265. Vampire
Dawn of the next day.
We head out of the inn with Unyeop. It was early and the sun had not yet risen, so the surroundings were dark and the bustling streets were somewhat quiet.
“Did you sleep well?”
People wearing uniforms can be seen behind Unyeop raising his hand in greeting.
Like him, they were warriors of the Han Empire.
‘There’s more than you think?’
I heard that I was joining my colleagues, but I had no idea there would be this many people.
After briefly answering Unyeop’s question, we head out of the city together.
The warriors were silent and just followed Unyeop’s footsteps, but the uniforms they were wearing all had a phoenix pattern engraved on them.
‘Phoenix?’
Is it some kind of sect?
As I became interested in them, Unyeop, who was next to me, quietly smiled and joined in.
“They say they are the Maengcheon faction. “This is the sect I belonged to, and it is a sect based on the martial arts created by the military god Hanso.”
“…… “I heard that Han So belongs to a sect called Beomhwang?”
When Han So was laid to rest in the capital of the Clark Republic, he had heard many stories about him.
The sight of him worrying about his clan was still vivid.
“hahahaha, he was so talented that he founded several sects. In the end, he belonged to Beomhwang, but Maengcheon is clearly a sect created by him.”
“Maengcheon…… “I guess it’s related to Meng Tian Mupeng?”
When I spoke to him, recalling Han So, who rolled his eyes when he saw Maeng Cheon Mubong, which was lost in the Demon Demon Battle, he nodded in surprise.
“You don’t know much about the clan, but do you know about Maeng Cheon Mubong?”
“Well, in my own way.”
“The more I look at you, the more interesting you seem to be.”
I could see his mouth itching, but I didn’t go any further because I knew from experience that he wouldn’t give me a proper answer if I asked anyway.
Rather, he glanced at the members of the clan behind him, then leaned towards me and whispered.
“If possible, don’t tell them about other clans. Especially Beomhwang.”
“… ….”
“This side also has its own story.”
While listening to his words, I glance at the warriors of the Mengcheon Sect. The atmosphere itself was extraordinary, and for them, leaving this city seemed like an act of taking on quite a big risk.
“Let’s go quickly.”
Woonyeop’s steps started to get a little faster, and it started to feel like Soho and I would have a hard time keeping up.
We were able to reach the entrance to the city.
“Hmm.”
Funny enough, what was welcoming us at the entrance were warriors wearing tiger-patterned uniforms.
“Inspector Unyeop and the remnants of the Maengcheon faction. Where are you so busy?”
Among them, a woman wearing a white uniform reminiscent of a white tiger walks forward sarcastically.
“Zhuo Long… ….”
Woonyeop and Maengcheonpa clenched their fists and the atmosphere suddenly became heavy.
Soho, who is inside, carefully holds the hem of my clothes and asks.
“What, what is it? “We weren’t just leaving, we were running away?”
“I need to look at the situation.”
“Cha, you seem calm.”
Soho’s expression became a little more relaxed, perhaps because he felt reassured after seeing me answer bluntly even in an unexpected situation.
First of all, I needed to listen to the story in silence.
“I was keeping an eye on the Maeng Tian Sect’s movements because they had been strange recently. But yesterday, I heard that you came back, Unyeop.”
“… ….”
“I don’t know what the intention was, but it is illegal for members of the imperial family to leave the city as a group without permission from His Majesty.”
“After all, we are a sect abandoned by His Majesty’s eyes?”
“The rules are equal for everyone.”
A woman called Zhuo Long takes a stance. Her stance was something you would only see in places like Chinese martial arts, which is somewhat unusual for a griffin.
In the past, there were many stories going around that Chinese martial arts were not practical, but it is different here.
Since there is something called mana, their martial arts and movements actually create a path for mana to flow.
It seemed like it would be quite a sight to see.
If only I wasn’t stuck in here.
“Let us step back.”
I quietly slipped to the side, taking Soho with me. Unyeop and the other Mengcheon faction also took it for granted.
I belong to a group called hunters, and I had no intention of getting caught up in a factional fight between warriors of the Han Empire.
“It’s not very trustworthy.”
I express my displeasure with Unyeop and Maengcheonpa who created this situation. Unyeop smiles bitterly. And although they were the Maengcheon faction who did not hide their displeasure, it was their fault anyway.
With my back turned, I watch the duel between the two factions begin.
Woonyeop takes out the long baton he was proud of and begins to fight with Zhuo Long, who was in front.
The group of Maengcheonpa and Beomhwang follow.
From Noble mtl dot com
The battle spreads into commotion, and the commotion awakens the still sleeping city.
People everywhere started sticking their heads out to see what was going on.
And then the situation itself started to go against us.
Woonyeop’s batting skills were truly amazing. He may have taken on the position of inspector for nothing, but his martial arts skills were similar to those of Han So, seen in the Demon Demon Battle, but more complete.
