Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: This World Is Still, Just Like Back Then.
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*
Bat clouds. Richter von Franzrit sat on the port side of the ship, gazing up at the pitch-black night sky untouched by even a single ray of moonlight.
Blood sacks whispering vulgar expressions in their terror. But the origin of this sacred spell, which neither sun, moon, nor any celestial light could pierce, lay far higher still.
Pathetic things. Richter's red eyes gleamed in the darkness. His pale, curly hair fluttered in the night sea breeze. Richter chuckled softly and rose to his feet.
-Kyaaaak!!!!
-Shaaa!!!
At his movement, his bloodkin—now twisted into half-beasts—let out their howls. They were monsters that seemed pieced together from the most wicked parts of bats and giants.
At Richter's gesture, they shook their heads. The hunger and savagery of his bloodkin resonated through his veins. Richter grinned ferociously.
“You’ve come?”
“Yes, Your Highness the Archduke.”
“Good. How go the preparations?”
“Aildern, that old elf, handled things quite cleanly. Gaimern’s bitches are trapped in the harbor, floundering about.”
“And the crows? What are those bastards up to?”
The young man who had appeared bowing behind Richter hesitated for a moment. As his response faltered, Richter’s gaze brushed the nape of his neck. The young man shuddered violently and bowed his head lower.
“Contact with the RuneRaven Society has been cut off.”
Richter furrowed his brow, and the young man hurriedly continued.
“B-but it’s not a failure! L-look at this earthquake, this mana... this presence. Your Highness the Archduke. The plan to revive the dragon has surely succeeded without a doubt. As planned, the vanguard has infiltrated the harbor thanks to the earthquake.”
“So, where is the dragon? Gaimern, that old monster’s flagship can only be damaged by the dragon’s breath.”
As the young man hesitated, Richter placed a hand on his shoulder. The young man flinched in terror but didn’t dare shake him off.
“Dawn is near. My son. How much time do we have left? More than an hour has passed since the first quake.”
“I-I’ll go myself... I’ll personally board the old monster’s flagship. G-give me a chance, Archduke.”
“Haha, a chance. My son. My son. Have I not always given you nothing but chances...”
Richter seized the young man’s jaw in a vise-like grip and yanked him up. The young man’s body dangled in the air like a sheet of paper.
“Kk, kkhuk!!”
“Are you afraid of me?”
Richter’s red eyes filled the young man’s vision. Despite the vampire’s night vision, an impenetrable darkness shrouded his eyes. Amid it all, only Richter’s blood-red pupils shone.
-Kyaaaak!!!!
The half-beasts’ shrieks, echoing noisily from all sides, faded faintly into the distance. The vampire’s keen hearing registered only Richter’s voice in this moment.
“Ar-Archduke. Archduke...”
“Yes. My son. If you fear me. If you truly fear me.”
“Kkhuk!!!”
-Thud.
Richter released his grip, and the young man tumbled to the deck. He lay curled up, gasping and wheezing. When he finally lifted his head with effort, he saw Richter’s smiling face in the darkness.
“Don’t fear those blood sacks weaker than yourself. Go. Show them the discipline of the Franzrits. Kurt von Franzrit.”
“Y-yes! Archduke!”
-Whoosh.
The young man nodded frantically and melted into the darkness. Richter watched him go and let out a low chuckle. Then, twisting his head, he whispered toward the sea.
“Go aid him. Board Gaimern’s flagship. I permit seventy-three.”
-Grrr.
-Splash!
From the black ships silently floating on the night sea, corpses and vampires leaped down in unison. Richter wagged a finger and spoke.
“Sigismund, do you think he’ll succeed?”
“Even a ghoul wouldn’t think that. Father.”
“Hahaha, yes. Quite so. He’s nothing but bait.”
“Will the dragon truly aid us? Do you trust those RuneRaven bastards that much?”
“Me? I trust no one. My son. If the dragon doesn’t aid us? Will the elf? Will the human? No matter how it rampages, as long as it happens within that harbor. Everything will proceed according to my plan.”
-Thud.
From the watchtower, a giant in full plate armor leaped down. From within the thick helmet, red eyes like Richter’s gleamed.
“Even if the entire harbor burns, as long as we eliminate the elves, it’s our victory. In this sea, with the elves gone, no force can stop my fleet. The blood sacks will fear every ocean from now on.”
“All will be as the Archduke of Spires wills.”
Richter gazed at Sigismund, who bowed respectfully. A sadistic glint twisted in his eyes.
“Bring Iolande. She has the right too. The right to watch her husband burn to death.”
“Heh heh, that woman will be delighted.”
Richter smirked. Listening to that elf bitch’s wails as accompaniment while gazing at the burning harbor would make for quite the elegant diversion.
It was chastity far beyond what the elf king deserved, who had treated her like a lab rat. Richter sneered at Iolande. Even after becoming Franzrit bloodkin, that bitch still pledged loyalty to the elf king. Absurdly so.
-Grrrrumble...
Far off, beyond the harbor. A massive earthquake struck. A gale swept across the sea. Richter’s white curls whipped in the sea wind. He stared at the pillar of fire rising from the harbor.
-Kwarrrumble!!!!
The pillar of fire split the night sky in two. Intense flames illuminated the entire sea like broad daylight. Even the black clouds cloaking the Franzrit fleet glowed brightly for an instant.
