Chapter 8 : First Day Of Admission – (1)

After that, everything went smoothly.

Guild Master Aila was shocked that the priest would write a letter of recommendation and asked several times to confirm.

“Is that true? That priest is going to write a letter of recommendation?”

“Didn’t I say it was true?”

“No, it’s just strange. What’s so special about this kid that the priest would write their only recommendation letter? He didn’t even write one for me.”

“Aila, I’m sorry, but you just weren’t talented enough to deserve a recommendation.”

“You really know how to pick just the right words to piss me off, old man.”

That’s more or less how the conversation went.

In any case, the priest’s will was firm, and although Guild Master Aila scoffed, she respected his decision.

“Fine. I mean, if he’s willing to write a recommendation, there’s no reason to refuse. I’ll put the kid into training for now.”

In conclusion, it seemed I would be entering the training center to become a full-fledged vampire hunter.

The Hunter Training Center was located on a hill not far from the castle, and it was quite large.

Looking down at it from the castle gate, it almost resembled a massive fortress.

“You’ll be staying in the second male dormitory. You’ll soon meet the other new recruits, so if you have any questions, just ask them or any hunter in the main building—they’ll answer kindly.”

“Thank you.”

Camilla guided me to the training center.

It seemed to consist of a main building, an annex, five male dormitories, and two female dormitories.

Eventually, we arrived at the second male dormitory, and the inside was cramped like a can of sardines.

The hunter trainees were packed into rows of closely spaced beds, sleeping side by side.

There was no consideration for personal privacy whatsoever.

At first glance, it looked like a prison.

However, it was much better than the tent I used to live in as a mercenary, and more than anything, this was the first time in my life I’d seen an actual bed.

“This is really luxurious.”

“You’re probably the first person to call this luxurious. You must’ve had it pretty rough, huh?”

Camilla tilted her head, clearly not understanding why I was impressed.

She didn’t press further and instead gave me a pat on the shoulder.

“Anyway, you’ll need to start adapting to life here. It won’t be too long. If things go well, you could finish in under two years.”

“Is it normally that fast?”

“No. Normally, training lasts about three to four years. Sometimes even longer—over five years in some cases. You’re just an exception.”

“Why is that?”

Camilla gave a snort, as if to say don’t you already know?

“Didn’t you hear earlier? The priest wrote you a letter of recommendation.”

“That… what exactly is this recommendation?”

“Veteran hunters get a chance to write a recommendation once every few years. They usually write one when they find someone promising and want to bring them under their wing. So it’s okay to be proud. It means the priest sees something in you. And we’re not talking about just any priest. That’s a recommendation from him. That’s something to brag about.”

“So, it’s special if it’s from the priest?”

“That man hasn’t written a single letter of recommendation in the fifty years since the guild was founded.”

“What?”

My eyes widened.

That meant I was the very first person the priest had ever recommended.

“So you’d better behave yourself. You’re the first rookie to ever be recommended by the first hunter. Word’s going to spread through the entire guild soon. All the hunters are going to keep an eye on you, so think carefully about how you act.”

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

“On that note, there’s something you should know.”

“What is it?”

Camilla looked at me with a concerned expression.

Then she let out a deep sigh and began speaking gently.

“Our hunters… we constantly work in life-threatening situations. So naturally, we tend to have rough personalities.”

“…Hmm.”

“Take me, for example. I know I’ve got a nasty personality. Don’t you think so too?”

She gave me a sly look, and I frantically shook my head.

That seemed to be the reaction she was looking for, and she grinned.

“So, whether they’re current hunters, trainees, or just thugs loitering around the training center, most of them tend to solve their problems… the rough way.”

“…Uh, I’m not quite sure I understand what you mean.”

“Yeah. It’s probably better that way. Anyway, that’s how it is.”

Leaving behind that cryptic warning, Camilla walked away, and I was left alone in the dorm.

The spot assigned to me was at the far-left end, closest to the exit.

It looked like the dorm filled from the innermost beds outward, based on the order of arrival.

I didn’t have much to unpack.

Just the greatsword the priest had given me, and a single dried-out loaf of bread in my pack—that was all.

Because of that, I had a bit of time to sit on my bed and think.

‘I’ve become a vampire hunter.’

I knew what hunters did.

They killed vampires.

Again and again.

But I didn’t know why they were so fanatical about killing them.

Still, I needed a place to belong, and the hunter guild had provided that—a proper home.

That was enough for me.

‘Lily.’

I was now a vampire hunter.

And Lily… was a vampire.

If I met Lily again, how would I respond?

If I killed the vampire queen, could Lily become human?

“…I don’t know.”

There was no way to know.

And since I couldn’t know yet, I decided to focus on the problems right in front of me.

—Bang!

Just as I finished that thought, a loud noise came from the door.

Maybe Camilla had come back? I looked up without much thought, and standing there were several young men around my age, all glaring at me with rough expressions.

The one in front cracked his knuckles and bared his fangs.

“Hey, newbie. If you just got here, shouldn’t you greet your seniors?”

“…Ah.”

“Doesn’t matter if the priest recommended you or not. Around here, hierarchy is everything.”

The guy grabbed me by the collar.

“Come with me, you little punk. It’s initiation time.”

Only then did I understand what Camilla had been warning me about.

“So, this is what he had on him?”

