Chapter 405: People Die
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 405: People Die
When your boss makes a surprise visit to the office, what's the first thing you should do to avoid any awkwardness? Simple: announce their arrival. It would be a problem if no one recognized them.
Some rulers with a twisted sense of humor might hide their identity, secretly enjoying the reactions of others before revealing themselves for a cathartic thrill. Fortunately, Tyr had no such perverse hobby of putting her subordinates in difficult positions. In a way, it was a courtesy. After all, causing trouble for the Progenitor of Vampires was not a good way to stay alive.
Besides, before she had a heart, Tyr was numb to such catharsis anyway. She announced her return well before setting foot in the Duchy.
And the effect was undeniable.
In the distance, a massive fortress came into view. A sinister darkness shimmered from its crimson steel gates. The firmly shut gates looked so majestic they seemed capable of withstanding a meteor strike.
The Twilight Citadel. An impregnable castle that many an ambitious king had tried to breach in their quest to exterminate the vampires, yet none had ever succeeded in opening.
While all the mist-covered lands belonged to the Duchy, one had to pass through that fortress to reach the true domain where the vampires resided. No tales from within ever reached the outside world. The Twilight Citadel not only protected the Duchy from external invasion... it also served as a cage, preventing the livestock from escaping the vampires' rule.
And so, those gates, which had become a symbol of fear, opened with a heavy groan as Tyr approached.
Beyond the arched gateway, a crimson carpet was rolled out across the ground. It stretched out in a perfectly straight line, as if daring not to obstruct the Progenitor's path, with not a single thing upon it. Instead, hundreds, thousands, knelt on either side, worshiping her. Among them were vampires, and even humans.
An overwhelmingly grand welcoming ceremony. Not really my style. Unlike Tyr, I'm the one with the perverse hobby of enjoying anonymity.
As I sighed and passed through the fortress's main gate, a booming voice echoed from the side.
“O Progenitor! We have long awaited your return!”
Thud. Knees hit the ground. The one kneeling at the very front was a warrior monk clad in a single robe. His gaunt frame, visible through the robe, looked skeletal, as if he would break at the slightest touch.
But how meaningless appearances are. Within that emaciated body lay tremendous power and skill. It was true even before he became a vampire, and even more so after.
Blood Monk Dogo. A fallen warrior monk. An Elder who was once on the verge of becoming a transcendent being, but chose to remain in the mortal world as a vampire instead of facing the death known as transcendence.
And next to him stood a noblewoman with an innocent face, wearing a voluminous dress with a deeply plunging neckline. The lady smiled, her eyes crinkling with a bright yet strange mirth, and held the hem of her skirt. With practiced ease, she curtsied with a flawless etiquette that even the strictest chamberlain would find no fault in.
“I pray you are in good health. For this humble one to be able to greet you thus is the greatest of joys.”
The Progenitor's patron, handmaiden, and teacher. The noblewoman who had drenched an entire nation's court in blood, Countess Erzsebet.
There had been many countesses before her, but now, there was only one. Her atrocities were so horrific that bestowing the title of 'Countess' on anyone else had become taboo.
Elders, each one a figure who had changed the course of history. Five of them were present, solely to have an audience with their Progenitor.
The Progenitor offered them a brief reply.
“It has been a long time. I am pleased to see your faces are the same as ever.”
A brief flicker of agitation crossed a few of their faces, but Tyr failed to notice, her attention drawn to a familiar figure behind them.
“Ralion. You were already here.”
Snort. Ralion shook his body lightly and approached. Tyr smiled benevolently and stroked his mane.
We'd sent Ralion toward the Duchy to deceive the eyes of the Military State. At the time, Tyr hadn't bothered calling him back, simply ordering him to head for the Duchy. It seemed Ralion, who we parted with then, had been waiting in the Duchy for Tyr's arrival all this time.
Countess Erzsebet spoke with pride.
