I Became the Commander in a Trash Game Who Copies Skills

Chapter 26. The Mask (4)

Silence is a virtue.

Regarding this, numerous adages with long-standing traditions exist, irrespective of time or place.

However, there are different kinds of silence.

Generally, there are two types of silence.

A silence where the cutoff in conversation brings a lukewarm comfort.

Conversely, a silence that brings as much anxiety and unease as that very cutoff.

The silence I was currently in clearly belonged to the latter.

It was only natural, as a vampire holding a faintly beating heart in her hand was staring me down intently.

“Kyahahahaha! Ahat, ahaha!”

I’ll correct myself.

Silence is indeed the better virtue.

Her laugh gave me the chills.

If it weren't for [Lord’s Unyielding Mind], I might have fainted.

“Ah, our Tribus. That temper of yours hasn't gone anywhere. Hm?”

“……Keehee.”

“It’s refreshing. I’m serious. It’s been a while since someone used such an expression on me. Still, I think you were cuter back in your finger-sucking brat days.”

Anyway, it was a relief.

In the sense that she was completely mistaking me for Tribus.

Besides, laughing is an expression of quite a turbulent emotion.

There are opposite cases, but it usually leans toward the positive side.

Seeing as she mentioned my childhood, it seemed they had known each other for a long time, maybe like an aunt who sees her nephew occasionally….

It also felt a bit like the cliché, ‘You’re the only one who treats me like this.’

Was this a green light?

“Keeheehee. Still, I commend you. You waited tamely for my arrival, like a good beast, didn’t you?”

“I want to kill you.”

“……?”

Shit.

This wasn't it.

Why the sudden straight face?

“You’re truly fearless. Are you so sure I won’t actually kill you? Or has a part of your brain simply gone bad?”

“…….”

“If you weren’t the chosen one, I would have opened that skull of yours a long time ago. But well… since you were chosen. It can't be helped. It’s more convenient for me if you live as long as possible.”

It seemed it would be better to just keep my mouth shut.

As long as I didn’t act out too much, it seemed I could keep my life.

Fortunately, whether it was thanks to [Lord’s Unyielding Mind] or the mask I wore, the fact that I was internally scared wasn't discovered.

By the way, ‘the chosen one’.

It was a familiar phrase.

‘It was a concept that was only mentioned occasionally in the lore, just like the cultist’s ‘Mark’.’

Until World Scenario 3.0, the ‘Mark’ had been a lore item.

Then, in the 4.0 update, it was implemented as a statue.

That ‘chosen one’ setting must have also been fleshed out into a meaningful concept in the 4.0 update.

I could find out the details gradually.

What was important right now was something else.

Why the Princess of Blood, a member of the cult, had called me, or more accurately Tribus, here.

“It is a message from the Marquis.”

The Princess of Blood opened her mouth.

“[Brother, a bloody wind will blow, so be careful.]”

A middle-aged man’s voice flowed from the Princess' lips.

[[Warrior’s Insight] is active.]

[You have acquired a skill.]

[Message (Level 3)]

The Message skill.

It was a spell that delivered a voice exactly as it was.

For reference, I knew the owner of that voice.

A being who was as good as second-in-command of the Imperial Capital.

An enemy of the Empire who controlled the anti-imperial faction from the shadows.

To think that bastard was also a member of the cult.

He was an enemy I would have to face someday.

Of course, not now.

“The Empire has truly sharpened its blades. You don’t think the raid will succeed, do you?”

“…….”

“If you were thinking of joining them, don’t. This raid will fail with a high probability.”

A raid.

The object was omitted, but the target was probably the Imperial army.

I had expected this since they handed over Wolfskrig empty.

Gathering forces to strike the enemy in the back when they were complacent was a strategy with a long history.

But I didn't know why she was openly saying it would fail.

The Princess of Blood was surely affiliated with the Vampire Archduchy, right?

“You seem to be slow on the latest information, having been cooped up in some hideout. This raid, it’s a solo expedition by the Count’s faction. I instigated it. My purpose is to weaken the Count's power before Father awakens.”

