Chapter 279
Chapter 279. Case Closed
Well, it’s Zilbagias, the governor, who arrived only to find everything had already wrapped up.
Despite pushing Leila to hurry up with all her might, by the time we got to Ryan Village, they were already in the midst of burying the dead, clearing away the rubble, and disposing of the manticore carcass. I was left utterly dumbfounded.
At least we managed to treat the critically injured, so Leila’s efforts weren’t in vain. Exhausted, she was now resting while being pampered by Liliana. I’ll have to make it up to her later.
“They really took a beating.”
Surveying the village, I snorted, playing the part of the arrogant Demon Lord’s Prince.
The earthen walls and moat had nary a scratch, but many houses had been burned down or collapsed, with bloodstains splattered everywhere. Out of the dozens of soldiers and workers on site, fewer than ten survived. Some managed to escape, while others hid in underground storage to avoid the carnage…
However, it was nothing short of miraculous that there were no casualties reported from the rescue squad that responded to the call for help. Had we arrived any later, there might have been some fatalities.
“We defeated it with the help of vampires.”
Tafuman, the vice-captain of the soldiers on the scene, reported with a tense expression. It had been quite a while since I last faced him directly. Though their figures were nowhere in sight as dawn was approaching, it seemed they had received backup from Yavka and her subordinates.
—Working with vampires, huh?
Mycin, the priestess apprentice, was also present. The fact that the Holy Church and vampires had teamed up really showed how far the world had gone downhill.
“I’m surprised it didn’t end in a bloodbath.”
“We owed them a debt of gratitude. Besides, it was far beyond that.”
I see, that makes sense.
It turns out Yavka had declared “we mean no harm” and had actively cooperated against the manticore. After the battle, she also helped with stopping the bleeding and treating the injured.
In my time as a hero, I had only seen the “kill” technique of vampires, so I didn’t know much about them… but it seems vampires can control blood and apply first aid on moderate wounds.
Thanks to Yavka and her crew, the critically injured managed to hold onto life until I arrived.
“Besides… it’s true that since the Autonomous District began, there have been no deaths due to bloodsucking.”
Tafuman spoke with a hint of complex emotions.
Normally, vampires—sworn enemies of humanity—should be exterminated without question, yet as no dead bodies had appeared, it seems there’s a possibility for coexistence.
“Hmmm. Do you trust them?”
Though it could be a tall tale since they’ve been living here since the Autonomous District started.
“Yes. I recognized that Yavka Countess’ face…”
“Recognized her…?”
“When the Autonomous District had just begun, I had a dream of being made drunk by a beautiful woman. I completely forgot about it until today, but I guess I must have been bitten back then.”
Now that you mention it, Yavka said something like, “I might have been found out, but let’s just say it was a dream.” Wait, was that you?!
Ironically, thanks to this incident, Tafuman himself had become a living witness, as he had “not been drained to death.”
Yavka also mentioned how I had allowed them to suck blood discreetly in exchange for nighttime patrols, leading the soldiers to wear expressions that were half resigned, as if to say, “Well, that’s just how it is…”
Regarding that, you might say the vampires have properly restrained themselves.
Plus, if you consider the advantage of having a fighting force that can take down a manticore without making a scene, it’s worth it.
They seem to be planning a meeting with the main members of the Autonomous District when they return, but perhaps from now on, vampires will walk freely through the night in Evaroti.
I, too, plan to allow them to do as they please as long as the residents of the Autonomous District don’t react too strongly. As long as those involved are satisfied with it, it’s fine.
—So, heading towards the Royal Castle of Evaroti, I intended to hear Yavka’s side of the story this time.
“Your efforts were commendable.”
“Oh, too kind of you to say…”
I decided to give praise to Yavka, alongside Baron Arv and Baron Mavil who cooperated. Had they not taken action, the soldiers would’ve faced even greater losses.
“How did you assess the soldiers’ abilities?”
