Chapter 72

Chapter 72

72: Blood Born After they had each opened up their hearts, Elle rummaged through the darkroom and pulled out a small wooden cask. “Wanna drink?” It was a reunion after a long time, and they had plenty of time. In their past lives, they were all high school students and couldn’t drink, but it didn’t matter here. “I’d love to. Please, ‘Eternal Erzebet’.” “….Ugh. Please, give me a break already….” “Pfft.” They chatted happily, pouring beer into rough wooden cups. Was this what it felt like to meet close friends after a long time? In their past lives, they weren’t all that close, but over ten years, longing had built up, and bad feelings had faded away. Just knowing that there was someone who could share the memories of Earth was something to enjoy and laugh about. “But seriously, I can’t believe you’re Hyun…” Elle didn’t doubt the fact. They had shared memories of their past lives, proving that I was Seo Hyun. So, those words weren’t disbelief, but rather a statement of astonishment. “Yeah, I can’t believe it either.” Emily nodded in agreement with Elle, as if she was still dazed. What did I do in my past life to make people so incredulous? When I asked why, Elle replied with a wistful look. “You always sat quietly in the corner, just studying. What do you call that? Oh, right, a mysterious concept! Anyway, that’s the kind of vibe you gave off.” “….That’s a misunderstanding. I wasn’t really like that.” I was just shy. Becoming popular within three months of transferring schools was too difficult for me back then. Besides, I thought that all I needed to do was study well. Who knew life would turn out like this? “Really? Anyway, you were really popular among the girls.” “Come on, no way.” I gave a wry smile and waved my hand, but Emily chimed in, agreeing with Elle. “No, it’s true. I heard there were about two girls who were planning to confess to you on the school trip. They said you were handsome and good at studying, and overall very popular.” “No, why are you telling me this now….” Compliments are just sad at this point. How would I know if you were just whispering about it behind my back? If you were going to do that, you could have at least talked to me like Seong Jun did. But the fact that Emily knew information that Elle didn’t meant that she was that much closer to the other kids, right? But now, it’s really all meaningless. Even if I’m not mentally attracted to men, I’ve become physically attracted to them. Of course, Emily is an exception. “I guess so. Now…” Emily nodded at my words and looked at me. Curious about what she was going to say, I met her gaze, and her face gradually turned red. Soon, Emily looked away from me and muttered softly. “….This is, really unbelievable.” I can hear you. Still, it must be quite a shock for her. It would be one thing if it was Yu Min-ju or Kim A-ram, but the fact that it was me… …No, but she doesn’t seem to hate it. Is that just my imagination? As I was pondering, wondering if that was the case, Elle’s exasperated voice reached my ears. “….But you guys traveled together, right? Why didn’t you know all this time?” “Ryla didn’t talk about her past life. She seemed reluctant to talk about it, so I just let it go.” “I had my reasons back then.” I replied simply and gulped down my beer. I feel a little flushed, but I should be fine. I drank beer this morning too, and nothing happened. Just like Elle made a fool of herself during our first meeting, I too have built up my own dark history. My life here has been pretty astral. Anyway, it’s not a life that I can confidently show to others. To be honest, I didn’t want to overlay Ryla onto the Seo Hyun of my past life. “I see…” “Yeah. But it doesn’t matter anymore.” I drank my beer and looked at Erzebet. Black hair, red eyes. And the woman in the dress was once Kim Seung-oh, the heir to the Blood Shadow Demonic Art. And she was a transmigrator who had lived in this world for 20 years. Just as I had lived my time, just as Emily had lived her life, Erzebet must have lived her own life as well. Judging from the current situation, I can guess that her life wasn’t very ordinary. Sharing stories of our past lives is fun, but it was time to change the atmosphere.

-Clink.

