Underground Exodus (1)
The boy with red hair lay in the center of an opulent bed that blended rich crimson and deep black, listening to the story.
“Hero! Over here!”
“Ugh, just a second!”
A sharp scream rang out.
“Now! Stab him!”
“Here I gooo!”
“...And so the hero plunged his holy spear into the belly of his greatest foe.”
“Is that the end?”
“Of course not. But it’s getting late, so it’s best you sleep now.”
A woman with long, flowing white hair sat beside the boy’s pillow, closing the storybook. The scene looked exactly like a mother reading a bedtime story to her child—except anyone who didn’t know the truth would find it incredibly awkward.
“Sweet dreams, Zildre.”
“Yes, Mother.”
The combination of a child who looked about ten and a woman who appeared to be in her early twenties was a visual that made it impossible for anyone to assume they were mother and son. If gamblers had bet on their relationship, only the most deranged lunatics would have put money on “mother and child.”
“Wake up early tomorrow. We have a family picnic.”
“Yes. Good night, Mother.”
The white-haired woman smiled faintly and manipulated the blood around her as naturally as blinking, snuffing out the lights in the room. Of course, since they weren’t actually mother and son, anyone who had bet on that outcome would have lost anyway.
After the white-haired woman left the room, silence swallowed everything. Left alone, Zildre had the same nightmare he always did since coming here.
A burning house. Burning parents. Burning siblings. Zildre could only watch it all with unfocused eyes, taking in every horrifying detail.
“Oh my, what are you doing here?”
A gentle voice spoke, the tone one might use upon finding a lost child. When Zildre turned his head, he saw a woman of such breathtaking beauty that no woman he would meet in his entire life could ever surpass her. She walked slowly through the burning village as if taking a leisurely stroll, admiring the scenery.
“What’s your name?”
The woman knelt in front of Zildre, meeting his eyes.
“Zil…dre.”
“Zildre. What a lovely name.”
She smiled softly and reached out her hand. As if enchanted, Zildre took it. That day, his life took an irreversible turn.
The place the woman led him to was a gloomy old castle. Yet to Zildre, it felt incredibly warm.
“From now on, call me Mother.”
“Yes… Mother.”
Zildre had gained a new mother there.
“Hi! Wow, you’re so cute!”
“Haa… Mother, again…?”
“A new little brother? Get lost if you don’t want to die.”
“…Make sure you never tarnish the name of Blood.”
He had gained new siblings as well.
“Now, close your eyes and feel it. Can you sense the flow of blood?”
“Yes…”
And he learned a new way of life.
Time passed. New nephews and nieces were born. The family’s power gradually expanded. Vampire hunters, mad nuns, the fourth Sword Saint, light that leads to death… Through it all, Zildre faced countless enemies, crossing endless lines between life and death as he grew stronger.
But right now, something he couldn’t understand was happening.
A sloppy-looking man was dodging every single attack from a skeleton that even the current Zildre couldn’t guarantee victory against. The skeleton’s strikes—attacks that could only belong to someone who had been at least first-grade in life, perhaps even a special-grade holy knight—were all evaded by the narrowest margins. The man was leisurely running away.
What the…
In Zildre’s unusually long life, he had never seen anything like this. If he told others about it, they would probably all react the same way and laugh. Zildre himself knew how absurd the sight was. Yet what was unfolding before his eyes was undeniably real.
And watching this miraculous scene, Zildre felt a spark of hope for the first time.
Could it be… maybe…
After organizing his thoughts, Zildre continued observing the battle from the shadows, waiting for the man to defeat the skeleton.
“Here, I managed to get some tea. It’s cheap, but it’s the best we can do here.”
“Ah, thank you…”
We had finished eating at Zildre’s hideout and were now drinking tea.
“By the way, Momo. Don’t vampires only drink blood?”
『It’s not like we can only drink blood. We can eat normal food too.』
“Really? That’s interesting…”
『Hmm… Think of blood as the main course and normal food as more of a side preference?』
It felt very different from the vampires I knew. Well, vampire lore varies wildly depending on the source, so I guess it doesn’t matter.
I turned to Zildre and asked, “Is that true?”
“Like I said before… I can’t hear the Blood Sword’s voice…”
“Ah, right.”
Maybe it was because I had heard Momo’s voice from the very beginning? I kept forgetting that Zildre couldn’t.
But why can’t he hear her?
I had tried everything earlier to make her voice audible—grabbing her mask, shaking it, even trying to wear it on my face—but Zildre still couldn’t hear a single word from Momo.
“Pfft!”
“Hm?”
“It’s nothing. I just thought of something else for a second…”
When I tried to wear it, she really freaked out.
She had said she could feel some sensation, but shaking it didn’t seem to bother her much. The moment I tried to put it on my face like a real mask, though, she had thrown a complete fit.
Hehe… It’s still funny…
I desperately held back the laughter trying to escape and sipped my tea.
『Haa… Stop thinking useless thoughts and focus. We need to get out of here.』
“Yeah… Got it…”
Watching me talk with Momo, Zildre said, “No matter how many times I see it, I still don’t understand… How exactly are you communicating?”
“Huh? Oh… with Momo? I don’t know. I could just hear her from the start…”
“Incredible… It’s not just that you can hear her voice. The audacity to call the Blood Sword by name—no, practically a pet name—is even more shocking.”
