Building A Human Empire By Creating A Clan [EN]: Chapter 80

“Do you even realize the absurdity of what you’re saying?”

Duke Thredlet shouted at me in the mansion’s drawing room.

Beside the Duke, his wife, Ibella, sat glaring at me.

The story I told at the banquet the previous day seemed to have touched a raw nerve.

My words implied defiance of their master’s will.

The Duke, who had maintained loyalty for generations, couldn’t possibly accept it.

It wasn’t just anyone, but his eldest son, denying the work of his ancestors.

“Do you truly believe it’s such an absurd notion?”

I took a sip from my teacup to moisten my throat before continuing.

“What makes humans inferior to other races? If other races can be emperors or demigods, why can’t humans?”

The Duke struck the table with his fist.

“There is an insurmountable gap between humans and other races. That gap exists in everything, from the talents of the flesh to history itself. You are young, and that’s why you don’t understand how superior other races are.”

Therefore, he continued, we must adapt to reality.

“Our ancestors have always done so.”

I chuckled.

‘The power of Thredlet is like that.’

The power achieved by faithfully following their master and receiving sweet rewards.

This was true not only for Thredlet but for all nobles.

Thredlet was merely exceptionally loyal among them.

‘It would have been a beautiful story if that loyalty didn’t require selling out their own kind.’

“I have no interest in traditions. After all, according to mythology, in the beginning, there was light, and from it, life was derived. What traditions existed when that light shone?”

“We’re not talking about mythology. We’re talking about the weak reality of humans!”

Bang!

The teacup on the table fell, and tea spilled onto the floor.

“No. What’s weak is your will, Father.”

A servant quickly approached, wiped the table, and placed a new teacup.

I picked up the teacup and held it up to the Duke.

“A weak will that expects to be easily rewarded for selling out their own kind, thinking other races are superior, merely inheriting that pathetic will passed down through generations.”

Clatter!

The table overturned.

The Duke, enraged, jumped up and pushed the table.

Despite the servant’s efforts to replace the teacup, it shattered on the floor, spilling tea once more.

The Duke’s face turned red and contorted as he gritted his teeth.

Crack…

He even unconsciously placed his hand on his waist.

The only reason he didn’t draw his sword was that a shred of reason remained.

Calliope, who had been standing behind me, stepped forward to confront the Duke.

A fierce energy filled the drawing room, and retainers rushed in.

“Your Grace!”

“Are you alright?”

Ibella watched the situation unfold before meeting my gaze.

The murderous glint in her eyes was truly venomous.

However, she quickly hid her expression and looked at the Duke.

“Dear…”

Ibella grabbed the Duke’s sleeve, her voice trembling.

Did he know that was an act?

I clicked my tongue inwardly at the sight of him being swayed by lies.

“Enough. Let’s end this conversation.”

The Duke dismissed his retainers and glared at me.

“The lords are arriving soon. You said you could cure the Emperor’s curse, so you’ll have to prove your skill.”

“Of course. But, are you conducting the investigation?”

Investigation.

Referring to the investigation into the conspiracy that the priests of Horbid [a fictional religion] and the Vlad bloodline’s servants were intentionally spreading the Emperor’s curse.

“The Archbishop is currently absent. The temple is a place that even the King cannot arbitrarily interfere with. We will conduct a related investigation, but without the Archbishop’s cooperation, there won’t be much progress.”

“How complacent.”

I scoffed.

The Duke frowned again.

‘This city is a metropolis that could call itself the capital of Germania [a fictional country]. And befitting its size, the Archbishop of Horbid is stationed here.’

The priest assigned to the largest city in the Lozenne Margraviate [a fictional region] was Bishop Bowler.

If the Bishop was like that, would the Archbishop, who was of a higher rank, be docile?

Especially since the force leading the conspiracy was the Wolf Cult [a fictional cult]?

‘It’s a pandemonium surpassing Sodomora [a fictional city known for its depravity], yet he’s being so relaxed.’

The Vlad bloodline’s servants running rampant in Sodomora?

The scale would be so different that it could be dismissed as nothing.

There are so few servants that some people don’t even know they exist.

They hide their identities and don’t easily increase their numbers.

On the other hand, there is no one who doesn’t know or believe in religion.

If you push those with deep faith, telling them it’s an act for the gods, who wouldn’t be swayed?

‘It’s like a bomb has been planted throughout the entire city.’

Did the Duke know this?

‘He probably does. That’s why he called me, knowing the seriousness.’

He just doesn’t know the extent of the seriousness, so he’s being complacent.

Still harboring a naive hope.

That his master from another race wouldn’t abandon him.

That he, who had been so loyal, wouldn’t be abandoned.

Like a dog craving the affection of its owner.

‘Duke, your master doesn’t see humans as pets.’

The object that the Thredlet family has served for generations is Raeragon.

