Ch.57Building a Nest (5)

In the place Lorian introduced as the ‘Nest,’ there was a landing pad.

There were elements that made me imagine it was designed for creatures like Brock to come and go, or perhaps for some flying vehicle.

The process of entering the vast landing pad was quick and too stable to allow for any imaginative speculation.

Not that I was complaining.

As I was wondering if a more spectacular landing would have been possible, Brock settled down with his wings fully spread.

“We’ve arrived. Everyone disembark.”

Blood Knight Lorian smiled with satisfaction. She dismounted from Brock without hesitation, while the rest of us couldn’t get off.

Each for our own reasons.

I was busy collecting my emotions and indulging in useless fantasies.

“…My legs have no strength…”

The Mourner couldn’t get off, claiming his legs had given out. He couldn’t even stand on his own until Lorian helped him down, supporting him by the waist as if he were a child.

Meanwhile, Isla had a different reason from the two of us.

“Give me your hand.”

Isla extended her hand, trembling slightly. I took her hand, got down first, and then helped her to the ground.

“Sorry. I’m a bit… scared.”

Always honest, she openly showed her fear and trembled briefly in my arms.

“Weren’t you fine on the mountain?”

“Mountains are… still ground.”

I see. It was strange to learn that Isla, who climbed trees with ease, had a fear of heights, but considering her feline nature, it wasn’t odd.

So roughly speaking, she probably trembles with fear at dizzying heights where she would certainly die.

Mountains that aren’t much different from the ground, or trees and cliffs where she wouldn’t die if she fell were fine, but anything beyond that was unbearable.

I thought this to myself as I gently stroked her back.

I spent a while stroking her delicate back, which didn’t feel like that of a shapeshifter, while Lorian silently observed us.

It was only after quite some time that we were able to move again.

“Anyway.”

Lorian began speaking after Isla finally calmed down enough to look around and the Mourner managed to stand up from where he had been groaning.

“Welcome to the Nest, mortals.”

She said this in a bright voice, as if she had never been in a bad mood.

The Nest.

The place she had also called her father’s house was large enough to set up a campsite from the landing pad and still have room to spare.

It hadn’t looked particularly large when we were flying in, but because it was built by clearing the entire mountain peak, it actually occupied an enormous area.

If there were a basement, it would be even larger in reality.

Having lived in a semi-basement my whole life, sleeping underground didn’t appeal to me, but sometimes there’s no choice.

“I’ve only seen it in records… I never thought it would actually exist.”

Above all, I didn’t want to dampen Lorian’s evident joy.

In a game that’s going well, even if I’m not the main character, I should go along with it and support a teammate who has grown well in the shadows.

Believing that’s what makes a good and considerate warrior, I didn’t hesitate in my actions.

“In records?”

“Yes, the Blood Clan’s archives contain books collected from all kinds of cultures, grimoires, and records that the clan has personally developed and gathered.”

Lorian spoke proudly. She closed her eyes pleasantly, perhaps recalling the past.

“There were especially many records about Father.”

“Then… isn’t it dangerous to be here? I feel like they might track us.”

“You don’t need to worry about that. The location isn’t written down, and even I thought it didn’t exist until I discovered it.”

Is that so? I was skeptical but couldn’t bring myself to show it. Seeing Lorian’s beaming smile, I couldn’t do something so cruel.

“Then could you guide us? If you know anything.”

“Oh, of course! I’d be delighted to.”

Lorian fell for my natural change of subject and led us forward.

First, we arrived at the door of the landing pad.

The large door, which could allow a carriage to pass through, was easy for us to open since Isla was the only one among us with limited strength.

And behind that gate was a vast garden.

“This is…”

“This is the reception room and entrance of the ‘Nest,’ a space that could be called a garden.”

It was just as Lorian confidently described.

This garden had doors leading to different places while thoroughly giving the impression of being a gathering place.

In the center was a fire pit, carefully positioned at a distance from any crops or flowers to prevent potential fires.

Although I don’t know much about architecture, there seemed to be a touch of genius in its composition and attention to detail.

But the most overwhelming feature was the ceiling above the walls surrounding the garden—made of glass, uncommon in this medieval world.

Moreover, the glass of the ceiling was a bright white.

It caught the passing sunlight and dispersed it. The color of the light was like that of fluorescent lamps from the modern society I had lived in.

With its peculiar curvature, the garden had no dark spots and even gave the feeling of being open to the sky.

And that wasn’t all.

“…It’s warm.”

As Isla murmured softly, the entire Nest was filled with warm air.

