Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint

Chapter 421

“So you went in there and had a nice meal all by yourself?”

“No, it was part of information gathering. A meal is often the best way to loosen someone’s lips.”

“Maybe wipe your mouth before trying to sound convincing?”

“Ah.”

As soon as I stepped outside, Hilde started scolding me for eating alone. I did feel a little guilty, but what was I supposed to do? It’s not like I could refuse Kabilla’s cooking.

“Since vampires can’t eat, you must’ve been the only one with a loosened tongue. What did you spill to the vampire? Confess, Father.”

“Nothing much. I just talked about the possibility that the Elder murder wasn’t committed by an Elder at all.”

“…Father, do you have two lives to spare? How can you sit in front of an Elder and openly suspect another Elder?”

“She admitted it was a valid theory.”

“As expected of vampires… So what did Kabilla say?”

“She told me to watch out for Vladimir.”

Even fearless Hilde glanced around cautiously at that name. The deity of the Mist Duchy was the progenitor, Tyrkanzyaka, but the king was Vladimir, the Crimson Duke. Possessing both overwhelming power and unrivaled martial prowess, he had also proven himself a skilled ruler, keeping this bizarre nation stable for centuries.

To be frank, if we ignored the concept of dominion, he had long since surpassed Tyr in political ability. Vampires were inherently unable to defy their progenitor… but if one were to break free from the shackles of blood?

Hilde’s mouth opened and closed soundlessly before she finally managed to ask,

“Father. What exactly are you getting yourself into?”

“Hold on. That’s unfair. This incident happened before I even got here. If I made a mistake, it was arriving at the wrong time.”

“Ugh, why is it that every time you’re involved, things fall apart?”

“It’s not my fault!”

Hilde clutched her head in exasperation.

Tyrkanzyaka was undeniably the god of this land, and as her favored consort, I was the King of Humans. Hilde, on the other hand, was a high-ranking official with deep ties to the Martial Nation’s intelligence. The three of us together gave Hilde a broad canvas to strategize with.

Yet the moment we arrived in the Mist Duchy, something suspicious had already happened. Sighing, Hilde stretched and said,

“Well, there shouldn’t be a problem~. Every vampire sustained by the progenitor’s True Blood is trapped in the Homunculus Dilemma. They were able to rise from death only because of Tyrkanzyaka’s power. Just as your own hand can’t betray your body, they cannot defy Tyrkanzyaka.”

“Hmm. Are you sure about that?”

“Oh no, don’t say things like that! You’re making me nervous! What are you even worried about?”

Tyr’s power remained the same. But because she had revived her heart, her influence no longer extended outward. That meant the vampires could now act against her will.

…Though it would be hilarious if they tried only for Tyr’s heart to stop again. Tyr had escaped the chains of blood, but that didn’t mean the Elders had gained true freedom.

Of course, Hilde didn’t know about Tyr’s heart yet. And no matter how reckless I might be, I wasn’t about to go around telling people about her internal changes. Kabilla? Elders were practically Tyr’s limbs, so that was different.

“No reason in particular. Just wondering if there might be a way for them to break free.”

“Do you have any leads?”

“None at all. But it’s something worth considering in light of this case.”

“Father wouldn’t say something like this without a reason. He must’ve figured something out but can’t tell me outright… Ugh. I came here for politics, but now I have to gather intelligence too.”

I had deliberately avoided mentioning Tyr’s heart, but Hilde jumped to conclusions—far bigger ones than I had intended. With a dramatic sigh, she pulled out a hat from somewhere and tugged it low over her face.

“You go ahead first. I need to wander around and fill my empty stomach.”

“My bad. I’ll treat you to a meal next time.”

“I’ll be expecting a useful meal~.”

With that, Hilde, the Martial Nation’s Security Chief, waved and disappeared into the city. She probably wouldn’t exist in the Mist Duchy for a while—her presence would dissolve into the streets, quietly gathering every bit of information.

And her intelligence would, inevitably, become my intelligence. Not that I planned it that way.

The sun was beginning to set.

The Mist Duchy didn’t have a clear sunset; people simply knew to return home when the world grew dark. Unlike the Martial Nation, there were no streetlights here—unless you were a vampire, wandering at night wasn’t ideal.

