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––Edim’s Perspective

As I listened to the pale Ortidiot outline the situation, my face took on a similar hue. Apparently Sir Dryas had told Lady Tilea that the mission would be a guaranteed success.

It wasn’t strange, if you considered our capabilities. Neither I nor he could have guessed the extent to which Ortidiot would sabotage me.

At any rate, the point was that Sir Dryas would lose all credibility as our strategist if I failed to complete my mission. It didn’t need to be said what kind of end Ortidiot and I would meet as a result…

Ortidiot was one thing, but I hadn’t done anything wrong.

I activated my telepathy.

『Dalf, urgent transmission to all units. All other objectives are put on hold. Locating the Fiend takes precedence.』
『Yes, milady. I will relay your orders to all officers.』
『See that you do. All forces are to prioritize the search!』
『By your will.』

Done with my instructions, I ended the transmission.

Ortidiot failed in negotiations, so we couldn’t count on Belnande’s intelligence network. And since Ortidiot himself was useless, I could only rely on my own power. I was pinning my hopes on the vampire network spread across the Capital, and Jayjay’s knowledge of the underground waterways.

All that was left was…

“Edim! Edim!” Ortidiot suddenly interrupted.
“…Yes, sir?”

Please give me a break. I didn’t expect him to be helpful, but couldn’t he at least stay out of my way?

“Edim, what are you lazing about for!?” he roared. “Didn’t you hear what I said about the Chief of Staff? At this rate we won’t see the morning sun! Hurry up and work!”

He sounded suitably anxious thanks to the pressure. Stop freaking out, already. You’ll make me panic too.

“Please calm down, Sir. My kin are presently searching the Capital. We will sniff out the Fiend before long. I am certainly not idling about, so rest assured.”
“And how long is ‘before long’!? It had better be before the sunrise. If it isn’t done by then, don’t think you’ll get off easy!”
“Yessir. I intended to find him before dawn, and am doing my utmost to make that a reality.”
“Really? You’ve already let us all down once before. Show me the proof that you’ll definitely find him. Well? Come on! Show me!”
“E-Even if you ask me for ‘proof’…”

Where the hell was I supposed to find something like that? Just how stupid was this guy?

“What are you dilly-dallying about for? I knew you couldn’t be relied on. Since it’s come to this, I should just level the area and smoke him out.”

Mana gathered around his right hand as he formed a number of magic bullets. Concentrated magic bullets that spanned as much as 50 centimeters in diameter. He really meant to level the area.

Ortidiot raised his arm high and made to swing it down. Ahh, goddammit! Why did he always…!? This was just going to make things harder again!

“Please stop! There is a high chance that the Fiend is using the waterways,” I exclaimed. “If you carpet bomb the place then we’ll never find him! Besides which, using a method like that would only draw attention and make the search even harder!”
“And what makes you so sure about that!” he demanded. “Do you think that we have time to scour each of those little tunnels? How are you planning on taking responsibility if we fail!?”

T-There was no reasoning with this guy… He was being ridiculous. If I went with his ideas then our chances of success would just get lower and lower. What was I to do? How could I persuade him?

As I was lamenting his spinelessness, somebody called out to him.

“So here you were, Ortissio.”

It turned out to be Sir Mühen and Sir Muram. For what reason had the commanders of the 1st and 3rd divisions appeared here together? Ortidiot seemed to be feeling suspect as well, dispelling his magic bullets.

“What are you two here for? I’m busy right now. I’m about to undertake an incredibly serious mission,” he said, questioningly.
“We’re here on a mission as well.” They each took a spot on each side of Ortidiot as though surveilling him.
“Oi, what’s the meaning of this? I just told you that I’ve got a serious mission. I don’t have time for you guys.”
“Ortissio, we have been instructed to detain you until daybreak. Come quietly.”
“Haah? Why…? I see. So it’s that damned Chief of Staff again! Are you two fine with following that guy? Don’t you feel any anger at being ordered around by that newborn upstart!?”
“Ortissio, Sir Dryas is the Chief of General Staff. Our superior. Besides which, the one who decided on this was Lady Tilea. Are you rebelling against her decision?”
“N-No, I’m not. That’s not what I…”

The moment her name was brought up, Ortidiot lost all sense of composure. He must have been terrified of being accused of treachery. After all, it would make him a repeat offender. They would execute him without mercy.

“At any rate, it falls on us to remain with you until dawn. Do not attempt to escape,” warned Sir Mühen.

