Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Mungard
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‘Mungard…….’
A city where vampires existed—nobles of the clan, possibly even an Origin.
Eugene, who only knew of Delmong aside from Galpredic whom he had turned into a familiar, couldn’t help but feel a surge of curiosity.
‘They might become enemies or friends. Naturally, the former is more likely.’
The naive notion of looking after one another because they were the same race belonged in fairy tales for children.
Even human nobles and lords shed blood fighting over a mere scrap of land, so would the cunning dark kin show mercy to their own?
Even Delmong had spoken of his ‘territory’ upon their first encounter, and those who had built up domains and power in one city over long years needed no further explanation.
‘In that case…….’
“Do we really need to sneak in like thieves? Can’t we just wander around Brantia and learn about the situation firsthand?”
“Hmm. That’s not wrong, but do you have some other plan?”
“Mungard. How about we march right in and take it over?”
“Pardon?”
The others, and even Lancelo who rarely showed surprise, gaped in shock.
“Kraaa… Kreet!?”
Eugene rummaged through the money pouch that Mirian had made her bed at some point and pulled something out as he spoke.
“How about we use this? If we load up some sea drake byproducts too, no one will suspect a thing. Or am I wrong?”
Clink, clink.
Two silver coins rubbed against his fingers, gleaming greedily.
“With money?”
“Yeah. And how many people can casually spend tens of thousands of silver coins?”
Eugene tilted his head, aware he had plenty of money but uncertain of its scale compared to others or the state of affairs in another country.
“It’s an old port city, right? Surely there are plenty of rich merchants?”
“Nah. A few thousand maybe, but how many can throw around tens of thousands?”
“Hmm. I don’t know the situation in Mungard well since the Codex War, so it’s hard for me to say.”
Galpredic and Romarie had no sharp answers, and neither did Lancelo.
Selena, who had been quietly gauging the mood, then spoke up cautiously.
“Excuse me, my lords. May I say something?”
Eugene nodded permission, and Selena spoke carefully.
“Even in the Karsbaygin Peninsula, lords who can spend silver coins in units of ten thousand are limited. Quite rare even in prosperous cities.”
“Is that so? Oh, right. Your father was Duke Gabriel, wasn’t he?”
In truth, Selena hailed from the highest-status and wealthiest house there, so Eugene was convinced.
“Y-Yes.”
Realizing anew that her once-proud family meant little to these people, Selena felt a pang of bitterness but continued.
“Anyway, even looking across the entire peninsula or the whole kingdom, few nobles could spend tens of thousands of silver coins at once. And even if they could, it would mostly be in land or manors, not cash.”
“Hmm. So?”
“With the country so fragmented and ravaged by the Codex War, it’d be even harder to find such people in Brantia. From what I learned, Brantia is… well, extremely poor and uneducated.”
As she spoke, Selena glanced at Lancelo and Luke. It seemed awkward saying that in front of the two Brantian natives.
“Not wrong. Plenty of ignorant nobles, even.”
“It’s true we’re poor, Master. Knights here rarely even have chain mail, let alone plate mail.”
Eugene nodded at how readily the two accepted Selena’s words.
“Then it just might work. Good. We head straight to Mungard.”
* * *
“Huh? L-Look over there!”
People at Mungard’s harbor turned their gazes as one.
“A fleet? Invasion!?”
“Only five ships—how’s that an invasion?”
“But one of them is huge!”
Such a sizable group of ships arriving at once was rare, so the residents showed curiosity tinged with tension.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
Bells rang soon after, and guards and mercenaries rushed to the harbor.
Large ballistae and catapults positioned along the harbor sides and inside the breakwater began loading.
“The ships have stopped! Boats are coming down!”
A blue signal flag waved from the lighthouse at the breakwater’s end, and the residents finally relaxed.
“Foreign merchant ships?”
“They made it through all those pirates? Impressive!”
“Maybe they got looted and barely escaped with a few ships?”
“What if they’re pirate bastards here to beg for help rescuing their comrades?”
“We loot what’s left then! They can’t sail back anyway—what’s to worry?”
Amid all sorts of chatter, a boat from the largest ship approached the harbor slowly.
“K-Knights!”
“Knights from the continent!”
People gasped at the sight of Eugene with one foot on the boat’s prow and his forces behind him.
“Henchmen of the Central Church!”
“Not holy knights, I hope?”
“If so, smash ‘em!”
Curiosity turned to hostility.
Though Mungard had avoided the flames of war during the Codex War, sentiments toward knights from the continent could hardly be positive.
Creak. Thud.
As the boat reached the dock, Eugene leaped up.
“I am Sir Roca, security captain of Boros Dock, elected with the approval of Mungard’s mayor and guildmasters. Who might you be, sir?”
Thanks to consuming the red mana stone from the drake, Eugene could understand any rational being’s speech.
But speaking Brantian fluently was another matter, so he glanced at Lancelo.
“This is Sir Yan Eugene, lord of Eugene’s domain in the Karsbaygin Peninsula, honored knight backed by Maren and Mophirn.”
“Maren and Mophirn? So you’re from a city in the Keiler Kingdom?”
“Yes. But Maren and Mophirn are not under the Keiler royal family’s rule. Nor do they have ties to the Central Church.”
“Hmm.”
Sir Roca eyed Eugene and his group suspiciously.
Eugene pulled a yellowed paper from his bosom and handed it over. Lancelo quickly added,
“You’ll see when you read it, but this is a letter from Lord Ortus Roderick of the Roderick Archipelago.”
