She doesn’t throw a fit based on her mood but observes the atmosphere.
When I greeted her politely, she responded in kind with a certain formality.
Naturally, there are obvious differences in what is taken for granted.
The Progenitor who introduced herself as Aria, though following Martini’s words that it was okay to be casual, never let her guard down.
Even when shown a pasture full of fresh prey to test her self-control, rather than being swept away by her bloodsucking impulses, she merely showed a bit of impatience, clearly making an effort to restrain herself.
With a careful attitude, she imbued meaning into every word and action of her counterpart, attempting to read between the lines. Although it was quite obvious, Martini could hardly believe that such behavior could come from a Progenitor who had barely lived for six months.
Although she leaned heavily towards distrust of others, confirming that her movements were based on rational judgment and reasoning, not feelings or impulses, plunged Martini into contemplation.
The notion that the Duchy had no intention to protect the Progenitor only applied if Aria were similar to past Progenitors.
However, now that that basic premise had crumbled, what decision would lead to the best outcome for the Duchy and the Vampires?
Even if the Duchy were to support the Progenitor, it would greatly increase her chances of survival. But the Luminous Church, which goes into convulsions at just the sight of Vampires, would never allow that to happen.
The moment Martini accepted Aria, she understood that humans would be thrown off-balance and be willing to go to war.
Humans also know that neglecting the Progenitor would bring certain defeat in the future.
Thus, should the Duchy take in the Progenitor, they would likely risk mutual destruction even while being aware of it, leading to a full-on battle.
Moreover, it seems they’ve started getting impatient.
Would they really let such an opportunity slip by?
In normal circumstances, Martini would want to avoid an immediate war, but this time she felt differently.
Is merely avoiding the current chaos truly the right path?
At any rate, clashes with human nations are unavoidable. The difference is just in the speed; war will definitely occur.
For now, she could still hold it off with her own strength. Although the Duchy would sustain significant damage if war broke out, they could avoid complete destruction.
So wouldn’t it be better to fight while humans are still somewhat weak?
Additionally, if during the Duchy’s fight, the Progenitor could escape and buy time to grow stronger, wouldn’t confronting them now be the true choice for the future?
After much thought, Martini reached a decision.
She would help Aria’s growth as much as possible before war broke out.
Teach her how to fight and give her the highest quality blood harvested from the Duchy’s pastures as much as possible.
And if humans were preparing for war, she would sneak Aria out of the Duchy to buy her time to grow independently.
Although she hesitated at times about protecting the Progenitor until the end, that option was discarded.
After all, there was no choice to abandon the Progenitor to humans. If anxious humans transitioned into an all-out war, the Duchy would suffer enormous damage regardless of victory or defeat.
While preparing for the future is important, Martini was the ruler of the Duchy.
The future potential built by sacrificing everything in the present that could lead all her followers and people to death has no value. Some bleeding would be tolerated, but risking everything wasn’t an option.
Moreover, once the war started, they’d have to redirect the blood from the pastures, significantly reducing what she could provide to the Progenitor. Even considering her rapid growth, it would still be quite a distant future before Aria becomes the hope of the Vampires, and merely a few months of support wouldn’t change the course.
In that case, it would be better to let her grow independently outside the Duchy.
Ultimately, no matter how powerful a weapon is given, what matters is who wields it.
A Progenitor nurtured in a greenhouse isn’t suited to become the future of the Vampires.
If she perishes simply for lacking a protector, she truly wasn’t meant for greatness; a true king would surely survive.
Martini believed this was the only way to save both the Duchy and the Progenitor.
Fighting wars with humans until the very brink while subtly hinting that the Progenitor isn’t within the Duchy, would force them to retreat even while grinding their teeth in frustration.
By her own words, she seemed quite the glutton, so there was enough value in investing heavily in a short time.
As the start, Martini began to get a sense of Aria’s tendencies in training before thoroughly beating her half to death.
The strong bloodsucking impulses when True Blood is low apply not just when she’s young but also when she’s injured. Although it was harsh, pushing her to her limits would be effective since time was of the essence.
