Chapter 454: Trial That Defies Fate (End)

Unlike the others, Du Rahan was the only one who became an Elder by ‘opposing’ the Progenitor.

The Black Knight.

The headless knight who once roamed about, severing the heads of illustrious knights.

He became a figure of legend due to his macabre acts.

The fact that his head and body were separated only fueled the rumors of Du Rahan, who was said to swing his own head like a flail.

But even so, no matter how you looked at it, a head appearing alone without its body was unheard of.

It wasn’t the head that was feared—it was the body.

I addressed Du Rahan’s head.

“Sir Du Rahan. Why have you come with only your head?”

“…You…bastard…!”

His voice scraped out like nails dragged across the bottom of an empty vessel.

It seemed that, without a throat, even an Elder struggled to vocalize words properly.

Even though he was strong, like this, even I wouldn’t be defeated by him.

As their most powerful ally appeared in his most powerless state, Erzsebet widened her eyes and lashed out at Valdamir.

“Valdamir? What is the meaning of this? Where is Du Rahan’s body?”

“I left it behind. If his body and head were together, he would surely have tried to oppose the Progenitor.”

“…What…?”

Her expression made it clear she still didn’t understand why bringing only his head was necessary.

By now, she should have caught on.

“Your mind has hardened, Madam Erzsebet. Must I spell it out for you?”

I kindly explained for her smooth understanding.

“The Crimson Duke is not on your side. He has no intention of attacking Tyr like the rest of you. If he were a true traitor daring to defy the Progenitor, maybe—maybe then he would.”

Erzsebet belatedly realized why Valdamir had vacated the area, why he had gone alone to awaken Du Rahan, and why he was now standing so close under the pretense of innocent questioning.

Just as Erzsebet tried to respond, Valdamir moved.

She hastily unfurled her fan to fend him off.

The blood spread across the ground responded to her power, rising up like a wall between her and Valdamir.

At the same time, red vines and congealed bricks gathered to ensnare Valdamir’s ankles, as if the entire world were trying to capture him.

Valdamir’s counterattack was simple.

He gripped his greatsword overhead and cleaved downward with force.

Everything in front of him—vines, bricks, even the flowing blood—was sliced cleanly in two.

He cut not just through matter but even through the power of Bloodcraft itself.

Erzsebet, knowing Valdamir’s overwhelming strength better than anyone, tried to smother him with quantity instead.

A deluge of blood, far greater than before, cascaded down like a waterfall, swallowing everything in its path.

In terms of sheer power in Bloodcraft, Erzsebet was overwhelming.

Even blood would not respond to Valdamir’s power.

Here, the only things Valdamir could freely control were his own body and his greatsword.

Yet, that alone was enough.

Valdamir flicked his fingers.

Whether it was Qi Arts, Bloodcraft, or some fusion of both, a power surged through his greatsword.

The sword flew up as if alive, spinning around rapidly.

A devastating storm by a singular blade.

Grinding away the obstacles in his path, Valdamir leapt over Erzsebet and seized the hilt of the spinning sword midair before bringing it down.

It was a strike that sundered the world.

Erzsebet, with all her might, tried to block it—but the Dominion of Blood could not withstand a blow that shattered everything.

Her fan split cleanly in two, and the Blood Aura she commanded scattered into the air.

Vampires rarely feared death.

Maybe because, as immortals, they didn’t feel pain—or perhaps because their will to live was faint, like gambling with fake money where there’s no real thrill.

But now, with her own desires finally within reach, Erzsebet grew desperate.

She screamed toward her retainers.

“P-Protect me!”

But none answered her call.

Her retainers had already been subdued by Valdamir’s Ancillae, including Countess Erte.

Even among Ancillae, Valdamir’s were exceptional.

While most Ancillae learned to fight humans, they had mastered the art of suppressing other vampires.

Erzsebet’s forces were crushed by just two of his.

She was in a desperate situation.

Clutching the deepening blade, Erzsebet cried out.

“Valdamir…! You’re betraying us!”

“Betrayal? I have never once betrayed anyone.”

Valdamir murmured as he drove the sword deeper.

Though she was an Elder, physical wounds could not kill Erzsebet.

Even trying to disrupt her dominion wouldn’t easily bring her down.

But with her true body pinned beneath the greatsword, she had no strength left to fight elsewhere.

Still resisting, Erzsebet gasped out.

“You! You told me that the Duchy needed change! I only moved because I agreed!”

Of course.

No wonder the Elders, those lazy tyrants, had suddenly started acting so urgently.

It was the Crimson Duke himself who had stirred them behind the scenes.

An Elder wouldn’t move without solid justification.

It must have taken a figure with the Crimson Duke’s power and influence to promise support.

So the Crimson Duke had been behind the rebellion all along.

Though Erzsebet likely hadn’t realized it was a trap.

Valdamir pressed the sword even deeper and whispered.

“There were two. You, and Du Rahan.”

“What…?”

“After casting off your shackles, the two Elders who would one day oppose the Progenitor.
Du Rahan would rise immediately upon being freed. You would bide your time, scheming from the shadows. You were slightly more troublesome than him. That’s why I took extra measures.”

