Chapter 162
Chapter 162
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 162
Chapter Title: Battle with the Helmud Clan
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'What is this? Could it be… the Duke of Bartla himself?'
Frederic furrowed his brows deeply.
He had already guessed that the kin who dared cross the sea and usurp the Duke of Bartla's position would be around the level of a Vampire Highlord.
But the aura he sensed now was markedly different from any Vampire Highlord he had ever experienced, and something felt a bit off.
‘Could it be above me?’
Frederic's eyes grew chillingly cold.
Even if they were from a different clan, it was an ancient custom in vampire society to show reverence to kin of higher standing.
However, customs were just customs—they held no binding force.
‘The continental kin might have a slightly unique presence. And… no matter who it is, I just need to erase the roamer.’
Frederic steeled his resolve as he roused his own aura.
'It seems the Duke of Bartla has come himself. The knights of Brodia will handle the Duke of Bartla with me. You lot deal with those accompanying the Duke.'
'Yes!'
'Understood, Lord Helmud!'
The knights of the Brodia royal family and the vampire knights drew their weapons with eager ferocity.
Moments later, two armored warhorses charged toward them swiftly and came to a halt.
Seeing the distinctly different armament of these two knights compared to those of Brantia, the Brodia royal knights and vampire knights tensed slightly.
Yet even amid that, their eyes gleamed with competitive spirit and greed for the fine equipment.
Meanwhile, Frederic's gaze was fixed solely on one person.
'Duke of Bartla. I never imagined you'd come yourself. Your courage is admirable, but it's utter foolishness. With a mind like that, how did you…'
The knight receiving Frederic's gaze tilted his head without raising his visor and spoke to his comrade beside him.
'What the hell did this bastard just say?'
'Hmm. Seems he's mistaking you for the Duke of Bartla.'
'Kieeh? Is that idiot blind? Our lord looks every bit the shining, great duke. Take off that vassal's armor, and he looks just like a bandit leader.'
'Hey, you who embody the golden fiend. Watch your words.'
'Kihit! What're you on about!'
'Quiet. It's probably because of the aura emanating from you.'
Eugene eyed the young vampire clad in silver-blue armor.
He had noticed just moments ago that there was a vampire among the Brodia royal knights holding Leoma Fransil hostage.
It would be strange if Eugene, an Origin, didn't notice the blatant aura pouring out at such close range.
‘That said, this guy's fine even in sunlight?’
Eugene looked at Frederic with mild curiosity.
'Ha! As expected of a roamer—you know neither the laws of the kin nor a knight's honor. If you're coming to another kingdom, learning the language of the local kin is basic etiquette.'
Unlike Eugene, Frederic seethed with anger at the two knights chattering idly right in front of him.
Born and raised in Brantia, Frederic had never once left the homeland, so he couldn't understand a word of their Keiler Kingdom tongue.
In particular, he couldn't hide his fury and disappointment toward the burly knight who was clearly a Vampire Highlord—the Duke of Bartla.
'For such an uncouth brute to be a Highlord of the kin and the Duke of Bartla. Tsk! That aside, if we can't communicate, I won't learn their clan or liege's name. No, actually, that's for the best.'
If any issues arose from this incident, it would give the one who turned the Duke of Bartla into a vampire an excuse.
Shing.
Frederic drew his longsword without hesitation. His vampire knights behind him flinched.
Unlike him, a Highlord who could walk in daylight, his subordinates were vulnerable to silver-laced weapons.
'You knights handle the dark one on the side. You with me—we take the Duke of Bartla. He's an ignorant roamer, but one blessed by nobility. It's our duty to send him off honorably.'
'Yes!'
The vampire knights advanced with shields and shortswords at the ready.
'What the hell is this bastard saying now? Posing all high and mighty.'
'Kehehe! Those types always get their asses kicked by our lord.'
Ignoring the cackling spirit and the smirking vassal, Eugene narrowed his eyes at the crest on the vampire knights' shields.
‘That's…’
No doubt about it. The lord of that vampire sect he crushed back in Mungard had worn armor with the exact same crest.
‘The Helmud Clan, was it?’
As that thought crossed his mind, the vampire who mistook Galpredic for the Duke of Bartla bellowed like thunder.
'Kill them!'
Kroooaaargh!
Frederic and the vampire knights unleashed their auras simultaneously.
‘Hoo!?’
It was but an instant, but Eugene saw it.
The vampires' auras converged, slicing between him and Galpredic.
Of course, Eugene felt no effect, but Galpredic's horse panicked and bolted in one direction.
Hiihing!
'What the hell's wrong with this damn horse!?’
Galpredic yanked the reins in panic, but to no avail.
The horse fled from the aura's pressure toward where the silver-blue armored vampire and the Brodia royal knights waited, galloping madly.
'You're ours! Kroooargh!'
'We'll kill him and offer the armor to Lord Helmud!'
'That sword looks nice! Kraahaha!'
At the same time, the chain mail-clad vampire knights charged at Eugene.
Over ten horses moved at once, kicking up dust clouds that turned the area into chaos in seconds.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Shwaaak! Shiiik!
Amid the chaotic hoofbeats, battle axes and maces flew through the swirling dust.
The vampire knights had no doubt their attack would land.
A preemptive strike meant certain victory.
