325 – Beltane, Land of Vampires (5)
Fortunately, Ripley did not shout “No need!”
Orland slowly organized the information about his compatriots and explained it to me.
Chief warrior Tashmad.
Top warriors Aldred and Grimmeld.
And about 20 high-level warriors, countless middle-level and low-level warriors.
That was the power of Termen in Ludenark revealed by Orland.
Probably, if you include the Termen warriors who contracted as Death Knights after his death, the number would be much higher.
But listening to this, I thought it wasn’t as much as I thought.
‘Because quality is more important than quantity.’
I don’t know the level of skill of the chieftain warriors and top-level warriors because I haven’t encountered them.
But I roughly know the skills of advanced warriors.
Just at the level of an S-class monster.
The Termen Death Knights I encountered in Were high-level warriors, so this is probably certain.
And S-class monsters are monsters that an S-class holder can hunt alone. It is a monster that even A-class holders can easily hunt at the raid level.
In other words, there are 3 warriors who surpass S-class and 20 S-class monsters.
The rest are all A-class monsters or lower, so there is no need to check them in the first place.
‘… It’s really not as much as you think.’
It was an unexpected income.
All vampires are baron-level.
Thermen has only 23 warriors of advanced rank or higher.
This was not a number that could pose much of a threat when the Allied Forces for the Luden Arc were united.
‘That’s why you carried out a terrorist attack on Caroline.’
Only then did I understand the strategy of the Ludenarch School.
The reason for trying to cause damage to the present world by alienating vampires and Termen warriors.
This was because they knew very well that they did not have a high chance of winning in a head-to-head match.
-Big, big. Could you help me, Count Ripley?
Orland, who had been gushing over information about his people, now cleared his throat and asked Ripley.
Of course, Ripley’s eyes are on me.
“Do Jae-hyeon, was this helpful?”
“Yes. Personally, I have almost achieved my purpose for coming to Beltane. Thanks, Ripley. “It’s thanks to you.”
Although we were lucky enough to have Orland as Caroline’s contractor, it was all thanks to Ripley that we were able to get this far.
It was she who served as a guide in , About which I had no information, and it was she who set out to find Caroline’s castle and room within her baronial domain.
… It was a bonus to ask Åland a small question (a threat).
“Well, what are you saying? “I brought you here for a purpose, so don’t say anything unfamiliar.”
Is this a strange word? ?
Anyway, when we achieved all our goals, Orland asked cautiously.
-I… Count Ripley? So, can I go now?
As I listen to that, I suddenly become curious.
Barony Caroline is an area owned by Caroline, who was a vampire.
Seeing that Ripley’s county territory is still intact, it appears that ownership of the territory will be maintained even if he leaves.
However, after the New York terror attack, Caroline was eventually executed after interrogation.
Although vampires are adaptors and special spirits who can communicate with humans, they are criminals who murder ordinary people anyway.
The International Holder Association confirmed his execution due to the opinion that he may commit additional crimes due to his deep connection to the Ludenarch School.
In other words, Baron Caroline is currently dead.
Then, like this.
The owner of the territory did not stop at ‘leaving’…
What happens when we reach ‘death or extinction’?
Ripley unintentionally solved that question.
“Where are you going? “Baronie Caroline would also be a neutral territory anyway.”
-Yes? Didn’t Count Ripley intend to annex this territory?
“Are you crazy? Why am I annexing Baron Caroline’s fiefdom? “This barren, useless land of death.”
-… Isn’t Beltane the land of the dead?
“Seeing as you keep picking on the tail of your words, it seems like you’re using magic-“
-… Called! Your compatriots in neutral territory will think so! Ha ha ha. But I 100% agree with Count Ripley’s opinion. There is no reason for the Count to annex this place. Yes.
After the two people’s story, which I was no longer sure if it was a conversation or a joke, ended, Orland slowly went back into the closet he had been in when he first came.
-Okay then, you two, please rest comfortably. Even if the Barony is declared a neutral territory soon, I will still be here in recognition of my status as a former contractor… If you are curious about my news, you can come to this castle.
Cow wow-.
In that way, Orland handed over valuable information and went into the closet.
… Perhaps because the closet is so old, it feels like you’re in a coffin.
I sat down on the bed of Baroness Caroline next to me.
And then I see Ripley.
