?The morning sun bathed the hexagonal veranda in a pale, golden light. Below, the hill of colorless flowers looked like a sea of frozen glass, motionless in the windless air.
?Zaek leaned against the dark wooden railing, staring out at the horizon without really seeing it.
?The conversation from last night played in his mind on a loop.
?It was necessary.
?He told himself that. He repeated it like a mantra.
?She isn't ready.
?With a heavy sigh, he took a deep breath of the crisp morning air. It didn't clear his head.
?"It is necessary... but it isn't right."
?For the first time, Aelira had taken action of her own free will. She hadn't waited for orders. She had investigated, questioned, and analyzed the evidence to uncover the truth about Lassandra.
?She was acting like a true Hero. A seeker of truth.
?But...
?He had stopped her. He had blocked the path. He had buried the truth that would have shattered her world.
?If she knew... the title she struggled for would mean nothing. The world she saw in color would turn into a bleak, gray wasteland of betrayal.
?He knew that feeling. He remembered the day his own world lost its color. He couldn't let her experience that. Not yet.
?Another sigh escaped his lips.
?"I know that children need to face the truth, eventually. Protecting them forever only makes them weak."
?"That logic is flawed, my friend."
?"Hmm?"
?Zaek turned. Tobias Herman was standing a few paces away, holding two steaming cups of coffee. He raised one in greeting.
?"Good morning."
?"Good morning," Zaek grunted, accepting the cup Tobias offered.
?The merchant leaned against the railing next to him, looking out at the view. His flashy blue hair was tied back, giving him a slightly more serious appearance than before.
?"You seem to be back," Tobias noted, sipping his drink. "What happened? Were you able to sort out your... urgent business?"
?"You could say that."
?"Is that so? I'm happy to hear it."
?"What was that?"
?"Hmm?" Tobias faced him, blinking innocently. "Ah. I was referring to what you muttered earlier. About children and the truth."
?"So are you telling me I'm wrong?"
?"Yes." Tobias extended his hand, as if trying to grasp the distant clouds in his palm. "Children are children, Zaek. They shouldn't face the harshness of reality until their shoulders are broad enough to carry it."
?"Even if the lie hurts them?"
?"Even then. Until they are ready, it is our job as adults to stand between them and the abyss. To protect their dreams, even if those dreams are fragile."
?"..."
?Zaek looked down into his black coffee. Tobias's words echoed the justification he had been desperately looking for.
?"As far as I know, you've never had children," Tobias said, glancing at him sideways.
?"I don't. Though I had a disciple once... I failed to raise him right." Zaek’s eyes grew distant. "Maybe two... What about you?"
?Tobias’s face lit up instantly. The merchant mask vanished, replaced by the warmth of a doting father.
?"I have one. Her name is Tiffany. Oh, you should see her! She is the world's most adorable creature. Smart, too. Takes after her mother."
?"Oh? So you have a wife too?" Zaek asked, looking around the empty inn. "Where are they? You seem to be enjoying the view alone."
?Tobias’s smile didn't fade, but it grew tighter. More calculated.
?"I sent them ahead to the Capital last week. With a heavy escort."
?"Ahead?" Zaek frowned. "Why?"
?"Because that would be safer."
?Zaek’s instincts—the instincts of a veteran who had survived a hundred battlefields—kicked in instantly.
?Safer?
?If this was a simple merchant run, traveling together would be safer. Sending his family ahead with guards meant he expected the caravan he was with to be a target.
?He turned to Tobias, his gaze sharpening.
?"Tobias... what exactly are we going to help you carry?"
?Tobias didn't answer immediately. He took a slow sip of his coffee. Then, he turned to Zaek with a mysterious, hidden smile that didn't reach his eyes.
?"Let's save business for breakfast," he said lightly. "Can you bring Miss Aelira down, please? I'm dead hungry."
?They sat at the table in silence.
?There was something in the air that Zaek couldn't explain, a heaviness that pressed against his chest.
?I thought she would cause a problem, he thought, glancing at Aelira out of the corner of his eye. I thought she would scream, cry, or refuse to move.
?But she didn't.
?She just followed him. Like a doll whose strings had been cut. She moved when he moved, sat when he sat. Her silver eyes were dull, fixated on the grain of the wooden table.
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?This... is worse. Much worse.
?This quiet obedience wasn't discipline. It was defeat.
?"Did I make you guys wait?"
?Tobias’s cheerful voice broke the silence as he pulled out a chair. He paused, sensing the icy atmosphere instantly.
?"..."
?"O-kay," Tobias muttered, clearing his throat. "The mood is a bit heavy for a beautiful morning, isn't it? Well... let's eat!"
?Dishes began to arrive. Steaming eggs, fresh bread, roasted sausages, and fruits. A feast fit for a king.
