Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint

Chapter 416

The return of the Progenitor set Castle Full Moon ablaze with excitement for days. The elderly, who had lamented that they would never witness the Progenitor in their lifetime, were moved to tears, dabbing at their eyes with handkerchiefs. Curious children lingered near the castle, hoping to catch even a glimpse of her face. There was no fear toward vampires, no sense of helplessness from being under their rule. For the humans, there was only peace. Perhaps this was how sheep felt gazing beyond the fence.

The vampires rejoiced, overwhelmed with emotion, but beneath their joy, there was a subtle undercurrent of unease. Those who knew about the Elder’s death feared what might follow. Meanwhile, those who were unaware of it…

“The Progenitor’s…”
“…concubine!”

They whispered in hushed tones, marveling at me as I passed.

Seriously. Stop calling me that. It’s annoying to hear as a human. I wasn’t a concubine—I was merely a guest who had extended a bit of goodwill toward Tyr.

“Hugh!”

Tyrkanzyaka spotted me from the other end of the corridor and approached with evident delight. Her gentle expression radiated warmth, and the quickened pace of her steps betrayed her excitement. The vampires maintaining the castle gasped, covering their mouths in shock.

‘The Progenitor is smiling at a mere human?!’
‘She has abstained from feeding on human blood for a thousand years, let alone taking a concubine…! Just how delicious must his blood be?!’

Come on, Tyr, you’re making it impossible for me to deny their claims. Try to act a little more dignified. Maybe tone down how happy you look.

Of course, she didn’t hear my silent plea. Dressed in casual attire instead of her usual dress, Tyrkanzyaka’s light clothing reflected her easygoing demeanor as she drew near.

“You woke up early. Did you sleep well? Were you comfortable?”

“It was so dark everywhere that I didn’t even realize morning had come. I must have overslept… Wait, early?”

“You awoke after just one day. That’s early. Vampires, once they lie down to rest, often don’t wake for an entire month.”

“That’s by vampire standards. If we sleep for more than twelve hours, people start wondering if we’ve died. If it goes over twenty-four? They just hold a funeral.”

“Then by your standards, we would all be considered long dead.”

“Exactly. Vampires are the perfect example of why our way of thinking is correct.”

“Haha. Indeed.”

‘Does the joy I feel just from talking stem from my heart reviving, or is it simply because it’s Hugh? …Does it even matter? All these flickers of emotion are gifts he has given me.’

Hearing her inner thoughts, I had to admit that technically, ‘concubine’ wasn’t inaccurate. But still, that made me sound like a kept man.

“We were supposed to review the records today. I already feel bad for delaying things because of me. You should’ve woken me.”

“How could I wake you when you were sleeping so soundly? There’s no need to rush. The records will wait.”

“Huh? But it’s a murder case. Isn’t this urgent?”

“It is the highest priority. However, Ruskinia has been dead for over ten years. Hurrying now won’t change anything.”

Is that really something a Progenitor should say?

Tyrkanzyaka had always been unhurried, even in the Abyss. She never rushed, speaking as if weeks or months were mere moments. Back then, confined to the Abyss, I didn’t notice it much, but now that I was in the Mist Duchy, I could see it clearly.

The entire country was slow.

Nothing was urgent here. Vampires lazed around, unbothered by time, occasionally wandering the streets, tossing out blood coins, and feeding. Humans used those blood coins for trade, exchanging them for food at farms or fisheries, or purchasing goods from traveling merchants. Eventually, those blood coins would make their way back to the vampires in one form or another.

From the outside, the Mist Duchy had seemed like a living hell. But after seeing it firsthand, it was more of a pastoral land of livestock.

Like drifting clouds. Like growing grass.

A country where humans and vampires were separated by a great, unyielding fence.

“So all the evidence is gone by now, huh? That’s going to make things difficult. How are we supposed to investigate like this?”

“The evidence remains. There are still vampires alive who remember the incident.”

“Testimonies are fine, but you always need supporting evidence.”

“…Evidence?”

Tyr tilted her head, and an uneasy feeling crept over me. Evidence—something necessary to conduct a proper trial, tangible proof that explained what had happened. It was an obvious requirement.

Yet Tyrkanzyaka, the one presiding over this trial, looked confused by the very concept.

“…Just out of curiosity, how exactly were you planning to hold this trial?”

