Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Fountain Pen (10)
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Katiranya spoke as if recalling a fond memory.
"At the time, I was in the middle of expanding my kin. All because of that damned Holy Kingdom."
"As expected..."
The Holy Kingdom persecuting vampires—it was a terribly familiar tale.
She tilted her head at my reaction.
"Hm? Anyway, that wretched Holy Kingdom borrowed the power of their creator to whittle down the vampires. In response, I never stopped making kin just to survive."
She seemed to hate the Holy Kingdom with a passion.
But back then, it looked like she was winning, and she appeared quite pleased about it.
"As I kept increasing my kin, the Holy Kingdom's influence weakened considerably before I knew it. People started losing faith in their god, and the Kingdom's lackeys were dropping dead left and right. That's when I had one particular wish."
"To build a kingdom?"
"Exactly. With hundreds of vampires already at my command, why not establish a kingdom? It seemed easier to manage things from a fixed location rather than constantly wandering."
Supplying an army on the move was no easy feat, that much was certain.
But founding a kingdom? That was a whole other level.
When I voiced my puzzlement, she explained it was all the rage back then.
"Kingdoms were popping up left and right at the time. So there was nothing strange about me doing the same."
"I see."
Wow, just how long has she been alive?
It was impossible to even guess.
From what I knew, the era of kingdoms springing up like mushrooms was at least a thousand years ago.
Which meant the being before me was over a thousand years old.
This was straight out of a fossil—
"You just thought something terribly rude, didn't you?"
That was the problem with sharp ones like her. Ahem.
Katiranya narrowed her brows ever so slightly and glared at me.
There was no killing intent, but she was clearly displeased, so I shook my head in denial.
"Haha, no way. So what happened next?"
"Hmph, I'll believe you. Anyway, after that, I set out to find land suitable for building a kingdom."
Katiranya began searching for terrain where her kin could rest comfortably.
Crossing rivers, traversing continents.
And in between, clashing with the Holy Kingdom now and then, draining the blood of humans.
Her bizarre and chilling tales of adventure could easily fill a book.
Though if they were ever written down for real, the Holy Kingdom would come knocking for sure.
As Katiranya had said, vampires were off-limits.
Not that I had any plans to write about them anytime soon.
I intended to take a break for a while.
Sorry to the readers, but releasing two books in just a few months was plenty.
Normally, it would take over a year.
Plus, in this medieval era, sequels didn't always happen.
Anyway, I refocused on Katiranya's story.
"After wandering like that, I finally found the perfect spot. It was a mountain range where even daylight barely penetrated."
"A mountain range? You could live in such a harsh place?"
"It was no issue for vampires. Sunlight was the real problem."
Katiranya turned her head toward the window, gazing at the sunlight still pouring in.
She furrowed her brows faintly, staring at it with hatred.
But soon, a light of resignation flickered in her eyes.
She wanted to fight it, but there was no way to win, so she watched it wistfully.
"With my authority and the architectural skills of my kin, we built the kingdom. We raised walls, constructed castles, and created villages in the blink of an eye."
"Impressive, just hearing about it."
She shrugged happily at my praise.
"It was nothing. No one stood in our way back then. We had most of the continent kneeling before us."
I could only imagine the sheer might of that army.
As grand as it sounded, it was still hard to believe.
I hadn't seen it myself, after all.
Katiranya was undoubtedly extraordinary.
She wielded power beyond mere magic.
But claiming she'd subjugated the entire continent? That stretched credibility.
"When the kingdom was first established, we feared nothing. But then the saintess appeared, and everything changed."
A mix of regret, anger, hatred, contempt, and disgust crossed Katiranya's face.
Seeing it, I tensed up without realizing.
To instill fear with just an expression—truly a vampire.
Couldn't let my guard down.
"The saintess was incredibly strong. She wiped out dozens of vampires single-handedly. Back then, our vampires were powerful enough that even the highest kin could threaten a Swordmaster alone."
What? Threaten a Swordmaster?
The standards of strength might differ between then and now.
But Swordmasters were the exception.
They imposed their own laws upon the world.
In mage terms, they were those who had perfected their Inner Realm.
In other words, just threatening someone who could casually level a mountain showed how formidable they were.
"And yet, even after founding the kingdom, we'd grown even stronger."
She spoke with lament, but by then I was fully immersed in her tale.
I'd thought it was unbelievable at first.
Was I enchanted by that passive skill again?
Half-joking, I asked,
"What happened after that?"
"The kingdom went into seclusion, and I wandered the world quietly before falling into slumber. I only awoke recently."
What? That's it? Nothing major?
Where was the grand war?
The all-out clash with the Holy Kingdom!
I hadn't expected much, but I was disappointed anyway.
Katiranya saw my face and chuckled.
"Disappointed there's no fierce battle?"
"W-Well, otherwise it'd be a lie."
"Fair enough. You added chase scenes to Sherlock Holmes, after all."
She nodded as if understanding.
But it felt oddly like she was teasing me. Was it just my imagination?
As my expression started to shift subtly, Katiranya spoke.
