Chapter 408: The Shepherd Takes the Best Care of the Flock

The place where the Progenitor resided was the center of the Duchy of Mist, so the country had no official capital.

However, the question of where the Progenitor wished to stay was an entirely different matter.

Tyr wanted to show me the best part of the Duchy.

Just like how one has favorite fingers on their hand, she, despite pretending to be impartial, deliberately chose the grandest city to take me to.

“Eeeh~? But the further we go from the Military State, the more annoying it’ll be when we have to return. Can’t we just stay here?”

“You may stay here alone.”

“Oh, come on! Don’t be so cold! We are comrades who have traveled together up until now, aren’t we~?”

Hilde clung to Tyr with a bright smile.

Even for vampires, it was difficult to outright spit on someone who was smiling at them, so Tyr simply stared at her without forcefully pushing her away.

｢Hilde… I don’t hold any particular ill will toward her, but I also don’t want to get too close.｣

If Tyr had to define her feelings, she actually liked Hilde.

The flippant attitude and cynical tone Hilde carried reminded her of me.

However, not everyone we like is someone we should be close to.

｢She knows too much about Hu and is constantly trying to learn more. There are no secrets in the Duchy of Mist that must never be revealed, but… I dislike the idea of showing her more about myself and my country. Especially now that Luscynia is dead.｣

Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone just spoke their mind openly?

Unfortunately, I was the only one in the world who lived in that reality.

Hiding her true feelings, Tyr spoke.

“You came all the way to the Duchy of Mist for a reason. What is your business?”

Hilde, who had sensed Tyr’s unspoken thoughts, playfully asked back.

“Why does it matter? Do you want to get rid of me quickly?”

“If you do plan to stay here indefinitely, should I not at least know why? At least give me a reason to justify keeping you around.”

“Hmmm~ But this is a matter of national importance! It doesn’t seem very fitting to discuss it out here in the streets, does it?”

“I will be looking forward to it, then. I hope the content of your business is at least half as impressive as the way you are making it seem. If not, I may have to reevaluate your worth.”

A conversation full of hidden intent came to an end.

Tyr then turned to me with a warm smile.

“Let’s go, Hu. Twilight Citadel was built to fend off invaders, so it lacks many things. I want to show you the Plenilune Castle instead. There are still many things in the Duchy of Mist that I have yet to show you.”

“Hmmm… Going is fine, but… Tyr, are you sure about this?”

“What do you mean?”

Hearing my question, Tyr responded with curiosity.

I answered her in a rather pointed manner.

“I am the King of Humans. The representative of all humankind, but vampires treat humans as livestock, don’t they? I doubt you’re planning to openly show me the sight of humans being treated like cattle.”

Of course, I wasn’t some human rights activist.

I was the King of Beasts, and beasts are inherently either eating or being eaten.

If humans could turn other animals into livestock, then why shouldn’t they, as animals themselves, also become livestock for others?

I opposed the Military State and sought to overthrow it, but that was because I sensed the involvement of the Sanctum in its leadership.

More precisely, I disliked the way the Sanctum tried to reshape humans into whatever fit their ideals, controlling them before they had even committed crimes—simply because a Saintess had read the future.

The Military State’s Command didn’t align entirely with what I had expected, but…

Vampires were still humans at their core.

They used power to exert control, which was natural.

In the end, the world always worked the same way—those without power were treated like livestock no matter where they were.

Rather, compared to others…

“Fufu. You underestimate me and this country far too much. Even if I had no fears in this world, do you think I would so carelessly reveal my nation’s flaws to you?”

Tyr simply laughed off my impudent question.

“Before we depart on our next journey, I shall show you how my country is run.”

Fog rose from the Sea of Leviathan, blocking the sun and forming a thick cloud cover.

The rising clouds drift over the Duchy of Mist, forming a vast ceiling that eventually collides with towering mountain ranges and stagnates.

There is only one place where the clouds find a low path to escape—a place where the sun never reaches, a place where the sea breeze always carries the stench of salt and blood.

A land where the stench of blood and the stench of the sea mix, making it impossible to distinguish the two.

A place where sorrow and blood flow like a river—the Duchy of Mist.

And yet…

“Come on, come on! Cheap! It’s all cheap! We’ve got all types of meat here!”

