Chapter 463: Escaping the Duchy No.5

Hilde’s judgment had been correct.

The vampires who passed by once were unable to locate us again.

They didn’t even consider that we might still be inside the perimeter, they were only sweeping the distant outskirts half-heartedly.

We hadn’t gone farther than them, but it didn’t matter.

Their mistaken belief that the area had already been searched was protecting Hilde and me.

Before long, the presence that had been lingering nearby disappeared.

Baron Zenryu had acknowledged defeat and withdrawn for now.

“Did he give up already? For all their pride, vampires sure don’t have much perseverance~.”

“I don’t think he’s given up. It’s just that it’s impossible for him to find us alone. He’ll probably try to cooperate with another vampire who oversees this area. But in the end, he will give up—once he hears the news about Sir Du Rahan.”

So the bait I laid is finally bearing fruit.

To cooperate, they’ll have to exchange information, and during that process, he’ll inevitably hear the news I hinted at.

“Took a bit, but it went just as I said, right? We shook him off in two days.”

“Still too early to relax. That guy was just a border warden, not part of a full-fledged pursuit party. If Tyrkanzyaka dispatched a proper pursuit, there’d be at least one Elder. We might be able to hide, but there’s no way we’ll cross the border without friction.”

Hilde didn’t like that I seemed relieved, and threw cold water in my face.

As I fell silent at the now-clouded path ahead, she tapped my shoulder with a grin.

“Aww~ What’s with that face all of a sudden? You can’t fool me anymore.”

“Fool you how?”

“You’re still hiding cards, aren’t you? We’ve come this far, so just spill it already. I know you didn’t escape without a plan!”

“…”

Well, here’s the thing.

Honestly, I don’t have a plan.

I mean, I kind of do, but it’s not something I can control.

“Father?”

“Ah, yeah yeah. So uhh, the thing is—”

Hey, Regressor. What the hell are you doing?

You said the Great Tide would hit with the Night Ebb Tide.

The time’s already passed, why is there no reaction from the Duchy?

And didn’t you show up early specifically to warn about the Great Tide?!

If you came all the way to the Duchy, you could’ve at least found me, or provoked Tyr and distracted her, or done something!

Where the hell are you?!

While I silently screamed in frustration, Hilde smiled softly beside me.

“Playing coy again. But you do have a method, don’t you?”

“Uhh, of course I do.”

“Could it be what I’m thinking of?”

Wait, you had something in mind?

You should’ve told me earlier.

Just to get a feel for it, I peeked into Hilde’s thoughts.

｢Father is the King of Humans. The factions that search for him are the Sanctum and the Human Regime. The Regime is friendlier to the King of Humans, and since Shei is nearby, I figured he’d call for Shei… But it doesn’t look like he’s signaled either side?｣

…Yeah, well.

Even Hilde thinks that, but not the Regressor.

Hmph.

Not that I miss the Regressor or anything!

I’m just waiting for her to carelessly run to Tyr and draw aggro so I can slip away!

Anyway, it’s not something I can control.

I cleared my throat and answered.

“Something like that. If we can’t do it on our own, then we’ll need help.”

“I’ll be counting on you~.”

Hilde’s smile weighed heavily on me.

This baseless trust in the King of Humans is seriously troublesome.

Didn’t she work in intelligence?

Is it really okay for her to trust me this much?

Doubt me a little.

…Though, in a situation where I can only rely on Hilde, it’d be a problem if she did doubt me.

“Sigh. Maybe we should just cross the mountain.”

When you see no way forward, risky moves start to look appealing.

I slowly turned and looked past the hill.

The Duchy of Mist, nestled between mountains and sea, rises higher toward the west.

It’s such a distinct incline that from the highlands, everything below is visible.

Without cover from foliage or trees, there’s no way to hide your body.

That’s why Hilde and I opted to pass through a checkpoint.

It’s impossible to cross the border completely unnoticed.

But what if… above the outposts, over the ridgeline, we crossed the mountain?

It would be less likely to draw the eye.

“You said cross the mountain?”

…Well, to human eyes, anyway.

“I was just saying. There are tigers out there. No way we’re climbing that.”

Not every mountain has a tiger.

But even just knowing one might be there is reason enough not to go.

Plus, the higher you go, the more visible you become from below.

It’d just add another threat.

I turned away without hesitation.

｢You may have brushed it off, but you wouldn’t mention it for no reason. Father must have a way to cross that mountain safely, doesn’t he?｣

Uh… no?

I really just said it because I’m desperate.

｢A way to fool the beast’s nose and ears? Hmm… No, someone like the King of Humans wouldn’t be so basic. Maybe it has to do with the First Year, the reason humanity became the dominant species on earth~?｣

What?!

What does that even mean?!

I don’t know that!

Why do you know and I don’t?!

But no matter how deep I dug through Hilde’s thoughts, all she had was second-hand rumors.

As a half-baked Crusader, she didn’t know any of the real secrets.

Well… of course. It’d be weirder if there were information about me that I didn’t know.

