When I think about it, there’s no reason for me to be stuck to Eleonora 24/7.
So far, I’ve acted under the assumption that we needed to be together because, firstly, I didn’t know about the rule in the Mist Labyrinth that forbids combat until I came here, and secondly, I was wary of the possibility that Eleonora might run away from me.
Before descending the mountain, there was absolutely no chance that Eleonora could survive going down alone, so I didn’t have to consider the possibility of her betraying me. However, after we got down, the situation changed.
Of course, even if she had escaped from my hands, the outcome of dying or being caught again by humans as a slave wouldn’t have changed, but if she really wanted to betray me, she would have had plenty of opportunities by now.
And it’s clear that the current situation is perfectly optimized for Eleonora to have other ideas.
In the Mist Labyrinth, where humans can’t enter, if we find a way to be self-sufficient with food, it’s a place safe enough for Eleonora to survive on her own.
Sure, the food supply is a problem, but at least if Eleonora was thinking about escaping me, I can confidently say there wouldn’t be a more optimal environment than this.
But Eleonora didn’t run away. It seemed like the thought of escaping never even crossed her mind.
Back when we first met, her impactful line about wanting me to eat her instead of keeping her was so strong that I was left with the impression that she wasn’t just an ordinary vampire. Yet, seeing her like this lately, it’s not that she’s dumb; she just seems to lack certain thoughts.
Anyway, she may not change her expressions much, but surprisingly, she does express her feelings. There were even times when she would casually ask if it was time to suck some blood. This made it seem like she wasn’t unhappy with her current situation.
To be honest, when she looked at me with those expectant eyes and asked, “Master, can we have a bit of blood?” while pushing her hair aside, it was slightly terrifying.
I respect her preferences, but I finally understood what it meant to experience an incomprehensible fear.
I’m left questioning how someone could be okay with traveling with a vampire who drinks their own blood, but maybe it’s just that her brain is fried from slave life. I feel a strange sense of camaraderie, yet it’s also a bit pitiful.
So, what’s the conclusion? I’ve decided to trust Eleonora a bit more.
The world is too vast for me to survive on my own, and I’m just a pitiful being.
It’s still hard to trust someone and open up, but if I try to do everything alone and end up dead, it wouldn’t be worth it.
Above all, I shouldn’t feel ashamed when I see Martini and the Duchy’s vampires fighting against humans for me.
So, I’ve decided to believe that Eleonora won’t run away from me even if I don’t keep her by my side 24/7. Just that alone would significantly reduce the constraints on my actions and allow me to take care of Eleonora’s healthy lifestyle.
“Can you escape if you’re ambushed while sleeping?”
Almost forgot to ask the most important question. If I leave her asleep and go hunting alone, it would be trouble if vampires decide to raid us.
Thankfully, Eleonora nodded her head while lying down.
“I can sense someone approaching even while I’m asleep. If it seems dangerous, my eyes just open automatically. It’s a kind of instinct.”
As expected, a cheating race. Then I remembered how, when the Vampire Trio visited this tent, Eleonora, who was dozing off, suddenly jolted awake and jumped to the floor.
Well, it would indeed be ridiculous if races optimized for the wild like beastmen or dragonkin died from a stab while sleeping. Of course, if they were that weak, they would have all perished in the race wars.
If ambushing while asleep is a no-go, there’s no reason to hold back. I immediately informed Eleonora of my plans for the following day.
“Since we traveled all day today, it’s time for you to sleep now. From tomorrow, we’ll sleep at night. I’ll go hunting alone.”
“Uh? But, Master, isn’t it dangerous for you to go alone?”
It seemed like Eleonora felt guilty about sleeping alone while her master went to work, as her tail was restless and fluttering under the blanket.
Now that’s the proper attitude for a slave. I like it.
“Hunting is better done alone. If I take you with me, it won’t be long before humans find out.”
“Oh.”
It might sound cold, but it’s not wrong. So far, Eleonora has only used her strength when dealing with the coachman.
That means I’ve done all the hunting until now. And it wouldn’t be fair to expect her, who isn’t a vampire, to take down prey like I do.
Moreover, hunting here is essentially throwing ourselves into a full-scale war against Pahera.
I’ve heard that the city is waging bloody battles every night to the point they don’t even have time to repair the castle walls; if it becomes a chaotic battle against numerous opponents, I wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on Eleonora while I’m busy sipping blood.
Plus, a vampire who appears everywhere accompanied by dragonkin? That’s bound to be memorable.
If I really have bad luck, I might raise suspicions that I’m the same person as the human mercenary who was transporting a dragonkin slave.
