Chapter 415 |
Vampires in the Hall Plain are a race famous for their tenacious life force.
In that sense, the intruder, Sasha Felix, certainly demonstrated her race's defining trait. The man, who had been on the verge of death, revived the moment I slit my arm and she drank my blood. Of course, she wasn't fully restored—just enough to keep her breathing.
“I'm going to ask you two questions, vampire.”
A deep silence filled the third-floor meeting room. In the center of the floor knelt the vampire, flanked by Park Hyun-woo and Nam Da-eun, who watched over her. Despite the cold steel of the weapon pressed to her neck, she kept her head bowed, not moving a muscle.
I spoke into the quiet.
“First, why did you try to steal the Elixir? Second, how did you know we had one? If you answer these two questions accurately, I will consider showing you a sliver of mercy.”
My words, “I will consider showing you mercy,” were true. Of course, my initial plan was to kill her after the interrogation, with no mercy whatsoever. But if my memories were correct, the vampire before me and her master were destined to become key figures under the command of the future Sacred Queen, Yoo Hyun ah.
I didn't know why they were currently in Monica. But if I had to guess, it was because the future had changed with Yoo Hyun-ah's death. That meant the Users who were originally supposed to join her were now adrift in this second playthrough.
I was in desperate need of talented people as it was. If I handled this situation well, I could gain a very valuable asset.
“I didn't know there was an Elixir here.”
“...What do you mean?”
“I mean I didn't break in knowing this place had an Elixir. I found out after I was already inside.”
I furrowed my brow slightly. I understood what he was saying, but I couldn't accept it.
Sensing my mood, the vampire let out a long sigh.
“Huu, I suppose it can't be helped. I have no choice... I'll trust your word about considering mercy, human.”
Then, with a dark, sullen expression, he began to speak.
“First, I shall reveal my identity. I am...”
The story that followed was surprisingly profound.
Just as I had seen with my Third Eye, the vampire was bound by a contract of sorts. In other words, she and a User had signed a contract at a temple. Their relationship, she said, was like mine and Vivian's: master and slave.
To make a long story short.
The vampire's master was currently in a life-threatening situation. The reason was a Lich.
The two of them had been operating out of the northern city of Mule for some time. Then they learned that the ruins known as the ‘Cave of Screams’ in the Blue Mountain Range had been opened to the public, and they decided to act as ‘Cleaners’ when they had the time. (Cleaners are Users who enter ruins after the initial discovery and investigation teams, hoping to find treasures the previous groups might have missed. Though rare, they sometimes do find something of value.)
“It all happened in an instant. The disaster struck before we knew it.”
The vampire ground her teeth, her brow creased. The memory seemed to fill her with a simmering rage.
The caravan they had joined encountered a legion of liches roaming the Blue Mountain Range and engaged them in battle. Their forces were evenly matched, and both sides suffered heavy losses, but they somehow managed to gain the upper hand. However, they were careless in the end. The last remaining Lich latched onto her master and self-destructed.
“My master is quite skilled, so I believe she reacted nimbly for such a desperate situation. That's how she managed to survive that massive explosion. But for some reason, after the blast...”
“A part of her body was paralyzed.”
“Her right arm... H-how?”
“And as time went on, more parts of her body began to lose function. Slowly.”
“H-how do you know that?” the vampire cried out, her face a mask of shock. Instead of answering, I reached into my coat and pulled out a cigarette. I now understood why she needed the Elixir. But one question still remained.
Just then, Ha-yeon, who had been watching silently, spoke in her gentle voice.
“A Lich's body may be in the Hall Plain, but its soul resides in a world we do not know. If it used a self-destruct attack... it probably did so at the cost of its soul in that other world.”
“Wh- what does that mean?”
“It means your master's wound is not of the flesh, but of the soul. Now I understand why you said her life is in danger.”
She's a sharp one, whoever her parents are. I nodded in agreement and looked at the still-confused vampire.
“So you needed an Elixir... An Elixir that can cure all status ailments would certainly work. Even if it's a wound to the soul, in the end, that's just part of the settings.”
“Wait! What do you mean by that? Settings?”
“We are Users. It's not something a resident like you can understand. And you don't need to. So...”
Lighting the cigarette, I continued in a low voice.
“Hmph. How did you decide to come to this place? I still haven't heard an answer to that.”
“Didn't I tell you? I didn't know before I came in, I found out after.”