From the very beginning.

Ever since the Elders noticed their shackles had been broken, long-suppressed desires began to stir.

Since then, Valdamir had been quietly plotting to identify and eliminate the traitors.

｢Of all people…! How could I, of all Elders, fail to notice the betrayal!｣

Erzsebet burned with humiliation—at Valdamir, and at herself.

Before becoming an Elder, she had seized an entire fief through ruthless political struggle.

But now she had been played by a single person.

“From the start…! Was it your plan to lure us into a trap!”

“I merely gave you a chance to move. I just stood at the end of that road.”

Valdamir, applying more pressure to the sword, curled his left hand into a claw.

Blood clotted around his fingers, transforming into enormous teeth.

Realizing the power gathering there, Erzsebet’s face paled.

“The Bloodleech! You’ve… inherited Bakuta’s power…!”

“I studied it. I knew I needed it to face the other Elders.”

An Elder could slay another Elder.

By severing their head and disrupting their dominion through Bloodcraft, one could bring about their annihilation.

With Devouring, it became even easier to assimilate the opponent’s blood into one’s own.

While Valdamir’s Devouring wasn’t as overpowering as Bakuta’s, he could wield it with greater precision.

Panicking, Erzsebet screamed.

“You! Instead of serving the Progenitor—why not become the King of the Duchy!”

Valdamir, who had been preparing to devour her, paused and looked down.

Seizing the opportunity, Erzsebet struggled and pleaded:

“You could do it, Valdamir! With your power, it’s possible! Tyrkanzyaka can’t defeat you—not now, with her power diminished! You could truly rule everything, vampires, humans, Elders, even this entire country!”

Desperation sharpened her logic.

For Erzsebet, the greatest threat right now was not the Progenitor, nor me—it was Valdamir.

If she could turn him back into an ally, everything could still be salvaged.

“I will yield the Primordial Essence! I will make you the second Progenitor! Kill her, take her power, and you will become the undisputed ruler of this land! Never again would you have to obey the Progenitor’s orders!”

Valdamir hesitated for a moment, letting out a small hum.

Mistaking that for agreement, Erzsebet smiled faintly and whispered.

“If it’s you, not Tyrkanzyaka, then…I would gladly entrust myself and this nation to you. I would serve you with all my heart…”

“No need.”

– Squelch.

Valdamir’s claw closed around Erzsebet’s head.

His fingers, now fanged like teeth, devoured her.

Blood streamed between his grasp.

The remains of her body struggled to reform through Bloodcraft, but Valdamir persistently hunted for the core of her power.

Slashing, severing, relentlessly scattering Erzsebet’s form.

Finally, from the ruins of her body, he found it.

The Primordial Essence of Tyr—the blood gifted to the Elders.

Once belonging to Tyrkanzyaka but corrupted after ages spent with Erzsebet.

Even after its core was exposed, Erzsebet still clung to life.

“Hm.”

He could have annihilated her with just a bit more effort.

But Valdamir left the final step undone.

Because the Primordial Essence was still part of Tyrkanzyaka.

Collecting the Essence, he didn’t even glance my way as he spoke.

“Consort.”

“Yes?”

“You’ve done well.”

“In what way?”

“You helped me pin down Erzsebet. Thanks to you, the Progenitor’s burden has been lightened considerably.”

Valdamir’s way of speaking… It’s honestly a pain to deal with.

He wasn’t guessing at my thoughts.

He was declaring how he would interpret them.

Even now, he wasn’t saying he believed I had lured Erzsebet for Tyr’s sake— Only that because my actions helped Tyr, he would acknowledge it as such.

Valdamir would judge me solely based on the results, not my intentions.

Even if it meant occasional misjudgments, he wouldn’t be swayed by my words alone.

“…It was more about survival for me, honestly.”

“Wise.”

“Not really. Thanks to your scheming, I almost got trapped and killed inside the castle. If you suspected betrayal from the Elders, why didn’t you stop it earlier?”

Valdamir replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Until it happens, it isn’t betrayal.”

Valdamir hadn’t preemptively cut down the seeds of rebellion to demonstrate his loyalty to Tyr.

Even if he had incited Erzsebet, he simply watched until she actually committed the rebellion.

After all, Valdamir wasn’t a Mind Reader.

Well, it’s not like I could blame him, I’m a Mind Reader myself and even I couldn’t perfectly predict things.

In a way, he was similar to me, yet the opposite.

I watched because I wanted to see the realization of desire while he watched because he couldn’t know the desire and had to wait for the outcome.

Was it prudence or fearlessness?

Well, we were walking the same path for now, so maybe it didn’t matter.

“…”

“What? Why are you staring at me like that?”

Just as he was about to leave for Tyr’s sake, Valdamir silently gazed at me.

A chill ran down my spine, sensing something ominous, when Valdamir, reclaiming his greatsword, muttered.

“Until it happens, it isn’t betrayal.”

“…Pardon?”

“Even if the King of Humans were to forsake the Progenitor’s love, it would not be betrayal until he actually does so.”

