Chapter 66
“This time, I intend to move separately from the two of you.”
“Separately···? Do you mean you’re going to act alone?”
“That’s right. More precisely, we should say we’ll each take on a different role.”
The boy’s finger points to the dirt floor.
A rough map of the village had been drawn there with a finger.
“First··· this road junction, located directly opposite the cathedral. I’d like you two to cause a commotion here.”
“Cause a commotion? D-do you mean you want us to deliberately draw attention···?”
“Exactly. Draw the eyes of as many ghouls and vampires as possible.”
“Th-then, Sir Victor, you’ll···”
“I intend to move from the cathedral side.”
The field boss of this stage, Jersian.
He was still too much for the three of them to handle.
After all, he was a mid-boss who appeared in the latter half of the original story.
If he had to be ranked, he would be A+.
He was stronger than most of Grandia’s faculty.
That was why Victor had no choice but to proceed cautiously.
‘Even if I gather every bug, it’s honestly going to be close···.’
He needed to buy time.
Until he could grasp the possibility of a future in which victory was certain.
And there were only two people who could give him that time.
“One hour.”
““······.””
“If you two can hold out for exactly one hour, I’ll handle everything else.”
It was a simple, concise plan.
Though the explanation was somewhat lacking, the two girls did not mind.
Even if it seemed absurd, they believed it would ultimately succeed.
Because that was the kind of person Victor was.
“Then··· shall we go?”
The night would not wait for them.
With no time to hesitate, the three of them immediately set the plan into motion.
Exactly thirty minutes later.
A plaza located directly opposite the cathedral.
Alice and Carmilla, the two girls, appeared there.
“W-we’re here···.”
“Yes.”
The two wore black and red masks, respectively.
They let their presences spill out in full.
-Grrr···.
-Kieeeek!
-Woof, woof!
As if responding to them, ghouls prowled around nearby.
Alice wore a black crown, while Carmilla had her blood-claw technique spread out.
“I shall begin. Assist me.”
“Yes! Un-understood···!”
Shraaak-!
A spray of blood spread in every direction.
The blood-claw technique, unfolding like spikes, slaughtered the pack of ghouls charging at them.
Then trump soldiers came pouring out amid dark crimson mist.
“Defend! Use this plaza as our stronghold and buy t-time···!”
Clack, clack, clack, clack-!
The cards crossed the plaza in obedience to their queen’s command.
The weapons wielded by the soldiers cut down the ghouls one by one.
Bam! Boom, slice-!
“You must move more spectacularly! So you can draw more attention!”
“Yes! We’ll focus on gathering more ghouls···!”
Crunch, slash! Fwish-!
The battle seemed to be progressing smoothly.
But anomalies always erupted without warning.
It was when Carmilla deployed her blood-claw technique once more.
“Good. Keep it up···.”
Kwaaang-!
A blood-red spear came flying and embedded itself without warning.
Carmilla reflexively spread out blood, barely managing to block the attack.
“······!”
If she had been even slightly slower, it would have possessed enough power to take her head clean off.
The impact knocked half her mask off.
Carmilla opened her eyes wide.
“This is···!”
Just blocking a single blow made her entire arm throb.
It was blood-claw technique of a completely different caliber from what those underlings wielded.
Carmilla felt a chill run down her spine.
There could be no doubt.
This··· was the power of a pureblood.
‘A pureblood? Why would a pureblood be here···!’
Shaken, Carmilla warily watched her surroundings.
She did not even have time to fix her askew mask.
If her opponent was a pureblood, and a fully grown one at that, she could be killed with a single gesture.
As she heightened her senses as much as possible, a familiar voice reached her ears.
“And who might this be?”
“······.”
The sound left Carmilla’s mind blank.
Unable even to breathe, her red eyes turned behind her.
Their gazes met.
“Your Highness.”
Red eyes.
A man with a magnificent mustache stood there.
Neatly dressed, he exuded an unmistakably aristocratic air.
“I heard you survived the assassins, but never expected to run into you in a place like this.”
Tap, tap-
Even the distinctive sound of his dress shoes striking the ground stirred up a sense of nostalgia.
Yet both his hands were drenched in blood, and ghouls stood at his side.
Carmilla muttered blankly.
“······Jersian.”
“How have you been?”
Jersian.
The man who had often looked after her since she was young.
One of the retainers her father had cherished most.
