching the Avilia Kingdom.
“…Hmm?”
Arbelion, the vampire, noticed Edward’s reaction and furrowed his brows. His voice turned colder as he addressed the holy knights.
“Yawning in front of someone… Humans truly lack manners.”
“….”
Manners, manners—he kept harping on it.
Edward glared at the vampire, irritated by his unexpected formal demeanor. Even the suit-like outfit Arbelion wore annoyed him.
“…This is such a bother.”
There was no time to waste on trivialities. At this very moment, the Avilia Kingdom was under attack by the Progenitor Vampire. Edward had no reason, nor the inclination, to humor this creature.
“….”
Finally, Edward drew his sword from his side.
It didn’t matter if he was the King of Vampires or not; no monster could defeat a holy knight. If left alive, he might cause harm to nearby villages in the future. Edward decided to quickly eliminate him and move on.
“Hoho.”
Arbelion remained in his relaxed posture as he observed Edward. His sly voice echoed in the eerie forest.
“Surely you’re not planning to fight me?”
“Shut up and prepare to die quietly, monster.”
“Now this is getting interesting.”
With a grunt, Arbelion rose from the tree trunk where he had been sitting. He brushed the dirt from his hands and scrutinized the holy knights with his crimson eyes.
“…So, after killing me, where are you planning to go? Or rather, why are so many holy knights wandering this perilous forest in the dead of night?”
“None of your business.”
“Are you sure it’s not my business?”
The irritating vampire pried further, speaking nonchalantly despite being in the presence of his natural enemies—holy knights. Edward’s expression twisted further in frustration.
But Arbelion, seeming to enjoy Edward’s irritation, continued with a faint smile.
“Hmm, if I had to guess, you’re headed to the Avilia Kingdom, right?”
“…!!”
“Judging by your reaction, I’m right. You’re so transparent.”
Arbelion chuckled. As he had deduced, Edward was genuinely shocked by the vampire’s accurate guess about their destination.
…And Arbelion didn’t stop talking.
“Your objective? Ah, of course! It must be to capture the infamous Progenitor Vampire! You’re probably the vanguard assigned by the High Priestess Isabella, right?”
“…!!”
“Then why are you crossing this dangerous forest instead of using the teleportation hub?”
Feigning deep thought, Arbelion exaggerated his gestures before snapping his fingers.
“It must be because the Avilia Kingdom closed the hub. And you, eager to earn merit, decided to take a shortcut!”
“….”
“Well? Am I right?”
“…Absurd.”
The violet-haired vampire laughed cheekily. Word for word, his deductions were spot on, and Edward’s pupils quivered slightly. His mind raced even faster now.
‘How does this damned monster know all this?’
That the vampire possessed intelligence was clear, and deducing that they were headed to the Avilia Kingdom wasn’t beyond reason.
Fine. That much was understandable.
‘…But how does a creature that has lived deep within the forest know the finer details?’
However, that they were part of the vanguard tasked with subduing the Progenitor Vampire, or that High Priestess Isabella herself had appointed Edward as the leader—how could a mere forest-dwelling monster know such things?
Their deployment was only two days ago. This information should only be known to high-ranking officials in Avilia and Serion. How on earth did this monster have such detailed knowledge?
…This wasn’t something an ordinary vampire could know.
“…How do you know that?”
Edward asked sharply, his voice laced with suspicion. The vampire scratched his head awkwardly before replying.
“Even though we’re stuck in this cursed forest, our ears are quite sharp. We’re aware of many things.”
“….”
“In fact, we might even know things you don’t.”
The vampire grinned maliciously. It was a sinister and unsettling smile, exuding the inherent evil of a monster. The eerie laughter was accompanied by a teasing voice.
“For example, about the First Hero, whose records were erased, and their connection to your leader, High Priestess Marina Bergard.”
“What…?”
The vampire’s cryptic statement startled Edward, but his attention was caught by two familiar names, darkening his expression further.
This creature could not be left alive.
Edward turned to his subordinates and issued a command.
“…We must capture that vampire alive. Once we reach Avilia, we’ll torture him and extract everything he knows.”
“Understood.”
At Edward’s order, his subordinates drew their swords in unison. The sharp, chilling sound of blades leaving their scabbards filled the air. Most monsters would have fled at this point, but the vampire, Arbelion, stood his ground without flinching.
“Oh dear, that won’t do. Reaching the Avilia Kingdom? Who said that was going to happen?”
“What nonsense are you…?”
“If you were to reach the Avilia Kingdom and aid them, our god would be most displeased.”
“God…?”
“Yes, a god. The most radiant, beautiful, and powerful being in existence—our god.”
Arbelion’s lips twisted into an unnaturally wide grin. His increasingly frenzied voice reverberated through the forest.
“You Serion believers worship the Earthbound God, Asteria. We, however, worship the Death God, Elzerba, who once made even demons, demon lords, heroes, Serion, and the ancient shamanic nations kneel before her.”
“Elzerba…?”
An unfamiliar name.
Could it be an ancient deity passed down among the vampires?
Edward, who prided himself on his vast knowledge of divine and angelic names, had never heard of “Elzerba.”
…But what Arbelion said next was enough to make Edward’s expression freeze, whether or not he knew the name.
“The one you call the Progenitor Vampire—the girl with ash-gray hair.”
“…!!”
The holy knight leader flinched in shock.
“Elzerba?”
Was that the true name of the Progenitor Vampire?
How could this monster possibly know such a thing?
It was nowhere to be found in historical records.
Was it a fabrication?
No, surely this was just the rambling of a deranged creature.
“…Do not attempt to mislead us with your lies, vampire.”
Edward glared sharply at Arbelion. The vampire widened his eyes in mock astonishment.
“Lies? Lies?! How could I dare joke about the name of our god? That would be blasphemy!”
His voice twisted further.
“Do you know how long I have awaited this moment? Eight hundred years! Eight hundred years for the moment when my goddess descends! Ahahaha! For this moment, when my Elzerba shall return!”
“…You’re insane.”
“No, I am perfectly sane! Completely sane!”
The violet-haired man who had introduced himself as the King of Vampires stared intensely at Edward and his knights with his crimson eyes.
“And because of that, I cannot allow you to pass. If flies were to swarm around my goddess, she would be inconvenienced.”
“…You’re completely mad. I didn’t know vampires could suffer from rabies.”
Edward clicked his tongue and raised his sword. Arbelion let out a faint chuckle at the sight.
“…Listen here, human.”
The atmosphere abruptly shifted. Arbelion’s voice turned icy, sending chills down their spines.
“There cannot be two gods in this world. You know this, don’t you?”
“….”
“One god is enough for this world: Elzerba.”
“What nonsensical— …?!”
Edward froze mid-sentence. Behind Arbelion, in the darkness of the forest, countless crimson eyes gleamed, numbering in the hundreds, perhaps thousands.
All of them were fixed on the holy knights.
“Could it be…?”
“Indeed. My subjects.”
Arbelion smiled and spread his arms wide, gesturing toward the dense Great Western Forest surrounding them.
“I told you, didn’t I? I am the King of Vampires. And this is my kingdom.”
“….”
“To trespass in my kingdom without permission and to harbor blasphemous thoughts toward our goddess… This is nothing short of a declaration of war.”
Slowly, he raised his hand, as if giving the command to attack.
“…Prepare yourselves, Serion.”
There must only be one god in this world.
The Earthbound God, Asteria? Worthless.
In the end, the one who stands at the pinnacle of this world, the one who must stand there…
“…is Elzerba.”
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click here -> https://discord.gg/S8c2kGVr2g
Comment