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After all I’ve been through, Jenis still couldn’t hide her frown. Jeongjae asked Jenis.

“Is there still a problem?”

“I’m dried up. Completely dried up. If you look at the results, we did succeed in repelling the enemy attack, and we did chase Dracula away for now. But the professor knows, too. We didn’t just lose that fight; it wasn’t just a coincidence.”

“So, you’re saying that all our actions fell right into Dracula’s plans?”

“Exactly. There’s no better explanation. From tying down our allies in the western part of the continent so they couldn’t move to luring us to drain our forces — it’s all his scheme. We lost so cleanly that there’s no justification for it. It was truly an unbelievable coincidence that allowed us to scrape by…”

“In actual combat, it’s not uncommon to escape with one’s life thanks to unbelievable coincidences.”

Jeongjae shrugged.

“But at the same time, there are many cases where unimaginable coincidences throw our plans into chaos. If we remember a few decisive moments, it may seem unfair, but generally speaking, such things happen to everyone.”

“That… makes sense. But it gives me a sense of urgency. Dracula didn’t really get seriously hurt, and we confirmed just how powerful he is. We haven’t even found a way to defeat him, let alone finish our research on the strength he possesses.”

“What do you think we should do from now on?”

Jeongjae asked Jenis for her opinion. Jenis shut her eyes for a moment, deep in thought, then lightly raised her staff and struck it against the ground.

“Let’s return to Baron Harriet’s Territory.”

“Just me? Or both of us?”

“Both. For now, let’s leave the battle against the alliance and the vampires to my father. Even if we benefited from luck, Dracula laid all his cards on the table for us in the last fight. Now, the offensive from the west can serve no purpose other than to hinder the growth of the Southern Alliance and block the Jeffrey family’s involvement. Trying to restrict or hunt them down would be a waste of effort.”

“So, you’re saying you suspect Dracula will directly attack Baron Harriet’s Territory?”

“There’s a possibility. He appears to have various movements he can make, but in fact, they are limited. What do you think the reason is for Dracula hiding his great power?”

“To make us underestimate him and lead us into a trap without proper preparation.”

“But think about it. His strength could take a direct hit from the professor’s Stellar Flash and not even get scratched. When it comes down to it, preparing ‘properly’ with just the forces of the south would barely be possible. The only suitable response we could muster to face Dracula would be to bring heroes from the Northern Expeditionary Force or heroes of similar caliber to bolster our strength.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“We could actually counter in that way, and it would be the right thing to do. But the problem is, the enemy knows that as well. In the south, especially Central Southern, nearly 70 baron and count territories are gathered. Even if we say we’ll break them one by one, it would take time to dominate them all. Enough time for an intervention to reach us from the north.”

Jeongjae started to understand what Jenis wanted to convey. In other words, from Dracula’s perspective, since his powerful strength had been revealed, he couldn’t help but be aware of the possibility that the Southern Alliance or Jenis would request formal support from the Northern Expeditionary Force to create a separate hunting party to hunt him down.

Walter would also recognize the importance of protecting the south, so if all went well, he might even dispatch Rose or some of the Eramenian Legion to the south. In a situation where such urgent matters were unfolding, if Dracula transformed and shot lightning in the name of domination of the central region, the Southern Army could endure until the reinforcements to take down Dracula from the north arrived, even if it meant suffering some losses.

Dracula wouldn’t want the situation to play out that way. He needed a strategy that could yield clear results as quickly as possible, and attacking Harriet’s Territory would become his only choice.

“He’ll aim for the Moriarty Machine.”

“That… strange machine in the basement? Right. They say it’s a magic battery…”

“It’s a bizarre device that the Demon King’s father supposedly designed himself. Honestly, I’d love to dismantle it and explore its principles, but it’s a one-of-a-kind item, and if I break it down, I don’t think I’d ever be able to put it back together again.”

“I can’t even comprehend how a magic battery exists. I just accepted it exists because it’s here, but it certainly gives the feeling that something is off…”

For various reasons converging, both decided to return to Harriet’s Territory and prepare for the expected attack.

The state of alert around Harriet’s Territory had become as stringent as that of Harker Count Territory after the start of the full-scale battlefield. Whether it was due to the information spreading that vampires could nonchalantly use transformation magic to confuse our forces, even the guards who usually acted a bit foolishly stopped Jeongjae and Jenis, rigorously checking their identities as they attempted to enter the territory.

Jeongjae thought it was certain that Captain Philip had begun thorough retraining for his soldiers. As the two entered the territory, they sensed that the overall atmosphere of the baronial lands had already changed dramatically.

Of course, during the last scheduled landing operation, the nobility had already prepared themselves with the mindset that they would protect their homeland at all costs. This time, too, the nobility felt the abnormal situation in the Southern Region and began creating a war atmosphere in various ways. However, this atmosphere was distinctly different from last time.

Regardless of what instructions the village chief had given or what news had reached them, the nobles were starting to pack their belongings one by one and prepare to flee at any moment. As Jenis gazed around the territory with a stern expression, she opened her mouth.

“If we ring the bell right now and issue an evacuation order, everyone will be able to move.”

“It seems your father’s guerilla tactics have reached here.”

“The village chief is a wise man. He understands far too well that the fate of Harriet’s Territory cannot operate independently from the situation in the Southern Region. This will make things easier.”

“‘Easier’ is… you mean we should empty Baron Harriet’s Territory?”