“The Sanguine Horse Ralion announced the Progenitor’s return. After Ralion appeared in the Duchy, all of its creatures have been preparing, yearning for this day.”
“Well done, Erzsebet.”
“Your grace is boundless.”
We sent Ralion quite a while ago. How did they know when Tyr would arrive to keep preparing like this? Then again, they must have been certain she was coming, which is probably why Valdamir, Lunken, and Kavila came all the way to Claudia so quickly.
“Will you relieve the fatigue of your journey, or will you attend to state affairs? Please give your command. We shall obey.”
“First, before I hear of what has transpired… one moment.”
Tyr glanced at me, then took my hand and led me forward. I, who had been observing from the back, was unexpectedly brought to the front. Tyr had me stand beside her, as if to show me off to everyone.
A human, brought by the Progenitor Tyrkanzyaka. In an instant, all eyes were fixed on my face. Everyone was hastily committing me to memory. Erzsebet, in particular, covered her mouth with her hand as she busily appraised me.
‘A human? The Progenitor, who has never kept a human close, has taken a consort?’
Ah, great. My cover's blown. So much for slipping by quietly.
Tyr, who had quite deliberately placed me on equal footing with herself, continued her command.
“There is an injured person. I wish to have them treated at once, so bring Luscynia here immediately.”
This meant she was summoning Luscynia, an Elder of the Progenitor and the most skilled physician, for a mere consort. At the mention of his name from Tyr's lips, all the Elders faltered, unable to meet her gaze.
“Ah… about that. My apologies, but.”
It was a clearly strange reaction. No matter how surprised they were by the appearance of a consort, these were Elders who would offer up their own hearts if Tyr commanded it. For them to hesitate, unable to speak… Not only Dogo and Erzsebet, but even Lunken and Kavila began to furtively glance at one another.
Sensing the strange atmosphere from the Elders who couldn't bring themselves to speak, Tyr pressed them.
“What is the problem? You need only follow my command.”
“O Progenitor. There is a report that must be made first.”
There was only one Elder here who would speak so directly to the Progenitor. Valdamir, representing all the Elders, or perhaps speaking for the reluctant vampires, delivered the unfortunate news.
“Luscynia has been annihilated.”
Tyr’s face hardened at the news of the Elder’s death.
The Duchy’s ‘preparations’ for the Progenitor’s long-awaited return to her homeland were perfect. The lodgings where Tyr would stay, though temporary, were decorated so lavishly it was hard to believe. The storehouses were filled with supplies to handle any situation.
In the back courtyard alone, there were five different types of carriages and palanquins. They were prepared for any whim Tyr might have, with a suitable vehicle for each.
Though they hadn't anticipated Tyr bringing an injured human, so a doctor was not on hand.
In any case, having entered the residence as a guest of honor, I asked Tyr,
“Can Elders die?”
“…Yes. But that only happened when I was still inexperienced, during the wars with the Sanctum. Since the founding of the Duchy, not a single Elder has experienced death.”
Tyr replied, lost in thought.
The death of an Elder seemed to be quite a shock even to her. It was only natural. Hearing that a subordinate you’d been with for hundreds of years had died would be unsettling. Especially when that Elder was like Lunken, who could get crushed by a Juggernaut, struck by lightning, and sent flying on a spear, only to return in a matter of minutes. She knew just how hard it was for them to die.
“It happened over twenty years ago, and all of Luscynia’s kindred are still present, so it must have been some kind of accident… but I cannot even begin to guess without hearing the circumstances.”
I was curious too. What kind of accident could possibly kill an Elder? I asked Tyr.
“You said there were thirteen Elders in total, right?”
“That is correct. However, it would be difficult to see all thirteen. Some of the Elders, like myself, fall into long slumbers or wander the world. Excluding Ralion, who is with me, usually only half of them are awake and active in the Duchy.”
“So, besides Ralion, that means six… no, five Elders are all that’s left?”
“…Perhaps. It is likely still six.”
