Chapter 371 – Agreement (3)
The power of aura, magic power, and divine power handled by humans was rivaled by the physical abilities of the beastmen.
Rigalo was a beastman gifted with talent.
With a mere swing of his arm, a human skull would shatter like pottery dropped to the ground.
The explosive speed bursting forth from his unique leg strength outstripped even the finest steeds, and the mighty roar he bellowed would strip away the will to fight from any who heard it.
───Kuhahat! Try stopping this if you can!
Tearing down the shield walls of a frontline in a single charge was Rigalo's specialty.
This bull beastman, amidst countless skirmishes, was nothing less than a living metal carriage.
His muscles, like steel, would not be damaged by any ordinary sword strikes, and he possessed such high resistance to magic that even 5th-tier upper lightning-based magic could not easily harm him.
A being who could survive small-scale magical bombardments.
That was the man named Rigalo.
Kwaaang! Kwaaaang!
Once, then twice.
Every time Orient struck, a fierce vibration followed.
Rigalo's head, repeatedly hit, was driven into the ground.
Something felt wrong.
Ordinarily, he should have been able to stand right back up as if nothing had happened...
But after the sound of something cracking from his head, his body no longer moved as he wished. Faces of prey terrified out of their wits flashed through his mind.
At the same time, a primal biological fear he had never felt before seized him.
"Wa, wait..."
Rigalo barely forced out a voice, but it was already too late.
From the tip of Orient, where mana was concentrated, a wave of gravity rippled outward. The air itself quivered.
And like a guillotine, it fell, striking Rigalo's face.
Kwa-gwagwagwang!
The inner courtyard of the lord's castle split into hundreds of fissures, the nearby castle walls collapsing in succession.
The shock was so immense that even many buildings outside the lord's castle quaked violently.
Brrr, thud.
Rigalo's trembling hand fell limp.
His upper body was buried deep into the ground, his face unseen, but no breath could be heard.
Rigalo, known by the alias "Mad Charge", who had been increasing his value in the Ownerless Land, died there.
'Not weak, but not so strong either.'
Though the killing intent was heavy, the beastman's death came simply because he relied too much on his resistance and rushed in headlong.
That was all Verden thought of him.
After all, his real objective was elsewhere.
Swoosh, Verden lifted his gaze.
Catching sight of Lord Dallehin, he reversed his grip on Orient.
Mana control.
He shaped the tip into a weapon of mana, then, together with
Dallehin, startled, dropped his sword and gripped his shield with both hands.
He thought escape impossible, but that was a misjudgment.
The spearhead infused with spatial mana pierced through Dallehin's shoulder, shield and all.
Dragged through the air, Dallehin was slammed into the inner wall of the terrace with a heavy crash, nailed there.
"Gaaaahhhh!!!"
A shrill scream rang out, then cut off abruptly.
His presence still lingered, so it seemed he had fainted from the pain.
Compared to the rumors of a lord who had swallowed a city with brute force, he was pathetically weak.
Frankly, disappointing.
A king or emperor, a ruler, need not always be strong, but for someone of this level and power to act as a ruler—
Verden used
There, besides Dallehin, were a man and woman clothed in little more than rags, and a neat-looking man sitting dazed before the table.
The man and woman, just as Verden had seen in the streets earlier, seemed to be citizens of this city treated as slaves by the lord.
"Put these on and sit over there in the corner."
They looked cold, so he tossed them two thick robes from subspace.
Then, as he moved toward Dallehin, his eyes happened to meet those of the man sitting in the chair.
'...?'
Verden tilted his head inwardly.
At first glance, the man looked like a noble or a wealthy individual... yet something about him felt strangely out of place.
Especially the almost imperceptible, shallow breathing that seemed unlike that of a living human.
Verden shifted direction and approached the man.
The man, perhaps knowing that fleeing was the worst option, merely swallowed nervously, his expression tight with tension.
Verden asked.
"What are you?"
"M, my name is Dumal..."
He wasn't asking for a name.
Without hesitation, Verden reached out and disrupted the mana that veiled parts of Dumal's face.
And revealed were eyes that were an unnaturally vivid red and four sharp fangs that no human could possess.
Verden narrowed his eyes.
"You're not human."
"..."
"If you want to end up like Dallehin, try moving."
Clatter.
At the murderous warning, Dumal flinched violently.
He seemed to resign himself, relaxing his body, folding his hands meekly.
"I'll ask one last time. What are you?"
"A, a vampire."
***
Humans, Elves, and beastmen were classified as humanoid races.
Goblins, Orcs, Ogres, and such fell under the category of demi-humans.
Slimes, werewolves, spirits, dragons, and the like were classified as abnormal species.
Vampires belonged to the abnormal species, a race quite well-known to the world.
Verden recalled knowledge he had once read in the magic tower's library.
Vampires were clearly monsters, for their main sustenance was blood.
