Ch.51Chapter 51. Better Than a Virgin

Vampires. A race that lives up to its name by drinking human blood.

Though they are few in number and have the disadvantage of struggling to function under the sun, the Empire’s leadership still considered vampires more dangerous than even Demon Lords or the Lord of Corpses.

True to their title as nobles of the night, they excel at hiding in darkness and infiltrating society with their ability to enchant humans.

If these minorities were to infiltrate human society to assassinate authority figures or bewitch them into becoming puppets for their ambitions, the impact would be incomparably greater than any armed resistance.

“Hoho, I apologize for the dust. I haven’t used this hideaway in quite some time.”

Yes, the vampire who had brought me to this abandoned mansion was one of the most notorious fugitives wanted by the Empire.

Virgil Huntress. Commonly known as the Maiden Butcher.

A name given for physically tearing virgins to death, he was someone the Empire desperately wanted to eliminate, as he made no exceptions for nobility or even royalty among his targets.

“Please, take a seat somewhere comfortable. I’ll fetch us something to drink.”

But what was this about?

Why would such a vicious criminal show me such hospitality?

“I can brew some tea with dried leaves I’ve kept here… Ah, I also have some desserts. My taste might be a bit old-fashioned, but I hope that’s acceptable?”

“No, it’s fine. As a rookie adventurer, I’m in such dire straits that I should be grateful for anything.”

“Hoho, what an earnest and admirable young man.”

This was beyond mere consideration—he was even complimenting me.

Was this also a vampire’s enchantment technique? Using words to seduce and penetrate one’s heart…

No, having just witnessed him slaughter a seductress, it was hard to believe someone could make such a complete turnaround with ulterior motives.

It seemed that, except for what he despised, he generally maintained this generous attitude. At least, that was my impression of him.

“Ah, I realize I didn’t properly introduce myself when we met before.”

As if confirming my suspicions, he soon placed his hand on his chest and spoke.

“My name is Virgil Huntress. A noble of the night, and one who engages in the business of darkness as both hobby and profession.”

“…Business of darkness?”

“Hoho, are you interested?”

With a smooth motion, Virgil removed a paper from beneath his cloak and placed it on the table.

It contained portraits of women along with information about them.

What is this? A serial killer’s collection of memorial photos?

“If you have specific preferences, I can introduce you to a suitable woman from among these. As a matchmaker of the shadows, I’ll find someone compatible for you.”

“Um… matchmaking?”

“Yes, I generally help introduce new companions to women who have lost their partners. In these chaotic times, many lose their husbands, but isn’t it too cruel to tell them to spend the rest of their lives in sorrow?”

The vampire grinned while fidgeting with his hands.

The satisfied smile on his face showed that he genuinely found fulfillment in this work.

“Of course, I cannot introduce women who already have partners. A man’s love should come from conquest and embrace, never from plunder.”

“…You have firm principles.”

“A nobleman should know how to stick to his convictions. Hoho.”

Ah, yes. And with those firm convictions, you tear virgins to death.

I had many objections, but valuing my life, I decided to keep my mouth shut for now.

“Well, as a nobleman who cannot ignore those in trouble, I’ll cut to the chase and ask…”

With a swift motion, Virgil Huntress retrieved the catalog from the table.

Then, brushing back his long black hair and resting his chin on his hand, he asked:

“Was the reason you were wandering the streets drunk at night because of a woman?”

His gaze reflected experience and sophistication, and his deep, sharp voice seemed to penetrate my innermost thoughts.

Though I felt him probing my mind, I wasn’t particularly surprised.

After all, vampires are known for their ability to enchant people, a skill made possible by their mastery of speech that can discern or unravel the hearts of their targets.

“Actually, what happened was…”

And since I had nowhere better to go except to drink more alcohol,

I decided to consult with him and pulled out the letter I had been keeping.

“Oh, is this a love letter?”

“No, it’s a breakup notice.”

