Episode 168 Meanwhile, in the West (4)
The second investigation results, after interrogating the instructor who was the mastermind.
His motive for the crime was jealousy of Diana's talent and greed for the money she paid.
Diana, who was thirsty for knowledge, absorbed everything he taught her like a sponge, and that was enough to stimulate his inferiority complex, as he had retired from the front lines due to his lack of ability.
And when she readily paid the hefty tuition fee, he decided to scheme and carry out this plan, even targeting her money.
"Tsk, pathetic. Take care of them."
"Yes! Lord."
Heinz casually waved his hand and dismissed the vampire who had come to report.
They were just small fry he didn't need to worry about anymore.
What followed was smooth sailing.
He arranged for the best medical team to re-examine Rafi's condition, just in case, and instructed a priest from the Church to check again, along with a large donation.
And he had his administrators prepare for their immigration, making sure the process went as quickly as possible.
It was only natural that everything was going smoothly because there was nothing he couldn't do in this country.
"Hey— Just throw all this stuff away. We have a long way to go. It's all just baggage!"
"Ah, but it's a waste to throw it away. I should at least give it to Billy's mom."
"That's a good idea. Let's give everything we don't need to the people who helped us this time."
And it seemed like Bolt's family had also lost their attachment to the city because of this incident, as they readily decided to follow Diana.
Of course, there were some neighbors who had helped them out, but there were many more who had turned their backs on them because of the money issue.
He understood that everyone was struggling, but it was still hurtful, considering they had been generous to those around them.
They decided to leave everything behind and start anew with Diana, working for Heinz, their benefactor, rather than continuing to live here with the awkward relationships.
And so, after a few busy days,
The family, having sold all their remaining assets and paid off their debts, finally—
Stood before the teleportation magic circle in the magic tower, carrying only a few simple belongings.
"…Gulp."
"Oh my, I never thought I would come to a place like this…"
"Daddy, daddy! That's shining! It's pretty!"
"No, Rafi! D-don't touch anything here! It's dangerous!"
They quickly arrived in Talaria, the capital, with the full support of the government officials, and then they ended up here, following the smooth schedule.
Deep inside the magic tower, a place they would have never had a chance to visit if they had lived ordinary lives.
They had expected Heinz to be an extraordinary individual, but they were dumbfounded to see everything going smoothly, with even government agencies mobilized and all necessary procedures being bypassed.
And it wasn't even just moving to another territory, but to another country…
"Now, everyone, please stand on the magic circle. We'll be starting soon."
At that moment, a mage from the magic tower, known for their arrogance and eccentricity, spoke to them in a kind voice.
This was also something they couldn't get used to.
"You don't have to be too nervous. Our Locapelli Magic Tower is the best on the continent when it comes to spatial magic. The probability of something going wrong during the transfer is close to zero!"
His words implied that the probability wasn't zero, which was scary, but they were too nervous to think deeply about it and just stepped onto the magic circle with stiff steps.
Wooong—!
And as if waiting for that,
Ziiiing—!
An ordinary family of five from Raffella City in the Talia Kingdom was transferred to Tarak in Aonia County in the north of the Tulk Kingdom, with brilliant light, a loud vibration, and…
____________________
Unlike the temple's gate, which wasn't accessible to everyone and couldn't be influenced by power, spatial transfer through the magic tower was a transportation method that could be easily used if you had money.
But there were two major drawbacks.
The first was that it cost an exorbitant amount of money just to use it once…
"Oh my, are you both okay?"
"…Whew, I'm fine now."
"…Me too…"
And the second was that the ride wasn't very comfortable, unlike the gate.
It was to the point where the mages at the destination handed them buckets as soon as they arrived, as if they were used to it.
The two adults were pale-faced and sprawled out on a bench, only recovering after getting some fresh air, unlike the three children who seemed to be able to endure it because they were young.
"I couldn't properly greet you earlier because it was hectic. Then let's introduce ourselves again. I'm Hubert, the owner of Hubert's Trading Company."
And finally, they were able to properly greet each other after they recovered.
"I'll personally take care of you so you can settle down in Tarak. Heinz and I are very close."
"Ah! You're the company owner. I apologize for showing you such a bad side. I'm Bolt. Please speak comfortably."
Bolt, who was pale-faced, clasped Hubert's hand with both of his as he extended it for a handshake.
Hubert wasn't being authoritative, but it was an instinctive action.
His clothes were adorned with luxurious items, and gemstone accessories were shining brightly all over his body.
It might have looked like a nouveau riche's tasteless flamboyance at first glance, but Bolt, who had a keen eye for such things from years of being a merchant, could tell that they weren't ordinary items.
'Don't tell me those are all magic tools? Oh my, how much is he wearing?'
And what about the burly bodyguards and the sharp-looking attendants who were subtly surrounding them?
