Chapter 60: 《Union》- (3)
(I)
“Ohh, Great One, your divine radiance shines upon us….”
“Please, shut up….”
It had been two days since I reluctantly added the madman, lunatic, and delusional vampire, Arbelion Lwaiar, to my ranks.
After marching nonstop, we finally reached Nevirthol’s border.
“Ohh, Great One, I shall remain silent as you command.”
“…No, just stop calling me ‘Great One’—Ugh, never mind….”
For the sixth time today, I regretted bringing Lwaiar along.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that I should have accepted the other vampires but left him behind.
“Arbelion, please, do something about that disgusting way of speaking. You’re making Master uncomfortable.”
Even Tina was exasperated as she scolded him.
But Lwaiar, smirking smugly, responded arrogantly.
“Oh, Senior Tina, are you perhaps jealous that I might grow closer to Miss Elzerba than you? If so, I must say, I cannot assure you that your place is secure, hahaha.”
“W-What did you just say?! You little—!”
Hearing Lwaiar’s remark—essentially challenging her position—Tina exploded with rage.
She looked ready to unsheath her greatsword at any moment.
I had to step in to prevent my Zombie Maid from killing him on the spot.
“Please, both of you, knock it off….”
Honestly, for Lwaiar to provoke even the usually composed Tina…
Maybe he truly was an extraordinary vampire—just not in a good way.
If I threw him into battle as bait, there wouldn’t be a single enemy who could resist taking the bait.
Hmm… I should consider using him for that later.
“Hm?”
“…?!”
“Oh-ho….”
—Suddenly, without anyone saying a word, we all simultaneously pulled the reins of our phantom horses and came to a halt.
A short distance ahead, we sensed an immense number of human soldiers—easily tens of thousands.
“The smell of iron… They’re armed soldiers.”
Lwaiar, sniffing at the air, muttered with a smile.
Just as he said, the thick scent of metal from weapons and armor filled the air, mingling with the faint traces of magic.
“So, Lilianel decided to welcome us personally?”
I let out a dry chuckle.
Arrogant wench.
She should have just cowered inside the fortress and prayed for a miracle.
Instead, she sent troops outside.
Even after a thousand years, she still had the same reckless nature.
It wasn’t even an elite strike force—just a pointless waste of troops.
Surely, even she knew that.
So why did she make such a stupid decision?
Did she see her soldiers’ lives as nothing more than insects?
I couldn’t understand her at all.
“Well, since they went out of their way to greet us, there’s no reason to avoid them.”
Her stupidity was one thing—but battle was battle.
She had sent troops first.
That left only one option for me—to trample them underfoot and advance.
“Let’s go.”
I gave the order to my undead army.
…It was time to take our final step toward Nevirthol.
***
(II)
“…Wait, that’s not Lilianel.”
Before long, we reached an open plain—and finally came face to face with the enemy force.
But once I saw who they were, I couldn’t hide my disappointment.
An estimated 35,000 to 40,000 troops.
Their weapons and armor were inconsistent, and their clothing wasn’t uniform, which meant they weren’t part of any official army.
Instead, they were likely a group of adventurers and mercenaries.
Among them, a massive flag stood tall—but instead of the royal crest of the Avilia Kingdom, it bore the image of a large gray hunting hound.
That symbol could mean only one thing…
—Stormhound, the greatest mercenary guild on the continent.
“…That cowardly wench hired mercenaries?”
So, Lilianel had paid them to fight.
And judging by their numbers, she had probably hired all of Stormhound.
For the Avilia Kingdom, a nation of immense power, to hire a mere mercenary guild on a national scale…
That meant she was in such a desperate crisis that she had to cast aside her pride.
With no better options, she must have reached for even the weakest straw by calling Stormhound.
“…What now, Lilianel?”
Not even a straw could save her now.
“….”
Stormhound had brought at most 40,000 troops—not even half the number of undead I had summoned.
And they weren’t even extraordinary warriors.
If I so much as snapped my fingers, they would be trampled into dust beneath my skeleton soldiers in under five minutes.
—And then, just as I was considering this, a man stepped forward from the Stormhound’s ranks.
A gruff-looking warrior, clad in thick iron armor, raised his massive battle axe and shouted toward me.
-“Are you the Progenitor Vampire?!”
The powerful voice of a seasoned war veteran echoed across the plains.
-“I am Arkahak, leader of Stormhound! Sealed monster, do not shed unnecessary blood—return to where you belong!”
His tone was surprisingly courteous for a mercenary leader.
Unlike the fools I had encountered before, he wasn’t trying to provoke me into a fight.
Instead, he was making a genuine appeal for me to retreat peacefully.
“…Interesting fellow.”
A small grin formed on my lips.
No taunts, no insults—just a straightforward request for withdrawal.
He must have heard of me and knew that fighting would be suicide.
