#198
The Talia Kingdom had now entered the rule of the vampire clan alliance, the “Hybrid.”
Blood donation stations established everywhere were all back in normal operation, and the confusion among the populace was gradually calming down.
In fact, more and more people were praising the new regime, saying life had become better than before, so it could be said that everything was flowing smoothly.
“…This is the summary of the incidents that took place domestically this week.”
But that didn’t mean all the kingdom’s problems were solved.
There were still citizen instigations from reactionaries, terror attempts targeting social infrastructure and blood donation stations, and rebellion plots popping up whenever they felt like it.
While it was said that they caught every single one that got caught in their information web, their methods were becoming increasingly cunning, and it was all rather bothersome.
‘As if I didn’t have enough to do already.’
Heinz II, quietly listening to the report in the king’s office, frowned and tilted his head.
Hmm, “Is it the three surrounding kingdoms behind this?”
“Indeed. However, they are destroying all evidence, so we haven’t been able to catch anything concrete. I apologize, High Lord.”
At his casual remark, Mulo Brokoslac, who oversaw all domestic and foreign information, bowed deeply, looking contrite.
Heinz nodded casually and briefly scanned through the detailed reports.
‘Still, it’s much less than it was at the start. Well, considering how many we’ve taken down, those sneaky bastards must be feeling a bit desperate.’
No matter how you looked at it, the Hybrid’s control over the Talia Kingdom was beyond imagination.
With the vampires, who possessed abilities far superior to humans, spread throughout the nation and absolutely loyal to their ruler, betrayal or coercion was out of the question.
Attempts to use ordinary citizens to stir up trouble were few, and every time they tried, it ended in disaster, so anyone willing to cooperate had all but dried up.
‘The chaos caused by foreign intervention is just a bit prolonged; it won’t last long.’
He could fully understand their position.
No matter how much the Holy Church Order and the saint embraced them, it was only natural to be anxious when vampires, long seen as enemies, had consumed neighboring countries.
Even now, the Hybrids were still gathering their kind from across the entire continent, after all.
They must have wanted to buy time to devise a countermeasure, even if it meant causing disruptions.
‘When you think about it, their underworld is gradually being invaded, so their concerns aren’t entirely unfounded.’
Coldly scoffing, Heinz dropped the report he had been holding.
For now, he had to stay quiet because of prying eyes, but he had no intention of enduring this forever.
‘First, I need to start expanding my influence in the shadows.’
If he was going to do it, he might as well do it properly.
After all, the covert power play in the darkness was the vampires’ specialty, perfected over many long years.
“Well, that being said…”
He paused for a moment, picked up another document next to the report he had dropped, and spoke again.
“This information… did it just come in?”
“Yes, that’s correct. In fact, it could be said to be the core of this report. Immediately after hearing the news, realizing the gravity of the situation, we quickly gathered and organized the latest data.”
Mulo replied confidently and began the briefing.
“Reports are coming in that gigantic white giants are appearing all across the continent. Their size easily surpasses that of ordinary castle walls, and their strength and regeneration…”
All of it was information Heinz already knew.
However, the subsequent details included things he hadn’t been aware of—
“There have been three observed entities so far. Two have been subdued. One was promptly dealt with by the special task force led by Saint Heinrich from the Resk Kingdom…”
So, there was more than one giant that had appeared in this world.
“The other was rampaging in the western border region of the Azerion Empire and was killed by a high-ranking officer including the legion commander. The damage to the military from the sudden chaos was so severe that the entire legion, which was blocking off monsters from the west, nearly faltered.”
Having faced that monster personally, he definitely understood how troublesome it was to deal with it.
Yet, another had already been hunted down by others; it seemed their capabilities weren’t to be underestimated.
‘Well, as expected of the Empire. It seems they managed to take it down despite suffering significant losses.’
However, there was one glaring difference between the giant faced by Heinrich and the one dealt with elsewhere.
“… It is said that just breathing caused corrosion around it?”
“Yes, indeed. It reportedly exhaled toxic gas through a singularly clear nostril. Approaching it was quite the harrowing experience.”
But the survivors from the unit that first discovered the giant testified that it lacked such abilities at the beginning.
That meant there could only be one conclusion.
‘… As feared, it must have grown stronger by accumulating evil deeds.’
It was true that the white giant felt underwhelming compared to its overwhelming presence.