What Hanso completed in his youth would be what it looks like now.
But on the contrary, the Maengcheon faction was not very able to guess the pulse of Beomwang.
Beomhwang’s punches are sharp and heavy hitting them, but Maengcheon’s weapons only cut through the air.
‘I understand why it was abandoned.’
Because of his lack of skills, he was pushed aside by Beomhwang, which is probably why he hated mentioning them.
“Aren’t we going to get arrested if we keep doing this?!”
A clear difference in skill that even Soho, who has no knowledge or experience in this field, can recognize.
Leaving her anxious side behind, I open her mouth.
“It is not difficult to help, but since you are helping with personal matters, you will have to be paid separately.”
To be honest, I don’t really want to help, but these are my express tickets back to the Griffin Kingdom.
If we leave it like this, the way back will only become more difficult.
After hearing what I said, Unyeop sweats profusely and smiles bitterly.
“You just need to be able to go outside.”
Whaaah!
A sphere of mana held at the tip of my finger. There is really no way for me, a soulless necromancer, to overcome them. It’s not like I can fight with my soul like Ruanes.
In the end, what remains for me is the weak elemental magic and the black magic taught by the dark spirit.
However, most black magic is also related to the soul.
Also, objectively speaking, we cannot justly kill people who have done nothing wrong.
Soho frowned as he looked at a space gradually unfolding at my fingertips.
“This…” ….”
Soho is a magic that I have already seen once.
The dark spirit’s last gift.
The huge defensive magic that protects me unfolds brilliantly and pushes away all those not designated by me.
“Keuok!”
“What, what!”
“I’m being pushed! “Hold your stance!”
I tried to withstand the warriors on the Beomwang side being pushed back, but this was a magic created by the world’s strongest warlock with all his might.
It wasn’t something I could endure with just a mediocre attitude.
The road is wide open.
Except for me, Soho, Unyeop, and the warriors of the Maengcheon faction, there was no one standing on the road.
Like a runway.
On both sides of us, the warriors of the Pan-Hwang who had been pushed out were tapping the translucent protective shield with their hands, but there was no movement.
Protection magic continues all the way to the entrance.
I take Soho and take the first step past them.
“Let’s go.”
Walks ahead with a bored tone.
“This is absurd.”
“No, that’s ridiculous.”
“Magic? “There is such magic?”
I heard Unyeop’s empty voice from behind, and then I felt the warriors of Maengcheon looking at me with complex eyes.
I really liked the fact that the gazes that had made me uncomfortable until now had disappeared and I felt intimidated.
“Where are you going!”
“Maengcheon! “Are you really planning on walking down the apostle?”
“Call for support!”
If Beomhwang was named to mean the emperor of tigers, then this is Safari.
We escaped out of the city, greeted by roaring tigers on both sides.
“What do you plan to do now?”
The dark spirit’s protection magic cannot be used infinitely. On the outside, I pretended like nothing was wrong, but I was slowly running out of mana.
It will be lifted soon.
Running away is an offer that doesn’t make sense between me and Soho, so of course I won’t accept it.
“Wait.”
I wipe the sweat from my forehead and look at the trees with cloudy leaves stretching out into the distance.
Under the shade of the trees, the harsh sound of hoofbeats echoing.
“… ….”
“Ugh.”
Soho gets scared for a moment and hides behind me. Even in the darkness, their red eyes were looking fiercely in this direction.
Woo-du-du-du-du-du!
Hoofs that shake the earth.
Giant black horses, 1.5 Times larger than ordinary horses, pour out to meet us.
They all have pitch black bodies, rough muscles, and even red eyes.
We could see that the breed itself was completely different from ordinary horses, and that this was a pretty good horse to ride to the griffin that Unyeop had told us about last time.
“Choose any horse and ride it.”
Woonyeop jumped up first while saying that. The warriors of the Maengcheon Sect also ride quickly.
“Chiat!”
I put my hands under Soho’s armpits and rode her first, then got on her in front.
The protection magic has already been removed.
Behind the scenes, Beomhwang’s warriors were running fussily as if they had used the Chukji method.
When I got on the horse, whose muscles were like steel and didn’t even shake, I had doubts.
“What about the reins?”
I guess that’s why there’s no saddle in the first place, but don’t you need reins to drive a horse?
But Unyeop shakes his head.
“It will move on its own. “We just have to ride in the back.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a black shadow spewed out from the black horse and pinned our waists and legs to him.
“Hey!”
“… ….”
I instantly felt like I was being sucked into the words.
“Blood Demon. “It is a horse known to be ridden by blood demons.”
Woonyeop blurts out the true nature of the words to me who was lost in doubt.
The blood demons started running again along the same path they had come from, accompanied by a strong Tourejil.
It was indeed an incredible speed.
It would be no exaggeration to say that it was the fastest beast I had ever ridden on this earth.
I had to crouch forward to protect myself from the blowing wind.
