“What, what are you talking about, Sir Julian?”
At my words, Bayron seemed quite flustered, his pupils shaking greatly.
“Didn’t I tell you? I asked for a commotion to be caused here.”
“Didn’t I tell you too? This area belongs to the ‘Blood Fiend Clan’…”
“Yes.”
“Those guys, I don’t know about other things, but they don’t show mercy in conflicts between organizations…”
Bayron’s voice dwindled as if he was crawling, a smile spread across my face. Seeing my expression, Bayron shrank back, stepping backwards.
“That’s what I want.”
The dark organization, ‘Blood Fiend Clan’, does not exert its power elsewhere due to operating a significant establishment in the capital.
However, they are as attentive to territorial disputes with other organizations as they are to running their establishment.
“Today, I’ve come to meet the leader. A foreigner like me causing a scene would hardly draw their attention.”
Bayron swallowed.
“That’s why I brought you here, you belong to ‘Six Fingers’.”
“What, what are you planning to summon him for?”
Well, it’s a stepping stone to tail Hayden Reich.
The ‘Blood Fiend Clan’, operating an establishment frequented by high-ranking individuals, is a hub for gathering various information.
However, their information-gathering capability does not just come from covert entertainment.
With near-perfect tracking and surveillance, ‘Blood Fiend Clan’ makes it possible.
‘Why the ‘Sword Saint’ has flown to the holy nation of Fernand without playing the role of the black knight.’
That’s what I’m curious about. It’s hardly something our noble protagonist would do.
“I said it was confidential.”
Bayron, lowering his voice slightly, began to fumble with his lips.
“Then, promise me just one thing, Sir Julian.”
“What is it?”
As I looked at him, Bayron swallowed once more and barely opened his mouth.
“If the ‘Blood Fiend Clan’ guys come, will you, Sir Julian, take care of it?”
“Of course.”
As I smiled, he stumbled into the middle of the road. I checked my hood once more.
I wonder how quickly the ‘Blood Fiend Clan’ will respond…
“Ah, Aaaargh!”
What? Just as I was about to check my hood, Bayron screamed and fell in front of me.
“Sir Julian! It, it’s a vampire…!”
Despite being covered in mud from rolling on the ground, Bayron managed to crawl towards me, still clinging on.
No, this fast? I never imagined they’d appear before Bayron even attracted their attention.
As I looked up, the towering figure, just as the rumors described, over nine feet tall, came into view.
“Bayron, you ‘Six Fingers’, daring to enter our territory unauthorally, did you think we wouldn’t know?”
Bayron flinched at the vampire’s deep, low voice and hid behind me with a groan.
“Seeing that the giant recognizes you too, it seems you really do get around.”
“That’s right, Sir Julian!”
Bayron pleaded, and the ‘vampire’ slightly tilted his head in confusion.
“Julian…?”
At his question, I lifted the hood I was covering.
“Vampire, truly a giant as the rumors said.”
“Imperial Exclusive Agent, ‘Closed Eyes’, crazy dog, haha. You don’t seem as impressive as the rumors suggested.”
The ‘vampire’ taunted in an unfittingly deep, low voice.
“With that size, your mother must have had a hard time.”
“Did you come to this shabby place just to make such trivial jokes?”
“Of course not.”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“I’m here today to see the head of the ‘Blood Fiend Clan’.”
At the mention of meeting the leader, the ‘vampire’ with a height of six feet flinched.
“Sir Julian… the head of the ‘Blood Fiend Clan’ is right in front of you!”
Bayron, apparently not seeing the scene, shouted as he looked at the giant in front of him.
It seems that, despite being well-connected, he didn’t know the detailed inner workings of the ‘Blood Fiend Clan’ or that the giant wasn’t the head of the clan.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I am the leader of the ‘Blood Fiend Clan’.”
He seemed determined to deny it to the end. I looked at the giant and casually tapped the sheath of my sword at my hip.
“It seems we can’t have a reasonable conversation. Must I teach you manners?”
If he knew of ‘Julian’s’ notorious reputation, he would be scared. Ideally, he would yield to this provocation to avoid conflict.
“Then let me teach you the manners of the ‘Blood Fiend Clan.'”
Suddenly, the ‘vampire’ who had pulled out a studded glove threw a punch at me.
It seemed my provocation had indeed stirred his fighting spirit.
Watching his fist come closer, I quickly drew my ‘Moonblade Sword’ and released my aura, deflecting his punch sideways.
“What…!”
Confidence in his punch, the surprise was evident on his face as his attack was deflected.
But it didn’t end there; I twisted the Moonblade Sword and jammed it into the gaps of his glove.
The sequence of actions wasn’t thought out but moved automatically like a habit, which was surprising.
“Ugh!”
He couldn’t bear the pain, a groan escaping him, and I saw the vampire’s face contort in agony.
“Now, do you have the mindset to answer properly?”
My tone was mocking, yet it was my way of offering peace, albeit in a manner fitting ‘Julian’s’ character.
Crack!
With a sound of flesh tearing, blood spurted from between the gloves like a fountain. I planned to prevent him from forcibly removing the sword that was stuck.
‘Tough guy.’
I sent ‘Sombra’ through the Moonblade Sword, and small sparks began to flicker on the blade.
