Chapter 436: Trial That Defies Fate (1)

The night was too long and dark, veiling many truths beneath its silence.

It’s hard to say exactly what happened, but to put it simply, I was the creator who had remade Tyr’s body, and for a few hours, its master.

…Just for a few hours.

I’ve said this many times, but I’m a regular human.

Even if Tyr had regained her senses and emotions, she was still a vampire.

She could command her own blood and remain tireless no matter how many nights passed.

Meanwhile, I, an ordinary human, would start dozing off just from pulling one all-nighter.

No matter how beautiful the woman before me was, sleep and hunger still won over me.

I declared my surrender more than once, but a surrender only works if the victor accepts it.

Collapsing in exhaustion, I lay on the bed like a man already dead.

“Hu.”

“N-No, Tyr… I’m done. Go on without me.”

“I did not ask you to do anything. I merely called for you.”

Tyr pouted a little, then gave a teasing smile and poked me.

“Hu.”

“Yes…?”

“Hehe. I just wanted to call your name.”

“Please don’t when I’m this tired…”

“Oh my. Just spending some time with me has worn you out so completely?”

Just a little?

I couldn’t say exactly how much time had passed, but it felt like three days.

Sure, I had passed out a few times and taken breaks, but those were mandatory rest.

Without them, I would’ve died.

“You’re awfully relaxed…”

“I fare well in long campaigns. Hehe. Though I suppose for a human, this was quite the ordeal.”

“But you’re human now, too, aren’t you? I brought your senses back, how are you not tired…?”

Maybe it was because physical fatigue was more a matter of muscle and body than nerves.

Her Bloodcraft still coursed within her.

For someone like Tyr, who could command every drop of her blood, neither fatigue nor wounds were a concern.

“I do enjoy seeing your weak side… but are you really going to stay like that?”

“I’ll die. Humans don’t need to lose blood to die, you know. Please, find another hobby.”

“And what else is there to do–”

Just then, footsteps echoed from beyond the doorway.

Tyr and I stopped speaking at once, almost like it was rehearsed.

There was no mistaking it—it was a deliberate presence.

Someone was approaching the Progenitor’s private quarters without concealment.

Tyr frowned slightly at the unfamiliar aura, but if it had been an intruder, they wouldn’t have made a sound.

And in a castle filled with vampires, the only ones who could approach unimpeded were Elders.

Tyr realized this and focused her awareness toward the door.

She could no longer sense blood, but instead filled the corridor with shadow.

The figure approaching didn’t flinch at the creeping darkness, and upon reaching it, calmly bowed low.

“Progenitor, this servant Erzsebet returns, having fulfilled the task you entrusted me with.”

It was Countess Erzsebet.

She had greeted Tyr at the Twilight Citadel and was sent to retrieve Lyre Nightingale in Claudia.

…Wait.

If that Elder is back now…

“Very well. Go on.”

“As you commanded, I have brought Lyre Nightingale. Please examine her guilt and pass judgment.”

It was the signal for the start of the trial that the entire Duchy had been anticipating.

At last, the public reckoning had arrived.

The hottest issue in the Duchy was now ready to explode.

｢Could it be… that the Progenitor truly spent the night with her consort? That our once-pure Progenitor has remembered mortal desires long buried in ages past…?｣

…Or perhaps this is the second hot issue?

It seemed the Duchy had already been buzzing without my knowledge.

Holding back a storm of complicated emotions, Erzsebet bowed once more toward the door.

“Then, I shall take my leave, so that you may continue enjoying your time with your consort in peace.”

Erzsebet—the head of the Progenitor’s attendants and the one who had taught nobility to a girl who once had only strength—retreated, confusion in her heart as she witnessed her Progenitor change in ways she could scarcely process.

I could read her thoughts with ease, of course.

But Tyr, who had no way of knowing a vampire’s inner mind, simply commented nonchalantly.

“…Hu, even Erzsebet says so.”

“I’m resting now. This is a strike. If you push me anymore, it will count as abuse, so don’t ask me to do anything.”

“You really need to train more. You are already worn out with such little physical activity? I will be sure to inform Valdamir later.”

“Ugh… I’ve lasted longer than most humans could.”

Even as the so-called King of Humans, it didn’t amount to much when my opponent was a vampire.

I groaned and buried my face in the pillow.

Still, there was work to do.

The two Elders who had set off on their mission had returned with the prime suspect.

Tyr had already announced her intention to confront Lyre in a public setting and word of it spread to every vampire in the castle.

And since it coincided with the Night Ebb Tide, all the vampires who had gathered at the Plenilune Castle would be there.

None of them could afford to miss such a significant moment, not when the Progenitor herself was presiding.

With little else to do anyway, they gathered naturally in the great hall.

A crimson carpet spread out like a pool of blood.

The chandelier hanging from the high ceiling wasn’t meant to illuminate the room, but to cast a dim atmosphere.

It all felt like a museum—timeless paintings and decorations frozen in an age long gone.

Fitting, really, for the vampires who looked no different from those ancient relics.