“Huh?” Why is six minus one still six? Is this some kind of miraculous vampire mathematics?
Tyr continued her explanation, pondering something deeply.
“I was told that after Luscynia died, a vampire inherited the original blood he possessed. They have not been personally acknowledged by me, so they cannot yet be called an Elder, but they should possess power comparable to one and rule over his kindred. It seems Valdamir chose to leave the situation as is and observe, likely because it is an unprecedented event.”
“In other words, there’s someone who became a noble without your permission? How arrogant. And with the Progenitor alive and well….”
“Indeed. If they did not exist, that position could have been yours.”
“But I’m sure a vampire who was already on the path to becoming an Elder would do a better job, right? Someone who worked their way up from the bottom is more suitable than a parachute appointment. A fine choice!”
Evasion successful. Tyr replied, seeming a little disappointed by my tactful refusal.
“In any case, this is bewildering. I must deal with this matter first. I had intended to have Luscynia look at your condition….”
I'd glossed over it because of how sudden it was, but the death of an Elder was no small matter. The Elder, Heaven Defier Luscynia. He, too, had left a mark large enough to be recorded in history.
Luscynia was a master of Blood Aura and Qi Arts. A grandmaster who researched blood vessels and the body to create and refine Qi Arts. It is said he volunteered to become a vampire to pursue deeper, darker research. They say there isn't a single Qi Art passed down to this day that his hand has not touched.
To think she was going to use such a historical Elder as a personal physician. Is this the privilege of one who has the Progenitor's backing…?
The problem is, he's dead now.
“Since Luscynia is gone, I must find another physician….”
“I’m fine. I’m still young, so I heal fast. I’ll need to rest, though.”
“There are bound to be a few skilled physicians among his kindred. I will select some for you.”
“No. It might be different if I’d just been injured, but since some time has passed, post-treatment care is more important than emergency measures. Messing with it again might just put more strain on my body.”
This is a body that's had its stomach pierced and the hole patched up as first aid. A vampire, who might casually expose their own heart, probably wouldn't hesitate to cut me open. How could I entrust a major surgery like that to an Ain or Yeiling-level vampire? It has to be an Elder, of course.
Ouch, just thinking about it makes my stomach hurt again.
Groaning, I sprawled out on the sofa. Perhaps I was making my pain too obvious, because Tyr sat down by my head, looking at me with concern. Instead of a dark, unfamiliar ceiling, a beautiful vampire with glowing red eyes filled my vision. She stroked my sweaty forehead and murmured.
“…If you were a vampire, you would not be in such pain.”
Was she subtly shocked by the news of Luscynia’s death? It felt like a switch had flipped in Tyr. Before, it was a suggestion she might have offered once, but now she was actively trying to persuade me. It was because she felt my pain as her own and worried that I might die.
She wouldn't have been this sentimental before. Is this also because she has her heart back? I appreciate the sentiment, but.
“Elders die too, don’t they? Like this time.”
Refuted in a single sentence. Tyr’s hand, stroking my hair, flinched.
“There must have been an accident. Neither Luscynia nor any Elder dies without reason.”
“Likewise, humans don’t die without reason either. In that sense, Elders are no different from humans.”
The rejection was clearly conveyed. Tyr ruffled my hair in displeasure. It was already a mess, so it didn't make much of a difference.
After fiddling with my hair like that for quite some time, Tyr stood up from the sofa. Preparing to leave, she spoke to me.
“They say there is more to report regarding Luscynia’s death. Sigh. I will give them strict orders, so ask for whatever you desire. Erzsebet’s attendants will serve you without want for anything.”
“Thank you. My stomach feels a bit unsettled right now, so I don't think I can digest anything. I'll eat later.”
“Very well. Rest easy.”
Tyr, shouldering a jet-black parasol, left one last quiet remark before leaving the guest room.
“…If you change your mind, tell me anytime.”
…I get the feeling she's trying to make me put down roots in the Duchy.