A Siege Isn't Just About Brute Force

Siege warfare wasn't always about brute-forcing your way through with stubborn strength. If the goal was to capture the castle, then sure, that would be necessary. But if the goal was something inside, one could simply use the chaos as a distraction to steal it. And the vampire race was practically optimized for theft! Couldn't they just slip into the castle by transforming into mist, bats, or any number of other things? He had to prepare as much as possible to prevent them from stealing the heart.

"The vampires' scheme is obvious."

"As expected of Your Majesty!"

"Truly, Your Majesty!"

Tae-hyun smiled warmly.

Wait, what?

The duration was increasing?

No... I need to wrap this up and send them on their way. Just how long are they going to follow me around?

Normally, they should have failed to achieve anything, run around in circles, and eventually left, saying, "No! We can no longer travel with Your Majesty!" But because Tae-hyun had been racking up massive achievements the moment he arrived, the Knights were completely satisfied, thinking, As expected of Your Majesty! The hero of the continent! To think he had wiped out the vampires and even captured their castle! Surely, holding the castle in alliance with these vampires was just a strategy to execute even more undead, right?! Of course, Tae-hyun had no such intentions.

How do I get rid of these guys?

While Tae-hyun was guarding the area around the heart in preparation for an attack that would never come, the two vampire counts quickly arrived with their subordinates. Swift and decisive!

We must strike before that bastard Vlad completely takes control of the vampire castle!

Consequently, though their numbers seemed somewhat small, every single one of them was an elite.

The vampire players recognized them instantly.

"Whoa. Look at their armor... are those knights?"

"Aren't those the Count's personal guard? The Count came in person!"

"I can't believe I'm seeing a Count with my own eyes."

Just as it was difficult to see a lord's face on the continent, the same applied to the Bloodstained Archipelago. Unless one achieved great deeds or rose to a high position, noble NPCs were not easily met! The players excitedly observed the Count and his knights. When else would they get a chance like this?

"Let's take some screenshots. The angle is perfect."

"Hey, take one with them in the background behind me."

The players were completely unbothered! Normally, they should have been terrified, but not a single person showed any fear. After all, Tae-hyun was standing right behind them!

"...What is wrong with those bastards?"

"They must be insane, my lord. Pay them no mind."

As Count Scabio looked on with unease, his subordinates quickly reassured him.

"More importantly, the current issue is..."

Count Scabio and his knights wore complex expressions as they watched a group rushing in from the opposite direction. It was Count Andalto's knights. Indeed, Count Scabio was not the only one who coveted the vampire castle!

"And even when we attack, we must make sure he doesn't notice the rabbit."

"Do not worry, my lord. That bastard probably doesn't even know how important it is. He's likely drooling over the other treasures in there..."

"Towang, get down!"

—Karung!

"Jump!"

—Karreung!

"Lightning Draw!"

—Karung?

"...What are you doing?"

Cain asked, looking completely bewildered. To think Tae-hyun was wasting time on such useless antics!

"Ah, I was just checking to see if I could level him up."

Level 1 was a stage where one could level up just by breathing. Yet, his level wouldn't budge.

Is he permanently locked at Level 1?

Usually, being locked at Level 1 meant either being cursed, or carrying a penalty that restricted growth because the other abilities were too broken.

...A curse?

No matter how he thought about it, the former seemed more likely.

Then is he just a simple, pitiful rabbit?

"...Still, we must attack carefully. If an attack accidentally hits the area where the rabbit is..."

"Do not worry, my lord."

"We will attack with the utmost caution."

The subordinate knights beat their chests as if telling him to trust them. Who were they? They were the elite royal guards of Count Scabio! Vampire magic swordsmen who had mastered not only various swordsmanship and combat techniques but also magic! Although vampires were holding the castle walls, it was nothing short of laughable to them.

Clop, clop, clop—

"...?"

In the midst of this, an envoy arrived from Count Andalto's side.

"What is it?"

"My master wishes to meet with Count Scabio and speak with him."

"How dare he be so insolent...!"

"No, wait."

Count Scabio held back his subordinates. Meeting and speaking with Count Andalto was something he would normally refuse, but the situation was different now. First and foremost, the rabbit was what mattered!

"Very well. I shall meet him."

Count Scabio and Count Andalto gathered in the center with only a few guards. The players atop the castle walls watched this with fascination.

—Whoa! The noble NPCs are having a meeting!

—What are they talking about?

"Thank you for coming out like this, Count."

"We are both busy men, so let's get straight to the point. What is it you want?"

"You know very well, Count. Just as you do."

This bastard wants the rabbit too.

Count Scabio's eyebrow twitched.

"I could accept it even if you were the one to take it, Count."

A lie that absolutely no one would believe!

What a joke.

"But not that bastard Vlad! How dare an insolent upstart of unknown origin attack the envoy I sent!"

Hearing this, Count Scabio realized that Count Andalto had already sent an envoy.

What an underhanded bastard...?

Trying to join hands behind my back already? Fortunately, that bastard Vlad was tyrannical and arrogant; otherwise, the two of them might have allied!

"What do you say, Count? Shall we join forces until we lay our hands on the rabbit?"

"Hmm..."

From Count Scabio's perspective, there was nothing to lose. Furthermore, Count Scabio took pride in being far more experienced and cunning than Count Andalto. Even if they formed an alliance, he was confident he could exploit him!

"Not a bad idea. As for the rabbit..."

"...Let us decide who gets it after we finish off that bastard Vlad!"

