“…So, the familiars you deployed for defense overreacted. Is that what you’re saying?”

“Y-yes! Of course, I’m not trying to avoid responsibility for not properly controlling my subordinates, but absolutely, absolutely, it was not done with any malice towards you! Please have mercy…!”

An expression of bewilderment appeared on Dorothea’s face.

Why is she trembling so much?

To be honest, it wasn’t that there hadn’t been people who had tried to beg for their lives from the Tin Knight’s party before.

Like bandits trying to collect tolls from travelers, or bandits harboring ill intentions towards the party’s beauty and trying to make advances, or bandits who invaded a village where the party was staying temporarily and ended up getting robbed instead.

However, such people had all begged for their lives only after being beaten up thoroughly and losing most of their companions’ lives, so cases like this where the opponent was cowering without even a proper confrontation were rarer than expected.

Moreover.

…This one seems incredibly strong?

Dorothea was a mage.

While she couldn’t estimate capabilities by looking at the opponent’s movements or footwork like the Tin Knight or Adelaide, she could sufficiently evaluate their skills by looking at the magic results they produced.

And from that perspective, the things created by the vampire who called herself Camilla were all works that couldn’t even be attempted with mediocre skills.

That cabin over there. It looks ordinary on the outside, but the building itself is actually a golem. The surrounding space is distorted and half-otherworldly, and the familiars seem to be a mix of wild animals, vengeful spirits, and even elementals. Is that farm in the back for blood supply? To live without humans?

Considering that the opponent’s race was vampire, she would likely possess not only magic abilities but also superior physical abilities and racial special abilities.

Of course, there was no chance that the party who had collapsed the Tower of Control and even taken down the Witch Mombi would lose, but conversely, the fact that she could “at least establish a fight” with such a party meant she was a top-tier powerhouse even by continental standards.

Yet for such a powerhouse to put aside all pride and beg for her life, Dorothea was simply bewildered.

“Wait a moment while we talk among ourselves.”

“Yes, I understand! I will guard thoroughly so that no one interferes with your conversation!”

“R-right.”

And so, the party huddled together and whispered.

“So vampires really do exist.”

[The ‘Tin Knight’ laments that he didn’t raise his pupil to deny a comrade’s race, saying, ‘I didn’t raise you like this!’]

“No, that’s not what I meant!”

“Lower your voice, Adel. Sophia is far from an ordinary vampire to begin with. More importantly, Sophia. She was babbling about you being some great general or something, do you have any idea about that?”

“Hmm, nothing in particular? But it is quite interesting content. A great war from such an ancient time that it’s not even properly recorded in documents. It’s too out of the blue to be a story made up just to deceive us, which conversely gives it high credibility. Don’t you think so too, Dorothea?”

“Well, it doesn’t seem unrelated to that Rumpelstiltskin from before, so I am interested if you are… More than that, you’re unexpectedly quiet? Usually, you’d be making a fuss about boss battles! Boss battles! Regardless of the story.”

[The ‘Tin Knight’ says it’s fine to briefly kneel before a bigger fight, as it’s to gain momentum!]

Let’s listen to the story a bit more for now, if the opponent’s demeanor became strange during it, we could smash them then.

After reaching this conclusion, their actions were quick.

“Let me tell you first, we have no idea about the general or whatever you’re talking about. But if we hear the story in detail, something might come to mind.”

Sophia might not be that “someone” you know.

Dorothea tried to probe the other’s reaction by mentioning this part, but while Camilla showed a slightly flustered look, she didn’t reveal any hostility.

In fact, Camilla had her own complex inner thoughts.

A simple misunderstanding? No, no. Maybe they’re trying to probe my true intentions. It could also be that they’re the real deal but unaware.

Even if they were truly outsiders with no connection whatsoever, that wasn’t the worst case scenario.

After all, the fact that they were asking for an explanation like this meant they weren’t aggressive enough to attempt subjugation just because she was a vampire.

