Banreung Expedition (9)

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁣⁠⁣⁣⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁣⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁠⁣⁣⁣⁠⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁣⁠⁣⁣⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁣⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁠⁣⁣⁣⁠⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁣⁠⁣⁣⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁣⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁠⁣⁣⁣⁠⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁣⁠⁣⁣⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁣⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁠⁣⁣⁣⁠⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁣⁠⁣⁣⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠⁣⁣⁠⁠⁠⁣⁠⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁠⁣⁣⁣⁠⁣⁠⁠⁣⁠“Enough. This is enough. Good heavens….”

Azadine swung Aurelia Dawn through the air and then sheathed it in his scabbard.

“This should have taught Chashan a sufficient lesson as well. No matter how much of a vampire he is, this is not a punishment to inflict on a spiritual being.”

Azadine intended to use only the Blue Executioner, but suddenly, he felt gazes focused on him.

“Mm.”

Chashan’s cousins, and the vampire spawn gathered here, were all looking at Azadine at once.

Though they were ruffians, drug dealers, and criminals, they could understand very well what Azadine’s act of putting away Aurelia Dawn meant.

He was saying that he would not use Aurelia Dawn, a weapon that seemed as if it would destroy their souls with a mere touch. Seeing Azadine put away the ceramite longsword out of consideration for them, they lost their will to fight.

Chashan’s cousins put their weapons down on the ground and knelt before Azadine.

“…We surrender.”

“We beg you, Sir Knight. Please forgive our recklessness until now.”

“…….”

The other vampire spawn also hesitated, then put down their weapons and knelt.

However, Bernard shook his head.

“Sir Azadine. Vampire spawn are made to submit to the blood lord who turned them into vampires. Even if they surrender now….”

“Shut up, mage! We know that much ourselves! What kind of resolve do you think we had when we threw away our weapons and knelt?! Do you know what a dwarf’s knees mean?!”

At those words, Chashan’s cousin, a dwarf sorcerer, grew furious. He cast the Destructive Arrow spell, placed it against his own head, and released it.

-Bang!

The dwarf sorcerer’s head was blown away, and he died instantly.

“Prince Kalzmati came with vampires under his command. He freely causes Elemental Wailing, makes healthy people sick, and turns them into magic stones.”

The dwarf sorcerer who said those words blew off his own head as well.

Rather than oppose Azadine and burn to death in the flames of ceramite, he had chosen to commit a clean suicide.

“Hey….”

“As that mage said, we are low-ranking vampires, so we may be controlled by our blood lord. We do not want to burn to death in the flames of ceramite, and yet we have no shame enough to rely on your mercy and ask you to kill us with that axe-spear. We as dwarves already died several hours ago, so this is not suicide. It is rest. Ancestors! Please receive our souls!”

The dwarf vampires began killing themselves one after another.

“Khaahahahahaha!”

Prince Kalzmati, who had captured the Sandokar Gate and completely occupied the county, was bursting into laughter.

After drinking so much blood, he was intoxicated by blood and seemed as if he had truly ascended to paradise.

Amid the excitement of bloodsucking, at the peak of pleasure, Prince Kalzmati gathered the magical power produced by Elemental Wailing and scattered it into the sky.

Rain clouds formed and covered the eastern sky brightening in the distance. The power to freely command downpours and thunderstorms and even hide the sun. To a vampire, it could truly be called the power of a god.

He had finally gained control over Elemental Wailing, and had become able to create vampires as much as he wanted.

The research that Banreung Academy had gathered many mages to conduct had finally borne fruit.

“Now, drink as much as you like! The dwarves will rule this world now!”

Drunk on bloodsucking, Prince Kalzmati could not hide his excitement and ran wild.

“Congratulations on finally achieving the first step of the great work.”

“Yes. Hahahaha!”

Prince Kalzmati rejoiced as he listened to his subordinates’ congratulatory words.

But then, a group of cavalry was seen galloping along the southwestern road.

There were fewer than ten people on horseback. Since the largest horses dwarves could ride were ponies, those riding horses like that were obviously humans.

He had certainly sent Chashan’s gang down below, so why were humans galloping here in the middle of the night?

“No, could that be Azadine?”

Prince Kalzmati also knew Azadine’s name.

A man of the Messenger Clan who had become a member of the Rescue Knights Order. This figure, branded a traitor even among the Messenger Clan, was already known to everyone across Hubris.

“No, just how incompetent are those fools?”