So she pushed her to the brink of cruelty.
And in that process, Martini witnessed Aria’s true potential.
Overflowing fighting spirit.
Bravery that wouldn’t flinch even if her limbs were severed.
She never falters until the limits of her regeneration are reached.
Even when approaching a state of collapse, her fierce eyes search for ways to rip the enemy apart.
The ferocity that seemed unimaginable from the calm and cool demeanor she displayed during their conversations left even her subordinates, who watched with disapproval, dumbfounded – and for Martini, this was indeed a joyful miscalculation.
But it didn’t stop there.
Aria’s terrifying obsession with blood clarified how she could even compete against Imperial forces.
This couldn’t merely be attributed to the size of her indulgence.
Even considering the readiness from training, she was simply too alien.
No matter how delicious the food, overindulgence generally leads to disgust. Yet, Aria was fixated not just on the pleasure derived from bloodsucking but on the act of drinking blood itself.
At first, she savored its taste, lost in euphoric delight.
After a while, when her belly was full, she mechanically guzzled it with a numb expression.
That much was somewhat understandable. But she didn’t stop even when reaching a point of potential bursting.
Forcing herself to gulp down blood even while retching.
With her pale face clamped over her mouth, she twisted her body but nevertheless choked down as much as she could.
With bloodshot and bulging eyes, crawling on the ground, even as she expelled the blood that hadn’t been swallowed, and while clutching her nose, she greedily continued to down the blood – a sight that even from a Vampire’s perspective was utterly insane.
This was close to binging rather than just overeating.
Among her followers, there weren’t many who ate excessively for culinary pleasure rather than survival, but even within those ranks, Martini had never witnessed a Vampire exhibiting such frenzied consumption.
No, could this even be called a meal?
Not for the purpose of survival, nor for the thrill of bloodsucking, just a spectacle created by a fervent desire to gain strength, which was more akin to self-torture from the observer’s standpoint than a meal.
Vampires who had secretly come from afar upon hearing rumors of the Progenitor’s appearance were also quick to leave with pale faces, shaking their heads as if they had seen nothing.
No matter how much of a Martini she was, she felt just a bit nauseated; yet at the same time, it all began to click.
Consuming that way surely explained her unexpectedly rapid growth. It shed light on how she managed to survive.
It was a chilling spectacle to witness, yet that obsession gave Martini certainty.
If explosive growth could be supported through gluttony, then the time risk that was the Progenitor’s greatest threat would significantly decrease.
A rational yet unyielding spirit and hatred towards humans, displaying a growth rate faster than any previous Progenitor.
At that, Martini found herself in a position to help foster that growth even more rapidly, and perhaps it was all but inevitable that she would make such a decision.
Initially, many of her subordinates were skeptical; however, after witnessing the training and mealtime firsthand, no one voiced any opposition.
“I can only hope you survive.”
“Surprising, Stella. I thought you viewed her unfavorably.”
The murmurs of Stella, who had been by Aria’s side as her maid, broke Martini from her thoughts.
Stella’s reaction was quite unexpected.
It was Martini who had ordered her to serve the Progenitor and had set a deliberately antagonistic attitude to test her reactions, but still, she understood that Stella, in principle, was skeptical about placing hope in the Progenitor.
What wind had blown through now?
Glancing at the intrigued Grand Duke, Stella slightly lowered her gaze. Given her previous opposition, it felt like a reluctant acknowledgment of something she didn’t want to admit.
“…I’ve merely understood what His Highness might see in her potential. Her expectations are still a long way off, though.”
“Is that so? A reliable assessment.”
Martini chuckled lightly at Stella’s less-than-honest remark.
Known for never giving empty words, the peculiar Vampire, a noble of the Duchy and the number two in the Sahelrn Duchy, claimed the position of Martini’s maid solely out of indebtedness.
If she could even sway her heart, then while this may not have been the best choice, it certainly wasn’t the worst.
May there be a path for their kin’s future.
Martini reflected on the fourth Progenitor, who surely held the fate of the Vampires in her hands, wishing for her prosperity.
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