Karnak, Monarch of Death

The summary of the information they received was as follows: A hideout presumed to belong to the wanted fugitive had been located on the outskirts of town. The fugitive’s whereabouts during the day were unknown, but it seemed they returned to the hideout at night to rest. Thus, their suggestion was simple: to wait for nightfall and apprehend the target.

On the surface, it might appear that Count Brellant was shirking his duties by tossing the matter to bounty hunters instead of catching the criminal himself. But it made sense when you thought about it.

Deploying soldiers came with the risk of injuries or deaths, which meant additional costs. If outsiders were offering to eliminate the problem for free, why would he waste resources and manpower? It was an entirely reasonable stance for a lord managing his domain.

“If the fugitive was real, that is,” Tarman said with a scoff.

“It’s a trap,” Kald confirmed.

“And the criminal only shows up at night? That only confirms it.”

“The cultists here must be a bit slow. Do they really think we’re stupid enough to fall for such an obvious ploy?”

At that moment, Karnak interrupted the conversation and redirected their thoughts. “Excuse me, but doesn’t this make things trickier for us?”

“Hm? Tricky how?” Tarman asked, frowning.

“Think about it from the cultists’ perspective,” Karnak explained.

If Tarman’s group ignored the information, it would signal that they didn’t believe the fugitive existed. In other words, it would tip off the cultists that their actual goal wasn’t the wanted man. From the cult’s perspective, that would be a clear reason to heighten their vigilance.

And if the group walked right into the trap without hesitation? They’d simply appear to be ordinary bounty hunters. But that wouldn’t raise a cause for alarm either. Why? Because the outsiders would be walking into an isolated, abandoned location. The cult could easily deal with them there and harvest a nice amount of fresh, tasty blood in the process.

And if Tarman’s group were actually the King’s Order? If they were knowingly stepping into the trap? Then the cultists would gain an advantage by confronting their enemies in a place of their choosing, under favorable circumstances.

“From their perspective, there’s no real downside here,” Karnak concluded.

A brief silence followed. The others clearly hadn’t thought that far ahead.

Karnak clicked his tongue.

I thought they were subtle and practiced in such matters, but they’re rather clumsy.

After all, the King’s Order was still green. It had been less than a year since its founding. There hadn’t been time for the organization to accumulate much experience or strategy.

“Damn it.”

Tarman crumpled the wanted poster in frustration.

“Well, we won’t be able to use this bounty hunter trick again.”

Kald’s expression hardened. “So what now, captain?”

Did they ignore it? Or did they walk into the trap? Tarman hesitated briefly while weighing their options. Then he glanced at Karnak’s group and smirked, his expression brightening.

“Now that I think about it, we’re lucky.”

Originally, this mission had been assigned to just Tarman, Kald, and Alice. Walking into a trap with just the three of them would have been risky.

“We likely wouldn’t be completely outmatched, but it would pose unnecessary risk.”

But now, they had Karnak’s group, specifically, Serati, an aura user. Though she was a trainee in the King’s Order, she was a formidable warrior.

“We’ll spring the trap,” Tarman decided.

***

That evening, Tarman’s group gathered at a small hut on the outskirts of the village. It was the supposed hideout of the nonexistent fugitive they were informed of by Count Brellant’s men.

Slumping casually into a rickety chair, Tarman muttered, “All we need to do now is wait for sunset.”

The team settled in, each preparing themselves for the upcoming confrontation. Serati, however, couldn’t shake her unease.

They’re too relaxed.

Even if they trusted her abilities as an aura user, their casual demeanor felt excessive. It was as if the possibility of danger hadn’t even crossed their minds.

Are vampires really so easy to deal with?

So she decided to ask.

“How strong are vampires, really?”

Tarman chuckled.

“Not strong enough to worry you, Sir Serati.”

Becoming a vampire drastically enhanced a person’s physical abilities. They would grow several times beyond what they had been as a human. Moreover, those who drank enough blood could even wield a unique form of magic, blood magic.

“So, at most, they’re a few times stronger than when they were human. Some of the well-fed ones can rival first-rate knights, but...”

