Chapter 38

Rozline returned from the balcony. What had she been thinking during those few brief moments she was alone? I couldn't think of any words to say to her, with her eyes red from crying.

The suppression of the castle's interior continued even as we paused, and it seemed that even our numerically superior allies were taking casualties. But there was no longer any need for us to intervene.

"Princess!"

The loud voice, filled with anger, made not only Rozline but me as well jump in surprise. I cautiously looked around and saw Raul, who was clearly furious.

Ah, yeah. This might not be good. Rozline's face had turned pale, and she was trembling.

Raul, accompanied by his entourage, hurried over. The anger radiating from him was so intense that people around us stepped back to clear a path. It might have been amusing to an outsider, but for us, it felt like we were naughty children facing punishment.

"Why did you go to the front lines? I told you that Clermont is dangerous and that you must refrain from such reckless actions."

"I apologize, Uncle. But I wanted to see him one last time. There would have been no other opportunity to speak with him if I didn't do this."

"I understand your desire to meet the king, but you are neglecting your own safety. If anything were to happen to you, Princess, who would govern this country? We need your strength to rebuild Clermont. When I realized you were not there, I was truly frightened."

Raul's words were reasonable, and it was clear he was genuinely worried. Rozline couldn't argue further and looked uncomfortable. Given her character, going to the front lines as a representative of the country was far too reckless.

Wait, what does he mean by rebuilding Clermont? Did Rozline make Clermont her territory? But according to the event rules, the person who contributed the most should get the liberated city as their territory. Rozline, unfortunately, never fought and was among the least contributing players. Clermont shouldn't be her territory. Can territories be transferred to others?

"Chaos, if you were there, you should have dissuaded the Princess and stopped her. I understand your loyalty, but this place is not safe. If you let your emotions get the better of you, it could lead to irreparable consequences. You must think carefully before acting."

"I asked Chaos to come with me. So, Uncle, please don't blame Chaos too much. Chaos defeated the vampire who was once my father."

The focus shifted to me. He had a point. But thanks to Rozline's support, things didn't get too serious.

"So, Chaos, what about the king and queen?"

"They were captured by the vampires and turned into vampires, losing their physical forms. My father and mother were not willingly aiding the monsters. Just knowing that much made my trip here worthwhile."

Rozline's face was serene, and Raul's expression was a mix of happiness and sadness. Even though they were NPCs, a grand story was unfolding in their world.

"So, how is the situation in the city, Uncle?"

"The suppression is still ongoing, but there are still soldiers who are not vampires. We are trying to get them to surrender by making them drop their weapons. I believe the situation will be under control in about two hours."

"I hope the civilians are not harmed."

Two hours. What should we do? Should we just wait here? Maybe I should ask about what I overheard earlier.

It happened without any warning.

A shiny red light.

A hand suddenly sprouted from Raul's body.

I couldn't understand what was happening at all.

Rozline screamed a moment later.

The hand that pierced Raul's body was slowly pulled out.

Raul fell forward, and behind him, a soldier with a dazed expression was licking his blood-soaked hand.

Raul's entourage moved and cut down the soldier with their swords. That was all it took for the soldier to stop moving.

Shouts of anger echoed around, but I couldn't hear the words.

Rozline lifted Raul, who had become lifeless. His blood stained her full plate armor.

"Uncle! Hold on!"

Rozline cried and called out Raul's name repeatedly.

"Anyone! A mage! Help Uncle! Hurry!"

Rozline desperately tried to stop the blood, but the flow was too strong.

But even if we called a healer, it wouldn't make a difference. Because Raul was...

Raul weakly moved his hand and placed it on Rozline's.

"It's... alright. It's alright, now."

"Stay with us! You can still make it! Help is coming, so don't say such things!"

Raul's voice was weak, and he was coughing up blood. Rozline scolded him, a role reversal from their usual dynamic.

"Roz...line. Be a... great queen... surpass the... previous king..."

"I will! I will, so please!"

Raul smiled. His expression was calm, in stark contrast to Rozline's desperate face.

Then Raul's eyes turned to me. He moved his lips slightly, but no words came out.

But I understood what Raul wanted to say.

"Please."

Just one word.

Then Raul showed no further reaction.

"Uncle? Uncle!"

Rozline screamed in disbelief. Sobbing could be heard from the crowd.

Raul was dead.

His HP was zero.

So he could be revived.

Raul was a player.

After death, he would be transferred to a portal and revived.

This is just a game, right?

There's no need to be so sad.

Everyone is overreacting.

Come on, look up.

Raul will come back with a calm smile.

—But the body didn't disappear.

In the game "Another World," when a player dies, they are transferred to a portal, and their body should disappear.

I took out a certain item.

"Chaos, what is that...?"

"I will revive him."

I approached Raul silently.

