The top floor of the Castle of the Full Moon is an entire floor reserved for Tireu. Since no one may live above the head of the Progenitor, only Tireu resides at the peak of the Castle of the Full Moon.
On the highest floor of the most luxurious and magnificent ancient castle, a dim and tranquil bedchamber for the Progenitor is situated. It has rarely been used. Tireu is also a vampire and does not sleep; if she were to take an eternal slumber, she would carry her favorite coffin out and fall asleep in some distant underground where no one could find her. Nevertheless, it was well maintained for something with little sign of use. The large canopy bed had red curtains that were slightly transparent on the inside, and on one wall, a jewel-adorned mirror reflected the bedchamber.
“Ah, this isn’t the place. Forget what you saw. I didn’t mean to usher you into my bedchamber…”
“I wasn’t planning to go in either.” Tireu closed the bedchamber door and opened the audience chamber door. The audience chamber had a long vertical table, and on the seat of honor reserved solely for Tireu, the materials Baldamireu had prepared were neatly stacked.
Tireu naturally sat in the seat of honor. I sat right next to her and waited for what she would say.
“Your guess was correct. Baldamireu reached the same conclusion, and I also concurred. It is something impossible unless one is a vampire.”
“Well, if we’ve narrowed it down this much, picking one out is a piece of cake. I don’t know much about vampires myself, but if it’s Tireu or the Duke of Red Blood, you’ll be able to definitively narrow down the culprit. Now, who is the most likely suspect?”
Tireu rummaged through the stack of documents, found one file, and handed it to me. On that file, written in ominous red letters, was a single name.
“Rireu Nightingale.”
Of course, it was the name of the Righteous One.
“She was a Yeilling of Luskiniya, and also the child who inherited his True Blood. No matter who in the world looks at it, she’s the most suspicious.”
Tireu’s suspicion was justified.
Who but a minion of Luskiniya could have approached the cruelest Elder, and how could she have inherited the True Blood unless she had killed him? It was like looking at a straight road from start to finish.
However, one thing remained a question. I tilted my head and said.
“A Yeilling isn’t that weak… but even so, her opponent is an Elder, isn’t he? The progenitor of progenitors, the difference in level alone is tremendous. Could she really kill him and take his blood?”
“I also have doubts about the method. Therefore, I shall command my Rireu to explain it herself. If it doesn’t add up, she will be annihilated by my hand.”
The burden of proof lies on Rireu, Tireu agreed with my doubt but didn’t attach much significance to it. It’s more the mindset of a monarch than a judge. Do you want to live? Then prove your innocence. If I’m not convinced, I’ll kill you instead.
In truth, Tireu is a monarch, and this method isn’t particularly wrong. A monarch’s role is to govern, not to chase after vague truths. Presumption of innocence? Does any country actually do that?
However… I had read it.
That ‘Rireu Nightingale did not kill Luskiniya.’
I was getting a bit curious. Originally, I had planned to wait until the day of the trial. Since I can read people’s minds, it’s easy to find out the truth of the incident once all the parties are gathered.
The problem is whether all the parties will gather.
The prime suspect is Rireu. But Rireu is not the culprit. That means the real culprit is somewhere out there. If they don’t come to the trial, all the truth will be buried underground.
Tireu might be fine with that as a monarch. But, y’know, I’m curious about something.
Since I don’t have anything to do anyway, shall I dig into it a bit?
“The likelihood of being the culprit is still highest for Rireu Nightingale.”
“And on top of that, she vacated her seat even though she knew I had arrived. Whether intentional or not, it looks like she fled. With just circumstantial evidence, I wonder if a trial is even necessary.”
“But! It’s so perfect that it rather rubs me the wrong way.”
“Rubs you the wrong way?”
If I hadn’t read her thoughts, I’d be comfortably sightseeing in the Mist Duchy while chewing on some meat. But since I did read them, I can’t help it. While I’m at it, shall I find a pastime? Resting with a purpose is less boring than just resting.
“Doesn’t it feel unpleasant when the answer seems so obviously predetermined? I mean, I want to find a hidden trick.”
“Are you saying there is someone behind this incident? Are you certain?”
“I’m not certain, but that would be more interesting.”
“To find amusement in an incident where an Elder died. Be serious. I’m letting it slide because it’s me, but if other vampires heard, it would get noisy.”
She was even planning to kill time with me for a year, and now she suddenly tells me to be serious? I feel wronged. But if I wanted to voice this grievance, I’d have to confess my mind-reading ability, so I decided to hold back.
“You said we can’t move until we pass judgment on the death of the late Luskiniya, right? I’ll lend a hand. I’ll take on Rireu Nightingale’s defense.”
“Defense? You mean you will assert the child’s innocence?”
“Not exactly. I’ll challenge the questionable parts and help reach a more accurate judgment. Things have aspects you can’t see when looking only from one direction. If I stand on Rireu’s side, we might be able to judge more objectively.”
