Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: The Blood Vassal
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“Vassal?”
“Yes. Do you know how to make a slave?”
“I do. But humans can’t handle my blood. And even if you turn one into a slave, anyone can tell they’re not normal, so they’re not very useful.”
That’s what happened to Maverick, who had tried to kill him in the dungeon.
A monster that craved nothing but blood.
Without a master, a vampire’s slave was nothing more than a beast.
“Yes, yes. But my teacher said vassals are different. If someone with exceptionally strong mental fortitude accepts the Origin’s blood, their ego doesn’t collapse, and they retain all their human abilities. So not just anyone can become a vassal...”
Romari continued, glancing at Eugene’s reaction.
“This knight might actually make it work.”
“Milord, milord! Let’s do it. If we leave him like this, the big bear guy’s done for, right?”
Even Mirian chimed in.
“Hmm.”
Eugene looked down quietly at Galpredic.
‘Galpredic isn’t your average human, that’s for sure. It’d be a shame to lose him. Worth a shot.’
Having made up his mind, Eugene lifted Galpredic’s body into his arms.
He took a deep breath, then sank his fangs into the man’s nape.
Blood and fluids seeped from the tips of Eugene’s teeth, infiltrating Galpredic’s veins.
Whoosh!
‘Hm?’
Eugene was startled by the sudden sensation of his entire body heating up.
‘Kuh!’
The blood was draining out far too quickly. Nothing like with Maverick—it was completely out of control.
And that wasn’t all.
His vitality—no, something more primal—was being sucked from the tips of his fangs into Galpredic.
‘Da...mn...’
As the shocked Eugene instinctively tried to pull away.
- The rite of inheritance begins.
A strange voice echoed in Eugene’s mind. The same voice he’d heard when he first grasped the red mana stone.
- The familiar is the sovereign’s possession.
- The familiar’s soul binds to the sovereign under the rite of blood.
- All the familiar’s power likewise binds to the sovereign.
- Thus, the inheritance concludes.
Every battle Galpredic had ever fought flooded into Eugene’s mind.
The secret swordsmanship of the Galpredic family and the techniques of all his opponents were etched into Eugene’s brain—no, his very soul—like engravings.
“Kraaagh!”
The red aura swirling around Eugene and Galpredic exploded outward in all directions.
“Urgh...”
Only then did Eugene detach from Galpredic, but he could barely hold himself up.
“Eu-Eugene!”
“Milord!”
Eugene waved off the mage and spirit, who were mesmerized by the overwhelming sight, and staggered toward the minotaur’s corpse.
He drained every last drop of the monster’s blood, which was starting to congeal on the carcass, before finally lifting his head.
“...!”
Romari’s jaw dropped at the far more intense glow in Eugene’s eyes.
‘I’ve never heard of this.’
According to her teacher, it wasn’t easy for a powerful vampire to create a vassal, but it wasn’t impossible either.
He’d lose quite a bit of vitality, but sucking blood would restore it quickly.
The awakened vassal would gain new powers as a member of the Night Clan, but the vampire itself wouldn’t change much.
Just the same as before.
Yet this peculiar Origin masquerading as a knight somehow felt even stronger than before.
‘This is weird...’
Feeling a mage’s curiosity amid her fear, Romari cautiously spoke up.
“Sir Eugene, are you alright?”
“I’m fine. But...”
Contrary to Romari’s explanation, he’d heard “familiar” and “sovereign,” and he’d absorbed every combat technique Galpredic had ever learned as a knight. Eugene pondered briefly.
But he decided there was no need to tell Romari. He turned his gaze to Galpredic, who still lay motionless like the dead.
“When does he wake up?”
“J-Just wait a bit longer.”
As Romari panicked.
“Uwaaagh! You son of a bitch!”
Galpredic shot up with a booming curse.
“Eek!”
“Kieek!”
The startled mage fell on her butt, and the spirit hid behind Eugene’s back.
“Hahk! Heok! Heok!”
Panting roughly like a man waking from a nightmare, Galpredic looked around wildly until his eyes met Eugene’s.
“Do you recognize me, Galpredic?”
“I-Is this a dream?”
“It’s reality.”
“No way... I was in some blood-red hell, hearing talk of a blood inheritance or whatever.”
“...!”
As Eugene was inwardly startled, Galpredic tilted his head and his eyes turned to Romari.
“Huh? Who’s the girl?”
“She’s a mage.”
“Definitely a dream then. Or the devil’s parting gift? Body’s kinda lacking, but the face is decent, so maybe one last round... Gah!”
“Sir Eugene. Looks like he needs a harder smack to come to his senses.”
Eugene slapped Galpredic’s cheek mercilessly, and Romari offered advice laced with emotion.
“It’s not a dream—it’s reality. Galpredic, you’re alive. And from now on, you’ll need to change how you talk to and address me.”
Eugene infused his voice with pressure.
Galpredic’s eyes flashed once, and he flinched.
“What’re you talking about, Master? Huh?”
“Still talking casually. Did it not work properly?”
“No, I mean, what the hell is going on, Master? Huh?”
Galpredic looked up at Eugene with wide eyes, having uttered the unintended title twice.
Seeing the faint red glow in Galpredic’s originally light-brown eyes, Eugene clicked his tongue in mild disappointment.
“Seems like it worked... and didn’t. Anyway, welcome to your rebirth as a vampire, Galpredic.”
“Kieeeek! Milord finally got a vassal? On the path to demon king overlord? Kiiieeeeek!”
Mirian’s excited shrieks rang in Eugene’s ears.
* * *
“So the Master was a vampire from the start, and he turned me into a vassal when I was about to die?”
In truth, it was a familiar, not a vassal, but Eugene nodded.
“Yeah. If you want to die honorably like a proper human, I can do that right now. But you’re not that devout, are you?”
