Survival 44

Prev I TOC I Next

“Let’s discuss the details when we go west.”

“Ha-ha, I’m glad the story ended well. Very well, I will visit you soon.”

Bathory was experiencing this scene for the second time, and now it was not just surprising but also awe-inspiring.

‘The cooperation between demons and humans, who face each other as enemies across the border.’

Whether it was based on her own long life experience or the history of the demon world passed down through records.

Such an existence, she was sure, was unprecedented in the past and would be in the future.

“Always felt, if you had led the war, the situation might have been turned upside down much earlier.”

Wars are frequent, not only among humans but also within the empire.

However, doppelgangers have not been tactically utilized until now.

The reason being, although their ability to disguise is excellent, there was a critical flaw.

The point being, most of them lack what one would call intelligence, driven only by a hunger that devours emotions.

Nobility-level ones possess some intelligence, but if they do not consume a new ‘existence’ periodically, they rampage.

Using them as spies was literally a waste of resources and manpower. 

No one took it seriously.

‘But, that was a mistake.’

Lately, the aura of the shadows that make him up, the Frost Mane, has grown even stronger.

Seeing him, one realizes anew how terrifying a doppelganger with intelligence could be.

Even his three-inch tongue is almost a disaster.

Not satisfied with perfectly blending in with humans by disguising, he doesn’t stop there but sometimes reveals his demon form to stimulate and manipulate the inner desires of humans.

Had such a being stirred up trouble among humans or sided with a faction in the demon world during the height of the war, ‘Perhaps it wouldn’t have been difficult to win.’

But it seemed hard to expect such from him.

His droopy eyes seemed to have lost interest already.

“What? Why would I ruin this world overflowing with delicacies with such nonsensical talk?”

“…Right. That’s the kind of being you were.”

Despite his brilliant intelligence, his nature was the same as that of doppelgangers.

Bathory managed to suppress her regret.

“I wonder if it will be okay. It’s manageable with Eli being in this area, but not with that woman.”

“Don’t worry. She’s already in my grasp.”

However, with what confidence, Frost Mane was utterly complacent.

Having already had a confrontation with that green-haired woman, isn’t he being too careless?

‘…No, maybe I’m worrying over nothing.’

After all, what meaning is there in her giving advice when she doesn’t properly understand humans?

He’ll handle it himself, surely.

“By the way, how is it going on your end?”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb. I’m talking about the recovery of your power.”

To vampires, blood is essentially mana.

Thanks to him and Eli continuously supplying the blood of monsters and beasts, they were successful in somewhat filling the blood pouch.

What happens after regaining strength?

It goes without saying. 

Naturally, she would return to the Evildon Empire for revenge.

“Tyrone…”

She bit her lower lip.

Thinking of her domain being devastated and her power completely usurped filled her with rising anger.

“Don’t worry. The recovery is going smoothly.”

Although she is still far from her heyday in the Evildon Empire, the speed of recovery was much faster than when she was collecting only as much blood or nails from wild animals in a secluded cave.

‘But still, to recover properly…’

Frost Mane, making eye contact, tilted his head in curiosity.

His slender eyes curved into an arc.

“Speaking of which, didn’t you say you wanted to drink human blood?”

“…You’re terrifying.”

Provoking her desire for revenge and then directly hitting that point.

“Of course. From mana conversion rate to satisfaction, it’s superior in every way.”

“I’ve prepared some again. Though difficult to obtain, the quantity is small.”

In an instant, Bathory’s eyes were fixed on one spot.

The swaying red blood inside a small glass bottle.

Something that used to be so common to the point of overflow in the past, now seemed so temptingly attractive, as if its demonic charm was seeping through the bottle.

“Quickly, bring that here…!”

“You’re quite impatient. It’s not like the bottle has legs and can run away.”

-Whoosh.

The glass bottle arcing through the air.

Thrown carelessly, it was almost about to hit the ground when she barely managed to catch it.

“Are you mad?! What if this precious thing had broken!”

Forgetting her usual nobility, she screamed, and that reaction seemed to please him as he chuckled.

“Calm down. It was just a joke.”

“A joke?!”

“Of course. There’s no way Lady Bathory couldn’t catch it.”

There was a faint trust in him, so Bathory couldn’t argue further.

Utterly disrespectful, yet.

“Tsk, can’t you show a bit more respect?”

Right.

Arguing further with essentially the only ally here would only be self-destructive.

With a light rebuke, Bathory turned her attention to this occasion’s reward.

‘How long has it been since I tasted the blood of an intelligent being?’

A delicacy and a tonic.

Upon opening the lid, a fragrance rivalling that of flowers stimulated her nose.

“Is this, by any chance, a mage’s blood?”

