Book 18 Chapter 24
Operation: Infiltration of the Vampire Society,
To deceive the enemy, you must first deceive your allies (2)
Excluding the demons, the vampire clan, which has the smallest population among the six great demon clans, is organized into family units with the Five Great Star Families (五大星家) as the main pillars.
Therefore, they are the most sensitive to hierarchy among the demon clans, and each family has served the patriarchs of the Five Great Star Families, whom they serve as feudal lords and vassals, as their ‘Blood Masters’.
Gijas, who was captured and then brutally killed after the defeat, was a servant of one of the Five Great Star Families, the Valfar family.
The current head of the Valfar family is a female vampire named Repatra, who, at a staggering 163 years old, was one of the oldest among the vampires.
Of course, for vampires who received the blessing of time from the ‘Lord of Time’ at the time of their corruption, aging occurs slowly, so outwardly there is little difference from a young woman.
“You’ve arrived, Gijas.”
The Valfar family convened all subordinate families, making the human city of <Sijyu>, which they had occupied during their northward advance, their base.
This was to confirm the number of casualties and then accurately count the total deployable forces.
Gijas was a vampire of a relatively high rank, so he had the honor of having his name called directly by the ‘Blood Master’.
“……”
But what insolence!
If the ‘Blood Master’ had personally called his name, he should have stepped forward and performed the ‘courtly etiquette’ of kneeling on one knee…!
But Gijas just stood there!
‘Endure, I must endure, I must completely suppress my killing intent.’
Because seeing a vampire makes hostility surge.
Therefore, he ended up looking at the expensive decorations on the ceiling and thinking, ‘How much would that be worth if I took it?’
From the vampires’ perspective, the insolence didn’t end there!
“Hoo hoo hoo……”
And the heir of the family, standing behind him, dared to laugh arrogantly and disrespectfully in front of the ‘Blood Master’, didn’t he?
As Repatra’s eyebrow twitched, the vampires fell silent in fear. It was a silence so profound that one couldn’t even swallow dry saliva.
Finally, Repatra opened her mouth.
“To entrust such an important mission to my father and not even come to retrieve him yourself… that must be the meaning behind your laugh. Yes, I made a mistake. I offer my sincerest apologies.”
What grace this was!
The Blood Master Repatra, on the contrary, was blaming herself for her mistake and trying to mercifully let it pass!
However, the boy’s sly laugh did not stop.
‘Judging by the atmosphere, it’s time to use what I learned from Freede.’
If there’s one distinctive feature of the vampires’ language, it’s its elegant pronunciation!
Lin had focused on memorizing the incantations that he thought were quite cool among those chanted by the vampires!
“En talkas Bludy, Ber Gyun Ralor.”
Its meaning is, ‘As the stars burn red, my mission begins!’ Repatra gasped in admiration!
“Are you asking if it makes sense for us to leisurely gather like this, putting aside our mission, in a tense situation where the hero’s party has been assembled? Interesting. You have a truly spirited son at that age, Gijas.”
Since Repatra was so impressed, the other vampires applauded, whether genuinely or feigned!
‘If they’re clapping, doesn’t that mean things are generally going well?’
Ryuminique, disguised as Gijas, didn’t quite understand what was going on, so he figured he should just laugh like Lin, and tried to do the same.
“Hmph……”
Oh! The vampires exclaimed in admiration at that laugh!
Among the vampires, those from noble families could convey numerous meanings with just a single laugh!
Vampires who, even after reaching adulthood, cannot convey meaning through laughter are said to be considered inferior, subjected to social ostracism, and ultimately driven to suicide.
“To be so mature. Good. You may be deployed to the battlefield immediately. I will perform a brief coming-of-age ceremony, then we’ll get to the main point. Come forward, let us begin the Blood Pact.”
Freede’s face, who understood the context of this ancient language conversation more clearly than anyone else through the receiver, stiffened.
[No, absolutely not! You must stop that! Ryuminique, repeat exactly what I tell you now to stop it!]
The Blood Pact!
It is the act of receiving and drinking the Blood Master’s blood!
This act signifies becoming a ‘Blood-Bound Being’, a vow of eternal blessing sworn by vampires to their superiors.
What if a human were to do that?
Naturally, they would fall into a state of Blood Frenzy.
If one falls into Blood Frenzy, even Freede would have no way to save them!
[Say exactly this! Quickly!]
Ryuminique’s lamentable brain couldn’t accurately convey the words, "My son is still far too unprepared to perform that ritual."
Ryuminique stammered.
As everyone’s attention focused on that sound, Ryuminique, who had already forgotten what he heard from Freede, ended up giving a weak smile.
“Hmph……”
The vampires gasped in admiration again!