"This is part of vampire history. There's more, but knowing this much is enough."
This much is enough?
They were mighty in the past but fell into ruin now?
Honestly, it seemed like she didn't want to say more.
She didn't show it on her face, but I could feel it.
And so, words slipped out unbidden.
"So in conclusion, you built a kingdom and it fell?"
Gasp!
No sooner had the words left my mouth than thick killing intent poured out, heavy enough to feel on my skin.
I couldn't even breathe, just broke out in cold sweat.
As I stared wide-eyed, unable to close them,
"Hehe, you're quite the joker."
"...Haha, you know it."
Crazy, I almost died there.
Luckily, she let it slide this once, and the intent dissipated.
But my heart was still pounding wildly.
I really need to watch my mouth or I'll end up dead.
Sighing inwardly in relief, a sudden important thought struck me.
Despite the brush with death, my curiosity hadn't stopped.
So what exactly are vampires?
Swallowing my rudeness, I asked, and thankfully, her voice returned to normal.
"They fear the sunlight that burns them, crave blood, hate the Holy Kingdom, and each has their own unique authority. But they can't challenge me, the source of that power."
Standard vampires.
The bit about unique authorities stuck out, though.
Having a unique power usually meant they were strong.
I was curious, but since it didn't concern me directly, I set it aside.
What intrigued me more was her.
Other vampires could wait; I wanted to hear about Katiranya's power now.
"So, what about your power?"
"Me? I am the origin of all vampires. I wield darkness and blood, and fear not the sunlight."
Oh? On the surface, no weaknesses.
But surely she had some.
Not that I had any thought—or ability—to harm her, so I lost interest quickly.
She wasn't elaborating further anyway.
"What do you plan to do now?"
"Hm, still thinking. As I said, I haven't been awake long."
Seemed she was still aimless.
But it wasn't my concern anymore.
I'd heard what I wanted, and we weren't close enough for more.
Probably the end of my connection with Katiranya, right?
Even if it continued, it'd be outside.
That's what I thought.
"Looking forward to our time together."
"...Why are you in our mansion?"
Katiranya hadn't left the mansion.
More importantly, why was she chatting and laughing amiably with my sister?
I glanced at Sis, who had a serious expression like she was imparting vital life advice.
"Edn. When money falls into your lap, you can't refuse. Especially when it's this cute."
"Hehe, thank you. Your kind heart matches your beautiful looks."
"Oh my."
No, don't like her.
They were really hitting it off, like a drum and gong duo.
Surprisingly, Katiranya had become a guest of our house.
Waking up the next day to this was utterly bewildering.
A quick check: our parents had conveniently gone out, leaving only Sis.
And Katiranya had exploited that perfectly.
If our parents had been home, she wouldn't have been accepted so quickly.
They'd have pondered it for days at least.
And I'd have used that time to convince them otherwise.
But Sis was decisive, so no prolonged deliberation.
She'd offered money for a live-in guest anyway, so probably no second thoughts.
She was cautious in her own way, but still.
"Sigh, my fault for letting my guard down."
"Hm? What was that?"
"Nothing."
Can't be helped.
I had no idea what she wanted from me, but I'd keep an eye on this vampire to ensure no funny business.
Katiranya smiled innocently at me, oblivious.
"Looking forward to it, Edn. We'll see each other often now."
"Y-Yeah, likewise."
As I shook her proffered hand, I thought,
Damn vampire.
Yet her cool, soft hand felt surprisingly nice.
**
The day Katiranya became our guest, I headed out with Biena in tow.
The reason was simple.
"How are the fountain pens selling?"
"We should check on Sherlock Holmes too. But wanting to gauge the atmosphere before getting the sales report."
To avoid Katiranya and check on my books and fountain pens, that's why.
Surveillance... later.
Biena, however, didn't seem convinced by the excuse.
I shrugged lightly.
"Why? No issue, right? Plus, my head's a mess today, so I wanted some fresh air and a walk."
"Just unexpected. Though from what you're saying, it sounds like checking around while you're at it."
She wasn't wrong.
But the order was reversed.
"Say it's a walk with some checking on the side."
"If you prefer."
And so, Biena and I strolled the streets.
We admired the familiar fountain, bought bread from the bakery, and shared it.
I watched her munch away, then saw her turn away in embarrassment.
It was a peaceful walk until we entered the bookstore.
Sherlock Holmes was still sold out.
The all-too-familiar, predictable scene played in my mind.
"Probably protesting in front of Jenectra Publishing House by now."
"Likely. Hm? Young master, take a look at this."
Biena was uncharacteristically angry.
Well, her brows furrowed slightly, her quiet voice laced with irritation.
It was surprising for her, who tried not to show emotions.
So I took the book she handed me without hesitation.
What could it be?
I looked at the cover.
"Huh? 'The Strange Cases of Rushel Holmes'?"
What? Why does this feel so familiar?
As if drawn in, I opened the book, and there was the cheap, all-too-familiar prose.
[Have you seen the house at 221B Baker Street?]
"...Damn it."
Sherlock Holmes had finally been plagiarized.
I could only slap my forehead.