Suddenly sensing a sharp change in Stella’s demeanor, I instinctively shot up from my spot.
In my haste, my limbs felt as if they were being torn apart. My entire body felt heavy, like I was loaded down with sandbags, and drenched in water like soggy cotton.
I nearly gasped at the deep-seated anxiety shaking me to my core but managed to swallow it back down. It wasn’t the time to let my guard down just yet.
After taking in Flona’s peaceful face one last time, I focused my awareness in the direction of Stella’s gaze.
‘Someone’s coming.’
It was a familiar yet strange scent.
There was a presence, but if I hadn’t paid close attention due to Stella’s behavior, I might have missed it entirely… yes, it was the scent of the forest itself.
They say if you want to hide a tree, you should hide it in the forest.
The forest itself couldn’t just pop up and walk over here, and surely the beasts dwelling in these woods wouldn’t have the ability to confuse my nose, so it had to be a human.
A human coming out of the forest. And a human whose smell was soaked in the forest.
Considering the three races that originally inhabit this place—excluding the solitary dragonkin Eleonora, of course—if we take out the beastmen and vampires, the remaining race was obvious.
‘Elf.’
Is this right?
Even knowing that there were no other possibilities, I still lacked certainty.
For good reason; I had lived in the Mist Labyrinth for months and hadn’t even caught a glimpse of an elf.
The forest’s owners, who were rumored to be as mythical as great beasts, suddenly showing up now made me think, rather than ‘Oh, I see,’ it was more like ‘Is this really happening?’
‘Could it be they know everything?’
There was still quite a distance to the barrier, but who knows, I couldn’t guarantee there wasn’t something out there acting as the eyes and ears of the elves.
If they were coming here knowing everything that just happened, it wouldn’t likely be a friendly visit.
Right now, if this escalates into a fight, I’d be in a pretty tough spot.
That pink-haired maid, who turned out to be the second-in-command of the duchy instead of just an ordinary maid, certainly looked dependable from behind. But the rest of us, including me, were nothing more than baggage at this point.
Just standing was making my limbs tremble, and while Flona had just barely escaped danger, she was still unconscious.
Not to mention, with Eleonora in the forest too, if the elves caught wind of this and were planning some hostage situation, there would be no sharp solutions.
‘They’ve arrived.’
With a rustling sound of leaves, I lifted my head.
Unlike the natural approach that blended so well into the forest, following a sound that seemed overly deliberate led me to see several silhouettes perched in the trees.
As I followed along, several figures were lined up atop the trees.
Long ears and flowing blonde hair.
A tall silhouette with healthily pale skin.
They were elves. It was clear as day.
In broad formation, multiple elves sat on the branches above, bows in hand, casting wary glances down at me.
“Stop right there. What brings the shadow of the Duchy to Albresia?”
A voice trying to sound serious but betraying a youthful tone.
Yet, what caught my attention wasn’t their appearance or voices.
‘Shadow of the Duchy?’
My gaze instinctively shifted to Stella. Whatever it was, it was pretty obvious they were referencing her.
‘Didn’t they see what just happened?’
If they had witnessed what had transpired here, they would have been checking to see if I was indeed the Progenitor, but it was Stella who had all the focus of the elves.
Moreover, with human corpses sprawled around, there was no mention of that at all.
How should I react in this situation? Since the question wasn’t directed at me, the one pointed out should answer.
I took a subtle glance at Stella, and she, maintaining her calm demeanor, slightly nodded before stepping forward.
“Apologies. I had business nearby.”
“Is this business related to the Fourth Progenitor over there?”
With a tone attempting to be polite but dripping with suspicion, I immediately felt the tension return.
‘They heard about me, didn’t they?’
This was not good.
Since leaving the Duchy, it was the first time anyone had realized I was the Progenitor, but if it had gotten out, it wouldn’t lead to anything good, and that was as clear as day.
Still, I was slightly relieved to be with Stella.
If the elves knew I was the Progenitor but still chose to address Stella first, it must mean she had something they considered more pressing than the fact that the Progenitor of Vampires was living in their forest.
“Yes, indeed. We just detached ourselves from the clutches of the humans from the Church.”
Only then did the elves’ gazes finally turn to the sprawled corpses. One was merely unconscious but still alive; whether they knew that or not, they didn’t seem particularly concerned.
The representative of the elves, with a look full of suspicion, seemed to realize that going around in circles wouldn’t lead anywhere and finally spoke in a more serious tone.
“I’ll get straight to the point. Albresia does not wish to create unnecessary friction with humans. Therefore, I’m sorry to say that we cannot allow the Progenitor to stay any longer.”
“You don’t need to worry; I plan to leave today.”
