Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint-Chapter 459: Escape from the Duchy No.1

Tyrkanzyaka’s villa was built atop a towering cliff overlooking the coast. As befitting a vampire, it lacked practical amenities like a fireplace or a dining hall. Instead, the structure was designed solely with scenery and light-blocking in mind.

The moment I stepped past the villa’s walls, I was greeted by the sight of the setting sun stretching endlessly toward the horizon. A vampire wouldn’t appreciate a sunrise, but even without the light, the grandeur of the view was undeniable. Feeling a sudden sense of nature’s majesty, I clenched and unclenched my hand.

This was not the power of nature.

This was not the great principle of the world.

This was mine alone.

And yet, I found it odd. Even if I had lost my strength, I was still the King of Humans. That meant I could only wield the power available to humans. I shouldn't be able to use personal forces like innate magic or qi.

Strange. Is this another side effect of losing my strength? What exactly is happening to me?

That’s why I’m searching for the Demon God in the first place.

Ah, whatever. I’ll think about it later. For now, I need to escape.

I scanned my surroundings, searching for an escape route—

“...Huh?”

Something felt off. What was it? As I mulled over the discomforting sensation, I suddenly realized—the view before me was perfectly clear. I frowned.

There was no mist.

A faint sea fog lingered, but it was the natural amount one would expect over the ocean. The horizon was faintly visible, a sight unfitting for the Mist Duchy.

Was it because Tyrkanzyaka had gathered all the darkness to herself? That could be a factor, but it wasn’t the only reason. The clouds and mist were peculiarly sparse.

Almost as if the Sea Calamity in those waters was holding its breath.

Realizing this, I murmured to myself.

“Come to think of it, the Crimson Duke did gather all the humans into the castle as a precaution.”

I hadn’t given it much thought at the time, but looking back, it was rather peculiar. He acted after hearing the Regressor’s warning about the Great Tide. He predicted the disaster in advance, yet didn’t that mean the Regressor had practically revealed themselves as a prophet or a time traveler? Well, I suppose that wouldn’t matter. If they regressed, they could just do it all over again.

But that’s not the point here!

More importantly, why had I never thought about the Great Tide even once before? Even when I was with Tyrkanzyaka, even when discussing major events, I hadn’t considered it at all! If someone had merely avoided mentioning it, I could have assumed they were hiding it. But for it to not even cross my mind? How was I supposed to know?

A disaster of that magnitude should’ve been something I remembered!

Regardless, I had yet another reason to leave the duchy. I descended along the path on the opposite side of the cliff.

Thanks to Vladimir gathering all the humans into the castle, the normally bustling coast was eerily empty.

This should make my escape easier. I should probably regroup with Hilde first—

Just as I was thinking that—

“Have you finished your business?”

Of course, the world wouldn’t just let me leave freely.

The Crimson Duke’s confidant, Count Erthe, approached as if she had been waiting for me. She positioned herself in a way that made avoiding her impossible, then gave a polite bow.

“I understand the Progenitor took you in. Where is she now?”

“Oh, she’s at the villa. Tyrkanzyaka hates sunlight, so she decided to stay inside while I enjoy the view alone.”

“I see.”

Damn it. I hated myself for spouting such obvious lies, but I hated this vampire even more for nodding along as if she believed me. Trying my best to maintain a composed expression, I asked:

“So, what brings you here?”

“The Crimson Duke ordered me to assist his consort.”

“I thought that was over?”

“It was merely postponed due to a more urgent command. The order remains in effect.”

Vampires are relentless in their adherence to principles. They live solely to follow the orders of their lord, executing commands without question or change in expression.

But that doesn’t mean they’re fools.

“Where are you headed? If you share your destination, I will guide you there.”

‘Until the Progenitor forsakes you, you remain his consort. However, attempting to flee and betray the duchy would change things, wouldn’t it? Of course, you haven’t fled yet...’

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She understood the Crimson Duke’s intentions perfectly.

Naturally, Count Erthe was not the Crimson Duke. She was weaker, and her authority was lesser. I had no reason to fear her.

But I did have every reason to fear his subordinates. The Crimson Duke was testing me right now.

Tch. Still, at least he wasn’t outright trying to stop me. I might as well take advantage of this.

“Oh, right. I wanted to meet up with my companion first.”

“If you mean her, then fortunately—”

Count Erthe casually gestured behind her.

At first, I saw nothing but scattered rocks. But when Count Erthe gave a subtle signal, Hilde revealed herself with a sheepish grin.

“Tch, you caught me? Man, this country’s a real pain. I can’t disguise myself properly, can’t tail people properly. Ugh, this is no fun.”

“I could hardly sense your presence. If not for the blood on your clothes, I wouldn’t have noticed you. Not that it matters, since I intended for you two to meet anyway.”

With an air of nonchalance, Count Erthe turned back to me.

“So, is there anything else?”

She was helping us escape. Whether she planned to hunt us down afterward or simply observe from the sidelines, I had no other choice.

Fine. In that case, I might as well be shameless about it.

“Actually, I suddenly feel like taking a grand tour of the duchy. I want to walk all the way to its borders. Could you guide me as close to the national border as possible?”

“Huh? Father, that’s way too obvious—”

Straightforward. Even Hilde looked flustered by the sheer audacity of my request.

And yet, Count Erthe simply gave a polite smile and nodded.

“I will guide you.”

Until I actually escaped, I hadn’t escaped. And until then, there was no reason for them to chase me.

I’d go as far as I could.

Then I’d make my move.

Resolving myself, I followed Count Erthe down the path.

