Chapter 406 – 406. Vampire Tracking Meeting (2)
A very solemn atmosphere settled in the conference room of the headquarters of the Artia Knights, which had been visited for the first time in a while.
“Then let’s start the meeting about the disappearance of the local territories from now on.”
Riod, who was sitting in a relatively high and splendid seat among the huge round tables in the center as the most senior, announced the start of the meeting.
On the large map placed on the round table, dozens and hundreds of small circles were marked with three specific provinces as their centers.
What the sign means is all the local territories who have disappeared.
The agenda of the meeting is ‘how and where to specify the enemy’s base?’
“How did the investigation of the local manor, which was reported missing, go?”
“No further clues were found. Sorry. For now, just in case, I brought all the clothes worn by the missing people.”
The beginning of the meeting proceeded in a way that the knights who had been dispatched to the local territory reported to Riod’s question were reporting.
“… I don’t think I can pinpoint the base of those vampires at this level.”
As Eun-hyeon’s opinion was added, the dubious content gradually solidified into certainty, and it was possible to identify the enemy, but it was not easy to find the base of the vampires who were boldly doing their job.
“May I comment on one thing?”
In the midst of such a cramped situation, it was Cha Han-seong who raised his hand and expressed his opinion.
Currently, Cha Han-seong, who was the last member of Artia to join, was a new knight who was treated as the youngest in the lowest rank in the knights.
No one looked at him with displeasure as he stood up and expressed his opinion.
Rather, he strongly insisted that the core of this case was intertwined with vampires, and from the moment he noticed the existence of vampires, he guessed that his expression was very bad and said nothing.
“… Tell me.”
“Yes.”
Although he looked at Cha Hanseong with one eye, he did not reject his opinion itself.
When Riod gave permission, Hansung Cha slowly walked forward.
“Can I use a pen?”
Riod nodded and glanced at Cain, the vice-captain.
Cain, who understood the meaning, had his subordinate deliver the pen to Cha Han-seong’s hand.
“Thank you.”
Cha Hanseong bowed his head and stared blankly at the map in the center of the round table.
On the map where the territory of the Kingdom of Pernias was drawn, he took a quick glance at the place where the missing people were marked, and immediately moved his hand.
On the map, a huge circle was drawn containing three local estates where the disappearances had occurred.
“What does this mean?”
Cha Han-seong opened his mouth at Riod’s question.
“I tried to guess their radius of action by drawing a large circle covering all the reported incident points.”
“So?”
“Of the locations included in this large circle, there are four other estates in addition to the three locations where the disappearances took place.”
The reason why the Knights had difficulty in investigating the case was that the radius of their activities was too wide.
The damage did not occur in three specifically adjacent territories, but in three distant territories within the kingdom’s territory.
Cha Han-sung pointed out the local territories included in the range of the circle with his fingers, one by one, even though no missing persons report had yet been reported.
“The purpose of a vampire is living human blood.”
Of course, there were no reports of damage in other densely populated territories, but there is no doubt that there were victims.
If you do further investigation and look for clues, you should investigate these estates.
“Hmm… ? For a moment.”
It is Artia’s vice-captain, Cain, who raised his hand to cut off Cha Han-seong’s words.
“Lindewald? It is already a ruined territory.”
“Damn Youngji… Are you?”
Cha Hanseong made a puzzled expression at Cain’s words.
“The territory was ruined when the family of the lord was executed for being accused of being a heretic a few years ago.”
Under the leadership of the High Priest, Bishop Harkan, who was in charge of managing the Pernin Branch of the Temple of Vesta in the past, the lord of the Lindewald Territory and his family were executed as he was accused of being a rebel influenced by pagan ideology.
Only Eun-hyeon and Queen Diane know about the inside story of the victims due to the dirty dealings and secret plans that were secretly exchanged between Bishop Harkan and the king of the kingdom of Pernias.
The Lindebald Territory is now a slum, a place where homeless people and gangsters are rampant.
“…”
Hearing Cain’s story, Cha Han-seong hardened his impression.
“It might be here.”
“What?”
Cain was surprised by Cha Han-seong’s sudden words and asked back.
“At first, I was going to suggest further investigation of these four estates, but… Maybe their base is here.”
Cha Hanseong confidently pointed at Lindebald and made a confident expression.
“How can you be sure?”
“Because this is the best place for them. As I said before, their staple food is living human blood. So, they build nests in crowded places with large numbers of humans and hunt the weak.”
At the words of Cha Han-sung, who calmly continued the explanation, Cain nodded his head.
But that doesn’t make his claim unquestionable.
“Okay. I’ve given that explanation before. But if you roam around the vampire habits you mentioned, shouldn’t you choose a place with a high population density?”
“It is not necessarily a good thing that the population density is high.”
