Though the goal was the Demon God’s revival, there wasn’t much for me to do in particular. I simply focused on humoring Tir and restoring her senses, as I had been doing.
As a result, I ended up constantly attached to Tir in our daily lives. By attached, I don’t just mean being together….
“Sister! May I dare to enter?”
“Come in.”
“Yes! For a moment, to fully savor your chamber….”
Permission granted, Kabila merrily threw open the door to the audience hall… only to fall silent at the sight inside.
Seated within were Tir and I. If it were simply that, it might have just barely skirted the edges of what Kabila could tolerate. But there was just one thing.
The fact that Tir and I were sitting on the same chair made Kabila freeze.
“What… the.”
When something is so utterly beyond belief, words fail you. Even when the other party is a vampire. I spoke while reading the increasingly flabbergasted thoughts of Kabila,
with Tir seated on my lap.
“You two go ahead and talk. Please don’t mind me.”
“How could I not mind! No, why are you holding Sister in your arms?! How dare some unfamiliar man lay a hand on Sister… lay a hand on her again!”
“Didn’t Tir tell you? I’m currently in the process of reviving her senses, so I need to stay as close to her as possible.”
It wasn’t a lie. The hands currently holding Tir’s shoulders were, after all, actively engraving sensation into her.
Even a Demon God of lightning cannot arbitrarily inscribe senses into another’s body. A Demon God understands the structure of the world, not the composition of a single human. If finding a formula could explain all real-world problems, the term ‘bookworm’ would never have come into existence.
But I am different. If the King of Humans, who can read human beings themselves, also understands the knowledge of a Demon God, then he can inscribe senses tailored to that body. That is, of course, only possible if Tir cooperates willingly….
“Hmm. Indeed, there remains a psychological barrier to showing this to others….”
“Should we stop, then?”
“No. Continue. It would be unfair to dismiss Kabila as just anyone. Kabila, who has spent long ages with me, is a child who has even witnessed my shameful sides….”
Tir spoke, leaning her body even more heavily against me. I nodded and placed my hands back on her shoulders. The dress, with its thin straps, exposed her shoulders almost entirely, allowing me to press my palms to them without any obstruction.
Crackle. With a faint spark of static electricity, I kneaded Tir’s shoulders just like that. Tir closed her eyes and shuddered, like a cat.
“How is it? Does it feel refreshing?”
“Mm. Yes. The sensation is coming.”
“Your muscles are very tense. Why are your shoulders so stiff?”
“Do muscles even get tense? I haven’t been exerting myself particularly.”
“Ah. My apologies. My strength was inadequate.”
It was a conversation like massaging the shoulders of one’s grandparents. Though in appearance, I likely look older than Tir.
Thus, Kabila, still standing, took in the sight of Tir’s body being massaged with both eyes wide open.
“Sis…ter?”
“That’s enough. Kabila.”
Continuing to receive my massage, Tir chided Kabila.
“I, too, did not wish to show such an unseemly sight before another’s eyes…. But Hue is human. He must sleep, eat, and occasionally rest his hands and go on outings. Could I truly force him to spare even more time?”
“You should force him! It is only proper for a favored consort to serve Sister with all his heart and soul!”
“I refuse. If Hue becomes weary because of me, I will reject it myself. Therefore, I hope you will understand.”
If the Progenitor asks her to understand, she has no choice but to do so. Kabila, though clearly displeased, decided to accept the situation for the time being.
‘To lay a hand on Sister so casually…. That human doesn’t even know an iota, not even a single iota, of what an undeserved honor that is…! Flaunting their closeness, that’s all it is…!’
I wonder. Is this really flaunting? If you set aside all preconceptions, it’s literally just a massage, nothing else. This is practically elderly care level, so just let it slide.
“Come and sit. So. What is the matter?”
“…It’s because of the approaching Night Tide.”
“The Night Tide draws near. I’ve returned at a good time….”
Night Tide? As I paused momentarily at the unfamiliar term, Tir read my touch and noticed my confusion.
‘Ah, yes. As an outsider, Hue would not know what the Night Tide is. Though I said to pay no mind, we can’t speak all day about things he doesn’t understand.’
Exactly. I see Tir does know a thing or two. I could learn by reading her thoughts, but pretending not to know something familiar is more difficult. It’s easier for both if she tells me in advance. It’s been a while since I received this kind of consideration.
‘However, telling him to explain because Hue doesn’t know… that would be an act that humiliates him. I must uphold my companion’s dignity.’
That’s more consideration than I was hoping for…. Anyway, Tir cleared her throat and asked.
“Kabila. My memory fails me for a moment. Could you briefly explain what the Night Tide is?”
“As much as you wish, Sister.”
Without an ounce of suspicion, Kabila began her explanation.
“In the Sea of Haheung live two Haheung. The Island Whale and the Cloud Ray. The rambunctious Cloud Ray beats the sea with its wing-like fins, stunning fish, then drifts on the surface picking up the ones that float up. A gluttonous creature that causes irritating trouble… but it’s nothing compared to the Island Whale.”