The Elven Prince, the human hunter, the human butcher.

Would this pointy-eared bastard cherish humans?

The Duke’s belief is a futile delusion.

I shook my head and continued.

“Expecting cooperation from the Archbishop is a mistake from the start. Thredlet is the foremost power in Germania. The Archbishop must know this, so why hasn’t he said a word to Father?”

I finished my tea and answered.

“The Thredlet family has been abandoned.”

A vein popped out on the Duke’s neck.

“Shut up! If the main family has been disgraced, isn’t it because of you! Isn’t it because you disgraced Raeragon-nim that our loyalty is being questioned like this!”

“Really? Did the Elven Prince say that?”

The Duke didn’t answer.

But his eyes were full of conviction.

The murderous intent in his eyes was clearly readable.

He would kill me and offer me to Raeragon.

He meant to regain his loyalty by offering my head.

‘Do you think I wouldn’t know? I have nothing that would appeal to you except this same appearance, so there’s no reason for you to sincerely accept me back.’

Since it’s not easy to kill me when I have soldiers by my side.

I knew his intention was to separate me to make it easier to kill me, resolve the Emperor’s curse, and then aim for my head.

‘If that goes according to plan, that is.’

At that moment, I received a thought sent by a subordinate in my mind [telepathic communication].

I glanced towards the window and then looked at the drawing room door.

Knock, knock—

A servant came in and bowed deeply.

“What is it?”

“Eirik-nim has returned.”

“Eirik?”

Eirik Thredlet.

Ibella’s first son and a good-for-nothing.

Strictly speaking, he’s not incompetent.

Expectations were high because he was the firstborn, and his younger brother Harald was just too talented.

“Then, I’ll take my leave first.”

“······.”

The Duke and his wife didn’t even offer a customary farewell.

They kept their mouths shut and looked at me with fierce eyes.

I smiled, nodded lightly, and left the drawing room.

The moment I left the drawing room, I ran into Eirik, who was about to enter.

He looked up at me, his eyes wide, and gasped.

【Lv. 33】

“You···?”

“Long time no see.”

Before he could say anything, I spoke first.

“Orichalcum [a mythical metal], you’re wearing an excessively good ring.”

He flinched, stepped back, and glared at me sharply.

The hand wearing the ring was hidden behind his back.

I slightly raised the corner of my lips and smiled.

“No need to be surprised. I’m not going to steal it.”

I raised my right hand and showed the ring on my index finger.

“It feels similar to my ring.”

“······.”

He continued to glare at me silently.

I shrugged and headed towards the hallway.

I felt an intense gaze stabbing my back.

‘Not a servant.’

I checked the ring on my index finger.

The ring containing Vlad’s soul fragment was silent.

When a member of the bloodline or a servant is nearby, the ring reacts.

Since it was quiet in front of Eirik, he wasn’t a servant.

‘But he’s connected.’

I recalled a letter.

One of the letters in Bishop Bowler’s study in Zauritz [a fictional city].

Eirik was mentioned in the letter exchanged with the Archbishop of this city.

The Archbishop left this comment about Eirik.

‘Recruitment complete.’

I recalled the orichalcum ring he was wearing.

‘They put quite a bit of effort into it. Horbid.’

No human besides me would notice the contents of the ring.

On the surface, it would just look like an expensive ring.

But I could tell.

The Horbid energy flowing within it.

‘I hope it goes well, as Rachel planned.’

‘Edar-nim [term of address].’

I stopped walking at the sudden thought.

A maid was cleaning the window alone in the empty hallway.

The maid looked at me briefly while cleaning the window on tiptoe.

I realized she was a subordinate [a magically created being under my control].

‘Did Nuadil send her?’

‘No. I received instructions from Griff.’

‘A spy.’

‘Yes.’

Subordinates are human in terms of race.

Just as vampires can act like humans, subordinates can too.

Since the subordinate creation time was shortened to 6 hours, I placed some subordinates under Griff’s command and dispatched them to human countries.

I instructed them to live like humans and gather internal information, and the maid in front of me was one of them.

‘The Archbishop has returned.’

‘I heard he went to the Theocracy [a fictional religious state] with Eirik, did they come together?’

I stroked my chin.

‘The temple investigation said there was nothing.’

‘Yes.’

The first thing I did upon arriving at the main house was to investigate.

The Thredlet Duke’s mansion and Horbid’s Great Temple.

Would the Council have left the heart of this great city alone?

I suspected they must have done something.

But as a result of the investigation, nothing came out.

So clean that it was suspicious.

‘Then, instead of keeping it inside, they’re bringing it from outside.’

Eirik and Archbishop Gottlob.

The only two who will come from outside to inside.

Among them, Eirik is not targeting me.

Therefore, what remains is…

‘I’m going to the Great Temple. Call Calliope.’