EP.10 The Crimson Alliance
Since we finished eating, dish duty fell to me. This is truly unfair. That self-proclaimed King of Dogs snatched half the food I made, so why am I solely responsible for the dishes? Is this what the world is? Is this a nation?
Ah, right. The Gun-guk was a pseudo-state that barely qualified as a country.
While a stuffed Ajie sprawled on the floor yawning, I grumbled as I cleaned up. Ajie didn't even react to my hard work.
The only saving grace was that Ajie's bowl was spotless and gleaming as if brand new.
*'This guy, at least he eats. He seems to be human, I suppose.'*
Right on cue, thoughts drifted in from the hallway outside the dining hall. The regressor was pressed flat against the outer wall, peering inside. Reading the incoming thoughts, I scowled deeply.
Who is she to call someone not human?
Hey. If a human trains hard enough, they can emanate sword aura. They can use magic. Their bodies can become incredibly tough.
Some people can closely observe another's expressions, gaze, and breathing, and accurately guess what they're thinking. Though not as well as I can.
But no matter how hard you try, you can't turn back time. And the least human among us is calling me out.
*'...More importantly, why does Ajie follow such a frivolous man? Seeing as she even prepared a meal for him, it seems she's already opened her heart to him. Could it be that I, too...?'*
"Ahem!"
Having finished her thoughts, the regressor cleared her throat needlessly and entered the dining hall. Then, meeting Ajie's eyes, she greeted her in a slightly higher pitch than usual. It was an incredibly awkward display.
"Oh, hey. Ajie? Did you enjoy your meal?"
"Woof..."
However, the creature with the easiest life in the world is a well-fed dog. Sprawled out, Ajie showed no particular reaction and merely wagged her tail. The regressor grew slightly discouraged and lowered her raised hand.
*'Her reaction is lukewarm. Is it because I'm... disguised as a man? No. She follows that guy so well. Tch, what kind of trick did he use...'*
Playing ball! That damn game of fetch!
You saw it yourself!
Before you go on about her following you, how about you actually throw a ball? People who claim to love dogs always want the perks without putting in the work. If you want to bond with her, play with her properly and see that responsibility through to the end.
Sigh. Still, since she made her presence known, I had to at least acknowledge her. I turned from the sink and looked at the regressor.
"Good morning. Trainee Shei. Have you had breakfast?"
After exchanging routine pleasantries, I noticed there was still some bean stew left in the pot. If the regressor hadn't eaten breakfast yet, etiquette dictated I should at least offer her the stew. Otherwise, it would just feel like I was mocking her: 'You haven't eaten? What a shame. I already ate~'
If cooked properly, a single compressed can of beans yields enough to feed a family of four for a whole day. But since that pig-like creature just inhaled half of it, there wasn't much left. And now I had to share this precious remainder.
Still, that was better than making an enemy and getting wiped out in a single stroke. Feeling like I was tearing the flesh from my own bones, I made the offer to the regressor.
"If you haven't eaten, would you care for some of my personally cooked Gun-guk special canned bean dish?"
"Don't worry about it. I manage well enough on my own."
"Excuse me? The dining hall is right here, so where are you managing to eat? Did you embezzle some rations or something?"
"I have my own personal emergency rations."
Answering curtly, the regressor cast a gaze filled with utter loathing at the canned bean dish in the pot.
*'Canned beans... I don't even want to look at that wretched food unless it's the early stages of a round. Acquiring that treasure, the Manhan Quanxi that summons a full banquet every day, was truly a masterstroke. It's only a single-serving, but at least my meals are guaranteed.'*
I had inadvertently read her thoughts, only to end up feeling utterly mocked in return.
Here I am, living hand-to-mouth while competing with a dog for food, while someone else is living it up with a treasure that lays out a feast every single day. Is this a nation, seriously?
Even as a mind-reader, the human heart is truly peculiar. Rationally speaking, a regressor who fends for herself is far better than a dog that steals my food. But seeing her thrive all on her own makes my gut twist in resentment. I almost wish she'd lose her Manhan Quanxi and starve. Is this the selfishness of human nature?
The dish I was washing looked especially pitiful today. My entire meal had fit into that tiny bowl. When it was brimming, I felt like I had the whole world; now, both the bowl and my heart were empty. Is this what they call relative deprivation?
"Are you done with the dishes yet? Hurry up and get ready."
While I was spacing out, the regressor urged me on.
"Get ready for what?"
"What do you think? We're going to meet Tircanzhaka. We have to learn the Blood Manipulation Art."
"Why do I have to learn that?"
At my irritated retort, the regressor shrugged and answered.
"Because Tircanzhaka decided it?"
