Ch.64Mining and the Vampire (5)

Edilum.

The blood mage with perhaps the finest blood bullet shooting skills among the Blood Clan was in an office located inside the mine.

It was a crudely decorated space. The office was dug in a dry location to prevent moisture buildup and floored with plenty of wood that wouldn’t absorb humidity.

This was Edilum’s favorite place in this insufferable complex. He wasn’t particularly eager to leave such an office.

In fact, it was a little-known truth even among the Blood Clan.

Blood mages were similar to scholars. Meaning they preferred indoor activities and disliked having to operate outdoors.

That’s why Edilum never ventured outside unless absolutely necessary.

Had his underling thugs not reported an adventurer trying to sneak in, he wouldn’t have come out at all.

Edilum was skillfully drafting documents written in the languages of the three clans.

“—catch them, grab—”

“Over here—”

If not for the sudden shouting from the thugs stationed outside, he would have finished his paperwork and perhaps enjoyed a half-bath.

Abruptly, Edilum raised his head and focused on the approaching commotion.

Something was coming. The blood mage, having reached a high level of mastery, unhesitatingly put down the document he was reading and rose from his chair.

Tsszzz…

Four droplets of blood left his palm and rose into the air. Twisting and coiling as they took form, they resembled awls.

It’s coming. It’s close. The moment the blood bullets were fully formed—

CRASH!

The ornate door shattered into four pieces. Through the flying wooden fragments appeared a black knight who looked somehow familiar.

The black armor repelled light and manifested with an intense presence. It was a sight worth stopping to admire, but Edilum extended his hand.

WHOOSH!

A crimson bullet flew with a piercing sound.

CLANG!

The penetrating power that could pierce through any ordinary fortress was deflected by the sword that sprang from the blood knight’s right hand.

The flame-burning scarlet blade was pushed back. No matter how well it was blocked, it shouldn’t have been unscathed. The impact should have been enough to break a wrist or arm.

Yet the black knight lowered his stance after releasing the sword.

With a light thud—

WHOOSH!

His form accelerated. At a speed too fast to leave even an afterimage, Edilum flicked his left hand to draw out blood droplets as quickly as possible.

But the black knight’s approach was far faster than Edilum could extract blood droplets. Suddenly at close range, without reducing his acceleration, he delivered a front kick.

With a sound like a siege weapon breaking down a castle gate rather than someone striking a person, Edilum was sent flying. However, the blood mage was not one to be easily defeated.

The three blood bullets he had left suspended in the air suddenly accelerated. They targeted the head—specifically the glabella, lower jaw, and neck.

A killing blow meant for a homunculus. Had he already figured it out?

Luvellin moved without a moment’s hesitation. He twisted his head.

CLANG!

Sparks flew as blood spurted from Luvellin’s head.

While two blood bullets ricocheted off the broken helmet pieces and destroyed the office wall, one managed to bore toward Luvellin’s lower jaw.

But the blood bullet penetrated not the jaw but the inside of his mouth.

Yet it stopped after breaking several teeth. No, he caught it.

And through the flying fragments of teeth, flesh, and blood droplets, Luvellin was smiling.

A smile born of intense exhilaration. A ferocious grin that looked unhinged due to his torn lips and flowing blood.

CRUNCH!

With that smile, he crushed the blood bullet between his teeth. With superhuman reflexes, he reached out and grabbed Edilum by the collar.

‘This is—’

As he crossed his arms and raised a blood barrier over them—

SLAM!

A fist came crashing down. As the barrier collapsed, the sticky blood bound his arms. The crimson net that stretched out fixed the fist to the wall and floor, but Luvellin didn’t stop.

Instead, he pulled his fist back, tearing away the wall and floor that were bound to his arm.

CRASH!

Edilum’s body rose with the punch. He was sent flying. Before he could raise another barrier, Luvellin rolled across the floor again.

With a thunderous sound and tremendous force, he shattered the floor into hundreds of pieces, accelerating at a speed no living creature could match.

Edilum belatedly realized that the left hand that had grabbed his collar had moved to his head.

And then—

—SCREECH.

His eardrums burst. At the end of the acceleration was a wall of wood and stone that had been protecting one corner of the office.

The blood mage, embedded in the wall, burst forth blood to slash at Luvellin, but he didn’t stop.

“Heh…”

His exhaled breath was sweet. Luvellin clenched both fists and moved rapidly.

His punches flew so fast they seemed to multiply into dozens.

Cracks spread through the wall.

He extended his right fist to crush the chest, raised his left fist to smash the jaw, and followed with his right fist again to break the collarbone and neck vertebrae.

A technique that destroyed the human body faster than even the Blood Clan’s remarkable regenerative abilities.

However.

“Not enough.”

A chuckle, this time from Edilum. Somehow, Luvellin’s limbs were now bound by crimson nets.

The red eyes facing him shone clearly and viscously.

“It’s as if you’re fighting with implanted knowledge. How interesting…”

CRACK!

The words didn’t continue. Luvellin’s headbutt, helmet and all, smashed into his face, momentarily interrupting his speech.

Immediately grabbing him by the collar, dragging him across the floor, and throwing him.

Edilum flew while gathering the scattered blood droplets.

As the blood mage flexed his body mid-flight to land gracefully and swept his hand from top to bottom to gather the blood droplets into a spear, at that very moment—

“Stop.”

