Chapter 461: Escaping the Duchy No.3

Long ago, humans, being a slower and weaker than other four-legged beasts, had to make use of a different strength to survive.

Fortunately, they had something else to boast of besides their oversized heads: endurance.

Whether it was meat or grass, they’d devour anything, and thanks to that efficient fuel system, they could relentlessly chase down even the fastest prey in the wild.

Maybe this was revenge for all the beasts hunted back then, because I was now, without question, in the prey’s position.

“Find him! Don’t let him escape!”

“Search every corner!”

“We don’t need to catch him! Just don’t lose him! Once night falls, the Neonates will track them down!”

Baron Zenryu and a few other Ancillae led a horde of humans in pursuit.

Few of them had formally trained in Qi Arts, so they weren’t that threatening, but trying to shake off a crowd relentlessly tracing our tracks was practically impossible.

Hilde glanced back and grumbled.

“Damn persistent vampires! They don’t even get tired!”

“What a silly thing to say. Of course, vampires don’t get tired.”

“‘I’ know! That’s not what ‘I’ meant! It’s broad daylight, and they’re still chasing us!
Shouldn’t they at least act like vampires?”

“It’s not the time of day that’s the problem, it’s sunlight. As long as they can block the sun, they can keep chasing.”

Our plan had gone a little off track.

To vampires, sunlight is like a swarm of stingers.

Not just a matter of weakening their strength, the sunlight also restricts their movement, like trying to move in a room full of bees.

That’s why we prioritized taking down Baron Zenryu and stole his horse to cripple his mobility.

But he had to be a knight from Du Rahan’s coven.

True to his knighthood, he had a spare horse ready and was back on our tail the moment we fled.

He couldn’t match our speed under the sun, but it was enough to command pursuit.

“Listen to you, all calm like you’re not the one about to die! So smug—I could punch you right now!”

“I’m not calm. I just have a plan.”

“What plan?”

“To take Baron Zenryu out of the game.”

“Wait, you’re thinking of ambushing him now?! That’s crazy! A reverse charge during escape is rule number one of what not to do! And he’s not just some Neonate—he’s an Ancilla! You’d have to annihilate him, which could take a week! By then, the rest of the pursuit will have us surrounded six ways to Sunday!”

“Thank you for the very vivid explanation. You sound like you’ve done a lot of running in your day.”

Well, she had.

Before joining the Crusader, Hilde had spent years on the run as the infamous “Blank-Faced One,” a public enemy of the Empire.

She even learned disguise magic just to escape more easily.

If I weren’t riding behind her right now, she’d probably have slipped this net with ease.

Of course, she’d grumble.

“Relax. It’s not that kind of half-baked plan.”

“Then what kind is it?”

“Just a sec. Ahem.”

I cleared my throat, turned around, and shouted loudly.

“Baron Zenryu! I have something huge to tell you, so open those ears and listen up!”

My voice echoed through the quiet canyon.

He didn’t have to answer, but maybe because he was a knight, he did.

“I’ll listen to you! After I catch you and force you to your knees!”

So he could hear clearly from that far, huh?

I drew from deep in my gut and kept yelling.

“Your maker, Sir Du Rahan, is in danger! Just before I escaped, there was a disturbance at Plenilune Castle! He was caught up in it and falsely accused! He needs your help!”

“Ha! You expect me to believe that?!”

“Up to you. But if you don’t check fast, he could really be in trouble. Are you going to stand by and do nothing while your lord suffers?!”

“You’re trying to divide my forces and distract us! You really think I’d fall for that?! Think again!”

I’m not even lying, though.

Du Rahan is in danger.

He might already be annihilated, that’s the real issue.

“Sir Du Rahan, a man who values honor above all, would never start a rebellion! You dare to slander him?! I’ll capture you and make you pay for disgracing him!”

…Wow. He’s the one being deceived.

Sure, Du Rahan was honorable, but he also started a rebellion faster than anyone.

“I’m telling you the truth! Your comrades who went to Plenilune Castle will be back soon, ask them!”

“Silence! You heard him, didn’t you?! Head for where that voice came from!”

That was the last thing Zenryu said.

Instead, the sound of humans closing in started echoing from all directions.

Hilde kicked the horse harder and shot me a glare.

“So you brought the enemy to us instead of ambushing them. Great plan!”

“It is a great plan. I wasn’t lying about anything I said. Zenryu will back off soon enough.”

“And when exactly is ‘soon’?”

“Well, let’s see… once news from the Duchy reaches them… maybe two days?”

“Wow~. ‘Soon’ by vampire standards! Father has integrated well into the Duchy’s standard, I see! At this rate, we’ll be the ones out of the picture tonight.”

