Chapter 80

Chapter 80

Episode 80: Blood Born It was a peaceful afternoon with sunlight streaming in. Rays of sunshine filtered through the window, landing brightly on the desk in the reception room. However, the man sitting in the chair in the reception room could not enjoy the warmth of the sunlight. To be precise, he was not in the mood to do so. The man, now entering his twilight years, had undisguised anger etched on his wrinkled face. He glared at the person bowing his head across the desk with blazing eyes. “Yes, say it again.” “…Last night, Lord Etechafe died. The news was delivered directly from the Noitrem family via communication.” Both men knew very well what that meant. It was tantamount to the failure of their plan. And they also knew what they had lost through it. Upon hearing the knight’s words, the aging man held his forehead and sighed deeply. “Haa…” As the quiet sigh echoed in the office, the knight tensed up involuntarily. Everyone in the mansion knew that the seemingly peaceful breath was like the calm before a storm. The aging man, still holding his forehead, asked the knight a question. “Trieshan.” “…Yes.” “Did I give too difficult an order? Was it so hard to catch one little bitch?” “…No.” There were excuses to be made. Clearly, she was not weak enough to be called ‘one little bitch’. But if it came to not being weak, Lord Etechafe was the same. Moreover, he had a magic sword. “Then, was I too negligent? Giving him a cheap magic sword like Boreas and acting like I was doing him a favor?” “…No.” Again, the aging man’s words were wrong. Boreas was an excellent magic sword. Although it may not have had powerful destructive force, its ability to freely manipulate the wind was specialized for killing and subduing humans. “The order wasn’t difficult, and the equipment wasn’t lacking. Then, was it wrong to trust Lord Etechafe too much?” “…..” Lanshiel Etechafe was definitely an excellent knight. He was a skilled man who could wield the magic sword Boreas proficiently, and he was also good at tracking and reasoning. No matter who they sent from the Count’s knights, no one could have done better than him. But, then why did he fail? “Tell me, Trieshan. Is this the result of my misjudgment, a product of foolishness and ignorance?” “…No.” The Count’s orders were not wrong. The Count’s family had no reason to invest so much effort in cleaning up after their good-for-nothing son’s accident. A lion can give its all when catching a rabbit, but it doesn’t exert all its strength to trample on a mere bug. One trustworthy elite knight was enough to solve the problem. It was just that Lord Etechafe had failed. Whether it was an unfortunate accident or an inevitable fate. “…We were, careless.” “Huh.” At Trieshan’s words, the Count burst into laughter. Cold contempt permeated the laughter that leaked through his wrinkled lips. Trieshan had no choice but to remain silent at the cold laughter, like the north wind in the middle of winter. “Heh heh heh, carelessness. Good word. A very convenient excuse.” To put it bluntly, Trieshan was not careless. And neither was the Count. Sending Lord Etechafe was the best decision, and it just happened to fail. Fate is sometimes something that humans cannot resist. However, if it is a man-made disaster rather than a natural disaster, the story is different. “I will organize personnel immediately.” “Trieshan. Stop with the showy measures.” “…I understand.” At the Count’s words, Trieshan nodded heavily. The Count’s Knights were not very relaxed. Now that Lord Etechafe was dead, it was meaningless to set foot in this matter any further. If they properly recovered the magic sword and covered up the matter by holding a funeral for Lord Etechafe, there would be no more troublesome things to deal with. But if they faced reality, they couldn’t do that at all. Even if he was a good-for-nothing son, Kalos Gardisha was a direct descendant of the Count’s family. For territorial nobles, especially lords who ruled vast territories like Count Gardisha, the honor of the family had a value like a thousand pieces of gold. Honor is authority, and authority is power. As a proud nobleman, accepting insults meant the fall of honor, authority, and power. Bad rumors were originally like that. No matter how much they tried to control it, it flowed out like sand in the palm of their hand. Especially when they received treatment from the Order like this time. The mouths of those who believe in God become as light as the flapping of sparrows’ wings in the face of faith in the name of gold, and they use the faults of others to fill their own pockets. If they let this matter pass carelessly, the scandal that had spread quietly would become poison and grab the Count’s family by the ankles.

