#167
At that moment, in the west…
When Diana, the center of the incident, acknowledged someone, all eyes in the vicinity naturally turned in one direction.
Among the crowd of onlookers murmuring around, a tall man in a robe slowly walked out.
And those who were influenced by him were also the men who were causing a ruckus in the shop.
The first to notice his approach was a burly man who huffed and stomped forward.
“What are you? You must be someone acquainted with that old man, but we’re exercising our rightful power here…”
The intimidating figure of the bulky man twisted his already rugged face even further as he growled threateningly.
However, Heinz quietly pushed back the hood of his robe without responding.
Then, as his silky black hair fluttered and his pale skin was revealed…
His sharp gaze locked onto the burly man, with blood-red eyes shining like rubies.
“…So then… um, that means…”
Under the sudden wave of an unknown intimidation, the burly man involuntarily stammered and swallowed hard.
Heinz had merely revealed his presence to step forward, but he was still masking his force with “Existence Denial.” Yet, the subtle feeling of distinction was enough to overwhelm everyone in attendance.
No joke, he could now kill everyone present with sheer will alone.
As the strange atmosphere hung in the air, the rest of the men who had been bustling about started to approach one by one.
“What’s going on? Is it possible… an aristocrat?”
“Oh— oh? Is that so?”
The burly man nodded awkwardly, finally accepting the reason for his tension.
Certainly, Heinz’s noble aura clearly indicated he was of high rank, and the robe, which at first glance seemed simple, was undoubtedly made from the finest materials.
For a mere thug like him, it was only natural to instinctively feel intimidated.
“Ahem, um… My lord? Just in case there’s a misunderstanding, let me clarify: we are working under official authorization from the authorities.”
“We lent them money, but we haven’t been able to get it back in time. Yes, yes.”
“Why don’t you check with the guards over there… huh? Where did they all go?”
Even though they hadn’t firmly established the other’s status, their survival instincts immediately made them lowly bow.
Murmurs—
Not only them, but others among the crowd began to step away one by one.
Being near a potential power player could mean trouble if they were to lose their temper.
Hmm.
In the cold atmosphere doused with uncertainty, Heinz slowly put his hands into his pockets.
And what came out in his hand was…
Thud—!
A heavy purse collided with the ground, resounding loudly.
Simultaneously, everyone’s gaze turned toward the purse that had dropped in front of the men.
“Put everything you’re holding back where it belongs and get lost.”
The man closest to the purse cautiously picked it up and, after checking inside…
His eyes widened instantly as he swallowed hard.
The seemingly nonchalantly thrown purse was filled to the brim with gold coins.
The amount they lent… No, it included the inflated interest, making it more than several times that sum.
To nonchalantly toss such wealth was a temptation that shimmered in the eyes of those behind him.
They exchanged glances among themselves before cautiously glancing at Heinz…
“Aigoo~ Thank you, my lord! Actually, if we could receive cash, it’d be less of a hassle and much better for us!”
“Ah, exactly that. What are you doing? Hurry and put it back!”
…They promptly lowered their tails and busily began moving again.
Simply standing there, the overwhelming atmosphere, elegant appearance, expensive attire, and the casually tossed purse of gold…
For mere thugs like them, provoking someone like this could easily lead to their ruin.
Bam— Crash!
As the situation unexpectedly flipped, while Diana’s family wore dumbfounded expressions, the men hurriedly finished tidying up with awkward smiles as they slowly backed away.
“Well then, we’ll be leaving, my lord. We were just here for the money we didn’t receive after all.”
“Of course! We aren’t bandits! We’re just getting a fair return!”
Cough— Hey there, mister? Next time, I’ll cut down the interest a bit, so please use us again in the future?
They vanished into the alley with the money bags, looking giddy over their unexpected earnings.
However.
‘Of course, I’m not just letting them go.’
While quietly watching their retreating figures, Heinz lifted his gaze toward the rooftop of a building, nodding slightly in the direction they disappeared.
Swish—
At that moment.
The shadows that ruled the city began to move stealthily.
No matter how much money he had, he was not the type to be charitable to such scoundrels.
*
“Th-thank you… Thank you. Sniff!”
“Aigoo, how can I repay this kindness…?”
“Mister!”
Whaa—!
The following situation was needless to elaborate on.
The place became a flood of tears and commotion, and after a considerable time had passed, Heinz managed to calm everyone down and started organizing the messy shop before heading straight into a quiet alley.
To receive the report about the discreet instructions he had given.
“My lord, the first investigation results are in.”
Thanks to the terrified vampires in the city mobilizing everyone for this unexpected visit, it wasn’t difficult to grasp the details of the events.
It was practically a straightforward matter of taking down the thugs and tracing the threads back up.
‘Sure enough, something felt off.’
And the outcome was just as expected.
‘I didn’t sense any critical energy from Rafi… if it were poisoning, that’d be one thing.’
Even if a child ingested something toxic, one might let it slide as negligence, but demanding a large sum of money while claiming it to be a ‘grave illness’ felt unnatural.
Moreover, the fact that someone was ready to mobilize money immediately after that meant there was someone there to vouch for the doctor’s credibility.
‘But was it all a trap? …They even went so far as to poison a child?’