But since he had already accepted payment, he had to produce some kind of result.
And this was his best solution—to ask me to leave without a fight.
I was sure that inside, he was burning with anxiety.
He knew what would happen if I refused.
“Hmm….”
As I pondered Stormhound and Arkahak, an amusing thought came to mind.
Lilianel had put all her hopes on Stormhound.
She saw them as her last line of defense against me.
But what if I turned them against her?
What if her trusted Stormhound suddenly joined me instead—marching on Nevirthol as my allies?
“…That sounds fun.”
Mercenaries were motivated by money.
And right now, I owned three cities—Ermaile, Lexia, and Lavaheart.
The wealth in those cities far exceeded whatever Lilianel had offered.
Even if she had promised one hundred million gold, I could triple or quadruple that amount.
Or better yet…
I could pay for his loyalty with his life instead.
If I hired Stormhound away from Lilianel, her despair would be delightful.
“…Tina?”
“Yes, Master.”
“Lilianel is about to be very disappointed.”
I turned to Tina, standing beside me.
“Go get that man. Bring him before me. I want to have a little chat with him.”
“Understood.”
As Tina raced forward at blinding speed, I smirked.
“Now then… let’s see how flexible this man really is.”
As I waited for Arkahak, the leader of Stormhound, I smiled.
Would he succumb to my persuasion, or would he remain loyal to his first employer until the bitter end?
Well… in the end, he wouldn’t really have a choice.
***
(III)
The Stormhound Mercenary Corps, hired by the Avilia Kingdom, had spent four days waiting in the nearby plains after receiving intelligence that the Progenitor Vampire was heading toward Nevirthol.
And now, at last, they stood face to face with her.
“That’s the Progenitor Vampire…?”
…A gray-haired girl perched atop a massive phantom horse.
Her snow-white skin and the mysterious glow in her crimson eyes gave her an appearance so majestic that for a moment, one might mistake her for a princess.
She looked nothing like the one-eyed tentacle monster from childhood fairy tales.
If not for the sharp fangs peeking from between her lips, they wouldn’t have even realized she was a vampire.
Despite her elegant and ethereal beauty, there was no denying the vast, alien magic radiating from her.
“Arkahak… It’s too cold….”
“My stomach… ugh…!!”
“….”
Even from a great distance, the dark aura emanating from behind the Progenitor Vampire was enough to overwhelm the entirety of Stormhound.
Even Iron King Arkahak himself.
‘This is… terrifying….’
He was the leader of Stormhound, the greatest mercenary corps with a thousand years of history.
A man so unyielding and resolute that people called him the Iron King.
He had never feared any enemy before.
Yet now, without even crossing blades, merely feeling the vampire’s presence sent an uncontrollable tremor through his body.
‘…Is this instinct?’
Ah, so that’s what this was.
It wasn’t rational thought—it was his body’s survival instinct screaming at him.
A warning sent directly to his brain.
Run.
Forget the contract, forget the payment—find a way to survive before it’s too late.
“Curse those Avilia bastards….”
Now he understood why they had paid one hundred million gold to hire all of Stormhound.
They had a reason.
They were too afraid to deal with this monstrosity themselves.
Yes, the contract had been signed, and Arkahak had agreed to it.
But he couldn’t shake the feeling that Avilia had just handed him a bomb to dispose of.
‘Damn it… this is a disaster.’
If this were about fighting the entire Avilia Kingdom, that would be one thing.
Stormhound could have seized cities like Ermaile and Lexia with enough effort.
That’s why Arkahak had assumed they could hold their own against the Progenitor Vampire and accepted the contract.
But he had made a grave mistake.
What Stormhound would have needed their entire army to barely accomplish…
This vampire had done for fun.
And behind her stood an undead army so vast and powerful that they could easily overtake not just the Avilia Kingdom but possibly the entire continent.
A torrent of thoughts and calculations raced through Arkahak’s mind in mere seconds.
But there was one thing he was certain of—without a doubt.
…If he made a wrong move today, this would be the day Stormhound’s thousand-year legacy came to an end.
“…Please, just leave peacefully.”
The Progenitor Vampire was a merciless monster that had massacred hundreds of thousands.
Now that they had already crossed weapons, surrendering or fleeing would be meaningless.
So, out of sheer desperation, he attempted to persuade her to retreat.
But… would she listen?
…Of course not.
If she were the kind to back down over mere words, she wouldn’t have been sealed away in the first place.
If—if this undead army were to charge at them now…
“At least let history remember us with honor.”
Perhaps a single line in the records would remain—”There was once a brave mercenary corps that stood against an unprecedented monster.”
That would have to be enough.
Now, all that remained was to wait—to see what choice the Progenitor Vampire would make.
“Commander…!”
“Hm…?”
“…Someone’s coming.”
At that moment, one of his officers, her voice tense, pointed forward with a trembling hand.
