Chapter 31: Lord Vortigan

――After the attack on the “Northern City Salem,” the blazing female swordsman Karen and the grey-haired girl Nia walked through the dimly-lit cave, supporting each other despite their injuries.

Both were wounded gravely and were barely stable.
They moved slowly, under the watchful gaze of bats hanging from the ceiling.

“Keh, that brat Kurou got the better of us…
He's a genius.
A formidable opponent for 'Vampurgis',” Karen said with a tight expression, while Nia wore a resentful look.

“Yeah, I son’t want to have anything to do with that guy ever again.
He's a monster…
not someone I can take head-on,” she replied.

Little did they know, Kurou was neither a genius nor a monster but just a pitiful guy controlled by a magic sword.
Oblivious to this fact, they nodded to each other to be more careful next time.

“Just like we should watch out for 'Iris, the White Blade.' But Nia, you look so cute this time.
I almost mistook you for someone else,” Karen remarked, taking a glance at her longtime comrade's appearance.

Unlike before, when she had a thuggish demeanor, Nia looked like an ordinary girl.
The only commonality was her sharp, fox-like eyes, which had been raised due to her harsh personality.

“Don't stare at me like that! You dummy!” Embarrassed by Karen's warm gaze, Nia turned away.
“Well, it couldn't be helped.
It was an emergency.
Even I don’t want to be in a woman’s body, if it’s in normal scenario.”

“If you have talent, that's a different story.
But, are you okay?” Karen asked.

Taken aback by her unexpected response, Nia blued and then replied with a bewitching expression on her (?) face, “Isn't it obvious? If it can be of use to our lord, Kyoshu-sama, then I'm happy to endure any humiliation…

“If I can be the cornerstone of the bright future he creates, I'll endure any shame!”

“Uwaa, there he goes again…
A crazy fanatic, as always,” Karen said, shaking her head in disbelief.

“What is Uwaa! Rude woman!” Nia furiously exclaimed as she looked at the stone bracelet on her wrist.

The female swordsman narrowed her eyes as she observed the bracelet's ability, which is the “soul preservation” and “body looting.” The wearer's soul will be contained in the bracelet rather than the body, and the original host can take over others existence by putting it on.

According to Nia, ‘those whose minds and bodies are in tatters are easier to loot without resistance.’

Karen sighed at the completely tasteless and wicked ability of the bracelet, “By the way, didn't you suddenly get killed and secretly took over the body of a dying town girl? How did you manage to put the bracelet on even though your original body was dead?”

“Oh, didn't I tell you? Even in a state where only the bracelet remains, I can still shake.
So, while shaking, I approached this woman's body…
“

“Ew, gross.”

“What's gross about that!?” an angry voice echoed in the cave.
Startled bats flew away simultaneously.
“Karen, aren't you disrespecting the Lord?”

“No, I respect and fear him normally…
I've been associated with him for almost twenty years.
Unlike you, who were picked up ten years ago.”

“Gyaaaaah, I'm so envious――!”

The two

 

of them walked side by side while quarreling, creating a relaxed atmosphere that could make them seem like sisters to outsiders.

 

They were terrorists who had almost destroyed a major city, but they had a friendly air about them.
That's how they came to the middle of the cave.
That's when it happened.

“Hey, you two, you've returned safely!”

A bat crossed their field of view, and suddenly their “world” changed.
The feet that were stepping on the ground were now stepping on a red carpet.

The view in front of them switched from a dark cave to a solemn throne room.
And then…

“Wait, you two aren't safe at all.
Karen is almost looking dead, and Nia…
she's becoming quite cute.”

The puzzled words entered their ears.
Despite the rough tone, it was a voice that showed concern for their well-being.
Before they knew it, there was a middle-aged man sitting on the throne in front of them.
Ah, he is…

“We're back, Lord.” The two of them immediately kneeled, bowing their heads respectfully without minding their wounds.
The man was taken aback.

The man was flabbergasted and rushed to them from his seat.

“Enough already, go receive treatment.
Especially you, Karen, if you move the wrong way, your organs might spill out, you know?”

“…But I can't just ignore my manners.
After all, we're facing the boss of the organization, Lord Vortigan of the 'Dark Legion of Vamprugis'.”

That's right, he is none other than the leader of the Dark Legion of Vamprugis, Vortigan.

At first glance, he looks like a handsome man, but his beauty is long gone.
His skin has lost its moisture, his stubble grows unkempt, and wrinkles are etched around his eyes.

His long hair, grown carelessly, is now an unsightly shade of black.
He gives off an impression of an old lion who has been driven out of his pack.
――But Karen never underestimates him.
She sweats profusely when she is around him.

‘At first, I was almost fooled too.
I thought he was just a friendly old man.
But he is different.’ He is the one who planned the attack on the “Four City” after all…!

Vortigan was at a loss and bewildered.
He thought he would ask Karen for help, but she bowed down even more deepr.
While exposing her intestines through her wound, she apologized, “I'm sorry, We've completely lost.”

An awkward scene unfolded before him as the two wounded women continued to apologize.

“Ugh…you guys…”

Vortigern let out a deep sigh, grabbed the napes of their necks, and forced them to stand up straight.
Then he patted their shoulders and looked them straight in the eye.

“You said you failed the mission.
You should reflect on that.
You'll be blamed by your comrades, but think of it as punishment and endure it.
Today, you are the losers.”

He didn't coddle the two women.
He firmly confronted them with the fact of their failure.
However, suddenly he grinned and roughly ruffled their heads.

“Whoa!?”

“My lord!?”

“But don't worry, you two! Unfortunately, we couldn't take Salem, but…” Vortigan said with a cheerful tone.
“…we completely destroyed the other three cities.
The Empire is now a mess…!”