Survival 129

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“What, what should I do?!”

Bathory stomped her feet in frustration, now driven out of the cozy shadows.

It hadn’t even been 10 minutes since Hans had been dragged away by some unknown magic, yet her heart was already filled with confusion and anxiety in that short time.

“It was definitely not ordinary mana…”

The magic that gave chills even to her, a grand mage.

It must be from a Wendigo of a level comparable to her own.

“Damn it, I can’t even reach him telepathically… If only my powers were intact! I wouldn’t be helplessly standing around like this!”

But bound by a contract, she was no different from an ordinary human girl.

The unresolved frustration quickly turned into a futile kick at the snowy ground.

But only for a moment.

Soon, her anger turned into helplessness.

“What’s the point of all this…”

If it were her original power, such meaningless assumptions would not help resolve the current situation.

In the end, there was nothing she could do to help him now.

The cold of the snowy field seeped through her knees and into her bones as she sank to the ground.

A biting chill she had never felt before, not once in her life as a born-strong individual, mocked her helplessness.

-Grrr!

While she was momentarily dazed, someone tugged at the hem of her maid’s skirt.

A wolf that Frost Mane cherished greatly. 

Bathory’s eyes narrowed.

“What is it? Don’t bother me and get lost. I have no time to play along with a mere creature like you…”

-Woof woof!

As if to rebuke her, the wolf barked at her a few times and immediately started digging the ground with its front paws.

It had already been digging, as the hole was quite deep.

“Stop it. It’s a meaningless task. If it’s magic that even repelled me, it must have transported him to a very deep place. Digging won’t reach it.”

But Bathory’s eyes moved slightly.

Suddenly, a sweet scent wafted into her nose.

She quickly realized that the source was the creature’s paws.

A deep red color seeping through the white fur.

-Scratch, scratch!

Despite her objections, the wolf didn’t stop.

Its fur got dirty with soil.

Its claws got bruised by gravel, and its soft flesh was wounded and bleeding.

-Grrr! Woof woof!

But it did not stop.

No, it seemed to get more stubborn in response to her words.

Howling fiercely, it dug the ground with all its might.

At that sight, Bathory opened her mouth in a daze, then closed it.

“You…”

How embarrassing.

Even a mere creature that doesn’t understand words struggles so hard for its bond.

Yet the contractor, who should be protecting its familiar, had already given up and sat down helplessly.

Her fists clenched tightly.

Her nails dug into her flesh, probably a self-reproach.

With a twisted face, Bathory gestured to the wolf.

“You’re so foolish. Stand up.”

-Grrr!

“Don’t resist. Your paws are too unfit for digging. There must be a better way.”

It wasn’t too late even now.

She had already experienced bowing her head.

Going straight to find the descendant of the warrior and asking for support…

‘No, that won’t do. Didn’t Frost Mane say the Wendigo is a doppelganger?’

Bathory’s body, which was about to run, stopped in its tracks.

The enemy is Frost Mane’s kin.

As a king, it was his duty and responsibility to take care of his people.

But if she called for Luciana here…

-Hans, are you in your right mind?

-I expected you to say that, but upon reconsideration, the northern ecosystem is…!

-I don’t want to hear it. They are monsters that threaten the North. Compassion is a luxury.

If she hates the demons that much, even if Frost Mane spins a convincing story.

No matter how much she trusts him.

She would surely order the extermination of the Wendigo.

Because that is her conviction.

Therefore, Frost Mane would be deeply disheartened.

Whether as a king or a servant.

Besides…

Frost Mane always says it’s for his sake, but Bathory had a vague idea.

Everything is for his own sake.

That he is the king of doppelgangers.

The true reason he seeks the Wendigo,

‘…Gathering demons for my sake.’

It was something only she knew, not the warrior’s descendant.

A secret shared only between him and herself.

For some reason, in this urgent situation, her heart began to race.

“So we must never reveal this to the warrior’s descendant!”

-Grr?

“Right, now that I think about it, you must keep this secret from your master too.”

‘No, this isn’t the time for that.’

Bathory hastily tidied her saliva-covered skirt and stood next to the dire wolf.

“Fortunately, there’s a tool here.”

A shovel.

The one Frost Mane dropped before being dragged away by the magic, lying in the snowfield.

-Grr?

“This is better than your paws, don’t you think? Your effort is admirable, but take a good rest. If the enemy appears, show your sharp claws.”

She slowly recalled his movements in her mind.

And mimicked them.

“Damn, I’m sure this is right. Frost Mane easily dug up the soil, so why is it so hard for me?”

The shovel pressed down the earth instead of digging it up, eventually collapsing.

Now, even her foot pressing down on the shovel’s top hurt.

Bathory couldn’t have known.

The seasoned skill developed as a man of great Korea.

The knack that comes from experience.

-Woof…

“What is that doubtful whimper! See, it’s better than your efforts!”

Sadly, she was a born mage.

Not someone acquainted with physical labor.

“You’ll hurt your back like that.”

“Well. How would you…”

Bathory froze, shovel raised in mid-air, at the familiar voice.

“A shovel is a tool meant to be used with minimal movement for a long time. Lifting it above your waist like that will quickly wear you out.”

He chuckled.

Even his polite speech seemed to subtly provoke her.

A bright light shone in Bathory’s eyes.

“Frost Mane! Where are you?”

“Ha ha, right beneath you.”

The ominous magic from before.

The brief moment of vigilance was short-lived as a metal trapdoor appeared where she had been digging.

Clunk.

“Your Majesty, this way.”

“This is an excellent hiding place. I would never have noticed such an entrance.”

“When it comes to illusion magic, our species is more skilled than vampires.”

The voice, now hoarse, chatted cheekily through the open trapdoor.

“Frost Mane!”

