Time passed, and the fierce war between the human tripartite alliance and Sahelrn Duchy finally came to an end.
In this war, 30% of the vampires in Sahelrn Duchy perished. Considering the presence of non-combatants, the losses were exceptionally significant.
This was not just a story limited to Sahelrn Duchy; it was recorded as one of the deadliest events in vampire history since the race’s civil war.
However, despite the unparalleled sacrifices made by the vampires, it was the alliance that experienced a greater sense of defeat.
While it is often said that there are no true winners in war, given the objectives behind this conflict, the undeniable losers were the alliance.
Despite suffering casualties several times greater than those of the vampires, the alliance failed to assassinate the Progenitor.
In fact, they not only failed to assassinate her but lost all trace of her completely.
Contrary to their initial expectations of the Progenitor being under the Grand Duke’s protection, she had already left the duchy long ago.
The Luminous Kingdom, in a hurried attempt to deduce possible escape routes, began forming new tracking strategies. However, the accuracy of these efforts was far inferior to the nearly perfect information they had prior to the war, and they could only narrow down a few possibilities.
The humans grew anxious. While it didn’t mean the Progenitor was a being who could just grow significantly overnight, it was clear that the more time allowed, the more of a threat she would become.
If they had at least managed to dismantle the duchy, they could have counted it as a small victory, but unfortunately, the duchy, while suffering unprecedented damage, hadn’t lost its functionality as a nation.
In the end, the war yielded virtually no gains.
More accurately, given the considerable time and human and material resources invested, they weren’t just back at square one but had even fallen into the negatives, making the outcome feel like a resounding defeat for the humans.
Naturally, this led to massive confusion.
The Greysia Empire seized the opportunity to bring up accountability issues that had been put off during the war, criticizing the Luminous Kingdom.
Taking advantage of the chaos, the Suwong Kingdom lurked near the borders, engaging in subtle mental warfare while seizing every opportunity to belittle the Luminous Palace, perfectly embodying the essence of the Empire.
Since the Progenitor was likely heading west, the Bertica Kingdom busied itself locating inspection records and eyewitness accounts within its borders. Even though they weren’t part of the alliance, the nearby Armes Kingdom was similarly engaged in the task.
And there was the Luminous Kingdom. In a frenzy to track down the Progenitor, the palace located in the far-west town of Randell.
The youngest knight, Plona Moonlight, stood before her superior, holding her resignation letter.
“Plona, think it over one more time. For a knight to quit is a big deal.”
“I’ve thought it through. This is my decision, Chief.”
The commander of the Knight Order Randell Branch, Dave Rakel, rubbed his forehead with his right hand.
‘Since that day, my mind has been elsewhere, but after some time, I thought she was handling her duties well, and she was even quite active during the war, so I thought I could relax a bit.’
The reason for Plona’s resignation was obvious.
She must be attempting to pursue Aria, now confirmed as the Progenitor of the vampires.
Despite wanting to shake off that idea, it seemed she had realized that working as a knight gave her better access to the latest information than going after her alone.
Most likely, her participation in the assassination unit sent to the Grand Duke’s castle during the war was in the same vein.
Though he felt a pang of regret, Dave could not simply accept her resignation.
Plona was an essential asset. Not merely a knight, she was someone who would bear the future responsibility someday.
But whether she simply wanted to have one last conversation with the Progenitor to clear her mind, or if there was something more at play, he had no way to know.
However, the fact that she had suddenly submitted her resignation after the palace had completely lost track of the Progenitor indicated she had no intention of giving up.
“Vampires are humanity’s enemies. Isn’t that enough?”
Dave asked, unusually serious.
He needed to prevent Plona from quitting, yet he refrained from invoking a sense of duty in his appeal.
What face could he show a girl who had been scouted into the knights due to her extraordinary talents in magic and swordsmanship from a young age in order to instill a sense of responsibility?
Although he didn’t know how significant the Progenitor had become to Plona, he simply hoped to calmly persuade her to change her mind.
“I’m sorry, Chief. I think I need to meet her to understand.”
But Plona was resolute. Her unwavering stance indicated she had made up her mind completely.
However, there was one piece of fortunate news for Dave amidst this misfortune.
‘Needing to meet her to understand.’
At least she wasn’t suggesting that not all vampires are bad people; rather, it seemed she just needed closure.
That much was a relief. She wasn’t communicating her intention to abandon everything and follow the Progenitor.
The thought of such a thing happening… was unbearable to imagine.
“I can’t accept your resignation. Instead, I’ll grant you a long vacation as a reward for your participation. How about that?”
Dave proposed a compromise. Plona’s long absence would cause difficulties for him, but it was better than losing her completely.
As if his desperate prayers had been heard, Plona, who had been deliberating, nodded.
“Then that’s settled.”
“Good. Rest well and be sure to come back after getting yourself sorted.”
Plona left the room. Neither of them pointed out that she wasn’t really going to rest.
