Outing (5)
Still, I couldn't just leave the child standing at the front door this late at night. I offered Beatrice a seat and pulled out a chair myself, settling her in the kitchen first.
"How much do you know about the Black Lotus Society?"
And with that, I broke the ice.
It wasn't really a question meant to elicit a response.
"Truth be told, you don't need to know the details. They're like rebels against the times... reactionary dregs that pop up everywhere."
The follow-up immediately diminished their stature, but it wasn't an exaggeration. If I had to compare them to something from my past life, groups like the Taliban or al-Qaeda would fit the bill.
The only difference was that their leader, the Dark King, was one of the Seven Strongest. But even that was barely the lifeline keeping their pathetic organization afloat.
The Black Lotus Society's goal of overthrowing the empire... In other words, toppling the mighty Dersia Empire, which controlled more than half of this vast continent—that was a pipe dream even a neighborhood kid could see through.
After all, more than half of the superhumans who had reached the Seven Strongest—four of them, all 8th Hierarchy or higher—were either aligned with the empire or sympathetic to it.
The Dark King's presence was a thorn in the side, sure, but they were nothing more than that: insignificant pests. That was the common perception of the Black Lotus Society. Even stripping away the blind disdain, it was close to the facts.
From the perspective of this mighty empire under His Majesty's rule, they were rebels that could be crushed anytime if the empire got serious—but there were too many other priorities, so they hadn't been exterminated yet.
The problem, however...
"That's only from the standpoint of this great empire ruled by His Majesty."
"......"
"We're just powerless, fragile commoners, aren't we?"
The empire could afford to dismiss the Black Lotus Society precisely because it was a great empire. But for us, who had to face them head-on right now, we were nothing but defenseless individuals.
Beatrice shot a skeptical glance at my sword sheath, but I ignored it and pressed on.
"The Black Lotus Society is persistent. They're like vermin that slither under doorframes and infest your home. And those bastards have their eyes on you."
That was enough of a crash course on the Black Lotus Society. Time to get to the point.
Click.
I opened the wooden box containing the empty vial Beatrice had used earlier, picked it up between my thumb and forefinger, and gave it a light shake.
"Blood Death Disease. The illness you're suffering from. You know it well, but it's so rare that even scouring the entire continent, you wouldn't find a hundred patients."
"......"
At my words, Beatrice's face darkened slightly as she gripped her arm tightly. I put the vial back and averted my gaze.
"Of those hundred, ninety-nine will die before they even hit twenty... And even the lucky one is destined to become a cripple or an idiot."
"......What are you trying to say?"
Maybe I was too blunt, even with the patient right in front of me. Beatrice responded with a faint, oddly hurt expression.
I gave a wry smile and continued.
"Well, hear me out. You think I'd bring this up just to mock my own daughter's plight?"
"......"
"Hmm. The thing is, the Blood Death Disease isn't just some ordinary incurable illness. It hides a secret that isn't widely known."
"......A secret?"
"Yes."
I nodded at Beatrice, who furrowed her brow in confusion, but hesitated for a split second.
Was it really okay to tell her this now? It felt a bit premature, but...
It was a conversation that had to happen eventually. With the Black Lotus Society attacking like this, I couldn't keep putting it off.
I let out a low sigh.
"The Blood Death Disease... It's called a 'disease' because it inevitably kills those it afflicts, but those who know the truth call it something else."
I hesitated again before saying the next part, even though I'd already made up my mind. After all, this was a child suffering from it in real time, tormented by countless heartaches.
I knew it wouldn't sound pleasant. After a brief pause, I finally opened my mouth.
"The Blessing of Evolution."
"......Huh?"
"In the distant past, among the great races that once existed but have now vanished, there were the 'lords of blood' revered as objects of faith: the Vampir."
The Blood Death Disease you have is a side effect that occurs when their power is inherited by humans.
Beatrice stared at me blankly, and I looked at her with a bittersweet expression.
"......You might know the term 'atavism.' That's what this is. One of your distant ancestors was a Vampir, and that power is manifesting in your body now, transcending generations."
My gaze fixed precisely on her heart.
Beatrice noticed it too. She blinked in bewilderment, glanced down at her chest, and her eyes filled with an indescribably complex emotion.
......For now, there was no need to tell her that in the near future, she'd overcome this evolutionary process and awaken her blood powers.
Knowing won't do her any good.
It was too much information. At least for this moment.
I smoothly changed the subject.
"The Dark King personally harbors a ton of grudges against the empire. He wants to overthrow it in his lifetime, no matter what."
I recalled the gloomy man's face—I'd seen him once, three years ago—and continued.
