Chapter 397: Chapter 397

It was an ordinary day.

He woke up early, had breakfast with his family, and then went to school, a primary education facility located within the ‘Company Employee Housing Complex’.

“Good morning, Aaron!”

“Oh! Aaron’s here! Did you hear about what happened on Mishang Street…?”

“You’re early as always. Such a diligent student.”

Aaron was quite popular at school.

Not just among his classmates, but also with the teachers.

The school was funded and operated by the Hubert Foundation, and most of the students’ parents were employees of Hubert’s Trading Company.

She was more than just a secretary, she was practically his second-in-command.

The Chairman trusted her implicitly, delegating most of his authority to her.

He was grateful for his sister’s influence, which had afforded him such a privileged life… but it also came with a certain… pressure.

After all, he had lived a completely different life before coming here.

‘I still can’t believe this is my life now.’

Hubert’s Trading Company was now an indispensable part of Tarak’s economy.

They had grown to become one of the largest trading companies on the continent, their influence extending far beyond Tarak and the Tulc Kingdom.

And they weren’t just wealthy, they were also politically powerful, their influence reaching even the Count of Aonia, where Tarak was located, and even the Tulc royal family.

‘…Though I heard they’re actually quite happy about it, since they’re receiving so many benefits.’

Hubert’s Trading Company had even established a foundation, investing heavily in Tarak.

Numerous facilities, including the school Aaron attended, had been built, and even the public institutions were receiving funding, improving their working conditions.

The city’s economy was booming, and the public order was so stable that it was safe to walk the streets even at night.

The entire city was benefiting from Hubert’s Trading Company’s presence.

So, it wasn’t surprising that Aaron was treated so well.

There were even rumors that he might become the Chairman’s brother-in-law.

‘…I don’t really… feel anything about it. I wouldn’t mind, if it’s Noona… but I wonder what she thinks…’

That Hubert, the Chairman, was the ‘Mister’ who had saved them.

He hadn’t realized it at first, but he had eventually figured it out, observing his sister’s behavior.

He had also learned to be perceptive, to read between the lines, to survive in their previous… less than fortunate circumstances.

‘Well, it’s probably some kind of… magic or something.’

Business wasn't always… straightforward.

It wasn't strange for the head of a massive trading company like Hubert’s to use a disguise for safety reasons.

As soon as he entered the house after school, a small figure, his cousin Lafi, a cheerful girl about six or seven years old, launched herself at him, tackling him around the waist.

“Let’s go to Grandma’s house!”

“…I have homework to do.”

“Hurry up! Grandma said she’s making meat cookies! And she said I have to bring you. She’s worried about you, she said you look… weak!”

But he couldn’t refuse her request. He sighed and followed her outside.

He was responsible for looking after her while his parents and his sister were working.

“Hehehe… You’re just in time. The cookies are just out of the oven. Sit down and wait.”

“I’ll get the drinks.”

They went to their neighbor’s house, an elderly woman who was a sorcerer.

She looked intimidating, with her numerous tattoos… but she had been kind to them since they moved here.

And Lafi, who visited her almost every day, treated her like her own grandmother.

“Thank you for the food.”

“Munch, munch— Grandma, this is yummy!”

“Hehehe… Take some home with you when you leave.”

The old woman and Aaron smiled as Lafi, her mouth full of cookies, mumbled her thanks.

A peaceful and uneventful day.

The world outside was in chaos, with talks of war against the Immortal King… but Tarak, their neighborhood, seemed to be unaffected by the turmoil.

Even if a war broke out, this place would be safe.

This place, protected and managed by Mister, Noona, and countless others, would be their sanctuary.

Lost in that… naive belief, another ordinary day came to an end.

A knock on the door, followed by a soft, unfamiliar voice.

A polite tone, but its… fragility… was unsettling.

Aaron, who had been about to leave with Lafi, cautiously opened the door.

“Ah, I’m sorry to bother you. I’m looking for someone.”

A young boy, about his age, or perhaps even younger, stood at the door, a cheerful smile on his face.

“…If you tell me their name, I might be able to help you.”

But Aaron, despite his initial casual tone, found himself speaking formally, without even realizing it.

It was an instinctive reaction.

