Volume 3 Chapter 144 The Confession Of Owl I
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The three left their seats at the snack bar and followed Owl toward the canal.
Owl’s two soldiers, along with Linca, were instructed to share the sausages that had been prepared.
As the three conversed seriously nearby, Owl leaned against the canal railing and finally spoke.
”So, what is it you want to ask me?”
”There are four main points. First, about the rumors of vampires appearing in Ramsey—is that your doing?”
”What kind of rumors, specifically?” Owl replied, still leaning on the rail. “I am indeed a creature classified as a vampire.”
”They say you’ve got bat wings, long claws, and that you use blasphemous tendrils to attack people. Honestly, I’m not too worried about eyewitness gossip. What matters is whether or not you’re drinking the blood of the townsfolk.”
”Kian, we’re vampires. We can’t survive without drawing life force from others.”
”That’s not entirely true. Real vampires dry up and fall into a death-like state if they don’t consume spirit essence. But we can survive just by eating meat or grains.”
Owl gave a soft chuckle at that.
”Can you really call that living…? Kian, vampires are creatures born to drink blood. If we stop drawing life from others, we weaken. And more than that—we lose what makes life worth living. Do you think we could stay sane like that?”
”So you’re saying you drink residents’ blood to stay sane?”
”To protect this place, I only take a minimal amount of life force. The same goes for you, doesn’t it? When you fight, you draw energy through Linca’s bodily fluids. Isn’t that right?”
”Even without fluids, it’s possible to draw qi. But… yeah, you’re not wrong.”
Kian continued calmly.
”What do you mean by ‘minimal,’ exactly?”
”Well… I haven’t measured the blood volume with any alchemical tool. But it’s really just the bare minimum.”
”Aren’t you afraid you’re killing people?”
”No, we don’t kill by feeding.”
”Do you take blood from corpses, then?”
Kian pressed further. Owl straightened from the railing and turned to face him. His wings shifted in the wind.
Owl, who stood taller than Kian, looked down with dark, unwavering eyes.
”This is a battlefield. Refusing to feed on the dead is like asking humans to suppress their urges indefinitely. The princess herself is facing an unreasonable burden. I ask for some understanding.”
”So you’re feeding on the bodies of dead soldiers? Are you targeting the townsfolk too?”
Owl’s expression didn’t change.
”That depends on how you define ‘residents.’ Among them are enemy spies and war criminals. It’s the castle lord’s role to judge such matters.”
”…I see.”
Kian nodded slightly. Owl glanced at Kian’s twin magic swords and at Linca.
”What do you mean, ‘I see’? Kian, I don’t want to fight you. I’m talking with you now only because we’re from the same country. If you were just another adventurer—or Lady Eleonora—I would’ve responded very differently. Don’t forget that.”
”I won’t report this to Her Excellency. I’m here to cooperate, not interrogate. I understand that blood is essential, and I see you’re being selective. Still, I can’t say for sure whether your methods follow the law… But I’m not a judge. As long as you’re not turning into a mindless monster, there’s no reason for conflict between us.”
”Understood.”
Owl sensed no killing intent from Kian, and realized his words were sincere. The tension in his body faded, and he turned back toward the canal, watching the leaves drift along the water.
”What’s your second question?”
”Before that, please take a look at this.”
Kian opened his Nightshade coat and, out of sight from the snack bar customers, pulled out a head wrapped in cloth.
Owl’s eyes widened.
”Wh—… Is that… the head of High Warlord Isthbaran?”
”Would you like to confirm it?”
”Yes!”
Owl bent down to examine the head closely. After a moment, he straightened up with a grim expression.
”There’s no mistake. That’s Isthbaran.”
”I infiltrated enemy territory to assassinate him. That should help stabilize your front lines, right?”
”Yes, of course! Immensely.”
”Then I trust you understand I’m not someone you need to treat like an enemy.”
Owl nodded repeatedly. His broken nose, curved like a bird’s beak, gave his movements a strange charm.
Kian returned the head to his coat.
”As expected of Kian. It’s no wonder you defeated Oswald.”
