Chapter 412: Not Innocent After All?!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 412: Not Innocent After All?!
For vampires, whose very power and essence is blood, the dominion of a superior vampire is absolute. Among them, the power and symbolism of the Progenitor are beyond compare.
Only direct descendants who share blood can be controlled physically through the dominion of Bloodcraft. Even an Elder cannot directly control the Ain of another Elder. Therefore, only the Progenitor wields absolute dominion over all vampires.
Of course, Bloodcraft is not the only means of control.
“What is this clueless moron? How dare you interrupt when my dear sister is finally spending time with her consort? An Ain, of all things?! So tactless, so useless!”
Power and fear are also methods. Just as Bloodweaver Kavila was now demonstrating to Jazra.
The immortality of a vampire only applies when facing an ordinary opponent. A higher-ranking vampire can interfere with the Bloodcraft that is the source of regeneration. The bone saw digging into Jazra’s body threw his blood into disarray.
Jazra barely managed to control his rampaging blood as he spoke.
“Gah…! Lady Kavila, why are you doing this to me…!”
“Why? Heheh. You ask why?!”
Kavila’s eyes narrowed as she twisted her wrist. The bone saw embedded in his flesh fed on his blood and tissue, growing larger. Kavila whispered viciously.
“The fact that you're asking 'why' is reason enough for you to die. Die. Die. Just die.”
From Jazra’s perspective, it was an infuriating and unjust situation. To think he was facing death simply for coming to petition the Progenitor.
‘…The Blood Shackles. The fetters that compel vampires to obey their lords and rule their retainers… what if the Progenitor has also broken free from them?’
As that thought crossed his mind, Jazra realized something. And he despaired.
‘Lyre Nightingale, that traitor, breaking free from the shackles was nothing. If the Progenitor has escaped those shackles, if she intends to abandon all vampires…! Then I, who have realized this, cannot be allowed to live!’
It is not a universal truth that those who face death become brave. Most creatures deny their impending doom, struggling to survive until the very end, only to die consumed by terror.
But Jazra was a vampire, a high-ranking Ain who had seen it all. His heart had already stopped long ago; he coldly observed and accepted his reality. He knew that only death awaited him.
‘Elder Luscynia! Forgive this unworthy retainer for failing to avenge you…!’
The overgrown bone saw pierced through his entire body. Most of Jazra’s blood had been consumed. But he was an Ain, nonetheless. Jazra controlled his last handful of blood and screamed.
“The Progenitor… has abandoned us…! She has broken… the shackles…!”
That was his last word. The overgrown bone blade pierced Jazra’s head. Jazra the Ain, once a member of the great vampire race who had lived through the history of the Duchy, was annihilated, leaving behind only a trickle of blood running down the bone saw and a darkness like half-burnt ash.
A wind blew from somewhere. The ash that was once Jazra rose with the wind. It soared as if a soul ascending to the heavens, then melted into the pitch-black darkness of the Duchy of Mist. Whether it reached the sky or simply became a part of the endless dark, no one could say.
“Sister. There's no need to show them mercy. Things like this must be crushed on the spot to maintain discipline. With Luscynia dead and gone, it's the only way to stop the Ain of a dead Elder from running wild.”
Kavila retracted the bone saw, which had grown to the size of a small tree. Forcibly composing her vicious expression, Kavila spoke with a smile. She was so friendly, one would never believe she had just murdered one of her own kind.
“How impudent. There's no way you would abandon us, Sister. Right?”
She was an Elder who wielded Bloodcraft better than anyone. In terms of technical skill, she might even be more proficient than Tyr, the Progenitor. All the Elders had felt a sense of unease, though none had spoken of it.
That Tyr's dominion had weakened.
Tyr, having composed herself, nodded and said, “Of course. If I intended to abandon you, I would not have returned.”
“I believe you. I know it. The sister who split her own body to shield us from the sun and squeezed out her blood to share with us all could never abandon us. You are our god, our life, our nation.”