?The three of them began to eat. Or rather, Tobias began to feast.
?Silence would have reigned supreme if it weren't for the enthusiastic sounds coming from the merchant.
?Slurp. Crunch. Munch.
?"It's delicious!" Tobias exclaimed, sauce staining his lips.
?Zaek looked at him with a mix of annoyance and envy.
?At least one of us is enjoying the meal.
?He looked at Aelira. She was eating slowly, mechanically. She cut a piece of sausage, put it in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. There was no enjoyment. She was fueling her body simply because she was told to.
?I can't really blame her...
?Suddenly—
?BAM!
?Tobias slammed both hands on the table. The silverware rattled.
?Zaek and Aelira jumped, looking at him in alarm.
?"Oi, are you okay?" Zaek asked, his hand instinctively going for a weapon he didn't have.
?"It's SUPER DELICIOUS!" Tobias roared, eyes sparkling. "Wilma really outdid herself today!"
?He immediately went back to shoveling food into his mouth at double speed.
?"..."
?Zaek let out a long, tired breath. A forced, twitching smile was the only reaction he could muster.
?"Is that so..."
?He's doing it on purpose, Zaek realized. He's trying to force the gloom away with noise.
?It didn't work, but the effort was noted.
?"Thanks for the meal..."
?Twenty minutes later, a stack of empty plates sat in front of the merchant. Tobias wiped his mouth elegantly with a napkin, looking satisfied.
?This guy... Zaek thought, eyeing the devastation. With that slim body, where does he put it all? He doesn't look like much of a glutton.
?Tobias set the napkin down and leaned forward. The playful gluttony vanished from his eyes, replaced by the sharp gleam of a businessman.
?"Now," he said, interlacing his fingers. "Let's talk about business, shall we?"
?"Yes, let's talk about it. First, I want you to tell us what exactly we will be carrying to the Capital."
?Zaek looked him dead in the eyes, demanding an immediate answer. He wasn't going to walk into a trap blindfolded.
?Tobias didn't flinch. He only smiled with supreme confidence.
?"Words are cheap, my friend. Come, follow me. It's better if I show you."
?With a trace of doubt but fueled by curiosity, Zaek stood up. Aelira followed them silently, moving like a doll with cut strings.
?They left the table and walked toward the back of the inn's ground floor.
?"Where are we going?" Zaek asked.
?"You know, this building has a unique design. It reaches for the sky..." Tobias stopped in front of a heavy, iron-reinforced door behind the reception desk. He muttered something to Wilma, who nodded solemnly and pulled a lever hidden under the counter.
?Clank. Hiss.
?The iron door groaned open, revealing darkness.
?"...but did you know it also has deep roots?" Tobias finished, grinning. "There is a basement."
?"A basement?"
?"A vault, to be precise."
?A stone staircase spiraling downwards lay before them. The air that drifted up was damp and cool, carrying the heavy scent of stale earth and old metal.
?They descended. The stairs led them to another door—this one made of thick, black steel, etched with glowing runes.
?Protection magic, Zaek noted. High level.
?Tobias touched the door. The runes flared blue, recognizing his mana signature. He turned to face them, his expression suddenly serious.
?"Before we enter... I'd appreciate it if everything you see and hear in this room remains in the shadows. This is a trade secret that could cost lives."
?"You have my word," Zaek said. Aelira just nodded vaguely.
?"Good."
?Tobias pushed the heavy steel door open.
?Creak.
?Zaek instinctively squinted.
?"Is this...?"
?The moment the door opened, golden light flooded the corridor, dazzling his eyes. It wasn't sunlight. It was the reflection of lantern light bouncing off millions of metallic surfaces.
?Once his eyes adjusted, Zaek’s breath caught in his throat.
?The room was vast. And everywhere he looked, there was gold.
?Not just coins. Not just jewelry.
?Stacks of gold ingots rose like small towers. Pyramids of imperial coins filled wooden crates to the brim. Golden artifacts, plates, and chalices were piled carelessly in corners.
?He had never seen so much wealth in one place in his entire life. Not even in the Royal Treasury.
?Damn...
?Zaek walked forward, his boots clicking on the stone floor. He crouched and picked up an ingot from a stack. It was heavy. Dense.
?He dug his fingernail into it. Soft.
?It is real. Pure gold.
?"What do you think?" Tobias asked, his voice echoing in the vault.
?Zaek stood up, weighing the gold bar in his hand.
?"Well... it makes me wonder," Zaek murmured, looking around the golden sea. "Are you planning to buy Aeliron itself?"
?"AHAHHAHAHAHHA!" Tobias threw his head back, his laughter bouncing off the walls. "THAT'S AN INTERESTING IDEA! Well, you could say something like that!"
?Zaek stared at him.
?This guy...
?This wasn't just merchant wealth. This was "start a war" wealth. This was "topple a kingdom" wealth.
