The sun, which had insisted on dragging out the time of hardship, finally clocked out and jumped over the horizon, bringing the long-awaited night.
Despite my tent being located in an area with a low population density near the edge of the Vampire Village, I could hear the sounds of vampires crawling out as soon as the sun set, if I listened closely.
I wonder if they’re all going for an open run? Just thinking about mingling amongst the swarming vampires gives me a terrible feeling already.
If they’re heading out of the woods, it’s usually for hunting, so it might be less crowded here instead of toward Pahera, but it’s hard to know if they’re all just rushing out to eat as the sun goes down without experiencing it.
Still, if I head out before the crowd gathers, it should be fine. I’ve been cooped up in this cramped tent the entire day, and waiting around until it gets less busy now is absolutely out of the question.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, Master!”
Eleonora, who had been quietly sitting in the corner and occasionally glancing my way, sprang up with terrifying reflexes upon hearing “Let’s go.” The way she tapped her tail on the ground was no different from a dog excitedly hearing the words “walk time.”
I mean, I’ve been on a hospital bed for over ten years, and even I get bored after a few hours of doing nothing, so what about her… Wait, I just remembered she’s also a slave!
Hmm, well, Eleonora’s experience in a cage is only a few years. Comparing her to me, a master of wasting time and an expert at lazing around, no, an expert at hospital lazing, seems a bit too harsh.
I quickly led the eager-for-fresh-air Eleonora out of the tent.
Since my main goal was to distance myself from the village, I wandered aimlessly for a while.
It definitely felt a bit clearer to be away from the village. Even in a place with no physical dangers, I realized I had been subtly tense without even realizing it.
Then again, this rule was simply set by the elves. If the owner of the forest had a mood swing, the residents living here could be swept away at any time, so it’s necessary to be careful not to mistake this for an absolute rule.
For about ten minutes, I enjoyed the peace in silence. During that time, Eleonora, sitting next to me and surveying the surroundings, suddenly asked in a small voice.
“Master, are you going hunting starting today?”
“Yeah.”
That’s exactly why I came here. There’s no reason to lounge around when I could use a drop of blood.
Today is the first day, so rather than expecting actual harvests, the main objective is to see how things work around here, but regardless, if there are some fools looking to tussle with Pahera, I definitely need to keep an eye on that.
“Um, then you should prepare yourself thoroughly before going… right?”
“Guess so.”
It seems like there’s something else she wants to say.
Have I kept her locked up all day? Why is she stalling like this?
Since I wasn’t in a rush, I decided to wait until she was ready. Fortunately, it didn’t take long.
“Just in case on the first day, could you drink my blood before you go?”
“…Aren’t you tired?”
I think if I were to look into the eyes of a psychiatrist examining a patient and sprinkle in about two spoonfuls of horror movie vibes, it would resemble the look I have now.
I’m a little scared. No matter how much I try to respect her preferences, this is too much.
Why on earth does she want to drink her own blood so desperately?
I shouldn’t really be the one to say anything since I make a living out of it, but I can’t understand what kind of mindset leads a vampire to stick their neck out wanting to be bitten.
However, aside from Eleonora’s bloodlust tendencies, there’s no doubt she must be feeling the fatigue from a not-so-short journey.
A day of resting doesn’t usually wipe out the weariness, did I underestimate Eleonora’s stamina too much? If that’s the case, maybe I can push her a bit harder from now on.
“It’s fine! After Master goes hunting, I’ll sleep right away anyway! Actually, it’d be better to drink once, so I can sleep well!”
“…….”
Is that really you? I turned my gaze away from the abyss of madness that goes beyond a respectable preference.
No matter how much I’ve given up on many things, it seems that there are realities I shouldn’t learn about anymore.
Alright, I didn’t hear anything.
…But it’s also true that I feel much better immediately after bloodsucking, and Eleonora’s blood is worth more than dozens of human blood in the vicinity. Considering this is my first hunt here, the suggestion to do a little doping in case of unexpected situations does make some sense.
After thinking it over, I took Eleonora outside the forest briefly and drained about the amount of a small milk carton of blood. After hurriedly returning the seemingly disappointed Eleonora back to the tent, I swiftly started running towards Pahera.
Somehow, I felt complicated.
—
At the boundary of the Mist Labyrinth. Just one more step, and I would be outside the influence of the illusion barrier that protects the Ains from humans, and just a little beyond that, the forest ends and meets the human city of Pahera.
