“…Teacher? Me?”
Plona blinked rapidly.
While she might have expected to face criticism for being a former knight, the thought of receiving a personal tutoring request seemed completely out of the blue.
However, Eleonora nodded, confirming that Plona hadn’t misunderstood.
Having accidentally jumped to the conclusion without giving context, she needed a moment to collect her thoughts, but fortunately, before the silence stretched on too long, Eleonora began to explain the circumstances behind her request.
“We’ll be living here for a while, right?”
“That… makes sense?”
Although Aria hadn’t officially declared their future plans, it was practically a done deal.
Stella had disguised Aria’s death, and while that deception wouldn’t hold forever, this was undoubtedly the time when Aria was the farthest from human scrutiny.
Under normal circumstances, they would have remained hidden in the Underground City until humans fully believed in the Progenitor’s death, planning to return to the surface to feed when their vigilance lessened. But now, with the positively surprising variable of the Blood Supplement appearing, they had options.
The Underground City was safe yet made it tough to gain strength, whereas the surface was dangerous but plentiful in prey.
With the pros and cons of both environments at play, there was no reason not to choose a safe option that also allowed them to gain power.
So far, the practicality of the Blood Supplement had not been firmly stated, but once the final checks and arrangements were completed, it was likely there would be an official mention about future plans within the day.
“I’ve thought about it. How not to be a burden.”
It was uncertain how long they would actually be staying in the Underground City.
It could be a few months or even years.
Eleonora had provided her blood and felt satisfied with her contributions, having no intention of stepping back.
Time was the only surplus they had here. Even if they dedicated six hours a day for Aria’s meals, that left a minimum of ten hours once sleep was excluded.
“So, during that time, you want me to teach you how to use a sword?”
“Of course, only if you’re willing to accept!”
“Yeah, I don’t mind, but…”
Eleonora’s tail wiggled.
Understanding that it was a sudden request, she expected a refusal, only to be caught off guard by a positive response right off the bat.
But then, it suddenly struck her that she had missed one crucial part.
“Oh right, I’m currently using a dagger. Should I switch to a sword?”
“No need to worry about that; we can decide when we see it. But would it be okay if it’s me?”
Eleonora looked up at Plona again, her expression suggesting some unease.
Eleonora realized her slip-up.
“I-I mean, if it’s too much, you can refuse!”
“No! It’s not that! I’m fine!”
Plona was startled, waving her hands. Realizing her attitude might have led to misunderstandings, she quickly added.
“Because I was a knight, I thought you might not like that…”
“Oh.”
So it was a misunderstanding. Eleonora had been convinced that Plona was reluctantly accepting the role of a teacher despite not wanting to.
“That’s in the past, right? And if my lady accepted me as family, then it means it’s okay.”
There wasn’t a shred of doubt in Eleonora’s words.
As long as Aria was okay with it, that was enough for Eleonora.
But perhaps by chance, at the same time, Plona was also someone who had recently lost her normal judgment standards.
“Well, thanks. I appreciate it.”
Having confirmed she bore an absolute seal of approval, Plona felt her face heat up as she exhaled in relief.
Thank goodness she wasn’t disliked. And she was happy to hear that her sister considered her someone trustworthy.
“So, Teacher, I look forward to this. Thanks again!”
“Yeah. I look forward to it too.”
Bowing her head before turning to leave, Eleonora trotted off.
Watching her sway away, Plona smiled with envy.
“How dazzling.”
Wanting to not be a burden and trying to be a support for her sister; what a commendable girl.
If anything, Plona found herself feeling envious of Eleonora.
Unlike herself, who was conflicted and lost, that Dragonkin Girl had never wavered in supporting her sister. She had been with her during her hardest times, even now offering her blood for the sake of the group, taking on a role that no one else could.
And yet, Eleonora was unsatisfied and seeking out more ways to help.
Here was a remarkable girl coming to her—someone who only knew how to swing a sword—for advice and help. Truly, it seemed there wasn’t a single person in the world without their troubles.
“Alright. I need to step up too.”
There were plenty of things to do while staying in the Underground City.
Teaching Eleonora would lead to improving her strength, and she would also need to find ways to utilize the affinity for Dark Spirits she had gained in exchange for the affinity for other spirits she lost upon becoming a vampire.
As the skills of spellcasting were already ingrained in her, understanding the nature of dark magic shouldn’t prove too difficult.
Plona stretched. Returning to the living room behind Eleonora, she began to help with organizing again.
*
“So, Plona is going to teach Eleonora how to use a dagger?”
After finishing up a rough summary, I brought up the topic of future plans, only to hear the unexpected news that left me rather dumbfounded.
“Yeah. Is that not okay?”
“No, no! It’s good news if that’s what’s happening!”
We were now staying at the Iron Grave.
Indefinitely, at least until there were changes in the outside world’s conditions, I planned to remain hidden there and build my strength as much as possible.
Their wellbeing was what concerned me, particularly Eleonora’s.
I had just agreed to spend the remaining time investing wholly in combat practice with Stella.
Having resolved to grow stronger than even the vampire instincts, once we began the real schedule, I might not have the luxury of paying attention to my surroundings.
In that regard, Plona and Eleonora became my focus.
Plona had recently succeeded in her first hunt and was slowly getting back on her feet, but I still worried about her, and I had just heard about Eleonora’s deeper issues today.
In this place where time was the surplus, simply wasting it while waiting wouldn’t be welcomed.
In Eleonora’s case, they would be spending at least six hours together every day, but no matter how much she said she liked it, blood sucking was more akin to a gnawing act than a caring one. Of course, it would also depend on whether daily use of the Blood Supplement would really be okay, based on the observations.
Regardless, if she had found a productive endeavor on her own, there would be no reason to dissuade them.
“Are you really okay with this?”
“Yes. Eleonora wants to become stronger, and I also gain something from teaching her. I might end up learning about Dark Magic in the process too.”
“Got it. If you want to know anything about Dark Magic, just ask Stella.”
It wasn’t a common occurrence, but Stella and Plona had to go hunting periodically.
Even if they didn’t eat as much as I did, they would still be hunting together. If they had any questions, it would be a perfect time.
I needed to experience a bit for myself to understand, but Stella was said to be the best dark mage among all existing vampires, so there couldn’t be anyone better to advise.
I reached out to pat the head of Eleonora who was trying to find avenues for growth. Plona looked at us with envy, despite not saying a word, thus I was inevitably forced to relinquish my other hand.
Stella shot us a look, as if wondering if we were filming a drama, but even if she glared, there was nothing I could do about it. I just wished she’d turn her head away fast.
“Well, it seems everyone has their roles defined. Lastly, we should actually try using the Blood Supplement.”
With Lavina’s explanations about the potion’s special properties and assurances of safety coinciding with Stella’s approval, there shouldn’t be any problems if we didn’t overdo it. Still, experiencing it firsthand would certainly make things more certain.
All plans were hinged on the premise that the Blood Supplement would be secure, so we had to conduct the final confirmation right away before any new plans could take shape.
“Eleonora.”
As I stood up and headed to the room, calling for Eleonora, she seemed unusually tense as she quickly followed behind me.
After six long hours of practical validation, the Blood Supplement had performed flawlessly.
During those six hours of bloodsucking, Eleonora’s blood maintained a consistent taste and life force from start to finish, and fortunately, I managed to keep my sanity this time without losing control.
However, the only flaw came when we hadn’t emerged from the room even after the time had passed, and a concerned Plona showed up, finding Eleonora and me sprawled out on the floor like drunken fools suffering from a hangover after a prolonged session. Most of that was reflected in my mental state.
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