“Oh, you recognized it. The person thinks they donated blood, unaware it was drawn to feed a demon’s belly.”

Typical of him, deceiving someone was his forte.

“Think of it as a service fee and drink up.”

“Then, there’s merit in using magic after all. I gladly accept your offering.”

Bathory looked anew at the demon in servant’s attire.

Last time it was the blood of a spirit, and this time, human blood.

Still, it seemed there was a sense of camaraderie among demons, as Frost Mane made sure to properly reward her.

-Gulp.

‘Ah…’

This was it.

The rich sweetness enveloping her tongue.

The refreshing sensation as it went down her throat.

The feeling of fullness as it filled her blood pouch.

The inherent mana also reacted, surging explosively.

The parched hunger was satisfied for a moment, a feeling of fullness she hadn’t experienced in decades.

“With this speed, I’ll be able to go for my revenge soon.”

“That’s a bit of a shame. There wasn’t a better blade than you.”

A clear treatment as a tool.

She frowned and glared fiercely at the crossing of the line, but he hastily waved his hands.

“Just a joke, a joke! How could I harbor such disrespectful thoughts towards a noble vampire?”

“It seems you’ve committed disrespectful acts several times already.”

Looking back, it was all about being played by Frost Mane’s intentions.

Passing down vampire secrets, and even making her an agent for threats and kidnappings.

‘A vile thing. A mere mutant of a lowly doppelganger.’

Still, it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

Even if it often dented her pride, he was undeniably a helpful ally.

“Enough. Let’s overlook the trivialities. But I have a question.”

“Oh? This sounds like an exchange of information after a long time.”

The question and answer session that had continued since their first meeting.

Looking back, it was Frost Mane who suggested it, but it was always she who started with the questions.

Bathory became newly aware of this aspect.

“I’ve always been curious. What exactly are you?”

“Eh? I’ve told you from the start. A doppelganger.”

“That’s not what I’m asking. I mean more in the essential realm.”

Even just considering his differentiated intelligence from other doppelgangers, it was clear he was a special entity.

Even occasionally exuding the scent of humans, a ‘being’ meticulously stolen.

His perfection in the craft was admirable.

But what she wanted to ask was, ‘Every demon race has its ruler.’

Although currently vacant, vampires are known for their ruler in magic, Blood.

The race that reached the pinnacle of physical form, the Levains, now have Tyrone declaring himself the new Demon King.

Gargoyles, overseeing all underground wealth, have Diamond.

Even the succubi, a minority race, have their queen.

And perhaps, Hans Byron…

“A king has duties and responsibilities. Is it right to just roam freely in the human world like this?”

If her speculation is correct, all the questions are answered.

His actions, generously bestowing upon her, and his probing for information about Tyrone’s attempt to unite all demons during their first meeting.

Bathory’s eyes deepened.

The uncharacteristic silence was almost an affirmation.

***

‘What is she saying?’

The one who had savored the blood I provided suddenly came up with a strange question. 

Normally, I could easily answer her usual questions. 

Even if it was somewhat unexpected, I could improvise using my knowledge of the original work. 

But that question, completely outside my frame of understanding, left me momentarily speechless.

‘A king? Me?’

It took a moment to accept that word. 

It seems to refer to a position like Vlad’s. 

How should I respond, wondering how she interpreted the silence while I organized my thoughts. 

Without waiting for an answer, Bathory continued her question.

“If you recover your strength, come back with me.”

“…Where do you mean?”

“Where else? To the Evildon Empire.”

She reached out to me with her long, straight fingers.

“How can you call yourself a king if you don’t look after your people? Even now, your race suffers from civil war in the Evildon Empire.”

“Ah, I see.”

“With your abilities, you could easily help them. Stop deviating and follow me. Once my revenge is successful, and I reclaim my territory, I will implement policies for the doppelgangers.”

“Hmm…”

I couldn’t properly respond to her proposal. 

Neither affirmatively.

Nor negatively.

I couldn’t.

[Quest Generated!]

[In the Evildon Empire, various demon races have ‘kings’.]

[Rise to the position of the Doppelganger King, ‘Shadoweer’.]

[Condition 1. Secure a noble to succeed the race.]

[Condition 2. Secure a certain level of goodwill with the race.]

[Condition 3. Secure the goodwill of at least 3 nobles from other demon races.]

Was it thanks to the information Bathory had let slip? 

A hidden quest appeared, seemingly challenging just by the conditions.

But at a glance, the quest seemed so unrealistic that it was almost non-viable.

‘Let’s focus on Bathory for now.’

I’m not sure what misunderstanding led her to that conclusion.

But…

“I refuse.”

Watching Bathory’s eyes, which had been softly curving, freeze over, I stepped back.

Accepting it wasn’t without its benefits.

