Manwol Castle was bustling like a holiday season out of nowhere. Visitors who came for the night tide market stayed near the castle. Those who should be preparing for the night tide didn't even know why they came themselves, but anyway, those who came expecting to earn a hefty sum were already spending their future earnings.
Thanks to that, Hilde and I, having come out from the lively market alley, were filling our hungry stomachs. Hilde paused eating and glanced toward Manwol Castle, saying,
"Father, a war is raging in the castle. Aren't we being too carefree?"
"Even if we rush anxiously, it wouldn't help much with what's happening inside. Let's just make the best choice we can right now?"
"The best choice being sitting in a restaurant filling our stomachs is a bit disappointing~."
Hilde murmured while looking at the ancient castle surrounded by darkness.
Something had gone wrong in the ancient castle where the Progenitor resided. Even without putting it into words, they instinctively felt it. Even people dead drunk were glancing at the ancient castle where darkness swirled.
However, they didn't think to investigate. The big events happening in the castle were all the vampires' business. Humans turned their heads and enjoyed their peaceful daily lives.
"There's no need to worry, right? It's a fight Tirkanjaka can't help but win. If she wins, that's the end. Even if she loses, she can stop her heart and dominate another vampire, then ask you to revive her heart again~."
"I can't do that."
"Huh?"
I, who had scraped the bottom of the plate clean, set down my utensils on the table and spoke.
"I wasn't the one who revived the heart. How could a complete stranger revive a heart in the first place? Tir revived her own heart. I only helped her recall her forgotten past memories."
"But in the end, you did it for her, Father?"
"It's hard to explain, but it's a bit different from that. I am the king of humans, and Tir is human, so I represent Tir. Tir had a powerful will to reclaim her heart. Moreover, she even made a dangerous attempt to reclaim her heart once."
Ordering Finlay to dominate her. At that time, I didn't know if it was the correct answer or not, but it was actually an effective attempt. Ruskinnia also escaped her shackles using that method.
"That was almost the correct answer, but whether it's the correct answer or not doesn't matter much to me. If she attempted it with will, that's enough. I happened to have the means to solve it too. I revived the heart on Tir's behalf."
"Oh my, that means you have the ability to do it?"
"My ability and will depend on Tir. If Tir gives up her heart for smoother domination, I would respect that choice."
Draining a glass of water refreshingly, I wiped my mouth with a napkin. Hilde looked at my cleaned face and said,
"...Father, you are strict."
"Me? I'm a generous person. Especially to myself."
Have you ever seen a beast living strictly? Even thinking about it, it's true. As long as there's food, they live the most comfortable and happy life. The only creature that constricts its own life is humans.
"Well, even without my help. Tir could escape her shackles using Ruskinnia's method, but... with her subordinate Elder having rebelled now, that would be difficult too."
To order a subordinate to dominate her. How could she attempt it when she knows a rebellion will occur the moment she throws off her shackles? Ordering an Elder to dominate her is now impossible. Ain and Yeling simply lack the blood art ability.
"If what Father says is true, Tirkanjaka has no choice but to give up one. Her life or her heart."
"There is another possibility. Becoming a Demon God."
"Demon God? Can you become one just by wanting to?"
"Since you can't become one even if you want to, there might be a possibility. Tir died once, and because she spread throughout the world, the vampire race was born."
The birth of vampires was a major event both globally and historically. However, Hilde tilted her head and asked again.
"But that's not a Demon God, is it?"
"That's right. Because she barely sustained her life with the power to manipulate blood, and because she continued living through intense hatred toward the Holy Imperial Court, Tir's authority couldn't extend further and remained only as a power for vampires. The blood art that stopped at the moment of Tir's death was no longer something belonging to all humans."
To become a Demon God, that power and knowledge must belong to all humans. Because Tirkanjaka was alive and leading the vampires, that power became a special power granted only to vampires and their subordinates.
Specialness cannot change humans. Because 'specialness' itself is both the reason and the power. Only ordinariness can change humans.
"But now, if Tir's heart is about to stop due to her subordinate's rebellion... she might find a way to make her heart beat again with her own power. After all, she's seen and experienced many things while traveling together."
