329 – Preparation (1)
“Now, here.”
“… ….”
Ripley was speechless when he saw the authentication plaque I handed him.
The neutral region of Gives an ‘owner certification plaque’ if you succeed in challenging and conquering each region.
It is a certification plate with the image of blood engraved on gray-colored metal, and just by looking at the exterior, you can tell that it is an item related to vampires.
“This is it…” .”
“Yes. Ripley: I’ve completed conquering all of the neutral areas you mentioned. “The Termen guys were killed cleanly.”
And there are a total of 9 certification plaques in my hand.
It was a certification plaque for the 9 neutral regions that Ripley and I targeted when we first planned our attack.
After telling Ripley, “I will come back,” I succeeded in capturing all of my targets in less than a day.
Ripley looked at me and the certification plate in confusion, then burst into laughter.
“Do Jae-hyun, this is a result that is truly yours.”
“What is the result of being me?”
“Hmph. Do you think you know everything without knowing? “I know it’s been less than a month since I signed a contract with you.”
I think I know the feeling.
Probably, it means getting your work done as quickly as possible.
That is an unavoidable characteristic of my personality.
As I became stronger in a very short period of time through [Rune Hunter] And other runes, I developed a habit of quickly solving problems by using that force when a problem arose.
At first, it started out as an attempt to destroy the plans of the Clan or the Ludenarch School, but as time went by, such habits were also displayed in these kinds of requests.
“But Ripley, what do you plan to do with the neutral territories when I leave Beltane?”
I have become the owner of 9 neutral territories, but I am an outsider who must leave Anyway.
Even if there were ‘challenges’ from other minions or residents, the conditions were not in place to accept them.
I already knew this, but I asked again just in case.
But Ripley snorted and answered.
“I told you. I have no intention of becoming obsessed. “I’ll just leave it as is.”
“… “So did you really start this to screw other nobles?”
“Do you want to die?”
“Sorry.”
When Ripley calls me ‘you’, I feel reverent for no reason.
She sighed and answered my question.
“There is a thing called balance in Beltane. “The reason nobles do not hastily invade each other’s territory is because they all have their own interests and balance of power.”
Ripley continued, lightly flipping her hair.
“I just didn’t like how the Termen warriors upset the balance in vampire society. “Count Laculise and the nobles under him encouraged it, so I issued a warning.”
“Aha….”
“Now the neutral zone will literally return to a neutral zone. “If any residents or minions take over it after that, it is no longer my concern.”
While listening to that, I somehow thought Ripley was cool.
Is this the quality of a noble vampire?
Although she spoke as if nothing had happened, a subtle elegance emanated from her tone of voice and gestures.
“That’s cool.”
So, she expressed her honest feelings out loud.
Ripley was then seen to be visibly embarrassed.
“Well, what are you saying?”
“No, just. “I said what I felt.”
“Hmph! Anyway, this is the end of what I’m asking you to do in Beltane.”
“Uh… So does our contract end?”
Ripley is clearly something outside the standard.
A contractor whose level I cannot yet control with my rune level and command.
For that reason, the contract we made was also a temporary contract based on her will.
And now, the conditions she wanted and the things I asked for have ended in a mutually satisfying result.
It was safe to say that the contract had ended.
“What do you mean, that?”
But Ripley, as usual, crossed her arms and stared at me.
I can never accept your words-.
That will was evident in his eyes.
“Did you forget that you agreed to give your heart? “You can’t escape until that heart is destroyed.”
-To make a contract, you must sacrifice your heart.
The first thing Ripley said when he signed a contract with me.
It was a condition with a terrible meaning, but it became nothing due to the deceptive purifying effect of the [Myeongjyeongsu] Rune.
Thanks to that, I was able to fulfill my contract with Ripley as promised and did not incur any penalty.
And Ripley still firmly believes in that penalty.
‘… ‘I guess I have to tell you now.’
I thought I should tell the truth.
It would be nice to continue her contract like this without her knowing, but did she become attached to her during the short time she spent with her?
I didn’t want to continue making meaningless contracts while deceiving each other.
So, it was the moment when I made up my mind and opened my mouth.
“Ripley, about that… “
“I don’t know. “Anyway, the contract remains in effect.”
Suddenly Ripley turned her head, pretending not to hear him.
Attitude as if he expected what I was going to say.
It was only when I saw that sword-like appearance that I finally realized.
‘… ‘Did you know?’
She already knew that the [Permeating Seed] Effect had failed.
Perhaps this is natural.