***

The King of Humans had been completed. The Progenitor’s gift had been passed down.

Now, he could become ordinary. He had earned the right to learn qi techniques and magic, to store power within his body. He had gained the ability to sustain his difference. This was success.

But I couldn’t afford to be relieved. Destiny would change from this point onward.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Until humanity abandoned its king...

No.

Until the King of Humans abandoned humanity.

***

Thus began our strange journey with a vampire.

Count Erthe was a guide in the truest sense of the word. She led us sincerely, ensuring we had food at the proper times and even preparing places to rest along the way. Though we didn’t make frequent use of them, since we were fugitives, her efforts ensured that Hilde and I traveled without discomfort.

Of course, only our bodies were at ease. Our minds were not.

Hilde, watching Count Erthe stand motionless without eating or sleeping, finally muttered,

“Father, are we really okay going this slow?”

“If we rush, we’ll just collapse from exhaustion. We should conserve as much strength as possible before the real escape begins.”

Even though I kept my voice low, Count Erthe still caught my words.

“Did you say ‘escape’ just now?”

“It was just a figure of speech, nothing more.”

“I see. I almost misunderstood. Then please, take your rest.”

We were reading each other too well. It might seem fair, but in truth, I was at a disadvantage. I was a mind-reader, so of course, I could peek at my opponent’s hand. But vampires weren’t supposed to be able to do that.

They already had long lifespans and regenerative immortality—so why did they also have to be good at showdowns? Was the bet that high-stakes?

Hilde, now an impromptu fugitive, sighed ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) deeply.

“Tyrkanzyaka... I thought she was a colder person. It seems that was ‘my’ mistake. I never expected her to be this unreasonable.”

“People change.”

“Coming from the very person who made her change, that makes me want to punch you.”

“If we make it out of the duchy, I’ll let you hit me once.”

“Did you just say ‘escape’ again—”

“I was joking.”

“Jokes taken too far might just be believed, so be careful.”

Vladimir wouldn’t consider us to have ‘fled’ until we were actually gone. So until we reached that fragile boundary, we had to save our strength. Once the pursuit began, we would need to go all out.

Hilde understood my plan. She just didn’t trust my ability to execute it.

“But Father, you’re weak. If tireless vampires start chasing us, do you really think we can escape?”

“Escaping is my specialty. Don’t worry about it. More importantly, what about you? Tyrkanzyaka crushed you like a toy.”

“What do you take ‘me’ for? Acting like I was in pain is a basic skill. Though, I’ll admit—it did hurt a little.”

Painful acting?

From what I saw, her limbs were sticking out between the fingers of a massive shadowy hand. That wasn’t acting.

Well, I suppose a qi master like her could somehow endure it.

Hilde intertwined her fingers on the table and smirked.

“Father, you do know, don’t you?”

“Know what?”

“That ‘I’ could escape on my own. Tyrkanzyaka’s only target is you.”

That was true. The shadows let me go, but Tyrkanzyaka might not be as lenient. After all, I had betrayed her in a grandiose manner, even using my abilities to do so. There was no guilt left to stop her from imprisoning me now.

And if that happened, I was finished.

No matter how kind Tyrkanzyaka was, she wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice.

“But ‘my’ survival isn’t your concern, is it? She’d probably just kill me outright. Honestly, if you were captured, it’d be better for ‘me.’”

“That’s fair. Even a pile of dung is better than death.”

Of course, that was a privileged way of thinking.

Hilde’s life was genuinely at risk. To her, the rational choice would be to capture me and hand me over to Tyrkanzyaka.

Fortunately, Hilde had no intention of making the rational choice.

“That’s why, Father, you absolutely must repay ‘me’!”

“Of course.”

“Even if ‘I’m’ not there, you still have to! I’ll set the recipient as the Military Nation.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“It’s a promise!”

“Got it.”

‘That was a half-hearted response. But still, now there’s at least a ‘promise’ in place, right?’

Hilde narrowed her eyes slightly, hiding her true thoughts.

‘Now that he’s been revealed as the King of Humans, the only place he can go is the Military Nation. Only a country without a king can accept the King of Humans. Yuel once dreamed of a nation without a ruler, but... that dream ultimately failed, didn’t it? This much should be fine, right?’

The King, huh...

Well, it was true that no other kingdom or empire would welcome me.

The Military Nation was the most suitable place for me to stay.

Hilde seemed to believe that if I went there, I would naturally become its ruler.

She was probably the only one in the world who thought that.

Still, since I owed her, it wouldn’t hurt to humor her expectations a little.

I had intended to dismiss the thought, but a strange emotion surfaced within me, making me pause.

Was that... pity?

For Hilde?

That made no sense.

She was a former Holy Sword Order member, one of the Six Generals, a master of qi and divine power. What was there to pity?

Maybe I was getting soft. Instead of wasting time thinking about this, I should be focusing on escaping.

At that moment, Count Erthe stirred slightly, detecting a faint bloodthirst in the distance.

She stood, gazing in the direction of the disturbance. After a moment of intense focus, she turned to us and spoke with a polite nod.

“Excuse me. Someone is calling for me. I will go and investigate.”

“Oh, sure. Take your time. No need to rush. Really, take as much time as you need.”

“I shall do my best, Progenitor’s consort. But just as a precaution, I must remind you—if you attempt to flee, I and the other vampires may give chase.”

“Haha. I’ll keep that in mind.”

As soon as Count Erthe left, Hilde and I exchanged glances.

Without a word, we grabbed our belongings and bolted from the inn.

The chase had begun.

A game of survival—against predators that fed on humans.