“She didn’t say anything when I called her that, so…”
Hmm… Now that I thought about it, she had seemed a little flustered back then…
『Names aren’t important. The only thing that matters is you, me, and figuring out how to get out of here.』
“A way out…”
『That’s right. We need to get out quickly so you can get your hero status back.』
“Yeah, that’s true…”
『So we can go home.』
“Right……”
Wait, aren’t we forgetting something? Momo is…
“Siwoo.”
“Ah? Yes.”
“Let’s get to the main point. I know a way to escape this place.”
“…What is it?”
“It’s simple. There’s one exit. That’s how I got in here too.”
“An exit…!”
Of course! If there’s a way in, there has to be a way out!
『It’s probably the place I mentioned before. Remember when I said west at the beginning?』
“Then let’s go right now! I want to get out of here immediately!”
I jumped up from my seat in excitement.
“Calm down. There’s one problem.”
“A problem…?”
“…There’s a gatekeeper.”
Zildre sighed and suddenly pulled off his top, revealing his chest.
“That’s…”
On Zildre’s pale chest was a deep, black wound that stood out starkly. Around it, something that looked like blood flickered and moved, as if trying to prevent the injury from spreading further.
『As I thought, the smell of blood was unusually strong…』
“What is that wound?”
“It’s from the gatekeeper I mentioned. I got it while fleeing here.”
“Fleeing? That’s right—now that I think about it, why are you here, Mr. Zildre…?”
Zildre put his clothes back on and spoke in a serious tone.
“Siwoo, I have one request for you.”
“A request? Suddenly…?”
“If you promise to do it, I will risk my life to get you out of here.”
“What? Why would you risk your life…?”
“I’m already at my limit anyway. I’ll die soon like this. So I want to use what little life I have left for something meaningful.”
“That’s way too heavy…”
I sat down across from Zildre again.
“It’s fine. This is meaningful for me and my family too.”
“Family…?”
『…If it’s about family.』
“Siwoo, I want you to go to Venia.”
“…Venia? What is that?”
“My… our home.”
“Home…”
Home… Once I get out of here, someday I’ll go back home too…
“I want you to go there and meet my mother.”
“Mother…?”
『…』
As Zildre began his story, Momo stayed completely silent.
“I left that place on a certain mission… and I must return with the results.”
“Then shouldn’t you go yourself…”
“No. I’ll give this to you.”
Zildre suddenly grabbed my left arm and manipulated his blood, sending it flowing into me.
“Whoa! This… this is—”
『Calm down. This isn’t dangerous.』
The blood traveled up my arm until it reached my left shoulder. When I rolled up my sleeve, I saw a tattoo made of blood engraved there. Complex patterns that looked like intricate characters formed a circle around my shoulder.
“This is…”
“Information.”
“Information?”
“Yes. My request is for you to deliver it to Venia.”
I glanced sideways at Momo.
『…It should be fine. Getting out of here comes first. After that, we’ll have plenty of chances to travel around.』
“Haa… Alright. I just need to go there, right?”
“…! Thank you! Only a Second Progenitor like my mother or myself can erase that mark, so you don’t have to worry about it washing off with water!”
『…!』
The moment I accepted, Zildre’s face brightened and he started slapping my shoulder excitedly.
“Yes! I knew you were a man with a big heart!”
“Huh…? You knew me?”
“Hm? Ah, yes. I was watching the whole time while you fought the skeleton.”
“Ah…”
『Zildre… so you were a Second Progenitor?』
While Zildre was excitedly rejoicing, Momo suddenly spoke.
“Um… Mr. Zildre, you’re a Second Progenitor?”
“Hm? Ah, it’s fine. Most of the rumors about Second Progenitors were spread by my brother Sartrius anyway.”
“That’s not what I meant. Momo is…”
“The Blood Sword?”
Both Zildre and I turned to look at Momo. She spoke slowly.
『Zildre.』
“...?”
I guess I have to translate for her. I stood up from the table, moved next to Momo, and began repeating her words exactly like an interpreter.
“Zildre.”
“Yes, O Blood Sword.”
Zildre rose from his seat, knelt on one knee before Momo on the table, and answered.
“If you are a Second Progenitor… then your mother is…”
“Yes. My mother’s name is Blood Nosferatu.”
“…I see. Understood. Siwoo, I will take responsibility—wait, what? Did you just say you’d bring a corpse?!”
“Mother has spoken of you often.”
“Ahem… I see. Um… how is Nosferatu?”
“She misses you dearly.”
“…Understood.”
When the conversation ended, Zildre stood up and picked up the sword he had leaned against the wall.
“I’ll go on a quick patrol. Once I’m back, we’ll leave immediately, so get ready.”
“Yes, understood.”
With a somewhat complicated expression, Zildre left the hideout.
“Momo…”
『…』
Momo seemed lost in deep thought and didn’t answer.
But… there’s something I absolutely have to ask.
Since Zildre was gone, now was the perfect time.
“Momo.”
『…What?』
Momo answered in her usual cheerful voice, as if trying not to show anything.
“There’s something I want to ask…”
『…Yeah.』
Perhaps sensing my serious mood, her voice grew a little lower.
“Why… are you helping me? Why were you sealed here? Why do you want to get out?”
I blurted out all the questions I had been holding onto this whole time.
『Haa… Fine. Sit down and calm down first. This is going to be a long story.』