Right after Siegfried showed his true colors…
“Keke! I knew it, you owner punk! Kyu!”
“A-As expected…!”
“You truly live up to your reputation, Your Majesty.”
The officials of the Proatine Kingdom let out a sigh of relief after hearing what Siegfried said.
They did not even consider the possibility that Siegfried had completely submitted to the Vampire Lord, Magnus, but his acting was so spot-on that they started getting confused about what was going on.
“Three days…” Siegfried gnashed his teeth.
There was not enough time. It was impossible for him to gain seven levels in three days to equip the +15 Gaia’s Fist. Everyone knew that one would have to hunt day and night for three straight days just to level up once, starting from Level 200.
And there was also no guarantee that he could defeat Magnus even if he used the +15 Gaia’s Fist. After all, the Vampire Lord was Level 400.
‘I need a solution…’
Of course, Siegfried had no plans to offer thirty boys and girls to that mosquito.
“Let’s start the meeting,” Siegfried said as he sat on the throne.
‘Ah… This feels weird…’ he thought.
It was probably his imagination, but the throne felt a bit strange after Magnus sat on it.
“Michele,” he called out.
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Tell me what’s our best course of action.”
Michele immediately replied, “Our best course of action is to give in to the Vampire Lord’s demands.”
“Why?”
“If we approach this in a rational manner, then we stand to gain nothing from fighting the Vampire Lord. The public’s sentiment will get swayed if we offer the children as sacrifices, but that is not going to affect our kingdom’s strength.”
“So?”
“So we should offer the sacrifices and placate the Vampire Lord for now, and then we will bide our time until we are strong enough to fight him, but…” Michele trailed off. He smiled before saying, “…I am well aware that my suggestion is not an option for Your Majesty, so it is not even worth mentioning.”
“You do know me very well,” Siegfried smirked and nodded.
Michele’s option was the most realistic and best option the Proatine Kingdom could take right now.
Why?
The kingdom’s officials, except for Siegfried and Seung-Gu, were going to get slaughtered by the Vampire Lord if they were to fight the latter. Offering children to the Vampire Lord would ensure that the kingdom would suffer less damage.
However, the most realistic and best option would often be the worst option from an emotional point of view.
‘This isn’t right. People say that the lives of the few can be sacrificed for the greater good, but this is no different from offering human sacrifices…’ Siegfried loathed the realistic option.
On top of that, the fact that he was being treated as livestock hurt his pride as well.
“Marquis Decimato,” Siegfried called out.
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Congratulations on becoming a Great Wizard.”
“This is all thanks to Your Majesty’s endless grace! I, Decimato, have become a Great Wizard, but my loyalty to Your Majesty hasn’t changed at all. I will dedicate myself to you until my final dying breath,” Decimato said with sincerity.
He had been visiting Daode Tianzun these days to learn magic, and he finally learned the reason why Daode Tianzun decided to come to the Proatine Kingdom.
“The reason you met me is all thanks to Siegfried, so don’t become arrogant just because you’ve become a Great Wizard. Make sure you continue to dedicate yourself to him, do you understand?”
“Yes, I will, elder-nim.”
Decimato would have never met Daode Tianzun if it hadn’t been for Siegfried, and he would have still been the same Six Circle magician that would have never even dreamt of becoming a Great Wizard until the day he died.
In short, Decimato owed Siegfried a lot.
Ironically, Siegfried was already his savior since he saved him during the dimensional rift incident when all of his allies had given on him, along with the other magicians. In other words, the old magician was now indebted to his savior once again.
“I will look forward to it.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Can you come up with an answer now that you are a Great Wizard?”
“Your humble subject has become a Great Wizard now, but I am still learning how to walk. I lack the wisdom and experience…”
“Hmm…”
“Not to mention, the Vampire Lord is an extremely powerful being. He is almost on par with the Demon Lord, and He is not a being that can be beaten with strength alone, as far as I know.”
“For example?”
“The Vampire Lord is also known as an immortal being. It is possible to incapacitate him, but it is impossible to kill him.”
