Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Twilight and Dawn
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“Hoo...”
I can’t even begin to describe how shocked I was when I found Roca collapsed on the bathroom floor.
Fortunately, the child was sleeping soundly. The bathroom was cracked and split everywhere, and not a single thing remained intact in what had once been a lavish bath. It was a relief that I could hold her once more.
‘At least the Lord has safely returned you to my side.’
I pulled a blanket from the Unassuming Jar, spread it on the floor, and gently lifted Roca onto it. Carrying the sleeping child all the way to the bed felt too risky—she might wake up.
Just let her sleep deeply for now. At least for the moment. I could hear the details later.
“It would be best not to wake her now.”
The princess glanced at Roca and spoke.
“That child seems to have gained some enlightenment. I can feel mana flowing into her at an incredible rate. When she wakes, her mana capacity will likely have increased dramatically.”
“She must have fought someone.”
“Most likely.”
There were slash marks here and there on Roca’s body, and her clothes were shredded like rags by something sharp. As I infused her with holy power, the sleeping child’s expression softened noticeably.
Still, it looked like she had won. The mysterious being that fought Roca hadn’t shown so much as a glimpse. Or perhaps... Roca had...
‘That pile of ash.’
She might have succeeded in killing her own enemy.
‘Did the vampire burn up from the power of the sun?’
No one keeps a pile of ash in a bathroom unless it was already there—and that ash probably wasn’t.
Whether this was the child’s first kill or not, the shock must have been immense. How should I comfort her when she wakes?
“You don’t need to worry about that at all...”
“Pardon?”
“No, never mind.”
She looked like she had a lot to say but didn’t want to open her mouth. Just as I was about to ask what she meant, a group of footsteps approached.
The princess seemed to have noticed them long before, yet she didn’t even draw her sword. She probably had full confidence she could subdue them all with just her index finger, let alone her blade.
“What in the world... is this?”
The door to the half-destroyed bathroom swung open, revealing a familiar face. Leading the way was Viscount Leighton, followed by what appeared to be the castle’s vampire servants and attendants, all staring around in bewilderment.
The princess clasped her hands behind her back and shouted.
“Can’t you see? Duke Shimira attacked us. Our clash with that traitor sent shockwaves of aura everywhere, and that’s what wrecked the castle.”
“What?! The queen—no, that wench Shimira—attacked you directly, Your Highness? That’s absurd...”
“And why do you look so surprised? You guided us here yourself. You’re not going to claim you had no idea about the duke’s intentions, are you?”
“I truly had no idea. Though perhaps the other lords did.”
The viscount rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a cracked glass vial.
There was no mistaking it—I had made it myself. As I stared in surprise at the empty baptismal vial, Viscount Leighton scratched his head and continued.
“The moment I guided you and the priest to her and reported back, I was struck down by the Blood Spear and collapsed. If not for the vial and holy water the priest gave me to heal my son, I wouldn’t be standing here now.”
“Duke Shimira attacked you, Viscount?”
“That woman isn’t worthy of being called a duke anymore. What kind of queen treats her own kin like disposable tools...”
For a fleeting moment, deep sorrow flashed in his eyes before vanishing.
The princess seemed to notice and didn’t press further.
“Speaking of which... I was in the basement and felt the ground trembling slightly. So that was the duke dying.”
“She didn’t die. She fled. She was quick as a rat when it came to running away.”
“Duke Shimira escaped alive?”
Viscount Leighton flinched in shock and cried out.
“This is bad. We’ve used the bell the priest gave us and escaped the power of domination, but that doesn’t mean her power has vanished.”
“V-Viscount, you don’t need to worry about that.”
At that moment, a vampire from the back of the group approached Viscount Leighton and spoke.
“I just ran into my wife rushing into the castle. She looked extremely anxious and said she felt a strange emptiness above her—no presence at all.”
“Emptiness above her? Impossible. I used the bell and broke free from the domination, but there are other lords besides me. Even if Shimira dies, they should still be intact.”
That was when it happened.
“Breaking news! Breaking news! The domination communication isn’t working, so I came to deliver the information myself. Open the gates quickly! Hurry! The sun is about to rise!”
