Building A Human Empire By Creating A Clan [EN]: Chapter 58

Creating a Vassal to Build a Human Empire Chapter 60 (60/185)

A Big Catch

###

“······.”

Duke Majenkin was silent.

He stared blankly at the knight.

He looked as if he couldn’t believe the report he had just heard.

The knight was sweating under his heavy gaze.

“…Trella and Lopska are dead?”

At his question, the knight nodded silently.

The Duke clenched his fist so hard that his knuckles turned white.

His face turned red in an instant, and blood vessels burst in his eyes.

“This, this brat! Who does he think he’s dealing with!”

Unable to contain his anger, he stomped his foot.

The arena shook as his magic-infused foot struck the ground.

The cheers abruptly ceased as an earthquake occurred in the middle of the match.

Even the slaves who were stabbing each other stopped their actions.

“C-Compose yourself, Your Grace.”

The knight staggered and tried to calm the Duke.

“Would you be able to compose yourself if you were me!”

The booming voice echoed throughout the arena.

The spectators sitting near the upper seats covered their ears.

The spectators sitting far away realized the cause of the earthquake.

They exchanged glances and cautiously left the arena.

‘His voice is disgustingly loud.’

Pasimea grumbled telepathically.

If her magic hadn’t enveloped me for a moment, I would have been covering my ears as well.

“How did they die? Are you sure they’re really dead?”

“Assassination. When we went to announce the meeting according to your orders… they had already been murdered in their rooms.”

“······.”

The Duke took a deep breath.

He was trying to suppress his rising anger.

His whole body trembled, and his face was red.

He stood there for a moment, receiving everyone’s attention.

“What about the others?”

“The other three are safe. They were able to avoid danger thanks to anticipating the situation and preparing for an ambush.”

No one in this place asked who the culprit was.

The unfolding situation clearly pointed to the culprit.

“Damn it… I should have given them a heads up beforehand.”

He regretted it and ran a hand over his face.

“What should we do?”

“What do you mean, what should we do! You must have told them the story! We have to go to the Royal Palace! We must continue the meeting. I’m going to kill that damn brat!”

The Duke turned to me and shouted irritably.

“You come too!”

“Me, you say?”

“Hugo, you’re also entangled with the Blood Clan!”

Then he looked at Pasimea.

“And I need your master’s power too.”

Pasimea frowned slightly at the word ‘master’.

“Understood.”

###

Under the Duke Majenkin’s escort, we headed to the Royal Palace.

The Royal Palace and the arena were far apart, almost on opposite sides.

It was to prevent the commotion of the arena from reaching the Royal Palace, but now, with the threat of Hugo and the Blood Clan, the distance felt too far.

“Your Grace!”

The escort shouted urgently.

The Duke twisted his body to avoid an arrow.

The arrow, barely the length of a hand, was embedded in the wall of a building.

“You bastard…!”

The Duke pulled out the arrow and threw it in the direction it came from.

The attacker, who had been crouching on the roof of the building, was pierced through the head.

【Lv. 17】

‘A minion, huh.’

Whitish smoke leaked from the pierced forehead.

The smoke spread from the wound, burning flesh, blood, and bone.

In the place where it burned, a translucent crystal remained as a trace.

It was proof that he was a vampire or its minion, and some called it a salt crystal [a residue left after a vampire minion is destroyed].

“The surveillance is increasing.”

“It’s not the Blood Clan. They don’t seem that strong.”

Calliope and Pasimea said telepathically.

The city was in chaos as a battle broke out in the downtown area.

Flames and screams erupted throughout the city where hundreds of thousands lived.

Hugo and the Blood Clan were not only targeting the Duke and me.

They targeted everyone who could be a threat throughout Sodomora.

Citizens hid inside buildings or ran away in all directions.

The minions hid among them and attacked the Duke’s party.

“Seriously, what is this, cockroaches or something?”

Pasimea grumbled.

“Don’t stop! You never know when or where they’ll pop out!”

