Episode 65 – A Grave Threat (5)
The sudden appearance of unidentified monsters in the northeastern region was, to those who barely survived direct combat, akin to terrible devils crawling out of hell.
They weren’t like ordinary beasts. As if receiving swift and precise commands from someone, they moved as one organism, continuing their destructive foraging and warfare.
Even with the use of all means at their disposal, no matter how many were killed, wave after wave of these terrifyingly strong monsters kept coming—like dark night waves pounding relentlessly. Viewing such a sight without succumbing to fear was not easy.
However, up until now, this had been the story only for those who had directly experienced it.
For those who hadn’t faced it, the fears expressed by the refugees were still perceived as merely the lament of the weak who lived on the margins of the continent, at the edges of its edges.
As a result, even those in high positions, like Marcela, had room for other thoughts.
Like right now, for instance.
“Of course, the enemy will attempt a breakthrough by leading with their large combat units. Their goal is to collapse our formation, so they’ll likely target the center, and even if their forces are insufficient, the flanks should be safe.”
“So, disregarding everything else, your judgment is that we just need to avoid those giants, correct?”
Marcela calmly conversed with her. The topic of their discussion was, of course, the impending battle, and Marcela asked questions to which her counterpart responded without hesitation or disturbance.
‘Of course, there’s something. Something is definitely here.’
Throughout this exchange, Marcela didn’t take her eyes off the other woman for a single moment.
The vampire nobility, known for their exceptional beauty, possessed a radiant charm that didn’t fall short even when compared to those aristocrats. Her brilliant silver hair and vivid red eyes, even more striking than Marcela’s vampire self, were impressive.
However, the reason Marcela couldn’t take her eyes off her wasn’t solely because of her appearance.
Marcela could sense something entirely different emanating from her—not just from humans, but from all other demons she had met up until now.
‘There’s something I want to uncover.’
Marcela herself wasn’t yet sure exactly what it was. Nevertheless, from the moment she’d first sensed it, she felt a strong impulse to understand it.
Perhaps it was an impulse innate to her race of vampires, who formed pacts through the blood of the strong and absorbed strength via the blood of the weak.
With that in mind, Marcela resolved without hesitation to resolve this impulse.
“Your answers are fluid, and your knowledge of the enemies seems profound, surpassing anyone else’s. That explains why that Orc mercenary captain values you so much.”
Just as what seemed like an intense strategic discussion concluded, to a casual observer.
Marcela smiled faintly, lightening the mood. The exploratory phase was over—it was time to get to the main topic.
“To my eyes, Lya, you seem capable of achieving much more than leading a mere mercenary band.”
As the atmosphere slightly softened, Marcela casually poured the woman a drink.
The bottle and its crimson contents were nothing out of the ordinary, just regular alcohol. Taking the glass, she quietly examined it.
‘She hasn’t revealed her true self yet, it seems.’
Marcela had not summoned her simply to discuss strategies; she was well aware of that.
In reality, the wine Marcela offered was “Hemaroma,” crafted directly by vampires, a delicacy only their nobility could indulge in. To other races, it doubled as a potent aphrodisiac.
“Do you really intend to stay with that mercenary band?”
“Kruiger is a talented captain. He’s worth observing.”
Even knowing this, the woman slowly brought the glass to her lips.
Marcela smirked, preparing to extract the information she desired once her guest became incapacitated. Any ordinary human could not remain unaffected by the drink.
At least, she intended to strip away the thorough mask this woman wore.
“…”
However, from the moment she tilted her throat, finishing the drink, no change occurred.
Her pale skin never flushed red, and her eyes remained unaffected by intoxication.
‘Stupid girl.’
Faced with an outcome contrary to her expectations, Marcela froze in place as the woman calmly set the glass back down.
After all, given all the genetic information she had absorbed so far, the vampire genome had naturally been among them.
With the vast collective consciousness within her, storing all that data and manipulating the universal cells inside her body in real-time, such tricks were laughable.
In fact, she had already prepared samples resistant to nearly all poisons and drugs from various demons after collecting data on them, making her practically immune to any substance.
“This is a fine wine.”
“Hah, Ha!”
She smiled faintly, and Marcela ultimately let out a nervous laugh.
It was clear that she had taken a blow, and her curiosity about this woman only deepened.
But having come this far, there was nothing more Marcela could do—her pride wouldn’t allow it.
*
“That knight Marcela. She’s a quintessential and arrogant vampire noble. If the situation were different, she would have likely done worse and pursued the queen’s manifestation.”
“It was interesting enough. The reaction was delightful as it was.”
Eventually, Marcela sent me back, unharmed, outside the garrison. In that final moment, her eyes sparkled, seeming to anticipate the next encounter.
However, Syla, who once belonged to the same race, watched this and scornfully clicked her tongue.
“Still, it wasn’t a total loss—we did gain some information.”
Above all, through our conversation, I learned more detailed circumstances, which would certainly help in the upcoming war and could not possibly do harm.
“In the end, the expression and reaction that person will show when he truly discovers the queen’s identity will make his current demeanor look like a drop in the ocean.”
“Indeed. Will he be as satisfying as Ludras?”
Ludras also met his end knowing my true identity.
The expression of futility and bewilderment he showed upon realizing the leader of a naturally occurring monster faction could understand and communicate with him had been a thrilling experience for me.
Including Syla, the collective consciousness tied to my emotions was naturally influenced by it.
“Shall I try more of them?”
Although it wasn’t my intention this time, the fact that interacting with high-ranking demons, including Marcela, was more entertaining than expected was undeniable.
After all, didn’t I too once enjoy changing the game’s dynamics through diplomacy and deals rather than mere war?
While cultivating a legion is something I continue to do in real-time, it’s almost like following a pre-written program.
On the other hand, continuing to grow Kruiger’s mercenary band into an emerging military faction promised the chance to create opportunities greater than my previous encounter with Marcela.
Through that, we could continuously extract beneficial information for us.
“Prepare for battle. It’s time to march.”
The stage for that is already within reach.
The main force, including Kruiger’s mercenary band and Marcela’s vampire knight unit, began to march one after another as the sun began to rise the following day.
‘I need to crush as much of Count Agor’s main forces as possible while building up Kruiger’s mercenary band to gain a stronghold.’
There are several objectives to accomplish.
The most important one is obviously to win the war and force Agor into a position where he is forced to desperately defend the key areas of his territory.
There are 100,000 Orc warriors mobilized from Agor’s forces in this battle. Destroying over half of them is the goal.
Having too much success, however, wouldn’t work. If we annihilate Agor’s forces outright, it would create a sense of crisis, leading other lords to focus on their defenses or prompting superior lords to intervene.
Our best bet is to win as slowly and as drawn-out as possible.
The second goal is to annihilate the vampires, including Marcela. It’s not simply to measure Syla’s combat capabilities—it also ties into political objectives.
Based on the information gathered from Marcela, there is a rivalry between Agor and Marcela.
Our plan is to annihilate Marcela’s troops and create the impression that Agor intentionally used them as a shield.
The last target is to ensure Kruiger’s mercenary band makes a stellar performance.
“Let’s go with a dramatic rescue and escape story.”
Of course, this part, too, has been planned for a long time. As long as the war flows according to my plan, achieving it with no issues is entirely possible.
“Seems like you had a pleasant experience despite the absence of significant issues before the war. You’re the only one smiling in anticipation of the upcoming battle.”
“Trust me. Through this war, ‘we’ will undoubtedly grow stronger.”
Kruiger looked at me as if he couldn’t understand why.
To that, I responded with a statement laden with meaning.