”Yes.”
Owl, looking a little more animated now, nodded solemnly. Kian leaned against the irrigation ditch railing and continued.
”Is it your doing that the townspeople attacked by ‘vampires’ are rising again afterward?”
Owl nodded.
”As far as I know, yes. I understand what you’re getting at. But the real problem is Maribel’s failure to send reinforcements. We’re being told to hold the line with too few troops. I know reusing corpses offends the public’s religious beliefs—but we’re doing it out of desperation.”
”Are you aware that those undead soldiers are attacking innocent civilians?”
”No. The same thing happened with the rebellion in Izerland. Some of the undead escape control. Others are influenced by higher beings… or lose control due to their own hunger. You can’t perfectly control your evil spirits either, right?”
”I’ve made sure they follow the laws and customs of the land. Some got banned from the casino, sure—but most live among humans now. However, your undead are a different case. Today at noon, I found a mutated skeleton attacking villagers. It’s been terrorizing nearby towns every night. What do you say about that?”
”I regret that deeply. I’ll take full responsibility and work to stop them. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Kian’s expression turned stern. He stepped forward.
”That’s not enough. I want the full list—locations and characteristics—of all your undead. If any are dangerous, they must be eliminated immediately, even if it affects your defenses.”
”Kian, I can’t reveal military secrets to you. I’m the one in command here.”
”I’m a Knight, sent as an auditor by Her Excellency.”
”Even so, this is a matter of national defense. I won’t hand over that information. If you insist, you’ll have to formally relieve me of duty. Otherwise, bring an official adjudicator and follow the proper procedures.”
Kian narrowed his eyes.
”Then, you’re saying you can’t eliminate individuals, even if they’re dangerous?”
”Everyone plays a role in protecting the nation,” Owl replied calmly.
”Necessity and danger are different. If someone’s a threat, I want them dealt with—immediately.”
Kian’s voice was sharp, but Owl simply shook his head, refusing.
”It’s the same. If they aren’t dangerous, they’re no help to our defense.”
”Then at least keep them under control. If there are more victims… Her Excellency might decide to intervene herself. Don’t forget that.”
”I’ll keep that in mind.” Owl sighed, then added, “You’ve got it rough, being Maribel’s stand-in like this, huh?”
Kian wanted to snap back—You’re one to talk—but the irritation stuck in his chest, and instead, he stared daggers at Owl in silence.
Owl continued as if nothing had happened.
”There’s also a report. Some of the recently awakened citizens are turning into Remi Cain. You heard?”
”No. Not all the awakened are viable. Some need reinforcement. It’s possible those without proper support mutated into what we now call Remi Cain.”
”I’ll ask again—about the undead soldier rebellion in the Royal Capital—”
”It seems a shadow creature, like a werewolf, was sent there. I’ve heard of incidents even before that—servants being bitten, strange behavior. Maybe the farther they are from me, the harder they are to control. If it becomes a problem, the central government can handle it.”
Kian gave a single nod.
”Understood. That ends the audit questions from Her Excellency.”
”There are still two left questions, but they concern different parties.”
”Alright then. Shall we return to our seats? —Looks like Gunter and Julius are already enchanted by your familiar.”
At Owl’s words, Kian glanced over. The two knights were talking animatedly with Linca, their helmets off, lances leaned lazily by the fence. Their armored forms were unusually relaxed.
They watched as Linca bit into a sausage with enthusiasm. Even beneath her simple town clothes, her well-proportioned figure caught their eyes—though their interest seemed less noble and more distracted.
Jealousy bubbled in Kian for a moment, but more than that, he felt genuine concern. These knights had no idea how dangerous Linca could be.
This time, it was just Linca. Armor or no armor, she could handle it. But if it had been Rufna or Katyusha instead, they might have held out for a minute—before losing their heads to charm and chatter. Unacceptable.
Not everyone was like Kian, who had approached Linca with clear intent. These two had clearly dropped their guard.
Kian let out a breath and looked toward Owl again.
”You haven’t given your men a proper outlet?”