"Damn it. Age equals rank, that's all it is."
Tossing the washed dishes carelessly aside, I shook my hands dry and prepared to head out. The regressor looked puzzled by my disgruntled attitude.
"It's a chance to gain that power without even becoming a vampire. It shouldn't be a bad deal for you, should it?"
"So what? It'll take forever to learn. Even if I pull it off, the most I'll get is the ability to control blood. What's the point of that? At best, it's just a downgrade of a vampire's power."
It's a technique that the vampire known as the Progenitor only managed to perfect long after achieving immortality. And what's more, it requires manipulating one's own blood. One slip, and my life is forfeit. It's a skill only someone with time and lives to spare could afford to learn.
Like a regressor, for instance.
My goal from the start was to survive, not to grow stronger. And growing stronger doesn't guarantee a better life anyway.
And besides...
"I don't particularly want to get stronger."
A genuine sentiment that accidentally slipped out. I regretted it the moment the words left my mouth, but the regressor, with her keen senses, had already heard it.
*'...Doesn't sound like a lie. He genuinely doesn't seem to place any value in getting stronger. But a soldier of the Gun-guk, which is entirely meritocratic, saying that?'*
I wondered if I had spoken out of turn, but spat-out words cannot be taken back. I walked past the regressor, keeping my expression as neutral as possible. Watching me head calmly for the door, the regressor fell into deep thought.
*'I said I didn't know his identity, but I truly know nothing about this guy... He's aloof and carefree relative to the power he possesses, and he has this peculiar way of rejecting authoritarianism... He doesn't treat Ajie as a human, yet he's actually kind to her. If even that picky Ajie follows him...'*
Reaching a swift judgment, the regressor came to her own conclusion.
*'Perhaps he's a soldier who was demoted for resisting orders from the upper echelons of the Gun-guk? At least an officer. Otherwise, nothing explains it—not the power he possesses, nor the attitude he shows toward Ajie and Tircanzhaka!'*
Every now and then—or rather, quite frequently since she arrived—I revisited a thought that had been lingering in my mind.
Thank goodness that woman can regress.
*'I had left the Gun-guk alone after destroying it once in the 8th iteration, but perhaps I can use him as a key to dig deeper into it!'*
Wait, scratch that. If she can easily destroy an entire nation, what's so lucky about it?
More importantly, the Gun-guk was destroyed? If I uncover that truth, could I pull off something similar? I'd kind of like to wreak havoc in this country myself.
Just as I was about to dwell on the regressor's thoughts—
*'Keuugh....'*
I flinched.
I hastily whipped around and stared deeper inside. The regressor looked at me with疑惑 at my sudden movement, but I couldn't tear my eyes away.
The mental voice I had just heard belonged neither to the regressor nor to Ajie. It was a faint consciousness, blurred beyond recognition, feeling as though it could snap at any moment.
Was it a delusion? No, that couldn't be. It definitely meant there was someone—someone alive—further inside.
"What are you doing? Stop standing there."
"No, it's just... it felt like someone was there."
"Where?"
The faintly connected thought was severed. Did they die? Fall asleep? Tsk, it's bothering me, but if my telepathy was cut off, I wouldn't be able to find them with my abilities alone.
For now, the vampire business came first. I pushed the thought aside and stepped out into the courtyard with the regressor.
Tartarus is dark. Even the sunlight flying from afar sets awkwardly, scratching its head in the face of the Earth Mother's stern wrath. The Abyss, a bottomless pit, has no floor and thus no height. The infinite space is a barrier that even the sunlight forcefully squeezing through a dust-sized gap cannot cross.
Because of this, Tartarus had to be self-sufficient in light. Surprisingly, humanity had reached a realm where they could generate light through magic. Divine grace could be substituted by human endeavor.
Even if the quality was infinitely inferior.
There is a frontline in Tartarus's courtyard. An L-shaped prison building and the courtyard that fits snugly within its perimeter. Up to that point, the searchlights do not chase people. The widely spread daylight lamps illuminate the interior evenly, showering it with the fruits of humanity's triumph over the night.
However, beyond that—onto the slightly outer land where I first fell, and past the sharp, angular boundary set by the Gun-guk—the searchlights fiercely hound anyone who steps foot there.
There are no troops in Tartarus to chase escapees, nor anywhere for escapees to flee. Yet, the Gun-guk polices them with relentless stubbornness. As if to emphasize that they are prisoners who must never leave this place.
"Where is Tircanzhaka.... Ah."
On the ground where the searchlights should have reached, Tircanzhaka lay.
Truthfully, I wasn't sure if she was lying down. The only thing visible was a crimson cross, glowing ominously even within the darkness.
