Survival 18

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“Kyaa! Lady Luciana, you’re bleeding!”

“What are you all doing? Hurry and help her!”

“Bring a doctor and a priest!”

Luciana noticed the maids and servants busily moving around.

It was no surprise.

After all, a noblewoman of high status had suddenly appeared out of thin air, bleeding profusely and coughing up blood from severe injuries.

A dizzying pain surged through her dazed mind. Her throat was so filled with blood that it was hard to breathe.

“Ugh… Cough!”

She had lost.

She had lost so helplessly.

There were countless excuses she could make.

Her hunting attire was no match for the protective strength of full plate mail.

She only had her bow, a mere hobby, and not her main weapon, the sword.

She had not expected to encounter a demon in the Speda Duchy, a territory ruled by a sword master.

But Luciana knew all too well that these were mere excuses.

She was weaker than her opponent. There was an insurmountable gap in their skills.

No matter the excuse, that fact would not change.

“Cough.”

“Bring a potion! We need to treat the abdominal injury first!”

“Apply healing magic immediately after using it!”

True to the professionalism expected of those working in one of the mere four ducal households in the empire, their treatment was both accurate and swift. Gradually, the pain in the abdomen where she had been struck subsided.

At the same time, the blood that kept boiling and rising in her throat despite her coughing also lessened, giving her some relief. Luciana gestured with her hand and licked her lips.

“Ugh…”

“Lady, you shouldn’t try to speak if it’s too much for you. You need to rest a bit more.”

That was not an option.

Her will was stronger than the pain. She was a member of the Speda Ducal family.

She had to reveal the identity of the demon, which was a significant threat to their territory.

But just as she tried to speak,

– Go and take care of yourself.

Something surged up inside her heart.

Thanks to Hans using a return stone on her, she had managed to survive the battle with the demon, despite losing.

He could have abandoned her and escaped alone.

Yet, the thought of her loyal servant Hans, who might still be holding off the demon at the same spot, weighed on her.

“Help. Hans is still in the southwest…”

‘The demon… I need to tell them.’

She couldn’t muster the strength to say more. Just as the doctor had advised, she needed to rest, or perhaps it was the overwhelming urge to sleep that engulfed her.

“Hans? The servant who went hunting with the lady?”

“Let’s send a ranger to scout that area for now.”

Even as she closed her eyes, the conversation she heard allowed her to feel at ease.

She could only hope for his safety.

***

“Ugh. My head.”

Like the terrible hangover that hits the day after an MT (Membership Training), a groan escaped me due to the throbbing pain in my head. Still, I was relieved.

“It seems I was rescued.”

I clearly remember fainting in the cave, but the fact that I’m now in a soft and cozy bed was enough to deduce what happened.

-Ding.

And as soon as I woke up, a vast array of status messages greeted me.

[You have saved ‘Luciana Speda’, the lord whom you serve as a servant. Your loyal and courageous actions have made a name for you among the people of the Ducal family.]

[Hans Byron’s reputation increases.]

[Change in perception by the Speda Ducal family]

[Neutral -> Trust]

It was a message about changes in reputation, something commonly seen in games.

“It’s a bit meager for almost dying.”

Reputation means influence.

It also meant that my standing in the Speda Ducal family had grown.

And as a servant, my authority increased.

However, the reward felt slightly disappointing considering the mission’s emergency-like difficulty.

“Well, at least I saved Luciana.”

I was a bit sore from the metaphorical blow to the back of my head in the ‘honey dungeon,’ but ultimately, I sighed in relief for having saved my favorite character.

Moreover, I had turned a powerful foe into a potential ally, so the most pressing danger was averted.

“Are you awake?”

While I was lost in thought, the door suddenly opened.

A middle-aged man in simple but elegant attire, hard to find any trace of flamboyance.

Yet, an undeniable dignity enhanced his presence. 

And knowing his identity, I had to hastily get out of the bed.

As his servant, I was facing someone to whom I must show the utmost respect.

“I greet you, Duke Speda.”

“Never mind that. You are a patient, don’t strain yourself, just lie down.”

However, he casually gestured for me to stop and continued speaking.

“Showing true loyalty is far more commendable than mere superficial courtesy.”

Duke Speda pulled a chair closer.

“Let’s have a brief talk.”

“It’s an honor for me.”

Normally, someone of my position would not dare to initiate a conversation with him unless it was through an order from the head servant.

“Firstly, I want to thank you. I heard you saved my daughter’s life.”

His presence here, conversing with me, definitely had a reason behind it.

His gesture of gratitude towards me, a mere servant and of baronial lineage, showed that he too was a father.

“It was my duty as a dedicated servant.”

“You undervalue your own actions,” said Duke Speda, frowning slightly and stroking his bushy beard, seemingly dissatisfied with my response.

“It’s not easy to use your only return stone for someone else, especially in front of a demon. Even if it’s a relationship between a loyal servant and master bound by loyalty.”

Well, that’s because if your daughter dies, I die too, so I had no choice.

His lofty talk of noble loyalty and self-sacrifice was definitely far from the reality.

If anything, it was closer to a personal desire.

“Let’s leave this story here. I have another matter to discuss.”

