A short time after Martini insisted it was finally time for the coronation, a lot had happened.
First, Selina, who had smoothly been gaining influence, conducted the first blood drawing targeting the residents of the royal capital.
A stable blood supply was essential for Vampires, but at the same time, it would evoke substantial resistance from humans.
Therefore, to win public favor, we had let it slide until now, but it was agreed that if we couldn’t erase the initial rejection, it would be better to start early before the coronation rather than have other discussions later.
At first, it felt more like a trial, so we began not with the entire royal capital but with a few volunteers and some impoverished areas.
In fact, the health of the impoverished residents wasn’t strong enough for extensive blood drawing, but this was, after all, just a show for now.
After performing a small, symbolic blood draw that would not harm their health, I ordered the food ‘voluntarily’ provided by the nobles who swore allegiance to be distributed to them.
According to the reports, the residents of the impoverished areas, who were treated to warm stew and rabbit and turkey meat, were seen crying tears of joy.
Though it wasn’t a banquet fit for nobles, for those who sometimes couldn’t even manage a hard piece of bread a day, it was as miraculous as food falling from the sky.
‘That was the plan, after all.’
Could I be such a nobleman to engage in charity for humans without a reason?
No way.
Anyway, those who came trembling, thinking they might be eaten, were later asking when the next blood draw would be, so it was clear there was some effect.
I compromised at a realistic level to avoid them thinking it was their right to demand food later if I started off by giving too much. Still, witnessing the stark difference revealed by just one meal felt a bit subtle, but good was good.
In any case, improving the overall living standards was critical for high-quality blood.
We only drew a small amount this time for show, but if they fainted from anemia or had health issues when we later took a proper amount, it would be troublesome.
‘Taste differs.’
More than anything, there’s no flavor in blood drawn from a human on the brink of collapsing.
Of course, saying blood doesn’t taste good in an absolute sense is quite rare, so it’s a somewhat relative expression, but would I feed my vampire followers inferior blood?
The important point is that just because a person is well-fed doesn’t mean they can produce double the blood.
So ironically, the harsher the gap between rich and poor among humans under the current system, the greater the ultimate loss for the vampires.
Comparing agricultural production with population statistics has already confirmed that it’s logically impossible for there to be starvation in Bertica Duchy, a land abundant in resources.
If something impossible is happening, then we just need to redistribute the means of production and wealth monopolized by a few nobles.
Of course, I have no intention of realizing complete equality.
One must not forget that a perfectly equal and happy world does not exist.
My goal is ultimately to acquire high-quality blood in large quantities, not to improve human rights.
From that perspective, using human labor to fill them up and harvest quality blood seems like an infinite power supply, if not an exaggeration.
Anyway, several facilities for vampires, including underground facilities, are needed throughout the Bertica Kingdom.
Massive civil engineering projects will likely continue for a while.
By fully utilizing the labor of unemployed humans and feeding them well, coupled with giving them a little extra for stress management, a necessary environment for quality blood can naturally be established with decent exercise and meals.
And that was basically the problem in the Bertica Kingdom, and I made another visit to the Helraig Duchy.
It felt like politicians showing their faces here and there during election season.
When I left the Helraig Duchy last time, it was simply to remind Jeil, who was in a position of “helping” me, that he had formally sworn loyalty.
This time didn’t take long.
After all, who could say anything when the Grand Duke himself said so?
So this time, I focused more on observing the realities of the Helraig Duchy more than showy activities.
‘It felt decidedly bleak.’
I had sensed it a little during my last visit, but the more I looked closely, the more I understood why humans had not been tempted by this land.
No matter where one looked in the country, there was nothing but wasteland. Realistically sustainable agriculture was impossible, and even a nomadic life based on livestock was hard to manage without small-scale efforts.
These vampires can survive as long as they can get blood, but if they were another race, living there for more than a few years would be their limit.
‘This is a problem that will naturally resolve itself.’
In the end, what was needed was blood itself, or the food needed to feed humans to maintain the farms, and both issues would be resolved soon.
On the way back, I made a brief stop at Iron Grave.
There was no need to hide underground anymore. I would treat them as craftsmen, so they could live as they pleased. When I conveyed such an idea, Bolton laughed heartily, saying he never expected to regain his freedom like this.
Still, he insisted that he would finish what he was doing, as it was troubling them. But for other dwarves, he said he would leave it to their free will.
I was thinking about commissioning some underground construction in Belia for those willing soon.
After experiencing various events, I returned to the Sahelrn Duchy.
If a coronation is to be held, it would be here, the roots of the vampires.
I had prepared myself long ago, but as I waited, my feelings grew complex.
I felt uneasy about whether I deserved to lead so many, and I was scared for no reason.
But the conclusion was always the same.
I hoped desperately that I and my people could create a happy world.
I am not alone.
If I do what I can diligently, those around me will fill in the gaps.
