Chapter 450: Trial That Defies Fate (13)

The Plenilune Castle was unexpectedly bustling. People who had arrived for the Night Ebb Tide were lingering near the castle.

They didn’t know why they had come instead of preparing for the tide, but having gathered anyway, they spent their future earnings in advance, expecting to make a fortune soon.

Thanks to that, Hilde and I sat at a lively street market, filling our hungry stomachs.

In between bites, Hilde glanced toward the castle and muttered.

“Father, there’s a war raging in the castle right now. Aren’t we being a bit too carefree?”

“Even if we rush over there now, I doubt we’d be of any help. Let’s just make the best choice we can at the moment.”

“It’s a little disappointing that the ‘best choice’ is sitting in a restaurant and stuffing ourselves~”

Hilde mumbled, gazing at the dark castle.

Something was wrong in the castle where the Progenitor lived.

You didn’t need to say it aloud—it was instinctively felt.

Even the drunkards on the streets were glancing uneasily at the swirling darkness around the castle.

But no one thought to investigate.

Big matters inside the castle were left to the vampires.

The humans turned away and went about their ordinary lives.

“No need to worry, right? Tyrkanzyaka can’t lose. If she wins, it’ll all be over. If she loses, she can just stop her heart, seize control of the other vampires again, and ask you to revive her heart later~”

“I can’t.”

“Huh?”

Having scraped my plate clean, I set my utensils down and explained.

“I didn’t revive her heart. A stranger can’t revive someone’s heart. Tyr revived her own heart. I only helped her recall her lost memories.”

“But the result is the same, isn’t it? Thanks to you, Father—”

“It’s hard to explain, but it’s different. I’m the King of Humans and Tyr is human—so I represent her. Tyr had a strong will to reclaim her heart. She even risked herself once to retrieve it.”

She had ordered Finlay to control her.

At the time, it wasn’t clear whether it was the right move, but in hindsight, it had been a valid attempt.

Luscynia escaped the shackles through a similar method.

“It was almost the correct answer, but honestly, whether it was or not didn’t matter much to me. What mattered was that she made the attempt. I happened to have the means to help her succeed. I only revived her heart on her behalf.”

“Ohh? Then that means you could do it again if you wanted to?”

“No. My power and will are tied to Tyr’s own. If she willingly chooses to abandon her heart for better control, I would respect that decision.”

I downed a glass of water and wiped my mouth with a napkin.

Hilde, staring at my now-clean face, muttered.

“…Father, you’re quite harsh.”

“Am I? I’m a very generous person, especially to myself.”

Do beasts live strictly?

No, beasts live happily as long as they have food.

Only humans wrap chains around their own necks.

“Well, even without my help, Tyr could’ve broken free of the shackles using Luscynia’s method, but now that her own Elders have rebelled, that’s not really an option anymore.”

To command a subordinate to dominate you… After witnessing how rebellion broke out the moment the shackles were severed, how could she try it again?

And Ancillae and Neonates simply lacked the Bloodcraft prowess to dominate her.

“So, by your logic, Tyrkanzyaka has to give something up: either her life or her heart.”

“There’s another possibility. Becoming a Divine.”

“A Divine? Isn’t that impossible even if you want it?”

“That’s why it’s still a possibility. Tyr technically died once. Her presence spread through the world, birthing the vampire race.”

The birth of vampires was a historic event, even on a global scale.

Yet Hilde tilted her head in confusion.

“But… that’s not the same as becoming a Divine, is it?”

“No. Because Tyr used the power of blood to merely survive, fueled by her intense hatred toward the Sanctum, her power remained limited to vampires. When she died, her Bloodcraft didn’t become something for all humanity.”

To become a Divine, her knowledge and power must become something that belongs to all humans, not just vampires.

As long as Tyrkanzyaka lived and led vampires, her power remained “unique”—and uniqueness can’t change humanity.

Only “commonality” can.

“But now, because of the rebellion and the impending loss of her heart… maybe she’ll find a way to restart it herself, especially after traveling and experiencing so much.”

“Aha! So Father was planning for this all along—to obtain a Divine! You’re amazing…!”