He felt a chill down his spine from their sharp gazes, filled with a keen presence, which were subtly directed towards them.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I recently had a bad experience, so I increased the security level. Please bear with me."
"Oh, no! Safety is the most important thing!"
His attitude naturally became more respectful at the pressure emanating from Hubert.
It was a golden charisma stemming from his wealth, different from Heinz's chilling, blood-red charisma.
He was just running a small grocery store, but he was still a merchant.
To a merchant, the one with money was always right.
Hubert greeted the other family members one by one and then subtly glanced at Diana.
As expected, she seemed to have recognized him, as her eyes were wide open and her lips were moving silently.
'But she's tactfully pretending not to know.'
He had already explained the situation to her a few days ago, as they would be working together in the future.
That he was a vampire and couldn't go with them, so he would go ahead and wait for them in disguise.
And so, Hubert, who had become 'another form of Heinz', subtly winked at Diana.
"Well, I'll leave it to you."
Diana smiled awkwardly and pretended not to know, greeting him.
She already knew that Heinz could change his appearance and had even seen him conceal his presence.
The scent was a bit different because they were different individuals, but it would be stranger if they were completely identical, considering how thoroughly he was concealing his identity.
She nodded slightly, having convinced herself.
"Then, since everyone seems to be okay now, let's move. I've prepared a carriage, so please tell the coachman if you feel uncomfortable along the way."
"Thank you for your consideration, Master."
Bolt's family started to get into the carriage.
Rafi was jumping up and down, excited about the large and luxurious carriage, and Diana was trying to calm her down.
Hubert slowly stroked his chin as he watched them.
'Come to think of it, Diana's ability is as efficient as Hubert's "Appraisal" in this industry.'
She was said to have been a great help in bringing in fresh goods even when she was working at a small grocery store.
The ways to utilize her ability in the much larger Hubert's Trading Company were endless.
'Normally, it would be difficult for her to properly use her ability because of her lack of experience…'
But who was he?
He was the owner of Hubert's Trading Company, which was now becoming the largest trading company in the northern region of the Tulk Kingdom, beyond just Tarak!
No one would dare touch her with his full support.
She was a talented individual who was trustworthy and capable because of her connection with him.
The secret she was hiding wasn't something he could immediately uncover anyway, so it wasn't something he needed to worry about right now.
'Sniff— I smell it.'
And it was a very strong smell of money.
Hubert smiled warmly at Diana with sparkling eyes.
____________________
Managing a country wasn't a simple matter.
Great power inevitably came with great responsibility, and it wasn't uncommon for kings in history to die young because of that.
Judiciary, administration, economy, public order, military, diplomacy…
There were endless factors to consider even when making simple decisions, and the consequences of each choice were unpredictable and limitless.
If they made a wrong choice, it wouldn't just end with a personal problem, but the entire country could be shaken, so it was truly a hotbed of stress and a shortcut to a shortened lifespan.
'But that's only if you try to take care of everything yourself.'
Heinz the Second, the de facto ruler of the Talia Kingdom, leisurely sipped his wine and casually glanced at the reports while sitting in his office chair.
<National Blood Donation Center Establishment Proposal (Additional Content 2)>
<Draft of Criminal Punishment Standards (4th Revision)>
<Plan to Minimize Chaos from Change (3rd Revision)>
<Hybrid's Response to International Situation…>
"Hmm, definitely better than before."
He nodded as he read through the documents one by one.
It was always best to leave things to the experts.
If he, who had only ever experienced managing a country through games, recklessly intervened in national affairs, he might ruin a perfectly good country.
So he only presented the overall direction and never interfered with the details.
"…Tsk, this isn't good."
Of course, there were inevitably proposals that deviated from his intended direction.
But as he said before, he didn't have the ability to solve the problems that the experts missed…
So there was only one thing he could do.
-I don't like this part, so redo it, considering this.
To make his subordinates work until it was right.
It was also a form of intervention in national affairs, but he wasn't forcing policies that didn't even make sense.
He was just encouraging his smart friends to come up with better solutions.
There were always multiple paths in life, and humans had the potential to find a way out when faced with extreme situations.
'They're capable people. They've been slacking off, so they should work hard now.'
Naturally, in this class-based society, those who could be considered experts in national administration were extremely limited.
They were the highest-ranking officials and intellectuals of the country, the royal family, nobles, and high-ranking bureaucrats.
They had been powerless, just repeating the same policies under the Brokoslack Clan's rule, but now they had a chance to finally blossom!
…He didn't know if they actually wanted that.
'It's not my concern.'
He was just setting the stage for them to shine.
And so, the proposals, drenched in the blood, sweat, and tears of the Talia Kingdom's higher-ups, started to be revised one by one.
And when their resentment, laments, and anger were finally ingrained in every single letter—.
Finally, in the Talia Kingdom, located at the westernmost point of the Ion Continent,
The Vampire Clan Alliance, 'Hybrid', revealed itself on the stage of history.