“…I’m embarrassed to say, but they’re quite a threat to us vampires.”
Suddenly shifting from proud to gloomy, Yavka’s expression darkened.
“They showed considerable resilience even against the matured manticore. The holy attribute of their attacks is deadly against us.”
What’s deadly is that vampires generally lack means to defend against holy attributes. Even if they envelop themselves in dark magic, it drains away in no time, and while they’re nearly invulnerable to physical attacks, they’re quite vulnerable to magic.
Alright, so the soldiers begrudgingly accepted the vampires, but I bet for her, Mycin was someone she wanted to take out badly.
According to the Daily Evaroti, there was a practitioner of holy attributes among the soldiers killed in Ryan Village…
Could it be that a hero was hiding among the Autonomous District’s prisoners? I just can’t believe Mycin alone could possibly compete with the matured manticore.
‘It seems it’s improved quite a bit since the first day, but that apprentice still has unreliable magic…’
I’m uncertain based on my sense alone since the local soldiers look somewhat weak in magic.
However, if they do exist…
I hope they’ve been honing their skills further. It’s a shame that at least one person has already lost their life…
“Hmmm. Well, if the soldiers are motivated, that’s good news. They may be an annoyance for you, but it must be done.”
When I flashed a combative smile, Yavka responded with an uncertain expression.
“They’re being harassed by the Izanis Tribe; it’s unbearable that the Autonomous District is being ruined. I’ll say it again, but well done this time.”
“We merely did what we had to.”
“Hmm. You’ve certainly shown remarkable boldness in exposing yourselves.”
Given Yavka’s personality, I would’ve thought she’d be reluctant to risk the vampires’ existence becoming known and would likely have sat on the sidelines this time.
Moreover, while Evaroti City may have been attacked, how bold to step into a village that hadn’t even been staffed yet and confront magical beasts in front of the soldiers…
“Well—of course!”
Yavka wore a somewhat forced smile.
“We are the night guardians of the Autonomous District! Hohohoho!”
That suddenly felt so disingenuous… What’s up? The two subordinates in the back were also putting on phony smiles. What, is there another reason behind this?
“And I must say, Your Highness, I was astonished by your timely return.”
Oops, I got countered on that one.
“Well, I did have a bit of a forgotten item…”
That was the cover story for why I whimsically zipped back to Evaroti. I “forgot something” and left important research notes on necromancy in my private chambers at Evaroti Castle. I had even prepared a notebook that looked the part on my shelf so I could claim that whenever I needed to.
I thought that if I returned to grab it, I’d coincidentally run into a situation of high urgency. Well, it might be a bit forced, but it should be convincing enough—well, for the first time at least.
“Alright! This time, as a special reward for your efforts, I’ll give you a prize. What do you want?”
I wrapped up the conversation and threw out a question to which the answer was practically obvious.
“W-well that is…!”
With flushed cheeks, Yavka gazed at me with eyes brimming with anticipation.
“If possible, I wish to receive your blood…!!”
Breathlessly panting and melting with delight.
—By the way, both of the subordinates behind her, one thin and the other chubby, were in the same state.
“Very well…”
Thus, I gave each of them a cup filled with my blood, infused with magic power.
“‘Nhooooaahh—!!’”
Three vampires were vibrating with excitement, ensuring not a single drop was spilled. It’s almost too easy to make them this happy. Keep working hard for the Autonomous District, will ya?
Now that my “business” is done, I could head back to the Demon Lord’s Castle, but since I’ve pushed Leila too hard, I might as well take a day or two to rest. I also want to thank Claire for quickly providing useful information through the Daily Evaroti…
†††
Thus, the manticore attack incident came to a swift conclusion.
However, regardless of any reasoning or justifications made, the simple fact remains that Zilbagias promptly responded to a distant crisis in the Autonomous District.
Moreover, there were those who might take note of the peculiar coincidences that would generally be overlooked…
—Especially if they were obsessively watching Zilbagias’s behavior.
