#238
Zephia Republic (1)
The Elder Dragon, Shuriheartgen, of the Gold Clan made a sudden visit.
He took Horus and left Tarak, moving to another location.
To a small island located in the northwestern part of the Ion Continent, where he had been hiding all this time.
“This is a place I carefully prepared. No matter how much of an Undead King he is, he would never find this place without accurate information.”
“Whoa—!”
Although he was said to have little time left to live, he was determined to do his best in teaching while time remained.
He was in a state of dying in real-time, having awakened from a forced hibernation to extend his lifespan, but he judged that it was better to be a nutrient for the next generation than to live meaninglessly day by day.
“They said he barely managed to hold on for three hundred years after being mortally wounded in the war.”
Only out of a sense of responsibility to ensure the Gold Clan’s lineage did he endure through such difficulties.
Suddenly, before him, a successor named Horus appeared.
Horus glanced at him with curiosity but a vague feeling of unease quickly turned his eyes away.
As just a lucky outsider, he couldn’t fathom what feelings the Elder Dragon may have towards him.
“I don’t have much time left, so I will teach you to the best of my ability during that period. This isn’t the usual hatchling education method, but it’s what we have to work with right now.”
Though Shuriheartgen spoke as if apologetic, it was in fact what Horus desired.
Rather, if the dragon had been lazing around wasting time, it would have frustrated him even more.
“The ‘Treasures of Gold’ will be passed on to you with my death. To be honest, most useful things were used in the war, so there’s not much left. Still, even those should be on par with what ancient dragons possess.”
Of course, that evaluation only applied to relics or magical objects imbued with mystique; there were mountains of ordinary valuables that had high liquidity.
“…Wait, you can use Dragon Speech? But you’re just a hatchling?”
“Yes, shall I show you?”
Just after exchanging words related to the main teaching session, Horus witnessed Shuriheartgen’s previously calm demeanor shatter into true surprise for the first time.
“…It’s real. Goodness. Even those who have reached the juvenile stage often can’t properly handle Dragon Speech, yet a mere hatchling… Ah, Dracaryon.”
If hatchlings were in their infancy, juveniles were in their teenage years.
Adult dragons—just before becoming true dragons.
In simpler terms, what Horus had done was akin to a preschool child effortlessly solving a college entrance exam.
“I thought I would just lay a rough foundation for Dragon Speech and expect you to complete it yourself later, but this will save us a great deal of time.”
As Shuriheartgen accepted the situation, he slowly nodded with a vague smile.
Since Dragon Speech was a power of dragons, it could have been naturally learned over time, but the efficient way of handling it may not have been properly passed down.
Though he intended to reserve some magical tools, including spell books, for inheritance, the level of magic within Dragon Speech was simply too high for complete transmission like that.
“So this works out well; I was thinking about asking a survivor from another clan before I die.”
Of course, he knew that the one asked would not refuse in a situation where their whole race was in crisis, but still, there was a sense of pride in being from a clan.
If that was the only way, fine, but if he could solve it by himself, he didn’t want to plead with another clan.
In fact, before the Undead King appeared a thousand years ago, and certainly before the war that worsened the situation three hundred years ago, the relations between clans had not been very good.
To him, who had lived for thousands of years without forgetting, the current situation could only be satisfying.
“Good. Excellent. Then let’s start right away.”
“Yes!”
Thus began the cohabitation of the little hatchling Horus and the ancient dragon Shuriheartgen, who was burning away the last moments of his life on a nameless small island concealed in the northwestern part of the Ion Continent.
*
Somewhere in Suwon City, Republic of Korea.
In a tightly sealed space where no light penetrated, a woman with long black hair sat quietly, holding a teacup while her eyes were closed.
A silence dense enough to make one think nothing could disturb it filled the dark space during her tea time.
However, that tranquility was suddenly broken as her body stiffened—
Crash—
A teacup slipped from her hand and shattered into pieces on the floor.