“The other side is aware of it, but… what can they do? They’ll have to build up their own power enough if they don't want to be devoured by Father when he soon awakens.”

“Of course, a self-willed brat like you wouldn’t listen to the Count, let alone Father, but… keep it in mind. The Empire will absolutely not lose this war.”

Ah.

So that’s what it was.

Now, this whole situation was coming into a single picture.

Why Wolfskrig was empty.

Why a raid was scheduled to happen soon.

And why the Princess of Blood was predicting the raid's failure.

“What will you do?”

Her bright red eyes were faintly smiling.

A smiling gaze, as if waiting for an answer.

I naturally crossed my arms and pretended to think.

Let’s organize this.

A lot of information had flowed in, but the core was simple.

First, the Imperial army would soon be raided.

Second, the main force of the raid was the ‘Count’.

Third, as of now, the only hero with the title of Count in the Vampire Archduchy was ‘Count Calvenia’.

“Keehee.”

And finally.

“How befitting of mongrels. Are you having a childish squabble even in this situation?”

The vampires were currently split in two and mired in internal strife.

And the Princess wanted to pull me over to her side.

* * *

The number of races that appeared in ‘Warlord Conquest’ could not be counted even on two hands.

The classic fantasy trio of humans, dwarves, and elves were the basics.

Including orcs, vampires, goblins, beastmen, and dragons, fantastically bizarre races had solidified their territories in various regions of the continent.

If one were to count the sub-classifications of each race, or the number of factions and powers, it would reach a three-digit number.

I had played all of them.

I cleared the game without missing a single one.

The Vampire Archduchy was, of course, included.

‘Internal strife is one of the vampires’ early to mid-game crises.’

It was a crisis event that often gave me a headache when playing on the Vampire Archduchy's side.

The cause of the internal strife was simple.

In a four-character idiom, it was “hoga-howi”.

You could see it as a situation where a fox acts as the king in a mountain without a tiger.

First, the master of the Vampire Archduchy was literally the Vampire Duke, Yulister von Zarhill.

He, the ruler of the vampires’ shared consciousness space, the [Bloodline], was currently in a long slumber.

His vacancy was being filled by the lower nobles.

While waiting for their master to awaken.

The problem began when the master's slumber stretched well over 100 years.

Some of the nobles began to harbor different thoughts.

‘And the ringleader of that is the vampire with the most powerful influence after the Duke, Count Calvenia.’

They weren't openly committing treason.

Aside from the fact that they didn't know when the Duke would awaken, it was impossible for them to directly attack each other as long as they belonged to the same [Bloodline].

Instead, the traitors focused on slowly building up their power.

In the end, the reason the Vampire Duke could hold absolute power was because of his dominance over the lower entities.

Their goal was to grow their power enough to resist that dominance.

Ultimately, they would try to create a new [Bloodline] altogether.

“……What?”

“I said it's a childish squabble. Keehee. How mongrel-like of you. To have thrown away all of the few merits of humans, and only resemble their flaws.”

As a result, the vampires were currently split into two factions.

The side opposing the Duke, ‘Count Calvenia's’ side.

And the side waiting for the Duke, the ‘Princess of Blood's’ side.

The Count's side intended to increase their power and influence before the Duke woke up.

Conversely, the pro-Duke heroes wanted to eliminate the bothersome Count or weaken his power.

The story of the Princess instigating the Count to raid the Imperial army was in the same context.

Normally, when the Imperial army advanced, the two factions would have joined forces to defend Wolfskrig.

When the Princess of Blood’s side deliberately pulled back their troops, the Count's side had no choice but to temporarily retreat as well.

In the first place, Wolfskrig was Count Calvenia’s territory.

From his perspective, his options were forced upon him.

Either have his fortress taken and his standing gradually diminish,

Or throw a gamble to reclaim the fortress.

‘And from there, the Princess must have subtly provoked him.’

The so-called strategy of i-i-je-i, using barbarians to control other barbarians.

She was hoping the clash with the Empire would chip away at Count Calvenia’s strength.

However….