I didn’t spend a long time with you, but the strong recognize the strong.
She was a contractor who had a deeper understanding of my strength and abilities than anyone else.
Everyone must have known that I have an extremely excellent compatibility with the curse series and that I have not experienced any status abnormalities.
In that case, he would have predicted that his ‘seed’ wasn’t eaten either.
In fact, not knowing was even stranger.
As I thought about that, I suddenly burst into laughter.
“Well, what can I say….”
Now that everything is over.
She is still saying that she wants to continue her contract.
Before, I thought she was just giggling, but now I know that it was just her clumsy way of expressing herself.
So I said with a small smile.
“Ripley, this is a result worthy of you.”
“Do you want to die? Why do you follow me? “What is the result of being me?”
“Well, everyone else knows except you, right? No, is it just me who knows? Anyway….”
I lightly extend my right hand to her.
What happened to the seed or the process was no longer important.
What’s really important is-.
“Please continue to take good care of me, Ripley.”
Beltane’s noble vampire count, Ripley.
That she is still one of my valued contractors.
This was a truth that even the system that bound us acknowledged.
And.
“Hmph. “Why do you keep saying the obvious?”
Ripley holds his hand without turning his head.
… She was a girl who did her best even though she was making noises.
* * *
“Why did you come so late, why-.”
“I went to the dungeon and came back two days later?!”
“I don’t know! Late.”
When I returned to Korea, Kim Chae-eun was the first to welcome me.
From Noble mtl dot com
… Of course, since she lives right next door.
She scolded me for saying that it had been so long since we had seen each other.
In particular, she said, “Do you know how hard we worked to get rid of your passionate followers?” No matter how much she thought about it, it was difficult to understand what this meant.
Anyway, after returning to Korea.
I first took care of the many tasks that were piled up.
First and foremost, it’s about the clan.
As Is a new clan, there is a lot of work to be done with each passing day, but since I was freeing up that important time on my personal schedule, difficulties in operation were bound to arise.
“Meet the Master.”
“Ah, Hyeyoung. Long time no see.”
“Yes. “I’ve even forgotten what it looks like.”
“… “It seems like there are too many bones in the words. I’m mistaken, right?”
“Are you hoping it’s an illusion?”
“… Sorry.”
I bowed my head at the cold gaze of secretary team leader Lim Hye-young.
Each person, including the clan master, has been absent from the clan for nearly two weeks.
It was a shame that about three or four of those days were taken care of while taking care of official schedules in the U.S., But if I had been away for the entire two weeks while traveling, I would have been guilty of high treason.
“It’s okay. “Please continue making payments from now on.”
“Payment? Oh yeah. If you need anything, just tell me. I already created a clan corporate card this time….”
“It is payment, not payment.”
Chin-.
Lim Hye-young lightly cut me off and held out a mountain of documents.
Without an agent.
Documents that only require direct approval from the clan master.
“… Ah.”
After seeing that, I realized the reality.
That’s right.
The best corporal punishment that the secretary team leader can give to the clan master.
As soon as I returned, I fell into paperwork hell.
* * *
“Kwaeook…” “I’m dying.”
The sound of a song comes out naturally.
After staying up most of the night for a few days to take care of clan business, I felt like my brain was melting.
After all, people should not put off what they have to do.
If you put it off thinking that tomorrow’s work will be taken care of by tomorrow’s me, in the end, after today’s me, it will be tomorrow’s me. Nothing changed.
“The pain has gotten worse since I didn’t see you.”
I hear a deep voice urging me.
He was Professor Tak Won-ho, director of the Seoul Holder Academy Foundation.
Where we are now is Professor Tak Won-ho’s private teaching office.
The second of the problems that arose during my vacation was that I had come to see my teacher to take care of something related to the academy.
“Master. It’s not a big deal. I really almost died. Death from overwork.”
“That is the weight of a leader.”
“… “Even if you say something nice to me in this situation, it won’t work.”
Professor Tak Won-ho is known even within the academy as being rigid and principled.
But when he talked to me, he often said jokes like this.
That is how deep the friendship between me and Master is.
A year and a half had already passed since I was with him, and I felt like time was passing by so quickly.
“Stop making a fuss and read this first.”
Master suddenly stood up and handed me a piece of paper.
And there….
“Because you deliver top-notch results in every request you take on, the foundation’s board of directors also had trouble with the issue of compensation for a while. I feel like no matter what I do, it won’t be worth it. “This is a temporary plan that came out in the meantime.”
… There was an unconventional proposal written on it that would solve my schedule problem at the academy.