A pleasant warmth that wasn’t stuffy or uncomfortable.

If I were to compare it, it felt like being under a cotton comforter in winter.

We were entranced by the comforting warmth, and Lorian, seeing us like this, looked proud before promptly leading us to different rooms.

However, the other rooms weren’t as impressive as what we had already seen.

“Hmm, I suppose…”

Most of those rooms were empty.

There were traces that something had once been there, but now only vacant remnants remained.

But just having a roof over our heads drastically improved our quality of life. I was prepared to be satisfied with just that.

After all, if we were only staying for one night, better facilities wouldn’t be of much use anyway.

That was until we saw the final room Lorian led us to.

“…This is.”

“You were still worried about leaving the camping supplies behind, weren’t you? But you don’t need to worry. You won’t need those anymore.”

After opening a door leading to stairs and descending four floors, we reached our destination.

It was a place that occupied an entire floor.

In the center floated something like a massive sphere, and this metal sphere moved slowly.

If that were all, it would have been just a decoration, but there was a glowing point embedded in the sphere. This point changed its position as the sphere moved.

And in front of this sphere were platforms. Six massive platforms, each large enough to hold a carriage, neatly arranged around the sphere.

Under Lorian’s triumphant smile, I understood the hidden meaning.

And I calmly acknowledged that it was indeed worthy of such pride.

Grim Darker. This dark fantasy game had aspects that strangely didn’t favor the user’s convenience.

But in the late stages of the game, it would provide one function to players as if doing them a favor.

And players who had endured all sorts of humiliation and pain would gratefully accept this function, bowing deeply to the game company.

That function was teleportation.

An ability that allowed travel from one specific city to another, with its origin and principles varying from series to series.

Sometimes provided by a kind wizard.

Other times through support from an allied faction.

And finally, achieved after extensive research.

There was no doubt. I stood there blankly and agreed with Lorian.

Depending on the structure or method of creating other teleport points, if we could properly utilize this, camping supplies wouldn’t be such an urgent resource anymore.

It was truly a revolutionary element for our adventure.

In such circumstances, we couldn’t refuse rest.

We eventually decided to rest and crawled into the rooms we had seen earlier.

“Ah, Ruwellin. Stay behind for a moment to talk.”

More precisely, everyone except me and Lorian.

The Mourner, groaning about his aching body, took Isla away, who was reluctant to leave due to her unease about leaving me alone with Lorian.

Even after the party had withdrawn, Lorian examined the place they had left for a long time.

She seemed to have something important to say.

But she didn’t bring it up hastily.

What could it be?

“I was wrong.”

Just as I was about to press her impatiently, Lorian finally spoke.

“What?”

“Originally, I planned to… retrieve you and return once I got information about Father.”

The Blood Knight still gazed intently in the direction Isla had gone. She briefly looked at me with seemingly emotionless red eyes.

This damn woman.

“And now you don’t?”

When I pressed her, Lorian hesitated instead. She sighed and revealed her hesitation.

“But to do that… there are things I don’t know.”

“Go on.”

“That stele, the mural. They all connect with what I saw in the clan’s fortress, yet contain somewhat different content.”

So she noticed that. I made a disgruntled expression, and she nodded.

She looked somewhat conflicted.

“So even more… I want to know the truth. No, I must know it.”

I could vaguely guess why she suddenly brought this up, but I waited without jumping to conclusions. It was clearly an important conversation.

Despite her complex expression, she spoke honestly.

“Even in the clan now, not many have actually seen and met Father. They can be counted on one hand. I too have never actually laid eyes on Father’s countenance.”

“And?”

“But what was depicted on that stele was Father. Although the details might differ, the foundational information and background were the same as what is taught in the clan. And… the face of Father that I saw there resembled you, Ruwellin.”

Her blood-red eyes finally met mine and trembled slightly.

“You, who achieved feats no mere blood bag could, and wielded Father’s energy and power for a moment. Coming here has confirmed it. You resemble Father.”

You. The informal address felt somehow heavy.

“It can’t be a coincidence. Whatever truth lies behind it, I want to know.”

And I agreed with that.

Father, a being occasionally mentioned in the game and flaunting his importance.

He wasn’t something that could be ignored. Especially if it might directly involve me.

Lorian seemed to have more than just that reason.

“And you, I’ve felt an inexplicable attraction… a liking for you since I first saw you.”

A sudden declaration. When I hesitated, Lorian spoke quite seriously.

“I’m not the only one. Don’t you sense it? Whether it’s the shapeshifter or the necromancer… haven’t they all easily taken a liking to you?”