When I arrived here after packing Eleonora away in the tent, quite a few vampires were already waiting.
I thought perhaps a battle had already begun, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
Then again, attacking right as the sun sets is a bit too straightforward. Of course, just a few hours later wouldn’t mean the city’s defenses would be any looser.
Regardless, seeing them all gathered here suggests that the combat style in this area isn’t to go and grab a quick bite during hungry hours. There has to be a specific reason they’re all together.
A few vampires briefly glanced in my direction.
They might be looking at me for acting like a madman last night, but it’s hard to know if they’re doing that or if I’m just a new face they haven’t seen before. However, since they didn’t find me too bothersome, I quietly shifted to the edge of the group.
For some reason, the atmosphere felt quite heavy and tense as I glanced around.
Given that they’re risking their lives to go hunting, it’s understandable. Pahera is said to be in a constant state of war, which means even if they fight daily, the city has enough strength to survive.
Breaking through the elite troops that remain constantly on guard and bringing back prey must be quite a burden for weaker vampires.
As I scanned the area, I suddenly recognized a familiar scent.
Even with their entire face covered except for the mouth by a mask, there was no mistaking it was the vampire who guided me to the tent last night and explained the rules.
In a way, I owe my ability to be cautious of the Security Maintenance Force to that vampire’s advice.
Thinking of that gave me a sense reminiscent of meeting a helpful NPC explaining things in a rookie game. I silently moved behind him.
“What are you doing here?”
“Whoa! Ah… So it’s you from last night! You surprised me.”
The genuine surprise on his face didn’t seem like an act. He had said he was weak, but maybe he wasn’t lying after all.
I wasn’t particularly sorry for scaring him, but I took two steps back and gave him some time to calm down.
I glanced around, but maybe because I was at the edge, not many seemed interested in me. It wouldn’t be a big deal even if they heard.
After a moment, the explanation machine coughed out some words like a jammed coin slot.
“Ahem, um… Did you have a good day today?”
“……Thanks to you.”
It wasn’t intentional, but at a time when I should be feeling anxious about the upcoming confrontation, it might have been irritating to suddenly surprise me. Still, he immediately followed up with a friendly inquiry.
I remember hearing that this is a tactic for a weak person, but, whatever the reason, it’s not something I could spit on a smiling face. As a result, my tone unconsciously softened a bit.
I believe you should never let your guard down with others, no matter the situation.
However, faced with someone who wasn’t necessarily hostile and maintained some semblance of politeness, my conscience, existing somewhere in a parallel world, started to poke me against acting like a madman again like yesterday.
Besides, there’s no need to be cold toward the only local information source.
“What are you all gathered here for? Are you not going hunting?”
“Here, we usually go hunting all together. Many can’t fight properly, so we have to set out as a group to increase survival rates.”
That wasn’t incorrect, but as I looked around, their heads were tilted in confusion.
It wouldn’t make sense for the crowd to simply sit idly either, so the strategy itself of going out in numbers seemed plausible. At least one among them would manage to fill their belly. Of course, as a trade-off, someone else would have to pay with their life.
But isn’t charging forward with sheer numbers a strategy that only works when you have an overwhelming advantage?
The vampires here numbered maybe just over a hundred. Even accounting for their combat abilities being substantially greater than average people, the number didn’t seem all that impressive.
Could they have other methods aside from a frontal assault? Is there something they’re relying on?
Not having any knowledge, I couldn’t say.
But again, the excellent informant scratched that itch of mine.
“Of course, it’s tough to take on the city’s defense soldiers and mercenaries in a direct confrontation. Generally, frontlines are left to the Beastmen. While we’re here searching for food, the Beastman Resistance Army consists of those who gathered explicitly for fighting. While they don’t fight every day, on the days they deploy, we infiltrate the city through the walls or the ruins while the Beastmen engage with the city’s elite forces. There are defensive troops within the city, but their numbers are considerably fewer.”
“……So the Beastmen don’t mind you?”
“They don’t really like us that much, but from their standpoint, it’s better to have us around than not, so they turn a blind eye. Our chaos in the city also contributes to distracting the human troops.”
It seems that even Beastmen just generally dislike vampires. If they’re willing to overlook the existence of vampires roaming around while they drip sweat in their struggles, just how much do the humans in Pahera despise each other?
Imagining the humans dealing with this situation daily feels a mixture of schadenfreude and sorrow, and I found my thoughts complicated by the fact that their fellow kin do such things.
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