Of course, it was overwhelming in its own right, but its abilities were excessively focused on survivability alone.
‘Indeed, that cursed seal was unsettling. So it must be sealing its powers to come out of the abyss, then unsealing them one by one by gathering evil deeds on the surface.’
With the new information combined with Hans’s “Heart of the Undying” and “Forbidden Knowledge,” he could quickly assess the situation.
Though it was regrettable that he still couldn’t ascertain the identity of the white giant, it was something he could gradually find out later.
“And the one that has not been hunted…”
While Heinz was continuing his thoughts, Mulo’s words kept going.
“It has appeared in the territory of the Rohan Principality, causing lethal damage to the defense forces. It then fled after fighting the elite forces of the Holy Church Order, including Cardinal Pirey, who arrived too late.”
In that chaos, it used the monsters that poured out from the mountains to threaten the survivors of the defense forces, causing the Church’s group to lose track of the giant.
‘… Monsters and giants are undoubtedly both hosts of madness. And it possesses the intelligence to utilize that.’
Amidst the vexing situation, Heinz closed his eyes tightly and fell into thought.
There were already three giants out and about, and one had even managed to escape.
Would that fleeing one become a significant obstacle later on?
Plus, there was no guarantee that the appearance of the giants would end here.
If creatures like them managed to flee again…
“It is said that the fleeing giant has hidden somewhere in the Northern Mountain Range, but due to the location, we couldn’t ascertain its subsequent movements.”
Hearing Mulo’s final remark, Heinz opened his eyes and looked at him.
Hmm? If it was in the Northern Mountain Range near the Rohan Principality…
But at that moment.
Kwang—!
A figure burst through the office door triumphantly.
“Heinz! I’m back!”
It was Briki, another Pureblood of the Hybrid.
“Oh, Mulo is here too? Lord… I mean, High Lord? The girl has returned! Hoo hoo—”
Realizing Mulo was there, she acted oblivious and finally decided to show some respect.
Given her abilities, she should have been able to gauge who was inside prior, but having seen her act like this so often, it was easy to overlook.
‘Above all, she is a venerable senior. Plus, an excellent source of labor.’
Also, Mulo used to be her immediate subordinate, so it was understandable to some extent.
“… High Lord? My mood suddenly worsened again. Was it like this last time too, I wonder?”
“It’s probably because you’re low on blood. I’ll let you know beforehand—pick a few from the holding cell. But more importantly, what’s the matter?”
As Briki frowned and stared at him sharply, Heinz remained nonchalant and shifted the topic.
She had no choice but to squabble a bit before revealing that the preparations to courteously invite the vampire clans located in the Azerion Empire were finally complete.
While it was impossible to find those who were hiding completely, any moderately sized forces would inevitably come to light, so the numbers missed wouldn’t be too many.
“The North is in chaos, so I don’t think any clans will remain there, and the South where the barbarians are is quite tricky for us, so… now the only ones left are the ones in the Eastern Zephia Republic?”
Hmm, “Is that so?”
In any case, this summarized the situation.
From the situation inside the Talia Kingdom to the variable of the white giants, and finally, the last barrier of the vampire alliance in the east, the Obaifo clan.
‘It seems like I need to step up further to actively intervene in this situation.’
Soon, the second continental summit would take place.
Naturally, the Talia Kingdom was also officially invited.
“Briki, Mulo.”
Hmm~?
“Yes, what is it? High Lord.”
Originally, he had planned to send Duke Bright as a representative, but having thought it over, this upcoming meeting would be the first international event since the ‘New Talia Kingdom’ system set by the Hybrids.
Sending a representative for this situation would look rather poor.
“I will personally participate in this continental summit. You two should prepare accordingly.”
“… Yes! We will ensure everything is ready, High Lord.”
“Ugh, do I really have to go too? Someone should stay and guard the base, right?”
Having just returned from her errands, it seemed Briki was quite fatigued as she groaned.
Yet, since her argument wasn’t incorrect either, Heinz nodded in agreement.
“… Alright, Briki. You will remain here.”
“Hoo hoo— I understand! Please leave this place to me while you’re away, High Lord!”
Seeing her delighted at the thought of finally being able to relax, he felt an eagerness to dump a mountain of tasks on her before he left.