"His obsession with Blood Death Disease patients stems from that context. He's the type who'll use any means for his grand scheme, so he probably sees them as potential weapons."
Just a hundred years ago, there had actually been a man who survived the Blood Death Disease and awakened his powers. Historically, it was more famous as the "Bloodbath Incident"...
Some records claimed an entire kingdom vanished overnight.
The Dark King must have been hooked on those exaggerated tales. And yet, here he was, kidnapping hordes of kids who might never awaken—just suffering from the disease.
The lunatic.
Ironically, Beatrice ended up being one of the few who actually did awaken her blood powers among those abducted kids. And unlike that man from a century ago, her aptitude was so exceptional she could potentially drown a nation in a sea of blood.
I clicked my tongue in disapproval, and around then, Beatrice finally spoke, her voice strained.
"......Me too......"
She still looked deeply shocked, her face pale as she murmured.
"They were going to kidnap me to use as a weapon? The Black Lotus Society...?"
"......Something like that."
Mature for her age or not, she was still a child. It wasn't easy to accept.
Especially since, without me, that's exactly what would have happened. It must have sent chills down her spine.
I watched her shoulders start to tremble faintly and opened my mouth, then closed it.
"Hmm......"
Maybe it was too soon for the truth. She looked like she needed some mental care, even belatedly.
Awkward as it was, I forced a bright smile.
"Hey, don't worry too much! No matter what tricks the Black Lotus Society pulls, as long as I'm here, they can't touch you."
"......"
"Even if the Dark King himself shows up, I can get you out of there. I guarantee it. Worst case, we flee to another city..."
"......"
"......"
What a shame. My comforting didn't seem to help much.
Or maybe I just had no talent for it?
No matter what I said, Beatrice's face remained dark. Her shoulders slumped, and her hands fidgeted timidly on her thighs.
Cold sweat beaded on my skin in this unfamiliar situation, but I couldn't pile on more words.
The most effective fatherly move would be to gently hug his sullen daughter, of course.
But how the hell do you do that?
We'd grown a bit closer over the past ten days, but I didn't think we were that close yet.
Forcing it might backfire. If I mustered the courage to spread my arms and she pushed me away like I was something filthy... my heart would shatter.
"Ahem......"
In the end, I glared at the innocent clock and decided to use the late hour as an excuse to wrap things up.
"It's late. Beatrice, you've had a rough day all around—you must be tired. How about heading up to your room?"
"......"
Beatrice, who had been hanging her head listlessly, finally looked at me.
Her hollow, lightless eyes stared languidly, and it was unbearably awkward.
I flinched and averted my gaze, adding cautiously.
"......No, I mean, if you don't want to, I won't force you. It's just late, so maybe it's time to turn in? Yeah, that's all. Don't misunderstand."
"......"
"Ahem."
I knew I sounded pathetic. What kind of father stammers like this to his daughter?
Bad look. As I cleared my throat and tried to speak again—
Hop.
"......Beatrice?"
Without a word, she hopped down from the chair and shuffled toward the stairs with listless steps.
I stood frozen as she climbed to the second floor, opened her door, and went in.
Creeeak...
Thud!
"Ah."
Only when the distant sound of the door closing reached my ears did I snap out of it.
I recalled Beatrice's final expression, burned into my mind like a brand, and my lips twitched.
"......Ha......"
Had I ever felt this profound sense of defeat recently? Not since I'd more or less adapted to this world, at least.
A strange pain stabbed at my chest. I rubbed my dry face with both hands.
Did I hurt her feelings?
I couldn't tell. I wasn't versed enough in a child's or girl's emotions to decipher that complex look.
All that lingered was regret: I should have chosen my words more carefully, softened the blow...
"......"
I stood there blankly for a moment, pressing my eyelids, and let out a silent sigh.
......What face should I make when greeting Beatrice tomorrow morning?
I need to make breakfast.
No idea. Like I'd said, I wasn't that wise.
*****
After some self-reflection in the kitchen, I headed back to my room on the second floor.
"Whoa, you scared me."
"......"
Ridiculously, all the worries and anguish about Beatrice I'd been harboring melted away like snow.
And for good reason.
"......Wh-what are you doing here?"
My adopted daughter, whom I'd assumed had gone to her own room, was sitting on my bed in her pajamas.
She'd even deliberately brought a pillow from her room and was hugging it tightly to her chest.
I asked in bewilderment, and she glanced at me with shining eyes before replying.
"Just for tonight...... Can we sleep together?"
"......"
It was an answer, sure.
But not one that convinced me.
I wondered if I'd misheard, tapping my temple in a daze.