“I will listen to both accounts. Then, I will choose the more suspicious one and punish them. That’s all.”

“That’s all? That’s… enough?”

“What more is needed? Do you believe a vampire of my Duchy would dare lie before me?”

“…And what if they do? Do you have mind-reading powers or something?”

At my immediate counterquestion, Tyr hesitated, her confidence wavering.

“…Is that not how trials are conducted these days?”

‘Have the ways of judgment changed without my knowing? What else has changed in this world that I am unaware of?’

“Well, it’s still somewhat similar. But for such an important case, you seem a little too lax with the investigation.”

Even military tribunals, known for their harsh rulings, required evidence. They might raid a home based on a neighbor’s report, but if they found nothing, they would leave. If the military dragged people away indiscriminately despite following orders, then there would be no reason for anyone to obey the law. People would just commit crimes freely, knowing there was no real distinction between the innocent and the guilty.

A trial is a nation’s right to enact vengeance. It’s not about preventing crime—it’s about enforcing trust in the system. Justice, law, order… they only hold weight if people believe in them. The Elder’s murder had to be investigated properly, with care and credibility.

“This isn’t just a childish squabble; it’s the death of an important figure. We need to uncover as much of the truth as possible. We listen to testimonies, but we don’t blindly trust them. We verify inconsistencies, cross-check details, and only then deliver a verdict.”

“…Hmm.”

‘I had planned to spend some peaceful time with Hugh before dealing with this matter. At least a year of quiet days together…’

A year isn’t exactly "a little while," is it? That’s enough time for a statute of limitations to become a concern.

I had decided to stay, but I wasn’t just here to kill time. I looked at Tyrkanzyaka and spoke.

“I agreed to help, so let’s put our heads together and think this through.”

“Together… Very well. Let us put our heads together… together, indeed. Hehe.”

“Yes. But before we go through the records, I’d like to hear your thoughts first, Tyr. Who was Ruskinia, and who could have killed him?”

“The records are in my audience chamber. We can talk on the way there.”

Tyrkanzyaka led the way. Two vampire maids, their mouths covered in shock, stood frozen in the hallway, bowing their heads. Tyr passed by them as if they were mere decorations.

Castle Full Moon was a colossal fortress towering over ten stories high. For a human, walking through its vast halls and hard stone floors would be enough to strain one’s joints, but for vampires—who could swim through the darkness itself—it posed no issue.

More importantly, the very bricks of this castle had been hardened with human blood when they were forged. The shadows filling the corridors weren’t merely the absence of light; they were the Progenitor’s power itself. In this fortress, where various supernatural forces existed in perfect balance, vampires could navigate like bats in a cave, even with their eyes closed.

Tyr guided me to the highest point of the fortress, her audience chamber. For a moment, I wondered if we’d have to climb all the way up, but fortunately, a red carpet lifted me gently into the air.

Convenient, though… I had a feeling I knew what gave this carpet its crimson hue.

As the flying carpet carried us upward, Tyr began her explanation.

“Ruskinia was a master of Blood Qi Martial Arts. That may not be clear to you, so let me be more precise… He was a healer and an improver of the human body, combining blood sorcery with martial arts.”

“He altered the body? Improved it?”

“Yes. He would break muscles and let them regenerate, shatter bones and reconnect them. Through this process, he gradually strengthened the human body, pushing its limits. By incorporating blood sorcery to reproduce internal energy, he pioneered a new field called Blood Qi Martial Arts. He was a grandmaster in that school, possessing vast knowledge. Even I learned much from him.”

“Breaking muscles and shattering bones… That sounds a lot like Kabilla. Couldn’t he be considered similar to her?”

“No. At a glance, they may seem alike, but they were complete opposites—in ability and in temperament.”

Tyrkanzyaka paused for a moment, considering how best to explain.

“Kabilla combined necromancy with sorcery to develop a form of puppetry through domination. To her, puppets were her creations, something she cherished and nurtured. And the humans under her care were no different from her puppets.”

“That’s… unsettling. She saw humans as puppets?”

“You may find it difficult to understand, but Kabilla was one of the kindest Elders toward humans. She never killed humans unnecessarily, and if they made requests of her, she did her best to fulfill them. Her Bone Drudges were created to handle dangerous tasks so that humans wouldn’t have to. In the Mist Duchy, Bone Drudges often take on the most hazardous jobs.”

