82
festivities
‘They even put a separate sign on the side.’
I looked at the dots next to the names on the list and exclaimed in admiration.
Although the handwriting was a mess, the precision with which the names were written was a rare piece of medieval cleverness.
‘I felt it last time too, but you’re quick-witted and capable.’
It wasn’t for nothing that he passed the boss interview with a fierce competition rate of 4:1. As an interviewer, I was proud to see his excellent work skills.
“Brother, what is that guy?”
At that moment, the weasel asked with a wary look in his eyes.
And even the lungs standing in strange positions.
I briefly thought about why I had brought them here.
As we made a big fuss at the main gate, the guards came out and surrounded us. However, thanks to the successor of the heretic inquisitor who came out to greet us, we were able to reach an amicable agreement.
When I raised my blood-covered head and introduced myself as ‘Legendary Vampire Hunter Takgu’, the guards greeted me enthusiastically.
The first thing I encountered upon entering Karzan was a middle-aged woman running on a hot iron plate.
The woman ran along the iron plate while crying, but the inquisitor next to her would not let her down.
The abbot, whose hair was on end, was running towards the iron plate, so I stepped in to stop him.
I dropped off the middle-aged woman who was running on the iron plate and met her gaze. The middle-aged woman did not show the usual vampire reaction to me.
The heretic inquisitor next door was a disciple of the deceased.
The abbot who had treated the middle-aged woman disappeared into the monastery with a distorted face.
Then I went back to the Lone Wolf building, recalling my memories, and I was met with a sledgehammer and a weasel. I briefly considered taking the heretic inquisitor with me, even though he was a sledgehammer, but it didn’t seem like there would be any problems.
If you’re going to get your head smashed by a bastard, it would’ve already been smashed by me.
‘Why are you holding that posture?’
I sighed as I looked at the guard standing behind me. Still, there was no one better than him when dealing with demons.
“You bastard. I am a blood relative of Brother Aaron. We have stood back to back and crossed the line of death, so the closest position to you is mine. I have no desire to covet it…”
The weasel next to the short story was babbling useless words.
I told him, “Put his head in there.” The weasel hesitated for a moment, saying, “Hey, but he’s still in front of me…” and then put his head in. It seemed like the weasel thought Danso was below him in that time.
“You’ve made a list, so why hasn’t it been suppressed yet? The mayor?”
“The market has never been involved in Karzan’s affairs. And they don’t cause any trouble around the inner city where the market is. If they were to come out openly, the market would move, but they cleverly maintain their distance.”
hmm···.
I nodded slightly.
“Then what about Count Behart?”
“I have already requested support, but have not received a response.”
I slowly retraced what I had heard from the guy.
Then, I soon came to a good conclusion.
‘So does that mean Karzan is in a state of anarchy now?’
The market is also neglected and there is no contact with Count Vermunt either…
‘The strong one will be king.’
I clenched my fist for a moment and then unclenched it.
It’s a state of anarchy…
‘Then that won’t work. If you get paid, you have to work.’
As a security guard who is more conscientious than anyone else, I could not tolerate it.
There was a need to create some work for the guys who were playing around.
The most important thing is hunting vampires.
After that, wake up the sleeping market for follow-up processing.
“Short story.”
“yes.”
Danso bowed his head and answered.
“Is it still valid to say that you can prevent any problems from occurring?”
“······yes.”
Danso gave a forced answer.
“Um… Okay. Then which vampire would you recommend we catch first?”
Phew-.
Danso took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
“It’s a guy named Gumbas. It’s not certain that he’s a vampire, but it’s very possible. He’s been trying to trick a second-level manager recently, making our plans a no-no…”
“What a bad vampire.”
“······Yes. That’s right.”
This hesitation was shorter than the last.
“Where is he?”
“It’s a mansion in District 8. It’s where the old city hall used to be, so the structure is particularly good for defense. It’s where a wealthy person who made his fortune through usury lives, and Gambas is staying there to examine him.”
Danso took a deep breath and continued speaking.
“A considerable number of people visit there, including members of the city council. In addition, the wealthy man’s personal security force, the people he brought with him, and the visitors form a considerable force. I suspect there are a large number of vampires there.”
