The Vassal's Shadow
Seowoo carefully opened the front door and stepped outside, ears straining to catch every sound as he tried to slip past the researchers without being noticed.
A while later, after leaving the dorms, he hadn't gone far when—
"Thud."
Someone's hand suddenly clamped onto his shoulder.
"What are you doing sneaking around here like a thief?"
"Wow!!"
Seowoo's body jolted in shock.
"Who... who is it?! Ah, ah... it's you... I almost had a heart attack..."
The owner of the familiar voice was Suyeon.
Even though she had been expanding her senses to the maximum, how had she approached without making a sound?
The question that popped into his head vanished instantly under the weight of her question.
"What? Your eyes...?"
"Ah, this is the first time you've seen me like this."
Suyeon's eyes trembled slightly, something she wouldn't have noticed normally.
It looked a bit sad.
Hearing that you could become a vampire and actually seeing it were two completely different things.
Since it was Suyeon, she could hide it to that extent, probably Seowoo wouldn't have been able to manage his expression at all.
If his closest friend became a monster wearing human skin, who would welcome him?
He had expected a bitter reaction, of course.
But Suyeon's first words were nothing like what he had imagined.
"You! What are you trying to do if someone else catches you!"
"Ah...? No... I was being super careful..."
"Then why didn't you notice me coming?"
"... Then?"
"Ugh~! If you leave me alone, I'll die of worry! Come with me!"
"... I have to go to work. The kids are waiting."
Suyeon's sharp gaze turned Seowoo into a speechless person.
Following her obediently, he stopped in front of the entrance.
"What? Can an outsider just come in?"
"Seowoo, people don't call someone who gives a ring and puts it on the left hand's ring finger an outsider, do they?"
"Then...?"
"What are you asking! Anyway, don't ask me that, ask the people around you."
"Oh, really?"
"... Ah, hurry up and come in."
Suyeon said while avoiding Seowoo's eyes, as if ashamed to say something.
Then, remembering that when she had been with Acid, Suyeon had sent a signal of contact.
Yes, of course it wasn't someone who suddenly appeared without reason.
"Excuse me."
She entered her room, taking off her shoes.
The room that seemed to have some cute corner was surprisingly simple and minimalistic.
It felt like it was just there without any decoration.
Her heightened sense of smell sucked in the body odor in the room.
It was a rose scent that wasn't stimulating.
"Want to sit on the bed for a bit?"
"Got it."
Suyeon said while looking at Seowoo who was awkwardly standing, rummaging for something to bring.
"Found it."
"What is it?"
"Special lens. Looking at it, it seems like you can't control your strength properly. Right?"
"How did you know that...?"
"If you don't know that too, you're an idiot? How long have you known me. Try it on."
"Got it."
Seowoo put on the lens boldly and tried it on.
Since it was the first time wearing the lens, the shape was very awkward.
Suyeon helped when he couldn't stand it, and only then did the lens fit properly.
"Oh, perfect. You look human."
"Oh, what? Really? But how do you have this?"
"Eh? Ah~ So~ Ah! Well, since we often go to the human world. If we have these as backups, the upper ones will like it."
Suyeon, thinking only of helping Seowoo without thinking, realized something.
So she rambled on an excuse.
Whether it would pass as is is doubtful.
"Oh~ As expected."
Seowoo, with a smug smile, said pure admiration without any suspicion like a fool.
"Is this also an artifact?"
"Right...?"
Actually, I can't say it's an unregistered artifact from the Nest.
The lens he was wearing when he went out with Seowoo last time was the one he said was for covering up.
"But, when I knocked on the wall earlier, who was there?"
"Yeah, I was with Professor Acid."
"Eh? Not Lucia?"
"Well... It's a bit complicated."
Suyeon is the one who told everything anyway.
No reason to hide.
"... I'm not a successful experiment subject, but a Kin."
"What...? Whose Kin?"
"Lucia and Acid. The two of them."
Seowoo's words hit Suyeon like a shock.
The head of the family and a Kin of comparable lineage.
It felt like her plan was falling apart.
"Is that true...?"
"... Yeah."
Most of the Nest are half-bloods.
