Chapter 48
Apprentice Knight Sera.
She was suddenly dragged out during training and arrived on the Parade Ground’s podium.
The person she faced there was none other than the Lord-nim, whose face was usually hard to catch a glimpse of.
In the Territory, he was truly an existence like the sky.
She hurriedly paid her respects and bowed, but the Lord-nim instead looked troubled and urged her to greet someone else.
[Someone higher than the Lord-nim…?]
Only then did someone standing behind the Lord-nim enter Sera’s Field of vision.
A girl shorter than her.
It was a girl wearing a black, luxurious dress and holding a large parasol.
Her face couldn’t be seen properly, hidden by the parasol.
Behind that girl stood three women who looked like maids assisting her.
All of them had jaw-droppingly beautiful appearances, but bizarrely, their eyes were all a deep, crimson red.
“N-Nice to meet you…! I am Apprentice Knight Sera!”
“Your vessel does not seem bad, so it catches my eye.”
Her physique and voice were definitely those of a young girl, but her way of speaking was incredibly archaic and overflowing with dignity.
[Vessel…? Did she watch my Swordsmanship training and keep an eye on me…?]
At first, she was scared, wondering if she was being scolded for getting caught secretly eating two extra pieces of bread in the morning, but she suddenly received a compliment.
Sera’s heart pounded.
When she was young, her father would always pat her head whenever he saw little Sera playing with a wooden sword.
[Haha. Our Sera has outstanding talent, so you will be able to become a very excellent Knight later on.]
The affectionate memory flashed by.
Sera bowed her head with an overwhelmed heart.
“Th-Thank you…!”
She didn’t know much, but catching the eye of an Esteemed Person was a good thing.
A moment later, following the Lord’s guidance, she entered the office with the girl and the three maids.
It was a spacious and splendid room.
[Wow…]
It was her first time in a room like this in her entire life.
As Sera was blankly looking around, one of the maids drew all the curtains by the window.
The once-bright room suddenly became dark.
Then, the girl finally lowered her parasol, and only then could Sera fully face the visage of the “Distinguished One”.
[S-So pretty…]
Pure white skin, like someone who had never seen Sunlight in their life.
Long white hair and red eyes.
It was a beauty so stunning it was hard to believe she was human.
Sera stared at the girl’s face as if bewitched.
Could it be… was this person a Princess she had only heard about in words?
“Child.”
At that moment, the girl called out to Sera.
“Become my Slave.”
“Y-Yes…?!”
Startled by the sudden remark, Sera ended up raising her voice without realizing it.
“Ah. I apologize for raising my voice… But to be suddenly told to become a Slave… That’s a little bewildering…”
She was someone who had to become a Knight and avenge her parents.
She couldn’t become someone’s Slave.
But what if that high-ranking person, whom even the Lord-nim was at a loss with, tried to drag her away by Force?
A sudden wave of fear washed over her.
But then, the girl quietly continued speaking.
“Instead, I shall grant you one wish.”
“…!”
A wish.
If she truly granted her wish, she could become a Slave or anything else.
But, no matter how much of an Esteemed Person she was, she would absolutely never be able to grant her true wish.
Because the opponent she wanted to take revenge on was none other than a Knight of the Holy Imperial Church.
It was a secret she absolutely must not speak carelessly about to others, one she had to bury alone.
“I… I don’t really have a wish…”
Sera tried hard to hide her feelings and make an excuse.
“How dare you try to deceive me. Do you not wish to avenge your parents?”
“H-How did you know that…”
Her true feelings were seen through at once.
Sera was startled.
They had definitely met for the first time today, so how did she know every detail of her inner circumstances?
Furthermore, how on Earth did she know that she harbored a grudge and wanted revenge?
That was her own deep secret, one she had never brought up even once, not even to the grandparents who took her in and raised her after she lost her parents, nor to the seniors in the Knight Order.
“There is nothing in this World that can escape my eyes.”