“Well, not so much a plan… more like…”

More like a test.

And then—

-Thud.

A heavy sound rumbled through the ground.

It was the sound of something massive colliding with the castle walls.

The people on the streets flinched and looked around nervously.

“What was that?! An earthquake?”

“Sounds like it came from the castle…?”

“What’s happening?”

The answer soon revealed itself.

-Craaaash!

A black arm burst through the castle walls.

A colossal figure, draped in the castle like a cloak, let out a stifled roar.

The darkness surrounding the castle quivered, amplifying the giant’s cry.

[Kyaaaaaaaaaaah—!]

A shriek, full of hatred, as if it would tear the world apart.

Only now did fear spread among the people as they stared at the giant born from the shattered castle.

“Eek!”

“What the hell? Is that an Elder’s power?”

“D-Do we run?!”

The people of the Duchy sure are something.

If it were me, I’d have bolted the moment I saw that.

Maybe living alongside monsters like Elders dulled their survival instincts.

Well, livestock don’t think about running when the barn collapses, either.

“That giant… oddly looks like Tyrkanzyaka~ Is that the Divine you were talking about, Father?”

“No. That is…”

Before I could finish, a deafening roar echoed from inside.

As the giant’s arms moved, the darkness swirled and sucked inward.

Sounds of shattering, crumbling, screaming filled the air.

Crimson-black mist poured from the broken gaps.

It was like the Duchy itself was bleeding.

-Rumble.

Chunks of shattered stone fell to the earth.

Dust clouds—not of darkness, but dirt—billowed outward.

A fierce battle had begun.

If Tyr had simply reclaimed her dominion over the vampires, this wouldn’t have happened.

But—

“…Looks like she’s trying to remain human.”

“That?! That doesn’t look human at all?!”

“Still, can’t you feel it? The will to live? She chose to fight back. Wow. That’s amazing. I thought for sure that Tyr, after a thousand years of wielding power, would just give up and still her heart once again.”

To see her choose to fight instead of silencing her heart, even while feeling pain…

Reviving her heart, regaining her senses—this was what Tyr had wished for.

But wishes always collide with obstacles.

The Elders’ reborn desires clashed against hers.

And yet—

Tyr’s will was stronger and more precious than I had imagined.

“She didn’t silence her heart. She’s fighting with her own hands. Hah. Truly unexpected.”

The Tyr I knew was weaker than this.

Having already lost everything, she had lived in a world where everything moved with a mere thought.

She sought something to lean on, to treasure.

I had granted that wish.

She regained her life—and was thrown naked into a rough world where her body, her strength, her surroundings didn’t obey her will.

I thought she would take the easy way out.

But no.

Maybe because the heart she reclaimed was something I had helped her regain.

“Father, why are you smiling?”

“Hmm?”

“By your logic, isn’t this bad? Tyrkanzyaka chose to fight with force. Whether she wins or loses, her power will be diminished. Either way, it’s a bad result.”

“Why? Isn’t it wonderful? Her choice is so perfectly human.”

Hilde opened and closed her mouth in disbelief.

Meanwhile, I pushed aside my empty plate, feeling a strange excitement rise within me.

Maybe, just as ‘she’ had said, I really had become a little more human too.

Even now, surrounded by countless people and countless emotions—

Even swayed by their countless desires—

A quiet but firm sense of anticipation rooted itself in my chest.

My heart thudded.

How fascinating is ordinary life?

That I could find one single human being this special.

“Father, what do we do now then?”

“What else is there to do? We cheer for Tyr. Now go grab some snacks. Let’s eat while we watch how this plays out.”

“…After all that food, you still want snacks? What, is your stomach a black hole?”

Even as she spoke rudely, Hilde obediently followed her orders.

After paying the bill and returning with an armful of snacks, she and I gnawed on some jerky together.

At that moment, another arm extended from the hole in the castle wall.

This time, a massive shadow with a clenched fist hurled something toward us.

The darkness of the night sky rippled, and a vampire, scattering Blood Aura, plummeted like a falling star.

-Crash!

The vampire smashed through the building wall, dragging down a gouged scar of crimson—whether it was Blood Aura or simply blood was unclear.

