The Vampire Prodigy
Nahen showed the treaty to Alberon, the Vampire Lord who had followed him, and instructed him to send a portion of his forces to the Demon King’s castle on the 69th Floor within a week. After returning to the Demon Realm with Veronika, he did not head straight to the 69th Floor but made his way to the 70th Floor first.
“Lord Nahen! Welcome back, sir!”
He had already contacted Bennett in advance to confirm the man was on the 70th Floor. Bennett greeted Nahen with a bright expression. After exchanging brief pleasantries, Bennett asked,
“Ah, Lord Nahen. The child behind you… isn’t she from the Moon Clan?”
“That’s right.”
“It’s quite surprising to see someone from the Moon Clan set foot in the Demon Realm.”
“This one was exiled by her clan.”
“Ah…”
“Of course, the Moon Clan will soon be entering the Demon Realm on a large scale as well.”
“Pardon?”
Nahen was deliberately leaking information to Bennett. By sharing this news with a merchant who traveled across the entire Demon Realm, he hoped the story would reach the hidden minority races scattered throughout the land.
“I formed an alliance with the Primordial Moon. A portion of the Moon Clan will be incorporated into the Devata faction.”
“The Primordial Moon… That’s incredible. As expected, I could never match your resourcefulness, Lord Nahen.”
“Enough with the flattery.”
Nahen stepped deeper into the trading company, and Bennett followed. Veronika kept turning her head this way and that, unable to tear her eyes away from the fascinating items on display. The sight reminded Nahen of a young Seere, and he let out a small chuckle.
He then asked Bennett,
“How’s business these days?”
“Very well. My company has already cracked the top ten in scale across the entire Demon Realm. It’s all thanks to you, Lord Nahen.”
“Then I suppose I can look forward to this settlement payment.”
“I’m certain you’ll be satisfied. By the way, was there a particular reason you called for me like this?”
“I’m here to buy a gift.”
“A gift?”
“For Seere. If I come back empty-handed, she’ll probably sulk.”
Bennett tilted his head, but he quickly understood Nahen’s intent and spoke up.
“Her Majesty has just turned thirteen, hasn’t she?”
“That’s right.”
“In that case, something beautiful would be better than anything too childish. Something that a mature young woman might wear…”
Bennett moved ahead of Nahen for a moment. Assuming the man would bring suitable items on his own, Nahen turned his attention to Veronika, who was still browsing the merchandise.
“Don’t steal anything.”
“I-I wasn’t going to!”
“If you want something, just tell me. Put whatever’s in your pocket back.”
“……”
At Nahen’s words, Veronika carefully pulled an expensive-looking necklace from her pocket. Just how long had she lived alone out there to steal without hesitation?
I suppose I’ll have to give her a proper moral education as well.
Nahen gave her a firm warning.
“If you want something, don’t steal it. Tell me first. Understood?”
“…Yes.”
“So, did you want that necklace?”
“Huh? No…? It just looked expensive.”
Utterly baffled, Nahen narrowed his eyes at her. Feeling his gaze, Veronika quickly returned the necklace to its place and apologized.
“I-I’m sorry!!”
“Then you don’t want anything?”
“O-of course I do!”
“You don’t have to force yourself… I can buy you something later if you want.”
Veronika’s eyes widened into perfect circles. Seeing her reaction, Nahen chuckled and said,
“What? Did you think I was lying?”
“N-no! Not at all!”
“Take your time looking around. If you see something you like, just say so. I’ll buy it for you.”
“Okay…”
From then on, Veronika began examining the items with genuine seriousness. Soon after, Bennett returned with several products in hand.
“Didn’t you mention before that Her Majesty really likes shiny things?”
“I did.”
“How about something like this?”
What Bennett showed him was a brooch. The gem and design both looked decent, but Nahen felt something was lacking and hesitated.
“It’s nice and simple, but… do you have anything else?”
“In that case…”
Among the items he had brought, Bennett presented one more. This time, Nahen found it far more appealing than the brooch. It was a small, intricately crafted butterfly hairpin with a silver base adorned with blue gems.
Imagining Seere wearing it in her hair, Nahen thought it would suit her perfectly. The blue gem reminded him of her eyes, while the delicate silver butterfly and finely wrought pin gave off an elegant charm.
“I’ll take this one.”
“Are you sure?”
“Show me the others too. I might buy a few more.”
“Understood. Shall I process the payment the usual way?”
“Yes.”