I snapped my fingers for a moment to collect my thoughts.
“Is the mansion made of flammable material?”
“No, it’s built of stone. There’s a large garden in front of it, but there’s a fountain running between the mansions, so I don’t think the fire will spread.”
Danso’s answer came right away.
“Is there a solution?”
“Yes, I planned to join forces with other organizations and city council members to wage an all-out war, but···.”
“Yeah, the original plan was to just have a beginning and an end. That’s enough.”
“······yes.”
There was a long silence, but the answer was unmistakably affirmative.
“Let’s throw a really big festival. Let’s bring out all the guys who were hiding.”
“yes.”
This short answer was powerful.
“festivities.”
The lungs muttered softly.
“Ugh···.”
The weasel that had been banging its head fell sideways.
***
Knock knock-.
Gambas shivered as he savored the ecstasy that rose to the tips of his hair.
There were many advantages to being a vampire, but the greatest of them was the pleasure of drinking blood.
Blood had a taste incomparable to anything else.
It was sweet as condensed sugar, cool as melted ice, and hot as if I was drinking lava.
Gambas threw the woman to the ground like the bones of a meat that had been eaten. Those nearby hurriedly ran to pick her up and stepped back.
“Ugh···.”
Gambas turned his gaze to the strange groaning he heard from before. There was a large lump of meat wearing human skin.
‘Vampire Gel Bachtor.’
Ironically, the man who was a banker was originally nicknamed a vampire because of the high interest rates. His health was in danger due to the excessive weight gain, so Gumbass turned him into a real vampire to extend his life.
Gel Bachtor enjoyed being a vampire more than anyone else. It seemed like his nickname wasn’t for nothing, as he sucked blood several times a day.
‘Thanks to that, work became easier.’
The plan was progressing faster than expected because the guy who was a symbol came over. He had connections with the city council, so he blocked their eyes and ears.
Gambas found out the location of the warehouse through him and burned him all down. Then he ordered Gel Bakhtora to somehow get back the money he had lent him.
On the surface, it seemed that Gel Bachtora was just being a little rougher than usual, so no separate sanctions were imposed. That was understandable, since they were obsessed with vampires.
bang!
Just then, the door opened roughly.
When I turned my head, I saw a man with an anxious look on his face.
“What’s going on?”
“They started moving.”
“already?”
Geumbas’s eyebrows furrowed at the unexpected words.
Obviously, there wasn’t enough time to gather troops…
Gambas quickly looked back to see if he had missed anything.
“Yes, it seems like the lone wolf took action first and the rest followed.”
‘It was urgent.’
Gambas clicked his tongue and laughed.
It was clear that they would need more time to gather their forces. Even if they did move, the number would be small, since even a second-class manager had recently come over here.
It was clear that the gangsters were acting out of frustration at having their jobs stolen.
They rose up separately before the enemy’s forces gathered.
It was a stroke of luck for Gambas.
“I’ll send the kids over and clean up before the sun rises.”
“yes.”
The man who answered quietly hesitated for a moment and then stepped back.
‘It’s working out too well.’
Gambas licked the blood from the corner of his mouth and headed toward the window. He saw the spacious garden and the figures crowded everywhere.
I could see men running diligently from the main gate. There were more than thirty of them. Even if they had a knight, they were definitely retired knights unless they were directly under the mayor, and it was clear that they would not see the sun tomorrow morning.
It was the same with Gambas.
‘It’s almost over now.’
As soon as tonight passes…
After all the men had left, a man I had never seen before came crawling over the wall at the end of the garden.
The bastard hesitated for a moment on the high wall, then jumped down and rolled on the ground.
A guy who looks so vile that it makes the back of your head tickle.
The man who woke up was holding something in his hand and trembling with a face that looked like he was about to cry at any moment.
After a while, the man took the stick he was holding and put it in the garden.
and-.
‘···fire?’
A large fire came out of the wooden stick.
He ran around with a stick, lighting fires all over the garden. The fire quickly spread throughout the garden, lighting up the dark night.