And the individual who had a hand in it, introduced a purchased healer, and ultimately connected the loan sharks was none other than—
The instructor who had been providing her direct financial education since meeting Diana at the instructional office.
“Hmm— How well can they pull off such acts in my territory?”
Naturally, the vampires had already captured all the healers, instructors, and even the public officials to interrogate them.
But thinking further, such absurdities hadn’t likely occurred just this once.
Similar issues must frequently arise unnoticed everywhere.
‘Honestly, it’d be the same on Earth. Given how complicated it is, it’s not something Hans could resolve easily, hunting down violent criminals.’
Many praised the Hahoe Mask, but he was no god.
While he could certainly handle crime-ridden villains enforcing unreasonable violence, complex societal issues were best overcome using the laws and systems that society had created for themselves.
‘Yet this place, Talia Kingdom, is different.’
Compared to being merely a neighborhood patrol back on Earth, here he was the actual ruler.
The king and nobles, who had long since lost all decision-making power, were merely puppets; the true decision-maker and ruler was Heinz II, the head of the ‘Hybrids.’
That’s why he had been pondering about governance while preparing for the vampires’ elevation into the light.
The most crucial aspect was the procurement of blood.
No matter how much the vampires had come under Heinz’s command, vampiric instincts meant that feeding was unavoidable.
‘To maintain combat power right away, and to preserve various magics like blood techniques, securing a large quantity of blood is essential.’
The best way to do that was to use the city’s criminals as sources of blood supply.
Of course, he had been doing just that, but after this incident, there was a felt need for a more systematic and large-scale implementation.
‘Also, I already know from experience on Earth that criminals are a presence that can never just disappear.’
This represents a mutually beneficial and best method of coexistence for both parties.
Of course, it would be hell for the criminals, but as usual, he bore no concern for their rights.
He organized his thoughts and headed back to the grocery store.
Since he decided to keep Diana by his side, it was essential to have a deeper conversation with her.
“Oh, you’ve come! Mister!”
“Diana. Can we have a talk for a minute?”
He called her out from among the bustling family members and subtly revealed the information he had gathered regarding the scheme and its culprits.
She knew Heinz was a vampire and was observing his reactions to gauge his character more.
However, upon hearing what he shared, Diana didn’t spare any concern for the culprits; instead, she was absorbed in self-blame.
“…It’s all my fault. I should have noticed when they approached the children so excessively. Plus, after that, I just let my guard down after buying them so many tasty things… And I did feel something strange when Rafi was sick, but I was too foolish… Sniff…”
No matter how keen her nose was, a 14-year-old girl working in a grocery store wouldn’t be able to identify the odor of poison.
However, she felt immense guilt over being the reason for the initial connection with the instructor, and about not responding adequately when he approached Rafi with ulterior motives and failing to recognize the weirdness afterward.
When their family was in dire straits, she always felt guilty, growing more and more despondent, living with a sense of being a sinner.
The thought of being the cause of their troubles for merely being greedy for unnecessary learning was heavy on her heart.
Heinz gently patted Diana’s head as she began to sniffle, tilting his head slightly.
Hmm, he thought, ‘I expected to see expressions of anger or rejection against the culprits, but she’s indifferent?’
Upon hearing that Heinz dealt with the criminals, she seemed to have completely dismissed them from her mind.
As if she trusted he would take care of it like he always did.
“…Sniff. I’ll find a way to repay the money, somehow. It’s not a small amount, after all. I’m just embarrassed to have relied on you again because of my foolishness…”
“You’re studying accounting and commercial law, right?”
Though Diana struggled to swallow her tears and opened her mouth, Heinz brushed her words aside to make a different suggestion.
“Really? Yeah… that’s what led to this incident.”
“If that’s the case, how about working under me to repay your debts?”
He had already intended to keep her close, and if she was trustworthy and a useful asset, then that was perfect.
Useful workers were always welcome.
“Uh…”
At Heinz’s proposal, she widened her eyes and fumbled her words.
She already had her answer prepared.
She was indeed pursuing her studies with that very goal in mind.
“However, there’s one issue. If you work under me, you’ll have to leave this place.”
“Of course! I was prepared for that!”
“If you want, I can support your family to settle there as well.”
“…I’ll talk to them. They’ve seen some pretty nasty things after borrowing money, so they might prefer going somewhere else altogether…”
Both parties understood each other perfectly, and the conversation flowed smoothly.
In the midst of this, Diana suddenly curiously asked,
“So, where are we going? Is it the capital Talia?”
Her eyes sparkled with a hint of excitement.
A capital city is nothing short of a symbol of national prosperity, making it natural for a young girl like Diana, who had never been there, to dream of that place.
But Heinz’s response was not what she had expected…
“Well, I’ll stop by the capital for a moment, but that’s not the final destination.”
“Huh? Then where…”
Seeing the puzzled expression on Diana’s face, he let a small smile escape.
“The Tulku Kingdom, in Tarak City.”
“Whaaat?!”
Not merely relocating to another area, but immigrating to a different country.
Of course, going to a foreign land wasn’t easy, but there was no need to worry.
The complex procedures would all be handled by those beneath him.
Originally, that was precisely what power was for.
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