“D-, Damn that b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲! I was given a mission of great importance…”
“This one wonders why you cannot fulfill your duties with us here.”
“It’s vexing and stifling. Stop causing me trouble,” Ortidiot demanded.
“Listen here. We were given a mission to detain you. You are the one causing us trouble,” argued Sir Mühen.
“Y-You dare!? Do either of you understand just how serious this situation is!?” Ortidiot raged.

Well, there went my shackles. I would leave him to them while I withdrew from here. The first order of business was getting a grasp of the situation. So far, nobody had approached any of the city gates. I was certain that the Fiend was still in the city.

If we scoured the city we would eventually find him. The real challenge was our battle against time.

Periodically I would communicate with Dalf, Cass, Jin, and Jayjay, in order to narrow down our search. In the periods in-between, my vampires were searching left and right for our target. It finally happened a few dozen minutes after the search began.

An incoming transmission from Dalf.

『Dalf? Have you found him?』
『No, but there is something I wish for you to hear, milady.』
『Well?』
『Every member of the Evil God Army below the division commander level has taken formation outside the city. Even members far away are converging on the Royal Capital.』
『W-What did you say!? Are those supposed to be reinforcements? But Sir Ortissio said that the mission would be conducted with only our current forces…』
『They appear to be taking separate movement from the units assigned to prevent the Fiend from escaping. If anything, it appears that they are blocking the entire city.』

The entire city? Every member…?

!?

Don’t tell me!

『Dalf, are they taking formation at each of the city entrances?』
『Exactly so. It appears that they do not intend to let a single ant escape.』

I-, I knew it. This was a Bazooka Call… Only the Viceroy, General Commander, and the Chief of General Staff had the right to order one. Besides Lady Tilea, nobody could stop this once the order was given.

It was volley fire from every member of the army below the division commander level. Tens of thousands of magic bullets from the monsters in our army. It would turn the Royal Capital into a wasteland where nothing would grow again.

W-What a terrifying person S-Sir Dryas was… It seemed that if our mission failed, he intended to kill not just the Fiend but all of us as well. Haha, this was insane. Whether or not the Royal Capital would be annihilated was resting solely on the results of this mission.

I suppose this just showed how angry Sir Dryas was.

Usually he was the very picture of calmness, always picking the most efficient ways of doing things. For him to choose a course of action like this… I could only say it was because of his strong devotion towards Lady Tilea.

I had no time to waste. If I didn’t quickly find the Fiend, I would have no future.

■　◇　■　◇

––Gordon’s Perspective

Haah, haah, haah…

F̲u̲c̲k̲, why must an aristocrat such as I sneak through the sewers like this!?

In the dim, dirty, underground passage, Gordon was running as fast as his legs would take him.

To begin with, what the f̲u̲c̲k̲ was that vampire girl!?

Breaking into my estate out of the blue, slaughtering skilled subordinates by the dozen! And apparently even Nyger, my most reliable servant, was killed by that girl. The fact that he hadn’t teleported and caught up to me is proof of this.

The demon race… Half a year ago they attacked this city. I had heard that the country’s forces somehow drove them off, but… Damned Public Security Force. If you were going to kill them off, then you should have finished the job!

As he ran, he began cursing up a storm.

Everything was fun and games just a few days ago… The reigning monarch, King Arcudas III, had originally exiled Gordon from the country. Although Gordon was an influential noble, there was no ignoring the punishment for his numerous misdeeds.

In the end, Gordon had been driven to spend the rest of his days under house arrest in some rural backwater. There, Gordon had spent day after day in resentment and gloom. The women were poor. The food was poor. The longer he spent there, the closer he came to exploding.

Gordon was unresigned to spending the rest of his life in a hole like that. He slew some of his retainers for fun, and turned women into toys, but none of it improved his mood. So there he stayed, stewing in anger and depression until half a year ago when something changed.

The result of the demonic raid on the capital was the annihilation of the Public Safety Force, and a plummet in the dignity and authority of the royal family. From that moment on, Gordon began sending spies out to gather information.

Before long, he received a report that the King, once stern and driven in his governance, had now become an empty shell. Sensing his chance, Gordon returned to the Royal Capital of his own accord, yet no rebuke came from the King.

Truly, the attack from the demons had taken a toll on him.

Gordon himself had heard about how the Public Safety Force, created under the personal oversight of the King himself, had been massacred almost to a man. Of course, all Gordon felt was mocking satisfaction, having once been on the receiving end of the power of the royal family.

