Chapter 8 Part 14
Translator : PolterGlast
Victor and Mena in a
carriage.
While facing each
other in the rickety carriage, the two were exchanging their opinions about the
political enemy who had just appeared.
"Master, he knows
about Nozomu-sama..."
"'I think we can
assume that he has a rough grasp of information."
Victor believed that
Egrod had some information about Nozomu Bountis and the secret agreement with
the Waziart Household of the Dizzard Empire.
This information had
originally been hinted at to some extent by Madam Parline.
"But he was not
aware that the boy was a dragonslayer. Because that White Dragon Chief was also
involved in the concealment of this fact."
Therefore, Victor was
not perturbed.
He already received
approval from his King for the establishment of conditional diplomatic
relations with the Dizzard Empire, and for Egrod, who was originally a member
of Arcazam rejectionist faction, this Dizzard Empire was as good as hostile
territory. It would be difficult to get a collaborator easily.
As for Nozomu, he was
backed by the White Dragon Chief.
Furthermore, Madam
Parline also showed a certain amount of respect for Nozomu, so Victor thought
that no matter how much Egrode wanted to make a fuss, he could not do much.
"But the fact
that Egrod has moved on his own should mean that he has some kind of
countermeasure against us."
"I know. We
should also be careful about his right-hand man."
While saying so,
Victor remembered the bewitching woman who was Egrod's right-hand man.
Being the second in
command of a political enemy, Victor has also been gathering information about
Mekria, but all of his investigations ended up empty.
As the person behind
the revival of the Fabran family in the last few years, Mekria had been a
headache for Victor.
"Egrod's ultimate
goal is to abolish Solminati Academy, or at least to sever the relationship
between Forsina and Arcazam. Because we are placing no small burden on our
country to maintain this academy and city."
A swift response to
the Great Invasion. And the construction of Ardazam. All of them were led by
the Forsina Kingdom, which was the first to speak out and lead the way.
At the same time, the
burden they have paid for it was by no means light.
Even though the
country did not suffer any damage from the great invasion, it was fair to say that
the country was in a very tight economic situation.
"However, thanks
to this, the Kingdom of Forsina's voice is second to none. The next most
influential nation is the Cremazone Empire, but it is also the most
oppositional because it is backed by military power."
The Cremazone Empire
is a large country bordering the southern part of the Forsina Kingdom, and its
military power alone exceeds that of the Forsina Kingdom.
As a threat both
militarily and economically, this empire has been a headache for the Forsina
Kingdom, along with the Dizzard Empire.
The Cremazone Empire
was founded by a dragon slayer, and because of this, it has a high military
orientation and desire to invade.
Although its military
power was a great help during the great invasion, it is still feared by the
neighboring countries.
For this reason,
Victor made use of the environment of Arcazam, where emissaries from various
countries could gather, to build friendly relations with the Cremazone Empire
and neighboring countries, in order to keep the empire at bay.
In fact, Arcazam had
become an indispensable place not only for human resource development and
technological development, but also for the current national security of
Forsina Kingdom.
"What are your
thoughts on this, Master?"
"I can think of a
few possibilities, but none of them would overturn the king's decision. Nor
would they change the national security system of Forsina. But ......."
Something was stuck in
the depths of his head.
Victor's consciousness
sank into a sea of thoughts, feeling uncomfortable as if something were stuck
between his teeth.
"I still have
something to do. I'm going to the academy. I have a few things to tell
Jihad-dono."
"Yes, Sir"
But Victor's
prediction at this time was to be proven wrong.
For Egrod had already
figured out that Nozomu was a Dragon Slayer.
==============================
By the time Victor got
on the carriage, Egrod was standing alone in the hallway of the empty
Parliament building.
"Mekria..."
As Egrode murmured so,
a bewitching woman appeared from behind a pillar and bowed deeply. It was
Mekria, Egrod's trusted confidant.
He stated his concerns
in a matter-of-fact tone of voice,
"Is what that
researcher said about the Abyss Grief true?
"Yes. According
to Raven, it was not false information."
"One more thing.
What about the other thing?"
"The letter has
been received without any problems. Considering their temperament, I am almost
certain that they will come to this city in time for the opening
festival..."