When it was decided that the coronation would be held, Martini had contacted me in advance to prepare, which meant the waiting period for self-reflection wasn’t that long.
And on the eighth day after returning to the Sahelrn Duchy, the day finally came.
*
“Here you are, Jeil.”
In the inner courtyard of the Grand Duke’s Castle. A space opened in a rectangular shape amidst the buildings, without any windows on its adjacent walls, making it a place few would know existed unless they were looking for the private exits connected from inside the castle.
Even in the middle of the day, Martini discovered Jeil silently standing under the sunlight falling vertically above and tilted her head in surprise, leading Jeil to express his confusion.
“Isn’t the coronation after sunset? What’s going on?”
“You, of all people… as the Grand Duke of Helraig, did you plan to appear just before the coronation? For an event of this scale, it’s only natural to have preparations in advance.”
Despite saying that, Martini stood side by side with Jeil.
In front of them stood a small mound of dirt.
If it hadn’t been for a simple weathered stone placed atop, no one would have recognized it as a grave.
No, to be precise, there was a slight discrepancy in calling it a grave. What was left inside was not a body but merely a few possessions that the deceased had left behind during their lifetime.
“How unexpected. That you would find this place.”
“Though I left irresponsibly, she is the woman who represents our roots. I doubt there will be an opportunity to visit again, so I simply indulged in a whim. However, you seem to have visited here quite often. Do you still miss her?”
At Jeil’s question, Martini shook her head with a bittersweet expression while looking down at the grave.
The grave of the first progenitor.
The first vampire who made Martini and Jeil her kin, once declared to establish an immortal kingdom, but whimsically left everything behind and met an untimely death—her relics buried at the spot where a fleeting dream once began.
“It would be a lie to say I didn’t miss her back then; I was terrified of taking her place. But since about five hundred years ago, I’ve come here as a form of self-flagellation.”
Never having told anyone, she had thought countless times about wanting to run away.
Even when she was human, simple country girl that she was, Martini didn’t possess a proactive personality, and unless it was to follow someone else’s decisions, taking the lead wasn’t her nature.
Thus, Martini had viewed herself as an ordinary person who just happened to be chosen by the first progenitor and granted great power.
However, she could not flee.
Standing before this small grave made her acutely aware of how many destinies of her kin rested on her shoulders, and how the consequences of irresponsible flight would manifest vividly beyond her eyelids.
“After living for two thousand years, I still can’t shake that annoyingly persistent personality. At this point, it’s impressive, to say the least.”
“I don’t want to hear that from you! Your temperament is the worst kind of chronic illness.”
Jeil clicked his tongue in disapproval, as if he didn’t hear a word of it.
But compared to the constant bickering they usually engaged in, a relative silence fell over them.
The first to break the silence was Jeil.
“Your maudlin ways didn’t resonate with me, but you’ve done enough. In the end, it was you who uncovered Lady Aria. So let go of your burdens. It’s no longer your responsibility to bear the future of our kin.”
“Hm, is the moon going to rise from the west tonight? You’re not feeling unwell, are you?”
Jeil smirked, seemingly amused by the pretense, turning his head away as if he wouldn’t look at Martini any longer.
However, this time Martini continued speaking.
“Well, it’s true that I feel somewhat lighter, but I can’t let everything go. Just as you said, while I did find Lady Aria, I also placed a heavy burden on her shoulders.”
“Who said you should hide? If you elected her as the queen, then you should trust her and follow her. Does worrying about a future you haven’t arrived at change anything?”
Martini’s mouth opened wide.
Slowly but surely, her lips curved into an arc, and the usual carefree smile returned.
“You seem quite trusting. Weren’t you the one who tried to punch her on their first meeting and got utterly wrecked?”
“Damn it. I can’t think of anything to say.”
Jeil groused.
“Yeah, at least Lady Aria is not like that woman. She doesn’t seek power and isn’t sacrificing herself for ideals. She only wishes to create paradise as she envisions it, and we’re merely part of her dream, and that’s all. And that’s why I can trust her.”
Not a noble sacrifice for someone else, but merely a moment where the rest of the vampires found peace in her desired future.
She might still have some immaturity, but she has a firm belief of her own, yet she doesn’t ignore the words of those she cherishes.
That’s why Jeil acknowledged it.
That she was the most deserving of being the queen of the vampires.
“Well, you’re actually saying something correct for a change. Yeah, I should support her more than anyone else. This time, I need to make sure everything doesn’t end in vain.”
With a relieved expression, Martini turned away.
Having left a word to show her face in advance within the hour, she left with lighter steps.
Left alone, Jeil gazed down at the grave once more.
After standing still for a moment, he finally turned away after about a minute.
“With this, it’s farewell, Ophelia.”
There was no lingering sentiment in his steps as he turned away.
Thus, Jeil Helraig prepared, in his own way, to bid farewell to the past and welcome a new king.
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