Chapter 62: 62

Chapter 62: 037 . Imperial Prince is Subjugating Vampires -2 (Part Two)

Screams reverberated throughout the imperial palace .

“Halt! What is the meaning of this?!”

The Order of the Crimson Cross ruthlessly rushed towards the luxury suite where some nobles were currently staying . They pushed forward the imperial decree inscribed with the imperial family’s coat of arms at the Paladins guarding the doorway .

“We are the Heresy Inquisitors . Our actions merely follow the commands of his highness, the First Imperial Prince, Luan Olfolse . Do you have any objections?”

“The command of h-his highness…?”

“If you wish to stop our advances, then you must first obtain the permission of two archbishops, or more . If you don’t have that, then…” A cold shine radiated from the eyes hidden beneath the bird beak mask that zeroed in on the Paladin . “We’re authorised to summarily execute anyone who resists . Even the Paladins loyal to the Imperial Family are no exceptions . ”

“…!”

“This is neither a revolt nor is it a coup d’etat . Even his majesty, the Holy Emperor, has permitted it . Will you disobey his decree?”

The eyes of the Crimson Cross gleamed behind their masks . They began raising their scary-looking weapons in their hands . All sorts of tools like scythes, greatswords, and maces could be seen rising up threateningly in the air .

The Paladins stumbled back before ungainly moving out of the way .

The Crimson Cross kicked the door down when their path was clear .

The nobles were taken greatly aback and hurriedly retreated, their faces filled with pure fear .

The members of the Crimson Cross double-checked the list, then scanned the ranks of nobles, servants, and maids currently present .

“Capture them! If anyone resists, cut off their heads immediately . That’ll serve as proof of whether they are Vampires or not . ”

The Crimson Cross began approaching the frightened nobles .

“H-how dare you…! I’m Count Bernia! Do you think you’ll be unscathed after pulling this stunt…?!”

One of the nobles present unsheathed his sword . However, this act constituted as ‘resistance’ .

The Crimson Cross members spoke at the same time, “We act according to the commands of the Imperial Family . ”

“E-even if the Imperial Family has issued a command, this is still wrong! Just what exactly happened that you are…!”

The Crimson Cross wasted no more time and quickly pounced upon the one still issuing resistance in the group .

A scythe swiped across the air, cleanly lopping the count’s head off . A fountain of blood gushed out from between the severed head and torso .

The headless body fell down to its knees while the ownerless head rolled around on the carpeted floor . This lasted only for a brief moment as both of them suddenly burst into bluish flames and began burning away .

“He… really was a Vampire?!”

The knights of the Crimson Cross stared at the list with renewed shock in their eyes . Then, they shifted their glares back over to the nobles inside the luxury suite . The corners of their lips hidden beneath the masks began curling up into maddened grins .

There was no more need for doubt .

Their glares locked on the surviving ones who were backing away even now .

“Every single person in this room is now suspected of being the blood-creations . Capture them all!”

And so, screams continued to reverberate throughout the imperial palace .

Meanwhile, groups decked in crimson robes were dashing across the streets of Laurensis on horseback .

They stopped a carriage, one that was about to cross the guard station located by the gates leading outside of the capital city .

“What is the meaning of this?! I’m Count Ruran from the kingdom of Lome…”

“Count Ruran is also on the list . He’s definitely a Vampire . ”

After declaring that, the members of the Crimson Cross uniformly raised their crossbows .

“What?! What are you…?!”

They fired their bolts .

Projectiles penetrated straight into the count’s torso and limbs . Despite screaming in pain, the Crimson Cross didn’t stop there and even proceeded to place a noose around his neck .

“Surely a Vampire wouldn’t die from something this minor . ”

While saying this, they began dragging him back to the palace as their horses galloped forward .

From the imperial palace all the way to the streets of the capital…

…A pandemonium of blood was underway .

Citizens shivered away in fear and cried out helplessly .

Even then, the Crimson Cross didn’t hesitate nor hold themselves back . Their duty right now was to ‘Kill and Capture’; everything else was besides their consideration .

Luan stood by a window of the imperial palace and observed the events from high up .

Witnessing them capture and bring back the Vampires brought a smile to his face .

**

Count Fomor was presently shivering away from anxiety .

Like a broken machine, his head continued creaking from side to side as he scanned his surroundings .

He was currently standing inside the majestic audience chamber .

This magnificent space was meant for the emperor to grant audiences to his subjects, and normally it should’ve been filled with Paladins and loyal retainers of the empire .

Yet, not a single soul could be seen inside right now .

Was that all?

Of course not – all the windows were covered up with thick drapes as well .

Inside this hall that seemed to personify darkness itself, only the emperor’s throne received rays of brilliant sunlight, almost shining like a beacon in this place .

Count Fomor swallowed back his dry saliva and stared at the person sitting on that very throne .

“Welcome back, Count Fomor . ”

It was none other than the Holy Emperor himself, Kelt Olfolse .

This man had personally summoned Fomor to this place .

Honestly speaking, he didn’t think that meeting the emperor in this fashion wouldn’t be all that difficult to pull off . He’d been fooling the old man and earning the latter’s trust for several years by now, after all . He believed he was safe with some amount of certainty .

However…

Slam!

Count Fomor hurriedly looked behind him .

The only entrance of the audience chamber had been closed shut . On top of that, he could even hear the sounds of something being locked down, too .

Fomor’s level of alertness went up a notch .

This… the atmosphere in here was too strange .

He shifted his attention back to Kelt Olfolse and asked in a trembling voice, “Y-your majesty? May I enquire as to why you’ve summoned this servant to your presence?”

