Volume 1, Chapter 53 – Conspiracy and Mutation

“It’s fine.”

She had indeed never considered returning to the Pescia territory—at least not as the Count’s eldest daughter. The Count’s eldest daughter had made far too many enemies within the territory, and assassination attempts were a common annoyance whenever she ventured outside.

Suppressing the joy in her heart, Yisi discreetly picked up the crest from the table, weighed it casually in her hand, and then stored it away.

“Is this all?”

“Ah, if you need gold coins—”

As if he had already anticipated Yisi making such a request, Owen reached into his pocket, producing the clinking sound of gold coins. However, Yisi, who was not short on money, stopped him in time.

“Wait, what I mean is—is this all you’re asking for?”

“No, that earlier condition was just the baseline. To prevent Count Pescia from losing his judgment due to your disappearance, I need you to explain your whereabouts to him before you leave the vampire race entirely. And those whereabouts must be within vampire territory.”

In other words, it was about redirecting the conflict. Even if Yisi disappeared, Count Pescia wouldn’t suspect humans, and any war that broke out would remain an internal matter among the vampires.

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As for allowing a demon to reside within the Church’s sphere of influence—that was a gamble. Owen believed that the harm caused by a single Yisi was far less than that of the entire Pescia territory. When forced to choose between two evils, he opted for the lesser one, hence his current approach.

What Owen didn’t mention, however, was that Yisi’s disappearance held extraordinary significance for the Niru Diocese—and even the entire human world.

First, the disappearance of the sole heir, Yisi, would plunge the Pescia territory into the dilemma of having no successor. With the main lineage severed, the previously obedient branch families would see an opportunity to claim the title of Count Pescia for themselves. The various branches would spontaneously engage in infighting over succession rights, and internal strife within the family would become the greatest challenge Count Pescia faced in the latter half of his life.

Second, against the backdrop of this family infighting, Count Pescia, driven by emotion, would scour the land searching for Yisi. And since Yisi’s disappearance occurred deep within vampire territory—coupled with the fact that the Count’s eldest daughter had an infamously terrible personality and countless enemies—it would be all too easy to suspect that someone within the vampire race had assassinated her. This blame would naturally fall on the lord managing that territory, sparking conflicts that would spread outward from Count Pescia.

Whether it was the infighting within the Pescia family or wars between the Pescia territory and other domains, the Church, which bordered the Pescia lands, would benefit. Even if the Church made no advancements during this period, until the next Count Pescia took office, both the Church and the human nations of the northern continent would enjoy prolonged peace.

This wasn’t even accounting for the fact that the Church and other nations would never remain idle spectators—especially the Kingdom of Hels, which also shared a border with the vampires. If the Pescia territory were severely weakened by internal strife, the Kingdom of Hels would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to launch humanity’s first counteroffensive against the vampires in centuries, capturing the Pescia lands in one fell swoop. If they could seize the Alexia Tower within the territory, it would mean that this land would forever belong to humans.

Though Owen had always emphasized that what he sought was peace, that peace was only for the Church. If the vampires, who had long been provoking border conflicts, were to disappear, the Church would naturally achieve true peace. Dismantling the vampire race without deploying a single soldier—this was Owen’s version of mercy.

There was one thing Owen hadn’t explained to Yisi: the so-called “conciliation faction” within the Church was actually called the “moderate faction.” Like the radicals, the moderates’ policies differed greatly from the radicals’, but their ultimate goal was exactly the same—to bring prosperity to the Church and humanity. Thus, even when Owen had appeared to be a traitor to humanity and a lackey of the vampires, no one within the Church had voiced opposition. Everyone understood his purpose: to secure the Church’s advancement.

Initially, Owen had indeed sought peace between the two sides—but only because there had been no better way to minimize sacrifices. Now that a plan to incite internal strife among the vampires had emerged, he naturally chose the latter without hesitation, even if it meant making a deal with a demon.

Moreover, before coming here, Owen had already considered how to proceed if the demon rejected his proposal.

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The answer was simple: spread the rumor that the Count’s eldest daughter had been possessed by a demon.

Of course, it wouldn’t be the Church spreading the rumor. Just as the vampires had planted spies within the Church, the Church had loyal spies within the vampire ranks as well. Owen could use these spies to disseminate the news of demonic possession throughout the Pescia territory. Even if Count Pescia didn’t believe it, the people of the territory would be thrown into panic. Once rumors ran rampant, even Count Pescia would begin to harbor doubts.

If Count Pescia had the means to verify the soul, the situation would return to the original cycle: the Pescia territory would lose its sole heir, and the branch families would descend into infighting over succession.

However, this approach carried slightly more risk compared to securing Yisi’s voluntary cooperation. If the Count’s eldest daughter’s demonic possession occurred within Church territory, even if the Church abhorred demons and refused to tolerate them, a grief-stricken Count Pescia might not care about the details and instead direct his fury at the Church.

But no plan in the world was guaranteed success. Every plan was a gamble—the only differences lay in the cost of victory and the consequences of failure.

If one hesitated out of fear of failure, nothing would ever be accomplished. As a member of the moderate faction, Owen had simply chosen the option with the highest chance of success—one that wouldn’t leave him with no way out even if he failed.

Of course, these were secrets known only to Owen. In reality, less than half a minute had passed.

Feeling the soothing sensation of hot tea flowing down her throat, Yisi exhaled softly.

“Indeed, setting aside the interests of the Pescia territory, this is a plan that costs me nothing. However, I don’t wish to see—ah!”

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Before she could finish her sentence, Yisi jolted as if struck by lightning, leaping up from her chair and stumbling back several steps. Her expression was one of horror as she slightly parted her lips and pointed at something behind Owen.

Unaware of what was happening, Owen rose from his seat, leaning forward with concern.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Y-Your back…”

“Huh?”

Instinctively, Owen began to turn his head—but the motion was never completed. Before he could, a sharp, black-tinged object pierced through his chest from behind, sending blood splattering outward.

“Guh—”

With great difficulty, he turned his head—only to see a disheveled man with jet-black hair, crimson eyes, bird-like wings, and a body shrouded in dark mist.

The moment he saw him, Owen’s eyes widened in recognition.

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“Fallen… angel… Samael…”

“Correct.”

His voice was as hoarse as a freshly resurrected corpse, perfectly matching his unkempt appearance. With a forceful thrust, the man drove the blood-grooved blade deeper into Owen’s body. A sickening crunch of bone followed, and the light in Owen’s eyes rapidly dimmed before extinguishing entirely.

Like discarding a ragged sack, the demon named Samael casually tossed Owen’s corpse aside. He then brought his bloodstained, withered gray arm to his mouth and licked it, tilting his head at an impossible angle as he scanned the room.

“Hoh. Wrong flavor. Killed the wrong one, huh? Then the main course is—ugh!”

Before the demon could finish, a massive golden hammer—radiant and as large as a wooden table—slammed directly into his face.

“『Bulwark Hammer』.”

BOOM!

The hammer, entirely composed of golden light, carried the demon along with it, plowing through the wall with overwhelming force and sending debris flying out of the mansion.