Even as a Yeirling, a vampire is still a vampire. Her strength is equal to or greater than mine, she doesn't die, and she possesses Blood Art. Though not as powerful as other vampires, she is still tricky.
"Your stomach is quite large."
"If you don't wish to be digested, surrender quietly. Once I lose myself to hunger... not even a handful of blood might remain."
She meant it. Moving languidly, Village Chief Billitear hadn't fully unleashed her power of Predation. If she used her full power, she would become that much hungrier and thirst for blood.
However...
This is manageable, right?
I removed my hand from the wall and spoke.
"Mother. I think I've grown enough, so I'd like to be born now. Won't you show the outside world to your fully grown son?"
"You have the leisure to joke. Let's take away some of that composure, shall we?"
At Village Chief Billitear's gesture, all the furniture in the house rushed toward me. The wooden chair creaked as it strode closer. The table, drawers, and wooden ladle followed behind.
Right. Wood.
"Did you know? Wood doesn't die. It only stops."
I grasped a card in my hand. Spade 9, Tree of Origin. Felled by an axe, dried in the sun into planks, and pierced with nails to become furniture—the unfortunate tree answered my call and began its revenge. Roots grew and branches stretched out. The sharply surging branches immediately pierced Village Chief Billitear's body.
If she were a vampire of the Elzebuth bloodline, specialized in domination, it would be impossible, but the opponent was a Yeirling of the Blood-Leech bloodline. Her Blood Art was insufficient to dominate the wood that had broken free of her control.
"Druidism? You embrace two faiths?"
"No. This is the revenge of the wood killed by you! Taste its suffering!"
Village Chief Billitear snapped the branches with her arms and legs, but the number of branches rooted in the cabin and stretching out was infinite. Her vision gradually narrowed amidst the pouring branches and leaves.
Right. Vampires aren't immune to wounds. They just heal quickly. They are definitely easier to deal with than humans who use Qi.
The non-wooden objects still approached me, but she couldn't control them properly, so their momentum wasn't what it was before. Tying up the rolling pot and fire poker tightly with wire, I took advantage of this gap and headed for the door to escape.
It was then.
"...Wood doesn't taste good, so I don't want to eat it, but..."
Crunch. Crunch. I heard the sound of wood going through the chewing process. Looking toward the chief, she was viciously grabbing leaves and branches with both hands and stuffing them into her mouth. Branches and stems were mercilessly crushed, filling her body.
Surprisingly... the speed at which she devoured the wood was faster than the speed at which the wood grew from the Tree of Origin.
"That's all dietary fiber, so it won't digest well. You'll suffer in the bathroom."
"Munch, munch. Gulp. Don't worry. Didn't I tell you? This place... is my stomach."
From Village Chief Billitear's body as she said that... hard bark began to sprout.
Druidism is particularly weak against Blood Art. Perhaps because of the difference between plants and animals, the dominance of Blood Art seems slightly ahead. The difference in compatibility seemed to remain even against a Yeirling.
"Tch!"
I stabbed the lock with a pick. Just as I felt it was about to give, the sprouting red bark blocked the door gap. It was bark digested through Predation, melted into the flowing blood and reconstructed.
Crunch. Having already eaten the chair and table, Village Chief Billitear waddled over with a heavily bloated stomach. Looking at her pregnant-looking belly, I muttered.
"To think I'm getting a sibling already.... It's too narrow for two, so I think I should head out first."
"Your mouth is still alive. Well, my stomach is full too, so I don't think I have the luxury to eat you... I'll just hang you on a hook."
Saying it's her stomach wasn't a simple metaphor. The blood flowing through this cabin is her blood vessels. Village Chief Billitear can digest what she eats and melt it into that blood. Thanks to that, she can still move her body after devouring the chair and table.
It's a Blood Art ability hard to consider on par with Finlay's. Well, I have to take into account that this is her home ground, and if I had fought Finlay properly back then, I would have lost too.
However, the me back then and the me now are also different. If we fight now.
"Win."
Murmuring victory, I took out the Diamond 8 card. Everything thin and long. I grabbed both sides of the card where steel wire was alchemized and pulled. A single card transformed into hundreds of wire strands and coiled around my hand.
"Still planning to fight? Your persistence is no less than a vampire's."
I quietly observed Village Chief Billitear's stomach shrinking in real-time. At first glance, it looked like she digested it instantly, but she was actually releasing the digested furniture by making contact with the blood energy flowing to her feet. As long as she interacted with this cabin, it would be hard to escape.
Then I just have to stop her.
"Did you know? The stomach is actually outside the body."
With the wire wrapped around my hand, I secretly took out the Lightning Spool. A skein where steel wire and lightning combined. Merging the two, lightning dwelled in every single strand of wire.
"It's a place temporarily storing nutrients to take in and impurities to filter out. It looks like it's inside the body, but the outside and inside are separated."
"Are you explaining Predation to me?"
"Just in case you didn't know."
"How kind."
