Chapter 366
Chapter 366
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 366
Chapter Title: Side Story 51. We're Doing Well Too (3)
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"Wh-what is it? Suddenly calling my name..."
Erzsebet flinched.
It had been ages since someone had called her full name from another's lips.
'Wasn't it just because she hates pain that she came here? What does she mean by 'annihilation'?'
Her eyes were deadly serious. If you only looked at her expression, you'd think she was about to propose or something.
The Shadow Archduke continued.
"It means it's that grave a matter. Do you know that in the past, your Dawn Mages were our natural predators?"
"Ah, yeah, I know that. The founder of the Dawn Tower was originally a vampire hunter, after all. We learned that she built up her wealth from that and grew the faction."
"Good. Then do you know why? Why the night folk feared only you?"
"Well... because our flame magic is the hottest, right?"
Erzsebet shrugged.
Just as the Full Moon Tower specialized in earth magic and the Twilight Tower in light magic, each tower had its field of expertise.
The Dawn Tower had long been the foremost in flame magic, and Dawn's flames were considered the hottest in the world—short of a dragon's fire—with tremendous prestige.
"Fear of fire is fear of us. I'm not bragging, but no one handles flames better than we do. Even now, we're working day and night to manifest even hotter ones."
"That's true too. But not the perfect answer."
"Huh?"
"The fire you wield contains the sun's energy. I don't know if that lineage still endures, but it did in the past. Our kin struck by a Dawn Mage's flames turned to dust, just like our ancestors perishing under sunlight."
"Oh, that! I know about it!"
Erzsebet nodded vigorously.
As the Archduke said, some Dawn Tower mages could wield a special flame.
A spell manifesting sacred fire—not ordinary flames, but infused with solar power—had been passed down through successive tower lords.
"But not everyone can use it like before. Mixing in solar power exponentially increases the difficulty of controlling the flames... so it's only taught to skilled mages."
Erzsebet raised her index finger.
Mana rippled and gathered, and a tiny flame flickered at her fingertip.
The soundless blaze wasn't red but a vivid golden hue, like sunlight.
Ophelia's eyebrow twitched.
"...Haven't seen that in ages. Creepy."
She quietly pulled her hood back over her head.
The terror etched in her blood was stimulating her heart.
Sion, who had been quietly listening, clapped her hands.
"Ah, I can do it too!"
Clap!
A golden will-o'-the-wisp floated above her head.
It was quite large and dazzling.
A warmth reminiscent of a summer field enveloped the trunk.
Erzsebet cautioned her.
"Sion. Don't manifest it strong enough to discomfort our guests."
"Ahh, sorry! I didn't realize..."
"It's fine... Yes, that's the flame. Seeing her cover that with a hood already makes me nauseous."
The Archduke grimaced.
He had come all this way seeking it, but the disgust was unavoidable.
A patient visiting the hospital wants a cure, not harsh treatment.
Soon, Erzsebet and Sion simultaneously dispelled their magic.
"As you can see, we can produce the flame the Archduke mentioned. Sion here is quite good at it too. But earlier, you said if he meets death another way, the whole region perishes—what does that mean?"
"Exactly as it sounds. Look."
Suddenly, the Archduke opened his palm.
A pitch-black sludge, like shadow, crept up from the gash.
It felt similar yet different from the Shadow Archduke's power she had witnessed before.
Erzsebet narrowed her eyes at the blackened hand.
"This is...?"
"My innate magic, corrupted and decayed. This damned wound won't heal and absorbs my power, storing it arbitrarily."
The Archduke growled.
An indescribable malice emanated from the black aura blooming between the wound's cracks.
Like seeing living venom writhing.
She could see why he used the word 'annihilation'.
"If it doesn't perish in Dawn's flames, this power spreads. Soil turns black, grass and trees wither completely. Animals become bloodthirsty monsters attacking everything in sight. And naturally, humans count as animals too."
"...Horrifying."
"Yes. Horrifying. I hope that's explanation enough... Gahk!"
"A-Archduke?!"
It was instantaneous.
Mid-sentence, the Archduke vomited blood.
But it wasn't ordinary regurgitation.
The blackened, rotten blood erupted not just from his mouth but from wounds across his body.
As the blood sprayed everywhere, Ophelia's eyes flashed red.
"Such..."
The scattering blood halted.
Erzsebet and Sion gasped.
Thousands of blood droplets hung motionless in the air, as if time had stopped.
Ophelia raised one hand, and the blood returned to the Archduke's body.
-Blackened Blood Eruption
Corrupted mana overflowing from wounds
Clutching his chest as he regained his blood, the Archduke groaned.
"...The intervals are shortening. Not much time left."
Ophelia sighed.
Her movements were practiced, suggesting this wasn't the first or second time.
The frozen Erzsebet blurted in bewilderment.
"A-are you okay!? Blood from all over your body..."
"Far from it. Surviving this long is a miracle. Twenty years, and the wound never improved once."
Braum hoisted the staggering, drunken-like Archduke onto his back.
The boy, gasping raggedly, looked frail enough to faint any moment.
No trace of the night world's ruling sovereign's dignity in his delicate features.
Ophelia spoke.
"Time to decide... We'll hold off the details for now. Will you help us?"
"It's not that I can't, but... we still need preparations..."
"A mage of your caliber can handle it alone... It's not something to expose before crowds... Don't worry. It's just incinerating a body that's served its time. For the Dawn Tower's lord, it's almost too modest a task."
