Chapter 525: City of Lamentation (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 525: City of Lamentation (6)
Viktor Vadim.
The current president of Romania.
Sharp features and a patriotism that drove him to fight tooth and nail to save his failing country.
An unshakable conviction that refused to bow to external pressure.
A famous figure who had made his name known far and wide through these charming qualities that inspired personal admiration.
The moment I saw him, the Gluttony sleeping in my stomach began to run wild.
Rumble—!
A considerable shock erupted in my stomach.
It was the result of my will, trying to suppress it, clashing with Gluttony’s desperate struggle to awaken.
“Khk…!”
A groan escaped my lips.
Hearing it, Shin Yu-jeong asked me with a puzzled tone.
“What’s wrong all of a sudden? Does your stomach hurt?”
I forced a smile and played along.
“Hss… yeah. My stomach feels a bit off, must’ve been something I ate.”
“You should go to the restroom.”
“…It’s not that bad yet.”
I considered using the restroom as an excuse to leave as she suggested, but I quickly changed my mind.
Something was strange.
A sudden rebellion from the one that had obediently followed my will ever since I had mercilessly crushed its last revolt.
It had definitely started when I saw Viktor Vadim’s face.
In other words, the cause of its rebellion might lie with the person standing before me.
“It’s been a while, Commander Michael.”
“Haha, yes. Have you been well?”
“I’m always the same, am I not? Hahaha!”
Viktor Vadim laughed heartily.
One of the reasons people liked him was because of that demeanor.
A core strength that allowed him to remain himself even amidst poverty.
Because of that, I too had once sincerely prayed for him and Romania to do well.
Grind!
The longer I looked at his face, the more violent Gluttony’s rebellion became.
It had now reached the point where it was tearing at the will binding it with sharp teeth.
What the hell is wrong with it?
While binding it as tightly as I could to prevent its escape, I attempted to communicate with the rampaging entity.
Gluttony wasn't some mere wisp of energy, but a Divine Authority originating from a god.
While direct conversation was impossible, reading its intent was.
“Hoo…”
My consciousness sank deeper with a long breath.
Finally, I came face to face with the formless monster sleeping in my stomach.
Its movements were rougher than ever before.
Observing it, I realized something.
The reason it was rampaging like this was none other than fear.
“……”
For a moment, I was speechless.
It’s afraid?
The creature that had never known anything but voracious hunger?
The moment I read the will behind its movements, its intent was transmitted through our faint connection.
-Run… away….
I realized it too late.
Its rampage was solely to deliver this one message to me.
At the same time, I was bewildered.
Run away?
From what?
It was right then.
“A pleasure to meet you, Father.”
Viktor Vadim was shaking hands with the priest from the Volunteer Group standing next to me.
It seemed that while I was observing my inner self, he had been going around greeting each and every priest.
After a brief greeting with the person beside me, he finally stood before me.
Then, he extended his hand.
“……”
I calmly composed myself.
Instead of further restraining the still-rampaging Gluttony, I gently soothed it, conveying my will.
It’s okay now.
That no matter who the opponent is, your master is not someone who will be easily defeated.
After I repeated this several times, the rampaging Gluttony slowly curled up.
A prickly sense of unease still lingered, but it seemed to have decided to trust me for now.
My stomach grew quiet.
I reached out and took Viktor Vadim’s hand.
“Thank you for your help, Father.”
I responded to his heartfelt gratitude.
“Thank you for the warm welcome.”
“Haha, is it not our proper duty to those who work so hard for our country?”
A face from which I could feel nothing but goodwill.
Was it because of the successive warnings from Andrei and Gluttony?
For some reason, I felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding from that face.
*
Even here, in a place that seemed much better off compared to other cities, there were many who needed help.
People who could barely manage to eat, but had no means to care for their bodies.
The relief center in the capital was being used for the purpose of treating such people.
While the Volunteer Group focused on treatment, the Raid Team also moved busily, intent on gathering information.
“What kind of person is President Viktor?”
“He’s a very good man!”
“It’s thanks to him that we can survive like this.”
“If it weren’t for him, Romania would have collapsed long ago.”
“That’s right, absolutely!”
“……”
They moved busily, but they only learned one thing.
The people’s support for Viktor Vadim was immense.
Especially within the capital, his standing was comparable to that of a god.
Because of this, they were facing difficulties.
“No matter how much we dig, only good stories come out.”
“His support is rock-solid, from the lower class to the upper class.”
No matter where they poked, all that came out was praise for him.
