Chapter 82
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Festival
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82
Festival
‘He even made a separate mark next to it.’
I glanced at the dot next to the name on the list and marveled quietly.
Though his handwriting was a mess. The dot indicating the degree of certainty was a cleverness rarely seen in the medieval era.
‘I thought so before, but he’s sharp and capable.’
It wasn’t for nothing that he’d passed the interview for the leader position, beating an incredible 4-to-1 competition. Seeing his excellent work made me proud as his interviewer.
“Boss, who’s that guy?”
Just then, Dylan asked, his eyes wary.
And then there was the Reject, standing in a bizarre pose.
I briefly recalled why I had brought them along.
When I caused a huge ruckus at the main gate, the guards swarmed out and surrounded us. Still, thanks to the Reject—the Inquisitor who came out to meet us—we were able to reach an amicable agreement.
When I lifted my head, caked in black blood, and introduced myself as ‘Takgu, the legendary vampire hunter,’ the guards welcomed me with open arms.
The first thing I saw upon entering Karzan was a middle-aged woman running on a heated iron plate.
The woman was crying as she ran, but the Inquisitor beside her wouldn’t let her down.
The Abbot, furious, started to run toward the plate, but I stepped in and stopped him.
I helped the middle-aged woman off the iron plate and met her gaze. She didn’t show the typical reaction of a vampire meeting me.
The Reject took care of the Inquisitor beside her.
After treating the woman, the Abbot, his face contorted, announced he was going to the monastery and disappeared.
I then followed my memory toward the Lone Wolf building, with the Reject and Dylan tagging along. I briefly debated bringing the Inquisitor, reject that he was, but figured it wouldn’t be a problem.
If he was going to get his head smashed in by the Reject, it would have already been smashed in by me.
‘Why is he striking a pose?’
A sigh escaped me as I looked at the Reject standing behind me as if he were my bodyguard. Still, when it came to dealing with demons, there was no one better.
“You. I am blood-bound to Boss Aron. We’ve faced death back-to-back, so the spot closest to him is mine. Don’t even think about…”
Dylan, standing next to Danso, muttered his useless nonsense.
I told him, ‘Head on the ground,’ and after a moment’s hesitation—“Aw, but in front of a subordinate…”—Dylan slammed his head to the floor. It seemed he’d already decided Danso was beneath him.
“You’ve gone to the trouble of making a list, so why haven’t you suppressed them yet? What about the mayor?”
“The mayor has never involved himself in Karzan’s affairs, big or small. Plus, those bastards don’t cause trouble around the inner city where the mayor resides. If they made a move in the open, the mayor would act, but they’re careful to keep their distance.”
Hmm…
I gave a small nod.
“Then what about Count Behart?”
“We’ve already requested support, but there’s been no response.”
I slowly went over what he’d told me.
Soon, I reached a rather convenient conclusion.
‘So Karzan is basically in a state of anarchy.’
If the mayor wasn’t lifting a finger and Count Bermunt wasn’t responding…
‘Might makes right, then.’
I clenched my fist and then opened it.
A state of anarchy…
‘That won’t do. If you take the money, you do the job.’
As a guard captain more diligent than any other, I couldn’t let that stand.
It seemed I needed to create some work for those who were slacking off.
First and foremost, hunt the vampires.
Then, for the follow-up, wake the sleeping mayor.
“Danso.”
“Yes.”
Danso lowered his head and answered.
“You said you could ensure no problems would arise. Does that offer still stand?”
“……Yes.”
Danso’s reply sounded forced.
“Hmm… right. Then which vampire would you recommend we hunt first?”
Hooo—.
After a long exhale, Danso opened his mouth.
“A man named Geombas. We’re not certain he’s a vampire, but it’s highly likely. He recently turned a second-class administrator, rendering our plan useless…”
“Sounds like a real piece of work.”
“……Yes. He is.”
His hesitation this time was shorter than the last.
“Where is he?”
“A large mansion in District 8. It’s the old city hall, so its structure is exceptionally defensible. A wealthy man who made his fortune in loansharking lives there, and Geombas is staying on the pretext of being his physician.”