｢Even if he does not love the Progenitor… or doesn’t even pity her. Until the Progenitor experiences it firsthand, taking matters into my own hands would be overstepping. In any case, for the Progenitor to have new experiences is a good thing.｣

This man… he was something else.

Rather than loyal, he was faithful.

It wasn’t that he intended to betray Tyr, but he didn’t view her as a god or a king either.

This feeling…

“Mr. Valdamir. Can I ask you one question?”

“I’ll hear it.”

Look at the way he talks.

Grumbling inwardly, I asked.

“If, like Erzsebet said, you could have become the second Progenitor, why didn’t you?”

“There is no reason to.”

“Well, sure, but…”

It was a curt answer and a plain truth, but not the answer I was looking for.

Tch.

Even if I could read the minds of vampires, combing through such vast memories to infer emotions was terribly inefficient.

And back then, emotions were so faint that I couldn’t even pick out the most vivid memories.

Better to stir memories with a question and then read from there.

After careful consideration, I asked another.

“What do you expect from Tyr?”

“Expect…?”

Maybe I hit closer to the core.

Valdamir furrowed his brows—an unusual reaction for him—as he pondered.

Vampires stopped changing the moment they accepted the blood of their maker.

Their bodies, their minds, even their emotions froze at that moment.

The first thing that surfaced for Valdamir was the memory just before his death.

He had lost his family, his territory.

He had sworn revenge, but he was powerless.

He threw in all his strength, leveraged every connection, devised every strategy, yet still failed and had to flee.

Chased by enemies, dying nameless in a forest, a girl appeared before him.

A girl clad in rags, yet dazzlingly white. Her bare feet stepping through the brambles without a scratch.

He had expected a beast to come first, drawn by the scent of blood, but instead, a girl—neither a witch nor an angel—stood before him.

A glorious mistake at death’s doorstep.

—What a pitiful sight.

Valdamir had done everything he could and still failed.

Even if he had sworn revenge, it was something you only achieved if you had the strength.

He had fought with everything, and it wasn’t enough.

That was a failure he could not overcome.

—I’ve heard of your tale. A rebel leader who challenged the Duke out of revenge. You fought well, but it seems your strength has run out. What a pitiful end.

But was it really?

Contrary to rumors, Valdamir had never loudly proclaimed his vengeance.

He was a realist.

Even with the enemy in front of him, he wouldn’t let emotion ruin things.

And yet, paradoxically, he was the most romantic kind of man.

Knowing it was virtually impossible, he still chose to fight rather than flee.

—You, who resemble me, may be able to endure the eternal solitude and endless hardship.

The girl murmured as she bit her finger.

The blood that would later be called Primordial Essence gathered into a droplet and hovered in the air, then slowly seeped into Valdamir’s body.

The massive power of the blood engulfed him, replacing the blood that was seeping uncontrollably from his dying body.

—I’ll grant you a chance to start again. If you wish to live, accept my blood.

But there was no lingering desire strong enough to make him want to start over.

He had already fulfilled his revenge, in his way.

His soldiers were annihilated.

His retainers and family became slaves or met their deaths.

All alliances were broken, comrades turned into criminals.

He had gambled everything and lost.

He had fought with all he had, failed utterly, and lost everything.

To then plead for another chance would be unspeakably pathetic.

Valdamir might use practical means, but he always chased a certain idealism.

Achieving victory with such overwhelming borrowed power wouldn’t have been his achievement.

Even as a loser, he wouldn’t become something disgraceful.

Maybe resisting was meaningless against such overwhelming power.

Still, Valdamir, who had brought closure in his own way, was about to reject it—

When the girl, in a cold, lonely voice, added.

—And afterward, once you’ve achieved your revenge, become my servant. Help me exact my vengeance.

On the other hand… This girl, whether witch or angel, needed him.

Though she bore deep hatred and endless power, this young yet ancient Progenitor, Tyrkanzyaka, needed Valdamir.

He had already lost everything.

His past responsibilities had faded into the dust of history.

Being someone else’s tool… wasn’t such a bad deal anymore.

Valdamir accepted the power instead of resisting.

He chose to live a second life, ugly though it was, and opened his mouth to drink the blood.

His wish: To help Tyrkanzyaka.

His duty: To serve the Progenitor.

Because every action he took as her servant aligned perfectly with his wish, unlike the other Elders who stood still, Valdamir grew stronger.

He built a system modeled after other nations, trained himself, refined his skills, all so that—

Someday, the Progenitor’s wishes might be fulfilled.

“…”

Valdamir silently stared at me.

For a brief moment, a scene flickered through his mind: Tyr, clad in a beautiful dress, beaming as she reached out her hand.

And me, on the other side, barging in with my usual attitude to snatch her away.

What he pictured was a wedding scene for Tyr… and the unwanted groom was me.

Valdamir’s mood soured drastically.

Without a word, he grabbed Du Rahan’s head and Erzsebet’s heart, then turned away.

“I said I would hear you. I didn’t say I had to answer.”

Throwing that out, Valdamir headed for the castle to suppress the traitors who dared attack the Progenitor.

Left behind, I mulled over the thoughts I had just read.

…What a hopelessly devoted fool.