WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 455: Escape from the Principality no.2

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At the Castle of the Full Moon, in the darkest and deepest secret recess of the Fog Duchy, the Progenitor sat.

The Progenitor had clearly gone to a villa with her concubine, yet for some reason, she had returned alone. None dared ask Tyrkanzyaka where her concubine had gone, intimidated by the fearsome yet sorrowful aura surrounding her. They could only assume the concubine had escaped.

Having changed into another dress before returning, Progenitor Tyrkanzyaka sat upon her throne and swept her expressionless gaze over the Elders.

Erjebeut, Dogo, Du Lahan. Every Elder before her had either plotted the rebellion or taken part in it. Though Valdamir had subdued them, their bodies had already fully regenerated, as befitted Elders. They were little more than defeated soldiers, awaiting judgment before the Progenitor.

Even in this humiliating moment, Dogo and Erjebeut continued to scheme.

They had only yielded to force for a moment. They were Elders. They neither died nor tired. Valdamir had merely ambushed them and picked them off one by one, but now that they were together, if they pooled their strength, they could still achieve their unfinished goal...

No, they could have.

[Bring him to me.]

That was, if not for the ominous shadow rising behind Tyrkanzyaka. Erjebeut could sense the immense authority contained within it.

Progenitor Tyrkanzyaka had poured every bit of knowledge and power she possessed into it.

The Progenitor, who possessed absolute authority, had never considered how to wield that power herself. Instead, she had Elders and Ains to serve as her hands and feet. The power and experience her Elders and Ains had gathered like worker ants, along with their techniques and realizations, all remained intact within the Progenitor. She simply could not use the realizations gained by her servants as though they were her own.

So the Progenitor had "made" a vessel capable of holding the power and authority accumulated over a thousand years. Rather than alter her own body, which was difficult to change freely, she shaped a new body from darkness and bloodcraft, then crammed every experience and authority into it. The result was a monster wreathed in darkness, bearing the Progenitor's bloodcraft and capable of wielding the power of every Elder.

[Only the Elder who brings him to me will be forgiven.]

Erjebeut realized the truth down to the bone. The Elders could no longer defeat Tyrkanzyaka. Perhaps only Valdamir, who had learned and mastered the powers of all the other Elders, could put up some resistance...

But Valdamir had no intention of betraying the Progenitor.

There was only one path to survival now. Bow as low as possible and appease the Progenitor. Just as Erjebeut was about to obey her command...

"I refuse."

A glove flew toward the Progenitor. Du Lahan had thrown it.

The glove, hurled with enormous force, stopped dead in midair before reaching Tyrkanzyaka. The shadow deftly caught it, then casually tried to put it on.

Pop.

The glove could withstand neither the shadow's huge hand nor its tremendous strength. The tough leather glove reinforced with iron burst like a balloon. The shadow looked dejected as it examined the torn scraps.

Neither Du Lahan nor Tyrkanzyaka cared about the glove's tragic fate. They simply glared at each other.

"I haven't been defeated yet! If cowardly Valdamir hadn't ambushed me, I wouldn't have suffered such a hollow defeat!"

The fact that Du Lahan did not claim they would have won was likely their last remnant of honor, but there was some truth to the words. Even Valdamir had sought to deal with Du Lahan before Du Lahan could join forces with the other Elders.

Tyrkanzyaka looked at the former knight who still refused to accept defeat.

[What is your will?]

"A duel, Progenitor. For every knight you killed, and for myself, who slaughtered humans for centuries after being used by you! I challenge you to a duel!"

Du Lahan placed their head atop their neck.

Like fitting together a broken statue, Du Lahan turned their head this way and that.

The headless knight Du Lahan carried their own head around and often used it like a mace. Whenever an enemy appeared, Du Lahan fought by pitting an enemy's hardness directly against Du Lahan's own head. People saw it as a symbol of cruelty, but surprisingly, it was Du Lahan's mercy. Du Lahan had imposed the restriction of fighting while their head spun wildly.

...Yet there was one thing even Du Lahan had not anticipated. That stubbornness had granted them power close to authority. Their fixation on swinging their head, combined with Du Lahan's battle sense, had given them balance that reached a higher realm. No matter how bizarrely their head was positioned, Du Lahan could distinguish up from down and clearly perceive both their own position and their opponent's.

The strength and skill Du Lahan possessed in life combined with that balance, bringing them to a new level. If not for Valdamir, Du Lahan would still have been the strongest Elder.

[Is that your will?]

"Yes, that's right. I don't fear annihilation. I've already died once, so why couldn't I do it twice? But I can't submit without even fighting the Progenitor! The reason I clung to this miserable life even after dying was for this very moment!"

Having finally attached their head, Du Lahan clenched and opened their freed hands. Blood energy condensed in their grasp, taking the shape of enormous maces.