As a result, a dormant suspicion began to sprout once more.
“Are we sure the Romanian government is behind this?”
“Could we have been deceived by false information…?”
But one person, Francis Meyer, thought differently.
“No. Thanks to this, I’m more certain. The Romanian government is definitely hiding something.”
One of his colleagues asked.
“What’s your basis for thinking that?”
“The information we’ve gathered so far.”
“…Are you saying that the information, which is nothing but praise, is the reason for your suspicion?”
“Paradoxically, yes.”
Francis replied, a confident smile even gracing his lips.
What could he have seen to make him so sure of the Romanian government’s secret?
Just as everyone was wondering, he continued.
“Because I’ve never in my life seen a politician who doesn’t have a speck of dust on him.”
It was quite plausible.
In fact, this wasn't just true for politicians; it applied to any human being.
Who in the world was completely clean?
Even Francis Meyer, called humanity’s greatest hero, was no exception.
Even he had been embroiled in various controversies at one time, so how could it be any different for others?
His colleagues felt there was some truth to his words.
But the problem remained.
“Even if there is something, it’s a problem. We have no idea how to even begin digging into it.”
Everyone only had good things to say. Where and how were they supposed to start digging?
Just as even Francis, who was certain of a secret, was struggling to find an answer.
“There is one way.”
Kim Do-jin raised his hand and suggested a method.
“Why don’t we try using the guy we caught?”
It seemed the time had come to use the guy we’d stuck in the ground and temporarily forgotten about.
*
Bran Castle.
A castle located about 30 km southwest of Brașov, the current capital of Romania.
Known to the world as Dracula's Castle, it was once a tourist attraction before being abandoned and left as a historical ruin that no one visited after the Great Cataclysm.
Therefore, no one knew.
That this place was being used in secret.
Finally freed from the suffocating earth, Stan used one of his abilities, ‘Fog Transformation,’ to easily pass through the towering castle walls.
The moment he stepped inside the walls, threats flew at him from all directions.
“It’s me.”
As he muttered into the air, the menacing presence subsided, and a man with his face covered by a mask appeared.
“You are late.”
“…It took some time, as I was trying to handle things perfectly.”
“Please head inside at once. He is waiting for you.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Stan walked past the masked man and entered the castle.
The corridors of the abandoned castle were lined with rows of red, burning torches.
As if someone was living there.
After walking down a long corridor, he arrived at a huge door.
As he stood before it, the door opened on its own, revealing the scene inside.
A red carpet was laid out on the floor.
At its end sat a man on a throne, with others lined up in rows before him.
Feeling the intense dignity with his entire body, he walked forward.
He stopped about halfway, knelt on one knee, and paid his respects.
“I offer my greetings to the King.”
“Raise your head.”
As he lifted his deeply bowed head, the face of the man on the throne came into view.
It was Viktor Vadim.
His face, usually full of a benevolent smile, was now filled with authority and dignity.
He opened his mouth.
“It took longer than I thought.”
“My apologies. The time was delayed as I was trying to handle it perfectly.”
“A good choice. What’s most important is not to let those Orthodox Church bastards get on our tail.”
“Thank you.”
“However, the result seems different from what was initially expected.”
“That is correct. Because that man, Andrei, got scared and struck a deal with the Volunteer Group…”
“Hmph, it’s obvious. He didn’t want to see his comrades die.”
“So.”
“How much of the supplies did you take?”
“About twenty percent of the total.”
“Twenty percent…”
Viktor Vadim seemed disappointed by the smaller-than-expected amount.
Just then, Stan casually spoke up.
“How about we attempt to plunder them one more time?”
“One more time?”
“Yes.”
He pondered it.
The offer was tempting.
Especially since he had already received reports from the watchmen he’d assigned to them that a large quantity of supplies still remained.
But he shook his head.
“The risk is too great. It’s true that the supplies are tempting, but it will be dangerous if they catch on to us.”
It was a time when they needed supplies for many reasons.
It was also a time when they had to hide their identity more carefully than ever.
Because the end of his grand plan was not far off.
Stan proposed again.
“I have a way to deal with them perfectly.”
A strange light flickered in Viktor Vadim’s eyes.
“Speak.”
The fishing line was pulled taut.
Stan carefully continued.
“What if we were to lure them into the Sanctuary?”
The sanctuary he spoke of was, of course, the Blood Sanctuary.
A voice as sharp as frost echoed through the audience chamber.
“Explain in more detail.”
Sensing the greed that couldn't be hidden even by that stern voice, a smile formed on Stan's lips.