Gordon began suppressing his old political enemies, and threw the King’s loyal protégé, Remilia, into gaol. With everything in place, Gordon had gathered up numerous beauties and was just about to vent his years of frustrations into their bodies when this happened!

Gordon had been forced to escape with only the clothes on his back, so his assets were all back at the estate. Worse, the expensive mercenaries he hired had all been killed.

Accursed demons! You could have at least done some good and attacked the royal family instead!

Nyger was not with him, but it was for these kinds of crises that he had needed Nyger. Instead, Nyger’s subordinates, his household guard, were guarding junctions of the waterways.

Right now they were all he had left besides what he was wearing.

Remember this. I’ll definitely be back to make you pay for this!

He thought darkly, swearing to himself that he would return to the Royal Capital to return this suffering in multitudes. Despite his dark determination, however, he was beginning to wonder how long he had to run for.

He had made countless turns already, simply trusting to follow the directions his subordinates had given. But was everything okay?

“Oi, when the hell do we reach the gates? Find me a shortcut or something, I’m tired!”
“My sincere apologies. We have sent out scouts to each of the four city gates in order to find a safe route. Please bear with it a little longer.”
“F̲u̲c̲k̲, and just how long is a ‘little longer’? It smells in here. I want to be free of this place right this minute.”

The nature of the tunnels being what they were, the stench around them was pervasive. Worse yet, the running had led to no small amount of splashing, so his trousers were stained with sewage and muck. It was truly an unbearable state of affairs.

“Lord Gordon, I’ve just received reports of a suspicious group of some kind. Please endure this until we can confirm your safety.”
“Kuh! I need a woman to f̲u̲c̲k̲ or I’ll go crazy. You lot, go bring me some,” Gordon demanded.
“That is too risky, Sir,” the guard protested. “What would we do if news of your location leaked?”
“Worry not. When I’m done with them I’ll kill them. I just want to have a little fun while I’m waiting. If that’s all, then go bring me some!”
“S-Sir…”
“My mood is very poor right now. I trust that I needn’t explain what will happen if I hear any more backtalk?”
“U-Understood. I’ll have some brought for you this instant.”

Sensing his mood, Gordon’s subordinates immediately made themselves busy.

Gordon sat down with a thud, irritated. As filthy as the ground was, Gordon was exhausted. Before long he placed his head in his hands and lay down.

I could have been in bed, indulging in beauties right now.

This is all that vampire girl’s fault. What a waste. So many beauties I hadn’t gotten around to yet. Probably all dead by that vampire’s hand by now. I should have just had them the moment they arrived at my estate. It feels like my prey got snatched away now.

And tomorrow morning I was supposed to have had that village girl, Tilea. I was looking forward to that little gem too. Easily one of the top three women I’d have ever abducted.

If I’m not to have her, then it would be better for her to die to that vampire.

As he gnashed his teeth in vexation, he heard the sound of footsteps. Probably his men coming back. Gordon rose to a seated position, and looked towards the sound. As expected it was his men. More importantly, there was also a girl.

“We’ve returned, Lord Gordon.”
“Too slow,” he chided.
“Our utmost apologies. It was difficult to stay in hiding, and it took a while to find somebody you’d be happy with,” the man apologized.
“Look at our situation. Even I have some sense,” Gordon scoffed. “I can endure settling for somebody a bit more base, for now at least.”
“…”
“Why have you fallen silent? Bring her forward!” he demanded, and his men complied.

As he cursed his slow and dimwitted subordinates, Gordon noted that being a hair’s breadth away from death all this time had made him even lustier. Perhaps the threat of death had provoked some biological imperative to have offspring.

At this point, Gordon would have happily devoured a bumpkin girl. Even if she begged or screamed, he was determined to have her. A cruel smile crossed his face as he reached out to disrobe her, but then he stopped.

Mn!? Come to think of it, this is strange. This girl should have been forcefully taken, so why isn’t she screaming or crying?

This time, he gave the girl a closer look.

The gloom in the tunnels obscured the details, but from what he could tell, her face was pretty enough. Gordon thanked his good luck. She was so pretty in fact, that had circumstances permitted he’d have taken her with him alive.

“You can consider it a great honor for a low-born girl like you to be―”
“I’ve finally found you.”
“Hiie!”

T-That voice… He knew that voice. And those clothes… as well as that face… Why hadn’t he realized earlier?

I-It’s the vampire giiiirl!

“Y-Y-You lot, i-i-it’s a demon,” he stammered fearfully. “She’s a vampire! Drive her back!”