“Well... yeah, not really. Ha! This is something.”
Galpredic scratched his head vigorously, staring at Eugene in disbelief. He’d been sure he was dead, but waking up as a vampire was impossible to accept.
“It’s true. If not for Sir Eugene, you’d be dead for sure. Monster chow, even. Would’ve been better if we’d left you.”
Galpredic scowled at Romari’s last words, her poor first impression of him still raw.
“Petty mage. I said your face was pretty, didn’t I?”
“Huh? What did I do?”
Still stung by the body comment, Romari whipped her expressionless face away.
“Mages, man. Anyway, so I can’t go in sunlight anymore? Gotta suck human blood?”
“You can walk in daylight if you cover up well. I did. And for blood, monster blood works. I was fine sucking once every couple months. Not sure about you—first vassal I’ve made.”
“I see.”
Even as a human, Galpredic had quite liked Eugene.
And even if it was due to the contract, the fact remained that Eugene had come into the labyrinth to find him and even revived him.
Above all, his words and presence now inspired a deep, powerful trust unlike before.
‘Is it because I’m a vassal now? Eh, fate I guess.’
Unaware it was the intense bond between master and familiar, a smile crept onto Galpredic’s face.
“By the way, Master. Two requests?”
“Requests?”
“Master’s armor looks great. Get me something similar. And a few cool hats.”
“Fine.”
Even human nobles gifted horses and armor when taking on knights.
It was only natural to invest that much in his first vassal, so Eugene agreed.
“What’s the other?”
“When we get out of here, let me kill just one guy.”
“Kill? Who? Ah, don’t tell me...”
Guessing it, Eugene watched as Galpredic grinned, baring his elongated fangs.
“Rugates. That bastard’s the reason I ended up like this.”
* * *
“Whoa! Such...”
Entler couldn’t close his gaping mouth as he alternated between the unrecognizably emaciated Galpredic, lying as if dead, and Eugene.
Of course, Galpredic was merely pretending to be unconscious, but no one could tell.
“The Cyclops killed all the Templars from St. Lagren Monastery?”
“Precisely, the monsters it commanded did. The battlefield was too vast for any countermeasures. Crafty bastard.”
They’d agreed to hide the minotaur kill, so Eugene told the lie he’d prepared.
“Yeah. That’s why we tried to avoid it if possible. Where’d it go?”
“It got spooked by Lady Romari’s magic and fled deeper in. Wanted to chase, but it had too many lesser monsters. That’s why Lady Romari couldn’t cast properly either.”
“I’m sorry. Like Sir Eugene said, there were too many monsters. And Sir Galpredic looked critically injured. Saving him was the priority.”
“Hmm.”
With even Romari weighing in, Entler nodded gravely.
The subjugation’s goal was primarily to check on Galpredic and his team’s survival, not just kill monsters for byproducts and mana stones.
From that angle, Eugene and Romari’s judgment was sound. Chasing a cunning giant monster alone in an unfamiliar labyrinth was suicide.
Plus, they’d brought back Galpredic.
“Understood. Still, Sir Galpredic looks in terrible shape.”
Eugene nodded down at Galpredic, whose unconscious acting was as masterful as his swordsmanship.
“He took a mana crystal Lady Romari made herself, so he’ll be fine. She says he’ll wake in four or five days—no need to worry.”
“Good. Just the Templars are unfortunate. Oh, what about their bodies?”
“They were too mangled to identify. Situation was urgent, so all I could grab were their swords.”
Eugene showed the Templars’ swords as he gave his prepared answer.
“Whew~ No helping it. At least their honor lives on, thanks to you.”
To a Templar who’d cut ties with the world, the church-issued sword was honor itself, a second self.
Knights often failed to recover bodies from labyrinths, so bringing back the swords would earn gratitude from the monastery.
“Anyway, you’ve done great work, Sir Eugene. Thanks to you.”
“No. Without the Templars, who knows. Speaking of, why not make them the heroes of this subjugation? Only those three died, right?”
“Hm. Not bad. They did fight the Cyclops, after all...”
Entler pondered.
In truth, they’d died disobeying orders and acting alone, which would tarnish their honor if revealed.
It would also embarrass St. Lagren Monastery, who’d sent them.
‘We saved Galpredic too. Better do as he says.’
Entler decided.
“Alright, let’s do it. But are you sure? You’re the one who actually slew the monsters and saved Galpredic.”
“I’m satisfied my friend’s safe. Let the fallen Templars take the credit and honor—it’s the proper tribute to them.”
“Whoa!”
Entler’s eyes widened.
Such true friendship, consideration, and mercy from a freelance knight!
“I, Entler, will remember your noble decision forever.”
His evaluation of Eugene soared as he nodded repeatedly.
* * *
The subjugation force returned to Count Evergrow’s castle.
They hadn’t rescued the mercenaries, but bringing back Galpredic satisfied Jevin and Count Evergrow, who praised the force lavishly.
As discussed with Eugene, Entler allocated over half the merits to the fallen Templars.
Count Evergrow didn’t care if unknown Templars lived or died, but he sent a letter of condolence and thanks to St. Lagren Monastery.
The abbot, who’d been anxious over the Templars who’d stolen secretly-made semi-mana crystals, fled, and joined the labyrinth subjugation on their own, felt grief and relief in equal measure.
He expressed great gratitude to Eugene for recovering the Templars’ swords amid the crisis.
Of course, he had questions, but fearing Eugene might know about the semi-mana crystals, the abbot stayed silent.
Thus, the labyrinth subjugation incident in Evergrow territory seemed concluded.
Until, that is, after returning to the count’s castle, the knight Galpredic—who’d lain like the dead for over three days—finally got up.
(To be continued)
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