Lorian’s execution blade appeared through a crimson mist and touched Edilum’s neck.

A cold sensation. The execution blade that could kill even the Blood Clan, wielded only by the guardian and executioner of the Blood Clan.

In addition, the black knight’s armor. The somehow familiar shape with its unnaturally black luster.

Edilum smiled.

“Lorian. So after falling from grace, you chose to be a blood bag’s concubine? Really—”

He stopped mid-sentence. Edilum lost his words upon seeing the unfamiliar expression of his old acquaintance from the same clan.

His hand stiffened, his arm froze, and his face turned from bewilderment to red.

He wanted to refute but couldn’t respond to such a sudden remark.

It was definitely not an expression of anger at the insult.

Rather, it was closer to feeling shame and embarrassment while inwardly accepting it.

How?

You should be a proud member of the Blood Clan too.

Before that thought could form into words—

THWACK!

Pain shot through below his knee. Edilum knelt on one knee and saw the long arrow that had pierced his knee.

Before he could process this, a second arrow pierced his other knee, and Edilum laughed dejectedly.

Suddenly the blood bag was right in front of him. With his fist raised high.

“You philanderer—”

CRACK!

And so the blood mage lost consciousness.

*

Negotiations aren’t necessarily conducted on equal terms.

At least, that’s what I thought.

Just as a helpless forest bug who was dragged around with surrender calls throughout the game couldn’t do it.

Negotiations always went best when one side had the advantage.

That was my intention.

First, activate Mourning, charge in, and beat them up.

I thought once the difference in power was imprinted, negotiations would become easier.

“Fine. I’ll cooperate.”

I just didn’t think it would be this easy.

I opened my mouth while maintaining my intimidating posture.

“Huh?”

“…Don’t make such a stupid sound. If you’re going to maintain dignity, do it properly.”

Edilum was actually lecturing me. I turned to Lorian with a dumbfounded expression.

“Is this right?”

Lorian, who had been hanging her head in a daze, didn’t respond to my call.

When I tapped her shoulder, she flinched and came to her senses.

“What? Huh? What did you say?”

“No, I asked if this is right.”

Even though she said she’d handle the negotiations.

I suppressed my slightly annoyed feelings and figured I’d have to handle it myself.

“Ask him why. That part seems fishy.”

And filling Lorian’s vacant role was Isla.

Isla suggested this while wagging her tail, and I nodded.

“It may seem fishy. But… it’s a valid point.”

Edilum readily agreed. Thinking about it, something did seem suspicious.

It was an excellent observation. If I had been alone, I might have overlooked the issue.

As expected of Isla.

When I made eye contact and smiled at her, Isla spread two fingers next to her cheek.

I turned my gaze from the cute snow leopard to Edilum.

His noble attire was tattered. His short-cut hair swayed at the nape of his neck, and his skin was covered with broken and bruised marks.

Could it be.

“Let me clarify that I didn’t yield to violence. I might have lost if we continued fighting, but I hadn’t unleashed all my magic.”

“That’s exactly what beaten-up guys always say.”

“Beaten-up… I understand that a blood bag lacks refinement, but couldn’t you speak more politely?”

This guy talks exactly like Lorian.

I thought that but didn’t say it aloud. That wasn’t what was important right now.

“Then what is it?”

“To put it simply… I could say that I don’t like this place much either.”

Edilum began to explain.

“It’s been a long time since I visited the laboratory, and I’m tired of taking care of mixed-bloods that aren’t even my responsibility. But I can’t refuse the mission and leave either. So I was trying my best to adapt when…”

He was getting long-winded. I raised my hand to cut him off and simply stated my demand.

“Then free those mixed-blood vampires and get out.”

“You have no patience. But… that’s the problem.”

Edilum smiled faintly. The blood mage sighed and said:

“While I certainly manage those mixed-bloods, I didn’t create them. So releasing them is impossible.”

“What does that mean?”

Lorian, whose face was still slightly flushed, approached and spoke.

“This is a necromancer’s pioneering ground. I incurred a debt to rebuild the Blood Clan fortress you destroyed, and I came here to repay it.”

Necromancer. What came to mind was the mourning dragon, Nerilmeius.

But there were no traces of necromancy anywhere here. Not even a single undead was visible.

So how? When I asked, Edilum smiled.

“This mine belongs to the ‘Alchemist.'”

Alchemist. A name I’d never heard before. There wasn’t even alchemy in this world to begin with.

At least not that I knew of. Potions belonged to the realm of magic, not alchemy.

So what on earth was an alchemist?

Could it be related to the blue mineral found here?

Before my thoughts could deepen, Edilum interrupted my contemplation.

“But the Alchemist isn’t here. What’s here is me and… an elder of the Blood Clan.”

At the mention of a Blood Clan elder, Lorian’s expression turned pale. As she rubbed her arms, Edilum openly directed his gaze at her.

“I only came to assist that person. All the mixed-bloods were created by them. You probably know them too.”

His gaze returned to me.

What nonsense is this?

Before I could question him, Edilum said:

“After all, they oversaw the creation of homunculi, including the killer of the Five Grand Dukes. You must know.”

“What?”

Facing my surprised reaction, Edilum concluded with his distinctively viscous voice:

“The Red Beast, Hertol.”

With an apparently boastful air.

“The greatest warrior of the Blood Clan, and the one who trained the assassin of the Five Grand Dukes.”