"Aha! Then Father even had a plan to gain a Demon God! You're truly amazing...!"
"Well. Rather than a plan..."
It's closer to a test.
It was then.
Kuung. A dull sound was heard. It was a sound like something massive and intense crashing against the castle wall. People walking on the streets jumped in surprise and looked around.
"What?! An earthquake?"
"The sound came from the ancient castle...?"
"What's going on?"
The answer to that question soon revealed itself.
Kwadeudeudeuk. A pitch-black arm burst out, smashing through the castle wall. A pitch-black giant wearing the ancient castle like clothing howls as if suffocating. Then the darkness surrounding the castle trembles, spreading the giant's cry.
[Kyaaaaaaaah-!]
A scream full of hatred, as if it would tear everything in the world apart. People finally grew frightened and looked at the giant born from breaking Manwol Castle.
"Kyaaaaah!"
"What is that? An Elder's authority?"
"Sh-should we run?"
The duchy's people are amazing. If it were me, I would have run away the moment I saw that. Maybe because they usually live seeing monsters like Elders, they seem to lack a sense of crisis.
Well, for livestock in a pen, the option of running away would be hard to conceive.
"That giant, it strangely resembles Tirkanjaka~. Is that the Demon God Father mentioned?"
"No. That's."
As if covering my murmur, a roar resounded from inside. As the arm moved violently, the darkness swirled and was sucked in. Sounds of breaking, sounds of shattering, sounds of howling. All ominous signs spread out centered on the ancient castle. Dark red energy surged through the gaps. It's as if Manwol Castle is bleeding.
Kugugung. The broken castle wall falls to the ground. Dust different from darkness rushes in. A fierce battle is taking place.
If Tir had regained control of all of them, this wouldn't have happened. Anyway.
"...It seems she wants to remain human."
"That? No matter how you look at it, that's not human!"
"I can feel the will to live. She chose to fight back. Wow, that's amazing. If it were Tir who only handled authority for a thousand years, I thought she would stop her heart and reclaim her authority to solve it..."
To choose to fight rather than give up her heart. She must even be feeling pain right now.
Reviving the heart and regaining sensation was what Tir wanted. However, desires always encounter obstacles. The Elder's wind that started blowing again due to Tir's wind clashed with each other, and I wondered what result would come out.
Beyond my expectations, Tir's wind was precious and intense.
"She didn't stop her heart. She's fighting directly. Haha. That's unexpected."
The Tir I read was a weaker person than I thought. Having already lost everything, she was merely unrestrained in a world where everything could be solved by thought alone. She sought something to lean on and desired something she could cherish.
I granted Tir's wind. She regained her life, and was thrown bare into an ordinary world where her body, strength, and surrounding environment didn't go as she thought. In a harsh world, I thought Tir would make a slightly easier choice... but it was the opposite.
Maybe it's because of the heart I revived. Even though I'm human, there are things I don't understand.
"Father, why are you smiling?"
"Huh?"
"According to Father's words, isn't it bad? Tirkanjaka chose to fight with force, and whether she wins or loses, her power will take a big hit. Either way, it's a bad result."
"Why? It's good because she's being human."
Hilde gaped as if dumbfounded. Be that as it may. I felt a strangely excited feeling and pushed my plate to the side.
Maybe I've become ordinary too, like 'she' said. Even though I'm reading all kinds of thoughts among so many people. Even though I'm melting into the crowd... While being shaken by other winds, a quiet anticipation has firmly taken root. My heart is pounding.
Ordinariness is amazing. To think I can consider a specific human as special.
"Father, then what should 'we' do?"
"Other than cheering for Tir, is there anything to do? Go bring some snacks from over there. Let's assess the situation while chewing."
"Even after eating all that, you want more snacks...? Did a beggar possess your stomach?"
While saying disrespectful things, Hilde followed my instructions precisely. After paying the bill, Hilde brought an armful of snacks, and we chewed on dried meat together.
At that moment, an arm stretched out again from the hole in the castle. The giant shadow, this time with its fist clenched tight, threw something this way. As the night sky darkness wavered, a vampire fell like a meteor, scattering red blood energy.
