Chapter 70
Chapter 70
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: What Does the Sword Cut? (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"How did you get in? The pass must have been blocked by the Eustaine Clan..."
"They let us through."
"The Eustaine Clan...? That can't be. They clearly..."
They were vampires, but they weren't the type you could call 'evil' at first glance. The aura surrounding them felt more wearily fatigued than sinister, and their pale skin made them seem unfamiliar rather than grotesque.
Ban lowered his sword. Before the ominous ghostly energy emanating from Kishin, the vampires hesitated to advance.
"...What grudge do you have against us to do this? Did you lose family to vampires? If so, you've come to the wrong place. We've never left this castle, nor returned to it. If you're here to exact vengeance..."
"I'm sorry. I don't have any noble cause for greeting you like this."
Ban had no such justification. He bit his lip. 'Vampires.' At first, he'd thought of them that way because of the unpleasant connotation. In this fight, justice had to be on his side, and there'd be no reason to hesitate in drawing his sword.
But what was reality like?
'...Even before those who made a pact with the night, I still don't know who the sun shines upon.'
How nice it would be if the world divided neatly into two sides like a blade. He felt like the villain. In this short tale, his role was that of the bandit shattering the peace of those living undisturbed.
He wanted to see the end of this unpleasant story quickly. But he couldn't.
As he'd said, his role was to buy time.
§
'Daddy, when is Mommy coming back?'
What had Arotep answered to that tearful question from his childhood self?
It had been quite a while since he'd been alone with Arotep. Unbidden thoughts surfaced. Munet felt those memories weren't entirely unpleasant and inwardly sneered. That was the scary thing about time. It even made one doubt if memories that should be repulsive and ugly weren't actually beautiful.
Thanks to Ban drawing attention, Arotep and Munet had slipped into the castle quietly, without attracting the vampires' notice.
It was a distasteful castle. Like one where only the bare minimum dust had been swept away. Without the qi that muffled all sounds and presences, the place would already be creaking and screaming with all sorts of unpleasant noises.
Arotep strolled through the castle as if it were his own home. Munet kept watching his back. She had a feeling various stray thoughts might emanate from it.
"So, you've grown fond of the old Ballgot fellow?"
Arotep spoke in a voice only Munet could hear. She glanced around before quietly replying.
"He's not someone Father should belittle like that."
"He's old, isn't he?"
"...You're old too."
"Not compared to him. I've only lived a little over fifty years."
Munet didn't respond. Instead, she asked something else.
"...Is that woman strong?"
"Weak."
Arotep answered without hesitation. Then he pondered briefly and added,
"And strong."
"...Will kidnapping her be difficult?"
"No. Not at all."
Arotep spoke in a somewhat forlorn tone.
"It'll be easier than with anyone else in the world. In fact."
"Why betray her?"
"Does the reason matter to you?"
"It'll help me decide if I can trust you or not."
"...A daughter who can't trust her father."
Arotep smiled. It was a smile so sad and desolate, yet brimming with love for Munet, that she almost felt sorry for a moment but barely suppressed it. She shot back in a venomous tone.
"It's only natural not to trust a father who stole one's mother."
"...The life of a vampire is a cursed one."
Sucking blood wasn't the price of immortality—it was simply the curse. Unable to taste any food, growing weak under the sun.
Even knowing he'd lose all pleasures, Arotep had accepted Root's blessing to share the curse with her. He had a reason to prolong his life. A reason to gain power.
"When I accepted this curse and blessing, I made one promise. That someday, I'd return what was stolen from her."
"...So you sent me to Erock. To steal eternal life. But it couldn't be stolen from the start. Just as you said, Father."
Eternal life had never been stolen in the first place. So why had Arotep sent Munet to Erock? What had he expected her to steal?
Arotep had given her a necklace then, saying it could hold Erock's eternal life. But when she'd thrust it before Erock, what she'd stolen weren't tears of immortality, but actual tears. He'd wept endlessly, as if pouring out a lifetime of unshed sorrow.
Arotep said quietly,
"I stole his stubbornness."
"...What?"
"I made him break his long silence and finally make a decision. ...Though I never imagined she'd stay by his side for three whole years."
At some point, Arotep stopped muffling his footsteps. Not because all the castle's vampires had gone to deal with Ban. He opened a door and quietly knelt.
"Long time no see, miss."
He said in a low voice.
"I've finally stolen the 'end' for you."
§
She was beautiful.
If you didn't know what femininity truly meant, you'd want to say, 'Look up at her.' Every beauty and praise of 'woman' handed down from ancient times clung to every corner of her body.
And so, she was inevitably horrifying.
It was palpable. Life pouring from her body every instant.
The phrase 'living corpse' made sense. She lived, yet was more corpse-like than any dead body. Death, endlessly burning her vitality, accompanied every gesture. She'd already expended thousands, tens of thousands of lifetimes' worth of life, yet she still emanated vitality without cease.
And thus, she resembled a corpse infinitely.
"...Arotep, is that you?"
"Yes, miss. A bit late, but... I've come to keep my long promise."
"I see... Did you meet him?"
"Yes. My daughter... met him and gave him your necklace."