At that arrogant and confident declaration, Sera ultimately had no choice but to confess the whole truth.
The Holy Knight of the Holy Imperial Church had ruthlessly murdered her innocent parents and shamelessly didn’t even apologize.
He had merely shown his face briefly and, with a callous expression, casually tossed out a single remark along the lines of it being an unavoidable “Sacrifice for the Greater Good”.
As she poured out that terrible memory to someone for the first time in her life, her emotions swelled up, and tears eventually welled in her eyes.
Of course, even as she told the truth, she didn’t hold any expectations.
No matter how high-ranking a noble she was, making an enemy of the Holy Imperial Church would be too much.
Even if she really were a Princess, it wouldn’t be easy.
She thought so in resignation, but -
“That wish, I shall grant.”
[…?]
At the completely unbelievable answer, Sera suddenly raised her head.
Smile.
The girl was smiling leisurely.
As if something of that level were nothing to her.
As if even the massive Holy Imperial Church was a trivial existence not worth fearing.
Just what on Earth was this person’s true identity?
Sera asked, clutching her pounding chest.
“A-Are you really serious…?”
“Provided that you swear to become my Slave.”
She hesitated for a moment.
Sera soon bit her lip tightly and made a firm decision.
“Yes…! If you really grant my wish, I will become a Slave…!”
Her parents' enemy.
If she could just repay that grudge, she could become not just a Slave, but something even worse.
However
“There is a ritual you must undergo to become My Servant.”
At that moment, the girl suddenly smiled chillingly and laid out a condition.
Sera gulped and listened closely.
“You must completely empty out the lowly mortal blood flowing through your veins, and fill them with my Noble Blood to be reborn as a new existence.”
[What…?]
Emptying out lowly blood and filling it with new blood.
What did that mean…?
“If you do so, you shall gain the power of blood, the power of Shadow, and the Power of Wild Beasts, and you shall possess Eternal Beauty and a Body that Transcends Human Limits…”
The words that followed sounded like a blessing, but they were also ominous sounds that somehow sent chills down her spine.
“However, in exchange, you must turn your back on the light, feel Revulsion Towards Human Food, and covet blood in an Endless Thirst.”
“S-Such a thing…”
At the words that seemed to prophesy a terrifying Curse, Sera’s eyes trembled.
She had heard of it before.
This was a story in a scary fairy tale book her mother used to read to her at her bedside at night when she was young.
In it appeared a legend about a monster called a 'Vampire' that drank Human Blood and lived hidden from the Sunlight.
Did Vampires really exist, and was this beautiful girl in front of her that very Monster from Legend?
If so.
Did she too have to give up being human and become a monster herself for the sake of revenge?
She had just sworn to become a Slave, but the Intimidation exuded by the existence in front of her was far too massive to back out now.
However, apart from that fear, everything else was fine.
One distinct goal remained in Sera’s heart.
Anyway, from the day she lost her parents, her life’s goal had been exactly one thing.
If only she could avenge her parents.
It didn’t matter even if she became a terrible monster that preyed on humans.
Sera steadied her trembling voice and resolutely opened her mouth.
“I understand. Please… perform the ritual!”
* * *
[Sigh. It came out weird again.]
It definitely wasn’t wrong. But It was very far from the life I actually lived, you know?
Our Retainers' welfare wasn’t bad either.
Top-grade Korean Beef Blood Sausage was provided in unlimited quantities every single day.
I bought them plenty of delicious desserts too.
When they were bored, I’d put on YouTube Premium and even Netflix as much as they wanted!
Besides, we had completed the Expansion Work, moving from a Studio Apartment to a spacious and cozy home.
But my [Exalted Dignity] filter had set the mood too much like a horror movie.
I was secretly worrying, wondering what I’d do if Sera got scared and tried to run away crying, saying she didn’t want to do it.
“I understand. Please… perform the ritual!”
Fortunately, she squeezed her eyes shut and accepted.