Cha Hanseong was not at all taken aback by Cain’s point and answered calmly.
“… Hmm.”
Cain glanced at Riod’s expression and looked at his intentions, and after confirming the face of Riode who was still staring at Cha Han-seong, Cain moved his gaze back to Cha Han-seong.
“Continue explaining.”
“The more human blood, which is the staple food of vampires, the better there are other places. Besides, there is no way that this kind of disappearance has never happened before. Besides, considering only this habit, it would not be strange at all if the Duchy of Armitas, which has the highest population density, or Pernin had to be attacked.”
“… What do you mean?”
“As I said before, they have another habit. It is a habit of weaklings that completely hides itself in front of the strong and only tramples on the weak.”
It is similar to the habits of witches.
However, if you ask which one is more tricky and vicious, it can be said that the vampire side is more vicious.
Unlike witch beasts, who instinctively follow the habit of the weak, vampires are more difficult because they have intelligence.
Using that intelligence, they act systematically and strategically, so they are still hunting humans in the dark and building their own world.
“… Right.”
Recognizing the meaning of what Cha Hansung said, Riode nodded.
“You mean it’s the best place for a lot of people to gather without a strong player?”
“That’s right.”
Cha Han-sung immediately nodded his head at Riode’s remarks, which accurately pointed out the key point.
The population density may not be high compared to other territories, but the people in the Lindewald Territory are all homeless people with no ties or just scoundrels.
It cannot be denied that a place where there are no opponents and only the weak who can unilaterally trample and prey on is the best place for vampires.
“If they nest, it’s probably here.”
It was Cha Han-seong’s guess that a small number of vampires were sent to each province to hunt humans.
“…”
“You look like you don’t like something.”
Looking at Cha Hanseong, who continued to frown his eyebrows without letting go of his expression, Riod asked.
“It’s as if you’re being induced.”
“Judo?”
“It feels like an advertisement saying, ‘I am here.'”
Leaving a meaningful trace, as if the person himself was a guide to lead the Artia Knights to this place in this situation.
Cha Han-seong, feeling an inexplicable uneasy feeling, felt stuffy as he could not resolve this uneasy feeling in his heart.
“That’s not your concern.”
“… Yes?”
Cha Hanseong, who had a hard face, made a slightly surprised expression when he saw Riod, who suddenly spoke to him.
“Your concerns are legitimate. It could be a trap. However, the speculation completed with the grounds you presented is reasonable and rational. There is no part that can be denied anywhere.”
“But… Going there knowing it’s a trap…”
“Are you afraid of traps?”
Cha Han-seong could not immediately answer Riod’s question.
It was very subtle if you were to ask whether it was scary or not scary.
It’s not scary, but it’s because I think it’s right to be vigilant and thoroughly investigate.
It was only natural that he should take this into consideration given his position as the leader of the knights, not just one, but the leader of the entire knights.
“…”
“We are knights who protect the kingdom. Knowing that sometimes it is a dangerous place, if it is a place that threatens the kingdom and its people, it is we who have the duty to be the first to eradicate the danger.”
Cha Hanseong trembled as he felt the hero’s gaze piercing his body.
His infinitely strong and upright face is straight enough that anyone who sees it can say that he is a ‘knight’.
Starting with Cha Han-seong, he looked over each member in the conference room, and at the end moved his gaze to Cain and his daughter Ayra.
“That’s what a knight is like.”
“… !”
With that short word, Cha Han-seong felt a shock as if he had been hit hard in the back of the head.
It was as if Leo’s eyes were looking at him, as if to say, ‘You are not a knight.’
For Riod, a knight is an existence that eradicates threats to the kingdom and allows the people to live safely and peacefully away from external threats.
“Haha.”
One knight corps made a sound of laughter.
That’s not all.
He didn’t make a sound, and the other knights, as well as Eira, were smiling and looking at Riod.
The members of Artia are knights who joined here more than anyone else because they were fascinated by that dignified figure worthy of a knight.
Regardless of origin, status, or power, he joined the team admiring the best knight in the kingdom, and all the members look up to Riod.
Even if it’s a trap, walking confidently into it is an act that may seem infinitely foolish and foolish to someone.
“Of course, I’m not saying I’m going without any countermeasures either.”
Therefore, Eira was sent to get advice from Eunhyeon, and the family of Duke Armitas readily sent their own reinforcements at Riod’s request.
And Eunhyeon and the Duke of Armitas weren’t the only ones who sought help to properly respond to the unexpected danger.
“That word… ?”
“I am here! Older brother!”
The humorous voice of a man who came belatedly to the conference room of the Artia Headquarters and broke the heavy atmosphere inside at once.
The Knights of Artia and the Knights of Armitas all turned their heads toward the door of the meeting room where the voices were heard.
“I-that person…”
