Chapter 116. To the East (1)
“The Duke himself went to request cooperation from the vassals, so the operation will proceed smoothly.”
On the day I left the Archduchy.
Princess of Blood Hebrun spoke as she saw off on the road.
“As you said, I will leave just enough forces so that a battle will break out, not too forced, but also not too intense.”
“Right, it’s better to have plenty than too little. Our artillery has enough firepower, so just make sure it doesn’t look like a fixed Go-Stop ga… no, a fixed poker ga.”
“I will keep that in mind. We will prepare in two cities and five major fortresses, in the order we discussed beforehand.”
Hebrun nodded.
Obtaining territory is no small matter.
I was getting it for a song because I had suddenly beco the Emperor of the ancient empire, but I couldn't just take it for free.
Under the surface, it was as good as signing a non-aggression, no, a vassalage contract, but on the surface, we were hostile nations.
I am a loyal war hero of the Empire who has repeatedly distinguished himself in the civil war and the battle against the beastn.
They are rebels who seceded three hundred years ago.
‘If I acquire the territory without any resistance, strange rumors will surely spread… so a little bit of theater is necessary.’
A battle fierce enough not to look suspicious, but at the sa ti, at a level that wouldn't cause significant damage to our forces.
The reason I stayed in the Vampire Archduchy for three days was to discuss that ‘appropriate level.’
As a result, discussions on what forces to leave in what numbers at key locations like cities and fortresses were concluded, and the Duke left Karnhorst to speak to the vassals ruling those areas.
As he had regained his power and control over the Bloodline, he could have just sent an envoy, but delivering such an order in person was a way of showing consideration for his fellow vassals.
‘Duke Yulister, he’s more human than I thought.’
Of course, even in the ga, he wasn't a completely heartless ruler.
In the first place, due to the [Bloodline] trait, it was structurally impossible for the vampires under him to betray him, so there were few opportunities to look closely at his character.
Anyway, I offer my sincere condolences in advance to the undead who will be swept away by the firepower of my overwhelming artillery, the fourth power symbolizing the Empire.
‘Is it still condolences if they’re already dead?’
In any case.
While I was having useless thoughts, we soon arrived at a half-day’s distance from the border.
Hebrun stopped and motioned for the vampires accompanying her to fall back.
“All of you, go back. The borders of Wolfskrig are heavily guarded. From here, I will personally escort him.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The vampires returned.
This wasn't discussed beforehand, so what could it be?
Soon, when only the two of us remained, she let out a small sigh.
“The Bloodline.”
“Hmm?”
“Did you create a new Bloodline?”
It seed she had so lingering questions.
It was certainly a question that couldn't be asked in front of others.
The [Bloodline] is the core technology of the Vampire Archduchy.
It was practically the only condition that allowed the Duke’s rule to be maintained.
‘Did she feel that way because of the Lesser Vampire Necromancer I command through [Warrior’s Binding]?’
He had also been openly accompanying when we entered Karnhorst.
To the other vampires, he must have seed like so kind of anomaly, a mber of their own kind yet not belonging to the sa [Bloodline].
The Princess of Blood seed to be taking it a step further, worrying that I might have created the new [Bloodline] that Count Calvenia had dread of.
I just shrugged my shoulders without answering.
Did she sense so anxiety from that action?
“You’re not planning to do anything to my father, are you?”
She asked a weak question, unlike her usual self.
I let out a smirk without realizing it.
“Kihit, why would I bother a subordinate who listens well?”
“…Right. Thank you.”
“Kihihi… Just keep doing what you’re doing.”
“By the way, how long are you going to keep up that perverted laugh? You said it was to hide your identity, right?”
I had made that excuse.
That I had been living as a human necromancer nad Tribus to avoid revealing my identity as the Emperor of Lur.
“…It seems to have beco a habit.”
“Ahaha, what’s that supposed to an.”
Hebrun, who had laughed brightly, walked ahead.
It was about a half-day’s journey to the border of my territory.
That ant we were slowly entering the patrol range of the rangers.
However, today was an exception.
My clone had co out with Olif under the pretext of personally inspecting the borders of the territory.
Olif, my unparalleled loyal subject, was to guard with the knight order, and the rangers were ordered to take a half-day’s rest as a sign of appreciation for their hard work.
I had brought bread, at, fruit, and so alcohol and snacks, so they would probably rest and have a party on their own.
During that ti, my clone would patrol beyond the border with the knight order.
That would be the mont I join them.
Of course, a little theatrical event would be necessary here as well.
The Princess of Blood had co along for that event.
“Did you know? The necromancy we originally pursued was different from what it is now.”
Had she relaxed a little?
Hebrun opened her mouth with a languid voice.
A fruit she kicked with her foot bounced between the tree roots.
Let's see.
There was still ti.
There was about an hour left before rendezvousing with the clone.
That ant I still had to kill so ti until the prepared ‘event.’
“Kihit, I wonder?”
“This might be rude to Your Majesty, but originally, my father and I had no intention of building a large-scale necromantic nation like this.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, immortality. A powerful body. Well, it’s not that I wasn't drawn to that. But….”
Hebrun slowly recounted the old story.
How the Vampire Archduchy was born three hundred years ago.
One day, a magician contacted the Vampire Duke.
After gaining the Duke’s trust over a long period, the magician gave him the serum and the knowledge of necromancy, telling him to use them well.
The Duke, who was a devout follower of the Luark Church, got angry and chased the magician away, but for so reason, he secretly kept the serum and the grimoire of necromancy.
“I wanted to save the souls.”
That was the reason Hebrun gave.
Sothing that wasn't in the ga's lore.