Do not speak lies.

Do not intentionally omit or conceal parts of the story.

The contract’s effect lasts for a maximum of one day, after which it is automatically terminated.

A blood oath was formed between Dorothea and Camilla, and her story began.

Long ago. In a very distant past, there was a great war.

The invasion from underground and the heaven’s indifference. Eight generals. Four angels.

The Queen of Ashes who continued to resist until the end, gathering collapsing nations and defeated soldiers.

And, a single knight who continued the long fight under the queen.

“This is all I know.”

Perhaps because it wasn’t her own experience, but a story passed down through older generations, Camilla’s story, honestly speaking, couldn’t be called perfect.

It was natural that she didn’t know the detailed progression of the war, and she didn’t know exactly what concept the “underground” that had “people of the underground” was, or the characteristics of the other generals except for the one the vampires served, and because the story developed too much from the vampire perspective, there were many things to filter out as there were particularly many negative descriptions of beings from the heaven or surface.

But even so.

The party couldn’t shake off the feeling that some puzzle pieces were fitting together.

Eight generals of the underground. Eight sacred treasures of the kingdom.

The reason why non-human races or individuals called “legendary magic beasts” like vampires, giants, werewolves, etc., don’t show themselves on the continent, and the heavens’ interference.

And.

The knight of the eastern nation who continued fierce battles even while replacing parts of his body.

[The ‘Tin Knight’ asks if there’s something on his face!]

“…No, never mind. It’s not worth saying.”

Dorothea shook her head.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t surprised by the fact that the familiar she thought was just an old, worn-out magic doll was a—presumed—hero from ancient times, but conversely, it made sense that he showed such monstrous skills because he had such a past.

Rather, if such a guy had been soldier A from ancient times without any background, that would have been more shocking.

From the beginning, he said that he and the original owner of the body were different people anyway.

The familiar who accompanied her was the current Tin Knight, not the hero of the past. Dorothea didn’t confuse that part.

Besides, there was something else on her mind now.

This information, I’ve never heard it before, neither in books nor oral traditions. I might have heard fragmented bits here and there, but this is the first time I’ve been able to understand the overall flow.

The reason was easy to guess.

The Kingdom of Heaven proudly overlooking the world from above. It was content that thoroughly tarnished their reputation.

Even if it wasn’t just because of the Kingdom of Heaven, it wouldn’t be particularly good for those in power if information about the army of the underground people who once tried to sweep away the entire surface, whom people on the continent now called magic beasts, became widely known among civilians.

With that premise.

What exactly is Algind’s aim here?

It was the protégé of the Witch of the South, whose intentions were hard to grasp, who originally suggested that the party come to this island.

Apart from being suspicious of her, Dorothea didn’t doubt Algind’s abilities.

It was more rational to think that such a capable witch had sent the party knowing “what was on this island” rather than “not knowing”.

The problem was her intention.

If it was revenge for being prickly during negotiations, sending them to get into a bit of trouble… that would be easy to understand. It would end with giving her an earful later, and depending on the situation, maybe delivering a Tin Punch to that doll-like face.

However, if she knew that the vampire here wasn’t very hostile to humans—it had already been confirmed with the Chalice of Tuberose that Camilla hadn’t eaten or drunk human flesh and blood on this island—and sent them knowing she was an opponent containing quite a lot of information, the story became a bit more complicated.

It meant she had deliberately given hints to the party about the eight sacred treasures and the ancient great war.

It was then that Dorothea fell into deep thought.

Boom boom boom boom boom!

A ground-shaking rumble like an earthquake.

At first, she thought Camilla had done something, but seeing her equally surprised face, she soon realized that was a misconception.

The party rushed out of the cabin and immediately gaped at the sight.

A giant of mist.

There was a being that could only be described as such.

A huge, incredibly huge shadow that seemed capable of crushing the entire island the party was staying on with its body.