Kelt Olfolse began massaging the back of his neck . “Ah, it’s nothing to fret over . Well… I thought that my littlest grandson has caused you much offence, you see . I figured I might as well heal you personally . ”

Count Fomor did his absolute best to smile naturally .

He immediately performed established etiquette to imply that although such a thing was an honour, he’d still have to graciously refuse . “Your majesty, this servant of yours doesn’t require such a magnanimous grace . I have already employed personal Priests, so I can simply…”

“Oh, well . Let me stop beating the bush around then . Fella, are you a Vampire?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I asked you if you were a Vampire . ”

Kelt stood up abruptly from the throne, then unhurriedly strode down the stairs of the elevated platform .

Every time he took a step, Count Fomor stumbled backwards .

“I ask of you to be forgiving towards the offence I’m about to cause . If you are indeed a human, then I shall apologise to you . And I shan’t forget to bestow you with an equally-deserving compensation . I swear this in my name . However…” Kelt Olfolse spoke without a hint of expression on his face, even his eyes gleaming in a disinterested light . “…If you are indeed a Vampire, then I plan to not let this matter slide without any due punishment . ”

The muscles surrounding Count Fomor’s eyes twitched .

Nothing about this made any sense .

This whole situation was barrelling down the worst possible path .

Without a doubt, things were progressing smoothly when he managed to have the Seventh Imperial Prince thrown into prison .

But all of a sudden, a loud commotion took over the imperial palace, and followed shortly afterwards by waves of divinity crashing through it . And now, he could even hear the terrified screams resounding out inside the palace .

And all those screams of desperation were unique to the undead .

Due to these events, Fomor could tell . Outside of this audience chamber, a ‘Vampire hunt’ was currently underway .

Cold sweat drops trickled down Fomor’s body as the terror of this realisation caused his body to involuntarily shiver .

Something somewhere had gone horribly wrong .

He needed to escape from this place .

Count Fomor hurriedly shifted his gaze all over the area . The doorway behind him was sealed up while the windows were blocked by iron bars .

Dammit, there was no way out!

‘N-no, wait… Think calmly about this first . I don’t have a way to get away from here . And right now, only a single person is standing before me, the emperor…’

Fomor flinched at this chain of thought before scanning his surroundings once more .

There were no Paladins in the vicinity .

Indeed, only the Holy Emperor, Kelt Olfolse, was in front of him . The old man wasn’t even armed right now .

A forced smile crept up on Fomor’s face .

Kelt Olfolse was the great hero who killed the Necromancer King Amon . However, he was unarmed right now . Not only that, he was so old that it’d not be strange for him to keel over from natural death any day now .

Look! Look at all those skinny bones visible through the gaps of the white-coloured and somewhat shabby robe!

That was the limit of the creature called ‘humans’ .

Quite unlike a Vampire blessed with an everlasting life, a human was a just measly little lifeform . Someone like Fomor, who was only a step away from reaching the status of ‘Progenitor’, might be able to fight against the emperor .

“Hah . Hahah… Hahahaha!!!” Count Fomor exploded out in a loud peal of laughter . He then held his forehead . “All of you damned Imperial Family fools . You’re all insane!”

Take a good look throughout the world . Where would anyone find a place that handled matters in such a crazy fashion?

Never mind thinking outside the box, these Imperial Family bastards were all batsh*t insane . No, they were a bunch of psychos who wouldn’t bat a single eyelid even as they drowned the imperial palace and the capital city in the river of blood .

Kelt stopped walking and tilted his head when Count Fomor suddenly guffawed out .

“Oiii, old man!” Fomor cried out .

“…Count Fomor, your manner of speech has become rather unrefined for some reason . ”

“You asked if I’m a Vampire, didn’t you?”

Fomor raised both of his arms, then… he began devouring them with his own mouth . He consumed these arms that used to belong to a human, and in their place, ‘the arms of a Vampire’ grew out . Bizarre-looking arms that hideously wiggled and contorted in an unsightly way .

“I am indeed a Vampire, a predator that will devour all of you!”

The count hastily made a beeline towards the emperor .

“Once I’m done with you . I will be acknowledged by the other Progenitors and earn proper nobility in the process!”

In the blink of an eye, he arrived before Kelt Olfolse . His sharp claws were raised up high .

“As long as you disappear from here, I shall…!”

Count Fomor quickly swung down his right hand . It was then easily caught by the emperor’s grasp .

He flinched nastily in shock while staring at Kelt .

His claws couldn’t break through the old man’s skin . Not only that, the claws themselves actually shattered instead and his whole hand was instantly crushed .

The hand which belonged to a frail-looking small old man had stopped the much larger hand of a monster .

“Sounds like you mosquito bastard has forgotten it . I’m the Holy Emperor . ” Kelt grinned refreshingly and continued on . “I’m the man who pummelled the Necromancer King Amon with my own hands before proceeding to rip his head off . Did you really think I can’t even handle a mere gnat like you?”

Kelt’s free hand shot out and grabbed Count Fomor’s head .

“W-wait! Hold on…”

And then, a horrifying noise echoed in the chamber .

Blood splattered everywhere as Fomor’s head, alongside his spine, got ripped out from the torso .

“K-keo-hurk…”

More blood gushed out from Count Fomor’s open mouth .

The bloodied spine dangled in the air while still attached to the head .

“Now that’s a relief, you’re still alive . ” Kelt smiled in satisfaction, and then he brought his lips close to Fomor’s ear to whisper the following . “Don’t die on me yet . I still need to uncover the culprit responsible for murdering the Imperial Crown Princess Yulisia, after all . ”

Of course, that wouldn’t be the end .

Now was the time to filter out every single Vampire in hiding by interrogating this bastard .

Fin .