Despite the Duke’s warning, the escort continued to suffer casualties.

Minions attacked from crowds, alleys, sewers, and all sorts of places.

They looked like ordinary humans on the outside, but their hearts were monsters.

They screamed like drug-crazed fanatics and ambushed us.

“Aaaagh!”

The escort who was embraced by a citizen turned into a minion screamed.

Fangs dug deep into his exposed neck.

The sound of blood sucking was audible to those around.

“You mosquito bastard!”

The angry knight cut the minion in half.

The level of the minions was mostly very low.

From single digits to, at most, mid-teens.

But their numbers showed no sign of decreasing.

“Haa… haa…!”

Even though the Duke had made thorough preparations, he couldn’t stop the fatigue.

‘It’s the difference between a vassal and a human.’

I scanned the bodies of the minions lined up behind the group.

“How many are hiding? Are they crazy?”

“Indeed. It’s more than expected.”

Pasimea shook her head.

The vassals must have destroyed several Blood Clan strongholds.

Even after losing so many minions in the strongholds, there are still this many?

The number far exceeded expectations and had taken root in Sodomora.

“It’s dangerous.”

“Should we call Griff and Gerhard right now? Don’t delay.”

“Are you worried about me?”

Pasimea flinched and averted her gaze.

“…Not really.”

Calliope narrowed her eyes as she watched her.

Pasimea touched her ponytail and changed the subject.

“Anyway! Isn’t this too disadvantageous for the Duke?”

“It is.”

“Then your plan is off, isn’t it?”

The plan to have the Duke and the Count kill each other.

If one side is too dominant, it’s difficult to achieve the goal of mutual destruction.

“No.”

I shook my head.

“I’ve caught a big fish.”

I said, looking at the black mist hanging over the city walls.

The Duke arrived at the Royal Palace after losing a significant number of his escorts.

I followed him into the VIP room inside.

Three other great nobles were already there.

“You’re late, Duke.”

“I apologize. Given the situation.”

Hoo, the Duke sighed deeply.

He sat down heavily on a chair without the leisure to maintain his dignity.

He must have been over sixty years old.

He seemed to have lost a lot of stamina.

‘The power exerted in an instant increases as the level rises and magic increases, but the vessel that is the body cannot withstand it.’

That was the reason why the Duke lost to Agaton in the previous iteration.

The victory or defeat was not decided in one or two exchanges.

The Duke was the one who got tired when they exchanged blows for a long time.

Strengthening the body with magic is like doping.

It also cannot last long and has its limits.

‘I’ll have to use my hands separately after all.’

At this rate, the Duke will lose.

The other nobles seemed to have the same thought, their faces hardened.

【Lv. 59】

【Lv. 58】

【Lv. 59】

They were also the top-ranked powerhouses among humans, befitting their status as great nobles, but they looked exhausted after going through the same things as the Duke to get to this place.

“Two of us are dead, and one has betrayed us?”

“Hugo Chaiken. That brat.”

“He can’t even follow half of his father’s footsteps.”

Huh, a sigh escaped.

The great nobles were a hereditary privilege.

The authority to submit agendas to the Noble Council.

The seven highest-ranking nobles who held that authority had neither increased nor decreased in number since the establishment of the council, and the nobles themselves had hardly changed.

Just like the seats in a representative assembly do not change.

So their bond was quite special.

Even though they were in a competitive relationship with each other.

‘But the youngest of them killed two of them.’

There was passion mixed in with the sigh.

The ones who had been simmering with anger silently suddenly looked at me.

I was standing quietly behind the Duke, looking at them.

“And who is that?”

“The starting point of this commotion.”

“Ah, the one who ate the North [conquered the northern territories]?”

“The bastard of Serdret.”

The Duke explained the relationship between me and Hugo.

Exactly what I had told the Duke.

The three nobles listened to the story and nodded.

“He abandoned the elves and chose the vampires…”

“A greedy fellow. Even so, is it worth going this far?”