Kwagwang. A vampire smashed and scraped down a building wall. Something red, whether blood energy or bloodstains, drew a stroke on the wall.
"Uwaaaah!"
"The giant threw a rock!"
"Run!"
Only then did humans who felt a threat to their lives scatter wildly. The vampire that crashed through the wall and fell to the ground pushed through the dust and stood up.
At that moment, Hilde grabbed my face and pulled me. Hilde, who covered my face so it wouldn't be seen over there, urgently whispered.
"Father, stay still!"
"...How rough!"
A vampire burst out, overturning the debris. It was the Viscountess Erzebet, the most elegant and noble among the great Elders.
Her pure white skin had not a single wound, but her dress that had suffered friction with the building's exterior wall was not intact. While humans briefly swallowed at her figure revealed beneath the torn clothes, Erzebet opened her fan with a frustrated face. Blood energy rose like a wave and supported her body.
"She should know that such barbaric power without any authority cannot deal with us... To subject me to this humiliation."
Erzebet, who was about to fly back immediately, suddenly looked around.
People were staring blankly at the Elder thrown from the sky. Like livestock looking at a human who flew into their pen.
"L-Lady Erzebet?"
"What is the matter?"
To livestock, humans are not objects of vigilance. Vampires who always embrace and care for them, giving back as much as the blood they take, are rather beings to be revered and followed. It's similar to sheep following a shepherd.
Even after seeing her thrown and crashing into a building earlier, they might have been frightened, but they didn't think a vampire would harm them.
However.
"...Since the deed is already done. Shall I collect a little more?"
Erzebet swung her folding fan with a snap. Blood beads formed at its tip and shot out like bullets.
People's curiosity became screams equal to their number. The blood bullets pierced through humans, creating a shower of blood. It seems quite cost-effective. With just a few drops of blood, she obtained enough blood to fill a bathtub.
The blood that flowed out of the humans' bodies flowed toward Erzebet according to the blood art. With the Progenitor having lost her power, the most powerful blood artist in this land was Erzebet. Even from a small wound, more than half of the blood flowing through the blood vessels escapes. Taking in the harvested blood energy to her heart's content, Erzebet murmured.
"Hmm. It's lacking, but this much should do."
"Lady Erzebet...! Why us!"
The clerk sitting next to the fallen store manager looked up at Erzebet and shouted. Erzebet looked down as if looking at a bug and answered.
"I'm collecting blood from the livestock raised to obtain blood, is there a problem?"
"B-but! We faithfully pay our blood tax every month! The store manager even paid the blood tax yesterday...! If you collect it in such a violent way, they might die!"
"Is that something I need to know?"
"W-what?"
Erzebet spoke casually while feeding blood between the ribs of her folding fan.
"Raising livestock to obtain blood. Normally, I would consider the livestock's health and take only enough not to kill them... but in an urgent situation, one must even cut open a goose's belly."
"How could you...!"
"I've collected enough, but since it's not to quench my thirst, I need a little more."
The Elder doesn't particularly intend to kill humans. She simply needed blood. That's why she's usually very kind, but can become more vicious and cruel as needed.
Without even looking at the groaning people, Erzebet looked at the other livestock with predator's eyes.
"U-ugh!"
The humans of the duchy finally realized. Their master and protector, the vampire, was ultimately a beast coveting blood. Life under them was comfortable and safe but demanded a price.
Humans who were quick-witted and action-oriented ran away first. However, even that agile judgment was too late. Erzebet shot blood at all the remaining humans. Among those 'remaining humans', Hilde and I were included as well.
Damn it.
We're caught.
I kicked the table over with my foot, and Hilde struck away the blood energy with a qi-filled plate. Such shot blood droplets are powerless before a deflecting qi technique. The blood droplets bounced off pathetically.
We successfully defended against the blood droplet attack, but actually, that wasn't an attack. It was merely a harvesting process. Erzebet, whose work was interfered with, grew angry at the humans who dared to resist her... then discovered my face and scoffed.
"I wondered where you ran off to... it's said it's darkest under the lamp, you were hiding right under our noses, my beloved concubine."