30 Years Have Passed Since the Prologue
chapter-199

As is the case in all human settlements, proverbs inevitably bear similarities across countries, ethnicities, and even dimensional barriers of other worlds.

For instance, the saying “A mouse hears at night and a bird hears during the day” can be interpreted in Krasilov as follows.

Daytime rumors are gathered by the Domestic Intelligence Bureau of the Counterintelligence Command. If the target is a noble or a prominent figure, the collection is even more meticulous. The efficiency of the Domestic Intelligence Bureau reaches a level where it can even determine the number of teacups placed in the salons of regional nobles.

As for nighttime gossip, at least within the city of Prichenkaya, it is listened to by vampires. (Bats have hearing capabilities that can reach at least six times that of humans within audibility frequencies.)

Of course, the Domestic Intelligence Bureau operates efficiently at night as well, and vampires have keen hearing during the day, meaning both are capable of collecting rumors regardless of time.

“Oh….”

“Wow….”

Sitting closely together on the terrace beyond the curtains instead of the eaves, the master and disciple swallowed in awe.

Lucia, with her eyes covered, continuously let out exclamations. For reference, she was eavesdropping on matters beyond the wall anyway, so covering her eyes did not render the information opaque. Rather, it was a means of focusing on her hearing.

“Ugh…. Is that happening over there…?”

“Wow…. That’s something.”

In the cultural powerhouse of Goryeo, during such moments, it was common to poke holes in the paper (changhoji) to take a look. Unfortunately, this culture disappeared at a point when covering windows with paper was no longer practiced.

However, the vampires of Krasilov possessed a relentless tenacity and meticulousness that did not wane just because the material of the window was not paper. Bats, being creatures capable of using echolocation, can convert sound within audible frequencies into visual representations.

Thus, it is quite close to saying that they can see merely by listening.

Especially with repetitive sounds.

Especially with intense sounds.

Fortunately, they were not dogs, so they did not feel anxious about repetitive and intense sounds.

“But Master…?”

“Uh… Hmm?”

“Is it really okay not to block it?”

“Block? What? Why?”

“No, um, well…? Uh…?”

Lucia, who had been focusing intently, tilted her head while gazing at the face of her respected master through her fingers.

To put it frankly, the image that she had of Ivan did not exceed the realm of “admiration for a competent yet unlucky older brother.”

He was an extraordinary person, capable and somewhat unlucky, and even had a bit of taste to him, but nonetheless.

But wasn’t her master different? Enrique openly tossed flirtations at Ivan. The depth of feelings and the sheer time they had spent together were not the same.

And for Lucia, who was in a half-human, half-vampire state, the ethical consciousness of humans was somewhat greater, meaning that for her, a romantic partner was a one-to-one match fundamentally.

“Um, why… if our princess… no, if Her Majesty monopolizes this execution, then there’s no chance for you, Master, right?”

“Huh? What do you mean by that?”

“Excuse me?”

The opinions of the complete vampire seemed to differ.

“Will Elize live for another 60 years?”

“…What?”

Surprisingly, a nearby elf imprisoned in the same underground dungeon shared the same opinion.

“Will anyone else be around in 60 years? I’ll still look this pretty.”

“I can’t deny that… Uh, well. If I must say… even the death penalty will age.”

“Aha!”

Enrique chuckled and nodded. Since Ivan is human, he will inevitably grow old.

Unlike the young elf, this cunning vampire had a clear alternative in mind regarding this matter.

“All you need to do is bite once.”

“Wow.”

“So what? I’m the elder, so what can they do?”

“That’s true.”

Lucia, who had allocated more ethical modules towards the vampire aspect than the human aspect, nodded in admiration.

“Um, but wouldn’t it be better to bite now then?”

“Eh, I can’t win right now.”

“…What?”

“Sigh, who knows… it’s about fifty-fifty? A bit outmatched in direct confrontation, but slightly advantageous in a prolonged battle? It changes a bit depending on the situation and conditions… I don’t know. I can’t be sure.”

