Ch. 10 The 12 Knights of the Roundtable
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 10 – The 12 Knights of the Roundtable
Declaring neutrality is easy.
And in most situations, neutrality is the best choice to avoid getting dragged into fights.
But stepping forward as a mediator beyond neutrality is something that cannot be done without considerable resolve and determination.
If done poorly, it only makes you look ridiculous.
So, you must prove that you have the power and qualifications to do so.
It’s an inevitable step to convince others.
In that sense, the logistics company “Round Ark” fits that role perfectly.
However, the logistics company is just the surface.
Before that, Round Ark’s standing in the underworld was slightly different from its public image.
A hub connecting the underworld across the globe.
The center of the modern masquerade.
A gathering of slightly eccentric individuals who act as the police of the underworld.
You could dismiss them as idealists, but they weren’t bad to have around.
In fact, they were convenient.
That’s why their scale surpassed that of most organizations.
Anyway,
Maximilian, whom the nameless Vampire Lord knows as the “delivery man”, is also one of the executives.
The first seat among the 12 Knights of the Round Table, the executives of Round Ark.
Recently, Maximilian had been humiliated by a high-profile individual he was in charge of, which somewhat tarnished his standing, but none of the other knights criticized him for it.
After all, there’s a saying: the scariest people in the world are those who are stupid but strong.
The nameless Vampire Lord Maximilian was in charge of was one such case.
Maximilian couldn’t respond to whether the comment was meant to comfort him or as a joke.
“Sigh….”
Either way.
Today was the day of the first quarterly meeting of the Round Table.
All 12 knights were gathered in the conference room.
“Can’t we just wrap this up quickly and go out to play?”
“Huff.”
Of course, given the members, expecting a conventional meeting would be foolish.
It was like watching high school students mimic a poorly conducted parliament.
All the knights were like that.
Grown bodies with embarrassingly childish minds.
But Maximilian was an exception.
He was the most mature presence in the room.
So, organizing and running the meeting was essentially Maximilian’s responsibility.
There was no one else to control these unruly children.
“Alright, where did we leave off? Did we finish the Europe report?”
“Uh, maybe.”
“…Yes, the recent movements of vampires are unusual. I’ve noted it down. It would be nice if the report had a bit more detail.”
The sound of a beer can opening echoed in the conference room.
Maximilian wanted to flip the 1.5-ton round table and tell them to figure it out themselves, but he knew the organization wouldn’t function without him.
The report from the knight in charge of Europe was a single sentence on an A4 paper: “The movements of vampires are unusual.”
It was clear how disorganized the organization was.
The bland text in 15-point font on the barren A4 sheet looked more like a printer test than a report.
But for them, who had lived in a world where most problems could be solved with brute force, such a lack of common sense and structure wasn’t a big deal.
Frankly, if a political issue arose, they could just storm the opposing company and physically shut it down.
The companies knew this, so they stayed in line.
A win-win for everyone.
A world where no one gets hurt.
At least until Maximilian dies from overwork.
“……Sigh.”
Maximilian glanced at Julius, who was doodling on the meeting notes, and decided to proceed as he saw fit.
He realized that the PowerPoint he had prepared was just a useless pile of data for this meeting.
“Alright, last item. The matter regarding the nameless Vampire Lord from the other day….”
The moment Maximilian reluctantly brought up the final topic.
“…….”
“……Hmm.”
All eyes in the conference room focused.
He saw them stop their chatter and perk up their ears.
‘Of course, this topic would grab their attention.’
It was hard to just brush it off.
Even here, it was one of Round Ark’s most important issues.
It was a top-secret matter that could sway the world’s balance, so it was naturally intriguing.
Even the childish executives of Round Ark couldn’t help but pay attention.
Maximilian cracked his neck and spoke.
“Yes, frankly, all the worry we’ve had seems pointless now. I feel like I’ve become an idiot. I’m filled with self-loathing for why we feared and guarded against that fool like it was some government in the light.”
“Isn’t that a bit too harsh? They’re still a significant figure. If they’re someone we’re keeping an eye on, such words shouldn’t come out. Shouldn’t we focus a bit more?”
“Based on what we’ve found so far, well… I myself am confused about why we even focused on them. All we’ve learned is their preferred style and personality. There’s nothing noteworthy about their danger level.”
“Then we’re even more curious. Aren’t we?”
No one at the round table disagreed.
But the fact that everyone’s mouths were shut showed that they all had questions about the nameless Vampire Lord.
Not just about their danger level, but about the individual personally.
What exactly do these people want to do?
I thought about just letting it go, but that probably wouldn’t work.
If they didn’t find out in the meeting, they’d investigate privately later.
By contacting the Vampire Lord directly, or something.
Finally, Maximilian resigned himself and answered.
“Yes, their appearance is… well, you all know. Extremely striking and beautiful. It’s a Vampire Lord trait, after all. You’d recognize them anywhere.”
“You should’ve taken a photo.”
“…I’ll take one next time. I’ll clear it up for you… No, but seriously, is this really what a report should look like? There’s nothing but trivial information here.”
“Actually, we’re more curious about that trivial information. Don’t be so stiff. Acting like a boring old man in the back room kills the mood.”
“…….”
“If there’s no danger, then loosen up a bit. How were they? Their demeanor? Cute? Quiet?”
Maximilian pinched the bridge of his nose.
The meeting was already a million light-years away from the rational discussion he had hoped for.
But finally, he gave in.
If trivial information was what they wanted, then he might as well enjoy it too.
He tossed the documents in his hand aside.
“Yes, well. As for their personality, they’re incredibly laid-back. To be precise, they seem to care a lot about others’ opinions, but they don’t care about their own appearance. They don’t seem to put much thought into it.”
“Specifically?”
“They find it hard to interact with people, but they don’t bother with fashion or style to make a good impression. They don’t dress up consciously or anything, just very casual.”
“So….”
“They’re a bit atypical for a vampire. We should keep an eye on them. They seem like a… special kind of entity.”
“Definitely. If they’re a Vampire Lord, they’re usually just old folks from the back room of the past. There aren’t many who dress casually.”
“They seemed more like a kid.”
Someone in the conference room laughed at the description.
“But, haha. Hearing that makes them even cuter. Their demeanor is unexpectedly goofy. Really, as you said, there’s nothing to worry about. Whether they’re dangerous or not doesn’t matter.”
“It’s fitting for a vampire, or rather, it’s erotic. Good.”
Thud!
Someone slammed the round table.
“Hey, stop saying weird stuff! Your tone is really…”
“Why, isn’t it true? A defenseless, silver-haired loli vampire hiding around is a classic. Those characters who act cold but secretly hide warmth inside, or something like that……”
“Hey, damn it! Shut up! I told you to stop saying that crap!!”
Finally, the round table was flipped over.
The 1,500 kg slab of metal couldn’t even serve as a barrier between them.
Crash!!
The somewhat balanced Round Table meeting ended in chaos, as always.
Maximilian closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the conference room turning into a battlefield.
Some seemed to join in, thinking it was fun.
Crash-
Clang-
Even Buddha would lose his temper and start chanting sutras if he saw this.
Maximilian left the ruined conference room of Round Ark’s headquarters and walked away, seemingly enlightened.
‘The road ahead is long.’
This was the result of having a leadership composed of emotionally immature teenagers.
AlucardLovesFish
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