Nahen looked over the other items Bennett presented, but none caught his eye quite like the hairpin he had chosen first. Deciding the gift for Seere would be just that one, he glanced to the side.
“Veronika, if you don’t see anything you want, let’s go.”
“I-I want this.”
“Hm?”
In her hand was the brooch—the very one Nahen had passed over earlier. It seemed to have caught her eye after all.
“Bennett, add this to the total.”
“Understood. Shall I wrap it as well?”
“Just wrap the hairpin.”
“Yes, sir.”
When Nahen actually bought the brooch for her, Veronika stared at him with wide eyes. He chuckled at her expression.
“You look like you didn’t think I’d really buy it.”
“Well… we only just met not long ago, Lord Nahen.”
“What does that matter? We’re all part of the same faction now.”
“Same faction?”
“Not blood family, but since you’ll be serving Seere loyally, you’re part of the faction family. And you’re still young, so I can indulge a little childish selfishness like this.”
Veronika was flustered by such unconditional goodwill. Ever since being exiled by her clan, she had never encountered anyone who offered kindness without expecting something in return. Those who approached her with apparent goodwill always had hidden motives—some sought the rarity of her Moon Clan blood, others lusted after her beauty. Behind every well-packaged favor, there had always been some agenda.
But Nahen… of course he had a reason. Yet it was so embarrassingly minor that calling it a “price” felt absurd. That was why Veronika was so thrown off balance.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”
“Ah… no, I do. I like it.”
“Then come here. I’ll put it on for you.”
“O-okay…”
Not knowing what a brooch was for, Veronika watched in slight confusion as Nahen opened the pin and fastened it to her clothes near her chest. She gazed at the brooch with curious eyes.
“That’s also a type of accessory. Necklaces and rings aren’t the only ones, you know.”
“I-I knew that!”
“Did you now?”
Suddenly, something occurred to Nahen—something he should have asked long ago but had forgotten.
“Now that I think about it, how old are you?”
“Me? I’m eleven.”
“Really?”
Surprisingly, the age gap with Seere wasn’t that large. Only a year’s difference. Yet in appearance, there seemed to be a four- or five-year gap.
“Do vampires grow slowly?”
“I’m not sure. Why do you ask? Are you planning to raise me and then eat—”
“Don’t spout such nonsense. Especially never say that in front of Seere.”
“Huh?”
“It’ll be better for your well-being if you don’t.”
Sensing the genuine concern in Nahen’s advice, Veronika could only nod.
“Now, Your Majesty. Try turning from there.”
“Okay.”
Today, as part of her cultural education, Seere was practicing dance. She followed Rea’s instructions flawlessly. Her concentration was excellent and she learned quickly, so even Rea found teaching her enjoyable.
But then, someone completely shattered her focus.
“Your Majesty!”
“Whoa!?”
Her step tangled during the spin and she nearly fell, but Seere caught herself with her exceptional physical senses and looked up with a creak of her neck. Rea also narrowed her eyes slightly as she turned toward the intruder.
“Ah… were you in the middle of practice?”
It was Secily. As she scratched her cheek awkwardly, Seere asked,
“What’s so urgent that you burst in like that?”
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. But I thought you should know right away that Lord Nahen has returned.”
“…Huh?”
Seere’s eyes widened, and she stood up straight with a sharp click of her heels. She gave Rea a brief command.
“Class is over for today.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Rea immediately understood the reason. Both why Secily had rushed in and why Seere was abruptly ending the lesson.
“Actually, you can continue the lesson,” Secily added.
“What?”
“Lord Nahen said he would come here himself.”
“Teacher is coming here!?”
Seere quickly smoothed out the hem of her skirt that she had stepped on earlier. She straightened her posture and looked at Rea.
“L-let’s start again, Rea!”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
Though slightly dumbfounded, Rea began clapping to the rhythm once more. Seere attempted the turn she had been practicing—
Thud!
She didn’t complete it. A mistake was understandable, but this fall seemed… deliberately staged. Just as Rea and Secily both froze in confusion, Seere suddenly lifted her head and stared at the door.
Following her gaze, Rea and Secily spotted a man. A man who looked utterly horrified at the sight of Seere on the floor.
“S-Seere!? Are you okay?”
“Ah, Teacher…!”
It was Nahen. The moment he entered, he had seen her fall and rushed over in a panic, grabbing her hand to help her up.
“Hehe… thank you.”
“Are you really alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Did you have a good trip?”
“I did.”
