episode_0087

It could be said that Basel is essentially the autonomous city of the mercenary group.

Building houses and setting up shops with the money earned by the mercenaries.

The mercenaries spend money on buying magic stones and musical instruments there.

In a way, it is a village that the mercenaries support.

It is inevitable that the influence of the mercenary group based here is strong.

However, there was someone who could wield a much stronger power than those mercenaries.

“I want a separate place. Could you let us pass?”

“Oh! Are these acquaintances of Sir Knight! I apologize! Please pass! Fran! Quickly, get their luggage!”

“I’m truly sorry. We didn’t recognize you…”

With each word of the knight, the guards tremble and bow.

The belongings scattered on the ground are quickly gathered and returned.

Mijeong had a communication device disguised as a backpack, and I had a bag, so we could pass through the inspection without any issues.

Moving away from the inspection site.

The knight who dismounted from the horse looks at us with an interesting gaze.

“It seems like you know who I am.”

“A vampire with reason-”

“Yes! I am Transylvania! Indeed, when it comes to vampires with reason, there is no one else but the legendary inspector, Transylvania!”

“…”

The knight laughs loudly with a hoarse voice.

Transylvania.

A vampire and one of the strongest figures mentioned when it comes to current inspectors.

Vampires are usually treated as monsters and not as humans, right?

That’s true.

Transylvania is a special case.

He turns anyone who treats him as a corpse into an actual corpse, so it’s impossible not to fear him.

That’s why he was once designated as a target for extermination by all countries in the world.

For about a hundred years, every assassin who came after the bounty on him was all taken care of and displayed, so the extermination order was practically nullified.

Moreover, Transylvania himself has a volatile temperament, so there are countries that have somewhat amicable relationships with him.

“I never expected him to become a knight directly under the royal family.”

A knight of monster origin.

Looking at it this way, Gallia Kingdom is truly a country of extremes.

“It’s not like I’m asking why I’m dressed like this.”

“Well, I didn’t ask-”

“Of course, you must be curious! How did a carefree person like me end up becoming a knight of a country! There’s no grand reason. I just did it on a whim. I accepted it as a temporary status to gain experience. It’s nice to be welcomed everywhere instead of people running away with pale faces like they’ve seen a vampire, but dealing with responsibilities is just a hassle. It doesn’t suit me. I plan to quit soon and continue my wandering life. Of course, if I’m needed urgently somewhere, I might go and help occasionally… Maybe once every ten years. I’m a bit capricious, you see. Of course, despite being capricious, I’m certain of my beliefs. I remember those who helped me clearly, and I remember those who annoyed me clearly, so I’ll seek revenge on them in ten or twenty years. Compared to mortals who change their beliefs and opinions like the wind, it’s frustrating.”

Without being asked.

Words keep flowing out as if a dam has been breached.

It feels like I might hear every episode that happened in the past hundred years, so I decided to cut him off.

“So, what’s your name?”

“Cheonma-”

“Not you. I have no business with a mortal like you. There’s no point in hiding behind. I’m just momentarily stopping to greet my kin.”

“Kin?”

Swoosh.

Mijeong, who was wearing a hood behind me, slowly raises her head.

The vampire with reason seems to be seeing her for the first time, and there is a sense of wariness in the hand that grips the hem of my clothes.

“What’s your name?”

“…Mijeong.”

“Is your name not decided yet?”

“…That’s right, I guess.”

“Wow. I can’t help but feel a sense of familiarity. Of course, my kind is somewhat common, but finding a kindred who can communicate is no easy task. I’ve only seen three so far, and this one is one of them. The other two seem to still be unable to fully overcome their vampire instincts. Even I struggle to suppress them at times. But this one has almost completely conquered their instincts. Impressive.”

“What is this all about?”

“Why does he keep biting my arms and neck whenever he gets the chance?”

Isn’t that just a vampire instinct?

“Well, that’s not it. He still has a habit of nipping at me when he’s feeling playful.”

“A habit of nipping at people? That’s not a vampire habit unless it’s during feeding.”

“······.”

“······.”

Tran Silvia, looking puzzled, tilts her head.

So, all the biting so far wasn’t because of vampire instincts?

