Chapter 11 : Hammer Of Judgement On Witches – (2)

Aila’s so-called training was nothing short of brutal.

The spells she hurled at me narrowly avoided my vital points with uncanny precision, and I had no choice but to dodge or block the unavoidable ones using blood magic.

The biggest problem was the blood itself—blood that had to be used for the magic.

In other words, I had to deliberately take some of her attacks to bleed.

Thanks to that, my training uniform was now soaked in blood and sweat.

“Alright. This is the final wave, so block it well.”

Aila smiled brightly as she activated another spell.

The vague image I had of a “witch” before I met Aila had long since transformed into something closer to a demon.

“Kgh!”

Bang!

A condensed orb of air slammed into my blood shield.

The shield quivered violently but didn’t shatter.

The flaming arrow that followed also failed to penetrate the sturdy barrier.

Only then did Aila clap her hands in satisfaction, and the spells floating around us dissipated.

“Interesting.”

“Hah… What do you mean, interesting…”

“Most beginners spend over a month just trying to sense mana in the air, you know.”

Aila admitted with genuine admiration.

“But you’re already using blood magic. Even with me holding back, my spells can’t break through your defenses. That True Ancestor’s blood is pretty incredible.”

“Anyone would be able to do this if they were pushed to the brink of death… Huff…”

“Well, I wasn’t really trying to kill you, so don’t take it too personally. It’s all for your growth.”

Aila laughed cheerfully.

Though she claimed it was all for my growth, the expression she wore while casting spells at me had been closer to sheer delight.

“First, let’s treat those wounds—Oh. Guess there’s no need.”

“Yes. My wounds heal quickly.”

“‘Quickly’ is an understatement. You’re halfway to becoming a monster already.”

“…”

I know.

Being a servant of the True Ancestor isn’t something to brag about.

If the priest hadn’t been such an unusual person, if he hadn’t taken me in, I probably would’ve died then and there with a stake through my heart.

If the Vampire Queen hadn’t been such a playful soul, Lily would have drained me dry.

The fact that I’m alive now is the result of one coincidence stacked upon another.

All the more reason to stay humble—

At least, until I met Lily.

“That’s it for today’s training. Next week—”

“Please teach me more.”

“Hm?”

Aila frowned slightly.

I stood up, brushing myself off.

“My wounds heal fast. I’ve got plenty of stamina. I can keep going all day.”

“Huh… No wonder the priest likes you. You’re quite the oddball.”

Aila gave me a surprised look, then nodded and grabbed me by the shoulder.

She led me to the Iron Maiden.

Inside, a vampire mage named Jursach was strung up.

“You see him?”

“Yes.”

“Try controlling his blood. You can kill him if you want. We’ve already extracted all the information we need. I mean, where else would we get an Iron Maiden?”

Her words made me frown.

Up to this point, I’d only used my own blood—because that was the only source readily available.

“Is that even possible?”

Back in the village, Jursach had tried to manipulate my blood.

If that’s the case, then maybe I could control his as well.

“In theory, it’s not impossible. It’ll be tricky since it’s your first time, though.”

“…I’ll give it a try.”

I slowly placed my hand on Jursach’s body.

The moment I touched him, I could feel the thick blood flowing inside him.

His body appeared before my eyes like a meticulously detailed anatomical diagram—hundreds of red lines interconnected, shifting and pulsing as if alive.

I didn’t find it disgusting.

What flickered through my mind instead… was a violent, visceral urge.

That same impulse I had the last time—to crush Jursach’s skull beneath my foot.

That craving to taste his blood.

The desire for blood, they call it.

Gulp.

Saliva slid down my throat, and the taste of iron filled my mouth.

My breathing quickened on its own, and my grip on his body tightened.

His skin blistered under my fingers, and blood seeped out.

The warmth of it stoked the hunger inside me.

If I rampaged his blood now—forced it to burst through his veins—Jursach would die on the spot.

No time to scream, no last words. Just death.

And vampires must die.

His body trembled.

In the final moment, he regained consciousness and looked me in the eyes.

Perhaps he recognized me as a servant of the True Ancestor.

Fear flooded his gaze.

I hesitated, my hand still on his quivering shoulder.