Yet, despite the loud shattering noise and the red tea that soaked the floor, she remained completely still, frozen in her original position.
Knock, knock, knock—
“Lady Aria? Are you alright? May I come in?”
At that moment, a woman knocked urgently and carefully opened the door.
She hurriedly scanned the surroundings and let out a sigh of relief upon spotting the unmoving figure sitting at the tea table.
“Lady Aria? Are you alright?”
“…Ah! Oh no, I just got distracted for a moment and my hand slipped.”
“I’ll clean up the teacup right away. Just a moment…”
“No, I’ll clean this up later. Could you please leave for now?”
“…Understood. If anything happens, please call for me. I will come running immediately.”
The visitor, adhering to the stubborn request, offered a courteous bow and quietly exited.
Once again, the woman who was left alone in the room closed her eyes.
The leader of the moderate faction, vampire Aria, one of the most prominent powers in the Republic of Korea’s nightlife, wiped the blood tears flowing from her eyes with a handkerchief taken from her pocket and fell into deep thought.
‘Just when I thought everything had quieted down. Is this really not enough?’
She had hoped everything might be fine now that the hardliners were ousted and Heinz’s Heterosis had taken their place.
Just then, her unique skill, “Ephemeral Intersection,” sensed another crisis approaching.
The foresight skill, “Ephemeral Intersection,” merely showed fragments of any occurring flow around her but was a lifeline that had always helped her make the right decisions in difficult times.
Accepting the fact of becoming a vampire, returning safely to her world, ascending to the top ranks of the blood alliance, leading the moderate faction against the hardliners, and assisting Heinz in absorbing the blood alliance’s power—all of this had been possible thanks to that skill.
‘Heinz…’
The man who took on all the burdens while knowing there was no way to solve them with just her power.
Now, as his newly formed bloodline Heterosis had effectively swallowed the blood alliance, the title of “leader of the moderates” felt utterly meaningless.
Yet, thanks to Jin So-Ran’s consideration as the second in command of Heterosis, she had been leisurely passing her days along with her followers forming a crew…
‘It might be good to warn So-Ran for now.’
Whoosh—
As she let out a sigh, she stood up, and the broken pieces of the teacup along with the spilled tea vanished from the floor.
It was on the day after the Hahoe Mask, which had been wreaking havoc in Japan, suddenly went silent, marking the fourth day.
*
Zephia Republic, ruling the eastern part of the Ion Continent.
As dusk fell.
Heinz II, a hybrid of Earth’s Heterosis and Auterica, who was the master of both, entered a dilapidated house on the outskirts of the capital.
However, despite confidently passing through the streets and opening the front door wide, not a single passerby or anyone inside the building noticed his presence.
Not until he closed the door and revealed himself again.
“…You’re late.”
As he released “Existence Denial” and revealed himself, a cold woman’s voice echoed from inside the building as if she had been waiting for that moment.
“You arrived exactly at the promised time. As you know, I’m quite a busy person.”
“Ha! That’s understandable. After all, you’ve swallowed a whole nation and are eagerly extending your reach elsewhere.”
The words struck with a sharp tone, and a middle-aged woman approached, clicking her heels against the floor.
The vice president of the Zephia Republic, Kayla McClair, frowned as she looked up at him.
“That’s a misunderstanding. I have no interest in the Zephia Republic. What I desire is solely to subjugate Obaifo.”
With a sarcastic smirk, Heinz gazed down at her as he murmured.
Kayla, who had been matching his assertive gaze, soon felt her resolve wavering, biting her lip and lowering her eyes.
‘Honestly, if I could devour it completely, I’d like that very much.’
However, the circumstances here were different from the Talia Kingdom, which was the weakest on the continent and could be taken simply by grasping the ruling class.
The Zephia Republic was a powerful nation that could contend to some extent with the Azerion Empire to the west, and its nominal republican structure required a different approach than the lukewarm methods previously used.