He trailed off. Compared to their current team’s strength, vampires weren’t much of a threat.

“The real question is how many of them there are.”

But that could also be estimated based on the number of people who had disappeared recently. After all, those victims’ blood had likely been consumed to create or sustain the vampires. It was similar to calculating enemy numbers through their supply lines during a campaign.

“At most, there’ll be about ten of them. Hardly enough to pose a serious threat. That’s why I decided to spring their little trap in the first place.”

Serati couldn’t shake her confusion. “Isn’t an old vampire supposed to be incredibly powerful?”

In the adventure tales she’d read, there were lord-class vampires who had lived for centuries. Kald and Alice smirked at her question.

“Well, that’s how they’re portrayed in stories...”

“But realistically, vampires like that can’t exist.”

A vampire who had spent centuries drinking blood and growing stronger would indeed be a formidable monster. But could such a creature really drink human blood undetected for hundreds of years?

“They’re usually discovered and killed long before that.”

“Re-Really?”

Unlike other monsters that could hide and grow stronger in remote locations, vampires were different. Their need for human blood meant they inevitably left traces within human society. So could they really survive for centuries while regularly drinking human blood?

For such a thing to be possible, two conditions needed to be met. First, vampires would need to be dismissed as nothing more than myths. Second, supernatural abilities like aura, magic, or divine power would need to either not exist or be exceedingly rare.

But what would happen in a world where vampires were accepted as real, and hunters—wielding powers equal to or even greater than vampires—were everywhere? What if both sides had similar abilities?

“They’re basically criminals who can’t walk in daylight and need to steal blood just to survive. And on top of that, they have to commit crimes constantly.”

“Sure, they might last a few years, but surviving for centuries? Impossible.”

“That’s why all the old vampires were wiped out long ago,” Alice added.

“Of course, completely eradicating vampires is another story,” Kald said with a shrug.

“Vampires are like diseases. No matter how hard you try to wipe them out, they always reappear somewhere.”

Serati looked sheepish at their explanations. It seemed reality was quite different from the tales she’d read. Still, she had another question.

“What about vampires who were originally aura users or mages? Wouldn’t they be strong even as vampires?”

That wasn’t the case, as confirmed by Tarman. According to him, aura users, mages, and priests had nothing to gain from becoming vampires.

“When you become a vampire, you lose the ability to utilize aura and mana. In fact, you actually get weaker.”

The energies didn’t mix. No matter how powerful someone was as a human, once they turned into a vampire, they lost their aura and magic entirely. They would have to start from scratch, building up dark mana like any ordinary vampire. It was no wonder Tarman’s group was so relaxed.

Modern vampires, at most, were no older than a decade. And those who’d lived for less than that had clear limitations, regardless of their strength as humans.

“Sir Serati, you seem to know very little about vampires,” Tarman teased.

“I’ve only heard about them in stories. I’ve never actually faced one...”

“Then I suppose it’s our job to teach you a few things.”

Even if vampires weren’t as formidable as the legends, they still weren’t to be underestimated. Like seasoned veterans, Tarman’s team began sharing useful information.

“The most effective weapon is divine power, of course. Or holy relics blessed by the seven goddesses.”

This wasn’t unique to vampires but applied to all undead creatures.

“And then there’s sunlight, which is the most well-known weakness...”

“The thing about silver being a weakness isn’t entirely true. To be precise, vampires are vulnerable to holy silver. Silver just happens to be the easiest metal to imbue with divine power.”

However, when it came to another myth... their explanations grew less certain.

“Garlic’s effectiveness is debatable.”

“Everyone who’s faced vampires says something different.”

Some claimed vampires feared garlic. Others dismissed it as a foolish myth. Still, others argued that while vampires avoided garlic, it wasn’t because it harmed them in any way.

“Even within the King’s Order, there’s no clear consensus on that one. No one really knows the truth.”

At that moment, Serati suddenly remembered something.

Wait, I have an expert right next to me.

There was no need to hold onto her curiosity. She could just ask Karnak.

[So, what’s the truth?]