-Tap. Tap.

The aging man tapped the desk silently. Getting angry was not beneficial. The ruler’s anger must be deep and cold. What he needed was coolness to resolve the situation, not an emotional response. “Lanshiel said he received cooperation from Noitrem, what about their damage?” “I don’t know yet. However, according to Lord Etechafe’s last communication, he would enlist the Griffin Riders in case of an emergency to track them down.” At Trieshan’s words, the Count nodded. Lanshiel Etechafe is dead. Then, it was safe to say that the current situation was that ’emergency’. Even though Lord Etechafe had mobilized the Griffin Riders, he died. Then, there was a high probability that the Griffin Riders would not be safe either. Logically speaking, that made more sense. “Then, there is room for negotiation.” In any territory, the air force is an invaluable force beyond words. Regardless of its utility and power, the difficulty of training itself was so high that it would be difficult unless it was a nobleman with a territory. No matter how little food a monster eats compared to its size, it still needs much more food than a human to maintain its body size. Raising griffins or wyverns from eggs to sub-adults also costs that much, and feeding the monsters and growing the pilots to communicate with them is not an easy task. For Viscount Noitrem, who ruled the city, each Griffin Rider was an invaluable force, and now that it had disappeared without a trace, he would clearly not forgive the culprit. “I think I see the answer.” Now that Lord Etechafe had failed, no more force was needed to track down the culprit. What the aging man needed was not a master of force, but someone with the wisdom and cunning to properly use his tongue and the Count’s prestige. Coincidentally, there was someone who came to the Count’s mind. The aging man, the Count of Gardisha, made up his mind and gave an order to Trieshan. //

-Crunch, crunch.

The rustling footsteps echoed in my ears. The forest, densely covered with lush trees, was covered in shadows even in the middle of the day. We continued to move, crushing the fallen leaves that seemed to cover our feet. “Haa…” We sighed without anyone saying anything first. The first to complain was Erzebet. “I can’t believe I’m running away to the Kilkard Great Forest. This is my fate….” As she said, we were currently in the Mesheen Great Forest. It deviated from the direction of Krudion, the stronghold city that we had originally aimed for, but it was unavoidable in order to shake off the pursuit. The guards patrolling the walls were not fools, and they could not have missed the flames rising in the middle of the field and the fallen Griffin Riders in the middle of the night. After dealing with the Griffin Riders and the unidentified knight, we had to throw our belongings into the flames and sprint towards the Mesheen Great Forest with all our might. If we recklessly headed back to the field, we might be discovered by the cavalry that had started the pursuit and have to fight another tedious battle. Fortunately, that decision was accurate, and we were able to easily shake off the Mesatrian cavalry chasing us. ….It’s a really useless digression, but I also threw away the tail plug that I had carefully packed. I didn’t have the time to take it with me, so I couldn’t help it, but I’m a little sad. It was a waste. Anyway, now that we had entered the Mesheen Great Forest, there was no need to worry about pursuers. It was crazy to release soldiers into the Great Forest in the middle of the night. Moreover, now that a night had passed, there was no way they could easily find us even if they ordered a search. It was difficult to release soldiers, and it took time to recruit adventurers. Excellent adventurers might be able to track us down as we fled, but humans are not the only ones walking on two feet in the Mesheen Great Forest. There were goblins everywhere, and other demi-walkers were also swarming, so they would probably have to accept quite a loss. The problem was, how were we going to return to Karaldin now? All we got from the knight and the Griffin Rider was a magic sword and a pocket of space expansion. I wanted to bring the Fire Spear, but it was a military magic tool of the Kingdom of Kilkard. Carrying something like that would be like announcing to the world that we were the culprits. Other than that, all we had was a compass and a few weapons. Furthermore, even if we obtained a magic sword, it was useless at the moment. A separate magical contract was required to handle a magic sword. Unlike magic tools that use activation words like the Fire Spear, magic swords that are controlled by mental power are a type of taming, and because they share a system with familiar magic, they cannot be used without a contract.