“Be precise.”
“...If you want me to be precise, this was the eighth time. No, was it the ninth?”
“Eighth or ninth time?”
“It turns out an Elixir isn't something you can find so easily.”
The vampire answered calmly.
After returning from the Blue Mountain Range, they had tried everything to heal her body, but with no noticeable results. No matter how much money they spent, all they could do was temporarily restore her senses or slow the progression of the paralysis. After searching high and low for a solution, they were told that only an Elixir could heal the wound left by the Lich.
“At first, I didn't realize it was such a precious item. When I asked for an Elixir at a shop, they treated me like a madman. When I pleaded my case at some large building, they treated me like a madman again.”
That's only natural. An Elixir is a treasure among treasures in the Hall Plain, often called a spare life. It's something that can't be bought for any amount of gold, something you'd have to hide even if you had one. Who would just hand something like that over out of kindness?
“That's when I started to think something was strange. After some thought, I came to a conclusion. Elixirs definitely exist somewhere. But they are so precious that no one would ever give one away.”
“That's right. You're smart.”
“Haha. Thank you. Ah, no. Anyway, as time passed, my master's condition worsened, and my desire for an Elixir grew... At a certain point, I made a decision.”
“You figured you couldn't obtain one through normal means, so you would steal one. You would keep breaking into places until you found an Elixir.”
Finally, the conclusion. The vampire cautiously glanced around before giving a hesitant nod.
Hearing the reason, I felt more admiration than anger. It meant the vampire had been infiltrating various buildings all this time. What kind of ability did she have that allowed her to come and go as she pleased?
She might have a Unique Ability. I'll have to take a closer look later.
It was a very tempting ability. I calmly rose to my feet.
“Alright. I've heard your story, vampire.”
“Y-you'll keep your promise, right?”
“Of course.”
The vampire flinched as she asked, likely thinking her fate was about to be decided. I slowly closed the distance between us.
“But first, I'll need to meet this master of yours.”
“Wh- what did you say?”
“Why so surprised?”
“This isn't what we agreed upon! I told you everything without a single lie! You said you would consider showing mercy... Gaaah!”
The vampire's shout was cut short. Nam Da-eun, showing a brief flash of annoyance, had grabbed her hair and slammed her head violently into the floor.
“You seem to be misunderstanding something.”
I gently placed my hand on her clenched fist, and a faint blush bloomed on her cheeks. I felt her hand brush against mine before falling away. Below, I could see the back of the vampire's head trembling.
I took the Elixir from my coat and swirled it a few times. The golden liquid shimmered, emitting a dazzling light. Swish, swish.
“Regardless of your circumstances, this Elixir belongs to the Mercenary Clan. Your devotion to saving your master is commendable, but from our perspective, you are nothing more than an intruder who tried to steal our treasure. And right now, you're in a position where you'd have no complaints if I executed you on the spot. Am I wrong?”
“Grr...!”
“However, the reason I'm asking to see your master is to find the most peaceful solution possible. I'd say that's plenty of mercy and consideration...”
“If there is no solution, you intend to hold her responsible as well...!”
Oh? Sharp one, aren't you?
I grinned. The vampire's words had hit the nail on the head.
And that wasn't all. I had honestly thought she was a bit of a fool and would be easy to manipulate, but our conversation had changed my mind. She had told the truth, but she had cleverly omitted the parts she needed to hide—the parts I wanted to know. Though I was almost certain from the moment she said ‘her’.
“That's a given. The master is always held partly responsible for the slave's mistakes. Anyway, So you're not willing to talk?”
“Do you think I would? Just kill me instead!”
“Then I have no choice.”
The night was growing late. Not wanting to drag this out any longer, I swung my fist with all my might at his bowed head.
“Gack!”
Before she could collapse completely, I kicked her hard in the abdomen. As the vampire's eyes rolled back, I slowly raised my head. All the clan members, except for Go Yeon-ju, were gathered in the meeting room.
“Vivian. Drag her away and rough her up enough so she can't escape.”
“Huh? Ah, okay.”
Vivian nodded reluctantly as I nudged the vampire with my foot. Next, I turned my gaze to Ha-yeon.
“When morning comes, send a messenger to Istantol Row. Tell them we'd like to borrow the plaza for the day.”
Ha-yeon tilted her head, but then nodded as if she understood.