Following her gaze, Arkahak saw a single figure approaching—a zombie in a maid uniform, riding a phantom horse, galloping toward them.
“A-An attack?!”
“G-Get ready…!!”
“Commander, give the order!”
“…No. Wait.”
Arkahak swiftly raised his hand to halt his men, forcing them to stand down despite their fear.
With sharp eyes, he carefully observed the Zombie Maid’s movements and muttered under his breath.
“…She hasn’t drawn her weapon. It doesn’t seem like an attack, so let’s wait and see.”
Even though a massive greatsword was strapped to the Zombie Maid’s back, she made no move to draw it.
If Arkahak were to act rashly and attack first, he risked provoking the Progenitor Vampire.
So, he chose to wait.
“….”
“….”
At last, the Zombie Maid arrived before them.
Her skeletal horse was twice the size of an ordinary steed, forcing them to look up at her.
She frowned slightly, as if displeased, then spoke in a blunt tone toward Arkahak.
“…Mercenary Commander Arkahak. Come with me. My master wishes to speak with you.”
“T-Talk…?”
Arkahak’s eyes widened in shock.
It was already surprising that a zombie was speaking their language.
But even more shocking was the unexpected proposal she had just made.
He had assumed she came to declare war, something like, “We will launch a full-scale attack in a few minutes.”
But instead, she wanted to talk?
Dozens of thoughts rushed through Arkahak’s mind.
‘A conversation…?’
‘Do monsters even have a concept of negotiation…?’
‘For what purpose? Could they really be considering retreating? Or are they calling me over just to curse me?’
‘Why would they want to talk…?’
Typically, negotiations were only possible when both sides were equal.
But even a child could see that Stormhound was at a clear disadvantage here.
There was nothing the Progenitor Vampire could gain from talking.
For Arkahak, this made no sense.
Perhaps the offer to talk was just a trap, a pretense to lure him in and kill him easily.
Negotiation was exactly what he wanted, yet his mind was filled with unease and suspicion.
“…What happens if I refuse?”
“Hm? What happens if you refuse?”
When Arkahak finally asked in a trembling voice, the Zombie Maid let out a soft chuckle.
Then, her crimson eyes gleamed dangerously as she looked down at him.
“…Then you just die, human.”
“….”
“If you don’t want your head cut off, come quietly.”
…As expected, he never had a choice.
***
(IV)
“…I brought him, Master.”
“….”
And so, Arkahak, drenched in cold sweat, found himself standing before the Progenitor Vampire.
As he got closer to her, the fragrant scent of roses mixed with the thick stench of magic, numbing his senses.
His heart pounded as if it were about to burst, and he couldn’t calm himself.
His mind was a storm of thoughts, and he felt as if he might collapse at any moment.
“Are you Arkahak?”
“Y-Yes….”
A man with violet hair, standing to the left of the Progenitor Vampire, spoke to him.
Judging by his aura and the fangs peeking from his lips, he was also a powerful vampire.
Instinctively, Arkahak lowered his head in deference.
“…How insolent.”
“Excuse me…?”
The vampire’s expression suddenly contorted in displeasure, leaving Arkahak bewildered.
Without hesitation, the vampire raised his right hand and struck downward with force.
“Ugh…!!”
In an instant, the head of Arkahak’s horse was severed.
The headless corpse collapsed, and Arkahak tumbled to the ground, landing with a heavy thud.
“Kh…!”
The impact from the fall sent a jolt of pain through his body, making him groan.
Only then did the violet-haired vampire look satisfied.
“…How dare you remain seated while standing before Her Eminence? Stay on your knees, where you belong.”
“Ugh….”
For Arkahak, known as the Iron King, this was an unbearable humiliation.
Yet there was nothing he could do.
Standing before him was the Progenitor Vampire.
And he was in the heart of enemy territory.
One wrong word, and his head would be next.
“I… I apologize….”
Though humiliating, Arkahak obeyed.
He knelt and pressed his forehead to the ground.
But the greatest humiliation of all wasn’t the act itself.
It was the fact that his first emotion wasn’t rage, but relief—relief that his submission had spared his life.
“…Fine.”
Finally, the Progenitor Vampire spoke.
Her voice was as clear as the morning dew—yet at the same time, it sent chills down his spine.
When he glanced up, her ruby-red eyes were gazing down at him with an intense focus.
“I don’t like beating around the bush, so I’ll get straight to the point.”
A voice that was captivating yet dangerous.
Sweet as honey, yet hiding venomous thorns—a voice as deadly as a viper’s.
It was almost as if her voice had a hypnotic effect.
Arkahak felt his consciousness waver, as if his soul were being drawn from his body.
Unconsciously, he focused all his attention on her every word.
“…You took a contract from Lilianel, right? The Avilia Kingdom hired you to hunt me down.”