Count Andalto grinned and extended his hand. It was the ambition fitting of a young vampire count. Count Scabio grasped his hand.

"Huh? What are you guys doing?"

"Pardon?"

Having stationed the Knights near the heart, Tae-hyun climbed up the castle walls. There, he witnessed a bizarre sight. Two vampire counts were boldly holding a summit right on the plains below the castle!

"Fire at them! They're sitting ducks!"

"Uh, aren't the nobles currently holding a meeting?"

Noble NPCs were fundamentally accorded respect. When noble NPCs met to hold a conference, even if it was right in front of enemy lines, it was customary to hold back, thinking, Well... attacking them now would be rather dishonorable...

"There is no such thing in the Archisus Cult!"

"Ah...! Of course...!"

The Archisus Artillery was struck with admiration. So that was it! The Archisus Cult was truly magnificent, completely unbothered by the trivial rules of nobility!

"Fire!"

Boom! Boom! Crash!

The two counts, who were in the middle of shaking hands, turned their heads at the sound of something flying toward them. Cannonballs were soaring from the distant castle walls.

"?!"

The range of the Archisus Artillery was far greater than they had anticipated! While they had thought, There's no way they can hit us from this distance, they had also assumed, Surely they wouldn't dare attack while nobles are holding a summit? But neither Tae-hyun nor the Archisus Artillery cared about such things.

The penalty was substantial. The rage of the nobility for launching a preemptive strike while they were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in the middle of a summit! Vlad, who had done absolutely nothing but was now taking the fall, looked like he was about to burst into tears.

"How dare they threaten our friend Vlad! Unforgivable. Fire more!"

"For Vlad!"

The Archisus Artillery excitedly rained down cannonballs. The vampire knights, who had never expected such an attack, could only scramble to flee in utter chaos.

"Stop firing! You sons of bitches!"

"For Vlad! For Vlad!"

"What do you mean, 'for me'?!"

Vlad screamed desperately, but the artillery didn't pay him the slightest attention. The knights, fleeing while dragging their respective masters, gnashed their teeth and cursed Vlad.

"Vlad! By the name of blood, I will sever your head!"

"Vlad...! The moment you show your face in the Bloodstained Archipelago, I will slaughter you!"

"..."

Vlad collapsed to the ground. How did my life end up like this...!

Tae-hyun offered his consolation.

"It's fine. You just have to stay inside the castle and never go out. It's great, you can focus on managing the castle."

"..."

Tae-hyun, a man with an extraordinary talent for consolation! He put that talent to excellent use. But he wasn't finished. To demonstrate that he was just as skilled at provocation as he was at consolation, Tae-hyun stepped forward.

"You two pathetic weaklings! Lord Vlad says that watching garbage like you flee is so pitiful that you are no longer worth his gaze!"

"!"

"!!!"

"The title of Count is wasted on the likes of you! To think those who sent envoys to grovel before Lord Vlad would show up here with such insolence! If you wish to be forgiven by Lord Vlad, withdraw your forces immediately and offer a proper apology!"

"That absolute bastard..."

"I will drain every single drop of your blood!"

"Wait...?"

The vampire knights, who had been gnashing their teeth, suddenly realized something was off.

"M-My lord."

"What is it?"

"O-On that bastard's shoulder...?"

The two counts narrowed their eyes and glared. On the shoulder of the human standing atop the castle walls, there was something...

"A... a... rabbit?!"

"How does he have that?!"

The two counts were utterly flabbergasted. No matter how they looked at it, it was indeed the very rabbit they had been searching for. It was shocking enough that Tae-hyun had found it, but it was even more astounding that he was carrying it around without any binding devices or magical restraints. Unless one was Count Knema himself, it should have been impossible to handle that rabbit!

"C-Could it be a fake? To confuse us..."

"It looks far too realistic to be a fake..."

"Besides, even if it were a fake, that would mean he actually found the real one!"

As the vampire knights clamored, Tae-hyun felt puzzled. Why are they standing around like that instead of running away?

"Fire again."

"Yes, sir!"

The artillery excitedly reloaded. Who would dare disobey his command!

Count Scabio slapped his knee. Only then did he realize the situation.

"Vlad, you terrifying bastard...!"

"What do you mean by that, my lord?"

"Vlad knew all along! He knew we were targeting Count Knema's rabbit! Knowing that, he entered the castle first and secured the rabbit. Look at that! That is a threat. A threat that if we force our way in, he might destroy the rabbit!"

—Karreung.

Towang, who was perched on Tae-hyun's shoulder, squirmed uncomfortably. At that, Tae-hyun grabbed Towang with both hands and set him down. Seeing this, Count Scabio pointed a trembling finger.

"L-Look at that! He is trying to choke the rabbit! What a wicked, filthy bastard...!"

Count Scabio shuddered. Throughout his long life, he had met all kinds of filthy, despicable, and underhanded vampires, but Vlad surpassed them all. He was the most cunning and vile vampire among them!

"We retreat for now!"

"B-But..."

"We have no choice under the circumstances."

Count Scabio lowered his voice.

"We must negotiate with him in secret."

"...!!"

He showed absolutely no regard for Count Andalto, with whom he had just joined hands! Yet, his subordinates were not flustered in the slightest. Among vampire nobles, betrayal was practically a daily occurrence.

"Then..."

Boom! Crash!

"Yes. Once night falls, we will secretly..."

Boom! Boom! Crash!

"Ah, you cursed bastards! Will you stop firing already?!"

They were firing with truly relentless persistence!