Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Deal with the Barony (1)
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Confrontations with humans aren't my responsibility.
Just as it was Chief Adjutant Akkamond who captured the Gentia Party, my role is limited to interrogating and training the prisoners he and the Vampire Legion soldiers have taken.
But there's one problem with our current policy.
'The more prisoners we kill, the heavier the psychological burden on Eris becomes.'
Eris may be a virgin, but she's no naive fool.
She rejoices at her own survival, yet mourns the deaths of those who've perished here.
Eris knows it too.
Once captured by demons, there's no path but death.
It's actually stranger that she's survived alongside others like her.
But just as the prisoners tested the waters when we loosened she's restraints a bit, Eris will inevitably start having other thoughts the longer she lives.
That she's survived.
The guilt of being the only one to survive.
Dalia and Gentia survived by becoming vampires, while all the other prisoners were slaughtered—yet she remains human and alive. The weight of that debt.
This guilt isn't born from wronging someone specific.
It's the very symbol of Eris being a kind-hearted (former) virgin, and the reason I want to corrupt her into a vampire and make her my exclusive pet.
Sometimes, survival alone is a sin.
The information given to Eris is limited, but depending on how I dole it out, her sense of guilt will only deepen.
'Adventurers are coming here to rescue Eris.'
Why do adventurers enter the Vampire Legion's hatchling dungeon?
Even knowing Eris's group vanished there first, why cross dimensional gates and step into danger?
To begin with, why was the Gentia group captured?
Before he arrived, why was an entire party of adventurers massacred by Chief Adjutant Akkamond?
'she came to rescue Eris and got caught.'
We leaked the information.
Eris's letter hasn't reached the Albathea Earldom yet, but through relics left behind, we've spread rumors in the Gilbert Barony that she 'might still be alive.'
'If Gilbert's bastard is alive, then Eris Albathea might be too.'
It's a bit of a prank, really.
'Everyone else is dead, and only Eris survived—but the Albathea Earldom is probably hoping at least she's alive.'
The Gilbert Barony can saddle the Albatheas with debt and solidify he's inheritance by confirming the bastard's death.
'A win-win, as far as Baron Gilbert is concerned.'
Debt on the Albathea Earl.
Eliminating another potential heir labeled a bastard.
To uncover the truth, Baron Gilbert keeps sending adventurers.
Even if they die and demand compensation.
'Chief Adjutant Akkamond is still leaking information, though limited.'
-Kukukuk, I'll spare one of you two.
He slaughters eight out of ten adventurers, spares two, then lounges atop the corpses with legs crossed, indulging his twisted hobbies.
-Incredible. Truly incredible. You have such a burning desire to live, just like that bastard of Gilbert's—Gilbert? Gilberk? Whatever. Surviving the prison even if it means watching your comrades die!
-......!!
-Go. My interest is gone. Today, I'll test how long that arrogant one lasts by pulling his nails. Hehehehe...
That's the kind of info the current prisoners are fleeing with.
-That's the act we're keeping up. Will this help, Trainer?
-It's an act, right?
-......Hohoho!
We capture and kill all incoming adventurers, but before that, we let some escape to spread the word.
'There are more direct ways to say she's alive.'
I've considered it.
-Urk, to end up a prisoner... Ah, you!!
-Shh. Quiet.
-How did it come to this...!
-No choice if we want to survive. Anyway, do as I say. They'll lose interest, spare you, and use you as a 'messenger.'
-M-messenger...?
-Or die.
-Y-yes!
Directing an actor to Gilbert like that.
-I-I did as you said, Trainer sir.
-Good. You're free today.
-Th-thank you!
If Gilbert's bastard were alive, we'd hold him prisoner, make contact in the dungeon, implant the info 'Gilbert's bastard is alive!' and release him.
He'd rush straight to the Gilbert Barony with the news.
And in the process, a glimpse of Eris being dragged away as a prisoner would reach the Albathea Earl.
But to do that—
'No pretext for releasing prisoners.'
We can't release them.
'This is beyond my control. The Demon King's army sets ransom standards based on his full forces.'
Prisoners occasionally buy freedom with ransom.
But the amount is absurdly high—only a rare few manage it.
In modern terms, about 50 billion won?