But humans cannot escape aging.

“Humans weaken as they grow old, but vampires grow stronger with age. Remember this, Lucia. Among all beings in this world, time is always distinctly on our side. Never be hasty in any circumstance.”

“Thank you for the teaching.”

“Yep. Anyway, there’s nothing we can do. Bring me a blood pack, Lucia.”

Lucia felt her respect for her mentor growing even larger and nodded with emotion. Enrique closed his eyes, savoring the emergency blood pack that Lucia provided.

“Glug.”

“Wow, is it going up from there…? Ugh… gulp.”

*

Ivan took a short breath before getting up. The scent was disorienting. And he couldn’t help but pay attention to something else.

He casually draped a blanket around him and walked briskly towards the window, throwing it wide open.

“Oh.”

“Hello, my disciple?”

Enrique, who was waving his hands cheerfully, and Lucia, with her flushed face, were visible in the corner of the terrace.

Under the cool night air, Ivan cooled his steaming body and asked.

“What are you doing here?”

“Just sightseeing…?”

“Visiting you…?”

The two vampires chuckled as they replied. It was interesting that Enrique was more candid than Lucia.

“Uh, I can’t get up right now, Master. My, my legs are all numb…”

“It was indeed too extreme a spectacle to use as educational material.”

Sadly, there was no axe in the chambers of the palace. Ivan didn’t panic and raised his fist. At his appearance, Enrique chuckled and stood up swiftly.

“Is Elize alright?”

“She’s asleep.”

“Shouldn’t we say that she’s passed out…?”

Enrique glanced at the situation inside the bedroom and clicked his tongue. There was a silhouette of a dignified lady collapsed in a compromising position.

“Is there something that needs to be reported?”

“To whom? To Elize? Nah, really, I just came to see you since you woke up. I was just waiting because I felt awkward coming in for a visit!”

In cases like this, shouldn’t one wait and attempt eavesdropping instead of coming back another time?

Ivan shook his head at the common sense of this primitive, pre-modern fantasy world.

“A respectable noblewoman shouldn’t make such troubling sounds…”

“I want to make her a dignified vampire.”

“Alright, your rationality seems intact, and your emotional side appears fine as well. Let’s take a quick walk.”

Enrique smiled and gestured towards the garden beyond the terrace.

“I have so many things I want to hear about.”

Veolgrin has vanished. Whether dead or obliterated is uncertain, but essentially, there is no difference. It means he is no longer in this world.

The elves created the Seven Warlords and died. In other words, it means the Seven Warlords can ‘be created.’ Although it requires artifacts of the caliber of a Milestone, can one really guarantee that such things exist in this world?

The important implication is the two of them.

There are now extremely few figures within the allied kingdoms that can stop the Seven Warlords, and at least four more exist that are as powerful as the Seven Warlords.

And somewhere, a new Seven Warlord may yet be born.

“It is indeed a time of turmoil.”

Having heard all the explanations, Enrique smiled bitterly and shook his head. Moonlight illuminated the garden. All sorts of flowers brightly adorned the garden of the Prichenkaya palace in the spring.

“Now, the ones left are just me, Einar, that idiot, and Patricia. That’s all there is.”

“Patricia must have lost her power.”

“Yeah. There are no more hero parties left in the allied kingdoms.”

Ivan was not surprised by the news of the disappearance of divine power. If the ‘world free from divine interference’ that Veolgrin mentioned had arrived, then it would be normal for divine power to have vanished.

Even if blessings were granted out of whim, the disappearance of all forms of divine power would mean the weakening of the alliance.

The healing arts of priests were an extremely valuable strategic resource on the battlefield.

“The authority of the church will fall to the ground. Was that the plan all along?”

“Excuse me?”

“Veolgrin asked me to protect Patricia. He must have anticipated this.”

“Shall we take a guess at what will follow?”

Enrique stretched and continued speaking.

“Even if divine power disappears and authority diminishes, not everyone will lose their faith. However, now the integrity of the church… let’s say, the ‘purity of faith’ will begin to be questioned.”

