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“I… I have to go. I must see what’s happening. If they retaliate, they’ll surely target our territory. My land is in danger!”

Van Helsing was sweating bullets as he tried to dissuade Jeongjae, who was trembling nervously, insisting he had to return home immediately.

Of course, Count Harker had no right to stop a lord from another village from returning to his realm. Especially when that lord was Baron Harriet’s Grand Mage, Park Jeongjae. But seeing Jeongjae in such a state, I felt a strong urge to not let him go home like this, as someone who cared for him.

Margaret, who had made an unexpected visit, seemed to have recovered quite a bit from her rest, but her mental fatigue was far from alleviated.

In fact, during such times, there was no way for Jeongjae to completely relieve his exhaustion. At least not until the war ended and all the demon tribes were wiped out. But no matter how chaotic the war was, if he continued to live in that constant state of tension, it would surely take years off his already short lifespan.

“So, what you’re saying is—”

Count Harker spoke calmly.

“Since you weren’t able to capture Dracula, he might target your territory, looking for a chance when you’re not there. Is that what you mean?”

“Exactly! He definitely holds a grudge against me, and even if there’s no grudge, it’s clear something is lurking in my lands. I need to go and prevent it!”

“Calm down, please just calm down.”

Van Helsing pulled Jeongjae back into his seat as he tried to get up again. Jeongjae suddenly became aware of how strong Harker’s grip was.

Once again, let me stress that a vampire’s physical strength is not something that can be compared to a human’s.

Arthur Harker was simply very good at controlling his power in everyday life, but he had not lost the inherent strength of a vampire.

“This is not a time to calm down…”

“Look at this flag. What do you think it is?”

As Harker forcibly sat Jeongjae down, he held out a sky-blue flag before him. Jeongjae, still unable to hide his anxious expression, took the flag as instructed and unfolded it.

It was a flag he had never seen before, but it seemed somehow familiar. The sky-blue flag had a white laurel pattern drawn on it.

Clearly, it was a mimicry of the Eramenian flag. Although there were slight differences in the design of the laurel wreath, it was evident that whoever designed this flag had a strong awareness of the Elven Kingdom’s symbols.

“I have no idea. What is this?”

Jeongjae asked. Harker shrugged his shoulders.

“This flag was first used as a military standard today. Five hundred troops from the Harker Count Territory, fifty from Baron Polmarius’ Territory, thirty from Baron Gerhen’s Territory… In total, one thousand soldiers moved westward with this flag. What do you think that means?”

After listening to the count’s words, Jeongjae thought carefully and finally understood the significance of the flag.

“It’s the flag of the Southern Alliance!”

“Correct. I surely share your concerns. A battalion led by a baron-level commander has delivered diplomatic correspondence to the Harker Village for the allied forces. The issue with the barony and the Moriarty machine inside is extremely important to me. Since Dracula is obviously interested in that machine, I’ve taken all necessary precautions.”

Only after hearing Harker’s explanation could Jeongjae finally relax and calm himself. Though Dracula was strong, it would be hard to believe he could break through and attack a battalion on his own with most of the vampire minions in the nearby regions having been exterminated.

Of course, if he were to kill four thousand separate soldiers one by one, it wouldn’t be such a difficult task for the vampire lord. But the fundamental protective magic on soldiers’ armor and weaponry would create harmony and resonance when gathered into a single infantry formation, making their ranks sturdier.

An adequately armed battalion could definitely hold off at least Dracula without suffering too much damage. Even if something went wrong, they had the capability to hold their ground and defend until reinforcements arrived.

“I feel somewhat reassured. But I’m worried the spirits might become uneasy again…”

“Those kids have already defended against an invasion once, and they’ve seen the allied forces stationed nearby retreat. Trust your children a little more.”

“Children, you say?”

“In situations like these, age doesn’t matter.”

Count Harker handed Jeongjae a cup of warm tea. Just moments ago, he hesitated to hand it over, fearing Jeongjae might drop it on the floor with trembling hands.

“It’s like being someone’s lord is like being someone’s father. You need to protect them diligently, but you can’t overprotect them either. If they come back with minor injuries and you lock them in, that’s not correct discipline.”

“It’s not just injuries; they could die, you know.”

“Learn to become a bit heartless, my friend.”

Harker said with a pitying expression.

“Too many people are dying. How can one mourn every single loss as if they were their own children? You must see the whole territory as your child. Looking at it that way, the sacrifice of one or two people from the territory might just be a scratch in a broader context.”

“I don’t know if that’s how it works. Isn’t death an irreparable wound?”

“Population recovers. Even in these times with fewer young men around, you hardly hear baby cries, but once the war ends, the potential for explosive growth is there.”

“So you’re saying the number of people matters.”

“You’re in the thick of battle, Baron.”

Count Harker spoke with a grave expression.

“You can’t categorize everyone in the world as either altruistic or cold-blooded. Each person is balancing on a tightrope somewhere. What would you do if someone who pretended to learn combat experience to come back blathers nonsense?”