Danso took a quick breath and continued.
“Quite a few people visit the place, including members of the city council. In addition, the wealthy man’s personal security, the men Geombas brought with him, and the visitors combine to form a considerable force. We suspect a large number of vampires are there.”
I tapped my fingers for a moment, organizing my thoughts.
“Is the mansion flammable?”
“No. It’s built of stone. There’s a large garden in front, but a fountain runs between it and the mansion, so a fire is unlikely to spread.”
Danso’s answer was immediate.
“Do you have a plan?”
“Yes, we were planning an all-out assault with other organizations and the city council knights, but…”
“Right. A plan only needs a beginning and an end. That’s enough.”
“……Yes.”
The silence was long, but his affirmative answer came without fail.
“Let’s throw a huge festival. One that’ll draw every last one of them out of hiding.”
“Yes.”
This time, there was strength in Danso’s voice.
“A festival.”
The Reject muttered quietly.
“Ugh…”
Dylan, who had been pressing his head to the ground, suddenly slumped sideways.
***
Drip, drip—.
Geombas savored the ecstasy that filled him to the brim, his body trembling.
Vampires had many advantages, but the greatest of them was the pleasure of drinking blood.
Blood had a taste that couldn’t be compared to anything else.
It was sweet like condensed sugar, cool like melting ice, and hot like drinking lava.
Geombas tossed the woman to the floor as if discarding the bone of a meal he’d finished. Those standing by rushed forward, took her, and retreated.
“Hnngh…”
Geombas turned his gaze toward a grotesque groan from the front. There, a massive lump of flesh in the shape of a man was writhing.
‘The vampire, Gel Bachtora.’
Ironically, the man, once a banker, had always been nicknamed ‘vampire’ because of his high interest rates. His life had been in danger due to health complications from his immense weight, but Geombas had saved him by turning him into a true vampire.
Gel Bachtora was relishing his new existence more than anyone. True to his nickname, he drank blood several times a day.
‘It’s made my work easier, though.’
Thanks to the wealthy man’s conversion, the plan was progressing faster than expected. He was connected to the city council, which allowed him to blind their eyes and deafen their ears.
Through him, Geombas learned the locations of the warehouses and had them all burned down. Then he ordered Gel Bachtora to collect on his loans by any means necessary.
On the surface, it just looked like Gel Bachtora was being a little rougher than usual, so no sanctions were imposed. Besides, they were too preoccupied with the vampire problem.
*Bang!*
Just then, the door was thrown open violently.
He turned his head to see a man with a frantic expression.
“What is it?”
“They’ve started to move.”
“Already?”
Geombas’s brow furrowed at the unexpected news.
They shouldn’t have had enough time to gather their forces…
Geombas quickly reviewed his plans, wondering what he had missed.
“Yes, the Lone Wolves made the first move, and the others followed.”
‘They were hasty.’
Geombas clicked his tongue and sneered.
It was obvious they still needed more time to rally their forces. With the recent defection of the second-class administrator, their numbers would be negligible even if they did move.
Those thugs must have gotten impatient, unable to stand their turf being threatened.
They had acted separately before their enemy could consolidate its forces.
This was a stroke of luck for Geombas.
“Send the men. Finish this before sunrise.”
“Yes.”
The man answered in a low voice, hesitated for a moment, and then withdrew.
‘Things are going too well.’
Geombas licked the blood from his lips and walked to the window. He could see the sprawling garden and the figures stationed meticulously throughout.
Men were running diligently from the main gate, their numbers well over thirty. Even if the enemy had knights, they were likely retired if not directly under the mayor’s command. They wouldn’t see tomorrow’s sunrise.
The same was true for Geombas, of course.
‘It’s almost over.’
Just one more night…
After the men had all left, a man he’d never seen before appeared at the far end of the garden, struggling to climb over the wall.
He hesitated for a moment atop the high wall before jumping down and tumbling to the ground.
A man with a face so vile it made the back of your head itch.
He stood up, his face looking like he was about to cry, and trembled as he held something in his hand.
Presently, he touched the stick in his hand to the garden.
And then—.