-Kyaaaak!!!
The fleet’s vampires shrank back in unison, gripped by terror. Their spirits overwhelmed by the sheer presence. The dragon’s domineering aura reached even this distant sea, cowering even the soulless corpses.
Richter himself felt his body tingling with the vibration. Amid the pillar of fire, a faintly visible silhouette roared. There it was. And this conflagration—
Yes, this blaze was the beacon. The beacon marking the end of Gaimern’s long reign. Richter twisted his lips into a grin.
“Go! Go! Go! My children! You worthless vermin! Tear the elves apart and devour them! Go! Show them the discipline of the Franzrits!”
-Toot, tooooooot!!!
-Kyaaaaaak!!!
-Whoosh!
Ship horns blared loudly. Some took to the skies, others plunged into the sea. Countless corpses poured from the Franzrit warships.
During the War in the Heavens, the mages who dared covet immortality and slew the Sun God were cursed with three maledictions. Richter heard the weeping phantom of the dead god in his ear.
[You shall never hold the warmth of the living.]
Yes, the living shall fear the night’s chill.
[You shall drink only the blood of the living.]
Grateful. I shall gladly do so.
[You shall never walk the time of the living.]
This is now the time of the dead.
Begone, specter. Richter mocked the god’s curse flowing in his blood. Who could possibly escape death? Not even the Eternal King, Gaimern. Not even that great dragon!
No one can escape death.
*
A massive blaze erupted in the heart of Infermer. Infiltrating vampires, humans caught in chaos. Even the distant elves at sea halted their blades for a moment and turned toward Infermer.
-Kwarrrumble!!!
Seismic waves swept the harbor. Those who crouched low to weather the shock resembled worshippers prostrating before an approaching presence.
The flames slowly faded, but now no one in Infermer Harbor could readily stand. An overwhelming presence loomed over Infermer’s skies.
All eyes turned to the black night sky. Above the mortals bowing their heads, the dragon reigned.
-Whoosh.
The sound of thousands of sails flapping in unison thundered like lightning. The dragon surveyed the earth from the heavens.
“Krgh...”
[Heh heh, struggling?]
Fernandez, clinging to the dragon’s neck, groaned as he endured the wind pressure battering his body. The dragon nudged her neck playfully.
[Ahh, freedom. So sweet. Behold, Fernandez. Look at that horizon. Those starry lights in the sky, those humans kneeling below... Beautiful. This world is still, just like back then.]
“Hah... A-Abelesas.”
Every time he tried to speak, wind like tearing lungs rushed into his mouth. Fernandez twisted his head with effort, resisting the gale.
[Heh heh heh, just like Dain, that boy. How amusing.]
“Abelesas. Enough with the games!”
[Games? Insolent. I was buried underground for nearly two thousand years. Do you know how much I missed this sight?]
“Kkh...!”
-Whoosh!!
Abelesas playfully spun once in midair. Fernandez held his breath and pressed tight against her back to keep balance.
As Fernandez panted, Abelesas chuckled and began a slow descent. With the dragon’s back blocking the wind, he could finally breathe.
This dragon was like some ancient sage one moment, then a childish brat the next. Fernandez steadied himself, nursing a headache.
[Hm? What are those?]
The ground drew nearer. At her feet, robed men gathered, pointing at her. Familiar faces to Fernandez.
“The necromancers who awakened you, Abelesas.”
[Hmm. I should offer recompense.]
-Thud.
As the dragon’s foot touched down, the earth quaked and dust billowed up. As the dust cleared, the robed mages rushed forward in unison.
“O dragon! Obey!!!”
[Hm?]
Abelesas paused, and the men cackled, drawing blue-bladed daggers. Commendable for enduring the dragon’s presence, whether from madness or confidence.
But rude. Abelesas frowned at them. The men hastily pulled out parchments densely inscribed with text. Violet sparks flew from the parchments, mana flowing forth.
[Those crude fools truly raised me?]
“Those are mere underlings. There was one real mage. Seems he’s fled.”
[Sigh... Young humans. My mood is quite good right now. Refrain from further rudeness...]
Even as Abelesas growled, the men pressed on. Soon, the lead man’s parchment ignited in purple flames. Black smoke formed crow shapes and flew toward Abelesas’s head.
[Your rudeness exceeds all bounds.]
-Thud.
A pillar-like tail tore through the air and smashed the ground. Abelesas swept the men away with her tail and exhaled.
[Do you hear?]
“Hm?”
[The old elf is calling me.]
Abelesas lifted her head and glared at Infermer Harbor. Directly ahead, far off, a massive ship lay anchored. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply.
[An age that has lost courtesy and respect. Yet the constellations in the sky and the scales of the distant sea still sparkle beautifully. Mortals have lost their proper awe.]
Abelesas sneered mischievously.
[So many treat me like a trophy. As if a dragon’s efforts yield mere rewards?]
“Didn’t I tell you? You’ve become nothing but a legend to scare naughty children...”
[Good.]
-Thud.
Abelesas took one heavy step forward and opened her eyes. Blue irises flashed within.
[I shall personally teach these children what that legend truly is.]
Flames melted and dripped from Abelesas’s maw. Her eyes gleamed like a mischievous imp’s. Fernandez gripped the back of her neck as tightly as he could.
Soon, the dragon charged toward the sea.