“Selling fresh blood pudding! Just one chunk of this will keep your iron levels up for two months!”

“Hey! Is there any Neonates around who can donate some blood? If not, I guess I’ll have to settle for a Twaite.”

Contrary to expectations, the market was bustling with life.

Even while walking through the crowded streets, there was no oppressive atmosphere.

It was proof that a lively life and an abundance of food shone brighter in people’s hearts than the sun itself.

The people’s minds were filled with brightness and vitality.

Standing in the middle of the street, I muttered in disbelief.

“Why… is everyone living so well?”

“What do you take us for? We stopped mindlessly draining humans of their blood a thousand years ago. That kind of system satisfies neither vampires nor humans.”

Tyr, wearing a hood made of shadows, gestured toward the lively streets with a hint of pride.

“Sucking a well dry out of thirst only ensures that there is no water tomorrow. Our cruelty is only for our enemies. For our own, we fatten and nurture them.”

Tyr’s words contained no exaggeration.

Salted meats, dried fish, milk, blood pudding, cheese, cooking oil—everything needed to fatten up humans was available in abundance.

There was little sign of wheat or rice, which required the blessings of the sun, but the diverse variety of food made up for it.

What stood out the most, however, was the seafood.

From fish to shellfish, the selection was astounding.

Such a wide range of seafood could only be found in the Duchy of Mist.

After all, who else would be crazy enough to fish in the Sea of Leviathan?

But the most important thing of all…

“The food here… it’s all meant for humans, isn’t it? Vampires don’t need any of this.”

The entire market economy was built for humans.

Tyr smiled.

“Fufu. That is correct. Sometimes, out of boredom, a vampire might take a bite, but it’s nothing more than a passing novelty. Vampires can not taste food, after all.”

“They don’t all look like they’re anemic and struggling, though. Why did I always imagine this place as a bleak, gray city?”

“Well, you are not entirely wrong. Fufu. It is a gray place. However, if we drain too much blood, there will not be any left to drink tomorrow. Over-harvesting blood is strictly prohibited.”

Tyr seemed greatly satisfied with my reaction.

Regardless, I continued observing the streets with curiosity.

The greatest threat to humans is other humans because humans inherently possess things that other humans want.

Vampires, on the other hand, were slightly different.

They required only one essential thing from humans—blood—and beyond that, they had no interest in anything else.

No hunger, no lust, no need for sleep.

Vampires simply needed blood, and everything else was something they could easily give away.

And more importantly—even that blood required humans to be alive and healthy in order to be harvested.

In that sense, vampires might just be the ideal aristocrats.

Like shepherds tending to their flocks.

“There were once fools who claimed to be kings or nobles, insisting that their blood was different from common humans.”

“That was a lie. When we drained them dry, their blood was just as red. The only ones whose blood was truly different were vampires.”

“So that was during your prime years, huh, Tyr? Either way, it does feel more fitting now that real aristocrats are in charge. Vampires living in luxury wouldn’t demand money or food, after all. At most, they’d covet bodies.”

The moment I said bodies, Tyr flinched slightly before scolding me.

“The way you phrased that is… misleading. Use blood instead.”

“What? What are you imagining? Blood is part of the body, isn’t it?”

“Words must be spoken precisely. There should be no room for misunderstanding.”

I really don’t see how anyone could misunderstand that…

Maybe Tyr’s the one whose mind is wandering in strange directions.

Or maybe she’s still thinking about turning me into a vampire!

“Now that I think about it, all the food being sold in this market is nutritious and focused on replenishing vitality. Blood pudding, liver, meat, seafood…”

“You’re framing it oddly. These are simply foods that help recover blood more easily.”

“Same thing. Speaking of which, maybe it’s just because I’m still low on blood, but… I could go for some meat right now.”

Back in the Military State, meat was hard to come by.

Converting grain into livestock was an inefficient method of food production.

Compressed meat rations from canned food factories were about as luxurious as it got.

Yet, here in the Duchy of Mist, where humans were bled regularly, they were encouraged to eat meat to recover their blood.

Oh, the irony.

Since I was already here, I might as well indulge a little.

As I looked around, a particular stall caught my eye.

Massive cuts of meat were skewered and roasted over a fire, sliced fresh for each order.