‘It’s about time to make Heinz’s name known. A warning and demonstration to the Obaifo as well.’
Thus, unexpectedly, a certain significant figure joined the second continental summit.
The ruler of the new Talia Kingdom.
The High Lord of the Auterica Vampire Clan Union.
The Great Pureblood Vampire.
The Blood King, Heinz Hybrid II.
*
Deep in the Northern Mountain Range.
A high and rugged mountainous area surrounded by ominous energy year-round.
Kururung—! Kwang!
There, amidst the loud rumbling—
[———!]
A weighty sound resonated as if a whale was wailing.
Yet, this intense noise didn’t last long.
This should come as no surprise, considering the presence currently in that space—
[The Master has commanded to exterminate and turn all approaching monsters in the vicinity into Undead.]
Death Knight Lord Karam with—
[You dare—! Are you attempting to invade my lord’s sanctuary with those filthy feet—! I shall engrain fear into you—!]
Dread Phantom Pagos.
[…This meat isn’t tasty… ]
and including the Ghoul Lord Fiona—
Along with a whole bunch of newly joined high-ranking Undead that weren’t the typically weak Death Knights but rather the traditional combat-oriented black magic users like the Archlich Kellypha and the Doom Knight Drexler, who stood over three meters tall in full armor…
Due to this fact, the gigantic white giant that confidently stepped into the realm of the Undying could hardly resist and soon ended up with its entire body hacked into pieces, dragging its head along.
Of course, the corrosive gas seeping from its nostril was just a faint scent to those present.
[Your hard work is appreciated… This is yet another monster I have not seen before… ]
[It was no trouble at all, Olivia. However, this one’s madness and qualities do not seem to be those of an ordinary monster, so we’ve brought it along for now. What should we do with it?]
[Hmm… It’s questionable whether it can become Undead, but… It would certainly be wise to call in Dwell to ask… ]
Just then, while Karam and Olivia were discussing, a small sound like something snapping caught their attention.
The source of the sound was at the mouth of the white giant, where only its head remained.
The black wire that had been sewing its mouth shut was slowly disintegrating and disappearing, gradually forcing its mouth open.
[Hmm? Is there perhaps another move left? How bothersome.]
Slither—
Karam stepped forward, drawing his large two-handed sword while igniting it with black flames of dark magic.
This was the same for several of the executives gazing at the giant’s head.
Yet, once all the seals around the giant’s mouth were finally released, it did not unleash a special attack.
It merely uttered a few short phrases.
[The ultimate destination of all life—. The fate of existence and culminating point—.]
At the giant’s nonsensical utterance, the Undead leaders exchanged glances.
[…What is this?]
[It’s… speaking…?]
Regardless of their reactions, the giant’s head merely mumbled in monologue.
[The oldest impurity—and—proof of eternal loss—stagnant at the very bottom of the Abyss—.]
Words without meaning spun from the giant’s head.
[Death—.]
[Perhaps you’re asking for death…? If you wish, I can grant you that at any moment… ]
Irritated, Olivia interrupted the dizzying ramblings of the giant.
And, as if that statement wasn’t a joke at all, a dense mass of dark magic began to gather within her throat, radiating eerie energy.
[Undead King— grant me the Undead King—.]
The white head finally unfolded its main point.
[Hmm, I see.]
Though sudden, the executives understood roughly what was happening, given their past experiences with the former Undead King.
It seemed this “madness”-imbued monster was linked to something concerning the ‘death’ of the Undead King and the Abyss in some way.
Fully grasping the situation, Karam rested his sword across his shoulder and nodded leisurely.
[Hmm. I understand your intent well.]
[Then— summon the Undead King—.]
[But you see.]
In an instant, black light flickered.
Swish— Huwaak—!
The enormous two-handed sword left deep scars on the giant’s face.
[What the hell are you, to command our lord to come and go? Quite audacious of you!]
[This… seems like an incredible specimen… The King will be pleased… I shall summon Dwell… ]
They were aware that the current Undead King, Hans, did not particularly favor “madness,” which was evident in the work they were doing, wiping out the madness-infested nearby monsters.
[Don’t worry. I won’t let you die until you spill all your information. At least until our lord returns.]
Thus, the loyal subordinates diligently tidied up the giant’s head and remnants.
And a unique specimen wandered into the Undead laboratory of the Undying, unbeknownst to Hans.
