Chapter 122
Chapter 122
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: Yupersh Clan (1)
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Talia Kingdom's capital, Talaria.
"Ugh—."
For the past two days, Briki's nerves had been on edge.
It was because of a fleeting presence she'd sensed while lying in the guest room bed at the Bright Duke's residence, idly passing the time as usual.
'Just someone passing by? A coincidence?'
It had been the briefest instant, but her transcendent senses had unmistakably caught something ominous.
It vanished so quickly after being detected that she could have dismissed it as a mistake...
But her intuition was akin to a divine power bordering on precognition.
Besides, that sensation was one she'd felt several times before over her long life.
'Now... I can't quite tell. Something feels off, but it doesn't seem like an immediate threat.'
Even so, she couldn't help but remain hyper-vigilant.
And for good reason...
It was the aura of 'death' from the Immortal King, which she'd sensed multiple times in the past.
"...Hm?"
Her body suddenly froze as her nerves were at their peak, and her gaze slowly turned in one direction.
Briki stared blankly at the empty wall...
The next moment, she was already standing before Mulo's office door.
Thud thud thud—
"Mulo? Mind if I come in?"
She knocked lightly and flung the door open without waiting for a reply.
"...Lady Briki? ...Please, come in."
Though it was an abrupt visit, Mulo couldn't bring himself to get angry with her and greeted her with an awkward expression.
But seeing Briki enter with a grim face, he hardened his own.
"Mulo? You should prepare for battle right now."
"What is it? For you to react like this..."
Even as he spoke, he immediately ordered an emergency muster to the nearby clan members.
If she, who was always so nonchalantly carefree, showed this side of herself, it meant something major was about to explode.
"...Hm, how should I explain this..."
As Mulo busied himself, Briki—her expression now relaxed again—crossed her arms and pondered.
How could she explain it was just her getting jittery alone and suddenly feeling uneasy, without any solid evidence?
Of course, her intuition itself was compelling evidence...
"Bah, if I say prepare, just prepare! You talk too much. Do I look like the type to spout nonsense?"
In the end, she grumbled and scolded Mulo instead.
And at the same time.
In the direction she'd been staring—Rapella City...
A Blood Gate opened, and the vampires of the Yupersh Clan swiftly assembled.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "...How unpleasant."
That was Viscount Yupersh's impression right after arriving in Rapella City.
His furrowed brow hadn't relaxed since.
An inexplicable disgust crept up from the ground, yanking at the nape of his neck, making it impossible to stay calm.
'What is this? Why do I feel this way?'
It felt like someone was watching him, yet he couldn't pinpoint the source with his senses.
All he felt was frustration—the first such alien sensation since inheriting Sacred Blood.
'A bad omen? In Brocoslak territory? ...Me, Viscount Yupersh, wary of the likes of them?'
As Viscount brooded alone...
"...Lord? Is something wrong?"
One of his subordinates, busy inspecting the vampires, approached with a group and spoke up.
It was the clan's second-in-command, Theodor Yupersh, who led this operation, along with the other three True Bloods.
"No, it's nothing. More importantly, are preparations complete?"
"Yes. Four True Bloods, forty-four Purebloods. All elites—we can wipe out Brocoslak in an instant."
The Yupersh Clan's elite unit, composed solely of Purebloods and above.
Led by the Sacred Blood Viscount Yupersh himself, this force could even raid the Talia palace.
Naturally, Brocoslak—its powerhouses scattered and off-guard—stood no chance.
"No need for long talks. Head straight to Talaria before they notice and clean them out by tonight."
"Yes!"
Viscount shook off the persistent unease, focusing solely on the goal.
Crushing Brocoslak's lord in Talaria.
And as his words ended...
Flutter flutter—!
Flap flap flap—
A massive swarm of bats streaked across the night sky.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Midway between Talaria and Rapella City, several kilometers in the sky, a dark silhouette hovered.
Whoooosh—
The absolute being gazed down at the earth from the night sky, shrouded in darkness.
It was the Immortal King Hans.
'They've begun to move.'
The Talia Kingdom, ruled covertly by the Brocoslak Clan, was a vital stronghold for him too.
Beyond its symbolic role as the first foothold in the Outerica dimension, controlling a kingdom through Heinz held immense value.
Even as a remote minor nation with international standing, it required more attention than Tarac, where Hubert and others were based.
Plus, it was the hub for his nascent intelligence network.
