Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Vanish with the Wind
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Crunch.
Unable to contain her rage, the woman ground her teeth as she climbed atop a massive tree nearby, gazing at what had once been her castle. The revival of the vampires and the dream of an independent kingdom—all of it had been shattered by Ardein's roaring cry of the storm dragon. Indignation surged in Shumira's eyes.
"Why, why, why in the world, why?!"
Fate had betrayed her at the critical moment. Duchess Shumira seethed with fury, but could she really blame fate for it?
It was no surprise that a hastily devised plan crumbled just as hastily. If there was anyone to blame, it was herself, swollen with arrogance—but the duchess wasn't accustomed to self-reflection.
She was born a ruler, always living by dominating others. When her subordinates achieved success, it was due to her brilliance. When problems arose, it was their fault. That was her worldview.
Even in this case, she couldn't break the habit and sought scapegoats: Leighton, Belon, the other lords... and eventually, fate itself. But what did blaming them change?
Separate from her arrogance and hubris, Duchess Shumira was no fool.
She quickly realized that no amount of outrage would yield anything, and let out a deep sigh.
'It's fine. For now, I have hostages in my grasp. And there are still subjects loyal to me.'
To kill her, Ardein would have to cut through every vampire she could command, even if it meant sealing them all away for her own sake. That was how Shumira planned to secure her position.
Would the princess truly bear the stigma of a mass murderer? Of course, using that as leverage would only serve as a defensive measure at best. She couldn't attack the princess directly.
'Even if I negotiate with these two cards, I'll have to grovel flat anyway...'
Would Ardein really comply if Shumira held the vampires hostage and demanded she kill herself?
Far from suicide, Ardein would barely even seriously consider a demand to withdraw. This wasn't Ardein's fief or territory—the princess had no personal ties to the vampires of this land.
She wouldn't wish death on them all, but would she sacrifice her own gains to save them?
Since when had the Ardein that Shumira knew become such a noble soul? If Shumira crossed the line first and went all out, the princess could simply cross it too. If Shumira ordered all vampires sealed, Ardein could bear the infamy and become a butcher.
If they pushed each other to the brink, the princess would suffer losses too—but no more than Shumira. She would end up a queen without a single subject to rule. What meaning was there in leading a race with no members? This was the last outcome the duchess wanted.
'Still, I have to survive first and see.'
Earlier, rage had made her spew reckless words, but she was a ruler nonetheless. She had levels of experience reigning as queen.
She wasn't devoid of political thinking. She soon regained her composure and pondered what she could negotiate with the princess.
'Cancel the deal with the demonkin and settle for being part of the empire again, in exchange for preserving my ducal title and the privileges I've held until now? If she wants, I could even offer some of that bastard Leighton's hoarded wealth as reparations.'
By now, Kamira had likely captured Roca, but unfortunately, she couldn't give the beastkin to her daughter as a pet. She'd need her as a hostage for negotiations.
Of course, Shumira didn't get cocky just because she had Roca. People often judge others by their own standards. To the duchess, Roca was merely Ardein's subordinate or servant—expendable at any time.
Did her treatment of her own subordinates need further explanation?
She assumed the princess thought the same. Roca probably wasn't that important to Ardein, but she could still extract a concession or two in talks.
The promise with Kyle? That had long been erased from her mind. Even with a written contract, Shumira would betray a weakened partner without hesitation—what weight did a verbal promise carry?
She should have known better than to trust someone like that. It was nothing but impulsive nonsense.
'Belon, it's me. Gather every vampire you can right now and assemble them in front of the castle.'
'...Belon? Belon?'
"What... what is this?!"
Duchess Shumira let out a hollow laugh in disbelief. The blood brands she had imprinted on Belon and all the other lords had vanished without a single exception. She could no longer communicate with them.
Static crackled in her mind, as if the moment she tried to reach out, they had noticed her. Baby cries—multiple cries—harmonized in response.
Something ominous and foreboding crawled toward her from the depths of her mental world. The moment Shumira saw it, she hastily deactivated the brand and cut off the connection. Her body shuddered at the horror. It was a baby. The most terrifying baby in the world!
Found you.
In the final instant, it seemed to look right at her and smile. Whatever it was, it wasn't hard to guess what had happened to her lord-class vassals, who were like her own limbs.
