Episode 65 — From the Throne
～ Part 2 ～
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∗Gopo. Gopo.∗
There was a big flask that one human could be put completely inside. The flask was connected to various machines through strange tubes, inside was filled with suspicious liquid. Furthermore, a human corpse floated like being preserved in formalin.
No one would know unless they were told it was a human-shape something. Limbs torn, color came off, it was exactly like a tattered dust cloth. The face’s shape could be barely recognized as a young man, but it was hard to say his tissues were being fixed by the liquid, why was this kind of dead body thrown inside this huge flask? Anyone seeing this would have no idea at all.
∗Gopo. Gopo.∗
That wasn’t something like a corpse.
“The King still doesn’t show any sign of waking up…”
A vampire who was wearing a habit, gazed at that flask and narrowed her eyes. In her hands were several documents stapled on top a board. Along with a little grief, she gazed at ‘that’ as it repeated faint breathing, and wrote several numbers in the document.
The name of this woman with visible body line was Akeno Miyabi.
Also known as Bishop Akeno.
And then, the flask put in front of her, the man who was sleeping inside that was certainly the existence called the ‘King’ of their blood clan.
Because his appearance was like this now, the ‘King’ couldn’t talk with his own mouth, neither could he move with his own feet. However, even like this, he was still living. The proof was chained to the bottom of the flask — an unspeaking girl.
She who had a vacant face, was sitting on a small throne put before the flask, her face casted downward like a doll with its strings cut. Like the man inside the flask, it was unclear whether the girl was dead or alive, next instant, her body jumped, her face slowly rose.
“Have you returned? ‘King’.”
When Akeno courteously asked, the girl slowly nodded.
However, this girl was in no way the ‘King’. This vacant eyes girl was only an acceptable vessel to move as the mouth of the unspeaking ‘King’. What was the ‘King’ was inside the flask. His body was mostly not functioning, only his mind was firmly living.
The ‘King’ had been following the blood of the Pawn, and temporarily manipulating the Queen’s body. It was a time-limited domination. During that short 30 minutes, the ‘King’ planned to use the Queen’s body to support the Pawns, and have them bring that Queen’s blood back here.
But,
“It failed…”
Such words were spun from the girl’s throat.
“Asuka’s domination was taken back, and time soon ran out after that. I’ve been looking down on those guys a little.”
“They’re the bunch who killed Suou. I guess they’re surprisingly capable.”
“It seems so.”
His voice pretended to be calm, but slight bitterness still showed through. Akeno decided not to touch that and just calmly read through the documents.
“It’s about your body regeneration, but as expected, it takes our all just to maintain the status quo so that the body tissue wouldn’t collapse any further. That’s at present point though.”
“Really. As I thought, it certainly is necessary to invade the country of those humans.”
“I apologize for the inconvenience to the ‘King’.”
“It’s fine.”
The ‘King’ had once suffered a serious injury in the former world and was on the verge of dying. By the hands of the elders who feared the collapse of the clan, he was put into the flask to maintain his mind. Since then, 3 years in the time flow of the world over there had passed, he had been kept away from the eyes of human.
The invasion to this world was a plan made at that time. In the end, they couldn’t found any method to return the ‘King’‘s body back to normal in the former world. The blood clan bet on this world where magic technology was much more developed.
But even in this world, they couldn’t find the means to recover the ‘King’‘s injury in any of the many magic technologies. Their last ray of hope was placed on the forbidden spells the Central Empire controlled and concealed, or the hidden treasures enshrined in the imperial palace.
If one was to follow the origin which became the impetus for the blood clan to pick a fight with the Empire, it would be this kind of thing.
The ‘King’ was in a state where his body couldn’t move, but he could follow the blood of the blood clan and manipulate them. This vampire girl was currently only an existence for the sake of speaking the ‘King’‘s words.
“About that bunch, how would you like to deal with them from now on?”
“Leave them be, I can’t say that in this situation, can I? Especially Asuka needs to be strongly disciplined. But I don’t mind even if you don’t prioritize the other guys that much.”
As expected, the ‘King’ seemed to be obsessed with the Queen.
“Besides, it’ll soon be 3 months since that bunch came over here. I guess it’s about time the ‘Filter’ expire.”
“The fact that the ‘Filter’ expire is not limited to always give a good influence for us.”
“It’ll put a wedge in their unity. If it’s Asuka alone, we can manage her one way or another. That bunch’s unity is troublesome.”
It was a surprisingly honest analysis. Akeno thought that was unexpected.
She wouldn’t deny that she herself also had that part, but the ‘King’ tended to look down, despise others. Even in the case this time as well, saying that was the cause of defeat was mostly not mistaken. It was rare for that ‘King’ to easily recognize the threat of others as ‘troublesome’.
“Scar Red, are you there?”
“I am.”
Like guided by the voice of the girl, darkness gently warped. Slowly rising inside the dark was a hard-faced giant. It was a tall man wrapped up in a military uniform. As it was for many vampires, the color of his pupils were dyed red.
And then, what most noticeable was as his name implied — a big scar ran on his face.
As a mark of a powerful big wheel even inside the blood clan, Red held the title of ‘Rook’. He was comparable to the Queen in terms of close-quarters-combat. Red who had many abilities starting from his mobility that could soar freely in the sky, carried an important role when they started the war against the Central Empire.
When the vampires on the frontline was ordered to retreat due to the changes in circumstances, the one who was in charge of the rear was also Red.
Akeno could generally imagine what kind of order the ‘King’ was going to give to that Red.
The girl’s words were leisurely spun. Both Akeno and Red quietly listen to his words and didn’t give any objection. The girl said only that much, and again dejectedly drooped her head.
Now, the ‘King’ was in that flask, there was no changes to his appearance. But the ‘King’ seemed to have decided to rest his eyes and mouth for a moment. He was sleeping. The vampire girl who was made to seat on the throne, had vacant eyes and languidly left her mouth open.
Red made small bow, and undertook the ‘King’‘s order.
“……”
He wordlessly turned around, as it were, he briskly walked and was about to leave that hall.
“Are you going already?”
“It’s the King’s order.”
Akeno’s question was answered curtly.
Although working enthusiastically was a good thing, she hated that he was a little too blindly devoted.
While observing the flask the ‘King’ was in, Akeno added another check mark to the document.
‘Rook’ Scar Red had quietly sortied without being seen off by anyone in particular.
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