I suppose that makes sense. Even on my way here, I saw Bone Drudges cooking meals in the carriage. Cooking is for the living, after all. That meant Kabilla at least considered human taste buds.

Even back in Claudia, Kabilla was the only one who took the time to carefully put down the Thunder Guardians one by one. It might not seem merciful to most, but compared to Runken, who sought only strong opponents regardless of who got in the way, or Vladimir, who saw people as mere assets for war, Kabilla was… relatively humane. That’s why she had the least presence among the Elders.

As I recalled these details, a thought occurred to me.

“Wait a second. You said Ruskinia was the complete opposite of Kabilla, right? But if Kabilla was the kindest Elder toward humans, then…”

“Yes, your assumption is correct. Ruskinia was the most ruthless of all the Elders. He would vivisect humans alive in his pursuit of Blood Qi mastery, breaking their bones and muscles under the guise of ‘improvement.’”

“Wow. This might sound harsh, but… maybe it’s a good thing he’s the one who died. If he had been alive when I arrived, I might’ve ended up on his dissection table.”

“Do not be ridiculous. If he valued his life at all, he would not have dared lay a hand on my honored guest. But yes, even among vampires, Ruskinia was widely despised. He killed so many humans that even the supply of blood was running low.”

“The more I hear, the worse it gets…”

And yet, the one who inherited his True Blood ended up being a healer. That was ironic. Or maybe it was precisely because of what he had done that his successor dedicated herself to saving lives.

“The vampires who inherited his bloodline gained unique abilities through Blood Qi Martial Arts. You saw Jazra before—he could spread his cloak like wings to glide, twist his leg muscles and bones to leap impossible heights. If you ever see a vampire using their body in strange ways, they’re likely one of Ruskinia’s descendants.”

“I wouldn’t even know what qualifies as strange anymore. I’ve seen a vampire split their own chest open to show me their heart.”

“That was… a special circumstance. And thanks to that, we formed a bond.”

Tyrkanzyaka gave me a teasing look before continuing.

“But no matter how much resentment he earned, Ruskinia was still an Elder. His power was immense, and his regeneration unmatched. Neither vampires nor humans should have been able to harm him.”

“And yet, someone did.”

“…Indeed.”

“That means the culprit is whoever had the means to kill an Elder. Tyr, what can kill an immortal Elder?”

For the first time in a long while, even Tyrkanzyaka had to think deeply. By the time the blood-red carpet floated us to her audience chamber, she finally spoke.

“Even an immortal Elder can be erased if their very existence fades away. For example, though this is unlikely, if one were to subdue an Elder and throw them into the deepest abyss of the Abyssal Sea, their body would dissolve into the ocean and vanish forever.”

“That makes sense. The salt in the seawater would draw out their blood, and the scent would attract countless Abyssal Beasts. The ocean is like a massive predator in itself—once swallowed, nothing would remain.”

“Alternatively, if one were to dismember an Elder completely and leave them exposed to intense sunlight for a week, they would suffer irreversible destruction.”

“The sun alters all things. If an Elder were laid bare and left to dry under direct sunlight, it could prove fatal.”

Vampires are immortal, but they aren’t invincible. Sunlight, running water, and certain substances affect them for a reason. If severe enough, they could be fatal.

But…

“That’s not what happened, is it?”

Tyrkanzyaka let out an appreciative hum and looked at me with intrigued eyes.

“How did you come to that conclusion?”

“Because his True Blood was inherited.”

Ruskinia was dead, yet his True Blood had been passed on. Lir Nightingale. Not yet, but in the regressor’s future, she would be called the Saint of Medicine.

She was already skilled enough in bloodcraft to call herself an Elder. That meant…

“If his True Blood was passed on, then he wasn’t thrown into the sea or burned by the sun. No, someone struck him down and, using a bloodcraft technique superior even to an Elder’s, extracted his True Blood.”

Dun dun. The culprit was a vampire. That was my blood-stained conclusion.

The King of Humans, Hugh, had unraveled this much from just a few hints.

Tyrkanzyaka was genuinely impressed.

‘As expected of Hugh. Even as the King of Humans, I thought he might struggle to grasp vampire affairs… but I was delightfully mistaken. Perhaps he truly will uncover the truth behind Ruskinia’s death.’

Uh, I read that through mind-reading, so… maybe don’t put too much faith in me.