Without anyone ordering them, the vampires lined up like statues to await their Progenitor’s appearance.

Tyr moved through this scene with ease, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

I followed her as her consort, taking the honored seat beside the throne where all could see.

A consort standing higher than the rest, it was such an unimaginable sight.

Yet even with the heavens turned upside down, not a single expression flinched.

Vampires ruled their bodies, and in public, they showed no emotion.

But I could read it all.

｢The consort.｣

｢The center of all this change.｣

｢There are rumors he’s the King of Humans.｣

｢All the other Beast Kings avoided vampires. Will he too abandon us in the end?｣

｢No… the King of Humans is likely just a myth. It’s too soon to judge.｣

｢Maybe… it wasn’t that he became consort after the Progenitor changed, but that he changed the Progenitor and became her consort.｣

Has there ever been a moment with so many thoughts swirling through the vampire court?

I’d wager never, not in the past nor the future.

Tyr’s every movement, from her steps to her gaze, was unhurried.

What had once seemed sluggish now exuded the poise of a sovereign.

From her throne, she calmly observed at the vampire kneeling before her.

“Lyre Nightingale. Is that correct?”

Lyre knelt quietly, dressed similarly to how she’d left the Duchy: a nurse’s uniform with an apron, an empty ampoule belt, and a well-worn medical bag.

She bowed respectfully.

“Hello, Progenitor. It is an honor to meet you. I am Lyre Nightingale.”

It was a strikingly human greeting.

One a child might offer if the Progenitor were to visit a village.

At the very least, it was polite.

Even if her tone and manner were different from the other vampires.

｢I thought she feared me. After all, she immediately left the Duchy the moment I returned…｣

Tyr tilted her head slightly, surprised by the softer-than-expected tone.

Still, if the subject was cooperative, that was enough.

She turned to Erzsebet.

“Well done, Erzsebet. And what of Dogo?”

Erzsebet bowed deeply, her response expected.

“There was some conflict in the Cloud Village. He is recovering and taking time to rest.”

“Rest? Dogo?”

“Yes, my Lady. Even I would not have believed it had I not seen the strike of the boy wielding the sword of sky and earth. It shook the very world itself.”

“Ah. Shei, then. I thought that might happen which is why I sent you two together, but I did not think even Shei would be foolish enough to take both of you on…”

Okay, hey now.

She might be dumb, but picking a fight isn’t necessarily foolish.

Tyr sighed and shook her head.

“Well, it is Shei. Who knows what strange method Shei has? And what became of him?”

“The boy was wounded by Dogo’s counterattack. It was not serious, though he was not merciful. I considered executing him then and there, but he did not hinder our mission. Lyre Nightingale came quietly as ordered.”

“That’s sufficient. Extend my thanks to Dogo.”

“Yes, Progenitor.”

Even Elders can be wounded, though the threshold is high.

If a strong enough force injures their bodies, they still need time to recover.

…But the best place for that would be beside the Progenitor.

Dogo’s choosing to rest elsewhere meant even he noticed Tyr had changed.

Whether he did so out of respect or avoidance, I wasn’t sure.

If I had to guess, probably the latter.

Dogo didn’t even speak to women, after all.

Tyr didn’t dwell on it.

She rose from her seat, and every vampire’s gaze gathered upon her.

She accepted their silent awe without hesitation.

“I thank you all for gathering on this occasion, to mark both my return and the Night Ebb Tide. I intend to speak of something of great importance.”

Tyr’s eyes slowly swept the room.

“You have all kept this nation in order while I was away. However, there is one matter we vampires cannot overlook.”

A low murmur passed.

“Luscynia has perished.”

There was little reaction.

Either most of them already knew, or they had simply grown used to such news.

“His Primordial Essence was inherited by another without my permission. Today, we shall judge that action, and return the Primordial Essence to where it belongs.”

Would Lyre live or die—and if she died, who would inherit the blood?

Everyone knew the outcome of this trial could shape the very future of the Duchy.

But why was everyone suddenly looking at me?

｢The heir has already been chosen.｣

｢Giving it to an Ancilla or Neonate would break the hierarchy.｣

｢Surely… the Progenitor intends to bestow it upon her consort.｣

Wait.

Are they serious?

Is this trial just theater to give me that power?

｢She may be guilty or innocent… but if the Primordial Essence is to be taken, it would be best if it goes to Hu…｣

How did they figure that out?

Vampires don’t show emotion, but it doesn’t mean they can’t read people.

They used to be human.

They’ve lived among us.

Observed us.

Studied us.

This trial—it’s not about Lyre anymore, is it?

All eyes were on Tyr.

And me.

But how would the truth reveal itself?

Tyr asked the question calmly.

“Lyre Nightingale. Answer me plainly. Was it you who brought about Luscynia’s death?”

I, who possessed the power to read thoughts, knew she wasn’t the one who killed him.

So how would she answer?

Lyre closed her eyes, steadied her voice, and spoke.

“Yes, Progenitor. It was I who killed him.”

…Wait, what?