[Well...] Karnak’s response was unconvincing, his tone uncertain. [It’s hard to say. There’s some truth to it, but not exactly.]

[Huh?]

[Think of it this way. Vampire hunters sometimes coat themselves in garlic juice or hang garlic around their necks. Now imagine this from a vampire’s perspective.]

It was like having a lunatic smeared head-to-toe in piss charging at you for a fight. Or someone wielding a weapon while hanging dung tied around their neck.

[It’s a bit of a nasty way to explain, but you get it, right?”

Serati recoiled at the thought.

[Forget being strong or weak. I wouldn’t want to go anywhere near them.]

That was why opinions within the King’s Order were so divided. Vampires, too, had their own individual thresholds for tolerance. Some might flee, disgusted but not afraid. Others might grit their teeth and endure, ignoring the offense. And then there were those who, enraged, would lash out with greater ferocity.

[Still, it’s not entirely ineffective, so there’s no harm in keeping some on hand.]

In fact, Tarman’s group had already stocked up on a bundle of garlic. If nothing else, it could serve as a distraction in a pinch if they threw it. Tarman let out a hearty laugh.

“We are the King’s Order, the finest elite in the kingdom. Overconfidence is dangerous, of course, but there’s no need to be overly tense about a band of vampires.”

***

While the group rested, the sun sank below the horizon. Day gave way to night, and darkness blanketed the world. The light of dusk disappeared in an instant, leaving only shadows behind.

Suddenly, Karnak’s voice echoed in Serati’s mind through a magical whisper.

[They’re coming. Warn the others.]

Serati, startled, spoke up. “Shouldn’t we start preparing now?”

Tarman, who had been meditating, looked at her curiously. Alice, the priest, had yet to sense anything unusual.

“Did you sense something, Sir Serati?”

“Not exactly, but I have a bad feeling.”

At that, not only Tarman but also Alice and Kald exchanged sharp glances.

“An aura user’s instincts are not to be taken lightly,” Alice said quietly.

“Indeed,” Kald added.

This was exactly why Karnak had told Serati to deliver the message. It would have been suspicious if a mere mage like him noticed something that even a priest hadn’t sensed. But with Serati, it didn’t matter. The instincts of an aura user were vague and imprecise by nature, so no one questioned them. Tarman rose to his feet, gripping his magic wand.

“Everyone, prepare for battle!”

The others readied their weapons, sharpening their focus. How would the vampires strike? Through the ceiling? The walls? The windows? Perhaps they would attack from a distance, launching flaming arrows—after all, vampires feared sunlight, not fire. Tension thickened as they waited, bodies coiled like springs. It was then that Alice’s face went pale.

This presence is?!

At that moment, the cabin exploded.

Boom!

A blinding light struck the hut with overwhelming force, obliterating it in an instant. The small house, solid as it was, collapsed in a single moment, reduced to nothing but splintered wood and dust.

Amid the cloud of debris and falling fragments, six figures emerged. It was thanks to Alice’s divine blessing that they had been shielded and survived unscathed.

“What the hell was that?”

“Are vampires supposed to be this strong?”

Tarman’s team was visibly shaken. The previous attack had possessed power that could only come from a skilled aura user or a high-level mage. Standing in the moonlit yard, their glowing red eyes gleaming with malice, were ten vampires. Among them, one figure stood out.

“So, you really are the King’s Order.”

At the front of the group was a middle-aged man in his mid-thirties, brandishing a sword with a crimson glow.

“There’s no way mere bounty hunters would’ve survived that strike.”

The man walked forward at a deliberate pace, his red aura-infused blade vibrating ominously, filling the air with a chilling hum.

Woooong. Woooong.

The sound reverberated, sharp and menacing.

Serati turned to look at Tarman. “Uh, Tarman?”

Tarman had assured her earlier that vampires couldn’t wield aura. He’d said that they had to start over and build their strength from scratch. They certainly couldn’t use the aura they’d possessed in life.

“Then what’s that?”

Tarman’s face contorted with confusion and frustration.

“How is this possible?”