Chapter 223
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 223
Chapter Title: Why Leave Me Out of the Demon Realm Subjugation?
“Sir! Why am I being left out of the demon realm subjugation?”
“On the contrary, let me ask you. What reason does a prince like you have for wanting to join the demon realm subjugation?”
“W-Well...”
Prince Rokarop stammered, flustered.
‘I want to witness my admired knight trading blows with monsters firsthand!’
There was no way he could say that, not with the dignity of a prince at stake.
He had been so disappointed for missing the sight of Eugene fighting the undead twin-head ogre in the capital.
On top of that, he had also missed the 11-versus-1 duel that unfolded right in front of Gongwang Castle not long ago, pushing Prince Rokarop’s regret to its peak.
It was beyond satisfying to travel alongside a peerless knight certain to be recorded in history, but what good was that if he couldn’t actually witness the knight in action!
That was it. Prince Rokarop was an enthusiastic follower of Knight Yan Eugene.
But he had no desire to reveal the truth to the man himself.
‘There’s a saying that virtue practiced in secret is true virtue. My admiration for him is the same. I am practicing true virtue in secret.’
With such absurd self-justification, Prince Rokarop rationalized it all.
Of course, Eugene had no idea what the prince thought of him.
“Just stay here, show your face at the city hall now and then, and build connections with the nobles. You’ve finally returned to your true status, after all.”
No longer pretending to be a servant, Prince Rokarop was now dressed in attire befitting his royal status.
With a pure gold headband meticulously inlaid with jewels, a necklace woven from the finest mana crystals, and the imperial signet ring, he exuded nobility and dignity.
Moreover, beneath his elegant and refined clothing, he wore defensive gear crafted from ogre leather and enchanted with magic—a treasure impervious to ordinary weapons.
In short.
“Money and magic have fused, causing style to explode! As expected, true wealth carries a different aura. Even just breathing gives off a conqueror’s vibe. Heh heh heh!”
“Lilisein. Keep the barking down.”
“Your command! Pant, pant!”
Lilisein’s breathing quickened with excitement as she eyed the spirit.
When the Grand Duke spoke like that, it meant she could handle the spirit as she pleased.
And that was a rare chance to freely indulge her desires.
“Chuu chuu chuu! Good boy? Come here.”
“Kieeeek!”
Eugene ignored the spirit’s scream from atop its oversized decorative golden castle tower—actually just plated—and spoke again.
“Your Highness. You’re not planning to settle for just the nobles of Kailer Kingdom, are you?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Had there ever been such a frustrating prince?
Eugene had to suppress a sigh.
“Maren is declaring independence as a grand duchy, so nobles and merchants from all sorts of kingdoms have come. Sure, some have ties to the Roman Empire’s imperial family, but plenty don’t. What do you need most right now, Your Highness? Connections and influence, right?”
“Ah...!”
“And you can gain all that without spending a single coin. What demon realm? You’re not building rapport with monsters.”
“But the stars of the independence are Maren and you, not me...”
“There are people dying to meet you. They backed off out of fear of me. But if I’m not around? You can just pick and choose.”
“...!”
As Prince Rokarop’s eyes wavered, Eugene spoke in a subtle tone.
“Besides, everyone knows about my relationship with you. Even if someone wants to build connections with me, they’ll approach you first. Isn’t it a chance to network with prestigious foreign nobles? It’ll make your presence even greater.”
“Y-Yan Eugene. To go this far for me...! Ugh!”
With his eyes welling up red, Prince Rokarop seemed deeply moved.
It would be strange not to be thrilled when someone he admired so deeply in his heart looked out for him like this.
“My heart is racing. Meeting you truly is my greatest fortune.”
Prince Rokarop’s gaze upon Eugene overflowed with fervent heat.
“...Let’s leave it at that. It’s embarrassing.”
Eugene subtly averted his eyes.
‘For your sake, my ass...’
Truth was, it was just a hassle.
The chatty Prince Rokarop was a hassle, and the foreign nobles scheming to build connections were an even bigger one.
That was part of why he was heading out for the demon realm subjugation.
Leaving Prince Rokarop in Maren would free him from all that annoyance and even let him boast to the governor and council.
If there was no pheasant, a chicken would do. With the Gongwang himself absent, eyes would surely turn to the Roman Empire’s prince.
The governor and council would be pleased with no diplomatic gaps despite the Gongwang’s absence. The foreign nobles would satisfy their vanity. Prince Rokarop would gain the connections he lacked.
‘And I’d be free of the hassle!’
So what if it was a bit of a trick?
Everyone would be happy.
“I won’t waste this precious opportunity you’ve given me. I’ll do my utmost. Truly... thank you.”
Prince Rokarop’s passionate gaze, somehow reminiscent of Princess Lilisein, was a touch burdensome.
* * *
Eugene quietly left Maren with only Princess Lilisein and the elf knights in tow.
As the Grand Duke’s first outing, the governor and council had wanted to send a proper escort.
Even ordinary lords mobilized dozens when inspecting their territories, so a Grand Duke doing less could damage his dignity.
It wasn’t wrong, but Eugene declined, citing his desire to accurately assess the grand duchy’s situation.
Naturally, it was a lie.
Hanging a bunch of attendants on him would only make the lords and nobles even more bothersome.
They’d all invite him without fail, and with a Grand Duke’s face to uphold, he couldn’t refuse—potentially delaying the trip to Tiwin Territory by over a month.
