Chapter 74
Harris traveled with the Elven Kingdom's delegation across the Ion Continent to its eastern part over several days.
'Indeed, traversing the continent is nothing when backed by the Church's authority.'
Given the transcendent influence of the Primordial Church across races and borders, having their endorsement meant unrestricted travel anywhere was trivial.
After passing through several temples, the group, having reached the easternmost tip of the republic in the east, headed straight for a nearby forest.
"Um... don't we need to cross the sea?"
When Cecilie expressed confusion about their mysterious destination, Laphory responded with a gentle smile.
"Crossing the sea directly would be dangerous and time-consuming, Miss Cecilie. Remember, all trees in the world are rooted in the World Tree, and the High Elves are chosen by Him."
In simpler terms, High Elves could use the power of the World Tree to travel to any forest, however distant.
'Using it to detect Hans as well, the abilities of High Elves, or rather the power of the World Tree, are more impressive than I thought. Or is it natural since its using the World Trees power?'
Of course, the farther the distance, the greater the power consumed, which is why they had traveled this far to minimize the distance.
Still, I thought that this method might be more convenient than the Primordial Church's gates, which were the only way for long-distance travel.
'Except that it's only usable by High Elves. So, a pointless comparison.'
It was not feasible to use the few High Elves just for transportation.
"Now, just follow me closely. Make sure not to stray from the group."
A refreshing energy spread from Laphory, enveloping their surroundings.
Thus, the group, with first-timers Cecilie and Harris positioned in the middle to prevent them from falling behind, followed Laphory deep into the forest.
"We'll need to travel like this for a few more days. There's no rush now, so let's take our time."
Although they had hurried to rescue Cecilie as quickly as possible on the way there, there was no need to rush on the return journey.
After all, Elves, being long-lived, were fundamentally leisurely creatures.
Thus, they began their journey across the ocean, traversing the forest paths that seemed to shift into a dreamlike state.
***
Heinz II entered the capital of the Talya Kingdom in the western part of the continent, Talarya.
He activated his "Concealment" to its limits, focusing solely on hiding his inner energy, so no one detected his true identity.
"It's too expensive... Can't you lower the price a bit?"
"What are you saying! This is barely enough to make ends meet!"
Ordinary people living their daily lives.
It was a common urban scene that could be found anywhere.
'There are vampires around... but not excessively, and they're thoroughly hidden.'
Heinz casually observed his surroundings as he walked.
His transcendent senses and being a significantly higher-level vampire allowed him to notice, but their level of concealment was impressively high.
After all, even with its significant influence, this place was the capital of a kingdom with a temple of the Primordial Church.
It would be too risky for vampires, beings of the dark, to operate openly.
'I need to think about how to shake them up. It's too early to storm their stronghold.'
The forces gathered there were formidable, and these vampires had been the shadowy power brokers of this kingdom for centuries.
Causing unnecessary disturbances would not help with future plans.
He would need to erode their influence gradually from the outside, which required turning someone well-versed in their inner workings to his side.
'With the "Purified Blood Crystal," that should be simple enough. Let's start by persuading a suitable vampire.'
This process might involve a bit of force and coercion, but it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing for the individual concerned.
Having experienced the enhancement effects of the "Purified Blood Crystal" while growing Heterosis, I knew its value.
A single drop of his blood was akin to an elixir of life for vampires, a fortunate occurrence.
'There seems to be a suitable target over there. Lets start with this one... Huh?'
A vampire hiding its presence was detected at the window on the second floor of a quiet house.
However, as he approached, the energy emanating from this individual felt strangely familiar.
'It's a bit blurred, probably due to some trickery... Could it be?'
After all, Heinz didn't have many vampire acquaintances to begin with.
Most had been wiped out in Ajantu, leaving only a handful remaining.
Among those, the ones who would be standing guard in such a place...
And sure enough, as he got closer and confirmed the identity, it was indeed a vampire he knew well.
'Rosilica. So, you're here.'
A Pureblood who had been responsible for his education when Heinz II first became a vampire.
After the incident of the Immortal King's fragment theft in Ajantu, her whereabouts had been unknown, but somehow, she had been reassigned to the capital.
'I thought she might have died in the clash with the Church, but how did she survive?'
Given the significant conflicts that had occurred, many vampires were reported to have been killed.
Despite the numerous hardships that started in Ajantu, she had somehow managed to survive, which seemed to indicate a tough thread of life.
Heinz silently used "Invisibility" to infiltrate the building where she was.
"Ah~ What a life, hiding away even during the day. My skin's getting rough; how long do I have to live like this?"
Rosilica's figure, constantly grumbling, came into view as he quietly entered the house.
The dark room, covered in blackout curtains, was filled with all kinds of blood magic barriers painted with blood.
From those that erased the presence of someone inside, to auxiliary devices that made outside surveillance easier, to basic alarm and defense barriers against intruders.
'Of course, they mean nothing to me.'
Using "Blood Mystique" to discern the barriers and effortlessly bypassing them with the power of "Concealment," he approached Rosilica from behind.
'There's an alert mechanism that activates if the watcher dies, but there's no function for real-time surveillance of the interior. Good timing.'