“It’s a fire !!
The guy ran around bragging loudly about the fire he had lit.
The garden turned into a sea of fire in an instant.
The colorful flowers that Gel Bakhtora had boasted of, worth their weight in gold, were consumed in an instant by the flames. A very faint scent could be felt amidst the burning smell.
“What the…what is going on!!”
Gel Bachtora screamed.
‘What’s the big deal about a little piece of grass?’
Gambas clicked his tongue and moved aside slightly.
Even though the garden was on fire, it seemed like they wouldn’t come over because there was a fountain in between. It was literally like watching a fire across a river.
“Over there! Grab that crazy kid over there!! Grab him here! You stupid kids! There he is! Over there!!”
Gel Bahtora pointed at the man who was setting fire while screaming at the top of his lungs. The people who had been standing there blankly moved according to Gel Bahtora’s gesture.
“Fuck you!! You little shit!!”
The man who set the fire swore loudly and then pulled down his pants and shook his butt. The sight was so disgusting that Gambas got angry even though it wasn’t his garden.
“Catch that bastard!! I’ll give 5 gold to whoever catches that bastard!!”
Gel Bachtora, who had been breathing heavily for a moment, shouted while pointing at the guy. The guards’ movements changed for a moment at the mention of the 5 gold coins.
Pointed fangs protruding from between the split mouth.
A speed that is difficult to believe is human.
It was as if the vampire’s power had been unleashed.
‘I told you not to take it out carelessly.’
Gambas clicked his tongue but did not stop him.
There was no need to hide his power any longer.
“Ningiri! Fuck!!”
The guy who kept swearing until the end jumped against one wall.
The vampires were running towards him.
Gambas was confident that the bastard would be caught quickly.
“Orange! Orange! Orange! Orange you crazy bastards!!”
The guy who was leaning against the wall and swearing started jumping up and down and kicking the wall.
The vampires were slowly approaching him as if they were playfully putting him in the center.
“Orange!!!”
At that moment, the wall he was attached to collapsed. He was crushed by the fragments of the wall and disappeared. And then a woman appeared above him.
The woman stood on the debris and looked around. Then she frowned slightly and drew the greatsword behind her back while glaring at the vampires.
Silver armor with hammer symbol.
He was an inquisitor.
‘hmm···.’
Gambas let out a small moan of instinctive fear.
There was only one.
Even if the Inquisitor was the Hammer of God, there was no way he could fight twenty vampires alone.
‘···The heretic inquisitor is coming.’
This is against the deal.
Gambas felt a subtle crack.
“Heeeeeeek!! The Inquisitor has arrived! The Inquisitor!! What the heck is going on! Didn’t they say something like that!”
Gel Bachtor had a seizure. Every time he jumped, his flesh would ripple, upsetting Gambas.
“Shut up.”
Gambas gave a short order.
Gel Bachtor opened his eyes wide and lowered his head.
At that time, the vampire and the inquisitor clashed.
A brilliant light emanates from the body of the heretic inquisitor.
That divine power that makes you feel repulsed just by looking at it…
‘That’s not an inquisitor level.’
A small sense of crisis arose in Gambas’ mind.
With each swing of the woman’s sword, two or three vampires were cut down at once. The feat was too brilliant to be attributed to an inquisitor.
‘···The Knights Templar?’
Gambas looked at the woman again, trying hard to suppress the fear that rose up in him at the short name.
It was not enough to be considered a Knight Templar.
‘···Not at the level of the Knights Templar.’
However, I felt the cracks slowly growing bigger.
All the troops deployed on the first floor were directed towards the woman, but it was not enough to deal with her.
What should I do?
Gambas quickly ran the calculations in his head.
There was no way I couldn’t kill that woman right away. Even though force was a threat, there were over a hundred vampires stationed in this mansion.
After making up his mind, Gambas closed his eyes and concentrated.
To the vampires stationed in the castle…
‘···hmm?’
It felt strangely different from usual.
It feels like something is missing.
And then.
Kiyeeeek-.
A faint breathing sound could be heard across the door.
Gulp.
Gambas stared at the door with a strange fear.
