An awkward air hung in the reception room of the Hubert Company.
"…"
"…So, this is… him?"
Not long after the incident in Tarak, a meeting was held with those involved. Heinrich, the Hero's Party, who played a key role in resolving the incident, Heinz II, who provided crucial assistance, Diana, representing the victims and also affiliated with the Hubert Company, and…
Temiran McCleare, the perpetrator of the incident.
"Um, I apologize. Back then, I…"
His cautious apology broke the awkward silence. It hadn't been long since they first met and fought, yet here they were, facing each other again in this peaceful setting. And the victim of the incident was staring at him with wide eyes. Even the most shameless person would find this situation awkward.
"I'm fine. I've heard the circumstances."
Diana responded maturely to his apology. It wasn't that she was magnanimous and forgave him. She had simply decided to follow Heinz's will after hearing the whole story from him.
'He was being controlled against his will, and now he's become Mister Heinz's subordinate, unable to disobey his orders…'
They were practically family now, so there was no point in maintaining hostility.
As Diana, representing the victims, accepted the apology, the atmosphere softened. Of course, the biggest victim was arguably the injured Grand Shaman, but since she had entrusted everything to Diana and was recuperating, it wasn't a problem.
"Your appearance has changed beyond recognition. For that vampire to grow so quickly in just a few days. It's truly fascinating."
"…The energy he exudes has also changed considerably. If Sir Heinrich hadn't told us he was the same person, I would have mistaken him for someone else."
Now that the Saint, who was also present, had assured them that he was no longer dangerous, High Elf Lydia and Arch Mage Isea observed the boy with intrigued expressions. His appearance, that of an early teenager when they first met, had rapidly changed to that of a late teenager – almost like a young man in his twenties. They were even more fascinated because they knew that not just his appearance, but the source and essence of his power had changed.
"But as expected, it was the Immortal King. I thought he'd been relatively quiet recently, but to think he was plotting something like this behind the scenes."
"Well, the war is approaching. The Hubert Company is undeniably the continent's top trading company. He probably judged that disrupting it would be beneficial in many ways."
The conversation naturally shifted to the mastermind behind this incident, the Immortal King. The heinous Immortal King had reached out to threaten the continent's commerce in preparation for the upcoming war. He even tried to sow discord by using the vampires, with whom he had implicitly promised cooperation.
How could this not be considered a threat!
"…"
As the group, including the Saint, frowned and exchanged opinions with serious expressions, Temiran, sitting opposite them, glanced at Heinz, who was sitting with his legs crossed.
["Look forward."]
At the voice of his new master echoing in his mind, he casually shifted his gaze forward and agreed with their words. Just as he had been instructed before coming here.
"Yes, and that's not all. Among the tasks I received, there was also something about the Demon Realm…"
All the evils of the world onto the Immortal King! He couldn't talk about the god of the abyss anyway, and the people of this world wouldn't understand it. So, like with the Oath Against Heaven and the Revolutionist, it was easier to blame all incidents on the Immortal King.
'The karma I gain from this is quite substantial.'
Perhaps thanks to the enhanced control from 「Subjugation」, Temiran played his role perfectly, exceeding expectations. This skill allowed him to grasp the situation of those subordinate to him and communicate with them in real time, so it was quite a useful gain for an unexpected ability.
"If it's the Demon Realm, then as expected…"
"We need to prepare for demon followers as well…"
As the conversation grew serious, Diana, who had been sitting quietly, glanced at Heinrich and Heinz, her eyes shifting between the two. The two still emitted a similar scent.
'I'm definitely right.'
She recalled the day she brought it up to Heinz.
***
"…I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?"
A reaction unlike the always calm and composed Heinz. Diana nodded slowly, as if understanding his bewildered response, and spoke again.
"I understand how you feel. But you know what my ability is, right, Mister?"
A transcendental sense of smell that far surpassed that of animals or monsters, capable of distinguishing not only physical scents but also intangible concepts like 'danger' and even the scent of souls. Diana, who had lived with this ability her entire life, declared calmly, but with clear conviction.