It was the same as Valdamir's greatsword. Martial artists coat their weapons in energy. Once they reach a certain realm, they can feel and wield their weapon as though it were part of their own body. The realm commonly called unity of man and sword.

And when a martial artist becomes a vampire, they shape a weapon from blood energy, which is no different from their own body. A weapon made that way is as powerful as a vampire's physical body.

"You may not be a man... but if you know honor, accept my challenge!"

Du Lahan had already been defeated once. The Progenitor had no reason to accept the challenge. Valdamir, the Progenitor's First Sword, could handle it instead. Yet Tyrkanzyaka gestured for Valdamir to step back and looked at Du Lahan.

[I do not know about such things. But I will respect your will. Your fulfilling it must have been the result he desired as well.]

"...Whoever he is, he must be quite the romantic man."

[Not only that. He is barbaric as well.]

Still seated on the throne, Tyrkanzyaka smiled faintly. Du Lahan struck the two maces together and pointed them at the Progenitor.

"So. When are you going to stand? You don't intend to accept my challenge while sitting on that throne, do you?"

[That would be fine too.]

"What?"

Tyrkanzyaka did not move. Instead, the shadow standing behind her stretched forward, its upper body suddenly thrusting out. Sensing hostility, it reached for Du Lahan as though trying to grab a toy.

Du Lahan swung a mace broadly at the shadow's enormous hand and muttered,

"A monster! A fine opponent to loosen up against!"

It was a fine opponent for loosening up.

From the shadow's perspective.

Crunch, crunch.

The shadow was chewing Du Lahan whole. Broken maces rolled across the floor, while limbs plucked off like chicken feathers twitched pitifully. The limbs seemed to want to find their body, but to become one again, they would have to gather inside the shadow's stomach.

Du Lahan had fought Tyrkanzyaka's shadow bravely without retreating, but the shadow was no longer something an Elder could face.

The shadow was the sum of the vampire species. A lord of vampires containing every authority and technique within a single body.

The Progenitor, who had scattered her blood and darkness across the vampire species and the entire nation of the Fog Duchy, no longer existed. In place of a god, a tyrant sat upon the throne and began a cruel reign.

[I only understood why an example was necessary after gaining a heart. In the end, I suppose history repeats itself. Even after becoming vampires, human nature has not changed.]

Even as the shadow devoured Du Lahan, Tyrkanzyaka remained calmly seated on the throne.

Vampires were said to be unable to feel emotions, but that did not mean they wished for their existence to be erased. It was more rational not to resist like Du Lahan now. Dogo and Erjebeut kept silent and followed that rational course.

In other words, they feared death. Enough to swallow their pride and bow their heads.

[In any case, one competitor has been removed. That is good news for you.]

Tyrkanzyaka had also learned how to use fear. Like any ordinary ruler.

[Bring Hyu to me. If you would rather run away, I will not stop you... But you had better pray you never cross my path again.]

The two surviving Elders bowed their heads shamefully.

* * *

"Stop. I am Baron Zenryu, Ain to Lord Du Lahan and guardian of this gorge. Human, reveal your identity!"

"The Progenitor's concubine."

"!"

Even Baron Zenryu at the border had heard that the Progenitor had taken a concubine. After looking me over, Baron Zenryu cautiously asked,

"...Where are you headed?"

"The military state."

"You have a travel permit, I assume?"

"I don't have one."

Upon hearing my shameless answer, Baron Zenryu shouted resolutely,

"You cannot pass without the Progenitor's travel permit! There is no way to prove whether you are truly the concubine, but even if you are, the same applies!"

It was a proper and obvious response. To vampires, humans were livestock. Checkpoints had been set up everywhere to prevent them from running away as they pleased. Humans could not leave their places of residence freely, and if they had an unavoidable reason to travel, they needed a vampire's travel permit.

Tch. I wanted to sneak through, but of all things, it had to be vampires. They guarded the place day and night.

At least during the day, when the darkness and mist thinned, vampires' vision became blurred.

Just like now!

"Hilde! Now!"

"Yeees~."

Baron Zenryu's head came off.

As Baron Zenryu's head fell to the ground, their face was frozen in shock. No matter how loyal and diligent Baron Zenryu was, they could not have expected a soldier to suddenly cut off their head from behind.

This ambush was only possible because it was broad daylight, with the sun blazing overhead. Having taken down Baron Zenryu, Hilde mounted the Baron's horse and held out her hand.

"Father! Jump!"

I kicked off the ground and climbed up behind Hilde. The moment I got into position, Hilde spurred the horse onward. Perhaps unaware that its master had suddenly changed, the horse immediately broke into a run.

Anyone watching might curse us for cutting down an official doing their job, stealing their horse, and running away. But that was common sense only when the other person was ordinary and died after losing their head.

"Catch them!"

Baron Zenryu clutched their severed head to their chest and charged after us.

Footnotes:

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