So Eugene set out for Tiwin Territory with just eight people: no slaves, no porters.
Despite the extraordinary group—a Grand Duke, the highest vampire noble, and an elf princess—they traveled like mercenaries or free knights.
The elven knights of Elrand rarely kept squires except for a few, so they were accustomed to chores beyond wielding swords.
Princess Lilisein, who had roamed alone hunting monsters since childhood, felt no discomfort.
If anything, she was thrilled to monopolize Eugene without any interlopers(?).
“Grand Duke. There’s a fallen tree ahead. I’ll go clear it.”
“No, we can just jump over it...”
“Grand Duke. Anemia is the Night Clan’s greatest foe. If you wish, please partake of my blood. I can donate anytime for Your Highness.”
“No, we could just hunt a Roamer monster...”
“Grand Duke. Leave the camp setup to us knights. Sir Polsa, firewood duty. Sir Medlin, water duty. I’ll handle dinner. Special goblin stew for the Grand Duke...”
“No, I don’t eat goblin meat...”
“I’ll handle meal prep, Princess! Sir Polsa! Catch a rabbit or whatever, quick!”
“Got it!”
“Fast!”
On cooking at least, Eugene and the elf knights unanimously agreed.
That was how atrocious Princess Lilisein’s cooking was.
“Princess, please rest. We’ve got this.”
“Hm! One without responsibility cannot be called a true knight. I’ll at least fetch water...”
Splash!
“Keeet! Water duty complete!”
Mirian, showing off water spirit prowess after ages, saluted crisply over the filled pot.
“...Cute.”
Pitying her idleness but soothed by the spirit’s healing(?), Princess Lilisein sidled up to Eugene.
And as the distance closed, unease crept into Eugene’s heart.
Ever since drinking Princess Lilisein’s blood after collapsing from the undead twin-head ogre fight in the capital, Eugene found her more burdensome.
- Now I’m a body unfit for marriage...
He was curious what that meant amid the chills, but Eugene never asked.
His Origin instincts warned him.
Hearing the answer would drag him into an inescapable quagmire.
Fortunately, Princess Lilisein never brought it up either.
But being alone together like this inevitably made him anxious.
“Grand Duke.”
“...What?”
Her subtly softer voice than usual sent chills across the skin of the vampire Origin who feared no foe or monster.
“There’s something this knight is truly curious about.”
“Isn’t it better to leave curiosities as curiosities? That way, anticipation for the future makes daily life fuller and more meaningful, don’t you think?”
Spouting nonsense even he couldn’t comprehend, Eugene dodged Princess Lilisein’s fervent gaze.
“If the Grand Duke satisfies my curiosity, my daily life would be even fuller and more meaningful.”
Princess Lilisein’s demeanor, as if she’d steeled her resolve.
“...”
Eugene’s throat bobbed unwittingly.
Princess Lilisein scanned his entire form with a blazing gaze.
Lick!
She licked her crimson lips with her red tongue and spoke in a hot voice brimming with intensity.
“Haa... Grand Duke...”
“W-What? Why?”
“Your armor, Armis! It’s truly exquisite and sturdy!”
“...What?”
Eugene naturally furrowed his brow, but Princess Lilisein continued, unable to hide her excitement.
“I still sense a faint ominous mystery, but even that seems to highlight Your Highness’s valor. How does it feel? When you fought those insolent knights before, you didn’t seem inconvenienced at all.”
“...”
It was about the magic armor.
Feeling a sudden deflation, Eugene replied.
“It fits perfectly. No weight at all. But wasn’t this owned by the Elrand royal family?”
The magic armor Armis had been obtained from the Elrand royals through Elf Sword Master Prabout’s influence.
Eugene couldn’t quite grasp why Princess Lilisein of that family knew so little about Armis and was curious instead.
“I’ve heard magic armor can bewitch those who merely look upon it. Thus, it’s forbidden for viewing except by deep masters or kings.”
“Hmm. Is that so? It’s fine now?”
“Yes. That confirmed it. The true owner of this magic armor infused with mystical power is none other than the Grand Duke. Allow me to congratulate you once more.”
“Yeah, figured.”
Eugene gave a wry smile.
During his bloody battle with the undead twin-head ogre, Armis had sensed his peril, flown to him of its own will, and even equipped itself automatically.
Up to that point, it could be chalked up to the artifact being an ultra-rare treasure brimming with potent magic.
But after donning it once, Armis began ceaselessly craving blood—like a living creature.
Eugene was certain.
‘Only an Origin like me can wear this thing.’
Armis was a true magic armor that absorbed the wearer’s blood and vitality.
An ordinary person wouldn’t last ten minutes. Even a sturdy, strong-willed knight might manage an hour.
Only a lord-class vampire with mystical blood—or a pureblood elf—could endure longer.
The Elrand royals had kept Armis precisely because they recognized that.
A fact even the Bartla ducal family, who had counted Armis among their four treasures, hadn’t known.
“Then the princess knows little about Armis?”
“Yes. Father and Master Prabout avoided mentioning the magic armor.”
“Hmm.”
Eugene felt dubious.
Sword Wolfslaughter, spear Madarajika, magic shield Paraclete, magic armor Armis.
Extremely rare artifacts—legendary, even—why had they all ended up with the Bartla ducal family?
Why were they all fatal to vampires yet difficult to wield without a vampire Origin?
‘And now they’ve fallen into my hands.’
Eugene’s instincts pointed it out.
There was surely meaning behind it.
(To be continued)