“Waaahhh!”

“The giant’s throwing rocks!”

“Run for your lives!”

Finally sensing the imminent threat, the humans scattered in all directions.

Amid the chaos, the vampire who had shattered the wall rose from the dust.

At that moment, Hilde grabbed my face and pulled it close to hide it from view.

Pressing her face against mine to block the line of sight, she whispered urgently,

“Father, stay still!”

“…Ease the grip will you!”

From the ruins, a figure leaped out.

One of the most elegant and noble Elders—Countess Erzsebet.

Her snow-white skin remained unblemished, but her dress, scraped by the wall’s rough surface, was in tatters.

As some humans stared and gulped at the sight of her exposed body beneath the torn fabric, Erzsebet gracefully unfurled her fan and waves of Blood Aura lifted her up.

“With such barbaric, brute force, surely you don’t think you can contend against us… to subject me to this disgrace.”

Just as she was about to take flight again, Erzsebet paused and glanced around.

Seeing humans merely gawking at the Elder hurled from the sky—like livestock staring at a human who had stumbled into the pen—she smiled thinly.

“Erzsebet, my lady?”

“What’s the matter?”

To livestock, humans are not objects of fear.

Vampires, who nurtured and cared for them, only taking in return the blood they needed, were to be respected and revered like shepherds by sheep.

At worst, they were spooked by her sudden crash—but they still didn’t truly believe a vampire would harm them.

However—

“…Since things have already escalated, perhaps it’s time to collect a bit more.”

Erzsebet snapped her fan sharply.

At the tip of the motion, a bead of blood formed, then shot forth like a bullet.

The humans’ curiosity swiftly turned into screams.

The blood bullets pierced through bodies, splattering blood everywhere.

It was remarkably efficient: just a few shots yielded enough blood to fill a bathtub.

The blood that spilled from the humans was drawn back into Erzsebet through Bloodcraft.

Now that the Progenitor had lost her power, Erzsebet was the most formidable Bloodcraft Practitioner in the land.

With even a tiny wound, more than half the blood could be drained directly through the veins.

Savoring her harvest, Erzsebet murmured,

“Hmm. It’s not enough, but this will do.”

“Lady Erzsebet…! Why are you doing this to us?!”

A shop clerk, sitting beside a fallen shopkeeper, cried out, looking up at her.

Erzsebet looked down at them like they were insects and answered coolly,

“Harvesting blood from livestock raised for that purpose, what problem do you see in that?”

“But—but! We pay the blood tax diligently every month! The shopkeeper even paid it just yesterday…! If you take our blood this violently, we might die!”

“And? How Is that my concern?”

“H-huh?”

Amused, Erzsebet spoke as she idly fed blood into her fan between swings.

“We raise livestock for blood. Normally, we’d take care not to kill them—but when time is short, well, even the fattest goose must be cut open.”

“No way…!”

“I’ve gathered enough for now, but I’m not here merely to wet my throat. I still need more.”

The Elder didn’t necessarily intend to kill humans.

She simply needed more blood.

Thus, she was usually very kind, but when necessary, she could be ruthless and cruel.

Without even glancing at the moaning humans, Erzsebet turned her predatory gaze to search for the next prey.

“U-ugh!”

At last, the people of the Duchy realized it.

The vampires—who had once been their protectors—were still beasts that craved blood.

Life under them was safe and comfortable, but it always came at a price.

The quick-witted and nimble fled first.

But even their speed was too late.

Erzsebet unleashed a rain of blood toward all the humans still remaining.

Including me and Hilde.

…Damn it.

We’ve been found.

I kicked the table over to shield us, while Hilde used a plate imbued with Qi to deflect the blood attack.

The blood droplets, meant for harvesting, were easily repelled by the Qi Deflection technique.

The droplets ricocheted uselessly.

We managed to block the attack safely.

But that was just harvesting—not a true attack.

Having been interrupted, Erzsebet glared furiously at the humans who dared resist her…

Until she caught sight of my face and smirked with derision.

“So you ran… and here you were, hiding right under our noses at arm’s reach. So carefree, aren’t you, dear Consort?”