My Alter Ego’s Path to Greatness - Chapter 27

La Perla

: “Thank you for your hard work. Here is the balance.”

“ha ha ha. What. “We will be in this city for a while, so if you have anything else to do, please call us anytime.”

I paid the balance to the mercenaries who escorted me to the city of La Perla and said goodbye.

I was able to reach the city without any major problems with the mercenaries I hired this time.

“This is the city of La Perla… It’s big.”

Diana held Aaron’s hand tightly and looked around the city with admiration.

It could not be compared to Azantu City and was the largest city among the cities we had passed by so far.

“I guess it’s because it’s close to the capital. “Because Talaria, the capital of the Kingdom of Thalia, is a few days away from here.”

Even though the kingdom of Thalia is a small country on the border, once it becomes the capital, it is on a whole different scale in terms of scale.

Surrounding cities could not help but be affected.

“I’m worried about how I’ll find my uncle here…”

Diana sighed and said worriedly.

Seeing her worry for no reason, I lightly shrugged my shoulders.

“I know your name and what you do, so what are you worried about? “It won’t take that long.”

I have also now eaten some Jjambap at the Outerica level.

Gathering that much information was nothing.

It’s been 3 days since I stayed in the city.

This was the time it took to find an information dealer and find out the location of Diana’s uncle.

“…You found it really quickly.”

“There’s nothing you can’t do as long as you have enough money. “There’s no need to rush, so take your time and it could have been done sooner.”

On the first day, after disposing of the carriage, I found a place to stay and rested with the children. On the second day, I visited an information merchant and submitted a request.

And today, on the third day, I received the information.

“I heard your uncle runs a grocery store in the commercial district on South Street. “There doesn’t seem to be any major problem.”

“I’m glad I didn’t make a mistake.”

Directions to the grocery store.

Diana continued to take deep breaths to compose herself.

“Why are you doing that? “You seem very nervous.”

“…Anyway, the last time I saw him in person was when I was very young. “Do you even remember me?”

Seeing her clearly worried look, I smiled and gently stroked her head.

“You don’t even have to worry about anything. For adults, a few years go by quickly. Rather, they will greet you with surprise and ask when you have grown so much.”

Diana looked at me blankly as I stroked her head.

Embarrassed, I cleared my throat and took my hand off his head.

She laughed and played with her hair.

“As expected, you are an uncle. “I was worried because my personality seemed to have changed a lot recently.”

“…Your personality has changed? I?”

“yes. Your way of speaking has also changed. Something serious and calm? Well, that’s cool too.”

Diana lightly sticks out her tongue and smiles.

…I wasn’t aware of it at all, but when I thought about it calmly, it was definitely the case.

It was clear when things changed.

‘Is this an influence of ‘Persona’? ‘It changed so naturally that I wasn’t conscious of it.’

Acrich Hans was given a desire to be acknowledged, along with negative emotions such as loneliness and pain.

However, vampire Heinz II seemed to be given a cool and calm personality.

‘Is it something that appears naturally depending on the characteristics of the individual?… It’s probably not a bad thing.’

Because you could control it as much as you wanted.

It was easier to leave it alone so I didn’t bother touching it.

After talking and walking like that for some time, we finally arrived at our destination.

An ordinary grocery store with nothing special.

“Come on in~ Is there something you’re looking for?

As the children approached, a middle-aged man who appeared to be the owner came out from inside and shouted brightly.

“Now uncle! hello! This is Diana. This is my younger brother Aaron…”

“…Hello…”

Diana greeted Aaron as she took his hand and stepped forward.

Aaron hesitated and bowed.

He said it had been over 5 years since they last met, so for young Aaron, it would be like meeting an adult for the first time.

“Ugh? Diana? Aaron? You’ve grown so much in the time we’ve never seen each other! But how did you guys get here…”

I explained the situation to Bolt, the bewildered store owner.

Without talking about vampires, the siblings’ parents died in Azantu and they lived a difficult life together before meeting me.