A mercenary who confidently passed through the city during the day turns out to be a vampire at night? One from the eastern lands, no less?
It’s like I’m putting up a sign saying I’m the Progenitor. After all the effort to get here, getting caught for such a trivial mistake is something I can’t allow myself to witness before I die.
“It’s fine, so just sleep at night. On days when I need your blood, I’ll deal with it at the forest entrance briefly in the early evening.”
“Yes, I’ll do as you say.”
She listens well. Just sleep well during that time and grow quickly. That’s beneficial for me too.
I’m like a one-man military recruitment office in this world, and I’m always waiting for Eleonora’s growth. This is a sure investment as long as it doesn’t go bankrupt.
But if I said that one day, I would collect repayment through her labor, Eleonora might really escape. So I decided to pretend to be the kind and enlightened master just once.
“Sleep well and grow quickly. That will help me out.”
When Eleonora looked at me with slightly moved eyes, I casually averted my gaze.
At least I didn’t lie entirely. It’s true.
*
Almost half an hour before sunrise, Eleonora fell asleep, and she didn’t wake up until it was fully bright and the sun was high in the sky.
She still looked sleepy, but if I let her sleep like this, the vicious cycle of her not being able to sleep at night would begin again, so I didn’t let her sleep further. If I say “didn’t let” it seems cruel, but it’s all for her sake.
Anyway, today marks the start of Day 1 in creating a healthy lifestyle. The first thing I noticed is that there’s nothing to do while awake during the day.
“… What do we do now?”
“… Don’t ask me.”
That’s one incredibly dumb exchange. Anyone observing might wonder what they were doing.
Listening to the sounds from outside the tent, they were lively yet quiet.
It’s a paradoxical expression, but with all the vampires tucked away sleeping in their homes, the artificial noise has disappeared and only the sounds of nature remain.
And we inadvertently find ourselves participating in a noise-free project inside the tent.
Right, to play the part of a normal vampire, I have to stay awake during the day, but there’s nothing to do since I can’t go out anyway. Originally, I had planned to sleep during the day, so I never considered what I’d do in times like this.
But preparation should always be done in advance. Now that it’s light outside, I can’t just go out and fetch something to do.
I have no choice today. In reality, Eleonora could go outside the tent by herself, but leaving her wandering among sleeping vampires on the first day of our move feels a bit uneasy.
So I decided to spend today rolling around to ease the fatigue from the not-so-short journey we just had.
However, I can’t waste all the daytime. I can rest for a moment, but Eleonora can’t simply stay inside during the day and sleep at night.
Unless it’s just a short period in the evening, staying in that cramped tent is like being imprisoned. Plus, it’s too much of a waste of time to just let it go by, so I need to find a more productive activity as soon as possible.
So, I have to let her outside eventually. She said she could escape if ambushed while sleeping, so it should be fine to let her outside during the day. The question is, how can we use this time efficiently?
Being a master with a wakeful mindset, I decided to directly ask my slave how she would ideally spend her daytime.
“—So, do you have any good ideas?”
“Then, couldn’t we find something to eat in the forest? There must be some edible plants nearby, right?”
Surprisingly, I received an answer without hesitation. For a moment, I wondered if she was planning to go independent after successfully being self-sufficient, but I quickly shook my head.
Right, if I decided to trust her, then I would. Even in the worst case scenario, she wouldn’t be able to harm me, and based on her actions, the likelihood of that is low.
Assuming she’s speaking without any ill intentions, saying she wants to take care of her own food is quite commendable. I pondered for a moment before pointing out the most important aspect.
“Sure, there should be. But can you identify them?”
“Oh.”
She really isn’t thinking at all, is she? When I glared at her with slightly squinted eyes, Eleonora’s tail started flailing around like a catfish hit by a salt barrage. It seems she at least knows when to feel embarrassed.
It goes without saying, but the forest is filled with grass. There may be edible crops among the plants that the animals living in the woods eat or that the elves rely on, but if we don’t know which ones are safe to eat, it’s meaningless.
In my previous life, I had seen articles warning about picking mushrooms carelessly in the mountains. In a fantasy world like this, mistakenly chewing on a blade of grass could lead to meeting your ancestors right away.
Of course, judging from Eleonora’s response, it seems she didn’t think that far ahead. It’s smooth sailing in normal operations.
Speaking of food, it’s definitely a necessity. It’s difficult to keep pretending to be human and buy supplies from the village like before.
Wait, and there are beastmen in this forest too.
What do they eat? I should go check that out soon enough.
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