Carmilla, too, had often followed him around.
The middle-aged man stared at the girl with a cruel look in his eyes.
-Carmilla.
The girl’s body froze.
***
Meanwhile.
Victor had already infiltrated the cathedral.
‘They must have met by now.’
Victor glanced toward the far side, where Alice and Carmilla were.
By now, the two of them would have encountered Jersian.
‘To ensure there are no hitches in the plan··· Jersian must have gone to deal with the intruders himself.’
He was Carmilla’s old enemy.
Her nemesis and the target of her revenge.
He was also an ordeal she would have to face someday.
If so, it was better for her to face him in a situation she could control.
“Phew··· I should get started here, too.”
Victor walked down the long corridor.
Since he was moving alone, he was able to infiltrate without being noticed by anyone.
Ding-!
[Very Stealthy Necktie]
-Category: Accessory
-Rank: B
-Condition: Neat
-Description: This necktie is said to have been regarded as a treasure by a legendary pickpocket in the past. It can be worn continuously, and when worn, allows the user to use the skill ‘Stealthily Great’. This skill has a 72-hour cooldown.
[Skill Name: Stealthily Great]
-While the skill is active, the user’s presence disappears.
-The effect lasts for one hour, and the concealed presence cannot be detected by anyone.
-All sounds originating from the user—heartbeat, footsteps, breathing, and so on—are muted.
‘Not bad.’
It was one of the rewards he had obtained for exceeding the quest requirements during the last practical exercise.
With the item suppressing his presence, he could move around much more comfortably.
Victor crossed the corridor and arrived deep underground.
‘Bingo.’
Inside, the kidnapped villagers were packed together.
Every one of them was bound and unconscious.
He wanted to free them immediately, but the time was not yet right.
Freeing so many people at once would only cause confusion.
‘I need to move quietly.’
He descended one more level underground.
At the bottom of the stairs was an underground prison.
It was originally meant to hold criminals, but now it held things that were not human.
“Ghouls···.”
Human-based ghouls were being held here.
They seemed to be ghouls that had been created in the process of suppressing the village.
They could not be used in the sacrificial ritual, but they were too valuable to throw away, so they had gathered them here.
They could be put to use in the war later.
‘About··· fifty, I think.’
That was just right.
Victor reached out and pulled the attached lever without hesitation.
At the same time, he deactivated the effect of the item covering his entire body.
Creak, creak-creak-!
The rows of iron bars opened all at once.
The imprisoned ghouls awkwardly crawled out.
Having already sensed the boy’s presence, their eyes had turned blood-red.
-Grrrk···!
-Kyaaaak!
Their blood-red pupils all glared in this direction.
As if they had made a pact, they bared their teeth and began charging.
“Phew···.”
Victor took up his sword with a deep breath.
A balloon sword emitting a faint light even in the pitch-black darkness.
Ding-!
[Balloon Sword+]
-Category: Growth-Type Weapon
-Rank: E+
-Growth Limit Rank: None
-Condition: Colorful, soft, sparkling
-Description: A special balloon sword. It emits a faint purifying light from its blade. A weapon capable of growth.
The swung blade tip grazed the nearest ghoul.
Pshik-.
Immediately afterward, the ghoul was flung behind the boy as though repelled by some strange force.
The creature shed its bright-red ghoul appearance and lay unconscious with an ordinary human face.
Victor smiled at the sight.
-Ding!
[You have acquired 20 Good Deed Points.]
[Remaining Good Deed Points: 80p]
A blue screen floated before his eyes.
The boy raised the tip of his sword and charged into the oncoming horde of ghouls.
“Then··· I’ll quickly farm some points and join the two of them!”
Pshik-.
Pshik-.
Pshik-.
The distinctive scraping sound of repeated parries rang out again and again.
Status-window notifications chimed pleasantly in his ears.
Ding-!
[You have acquired 20 Good Deed Points.]
[You have acquired 20 Good Deed Points.]
[You have acquired 20 Good Deed Points.]
[You have acquired 20 Good Deed Points.]
[You have acquired 20 Good Deed Points.]
[You have acquired 20 Good Deed Points.]
[You have acquired 20 Good Deed Points.]
[You have acquired 20 Good Deed Points.]
.
.
.
[You have acquired 20 Good Deed Points.]
[You have acquired 20 Good Deed Points.]
Countless points piled up.
It was time to level up.