I still remember that tsunami. The tsunami that nearly swept away in an instant the humans who came to gather food during the low tide. A terrible disaster that nearly occurred was nothing but the aftermath of a Haheung’s hunt.
Yet the Island Whale was beyond even that. So much so that even Kabila felt a hint of awe when recalling the Island Whale.
“Once every four years, the Island Whale lives as if dead in the deep sea, then rises to the Sea of Haheung around this time. To us, it’s the deep sea… but to the Island Whale, it’s a shallow place where its back protrudes out like an island if it lies flat on its belly. It positions itself like a dam between two islands and opens its mouth toward the flow of the water. Then….”
“The water that fills the sea passes through the Island Whale’s stomach.”
“Just as you say. The Island Whale swallows seawater like a starving beast to filter out its prey, and lets the remaining seawater flow out. Through its massive gills and blowhole.”
As if words weren’t enough, Kabila illustrated it directly by shaping figures from blood. A shape like a dam blocks the water’s flow and opens its mouth. Blood pours into that mouth. The whale made of blood gulps down the waves, filtering and letting the remaining water flow out.
“But the water let out by the Island Whale, which has blocked the current, is far less than usual. The Sea of Haheung becomes short of water. Because of that, a massive low tide that would never normally be experienced occurs. This is the Night Tide. A phenomenon where the plains beneath the sea are laid bare.”
The tales of the Haheung were passed down like legends. Not only are they hard to understand by hearing, but few have actually witnessed them.
However, the story of the Haheung heard from a vampire’s lips… felt like a legend even knowing all the hidden details.
What on earth is that. The Island Whale’s back protrudes like an island, hence Island Whale, and after blocking the sea like a dam, it filters seawater and eats it? And because of that, a huge low tide comes and creates a plain?
The scale is terrifying. I’m newly realizing why it’s not just rivers and lakes that stop ships from sailing. It’s not a beast or anything; it’s a living, moving natural disaster.
Having finished her explanation, Kabila crossed her arms, displeased.
“I’m not very keen on it, but it’s a precious opportunity for the livestock to make a lump sum, so it’s hard to stop them. There are far too many who covet coral and seashells.”
“Didn’t we mostly sell them to the Geum Kingdom in the past? That Geum Kingdom is no more, so who is coveting them now?”
“They are still plentiful. The wandering merchants of the Mado Federation remain, and even that kingdom, though now gone, used to secretly acquire them claiming they were prizes for duels. In the barbarian lands below, black mages used to exchange them as materials….”
Kabila was just like Baldamir. Since Tir would return after secluding herself for short decades or long centuries, she had to explain the situation of each era. That explained why explaining seemed so natural to her.
“So before the Night Tide arrives, humans and vampires from all across the duchy will gather here. Bringing darkness as surely as night approaches.”
An opportunity for all the humans and vampires scattered across the duchy to gather. That is the Night Tide.
“And… Baldamir has set that day as the trial date for Lil Nightingale.”
The real reason Kabila had brought up the Night Tide came out at the end.
It was no small matter, but one concerning an Elder. Naturally, it must be announced when all vampires are gathered. The Red Blood Duke had discussed with Kabila about setting that day as the trial date….
“Of course, only if you grant your permission, Sister!”
And so she had come seeking final approval. Tir nodded readily.
“Tell them to proceed.”
“You have no objections?”
“It’s reasonable, so there’s no particular reason to change it. It’s the day all awake vampires gather, and everyone will be busy again after, so finishing it beforehand would be best.”
Her handling of matters is decisive. That’s why Tir trusted Baldamir enough to entrust him with the nation, and why Baldamir served Tir with utmost loyalty. It’s no exaggeration to say that Baldamir practically handles all the state’s important affairs.
Kabila nodded, as if she had expected this outcome, and answered.
“…Then, I will relay that.”
“Thank you for your hard work. I leave it to you, Kabila. Ah, a moment. May I ask one more favor?”
“As many as you like.”
Tir glanced at me and smiled.
“The food you made was truly delicious. Regaining my sense of taste and eating your cooking has been both a blessing and a curse. My palate has become so refined that I find it difficult to be satisfied with anything else.”
“You flatter me.”
“It was not flattery in the slightest. So, next time. Would you prepare a meal for me and Hue? I wish to feel and share that pleasure together.”
A late-blooming wind can be fierce. Not long after learning taste, and already taking an interest in gourmet food.
What must it feel like for Kabila to serve food to her revered Progenitor, her adored Sister? It must be a heart-swelling, thrilling situation. Perhaps she might faint from overwhelming emotion.
But Kabila is a vampire. She won’t freeze up from being overcome. To begin with, she only ever learned to cook to placate human discontent. It’s not a skill she cultivated for fulfillment or empathy.
Once, things were different. In the past, Tir had been aloof yet felt emptiness, and Kabila, her kin, was bound by that power and emotion. She strove to please Tir, even if only by a speck. Those were the days when Kabila was one-sidedly devoted.
But now.
“For you, Sister, as many times as you wish!”
That perfectly crafted smile, polished over a millennium, was all she could offer.