-Screech!!

To make matters worse, griffins were flying in the sky. We hadn’t been discovered yet because we were still far away and were hiding only on roads full of lush trees, but if we were to encounter Griffin Riders again, there would be no answer. “….Ugh. I can’t walk anymore.” Besides, everyone’s physical condition was terrible. Our inner strength was exhausted, and our stamina was almost exhausted because we had been running all night. In particular, I had the most severe problem with stamina. It was a miracle that I had been able to march all night with my inner strength exhausted, as I had been sick for a long time due to Quaidon’s poison. “…Hoo. I can’t do it anymore. I need to rest here for a while.” Even now, I tried hard to open my mouth, but in reality, my legs were shaking as if I was about to collapse at any moment. Perhaps noticing my appearance, El and Emily nodded without saying a word. So, in order not to be discovered by the Griffin Riders, we hid under a large rock and took a rest. It was the same for Emily and El, who were also exhausted, and they each collapsed on the floor, panting heavily. “Is everyone okay?” “I want to sleep like this….” “….I’m hungry.” ….Is this collective soliloquy? Everyone was so tired that the conversation was not going smoothly. I sighed and lay down on the floor. The rustling leaves cushioned my back comfortably, but I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. I should have brought a blanket if this was going to happen. I regretted that there was no blanket in the pocket of space expansion. “Haa…” When I stretched out my legs while lying down, I felt as if the energy of my whole body was draining away. I felt so exhausted that I wondered if I would ever be able to get up again. Maybe there was no energy to escape in the first place. It would have been better if I could have supplied some energy. I never knew it would be so hard that there were no men in the group. I turned my head and looked at El, who was lying next to me. “Uh, why are you looking at me?” “I wish you were an orc.” “…Is that an insult?” “No, just my personal wish.” As soon as I said that, I heard a desperate voice from next to me. “What about me, me?” “Emily is no good. You’re better off as you are.” “….What, is that discrimination? Are you ostracizing me because you met me first?” “No way, you’re mistaken.”

