EP.56 If They Become a Nuisance
The pick pried into the bracelet's joint. The seam of the simply alchemized bracelet opened, and the gray bead hanging in the center dropped with a small sound. I picked it up with two fingers and examined it closely.
It's certain. Judging from the structure, it was undoubtedly a clothing packet. However, unlike normal clothes, this was merely a type that operated on its own without a bio-terminal.
Among the essence of alchemy, compressed packets, there are a few types that work without being inserted into a bio-terminal.
Papyrus packets containing high-value promissory notes or classified documents.
Weapon packets that produce weapons with simple structures like spears, swords, shields, and so on.
Objects with simple structures unrelated to the user's physical information are sometimes sold like this, paired with magical power infusion devices.
Among them, this was a parachute packet. An item used for falling slowly. Considering that this place was the Bottomless Abyss, falling while equipped with a parachute packet was not strange at all.
"So something was caught. Hmm."
I imbued the tip of the pick with magical power and scraped the groove on the parachute packet. A part of the packet opened, revealing the empty space inside. After shining a light inside, I turned the parachute packet upside down and shook it.
Pitter-patter. Small, scattered sounds. I set the packet down for a moment and looked at the things that had fallen from it.
"Dirt?"
An amount of dirt so small it could be counted grain by grain, not even a few handfuls.
On the surface, a single shovel could scoop up dirt hundreds of times this amount.
But in this place cursed by the Earth Mother Goddess, even these few handfuls of dirt were unfamiliar. In a structure built entirely of concrete on all sides, ordinary dirt was hard to find.
"Is that what it was?"
I rubbed the dirt between two fingers. The dirt crumbled finer and scattered across the desk.
With the uninvited guest named Finlay settling in, the current situation was not progressing in the direction I wanted.
I had sufficiently intimidated Finlay, and according to my intentions, Finlay had reached a point of fearing me, Aji, and the Regressor.
However, the attitude he took here was quite different from my expectations.
"Ah, Mr. Finlay. Found you. Come here for a moment, I have something for you to do."
"I have no time for that."
"Pardon?"
"The Progenitor shall cough soon, and I must be the first to greet Him before He breathes the outside air. Standing guard beside the awakened Blood Lord is both a duty and an honor."
Is he messing with me right now? No, he's going to just sit there from morning? Is he making up excuses because he doesn't want to work?
However, upon reading his thoughts, Finlay's words were not excuses. The priority of attending to the Progenitor was so high that other tasks didn't even enter his eyes.
And furthermore.
'I am now the Progenitor's direct attendant. I cannot do other work when I am busy serving Him. Imagine the Progenitor's attendant doing menial chores. How much would the Progenitor's dignity fall? Even if I die, I cannot allow that.'
To anyone else, it would look like he was slacking off because he didn't want to work, but surprisingly, this was his 'true feeling.' So Finlay genuinely believed that the act of doing menial work itself diminished his dignity and the Progenitor's dignity!
Ha ha, I'm at a loss for words. If I had the strength, I would have cut off his arm first and then threatened him. It's frustrating that I don't have that kind of power right now.
"No, then who will do the work? Cooking? Cleaning?"
"You should figure that out yourselves. We nobles of the night, granted life by the Progenitor's great power, do not defecate, do not defile the earth, and need neither food nor light. We only require blood."
"What does your not shitting have to do with not working? If you're going to argue like that, then don't drink blood either. You didn't birth that human, nor did you raise him."
"Instead, I pay an appropriate price. Because we have the power and wealth for that."
You don't even have what you claim to have right now, whether it's wealth or power. Why so confident? While I was dumbfounded, Finlay added a boastful remark.
"Understand, commoner?"
"Do you want to take a punch from the Military Nation that overthrew the class system?"
When I clenched my fist and threatened him, Finlay flinched and stepped back.
"K-Keuh. I am the Progenitor's attendant. I cannot yield to external pressure!"