…Wait a second.

Then could a real Crusader, or a real Saintess, know the truth?

Even when I read the minds of Yuel the Saintess of Foresight and Feruel the Saintess of Steel, I didn’t get anything particularly revealing…

That’s strange.

Even Hilde, my so-called cast-off child, knows something’s up.

Then someone must know the contents of it too.

If not the Saintesss, then who?

Unless… there exists a domain I simply cannot read?

Like the Regressor’s memories from previous timelines?

That question struck me, but I had no way to answer it.

First, I had to escape the Duchy.

Please, let something hold back the Elders… even just tie up Valdamir’s feet a little.

The Great Tide arrived.

If they hadn’t evacuated the humans who were heading to harvest at low tide, there would’ve been significant casualties.

The tsunami didn’t just sweep the beaches, it surged past and engulfed entire villages.

Even those built far from shore to avoid Leviathans were drowned, turning the land into an expanse of seaweed-covered reefs.

“…Is this it?”

But even seeing the devastation, Valdamir tilted his head.

The scale was far smaller than all the fuss had made it out to be.

He trudged across the sludge with a heavy squelch.

Seawater—amniotic fluid of Mother Earth.

Salty, filled with invisible micro organisms.

For vampires, whose Bloodcraft falter even in running water, saltwater is a real and terrifying danger.

Twaite would dissolve like a lump of salt upon contact, and even the Neonates would lose control of their Blood Aura and if they didn’t maintain focus.

For Ancillae… While they could endure seawater.

If they were only dealing with seawater that is.

Things would be different when the Leviathans were involved.

A single hit from one riding the tides could ruin you if your Bloodcraft weren’t perfect.

That’s why Valdamir didn’t join the pursuit of the Progenitor’s consort.

Even if the Progenitor had ordered him, he likely wouldn’t have moved.

A father must be intimidating to the man approaching his daughter, but gentle to the one walking away.

Especially if the daughter is the one trying to hold on to the man.

Valdamir had personally brought humans and vampires to inspect the flooded region.

Why was an Elder doing menial tasks like this?

The reason soon became clear.

“Huh? Why is there a sail here…”

One of the workers spotted a strange object buried in the sand and began approaching the sail.

With every step he took on the sand, something that resembled leaves twitched in response.

Just as he began to sense something odd, the sand suddenly collapsed inward and something burst out from beneath it.

“Uwaaagh!”

As a monstrous mouth loomed toward the startled man’s head, a massive great sword flew through the air and pierced the mysterious shadow.

What had leapt out from the sandy earth was a broad, flat fish of a similar color to its surroundings.

With fins specialized for moving on land, the large fish flailed in agony, its mouth gaping wide and snapping like flintstones striking each other.

Whether it was in pain from the open air or frustrated from having its meal interrupted was unclear.

“I-I’m alive…”

As the relieved worker exhaled, Valdamir’s Ancilla, Count Drikul, barked another warning.

“Stay alert! This isn’t a normal tide! All sorts of creatures have been washed ashore from the far sea, many dangerous beasts are now hiding nearby! If you see anything strange, throw your harpoon before you even get close!”

With grim determination, the workers lifted their harpoons overhead.

Those experienced in sea foraging threw their weapons into cracks between rocks or muddy pits.

Though some Leviathans had survived, most were already dead.

The more dangerous ones for land dwellers—like conches and crabs—were mostly found with shattered shells.

As Valdamir examined the broken carapaces of the crustaceans, he suddenly spoke.

“Kavila.”

“Don’t you dare call me so casually with that shameless face, traitor!”

Kavila snapped back with a sharp tone.

She still bore a grudge against Valdamir for the rebellion, or more precisely, for stopping the Progenitor from surrendering her heart.

But Valdamir neither cared for nor responded to her bitterness.

Ignoring her attitude, he asked.

“What kind of tide is this?”

“Since when do tides have types? Seawater surges in, and it’s just a tide. I never took you for the sentimental sort who names every wave.”

“Did the strait blocked by the Island Whale open up? Did a Cloud Manta beat the sea with its fins? Or is it simply a meaningless tide with no cause?”

Emotions were one thing, business was another.

When Valdamir questioned her in a cold, emotionless tone, Kavila clicked her tongue but answered obediently.

“No idea. This time… it’s weird.”

“What’s weird?”

“The Cloud Manta is acting up. It’s a pattern we sometimes see before the Night Ebb Tide, but lately it’s been unusually loud. Day after day, waves kept pounding in… it’s enough to drive me insane.”

“The reason?”

Kavila retorted irritably.

“How would I know what’s going on in the far sea? I’ve got my hands full with sis’ mess!”

“That is your job.”

“Hmph! Then maybe you should’ve paid attention in the first place! You didn’t care at all before, but now you’re here barking orders just because something’s happened!”

“That is my job.”

“Ugh!”

Kavila, fuming, kicked a half-collapsed house.

With a loud crash, a wall weakened by the tide crumbled, and from the gaping fissure, a massive eyeball appeared.