Nerilmaeus, the mourning dragon who became the object of my mourning.

For reasons unknown, she regarded me as her father and showed deep affection toward me.

She also displayed betrayal as profound as her affection.

Isla was the same. I still didn’t understand why she had marked me as a potential husband.

Lorian was suggesting it was due to Father’s influence.

“The shapeshifter hunter also inherited the clan’s blood, I am of the Blood Clan, and Lady Nerilmaeus was a high noble in the necromancer hierarchy. We all have the ‘qualification,’ so to speak. That might be why we’re all drawn to you.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“You are… the closest being to Father in this land where Father is absent.”

She hesitated briefly. Then Lorian clasped her hands together and nodded.

“And I too see you as a man who could become Father, and I want to be with you.”

It was a strange statement. Considering her earlier admission of betrayal, it was hard to believe.

“How can I trust you? After what you just said.”

“I know. But I don’t want to deceive you, build false trust, or lie. This is important.”

She wasn’t wrong. As I hesitated, she suggested after a long pause:

“I want to build trust as much as possible. If you wish… I can erase the clan’s tracking.”

I recalled what I had heard before entering the ‘Nest.’ The clan had tracking devices for escaped test subjects.

That was something detrimental in the long term.

I would have no way to respond to a surprise attack during a moment of rest, and even if not, it would be troublesome if they periodically sent assassins.

I hesitated along with her. We were alike in that regard.

“How will you do it?”

“First, to avoid misunderstanding, I have other intentions as well.”

She’s honest. Other intentions, huh? I gestured for her to continue, and she sighed.

“It’s been quite a long time since I consumed the essence of life. In that time, I’ve used up much essence fighting overwhelming opponents like Nerilmaeus, and the blood magic is gradually losing its effect. If this continues, I’ll become just a knight. It would also affect my life.”

“So?”

“The clan’s tracking is engraved in the blood. I want to drink your blood to consume the essence and destroy the ritual markings made for tracking.”

She couldn’t keep her legs still, moving them restlessly. I pondered her proposal for a moment before sighing.

“Alright, I acce—”

“Thank you. And I’m sorry…!”

And with such impatience wrapped around her body, she accelerated quickly and embraced me.

Though I perceived it with my eyes, I couldn’t react fast enough. Even with agility equal to hers, I couldn’t stop Lorian, who was technically more refined than me.

So I was defenseless against what was about to happen. Still embracing and clinging to me, she brought her mouth to my neck.

Her cold body temperature was felt across my entire upper body, which wasn’t covered by armor, and her teeth dug into my neck.

“Ugh…?!”

It hurts. A pain I hadn’t felt when cut with a blade. A pain that made me grimace involuntarily.

Like having a long needle stabbed into my neck, rummaging around, and pulling something out—a sense of deprivation and intense pain.

But amidst that intense pain was a strange sense of elation. A sensation I couldn’t understand myself.

Unconsciously gripping the railing leading to the third floor and trembling, I literally felt the blood draining from me.

Lorian was swallowing my blood.

She was consuming my life, the endlessly flowing essence of life, as her meal.

I could feel my life circulating through her body, and with that life, Lorian’s complexion and body temperature returning.

Meanwhile, a change occurred in the corner of my vision.

[Experimental Subject Scheduled for Retrieval / Se Clan]

A faintly appearing status. It changed.

[Complete Escapee / Se Clan

-Whatever the principle, you have completely shaken off the Se Clan’s pursuit! The Se Clan will pay more attention to you, but they’ll have difficulty tracking you until they capture you again! You have gained freedom, albeit incompletely!]

Lorian hadn’t lied.

Even while biting my vulnerable neck, a vital point where she could kill me instantly, she exercised restraint and only consumed the essence and ritual markings.

She kept her promise that way.

The pain that felt eternal quickly diluted and disappeared, and as my body swayed.

Lorian, still clinging to me, slowly raised her head.

A breathless sound, “Hah.”

I could feel her strong heartbeat, and Lorian, with a flushed face, briefly pressed her lips to my neck and licked the blood that had seeped out to the skin.

A sensual licking sound was heard. As I tried not to be conscious of it, Lorian gazed at me with dazed eyes.

“Next time, when I need essence again… may I drink?”

A voice with a strange magic that made it impossible to say no.

But more than her voice, I couldn’t take my eyes off her expression.

Lorian wore a smile that felt strangely sensual. The expression of someone craving an unfulfilled desire.

It was the exact expression my sister once made before it changed to one of anguish.

I don’t know what I answered or what I did.

“Thank you.”

Lorian smiled like that.