"I see. Then let
them stir things up as best they can."
Egrod glanced out the
window and saw the white building of the Solminati Academy in the distance.
Frowning as if he had
seen an appalling sight, Egeod turned on his heel and began to walk down the
hallway of the Parliament building.
================================
A huge castle stood in
the dark night in the blowing snow.
A luxurious room was
located at the top of the castle. In the room where the owner of the castle
resided, there was a woman.
She was as beautiful
as a Goddess and as cold-hearted as the God of Death.
She was wearing no
clothes, and her limbs were lying on a soft canopy bed.
Her skin was whiter
than fresh snow, and her long, lustrous silver hair was spread over the silk
sheets.
But what was most
noticeable were her blood-red eyes. Combined with her expressionless face as
cold as an ice, they were filled with a beauty that sent chills down one's
spine.
"Fumu……"
Without moving a
muscle of her beautiful face, she picked up a glass from the side table.
The glass was filled
with a deep red liquid, but it seemed too sticky to be called wine.
She took it into her
mouth without hesitation, tasted it on her tongue for a while, and then
swallowed it down with a gulp.
"... Not a very
good blood."
Her sharp canine teeth
were peeping out of her mouth, which was distorted in a dissatisfied manner.
Yes, she is a vampire.
She is the current head of the Waziart household, one of the seven major
families that support the Dizzard empire.
Her name is Vitora
Rutarak Daat Waziart.
With her sharp
eyebrows slightly contorted in a manner reminiscent of an ice sculpture, she
returned the glass in her hand to the side table.
"Excuse me,
Mistress."
Suddenly, a knocking
sound on the door echoed.
"Come in."
Prompted by her frigid
response, an old gentleman with a monocle entered the room.
His crimson eyes
indicated that he, too, was a vampire.
"Rugato, is it?
Is something wrong?"
"I have received
something like this."
The old gentleman who
had previously engaged Nozomu and the others in combat to the death. When he
came up to his Mistress, he bent down and held out a letter in his hand.
"Francilt? If I
recall correctly, it's ......."
"I was there
about six months ago, and he is a very prominent figure in the Kingdom of
Forsina."
"Ah, that one
where you failed to fulfill the contract. What does he have to say about
it?"
Her tone of voice was
too indifferent toward the leading figure of a country.
However, Rugato, who
bent down in front of her, didn't seem to be particularly bothered by it.
Because this was not the first time his Mistress had been this impolite.
An absolute
powerhouse.
Her power, categorized
as SS in rank, was such that it could no longer be described as a mere natural
disaster.
The storm that covered
this castle was also due to her power subconsciously influencing the outside
world.
Like an elephant that
is unaware of the ants under its feet, she, too, is a powerful woman who is not
interested in politics or other mundane matters. Politics is a survival
strategy that the weak have learned to use in order to maintain the group on
which they depend.
"Regarding the
secret agreement. They want to have a meeting with you as soon as possible. He
has arranged a meeting time and place."
"I am not interested.
Originally, this secret agreement itself was made by the predecessor. The
Emperor's approval for the establishment of diplomatic relations has already
been given. I leave this matter to you, so do as you please."
"Understood."
Vitora took a glance at
the letter she received and tossed it aside.
She really did not
seem to have any interest in the Francilt household.
Indeed, it was her
predecessor who made the secret agreement with the Francilt household.
After the existence of
the secret agreement was discovered, Rugato was in charge of almost all of the
negotiations.
Even after the loss of
the contract that concluded the secret agreement during the battle with Nozomu
and the others, Rugato had been playing a central role in negotiations with the
Francilt household.
With regard to the
establishment of diplomatic relations with Forsina, all Vitora did was to give
a single word of approval and to make only a formal report and proposal to the
Emperor of the Dizzard Empire.
The emperor also gave
his approval, saying that as long as it was only within the territory of the
Waziart household, it would be fine.
Although one might
wonder if such a system of government would be acceptable, in this country, the
power and autonomy of each household is completely independent, and they are
free to do whatever they wish within their own territory, as long as it is
approved by the Emperor.
Even the Emperor
rarely issues specific decrees. Conversely, it could be said that the country
would not function well otherwise.