Oh. She’s got more guts than I thought.
She really seemed desperate for revenge.
“Good. Then come closer.”
“Y-Yes?! Um… I just came from training, so I probably smell like sweat…”
Sera blushed and hesitated.
However, I ignored that and instead approached her myself.
“U-Uuh…”
As I got closer, Sera let out a strange sound and shrank back.
As I looked closely at her face, she was much younger than I thought.
Her broad, round forehead visible through her hair was quite cute.
[Hmm. She’s probably in her late teens at most?]
She’s a total baby, a baby.
Of course, she’s older than my current body, but my Original Age is a full-fledged adult in the first place!
[I wondered what I’d do if she ran away crying. She really mustered up her courage well at this young age. How admirable.]
And there was absolutely no smell of sweat on me, as she mentioned.
Rather, a sweet and delicious scent was wildly stimulating my sense of smell.
[Slurp.]
My mouth has been watering for a while now.
Because I had already tasted the blood of Si-Yeon, who had S-rank Potential, once before.
Si-Yeon’s blood tasted like sweet strawberry milk.
I was secretly looking forward to seeing what the blood of Sera, who had the same S-rank Potential, would taste like.
“Undo the protective gear around your neck.”
“Y-Yessir…!”
Click.
At my instruction, Sera undid and lowered the Neck Guard of her light Armor.
As the protective gear came off, her white, slender nape was laid bare.
A few strands of her dazzling golden hair were soaked in sweat and clinging tightly to her neck.
“Are you ready to perform the ritual?”
“Yes…”
Sera squeezed her eyes shut once more.
I opened my mouth wide.
Chomp - !
And just like that, I sank my small fangs right into Sera’s soft nape.
“Hic…!”
[Using Skill, 'Vampirism'.]
[Thanks for the meal~]
Since I had already done it once, I was able to drink the blood skillfully without further hesitation.
Slurp, slurp.
[Ooh…!]
Wait, this taste is…?
It tastes like grape juice!
Of course, since it was blood, the temperature itself was warm, but to me, it felt as refreshing and sweet as fizzy, carbonated grape juice.
As I gulped it down, a welcome System Window suddenly popped up in my vision.
[Vampirism: 100%]
[Right now!]
I pulled my mouth away, licked my bloodstained lips with my tongue, and commanded.
“Sera, open your mouth.”
“Eh…?”
At my command, Sera lifted her head with half-unfocused eyes.
And then.
“B-Bleh…”
She did open her mouth, but her small tongue poked out between her lips.
No, I didn’t tell you to stick your tongue out.
Besides, with her mouth opened so narrowly and blocked by her tongue like that, I couldn’t feed my blood into it.
Open it wider, wider!
Is this how dentists feel?
[Eyy. She must be in a dizzy state from having so much blood sucked.]
In the end, I had no choice but to reach out myself, firmly grab her jaw, and open her mouth wide for her.
I lightly bit my tongue to draw a drop of blood, then let it drip right into Sera’s mouth.
[Using Skill, 'Embrace'.]
At that moment.
“…!”
Sera’s body flinched violently, freezing stiff, her tongue still sticking out slightly.
Even the sound of her breathing stopped.
It seemed that Casting the Skill [Embrace] caused this temporary stiffness.
Si-Yeon had also collapsed flat on the ground back then.
I was so startled back then, thinking she had really died.
This time, to prevent such a mishap, I was carefully preparing to catch her right away, but fortunately, Sera held out stiffly in her seated position on the chair.
Before long, her blue eyes slowly dyed red.
Through her parted lips, I could see her fangs growing a little sharper and longer.
[It’s a success…!]
The sound of her soft breathing began to be heard again.
Sera’s unfocused red eyes slowly became clear and turned toward me.
“Haa, haauuh…”
“Mhm.”
I smiled in satisfaction and looked down at my new Retainer.
“I welcome you as My Servant.”