I achieved all my goals, but questions still remained.
“Ripley, what is neutral territory? Åland is like that, and so are you. “If you listen to what you say, it seems very important.”
“It’s important, of course.”
Ripley approaches, putting one knee on the bed where I am sitting.
And what I saw the other day…
He looked at me with his bright red eyes.
“Do Jae-hyeon, from now on, this is where you have to keep your promise.”
* * *
The land of Is broadly divided into three categories.
The first is territory.
The That we encountered when we first entered here, the That we were in just now, or the Owned by Ripley…
This is land directly owned and managed by vampire nobles.
Territory occupies the largest proportion of the land in .
In the first place, since this dungeon itself meant the land of vampires, it was bound to have the most territory of the nobles who owned it.
The second is a wasteland.
This is a name given because most of the land that occupies the area has the characteristics of a wasteland, but it was also given this name because it is a land where monsters that do not serve their master roam around.
In the wasteland, minions who have been excommunicated from vampire nobles come to the area, and Dokgodai monsters who do not want to belong anywhere gather.
By human standards, it is a kind of ‘field outside the barrier’.
It was a barren land where no one lived.
And the third is….
“Neutral area. “It is a land that vampires cannot occupy, but it is a place where their minions can claim rights through territorial disputes.”
Ripley said that, causing a light spark.
Hwareuk-!
Kweek-!
A fire attribute attack magic exploded, and Baron Caroline’s minion who was blocking us changed his name.
“… ….”
Defeat minions as easily as breathing.
Akkawan, who was just watching me go into battle, looks completely different.
Perhaps he had to explain it to me now, so it seemed like he wanted to shorten the useless time as much as possible.
Thanks to this, I was listening to her explanation in a very comfortable position.
“The criteria for declaring a neutral area vary, but a territory where the owner has disappeared, such as the Barony of Caroline where we are now, is declared a neutral area 7 days after the relevant noble disappears. “Unless another noble annexes the territory before then.”
After listening to that point, I made my own analogy and asked.
“But Ripley, you didn’t annex the Barony of Caroline because you said it wasn’t good for you. “Then there’s no need for others to engage in neutral territory disputes, right?”
Ripley shook her head lightly.
“It is not a good land for vampires, and it could become a home for the monsters of Beltane who have lost their way.”
“Oh, that’s right.”
“And not all neutral zones are bad. “Among some neutral areas, there are places overflowing with magical materials and resources that even vampires turn their eyes to.”
However, vampires cannot directly participate in the conflict in the neutral area.
This was one of the rules given in .
“But those damn Laculise guys broke that rule. “Cunningly.”
“Laculise?”
“He is an earl, the owner of the estate right next to my estate. “And she’s also a b*tch who takes around nobles.”
Maybe it’s because he’s a nobleman that I dislike, but the harsh swear words from before come out again.
And the real reason Ripley invited me to Was revealed.
Count Laculise.
Her friendly nobles who are described as ‘trembling’.
I felt like I had to resolve the conflict with them.
While listening to her story, I tilted her head and asked her.
“But what does it mean to break the rules? “You took over neutral territory?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“How? “They say vampires can’t be directly involved.”
“That’s right. I can’t get involved directly. Instead, contractors are a different story.”
“… Ah!”
Contractor.
With that word, the questions that were filling my mind were resolved.
Orland, a Termen warrior who signed a contract with Baron Caroline.
From Noble mtl dot com
He said that there were other compatriots who came to , And that they made contracts with vampires and had guardians.
And that means.
“The Termen guys signed a contract and took over the neutral territory. “By the vampires’ instructions.”
This meant that in a neutral area where direct participation of vampires was impossible, indirect participation was possible by cleverly breaking the rules.
Ripley nodded her head.
“That’s okay, we worked together with the nobles and only selected good areas to take over.”
“Ah, then….”
Now I have finally learned why Ripley attempted to ‘escape’ and went to the ‘Escapee’s Room’, the territory of Ludenark.
“That’s right. The reason I left to find contractors and the reason I signed a contract with you are both the same. I couldn’t stand watching those b*tches running around in neutral territory. So….”
After Ripley paused her words slightly.
Soon he looked at me with a smile.
“I signed a contract by raising the level completely. To drive all those damn Termen out of the neutral zone.”
That was the real reason Ripley signed with me.