Obviously unreachable for median earners in a lifetime.
I, a salaryman, scraped for years just to hit nine figures.
50 billion?
'Just die. Or beg, borrow, and scrape it together.'
If you can't pay 50 billion in ransom, obedient death is your fate.
'And that's for commoners. Nobles pay ten times more, easily.'
Eris's ransom would be around 1 trillion won.
That's not ransom; it's a formality!
Is the Demon King's army putting on a humanitarian show for humans?
-If you ask, yes.
Ransom is just a pretext to bankrupt whoever pays for one prisoner.
If the Albathea Earldom paid 1 trillion for Eris, she'd save her but cripple the house.
Plus finger-pointing for dealing with demons.
In practice, ransoms exist but releases are virtually nonexistent.
However.
No matter how high the ransom.
Even if that 'ransom' means actual jewels and gold, priceless as it sounds.
We can at least attempt negotiations with humans on those terms.
'We need to use the Gilbert Barony to draw out the Albathea Earl.'
The fruit is ripening.
Now, devise and execute a plan.
"Secretary."
"Yes, Trainer sir."
"One thing I want to ask."
"Please speak."
To secure new corruptibles, I've decided to act more proactively.
"Can we devour the Gilbert Barony?"
"......Pardon?"
"......Poor choice of words."
I quickly corrected myself to the flustered Lilith.
"I meant, can we dominate the Gilbert Barony with military force?"
"No."
Chief Adjutant Akkamond stated flatly.
"If Demon King's demons could freely wield power in human territories, humanity would already be in our grasp."
Why is he answering me directly here? He came to the training room himself to see me.
"You know why, right?"
"Goddess's domain. That's my understanding."
"Yes. More precisely, the problem is the 'goddess statues' installed throughout human lands, like in Gilbert Barony. Demons can't properly exert power within he's barriers."
That's how the world works.
"Even the Demon King prioritizes smashing those statues when conquering human kingdoms. Otherwise, he fights at a disadvantage, taking heavy losses."
"Regarding the Gilbert Barony..."
"Too far physically—teleport there, and we're drained of mana. Crossing via hatchling dungeon still puts us in the goddess statues' reach, even inside."
Akkamond shrugged.
"Sharing this secret is because you're Vampire Legion. Betray us, and you know what happens?"
"Of course, I do."
Secrets unavailable in my adventurer days.
"High demons weaken in goddess statue domains. Roughly... to 1/10th their power? Even less."
"......."
"Keep it secret."
"Yes."
He trusts me enough to share this.
"Anyway, Vampire Legion alone can't touch Gilbert Barony now."
"......."
"Plainly: Here, I could toy with a dozen senior knights one-handed. Outside the dungeon at Gilbert Castle? I'd barely beat one 60:40."
"Goddess statues are a problem all around."
"We could muster full force and destroy the barony, but the losses would be too great. Too much blood spilled."
Efficiency issue.
"Got a good way to destroy the statues?"
"No. What I propose is setting a trap to make Gilbert Barony send even more troops here definitively."
I pointed downward.
"The prisoner unit you sent before—the Kite group—were top-tier adventurers."
"I see."
"Yes. Practically the barony's second-best force."
Based on Gentia's intel, I'd compiled the prisoners' backgrounds.
"Even assuming he're all killed, Gilbert Barony wants justification to send full forces here."
"What kind?"
"Capture one prisoner and simply release them."
I drew my quill.
"Write a 'prisoner release' letter on their body and send them off."
"...Whose?"
"Jake Gilbert and Eris Albathea."
"......Eris is the woman you're training, but Jake's already dead, isn't he?"
"They don't know if he's dead or alive. Still."
"......Selling corpses?"
"Chief Adjutant."
I mimed wiping my face with one hand.
"Until observed, Gilbert's bastard's status is unknown—they can be sold."
"......."
"And to confirm it."
"More adventurers. More women."
Low virgin ratio?
"Not 5 or 10—aim for 100."
Increase the sample size.
"That way, we secure more virgins, right?"
Twitch.
Akkamond's ears perked up.
"More... virgins?"
"Yes."
"...And what do you want out of this?"
"Many things, but they all lead to one goal."
I rubbed my fingertips.
"Securing more virgins easy to train into vampires."
For now, 3.