**Chapter Nine: The Ruined City**
Ah, Vampires really do have many weaknesses. I sighed at the information coming through the bat.
Mireille’s earlier exploits had turned into a disgraceful display. Although she was hidden from sight by the power of the Eternal Night’s Demon King, the sounds and presence around her revealed the situation.
That’s right… the first encounter with garlic must be tough.
Garlic is easy to obtain, simple to process, and effective only against Vampires. Flowing water is another weakness, but there’s no easier vulnerability to exploit than this when dealing with a Vampire. Moreover, in this era, garlic is relatively accessible everywhere.
Unfortunately, there’s no way to overcome garlic. It’s not something one can get used to… well, that can’t be helped. Power comes with its own sacrifices. Compared to ruin, a mere sneeze is nothing—ah, the first encounter with garlic must be tough…
At first glance, the battlefield seemed unfavorable for Mireille. The enemy had launched a Vampire counter-strategy, and their numbers were greater. The power of the Eternal Night’s Demon King was stronger than I had imagined. I never expected there would be a Darkness that could not be seen through the eyes of a Vampire. However, conversely, this meant that despite all their efforts, they could not kill Mireille.
Muffled groans, sneezes, screams, curses, and shouts filled the air. Initially, there were many sounds from Mireille, but gradually the screams of Dark Elves began to mix in.
“Guh, chuu… nnn… nnn, no way!”
Garlic is a powerful weapon against Vampires, but it is not fatal. To ensure a Vampire’s death, one must use a holy silver weapon or drive a stake through their heart, or the power of an Eclipse Knight is necessary. The sound of the ground being pierced and the wet squelching of something being crushed echoed repeatedly. Mireille had begun to wildly wield that monstrous power.
Perhaps, with her aim still unsteady, Mireille had not yet recovered. However, just that alone made it impossible for the enemy to approach her carelessly.
That’s fine. The garlic thrown at her can be deflected by raising earth mounds. After all, the most effective thing for us in battle is power.
While evading the garlic flying through the air with the bat, I called out to Mireille.
“Mireille, do you need assistance?”
“No way!! I-I don’t need it!”
Mireille shouted, her words slightly jumbled. If that’s the case, then she likely doesn’t need help. Combat skills can only be honed through battle. Mireille might not have enough experience in struggling, so this fight could be just what she needs.
However, attacking a fortress might be an eternal dilemma for Vampires, especially for those of noble blood who cannot use the Charm Magic Eye.
Mireille pulled out trees once more and began throwing them. Even while being targeted for her weaknesses, she remained a complete musclehead, refusing to change her attack strategy. It wasn’t necessarily a bad move, but still—indeed, we need allies. We need someone who can assist us.
I hope this will be the last time we have to assault a fortress through sheer power.
I shifted my focus from the bat to myself.
I had placed my main body in one of the cities that the Eternal Night’s Demon King had conquered and ruled until recently.
Mireille had reclaimed it, and the Demon King’s subordinates had been driven out, yet the city remained eerily silent. The subordinates of the Eternal Night’s Demon King had run rampant, causing the residents to lose their will to live. A smell of death permeated the entire city. The number of corpses scattered about was fewer than I had expected—well, it’s unfortunate, but there’s nothing to be done. In this era, where the Order of the Final Knights cannot act, it’s better to be alive than dead.
At that moment, Monica returned after checking on the townsfolk.
“End-sama, I’ve checked on the townsfolk. It’s not good… this city is also filled with death. There aren’t enough people, and hardly any humans can fight. For now, we still have some supplies, but it’s only a matter of time before total annihilation.”
“I see… you’ve done us a disservice.”
It seems the Eternal Night’s Demon King had occupied the city but had no intention of managing it. It appeared he had killed off all the capable humans. Well, I can’t imagine that humans would meekly accept the rule of a Demon Race, especially one as half-hearted as the Eternal Night’s Demon King, so he likely purged them before they could cause trouble. Perhaps there was some resentment involved as well.
The problem is that there are five such towns and villages.
Unfortunately, I lack the power of a politician. I haven’t received proper education as a noble either. I’ve been bedridden due to the Death Soul Disease for so long… If this continues, the city we just liberated will perish.
“For the time being, only two of the mayor’s children remain. They’re still kids, but should I bring them here?”
“……………Very well. Bring them here.”
“……Understood.”
The mayor is supposed to be hereditary. If they are his children, they should have received at least a minimum level of education. Being children… well, they might even become a liability. For now, I’d like to borrow even a cat’s paw.
Monica brought in two filthy children. They sat on a coffin, observing the two of us. One was a girl and the other a boy, both likely in their early teens. Their cheeks were gaunt, their eyes sunken, and they wore tattered rags. Their dark brown hair was disheveled, and their lips were dry. Despite their somewhat decent features, I doubt anyone would recognize them as part of the lord’s family. They appeared uninjured, but there was no sense of vitality about them.
When they saw me, fear flickered in their eyes for an instant, but they quickly pressed their lips together tightly.
“It seems the mayor led his soldiers to confront the Demon King and was brutally slaughtered—these are the mayor’s children. I’ve informed them about you, End-sama.”
Well, it’s difficult for such a small town to stand against the power of the Eternal Night’s Demon King. The difference in the number of combatants is too great.
And yet, even after being informed, they react this way. I don’t know what words Monica used, but I don’t intend to say anything unnecessary.
Right now, I’m only interested in practical matters.
From here on, we will be searching for Senri while defeating the Demon King. Along the way, we might liberate towns like this one that have been dominated by the Demon King. However, if the liberated towns perish, it would be meaningless. If that happens, I can only imagine what Senri would say to me, but if I manage to save the town, Senri would surely praise me greatly and grant me blood.