”I can’t control everything. I don’t keep a journal on the rise and fall of libido.”
”You should. Give them a break before they start spilling secrets.”
”It’s good training,” Owl said. “A real lord doesn’t rely solely on the rules. —Gunter! Julius!”
The two knights froze as their names were called. Faces pale.
”Sir Owl! We were just… eating sausage!”
”You weren’t leaking classified knight intel to Kian’s aide, were you?”
”N-No! We were just chatting with the lady…”
Owl sighed, pointing at the fence.
”That’s enough. Pick up your spears and helmets. You’re on duty. Stop looking like lovesick amateurs. The townsfolk will think we’re soft.”
”Y-Yes, sir!” “Sorry, sir!”
”Please go easy on them,” Linca said with an awkward smile. “They were just keeping me company. Right, Mr. Gunter?”
”Huh? Ah, y-yes, of course!”
(That so?)
Kian tilted his head slightly as he sat. Is this Gunter guy really okay…?
”Mr. Julius, I had fun talking with you. Thank you.”
”I-It’s an honor, Ms. Linca.”
Julius bowed with a hand on his chest, his gaze lingering just a little too long. From her lips still glossy with oil, to her chest, then slowly down to her hips, clearly outlined beneath her skirt.
…Yeah, he’s not okay either.
Owl clicked his tongue, voice stern.
”Both of you, helmets on. Spears in hand. Now.”
”Y-Yes!”
”I’m sorry!”
It seemed Owl’s soldiers would be keeping to a rather strict, abstinent lifestyle for the foreseeable future. Kian glanced over with some sympathy as they shuffled into position, their turtle-like armor creaking.
* * *
As Kian cut into his herb-seasoned sausage with a knife and fork, he asked his next question.
”There’s a rumor going around. About the revival of the Thorn Demon. You’ve heard?”
”I have.” Owl nodded while sipping his herbal tea. “What about it?”
”They say the dimensional gate connects to the ruins of the Empire of Night. Specifically, to Count Cain’s territory. I haven’t jumped through it myself, so I can’t confirm it.”
”Hm…”
Kian paused, knife in midair, and looked at Owl and the knights.
”In Count Cain’s land, there’s a sealed spirit believed to have created the Thorn Demon. Now that the gate is connected, demons might react to the shadows—and return faster than expected.”
”Demons? Weren’t they wiped out eighty years ago?”
That was Julius. Kian nodded.
”Yes. But some experts believe we still have time before any full revival.”
”The gate and the demons may be connected, but that doesn’t mean the revival is already underway.”
Owl set his cup down with a thoughtful look.
Linca, who had been silently watching with a gentle smile, finally spoke.
”In that case, how about the rumor itself? It could be used to gather magic power for a Restoration Curse.”
”Rumors can do that?” Julius asked.
Linca nodded. “There’s a technique. Similar to how gods gain strength through faith. Rumors become thoughts, and those thoughts gather at the object of belief. The previous Thorn Demon—several generations ago—used a ritual to embed that into a demon seed.”
”Two generations ago,” Owl corrected softly.
”Yes, two. The alchemist who became the Thorn Demon back then used a spell that turned rumors into mana. It sped up the demon’s revival dramatically.”
”You’re well-informed, I see,” Owl said, raising an eyebrow.
”It’s a hobby. Vampire research,” Linca replied with a smile. “You seem to know quite a bit too, despite how little survives in actual records.”
Owl calmly resumed sipping his tea, as Kian leaned forward, eyes sharp.
Notes:
• Linca – Jibril’s favorite girl. High-ranking warrior monk woman from Shin, with strong abilities like ignoring attacks and poisons.
• Isthbaran – The High Warlord of the ‘Storm Herd.’
• Gunter – Male. One of Owl’s knights, fully armored in a turtle-like appearance. He is easily distracted by Linca’s charm and struggles to maintain professionalism. His relationship with Owl is one of a subordinate, and he is often scolded for his behavior.
• Katyusha – A female warrior monk of the black panther race and a follower of Abbas Hashmalik Shakerdoust.
• Count Cain – Talia’s father.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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