“Y-Yes, that’s correct.”
Arkahak immediately answered her question.
Hearing this, the Progenitor Vampire let out a chuckle, as if she had expected this all along.
“Of course.”
“….”
“Then… let me give you a new contract.”
“W-What? A… contract?”
Arkahak’s body tensed at her unexpected words.
The Progenitor Vampire tucked a strand of ash-gray hair behind her ear and gave a mischievous smile.
“What’s wrong? You’re mercenaries, aren’t you? Or are you saying you’re going to refuse my offer?”
“I-It’s not that…”
“What do you mean, ‘it’s not that’? Do you have something to feel guilty about?”
“N-No, it’s just….”
“…Hmm.”
Seeing him too flustered to answer properly, the Progenitor Vampire gracefully dismounted from her phantom steed.
“You know, I think you might be misunderstanding something here.”
Then, she slowly, ever so elegantly, walked toward him as he trembled in fear.
She leaned in, bringing her crimson lips close to Arkahak’s ear.
And then, in an unbelievably cold and chilling voice, she whispered:
“…You don’t have the right to say ‘no.’ You don’t even have the right to hesitate. If you don’t want to die, shut up and do as I say.”
“…!!”
At that moment, Arkahak’s mind froze completely.
The threat, the dense magic, the scent of roses, and the killing intent all blended together in her voice.
Cold sweat poured down his forehead like a waterfall, soaking his face.
His hands and feet turned pale, and his whole body stiffened.
It was as if he was standing before something beyond comprehension, something so overwhelming that even breathing became difficult.
What kind of being had he gotten himself involved with?
…He couldn’t think clearly anymore.
“I-I understand. I’ll do as you command.”
“…Good.”
The Progenitor Vampire finally seemed satisfied, her voice carrying a hint of amusement.
“Then take your mercenary corps and turn around—attack Nevirthol. Kill everyone and capture Prime Minister Lilianel.”
“Nevirthol….”
“That’s right, Nevirthol. Your payment is your life. Sounds fair, doesn’t it?”
“….”
Arkahak’s pupils dilated.
Betray the Avilia Kingdom and attack Nevirthol?
He was being ordered to turn against his own employers, to become a traitor to humanity itself.
Even if they were mercenaries, how could they accept such a morally abhorrent request?
How could they possibly take a monster’s commission?
The last remnants of his principles screamed at him to refuse, but…
“…I-I understand.”
His survival instinct overpowered everything else.
“I-I will immediately turn my troops around and attack Nevirthol. Leave it to me.”
…His voice escaped before he could even think.
The Iron King of Stormhound, Arkahak, lowered his head at the Progenitor Vampire’s feet.
And in that moment, he swore loyalty—not as a mercenary commander, but as her obedient dog.
“Of course you will. That’s the right choice.”
The Progenitor Vampire smiled in satisfaction.
At that moment, the legendary Stormhound, which had ruled the continent for a thousand years, had fallen into nothing more than a leashed mutt.
***
(V)
“….”
A thousand years had passed.
Sealed in the depths of a labyrinth, betrayed for a false cause, by the one I trusted the most.
And for all those countless years, I swore.
I swore over and over again.
To kill the first hero, Vellius Varius, the fool who orchestrated everything with his twisted desires.
To wipe out the Serion Saintess, along with her damned religion, for binding me with the accursed Chains of the Goddess.
To eradicate the Warlord of Tenma and his nation, for completing my seal with their pathetic charms.
And…
“Lilianel.”
You, the one I trusted the most.
The one I called my friend, who murdered the one closest to us over a foolish love, then struck me down in my final moment of hope.
The one I hate more than anyone in this world.
I swore that if I ever broke free, you would be the first I sought out.
The Elf, Lilianel Greenfield.
I will return everything to you.
…And now, the time has come to fulfill my vow from a thousand years ago.
“Master, we’re at Nevirthol.”
“…Yeah.”
“We’ve finally arrived.”
“That’s right.”
The strongest labyrinth-conquering force in the kingdom—crushed.
The great city of Ermaile—trampled.
The royal capital, Lexia—fallen.
The mining city, Lavaheart—razed.
The greatest of the hero’s allies—defeated.
I have united the most powerful vampires under Arbelion Lwaiar.
I have ensnared Stormhound, your last glimmer of hope.
Who do you still have left by your side, Lilianel?
The Hero? Serion?
How long do you think your broken wings can protect you?
Do you really believe the tall walls of Nevirthol can hide you forever?
Do you think they can contain my hatred?
Soon—perhaps in just a few hours—I’ll finally stand before you.
I hope you’re smiling when we meet.
Because I want to see your expression twist in despair.
I want to watch as everything crumbles around you.
“…Now then,”
Let’s bring an end to this thousand-year story.
“…Turn Nevirthol into hell.”
And paint the finale with your tears of blood.
—
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