Chapter 69: Chapter 69
When Ian summoned the black darkness, the snipers, including Baron Damon, were shocked.
Sorcery! That guy uses sorcery!
"Just like a vampire...!"
They were startled at first, but upon further thought, they realized something was off.
How could a follower of the heavens use the same magic as a demon belonging to darkness?
Could it be...?
"Um... Mr. Wizard."
The snipers began to slowly back away.
"You're not one of... them, right?"
Ian grinned wickedly.
The snipers looked as though they were about to burst into tears any moment.
Please, don't be true!
Belenka, realizing Ian was pranking them, gently tapped his arm.
"Could you stop fooling around and explain?"
"It was fun, though."
"... You're unbelievable."
Haah.
These wizards.
To Belenka, it seemed like all wizards were cut from the same cloth.
Meaning Ian was also a weirdo.
"I'm different from vampires. If someone hates the light, they can become friends with the darkness. I just happen to get along well with darkness because we're compatible."
Phew.
The snipers finally let out a sigh of relief.
The thought that this wizard might be a vile creature like a vampire was too horrifying to even imagine.
Baron Damon didn't say anything, but it was clear he was relieved to learn Ian wasn't an evil wizard.
"Actually, I was just on my way back from disposing of a body."
"A body?"
Ian took a moment to mourn the deceased in his heart.
Even in a world where death was commonplace, the extinguishing of a life's light was always a tragedy.
"That vampire bastard has eaten another person."
"..."
"Its actions are becoming bolder."
Ian stroked his chin, recalling old memories.
Eredith had taught Ian the Maronius language and shared bits of trivial knowledge as a way to keep the young Ian interested in his studies.
It was like seasoning to help Ian not lose interest in learning.
To Eredith, this 'trivia' was common knowledge, but to Ian, it was a source of fascinating stories.
She told tales of all sorts of fantasy monsters, including dragons, wyverns, and drakes, each one more interesting than the last.
Having a teacher like a living Wiki, Ian knew a lot of miscellaneous knowledge.
Therefore, he knew a thing or two about vampires.
"It woke up only recently."
"What do you mean?"
As Ian shared his knowledge about monsters, people listened intently, holding their breath.
"People often refer to vampires as [those who incurred the wrath of the heavens]. They committed a sin comparable to blasphemy, cursed to never see the sun again."
"... I've heard about that."
"Vampires live by siphoning the vitality of life nurtured by the sun's power, since they can't see sunlight. Even in death, they would be rejected by heaven."
"It's straight to hell for them."
The medieval folks made the sign of the cross.
Not being able to ascend to heaven after death, but rather being trapped in a dark, deep underground prison, that is, hell, was the punishment feared most by people in the Middle Ages.
"However, since they are forsaken by God, vampires don't have a set lifespan."
"Some vampires live for hundreds of years, right?"
"Well, they just don't die of old age."
Vampires are those forsaken by God.
Many vampires commit acts that enrage God on purpose, to become forsaken.
The reason was simple: they desired eternal life.
Vampires were desperate cowards who committed blasphemy out of fear of death.
"Most vampires were born towards the end of the Golden Empire."
"... What?!"
People were shocked by Ian's explanation.
The fall of the Golden Empire was over 500 years ago!
There was a reason why most vampires were born during the late stages of the Golden Empire.
At that time, the Golden Empire was in decline.
Extreme wealth disparity, the rich were only concerned with their own gains, and slaves were treated worse than animals, living and dying as something less than human.
It was clear to anyone that the country was doomed, so no one doubted the impending fall of the Golden Empire.
But this fact drove countless priests and nobles mad.
"The end of the world is coming!"
No, it was just the Golden Empire that was falling, not the world itself.
From a modern perspective, that's all it was.
Just a once thriving nation reaching the end of its lifespan.
But it wasn't seen that way from an ancient perspective.
The reason lay in the Bible.
All words in the Bible were true. That was the default assumption.
And in the Bible of their monotheistic religion, there was this passage:
[On the day the Empire falls, a great judgment will begin.
The righteous will ascend to heaven, the wicked will fall to hell, and the world will be covered in eternal darkness.]
Since the words of the Bible were always true, the statement that judgment would begin with the fall of the Empire was also believed to be true.
But... the fall of the Empire was imminent!
Am I... going to be judged?!
Those who lived good lives thought, "Ah, looks like I'll be judged," and accepted their fate, confident they'd go to heaven.
But those who were malicious and tormented others were trembling with fear.