I felt instinctively that something was coming.
thud.
The sound of something falling.
Thud thud.
Then came the sound of heavy footsteps approaching.
Kihhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!
The howling sound is heard again.
It wasn’t one.
Everyone standing outside was crying.
Kwaang-! Kuung-!
The heavy sounds continued.
After a very short time, no more sounds of their kind were heard.
Thud thud.
Only the sound of heavy footsteps came closer and closer.
“What is this···”
Gel Bachtorah whined again, but Gambas didn’t have the presence of mind to pay attention to him.
Gambas drew strength.
His vision turned red, his fangs grew longer, and a monstrous power flowed from his entire body.
“Come out.”
Gambas muttered quietly.
Pale figures came down from all over the spacious room. Like Gambas, they stared at the door with their fangs drawn out.
“Uh… when?”
The only sound in the room was Gel Bachtora’s soft muttering.
Thud thud.
At the sound of footsteps approaching from afar, Gambas’ head quickly rolled.
The opponent’s first move.
I set fire to the garden.
Why in the garden?
‘······Attracting attention?’
Geumbas swallowed hard at the word that suddenly came to mind.
Damn it.
The sound of footsteps stopped in front of the door.
If it was just to attract attention…
···For what?
Knock-knock-.
A knock sounded cold.
Gulp.
I could hear someone swallowing quietly.
Knock-knock-.
There was a knock again.
However, no one answered.
“Isn’t there any?”
A thick voice muttered softly.
And a little later.
Kwaaaaang!!
The door shattered and something fell to the floor.
Thump thump.
It was the head of a vampire that had been placed outside.
“Was there?”
A large man came in through the broken door, muttering softly.
Armor that is so colorful that it feels almost bizarre.
However, it was so covered in black that its original color was barely visible.
The smell of his kind emanates from him.
Behind him, a hallway full of corpses was visible.
The hallways were filled with the corpses of my own kind.
The floor was filled with headless bodies.
‘That many in such a short time…?’
Gambas felt an instinctive fear in the man.
It’s like the fear that wild beasts feel when they see a hunter…
‘hunter.’
He was a hunter.
A true hunter with so much blood on his body that he smells like vampire blood.
“If you knock, you have to answer.”
A thick laugh that sounds like scraping iron plates.
The guy was having fun.
Only then did Gambas realize.
That the attention from the outside is just for him.
Kyaaaaaaaah!!
When Gambas met the hunter, he forgot human language and cried out instinctively.
***
‘But there is one.’
I raised the corners of my mouth as I looked at the guy in the middle.
He smelled delicious. If the previous Master was a top-class Korean beef, then this guy was like a chicken skewer.
– Is it necessary?
‘Okay. What am I going to do with these rascals?’
I took a deep breath and pushed away the fatigue that had settled in.
They were all huddled together, as if they were holding a vampire club in the room.
They came running out with their mouths wide open as if they were happy to see me, revealing fangs as big as their forearms.
I readjusted my sword as I watched the vampires flaunting their various charms.
I calculated the order in which they arrived and thought about how to proceed.
‘First, the ones close to me.’
I swung my sword in a large downward motion at the guy who jumped in front of me.
A silver line was drawn in the air, splitting the guy in half at the exact same speed he was running at.
I didn’t avoid the black blood and flesh, and with one hand I swung my sword horizontally at the head of the guy next to me with the other.
Quick-.
The captured head burst like a watermelon, and something cool flowed through his fingers. Then, with a horizontal swing of the sword, one vampire was cut down above the waist.
Although they were defeated in an instant, the gap was quickly filled.
During that brief gap, five people approached.
One on my right shoulder, one on my left shoulder, one that was trying to bite my neck, and one on each leg.
They quickly came together as if they were in sync.
The vampire’s fangs scraped the iron.
I first stabbed the neck of the guy who was trying to bite the nape of his neck with my sword. With a gurgling sound, black blood soaked my helmet.
Both shoulders were blocked by shoulder pads, but the fangs of the ones attached to his legs pierced through him.
“It’s hot.”
I twisted my body with all my might.