“It seems he’s been preparing for a long time.”

The Duke slammed the table in front of the three whispering nobles.

“Everyone.”

When their gazes gathered, the Duke stood up from his seat.

“Even as we are resting like this, Hugo will be acting with the Blood Clan. To kill us and take Wallachia into his hands.”

“Isn’t there a possibility that he has returned to his territory?”

“Everyone knows who is the culprit of this chaos, what would he do by gathering troops in his territory? If we unite and declare him a public enemy, what meaning would it have even if he gathered troops in his territory?”

“That’s true.”

The fat noble nodded and asked.

“Then? What are you thinking, Duke?”

“Let’s convene an emergency meeting of the Noble Council.”

“Now? In this chaotic situation?”

“That’s right. We must gather the comrades who are staying in the capital right now and hold a council. And let’s declare him a public enemy and respond together.”

The three nobles looked at each other.

A completely different reaction from when they were angry about Hugo’s defection.

They looked at each other, hesitated, and muttered.

“Hmm… I wonder if that would be meaningful.”

“I understand the sentiment, but fighting the Blood Clan directly is a bit…”

“If we inflict damage on the Blood Clan, we might incur their wrath for no reason.”

The Duke shook his head and continued.

“I’m not saying we should fight the Blood Clan. I’m saying we should unite to avoid fighting.”

The Duke argued that if the entire Wallachia united, the Blood Clan would not be able to act easily, and Hugo would not be able to receive support from the Blood Clan.

“I also know very well that we must not inflict even one wound on the Blood Clan. But if we hide in the Royal Palace like this, the result is obvious, isn’t it?”

Pasimea snorted inwardly.

She was the one who killed the Blood Clan member Agaton.

She burned the body so that it wouldn’t be revealed that he was a member of the Blood Clan.

‘If they know that I killed a member of the Blood Clan, they will try to pass all the blame and responsibility on to me.’

That way, the Duke would not be able to fight the Count properly.

“Hmm… There’s also the method of asking for help from Raeragon…”

“Isn’t that side connected to Gotava?”

“Isn’t the reason we pay tribute every time for times like this? Let’s ask them for help.”

The Duke slammed the table irritably.

“Don’t talk nonsense. Do you all know while doing this? Even if the safest place in Sodomora is the Royal Palace, even if we endure in the Royal Palace and buy time, the situation is not such that they will help us.”

“······.”

“Also, Emperor Vlad is not directly exercising his power. His Blood Clan and minions are supporting Hugo, so if we combine our strength and block them, they will retreat at an appropriate level.”

The three nobles were silent and looked at each other.

They exchanged glances, wanting someone to take the lead.

The Duke frowned deeply at their pathetic behavior and opened his mouth.

“Kaaaaaak!”

He turned his head at the scream coming from outside the door.

“What’s going on!”

The fat noble gestured.

Several knights who had been waiting inside the VIP room opened the door.

As soon as the door opened, all sorts of sounds entered the room.

Crashing, tearing, bursting, all sorts of strange noises and screams.

Even a strong impact that echoed through the palace.

“Cough!”

Chwaak—!

Blood splattered on the wide-open door.

“S-Save me…!”

One of the knights who had gone out the door crawled back.

Having lost his body below the waist, he supported himself on the floor with both arms.

A dark shadow loomed behind him.

Kwajik!

“Y-You bastard!”

【Lv. 51】

Count Hugo, who had stomped on the knight’s head and burst it, smiled.

He bowed slightly, looking at the nobles who had jumped up in surprise.

“I knew you’d all be here. Because it’s the safest place in Sodomora. I knew you cowards would be hiding here.”

Hugo wiped the blood that had splattered on his face with the back of his hand and licked it with his tongue.

The embarrassment he had shown in the arena was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a relaxed atmosphere.

The fat noble distorted his face and pointed his finger.

“You bastard! Is this how your father raised you!”

“Raised me? What are you talking about?”