"Your actions are those of the privileged, but your words are those of a freedom fighter. What is this? Here stands the embodiment of hypocrisy. Are you kidding me? Should I separate your innards from your shell so you won't be two-faced?"
If I asked Aji, he would thoroughly separate his bones, flesh, and blood. Once he experiences the biological centrifuge, the doggie death roll, he'll come to his senses. That was when I was in the middle of threatening him.
At that moment, the door of the underground armory opened, and the vampire riding atop a coffin appeared. At that instant, Finlay's face brightened as if he had seen a savior.
"Oh, Progenitor! Have you coughed!"
"He has awakened, so leave it at that."
Finlay immediately dropped to one knee and greeted the vampire. When the vampire leisurely made a hand gesture, Finlay stood up and positioned himself before the vampire's coffin like a windbreak, then began shouting at me.
"Make way! The Progenitor is passing!"
"No, what is—"
As the large coffin approached, I had no choice but to step aside. Finlay, elated to serve the Progenitor, and the vampire sitting atop the coffin with a faint smile, passed before me.
As the vampire passed by me, he dropped a remark.
"Hehe. Understand. He seems quite excited to serve me."
In reality, the vampire saying that was enjoying seeing me troubled.
I'm so dumbfounded my mouth won't even close. While I stood there dazed, Finlay shouted loudly, overflowing with emotion.
"Oh, Progenitor! Where will you go!"
"The fourth floor. I'll tell you the place I frequent."
"I shall obey!"
And so, the Blood Lord and his minion moved slowly and as they pleased.
Even after that, Finlay would get in the way like stones on the roadside.
"Ah, Trainee Tirkanka."
"Ha! How dare you attach a condescending title like 'trainee' to the Progenitor's name!"
"Haa?"
"Enough, Finlay. I am one who lacks knowledge of this era. I require his knowledge, so the expression 'trainee' is not incorrect."
Finlay immediately stopped speaking and prostrated himself before the vampire.
"I apologize! The Progenitor's will was too profound for my shallow blood to grasp!"
"Enough. I will speak with the instructor for a moment."
"I receive the Progenitor's will!"
When Finlay withdrew while still prostrated, the vampire elegantly unfurled a parasol and spoke.
"So. What did you want to say?"
"What do you mean what. You said Trainee Tirkanka called for me?"
"Ah. That I did."
The vampire snapped his fingers. And at that moment, Finlay collapsed just like that in his prostrated posture. Having seized Finlay's consciousness in a single instant, the vampire slowly approached.
"Since it would be noisy if Finlay saw, I put him to sleep for a while. He won't even know he fell asleep."
The Blood Lord's blood manipulation art is at a level that perfectly controls even the blood of other vampires. Severing and reconnecting consciousness in an instant is also possible.
Having silenced Finlay like that, the vampire briefly checked his surroundings, then slashed his own chest with a finger. Then, pushing his body slightly toward me, he whispered softly.
"It's been a while. Come, hurry."
"No. In the middle of all this, doing whatever you please..."
"I can't show him this state."
Something, something about this doesn't sit right with me. But I don't have a particular justification to refuse. Feeling ambivalent, I brought my fingers to his heart.
*****
"Instructor! The Progenitor asks where today's discourse will take place!"
"Huh? I wasn't planning on doing one today."
"Ha! One who claims to be an instructor is being idle! If you're a worker of the nation, fulfill your duty!"
"…."
"Keuh, hm! I shall go attend the Progenitor!"
Leaving my stinging gaze behind, Finlay strode away.
This wasn't just my problem. As the Regressor was walking by, he saw Finlay and stopped him.
"Hey there, vampire. Halt. Where's Tirkanka?"
"Ha! How dare you utter the Progenitor's name so carelessly? A whelp like you, whether by status, by years, or by ability, can't even match the Progenitor's toes! Then you should use the highest honorifics on your own!"