‘…Fire?’
A large flame erupted from the wooden stick.
The man ran around with the stick, setting fire to various spots in the garden. The fire spread instantly, illuminating the dark night.
“Fire!! Fire!! Fucking fire!! You bastards! There’s a fire!!”
The man ran around, loudly boasting about the fire he had started.
The garden was instantly engulfed in a sea of flames.
The colorful, priceless flowers that Gel Bachtora had boasted about were consumed by the inferno in an instant. A faint fragrance lingered amid the smell of burning.
“Wh-what is this!!”
Gel Bachtora screamed.
‘Who gives a damn about a few burnt weeds?’
Geombas clicked his tongue and casually stepped aside.
Even with the garden ablaze, the fountain in between would likely prevent the fire from reaching the mansion. It was literally watching a fire from across the river.
“There! Get that crazy bastard over there! Get him! You incompetent fools! He’s right there! There!!”
Gel Bachtora shrieked at the top of his lungs, pointing at the arsonist. The guards, who had been standing around blankly, moved according to his gesture.
“Fuck you!! You son of a bitch!!”
The arsonist shouted a curse, then pulled down his pants and shook his ass. The sight was so infuriating that Geombas felt a surge of anger, even though it wasn’t his garden.
“G-g-get… get that bastard!! Five gold to whoever catches him!!”
Gel Bachtora, panting heavily, pointed at the man and screamed. At the mention of five gold, the guards’ movements changed instantly.
Pointed fangs emerged from between parted lips.
A speed that was inhuman.
They seemed to have unleashed their vampiric power.
‘I told them not to use it recklessly.’
Geombas clicked his tongue but didn’t stop them.
There was no longer any need to hide their power.
“Damn it all!”
The man, still spouting curses, ran toward one of the walls.
The vampires were closing in on him.
Geombas was certain he would be caught in moments.
“O-range! O-range! Orange! It’s orange, you crazy bastards!!”
The man shouted something at the wall, jumping up and down and kicking it.
The vampires were toying with him, slowly closing in from all sides.
“I said orange!!!”
Just then, the wall the man was pressed against crumbled. He was crushed beneath the debris and vanished. A woman appeared atop the rubble.
She stood on the fragments and looked around. Then, with a slight frown, she glared at the vampires and drew the greatsword from her back.
Silver armor and a hammer emblem.
An Inquisitor.
‘Hmm…’
Geombas let out a small groan, an instinctual fear creeping in.
There was only one of them.
No matter how much of a divine hammer an Inquisitor was, she couldn’t possibly face twenty vampires alone.
‘…An Inquisitor is here.’
This wasn’t part of the deal.
Geombas felt a subtle crack in his plans.
“Eek!! An Inquisitor is here! An Inquisitor!! What is the meaning of this! This wasn’t part of our agreement!”
Gel Bachtora panicked. The way his flesh jiggled as he moved disgusted Geombas.
“Silence.”
Geombas commanded curtly.
Gel Bachtora’s eyes went wide before he lowered his head.
Just then, the vampires and the Inquisitor clashed.
A brilliant light emanated from the Inquisitor’s body.
The divine power, which induced a natural revulsion just by looking at it, was…
‘That’s not the level of an Inquisitor.’
A small sense of crisis arose in Geombas’s mind.
With every swing of her sword, two or three vampires were cleaved apart simultaneously. Her prowess was far too great to be that of a mere Inquisitor.
‘…The Holy Knights?’
Geombas forced down the fear that surged at the thought of that name and studied the woman again.
She lacked something to be one of the Holy Knights.
‘…Not Holy Knight level.’
However, he could feel the cracks in his plan widening.
Even with all the forces on the first floor converging on her, it wasn’t enough to take her down.
What should I do?
Geombas’s mind raced, calculating his options.
It wasn’t impossible to eliminate her now. Her combat ability was threatening, but there were over a hundred vampires stationed in the mansion.
Having made his decision, Geombas closed his eyes and focused.
To the vampires stationed in the mansion…
‘…Hmm?’
Something felt strangely different from usual.
A feeling that something was missing.
And just then.
*Kieeeek-*.