They also possessed distinctive abilities such as mental domination.
But the most notable thing was that vampires were sapient beings, with intelligence nearly equal to that of humans.
Furthermore, they could speak human languages and had a social hierarchy resembling that of mankind.
Their outward appearance, too, was nearly indistinguishable from humans.
'There were even cases where vampires, through negotiation, were exempted from adventurer guild subjugation lists.'
The ability to converse was not something that could be overlooked.
No matter how intelligent or peaceful one might be, if communication was impossible, conveying intentions became nearly futile.
Most people, when confronted with an abnormal species, felt fear at their alien appearance... at the unknown itself.
Still, there were rare cases of abnormal species that fit into human society.
Verden spoke.
"I've heard vampires despise sunlight. All are nocturnal, without exception."
"These days, magic items are well-developed... it's easy to block sunlight."
The development of magic had allowed abnormal species to step into the light of day.
This was the present era.
"Did you receive a permit from the Adventurer's Guild?"
"If that were easy, I wouldn't have come to the Ownerless Land─── ah, forgive me if that sounded rude. In truth, permits are difficult to obtain, and I feared being subjugated, so I drifted here instead."
His answer was courteous.
Verden gazed silently at Dumal the vampire, then asked.
"So, what business does a vampire have in this city?"
"Well, I came to look for work."
"What kind of work."
"Lord Dallehin was said to be recruiting talent skilled in territory administration and maintaining order... so I came to this city about nine days ago. Of course, I hadn't yet entered into his service."
Territory administrator?
An unexpected occupation, and Verden's interest was piqued.
"Proficient in administrative affairs, are you. Who taught you?"
"I taught myself. I've never managed a city of this size, but I've administered smaller territories several times before."
"I see. And what do you plan to do with the money you earn?"
"Well, one must make a living, mustn't one?"
"Don't vampires survive by drinking human blood?"
"Of course not. Perhaps in the past, but these days, doing such things openly would soon lead to subjugation. And besides, we don't need to drink human blood specifically. The blood of other animals suffices. It's a matter of taste."
Dumal pointed to the bowl before him.
Inside lay leftover beef stained with blood, placed there as evidence.
Hmm, Verden fell silent in thought.
An abnormal species with intelligence.
In the past, he would have considered the potential danger of leaving such a being alone and slain it immediately.
Being intelligent also meant one could be cunning.
However, the situation now was ambiguous in many ways.
A similar case was the spirit, Blue, who at first had tried to kill Verden... but after resurrection, had followed Perne, who wasn't even an elf, with such loyalty, and in the end became his companion.
From that, Verden had realized that abnormal species were not unconditional enemies.
And Dumal's reaction was quite strange.
From the very first encounter, there had been almost no sign of any will to flee.
Though Verden had just overwhelmed the beastman and Dallehin, Dumal looked excessively terrified beyond measure.
As if he had already seen through Verden's identity.
After finishing his thoughts, Verden fixed his gaze upon Dumal.
Mana surged, and his blue eyes shone with a dazzling light.
He asked.
"Dumal, do you know who I am?"
"..."
Dumal was a vampire well-versed in the ways of the world.
He did not force himself to uncover things, but he lived always with an ear open to the rumors of the age.
Thus, he had heard of the recently famed figure... and recognized his appearance.
With a face taut with tension, Dumal slowly parted his lips.
"The divinity of the Eastern Continent, my lord."
Dragonslayer, or one who had reached the summit of magic.
At the precise answer, Verden smiled faintly.
This vampire was quick-witted.
Though a monster, he was far more human than the ones treating citizens of the city as slaves.
'I did happen to need a scholar for city administration anyway.'
There was value in giving him a chance. What would happen later remained to be seen.
For now, Dumal's fate was decided.
"You're hired."
"Pardon?"
"We'll speak of contract terms later. I'll finish cleaning up here, so wait a bit."
Verden recalled Orient remotely.
Dragging the sprawled-out Dallehin, he walked out of the terrace.
Gathered outside, alerted by the commotion, were the mercenaries under Dallehin's command.
Leather armor, steel breastplates, longswords, sabatons, twin blades, greatswords, spears, wands, staves, bows, crossbows—each armed in a haphazard manner.
The mark of mercenaries scraped together from here and there, not a nation's regular army.
Then, a battle of one against many unfolded.
Verden, showing off, cut off Dallehin's breath, and overturned the frontlines with a storm of gravity.
Lightning bolts rippled outward in succession, swallowing soldiers one by one.
Screams and shouts tangled together.
Watching from behind, Dumal tightly shut his eyes.
Though a vampire, with little in the way of bodily functions, he felt as though cold sweat trickled down his back.
'I only... came here to work.'
He had merely intended to gain some experience under Dallehin, but things had gone terribly awry.
His face, pale already, grew even whiter.
Escape would be impossible. Most certainly.
Even if the rumors were true only in part, no, only a quarter of what was known, he could never withstand this.