?How did he even get this?
?He glanced at Aelira to see her reaction.
?Any normal person would be gasping. Any greedy person would be drooling.
?But Aelira... she wasn't really there.
?She looked at the mountains of gold with empty, dull eyes. To her, this room wasn't filled with treasure. It was filled with the same cursed metal that had bought her nanny's life.
?It meant nothing to her.
?"Well," Tobias said, the laughter fading into a sharp grin. "Now that you've seen what we will be carrying to the Capital... I'm sure you are also wondering why a simple merchant needs this much gold."
?He stepped closer, the shadows of the gold bars casting bars across his face.
?"One day, my sweet girl gave me a piece of paper with numbers on it. I asked: 'My darling, why does it have numbers on it?' She said that it represented her money. She said she would do me a favor. She said she would do whatever I wanted in exchange for the number written on the paper."
?"Such a sweet girl," Zaek muttered dryly.
?Hearing Zaek’s comment, Tobias's eyes filled up with tears. He pulled out a silk handkerchief and blew his nose loudly. Honk.
?Wiping away the tears, he looked up at the stone ceiling of the vault as if gazing into the heavens.
?"My sweet girl... Tiffany..."
?I have nothing to say, Zaek thought. In my long life, I've never seen anyone like him. The man is clearly missing a few screws.
?"Then I asked! 'Are you giving this to me?' I was so happy, yet so wrong!" Tobias suddenly turned serious, his eyes gleaming with pride. "She was my daughter! A merchant to the bone! She said no! 'I'll give it to you if you give me real coins in exchange.'"
?He clenched his fist, shaking it passionately.
?"Hearing that... it felt like lightning struck my brain. I felt like I'd stumbled upon the secrets of the universe."
?"Because your daughter tried to scam you?" Zaek asked, confused.
?"No! Because of the concept!"
?Tobias grabbed a gold bar from the stack and held it up.
?"Zaek, look at this. It's heavy. It's distinctive. If you carry a thousand of these, you need a wagon, ten guards, and a week of travel. Bandits can steal it. It slows you down."
?He tossed the gold bar back onto the pile with a heavy thud.
?"But what if..." Tobias reached into his pocket and pulled out a simple, folded piece of parchment. He held it up between two fingers.
?"What if I kept the gold here, safe in this invincible vault... and gave you this paper instead?"
?Zaek frowned. "A paper?"
?"A paper that says: 'Whoever holds this note owns 100 Gold Dalmas stored in Tobias's Vault.'"
?Tobias’s grin widened, looking almost manic.
?"If people trust me... if people trust that the gold is actually here... then they don't need to carry the metal anymore. They can just trade the paper. Light. Easy. Infinite."
?Zaek stared at him. The realization hit him slowly.
?This wasn't just a merchant trick. This was a revolution.
?"You want to replace gold... with paper?"
?"Exactly!" Tobias spread his arms, encompassing the golden room. "This gold here? This isn't for spending. This is my collateral. This is the 'Proof of Trust.'"
?He walked over to Aelira, who was staring blankly at the gold, and gently patted her shoulder—not touching her, just gesturing.
?"I am going to the Capital to present this to the King. I'm going to propose the first Imperial Bank."
?Tobias turned back to Zaek, his eyes burning with ambition.
?"I will give the Empire a currency that doesn't weigh them down. And in return... every single coin in the Empire will flow through my hands."
?He laughed, a sound that echoed ominously in the vault.
?"I'm not going to buy Aeliron, Zaek. I'm going to own its economy."
?Zaek looked at the eccentric man in the flashy blue suit. He no longer looked like a fool. He looked like the most dangerous man in the room.
?He creates value out of thin air... just like magic.
?"So," Zaek said, crossing his arms. "We are guarding the foundation of the Empire's future economy."
?"Precisely!" Tobias beamed. "And that is why I need a Hero. Because if this gold doesn't reach the Capital safely to prove I have the reserves... my beautiful paper dream turns into ash."
?He clapped his hands, the sound sharp in the metallic silence.
?"Now! Enough storytelling. We leave in two days, at dusk. Prepare yourselves. The road will be bumpy."
Turned into a vampire, so why not be a hero?
Kang Eun-Woo died the way he lived—exhausted, broke, and saving someone else.
The truck should have been the end. Instead, he woke up in a Manhattan penthouse with no heartbeat, perfect skin, and a B+ blood quality that even veteran vampires would kill for.
In a city where immortal creatures wear business suits, Eun-Woo makes a choice: if he's going to be a monster, he'll hunt the wolves, not the sheep.
What to expect:
- ? Urban vampire progression (Weaver System)
- ? Stat-based tracking & Blood Manipulation
- ? Hunter squad with trust issues
- ? Brutal, graphic vampire combat