“…Hmm, I see.”

After briefly explaining what had happened with Merilyn,

He raised his eyebrows as he looked at me after reading it.

“From what I can tell, this Merilyn woman seems to have come to regard you as quite special.”

“Do, do you really think so?”

“Hasn’t she made the decision to turn her back on a lord to whom she swore to dedicate her dignity and life? So you should be pleased. You’ve succeeded in drawing out the emotion of ‘love’ from her.”

I stiffened involuntarily at his unexpected words.

“Love…?”

“I won’t declare what kind it is. Not only romantic attraction but also simple affection, friendship, or camaraderie can be called love. I’m only confident in saying that it was strong enough for her to risk her life.”

Ah, right. If she was willing to risk her life, it couldn’t have been a trivial feeling.

Since I had felt something in my relationship with her, I didn’t think it was entirely far-fetched.

Merilyn felt a strong attachment to me because of my abilities, and I felt it too, which is why this separation feels so painful…

“Hoho, to witness the birth of another ‘splendid non-virgin’ in this world—it truly warms my heart.”

With those words, my head crashed down onto the table with a thud.

The impact caused the snacks on the table to bounce slightly, and Virgil skillfully caught one and put it in his mouth before asking me:

“What’s wrong, young man? If you’re anemic, I could give you a transfusion.”

I’m stunned because you’re talking nonsense, you vampire.

I thought you were giving me serious counseling, but why did the conversation suddenly turn in that direction?

“…What exactly do you mean by ‘non-virgin’?”

“I meant that you’ve turned the woman who wrote this letter into an excellent woman.”

“No! Me, Merilyn and I aren’t like that! We’ve only known each other for a day or two… Anyway, we didn’t do that. Nothing like that happened!!”

“Oh my, I seem to have misunderstood you. When I said you made her a non-virgin, I didn’t mean it in that particular sense.”

As I shouted my denial, he gave a wry smile and placed his finger on the letter in his hand.

Rereading its contents, he looked at me with half-closed eyes.

“What I meant was that the woman who wrote this letter had never given her heart to anyone before meeting you. Her blind loyalty to her lord probably began as an action to escape her lowly birth and then solidified over time.”

“…Can you tell all that just from one letter?”

“When you live as long as I have, you start to see certain patterns.”

Laughing, Virgil gently placed the letter on the table.

Then, tilting his head and tapping his temple with his finger, he lowered his voice.

“Now, let me ask you something. How different was the distance she kept from you compared to others?”

“…Distance?”

“I mean things like making jokes that might be inappropriate for you to hear, not feeling averse to physical contact, or showing you parts of herself that she keeps hidden from others.”

My body trembled more and more as he continued speaking.

His words hit too many points that resonated with me.

“From your face, I can tell you’ve never seen her act that way with others.”

“Yes. At least not in front of me…”

“Of course, someone who gave you a letter like this wouldn’t wag her tail at other men. Conversely, it means that a woman who only had eyes for her master has had her purity fractured enough to act that way with you.”

Fracture of purity?

Can such an expression be used just for liking someone, without any physical relationship?

Is that how easily what is commonly called virginity crumbles?

“I declare on my noble dignity that a vassal who has only ever looked at one lord has awakened to love by meeting you and has become a splendid non-virgin. That’s something you can take pride in throughout your life.”

“…I don’t quite understand, but are those really the conditions for being a non-virgin?”

“Of course! A virgin refers to someone pure… someone completely flawless!”

With a whoosh, Virgil Huntress’s body melted into the darkness and disappeared.

Then, suddenly appearing beside me, he whispered in my ear:

“Someone who has never held anyone in their heart (mind), who lacks even the basic knowledge to comfort themselves (technique), and who has never formed bonds with others (body)… In vampire society, we call those who fulfill all three conditions true virgins. We even rate virgins by scoring these three elements!”

What the…

I knew vampires were obsessed with virgins, but they score them based on knowledge and emotional values too?