Since I’ve read her thoughts and know the answer, it would end up being advocacy in the end, though.
It seemed like a fun proposal, but Tireu unexpectedly showed little interest. With her hands clasped on the table, she grumbled at me like someone uncomfortable.
“Why waste effort on something as clear as day? The matter of the Elder will be handled by Baldamireu and myself, so you need not go out of your way to be concerned. Above all, don’t you have other things to do?”
“Things to do? Finding the Demon God? I can’t do that right away, though.”
Perhaps it wasn’t the answer she expected, as Tireu’s face grew noticeably more dissatisfied. From her pouting lips, I could hear her sulking at me.
“You said you’d restore my body’s senses. I tried not to rush you, but you seem to have no interest in that matter at all… I’m disappointed.”
“Ah, that.”
I scratched my head.
I did promise. I have the intention to do it. But there’s one thing I need to confirm before I do.
“I can do it anytime, but Tireu, are you really okay with reviving your senses?”
I had already revived her heart after hearing her wish.
I formed her with a heart. By distinguishing outside from inside, Tireu clearly separated her hazy self from the world. Because of that, her Blood Art and the power of domination weakened… but instead, that power is within Tireu’s body.
The aftershock of reviving her heart is already spreading throughout the duchy. Though Tireu hasn’t noticed.
But on top of that, senses too?
“After I revived your heart, you changed, didn’t you? Reviving your senses is even more significant. Senses are the power to perceive and accept external change. If all of that comes back… you will continue to change from now on. To the point where one wouldn’t believe it’s the current Tireu. Are you okay with that?”
“It is what I wished for.”
I had told her to mull it over a bit, but Tireu answered coolly.
“Until now, I’ve vaguely wished to revive my heart. I don’t know the reason. Even though I’ve never experienced an ordinary life, I’ve always secretly longed for a heart that beats on its own.”
Tireu placed her hand on her chest and felt the pulse. Even though Tireu can freely regenerate her body with her wondrous Blood Art, only the heart I planted refuses to obey her commands.
A living being cannot stop its own heart by its own will. It cannot kill itself by holding its breath. That is a primal instinct. That’s why you need a knife, poison, or rope to commit suicide.
Once the heart was revived, Tireu became unable to abandon her body. Because if she dismantled her body again, the heart would stop. To protect the small ember inside her, power gathered, and through that, she came to distinguish between outside and inside.
“I think I understand now. It’s because there had to be ‘me’ first. With ‘me’, I can feel difference. I can desperately love something different from me. I can feel inspiration about it and assign emotions. I was always searching for something to change me.”
Having calmly felt her heartbeat, Tireu reached out her hand to me. With a small smile uncharacteristic of a vampire, she toyed with my hand.
“I’m not afraid of changing now. Above all… sigh, isn’t it you doing it? I’ve already entrusted my body to you once. If it’s done by you, then I’m fine with it no matter what.”
A wish is change. One who wishes wants something to change.
Fulfilling that wish might cause some problems, but I won’t bother to say so. It’s Tireu’s wish and Tireu’s resolve. I have no intention of emphasizing and listing problems just to cover myself.
If problems arise, they just happen, that’s all. Surely, Tireu will handle them. She’s the Progenitor, after all.
“I’ll have to do both,” I concluded coolly. “During the day, I’ll do some inquiries, and at night, I’ll restore Tireu’s senses. I’m going to be pretty busy.”
“Are you sure you’ll be okay? Won’t it be hard?”
“Do I look like the type to work myself to the bone? Don’t worry. Compared to the forced marches I’ve done so far, it’s nothing.”
A comfortable sightseeing trip was out of the question. Even so, I need to do this much to have a voice in the duchy. I guess I was planning to slack off too much. The world gives you presence according to how much you work.
Living busily is the privilege of those with limited time. I didn’t particularly wish for it, but shall I exercise that privilege once?
“Besides, I’m curious how a mere Yeilling subdued an Elder. Knowing that method might help me understand vampires a bit. It could be a reference when restoring Tireu’s senses.”
“If that’s your will, how can I stop you? I’ll have Baldamireu informed, so do as you wish.”
‘It’s a shame our time together will decrease… but since you say you’ll work for me, I have no grounds to stop you.’
They say there is debt in the heart. When you give, something immediately returns. I gathered the important-looking documents from the table and stood up.
“I’ll come find you at night, so wash up and wait.”
“Alright, wash up… Wha, what?”
“I have to inscribe it stitch by stitch into your body like a tattoo with the Lightning Coil. I’ll see you in the evening then.”
I told her in advance because it’s an absolutely necessary process. Since it’s delicate work, it’s better to have fewer impurities.
…It sounds a bit strange, but well, I warned her.
Until I gathered the documents and left, Tireu sat still like a person whose heart had stopped, with both hands defensively gathered over her chest.