Hearing that they were leaving today was news to me, but it made sense, so I didn’t bother to interject.
After all, humans had chased us here, and staying would be akin to a suicide mission. Next time, even more humans would swarm here.
But really, saying they didn’t want unnecessary friction with humans—it’s quite a hilarious statement, isn’t it?
Everyone knows that this area became a war zone because the Elves allowed the Beastmen and Vampires to inhabit the edge of the forest. Yet here they were, the root cause of the war, casually babbling nonsense like that.
In any case, the Elves seemed greatly relieved by Stella’s response.
Despite stirring the pot between the three races, it appeared they were quite uncomfortable with all the attention turning toward them.
However, the slightly relaxed atmosphere froze once again at Stella’s next words.
“Instead, I would like to ask for your discretion.”
“…Discretion? What secret are you referring to?”
“It’s simple. The Progenitor has perished at the hands of the Church today in this very spot. You must not reveal what happened here today.”
Once again, I was hearing something completely new. But after thinking it over, I could kind of see where she was coming from.
Why would she go through the trouble of not killing a human but just knocking him out?
Given the circumstances, Stella presumably intended to make a false report that she had completed a mission to hunt the Progenitor. Whether through illusion magic or whatever else, if she said it was possible, it likely was.
The Church’s Tracker hunted down the Progenitor, and they were killed by a Vampire from the Duchy while returning to the Luminous Kingdom.
If all went well, while it might not grant eternal safety, it would certainly buy some time. Even I couldn’t help but indulge in hopeful thoughts.
“Haha, of course, that’s not difficult at all.”
Of course, this was only feasible on the condition that the Elves would keep the secret.
But the Elves smiling and nodding along were not really exuding joy in their eyes.
At that moment, I was certain.
Those bastards would have definitely sold me out if they hadn’t said anything.
‘Not that it’s incomprehensible.’
They were the kind of Elves who had consistently practiced keeping their hands clean.
From the Elves’ perspective, I was an uncomfortable existence to keep alive. While they prioritized bothering the humans adjacent to the forest for the time being, fundamentally, a Vampire is a common enemy for all humans.
Leaving the Progenitor of Vampires, who has no growth limits, around would not be something the Elves would be particularly keen on.
No, they might even find me more uncomfortable than humans since they are a race that overwhelmingly thrives longer than humans.
Because they are a species that overwhelmingly lives longer than humans, I might feel even more uncomfortable.
While humans might not see me as a significant threat during their lifetimes, for elves who live for a thousand years, the Progenitor of Vampires is a personal threat they themselves will eventually have to face, not just something future generations will deal with.
Keeping secrets? No way.
After I’m gone, if I just leak a bit of information to the humans, they’ll battle it out with the vampires, and if I end up dead and the humans expend a lot of their energy, it’s nothing but a win-win for the elves.
You think those lazy elves would just sit around and do nothing?
“Well then, I’m glad you’re willing to make that promise.”
But there are two variables: one is that by the time the elves realize my true identity, I won’t be alone anymore.
“But you’re not just planning to end it with empty promises, are you? Since once I leave, that’s it, I hope you’ll show some sincerity too.”
The second is that this group is a vampire under the title of Duke.
Indeed, the elves’ intention to brush things under the rug showed on their faces.
By the way, perhaps because they’re holed up without interacting with the outside world, their faces are so expressive I can’t even pull off a con.
They felt different from the elves I had in mind.
Often seen as the most powerful faction alongside dragonkin during the war, elves are usually imagined as seasoned forest hunters and born wizards, but they seemed a bit flimsy.
“No, if you’re going to keep a secret, then keep it. What do you want us to do about it?”
Just from their expressions, it was all obvious. I don’t know if they really think they can continue feigning ignorance to make us frustrated, but the elves chose the path of shamelessness.
“Indeed, there aren’t many ways to prove empty promises.”
But even though the situation could determine whether I get a reprieve or end up being aggressively pursued, I wasn’t tense at all.
“Then I’ll swear in your stead. I, Stella Banteker, Duchess of Sahelrn, will.”
After all, I know very well how thorny our maid can be.
In my opinion, those ear-pointed guys chose the wrong option. What can someone who openly defies the recognized Progenitor of the Grand Duke possibly do?
“If what happened today leaks out and causes any harm, I will mobilize all my means to act against Albresia.”
Now that’s the complete form of negotiation I was aiming for, paired with force.
I still felt a bit frazzled, but now that Plona had escaped death, I was certain I could postpone this concern for a while.
For this moment, I set aside the complicated thoughts swirling in my head and mentally applauded our maid’s killer negotiation highlight reel.
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