The next day, Plona promptly completed her preparations and left the Luminous Kingdom. And—
“Chase her. Since she has had a connection with the Progenitor, she might know something. Report any suspicious movements.”
The individuals ordered to secretly follow her also crossed the border.
*
A month and ten days later, in Sahelrn Duchy.
“Have we managed to stabilize things domestically?”
“Indeed, Your Grace.”
As Grand Duke Martini Sahelrn handed over the last document placed on the desk, Stella accepted it and replied.
Martini sighed, leaning back in his chair. He couldn’t show this side in front of his subordinates, but since there was only one aide in the office, it wasn’t a problem.
However, the expression on Martini’s face as he tapped his fingers on the desk was anything but relief over finishing his work.
“So many have died. It was expected, but I lost countless compatriots due to my decision.”
His tone was undeniably one of self-reproach.
For Martini, this had been his conclusion reached after extensive deliberation. Also, when thinking of the future, he still believed that it was a gate that had to be crossed at some point.
Yet, now that he was faced with the piled bodies of his kin before him, he found it impossible to escape his wretched feelings.
The value of life cannot simply be quantified by numbers.
From the perspective of the entire vampire race, it had been a sacrifice that should’ve been made eventually, but had they postponed it any longer, the vampires who died under her command might have well been the ones who survived.
Even if a glorious era were to come one day, the vampires who died now would not return. What was clear was that he bore the responsibility for leading his subordinates to destruction.
Two thousand years had passed since he stepped away from the clutches of death, yet Martini still could not become accustomed to the deaths of those who followed him.
“You did your best, Your Grace.”
“Thank you, even if it’s just words. But it’s thanks to you that there were no more sacrifices than this.”
Martini greeted Stella with a light smile as she offered comfort while standing with an upright posture.
In reality, Stella’s contributions during this war had been considerable. The humans, who had mobilized all means to contain only Martini, were likely taken aback after being blindsided by Stella.
The dead offer no replies, and there was no way to hear responses from the massive piles of corpses scattered across the battlefield, but the thought that they had dealt a blow to the foe lightened Martini’s heart a little.
“I wonder how the Progenitor is faring.”
Once the domestic issues seemed to stabilize, Martini’s interest naturally shifted to the Progenitor, who had departed the duchy.
He had fought a war under the pretense of protecting her, with the singular goal of buying time by repelling all those who pursued her, so it was only natural for him to be concerned.
Moreover, the fact that there were not few who were skeptical about the Progenitor’s potential made it his duty to prove that the sacrifices they made weren’t in vain.
“She’s not the kind to die so easily. No need for concern.”
“…Stella. Your loyalty to her still takes me by surprise.”
Martini was aware that Stella had originally been part of the opposition.
It felt weird to call them opposition, as it seemed to imply treason, but she had been the vampire most skeptical about the Progenitor’s potential in the purest sense.
She had never overtly opposed him because she simply followed his lead.
Seeing Stella making remarks that seemed to support the Progenitor piqued Martini’s interest.
While she had expressed her hopes for the Progenitor to survive when she left the duchy, the meanings between spontaneous encouragement and her assumption that she would be fine were worlds apart.
“I am not specifically supporting her,” she denied.
But her expression was hardly insincere… it was hard to keep a straight face.
Just like that is who she always was, Martini allowed himself a light smile. Soon, he made a serious turn back to the matters at hand.
“The enemy will start searching for clues soon.”
Even though the Progenitor had managed to move while concealing her identity thoroughly, it was evident that there were limited locations she might go on Terra continent. Sadly, humans were not fools, and they would soon trace her to where Aria was.
The Mist Labyrinth.
While Martini couldn’t deny the Elves’ magic skills, he also knew there were no unbeatable spells in this world.
“If there were, we would have won the racial war.”
Therefore, the mist surrounding Albresia was not invincible.
While it was a unique situation, Martini was well aware that a vampire had proven that it could indeed be breached.
If a single spell could protect the forest for hundreds of years, they’d have maximized its value a long time ago.
It had already been a while since humans had been searching with fiery determination, and even if they hadn’t yet acquired the ability to tackle the Mist Labyrinth, encompassing the forest with troops, given that they would ultimately starve, the outcome remained the same.
“Stella. I’m afraid it seems you’ll need to move one more time.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. As I mentioned earlier, I’m not setting a deadline. I would prefer to go myself, but…”
“There is no one else to replace you in this duchy.”
Stella displayed her displeasure for the first time.
Though she had slightly acknowledged the Progenitor’s potential, she seemed reluctant to work hard for her sake. Perhaps she didn’t want to leave the duchy behind, serving a master for an extended time.
But ultimately, despite any orders given, Stella had never defied Martini, and this time would be no different.
“I will carry out your orders.”
Thus, the asymmetric forces of Sahelrn Duchy began to move.
The Luminous Kingdom and the duchy, the hunters and the protectors, were engaged in an unseen struggle whose outcome was unknown to anyone at this moment.
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