A faint gasp came from beyond the door.
*Gulp.*
Geombas stared at the door, a strange fear gripping him.
He could instinctively feel something approaching.
*Thud.*
The sound of something falling.
*Thump, thump.*
Followed by heavy, approaching footsteps.
*KYAAAAAK!!*
Another scream echoed.
It wasn't just one.
All the men he had stationed outside were screaming.
*CRASH-! THUMP-!*
A series of heavy impacts followed.
A very short time later, the sounds of his kin ceased.
*Thump, thump.*
Only the heavy footsteps grew closer.
“Wh-what is…”
Gel Bachtora began to whimper again, but Geombas had no mind to spare for him.
Geombas drew upon his power.
His vision turned red, his fangs elongated, and a monstrous strength flowed through his entire body.
“Come out.”
Geombas muttered softly.
From all corners of the spacious room, pale figures descended. Like Geombas, they bared their long fangs and stared at the door.
“Wh-when?”
Only Gel Bachtora’s quiet muttering echoed in the room.
*Thump, thump.*
As the footsteps approached, Geombas’s mind raced.
The opponent’s first move.
He set the garden on fire.
Why the garden?
‘……A diversion?’
The word popped into his head, and Geombas swallowed hard.
*Thump.*
The footsteps stopped in front of the door.
If it was a diversion…
…For what purpose?
*Knock-knock-knock.*
The sound of knocking echoed chillingly.
*Gulp.*
Someone’s low swallow could be heard.
*Knock-knock-knock.*
The knocking came again.
But no one answered.
“Nobody home?”
A deep voice muttered softly.
And a moment later.
*CRRAAAAASH!!*
The door shattered, and something rolled across the floor.
*Thump, thump.*
It was the head of one of the vampires he had stationed outside.
“So you were here.”
A man of enormous build stepped over the broken door and entered, muttering in a low voice.
The armor was so colorful it was bizarre.
However, it was so caked in black that its original colors were barely visible.
The man reeked of his kin.
Behind him, the hallway was filled with corpses.
The corpses of his kin filled the corridor.
Headless bodies littered the floor.
‘In such a short time, that many…?’
Geombas felt an instinctual fear of the man.
It was like the fear predators feel when they see a hunter…
‘A hunter.’
The man was a hunter.
A true hunter, stained with so much blood that he smelled of vampires.
“When someone knocks, you’re supposed to answer.”
A deep laugh, like scraping iron.
The man was enjoying this.
Geombas finally understood.
The diversion outside was for him.
*KYAAAAAAK!!*
Faced with the hunter, Geombas forgot human language and let out an instinctual roar.
***
‘At least there’s one.’
I looked at the one in the middle and smirked.
A delicious smell wafted from him. If that ‘Master’ from before was prime rib, this one was about a chicken skewer.
—*Do you need it?*
‘I’m good. I don’t need it for these small fry.’
I took a deep breath, pushing away the accumulated fatigue.
It seemed the vampires were having a reunion in the room, huddled together in a tight cluster.
As if to welcome me, they opened their mouths wide, baring fangs the size of my forearm, and charged.
I readjusted my grip on my sword as I watched the vampires display their various charms.
I calculated the order of their arrival and planned my next move.
‘First, the closest one.’
I swung my sword in a wide arc from top to bottom at the one who leaped forward.
A silver line was drawn in the air, and the creature was split in two, its momentum carrying both halves forward.
Without avoiding the black blood and flesh, I grabbed the head of the vampire next to it with one hand while swinging my sword horizontally with the other.
*Crack-.*
The head I grabbed exploded like a watermelon, something cool trickling between my fingers. My horizontal swing then sliced another vampire in half at the waist.
I had dealt with three in an instant, but the gap was quickly filled.
In that brief opening, five more closed in.
One on my right shoulder, one on my left, one trying to bite my neck, and one on each of my legs.
They swarmed me in perfect sync, latching on.
The vampires’ fangs scraped against metal.
I first drove my sword into the neck of the one trying to bite my throat. With a gurgling sound, black blood splattered across my helmet.