He lightly scanned the barriers and deactivated "Invisibility," still suppressing his presence, so she remained unaware of his arrival, continuing to gaze outside.
"Your skin doesn't get rough if you sleep well during the day..."
"Rosilica."
Her body jerked and froze for a moment at his call.
"Sorry~! I'm a bit of a chatterbox... Huh?"
Turning around to apologize, Rosilica was startled to see Heinz's face.
She had assumed he was a superior, given he knew her name and appeared despite the barriers, but was confused to see a stranger.
"Sorry, but who are you...?"
Despite the tension and caution, her question came cautiously due to several preceding factors.
It was natural she didn't recognize him, as his appearance and physique had changed considerably since they last met.
"It's Heinz."
"Heinz...?"
She simply tilted her head, thinking he might just share the same name, without showing much reaction to his honest answer.
"Are you a guest of our clan?"
Perhaps sensing he was a formidable presence beyond her capacity, Rosilica remained guarded yet continued to display politeness.
"Yes, a guest."
"Ah! Then you should be... "
"I wasn't exactly invited."
Right after those words.
Shick!
From the tips of her right hand, five streams of blood sharply whipped towards Heinz.
Simultaneously, her left hand reached out to activate an alert through one of the barriers, but...
"Krugh?"
Blood-red chains that had sprung from all around already entwined her entire body, thoroughly blocking not only her movements but also the flow of her magic.
"It can't be! True Blood? ...This is Brokolak territory! You're violating the treaty!"
Overwhelmed by the absolute disparity, she shouted in a flustered voice, mistaking Heinz for a True Blood from another clan.
However, Heinz was thinking something else at that moment.
'Wait a minute? Could this be?'
Inside a well-crafted concealment barrier, he slightly revealed the vampire energy he had been hiding with "Concealment."
With extreme blood control and overpowering control over blood magic, he extracted just the essence, revealing only a very slight part of it.
And Rosilica, being sensitive to blood, immediately recognized the scent within it.
"Uh... Our clan? No, it's different... Huh?"
He had concentrated to extract energy as close to the original as possible, but it seemed impossible to do perfectly.
Still, it was enough to plunge her into confusion.
Seizing the moment her thoughts were muddled, Heinz quietly spoke.
"I am a distant relative of the Brokolak clan."
And as always, I began to spin a tale based on plausible information.
There were many factions within the world of vampires.
Branches that had formed their own powers, having broken away from the 'Blood Subjugation' for some reason.
Though they shared the same root, differences began to emerge over generations until they became entirely separate forces.
Heinz recalled them and spun a story that they were merely offshoots of the same root, and he, having been persecuted as a distant branch, merely sought to assert his authority.
He added that this was not an invasion from the outside but a competition within, and he had no intention of harming the clan as a whole.
A festival of utter nonsense.
But since the story was based on actual facts, and Heinz subtly used "Blood Mystique" to implant weak suggestions, she couldn't harbor significant doubts.
'But then again, it's not entirely incorrect.'
After all, his roots did lie with the Brokolak.
"Um... I'm just a Pureblood, why exactly...?"
"I will give you power if you follow me. You just need to assist me a little."
The reason for going through such a cumbersome process was to minimize her resistance.
After all, the subjugation from the "Purified Blood Crystal" did not include a brainwashing effect to make the heart absolutely loyal.
"Sorry, but I..."
As she began to voice her refusal,
It was a natural response; how many would there be willing to follow someone they had never met before, especially when they had been managing just fine up to that point?
"Ah! Just to clear any misunderstanding."
But before she could finish her sentence, Heinz's voice, laced with a hint of amusement, cut her off.
"You don't have a choice."
He had only spun those tales to ease her into acceptance.
Once subjugated by the "Purified Blood Crystal," there was no turning back, and she would end up following him, whether she wanted to or not.
Heinz's hand reached out towards Rosilica, who wore a resigned expression.
***
Eventually, Rosilica was smoothly persuaded to cooperate.
Although she still seemed reluctant, she appeared to be satisfied with the strength she gained from the "Purified Blood Crystal," separate from her feelings.
This led to the acquisition of internal information about the Brokolak clan.
Since she was still a Pureblood, she didn't have access to high-level information, but having stayed in the capital for a long time, she had managed to gather some useful intel.
One piece was about a True Blood overseeing Talarya's surveillance network, "Frizia Brokolak."
"Madam Frizia is quite unique. She often takes walks during the day. It's like... she enjoys the attention of humans..."
A frivolous noblewoman who wandered around the capital in lavish attire, enjoying shopping among other activities, was her cover identity.
"I've heard her detection area is enormous. If she's in the commercial district, her range includes even beyond the city gates. Honestly, she could probably monitor half the capital by herself, right?"
It sounded very familiar.
On the day Heinz II arrived in the capital to enroll Heinrich in the Primordial Church.
That was the True Blood he had encountered, forcing him to flee.
'Ah... I remember now. The vampire that used the Mystic Eye.'
Suddenly appearing behind him and questioning him about cannibalizing their kind, he had to escape using a summoning dismissal.
'And now, we meet again.'
The memory vividly returned.
There wasn't exactly a grudge since he had managed to escape immediately, but neither was there any fondness for her...
'Let's see each other again after a long time.'
A cold smile formed on Heinz's lips.
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