And the fact that they came all the way here with children who had nowhere else to go.

“…sigh. I see. My brother and sister-in-law… must have had a hard time. Good job. “You worked hard…”

When he heard the situation, he cried and hugged the brother and sister who were standing awkwardly.

“Oh…no. We’re fine… Ugh!”

“Noona… don’t cry…”

The children’s eyes stiffened for a moment in the warm embrace, but soon their eyes filled with tears and they hugged him and cried loudly.

‘Still, I’m glad you seem to be a good person.’

Among the information I found out about him through an intelligence dealer was his reputation.

Because you can’t leave your children in the hands of a wicked person.

If that were the case, I was planning to tell Diana that I couldn’t find him and take other measures…

‘Now all I have to do is grease it up a bit.’

He explained the whole story to his wife, who was startled by the commotion outside, and went inside.

Immediately after entering the living space at the back of the store, I made eye contact with a child of about three or four years old sitting on the floor playing with a doll.

“…suddenly.”

A girl sniffing and looking at us with bright eyes.

The child, who seemed to be startled by the sudden visitor, got up from his seat, squirming, and came over with a grunt, burying his face in the width of the wife’s skirt.

Then he gently tilted his head and observed this side carefully.

Two small eyes twinkled as if they were interested in the siblings who didn’t seem to have much age difference.

“Oh my… I hope these little ones have had a lot of trouble…”

The wife, who was skillfully holding her daughter and patting her, looked at the siblings with pity and offered to wash their faces, which were messed up from crying. He took the children and disappeared inside.

“It must not have been easy to come here with the children. Thank you for caring so much.”

When only the two of them were left, Bolt bowed his head and expressed his gratitude.

“no. “I also received a lot of help from the children and enjoyed traveling with them.”

But there wasn’t long time to talk like that.

Because he also had to worry about making a living.

“Is the owner here~?”

“Yes yes! Please come quickly~!”

When he heard people calling outside, Bolt rushed out to greet the customer.

Since I was planning on staying in the city for a few more days anyway and watching, I decided to come back later and parted ways with them.

***

“I can’t accept this much money. “I already owe a lot to the children…”

The next day, I had a separate conversation with Bolt.

To provide financial support necessary to raise children.

“no. As I said last time, I also received help from those children in many ways. There is nothing particularly burdensome about this level. “I hope this can help take care of the children.”

From the perspective of ordinary people, it was a lot of money, but to me, who had devoured the people who monopolized the city’s wealth, it was nothing more than a new blood sacrifice.

‘I got it with Diana’s help, so this is it. I feel sorry for not being able to take more care of it here, but wealth that cannot be protected is actually more dangerous.’

After hesitating for a moment, he reluctantly accepted the money bag.

Although he initially refused, it must have been a burden to have two more mouths to feed.

“I have become very attached to the children. “I plan to make time to visit.”

And he hinted that he would support it every time.

Instead, they requested that children be actively supported if there is something they want to learn.

“Of course! “I will cherish my child as if he were my own child, without any discrimination.”

It is unclear whether there will truly be no discrimination, but this is a subsidy to prevent it in the first place.

Since they said they would continue to support them in the future, they wouldn’t be treated harshly even if it was out of curiosity.

It’s been a week since I stayed in La Perla.

I was saying goodbye to my siblings.

“Ah… uncle. I am truly grateful for that time. Breathe! I really am…”

“Uh-huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun~ uncle!”

Diana, who is struggling to hold back her tears, and Aaron, who is hugged while crying loudly.

After being together for nearly two months and feeling a lot of affection, I, too, felt wrinkled at the end of my nose.

“Well, it’s not like I won’t be able to see you forever. I’ll stop by often. In the meantime, you should listen carefully to Mr. Bolt and stay healthy?”

Diana, who started learning the store’s work, and Aaron, who took care of his 4-year-old cousin.

I hugged the two children and patted them.