Kavila shoved the bone saw into the teddy bear’s stomach. The saw was several times larger than the bear, yet as she pushed, it vanished as if sucked inside.
Hiding the grotesque weapon, Kavila approached Tyr with a radiant smile. It was the smile of a cute child, but having just witnessed the execution, I couldn't take it at face value.
Terrifying, so terrifying. This world of vampires. I'm glad I'm human.
“Sister. May I ask just one thing? What happened to your dominion?”
“I have reclaimed my heart.”
“Your heart…?”
“Yes. Long ago, in my first life, I was killed by the Sanctum. I have now recalled the forgotten beat of my heart from that time and recreated it with Bloodcraft. Time, which had stopped for me, flows once more.”
Tyr placed a hand on her chest and murmured.
“Thanks to it, I have gained emotions. This wildly beating heart guides me to unfamiliar places. It teaches me feelings I never knew. Yes… I have found life again.”
“Your life…”
Kavila slowly mulled over Tyr’s words before breaking into a bright smile and taking Tyr’s hand. Taking this opportunity to satisfy her own desires by fidgeting with Tyr's hand, Kavila pretended to empathize.
“That’s wonderful, Sister. To think that you, who always sacrificed for us, have found your own life again.”
“Thank you. I will find another way to deal with the shackles. I am not too concerned. The Elders who rule the retainers are still here…”
As she spoke, Tyr was reminded of an Elder who was no longer here and her expression darkened.
“…except for Luscynia. This matter must be dealt with swiftly.”
“Yes. Let’s get this troublesome business over with quickly and hold a banquet at Plenilune Castle. Let's summon the livestock, gather blood, and celebrate your return in grand style, Sister!”
“Yes. Phew. As for what we were discussing… let’s continue when we arrive.”
Kavila’s gaze turned to me. She wore the same innocent smile she had shown Tyr. Under the unnerving stares of the two girls, I nodded.
“Sounds good to me.”
…Vampires have faint emotions. It is extremely difficult to surprise or please those who can control the flow of blood throughout their bodies. If a vampire shows an expression, it is a work of art crafted after cold calculation.
Which means Kavila's expression is also a fabrication.
Terrifying, so terrifying. I'm glad I'm human. Truly.
The procession to Plenilune Castle was prepared. As per Tyr’s wishes, it was elegant but not ostentatious. A single massive carriage was escorted by three people and one beastly Elder, followed silently by a few of their direct Ain. The numbers were small, but the members themselves made for a formidable procession.
Other than being pulled by Ralion, the carriage didn't resemble a carriage in any way. It was larger than a luxurious two-story house, its body painted pitch black. It had no wheels at all. Instead, a darkness that seemed to have taken physical form supported the carriage from below.
As if gliding over polished ice, the carriage moved swiftly and smoothly. The ride was so comfortable that the journey wasn't unpleasant. A carriage with no vibrations… it might even be a little boring…
“Consort of the Progenitor!”
Or not.
I turned my head to see Lunken glaring daggers at me. Since we’d be seeing a lot of each other, I responded as kindly as possible.
“What.”
“I heard you are the King of Humans! I am curious about the power of the king of The Human Regime! How about it, will you not face me in a duel?!”
“I said no. I already told you. I don't have any power.”
“Why not—!!”
“Because I have no power—!”
I yelled back at him. To put it nicely, Lunken was simple. To put it badly, he was an idiot. He wouldn't get the message unless you yelled it at him.
And he wasn't the type to get offended just because a human yelled at him. Lunken was purely dissatisfied that I wouldn't fight him, and he grumbled.
“Hmph. How could you be so careless as to lose your power somewhere? The King of Humans should take better care of his power!”
“You think I lost it? My pre-pre-pre-pre-prede… huff. The previous King of Humans lost it on his own whim. I'm a victim here, too.”
