"You are special."
I don't lie often. What I usually say is the truth. No, not usually—100%. Have I ever lied?
"Tir. Many people have wishes. Everyone harbors desires in their hearts. But just because they have a wish, can I simply grant it? A wish whose nature I cannot even know?"
I may be a mind reader who reads hearts, but that doesn't mean I truly understand. How do I grant a wish to eat something delicious when I don't even know what they find delicious?
"To fulfill a wish, three things are needed. A concrete and clear goal, the ability to approach it, and the will to continue that journey. Surprisingly, most people end at the very first hurdle. Because they don't even know what they want."
Tir, held in my embrace, quietly listened to my words. Reading her thoughts and trying to give the answer she wanted... there was no point in attempting that. I had to convince Tir with genuine sincerity. Right now, Tir's emotions were running wild, and...
She had hidden her 'something' within that shadow, so I couldn't even read her true feelings.
"Tir was different. She had a clear goal. As long as there was a method, she would try, and although she strayed slightly, she nearly succeeded. Tir had already saved herself. So I saved Tir too. I happened to have the means, after all."
Even if someone wished for world peace, if they didn't know what peace was, naturally they couldn't fulfill that wish. Even if they somehow compromised and aimed for a world where humans didn't fight each other, they'd have no way to realize it. They could achieve it by beating all fighting humans to death, but someone who sets world peace as their goal would rather give up than choose that method.
"So even if I said I'd grant wishes, not everything is possible. If someone doesn't even know what their wish is, far from granting it, I'd mock them. Tir is already special to me."
In that sense, Tir was truly a special human. She had been around for so long that her wish should have weathered away, yet perhaps because she was a vampire, she continued to cherish that same desire from back then. In the isolated environment of the Abyss, I fully understood Tir's wish, and inheriting that will, I carved a heart into her heart.
Come to think of it, Tir was the first person whose wish I purely fulfilled. I spoke to Tir with genuine sincerity.
[In the end... you still won't tell me that I alone am special.]
Naturally, it didn't get through.
I couldn't see Tir's expression well. However, Tir's shadow arbitrarily wore a bitter smile. At the same time, as if recalling a dangerous notion, she raised her hand while smiling a smile that looked ready to tear apart. Sensing something ominous from that, I quickly spoke.
"Tir is a special enough human."
[I'm sorry, Hugh. I am a greedy and ugly woman. 'Enough' won't do, I think.]
The shadow rose. Darkness was gradually gathering around me. I hadn't given any particular command, but... Tir's shadow moved to carry out her will.
Power was steadily slipping away from the human. Growing anxious, I quickly added.
"I'll speak honestly. Right now, Tir is the only one. The only one whose wish I've directly fulfilled."
[She won't be the only one in the future either.]
"No, well. I'm not a prophet, so I can't know the future."
Even after mentioning prophets, Tir quietly tightened her grip on me.
[My emotions, my senses. Everything you've gifted me pulls me along. They tell me to hold on even if it's ugly, to never let go again. If I hadn't been alive, I might have given up quickly and let it slip away... but now, I who sing of life am crying out to cling and hold on.]
"Hahaha. To receive the obsession of someone so beautiful, cute, and noble. I don't know what to do with myself."
[Don't worry. I'll prepare a place for you to be.]
Smiling softly, Tir wrapped herself more deeply around my neck and kissed me. Her body hung onto me almost as if dangling, so I had to bear nearly all of Tir's weight. Even as I constantly worked my lips, I frantically turned my thoughts.
Damn. What is this? Why did it turn out like this?
Tell a lie to escape the immediate crisis? Whisper eternal love and swear to be together for a lifetime?
I could have done that. But the result would be the same. Tir would have made those words reality! By turning me into a vampire! And this was my best option!
Perhaps because she sensed the unusual atmosphere, Hilde intervened with an awkward smile.
"Um~. It's wonderful that you two are sharing your love~. But even so, not in the middle of the street. Eek!"
A black claw seized Hilde. Without any warning, faster than one could react. Hilde hastily drew in breath, but the power that was virtually Tir herself was so powerful that even with the Sixth Realm's qi techniques, she absolutely couldn't escape.
[Negotiations are over, Hilde.]
"Agh, ugh...! Tir-kan, Jaka!"
[Hugh will stay here with me. I will maintain friendly relations with the Military Nation. And I will spare your life.]
"T-That! Father will, to the Military Nation.... Aaaaaagh!"
Crunch. As the shadow's claw tightened, something twisting could be heard. Hilde's arms and legs protruding between the claws seemed to be quite far from their original positions.
Looking at Hilde in agony without any particular emotion, Tir warned in a low voice.
[This is the last mercy toward the Holy Sword Order. Be satisfied when I promise you sufficient results.]
"Agh...!"
For Tir, this was conceding quite a lot. Originally, the Holy Imperial Court would just kill without asking questions, but this time at least she asked and questioned. I wonder if this could even be called becoming more human. Though the person in question is in pain as if dying.
[Hugh. I'm sorry, but I won't let you go. Even if you come to hate me.]
My position had certainly become difficult, but....
"This is being human. You've finally become a bit more human."