I paused in thought for a moment, then slowly looked over the remaining clan members. Nam Da-eun, Lee Yu-jeong, Im Han-ah, Ahn Hyeon, Seon Yu-un, Baek Han-gyeol... This should be enough.
I pointed to the six people I had just considered and continued.
“Tomorrow morning, I plan to hang this man in the plaza. The six of you I just named will form three pairs. You'll take turns guarding him in shifts at appropriate intervals. If any Users ask what's going on, handle it as you see fit.”
The six of them stared blankly at each other before turning their gazes to me. It seemed they still hadn't grasped what I was planning.
I miss Go Yeon-ju.
If Go Yeon-ju were here, she'd be smiling and saying, “Soohyun! I know what you mean. I'll take care of the rest.”
With a faint smile, I finally turned to the two priests.
“Users Shin Jae-ryong and Ahn Sol. As soon as we get permission from Istantol Row, I need you two to go to the temple. Explain the situation and tell them we'd like to use the plaza's bulletin board.”
“Ah. Understood.”
Finally seeming to understand, the expressions of Shin Jae-ryong and a few other clan members brightened.
“It's late. You've all worked hard. Let's dismiss for now.”
As I nodded for them to begin, Vivian pattered over and called out.
“Anyone want to help me move him to the basement?!”
I smirked as I watched the clan members begin to move about busily.
So this is how I'll meet her. Life is truly unpredictable.
In a way, one might say I was making a huge fuss just to meet a single User, but the master who would appear tomorrow was worth the effort. Of course, it was uncertain if she would show up, but knowing her personality from my memories, I was sure she would.
I stretched widely and quietly left the meeting room. My heart was suddenly racing with excitement; I probably wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
In any case, all I had to do now was wait for this vampire's master, the ‘Flash’, to appear.
Morning came. Despite the major incident last night, the morning that followed was as quiet as ever.
After breakfast, I walked through the clan house and found it much quieter than usual. It seemed most of the clan members were out, handling the tasks I had assigned them yesterday.
After checking the living quarters, I spent a long time in the third-floor warehouse. Then I headed straight for my office. With the clan members working so hard, the Clan Lord couldn't afford to be idle.
The problem I had to face now was the warehouse's security. While the intruder being a ‘vampire’ was an unusual circumstance, there was no excuse. I thought I had been careful, but the fact was that our security had been breached.
Posting a night watch would be a burden on the clan members... Should I just move my quarters to the third floor? It's in the main building, after all.
With the security reinforcement plan in front of me, I idly spun the quill pen in my hand. Simply throwing money at the problem wouldn't guarantee better security. The first, I needed to decide on a general direction for how to protect the items in the warehouse. The right answer would be to then devise a plan that could be linked to that direction as efficiently as possible.
Moving my quarters to the third floor is on hold. Strengthening security for warehouse access is a given... The alarm is already installed. Should I install a complex mix of traps and interference magic? Ah. I wonder if I can get help from Vivian's Order of Ordo?
Murmur, murmur.
I don't know how much time had passed. I could sense the clan members who had gone out returning one by one. The record, which had started as a blank page, was now filled with writing. I glanced at the window and saw the sun slowly approaching its zenith. It must be almost noon.
I was about to stand up to get some lunch.
Knock, knock.
“Clan Lord. It's Seon Yu-un. May I come in for a moment?”
“Yes. Come in.”
I settled back into my chair, and the door clicked open.
The person who appeared in the doorway was Seon Yu-un, his hair neatly combed back. Do clothes really make the man? I remember taking him to the warehouse once to pick out some archer gear and being surprised at how different he looked from when I saw him in Barbara.
Seon Yu-un bowed politely and spoke in his usual blunt tone.
“The intruder's master has appeared.”
“...Pardon?”
“The intruder's master has appeared.”
Seon Yu-un repeated his words like a parrot. I stared at him blankly for a moment, then chuckled.
Now this is refreshingly direct.
I was used to dealing with the others who always chattered on, or the clingy Go Yeon-ju. But receiving Seon Yu-un's report felt strangely unfamiliar.
“Haha. I see. Where is the master now?”
“I've brought her to the main gate. She is currently requesting to meet with the Clan Lord.”
Seon Yu-un tilted his head, seemingly not understanding why I was laughing, and continued his report.
I smiled pleasantly and gave my permission.
“Understood. Let her in.”