Looking at the huge slabs of meat, I suddenly thought of Azyy.

That beast I left behind in Claudia—if she had seen this, would she have been able to resist?

She probably would’ve caused chaos trying to get some.

Maybe it was for the best that she stayed behind.

“Welcome!”

As I approached the stall, the vendor greeted me with a bright merchant’s smile.

I glanced around the stall and said.

“Give me two portions of whatever’s most popular here.”

“You got it! Just a moment!”

Fat dripped down from the layered meat, sizzling over the flames.

The vendor carved thick slices, placing them onto a plate alongside sautéed vegetables and sauce before handing them to me.

From what I had seen so far, the Duchy of Mist’s food culture could stand toe to toe with any other country in the world.

I was already salivating as I reached into my pocket.

Then, I remembered something very important.

…Ah.

I forgot to bring money.

Where was it?

Back in the guest room?

No—I left all my money in Claudia.

After hanging around Witherarch, the Golden Lord, and all those other lunatics, I had stopped caring about money altogether.

“Sir?”

The vendor was staring at me, expecting payment.

But right now, there was no money in my pocket.

“Sir, are you paying?”

I quickly looked around before coming up with an idea.

“Boss.”

“Yes?”

“All I have on me right now are cards. Do you take card payments here?”

“Cards? What kind of cards?”

Oh, right.

The cards I had weren’t just any cards.

They were created using the power of the Divine.

I pulled out a handful of spade-marked cards from my pocket and fanned them out on the stall’s counter.

The vendor frowned at the unfamiliar sight.

“These cards, you see, are imbued with Arcane beyond human comprehension. Crafted by none other than the Divine themselves.”

I wrapped my words only in truth, trying to sell the story as best I could.

But the vendor, who had spent a decade running this stall, wasn’t so easily fooled.

“Are you messing with me?”

“No, no, just look! If these weren’t made by the Divine, how would I be able to produce so many of them?”

I pulled more cards from my pocket—an endless stream of cards flowing out.

Of course, in reality, I was just palming the same cards over and over.

But to someone who didn’t know, it would look like magic.

“See? Infinite cards.”

The vendor blinked in surprise.

Then, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“That’s a neat trick. But we only accept cash here.”

“Come on, look at this! The cards just keep appearing! You could sell these to a scrap dealer for some decent money.”

“Then go sell them to a scrap dealer and bring me real money! Get lost!”

The meat was right in front of me—and yet, I was shoved away.

Tch.

Jaded adults like him…

No sense of wonder left in them.

Having failed in my attempt at a dine and dash, I sulked back to Tyr and complained.

“Tyr. That man just pointed fingers at me. Your honored guest! You should punish him.”

“Fufu. Surely you jest.”

“I’m not joking.”

I meant it.

I wanted her to flex her authority a little.

I’m backed by the Progenitor herself—shouldn’t I expect special treatment?

Power changes people.

When you’re at the top, you should be able to throw your weight around a little!

“If I so desired, I could claim everything in this marketplace as my own,. but that is not what you truly want, is it? We are here to observe this land as it is.”

｢Strolling through the market like this… it almost feels like a casual outing and I find myself… enjoying it.｣

Casual outing?

No, no, no—the moment you think something is special, it’s no longer casual!

Normal people worry about money!

“Even ordinary people have money, you know. Without money, the ‘ordinary sights’ you want to show me are nothing more than an unreachable dream.”

“Worrying about money… Do you forget who I am? I am the ruler of this land, the progenitor of all vampires. Do you truly believe I would struggle for lack of coin in my own domain?”

“…Honestly, Tyr, I feel like you would struggle. Hasn’t this already happened to you a few times before?”

And my prediction was spot on.

Tyr rummaged through her clothes, searching for money—and let out a small sigh.

Of course.

She wasn’t the type to carry currency around like an ordinary citizen.

｢This is humiliating…! Hu is hungry and I can not even provide him with a meal! There is no choice… In that case, I must reveal my true identity… I must give Hu the best experience there is, no matter what it takes!｣

Now this is what I’m talking about.

This is exactly why you stick close to powerful people.

I watched, amused, as Tyr sharpened her metaphorical blade, preparing to take revenge on the shopkeeper who had dared to deny service to the Progenitor’s guest.