She looks at Mejeong as if demanding an explanation, but Mejeong just turns her head away.

“Hey. Say something. Anything.”

“······What. Do you want me to say?”

“This kid.”

“······Eeek.”

She grimaces and grabs her cheeks, but Mejeong just turns away from me.

It’s frustrating to think that I just let it go because I thought it was an uncontrollable instinct.

The more I think about it, the more frustrating it becomes.

Did he really just bite my arms because his teeth were itchy?

“Hahaha! What an amusing combination. A human and a vampire. I used to have a human I could rely on by my side. 300 years ago. They’re all dead and gone now, though.”

“What’s your point? I’m going to die anyway, so should I cut ties early?”

“If that’s how it sounded, I apologize. That wasn’t my intention. I’m not here to give advice on how kin should live, I was just curious and wanted to ask.”

“······.”

Finally, I remember.

Tran Silvia was always like this.

Unrivaled strength and an unchanged body.

And a lifespan close to eternity.

If you have all of that, you don’t have to be bound by the laws and rules of the world.

Living solely for pleasure, existing in their own taste.

The only criterion for judging the value of all things and people is whether they are interesting or not.

Tran Silvia is one of those.

“You’ll soon realize it yourself without me having to say it. How fleeting the life of a mortal is. In fact, the life of an immortal isn’t much different, but I haven’t lived that long yet, so it’s hard for me to say. Haha.”

“······It. Doesn’t. Appeal to me.”

“I don’t like you pretending to be a child. You’re old enough.”

“······Eternal. I’m 13.”

“It’s hard to understand. Is this a new trend?”

“······I, miss. You. Want to see?”

“What? Did you learn magic? Try it once. If you can write with your throat cut off, then sure.”

“Both of you are acting childish. Stop fighting.”

Mejeong, who had been growling without stopping, finally snuggles up behind me.

It’s understandable why Tran Silvia is said to have a dead temper these days.

In the past, at this point, both of us would have been left with nothing.

Mejeong being a vampire with the same gender as herself seems to play a big role in that.

“Alright! I’m in a good mood! As a celebration of meeting kin, I’ll give you a gift. Tell me anything you’re curious about. I’ll gladly answer any questions, no matter how difficult.”

“······.”

Is she calling the right to ask questions about herself a ‘gift’?

I’m momentarily speechless at her high level of self-love, but it’s understandable.

Considering that she has surpassed the level of a Sword Master long ago and has maintained that level for almost 100 years.

Even if the entire kingdom were to denounce and reject Tran Silvia as a vampire, it would be impossible to subdue her.

Not only is it physically impossible to subdue her, but there are also countless people lining up to learn swordsmanship from Tran Silvia.

‘There are actually a few things I’m curious about.’

Despite his unfortunate situation.

I can’t just throw away this opportunity to ask questions.

I’ve been curious about a significant question since we first met.

“Isn’t the inside of your full-body armor humid? Vampires must be afraid of flowing water. How do you handle the moisture inside?”

“I know one and don’t know the other. Vampires don’t sweat, so as long as you take care of the armor, there won’t be any moisture build-up. Here, put your hand inside. Feels cool, right?”

“Wow······.”

It’s true.

As I slide my hand into the back of the armor, a cool chill envelops my hand.

The refrigerator is practically non-existent.

A major question has been answered.

It feels like a decade-old stagnation has been lifted.

This is the sensation of Tran Silvia’s back.

“······That’s not it.”

“Ah.”

At that moment, thanks to Mijung poking my side, I remembered.

When I meet Tran Silvia, there was something I wanted to ask.

Something that had been driving me crazy with curiosity for a long time.

“Vampires can use magic. But I know they can’t recharge magic in the usual way.”

“You know that well. So, what’s on your mind?”

“I understand that physical contact is the way to recharge magic. Vampires recharge magic by having their heads petted. But no matter how much I think about it, I don’t understand the principle behind it. It’s not like they’re transferring my magic. Sometimes the amount of recharge varies depending on where they’re petted, and sometimes it varies depending on the speed of petting. It’s not even consistent, so sometimes it recharges well when petted quickly and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s completely unintuitive. What’s the principle behind this?”

“Ahaha! Hahaha! Haha, hahaha!!!”

This time it was a serious question.