I have no interest in ruling the town. What I need is someone capable of managing it. At the very least, I want someone with the will to do so, even if they lack the power. I’m not in a rush to find them, but it will become necessary eventually.
I fixed my gaze on the two children, smiled, and said,
“I am the righteous Vampire, End-BaロN/A. I have raided and liberated this city from the Demon King. Therefore, I would like to entrust the management and reconstruction of this city to you. Is that acceptable?”
“!?”
“Eh!?”
“End-sama!?”
The three of them widened their eyes, seemingly taken aback by my request. The two children brought here were one thing, but even Monica looked surprised.
“If that seems impossible, please tell me of someone who can be entrusted with this. If there’s anything lacking, I will gather it. I can’t stay here for long. I need to help other towns as well.”
Or perhaps, if I ask the country I belong to, they might send a governor? No, they probably don’t have the luxury for that.
To calm the two children, who were confused by my sudden request, I decided to use my power.
The power to manipulate a person’s mind, “Charm Eye”—originally meant to control humans and temporarily turn them into subordinates, but any power can be utilized in various ways. If I forced them to do something against their will, there would be repercussions once the power wore off, but a gentle nudge shouldn’t cause any issues.
The two children’s eye colors changed as they received the immediate and compelling influence of the Magic Eye, which even strong-willed mercenaries would fall under.
“If you don’t want to die, do your best. Take up arms. To protect what’s important, you must fight. This is about you.”
“…………Y-yes.”
“I understand…”
Good, I’ve secured their commitment. With this, the management of this city is in good hands.
Now, how about gathering people from other towns here? There might be better candidates left, and the population has decreased, so there should be some capacity for that. Since this town is on the brink of death, it might be easier to gather resources and consolidate the town. Of course, we must be fully prepared for the Vampire counter-strategy.
“Monica, I’ll leave the care of the two children to you. Their condition is terrible; give them a bath, dress them in good clothes, feed them, let them rest, and once they’ve calmed down, bring them back to me.”
“…………Do you think it will go well?”
“Well… that depends on you, Monica.”
Monica’s charm isn’t overwhelmingly powerful, but it lasts a long time. If we all work together to tackle the problem, we should be able to resolve any issue.
Being a king is quite a challenge after all.
—
The night destroyed the city. The raid was sudden, without warning or declaration of war.
It took merely half a day. In just half a day, the city of Fagani, with its several hundred years of history, was annihilated.
Monsters surged in, and many people were slaughtered. The father, who had long served as the mayor of Fagani and earned respect, and the mother, who had supported him publicly, had become lifeless corpses by the time they realized what was happening.
Unable to bear the loss of their parents, Cody and his twin sister EN/Ata escaped from the hidden room in the mansion’s underground. What they witnessed was a city overrun by demons, filled with the bodies of the deceased.
To be honest, I don’t remember much of what happened next. Only that a life-and-death struggle had begun.
From a child’s perspective, the city had completely lost its function. The number of corpses far exceeded that of the living. The demons that had attacked Fagani seemed uninterested in ruling the city effectively.
Those who could still fight were already gone. The only survivors were children and the elderly—those deemed too weak to be worth killing by the demons. Even then, they were merely existing at the mercy of the demons, who could end their lives on a whim.
In just one night, the world had changed, and all they could do was survive. The city had no laws left, and there was no room to worry about their surroundings. This was true for everyone outside of Cody and EN/Ata as well.
A week passed, then a month, and still, no help arrived. The number of demons occupying the city had decreased, but the situation remained unchanged.
At just thirteen years old, Cody and EN/Ata found themselves powerless. They knew no means of fighting, and even if they managed to escape the city, it was clear they would die in the wilderness. The absence of help indicated that the kingdom itself was in no position to offer assistance.
They survived the demon-infested wasteland. Even the residents who had survived the initial raid began to fall one by one. Although they were the children of Mayor Yuan, Cody and EN/Ata’s survival was due to a mix of luck and perhaps the fact that they had dug graves.
With time on their hands, they dug graves daily, burying the bodies that had been left behind. It seemed that the human corpses were an eyesore to the demons, who did not consume them. Thus, the demons overlooked Cody and EN/Ata as they toiled to bury the dead.
Before long, other survivors, barely clinging to life, began to mimic Cody and EN/Ata’s actions.
However, it was clear that this situation could not continue. The city had already lost its producers. Once their supplies ran out, it wouldn’t be long before all remaining residents would starve to death.
They could think of no way to recover. The survivors were exhausted both physically and mentally. The demon army would surely leave the ruined city without clinging to it any longer.
If they caught the demons’ attention, they would be crushed for mere amusement. The demons were searching for reasons to trample the residents. Every day was a struggle to suppress their emotions and live in hiding.
Yet, that day ended abruptly, just like the day the city fell.
By the arrival of an even greater foe, one that could not be matched by the army of eternal night.
With advancements in science and the efforts of the Order of the Final Knights, the threat of demons had significantly diminished. The cities of the human race, weakened by the unity of the demons, fell one after another.
All things must come to an end. The city was on the brink of destruction, and only one family member remained.
To protect what was precious, they had to fight.
Those words resonated deeply within Cody’s mind, as if they were meant for him, spoken by a pair of crimson eyes that shone like blood.
=====
The group known as End continues to liberate cities under the control of the Demon King. As they prepare to move on, the residents of the liberated cities cling to them desperately.
“Wait? A new city to build? Senri will praise us? I’m in!”
Next Chapter: Aim for the End Empire! Stay tuned!
*Note: The preview may differ from the actual content.
— Tsukikage
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