Nahen would never know, but Rea and Secily—who had witnessed the entire sequence from the beginning—could only let out dry laughs. Secily whispered to Rea,
“Did the head maid teach her that?”
“I did mention that arousing a man’s protective instincts is one way to seduce him, but…”
She never imagined it would be used like this. Knowing Nahen was coming, Seere had deliberately timed her fall. Their Demon King was still adorably childish in many ways, yet sometimes her scheming nature was so dark it left them stunned.
Then, the smiling Seere suddenly spotted something and her expression turned frighteningly cold. Even Nahen was momentarily taken aback by the shift.
“By the way, Teacher.”
“Uh… yes?”
“Who is that girl?”
At the word “girl,” Rea and Secily finally noticed the young female child who had entered with Nahen. Seeing her ash-gray hair and pinkish-red eyes, they immediately realized what race she belonged to. They could easily imagine what would happen if this situation continued. Before Seere’s jealousy could reach its breaking point, Secily smoothly intervened.
“It looks like Lord Nahen succeeded?”
“…What do you mean?”
“You went to meet the Vampire race, right? That child is a vampire too.”
“Oh?”
Rea mentally applauded Secily’s quick thinking. But someone immediately ruined her perfect save.
“Ah, I did wake the Progenitor and successfully formed an alliance. I even brought the treaty. But that one I picked up separately.”
“…Pardon?”
It was Nahen.
Seere clenched her fists tightly. She barely held back the explosion of jealousy, her voice trembling slightly, but she still had to speak.
“P-picked up? You picked up that girl, Teacher?”
“Yes, but… why are you acting like this?”
“Why on earth did you pick up a random girl!?”
“Hm?… I intend to use her as your subordinate. More precisely, I thought she would be useful when we eventually establish a new legion, so I brought her along.”
“…What?”
Nahen explained simply.
“This child was exiled from her clan. Veronika, come closer.”
At his words, Veronika stepped forward and faced Seere. Though they were only a year apart in age, the difference in growth rate between a rapidly maturing Demon King and a slow-growing vampire created a noticeable height gap.
“Ah, hello, Your Majesty. My name is Veronika.”
When Veronika greeted her and looked up slightly, Seere immediately frowned. Startled by the reaction, Veronika shrank back and clung to Nahen, but that only fueled Seere’s anger further.
“How could someone like her possibly become my subordinate, Teacher?”
“She may look unremarkable now, but she will undoubtedly become a talented individual with exceptional abilities.”
“How can you possibly…”
Seere stopped herself mid-sentence, realizing it was a foolish question. The two humans Nahen had brought in the same manner—Dane and Eri—had already proven to be incredibly useful in just five years.
“…Is this child of Lord bloodline or something?”
“Not at all.”
“Then how can you be so certain?”
He couldn’t say he had seen it in the game. So Nahen smiled awkwardly and replied,
“Let’s just call it Teacher’s intuition.”
“…Intuition.”
While others might doubt it, Seere knew Nahen’s intuition was trustworthy. It had produced good results nearly every time. She also knew that when he called something “intuition,” it was sometimes a polite excuse. She didn’t know what he was hiding, but since it never led to anything negative, she didn’t press the issue.
But this felt different. The fact that the “talent” her teacher had brought in was such a pretty and cute girl made it impossible for her to accept.
Seere puffed out her cheeks slightly and said,
“Three years.”
“Hm?”
“If she doesn’t show results within three years, I can dispose of her as I see fit, right? Since you said you brought her as my subordinate.”
“T-three years…?”
Even Nahen was taken aback. Three years was far too short. Veronika had no foundation whatsoever, so she would need to learn everything from scratch. On top of that, as a member of the Moon Clan, her physical growth was slow. Expecting visible results in three years was simply unreasonable.
“What exactly do you mean by ‘results’?”
“At least on the level of those humans you’re training.”
“That’s…”
Impossible. While Veronika would one day become a powerful Lord, she would never surpass Dane and Eri. In terms of raw talent, they were actually superior. After all, they had been the Hero’s closest companions.
“Three years is too short.”
“…Are you taking her side?”
“Taking sides? I’m simply being objective. You know it’s unreasonable too, so why are you being so stubborn?”
When Nahen spoke as if he genuinely didn’t understand, Seere’s brows furrowed deeply. She muttered under her breath,
“You said I was your only disciple…”
“I didn’t say I would teach her…”
“In the end, you’re still going to look after her, aren’t you?”