I deliberately clinked my glass loudly to draw attention. “Erzebet.” “Uh, yeah?” “I want to hear what happened now.” At my words, Elle was silent for a moment and then nodded. “…Yeah. I guess I should.” The reunion is joyful, but she was currently caught up in a conflict between underworld forces. Right now, we needed to find out why that was the case. We straightened our postures and listened attentively to the story of the woman who was once Kim Seung-oh. // Erzebet Vladimir. That was a pseudonym she had made up herself, and her real name was Natalia Remlzin. She was not from the Kingdom of Kilkard, but from the NEKAR United Kingdom in the west of the kingdom, and among them, she was a noble from Nevia, which bordered the Kingdom of Kilkard. Unlike the Kingdom of Kilkard, where the power of the nobles and the king was relatively balanced, the NEKAR United Kingdom had strong power for the nobles and their families. Moreover, the nobles often fought among themselves. In such a situation, the destruction of a small noble family was not a big deal. Of course, Erzebet, who was only a collateral member of the Remlzin baronetcy, didn’t dream of revenge, even if she had resentment about that fact. In the NEKAR United Kingdom, where infighting among nobles was frequent, they wouldn’t care about the members of a mere baronetcy, especially those from a collateral line who were no different from commoners. Thanks to learning the Blood Shadow Demonic Art and the Great Blood Absorption Art from her knowledge, Erzebet was able to gain the strength to travel alone, and she began her journey after leaving her fallen family. There was a reason why she had traveled the long distance from the western region of the kingdom, which faced NEKAR, to the eastern region. “To put it simply, I got into a fight while traveling. I had just finished circling NEKAR and was crossing into the kingdom, it was about five months ago. I met someone while walking through the entertainment district. I think he said he was the second son of a count. Anyway, that bastard tried to rape me. So, I beat him up real good.” Elle said with a bitter smile, and I sighed and replied. “….You’re really bold, aren’t you?” The Kingdom of Kilkard is a country that has adopted a feudal lord system. Since the lords are almost like kings in their own territory, the pride of the nobles is as great as their power. Especially the nobles with the title of count or higher. Considering that, the power of the royal family is quite large, though. “What could I do? I didn’t know back then.” If it were me, I would have just taken it and moved on, but Elle couldn’t do that. I can’t judge her actions based on my values, so I can’t say which is right, but it’s clear that she caused a troublesome incident. “Anyway, I crushed his two balls as a sign of repentance, and someone started chasing me from the next day. He looked like a knight who was pretty good, and I thought, ‘Oh, I’m screwed,’ so I just ran away.” Of course they would chase you. Treatment is possible, but it costs a lot of money, and above all, nobles are sensitive to their honor. They wouldn’t have let Elle, who was just a traveler with no backing, live. But the fact that she ran away to the Mesheen Great Forest at the eastern end didn’t seem like a good idea. It might have been unavoidable for her. The fact that she used the pseudonym Erzebet and pretended to be a vampire was also a relatively recent thing. “I fought him a couple of times, but he wasn’t easy to deal with. So, I kept running away. But I’ve lasted quite a while here. Pretending to be a vampire seems to have worked.” “….” “….” Judging from Elle’s subtle gaze as she said that, it seemed like she wanted to adopt that kind of concept from the start, rather than pretending to be a vampire to avoid being caught, but let’s just move on for now. I might end up stimulating her trauma for no reason. However, the fact that Elle fought and said he wasn’t easy to deal with was noteworthy. Then he must not be an ordinary knight. I listened to Elle’s words to the end and summarized her words. “So, to sum it up, this is the first time you’ve come into the underworld, and your purpose was to hide for the time being, right?” “Yeah, that’s right. Fortunately, I met some good people, and I thought I should at least earn my keep, so I was doing some work.” Then I could guess why Nuke and the other members of Blate were ostracizing her. An unidentified woman of unknown origin suddenly joined, so they wouldn’t have looked kindly on her. Especially if she was being chased by a count’s family. Judging from what they said, it seemed that they had even contacted someone who was suspected of being a pursuer from the count’s family. Then… this isn’t the time to be talking so leisurely. I looked at Elle’s face with a serious expression. “You, I think you need to run away quickly.” “….Really?” Perhaps because she thought this day would come someday, she didn’t show any signs of surprise. She just had a calm expression. I told Elle about what happened after coming to Mesatria and the information I got from Nuke. Everything from the Adventurer’s Guild to Tailon, and Nuke’s work. She seemed to be pondering for a moment, then she asked me cautiously. “Is he dead?” There’s no reason to lie. I nodded at her question. “Yeah.” “….I see. Thank you.” She doesn’t criticize me for killing someone. It’s natural for her, who has learned the Blood Shadow Demonic Art, but judging from her slightly unpleasant expression, she doesn’t seem to be very happy about it. On the one hand, I think that’s a good thing. The fact that she has unpleasant feelings about it means that she won’t become a demon like the Blood Demon. Well, the Blood Shadow Demonic Art has been around for several generations, but the only famous one is the Blood Demon, so the reality is that it’s not a very demonic martial art. There may be exaggerated rumors unique to demonic arts. Anyway, there’s nothing you can do even if you become a murderous demon in this world. The saying that there’s no match for numbers is also true here. This isn’t a world where people with anger management issues can live comfortably. // We headed outside through the secret passage inside the darkroom. Behind Elle, who was walking ahead, a firm voice flowed out. “You said you’re staying in Karaldin, right? I’ll find you myself when things are settled. It’s better for you not to get involved anymore. As soon as you leave, go back to Karaldin.” “What?” Emily was surprised by Elle’s words and asked back, but I could understand her feelings. Elle harmed a noble. If we were there, it would be helpful, but if things go wrong, there’s a high possibility that it will become more dangerous. No, it will definitely become dangerous. Even if it were me, I wouldn’t have asked for help in the same situation as her. “Okay.” Elle’s shoulders twitched when I answered. And Emily also looked at me with a surprised expression. Was she disappointed by my answer just now? But, you have to listen to the end. “White Dolphin Inn, the room at the far left on the second floor.” “….Huh?” “We’re staying in Mesatria for one more day. Come there when everything is over.” Even if she refuses, I was going to offer my help. It might be a little dangerous, but I’m not that lacking in loyalty. “You have to use your connections at times like this. Don’t you think so? ‘Eternal Vampire’.” At my words, Elle stopped walking. I can’t see her expression because she’s turned her back. But her shoulders were trembling slightly.