Three of them were complaining of pain due to broken canines, as if they had not been brushing their teeth properly. Only one of their teeth was left intact.
Are you teething?
I thought about it for a moment, but seeing that he was in so much pain, it didn’t seem to be him.
He hit the thing stuck to his foot hard with his palm.
Bam! The guy collapsed with a loud crash.
Then, I swung my sword at the ones who had lost their fangs one by one. Those who were saddened by the loss of their teeth, which were their lifelong treasure, were unable to stop my sword.
He roughly wiped the black blood on his gauntlet with his torn clothes and readjusted his sword.
There were still quite a few left, but they only showed their teeth and growled and did not attack.
“woah!!”
I screamed out loud because it was so funny.
Kyaaaaah! Kyaaaaah!
The guys who were startled and jumped started barking loudly in embarrassment.
“It stings. Those kids who don’t even brush their teeth.”
I laughed out loud, tapped out the fangs embedded in my body, and poured the alcohol from the flask on the spot.
“ah!”
The warmth I felt from it made me feel hot for a moment.
“Who are you! You!!”
The chicken skewers that smelled delicious shouted in a trembling voice.
“Ahem… If you ask me!”
I swung my sword in the air, shaking off the black blood.
Since this was the starting point of the table tennis epic, I spoke in the most serious voice possible.
“This is the legendary vampire hunter Tak-gu.”
Vampire Hunter!!
There was a big commotion among them.
“table tennis!!”
I shouted loudly and cheered myself up.
Kyaaaaah!!
The startled guys jumped.
It didn’t look like they had any intention of coming.
This time, I jumped at him.
Kyahaaaaak! Kyahaaaaak!
They barked harshly.
“Kyahahahaha!”
When I followed suit and shouted, their eyes grew wide.
That was so funny I laughed out loud.
So the sting has lessened a bit.
“Kyaahahahahahaha!!”
This time he shouted loudly and swung his sword.
***
“Are you saying that you are currently conducting a trial against all of the residents of Karzan?! Are you out of your mind!!”
Abbot Benhardt was startled by the shout.
‘Why is this old man here?’
Cardinal Brighton was clearly demoted to the outlying Cathartic…
‘No, he is not a cardinal anymore.’
Suddenly, a thought occurred to Abbot Benhardt and he straightened his shoulders.
He was now an abbot like himself. No, he could see himself as being in a worse position than himself, since he was so hated by his superiors.
“Stop the trial now! What are you going to do if there are innocent victims?”
‘Even though I was demoted and demoted, I still can’t break my bad habits.’
Tsk tsk, Abbot Benhard clicked his tongue openly.
The face of the Abbot of Brighton became even more crumpled.
Benhard looked at him and smiled in return.
“Look here, Abbot of Brighton.”
Benhardt repeated the words, ‘Abbot of Brighton’, as if savoring the words. The fall of another brings indescribable joy to the beholder.
Even better, it was Brighton, the youngest person ever to be made a cardinal.
Benhardt jokingly repeated ‘Abbot of Brighton’, but the reaction from his opponent was not what he had expected.
“Why are you calling? Have you changed your mind?”
Benhardt’s brow furrowed at Brighton’s nonchalant response.
“Four heresy inquisitors are already carrying out the instructions given by the sect. Do you now object to the sect’s instructions?”
Benhardt forced the corners of his lips to rise as he asked back.
“Didn’t that directive result in dozens of innocent victims? How can it continue like that?”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying. We’re carrying out trials according to the guidelines set by the church, and we’re proving the innocence of those suspected of being devils. What’s the problem with that?”
Benhardt was dismissive. No, he didn’t understand what Brighton was complaining about in the first place. He was just doing what the church told him to do.
“That’s not what the guidelines were for in the first place! If you can’t make a decision even after hearing their stories first…!”
“Look here, Abbot of Brighton.”
Benhardt repeated again, ‘Abbot of Brighton.’ The more he said it, the sweeter it sounded, like candy.
“Speak! Benhard!”