She ate all the wood. Now only iron remained. And vampires tend to dominate iron well.
The chief charged with a knife in hand. I unfolded the wire to block her, but Village Chief Billitear sliced the knife vertically as if she had been waiting. Snick, the wire couldn't withstand the blade aura-infused slash and was severed.
'Even if imbued with Qi, it's a thin thread. You can't block with this. Show me more tricks. If you don't have any, it's the end.'
Through the huge gap where the wire was severed, Village Chief Billitear stepped her body in. Rather than protecting herself, she exposed her face and back entirely to protect the knife.
It's a vampire's attack style where they can use their body as a shield. If given the chance, she would tear my body apart. Against the beast-like charge, I gripped the severed wire again.
Actually, the wire wasn't severed. What was cut was the Lightning Spool, and the wire was stretched out, waiting for her. Mistaking lightning for Qi, Village Chief Billitear had charged right into the center of the wire I had spread out. The moment I felt resistance, I rolled the pot with my foot. As the pot rolled, it tightened the wire.
"A net?"
Something like that. The card was originally woven in the shape of a net.
"Hmph. This much...!"
Perhaps one pot wasn't enough, Village Chief Billitear charged recklessly with the net draped over her. I held onto the wire tightly and endured, but despite the wire digging into her body, the vampire ignored it and pressured me with sheer force. It was a truly vampiric charge.
"Set, Re!"
I wanted that. The very moment the wire dug into her body.
"Volt!"
The lightning of Volt flowed through the Lightning Spool. In a brief moment, lightning coursed through her entire body. Village Chief Billitear experienced the phenomenon of paralysis for the first time since becoming a vampire.
'What is this? My flesh, stopping on its own?!'
I shocked the senses themselves. It's different from normal lightning. This power has good compatibility with vampires.
Village Chief Billitear was an experienced vampire in her own right. She flushed blood through her body with Blood Art and brought her whole body back under her control. It didn't take long for her to regain her composure. However, it was enough time to wrap her in the net and hang her from the rafters. Dangling without touching her cabin, Village Chief Billitear finally admitted defeat.
"What kind of power was that just now... The alchemist of Cloud Village? But it's heterogeneous even compared to that..."
"New things are always appearing in the world."
Shaking my hands off, I knocked on the door. The momentum of the flowing blood was definitely much weaker. The chief wouldn't be able to stop me from leaving now.
Ugh. I even used up the wire with this. It's a waste, but retrieving it would be suicide. I slowly picked the lock and stepped outside...
"Ah. Before I go."
Before stepping out, I paused at the murmuring coming from outside the door and gestured with my chin toward the chief.
"Could you tell the villagers outside to disperse?"
The chief dangled and swayed as she answered.
"...Why should I?"
"If not, a village will disappear from the map today."
Of course, it's a bluff. I have no way to harm dozens of villagers gripping makeshift spears from farm tools. What is that? A scythe tied to a spear? The center of gravity is all over the place, so if they swing it wrong, they'll cut their own feet. I wouldn't be able to read their thoughts and would get cut while dodging.
Now that my body has improved, I could probably win... but I'm not a vampire. I don't want to risk getting stabbed by those rusty, old spears.
Regardless of my true feelings. To Village Chief Billitear, I am a threat stronger than her. And masters don't send livestock to war.
No rights mean no obligations. Because the two are always tied together.
The chief calmly accepted defeat and shouted.
"...Everyone in the village, listen. Retreat immediately and return to your homes."
"What? Chief, what do you mean..."
"Immediately! Are you saying you won't even listen to me anymore?!"
When the chief suddenly yelled, the villagers surrounding the outside looked at each other and began to lower their spears one by one. They have no obligations. They just have to move like sheep, as the vampire directs.
The footsteps gradually faded. I waited for them to disappear completely and spoke calmly.
"Can I ask you one thing?"
"Go ahead."
"I want to escape the duchy. Where can I find a broker who can help me escape?"
This village is a mountain village on the outskirts of the duchy. And the chief is a vampire who has lived for nearly five hundred years. She must have heard something. I asked the chief, and she answered reluctantly.
"Why should I tell you?"
"If you don't answer, this cabin will burn down and disappear. You'll be exposed to the blazing sun."
Of course, this is also a lie. I don't have the ability to burn down a cabin soaked in blood. Even the vampire knows this. The power I've shown so far isn't enough to burn the cabin down in an instant.
However, Village Chief Billitear answered.
"Cross the valley and keep climbing the mountain to the west, and a land where trees cannot grow will appear. From the boundary where the last tree grew, follow the limit line for a while, and you'll see a peak where clouds gather. There's a rumor that people cross over there. Go see for yourself."
The vampire answered.
With a lie, of course.
'Ain is guarding the peak where clouds gather. The Blood-Armored bloodline's Mokin-ken Colley. If you approach carelessly, it will immediately drive you out.'
Thanks to that, I got some good information. It's easier to search like this than looking for things one by one.
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"Thank you. Since I got some good information, I'll pass through peacefully."