Do they consider someone who gets 100 points in health education at school to be a sex master in the red-light district?

“There’s something that both my kind and people who meet me misunderstand. I don’t particularly dislike virgins. I just killed those who lacked manners out of anger, and they all happened to be worthless women.”

As I grimaced, thinking that vampire culture was abnormal,

The relatively normal-seeming Virgil stood beside me with his arms crossed and continued speaking proudly:

“Let me ask you one more question. Do you think someone who has never given their heart to anyone, lacks the skill to express love, and has never even attempted to court someone can build a proper relationship with you?”

“When you put it that way, I guess it wouldn’t be easy…”

“Exactly. Someone who has loved once becomes more honest with their feelings afterward, someone with knowledge seeks to use it by searching for a partner, and someone who has experienced physical relationships craves that pleasure and seeks relationships with others. But to maintain virginity without any such experiences? Unless they’ve been locked away in a room their whole life, expecting them to show you goodwill is absurd, don’t you think?”

“Ah, yes. You’re not wrong. Yes…”

Indeed, no matter how attractive someone might be, if they don’t show me goodwill, they’re just beautiful trash.

Having witnessed firsthand the fate of such trash, I found myself half-convinced by his logic.

I still thought it was nonsense, but his eloquence and gravitas were enough to package even that nonsense seriously.

“Many men today ignore this point and worship flawless virgins as ideals, but when they try to realize these ideals in reality, the result is usually a disaster.”

With another whoosh, his body vanished into mist from beside me.

“So remember this advice well. Better than a pure bitch who has no possibility of loving me is a married woman who has proven her love for another, and better than a married woman is a non-virgin with one experience who has damaged her virginity with her own hands.”

Then, appearing before me and pointing his finger with sharp nails at my face, he spoke in a low voice:

“Though the world is chaotic and full of those who have lost their partners, isn’t the value of love achieved by untainted men and women all the higher because of it?”

With confidence boldly displayed by the upturned corners of his mouth, he presented a theory that I, inexperienced in romantic relationships, couldn’t dare to refute.

“…But.”

Yes, though it might be excessive, fundamentally he wasn’t wrong.

In this chaotic world, the value of someone who shows me goodwill becomes even higher.

Vivian and Merilyn.

I had feelings for them because I understood that value.

“Even if we have feelings for each other, I might not be able to see her anymore.”

But doesn’t being with them require strength?

I have no power, and that’s why I can only watch them leave.

And that will continue to happen…

“So you’re afraid of this heartbreak and plan to repeat the same mistake?”

Gripping my shoulder, he spoke to me in a heavy voice:

“If you regret letting one woman go, shouldn’t you protect what remains?”

“What… remains?”

“I asked if the only person in your heart is the woman you think you can no longer meet.”

My body trembled involuntarily.

It was a reaction that came before I could even think about what answer I should give to his question.

“Yes, there must be more. And right now, you’re afraid to advance your relationships with those who remain because you can’t forget the experience of being rejected.”

With another whoosh, his body disappeared from before my eyes again…

No, he hadn’t disappeared. His body had transformed into mist and spread out, subtly surrounding me.

“You can’t help those who have left, but if there’s still something you want, you should first grasp it in your hand… So instead of discussing qualifications, go and seize it with your will.”

Listening to the echo resonating from the mist, I felt my mind gradually becoming engulfed.

Enchantment. A type of hypnosis used by vampires, the nobles of the night, when targeting their prey.

“This harsh world isn’t gentle enough to wait until you’re mentally prepared.”

Normally I should feel a sense of crisis and resist, but instead, I chose to accept his voice without resistance.

Believing that someone who had sincerely advised me wouldn’t do this with malicious intent.

****

And when I regained consciousness.

As I buried my head in the ground, I realized something had gone seriously wrong as I heard myself say:

“Miss Irie, please have sex with me!”

Come on, Mr. Vampire.

This is going too far, even for you.