Chapter 340

Chapter 340

The storm raged fiercely around the ancient castle of Epiacs throughout the night.

The relentless snowstorm outside did not cease, but the walls of Epiacs, which was suspiciously well-maintained, did not let in any drafts.

Of course, that did not mean that the interior of the castle was warm. It became even colder and more chilling at night.

However, the true masters of this place were not bothered by such cold.

That night, in Epiacs...

The elf vampire Lruien and the orc vampire Galarsh sat facing each other in the conference room.

“Lucinil will cooperate, right?”

“Yes, she has always felt guilty towards Eleris for not being able to join the Great War.”

“Hmm. Lucinil aside...” Lruien furrowed her brows as she looked towards the corridor. “I can’t understand what Antirianus is thinking.”

Lruien’s long ears drooped down. The Vampire Council was not convened often, but they had existed for a very long time.

Although they did not see each other frequently, they had had such meetings for a very long time, except for Antirianus, who had relatively recently risen to the position of head.

Galarsh recognized Lruien’s ears meant that she was feeling worried or upset.

“He’s an inscrutable fellow. The circumstances around him being elevated to head of his family are also suspicious.”

At Galarsh’s words, Lruien’s ears perked up. “So, you were thinking that too.”

“Weren’t you thinking along the same lines?”

“Well, I’ve heard that Antirianus acts in many incomprehensible ways, but I can’t be certain...” Lrurien replied hesitantly, and Galarsh nodded.

“Is that so? As for me, I am certain.”

Galarsh’s red eyes bore into Lrurien’s. “I’m sure he killed the previous head of Saturday.”

“... Is there any reason for him to do that?”

“If Maximilia chose death on her own as Antirianus said, she would have waited until she had created that Philosopher’s Stone of hers. But that didn’t happen.”

“... That’s true.”

A reason to live...

The goal of the previous head of Saturday had been to create the Philosopher’s Stone, a mythical object considered the pinnacle of alchemy. She had become a vampire and the head of Saturday for that purpose.

After failing over and over to achieve the goal she’d clung to so desperately, Maximilia had suddenly died, and Antirianus had appeared as the next head. Galarsh had doubted Antirianus from the beginning because of those suspicious circumstances.

He firmly believed that Maximilia had not chosen death on her own terms, but had been killed by Antirianus.

Lruien tilted her head. “But is it even possible for a member of the family to kill their head? That should be impossible.”

“Antirianus was already a mage before he became a vampire.”

“... That’s true.”

“He might have found a way. A way to avoid being dominated,” Galarsh muttered quietly, struggling to fold his muscular arms. “Antirianus became the head of Saturday twenty years after becoming a vampire. Isn’t that suspicious?”

“... It is.”

Twenty years was quite a long time, but to beings like them, it was a fleeting moment. In their eyes, it seemed like Antirianus had become the head of Saturday almost as soon as he’d joined.

They suspected him of killing the previous head and taking over the position. Of course, since this was another family’s internal matter, there was no reason for the two of them to interfere. After all, even if it were true, they had no say in such matters.

Regardless of the facts surrounding this, both agreed that Antirianus was a dangerous individual whose intentions were impossible to discern.

That was why Eleris was wary of Antirianus, who had so easily volunteered cooperation.

“But this time, cooperating with the Demon King...?” Galarsh muttered with a serious expression.

An orc’s serious expression was different from that of a human’s.

From a human perspective, it looked like he was contemplating whom to kill and feast upon.

“Who knows? If the Dark Land is restored, perhaps he plans to kill the Demon King and become the new Demon King himself.”

“... Oh, come on, that’s too far-fetched. There’s no way he’s an Archdemon,” Lruien said with a small shake of her head. That was too extreme.

“There are many possibilities. Plenty,” Galarsh quietly muttered to Lruien.

Lruien’s ears trembled as if she felt a chill. If one had an Archdemon as an ally, it would be one step away from having control over the Demon Realm. If that was truly Antirianus’s goal, then he would surely find a way to do so.

Mages were tenacious beings, and would always find a way if there wasn’t one. Galarsh pondered the situation for a while, his arms crossed, and then his eyes opened as if he had made a decision.

“I will go along with this plan, if that means I can keep an eye on Antirianus.”

Lruien’s eyes widened at her compatriot’s sudden decision.

“... What?!”

“Whatever he is plotting, I can no longer stand by and be an observer to his suspicious actions.”

“... I didn’t know you disliked Antirianus that much, Galarsh.”

“Lruien, I dislike you even more. Why do I have to keep explaining things you already knew but chose to forget?”

Forgetfulness...

At those words, Lruien laughed. “That’s how I endure the passing of time.”

Lruien erased all her memories except for the most necessary ones every two hundred years.

That was why, despite being the oldest among all the Vampire Lords, she could exist without going mad.

Therefore, Galarsh couldn’t help but get annoyed whenever she had to re-explain past events to Lruien, who had forgotten everything.