"Substitute doll." The only revival item. By breaking it, the target would be revived.

This would definitely revive Raul.

I tried to break the doll, but it wouldn't break. That's strange. Is it a bug?

A message window appeared in front of me.

"No target in a dead state. The effect will not activate if the target does not exist."

That's odd. The target is right in front of me.

Ahaha, what is the developer doing? This is a paid item. They shouldn't sell a faulty item like this.

...Break, break, please break!

I slammed the doll on the ground, but it still wouldn't break.

"Stop it! Chaos! That's enough! Calm down!"

Don't stop me, Rozline. I'm just trying to revive Raul. It's nothing serious. It's a common occurrence in games.

Reviving a dead player is a daily occurrence.

A dry sound echoed.

Rozline slapped me.

That's harsh, Rozline. I'm just trying to revive Raul.

I'm calm. I can even see my HP decreasing from your attack.

"Uncle is... already gone. Please, just let him rest."

I silently picked up the doll. As I tried to revive Raul again, my arm was grabbed.

"Chaos, listen carefully."

No, I don't want to hear anything.

...I had a feeling something was off during the Brandenburg incident.

This game was strange.

I was starting to realize it wasn't just a game.

But if I acknowledged that, all my values and common sense would be overturned.

Not now. Not now.

If I acknowledge it now, if I acknowledge it, then Raul...

"Humans who die cannot be revived."

No! Players can be revived!

That's common sense! In the game "Another World," players can be revived in the virtual world!

If Raul can't be revived, he must be an NPC. This revival item doesn't work on NPCs, only on players.

...I know. I know it's just a lie.

The reunion between Raul and Rozline was real. It wasn't fake or an act. Even I can tell that.

Rozline, a player, couldn't have an NPC uncle.

If the game's virtual world's rules and common sense break down, then it means...

"Living beings cannot escape this reality."

It's not a game anymore.

—It's reality.

***

Multiple tents were densely set up in the northwest plains of the Commune Federation. Soldiers were running around the tents in a hurry.

In one of the largest tents, a man with a melancholic expression was playing chess alone. Unlike the chaos outside, the tent was enveloped in silence.

Suddenly, the tent was torn open. The man, who was enjoying his chess game, narrowed his eyes and looked outside.

There, five men dressed in black stood. The man asked the five men, slightly annoyed.

"How uncouth. Who are you to disrupt my peace?"

"Who we are is of no importance. Are you not Wilhelm Victor von Weixel, the emperor?"

"Indeed, I am Victor. So, you are assassins sent to kill me?"

Despite the swords pointed at him, the man remained calm, even smiling at the five soldiers. The assassins' faces showed irritation.

"You! Don't you understand the situation!?"

"Hmm. You are vampires, aren't you? Being surrounded by monsters is nothing new. But what of it?"

Victor coolly deflected the assassins' killing intent. He moved a knight piece on the chessboard, taking out four of the enemy's pieces.

At that moment, a silver gleam appeared in the air, and it traced a path toward the four assassins who were charging at him. Blood spurted from the assassins' bodies where the gleam intersected. Their faces were frozen in anger as they died, not understanding what had happened. The remaining assassin couldn't comprehend the situation either.

But after the four were defeated, a beautiful female knight suddenly appeared behind him, and he understood that she had taken him down. He recognized her red hair.

The female knight who had gained fame in the recent battle against the Weixel Empire in another territory of the Commune Federation. She was known as the "Red Reaper" because the soldiers around her would fall to the ground, bloodied, whenever she appeared.

"Red Reaper...!"

"Hmm, so that's what you call me. It's interesting how the meaning can differ so much for the same person."

The female knight frowned slightly at the assassin's words but did not lower her guard. Her sharp killing intent was directed at the remaining assassin, who could neither advance nor retreat. He was like a frog caught in a snake's gaze.

"Let me introduce you. This is Irene. She is called the 'Silver Flash Irene' because her movements are so fast that only the trajectory of her sword can be seen. She is the fastest knight in the empire."

Silver Flash. The sight was indeed beautiful, but to the assassin, it was a gruesome scene that had taken four lives, and it looked like a reaper.

"Unfortunately, she is not my direct subordinate. But it's not too late. Irene, would you serve me?"

"Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty. But I am sorry, my sword is dedicated to someone else."

"Hmm, a loyal knight. Having a knight like you is a treasure for Weixel."

Despite being rejected, Victor did not show any displeasure. He seemed genuinely satisfied with her answer.

"You have a high opinion of yourself, don't you, 'Saint of Weixel'?"

The assassin followed Victor's gaze and saw a young girl in a white robe. He was surprised to see such a young girl in this situation.

The girl showed no emotion, her face completely expressionless. She showed no interest in the assassin, and her strange demeanor made him swallow hard.

"Irene serves me well, despite my immaturity."