“If we make it through tonight, there’s hope.”

Night belongs to the vampires.

We can’t ride on uneven terrain, and lighting a torch would only give away our position.

But if we hide in the dark, they’ll hunt us down faster and stronger than ever.

“And how exactly are we going to survive tonight?”

“Do you know how we escaped the Military State?”

Hilde hadn’t been there, but she was a Star General and close to Saintess Yuel.

She’d definitely heard the story.

“You used Ralion as bait and fled, right? Yuel couldn’t see through the darkness and was fooled— but that was only possible because it happened on a moving Meta Conveyor Belt! You can’t call that a real strategy!”

“‘Cliché’ means traditional. You can’t bluff your way through life forever. Sometimes you’ve got to make a straightforward move work.”

Well, to pull that off, you need better cards than your opponent, but I did gain a strong ally recently.

Seeing how confident I was, Hilde finally gave in with a sigh.

“…Ugh. Whatever. Let’s do it.”

Nightfall.

It was vampires’ time to shine.

Once the sun had fully set, Baron Zenryu finally removed his heavy armor.

“Well done, squire.”

“Ow… that was heavy… Finally awake, huh…”

The human squire, who’d been holding a parasol over the Baron all day, groaned and clutched his aching arms.

Zenryu scowled.

“It’s just one day! And it’s not even a heavy banner, just a parasol! In my day, you didn’t drop the banner until your arm fell off! And if your arms gave out, you bit the pole with your teeth and kept it upright!”

“Well, that’s because you’re the great Baron…”

“You think I was great from the start?! I became who I am today by enduring pain and hardship! You, too, must bear it without whining, and maybe you’ll be a great knight someday!”

“You’re an Ancilla, sir. Even if I died and came back, I still couldn’t be one…”

“Life is full of surprises! I never thought I would be knighted and become Ancilla under the honorable Sir Du Rahan!”

“…Really?”

Baron Zenryu, who had no idea Du Rahan was already annihilated, made that empty promise without hesitation.

As the squire’s expression softened a bit, Zenryu clapped him firmly on the shoulder.

“Rest up. You’ll be holding that parasol again tomorrow!”

“All day… again…”

Leaving his despairing squire behind, Zenryu raised a hand in signal.

From his fingertips, Blood Aura shimmered like a flag, waving twice.

Soon after, horsemen clad in dusky armor began to appear behind him.

“Knight Fouagne, summoned under blood oath, reporting.”

“Knight Mayni of Fence Hill, summoned under blood oath, reporting.”

“Red Hound, summoned under the Crimson Pact, reporting!”

Ten lone knights.

Zenryu’s Neonates, his personally selected knight order, all turned into vampires.

Their crimson auras blazed in the night as they lined up behind him.

Satisfied, Baron Zenryu began his speech.

“Before we march, I thank you, my loyal vassals and faithful comrades. Your hearts have reached me, galloping without hesitation under the blood oath.”

One benefit of being a vampire, you don’t get bored listening to these stuffy speeches.

The human soldiers under him grimaced, but Zenryu paid them no mind and continued.

“The night is ours. We shall hunt down the fugitive who dared ambush me! He who falsely claims the Progenitor’s consort title and disgraces our noble lord, Sir Du Rahan, shall be judged tonight! Even though it happened during the day, the one who struck off my head was no amateur. But we? Who are we? The arms of honorable Sir Du Rahan, the knights who defend this land! No one can take our pride, our honor, our lives!”

Zenryu was still a vampire.

He didn’t feel any swelling emotion as he delivered this archaic speech.

He only gave it because, as a knight, he believed a pre-battle speech was common sense.

That might’ve been even more terrifying for the humans listening…

But, well, vampires didn’t care.

Baron Zenryu, who had only succeeded in lowering morale instead of raising it, finally pointed forward and said.

“…Time is short, so I’ll leave it at that. Begin the pursuit. Glory to the Progenitor.”

“Yes, sir!”

The infamous Knights of the Night—once the stuff of bedtime terror for children—rode out through the gloom, chasing the fugitives.

It was night, but tracking them wasn’t difficult.

The horse carrying two people left deep, noisy hoofprints in its wake.

“My stolen steed Nox may be a fine horse, but those two are not vampires. They won’t be able to sustain their speed. They couldn’t have gone far! Follow the trail.”

“Yes, sir!”

The Neonates fanned out wide from the path.

Baron Zenryu followed leisurely along the road, keeping himself in a position where he could go in any direction.

The tracks stretched long and clearly down the trail.

As he walked, one of the human squires approached him, glancing around.