Soho supported my back with his hands so that he could hold me tightly, and I thought to see who owned the horses and where this road would end.
* * *
Spending a long time on a horse running at high speed was not very easy.
I had to keep strengthening my body to keep my back from bending due to the wind, and the cold wind constantly hitting my face gave me a slight headache.
Of course, this did not apply to me as a prosthetic body. It was a problem for Soho, who was sitting behind.
It would have been a good thing that I was blocking it from the front.
In the case of other martial artists, it didn’t seem that difficult because they had been trained.
After spending several days on horseback at such incredible speeds, I was able to reach my destination.
Only the collapsed castle wall is visible, but other than that, it is a plain filled with piles of building debris.
“Ugh.”
He accepts Soho getting off the horse in front of him.
“It’s finally over, right?”
Soho was relieved that we had finally arrived, but I looked around and shook my head.
“No matter how you look at it, it doesn’t seem to be the Griffin Kingdom.”
The sky was dark, and the moon had a strangely red glow, which seemed to express ominousness.
As I was looking up at the sky with suspicious eyes, Unyeop approached and explained.
“Not yet Griffin. She said the captain said he would collect it once and then go. “This is the Principality of Balestan.”
“Oh, the Principality of Balestan?!”
Although it was an unexpected name, the Principality of Balestan was a borderland and vassal of an empire.
I heard that the Han Empire is slowly fading away, so it has little power.
Anyway.
The state of the duchy led by Duke Fioren Balestan seemed unusual.
‘I can hear the cries of souls.’
Even though all the souls were accepted into Deius’ body three months ago. Here, the cries of souls could be faintly heard.
“The Principality of Balestan. “There’s a civil war going on right now.”
At Unyeop’s words, Soho and I look at him at the same time. The collapsed castle wall visible over his shoulder stood tall like evidence.
“Did you know that the Duke’s son died in the Clark Republic?”
#1 Succession.
The heir of the Principality of Balestan was killed by the great evil Magan along with his bodyguard, Tom, the shield of the principality.
I know that much, but I don’t know how it affected the Principality of Balestan beyond the other country.
“Originally, the successor would have to be decided among the second- and third-ranked sons…… “The duke couldn’t do that.”
“Hmm?”
“I died suddenly from shock when I heard the news of my eldest son’s death.”
“… ….”
Woonyeop continues speaking.
“So now the remaining sons are fighting among themselves. “It was a good opportunity to become independent, especially since the empire was in a state of disrepair.”
The duke died at the most golden opportunity.
It was said that his sons were fighting hard to become the owners of the empty duchy and to follow in their father’s footsteps and create an independent nation from the Han Empire.
“Our captain also participated as a mercenary, but I guess we have nothing to gain from this now.”
The civil war is not over yet.
That’s what it said.
“It’s quite a complicated land.”
It was quite unpleasant to see that the seeds sown by Magan’s dinner party are still being followed.
However, it was not leisurely enough to suppress the civil war in the Principality of Balestan.
At that time.
A group of people walking from the castle wall.
I heard it was a mercenary group, but their numbers were not large.
However, I could feel the confidence that each and every one of them had considerable skills right from their gait.
And the very front end.
A tall man with blond hair slicked back, reminiscent of a lion’s mane.
The sight of his entire body made of thick leather was reminiscent of a lion.
“This is Lanhardt, the leader of the hunters. He said, “Let’s go right away and say hello.”
‘Hmm?’
While we were walking towards him. Lanhardt sniffs his nose and looks at his Soho.
The moment he stands right in front of you, he lets out an absurd laugh.
“I heard that you recruited a noble person with great confidence, so I did something.”
A thick voice rings low.
The tone similar to the warning of the beast did not end with simple words.
Quad!
“Unyeop.”
“Kuhup!”
Lanhardt’s hand, which grabbed Unyeop’s chin, rose high. He lifted the cloud with one hand and his eyes were still fixed on me and Soho.
“You brought something that wasn’t human?”
“…… !”
In an instant, Soho’s eyes turn to me. Although she was a youkai herself, she seemed surprised that even I had heard that she was not human.
Within range of being bitten at any moment.
I respond without avoiding Lanhardt’s gaze.
“It looks the same?”
Quang!
Lanhart threw the cloud leaf on the floor and came towards me.
The pounding footsteps felt like the sound of drums.
Overwhelmed.
The feeling of being in front of a wild beast weighs on my body.
But more than that, what captured my attention was the yellow light flowing gently from the upper body, which appeared to be wearing only a leather vest.
“Don’t use your mouth in front of anyone.”
It was Lanhardt who was glaring at me with eyes that threatened to kill me at any moment.
Rather, I felt absurd and asked back.
“Eat an ancient dragon?”
“…… !”
Lanhardt’s eyebrows tremble slightly as if he didn’t notice.
I also needed to think differently.
“I don’t think it’s such a good idea.”
He was a man who went far beyond the category of vampires I knew.