Even the sunlight asserting its presence proudly in the sky, far from evening, couldn’t penetrate the mist surrounding “its” body.

No, far from it, the sky was becoming gloomy as the mist, gradually expanding its domain, encroached upon it.

It was bipedal, but “its” form was far from human.

Its back was heavily hunched, and something was thickly attached around its head, making it difficult to guess its exact shape.

Whoosh!

Every time “it” approached the island, waves created by its enormous mass overflowing crashed against the island.

Camilla screamed out, “Dragon King!”

The party had some idea about the name Dragon King.

The first disruptors of their vacation they had faced.

Those with appearances that seemed to haphazardly mix humans and sea creatures had tried to take Sophia away, saying they had to offer her to the Dragon King.

Dorothea quickly asked, “What exactly is that? Do you know it?”

“It’s one of the underground people who hid deep in the sea to avoid the heavens’ eyes during the great war. It created its own country and forces in the deep sea. According to information obtained from captured fish-people, I heard it was so near death that it could barely move…”

“Since sending subordinates didn’t solve the problem, it finally came out in person as a last resort. Is that it?”

Using Sophia’s blood to treat the Witch of the North, and now this, Dorothea was starting to get confused about whether vampires were legendary magic beasts or something more like legendary elixirs.

The problem was how to deal with it.

[The ‘Tin Knight’ rejoices that the long-awaited boss battle has finally arrived!]

[The ‘Tin Knight’ evaluates that the finale of a horror event should indeed be at least this level!]

Seeing the Tin Knight looking like he might break into a shoulder dance any moment, Dorothea sighed and erased the option of retreat from her mind.

Yes, rather than leaving troublesome aftereffects, let’s just smash it to pieces now.

She thought.

“A-are you thinking of fighting? If so, I can assist—“

“No, it’s fine. Just wait.”

After saying that, Dorothea silently used the Gloves of Haider.

Seeing the carriage appear out of thin air and the party boarding it without hesitation, Camilla directed a gaze full of bewilderment and questions.

While the area around Camilla’s cabin was relatively well-maintained with plants, wild forest awaited just a short distance away.

It was by no means an environment suitable for a carriage to run, even as a figure of speech. Moreover, even if they somehow broke through the forest, what was the point when the opponent was in the sea?

Click, clank!

Camilla’s doubts were soon resolved.

A huge jousting lance-like thing suddenly protruded from the front of the carriage, and then it began to rotate fiercely.

Whirrrrrr!

Grooves engraved on the surface of the jousting lance. Sword energy spreading around following those grooves.

Seeing the carriage—no, something around the carriage, rushing forward while grinding away all obstacles in its path, Camilla’s eyes widened.

The carriage, which reached the shore from the center of the island in just a few seconds, plunged into the sea without any hesitation.

Camilla involuntarily let out an “Uh, uh” sound, but she lost her words when she saw the bottom part of the carriage that had jumped into the sea had somehow transformed into a ship.

Boom! Bang!

[■■■■■!!]

Every time the cannon attached to the carriage’s roof spewed fire, the Dragon King in the mist let out painful screams.

Camilla could tell that the cannon was not ordinary gunpowder or metal chunks, but an explosion-type magic tool thickly coated with all sorts of high-level magic.

Unable to withstand the continuous cannon attacks, the Dragon King’s body tilted, and its head came down close to the sea surface.

As if aiming for that timing, the area around the carriage accelerated fiercely towards the Dragon King.

The area around the carriage, which had rushed forward like that, somehow leaped into the air and then fell towards the direction of the Dragon King’s head.

[The ‘Tin Knight’ shouts that it’s a steamship!!]

The steamship—that was neither a ship, nor had a steam engine—collided with, no, crushed the Dragon King, ending its long life.

Watching this scene, Camilla thought.

Whatever their identity might be, I should absolutely never pick a fight with them in the future.

***

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