Even Munet couldn't help but feel a little flustered in that moment. Arotep had said as much. That kidnapping her would be easy. The miss—Emily—gazed quietly at Munet. She gave a faint, ghostly smile.
"I see... What a pretty child. Still a child. What did he say? Did he smile? Cry? No, he must have been expressionless. Yes. That's how it would be. He'd have lost all emotions long ago..."
"...He cried. Miserably."
"Cried...? I see. He cried."
Emily slowly brought a hand to her cheek. But no tears touched the hollows beneath her sunken eyes. She could no longer cry. She'd shed too many tears, for too long.
Emily looked at Arotep with a wistful smile.
"Thank you, Arotep. For keeping your promise."
"...You gave me the chance to protect what's most precious to me."
Arotep replied steadily. Emily nodded quietly as she regarded him.
"Yes. But not everyone I gave chances to tried to save me. Look at me now. All I was permitted was life as a corpse. Arotep... even speaking is hard now. Please. Will you kidnap me? Take me far from here."
"...This might be the first time I've ever disliked stealing something."
Kidnapping her meant taking her before Erock... meant putting an end to her story.
It meant extinguishing that faintly flickering ember. And yet.
Arotep raised his head.
"But I'll steal you away. I'm a thief, after all."
§
Munet couldn't understand. Arotep often said it: how tiresome and grueling life as a vampire was. How horrific it was to eat nothing but blood.
She still vividly remembered him saying Root should perish as soon as possible. That's why it felt even less real. His deferential attitude upon meeting Emily, and Emily submitting to kidnapping as if she'd been waiting.
Arotep hadn't muffled his steps before Emily's door, but outside the castle, his eyes were cautious.
The standoff between Ban and the vampires looked intense from afar.
But one thing was clear. The woman being kidnapped by a thief was wrapped in a strange vitality, unlike her empty expression moments ago. Vivid anticipation and joy dwelled in her eyes.
"Munet. I'll say it again: don't make a sound, even if we can't go fast. Keep that in mind."
"I know."
"Then, pardon me, miss."
Arotep hoisted Emily onto his back and kicked off the ground. She, who granted vampires power beyond humans, was too frail to walk properly alone.
Munet wouldn't know. The woman born able to 'share' her gifts with others from birth. Once called a saint, how she'd loved one man. And at the end of that love, what curse had broken her.
But she didn't need to know now. She knew how to silence her steps and run fast. That was enough.
Munet glanced at Ban. They'd send the signal once they'd escaped the castle far enough. She wondered if he'd hold out that long...
'He'll manage. He's not the type to fail at protecting himself.'
It was a judgment that pierced Ban fairly well. But it missed one crucial point: unlike usual, Ban's mind wasn't at ease right now.
"Your sword hesitates much."
The strongest vampire said. He also looked the oldest. The white-bearded elder held a sword with a bamboo hilt.
"...I'm not sure if I should cut you down or not."
"On paths of uncertainty, even swords retreat."
It wasn't just because he was a vampire; he was fundamentally a skilled swordsman. And an elder with a calmness unbefitting one. He chuckled softly.
"I don't know why you've come this far, but if you withdraw now, I won't bare my fangs. Though the others here might not stay calm... It's been ages since they tasted human blood, and humans rarely venture this far...."
"You'd best not give me a reason to fight. Things might get scary then."
"Your spirit is commendable."
Rather than clashing blades, Ban dragged out the conversation. His job was to draw attention anyway. Whether he felled anyone mattered little.
'By now... have they escaped?'
He had to hold them until the signal flare. Then the elder spoke.
"Why have you come all this way?"
'Clues to a treasure, maybe.'
"Impossible. All that's here are aged, weakened vampires. Or... is that it? Do you desire the curse of blood?"
The elder smiled. Ban shrugged and asked,
"If I want it, do I get it?"
"...You might. But you'd regret it for life. As we do."
"Hmm."
Ban rolled his eyes, trying not to seem unnatural. There were many. He could buy time, but winning? Dicey. If lucky, he could talk until slipping away...
"Kaaaaah! Big trouble! Boss! The miss, the miss...!"
'...Knew it was too easy.'
The scream echoed through the quiet forest: The miss has escaped! In that instant, the vampires before Ban turned ferociously savage, beyond comparison. Ban smiled awkwardly.
"You said you wouldn't bare your fangs if I just left..."
"You bastard...! What have you...!"
"I was about to say I'll be going now..."
Ban glanced back. No signal flare yet. He sighed, regripping his sword.
"I still need to buy time."
"Everyone, search! This one's mine...!"
Before the elder finished, Ban's sword flashed. It was as if a massive blade had slashed the earth from the sky. Facing the fresh long scar in the ground, Ban spoke quietly.
"Cross this line, and you won't leave unharmed."
"...I spoiled you, and now you think the sky's the limit! Fine. If you want to see me angry, so be it!"
Veins bulged. Terrifying momentum surged to tear him apart. Facing it, Ban sighed inwardly.
No signal flare. He was still buying time.
Whether kidnapping the vampires' queen was wise, he didn't know—the dice were cast. Like it or not, it was time to move.
In the swamp of hesitation, the swordsman raised his blade.