It's a harsh organization that excludes everyone except the vampires they allow, so Seowoo wanted him to remain human.
Rather, if it was a coincidence like last time where the experiment succeeded, it would have been good.
In that case, he could have appealed as a victim and gotten absolution.
But if he's a Kin, it's different.
The ones treated as assistants to vampires while human are Kins.
Especially if it's the head of the family's Kin, no excuse, likely to be branded as a criminal.
Since they're escaping with the organization's help, conflict is inevitable.
Still, thinking that even if it's his achievement, he might not let it pass.
How long has it been since he sacrificed his life?
If there's justice in the organization, they would save him.
"... For now, I understand. You don't have to give that. Use it well."
"Really?"
"Yeah, and always be careful with your body..."
"Thank you."
"It's fine~ Do well as usual. Hurry up. The kids are waiting, right?"
"Ah, yes. Wait. Then, I'll go first. See you later~."
"Yeah."
Suyeon saw Seowoo off with a bitter smile.
* * *
The classroom door opened, and Lize and Yuria were sitting blankly.
Normally, Seowoo would have scolded Lize for being late.
Checking the time again, thinking he had misread, but it was clearly late.
"You're here...?"
"Ah, uncle..."
Both their faces were shadowed.
"... Why so serious? Both of you."
It was too different from usual.
Since Seowoo's main job was to care for their mental state, he needed to know the reason first.
Seeing the two who didn't have good first impressions sticking together, it seemed they hadn't fought.
"... Today's first mission."
"First mission...?"
"Yeah."
The feeling was heavy.
"Should I ask what you did?"
If he had forgotten something, it was that they were the Numbers, disposal unit.
They were assassins who didn't mind dirtying their hands.
The serious atmosphere they were emitting wasn't exaggerated.
"... Capturing humans who were trying to escape."
"If necessary, we can cut off limbs..."
So far, it had only been training to raise them.
From Lize and Yuria's words, it seemed what was supposed to happen had happened.
Dealing with vampires was relatively less mentally taxing.
They had hated vampires from the start.
But if the target was humans, it was different.
There was no being that didn't hesitate in intra-species conflict.
It had been painful to wound humans who had once been in the same situation as them.
As punishment for disobedience, to survive, they had to trample on their own kind.
"... It's okay."
He hugged Lize and Yuria with both arms and patted their backs.
"Teacher..."
"Uncle..."
Small arms wrapped around Seowoo's neck from both sides.
"No one will blame you for that."
The one who created that situation or gave the command that was like a threat was ultimately the vampire.
The victims of that moment could vent their resentment in front of them.
Anyway, the one who stopped the escape was the Numbers.
But Seowoo thought the words they spat out were resentment toward the vampires.
He couldn't avoid the blame from the difference in position, but at least it wasn't sincere.
"... Actually, I'm no different from you."
These two also hadn't gone through Seowoo's hands.
Perhaps, he might have become their target of hatred.
There were countless humans who had died facing the serum he had put out.
The path Lize and Yuria were walking was the path Seowoo had walked a long time ago.
"... It's a painful story, but to survive, I had to become numb."
It was obvious that it would become more painful as time passed.
Rather, the memories that slowly rose after some time were more painful than the moment of performing the command.
"... Yeah."
"... Yes."
"Yeah, you listened well today."
"Can we stay like this a little longer?"
"Me too."
"Of course."
The closeness where they could feel the children's breath on their ears continued for a while.
It felt good as they seemed to regain strength a bit...
But after the comfort ended, they stuck to him more than necessary.
"Hey, you guys? You're too close..."
"No, Teacher! Am I not close enough? Look! That fox-like girl is sticking closer!"
"You, you're not far off either..."
Yuria, who always got hit with words, unexpectedly retaliated.
"Both of you understand. You guys, stop..."
It was good that their energy was back, but he hadn't wanted them to fight.
Thinking if there was something to turn the topic, suddenly one came to mind.
Something that helped Seowoo himself while inducing direct participation.
"Ah, by the way, is there someone who is confident in controlling their strength when they turn into a vampire...?"
There was the lens Suyeon had given, but rather than relying on tools, one needed to master the method.
A way to freely go between humans and vampires.