“How dare you come here with the faces of the people who were your father’s friends!”

“I didn’t kill them.”

Hugo shrugged his shoulders.

“Bullshit!”

The Duke drew his sword and rushed at Hugo.

Hugo stepped back and leaned against the wall.

The blade stretched out, aiming for his heart where there was no escape.

Kwaang—!

At that moment, a pure white hand broke through the wall and popped out.

“Ugh!”

The Duke reflexively twisted his body.

The hand stabbed at his neck, with long fingernails raised.

A metallic sound rang out as he blocked the fingernails with his hastily raised sword.

“Who are you!”

The Duke retreated and roared.

The enemy broke through the wall and entered the room.

There were two of them, and their skin was excessively pale.

The Duke realized their identities and bit his lip.

“…Blood Clan.”

The two Blood Clan members glared at the Duke and stood in front of him.

【Lv. 70】

【Lv. 71】

Both were higher level than the Duke.

Even if the Duke couldn’t see the levels, he would have felt the difference in momentum.

The hand holding the sword trembled slightly, and cold sweat formed on his forehead.

“Why… why are the Blood Clan intervening this far?”

The Blood Clan member snorted at the question.

“Reason? The youngest wanted to play.”

“The youngest?”

“Agaton.”

Flinch.

“Agaton?” the Duke muttered, realizing that Agaton was a member of the Blood Clan.

The Blood Clan member looked at the Duke and groomed his fingernails.

“Yes. And you killed him.”

The Duke swallowed his breath.

Even with the Blood Clan in front of him, he slowly turned his head to me.

His eyes, wide with shock, looked at me and Pasimea.

What have you done, he was asking with his eyes.

“You.”

The Blood Clan member followed the Duke’s gaze and looked at me.

Since I was also being watched by the Blood Clan member, our gazes collided in the air.

The Blood Clan member flinched, shrugged his shoulders, and frowned.

“You’re emitting an unpleasant aura.”

“What’s your name, human?”

I smiled.

“Edar Lundringgen.”

The Blood Clan member raised his eyebrows.

“The blood bag my father spoke of.”

“You killed the youngest.”

Instead of answering, I raised the corners of my mouth even higher.

The Blood Clan members wiggled their fingers and glared at me.

“You have committed an unforgivable sin.”

“You will pay a heavy price.”

I laughed lowly and asked.

“Are you going to punish me?”

“It’s not us.”

“Father will punish you.”

The two Blood Clan members took a step back.

Then the screams that had been heard from afar subsided.

Suddenly, silence fell as if the sound had disappeared.

Thump…

The Royal Palace shook.

“Earthquake?”

The fat noble grabbed the table and supported himself, muttering.

The vibration that shook the Royal Palace once occurred again, more strongly.

Kukung…

Stone dust fell from the ceiling.

As if someone was slamming down on it from above.

The ceiling heaved, and the Royal Palace shook greatly.

“What, what is it!”

The ceiling collapsed at the moment the panicked noble shouted.

Kwagwagwagwang!

Bricks poured down, the roar deafening, and dust rose, blinding the eyes.

Someone came down with the collapsing ceiling.

Only the shape of a person could be distinguished in the hazy dust.

I saw the messages floating above their heads.

【Lv. 78】

【Lv. 81】

【Lv. 79】

【Lv. 84】

【Lv. 80】

【Lv. 80】

【Lv. 81】

【Lv. 82】

I put my hand on the collar.

“Edar!”

At the same time, a piercing scream erupted.

“Edar Lundringgeeeeeeeeen!”

Whack, the wind blew, scattering the dust in all directions.

The dust was driven out of the collapsed wall, and the view returned.

There were ten Blood Clan members and one Emperor on top of the ceiling debris.

【Lv. 90】

The Emperor of the Vampire Empire.

Vlad von Holstein.

“How dare you! How dare you! Kill Agaton!”

Vlad let out a cry soaked in blood-spitting rage.