“Power holders whose authority is questioned tend to divert attention with extreme policies.”

“Do you think the Pope will do the same?”

“Was there ever any power as strong as the Pope’s?”

“Then what form might that ‘extreme’ policy take?”

“It will incite internal strife.”

Enrique nodded readily at Ivan’s words. Divisive governance is akin to the basic tenet of control.

“What would be the justification?”

“I would guess something like, ‘The unbelievers have corrupted the church from within, and thus God has abandoned us.’ What do you think?”

“I agree. Is there anything that comes after that, my disciple?”

“Veolgrin asked me to protect Patricia.”

To ask someone to protect another essentially means the latter is exposed to danger.

In other words,

“Simply identifying and interrogating a few people would not be very helpful. To alleviate the Pope’s burdens, it would be appropriate to dispose of someone whose presence would cause significant ripples.”

“By the way, Patricia has been in this country since the year before last.”

“It is a convenient explanation that a high-ranking priest who had gone abroad apostatized.”

Ivan closed his eyes heavily.

“Tylesse has become a demi-god, and Kalion is no longer a single nation. The political landscape of the United Kingdom will now change.”

The United Kingdom consists of a loose federation of ten countries, encompassing all human nations united against the demon army.

Excluding the nations that perished in those days, there are ten countries. Among them, Kalion, Tylesse, Drovian, and Krasilov are often classified as powerful nations.

This classification isn’t just based on territory, military mobilization capacity, and economic strength.

It indicates those who had to endure the most sacrifices in the war against the demon army and still survived without perishing. Thus, these nations were able to reap the most spoils of war.

Other countries, apart from these four, did not dare to establish military and colonial rule over the demon territories. The power gap between them would only widen over time.

However, now, Kalion is divided, and Tylesse has lost more than half of its national structure.

In the aftermath, the current period could be aptly called the ‘struggling times for everyone.’ The majority of the population suffered losses in the war, and the economy is in shambles.

During these difficult times, rulers tend to blame their shortcomings on foreign machinations rather than their own. That’s the more rational approach.

“If, in the midst of it all, the papacy officially condemns Krasilov…”

“Crusaders will rise.”

“Crusaders?”

“Crusader Army.”

The Demon King’s territory is too distant, inhospitable, and dangerous. The Seven Warlords are beings that the legion cannot contend with.

However, there are hardly any strong figures comparable to the Seven Warlords left in the United Kingdom. All who could be described as immediate deployment candidates have already perished.

Veolgrin, Maximilian, Jill Ber, Einar. These four constituted the real strength of the Hero Party.

Maximilian’s disappearance is already widely known, and the news of Jill Ber’s death has long since spread within the alliance.

Veolgrin’s death, although not widely known, did not matter much as he was never held in high regard within the United Kingdom. Elves do not interfere directly in inland politics. (Indirectly, they always do.)

Lastly, Einar…

“We cannot leave Drovian.”

As soon as Einar, who leads the troops, becomes absent, Drovian will fall into disarray. The kingdom of those barbarians is maintained solely by Einar’s personal charisma.

Einar even had to bring his wife and children to the battlefield, as he deemed the frontline with the magical beasts to be safer than his homeland.

“My goodness.”

Enrique chuckled as he looked at Ivan.

“Are you isolated now?”

Without doing anything, he found himself in an isolated situation.

In response to Enrique’s words, Ivan nodded sagely.

“The alliance is over, Enrique.”

The dwarves, classified as a magical army, have allied with Krasilov. The elves, previously part of the alliance, have attempted to extend their reach inland.

The Papacy, which had led the faith of all and maintained the center of the alliance, is now declaring a crusade against the alliance itself.

Now there are no gods in this land, and thus humans have become more human than ever before, living through the world in a more humane form than any time or moment in history.

“It is a chaotic era.”

This must be human instinct.

Historically, humans originally belonged to carnivorous species that devour each other, whether through states, economies, cultures, or even ideologies.