[Kehh— so it begins.]
That was why the Immortal King, at the pinnacle of necromancy, personally concealed his presence and waited.
Monitoring everything below with the Eye of the Abyss, like a satellite.
'Truth be told, Hans shouldn't step in unless absolutely necessary.'
Ideally, Heinz 2nd alone handling this would be the most natural course.
Hans and his undead drew attention just by moving, while Heinrich couldn't leave the holy site freely.
Hari was busy clashing with monsters in the Steel Fortress, Harris was far away on the Enamel Continent...
'Howard's still a novice craftsman, and Hubert's recovering—no need to mention them.'
Involving other avatars risked linking them, narrowing future options.
But.
'No choice this time.'
Regardless of those issues...
With Heinz away, he couldn't just sit idle while his house got robbed!
'At least with Hari now tied to the merchant attack causality, he won't draw much suspicion.'
Some might question his intel source, but he owed no explanations.
'That said...'
Hans's gaze shifted to Talaria, spotting Hari.
Our ever-dignified barbarian warrior was, predictably, getting frisked by the capital guard.
Overreacting to his unique look was understandable, but how many times was this...?
'Without the Church's letter, he couldn't even move properly.'
Even in Tarac, his base, people shrank back at the sight of Hari.
In unfamiliar Talaria, it was worse.
His mere presence intimidated everyone—inspections were inevitable.
'As long as it doesn't hinder the operation, it's fine.'
Hans glanced lightly and turned to the Bright Duke's residence.
'Vampires are suddenly gathering at the mansion. Did the Sacred Blood notice something?'
He'd spotted her sensing him earlier—not surprising for her caliber.
Though his aura concealment was imperfect right after teleporting, her detection was no fluke.
That's why he was hiding extra carefully now.
'This boosts our odds. I can test the Purified Blood Essence-enhanced abilities too. Good thing the Sacred Blood balances things out.'
He didn't know when the Sacred Blood 'Brocoslak' arrived, but it provided a counter to Viscount Yupersh.
Without her, even enhanced by the essence or with Hari's involvement, they'd have been slaughtered pointlessly.
'I'd have had to intervene anyway.'
He'd wanted to avoid that, so this was a welcome development.
Hans's eyes then locked on the bat swarm slicing through the sky.
One Sacred Blood, four True Bloods, over forty Purebloods—an terrifying force.
Yet his gaze fixed on just one.
'...That one.'
Not a Sacred or True Blood, but a mere Pureblood—yet special to him.
For that bastard was the assassin vampire with red hair and eyes who pulped Hubert's guts, nearly killing him.
Now a bat, but etched in Hans's mind since landing in Rapella.
To never let it escape, no matter where it fled.
[Kehehh... Revenge is the sweetest fruit in the world. Time to settle the grudge carved into my bones. Your fate is sealed—struggle all you want, it's futile.]
The bat's wings faltered briefly under Hans's intense stare, but...
With his presence perfectly concealed now, it was probably just imagination.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Ahh— these guys are so persistent. Where's a fine upstanding citizen like me to keep hassling me like this?"
Freed by the capital guard, Hari scratched his head and strolled Talaria's night streets.
His head now bore a fresh monster scalp instead of the dragon-torn rag, so his fingers scraped only tough hide.
'Whoa, easy on the strength. Nearly tore the new skin.'
Hari lowered his twitching burly arm and surveyed the surroundings leisurely.
True to vampire rule, no curfew—plenty of people about despite the late hour.
'No curfew's more convenient for night outings.'
He ambled along, admiring new sights and passersby.
Who, naturally, gawked at him too.
"Good lord... a barbarian? No, southern savage?"
"Whoa, first time seeing someone dressed like that."
"Those muscles... Shh, he's looking! Don't make eye contact!"
Scenes absent from his base in Tarac replayed here perfectly.
Whispers, frowns, tsks.
It felt nostalgically pleasant.
'Feels fresh after so long. Thanks to my sincere smiles, Tarac folk don't freak out much anymore.'
But if stares bothered him, he wouldn't strut like this.
"Ahem!"
Hari subtly flexed his bare, tattooed torso and strode barefoot down the avenue toward his destination.
As midnight deepened and streets emptied—even streetwalkers slinking away...
His footsteps led to the Bright Duke's mansion.
It seemed the usual spot, yet carried an oddly ominous vibe.