Well, having a man around wouldn’t be that useful anyway. Since I’m using the Essence Absorption Technique, the total energy will obviously be consumed. It’s probably best to just sleep in this situation. If I just sleep for about an hour, I should be okay. // …That’s what I thought, but when I woke up again, the sun was setting. “….” It felt like I had slept for half a day, not just an hour. I looked at Elle and Emily, who were sleeping soundly next to me, and was amazed. No one was on watch, but we somehow didn’t die. I was secretly worried that we might be dragged away by goblins while we were sleeping, but it seems like that was a pointless hope, or rather, worry. It would be a bit difficult if we were actually dragged away. Emily doesn’t have any tolerance for interspecies stuff yet, and Erzebet is… a troublesome virgin. She’s even a virgin and a virgin, a terrible hybrid. If her first experience is with a goblin, she’ll probably be incredibly shocked, and since she can’t use the Essence Absorption Technique, there’s a risk of pregnancy. That would definitely be too much. I don’t want to be impregnated by a goblin either, and Elle wouldn’t like it either. No, she’d probably be more likely to kill herself than like it. “Haa.” I sighed softly and shook Elle and Emily awake. “Yaaawn…” Sleepy eyes, disheveled hair, leaves stuck to their clothes here and there, and greasy faces. It’s not quite beggar-like yet, but if things continue like this, it’s only a matter of time before they become so beggar-like that even a homeless person wouldn’t recognize them. Fortunately, I still have Arum inside me, so cleanliness isn’t a problem. But since there are some visual issues with extracting it, let’s do that later. I roughly decided what to do in my head and opened my mouth. “Let’s have a meeting.” “What kind of meeting?” “We’re filming a real-time survival show right now. All we have is a flint, a compass, three daggers, and a useless magic sword. We’ll starve to death if we don’t hunt.” The rest of our belongings were just a leather water bottle and some cheese for emergency rations. Not having a penny is also a problem, but that’s something we can overlook for now. That damn knight had a space expansion pouch but carried almost no luggage. Of course, even if the weight is reduced, heavy is still heavy, so there’s no need to have that much luggage. Hearing my words, Elle lowered her head with a gloomy expression. “…Sorry. It’s because of me….” Emily and I couldn’t help but smile wryly at her reaction. There was no reason to blame her. That goes for Emily and me too. Even though we haven’t known our friends from our past lives for very long, most of them are precious people that I must find. It’s not a matter of friendship. We’re all caught up in the same fate, and as beings who share memories of Earth, we’re each other’s support. It’s actually a good thing for me that she’s relying on me like this. “It’s okay. Don’t worry too much about it.” “Yeah, Layla’s right. I don’t really care either.” Even though Emily and I said that, Elle didn’t shake off her apologetic look. Still, I could tell that her expression was a bit better. I smiled at her and continued. “A ‘virgin’ vampire who has lived for eons doesn’t need to be depressed about something like this. Right?” Hearing my words, Erzebet raised her head and made a painful expression in a different way. “…You’re really a bad person…” Fortunately, she has the energy to argue. Then it’s okay to tease her a little more. It’s much better to be energetic than gloomy. “You’re the bad one. Isn’t it too irresponsible of you to not even set up a blind date for your eggs for 20 years?” “No, what kind of dog logic is that… You could get pregnant if you do that wrong? And being a virgin isn’t bad at all! I, I didn’t do it because I couldn’t!” “That’s a great excuse for someone who’s been single since birth. You’re losing half of your life, so I’ll give you 5 out of 10.” “No, why…” I couldn’t find the same gloominess in Elle’s frustrated expression as before. It’s much better to be energetic like this than to be depressed. Especially when we’ve been abandoned in the Great Forest. In fact, our situation right now can’t be called good by any means. Griffons are flying in the sky to track us, and we burned our backpacks because they were too heavy. My inner energy is depleted, and we have to pass through the Meshin Great Forest, which is like a monster’s den, with only a piece of cheese. ….Wow, now that I think about it, it’s really bleak. Can we survive… I guess we can. If all else fails, we can raid a goblin’s lair. Anyway, there are a lot of monsters and wild animals in the forest. Since all three of us have learned martial arts, it shouldn’t be too hard to survive. “…Wait, does that mean Layla, you too…?” Meanwhile, Elle muttered to herself for a while and then suddenly realized something, looking at me with a shocked expression. Emily, who was watching that expression, covered her mouth and laughed as if it was funny. I also chuckled at Elle’s question and shook my head. “Hmm, let’s talk about my story later. It’s too extreme for you, who are still a virgin.” “Is, is me being a virgin that bad!?” No, it’s not bad, but I just didn’t say it because I thought it would be really shocking. Emily still doesn’t know about being left in the underground plaza and gang-raped, or being exposed and spawning eggs in front of strange perverted club members. …Honestly, how can I say that? Even I, the person involved, would probably look at someone who told me that kind of story with a look that said, “Are you crazy?” “Ha, you don’t know, but I’m not that innocent. Even the Hentai manga I read in my past life….” “…Elle. You should stop.” Elle puffed out her chest as if she could say anything, but Emily stopped her. Of course, I agree with Emily’s words. There’s quite a difference between seeing it in a unrealistic 2D art style and actually experiencing it in vivid 4D. I never dreamed that I would lay eggs, so how could she? Of course, I can’t say these things as they are, so I just looked at Elle with eyes that seemed to pity her. Then she made a crying face that didn’t suit her age and shouted at me. “Y, y, you small-chested jerk!” “…That’s true.” As a side note, Elle’s chest is quite big. Will Emily become like that if she gets bigger? It seems to be a size that can’t even be compared to mine. Of course, it’s easier to move around with a small chest, but since I have Ironclad Armor, there’s no chance of my chest sagging, so maybe it’s okay if it gets a little bigger. It seems like it’s better to have a big one to be groped by someone else. “It’s okay. I’m still growing.” “….Ugh.” I replied lightly and decided to start discussing our plans. The story got a bit off track and took some time, but the atmosphere has brightened up, so it should be okay.