They might shout with false bravado, "Haha, who would believe in that judgment stuff haha, God's popularity would plummet haha," but they couldn't evade impending judgment.
It was their own fault for behaving so terribly.
The wicked were desperate.
Some timid villains hurriedly donated all their wealth to the church, begging for their sins to be reduced in exchange for their donations.
But for those villains who were already too far gone and saw no chance of redemption, they chose to become twisted...
"Since we're damned to hell anyway, why not just become a vampire and fall from grace?"
Being judged and going to hell versus surviving in a ruined world as a vampire.
The wicked villains chose the latter.
They insulted the holy heavens with massive human sacrifices and blasphemous pagan parties, becoming vampires buried in the ground.
The plan was to survive the apocalypse and then live on as survivors in a ruined world.
The plan was perfect.
However, there was a critical mistake the blasphemers didn't account for...
The world didn't end after the fall of the Golden Empire!
Vampires who woke up thinking the world must have ended were shocked to find it still intact.
Why?
The Empire fell, but why!
The vampires, using their own logic, successfully figured out the reason.
The Bible wasn't wrong. That's a given.
If there was an error, it was humans' misinterpretation of the Bible.
The reason the world didn't end was because of the existence of the Holy Empire.
"These damned priests!!!"
When the Golden Empire fell, the priests quickly created Empire 2.0.
That's the current Holy Empire.
"The Bible just says 'the Empire will fall,' it doesn't specify 'which Empire,' does it?"
The vampires trembled with rage at the priests' deceit.
The world hadn't ended, and the Empire still stood (albeit under a different name).
And the vampires... they just became insane blasphemers against heaven.
Feeling utterly backstabbed, the vampires became beings filled with endless hatred for living humans, priests, and the Holy Empire.
They became evil monsters.
"If it had been awake for a long time, it would have directly attacked the domain by now."
"So..."
"It must have woken up only recently and is still regaining its strength."
Ian explained calmly.
"Its power should be weak now, so it will be easier to catch."
Ian was calm, but Baron Damon and the snipers went pale.
"That, that's it being weak..."
Several villagers and livestock were slaughtered without a chance to fight back.
And it's going to get stronger from here.
Many domains have fallen to monster invasions, but Baron Damon never dreamed his would end up the same.
"We need to catch it as soon as possible."
"That would be best."
Baron Damon realized Ian wasn't particularly interested in this matter.
But right now, they desperately needed the help of a wizard.
"Could you possibly help?"
Ian grinned.
He had somewhat expected this from the moment he got involved.
Monster hunting was a serious matter.
In a situation where he'd take anyone's help, the assistance of a wizard!
"Ah, I can help, sure."
As Ian responded positively, the Baron clung to him like a leech.
Pride was not the priority right now.
With the domain on the verge of ruin, who cares about damn pride!
How much effort went into building his domain!
"Please, I need your help!"
"I can help, but..."
Ian looked at the Baron and grinned slyly.
"How many people are you hiring?"
"...Ah."
Being a medieval man himself, the Baron immediately got what Ian was hinting at.
A price tag.
He was asking for a hiring fee.
This was not a place where empty phrases about 'now is the time to show your passion and dedication~' would work.
Paying people for their services was the norm in this world.
Therefore, Ian's request was perfectly reasonable.
Almost medieval in its logic.
"How much are you expecting?"
The Baron asked, and Ian mischievously replied.
"Well, I recently had to pay some taxes to a certain noble, you see."
"..."
"So, I'm a bit short on cash right now... I could really use some quick money."
It was a transparent ruse.
Baron, it's your fault I'm out of money because you collected those 'taxes'!
Take responsibility!
However, Baron Damon had no retort.
It was a fact that collecting the toll had lightened Ian's purse.
'Truly... a fair request.'
The Baron had no choice.
Baron Damon agreed to all of Ian's demands.
Not only did he return the entire toll he had collected, but he also decided to add a bit of a hiring fee on top of it.
Of course, this was only for Ian, Belenka, and a few mercenaries.
Ian smiled as he pocketed the money bag.
Belenka boldly stretched out her hand next to him.
"Eh?"
"I'd like my share now, if you don't mind."
"Aren't you going to use it for the debt?"
"What are you talking about? How I use my money is up to me, isn't it?"
"..."
She was right.
Ian wasn't some loan shark.
He couldn't just confiscate every penny Belenka earned.
Nor should he.
After dividing the money with Belenka (who smiled happily for the first time in a while), Ian started the strategy meeting.
Now Ian would also participate in the vampire hunt.
"The easiest method is, of course, to attack during the day."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Vampires, being cursed, cannot walk under the sun.