The Regressor, who had suddenly received a reprimand while walking, seemed momentarily flustered and opened and closed his lips, then soon hardened his mouth coldly and retorted.
"...No. Right. Then I'll ask you instead. Continuing from last time's question. How did you—"
"Ha! Insolent! Even when I speak so indirectly, you still don't understand? Resolve such trivial doubts yourself! I am busy serving the Progenitor!"
Finlay said that and immediately turned around and walked away. The Regressor quietly watched his retreating back, then raised his hand and grabbed Cheonaeng.
"...I'm going to slice him up. Don't stop me."
"If you're going to slice him anyway, please do it in thick slices and diagonal slices. Make the largest piece smaller than the drain filter. Otherwise it's hard to throw away in the slop bucket."
Of course, we couldn't attack Finlay, who was under the vampire's protection. The Regressor was refraining from doing anything defiant after receiving a word from the vampire last time, and I was even weaker than Finlay.
In the end, the Regressor and I could only watch Finlay walk away.
*****
"Eat well. Don't spill it."
"Woof!"
It was when Aji was happily eating. Aji, who always became infinitely good-natured in front of a meal, suddenly bared his teeth and growled.
Normally I would have been frightened by his aggressive attitude, but I was used to it now. The only time Aji suddenly became displeased was when Finlay visited.
"Ahem! Ahem!"
As if on cue, thoughts came from across the way.
The smell of blood wafted over first. Then Finlay entered with a stern face, looked around, and clicked his tongue.
"Tsk. There aren't enough commoners here to offer blood. I need to present blood to the Progenitor. Now, is there anyone who will offer blood?"
He was saying it for me to hear. That crazy guy came to find me, a human with a somewhat comfortable atmosphere, to procure snacks for the vampire.
The assumption that I would naturally give it if he demanded is too presumptuous. Should I give him a piece of my mind?
While stroking the growling Aji's head, I whispered in his ear.
"Aji. Want to bite that?"
"Grrrr."
"W-wait a moment! Stop! I came for a legitimate transaction!"
Finlay, sensing danger, urgently reached out his hand. With the intention of hearing him out for now, I restrained Aji, who was about to leap out.
"Wait, Aji. Even a vampire like that needs words to leave on his tombstone."
"I said I came to make a transaction! This is for the Progenitor!"
"This might become your dying words, so think carefully before speaking. What else is it?"
"It's about blood. I demand that you commoners pay tribute of blood to the Progenitor."
"With empty hands?"
"Of course not."
Finlay stroked his mustache and spoke arrogantly.
"In the Mist Duchy where commoners and nobles of the night live together, a price is paid for the blood offered by commoners. Usually food about ten times the weight of the blood."
"Aji. I wonder how much meat would come out if we cooked that body."
"W-wait! But! Since blood is scarce right now! I will pay silver coins about ten times the weight of the blood!"
Ten times the weight in blood? That much silver is worth considering. I instantly changed my attitude.
If things don't work out, prepare more money. Isn't that the economy of scale?
"Hello, customer. Welcome to the blood bank. How will you pay?"
"I'll write you a promissory note, so you can receive it from the Mist Duchy outside."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Is your ear clogged? I said I'll write a promissory note."
What are you talking about? A promissory note? When even physical currency wouldn't be enough?
No, more than that.
"How is a human supposed to find his way to the vampire nation with just one promissory note, visit a bank there, and collect the money?"
"That's not my concern. Why should a noble concern himself with a commoner's affairs? Collecting the money is your business."
The vampire saying that with complete sincerity. So he's basically saying he wants to hand over a bad check?
After ruminating on those words for a moment, I gave Aji a command.
"Aji. Chase that out to the outside. But don't kill him."
"Arf arf!"
"Aaaack! King of dogs! Stop! I am the Progenitor's—ack!"
Aji barked fiercely and chased Finlay, who was running away desperately, outside the building. I grilled one more piece of meat for Aji, who returned with a proud expression.
However, this didn't solve the fundamental problem.