Nobody seemed to notice.

“What are you doing!? Hurry up and―”
“Mistress Edim, please excuse us.”
“It’s fine. Return to Dalf for orders.”
“Yes, milady.”

W-What just happened…?

Just a second ago these men had meekly obeyed him. What was this complete change of face? Gordon watched as they obeyed the vampire girl, leaving him behind.

“W-, Why…?”
“No great mystery. Those men are my kin.”
“K-, Kin!? No…”

This was the special ability that vampires had, Gordon had heard. After being sired, the new vampire would submit to their sire. According to the rumors, even the most loyal person was no exception.

“You really ought to get a grip on that lust of yours. I suppose it worked in my favor this time, but even I don’t know what to say to that,” she said, a little dumbfounded, “You’re literally running for dear life, and yet that mind of yours can still think about abducting women…”
“Shut uuuuup!” he bellowed.

Trying to bury his fear with anger, Gordon drew his sword and struck at the vampire. But as it came down upon her, she simply grasped the descending blade before crushing it with the same hand.

“Wha-!?”
“What pathetic technique.”

Appearing to be more horrifying than ever, the vampire girl took a step towards him. There was a pressure emanating from her that he hadn’t felt earlier that night. Nyger had been right. During their first confrontation, she had been weakened.

S-, So this was the true power of the demon race…

“Hiie, s-stay away!”
“You petty types never know when to give up and die.”

I-I’m going to be killed…

Drenched in cold sweat, Gordon’s teeth chattered uncontrollably. This vampire girl had defeated Nyger. Nyger, who some regarded as humanity’s strongest. There was not a chance in hell that Gordon could beat her. Trying to resist would still end in his brutal death.

Having come to that conclusion, Gordon immediately threw his head onto the floor.

“P-Please have mercy. I will become your servant, my lady. You can have my money, anything you want, just please spare my life.”

How could he accept dying here? Even if he had to lick her feet, he’d survive this. Even being turned into one of her kin or whatever would be fine. So long as he could keep existing, nothing was off the tables.

“When people begged you just like this, did you spare them even once?”
“M-My sincere apologies. I’ve turned over a new leaf. From today onwards, I’ll dedicate my life to helping society.”
“…That sounds awfully suspicious.”

I see…

Despite being a demon, apparently this girl was just another deluded hypocrite. In that case, this makes things easy. To appeal to that ‘better nature’ of hers, all he needed to do was lie.

“I-It’s true. I can sense your great anger at my misdeeds, my lady. The truth is that it was my subordinate, Nyger. I couldn’t go against his threats and was forced into this. I know that some of the blame rests upon me, for being unable to go against my servant. But that―”
“Enough, enough already. Your stupid excuses are starting to remind me of a r̲e̲t̲a̲r̲d̲e̲d̲ superior of mine, so just stop it already.”
“I-, I’m not just telling excuses. It’s true.”
“I just told you to stop. I only mentioned your victims as practice in pretending to have a human heart. Apparently you bought it.”
“Huh?”

What on earth was she saying? A human heart? Gordon couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

“Basically, the farce ends now.”
“D-Does that mean that you will spare me?”
“Look, whether you repent or not has nothing to do with me. All that matters is that my lady wants your head. It doesn’t matter to me if you’re a saint or a devil.”
“T-That can’t be. Please, please find it in your heart to have mercy. If you aren’t angry at me, then please give me a chance to explain myself to your lady. Please, please―”
“Not angry!? Gordon, do you know how much trust I’ve lost because of you? Lady Tilea, Sir Dryas, even my most beloved Lady Camilla, just how much face do you think I’ve lost in front of them!?” she demanded, eyes wide and crazed, promising murder.

Her face, which he had found pretty not moments ago, was warped into the visage of a devil. Gordon realized now that no words could change her mind.

I’m… going to die…

The bloodlust emanating from her was a certain portent of his doom.

“Hiie, s-save me!” Gordon broke into a run, but… “Gyaaah!”

Something sharp had sent his right leg flying, leaving nothing but a stump below the base.

“It hurts, it hurrts, ugoaah! F-Forgive me, forgive me! Save me, somebody save me!”

Her fury would consume him like a fire. Gordon’s remaining leg trembled as terror permeated his being. The vampire girl smiled as she licked the blood from her hand. She watched Gordon for a while, before suddenly grabbing his head.

“Geez, you’ve really caused me a lot of trouble!”
“Hiigyaaaaaaah!”

The expression on her face was the most frightening one yet.