‘Of course, Obaifo is doing well to a degree now, but that won’t last long.’
It was merely a temporary issue arising from taking advantage of the current chaotic continental situation.
While the conspirators had thoroughly prepared for decades, more and more people began recognizing the signs from the upper echelons.
‘Once the issues start erupting, it’s bound to spread uncontrollably.’
In solving such problems, a temporary void in governance was inevitable, but normally, they would find a way to manage that.
However, now the entire continent had entered a state of emergency akin to wartime.
Moreover, the shadow aimed at overthrowing the world was openly present.
If things continued as they were, the revolutionaries would exploit the Zephia Republic’s struggles to incite a giant’s invasion and a rising tide of monsters focused in the east, causing the entire nation to tremble.
And if they resumed their plans for Obaifo in that state…
‘In effect, that’s precisely what they ultimately want.’
Not governance of a complete “Zephia Republic” but to control the displaced refugees of a nation that had fallen into a state of anarchy.
It was like breaking it down into smaller pieces to make it easier to swallow.
‘…I can’t allow that to happen.’
He didn’t want to seize a nation that was in tatters.
Right now, even holding on to just the Talia Kingdom was cumbersome, so dealing with additional headaches was the last thing he wanted.
Besides, if he wasn’t going to eat it himself, he certainly wasn’t going to let others have it easily.
If that was what the revolutionaries wanted, then even more so.
“Yet, it seems you’re still alive, so I presume there have been no major issues?”
“…Sigh, there have been many problems. To be honest, it feels almost miraculous that I am alive. I never expected General O’Connell would fall.”
The transcendent warrior who guarded the borders with the Empire, known as the guardian of Zephia.
While trying to contact him, she learned of that tragic news, and shortly after, a serious threat began to loom over her as well.
“If I had been on my own, I would surely have died. Thanks to your… hybrid’s escort, I survived. I’ll have to express my gratitude once again.”
Swoosh—
As soon as her statement finished, a small shadow darted into the building from outside and bowed before Heinz.
“You’ve arrived, High Lord! I took a bit longer tidying up the surroundings!”
A boy, white-haired with red eyes.
Obor Brokoslac, a Trueblood Vampire, whom Kayla had assigned as an escort.
“Good, how goes the progress?”
“All tasks have been completed smoothly. The positions for the bloodline placements have been finalized, and all mobilized combatants are fully equipped.”
Then reports regarding the situation unfolded.
Current conditions, enemy activities, and forthcoming plans.
‘…What’s this?’
However, amid that, Kayla furrowed her brow at an odd discomfort she sensed unexpectedly.
…The conversation between the two divine beings was not inherently problematic.
But something felt off, and while it subtly nagged at her, she couldn’t pinpoint what exactly was triggering it.
‘Just a feeling of unease…’
Instinctively turning her head around due to the lingering discomfort, she found herself locking eyes with something vague lurking in the shadows, causing her to freeze in place.
Inside the shabby house where she had entered to escape pursuit.
In the darkness encroaching inside as night fell, shadows filled every corner, standing silently.
‘When did they…?!’
And there were too many to count.
It made no sense why she hadn’t noticed them until now.
Moreover, even at this moment, shadows were steadily multiplying every time she turned her gaze elsewhere.
Walls, windows, stairs, railings… even the ceiling.
And as the number of shadows grew closer to dozens, nearing a hundred—
“Good.”
Kayla’s gaze was forcibly drawn back to Heinz by a voice infused with a strange power that captivated the surrounding attention.
“Now that the preparations are finally complete…”
With his usual cold face adorned by a sharp smile that could slice through.
“—We begin the war to unite all vampires in this world.”
Swish—
Rustle—!
A multitude of fabric rustled together, and
As nearly a hundred shadows knelt in unison, bowing to their great lord, they declared.
“—The war begins.”
The battle among vampires had commenced.