“Please, speak freely.”

His expression sharpened. Gone was the benevolent high noble, the warm father; now, he resembled a cold, calculating Sword Saint.

“I’ve somewhat heard from the recovered Luci. There was a demon hiding in our territory, wasn’t it?”

Only then did I realize that his earlier words of gratitude were just a side note, as his voice turned utterly serious.

“Do you know anything about the movements of that vampire after you sent Luci away?”

He was a key figure at the forefront of the conflict between the human-centric Manhet Empire and the demon-centric Evildon Empire. His primary concern in asking this was naturally related to the security of the territory, and even more so, the safety of the north.

“Even a vague direction would be helpful. Any clue will do. Speak up.”

I inadvertently glanced at the sword at Duke Speda’s waist.

What would happen if Bathory, the vampire I saw, fought with Duke Speda?

‘…It’s obvious.’

She claimed to have faced the Demon King herself, but how could a vampire noble, not yet fully recovered, stand a chance against a great duke of the north?

One of his epithets was the ‘Nightmare of Demons.’ If I told him the truth, Bathory would likely be as good as dead.

“The last thing I saw before I fainted was the demons fighting each other. I managed to escape during their scuffle and that’s how I survived.”

Of course, now that I had decided to use her, I couldn’t just do that.

To add confusion to their search and sprinkle in some false information, I said that.

“Demons fighting each other? So, there are other demons living in the north besides that vampire?”

Perhaps it was because dealing with just one vampire was already troublesome enough, but now he had another problem to consider.

Duke Speda’s brow furrowed noticeably.

“Yes, so I don’t know what happened to them afterwards.”

“Hmm. Alright, I understand. But then, who is this demon that faced off against the vampire?”

Duke Speda pressed his temple and asked again.

“Was it another vampire? Or maybe a Lich or a Gargoyle?”

“No, it was none of those. I couldn’t even tell what race it was.”

“A minority race, then.”

A deep sigh filled my hospital room.

“Tell me any distinguishing features. It might help identify the race.”

“I only caught a glimpse of its back as I was escaping in a hurry, so I can’t remember clearly. I’m sorry.”

I looked down gloomily.

Why would I admit it was me who fought the vampire? I need to be as vague as possible to create confusion.

Otherwise, I might be mistaken for a demon and get cut down by the Sword Saint.

“Alright. If you remember anything, tell Yegor.”

His tone suggested he wasn’t holding much hope.

That’s more comfortable for me. Too much attention from a high-ranking superior can be toxic for a newcomer.

‘I wish he would leave soon so the patient could rest…?’

[Quest Alert!]

Contrary to the Duke who seemed to be letting me rest, the status window blared a noisy alarm, giving me no respite.

What now?

I grumbled internally while checking the status window, invisible to the Sword Saint.

***

‘There was no substantial gain.’

In truth, expressing gratitude to a servant, or rewarding one for saving his daughter, could all have been handled through the head servant. But the sole reason for his direct visit was one.

He couldn’t stand the thought of loathsome demons, akin to cockroaches, nesting in the North he governed. Yet, the testimony of Hans Byron, the only witness, provided no clue to the despicable vermin’s whereabouts.

Of course, it wasn’t entirely useless.

The existence of another demon was the issue. He thought there was only one mosquito, but who would have thought there would be two pests in the North.

“I will duly reward you for saving Luci. Our Speda family does not forget debts of gratitude. You’ll receive it from Yegor later. Now, I must go.”

There was much to do. It was clear that with the current system, they couldn’t filter out the demons.

The rangers would become busier, but it was necessary.

“Duke, please wait a moment! Upon reconsideration, I may not know the race, but I clearly remember their names.”

It was the voice of the servant that stopped him.

“Names?”

“Yes. The demons announced their names to each other before fighting.”

A tiny clue that was hardly helpful in pinpointing their location.

But having some information was better than none. With a glimmer of hope, he spoke.

“What were the names?”

“The vampire was Bathory, and the other unidentified demon was called Frost Mane!”

Frost Mane?

Surely that’s the thief who robbed the vaults of Count Baltarion.

“…Hard to believe. Why would the name of a recent notorious thief be mentioned there?”

“But I clearly heard it!”

Hans, who had shown his loyalty to the Speda family by risking his life to evacuate Luci first, had no reason to lie about accusing an enemy of humanity.

His eyes were firm and unwavering.

Assuming his words were true, there were two possibilities.

Either the demon was using the name of a recently famous thief, or the thief himself was actually a demon.

“…Thank you for the valuable information. We’ll only know once we catch that thief.”

“Y-Yes.”

With a slightly stiffened face, the Duke called his attendant as he left.

“Yegor.”

“Yes. How may I assist you?”

Given that they didn’t know where they had gone, every available resource had to be utilized.

“Inform the soldiers of the Ducal house, especially the rangers, to double their search efforts.”

“I will see to it.”

This was a measure to find the vampire named Bathory, and also a step based on Hans Byron’s testimony.

“Also, discreetly contact the Thieves’ Guild and gather all information on Frost Mane.”

“Understood.”

The lies spun by the boy who cried wolf were growing, becoming a snowball of deceit.

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