Chapter 54: The Marching Knight and the Undercover Vampire

Kazimierz was a nation that produced its fair share of extraordinary individuals.

Then again, on the unforgiving, blood-soaked continent of Terra, extraordinary was practically the baseline for survival.

It was still difficult to fathom that in this glittering capital of neon and gold, the most lethal combatants alive were shoved onto a stage to perform like trained monkeys for a televised arena audience.

It felt exactly like those endless-loop survival game web novels or livestreamed death matches—a novel concept at first glance, but one that completely fell apart under any logical scrutiny.

The only plausible explanation was the inherent racial disposition of the Kuranta.

They truly were an honest, straightforward people who respected tradition to an absolute fault.

This time, you had absolutely no intention of playing the classic game where the Commander personally infiltrates deep behind enemy lines.

This arena, dripping with rampant capitalism, was more than just your run-of-the-mill corporate evil.

You had to strike back, and strike back hard.

“Old man!” You sprinted eagerly toward a high-security, single-occupancy medical suite, waving the neon-colored advertisement on your terminal.

“I’ve thought of a brilliant new idea!”

The moment you pushed open the heavy reinforced door, a towering, dark wall of iron struggled to hoist itself up from the reinforced hospital bed.

“Doctor…

do you…

need my…

help?”

It was painfully clear that Patriot’s Oripathy symptoms were still advancing.

The jagged black crystals creeping along his armor were a grim reminder that it was time to accelerate the medical department’s research progress.

Your smile did not waver in the slightest.

“Old man, in half a month, you’re coming with me to Kazimierz to make your grand debut!”

“What do you think of the title ‘Marching Knight’?

I can be your exclusive agent.

You go out there and absolutely dominate the competition, and I’ll go all-in on your matches from the backstage betting pools.

With the two of us working together, by the time FrostNova returns, we’ll have enough resources to E2 her…”

Never mind the Kuranta of today; even if the legendary Nightmares of the past were to suddenly resurrect, running into a Wendigo among Wendigos like Big Daddy Patriot would be like a speeding freight train slamming into a titanium vault.

It was an absolute death sentence.

As for FrostNova…

you had originally planned to bring her along.

However, considering long-term strategic interests and the heavy turnover of medical resources at headquarters, you had temporarily dispatched her to the Kjerag branch for specialized treatment and to handle some diplomatic paperwork.

…You definitely did not have any ulterior motives about trying to register her for Kjerag permanent residency in advance!

Patriot attempted to frown, but the dense Originium-crystallized structures fusing with his facial features made the expression impossible.

He eventually gave up with a heavy, rattling sigh.

“Doctor…

do not…

be playful.

The competition is dangerous.

You are…

the Commander.”

He was completely treating you like a child, one even younger and more fragile than FrostNova.

What did he mean, ‘do not be playful’?

You protested indignantly, crossing your arms.

“This is a crucial part of the master plan!

I’m a tactical ghost who has lived for countless years.

How could I possibly be addicted to playing with oversized crickets in an arena?”

Patriot looked down at you, his glowing red eyes softening with an even kinder, paternal gaze.

“Doctor…

having a protective desire…

is good.

But…

you are still…

a child.”

A pureblood Wendigo’s lifespan was vast and heavy.

He had seen far too many different kinds of people rise and fall.

Even if the Doctor standing before him was entirely unlike anyone in his ancient memories, their actual age couldn’t possibly be that great.

Perhaps, they were not even as old as his own son who had perished so young.

Having resided on the landship for two months, Patriot had witnessed with his own eyes how the Doctor’s sheer charisma and tactical brilliance had conquered the entire island.

Unlike the brief, chilling glimpse he had caught during the Babel era, the Doctor standing here was neither numb nor indifferent.

They carried a touch of proud, youthful spirit, entirely confident in their ability to change the world—like a child who had grown up surrounded by love, raised in a utopian place devoid of death or infection.

Sometimes, Patriot would even wonder if this person had actually descended from another world entirely.

The underlying tone of the Terran wasteland was simply too bleak, too soaked in blood and ash, to naturally nurture a soul as bright as the starry sky.

“Please, please, old man, just come with me, okay?” You leaned in, attentively rubbing your soft white hair against Patriot’s massive, calloused palm, your eyes sparkling with exaggerated pleading.

“The finances are just too tight right now…

trust me, it’ll be absolutely fine!”

Which Rhodes Island operator could possibly resist such a concentrated tactical strike of temptation?

Besides, it was Rhodes Island’s perpetually tight finances that forced you to take these risks in the first place.

This was clearly the fault of Kal’tsit, someone who had truly lived for countless years and still couldn’t balance a budget!

Patriot slowly flexed his massive wrist, a quiet sense of relief washing over him as he felt the lingering strength in his muscles.

He should still have a few months left to live.

Using his final days to protect this young visionary who had changed the world, while simultaneously solving their financial troubles…

It did not matter.