“Do you not know where you lost your power? If it is nearby, I can help you find it!”
“That’s the best news I’ve heard all day. Find the nearest Divine for me. Once I find all the Divines and awaken as the King of Humans, you'll be the first person I fight.”
“Haha! Excellent! A man's promise! You'd better not break it!”
Well, that’s one more ally to help me find the Divines. Not that he’ll be much help.
Lunken nodded vigorously, threw open the carriage window, and bellowed.
“Divine—! Show yourself at once—!”
My prediction was spot on. Lunken was utterly useless. He didn't have a single clue about the Divines, let alone how to approach one.
I was just trying to get on his good side; I never expected him to actually find anything. As I watched Lunken scream his head off, Kavila extended her bone saw and hooked it around his neck. Then she yanked the screaming Lunken back.
“What are you, a boar getting its throat slit?! Do you have to ruin Sister's mood while she's traveling through the Duchy?! Stop being a nuisance and sit down quietly! Try to show even a shred of patience!”
It seems that even a prank like holding a saw to someone's neck is a trivial matter for vampires. Lunken, even as his neck was being sliced, showed no particular emotion as he removed the bone saw and grumbled.
“There is nothing to do in the carriage anyway! We might as well look for a Divine on the way!”
“Screaming your head off is something to do?! You must be terribly bored! If you're that bored, why don't you have a running race with Ralion!”
“Hmm! That's a fine idea!”
Of course, what is said as a joke can be taken differently by the listener. Lunken promptly leaped from the carriage, managed to land on his feet, and took off running. Thump, thump, thump, thump. The footsteps of the boar beastkin echoed nearby.
But Ralion was a horse, after all. With four powerful legs, Ralion was inevitably much faster than Lunken running on two. Lunken, who had charged ahead so boldly, gradually began to fall behind.
“Hah! Hah! As expected of Ralion, you're fast! I don't think… I can catch up…”
Click. Kavila shut the carriage window right in Lunken's face. The inside of the carriage fell silent. The darkness-infused window swallowed even the sound.
“Sister! I've removed the noisy obstacle. Your journey should be more comfortable now!”
Kavila said to Tyr, as if seeking praise. I had found him a bit loud myself, so I was happy to accept this development. It seemed Tyr felt the same way.
“Now that it's quiet, we can finally have a more serious discussion.”
Tyr, sitting right beside me, stared intently at Hilde, who was calmly reading a book across from us. Hilde, who had a stack of dozens of thick books from god-knows-where, pretended not to notice, flipping through the pages before glancing our way and letting out a sigh.
“Your stare is so intense, you're going to burn a hole through my book~. What is it, Tyrkanzyaka~?”
Tyr gently pressed Hilde for an answer.
“Hilde. The time has come to speak of your matter of national importance.”
“Inside a moving carriage?”
“It is the best place to discuss important matters. It would be more difficult for anyone to eavesdrop here than in Plenilune Castle.”
“I suppose that’s true. Very well. 'I' was starting to get an itch to talk about it myself~.”
Hilde snapped her book shut. Placing it on her lap, she clasped her hands and rested her chin on them. In an instant, Hilde transformed from an immature bookworm into a seasoned politician. She met Tyr’s gaze directly and said.
“To put it bluntly. ‘I’ want an alliance between the Military State and the Duchy!”
An alliance with the Duchy of Mist. It was a matter of national importance, to be sure. But Tyr’s reaction was lukewarm.
“Is that all?”
How many nations had sought to borrow the vampires’ power over the years? While there might be few humans in any given era who would think of this alliance as a brilliant strategy, over the course of 1200 years, such proposals had sprung up like mushrooms after rain. To Tyr, an alliance was a cliché, uninteresting, and practically useless proposal.
But Hilde had a twist prepared. As if expecting Tyr’s reaction, she smiled sweetly, glanced at me, and said.
“By making Father the king of the Military State!”