Chapter 426: Elder, Ancilla, Neonate and Human (End)

In a typical murder case, anyone being suspected would usually deny doing the crime when confronted.

It was a given, as murder was a taboo across all civilizations. Even in uncivilized times, it wasn’t exactly encouraged.

Anyone who goes around proudly boasting about having killed someone is probably missing a few screws.

Compared to that, Valdamir’s response was cold.

He neither denied nor affirmed it.

He simply asked for a reason for my accusation.

“On what grounds?”

“I couldn’t find anything. It’s just a hunch.”

“Even though you are the Progenitor’s consort, you shouldn’t accuse someone of murder based on a hunch.”

“But think about it logically. No matter how talented she is, how could a mere Neonate kill an Elder? It’s impossible. Instead of focusing on what you want to believe, let’s look at what’s actually possible.”

It was an Elder who did the killing.

There was no other explanation that fits every inconsistency in this case.

But which Elder would care enough about someone else to kill them?

They all stick to their own territories and couldn’t care less about others.

Except for one.

The Crimson Duke Valdamir, who oversees the entire Duchy.

No other Elder even knows what the rest were doing.

Vampires were too distant from one another to kill out of resentment.

“Is there any Elder in this Duchy capable of killing another Elder without you noticing? Any vampire who understands another Elder’s power and retainers as well as you do? You, who knows every vampire in this land, are the only one who could kill Luscynia and pass his Primordial Essence to Lyre.”

“In other words, you have no proof I did it.”

“No one but the killer or maybe the Saintesses themselves could produce evidence for a murder that happened ten years ago. All I’ve done is present the most plausible scenario.”

Not unless you were a Mind Reader anyway.

Ten years is long enough to bury anything.

Valdamir also isn’t foolish enough to leave behind evidence or witnesses.

This is a matter of conviction now.

And in that realm, evidence isn’t necessary.

The Crimson Duke suddenly spoke.

“You’re right. I killed him.”

“…You admitted it so easily.”

“If it came to public attention, I’d deny it of course. Without evidence, it can’t be proven anyway.”

“What if Tyr commanded you to speak the truth?”

Refusal would be treason, and acceptance would be a confession.

A loyalty test.

In that trap, Valdamir answered without hesitation.

“She hasn’t commanded me yet.”

So hypotheticals are meaningless.

I like that.

No use digging further—this truth could only be heard because no evidence exists.

Nothing from this conversation will remain.

The only takeaway is that we’ve confirmed each other’s intent.

“Aren’t you grateful to me? I broke the Shackles of Blood for you.”

When I asked if I’d done something he wanted, Valdamir responded indifferently.

“It wasn’t the method I expected, so I’ll withhold judgment until I see what variables it introduces. Aren’t you uneasy though? With the Progenitor’s dominion lost, your position as her consort must be unstable.”

“I can’t help it. I’m the King of Humans, and isn’t that what being a consort means? A role that can vanish with a change of heart.”

“That is very pragmatic of you.”

“People say the same thing about you.”

We smiled at each other like reflections in a mirror.

Valdamir’s smile, as a vampire’s, was undoubtedly fake.

But mine wasn’t natural either.

A facade, all the same.

Valdamir asked.

“What is it you want?”

“I want you to tell me your wish. I don’t want those desires to vanish just because you’re a retainer.”

“So I’m included in that too.”

“Of course. You are a human too, after all. That makes you my subject. Now go ahead—enact your will. All the Elders of this land are now free of the shackles.”

He’ll act even if I don’t say it.

Valdamir has too much he wants to do.

He gazed at me and replied.

“Only the Elders have been freed from the Progenitor’s influence. The Ancillae and Neonates are still bound.”

“Yes. For now.”

I answered with a smile. Valdamir let out a faint exhale—half sigh, half admiration.

｢“For now,” meaning it will happen someday.｣

“…As I thought.”

Without a shred of pretense, Valdamir spoke from the heart.

“You are dangerous.”

“But you were hoping for this, weren’t you? You need me.”

Silence is consent.

And Valdamir said nothing.

We had confirmed our intentions.

This conversation would vanish, just like the memory of Luscynia’s death had faded over ten years.

I stood up and, on a whim, left him with a parting remark.

“Leave Ms. Erte alive. I’m curious to see how she’ll act now that she’s freed from the shackles.”

“I’ll assign her to you as a personal attendant. Erte, follow his orders.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

So much for letting her live—did he just say I should monitor her myself?