Even if something went catastrophically wrong in Kazimierz, he could simply burn the last embers of his life force to send the Doctor out unscathed.

It would count as contributing some final, meaningful value.

Patriot hesitated for a fraction of a second, then nodded, completely abandoning his previous principles.

“You…

rest well.

I will…

protect you.”

“Thank you, old man!” You hadn’t expected the imposing Wendigo to be the type to have a hard mouth but a soft heart.

Suddenly receiving such heavy, doting care from an elder of his stature, a stray cowlick popped up on your head in sheer surprise.

“I’ll go add your name to the itinerary right now!”

Watching the young person’s cheerful, retreating figure bounce down the corridor, Patriot felt his heart—a heart he had long assumed was as hard and unfeeling as permafrost—waver slightly.

Truly…

just a child.

One down!

You satisfyingly checked off the mental to-do list and looked at the next names on the personnel roster.

This one would be incredibly easy.

“Exusiai, Texas, are you two free the week after next?

I’m giving you both a vacation.

Want to head to Kazimierz to watch the Knight competition together?”

“Really, Boss?!

I’ve long since had enough of processing Pure Gold in the Trading Post every single day!”

“If you require my company, I would be happy to serve you.”

You casually draped your arm over Texas’s shoulder, feeling the sleek fabric of her jacket.

“Be a bit more enthusiastic, Texas.

It’s a company-sponsored trip to watch the Knight competition.

Maybe there will even be some spectacular explosions to see!”

Exusiai’s crimson eyes instantly lit up.

“Boss, you really get me!

A bustling, grand explosion?

Is it time for the part where I carry you away in a thrilling, high-speed grand escape again?”

You nearly choked on your own saliva, coughing violently.

“Cough, cough…

Why can’t you wish for something good for me?

When have I ever needed you to carry me away during a tactical retreat?”

Exusiai let out a long “Oh,” and put on a visibly regretful expression.

Exusiai, what exactly are you disappointed about?!

Texas, meanwhile, looked genuinely surprised, her lupine ears twitching slightly.

“You are actually willing to tell us the plan this time?

Thank you.

I will sharpen my blades and be ready to guard you at any time.”

‘Actually willing to tell us’—what kind of shady, manipulative mastermind image did you have in their minds?

You felt a sharp twinge of indignation.

At that exact moment, the Witch King’s telepathic voice transmission suddenly echoed in your mind.

‘That strange Sarkaz Royal Court member seems to have grown impatient with their previous disguise.

They have come to find you again.’

The Witch King was back?

You instinctively glanced out the window.

The phantom white rabbit familiar was pointing directly at your door.

Simultaneously, a sharp, demanding knock echoed through the room.

“Who is it…

is there a new loli on the landship again?” Exusiai’s surprised voice came from behind you.

You turned to look as the door swung open.

Whoa.

Rose-red eyes, snow-white skin, and a pair of delicate, bare little feet peeking out from beneath the heavy ruffles of a complicated black-and-red gothic dress.

The little loli with the textbook tsundere expression had completely changed her tactical approach this time.

“Are you the Rhodes Island Doctor?

Here!” She stomped her bare foot against the floorboards as if throwing a tantrum, aggressively shoving her identification pass into your chest.

“This young lady is a Rhodes Island reserve operator, Duq’arael.

This young lady wants to be your direct subordinate!”

Instantly, the temperature in the room dropped.

The way Exusiai and Texas looked at you shifted from casual amusement to deep, silent judgment.

‘You won’t even spare someone this young?’ their eyes screamed.

Your facial muscles stiffened into stone.

Duq’arael…

the Sanguinarch of the Vampires.

How could you even change your persona so drastically?!

The little gothic loli revealed a smug, triumphant smile.

She, Duq’arael, was a born undercover agent.

This time, by flawlessly changing her identity, she could still infiltrate the highest echelons of Rhodes Island!

Exusiai shook her head slightly, stepping close to lean in and whisper directly into your ear, her breath warm against your skin.

“Boss…

if you’re really feeling that repressed, wouldn’t it be more reasonable to come to me than to look for someone this young?

Are you really not afraid of Kal’tsit hanging you from the bridge and whipping you?”

You maintained a perfectly frozen smile, leaning back to whisper into her ear.

“Get lost.”

If your transmigration was truly a book, surely the author’s primary fetish wouldn’t be a gender-bent, female-corrupted Duq’arael…

right?

[Rhodes’s Note: “Duq’arael” is the true name of the Sanguinarch, the ancient, male Vampire Lord of the Sarkaz Royal Court.

“Female-corrupted” refers to a popular internet/fanfiction trope where imposing male bosses are inexplicably gender-bent into cute anime girls.]

[Rhodes’s Note:

Enjoying the operation so far, Doctor?

(This daily grind literally pays the landship’s rent!

to use the links!)