Waving my hand, I opened the door and took a step out into the bright world.
Phew, to think I won against a Yeirling. I feel proud of my growth anew. I walked through the deserted village with a light heart. I felt the presence of humans watching me from inside the barn, but it didn't matter. They are livestock with neither rights nor obligations.
...No, except for one.
"It was you... What did you do to the Chief...?"
It was the girl I had bumped into before digging the tunnel. Maybe because she'd seen me once, or just because she was young. She blocked my way, not knowing fear. Tightly gripping a spear she didn't even know how to wield.
Of course, it was meaningless resistance. A girl weaker than an average human couldn't possibly beat me. She should have listened to the adult more than anyone, but the girl who didn't listen shouldn't have blocked my path.
"Heh. I who even the Chief couldn't stop, do you think you can stop me?"
"Answer me!"
The girl threateningly thrust her spear, but I casually shrugged and answered.
"What you need to do right now isn't stopping me. It's saving the Chief."
"...Sa-save the Chief?"
"Hurry up. You're the only one who can save the Chief right now. Well..."
Sweeping my hair back as if she were pathetic, I instantly put on a cold expression and glared at the girl.
"If you fight me, your own life, which the Chief risked her life to save, will also be in danger."
The terrified girl gasped. The tip of her spear, enveloped in fear, shook wildly. I cleared a path so she could pass easily and reached out my hand.
"If you're going to save her, I won't stop you. But... if you're thinking of interfering. Let's end the conversation here."
The girl's decision was quick. Hesitantly passing me, she started running toward the chief's cabin. Watching the girl trot away, I let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
Phew. Thank goodness. If I moved wrong, I almost would have been stabbed by the spear.
Sheesh. I read her mind and it was a spectacle. In her mind, she was definitely aiming the spear coolly, but to my eyes, the tip of the spear was swaying like a drunk butterfly. Even with telepathy, no, precisely because I had telepathy, the unpredictable trajectory of the spear was more threatening than a vampire's attack.
Anyway, thanks to persuading her with words, I saved face. Pretending to still be composed, I headed for the path the chief had guided me to. Carrying the hope of escape.
...Anyway. Seeing as she hasn't appeared even with all this commotion. Hilde must have really bolted. Where on earth did she go alone? Leaving me behind!
***
"Haa~. I wonder if Father knows. How much resolve 'I' have made."
Hilde sighed deeply as she recalled the 'father' she had left behind.
"Sigh. Of all things, the audience I least wanted to lose is in this state. 'I' have no choice but to sacrifice myself~. I only left a letter because I didn't want to act embarrassingly."
It was an inevitable choice to escape. Hilde sighed.
She wasn't worried. He is the King of Humans. He will overcome any hardship and advance. There was no basis for it, but Hilde unconsciously believed that fact.
However, if the two of them were together... Hilde would become useless.
Her power was shapeshifting and acting. Everywhere and nowhere. She became a member of the pursuit team chasing her to break through the encirclement, lived as a housewife in a mountain village, and even assassinated bandits who invaded the village and impersonated their boss.
But if he was beside her, Hilde couldn't transform. It was essentially sealing one of her most powerful abilities.
So Hilde left him. For a more certain escape.
Hilde, who covered her face and laughed for a moment, slowly stroked her hand down. Where the cheeky girl's face had been just a moment ago, a smooth male face now resided. Transformed into Hughes, Hilde lightly pressed her throat with her fingers and adjusted her voice.
"Still~. I've gathered enough data~. Face, voice, speech habits, and... even the body. With this much, I could probably even fool Tirkanjaka for a while~."
Changing her face. Adjusting her voice. Correcting her gait, she was unmistakably 'him'. Putting on the mask, before her very mindset became 'him', she chewed on a memory that could be called a reminiscence.
"An audience, huh... Am I destined to never escape acting after all~."
It was true. Hilde was a born actress. In the brothel, dealing with the fathers; in the troupe, dealing with the nobles; while fleeing, dealing with the pursuit team, she lived by acting. She did it to survive, but thanks to that, she survived.
Playing something other than herself was her essence. A contradiction, but... the correct answer. Because acting could no longer be separated from Hilde's life.
"Tsk. Even though the only audience is himself anyway."
The Celestial God wanted her to be in the Holy Sword Order. The Saint wanted her to be in the Reliquary. However, he wanted her to be an actress who had encompassed all her past roles. Even though he could use her personally.
The King of Humans is such a being. A truly absolute existence, closer to a phenomenon than even the Celestial God or the Saint.
"I leaned on the wrong place from the start. I should have sought out the King of Humans. Why did I go around doing good for others?"
Grumbling one last time, Hilde closed her eyes and invoked her role. The man she had watched until now, ordinary but enslaving all ordinariness, the aggregate of humanity.
"'I' am Hughes. The King of Humans."
The King of Humans named Hughes.
White-Faced One.
The Fiend who once drove the Empire and the vassal states into chaos appeared in the Duchy.