“Huh!? The Roderick Archipelago was taken by pirates ages ago. So, could it be…….”
“Sir Eugene and we liberated the Roderick Archipelago. It’s now under a new Lord Roderick.”
“No way…….”
Muttering in disbelief, Roca read the letter. The seal beside the final signature matched the Roderick family crest in his memory.
“Hmm. No issues with the content or seal. But you could’ve coerced Lord Roderick into this. So we’ll have to detain you first and…….”
“Monster byproducts. Brought some. Gift for Mungard mayor. Pirate spoils. Sell cheap.”
When Eugene suddenly spoke in Brantian—imperfect but clear enough—Roca’s eyes widened.
Brantian shared grammar and many words with continental kingdoms’ languages, making it not too hard to learn.
Plus, with his language decryption ability letting him understand instantly, Eugene could pick up unfamiliar tongues far faster than others.
“And I am.”
Eugene raised his visor and continued calmly.
“One whose bloodline name I cannot reveal. Of the dark kin.”
“V-Vampire knight?”
Roca’s jaw dropped at the red-tinged eyes and protruding fangs below his lips.
* * *
From there, things proceeded smoothly.
Brantians, who hated the continental church beyond mere dislike, warmly welcomed Eugene—the very being that church branded an ‘enemy.’
When boats loaded with sea drake byproducts arrived from the ships including the Eliion, the dock erupted into frenzy.
Port cities traded marine monster parts often enough, but a sea drake rivaling a land drake had never been caught before.
“Sir Eugene! This could make a fortune! Auction them?”
The captain’s mouth stretched wide, but Eugene shook his head.
“Don’t aim for massive profits—sell at fair prices. We’re not trading in Mungard just this once, right?”
“Ah! Of course. Understood.”
The captain, handpicked by Maren’s mayor for his skill, grasped it immediately.
He sold the byproducts at fair prices to the highest bidders among the swarming Mungard merchants.
The pirate spoils were handled similarly.
As a result, goodwill toward Eugene and the expedition soared.
At this rate, merchant ships from Maren or Mophirn would have an easy time simply by name-dropping him.
In less than a few hours after arriving in Mungard, Eugene had secured thousands of silver coins and the people’s great favor.
“Where will you stay tonight, Sir Eugene?”
Even Dock Security Captain Roca had grown deferential toward him.
“Don’t know Mungard well. Good place. Mind guiding us, Sir Roca?”
“Oh! How about my brother’s inn? Even King Starna’s folk stayed there a few days back in Grandpa’s time.”
“Sure.”
It was run by the blood kin of a security captain titled ‘Sir’ by Mungard’s city, so trustworthy enough—Eugene accepted readily.
But not even ten minutes into heading to the inn, he slightly regretted it.
* * *
His curiosity about visiting a foreign port city for the first time had long faded.
Eugene drew eyes back home too, but in Mungard, he felt like a clown troupe.
Murmur murmur!
Everyone passing by stared and whispered about Eugene and his group.
At first he didn’t know why, but now he did.
“Barely anyone wears even plate mail here, let alone plate armor.”
“As I said, Brantia is terribly poor. Something like your armor, Sir Eugene—only royalty or great lords could own it. Skilled dwarf smiths all head to continental empires or kingdoms, not Brantia.”
“Hmm. But northern dwarves gifted this to a ducal house, right? If they’re that friendly, I’d think more came to Brantia.”
Eugene patted Wolfslaughter and Madarazika as he spoke, and Lancelo chuckled.
“Northern dwarves sell goods but don’t send people. Why do you think Roman Empire emperors kept trying to subjugate them?”
“I see. Anyway, this attention is a bit much.”
“Kh! Sir Galpredic doesn’t seem to mind.”
Eugene’s gaze turned to Galpredic, following right behind Sir Roca.
Shoulders squared in the saddle like a triumphant general, Galpredic clearly relished the stares.
“Not bad. Selling at the dock was smart, and three continent knights in precious plate armor? Huge news.”
“Plus me revealing I’m a vampire?”
“That’s the biggest part, honestly.”
“Hmm. Thought they’d be scared, but it’s unexpected.”
“Dark kin in Brantia mostly feed on blood from spilled slave blood. Poor folk sometimes kill secretly for it, but humans do the same. Getting caught means execution either way.”
“So revealing yourself and feeding legally is fine?”
“Yes. Customs and laws vary by region and city, but as long as you don’t kill or force it, they don’t care much. Not all vampires reveal themselves, though.”
“Only the confident ones, then.”
“Exactly. Everyone knows dark kin are stronger than humans but weak to silver and sunlight. Revealing yourself means confidence even in your weaknesses.”
Or only possible for an Origin like Eugene.
“Anyway, now that you’ve revealed you’re dark kin, Mungard high society will be in uproar. Invitations might pour in starting tonight.”
“That’s why I did it.”
In a world where status and power ruled, ‘reputation’ was crucial.
Eugene had decent fame in Keiler Kingdom on the continent, but in Brantia he was just an unknown foreign knight.
Rumors from afar spread via merchants and bards, but Brantia saw few continental merchants, and passionate bards willing to cross seas were rare.
So Eugene planned to build his own fame.
First, using silver from Maren’s royalists and sea drake byproducts. Second, revealing himself as a vampire knight.
A knight with immense wealth, capable of hunting sea mega-monsters.
And a dark kin visiting Brantia and Mungard for the first time!
“Here’s hoping the noble clan lords who live here send some invitations.”
Would there truly be an Origin?
If so, how would they view and treat him?
That was what Eugene was most curious about.
(To be continued in the next installment)