“I’m a bit late. There were some twists and turns, but I managed to return somehow.”

Her familiar tilted his head and smiled at her. 

Though his face seemed a bit blurry, Bathory smiled brightly, trying to hide her teeth.

In terms of time, it was only a brief moment, but the joy of seeing him again was doubled by the sense of loss she had felt.

‘…I will never let go again.’

This time she had no choice but to lose her power.

There will be no next time.

‘I must find a way to use my power even in the North.’

***

“By the way, you seem to have a different aura about you.”

“Do I? Thank you for the customary compliment.”

“Customary? Not at all. How should I put it… I see. It’s more appropriate to call it dignity. I sense a majesty that wasn’t there before.”

Indeed, a high-ranking demon.

Bathory’s words somewhat saw through my situation.

[‘You have advanced to ‘Shadow.’]

[You are the representative king of the doppelgangers.]

By subjugating the Seeker of Shadow and Wendigos, I naturally claimed this position.

‘Honestly, I didn’t expect to gain it so quickly.’

Of course, I had my eye on this new growth element.

But given the conditions,

Since all the quest requirements were related to demons, I thought I would only be able to complete them after delving into the Evildon Empire episodes.

‘Well, it’s all good.’

Just as tough as the conditions were,

The rewards were incredibly sweet.

[King of Shadows: Rank Ex]

[A throne representing a race.]

[However, due to its special nature, it remained vacant for a long time.]

[A doppelganger king cannot be a doppelganger. Under this rule, the doppelgangers gradually declined.]

[The moment a king is crowned again, the revival of the race begins.]

As expected of an Ex-rank skill, even the description is grandiose.

Its performance is quite impressive.

[Proficiency correction for all doppelganger-exclusive skills]

Firstly, an ability affecting my personal capabilities.

Proficiency corrections have always exceeded expectations, so this is excellent; it’s practically a bonus.

[Can enforce actions on all doppelganger species]

[Some noble-level entities may resist]

‘…Just like other kings.’

True Dragon, Diamond, Vlad.

And the ‘Demon King’ abilities beyond them.

The ‘command authority’ that forces actions without question within the respective race was now in my hands.

‘A terrifying ability.’

Commanding an army by personal will.

It’s an ability beyond common sense.

Even strict military law can’t achieve unified movement.

Even fanatics, if mixed with non-believers, would falter.

But the king’s authority makes that possible.

It means that with a single word from me, even the Wendigos could become an army willing to die.

‘Of course, I don’t intend to use it that way.’

Wendigos are undeniably a powerful force, enough to claim the position of one of the top three monsters.

How could I use them recklessly?

A strong card should be hidden until the very last moment and revealed only when crucial.

This skill alone was extremely useful. 

As expected of an Ex-rank skill, it didn’t stop there. 

[Locked] 

[Locked] 

[Locked] 

[Abilities will be unlocked based on ‘Public Sentiment.’] 

[‘Public Sentiment’ is determined by the respect for the king, satisfaction with their rule, quality of life, etc.]

Even with such capabilities, there were still many undiscovered aspects. 

‘Honestly, given the current state of the doppelgangers, it will take a long time for these to unlock.’

But this is still great. 

The potential for growth was clearly visible, making it the best reward. 

Especially since what I needed to catch up with was Luciana. 

“So, you are a servant of Frost Mane.”

“Yes. It is an honor to meet Bathory, who is close to the king.”

While I was examining my abilities, it seemed they had exchanged introductions on their own.

“You, I hate to say this…”

She hesitated, fiddling with her fingers as she hovered near my shadow. 

Seeing her hesitation, I took her hand.

“What is it?”

I had seen how worried she was, evident from her awkward but determined digging. 

Any bitter advice she hesitated to give would surely be helpful.

“Speak without holding back.”

“Well. Indeed, you’re not one to care about such things.”

She twisted her golden hair around her finger and then spoke her piece.

“The name of your servant, ‘Seeker of Shadow,’ what on earth is that?”

“…Excuse me?”

“It’s not a name befitting a noble at all. It’s hard to even call out. Moreover, with that name, it will be difficult to maintain authority in front of other demons.”

Hmm. Is that so? 

It was just the name given by the status window.

“What’s wrong with my name! It’s a glorious name bestowed by the king!”

‘Seeker of Shadow’ yelled out in protest. 

Doppelgangers are beings that need to borrow names, emotions, and intelligence. 

For him, the name I casually mentioned must have been a great honor.

“Well, calm down. We can always give you a new name.”

However, as Bathory said, the current name was indeed a bit cumbersome to call. 

Since he would love any name I give him anyway.

“How about Iskadel Byron?”

It didn’t hold much meaning. 

Iskadel means ‘Seeker’ in the northern language, combined with my original surname, Byron.

“That’s not bad. You have more talent for naming than I thought.”

“I am honored to receive a name used by the king…”

Seeing the reindeer express its emotion with a wrinkled face, no matter how many times I see it, it’s something I never get used to.

***

[Report] 

[Proving that the issue in the North was resolved with the support of four academy students (Luciana Speda and three others)]

[The individuals took their respective rewards from the Speda family’s warehouse, and the academy was promised a token of gratitude.] 

[Acting Duke of the North, Yegor] 

That report, secretly obtained by the royal family,

Soon spread through connections or other means.

“Damn! Luciana again! Why did heaven create her and then create me too! At this rate…!”

Some were enraged upon reading the report. 

“…I should have followed them.”

Others, more composed, verified the contents and burned the report.

“Saint, honestly, I don’t know if I’m making the right decision. I thought the head was undoubtedly my enemy.”

In front of such a person,

René smiled brightly.

“Once again, can you trust me this time?”

“Until when should I believe in that empty promise…”

With a slight sigh, the secret conspiracy continued into the night.

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