The vampire, who despised light, stayed outside the reach of the lamps. Normally, the searchlights should have pursued her for leaving their designated zone, but perhaps intimidated by the blazing, ominous crimson aura, they merely averted their gaze and pretended not to see.
"...We have to go over there, right?"
"Obviously."
"Ugh. I hate how bright it is over there..."
"Why, do you want me to cut the light for you?"
I didn't even want to ask how that was possible. With footsteps that couldn't be more reluctant, I headed toward the coffin waiting for us in the distance.
Step after step. The moment I set foot in the searchlight's domain, I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the light that would chase me as if to scorch my back.
But the light never chased my back. The searchlights ignored me just as they ignored her, shining only on irrelevant spots. Huh? What's going on?
[I have blinded those things.]
A dark voice echoed. There was no need to ask whose it was. The vampire lying quietly within the coffin, the Progenitor Tircanzhaka, spoke calmly, using the darkness as her whip.
[I despise bright things, but that light grates on me even more. It is far sharper than sunlight. I assume you both feel the same.]
I hastily nodded.
"Is there even a doubt? Please, make yourself comfortable. We can see perfectly fine with just a sliver of light. In times like this, it's only right that we accommodate you."
[....]
*'This leaves a strangely unpleasant taste in my mouth... Why does it feel like you're treating me like a doddering old man with failing eyes?'*
Hearing the vampire's thoughts, I felt my sanity crumbling.
Why does she react like that? Does she have a persecution complex? It's true that I'm treating her as old, and it's true I implied her eyes were dim, but I haven't made it that obvious!
The vampire glared at me with terrifying intensity before slowly speaking.
[Regardless, this training will be exceptionally harsh. To manipulate blood, you must inevitably shed blood. Along the way, you will face perilous situations.]
The vampire inside the coffin let out a sinister voice. Through the slightly opened gap, red blood dripped drop by drop. As if foreshadowing the ordeal we were about to face.
[Will you still proceed? Will you prove you can overcome this hardship?]
It was an offer straight out of a mischievous adult's fairytale, or a legend descending upon a dark forest. A test proffered by the vampire known as the Progenitor to an ignorant human.
Though anyone else would be terrified, the regressor nodded without a sliver of fear.
"I've made my resolve. I am ready."
To a human who had died and been resurrected thirteen times, even the Progenitor's dread was merely a wall to be scaled. Even faced with the surging aura and writhing blood, the regressor's expression remained unchanged. The vampire was pleased by her attitude.
*'A boy with quite the spirit. Hmm. It should be fun to teach him. Just the right amount.'*
Now, the vampire's gaze shifted toward me.
[And you?]
Umm. I'll pass.
The vampire's expression inside the coffin was invisible. The darkness she had drawn in was so thick that the coffin appeared blurry, despite being barely five paces away.
With her expression and face obscured, an ordinary person wouldn't dare fathom what the vampire was thinking in the darkness beyond.
But I could read her thoughts.
*'Originally, it is a disciple's duty to obey their master's commands. So that they would not dare refuse a single order.'*
The vampire's mind was brimming with thoughts of tormenting me.
*'That is the bond between master and disciple. I shall beat some respect into you, you insolent brat. You treated me like a crone, so I will discipline you in a crone's fashion.'*
Her way of thinking was so archaic. A master-disciple bond? What era is this?
To think that volunteering to teach me was just a way to legally torment me. Should I call her genuinely petty, or should I give her credit for being mature enough not to just recklessly slaughter me on the spot?
I hadn't wanted to learn in the first place, but reading the vampire's thoughts only cemented my resolve. I swiftly shook my head.
"I have no intention of learning."
[...What?]
The vampire was thoroughly shocked. It seemed the thought of me rejecting her offer had never crossed her mind, as even her voice trembled.
[You refuse to learn? When I am offering to teach you personally?]
"Ah. Yes."
[I have rarely bestowed my teachings upon anyone in all my years. This is a chance to form a master-disciple bond with me, and you dare refuse?]
She asked again and again, seemingly unable to believe it. No, seriously. I really don't need it. I scratched my head and replied.
"Look, the master-disciple system was abolished back in the Kingdom era, let alone the Gun-guk. The abuses were just too severe."
[Why?]
"Why? Because of all the freeloaders, obviously. They'd use the master-disciple system to receive royal treatment, work their disciples like slaves for years, and then arrogantly teach them utter trash martial arts or magic. It caused a massive uproar. When trials were held, half the lawsuits were between masters and apprentices, and the state grew sick of presiding over them. So it was eventually banned. That system only exists as a relic in nations over a thousand years old like the Mien Empire, so stop bringing it up."