That wretched, clotted thing was too horrific to name, but... probably a god.
For such a thing to invade her kingdom—Shumira could barely contain her shock and terror.
"A reaper... a reaper? A reaper was born? Why? Why that thing?"
Even amid the chaos, her mind raced brilliantly, devising a way to make the princess and the reaper perish together. But while she could do it to the princess, would that thing even care? The duchess couldn't be sure.
It seemed far too certain that the reaper was targeting her specifically.
"If you're here, then leave quietly—how dare you slaughter all my lords?!"
The injustice overwhelmed her, tears streaming down her face. The world felt like it was tormenting her on purpose. Compared to this, even her defeat at Ardein's hands paled.
What were lords? The noble class, the mid-level managers.
The waist and torso connecting the vampires' head and feet. And now, all those lords had been wiped out by some deranged newborn god! What kingdom existed with only commoners and a queen?
Lord bloodlines produced lords—no exceptions. Commoners could never become lords.
The annihilation of the lords meant they couldn't be replenished. This was a catastrophic problem.
It made the vampire revival she dreamed of utterly impossible.
The only remaining true ancestor bloodlines were hers and her daughter's. For that lineage to continue, the man who took either of them had to be at least a lord. A true ancestor would be ideal, but impossible.
Only then would their offspring have even a slim chance of being true ancestors. Bearing children with a commoner male would yield lords at best—the true bloodline would end!
'No, one remains. Who is this?'
Yet somehow, one lord connection still linked to her.
One channel untouched by the reaper's corruption remained. Rushing to probe it, the duchess recoiled in shock. That lord was none other than Leighton Valencia!
She was stunned he was still alive, but had no time to hesitate.
She flew straight toward the castle. She no longer feared facing the princess again.
She had to save him, no matter what—even kneel before that priest if necessary! If the last remaining lord died pointlessly, her life's purpose would collapse.
The vampires would never revive,
becoming just a footnote in other races' histories.
"No, no, absolutely not... You have to stay alive. Please, just hold on until I get there..!"
Her haste paid off—the castle was now within sight!
But as Duchess Shumira soared with urgency, anxiety, and passion, she suddenly halted, sensing a change. A bell toll carrying eight melodies brushed past her, bringing immeasurable transformations.
Shock flooded her mind. Part of the dominance ties forged in blood had crumbled.
It was a sensation she'd never felt before, taking time to even comprehend. Soon, cold sweat dripped down her spine.
The power of dominance... had shattered. At least for some vampires.
It wasn't that the dominated had died—the dominance link itself had been severed. She had no idea how, but to her, it was as if the heavens had fallen. What queen ruled nothing?
"Th-the princess? Or that priest...? N-no. I can't let this stand...!"
Her connection to Leighton had snapped too. She no longer knew if he lived or died.
Calamities piled on one after another, numbing her reason. She didn't even know what to do first. No, there was plenty to do, but she couldn't prioritize.
First, find and save Leighton.
She barely pulled herself together when her mind shattered once more.
The one vampire she resonated with not through dominance, but blood ties—her only kin in the world, her daughter. That resonance had vanished.
Shumira staggered midair and plummeted to the ground, unable to hold on.
"What... what now? Who did this? Ardein? Or that reaper?"
Her daughter, the only one in the world not a subject of dominance, but of love.
Her death in an instant. But by whom? How?
She didn't need to seek the answer—it came to her. Her grand castle, scarred from the earlier clash with Ardein, was cracked and worn everywhere.
Fwoosh!
The sun's light shot from Roca's Heaven-Piercing Solar Wheel blazed through a fissure in the wall. Duchess Shumira reflexively shielded her eyes with her hand—and finally understood. What had erased her daughter.
Terror dyed her eyes for an instant, but soon her pupils burned away.
Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun. Sun.
The laws of the universe erased her.
No resistance possible, nor necessary.
The moment she touched the light, her fate was sealed—even the Three Pillar Gods couldn't save her. It was just a single ray, but unmistakably sunlight.
Her arms turned to ash, her body to ash, her brain filled with the word "sun" turned to ash.
Her eyes had burned away the instant they beheld the light, leaving empty sockets. No pain. Even that soon became ash and vanished. A gentle breeze scattered the ashes far and wide, into the world.
The final true ancestor. Duchess Blut Shumira.
Turned to ash and vanished with the wind.
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