[More human? That sounds as if I wasn't before.]
"You acted that way yourself, more than I did. Acting as if you were some natural phenomenon. This is much better than that."
The shadow's grip loosened slightly. She had steeled herself to be hated and acted recklessly, but when I showed an unexpected reaction, she seemed puzzled.
"Tir. It seems you're misunderstanding something. I didn't particularly dislike it. Being here, being with Tir. I won't try to run just because I'm swayed by something else."
Tir is making a very big misunderstanding. That if she restrains me, I'll hate it. It's unfortunate that she concluded she'd restrain me even if hated, but that's a truly big misunderstanding. Why does she think I'd always hate being restrained?
"What else in this world goes exactly as one pleases? If locked in the Abyss, you live in the Abyss; if locked in the Military Nation, you live in the Military Nation. Tir, you seem to mistake the King of Beasts as some grand existence, but most Kings of Beasts just live."
[Just live? From what I've seen, you were bound to your beasts.]
"That's only when there's spare capacity. Why do you think Azi was in the Abyss? Because with a dog's brain, he couldn't escape the Abyss. Why was I living wretchedly within the Military Nation's system? Because I had neither the foundation nor the ability to go anywhere. You might think beasts do as they please, but you're wrong. That 'doing as they please' is only when there's spare capacity. Usually, you adapt to the given environment and live. I say adapt, but it's really submission."
I shrugged and gently placed my hand on Tir's shoulder.
"I'm especially like that. I've lost my power. My power is ordinary, weaker than most people. So I always have no choice but to use something else. Because I can't achieve anything with my own power alone."
[Then...]
"However, Tir. You must be prepared. If you truly love me."
Restraining me is fine. But I need to take something too.
It's a terrible thing to do, but I took Tir's emotions hostage and spoke.
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"You must make sure my stay in the Principality isn't wasted. That way, it'll be a satisfying honeymoon for both of us, don't you think?"
Tir was going to restrain me anyway. Then I might as well drain her to the bone while being restrained. Bragging that my shackles are the best.
[Honeymoon...]
Tir, who liked the sound of that, smiled brightly and whispered.
[As long as you don't leave me. I'll give you anything.]
Apart from my situation becoming difficult... it is quite attractive, honestly. She has power, she has a nation, she has strength, and an incomparably beautiful older woman is obsessed with me. It's a situation anyone would dream of.
What would change from now? Being swayed is nothing new.
"Now, now. There are a lot of people watching. Let's go inside."
[Do others' eyes concern you so much?]
"No, but I still need to care. We live in a world where we coexist with others."
[There's no need for that.]
'The Hugh in the Abyss didn't respond to other humans' wishes. Even as King of Humans, you can't grant the wishes of humans you've never met... As long as I keep you from meeting others as much as possible, even Hugh won't change anymore.'
She's gone in a strange direction. No, she wants to lock me up so I can't even meet other people? It's definitely an effective method for the current me, but...
[Let's go to the castle, Hugh.]
"Just a moment. There was a bit of an accident in our room, and a large hole appeared in the wall."
[The bricks that form the Castle of the Full Moon are imbued with blood. It can be restored at any time.]
"The bed fell and broke too. No matter what, we need a bed, right? I'm the founding ancestor's beloved concubine; I can't sleep on the hard bare floor."
A vampire might be fine lying in a coffin, but only dead people live like that. Even if I'm confined, I don't want to become a corpse.
Despite my legitimate protest, Tir glared and asked back.
[Do you hate returning to the castle that much?]
"How did you even interpret it that way?"
She's sensitive. I shouldn't do anything that could be misunderstood until the suspicion subsides a bit.
"Anywhere is fine as long as I'm by Tir's side. Even if you just get us an inn room."
[Hehe, that's right. Now you're finally saying something I like.]
Huh? Like what?
While I was questioning it, the shadow rose. The shadow that sprang without warning was like a ghost's silhouette. No one noticed when it appeared, but once it manifested, everyone became aware of its presence.
Screams rang out, but only briefly. Just as pitch-black darkness covered both sides of my vision, I was already inside the shadow. I belatedly realized that Tir's shadow was holding me like a plaything.
Amidst a sensation as if severed from the world, my body was tossed this way and that. A dizzying sensation, as if I'd truly become a plaything, shook me several times before gently setting me down shortly after.
Where is this? Indoors? Just moments ago I was in the middle of the street, and now I was in some isolated room with not a single presence felt. Feeling a sense of displacement from the changed scenery, I asked.
"Where is this?"
[A villa. It's a good place to spend a few days.]
[A few days? Aren't you busy?]
[A few days is but a moment that passes in the blink of an eye, is it not?]
There should be limits to vampire time. These are the days right after a rebellion broke out? Don't you need to clean up the aftermath?
[Valdamir will handle the basics.]
[Having a competent subordinate doesn't mean you should dump all the work on them.]
[It's your fault. If only you hadn't kept trying to push me away, I would have delegated less.]
Tir smiled precariously and sat on the edge of the bed, quietly watching me. As if she wouldn't let me escape from her sight even for a moment.
Damn. How did it come to this?