Prince Kalzmati doubted his own eyes when Azadine’s group appeared. Chashan and his subordinates had become vampire spawn, and they also had a large quantity of blunderbusses.

It was a difference in force that would make it hard to lose even if one wanted to, and even if Azadine was as outstanding a warrior and mage as his reputation said, there was no way he could have dealt with that many vampire spawns this quickly.

Perhaps Chashan’s gang had been so stupid and dull that they had crossed paths with each other.

Otherwise, there was no way Azadine’s group would have advanced this far at this time.

“But this bastard is not sane either.”

Prince Kalzmati snorted as he saw Azadine approaching without being intimidated at all even after seeing their forces.

However, at that moment, a woman beside Prince Kalzmati clicked her tongue.

“Niselda….”

“Mm? What is it, Diore?”

“Your Highness. Do you remember your promise with Lady Griselda?”

The female vampire called Diore asked.

“What promise was that?”

“The promise that when we attacked the Knight Order’s territory, if we found Lady Griselda’s daughter, Niselda, you would secure her for her. But it seems the one coming over there now is Niselda. This scent of blood… Half-vampires are not that common.”

She warned him.

“In other words, the enemy is charging with that number even while knowing us well. You must be careful. They must surely have some confidence.”

“Hmm. Did they not simply cross paths with Chashan? And I do not know whether she is a half-vampire or what. Above all, it has been quite some time since we saw the face of that half-vampire who is said to be Griselda’s daughter, has it not? Even a dwarf child grows unrecognizable after that much time, and there is no need to even mention a human child. Are you not simply mistaken?”

“Still….”

“I will kill her. I do not like how insolent Griselda is. To dare order me to find her daughter or not.”

Kalzmati took the attitude that he did not care who the opponent was. As a prince of the dwarves, his only priority was to repay the contempt the Banreung Kingdom had received until now.

How dare a vampire who did not even possess a kingdom order him around?

“Your Highness, please do not forget that your blood lord is Ashajit. Lady Griselda, as a priestess of Ashajit, has made a request….”

-Smack!

At that moment, Diore’s head turned. It had not merely turned; the blow was strong enough to break her neck. When Diore, who had briefly lost consciousness, came to her senses again, Kalzmati apologized.

“Ah, my apologies. I got carried away. Assaulting my adjutant was an undignified act unbefitting royalty.”

“…….”

“Will you accept my apology?”

“Of course. Then, Your Highness. I will deliver the order for Chashan’s gang to return.”

Diore, deciding that speaking to Kalzmati would be useless, bowed to him, transformed into a bat, and flew into the sky.

The sky was burning with magical power.

The magical power that had poured out from those who died after Elemental Wailing was triggered was being exploited by some power, and the remaining magical power was released into the sky, becoming a great torrent that flowed high above.

Azadine looked at the torrent of Elemental Wailing and examined where it flowed.

It was flowing toward the northern part of the Banreung Kingdom, in the direction of the Kerim Mountain Range.

The Kerim Mountain Range, where the headquarters of the Messenger Clan was located. It was the place where Azadine had spent his childhood, and while looking at the flow of magical power, memories of his childhood suddenly came to mind.

He had thought that time was filled only with pain, but when he looked back, only beautiful memories came to mind.

Memories he could never return to, Aldis’s smile, and the beautiful scenery of that day were drawn so vividly that they felt almost within reach, and his chest ached.

“Sir Azadine!”

“Ah, yes.”

Azadine came back to his senses at Niselda’s voice calling him.

“My mother may have come.”

“Your mother?”

“Yes. My biological mother, Griselda. A disgusting blood-sucking monster!”

Niselda did not hide her contempt for her mother.

“I have no such thing as familial affection, so burn her with the ceramite flame. I will gladly enjoy watching that thing burn to death before my eyes.”

The ceramite flame, the flame inflicted by Aurelia Dawn, the ceramite sword Azadine wielded, had caused the vampires struck by it to suffer horrific pain.

It had been so horrific that Azadine had ended up gathering them midway and euthanizing them.

He did not know whether all ceramite longswords were this effective against them, or whether Aurelia Dawn, which Azadine used, was exceptionally stronger than other swords, but after seeing that horrific scene, Azadine did not want to use that sword if possible.

Yet Niselda was urging him to burn her own blood-related mother with that horrific flame.

Was it bravado, or did she truly hate her mother that much?

Whichever it was, the enemy’s numbers were large, and their momentum was dangerous. The vampires here now were higher in rank than the vampire spawn that had become vampires just a short while ago.

