Chapter 13 : Sympathy For The Sick – (1)

The training institute was by no means small.

If you counted all the cadets training to become hunters, the number hovered around 200.

Including the instructors and staff, it easily exceeded 250.

Because of that, the dorms were practically bursting at the seams, and it was common for over fifty trainees to crowd into a single lecture hall.

Yeah.

That was the general case.

But I was different.

Whether I went to the library, the training grounds, or just the cafeteria, the moment people saw my face, it was like a miracle straight out of a sacred tale—like the parting of the sea.

Crowds would split down the middle, and in the already narrow hallways, a path would open just for me.

At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if they actually thought I was a vampire.

Well, technically, they’d be right.

Sigh.

As I let out a sigh deep enough to split the ground, the trainee closest to the wall gave a hiccuping gasp.

Did they think I was going to hurt someone or something?

‘Maybe I went too far.’

I had been on edge going into the duel and fought with everything I had.

But Luerin turned out to be weaker than I expected, and my strikes had been merciless.

The fallout from that was nothing compared to the time I broke upperclassmen’s legs during initiation.

Luerin wasn’t just some upperclassman—she was considered an elite cadet, even within the training institute.

She had a letter of recommendation from Guildmaster Aila and wielded mysterious magical powers.

The fact that someone like her got beaten like a dog on a summer day shook the institute to its core.

It was the tense calm before a storm.

Even so, I wasn’t given a chance to visit Luerin in the infirmary.

I even loitered around her dorm, just in case—but a hunter with an awkward expression approached and said:

“Sorry, but you’re not allowed in. Orders from the Guildmaster. She said it’s for Luerin’s peace of mind.”

Apparently, Guildmaster Aila didn’t want her student to be consumed by trauma.

And so, I continued life at the institute without even getting a chance to apologize.

The training itself wasn’t particularly difficult, and learning new things was enjoyable.

After about a month, I could read and write decently well and often buried myself in books at the library.

Every Sabbath, I studied blood magic under Aila.

Although “studied” might not be the right word—she’d unleash magic, and I’d desperately try to defend myself.

Still, the training was clearly effective.

As the days went on, my ability to manipulate blood improved to the point where I could now wrap it around my body or even fire it in the shape of arrows.

Thwack!

The sound of a blood arrow I shot smashing into a scarecrow.

Accuracy still needed work, but the power was undeniable.

The crimson-stained blood had rotted the inside of the scarecrow.

There was just one drawback: to perform such elaborate control, I had to use my own blood.

My instincts rejected the idea of using someone else’s.

Still, the ability itself was undeniably powerful.

“What a broken ability,” Aila grumbled once.

“Broken?”

“Unfair. Do you know how long it took Luerin—the one you beat to a pulp—to learn how to use Flame Arrow?”

“…Um. A month?”

“A year.”

I was speechless at the unexpected scale.

“And that’s with a brilliant mage like me as her teacher.”

“…”

“What’s with that look?”

“Oh, no, I mean… Lady Aila, you are a brilliant mage.”

Though maybe not the best teacher…

Aila looked at me with narrowed eyes, then gave a small chuckle.

“Anyway, there’s nothing more I can teach you. Blood magic isn’t even my specialty, and at the level you’ve reached, giving you advice is meaningless. From now on, you should practice on your own. Learn through experience and grow from it.”

With that, Aila dismissed me, and since then, I spent most of my time either holed up in the training grounds or buried in books in the library.

Saying I wasn’t lonely would be a lie.

When I was younger, I had Lily.

After that, I had the mercenary corps.

But now—who did I have beside me?

No one.

I had one more reason to get Lily back.

I closed the book and silently reaffirmed my resolve.

I eventually grew used to living like a loner.

The fact that no one dared to mess with me at the institute was, in its own way, a benefit.

For one, when reading in the library, I could easily monopolize a large table.

And at the training grounds, I always had more than enough space to swing a sword around.

Of course, the downsides far outweighed the benefits.

And I felt those downsides the most when—

“Today, we’re training in anti-vampire swordsmanship. Pick up the wooden sword in front of you.”

—during swordsmanship class.

The standard guild-issued weapon for hunters was the sawblade sword—a heavy-duty weapon not meant for typical combat.

It was designed to deal maximum damage and break through a vampire’s absurd regeneration.

As such, using the sawblade required a very different kind of swordsmanship.

Scrape, dig, tear.