Of course, when it
comes to fighting an apparent foreign enemy, each household will show a certain
degree of cooperation.
However, since each
household has a history of frequent conflicts with other households, each has a
strong sense of independence, and forcing a unification of the households'
intentions could lead to dissonance that could result in the outbreak of civil
war.
"Speaking of
which, what was the name of the one who ousted you?"
"He was a young
man named Nozomu Bountis, as I recall. He seems to be getting a lot of
attention at school. I hear that even Jihad Draundel has taken a liking to him.
We have talked about this once before, haven't we?"
"Oh, did we? I
didn't remember because at that time the warriors of the Geryunus household
were challenging me."
The Geryunus household
is one of the major households that govern the Empire, like the Waziart
household, and is made up of incubus.
Although they lack
direct combat ability, both male and female incubus are good-looking, skilled
in seduction magic, and capable of directly "sucking" the life force
of their opponents through their unusual powers.
Their method of
sucking the life force is to touch the skin of the victim, and in exchange for
the life force that is sucked out of the victim, the victim is able to
experience intense pleasure.
However, in many
cases, it results in death, and this race has long been despised by humans and
other demi-humans.
Therefore, in the
past, they have been repeatedly involved in conflicts that could be said to be
on either side, such as enslaving other races or conversely being enslaved by
other races.
For the record, an
incubus' sucking efficiency is determined by how deeply one can touch the
other's skin. So, if a challenge were to come from that household, it would be
something that would be daring to declare in a public forum. To be more
specific, the challenge was to make love on the bed.
"As far as I am
concerned, that challenge was somewhat inappropriate for a noble
princess."
"It's fine, no
matter what the odds are, I'll accept them. I will accept whatever the
challenge is, and I will show them that I can smash everything head-on."
The one who was put on
the line in this challenge was herself.
Her existence, with
its immense power, would make her an absolute goddess of death if she became an
enemy, but if she could be brought into their ranks, she would also be a
goddess who promised them a sure victory.
In an attempt to
ensnare her, the Geryunus household challenged her to a contest in bed, which
is their forte.
"I don't know
whether to be impressed or appalled. Still, to the Mistress, it was a mere
game..."
And just as she said,
she crushed the Geryunus household's challenge head-on. She literally showed an
overwhelming "difference" in status.
Perhaps remembering
that moment, Vitora's atmosphere became slightly excited.
"At first, he was
as fierce as a giant, but after a little petting, he was as docile as a kitten
in no time. It was a bit of a letdown, but it was cute in its own way."
With a slight smile on
her beautiful face, Vitora began to tell the story of what had happened.
The room began to be
filled with a lewd atmosphere.
She was not averse to
having sexual intercourse on the bed, either. In fact, it was one of her
favorite things to do.
She was willing to
spend the night with a man, a woman, or even a demon beast, as long as it was a
strong person whom she liked.
"Though, in the
end, he dried up like a dried-up fish. That was not worthy of my
affection."
Nevertheless, the
challenger failed to impress her until the very end.
It was because the
warrior had been "defeated" by her. And no matter what means she
uses, victory is absolute. That is what she believes in, which is why she never
has a lasting interest in the losers.
A princess who was
loved by victory as well as death. That was the Princess of Death, Vitora
Rutarak Daat Waziart.
"I'll leave the
negotiations with the Francilt household to you. You can meet them directly and
participate in negotiations if you deem it necessary."
"Understood. I
will now take my leave..."
Rugato bowed
reverently and left his Mistress' room.
Vitora glanced at
Rugato as he left the room and picked up the glass again from the side table.
The small amount of
blood remaining in the glass glints dully in the candlelight.
"I have no
interest in human civilizations. But I do have an interest in those who have
repelled Rugato. At least, more than this blood..."
The glass slipped from
Vitora's fingers, hit the floor, and cracked with a crashing sound. The shattered
glass and splattered blood spread on the luxurious floor.
Vitora, however, did
not seem to care about it and looked out the window where the storm was still
raging.
At that moment, there
came a knocking sound on the windowpane.
Vitora looked at the
window where the sound came from and saw a red-eyed raven staring at her
through the blizzard.
A clearly suspicious
crow that had come to visit in the midst of a blizzard.
A slight smile
appeared on her mouth.