My pauldrons blocked the ones on my shoulders, but the fangs of those on my legs pierced through.
“That stings.”
I twisted my body hard.
As if they hadn’t been brushing their teeth properly, three of them recoiled in pain, their fangs broken. Only one with healthy teeth hung on.
Were those baby teeth?
I briefly wondered, but seeing their agony, that didn't seem likely.
I slammed my palm down hard on the healthy-toothed one clinging to my leg.
*Thwack!* With a sharp sound, it collapsed.
I then swung my sword in turn at the fangless ones. Lost in the sorrow of losing their lifelong assets, they failed to block my blade.
I wiped the black blood from my gauntlet on a tattered piece of clothing and readjusted my grip on the sword.
There were still quite a few left, but they only bared their teeth and growled, not daring to attack.
“Boo!!”
Finding the sight amusing, I shouted loudly.
*Kyaaaak! Kyaaaak!*
The startled creatures jumped back, then began to bark loudly as if embarrassed.
“That stings, you bastards who don’t even brush.”
I laughed heartily, flicking off the fangs embedded in my body and pouring alcohol from my waterskin over the wounds.
“Ah!”
The stinging sensation made my temper flare.
“Who are you!!”
The chicken skewer, the one with the delicious smell, shouted, his voice trembling.
“Ahem… If you must know!”
I swung my sword through the air, flinging off the black blood.
This was the beginning of Takgu’s legend, so I made my voice as solemn as possible.
“I am Takgu, the legendary vampire hunter.”
Vampire hunter!!
A great commotion erupted among them.
“Tak-gu!!”
I shouted, steeling my resolve.
*KYAAAAAAK!!*
The startled creatures jumped.
They didn’t seem to have any intention of coming closer.
So this time, I charged.
*Kyaaaak! Kyaaaak!*
They barked ferociously.
“Kyaaaak!”
I roared back, and their eyes went wide.
It was so amusing that I chuckled.
And the stinging lessened a little.
“KYAAAAAAAK!!”
This time, I roared loudly as I swung my sword.
***
“Are you saying you’re putting the entire population of Karzan on trial?! Are you out of your mind!!”
Abbot Benghardt was slightly startled by the scolding.
‘Why is this old man here?’
Cardinal Brighton was definitely demoted to Casedic on the frontier…
‘No, he’s not a cardinal anymore.’
At the sudden realization, Abbot Benghardt straightened his shoulders.
The man was now an abbot, just like him. No, given that he had fallen out of favor with the higher-ups, his position was even worse than his own.
“Stop the trials at once! What will you do if innocent people are harmed!”
‘Demoted and exiled, yet he can’t break his old habits.’
*Tsk, tsk.* Abbot Benghardt clicked his tongue openly.
Abbot Brighton’s face contorted even further.
Benghardt, seeing this, smiled in contrast.
“My dear Abbot Brighton.”
Benghardt savored the words ‘Abbot Brighton,’ repeating them. The fall of another brings an indescribable joy to the beholder.
Especially when that person was Brighton, who had become a cardinal at the youngest age in history, the joy was unparalleled.
Benghardt repeated ‘Abbot Brighton’ mockingly, but the other’s reaction was not what he expected.
“What is it? Have you had a change of heart?”
Brighton’s nonchalant reply made Benghardt’s brow furrow instead.
“Four Inquisitors are already acting on the directives sent down from the Church. Are you questioning the Church’s directives?”
Benghardt forced a smile and retorted.
“Aren’t those directives the reason dozens of innocent victims have been created! How can you continue!”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about. We are conducting trials according to the Church’s directives to prove the innocence of those suspected of being demons. What, exactly, is the problem?”
Benghardt feigned ignorance. In fact, he didn’t even understand what Brighton was taking issue with. He was just doing as the Church commanded.
“That wasn’t the original directive! It said to first listen to their stories, and only if a verdict cannot be reached then…!”
“My dear Abbot Brighton.”
Benghardt repeated ‘Abbot Brighton’ once more. The more he said it, the sweeter it sounded, like candy.
“Speak! Benghardt!”