More butchery than dueling.

Naturally, it felt unfamiliar.

Among all the practical classes at the institute, this one—learning the sawblade technique—was the most important.

So far, so good.

“Alright, time for practice. Pair up in twos—one of you will play the hunter, the other will act as the vampire. The hunter cadet will use the sawblade techniques we’ve learned on their partner. Got it?”

The problem always arose during sparring.

When cadets had to pair up and one practiced their blade technique on the other.

“Go ahead and find a partner.”

At the instructor’s words, the cadets turned to those beside them.

Silent signals were exchanged, and partners were formed.

That’s how it usually went.

But the instructor had overlooked one crucial detail:

There was one person in the training ground who, just a few weeks ago, had utterly pulverized a senior cadet’s face in a mock duel.

That person was me.

So while everyone was pairing up, I just stood there awkwardly, glancing around.

“Ugh… ngh… mmgh…”

In the end, the only other cadet left without a partner was a girl with a mouse-like appearance, left alone to await the approaching predator.

That predator was me.

“…Aiden, pair up with Cadet Sophia.”

Only then did the instructor seem to realize his mistake.

He cleared his throat awkwardly and tried to smooth things over.

But it was too late.

The girl—Sophia—trembled more with every step I took toward her.

“Serves her right, that bitch.”

“Maybe that demon will finally give her what she deserves.”

I heard the whispers.

Even the smallest murmurs reached my ears with perfect clarity.

The other cadets were sneering at Sophia.

Come to think of it, the fact that she was the only one left without a partner, just like me, said a lot.

If they avoided me out of fear, they treated her with contempt and disgust.

It was written all over her.

Her standard-issue training uniform was torn and patched in places, her brown hair stuck out like a half-wrung mop, and her face was stained as if someone had splashed it with dirty water.

Only her green eyes—shining beneath her shaggy bangs—showed any sign of life.

Sophia was a girl.

We were in different dormitories, so I didn’t know the details, but the signs of abuse on her body were obvious.

“Sophia, was it?”

At my question, she nodded slightly, her eyes darting around, filled with fear.

For some reason, that girl reminded me of Lily when we first met.

We probably weren’t far apart in age, but Sophia had the same kind of innocent awkwardness that Lily had.

Maybe that’s why—

My tone naturally softened.

“All right. You go first.”

I gave a wry smile and picked up the wooden sword.

Sophia flinched slightly but took a hesitant step forward as I instructed.

She swung the sword awkwardly.

It was painful to watch.

But unlike what the other girls were probably hoping for, I had no intention of beating Sophia half to death.

I didn’t have the slightest interest in hitting someone who was already trembling in fear.

Thud.

I raised my arm to block the wooden blade.

This was just a mock battle.

I was playing the vampire.

And my role was to get hit by the hunter—Sophia.

“A-ah, I-I’m sorry!”

The moment the sawblade touched me, Sophia panicked and apologized. I shook my head.

“It’s fine. Just do what you’ve been taught.”

When I said that with a slight grin, she stared at me blankly.

She probably couldn’t make sense of what was happening—the demon of the institute, the monster of rumors, was speaking to her in a warm voice and offering encouragement.

But as I gave a nod, prompting her to continue, she seemed to steel herself and swung with more intent.

Crack!

Her wooden blade struck my shin.

The sound was surprisingly crisp and drew everyone’s attention.

“Sophia.”

“Y-Yes?”

“You could afford to have a bit more confidence.”

“C-Confidence…?”

“Yeah. Just imagine that the person in front of you is a real vampire.”

Which I technically was, but never mind that.

“Don’t worry, I won’t get mad. That’s what training’s for.”

Sophia was clearly being bullied by the other girls.

Whatever the reason, she and I weren’t all that different.

So maybe—just maybe—I could make my first real friend.

With that small hope in my heart, I gave her a gentle smile.

Realizing I wasn’t trying to hurt her, Sophia nodded firmly.

“Y-Yes! I’ll… I’ll do my best!”

She stumbled on her words, probably having bitten her tongue, but still she swung the practice sword with determination.

Her movements were clumsy, but I did my best to act the part of the vampire getting overwhelmed.

“H-Hyah!”

Sophia, perhaps gaining some confidence, began copying the textbook techniques as best she could.

Compared to her first swing, she was clearly more spirited.

Hmm.

One thing was clear:

I might actually be a better teacher than Aila.