“Hmm…”
“My knowledge is limited, so I am not that knowledgeable about the Vampire Lord, but perhaps you could seek the counsel of a wise man instead?”
“Seek the counsel of a wise man, you say…” Siegfried muttered while deep in thought. Moments later, he said, “I will conclude the morning meeting here. All forces should be on standby around the clock. I will be taking my leave for now.”
“Where are you going, Your Majesty?” Michele asked.
“I’m going to seek the counsel of a wise man,” Siegfried replied before leaving the throne room.
***
Meanwhile, at the Magic Academy of the Proatine Kingdom.
“So… You’re about to have your lunch money taken away by the Vampire Lord?” Daode Tianzun asked with an interested look.
“Yes, that bastard has gone crazy and started treating us like livestock being pumped out of a factory,” Siegfried replied with a disgruntled look.
“Hoho… That is quite the pinch you’re in,” Daodei Tianzun said with a troubled look.
“Pardon me?”
“To think that you would establish your kingdom at that spot of all places… Haven’t you heard of location, location, location?”
“…”
“I think it will be better for you to just move to an empty plot of land.”
“Come on… Can’t you be a bit serious? How can you make fun of your ex-disciple coming to you for advice?” Siegfried grumbled.
“Make fun of who? I’m being serious, you know?”
“Huh?”
“How are you going to beat the Vampire Lord? I don’t even think that I can go against him.”
“Even you can’t beat him…?”
“I can beat him, but I can’t kill him. How can I kill an immortal being?”
“…”
“To be honest, your best option is to move your entire kingdom somewhere else or just offer sacrifices.”
In other words, Daode Tianzun was saying that Siegfried’s strength didn’t matter. It was simply practically impossible to kill an immortal being.
“Who knows? You could win by pulling a few tricks, but those tricks are too difficult.”
“What are those tricks?”
“I already told you that it’s too difficult.”
“I can’t give up without even trying, right?”
“Hoho! I already told you that it’s impossible, but I guess that stubbornness of yours is indeed the only good thing you have,” Daode Tianzun said with a gentle smile.
Daode Tianzun was right—Siegfried’s stubbornness was his greatest weapon.
Siegfried possessed the grit to withstand excruciating pain and the perseverance to do something despite knowing that it was impossible to do.
“I hope you know that silver or garlic doesn’t work on the Vampire Lord,” Daode Tianzun said.
“Yes, I know. He wouldn’t be the Vampire Lord if that worked on him, right? He’s going to be called Vampire 1 or something if garlic or silver works on him,” Siegfried replied.
“What a comparison. Anyway, there are numerous requirements to defeat a Vampire Lord.”
“What are those?”
“The first thing is an artifact that would limit his life force, the second thing is powerful strength to overpower him, and lastly, a powerful artifact to store an immortal being’s soul… but the only artifact that can do that is the magic sword gifted by a demon lord called Avenge—”
“This one?” Siegfried abruptly took out a sword wrapped in chains and cloth.
Search "pawread dot com" for the original.
“Huh?! H-How could this be?! That’s it! The sword gifted by Demon Lord Vernas!”
“Probably?”
“H-How? W-Why do you have it?!”
“Some bonehead dropped it,” Siegfried briefly explained how he ended up in possession of the magic sword and why it was currently sealed.
“Hoho… Who would’ve known that you would already have the most difficult requirement… They say that starting is already half of the journey… I guess you do have the right to stand up against the Vampire Lord!”
“I guess…?”
“Then, it is worth a shot. I will teach you what to do. Do you want to give it a shot?”
“Yes.”
“All right, then you should listen closely to what I’m about to tell you…” Daode Tianzun said.
A message popped up in front of Siegfried’s eyes.
[Alert: You have received the Quest – ‘Extermination of the World’s Strongest Mosquito’!]
It was the quest that would help Siegfried prepare to kill the Vampire Lord.
