Chapter 149: Iona's Observation Diary (4)
Chapter 149: Iona's Observation Diary (4)
Fortunately, Iona had been kind enough to leave the lights on, allowing me to take in the entire laboratory at a glance.
There were experimental tools I couldn't even identify, a massive desk, and stacks of books piled high on top of it.
And finally, asserting its presence right in the center of the wall, was a portrait of Iona.
…Good grief.
Who hangs a giant painting of themselves like that?
Looking at the portrait, I could almost hear an imaginary voice shouting, "Enter Iona!"
"Hah."
It was a bit ridiculous, but the lab itself was surprisingly well-organized.
However, since I didn't know when she might return, I couldn't stay long. I had to finish my business quickly and get out.
With that in mind, I headed toward the desk first.
It wasn't like I'd understand anything by looking at the experimental tools anyway.
At most, I could tell that the bubbling, dark red liquid smelled like blood.
Even if that weren't the case, it was a mage's instinct to record important information. If I dug around, I was bound to find something.
"Let's see..."
The first things that caught my eye were a book lying open as if it had been read until just moments ago, and a notebook sprawled out beside it.
First, I skimmed through the contents of the book.
‘A genius mage never kneels…!
Pink Lotus crouched down, spreading her legs into an M-shape.
It was a truly natural and dignified posture.’
"Ack."
Isn't this that book I saw in the library the other day, [Picked Up a Self-Proclaimed Genius Mage]?
I skimmed through it just in case, but it really was just a typical erotic novel.
Wait. It’s actually kind of hot, so maybe it’s an extraordinary erotic novel?
Regardless, it didn't feel like there were any grand secrets hidden inside.
Well, there might be a code that only appears if you know the decryption method… but there’s no end to that kind of thinking. I should check if I can find another copy at the bookstore when I go out this weekend.
Judging by the publisher's logo on the cover, it wasn't a one-of-a-kind handmade book, but something mass-produced for sale.
Nodding to myself, I flipped it back to the original page and reached for the notebook next to it.
I felt the touch of high-quality, soft, yet sturdy leather. There was even a strange flow of mana, as if some kind of magic had been enchanted onto it.
If it’s an enchantment for a notebook, is it preservation magic?
It’s a relatively common spell, but the price for a permanent enchantment is quite substantial.
This notebook alone probably cost more than all the stacks of books surrounding it.
Realizing that made me snap to attention.
Using an item of this caliber meant Iona cherished it that much.
A student entering a professor's lab and snooping through their precious notebook?
At best, that’s a stalker; at worst, it’s a spy, isn't it…?
For a moment, I hesitated, wondering if this was right, but it was far too late for such concerns.
Once you've stepped into the lab, there's no turning back.
Suppressing my racing heart at the thought of doing something bad, I opened the notebook.
Flip.
And the moment I read the contents, I couldn't think of anything else.
*
—The Lord gave me this notebook as a gift. He commanded me to write in it every day, even if only briefly.
He jokingly called it homework, but his underlying meaning was easy to grasp.
He wants me to organize my past and live looking toward the future. Tomorrow. The day after. And the day after that. Forever.
That must be why this notebook is thicker than it looks.
—I drank blood for the first time. I felt a sense of repulsion at first, but once it touched my lips, I couldn't believe how sweet it was.
Perhaps that's why I went a little too far.
Fortunately, the Lord stopped me, so the woman I kidnapped didn't die.
After erasing her memories and sending her back, the Lord looked at me with a serious face.
He said a vampire must rule over blood, not be ruled by it.
But to me, it just looked like he didn't want to kill that woman from earlier.
Just like how he shared his own blood with me—someone he’d only spoken to a few times and didn't even need to take in as a kin.
Even from another woman's perspective, he is a beautiful person, and his heart seems just as beautiful.
—Looking in the mirror after a long time, I realized my face has changed significantly from my memory. And for the better.
The Lord pulled on my cheeks, saying my body is gradually becoming more vampire-like.
When I grumbled at him to stop treating me like a child, he countered by saying we now share the same blood and are family, and that I am no different from his own child.
He’s usually playful to the point of being a bit of a fool, yet he makes such serious expressions at times like this.
I felt a bit choked up.
To me, "family" had only ever meant those pig-like people who tried to sell their child for the highest price possible.
I was lucky enough to be taken in by the Lord, but what about my sister… what happened to Ayla?
I'm so worried I can't sleep.
—I finally arrived at the abandoned castle where the clan resides.
Lord Francesca.
A name so famous that even I, a mere country girl, knew it.