“Having gained combat experience, they wouldn’t be insensitive to the reality of death.”

“Don’t make me sound like a rookie who’s never seen death.”

There was a low rumble in Van Helsing’s throat. Jeongjae slightly raised his body and bowed his head apologetically to the count.

“I’m sorry. Everyone’s perspective is bound to differ. I suppose what you said is correct. I need to wake up from my sentimental haze. Killing enemies in front while sulking behind won’t bring happiness to anyone.”

“Glad to hear you realized it at least.”

Jeongjae was urgently wishing to escape the strangely uncomfortable topic. As his gaze returned to the flag on the table, he pointed toward it and said, “Oh, by the way, didn’t Margaret come here? Did she have nothing to say when she saw that flag? She must have sensed something.”

“Actually, it worked out well. This flag is definitely modeled after the symbols of Eramenia. Thanks to the Eramenian magical forest, the front lines of this war have been substantially narrowed. The enemies wouldn’t even dream of entering that forest. In a way, the elves, although not participating directly, are significantly aiding the war effort just by existing.”

“You’re absolutely right. There’s hardly any joy greater than having a reduced front to defend from the perspective of a small number of defenders.”

“The design of this flag was the result of making an effort to avoid overlapping symbols as much as possible. If it ended up being too similar to one lord’s symbol on such a flag, that wouldn’t do at all. But then again, would there be a baron who would say they’d join the Southern Alliance? In trying to avoid the flag designs of over a hundred lords, it just became endless.”

Jeongjae nodded and smiled at Harker’s words.

“Seems like there wasn’t a family using laurel wreaths. Which family would be crazy enough to imitate the flag of the Elf lord?”

“Exactly. Moreover, if we could borrow the design, we could express our intentions as ‘a force contributing to the empire’s peace without directly engaging at the front.’ Although I’ve made it, it feels somewhat insincere to use it openly given how the Eramenian Kingdom might perceive it.”

“What does Margaret say about it?”

“When I explained the meaning behind this flag, she smiled a bit bitterly. However, she readily acknowledged it. She even left a kind sentiment wishing for cooperation between the Southern Alliance troops and Eramenian forces as fellow bearers of the flag’s symbol.”

“That sounds just like her. It’s likely heartfelt. I know Margaret isn’t someone easily provoked by such things.”

“Certainly a noble person.”

“Noble indeed. And she has a solid opinion. She blends a wit that laughs off minor insults with a strictness that tolerates not a single error. Truly remarkable…”

Jeongjae did not voice the thought, ‘Why would someone like her get involved with someone like me…’ Even if he did have such thoughts, it wouldn’t be something to express in front of the count. Right now, he held the same impression about the count’s daughter directly in front of him.

“Well, that’s a relief at least. You might not realize it, but that flag reminds me of another symbol.”

“Another flag? So you can see a symbol other than the Eramenian one when you look at that?”

“Our world’s flag.”

Jeongjae smiled brightly. Van Helsing, having come to this world without experiencing even the League of Nations or world wars, couldn’t possibly grasp what Jeongjae was hinting at.

“Since you left Earth, there’s been a lot of noise in the world. Eventually, the Earthlings determined that further warfare was too dangerous and established a very powerful international organization. Right now… well, it’s playing an indispensable role in maintaining world peace.”

Jeongjae gave a brief explanation. The sky-blue color and the laurel wreath shape. If there was a map of Earth in the center, it would undeniably resemble the UN flag.

Professor Van Helsing appeared to be intrigued by Jeongjae’s words.

“Come to think of it, I think I’ve shared my story with you, but I don’t believe I’ve ever heard about your homeland. Honestly, I’m quite curious. From the smaller scale of Moriarty’s plan to threaten the world to the larger scale of what exactly has happened in the world.”

“I believe Moriarty’s plan was partially successful…”

Of course, there were lingering doubts. However, from Holmes’ documents, it seemed Moriarty had intended to spark a world war, which had indeed achieved some degree of success.

“That didn’t lead to the end of the world, though. It’s a world where it wouldn’t be surprising if it crumbled at any moment, yet it continues to persist for thousands of years without collapse, which is quite astonishing.”

“For today, let’s stay here and regroup. It’s better for you to have a proper rest.”

The count suggested as he promptly stood up. Jeongjae shrugged his shoulders.

“Then perhaps I should take this opportunity to share some stories. I would be quite excited if someone from a hundred years later came to tell me about the future, so I’m worried I might have kept you waiting too long.”

“I was indeed worried. Of course, I was. But first, let’s have a meal. How do you feel about fresh venison?”

“Well… if there are no parasites, I’d be willing to drink it.”

Jeongjae replied with a genuinely perplexed expression, unsure how to answer. Count Harker chuckled heartily at Jeongjae’s response, clapping his hands.

“Just kidding! I’ll prepare some proper human food, so follow me. I’ve been looking forward to having engaging conversations instead of boring political discussions.”

 

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