The streets were growing emptier. The city was already dim due to the perpetual fog, but now even the light filtering through it was fading. The few remaining humans were quickening their pace, eager to leave before visibility vanished completely.

As I walked, I overheard a bright, energetic voice.

“Wow! Lady Kabilla caught this for us?”

“Yes. She stopped the tidal wave and had her Draconic Servants bring in the catch.”

A child, struggling to lift a massive fish, grinned as she declared,

“When I grow up, I want to be Lady Kabilla’s Aine! I want to stay by her side and help her!”

In the Mist Duchy, vampires were both nobility and government officials. In a country ruled by Elders, Aines, and Yeilings, it was only natural that a child’s dream would be to become a vampire.

It was a conclusion drawn from her own innocent perspective, but sadly, her dream was impossible. Her mother, smiling with quiet resignation, answered,

“…You can’t. How could you ever become Lady Kabilla’s Aine? Even the Aine and Yeiling positions have been filled for over two hundred years. There’s not a single spot left.”

“But I could become a Twilight!”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Twilights aren’t vampires. That’s a punishment for truly wicked humans. Twilights lose their minds and become mindless dolls that obey every order. If you became a Twilight, you wouldn’t even be allowed near Lady Kabilla. Don’t say such things.”

The mother did what all parents must—crushed her child’s foolish dream before reality could do it for her. Hearing her mother’s firm rejection, the girl pouted and asked,

“Then what can I be?”

And, like all parents, her mother gave her the most overused answer in the world.

“…You don’t have to be anything. Just grow up healthy.”

Not because she wanted that outcome—

—but because there was nothing else she could say.

Upon arriving at the Moonlit Castle, I was greeted by a vampire handmaiden. As expected from an Elder’s domain—Countess Erzebeth’s Aine possessed formidable hemocraft, detecting my presence the moment I stepped inside and coming to meet me.

Tyr’s authority still seemed intact if she was using Aines as mere attendants.

Thanks to the escort, I reached the top floor without needing to walk the entire way. Before I could even finish knocking, the door swung open, and Tyr welcomed me in.

“Come in. Did you enjoy your stroll?”

It had only been a few hours since I last saw her, but Tyr had changed noticeably. Her nightgown dress, adorned with cascading frills, reached down to her ankles, and a delicate floral fragrance lingered around her. Even though vampires were devoid of natural body scent, perfume on their skin could create an illusion of warmth.

As she led me inside, Tyr spoke,

“I would have liked to greet you myself, but I, too, had matters to reacquaint myself with. It has been quite some time since I last set foot here.”

“You actually do work? I thought you just lazed around all day.”

“My, my. If you know so little, how could you ever call this my nation with pride?”

Three hundred years was practically an entire era. Even Tyr, with all her detachment, had spent time catching up on documents carefully compiled by Erzebeth’s Aines. It would still take her days to fully process everything, though.

“Well then, did you learn anything new?”

“I visited the coast about an hour east of here.”

“Kabilla’s domain. And what were your impressions?”

“I thought the Sea of Calamity would be too dangerous for humans to live by, but… I don’t know about anything else, but it actually seemed surprisingly livable. Seafood is just lying around for the taking, and whenever something dangerous happens, a vampire is there to protect them.”

“Kabilla pays particular attention to humans. Though, she is not alone in that. Humans are a valuable resource in this nation. There is no waste.”

Hearing the response she was expecting, Tyr spoke in a tone laced with disdain.

“The vile Holy Crown Church has slandered my nation with all manner of baseless accusations. A land of monsters who drain human blood to the last drop. A nation where the living enter only to leave as corpses. A barbaric land where the scent of blood never fades. How absurd.

Why would we—who rely on humans the most—ever mistreat them? The ones who demand sacrifices without end are the Church.

I would wager that even the poorest lands in this Duchy surpass the majority of the Holy Crown’s territory in quality of life.”

There was a mix of both pride for what she had built and resentment toward the Church. The combination made her eager to emphasize how livable the Duchy was. A vampire passionately advocating for human quality of life—the irony wasn’t lost on me.

Still, something had been bothering me.

Carefully, I broached the question, unsure if it was a sensitive topic.

“I saw a reference to it in the records earlier… but what exactly is the Pressing March?”