***
[Extermination of the World’s Strongest Mosquito]
[Make the following preparations to fight against the Vampire Lord.]
[Rewards: Vampire Lord’s Soul, Vampire Lord’s Blood, Vampire Lord’s Treasures]
[Progress: 25%]
[Preparations: Exorcism performed by the priests from the Church of the Sun God Helios, Mirroring Field to trap the Vampire Lord, A powerful magician's soul binding spell]
[Required Items: Regeneration Hampering Artifact, Holy Water of Thanatos, the God of Death, Magic Sword of Vengeance: Avenger ✓]
[Warning: You must hunt the Vampire Lord while the sun is up.]
There were numerous things Siegfried had to prepare to hunt the Level 400 monster, and the fact that he had to prepare all of these in just three days was a huge burden.
“Do your best to prepare these,” Daode Tianzun said.
“Can’t you just help me…?”
“No.”
“Why? Don’t you feel bad for the innocent people being treated as livestock by the Vampire Lord?”
“I do, but I have already retired. I no longer wish to interfere with the workings of this world,” Daode Tianzun replied.
“How come?” Siegfried asked with a hint of anger in his voice.
“Who knows? Maybe you would understand once you’re in my shoes?”
“I don’t think that’s ever going to happen…?”
“Then, just go along with it. Even I don't know myself sometimes, so how will you understand me?”
“Hmm…”
Siegfried couldn’t understand Daode Tianzun at all. Deus was being conservative in meddling with the world’s affairs, as he was en route to becoming a god, but Siegfried saw no reason for someone like Daode Tianzun to be conservative at all.
‘Why do these old people love to live quietly doing random small things…?’ Siegfried wondered why the age-old cliché of powerful beings doing small insignificant stuff so as not to interfere with the world’s affairs was always a thing in stories.
***
Siegfried left the Magic Academy and headed straight for the Bavarian Workshop.
“Hmm? Did I hear you right just now?” Quandt asked while tilting his head in confusion.
“Yes, you did,” Siegfried replied.
“Oh…” Quandt clicked his tongue and said, “Don’t you think you’re a bit too much asking for one hundred Spear of the Hell’s Leech in forty-eight hours for free? I know you’re the only one who could fulfill our workshop’s ultimate wish, but that’s quite pushing it.”
Quandt was worked up because Siegfried’s request involved the Spear of the Hell’s Leech. It was a legendary item that absorbed its victim’s HP while preventing them from regenerating.
However, the main problem was its price. The spear was used for hunting powerful monsters with strong vitality and regeneration, so it had quite a hefty price tag. It was also quite rare. Most high-level raid parties would even give priority recruitment to damage dealers with a Spear of the Hell’s Leech.
However, the main problem was that Siegfried was asking for a hundred of those expensive spears for free, and he was even requesting it to be done in forty-eight hours.
It was truly a brazen request that was on the border of shameless and despicable.
“You should know your limits when asking for things! You’re asking for too much this time! Do you really think that our workshop is run by a bunch of fools?!” Quandt shouted as his voice thundered in the workshop.
However, Siegfried remained unfazed.
“It will be used to hunt the Vampire Lord,” Siegfried replied with a smirk before he called up a quest window and muttered, “Let’s see… What did I need to complete this thing Herbert left behind… The Rod of God… I already got this from Herbert. Omnipotent Mechanical Gear, check. Wow, I will have three out of the seven materials required if I get my hands on the Vampire Lord’s Heart!”
With that, Siegfried started walking away while saying, “Maybe I should go ask the Autonika Workshop if they have something similar to the Spear of the Hell’s Leech… I would have to pay up, but I’m sure they will work things out with me…”
“H-Hey!”
“Sigh… I should probably not come here anymore. I mean, does it make sense to ask me to pay up when I’m doing their request?”
“Please stop, Your Majesty, Siegfried!” Quandt immediately ran after him. His character changed all of a sudden as he shouted, “I love you! Our workshop loves you! We have always loved you! Loyalty! Loyalty! Loyalty! Love! Love! Love!”