And no matter how superior the gear, numbers always prevailed.
Clang! Ka-ka-clang!
'Krgh!?’
'What!?’
The harsh metallic clash and heavy impact threw the vampire knights into considerable disarray.
But they were powerful vampires and knights, direct subordinates of a Highlord.
Quick to adapt, they spurred their horses to charge past Eugene.
With their initial attack failed and visibility limited by dust, it was their best option.
Kwaang!
'Kraaak!'
A thunderous boom and scream erupted simultaneously.
Unsure if it came from an ally or the knight in black armor, the vampire knights stuck to their principle: press on without faltering.
Veterans trained and battle-hardened together, they wheeled their mounts precisely at the same point without orders.
In that instant.
Kwarararararara!
'Huh!?’
The vampire knights' eyes widened involuntarily.
A roar like a gale swept through, carving a long cylindrical path through the thick dust cloud.
Realizing it was caused by something black streaking through the air, a black flash whipped like a lash, sequentially piercing the torsos of three comrades.
Hideous screams burst from multiple directions at once.
Greatly rattled, the vampire knights nonetheless charged toward where the black flash had gone, true to their veteran instincts.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
Visibility wasn't fully clear yet, but all comrades were aligned, thundering toward the same spot. And there was only one enemy.
Whatever appeared before them would be the foe.
Eyes locked ahead with peak focus, the vampire knights spurred their mounts onward.
Thududududu!
'There!'
Spotting the horse's head bursting through the dust, one knight gauged the rider's head height and swung his battle axe.
Shiiing!
But the axe blade sliced empty air futilely. No one was riding the horse—or rather, not a person.
'Khehehe! Total morons, right? Vassal Number One~ Charge! Charge! Kieet!'
'Huh!?’
A voice even more sinister and sly than his own streaked past, making the vampire knight's eyes bulge as he held his breath.
Whoosh!
Then came a sound like massive wings flapping, and the airborne dust split like waves, cascading down.
‘Above!?’
Vampiric reflexes kicked in—even in that split second, he flipped his battle axe upward reverse-grip.
Kwachik!
Silver sword-light flashed like lightning through the visor slit securing his helmet's view.
'Kraaaaaagh!'
Pssshh!
Blood and black smoke fountained from the vampire knight's face, and the horse, leaping down from mid-air, couldn't bear the killer's weight atop its master and collapsed.
'Wh-what the hell!?’
Finally, one vampire knight screamed in terror.
At that, Eugene's red eyes—after using Silion as bait and soaring like a bird to slay the knight—locked precisely on him.
Proving their vampiric nature, the knights possessed extraordinary strength and physical prowess.
However, their superior eyesight only shone in darkness.
Against tangible obstacles like dust, it offered little advantage.
In contrast, Eugene pinpointed their positions with senses far beyond the knights'.
‘Fighting without aura is pretty fun. Good training.’
Licking knight blood dripping through his helmet slit, Eugene launched like a black beast toward his next target.
* * *
The instant silver-tipped arrows flew at Galpredic from all sides, his crimson eyes glowed darker. His longsword blurred momentarily, tracing dizzying streaks of light.
Ting-ting-ting!
'…!'
Frederic's eyes widened at the terrifying swordsmanship that selectively deflected only the arrows aimed at plate armor gaps.
He had heard of the Duke of Bartla's prowess, but this was several levels beyond expectations.
'Impressive! But—Kroooaaargh!'
Frederic unleashed his aura in a burst.
A Vampire Highlord's aura carried pressure strong enough to make mid-tier monsters like trolls or lycans flinch instantly.
Even against another Highlord…
Hiihihihiing!
'You fucking horse!'
As his own mount reared in fright, Galpredic lost his temper and vaulted from the saddle.
'Eh!?’
Brodia royal knights nocking arrows to longbows recoiled in shock. But they were elite enough for the royal guard.
Shwish-shwing!
Even in the chaos, several arrows flew at Galpredic, who cleaved downward in a straight line mid-air.
Ting-ting!
The moment arrows ricocheted off his armor, his strike bisected the head of the enemy knight's horse.
Drenched in the ensuing blood fountain, Galpredic relentlessly slashed onward.
Kwajijik! Kwachik!
Keehihihiing! Hiihing!
His superhuman strength shattered the unarmored royal knights' mounts, severing forelegs and necks.
'Aaah!'
'Ugh!'
The knights panicked but rolled expertly from saddles, proving their horsemanship.
Yet awaiting them as they tried to rise were the two maces Galpredic drew from his back.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!
Though crude, the plate-armored knights' limbs pulverized, heads vanishing without trace as they crumpled dead.
Galpredic, a knight at mastery level with monstrous strength, overwhelmed the royal knights.
'Kgh!'
'Uwaaak!'
Blood, snapped blades, and mangled body parts flew into the air.
'M-monster!'
With five knights dead or crippled in seconds, the survivors froze in horror.
As if by agreement, they turned to their sole hope and cried out.
'Lord Helmud! Help us!'
'Lord Helmud!'
'…!?’
Frederic, dazed atop his horse watching the fight, snapped to attention.
Galpredic, armor caked in blood and flesh, grinned at him.
'Hey, you pretty-boy bastard. You coming or what?'
(To be continued in the next installment)