The storm of Elemental Wailing was also raging, so they could not be careless.

“Good.”

Azadine combined the ceramite longsword with Grimslone’s Club.

The wooden club grew and transformed, biting onto the ceramite longsword and changing into something like a large spear.

Azadine nocked that spear onto his bowstring. No matter how powerful the Messenger Clan’s Moon Horn Bow was, the projectile was far too heavy. However, when Grimslone’s Club, the wooden portion, emitted light, its weight decreased.

Azadine shot this ceramite arrow, made by combining Aurelia Dawn and Grimslone’s Club, at the vampires blocking the road ahead.

“Hahaha!”

“You fool! You call that a weapon….”

The dwarf vampires laughed as they watched Azadine nock and shoot a ridiculous-looking spear onto his bow.

The bow was small, but the arrow he was trying to shoot with it was the size of a javelin, so it was reckless beyond measure. The dwarf vampires believed Azadine’s attack would never dare come near them, ignored it, and cast their spells.

As sorcerers of Banreung Academy, they cast the Flame Destructive Arrow spell and attacked Azadine, but….

The arrow Azadine had fired twisted its body in midair, then sharply changed its speed and angle like a fish cutting through the current, sweeping away the spells flying toward it.

No, it destroyed them.

-Flowers, Birds, Wind, Moon, Garuda!

Golden lightning danced. A streak of light pierced through the vampires slaughtering soldiers atop the Sandokar Gate and its wall.

“Huh?!”

The vampires were flustered by the tremendous speed and change in trajectory. What was even more surprising was that this attack had not aimed for their vital spots, but had merely cut part of them: the flesh of their forearms, their thighs, their waists, or small portions of skin.

What kind of stupid attack was this? Such shallow wounds would not have mattered much even when they were dwarves, let alone vampires.

Had he applied poison? Ordinary poisons did not work on vampires, and even if there were a poison that did, inflicting wounds on this many vampires without replenishing the poison would not possibly make the drug take effect.

The vampires snorted.

However, flames rose from their affected areas, the wounds grazed by the ceramite arrow.

“Kkiaaak?!”

“Huh?!”

“Kkeoeoeoe!”

The vampires were horrified by the flames that began to burn their bodies.

They threw themselves onto the ground to put out the fire, but it was like lying flat on a heated griddle of their own accord. It was, if anything, even hotter and more painful.

The flames kept burning their skin, and the ground was as hot and painful as lava.

“Aaak! W-What is this!”

“You bastard!”

Several vampires began transforming.

It was a transformation ability that upper vampires could use, releasing their true blood-starved forms and transforming into monsters called Bloodletters.

They changed into forms much larger than ordinary humans, revealing sharp teeth and claws, but they could not get rid of the flames.

“You son of a bitch!”

The vampires, driven mad by the pain of burning in the flames, charged at Azadine. Zebec and Niselda blocked their path.

And from behind them, the arrow flew again.

The ceramite arrow, moving freely as though it were a living creature, pierced the wings that had sprouted from the Bloodletters’ backs.

“Kkiaaaaaak!”

“Kkeua!”

Flames caught on the Bloodletters’ wings and blazed. And what awaited them was a miserable fate.

“Why will this not go out! Kkeoeoeoe!”

“Ugh….”

The vampires went mad from the continuing burning pain. At first, the wounded areas had been small, so they could somehow move through the excitement and rage of battle, but while they did, the fire sank deeper and began burning into their bones, making it impossible to ignore.

There were vampires who had cut off their arms early and escaped the flames, but the arrow flew at them once again.

Though it was called an arrow, since it used a longsword as an arrowhead, it was a weapon beyond a spear. If such a weapon moved that quickly and struck directly, instant death would be possible, but… Azadine controlled this ceramite arrow well and made it only wound them.

“…No, this bastard!”

Unable to keep watching, Prince Kalzmati activated Elemental Wailing. A gust of evil power poured down toward Azadine.

But at that moment, Azadine was finally able to understand the true nature of Elemental Wailing.

‘So it was Nether magic.’

From the sky, the hand of a giant reaper descended toward Azadine.

Through the sight he had gained as Azadine of Disgrace, which saw through all magic and objects, that hand was all too clearly visible.

To the others around him, it looked as if a gust of wind had arisen together with a subtle omen of power, but Azadine accurately saw the reaper’s hand and evaded it.

“No, how?!”

Prince Kalzmati, who had launched the attack, was flustered when he saw Azadine look at and evade his attack.