However, the continued nonchalant response quickly soured the taste.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but Karzan is short on time and leeway. At least ten people are falling victim to vampires every day. Dozens of innocent victims? We’ve captured thirty vampires! Thirty! Unless you have a better way, go recite your favorite prayers. Stop getting in people’s way.”
Benghardt glared at him once, his eyes full of force, and turned away. After speaking so sternly…
“Where are you going! We’re not finished! It is better to let a thousand go free than to punish one innocent man! If we create innocent victims, what makes us any different from them!”
He had forgotten about Abbot Brighton’s persistence. The very reason he’d ended up exiled to the frontier despite his exceptional divine power. Brighton, the man who ‘only spoke the truth.’
As he was debating whether to just curse him out, a small child ran into the monastery. Benghardt clicked his tongue at the child’s grimy, filthy appearance and stepped back.
Brighton, however, stepped forward and took the child’s hand. Even that gesture grated on Benghardt’s nerves.
“A vampire appeared! The vampire took my mom! Please…”
“Speak clearly, child. What happened?”
Benghardt clicked his tongue again and turned away at the sight of Brighton chiding the child at a time like this.
“*Sob*…”
“I’m not scolding you, but you need to be precise so we can understand.”
“A vampire appeared and my mom and my little brother… the man next door too…”
“Alright, I understand. Abbot Benghardt! A vampire has appeared! Please call an Inquisitor quickly!”
“The Inquisitors are all out. There are none in the monastery.”
“Then what are we to do! The vampire you’ve been looking for has appeared!”
“What do you want me to do! We have no authority to command the Inquisitors of the tribunal in the first place! And the directive in such cases is to report and wait!”
Benghardt shouted, his voice thick with irritation.
“Mommy! Mister, please!”
The child, sensing the atmosphere, began to whine.
“Alright, let’s go together.”
Brighton, after glaring at Benghardt for a moment, took the child’s hand and started walking.
‘He has no combat ability, what does he think he can do… fool…’
Benghardt watched them go, then spat on the ground and went back inside the monastery.
***
Dylan was buried under a pile of rubble, but he was, all things considered, satisfied.
From above came the sounds of ‘Kyaaaak!’ and a swinging sword. Compared to the murderous symphony from up there, this place was as cozy as a high-class inn.
So Dylan lay still as a mouse under the rubble.
*Thump.*
*Guh-!*
The pile of rocks shifted for a moment, and he barely managed to stifle the scream that threatened to erupt.
‘Did I make a mistake by following him? No, even for an asshole, I never thought he’d go all the way to the next town just to wreck it…’
Dylan muttered to himself, passing the time.
Then, finding it too dark, he took out the wooden stick from before.
Magic tools were truly strange things. It was just a wooden stick, but pressing the bottom made a huge flame shoot out. *FWOOSH!*
‘I think I saw a way to control the flame strength earlier…’
As he fumbled with the wooden stick, he felt something strange.
‘…Was this always bent to the side?’
In disbelief, Dylan carefully felt the object as if it were his own.
‘It’s bent.’
No matter how many times he felt it, it was bent.
The once-straight stick…
[I paid a fortune for this, so handle it with care.]
It was the first time he had heard that asshole call something precious.
The asshole’s piercing gaze flashed before his eyes.
And the places where he had been hit before seemed to ache.
‘No way…’
Dylan gently pushed it in the opposite direction.
*Snap-.*
With a crisp sound, the stick broke.
Dylan stared blankly for a moment, holding the perfectly bisected stick in both hands.
Then, the reality of the situation sank in.
Dylan tried spitting on the pieces and rubbing them together, pressing them together and praying, and even patting them gently, but what was broken would not mend.
Dylan looked down at the still-broken stick and reflected on his life.
‘…It was a fucked-up life.’
Tears welled up in his eyes.
He cried for a moment, then…
‘Ha… two is better than one.’
A rather convenient phrase came to mind, and he muttered it.
‘Two is better than one. Two is better than one.’
He had muttered it about five times when.
[Is that so? Then I’ll make yours into two pieces as well!]
He could almost hear the asshole’s voice.
At that, Dylan grabbed his crotch and trembled uncontrollably.