“How often?”

“huh?”

“I heard you stop by often. “How often will you come?”

Oh, I haven’t thought about it.

I took a moment to gather my thoughts as Diana asked me clearly.

“Hmm… Even if I can’t, I’ll try to come once a year.”

“…one year. It can’t be helped. Well… it’s okay if you don’t think you can come. “Please stop by whenever you have time.”

Diana smiled with tearful eyes, probably because she didn’t want to burden me.

There was nothing difficult about using Song Dong-jin, but I was so amazed that I stroked my head.

After saying hello, I walked steadily and turned around and waved to my siblings.

The children continued to wave their hands to see me off until they completely disappeared from sight.

‘Something makes me sad. I really hope they do well. I’ll have to pay attention often.’

They were children to whom I felt attached in many ways.

It was also the first relationship I made at Outerica.

‘Then shall we go to the capital first?’

I didn’t have much money because I gave the support money to Bolt and gave Diana a large emergency fund… but

Heinz didn’t really need any money to move alone.

I left the city and walked aimlessly until the sun set.

As time passes, darkness falls around us.

Food!

A flock of bats flew across the night sky.

***

At dawn, after traveling all night, I was able to reach Talaria, which would take several days on horseback.

“This is the capital of the Kingdom of Thalia… Is it possible to enter?”

So far, I’ve managed to hide my identity, but it might be difficult to get through the capital.

‘Should I call Heinrich at this point?’

The reason I came all the way to the capital was for Heinrich.

This is because I was greatly impressed by the paladins I met as Hans not long ago.

An honor that is respected by everyone in the world where one wields a sacred sword.

While collecting information in the city, we also conducted additional research on the denomination.

After considering many things, I came to the conclusion that there was a good possibility and came here to enroll Heinrich.

Because there was a temple of the main church in the capital city of Talaria.

Looking at the capital from the hill like that—.

That moment.

“Hmm…. “What are you doing?”

The sudden sound of a woman’s voice gave me goosebumps.

‘I didn’t feel anything…!’

I looked back and widened the distance, but the other person just stared at my fingertips.

Fingertips covered with drops of blood.

Pit—

At that moment, I felt a tingling pain in the back of my neck.

I quickly controlled the bleeding, stopped it, and raised my guard.

‘Damn… I thought things would work out well.’

She looked at the blood on her fingertips and slowly brought it to her mouth and licked it.

“As expected… there is no doubt that he is the child who inherited our clan’s blood.”

A beautiful woman in her early 20s with her bright blonde hair pulled back to reveal a pure white neck, wearing a gorgeous red dress and holding a parasol.

Its true identity is probably a true-blooded vampire of the Brokoslag Clan.

“I smelled blood and wondered if it was possible. You preyed on your own kind? And a member of the same clan?”

I felt my body stiffen as I faced blood-red eyes.

“How was that possible? Please indicate who your immediate blood relatives were. “It appears that there were no proper restrictions on the blood to be inherited.”

Her red eyes glowed magically and her limbs were tightened.

The mouth tries to open regardless of will.

“Anyway, since you broke the clan’s laws, you and your immediate blood relatives will be punished as well. …if he’s alive.”

‘…Right. Is this a magic eye?’

Eyes glowing red with blood magic force one’s actions.

You won’t be able to resist it at any level.

“Resistance is useless at your level. “Open your mouth obediently.”

Of course, this does not apply to me.

‘Ha… It seems like the same pattern is repeated every time. What number is it? ‘I need to build up my strength quickly.’

Every time you think you have become stronger, stronger ones keep popping up.

That will continue to repeat itself unless you stand at the top of this world.

It was unavoidable for now.

“…It lasts quite a long time. But even so…”

I ignored the vampire who was talking in front of me and used the all-purpose escape method of canceling the summoning.

It didn’t matter because I achieved my goal anyway, but I couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed.

‘Tsk, we’ll see later.’

It probably won’t take that long.

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