To them, that laugh sounded like gratitude and praise for the ‘Blood Master’ who had allowed their son to undergo the coming-of-age ceremony so quickly.
“Come now.”
In that urgent situation, Lin was immersed in a state of extreme excitement.
‘This vampire, he’s incredibly strong?’
Is there anyone stronger than him? They said it was an infiltration, but is the mission over now? Is it enough to just take care of this guy here?
‘No, is there more delicious prey? Then should I wait?’
Freede took a deep breath for 3 seconds, organizing both her thoughts and her plan. And urgently shouted.
[This won’t do, Rista! We’re switching to ‘Operation Chaos’! We’ll have to go a slightly roundabout way!]
At that moment, the window, elegantly renovated by the Blood Thralls, shattered into pieces, and ‘light’ appeared!
It was the light of the holy sword.
The last hero of this era, Rista Altar Shirping, elegantly landed, cutting down two minor vampires with that light in one swift stroke!
“Huh? The hero? Why?”
The vampires were momentarily flustered!
“Gah!”
The third vampire’s neck was severed! A master!
“Gah!”
The hearts of the fourth and fifth vampires, who were trying to cast their dark arts, were crushed! A mad master!
The body of a vampire who was nodding off and doing nothing was split in two with a single strike!
“Gah!”
A utterly mad master!
“Corrupted blood kin, the great sins you have committed until now can only be paid for with death.”
Rista, who was instantly slaughtering the lower-ranking vampires surrounding him with Shirping’s brilliant blade, quickly glanced at Lin.
‘Lin, now’s your chance! Step back to make the coming-of-age ceremony fizzle out!’
But Lin!
This truly insane lunatic!
For a moment, he seemed to wear a bewildered expression, but the next moment, he began to let out a monstrous roar of cold, dark fury!
“Kiyaaaaaaaaak!”
It was a rage that could not be put into words! A fury that dared not be woven into language!
‘Again, again? You’ve come to interrupt me again? Did you only feel satisfied after taking everything like this!’
Until now, I’ve been helplessly robbed of my prey, but today, I must definitively convey [my will].
“!!!”
The ice magic Lin used erupted crimson like blood, just like a vampire’s dark arts, due to the disguise equipment.
‘Lin? Why?!’
Rista, batting it away with Shirping, was bewildered!
‘No, surely this isn’t Lin’s brilliant plan too?!’
Has his identity been exposed like this?
No! That’s not it!
The hand gestures vampires use when casting dark arts and the Bargante-type, that is, the method of using beast-kin magic, bear a strange resemblance!
‘Oh, truly, the bloodline of Lord Gijas!’
‘How can such powerful dark arts be cast so quickly!’
The vampires exclaimed in sincere admiration!
The ‘Blood Master’, Repatra’s eyes also trembled.
‘This one, is he trying to protect me without caring for his own life? Against the hero, who can be called our demon clan’s natural enemy?’
Such loyalty, truly!
The greatest loyalty that Repatra cherished most was right before her eyes!
For the first time in a very long time, Repatra stepped forward towards the young vampire, smiling with genuine joy that welled up from within.
“Stand back, young vampire. Your life has been far too short to hasten your death.”
No sooner had she spoken than a huge hole was pierced through Repatra’s chest!
What treachery!
The young vampire’s dark arts had pierced the ‘Blood Master’s’ chest!
“Kiyaaaaa!”
For the completely deranged Lin, had the distinction between friend and foe also disappeared?!
“M-master…!”
“That rogue dares…!”
“No, everyone, stop…!”
It was Repatra herself who restrained the enraged vampires.
The pale baroness, who had amplified her abyssal power severalfold with the [Flesh of the King], and who had just been betrayed by her own subordinate!
At that moment, Repatra transformed her body into a countless swarm of bats, taking no damage whatsoever.
Instead, she even gently placed her hand on Lin’s head.
“I’ve heard of it. That the hero’s companion, the oracle, can disorient friend and foe with her illusions. That cunning one must be somewhere now, deceiving us to support the hero. This one here is completely innocent.”
“M-master…!”
“It is truly arrogant to guarantee certain victory against such a formidable foe, young vampire, so I shall give you your first command. Go to <Orwardan>! There, meet ‘Him’ and receive the next revelation! Survive!”
Freede smiled brightly again, took the receiver out of her ear, and placed it on the table.
[Ooh-hoo-hoo……]
And Nils, throwing himself forward, barely restrained her as she tried to slam her fists down!
[This crazy oracle, how many times do I have to explain how precious this artifact is?!]
[Let go, let go! The world is deceiving me right now! It’s making a fool of me! I have to quickly put an end to this farce of nothing but deceit!]