“…And yet you still couldn’t be at ease, so you came to find me, didn’t you?”

“…….”

“You instigated it, but what if the Imperial bastards die? Wouldn’t that just increase the Count’s power? Is that what you’re thinking? Keeheeheet!”

Once I grasped the situation, I got a sense of how to answer.

I uncrossed my arms and tilted the mask slightly.

What should I say.

I recalled a foreign stand-up comedy show whose theme was to scathingly mock the subject.

“When the Duke opens his coffin and comes out, I’m sure he’ll be so pleased to see his children fighting. Keeheet.”

“This bastard….”

The Princess' brow furrowed.

It wasn't a meaningless provocation.

The gap between the Princess and me was like heaven and earth.

But apart from that, the Princess right now could never harm me.

“You want me to fight, don’t you? Me. Against the Count.”

To her, I, Tribus, was a hidden card.

A ‘human’ necromancer who did not belong to the [Bloodline].

The only being on the Vampire Archduchy’s side who could attack an ally.

“Well… I’ll think about it.”

There was no need to give an answer right now.

In a salary negotiation, the competent employee holds the upper hand.

One has no choice but to give what is asked to a person in charge of an irreplaceable task.

The urgent matter right now was to inform Viscount Pewin of the raid.

“Keeheet, for now, you all handle it yourselves.”

Waving my hand, I turned my back.

“I have no interest in the squabbles of mongrels.”

I started walking into the forest, along the path I came from.

The wind blew.

The wind, swirling along the edge of the shallow forest, caressed the squire’s cooling corpse as it passed.

The thick smell of blood reached the tip of my nose.

“Two things.”

The Princess said from behind me.

“There are two reasons why the Empire is bound to win, two cards the Empire is hiding.”

I slowed my steps a little.

As if telling her to go on.

“The first is information from the Marquis. The Imperial family’s secret knight order is on the move.”

No way.

Had he come?

No matter how much this game was a luck-based shitshow….

This would make it too difficult to predict the difficulty.

“…Interesting. Then what’s the second?”

“There's a necromancer raised by the Empire. At least 7th Circle or higher. A high-level caster who has mastered the [Infernal Meteor] spell.”

Huh?

Infernal Meteor?

“The failure to capture Burken was because of that bastard. This is a warning to be careful.”

“…….”

“I don't know who that bastard is, but he's a guy who could chew you up in one bite.”

…I think that might be me?

* * *

I returned to the encampment.

By taking a route that was about twice as roundabout as the way there.

I did it out of worry that the Princess of Blood might be tailing me….

But it seemed she didn't want to get on my bad side, as no one followed.

Wait.

Come to think of it, what was there that I couldn't be caught for?

Couldn't I just make an excuse like, ‘I was infiltrating the Imperial side’?

“Olif, I’m back.”

“You’ve returned.”

Was it because my conversation with the Princess of Blood took longer than I thought?

I had left in the middle of the night when the moon was high in the sky, but it was already hanging over the hills in the distance.

I greeted Olif and went into my personal tent to lie down.

I could probably sleep for about three or four hours….

“Captain! Wake up, quickly!”

“Huh, Karen?”

“The sun’s up!”

What?

I just closed my eyes.

Did bugs get implemented along with the game becoming reality?

“More importantly, Sir Andarin is looking for you, Captain.”

“Sir Andarin?”

“He says it’s urgent. Looking at the mood… it doesn't seem ordinary.”

Karen said with a stiff face.

It wasn't that she read the mood, but that she probably overheard the gist of the matter with her quarter-elf hearing.

I roughly wiped my face with a damp cloth and left the tent.

On one side of the camp, the paladins and old man Olif were gathered and talking.

“Sir Tember’s squire was found dead in the nearby forest.”

The leader of the paladin group, Andarin, said.

“His plate armor was pierced with bare hands. It is clearly the work of a powerful vampire.”

“A powerful vampire….”

“It is clearly at least a noble-class. We must report to the Archduke.”

The paladin’s voice lowered.

“Those vampire bastards, they must be planning to raid us.”