“If Dracula attacks here, we’ll have to face that enormous dragon once again. Professor, if the two of us manage to get adequate rest and regain our strength, it might not be impossible to fight him. But can we fight while protecting all these people?”

Jenis’s point was both rational and valid. Jeongjae came to a quick decision and nodded.

“You’re right. Let’s have Huck lead the nobles and Philip command the guards to evacuate everyone to a nearby territory. Where do you think is the best place to send them?”

“Only the west. Sally Jeffrey is untrustworthy, but the west is blocked by the vampires, and it’s impossible to push through with unarmed nobles. Jeffrey won’t refuse evacuation either. The deputy lord of the alliance is just watching because Dracula isn’t attacking her directly; she wouldn’t turn down a request to fulfill even a minimal role as part of the alliance.”

With that, Jeongjae quickly summoned Philip and Huck to set up a plan for the immediate evacuation of the nobility from Harriet’s Territory. Harker particularly laid out a brief map and outlined which roads to take to get to Duke Jeffrey’s Territory, what size convoy to form, and the timetable for travel.

It was as if she had been contemplating this plan for a long time. Neither Jeongjae, Philip, nor Huck opposed her planning; they accepted it as is.

“It’s best to move as soon as possible. The enemy could strike here again at any time. The enemy’s magic is quite powerful, so if they approach closely, we’ll be able to detect them. But if we get spotted by the enemy while evacuating, it would be a disaster.”

“In that case, I’ll fight to protect as many people as possible.”

Philip said solemnly, thumping his chest. Jenis shook her head with a stoic expression.

“If the threat that exists is orcs or goblins, I would have said to leave it to the captain. But no. The enemy I’m talking about will be a force that even Baron Harriet can hardly cope with. Yes. These are enemies that could possibly overcome us using merely human power. If those enemies attack you all, we will have failed. From that point on, there will be nothing we can do with just the power and will of the nobility.”

The atmosphere grew heavier with the grim and cold fact. Jeongjae slowly opened his mouth, patting Philip’s shoulder.

“It’s okay. We won’t fail. Instead, just make sure the watchmen keep an eye on ensuring no nobles break ranks; we can’t have anyone lag behind by moving too hastily. As long as we safely get everyone to Duke Jeffrey’s Territory, that’s all that matters. Do you understand my words?”

“There are still transporters who frequently come by this land. It would be good to give her a fee and borrow a cart.”

Village Chief Huck cautiously suggested. Jeongjae opened the safe in his office and handed over all the silver coins inside to him.

“The moment destruction starts in this place, money will be of no use, it will be less valuable than the stones rolling on the road. Village chief, if there’s anything needed for safely handing over all the funds from the territory, don’t hesitate to use it.”

In most wars, money is a significant issue. But that only holds meaning when the war has at least some rationality. When fighting over powers and fortunes so vast that gold and treasure would be viewed as ‘trivial’—where would saving a few silver coins be applicable? If hiring transporters requires funds, then spend it. Should the need to hire mercenaries arise, then expenditures are a must. The wealthy Jeffrey family surely wouldn’t do something so petty, but even if they were to demand monetary compensation for accepting refugees, what would that matter?

After all, it is just a piece of metal that may evaporate when struck by a dragon’s lightning. The chief recognized Jeongjae’s intentions and politely accepted the pouch of money.

“I will follow your orders, my lord.”

The two local elders who had received all the instructions bowed respectfully to the two nobles and exited Jeongjae’s office. Soon, the order of “Move as quickly as possible” given by Harker Count began to be executed, and the sounds of carts being prepared, luggage being loaded, and the noisy cries of children startled by the commotion of preparing for evacuation filled the air.

Jeongjae had witnessed mass evacuations of refugees before. One of his most common missions during this war had been to rescue people trapped by raiding tribes and surrounded by the Demon King’s forces and evacuate them to the safety of the directly governed royal territory.

In one of his most recent missions, and also his most catastrophic, Jeongjae had to burn those who could not escape with his own hands.

As he quietly gazed out the window, suddenly recalling the memories from Nomember Castle, Jeongjae froze in place, trembling uncontrollably.

“Professor?”

“I can’t let even one person be burned again. I’ll wait until everyone gets out… Until everyone safely evacuates, please wait…”

“Hey, Baron!”

At Jenis’s shout, Jeongjae shook himself back to reality, blinking wildly and looking at Jenis as if he had shown some strange appearance.

“I… I spaced out for a moment. Did I say something?”

“You didn’t say anything. More importantly, it seems best not to use this place going forward.”

Jenis sniffed the air while looking around. Jeongjae asked with a puzzled expression.

“Not to use the office? What do you mean by that?”

“There’s a very strange magic here. It seems like I’ll understand it and not understand it at the same time… It doesn’t feel like the professor’s magic. It smells of the Zombie Tribe. So, if we talk about the Zombie Tribe…”

“Vampires?”

“Specifically of the Dracula lineage.”

Jenis trembled slightly, seemingly disliking the fact that half of her was a vampire. Jeongjae nodded in agreement with what she said.

“I’ve also felt something strange being here lately. I just can’t quite tell what, but I feel like I’m forgetting or missing something…”

“How long have such symptoms persisted?”

“I… I don’t know; that’s the big problem.”

“It’s dangerous. If this is a powerful mental erosion spell, the longer it lasts, the harder it will be to pinpoint its essence. After the nobles have all left this territory, if something were to sneak in and hold a meeting, it would be better to use the basement for the time being. That should be the safest place in the territory.”

 

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