It would be an opportunity to expand my activities to the Evildon Empire, inaccessible under the identity of Hans Byron, with hidden pieces in the game like the first magic sword, the Heart of Diamond, easily within reach.

Yet, there was absolutely no reason to straightforwardly accept it.

First, the risk.

The Evildon Empire, the land of demons, is almost endgame content in the game. 

With my current abilities, I’d likely die screaming without even grazing the mobs there.

In fact, that accounts for about 70-80% of the reason. 

Even a noble like Bathory had fallen and had to flee; why should I?

“Why should I follow you?”

“Because you are a leader of a race…!” 

Bathory glared at me. 

Instead of a faint goodwill, what deepened was contempt. 

Or was it disappointment?

But secondly, the premise itself was wrong from the start. 

The claim that I’m a doppelganger is false, so why should I feel any responsibility? 

I’m already busy enough trying to plan for Luciana’s and my future, getting involved in troublesome matters was the last thing I wanted. 

I shrugged and shook my head.

“As you know, our doppelgangers are weaker compared to other demon races. My clumsy involvement would not change the situation.”

“How could…!”

However, there was value in exploiting her misunderstanding. 

It would serve as a perfect pretext for activities in the Evildon Empire after I had grown stronger. 

I murmured quietly, keeping a smooth smile and responded softly.

“Moreover, the situation could worsen. I’d rather not stir up a hornet’s nest and cause my kind to suffer at the hands of other demon races.”

Let Bathory keep her misconceptions.

A king of doppelgangers? 

It didn’t even appear in the original work, and its existence was questionable, but what does the truth matter?

This was a good opportunity to use the power I obtained from solving an urgent mission.

[Skill]

[S rank: Grandiose Deception]

[The more audacious a lie, the easier it is to be caught.]

[The larger the scale of the lie, the more people may doubt it but also be swayed by it.]

[Use slight exaggeration and skilled rhetoric to overpower your opponent.]

[Increase persuasiveness in speech, additional correction for lies]

[Grant a strong presence to the skill holder]

Might as well play the king, right?

[Skill ‘Grandiose Deception’ activated.]

[Additional correction applied for persuasiveness in lies.]

I felt momentarily dizzy as a large amount of mana drained away.

‘I almost passed out from anemia. But the effect was certain.

The look of deep contempt on Bathory’s face faded.

But,

“Alright. You’re leading your race in your way; you must have your thoughts.”

“In truth, I’m merely indulging in the delicacies of the human world.”

It wasn’t just my imagination that the temperature in Bathory’s gaze seemed to drop.

“It seems you’re not in the mood to answer questions, so I’ll postpone mine. It’s about time I returned to the lady.”

Given the recent suspicions, it’s better to minimize activities outside the territory. 

Including the Camilla matter, my business here was finished.

“Reconsider my offer. You’re always welcome.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Leaving a non-committal response equivalent to ‘Let’s meet up for a meal sometime,’ I hurriedly left the place.

The second human alliance, Camilla Loberk of the West. Secured!

***

“Lord Tyrone, we have located Bathory.”

Tyrone responded in a listless voice to his subordinate’s report.

“Do I need to concern myself with losers?”

Such was the indifference befitting an absolute ruler.

Yet, within it was also the coldness of an outlaw.

The body of the subordinate who had spoken trembled.

He remembered his predecessors who had been purged for daring to upset their lord with unnecessary words.

“Ha, but she is indeed a thorn in our side. She even rose to be a candidate for Vlad.”

“Even so, she’s just a mosquito. Not so strong once you’ve stepped on her.”

“Does that mean…”

“Pick someone suitable and send them. You know I’m busy.”

The mention of a vampire leader made the tyrant pause and stroke his chin as if pondering, but it wasn’t enough to truly capture his interest.

The subordinate nodded in agreement to Tyrone’s remark about being busy.

Soon, a warrior furiously swinging an ax was struck down by a spear thrown carelessly into the void.

“Aaaagh!”

“O great Diamond, please protect us… Aaaagh!”

As soon as a somewhat decent defender fell, the rest were swept away like bugs.

The sight of royal gargoyle knights and priests being impaled and dropping lifelessly from the sky filled the subordinate with a renewed deep respect.

Soon, this underground fortress would fall. 

Despite being an indomitable fortress that has never been breached in the history of the demon world.

His lord was the being who could make that happen.

The king of demons.

The noble ruler to be, Tyrone Disaster.

“Understood.”

The subordinate, bowing, backed away and pondered for a moment, tapping his mouth.

The location revealed by the tracking magic placed on the annoying mosquito was outside the border.

‘A place fraught with formidable other races… Sending an assassin specialized in disguise would be best.’

Prev I TOC I Next