“Baron, are we going to continue following the road?”

“Of course. The tracks of Nox are plain to see.”

“Hmm… I see…”

The squire hesitated, tilting his head.

Baron Zenryu responded as if already knowing what he was thinking.

“Are you wondering if they used the horse’s tracks as a decoy and escaped in another direction?”

“Yes, sir. It’s not like we’ve been slacking in the pursuit, but even if Nox is a top-tier horse,
I doubt he’d have the strength to climb uphill carrying two people for long.”

“A fair guess. But there are two problems with it.”

Baron Zenryu, speaking in a solemn tone, began folding his fingers.

“First. My horse Nox is a steed full of grit and spirit. Just two people on his back—one a frail girl and the other a weakling scholar—wouldn’t be enough to tire him!”

That was the classic tenacity talk old knights loved to give.

The squire nearly blurted out that Nox wasn’t a vampire like the Baron, but barely managed to swallow it.

Not because of Zenryu’s temper, but because he feared the long, drawn-out scolding that would follow.

Zenryu, unaware or uncaring of the squire’s inner turmoil, continued.

“Second. Have you seen any footprints or signs of brush being disturbed apart from the hoofprints?”

“No, sir.”

“Exactly. There’s only one road here. On either side, it’s rough dirt overgrown with brush. It’d be hard for a person to get through without leaving clear signs. If they had pushed through the bushes, even you lot would’ve noticed.”

“Couldn’t they have erased their tracks?”

“Erased their tracks? You lot think erasing tracks is like cleaning a room, don’t you?”

Zenryu clicked his tongue and scolded the squire.

“Using Gon Qi Arts to run without leaving footprints, Gam Qi Arts to move through brambles and thorns without harm… and somehow not snapping branches or leaving a single trace? A Qi Practitioner that skilled would be rarer than an untiring thoroughbred. Why not say they flew through the air?”

“Aah…! You already thought of everything, sir!”

“You lot just don’t think far enough. I won’t scold you. Wisdom is like training—it has to be earned through experience. But still, if there’s something you don’t know, you should listen humbly and learn! How could I, with all my years of service, have overlooked such a shallow idea? It’s appalling. There’s a reason I dismissed such a baseless suspicion in the first place, after all—”

“Please, just scold me instead!”

As his lecture dragged on as long as the chase itself, a Neonate up ahead signaled.

Baron Zenryu cut off his tirade and turned to his soldiers.

“Everyone halt. Keep watch of the area.”

“Combat, sir?”

“No. Even if it is, unless absolutely necessary, I won’t involve you. The knights will handle combat. You focus on scouting and keeping watch.”

Humans are a useful, talking resource, but most of all, valuable for their blood.

Their injuries and deaths are great losses to vampires.

Thus, combat is left to the stronger, regenerative vampires.

This principle mirrored the knightly chivalry Zenryu had lived by for centuries, so he had no trouble maintaining the same conduct even now.

He gathered his troops and moved toward the signal.

“Over here, sir!”

As he advanced, Neonates gathered around him.

One who had scouted far ahead led him along the trail.

The sound of Nox snorting could be heard in the distance.

All the vampires drew their weapons in case of combat.

Then, past the brush, they found Nox chewing grass and panting heavily.

There were no signs of people nearby, apparently, the horse had been abandoned.

Baron Zenryu carefully scanned the area and gave the order.

“Search for tracks. A tired horse wouldn’t travel alone at night. There must be human signs nearby.”

“Yes, sir!”

While the Neonates dispersed, Zenryu approached his beloved horse.

Even if Nox had carried fugitives far away, the beast was just a dumb animal, hardly to blame.

Zenryu was a merciful knight, even to horses.

After all, he was a vampire knight, superior to both man and beast.

“You ran off without recognizing your own master… I’ll have to retrain you. Too many horses raised and sent off—I’ve been neglecting their discipline. Whether man or beast, you grow soft without real combat.”

As he drew near, something strange caught his eye.

A blindfold covered Nox’s eyes, and a small pouch was tied to his mane.

When the horse moved, something inside clinked together with a rattle.

Horses are cowardly creatures.

With limited vision and a rattling noise following from behind, they’ll bolt on their own—even with no one around.

Only once he had run out of strength would Nox have been freed from the “pursuit.”

“…Then, when?”

But they had seen no such signs on the way here.

If it were too dark, that might be understandable, but Zenryu was a vampire.

Even if the human soldiers missed it, he and his Neonates could see in the darkness.

There were no signs of the brush being disturbed.

That much was certain.

This time, the squire had been right.

Whatever method they used, the fugitives had erased their tracks.

He didn’t know how, but they had a way.