“Ah… I don’t know their name…”

The boy’s voice trailed off as he looked them over, his gaze sharp and cold, like a snake’s.

A chill ran down Aaron’s spine, his body tensing involuntarily.

His mouth dried up, and cold sweat trickled down his back.

Lafi, hiding behind him, began to tremble, a primal fear, its origin unknown, gripping them both.

“…Tsk, another miss. I’m getting closer, though…”

The boy muttered, his voice filled with annoyance, but Aaron couldn’t respond.

He knew the words weren’t directed at him, but he was still… paralyzed by fear, unable to speak.

“Aaron? Lafi? Why are you still here…?”

The old woman, having finished cleaning up in the kitchen, noticed them standing at the door and approached them.

Her gaze shifted towards the boy.

…a gust of wind swept through the room.

And Aaron’s body, which had been stiff and tense, began to relax.

He blinked, his mind clearing, and then he realized he was sitting on the floor, his back against the wall, some distance from the door, Lafi in his arms.

He was looking at the old woman’s back, her body shielding him from the boy.

“Hmm? How did you know?”

The boy’s voice, cold and unsettling, echoed in his ears.

But the old woman didn’t reply.

She didn't have time.

“…A High Shaman, in a place . This is troublesome. I didn’t want to cause a commotion…”

The boy seemed to be… contemplating his options.

But regardless of his decision, it wouldn’t be good for them.

And then, just before he made up his mind,

…the situation changed again.

“Grandma! Are Aaron and Lafi here? I’m sorry, they didn’t come home…”

And as a familiar voice, his beloved sister’s voice, echoed from outside,

…the boy’s lips curled into a wide, predatory grin, revealing sharp fangs.

His eyes, once human, now resembled a beast’s, their pupils glowing with a crimson light.

And as Aaron met his gaze, his mind went blank, his vision blurring, a high-pitched ringing in his ears.

A primal fear, a deep-seated trauma he had thought he had overcome, resurfaced, overwhelming him.

“Diana! Take Aaron and Lafi…!”

He heard screams and shouts, felt someone pulling him, but he couldn’t react, his mind paralyzed by the hostile magic power.

If it weren't for the old woman’s protection, he would have suffered permanent mental damage.

But thanks to her, his mind slowly began to clear, his awareness returning in brief flashes.

His sister’s scream, a desperate cry filled with pain and terror, and then the old woman, clutching Lafi in her arms, collapsed, blood gushing from her mouth.

He didn’t understand what was happening, but he instinctively rushed towards them, pulling them into his arms.

“Hmph, such a nuisance. But now…”

And then, orbs of light, radiating a multicolored brilliance, suddenly appeared, their presence warm and comforting, as if dispelling the darkness.

Aaron’s mind cleared further as he felt their gentle energy.

“…Spirits? No, High Elves? Why are they here…?”

The boy’s voice, tinged with surprise, echoed in his ears.

But only for a moment.

He quickly regained his composure and turned his attention back to his… prey.

The world around him, bathed in a twilight glow, seemed to… fade away as he clutched his grandmother and his cousin, his gaze fixed on a distant figure.

His sister, lying motionless on the ground.

‘…What… What should I do…?’

His mind was blank, his thoughts sluggish and disjointed.

That the woman who had intervened, the one who was protecting them from the boy, wouldn't last long.

Despair, which he had thought he had overcome, began to creep back into his heart.

And then, images of the most reliable person he knew, the one who had always been there for him, flashed through his mind.

His kind and gentle smile when they first met, his cold and decisive actions when Lafi and the grocery store were in danger, his thoughtful and intelligent demeanor as he helped them settle down in this city…

He knew it was selfish, but he couldn’t think of anyone else.

He bit his lip, his tongue numb, and cried out inwardly,

…even though he knew his words wouldn’t reach him.

As if responding to his desperate plea, the sky above them cracked open.

And the world… shattered.

The twilight glow that had enveloped the area vanished, replaced by the bright light of dawn.

Aaron looked up, his eyes wide with disbelief.

The scene before him, a moment of pure, unadulterated hope, was etched into his mind.

An angel, its wings of light unfurled, had descended upon the earth.

Heinrich, standing in the midst of the chaos, his gaze fixed on the young boy, Temiran McCleary, and Diana, who was lying unconscious behind him, frowned.