The vampire snorted as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. With a voice subtly laced with murderous intent, the vampire threatened me.
[This is the Blood Manipulation Art. The very power that made me an immortal being. And you dare treat it like some cheap parlor trick?]
"No, no. When did I say the Blood Manipulation Art was an outdated skill? I said the master-disciple system was an outdated custom. And..."
It feels a bit harsh to say this, but I can't help it. I couldn't just suck up to her and let myself get chained to a leash for the rest of my life.
If the leash were a dazzling golden chain, I might consider biting the bullet and letting it clip on. But if it's a frayed rope made over a thousand years ago, wearing it would only be a detriment.
I decided to speak my mind plainly.
"The Blood Manipulation Art, well, it's not a scam, but... it's a bit of an outdated technique, isn't it?"
*Rumble.*
It wasn't just my imagination that Tartarus seemed to shake. The blood was boiling. It was the materialization of the vampire's displeasure. From within the surging darkness, the vampire radiated her fury.
I wanted to drop to my knees right then and there. *Please accept me... as your disciple!* I wanted to beg. Anything to escape this crushing pressure.
But the future that would paint was one of endless training, continuing until I was on the brink of death. A life akin to a slave, attending to the vampire's every whim with no time for anything else.
Honestly, living like that wouldn't be too different from my current life. The problem was undergoing the 'tests' that came with her teachings.
If, after receiving the Progenitor's teachings, I were to hit my limit and expose my true bottom... the bloated assessment of my abilities would be deflated. The image I had built on pure bluff would be entirely consumed.
It would be exposed that I was nothing more than an insignificant, ordinary person.
It was the truth, but a truth that must never be revealed. My death, which I saw in the regressor's future. To prevent it, I needed to retain at least a modicum of influence.
Even if I had to risk my life to do so.
[Oh ho.]
The vampire was a person of the past, whether she liked it or not. Older people hate being treated as seniors, but treat them like a genuine peer, and they'll get offended for being disrespectful.
I refuse to believe there's an idiot out there who actually acts comfortably around an adult just because they said to make themselves at home.
The only saving grace was that, matching her age, she was dignified; even if she got a little angry, she wouldn't immediately pull a knife like a certain someone else.
I hastily added to my words.
"For a trainee like Tircanzhaka, who has cultivated her power for a thousand years to reach her current tier, it's certainly usable. But strictly speaking of the technique itself, isn't it a technique from a thousand years ago?"
[Hoh.... You brat, pushing it to the very end....]
"No, I'm not trying to find fault with it. It's just that the power itself has aspects that feel out of touch with the times."
[Are you calling the Blood Manipulation Art rubbish right now?]
*Crunch.* Something took a bite out of the space right next to me. Wondering what it was, I slowly turned my head.
A bright red, blood-colored horse was glaring at me as it chewed. I had no idea what it was chewing on. But I knew exactly what it *wanted* to chew on, because the Blood Horse's eyes were boring a hole right through me. *Ptui.* The Blood Horse spat, and the concrete floor sizzled and melted.
Ah, I had a suspicion, and I was right. I can't read a familiar's thoughts....
[Leave him be, Rallion.]
*Heee-hiiiigh—*
The ground heaved with its pawing. Like a stamped seal, the crimson horseshoe was vividly carved into the concrete floor.
Hmm. This is way out of my league. Did I make the wrong choice?
[Very well. Then you shall merely watch. You will regret it later, and by then, it will be too late to change your mind.]
If I say I don't want to watch either, will she actually kill me? Fine. I'll just nod for now.
As I maintained my stubborn stance, the sulking vampire tore her gaze away from me and turned to the regressor. The massive coffin slid across the ground, stopping right beside the regressor.
[Boy. What is your name?]
"It's Shei."
[I see. Shei. Will you follow my teachings? The process may be painful, and it may be perilous. But the end will undoubtedly be magnificent. I shall teach you with all my heart; will you undertake this training without doubting my intentions?]
The regressor didn't even hesitate. Since she could just regress if she died, she easily brushed it off, shrugging as she spoke.
"Of course. I swear it. But."
The regressor added a few more words.
"I've learned a lot from various places, so I won't be able to entirely follow in your footsteps."
[That matters not. Just promise me one thing.]
"If it's within my power. What is it?"
The blood congealed in midair. Swelling like a crimson balloon, the blood morphed into the shape of a finger and pointed straight at me.
[You will break that insolent brat!]
The regressor accepted that condition with a wicked grin.
"That's exactly what I was hoping for."
Huh? Me? Why me all of a sudden?
Suddenly made into their common enemy, I could only blink helplessly as I watched the formation of the crimson alliance between the two women.