However, the still indifferent reaction quickly erased the sweetness.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but Karzan doesn’t have time or leisure right now. They say there are ten victims of vampires every day. Dozens of innocent victims? That’s thirty vampires! Thirty! Unless you have a better way, recite your favorite prayer. Don’t bother people.”
Benhard glared at him with force in his eyes and turned away. I said it so sharply…
“Where are you going! The story isn’t over yet! Even if we grab a thousand, we can’t claim even one innocent victim! If we claim an innocent victim, how are we any different from them?”
I was blinded by the persistence of the Abbot of Brighton. The reason why he was eventually confined to the outskirts despite his outstanding divine power. Brighton, who ‘only speaks the truth’.
While he was contemplating whether he should swear at him, a little boy came running into the monastery. Benhard clicked his tongue at the child’s slyness and the soup and stepped back.
However, unlike him, Brighton stepped forward and took the child’s hand. Even that sight was irritating to Benhardt.
“A vampire has appeared! A vampire has taken my mother! Please···.”
“Tell me clearly. What happened?”
Meanwhile, Benhard clicked his tongue and turned his head at the sight of Brighton nagging the child.
“Ugh···.”
“You’re not scolding me, you have to be precise so we can understand.”
“A vampire appeared and took my mother and my sister… and the man next door….”
“Yes, I understand. Abbot Benhard! They say there’s a vampire here, so please call the Inquisitor right away!”
“The inquisitors are all out and not in the monastery.”
“Then what are you going to do! The vampire you were looking for has appeared!”
“What do you want me to do! In the first place, we have no authority to give orders to the Inquisitors, the tribunal! And the instructions in such cases are to report and wait!”
Benhard shouted in a voice full of annoyance.
“Mom! Daddy, please!”
The child whined as if he sensed the mood.
“Okay, let’s go together.”
Brighton, who had been glaring at Benhard for a moment, grabbed the child’s hand and started walking.
‘What are you going to do when you don’t even have combat skills… You’re stupid…’
Benhardt looked at his back, spat on the ground, and went back into the monastery.
***
The weasel was stuck in a pile of rocks, but he was content in his own way.
The sound of ‘Kyaahaaaaak!’ and the sound of swords being swung could be heard from above. Compared to the continuous murderous sounds from above, this place felt as cozy as a high-class inn.
The weasel didn’t move from under the pile of stones as if it were dead.
thud.
Ugh-!
For a moment, the pile of rocks shook and I tried to suppress a scream that almost exploded.
‘Did I tell you to follow me for nothing? No, even if you’re a bastard, I don’t think you’d go all the way to the next city to turn it upside down…’
The weasel spent his time muttering.
Then suddenly, I realized that it was too dark, so I took out the wooden stick I had just used.
The thing about magic weapons is that they’re just wooden sticks, and when you press the bottom, the fire goes out!
‘I saw earlier that there was also a firepower control···.’
As I groped and felt the wooden stick, I felt something strange.
‘···Is this originally bent to the side?’
In an unbelievable situation, the weasel carefully touched it as if it were handling one of its own belongings.
‘It was broken.’
No matter how many times I touched it, it was still bent.
What was supposed to be a straight line…
[This is something you bought for a really expensive price, so handle it with care.]
It was the first time that the punk had ever said something was precious to him.
The icy eyes of the ten puppies were vivid in my eyes.
The parts that were hit last time somehow felt sore.
‘Hey… no way…’
The weasel gave a slight push in the opposite direction.
Stop-.
The stick split with a loud crack.
The weasel stood there blankly for a moment, holding the stick split exactly in half in both hands.
I soon realized the situation-.
The weasel tried rubbing the sticks in his hands with saliva, praying after sticking them, and patting them, but the thing that fell off would not stick.
The weasel looked down at the stick that was still not attached and thought back on his past life.
‘···It was a shitty life.’
Tears poured out.
After crying like that for a while.
‘Ha… two are better than one.’
Soon, a nice phrase came to mind and I muttered it.
‘Two is better than one. Two is better than one.’
When you mumble like that about five times.
[Really? Then I’ll make two for you too!]
For some reason, it seemed like I could hear the voice of a teenager.
The weasel held onto his lower body and trembled.