“…Is this surveillance?”

“If you don’t like it, kill her.”

Even though she was a loyal and capable subordinate, Valdamir spoke as if she were no great loss.

Well, I guess I’ve been dealt a card.

Still, having a single attendant is better than someone insisting on escorting me around every day.

I rose from my seat.

Countess Erte followed me, as per Valdamir’s command.

As I was about to leave, his voice left me a belated farewell.

“Welcome to the Duchy of Mist, King of Humans. Your presence is poison… but sometimes poison is needed to stir a sleeping heart.”

Same goes for me… he’s dangerous too.

He and I are alike.

We both know just how dangerous we are to each other.

But because we’re moving in the same direction, we’re willing to tolerate that danger.

I walked along a dusky street beyond the alley.

Though I was a well-known figure in the Duchy, the fog-covered roads did a good job concealing me.

As the mist soaked faintly into my clothes from my brisk pace, I fell into thought.

Tyr’s power is something exceedingly close to that of a Divine.

Back in the day, even the Sanctum called her a “seed of the Divine” the moment they encountered her.

So the Sanctum tried to root her out, to kill her.

Tyr, in turn, became a vampire and wandered the world.

Her power, still distant from the Axiom, remained unscattered, sealed within her blood.

Because her understanding of “blood” was limited to her own body.

Someone who has died loses their perspective of the world.

Having become a phenomenon, blurring the line between the internal and external, Tyr shared her Primordial Essence with all.

Thus, the Elders and vampires were born.

A history-shifting act bordering on the Divine—yet, she fell one step short.

She never became a true Divine.

Her power remained bound to her blood.

If Tyr had remained truly alive and reached a point where she could understand even the bodies of others—if she were not a limited being called a vampire…

“Hu?”

Just as I arrived at the gates of the Plenilune Castle, I ran into Tyr returning with Kavila.

She had just been about to open the doors when she saw me and stepped forward with a delighted look—but then paused, blushing faintly as last night’s events came to mind.

Kavila, standing beside her, was glaring daggers at me.

Did she have a girl-talk session with Kavila?

Honestly, it’s hard to even call her a girl at this point.

Put the two of them together and you’ve got a combined age that’d overflow every calendar since the First Year.

“Heading back from an outing? What a coincidence.”

“Ah, oh… mm. I see. Hu… right. Did you eat? You are not, um, tired, are you?”

“I’m pretty tired. Couldn’t sleep well last night, and I’ve been out around the Duchy for two days in a row.”

“Really? Then you should rest quickly.”

Maybe because she had never felt fatigue herself, she took my words more seriously than expected.

She stepped closer with concern.

Even after regaining her heart, she’s still as careless as ever.

If she met a nasty man, she’d probably be used and discarded without even realizing it.

Wait.

Is that nasty man… me?

“Yeah… yawn. Maybe I’ll rest a bit.”

I casually draped my hand over Tyr’s shoulder.

She flinched at the sudden closeness, and a spark flew between Kavila’s eyes.

“Don’t just go touching sis’ body whenever you like! Even if you’re her consort, you still need permission!”

“Kavila. That is quite enough. I have already given Hu permission.”

“Tch…!”

Her eyes blazed at me.

I waved my hand at her with a smug grin.

From Kavila’s perspective, I must look like some nation-toppling enchantress… a consort causing chaos in the Duchy.

Tyr, having calmed Kavila, scolded me gently.

“You are so mischievous, Hu. We have not even crossed the castle threshold and you are already laying hands on me. Even if I care about you, there is a certain boundary that we must uphold.”

“So, once I cross the threshold, I can touch you all I want?”

“That is… not what I meant at all!”

Flustered, Tyr glanced at me and added softly.

“…W-Well, if it is necessary, there may be times when contact is unavoidable.”

“Exactly. We’re done with the mouth, so should we work on the face next?”

“Let’s… go inside first. Goodness. Do not say such scandalous things out where everyone can hear…!”

Tyr is a special vampire.

Her status as the Progenitor is obvious, but unlike other vampires, she suspended death through her own power.

The Homunculus Dilemma doesn’t apply to her.

Now that I’ve restored her heart—and soon her senses—Tyr will regain her life.

The clock that once stopped will begin to tick again.

And if Tyr, revived with the experience of the 12th century, takes just one step further…

She’ll become a Divine.

As for me…

I won’t stop at merely finding the Divine.

I will bring even a dead Divine back to life.