The girl answered calmly. Her voice was flat, showing no emotion, even when her subordinate was being praised.

By the way, the assassin suddenly remembered the name of the person who had gained fame in the shadow of the "Red Reaper's" brilliant performance in the recent battle.

The unit she commanded was made up of the elite of the Weixel Empire, providing precise support to allies and decimating the Commune soldiers with overwhelming force.

While the "Red Reaper" was known for her personal strength, this person was the core of the Weixel Empire's invasion in terms of overall strength.

She remained calm even in the midst of fierce battles, leading a ruthless unit. The Commune soldiers called her...

"Witch Alexia!"

"From the enemy's perspective, a saint can become a witch. What do you think, Alexia?"

"It doesn't matter to me. I have no interest in what they say."

She seemed to genuinely not care about the rumors about her. Alexia's face didn't move at all.

"Your Majesty, are you safe?"

"A bit late, but the intruders have been taken care of by the Saint and the Silver Flash."

Soldiers rushed into the tent, having finally noticed the commotion. They stood in front of the assassin upon recognizing him.

"Your Majesty, what should we do with this one?"

"We have already extracted information from the prisoners we captured in the previous battle, but he might know something. The information from the lower ranks is limited, but interrogate him anyway."

"Understood."

Alexia waved her staff, and the assassin's body was immobilized as if tied with ropes. The sword fell from his hand as he tried to commit suicide.

The soldiers dragged the assassin out of the tent.

"The security of the camp needs to be reviewed if assassins can easily reach the emperor."

"I apologize, Your Majesty."

"No, I'm not blaming you. In fact, you saved me. And thanks to your insight, we learned that this area is under the control of vampires. That alone is a significant contribution."

"I didn't believe vampires existed until recently. I knew of their existence from historical records, but I thought they had been extinct for a long time."

During the recent battle, Alexia noticed that the commanders they defeated were all vampires, leading to the realization that the Commune Federation was under vampire control.

"A land of vampires. We need to reclaim this land from the monsters. There are already limited places where people can live in peace. We cannot let the Commune's land fall into their hands."

The lords, nobles, and soldiers who governed this land had become vampires.

The common people were unaware of this and suffered under their oppressive rule. Some cities had even been destroyed by vampires.

This abnormal situation was not limited to one region. Vampires were involved in all the territories the Weixel Empire had invaded.

The monsters that attacked Brandenburg were likely the work of these vampires.

The Commune Federation was under vampire control, including the capital, Clermont, and possibly the royal family.

"Our goal is Clermont. We will destroy all the vampires who have harmed our country."

Starting with the territory governed by Duke Mayenne. With the power of Alexia and Irene, they could suppress the area with minimal casualties. With this power, reclaiming the entire Commune was not a dream.

Victor smiled faintly, pleased to have gained the unexpected power of the Saint. And he was satisfied that his ambitions could be fulfilled.

"Then, Your Majesty, we will take our leave."

"Ah, well done. I look forward to your continued efforts."

Alexia and Irene bowed and left the tent.

On the way, Irene spoke to Alexia.

"Alexia, is it really alright to continue like this?"

"What do you mean?"

"Even if you are strong, it's reckless to come to a battlefield and put yourself in danger!"

"This is the duty of a noble. We must drive away the monsters and ensure the people can live in peace."

"That may be true, but you are still a student. Isn't it too early for you to be involved in war before you are even an adult?"

It was unthinkable for a young girl like Alexia to go to the battlefield. But that was only if she were an ordinary noble's child.

"This is a direct summons from the emperor. I cannot refuse."

The call to join the battle to save Brandenburg, a summons from the highest authority, the emperor. The Zavarech family, a prestigious noble family, could not refuse.

In fact, they were eager to strengthen their connection with the emperor through this opportunity.

"But this is too much!"

"Enough! Enough, Irene."

Alexia sternly rebuked Irene, who continued to protest.

"Vampires are the root of all evil in this land. If we defeat them all, peace will return. To the people living here... and to those who visit."

Irene understood what Alexia truly desired.

She had come this far to protect just one person. All her actions in this battle and her visit to the Commune were for that one person.

"I don't wish for anything more. I know that wishing for more is futile. So, it's enough."

With a clear rejection, Alexia moved away from Irene. Tears streamed down Irene's eyes.

What happiness can you find in this?

Alone, Alexia looked up at the night sky and whispered.

"Are you here, in this dangerous land of vampires, Teacher?"

The battle that took place in the Commune Federation during this period is known in later generations as the Commune Liberation War.

The Commune Liberation War.

It was a conflict that arose due to a misunderstanding between the Commune Federation, which was ravaged by vampires, and the Weixel Empire, which marched to liberate the vampire-controlled Commune Federation, under the banner of freeing the land from vampire rule.

Fate brought the mage and the saint to cross their staffs.