“Yes. It’s the symbol of the Goldenblood lineage. And among them, very few old vampires are capable of blood magic.”

At the priest’s words, Aila sighed and set down the red pendant.

“Jursach. A high-ranking mage from the Goldenblood clan. That bastard’s been on the run like a slippery eel for over ten years since he was first wanted. The guild had basically given up on him—we got lucky.”

He was a big name.

Capturing a vampire mage of that caliber was definitely something worth celebrating.

But for Guild Master Aila, catching Jursach was no longer the most important thing. Just earlier, the priest had written a letter of recommendation.

That was a once-in-a-lifetime event.

“What’s so special about that kid that made you write a recommendation for him?”

Aila asked casually, and the priest’s lips curled into a smile.

“That child… personally captured Jursach.”

“Well… that is impressive.”

But is that really so special?

Even Aila herself had taken down three vampires before she entered the training center.

One of them had even been a vampire marquis.

Maybe that thought showed on her face, because the priest added more.

“That child recognized Jursach even after he used mist form.”

“…He recognized that?”

Mist form.

It was the reason why hunting vampires who used blood magic was nearly impossible.

No matter how enhanced your senses were, finding a nearly invisible mist floating through darkness was a task only elite hunters could hope to accomplish.

For a mere child—not even a full hunter—to detect it was unthinkable.

“Maybe he just got lucky?”

“No chance. That child saw Jursach clearly.”

“That’s absurd. Priest… don’t tell me you tested him to see if he could recognize Jursach?”

“Well, who’s to say?”

“Ugh, your personality is seriously awful.”

The priest was a veteran among veterans, one of the few who could recognize a vampire in mist form.

If he didn’t catch Jursach on purpose, it meant he let him go—deliberately.

All to test a boy named Aiden.

Just what kind of potential did that boy have, for such a meticulous priest to go that far?

Aila had never once seen the priest show such interest in anyone.

“Who even is this Aiden kid?”

“Are you sure you’re ready to hear this?”

“Yes.”

“That child… is a thrall.”

Crash!

The glass Aila had been holding fell and shattered on the floor.

“I thought you said you were ready.”

The priest sighed, as if he expected that exact reaction.

But Aila was too shocked to even begin cleaning up the shards.

A thrall.

He said… a thrall.

So basically, he was a vampire’s servant.

“Are you insane? Not only are you letting a thrall live, now you’re bringing him into the guild? And to top it all off, you wrote him a recommendation letter to become a hunter?!”

“Don’t worry, Aila. That boy hates vampires just as much as we do. That’s quite the talent for a hunter, isn’t it?”

“That’s not the point! If he’s a thrall, then that means there’s a vampire master behind him, right?!”

“Yes, there is.”

“Who is it?”

“Can you promise not to be surprised?”

“Yes. I mean, I was already shocked by the ‘thrall’ part—what could top that? Unless he’s, like, the vampire queen’s thrall or something.”

“That’s exactly right.”

“Anyway—”

Aila froze mid-sentence, her eyes wide.

What did that old man just say?

“W-what…? Did you just say he’s the vampire queen’s thrall?!”

“Yes. More precisely, the next vampire queen’s.”

Crash.

That was the sound of a second glass shattering in her hand.

The priest began explaining, while Aila stood speechless.

He spoke of how the current vampire queen had taken a girl with the blood of the Firstborn into her kingdom.

And how this new hunter, Aiden, was that girl’s older brother.

“It seems almost certain that this Lily girl will be the one to inherit the old queen’s throne.”

“…”

“I don’t know what that woman was thinking, but she made a grave mistake—she left the new queen’s thrall unattended. That’s our opportunity, Aila. A chance to wipe out the entire kingdom in one strike.”

Aila couldn’t keep up with the words coming out of the priest’s mouth.

So she chose denial.

“You… you absolute lunatic!”

“Aila, getting angry is bad for your skin. I’ve told you that before, haven’t I?” Haha.

“You’re the reason I’m angry!”

With her head pounding, Aila massaged her temple.

It was already shocking enough that the vampire queen had a successor.

But that the girl’s brother—her thrall—was now part of the Hunter Guild?

She couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of chaos that might cause.

It was all the fault of the smirking priest in front of her.

“Sigh… Don’t tell me… you plan to use him, don’t you?”

While Aila struggled to form her next words through deep breaths, the door burst open beside her.

A hunter walked in, saw the priest standing next to her, and immediately snapped to attention.

She was already exhausted from everything she’d heard, and now a subordinate was saluting the priest before even acknowledging the Guildmaster.

That was the last straw.

Aila snapped.

“Damn it, can’t you see I’m busy? Who told you to come in?!”

“S-sorry, but this is urgent!”

“…Fine. Let’s hear it. Not like I can be surprised by anything else today.”

The hunter hesitated a moment before speaking.

“The new trainee who just joined… the one the priest brought in. Yes, him.”

“…Aiden? What about him?”

“Well, it seems that during his initiation, he… broke the legs of all his senior trainees.”

So the thrall had already caused a scene as soon as he arrived.

Aila grimaced and turned to glare at the priest, who responded with yet another hearty laugh, as if he’d expected this exact outcome.

“Hahaha! That’s how a real hunter should be—rough and ready! Aila, it seems my eye for talent is still sharp as ever.”

Yep.

She was definitely going to punch him.

Aila gave it some serious thought.