"Dawn Tower's lord...!"
Erzsebet's eyes widened.
Lord.
The word always made her heart race.
Truth be told, there was no real reason to refuse.
It had all happened so abruptly that she was flustered, but the Shadow Archduke was just another client seeking pure aid, like any visiting the tower.
Fiddling with Sion's hair as she pondered, Erzsebet finally decided.
"Alright, let's do it! I'll burn you clean for sure."
"Wahaha! Reassuring. Just like I remember. The day you pinned me with telekinesis floods back fresh!"
"Ugh, I apologized for that..."
Braum burst into hearty laughter.
Erzsebet's face flushed red.
He still cherished the freshman welcome incident where she bested him as a fond memory.
Erzsebet cleared her throat.
"Ahem. So, where do we perform the ritual? Somewhere we can risk regional annihilation..."
"Don't worry... Already decided..."
"Archduke?!"
The gasping Archduke then opened his eyes.
His body, bleeding barely stemmed, resembled a leather sack on the verge of tearing.
Rummaging in his pants pocket, he pulled something out.
A tightly rolled pitch-black scroll.
Engraved with the mightiest spatial magic: mass teleportation.
Erzsebet tilted her head.
"Decided? Where?"
"Warsaw Territory... I'll activate the scroll, prepare quickly..."
"W-Warsaw? That's your domain, Archduke. Wouldn't a deserted wilderness be better?"
Erzsebet raised an eyebrow.
Warsaw was central among vampire lands.
The Shadow Archduke's clan castle stood there—that said it all.
The Archduke nodded.
"The wound I earned through my inadequacy... Even in uninhabited lands, I can't spill on the innocent... Problems befalling night children must be resolved in darkness..."
"To think..."
"Then it's settled you'll help... Gahk!"
The Archduke vomited blood again.
Impressed by his sense of duty, Erzsebet gripped her sleeve.
Vampires of ancient houses weren't called night nobles lightly.
"Seems we'll start right on arrival... Krgh, keep distance, then begin immediately... Use your strongest flame infused with solar power..."
The Archduke rasped on in his cracked voice.
Truly, time was nearly up.
Erzsebet nodded, about to send Sion away.
Then the Archduke coughed again, his body convulsing violently.
"Gahk!"
"Eh?"
Blood sprayed.
Ophelia's eyes flashed, halting the droplets midair.
For an instant, chills crawled up Erzsebet's nape.
'What?'
She couldn't explain.
But instinct screamed something was wrong.
Suddenly, pale-faced Sion shouted.
"E-Eri sis! The scroll!"
"What!?"
It didn't take long to grasp the foreboding.
All eyes fixed on the Archduke's hand.
Grip tightening, light leaked from the torn scroll.
Rooooar!
Mana swirled wildly indoors, a massive black hole manifesting at the room's center.
Spatial magic to transfer users to preset coordinates.
"W-wait! Activating here suddenly...!"
Erzsebet gasped.
Their trunk was a special space severed from the outside.
The hole didn't swallow them but roiled like boiling water.
Clash of potent spatial magic against the barrier spells.
"Heavens, everyone behind me!!"
Foreseeing disaster was easy.
Braum shed his robe.
A massive shield covering his body emerged.
The moment he leaped like lightning to block the four—
KABOOOOOM-!!!
The bubbling hole exploded.
"Kyaa!"
"S-sis!"
Mana storm swept the area.
Dozens of barrier spells shattered simultaneously, walls and ceiling blasting away.
The concealed library revealed itself.
Dim green light poured from above.
Confirming the blast subsided, Braum turned.
"Everyone okay?! No scrolls left as far as I know—never dreamed of an accident like this...!"
"Th-thanks to you... The others?"
Erzsebet rose, hand to forehead.
Braum's defense was ironclad; unscathed.
Sion lay at her feet.
"Ughhh, sis..."
"Sion!"
Erzsebet hurriedly supported her.
Fortunately no major injuries, but robe torn in places.
Tears welled in her violet eyes.
"S-sorry. Truly sorry. If I'd reacted faster...!"
"No. I'm fine, so find the Archduke quick. Something... feels off."
Sion shook her head.
Her injury wasn't priority now.
As the two scanned for the Archduke—
"Erzsebet! Fire!!"
"Lady Ophelia?"
An urgent cry from nearby.
Ophelia's usually gentle voice.
Erzsebet whipped around reflexively—and froze.
"What."
The Shadow Archduke writhed.
His limbs twisted in grotesque directions.
Wounds covering his body squirmed alive, spewing dark red glows.
Ophelia yelled again.
"Fire now! No second chance!"
"G-got it!"
Regaining wits, Erzsebet extended her hand.
Whatever happened, her premonition was dire.
The forbidden tomes stirred noisily.
Books on shelves flipped open one by one.
Pages rustling noisily.
Voices echoing incessantly, headache-inducing, but no time to mind.
Erzsebet completed her chant in an instant.
Rooooar-!
Flame waves poured from her cupped palms.
The tomes screamed anew at the sight of fire.
The tsunami of flames gleamed like gold mines, brilliant.
The Archduke still twisted in agony.
"Krrk, Kraaaagh!"
"Please, not too late...!"
Erzsebet bit her lip.
The wounds blanketing the Archduke scattered black light.
As the sudden flames sought to engulf him—
The Archduke's body fully blackened.
The convulsing form turned toward Erzsebet.
Its pitch-black chest split, revealing red eyes.