A mere gesture, and he would die, just like Rigalo who had fallen moments ago.
Scratching at the corner of his eye, Dumal quietly turned his head.
Then he picked up his cutlery, slicing the half-eaten beef before him.
If he had to die, better to die on a full stomach...
On one side, elemental magic blazed, and on the other, a meal was quietly continued.
Thus, the faction led by the rising lord Dallehin was utterly destroyed, before its flower had even bloomed in the Ownerless Land.
***
In but a single day, Dallehin's faction vanished, and two more days passed.
Though short, it was enough time to confirm one fact.
This vampire worked astonishingly well.
He did not sleep, thus his resting hours were few, and with bats, he saw the city inside and out, pinpointing its problems exactly.
Additionally, he even kept order.
It was possible only because the city was small in scale.
Moreover, he even drafted meticulous stabilization plans using the wealth Dallehin had accumulated.
Thanks to that, the city that should have been wracked with anxiety stabilized swiftly.
With Dallehin's tyranny suddenly gone, the citizens wore bewildered, yet relieved and joyous smiles.
Seized food was returned to its rightful owners, and the chains, symbols of slavery, melted down in the forge's furnace.
Those who should have been hiding from soldiers were now walking the streets.
The world changed according to who reigned.
Whether the change was great or small, to some, it meant everything.
Verden, overlooking the city, turned his head.
By the principle of the Ownerless Land, he had become the new lord of the city, and he addressed the vampire with words of praise.
The 24-hour city administrator, Dumal.
"Excellent. The salary I promised before won't suffice. I'll amend the contract, raise your pay."
"Thank you!"
Not only had he survived, he had also secured a very fine job...
And under a far greater figure than Dallehin could ever be, Dumal offered his heartfelt thanks.
At his reaction, Verden scratched his cheek.
'Even though I work him day and night, he's this happy.'
A vampire purely seeking employment... among abnormal species, surely a rare eccentric.
The commercialization of magic had wrought countless changes.
Well, it mattered not.
So long as no harm was brought to humans and the skills were outstanding, all the better. Whether this relationship would last depended on Dumal's actions.
"I shall return to Arein for now. In the meantime, act as lord and manage the city, within the rules I've set."
"Yes, I will do my utmost."
In case of unforeseen incidents, Verden had set high-level protective wards within the lord's castle to safeguard Dumal.
Other than that, he had left no particular deterrents presuming betrayal or misdeeds.
For Verden, Arein was not so far away...
As a quasi-transcendent, his insight.
It gave him reason, and filled him with certainty.
Fwaaah!
Verden soared high, crossing the sky at full speed.
The halo of [Ainber] rose, adding to his acceleration.
As he wondered what the cityscape would look like upon his return, he arrived before he knew it at Arein.
With a concealing robe draped about him, he entered the castle.
"You've returned, my lord."
Adrian greeted him first.
Then Keirel and Liam hesitantly bowed and asked.
"Um, could it be, that Dallehin..."
"Here."
Verden drew forth a cold wooden box from [Reindia].
Inside was the head of the lord who had threatened Liam's life.
"..."
"..."
The two fell silent.
Verden added.
"The fight was finished in a day, but stabilizing the city delayed me somewhat."
"You mean only three days late? Adr... no, I knew anyone he served had to be a monster, but who in the world are you?"
Keirel pressed his doubts strongly, but Verden cleanly ignored him.
Once the auction registration process was completed, they would know soon enough.
"In any case, I believe this sufficiently shows my intent to fulfill the contract. How goes the auction house we spoke of?"
While Liam, staring blankly at Dallehin's severed head, blinked vacantly, Keirel replied.
"We've already contacted Gargant. We spent quite a sum to ensure it would be delivered quickly... you'll have a reply within two weeks at the latest."
***
Upon a large, soft bed lay a girl.
She rolled about, nibbled on snacks, and gazed at the grand cityscape below the window... yet none of it could ease her boredom.
A few days later, a report came to the girl.
"Arein? What's that?"
"A merchant group that once donated a sizable fortune. Afterward, they went down to the Ownerless Land, seized a city, and established a house by that name."
"Really? Since I don't remember, they must be small fry. Yet they dare to register goods? Hm."
Hugging her pillow and stomping her feet, the girl tilted her head again and again.
"Whatever it is, it sounds fun. Whether Arein must pay the price for displeasing me, or whether they bring something truly worthy of auction."
"I will dispatch men immediately."
"No, that won't do."
The girl smiled with innocent purity.
"I'll go myself."
"Pardon? But for you to go personally, that would be..."
"I'll go!"
No one could stand against the girl's stubbornness, neither physically nor mentally.
Her follower bowed his head at once.
"Then I shall prepare for your covert journey."
"Take your time. Don't rush."
"As you command, my sky."
The answer she desired.
The girl, Ignacia, curved her eyes in delight.
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