‘…Now that I think about it, there was something… bothering me.’

He had assumed that the ‘unknown threat’ Saintess Liesta had sensed was Hella.

The timing and location had been too… perfect.

He had dismissed it at the time, as he hadn’t known much about the Demon World… but now, he knew better.

Hella, at that time, had been just a… powerful demon, not a true Demon King.

She had been born as a transcendent being, thanks to her bloodline… but she had lacked a crucial element.

After all, she hadn't even attracted the Demon God’s attention until after she arrived in the Demon World.

And the changes that had occurred after she defeated the Strange Duke and absorbed Abnormal…

“Huu! Nothing’s going my way! This… this can’t be a coincidence… This is what happens when you choose the wrong side! You end up exposed because of those higher-ups’ power struggles!”

The young boy’s disrespectful attitude, his casual disregard for authority… it confirmed his suspicions.

The Saintess had sensed Temiran, not Hella.

The timing of Hella’s appearance might have been a catalyst… but…

‘…Liesta is a true Saintess, unlike me. A messenger of the Main God’s will. And we came to Tarak following her guidance.’

So, this was all… the Main God’s plan.

And then he remembered something else.

Liesta had said that the ‘unknown threat’ felt ‘more like a demon worshipper than an undead’.

A demon worshipper, not a demon.

Heinrich, his face hardening, his eyes narrowing, looked at the boy and spoke, his voice low and menacing.

“Temiran McCleary. The recent incidents in the Demon World… are you involved? Did you help the Dragon Marquis summon those… abyssal monsters?”

“…What? You know about that? How does the Main God Church even know about the Demon World’s affairs?”

“The Main God’s gaze is everywhere. Even in the Demon World.”

“This is crazy. Since when were you fanatics this competent?”

Temiran, running a hand through his hair, grumbled, his face contorted in annoyance.

It seemed like he wasn't planning to deny it.

Well, considering the timing of the abyssal monsters’ appearance in the Demon World, there was no point in making excuses.

“Tsk, so you’re the Main God’s… dog, huh? I thought you were just a… pushover, always being bullied by the Immortal King. Now I understand why that cautious and meticulous senior of yours failed.”

“You’re mistaken. We don’t just… stand there and take it. Humanity is… slowly but surely… overcoming the threat.”

His ‘senior’ was probably referring to the Revolutionary, his predecessor.

He had suspected it ever since learning about Temiran’s involvement in his disappearance… but it seemed like the Revolutionary had been preparing for his own… replacement.

‘…I don’t know why he was chosen.’

It was a tragedy for Temiran.

He had been kidnapped as a child, turned into a vampire, and brainwashed for over twenty years… all because of some unknown… quality he possessed.

“…Your god is quite… diligent. If he was imprisoned in the abyss for his sins, he should be reflecting on his actions… and yet, he’s still causing trouble, making people suffer.”

“Right? I agree. If he’s going to do it, he should do it properly. What’s the point of all this… suffering? He needs to… step up his game.”

A strange and unsettling response.

Heinrich narrowed his eyes, but the boy’s face was still contorted in annoyance.

Well, he had been kidnapped and brainwashed since childhood… it would be strange if he was… sane.

“Surrender. Tell me everything you know, and I’ll spare your life. Your mother is still waiting for you.”

Heinrich, his holy sword gleaming, its blade wreathed in a brilliant light, issued his warning.

His opponent was a vampire, after all.

Even an apostle chosen by a god couldn't stand against a Saint wielding a holy sword.

He would be incinerated if he fought him head-on, and he couldn't outrun him, not with 「Grand Blessing: Wings of Radiance」 and 「Blessing: Leap」.

He knew that, so he was just… bluffing.

‘…It’s always troublesome when the opponent has a hostage. I should have arrived sooner.’

Heinrich wasn’t just talking.

He had been looking for an opportunity to strike, but the boy had been constantly threatening Diana, who was unconscious.

He would probably act the moment he made a move.

He wasn’t confident he could save her and eliminate the boy at the same time, not at this distance.

He was a Saint, a wielder of holy power, a natural enemy of vampires.

But there was another being who was also… incompatible with vampires, in a different way.

…a Vampire King, who was awakening his divinity through the consumption of his own kind.