Hunters reign over fear.

And as a servant of the True Ancestor, I stand above vampires.

The foundation of that rule… is fear.

So then…

“It’s alright. Give in to the impulse.”

Aila whispered in my ear.

That was the spark.

I took a deep breath and began manipulating the blood flowing through Jursach’s body.

It wasn’t difficult.

In fact, it was so easy that it left me feeling hollow.

Then my vision blurred.

Splurt!

Jursach’s body exploded.

His head burst apart.

His abdomen split open, spewing its contents everywhere.

His limbs looked like butchered meat, stripped down to bone.

Crushed ribs and a shattered skull dripped with bright red blood.

Moments later, the inside of the Iron Maiden resembled a rat the size of a person crushed under a carriage.

The scattered flesh repulsed me.

“U-um… Is this what I was supposed to do…?”

I glanced cautiously at Aila.

Reflected in her eyes, my face was twisted into a bizarre smile.

I raised my hand to my lips and felt it—my mouth had curled upward.

“Good.”

Aila stroked my head like she was proud of me.

“Well done. Good boy.”

That marked the end of today’s training.

Aila herself had told me to stop, and honestly, I felt like my mind would shatter if we went any further.

I left the guildmaster’s chamber floating in a daze, as though I were dreaming.

Aila asked where I was planning to go in that state and let me use the bathtub in her room.

She even gave me a change of clothes—fine fabric laced with her perfume.

“Alright. Come back next week, on the day of rest. We’ll begin proper training.”

And with that, she dismissed me.

“You did well today. Let’s keep it up.”

It seemed Aila was quite pleased with me.

But I was not at ease.

I had killed Jursach. In other words, I had killed a vampire.

Killing vampires is the right thing to do.

But smiling like a lunatic while doing it… that’s what bothered me.

I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood—but the wound healed instantly.

A body that can’t even die properly.

Have I really become a monster?

Why is Lily leaving me alone like this?

There were so many things I needed to ask her when we finally met.

As I walked, lost in thought, I turned a corner—

And a woman suddenly grabbed my hand.

“You.”

Ash-gray hair.

Golden eyes.

Graceful features.

A striking beauty.

I recognized her face.

She was the woman I’d seen several times swinging a wooden sword at training dummies.

“I have a question.”

“Y-Yes?”

Her eyes widened as she took in the scent of perfume wafting from me, my still-damp hair fluttering in the breeze, and the luxurious clothes I wore.

Her shoulders trembled as she finally spoke.

“Just what exactly did you do with Lady Aila?”

“What do you mean, do?”

For some reason, she looked furious.

But I couldn’t just tell her the truth—that I’d been learning blood magic.

That would be the same as admitting I was a servant of the True Ancestor.

The priest, Camilla, and even Aila had all warned me:

“Hide your identity.”

If my nature was exposed, no one could guarantee my survival.

So, unable to speak the truth, I paused, then spoke vaguely.

“Well… The Guildmaster offered me some personal guidance.”

“G-Guidance?!”

Her reaction was explosive.

Her golden eyes, filled with confusion, quickly shifted into rage.

She tightened her grip on my wrist with a strength that didn’t seem to belong to her slim frame.

“So first you sneak off to have a secret rendezvous with my master behind my back, and now you’re getting private lessons too? And you expect me to believe that?”

“Uh… Is that… wrong?”

“Extremely! Completely! Wrong!”

Had I answered incorrectly?

Just as I was thinking that, she released my wrist and jabbed a finger toward my forehead.

“What do you take the guild’s rules for, huh?!”

“I… I didn’t think it was that big a deal…”

“If wicked scum like you has wormed its way into the guild as a newbie, then it’s my duty as a senior trainee to cleanse you in the name of honor. What’s your name?!”

“…Aiden.”

“Aiden, I hereby challenge you to a duel!”

Her voice rang out loud enough to echo through the hallway.

The nearby hunters all turned to look.

But the woman with the ash-gray hair didn’t pay them any mind.

“I am Luerin, a hunter recommended by the Guildmaster herself. And I will correct your rotten manners!”

“…Huh?”

And with that declaration, Luerin challenged me to a duel—

And I, without fully understanding what was happening, accepted.