I was nervous that the Francesca Clan might be terrifying… but it was all for nothing.
They welcomed me, the newcomer, warmly, saying that since all clan members share the Lord's blood, we are essentially relatives.
I felt like I was going to cry at being treated like that for the first time.
I found out later that everyone has their own story and is indebted to the Lord, just like me.
Perhaps that's why the Lord takes people like us in as kin….
Anyway, if a new kin ever joins us, I'll make sure to treat them just as well.
—I met a vampire from another clan for the first time.
I heard that other clans are quite strict, unlike the Francesca Clan.
It felt like a society with a rigid hierarchy, with a Lord at the apex.
However, they say that as long as you have power, you can overturn the rankings as much as you want.
Except for the Lord, the master of the blood.
The Lord can issue something called an Absolute Command to their kin, so no matter how strong you are, you can't oppose them.
Of course, that doesn't matter to me. None of us would ever dream of rebelling against the Lord.
“……”
After that, the story of "Baby Vampire Iona" continued for quite a while.
By the way, I realized it once I opened it—this notebook has its page count massively increased through space distortion magic.
Even now, after the War of the Gods where the overall level of magic has risen, this is an expensive magical tool.
To give such a tool as a gift before the war….
Did the woman known as the Lord see something in Iona? Or was it just as Iona said—an encouragement to live strong from then on?
"Either way, it doesn't matter."
I don't know the exact details since her time as a human wasn't recorded… but it’s certain she had a very depressing past.
To such an Iona, the affection of the other clan members and the Lord's occasional silly pranks must have been a great source of strength.
Stories that never appeared in H&A—stories that no one but Iona herself would know now—were meticulously recorded in the notebook.
Now I finally understand why Iona was so blindly obsessed with revenge.
To begin with, the Francesca Clan wasn't like a typical vampire clan… it must have been a place that felt like family in the best sense of the word.
To have such people slaughtered—the grudge must have pierced her to the bone, making it impossible to forget even if she wanted to.
After letting out a deep sigh with a heavy heart, I continued reading.
In the notebook, Iona learned magic, learned how to fight, and learned how to manipulate blood.
In that way, she gradually became a complete vampire.
—I won the duel again today. Now, it seems there's no one in the clan stronger than me, except for the Lord.
Part of it is that the other clan members don't enjoy fighting… but maybe my talent is just that exceptional.
To think I caught up to everyone in just ten years.
Of course, compared to the Lord, my abilities are still as faint as a firefly.
—Once I reached a point where I wouldn't get beaten up wherever I went, the Lord gave me permission to travel outside freely.
I’d been stuck in the castle all this time for training, so it was getting a bit stifling. I’ll pack my bags today and start traveling around tomorrow.
—The abandoned castle where the clan lives had a divine barrier that blocked sunlight through the Lord's power, and I realized anew how incredible that was.
Avoiding sunlight and moving only at night is quite troublesome.
…I’ve started to miss the warmth of the sun a little.
—The outside world I returned to after ten years hadn't changed a bit.
When I went to see what my biological parents—who had tormented me so—were up to, I found out they had both been dead for a long time.
Apparently, some noble who was originally supposed to purchase me killed them all in a fit of rage?
Serves them right.
However, I felt a bit depressed when I heard that my sister, Ayla, had gone missing.
Did that noble take her after all? I don't know. I hope not….
Just in case, I investigated every suspicious noble, but I couldn't find any trace of Ayla.
—Some guys picked a fight with me, so I beat them up. This much should be fine, right?
—Some guys came to capture me for some reason, so I beat them up again. Is this… really okay?
From this point on, the notebook was filled with Iona's exploits as she traveled around causing chaos.
Is this why she was famous even before the War of the Gods?
In Iona's mind, she was only using force within reasonable limits, but to others, she must have looked like nothing more than a crazy vampire.
And for good reason. Even if they picked the fight first, she hunted down an entire large mercenary group like rats.
She made knights put their faces on the ground in front of everyone.
When those two incidents became a problem and the local lord issued a punishment force, she half-destroyed the lord's castle and fled.
She did all sorts of crazy things, so her infamy was bound to stack up quickly.
Furthermore, because Iona avoided killing as much as possible back then, the survivors spread rumors, causing her notoriety to reach far and wide.
I knew Iona had made a name for herself in her younger days, but I didn't realize it was like this….
Anyway, right around the time Iona's infamy spread throughout the now-destroyed Nersia Kingdom.
—The Evil God has descended.
The curtain has risen on the Great War.