“There are many souls wandering the nine heavens in this world. Souls who couldn't go to the afterlife, but couldn't remain in this world either, filled with resentnt.”
“Right. Isn’t necromancy about using those souls?”
“That’s right. At first, I wanted to soothe their resentnt.”
“Soothe?”
What was this about now?
The essence of necromancy should be to use souls and bodies like slaves.
“Funny, isn’t it? But I’m serious. The Luark Church even cooperated with us.”
“The Imperial Church? Really?”
“At funerals, we would check if they had gone to heaven safely or were trapped wandering the nine heavens. If it was the latter, we would temporarily confine the soul in a dead body with a priest.”
“To resolve their lingering regrets?”
“Yes, usually they have sothing they want to say. Like not being able to tell their family they loved them at the end, or not being able to touch their child’s face one last ti.”
Hebrun’s red lips ford a bitter smile.
“…Just like my mother did.”
I have seen interviews with people who had near-death experiences.
People who have had experiences close to death have different experiences depending on their religion or outlook on life, but there was one thing they all said in common.
The regrets they had at what they thought was their last mont were surprisingly trivial things.
Their regret was not being able to say ‘I love you’ to their sons and daughters, or not being able to express their gratitude to their spouse one last ti.
“But the situation in the Empire at the ti was not good. The previous emperor died young, a five-year-old child beca emperor, and divisions arose among the nobles, leading to talks of civil war.”
“So to quell the chaos…”
“That’s right. We beca the scapegoats. A plague happened to be sweeping through the territory at the ti, and the people were dying in droves. The Luark Church, with whom we had been on friendly terms, declared us heretics.”
The bitter smile beca a little more distinct.
It was an expression where only the shadows of mories and emotions lingered after hundreds of years.
Anyway, this was a story that wasn't in the lore I knew.
The backstory in the ga was only covered in fragnts.
There was no way to know imdiately if it was true or false, but….
“The reason I joined the Church was also to protect my father. It’s not because I liked the look of those Church bastards.”
“Kihihi….”
“Honestly, you couldn’t say His Majesty had a good personality, right?”
…Seeing her say that, it probably wasn't a lie.
It was a certified fact that Tribus was a one-of-a-kind psychopathic piece of human trash.
“I’ve talked too much about useless things. He is our ancestor. Just think of it as how we grandchildren have lived.”
“Know one thing. The legion commanders and the fake emperor will not see you as descendants.”
“Huh?”
“Because I didn't either.”
I should repay knowledge with knowledge.
I told her a little bit of the ‘lore’.
The fact that the current Lur sees vampires as ‘mongrels’ and the ‘bloodline of traitors.’
The story that the being who gave the Vampire Duke the serum and necromancy was a descendant of the 3rd Legion Commander, who was the very first to betray the Emperor of Lur.
“Then His Majesty was betrayed twice…? Once by the 3rd Legion Commander, and again by the other legion commanders?”
“That’s how it would be.”
In fact, it was only once.
No, he was never even betrayed in the first place.
‘Hah, they say true swindlers get lost in their roles.’
‘Tick-tock-tock….’
‘Kkiiing?’
Let’s ignore the useless noise as always.
It was about ti.
The vision of ‘allies’ began to be added to the edge of the battlefield map in my head.
My clone body, Olif, and the Naless Knights had entered the range of [Battlefield-Overlooking Gaze].
“They’re here.”
“Kihit.”
“Then I’ll be heading back. I just need to cast the spell and leave, right?”
“Yes, I need a commotion to sneak back among them.”
Hebrun nodded.
She stretched her hand to the sky.
From her thin, pale fingers, blood-red mana flickered like a thread.
And.
Shwaaaaaa-
The sky was dyed crimson.
Pitter-patter-patter……!
A red rain begins to fall.
The sll of blood surrounds everything.
A blood-red wheel, inscribed with ominous characters, begins to turn with a clank in the sky.
Fwoosh-!
Hebrun had disappeared, but the spell continued.
It was the ability of her specialty and unique trait, [Decree of Confird Calamity].
An ability close to a miracle where, once a spell is cast, it continues as if alive, freely destroying the surroundings according to the will she left behind.
It was the reason she was powerful even without a legion.
Of course.
[The False Star’s clone deploys [Devouring Pit of Fire].]
I too had now beco a spellcaster of comparable skill.
[The False Star’s clone deploys [Purple Hellfire].]
[The False Star’s clone deploys [Siollus' Mad Fire].]
[The False Star’s clone deploys [Explosion].]
[The False Star’s clone deploys [Naksatala's Mad Fire].]
Flas embroidered the sky on the other side.
My clone body, which had equal capabilities to except for the sacred relics, poured out spells with all its might.
The blue sky of the viscounty was dyed red with flas and drops of blood.
Spells ranging from mid-tier to high-tier collided in the sky.
Kwagwagwagwa……!!!!
The next morning, the following news would be delivered to the viscounty.
‘Viscount Wolfskrig, out on patrol, defended the territory after a battle with a powerful vampire spellcaster who was trying to invade the viscounty's border.’
At the right mont, I dispelled the clone body and took up my staff and sword as ‘Viscount Ash Wolfskrig.’
Before long, Olif and the knight order ca running breathlessly and attended to .
“Viscount! Viscount…!”
Right.
It was ti to go ho.
To the east.
It was ti to leave for the land of orcs and dwarves.
* * *
[[Warrior’s Insight] is deployed.]
[Skills acquired.]
[Echoing Ghostly Wail (Level 6)]
[Hebrun’s Blood-Red Wheel (Level 7)]
[Blood Rain Storm (Level 7)]
[Blood Gargoyle (Level 6)]
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