A loud voice boomed from outside the castle. The vampires jumped in alarm and rushed to open the door. Moments later, they brought in a panting, exhausted man. His heart was pounding as if it might burst, so I exhaled holy power over him. Only then did his expression calm, and he expressed his gratitude.
“Th-thank you. Recovery magic? Your skill is incredible. To cast spells like this without a staff...”
I simply smiled in response, and only then did he notice the eyes on him.
Was he deciding where to start? He hesitated before finally speaking.
“Viscount, all the lords except you have perished. Including... your wife, Lady Laila.”
His first words were a bombshell. Everyone gasped.
Puzzled by the reaction, the man asked.
“Didn’t you all feel it? The dominating power pressing down on us is completely gone! The presence of the lords and the progenitor class is no longer... B-but why are you here, Viscount? I thought you had perished too...”
“My wife is dead? What are you saying? What happened?!”
“V-Viscount, please release my collar first. Then...”
“Speak quickly. Who did this?!”
Sweating profusely and avoiding the viscount’s gaze, the man finally confessed.
“I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t.”
“What?!”
“But the cause of death for everyone... it seems their heads exploded. Not from external impact, but some kind of internal eruption. It’s... unusual. I have no idea what could cause that.”
Thud.
Viscount Leighton collapsed in a daze. Several vampires rushed to support him. The messenger averted his gaze and muttered.
“The strange thing is, they were all found dead in your mansion, Viscount. And another odd detail... unlike the others, Lady Laila was found hanged...”
“The baby?”
“Pardon?”
“Was there a baby with crippled legs and blind eyes dead there too?”
After a brief silence, the man shook his head.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“What?”
“No baby’s corpse or anything like that was found. Nothing anywhere.”
“Then where is my son? Where has my son gone? What is happening? Why... why would this...”
The princess’s expression grew grave, and mine matched it.
She whispered to me quietly, her face full of confusion.
“Saint, do you have any idea what’s going on? I’m completely in the dark. From what he’s saying, all the lords are dead, and it seems even the progenitor Duke Shimira and her daughter are gone. Who could have done this?”
“May I hear your thoughts first, Princess?”
“I think Duke Shimira is manipulating them all in some ploy.”
I nodded, and the princess elaborated.
“She’s faking their deaths to hide herself, hoping we’ll believe she’s dead too. That way, we’ll leave the territory.”
“My thoughts differ slightly. Though I’d need to confirm the bodies myself...”
When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, is the truth.
The Bell of Commandments had been used. I felt it the moment Viscount Leighton rang it.
They aren’t fighting Duke Shimira or deceiving us.
Bizarre events are usually orchestrated by bizarre entities.
I could only hope that wasn’t the case.
“...I hope it’s just my unfounded fear, but this is a grave matter. I need to see the bodies of the dead myself. Could you guide me there?”
“N-No, you can’t. Dawn is breaking soon. If you must go, at least give us time to prepare coverings.”
“That’s no longer a concern. Please wait a moment.”
I turned and strode out of the bathroom. I would leave alone, but I wouldn’t return that way. Passing through several doors into the courtyard, I saw the dawn slowly rising.
It might herald terror for vampires, but to me, it was just the sun coming up. Soon, it would be the same for them.
Plop!
In one corner of the vast courtyard, a reviving spring bubbled forth. It didn’t need to be lake-sized. A simple spring would suffice.
‘Firefly Crystal Fruit.’
I conjured my still-unstable authority once more: the Firefly Crystal Fruit. It would last longer than before, but it remained unstable—a fruit that would revert to light in under three minutes.
Thus, I intended to amplify this authority, this miracle bestowed by the Lord, on a grander scale.
‘Now, drink deep of the spring water and grow.’
Splash! The spring rippled. The fruit floated on the surface, trembling.
Then, countless tendrils of light burst from the glowing droplet like roots, drawing in the spring water from all sides. The fruit shattered, stems sprouted and rose proudly in golden hues. They shot up, branched out, and extended.
Rustle!
Glistening droplets of light formed on every new branch. At the center of the spring rose a golden tree, laden with Firefly Crystal Fruits shimmering in soft colors.
I picked enough for the vampires inside, plus a few spares, and stored them in the Unassuming Jar. These would surely absolve the vampires of their true original sin.
They would bring an end to the great heavenly punishment called the sun.
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