The incompatible forces caused a reaction.
“Aaaaaaaah!”
A resounding scream matched the giant’s stature, as if a healthy baby was being born.
It must be incredibly painful.
After all, it’s the power of the Tri-horn Demon’s soul stone matched with my aura.
“Heave… heave…”
The ‘vampire’s’ right hand was a wreck.
Yet, his eyes still burned with a fighting spirit.
Should I destroy him further to get the answers I want?
I was about to increase the output of the ‘Moonlight Sword’ when—
“Please, stop!”
A somewhat youthful voice. The owner of that voice hurriedly ran up to me.
A young boy, trembling, relayed someone’s message in his mouth.
“Madam wishes to see Sir Julian.”
***
The moon risen in the sky fought off the dense darkness, and the cries of crickets and owls within the forest added a charming touch to the serene air.
Along with a cool night breeze passing through the trees, walking on a well-trodden path gave me the illusion of becoming a celestial being.
[Mingyue Pavilion]
Before long, a small sign and a large building came into my view.
The Blood Fiend Clan’s operated establishment, Mingyue Pavilion (明月館).
The building, illuminating the dark night like a bustling city, was indeed enchanting.
It was like a lantern set to attract bugs.
‘I’m actually seeing it for the first time.’
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of Mingyue Pavilion. Depending on choices made in “Let’s Kill the Demon Lord,” one can visit this place.
But to see the madam, no, the real leader of the ‘Blood Fiend Clan,’ one must be guided by someone inside.
‘That’s why it was a hassle to stop by the slums.’
After all, isn’t this place frequented by many ‘high-ranking individuals’?
Drawing unnecessary attention could further tarnish an already not-so-stellar reputation.
“Madam should be on the fifth floor.”
The boy who had guided me from the slums led the way and boarded an elevator inside Mingyue Pavilion.
Of course, it probably uses resonance stones instead of electricity, but having been here for a while, the elevator… felt strangely unfamiliar.
We soon arrived at our destination, and the elevator doors opened.
‘Such a strong scent of perfume.’
Entering inside, the overpowering smell of perfume and the long-drawn blackout curtains came into view. Underneath them, a hint of red hair made a slight presence.
“Trale, I’ve brought Sir Julian.”
Ignoring the strong perfume, the boy spoke formally.
“Really? You arrived quicker than I thought.”
With a seductive voice, the red hair that could be seen on the floor moved, and the blackout curtains were drawn back.
“Welcome, Julian.”
The woman known as Trale is the madam here at ‘Mingyue Pavilion’ and the true leader of the dark organization ‘Blood Fiend Clan.’
“I hear you disciplined Artur?”
Artur?
Ah, is she talking about the ‘vampire’ I saw in the slums?
“Yes, to call him a house-guarding dog would be an overstatement given his lack of manners.”
“House-guarding dog? The ‘vampire’ is indeed the captain of the Blood Fiend Clan, isn’t he?”
“That nickname is a bit funny. The real ‘vampire’ is actually somewhere else.”
Smiling, I spoke, and Trale’s composed expression slightly wavered.
“Eren, please leave for a moment. I’ve decided I want to talk alone with our guest.”
As Trale waved her hand, the guiding boy politely bowed and got into the elevator.
Left alone in the room, Trale reached out and grabbed a glass placed on the table.
A glass filled with a bright red liquid. To an ordinary person, it might seem like red wine, but it’s not wine.
Blood.
And it’s human blood.
‘This perfume was used to mask the smell of blood, I see.’
Trale Gennadya Bathory. She is not human. More precisely, she became non-human in the distant past for a special reason. She is a vampire, a being that lives in darkness and consumes human blood as nourishment. In fact, the organization known as the ‘Blood Fiend Clan’ was created by her to easily procure blood from the slums.
“Phew…”
A charming sigh escaped Trale’s lips as she set down the glass. It was unclear whether her bright red lips were naturally so, or stained by the blood she had just drunk, but either way, they seemed to possess a magnetic allure.
“Eren?”
Trale called the boy’s name again. Receiving no response, she finally stood up.
“Ahem.”
After a brief cough, Trale spoke with a tone more formal than when she had first greeted me.
“Sir Julian.”
“Sorry if I was a bit presumptuous earlier. My subordinate was watching, after all.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes… I am very sorry.”
Trale bowed her head. Her attitude had completely reversed from when she had entered with the boy, which might have been surprising, but I found it familiar. The character ‘Trale’ is well aware of her position.
Typically, in fantasy, vampires see themselves as a superior species to humans, viewing humanity merely as bags of blood—monstrous beings. However, in this world, that is not the case. They are a species near extinction. Like humans, they are antagonistic towards ‘demons’, but with the rise of the Demon Lord, many high-born pureblood vampires died, and only the young, who couldn’t fully wield their powers, survived.
Needing large amounts of blood to protect themselves from ‘demons’, they hunted humans but, ironically, became hunted themselves by royal decree—a tragic race. What is their greatest fear, these beings who had to assimilate into human society to ensure the survival of their race?
“Please, let it not be as bad as the ‘Closed Eyes’ report.”
Their greatest fear is, indeed, the authority of the state.
Cliche Novel 