Tran Silvia burst into laughter, holding her stomach and wiping away tears.

After laughing for a while, wiping her eyes as if wiping away tears, she says, “What? Magic recharges by being petted? That’s wrong. It’s not like that. The way vampires gain magic is through happiness.”

“Happiness?”

“Magic is recharged in proportion to the happiness felt. It’s ridiculous. Recharging magic by having their heads petted. It’s so funny it hurts my stomach. That little one just needs to have their head petted to be happy with you.”

“······.”

I look back at Mijung in disbelief······

Mijung is once again turning her head away from me.

Is it embarrassing for her too?

“No wonder it didn’t work when Alicia petted me.”

There was a reason why it didn’t recharge with a stranger’s touch, and why the amount of recharge was inconsistent.

The question was clearly answered.

“For your information, I recharge my magic by looking in the mirror. Seeing my face, which is like a piece of me, naturally fills me with happiness.”

“······I see. It. Doesn’t. Suit. Me. Leave. Now.”

“Hahaha! Are you embarrassed because your true nature is being revealed? Don’t worry! The time when you can gain happiness from humans will soon pass! In 100 years, you’ll only see them as blood bags!”

“······Shut up. Before. I get. Angry.”

“Hmm? You haven’t gotten angry yet? I’m looking forward to how scary you’ll be when you’re really angry. Come on, try it.”

“······Then, die.”

“Fine! Kill me! If you can!”

The argument is still at a kindergarten level.

Listening to it makes my head hurt.

I want to end this argument and part ways here.

Of course, Tran Silvia is strong, and if I could have her as a companion, there would be nothing better.

But I know better than anyone that it’s impossible.

She doesn’t stick with humans or monsters.

No matter what deal I bring, it’s useless.

She will always remain neutral and never fight on any side, no matter what happens.

If the Gallia Kingdom were to start a war and summon Tran Silvia, she would immediately take off her armor.

I want to end this argument soon.

I decide to ask one last thing.

I take out Cali’s Soul from my bag.

“One last question. Do you happen to know anything about this?”

“Isn’t this a toy that kids play with?”

“Oh. I forgot to take off the disguise. This is the real thing.”

“······!”

When I revealed Cali’s Soul by removing the disguise.

Tran Silvia’s eyes widened, and her red eyes shone with excitement.

I still don’t know what will happen when the accumulation of this magic stone is complete.

I took it out to see if Tran Silvia knew anything.

But her reaction is intense.

“How long have you been carrying this?”

“About two weeks?”

“Have you been carrying it around disguised all the time?”

“No. I’ve disguised it only a few times.”

“Are you out of your mind! Walking around confidently emitting such a strong scent!”

“Scent? I don’t smell anything. Mijung, do you?”

“······Me neither. I don’t.”

“You guys are crazy! You don’t smell the scent of Cali’s Soul from this? I never thought you’d be so brazenly carrying around something stolen from a druid!”

Tran Silvia jumps up and goes crazy.

Does Cali’s Soul emit a scent from this magic stone······?

Then, what about me.

Did you advertise to the Four Kings that ‘I’m the one who killed Cali’?

At that chilling thought.

“This can’t be!”

The sky darkens.

A black curtain quickly descends, enveloping the entire Basil.

The sky turning black in an instant.

It’s certain.

This is the work of the Four Kings.

The momentary confusion at the sudden attack fades.

‘Saved me the trouble of looking for you.’

I quickly realize that this is actually a good sign.

I am in a position where I must capture and defeat all the Four Kings as soon as possible.

So, the fact that the Four Kings are hiding and biding their time was my biggest concern.

If they show up like this on their own, I’m grateful.

As it is still in the early stages.

With my advance knowledge and full power, I have the upper hand over the Four Kings.

Not to mention Tran Silvia, a much stronger, fully developed chicken.

It’s a fight that can’t be avoided.

“No, no. I don’t want to. I hate it…”

“Tran Silvia?”

But Tran Silvia’s condition seems unusual.

Tran Silvia trembles at the tips of her eyes, shaking her body.

Her pupils shake wildly, unable to focus.

Her legs seem to be losing strength and could give out at any moment.

Could it be.

Is this guy afraid of the Four Kings?