-Tap.

I stopped Emily, who was about to reach out to Elle, and quietly waited for her answer. Soon, Erzebet’s voice was heard. “….Thank you.”

At that short reply, Emily and I looked at each other. I smiled slightly, seeing the smile on Emily’s lips, and replied to El, “What are friends for?” // “…..” The man leaned against the wall, gazing at the scene inside the tavern. As if a grand drinking party had taken place, the scene inside the tavern was chaotic. But compared to the scene upstairs, this could be considered clean. Unlike the simply cluttered first floor, the second and third floors were lined with corpses. ‘Am I too late?’ He pondered, fiddling with the jewel embedded in the sword at his waist. He didn’t particularly like the scum of the underworld, but he had to acknowledge their resilience in surviving from the bottom. They actually spat out useful information. However, as always, it was a pity that he was a step late. – Thud, thud. As a guard in leather armor approached, the man stopped thinking. The approaching guard bowed to him and opened his mouth. “They’re all dead. Judging by the traces, it seems they were ambushed while sleeping, and most were killed with a single blow. It’s a skilled bitch.” “‘Bitch,’ you say… Are you sure?” “Yes. Traces of intercourse were found in a room on the third floor. It seems they tried to cover it up roughly, but they couldn’t hide it completely.” The man nodded at the guard’s words. If she was a woman skilled enough to kill seventeen men, it was certain. It was a bit strange that she suddenly had intercourse, but he didn’t pay much attention to it. “And, this…” What was handed to him was a small map. The man checked it and put it in his jacket pocket. “Good work.” “No, sir. It is an honor to be of even the slightest help.” The guard stared at the necklace around the man’s neck and bowed politely. The necklace, engraved with the crest of the Count’s family, was proof of the man’s identity. In the Kilkeard Kingdom’s high society, the collusion between nobles was a force to be reckoned with. The relationship between the nobles of the West and the nobles of the East was not very good, but they could still gain at least minimal favor. For example, to the extent of receiving cooperation from the guards like this. The man stroked his sword once more and opened his mouth. “I’m leaving right now.” The dead bodies weren’t that old. Now that he had a clue, it was time to track her down. Just like he always had.