“……”
Nahen let out a small sigh. Sensing the strange atmosphere, Secily stepped in.
“Alright, alright. Lord Nahen, why don’t you rest first and shake off the fatigue of your journey? And Your Majesty…”
“Veronika.”
Instead of listening to Secily, Nahen looked at Veronika. She met his golden gaze.
“Can you become strong within three years?”
“Huh? Well…”
She didn’t know. It was only natural that Veronika herself couldn’t be certain. When she failed to answer immediately, Nahen said,
“Then I’ll just have to teach you myself.”
“…Teacher!?”
When Seere looked shocked, Nahen spoke with a hint of coldness.
“You’re the one who wants her to become strong within three years. If the goal is to be met, there’s no other way but for me to teach her. What else do you expect me to do?”
“B-but… you don’t have to go that far just to put her under my command, do you?”
“I do.”
Nahen was resolute. Top-tier Lord-class combatants were not easy to come by. Although he had slaughtered three Lords, that was only possible because he was an Archdemon and, according to the Progenitor, the strongest being in Hell. The Lords who led the Moon Clan were by no means weak.
But Seere, unaware of this truth, could not accept it.
“…Why?”
“Why do you think I went to meet the Vampire race? To strengthen our forces. We need to make the armies under Seere von Devata strong enough to stand against Gremory, who is descending from above. We already discussed this, didn’t we?”
Nahen continued,
“This is talent recruitment for that purpose. I saw potential in this child, so I brought her to assign her to your legion. If that wasn’t the case, why would I have brought Veronika? I really don’t understand why you’re so upset, Seere.”
He referenced what Seere had said earlier.
“I understand your point about needing to see results. But three years is too short. Even Dane and Eri, whom you used as your benchmark, took five years to reach that level. Demanding results in just three years from a vampire whose physical growth is already slow is simply unreasonable.”
Seere lowered her gaze slightly. She looked at Veronika. To her eyes, the girl simply looked frail. She couldn’t understand what potential Nahen saw in her. Unable to comprehend, Seere only grew more upset. She couldn’t understand why Nahen would insist on bringing this child in even if it meant going against her wishes.
In the end, she snapped.
“…Do whatever you want, Teacher. If you want to teach her, teach her. If you want to put her under me, then do so.”
“Seere?”
“Rea, I’ll stop class here for today. As for work… I’d like to rest a bit.”
Seere walked straight past Nahen and left the room. Veronika looked up at him in confusion, but he looked even more bewildered than she did.
“Lord Nahen, please go to your room and rest first. We’ll speak with Her Majesty. And Miss Veronika?”
“Yes?”
“Lord Nahen, would it be alright if I prepare a room for Miss Veronika to stay in?”
Nahen nodded. Secily left the room with Veronika, while Rea remained behind for a moment, quietly observing him.
“Lord Nahen.”
“…What.”
“Does that child, Veronika… truly possess potential?”
“She does. Are you doubting me too, Rea?”
“No. I simply cannot see it myself, so I asked. I have seen far too many things from you to doubt you now.”
Even as she said that, Rea added,
“However, Lord Nahen, Her Majesty is entering a rather sensitive phase. You weren’t too harsh with her earlier, but you didn’t seem to consider her feelings very much either.”
“I still don’t understand why she got so upset. It doesn’t seem like simple adolescent sensitivity… there was something else.”
“…Do you not realize how much Her Majesty adores you?”
“I do. What does that have to do with anything?”
“That’s exactly why it happens. The emotion called jealousy.”
“Jealousy?”
Nahen tilted his head. He hadn’t brought Veronika to take her as a disciple. He had simply brought her to serve as Seere’s subordinate. Where was there room for jealousy?
“Anyway, Lord Nahen. Try talking with her later. From the looks of it, that’s a gift you brought for Her Majesty, isn’t it?”
“……”
Nahen looked down at the small box in his hand. It was an elegant wooden case perfect for presenting a gift.
“I’ll bring a cake this evening. Take it with you then and have a proper conversation. Growing children need time for serious heart-to-heart talks.”
“…You seem to know a lot about this.”
“Of course. Especially at this age—if emotional rifts form, they can last a lifetime.”
Nahen’s shoulders twitched. That was absolutely unacceptable. Seere’s favorability had to reach the absolute maximum—MAX. Only then could he safely reach the ending.
And… as Rea said, he probably hadn’t been considerate enough of Seere’s feelings.
Nahen let out a small sigh and said,
“…I suppose I should visit her this evening.”