Meaning, during the day, they have no choice but to stay holed up in places like caves.
Attacking then would make the hunt easier.
The problem was finding the vampire's hiding place.
The whole village could search thoroughly and find it within a month, but considering the potential damage and the cost of hiring people during that time, it wasn't exactly a good plan.
And Ian's group had no time to dawdle.
"However, for various reasons that's impossible, so let's use another method."
The second option: wait for a vampire attack and ambush it.
Ian decided on this approach.
"Vampires attack from the darkness..."
"I'll handle the preparations. I'm an expert in field tactics."
"Wow. As expected, reliable, Wizard."
Reports suggest that vampires are adept at Dark magic.
But Ian wouldn't be outdone in the realm of Dark magic.
Think you're the only one with night vision? I've got it too!
Moreover, by enticing birds that are active at night to keep watch, there would be no chance of a surprise attack.
"And we need to distribute the personnel."
He even distributed the personnel for night watch while he was at it.
"Me, Belenka, the Talian mercenaries will form one team, and Baron, you can arrange your men as you see fit."
"Got it. We'll handle our side."
Then, Kira raised her hand.
"I'll stand guard alone."
Baron Damon, and even Ian, were surprised.
Standing night watch alone? Without a vanguard?
"Isn't that dangerous?"
Ian expressed concern for Kira.
Even if the kid is a bit odd, leaving her to die is another matter entirely.
But Kira snorted.
"Hmph. Do you even know what kind of magic I use?"
Ian tilted his head in confusion.
"Fire magic, isn't it?"
"That, that's right! Fire magic! But it's hard to use when there are people around!"
Ah. Ian immediately understood.
"Worried you might accidentally burn someone to death?"
"...!"
"...!"
The Baron's men gasped and distanced themselves from Kira.
Nobody wanted the 'honor' of being burned alive by a wizard's fire.
'So, her skills are just so-so.'
The more inexperienced the wizard, the worse they are at controlling their magic.
Ian, having conversed with the mysteries of fire, knew well.
The mysteries of fire are arsonists at heart, fundamentally enjoying the act of setting fires.
Even a slight lapse in a wizard's concentration could turn the surroundings into a sea of flames.
Well, she looked about Ian's age, so it made sense she was still a novice.
"I agree. Let's leave Kira to herself."
"Lord Baron. In my opinion..."
"It might be best to let Lady Kira be alone..."
Nobody was really concerned for Kira.
They were all just worried about getting caught in her fire magic.
'Ah, the lack of compassion. Really.'
Unlike the Baron's callous men, Ian decided to assign a bird to keep watch over her.
So he could rush over to help if anything happened.
"Alright. We start from tonight. The wizards will also stand guard."
That night, Ian and his group took up night watch.
Fortunately, they encountered the vampire quite quickly.
"Phew. Thought I was caught there for a moment."
Under the glowing torchlight, Kira let out a sigh of relief.
Thanks to Ian's push, she ended up on night watch by herself.
For Kira, it was a tremendous opportunity.
The very chance she had longed for...
The perfect moment to make a run for it!
Kira had reached her limit with the act.
What? Join a vampire hunt?
Was she supposed to shoot fireworks at vampires or what?
She had been looking for a chance to escape all along.
She had been cautious not to make a move until Ian's group joined because the timing hadn't been right...
But now, she could definitely make a run for it!
"Me, fight a vampire? Are you crazy?!"
She felt sorry for Ian, the wizard.
The vampire... you, the real wizard, will have to take care of it!
Kira looked around once more.
Thanks to her words about being caught in her fire magic, not a single soul was in sight.
Of course, her plan to escape was fraught with danger.
Going down the mountain alone at night, with a vampire about, was madness.
But staying put and risking her cover as a fake wizard being blown was equally horrifying.
Above all, if she didn't escape now, she saw no way to get out of the Baron's grasp.
'Being with you all was disgusting, let's never meet again!'
Feeling the right moment had come, Kira didn't hesitate to grab a torch and throw herself into the darkness.
No one saw her, and her plan seemed perfect.
But...
Though there were no people who saw her, there were birds who did.
"...Huh?!"
Ian, who had been using birds for night surveillance, was shocked by the sudden report.
Kira had suddenly run off into the darkness alone?!
'Why would she do that?'
There was only one possibility.
'It looks like Kira has found the vampire!'
She had spotted the vampire on her own and started the pursuit!
Ian was astounded by Kira's boldness.
Wow...!
To find the vampire and immediately chase after it alone.
That's damn brave!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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