It wasn’t as if Lruien didn’t care for these old events. On the contrary, she actively pestered Galarsh about them. It was as if she found it a very amusing pastime, hearing from others about things she herself had done but didn’t remember.

Galarsh found it exasperating.

“Do you know why Maximilia tried to create the Philosopher’s Stone?”

“I don’t... Oh, right. Was it for Lucinil?”

Of course, I hadn’t just gained the power of the Vampire Lords themselves. I had also gained access to the forces they commanded.

Antirianus explained the members of each family to me.

This Council was ultimately just a meeting place, and not where they actually lived.

Lruien’s family was located in the northwestern forested region of the continent, in a large coniferous forest region called Linewood.

Galarsh was based in the southern desert, in a place called Gelkorgis.

Antirianus’s own base was in a local village in a state called Alphanera, one of the vassal states of the empire.

The three of them, regardless of their distance or proximity to the human world, each commanded their own families.

“As you might have guessed, I am alone,” said Eleris.

She was the only member of the Tuesday family. This was expected, as Eleris had never mentioned her family despite being the head of the family of Tuesday.

“Same with me.”

Lucinil also did not command a family. Judging by her demeanor, it was somewhat expected that she wouldn’t be able to actually lead any group.

Powerful Vampire Lords, and the powerful vampires known as their families... It felt like I had gained an army with just a few words.

I felt a shiver run down my spine. I was getting involved in increasingly dangerous matters, and achieving some success.

I was now truly capable of waging war.

The weight of that thought made it hard to breathe, but I couldn’t hesitate. I had decided to do whatever it took to prevent the Gate Incident.

“The reason I sought you out was, strictly speaking, more for knowledge than for any military force.”

Everyone stared at me intently, as if wondering what I meant.

‘Could this place truly be the key? If it is indeed the key, I would be freed from all the troubles that have plagued me until now.’

With the hope that this could be the beginning...

“First, do you know how to open a dimensional gate to another world?”

These Vampire Lords, who were also powerful mages, might know the secret that could free me from my cruel fate.

“Second, if you don’t know, do you know of any magical organizations that might know such things, or where they are based? For example, the Black Order or Cantus Magna.”

It went without saying that they all looked at me as if I had gone mad.

“A dimensional gate to another world?” Lruien asked as she tilted her head. “Why are you curious about that?”

“... I’ve lived for a long time, but this is the first time I’ve heard such a bizarre thing,” Galarsh said, showing me what an orc’s confused expression looked like.

Lucinil seemed to have given up on understanding me.

Only Antirianus showed an expression of interest. “Another world...”

Ultimately, the core issue was why I wanted to know such a thing.

They wouldn’t believe me if I said it was to save the world, since I had initially gained their cooperation under the pretext of rebuilding the Demon Realm.

“The Dark Land has lost a lot of its power. It has suffered almost irreversible losses. Even with your cooperation, it would be difficult to overthrow the empire.”

What I was going to say felt like an absurd statement, but I had no choice.

“Therefore, I intend to join forces with beings from another world.”

It sounded like nonsense, saying that I would bring an army from another world because there were too few in this reality who would support me.

I couldn’t help but notice their expressions growing increasingly bizarre.

***

My words stirred up quite a commotion.

Questions flew around the room about what kind of nonsense I was spouting, whether another world even existed, and if it did, why those beings would help me.

This confusion was most evident with Lruien and Galarsh, who initially thought I was strange but now seemed convinced I was insane.

They seemed a little afraid of me after the nonsense I had just spewed.

Lucinil squinted at me. ‘This guy is really crazy,’ her expression said.

Antirianus, who found my words so unexpected, chuckled.

It was quite eerie to see the old man laugh like that.

“If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. I’m just saying there’s no harm in trying. Who says there’s no other way?” I said.

It was just a “something that wouldn’t hurt to try" kind of thing, so it was worth discussing. While it seemed almost worthy enough to be dismissed out of hand, I had no other excuse.

Therefore, I needed the answer to the first question—whether they had such knowledge.

Judging by the expressions of Lruien, Galarsh, and Lucinil, none of them had ever thought about such a thing.

It was the same with Antirianus.

No one on the Vampire Council knew how to open a portal to another world.

“Alright, if none of you know, that’s fine. Then what about the second question?”

Once again, their reactions were lukewarm. Despite their long lives, these were immortals who lived somewhat indifferently, and so it was unlikely that they would have much information about this world.

However...

“If we’re talking about Cantus Magna, I once worked with them,” Antirianus suddenly said.

“R-Really?!”

It wasn’t me who let out that shrill exclamation, but Lucinil.

“Yes, Lucinil.”

Judging by the reactions, it seemed that all the other Vampire Lords at the table were equally surprised. None of them could hide their astonishment.

“That was before I became a vampire, though...”

Antirianus was the key to reaching Cantus Magna.