"Mister and Sir Saint, I think you two are brothers who were separated when you were young."
"…"
"Perhaps even twins. You both have different vibes, but you're both handsome. And if you look closely, you resemble each other."
"…"
"I've heard it before. Saint Heinrich was a wanderer from the Talia Kingdom, and he donated all his possessions to the Main God's Church and became a paladin. And the Talia Kingdom… is where we first met, right?"
A logical argument based on evidence. Diana looked at Heinz, who was speechless from the unexpected truth, with sympathy. The owner of a massive company and the Vampire King. And the Saint of the Main God's Church, the first sword to carry out God's will.
Who would have imagined that the two were brothers? She wouldn't have guessed it either if it weren't for her ability.
'There's no problem with him being the head of the company. But the problem is that Mister's true identity is a vampire. Even though the two sides have a relatively good relationship right now…'
It was too optimistic to believe that it would last. The current peace was just a result of both sides deliberately ignoring each other, according to the will of those above. Perceptions solidified over a long time didn't change easily, and the nature of the two groups was too different to expect complete harmony. The opposition was merely staying silent because of the immediate threat of the Immortal King, but problems would surely arise once everything was over.
'Oh! Come to think of it, the Saint was the one who most actively advocated for the acceptance of vampires. This alliance is practically based solely on trust in him.'
Perhaps the Saint, who could understand God's will, had sensed something as well. That's why he sent a friendly signal to the vampires in that way.
"…Mister, are you alright?"
Diana cautiously called out to Heinz, who was still silent. Even if they found their lost family, as representatives of their respective groups, they couldn't act on personal feelings. Even a minor conflict arising from below would become an insurmountable barrier for them. Wasn't this a cruel twist of fate?
"…Hmm."
Then, Heinz, who had been looking at Diana with downcast eyes, let out a low groan. His expression was filled with anguish, as if he was struggling with something.
Of course, his thoughts were completely different from what she expected.
'What is she talking about?'
It was certainly impressive that Diana, amidst the chaos, maintained her composure and distinguished the scents of his two avatars. Not only had he gained control over his presence by embracing divinity, but the spiritual security of his avatars, protected by a powerful and thick barrier, was beyond imagination. The fact that she smelled him meant—.
'She's grown. To a completely different level. …It seems her contact with Temiran, the apostle, had some effect.'
Still, seeing Diana bring this up meant his security wasn't completely useless. She must have smelled something, but the lack of precision led to a miscalculation.
"…I see. Thank you for letting me know."
"No, this is nothing compared to what you've done for me, Mister."
"Still, it's best to keep it buried. It could negatively affect both of us."
"Yes… W-well, if I do something great, people will surely recognize it! Actually, the image of vampires has been changing in the west recently…"
Heinz nodded heavily at her attempt to comfort him. Even though Diana was practically his own person, the fewer people who knew his secret, the better. He had no intention of clearing up the misunderstanding himself.
'By the way, this is a pretty good setup. I wonder if I can use it somewhere.'
Heinz was lost in thought. The nature of his thoughts was a million light-years away from what Diana imagined.
***
"Are you sure this is alright? I understand the fight against the Immortal King is urgent, but…"
Immediately after the meeting with the interested parties,
Temiran, alone with Heinz, cautiously asked him a question. He had been acting uneasy since earlier.
"What are you so worried about? You're the one who did it, and now you're worried?"
"Well, yes. That's…"
Temiran trailed off with an awkward expression. Heinz could understand his feelings. Since he knew the tricks he had pulled while on the other side, he would naturally be more concerned about them now that he had switched sides.
"But the situation in the Demon Realm is no joke! That abyssal bastard didn't send me out here, incomplete, for no reason. The current situation in the Demon Realm is his last resort, his final struggle!"
The current operation in the Demon Realm was the result of thousands of years of meticulous planning. Although Temiran's time as an apostle was short, and he didn't know all the details, as the one who triggered the arrangement, he understood the general outline.
"It's fine. I've made thorough preparations to stop it."
"…What? Preparations? I don't know how you obtained information about the Demon Realm, but it's completely out of my hands now. There's nothing we can do from here unless we go to the Demon Realm directly."
He had gone to Diana, who possessed a fragment of the god, for a more certain outcome, but even without her, the plan would proceed without major setbacks.
"The gate is already fully open, and the abyssal army has begun to invade the Demon Realm. The leaders there have already been swayed. With their faith at rock bottom, the demons, who instinctively obey the strong, will soon adapt to the new system under the new Demon King!"
What would happen after that was obvious. Of course, such a thing would never happen.
"Your information is slow. Well, it's natural since your last communication was before coming to Tarak."
"…"
Heinz didn't say anything more to Temiran, who wore a confused expression. He wouldn't understand even if he explained it.
"Anyway, you prepare to go to the Zepia Republic."
"Ah!"
"The contract fulfillment has been delayed, and it was embarrassing, but it's a relief that the result is good."
The promise he made with Vice President Kayla McCleare of the Republic was to find and inform her of her missing son's whereabouts. She had said that if he was dead, she wanted to know where and how he died, and if possible, find his body or grave.
'But since I've found her son alive and well, this is more than enough to fulfill the contract.'
The delay wouldn't be a problem now. Moreover, the fact that her son was a vampire completely subordinate to him was a bonus. Kayla McCleare, who had been a cooperative partner, would now become his obedient subordinate.
"C-can I really go?"
"Yes."
"…It's been twenty years. Will she still remember me?"
"Don't worry."
"Ah! Then maybe my younger appearance would have been better! Can I change back now, even if it's just…"
"…"
"I guess not. I was just asking. Should I bring a gift? It's a bit strange for a grown-up son to suddenly visit without anything…"
Temiran, who was kidnapped as a child and couldn't even go near his mother after being turned into a puppet,
Heinz sighed and pulled out an incredibly expensive-looking necklace-type magic tool from thin air and tossed it to the fidgeting Temiran.
"…Just take that and get out."
He wasn't sure if it was an appropriate gift. He probably never would.
Heinz stared at him for a moment before turning away. He still had a lot to do.
***
A battlefield under a purple sky. Normally, this space would be a chaotic mix of monsters fighting for their lives, but now, an eerie silence filled the air, making the term 'battlefield' seem inappropriate.
"Huff! Huff!"
[Growl!]
"Groan—"
But although everyone present was silent, it wasn't a cold stillness. Countless eyes burned with a fervor, not of ordinary battle madness, but like the conviction of fanatics. They were all directed at a single being standing in the center of the battlefield.
A great ruler, born to reign supreme, who brought everyone to their knees with their mere presence. A fatal allure that could make the masses willingly offer their hearts with a single word. A beautiful and noble star of the Demon Realm, forbidding even a single irreverent thought.
The Demon King was there.
[The battlefield has been cleared, Lady Hela. We are ready to depart for the next battlefield at your command!]
A large Balrog approached her, prostrated itself, and exclaimed. Although he was a high-ranking demon, a Marquis, there wasn't a hint of hesitation in his demeanor. Only clear reverence and worship.
"Hmm— Siana, where to next?"
"Otorel's territory, one of Dark Nest's central gates."
"Really? That's faster than I expected."
It was natural that they were fast. The forces led by Hela weren't conquering land through ordinary warfare.
An army's fighting strength inevitably decreased as the battle continued. Countless casualties occurred with every battle, leaving the survivors exhausted. Of course, demons were inherently resistant to this, but they couldn't avoid it completely…
"So, everyone's rested well? Let's move."
Her army was an exception. An arrogant smile and an overwhelming magical power spread in all directions.
[By your command!]
"Hela! Hela! Hela!"
[Roar—!]
"Victory to Helheim! Glory to the great Demon King!"
Influenced by her, the army went wild. Not only the soldiers who had been with her, but also the enemies who had stood against her just moments ago. A demonic legion whose numbers and momentum grew with every battle.
Helheim's forces reclaimed all the territory Abnormal had lost and charged into Dark Nest's mainland.