Chapter 35
“Guaaaagh!”
The blond and black-haired thugs ran away screaming.
That unsightly scene was being relayed directly to me through [Sight Sharing].
And then.
“Liege Lord. Shall I sever their windpipes? Just give the order.”
Katarina’s chilling voice came through the Smartphone.
After the last Black Cow Incident.
It was a measure I had taken to prevent the unsavory situation of my Retainers just killing anyone.
I had bought them each a Smartphone and instructed them to get my permission first before killing anyone, if possible.
Actually, Katarina had called me the moment those two B-rank thugs approached Riri and started hitting on her.
Meaning she had wanted to kill them from that very moment.
I also felt a surge of anger when I saw them hitting on Riri and trying to steal her reservation ticket, but…
“It is fine. The lives of such bugs are not worth taking. Just leave them be.”
“Understood, Liege Lord.”
I decided to just break one of their arms each and let them live.
They hadn’t actually caused any real harm.
When I looked with [Appraisal Eye], they were just guys with the pure intention of hitting on her and extorting her.
[Consider yourselves lucky.]
If they had attempted or even harbored thoughts of doing something worse to Riri, I would have killed them immediately.
The fact that they didn’t was what saved their lives.
They probably couldn’t even see Riri’s face properly because of the hoodie and mask anyway.
“Lady Katarina! Who are you talking to?”
I heard Riri asking in a voice full of curiosity from the side.
“I am communicating with the Liege Lord.”
“Ah? With Master? You can talk to Master with this?”
Riri’s eyes went wide.
“Master - - !! It’s Riri!! Are you listening??”
Riri’s booming voice echoed loudly over the phone.
I thought my eardrums were going to tear.
“…I can hear you well. You can speak a little softer.”
I replied while pulling the phone slightly away from my ringing ear.
“Were you not startled.”
I was worried that the pure Riri might have been startled by being threatened and having the thugs' arms broken.
“Nope, it was fun! It’s my first time talking to humans!”
Far from being startled, Riri actually seemed excited.
“And I thought, what if I made things with those humans' blood? But I figured it wouldn’t be very good, so I didn’t!”
[…]
Riri delivering such bloody lines in a pure tone.
To her, humans just seemed to look like potential materials.
[…A Vampire is a Vampire after all.]
Even if her outward appearance was cute, her essence was a bloodsucker.
Well, anyway.
There was a brief commotion, but we couldn’t forget our original purpose.
“Riri. Then follow Katarina now and carry out your mission well.”
“Yeah! Got it, Master!”
After ending the call, the two of them climbed the mountain again and headed for the gate.
* * *
A makeshift booth was set up at the entrance of the gate.
Inside sat an Association employee with a tired face, fiddling with his phone.
A C-rank Gate didn’t require significant management, and since it was late, it was all the more understandable.
“…You have a reservation, right? Please present your ID.”
As Riri arrived in front of him.
The employee held out his hand soullessly without even looking up.
“Here!”
Riri handed over the ID card she had received from Katarina.
The employee took it and scanned it on the terminal.
Beep - .
Then.
“…?”
The employee’s expression stiffened.
He looked at the screen once.
Looked at the ID card once.
Looked at the screen again…
Eventually, his eyes widened in shock.
“Gasp?!”
The employee suddenly jumped up from his seat and stood at attention.
“P-Please enter! Thank you for your hard work!”
Shouting while bowing at a 90-degree angle, his tired attitude from moments ago nowhere to be found.
Like a new hire who had just seen the company chairman.
“Hm? Thanks!”
Riri waved in greeting and headed toward the gate.
[Oh. The ID card’s effect is good.]
Watching the situation, I nodded in satisfaction.
The Special ID Card I received from the Association President.
I heard it was usually issued to Association secret agents or VIPs, serving as an ID card but with all information appearing as Anonymous.
From the employee’s perspective, something like a “Special Management Target” indicator must have popped up on the terminal.
Anyone who was an Association employee would know what that meant.
So he had no choice but to be startled and bow like that.
[How convenient.]
It was to the point where I wondered if I should send Thanks to the Association President.
* * *
The C-rank Gate they entered like that.
Inside was a terrain like a green prairie with sparse trees.
And not long after.
The first monster revealed itself in front of the two Retainers walking down the path.
A green, rugged, muscular monster. It was an orc.
However, let alone the massive Orc Boss I saw on the Nightmare-Rank 1st Floor, it was even smaller and more stunted than a regular orc.
It was a Low Orc commonly seen in C-rank Gates.
Chwiiiik - - !
The Low Orc charged boldly, seemingly thinking Riri was prey.
“Riri. Watch closely and learn.”
That was not a very good judgment.
Katarina lightly raised her hand.
Slaaash - !
Fresh blood cleaved through the air, completely severing the Low Orc’s neck.
Thud - .
An incredibly clean and fast disposal.
“Woooow! Lady Katarina is awesome!”
Riri’s eyes sparkled.
“This is how a Vampire fights. Fast and precise.”
“Yeah! Got it!”
“And after the hunt, you must always recover the blood. It is a tribute to be offered to the Liege Lord.”
Sluuurp.
Green blood was extracted from the orc’s corpse and flowed into Katarina’s right hand.
Riri watched this with bright, shining eyes.
“Now, it is your turn. You take care of the next one that appears.”
“Yeah!”
Riri nodded enthusiastically.
And a moment later, this time a Goblin Settlement revealed itself.
“Gorrrk, gork!”
The goblins surrounded and kept a wary eye on the intruders who had entered their village.
The green little people held crude cold weapons like knives and spears in their hands.
“Riri. Go.”
“Yeah!”
Riri answered boldly.
“…”
However, she seemed to hesitate just as she was about to take a step forward.
She was staring intently at the goblins ahead, biting her lip slightly.
[Huh?]
Watching her, I was slightly surprised.
Riri is hesitating?
Could it be that Riri is also scared of facing monsters?
Just as I was about to feel a sense of kinship again after the Sunlight incident.
Riri suddenly slipped off the hoodie she was wearing.
The cool work clothes she originally wore underneath were revealed.
[…?]
“Riri?”
Katarina also let out a puzzled voice.
At that moment.
Riri folded the hoodie neatly and held it out to Katarina.
“Lady Katarina. Hold this for me! I can’t let anything dirty get on the precious gift Master gave me!”
She wasn’t scared of the battle; she was scared of getting blood splattered on her clothes.
“…!”
And Katarina seemed to like that attitude of Riri’s very much.
“That is a good mindset, Riri…! To cherish the Liege Lord’s holy relic so dearly. I will take responsibility and keep it safe.”
Having safely entrusted her clothes like that, Riri.
“Hiyaaaah - !”
Charged toward the Goblin Pack with a cute shout.
[How is Riri going to fight?]
I was also curious about Riri’s fighting style.
Would she fight cutely, just like her pure and cute personality? I thought lightly.
CRUNCH - !
Wherever Riri’s hands touched, goblins were ripped apart.
She literally grabbed goblins and tore them in half.
Or bit their napes with her mouth in a violent display of combat.
It was like a wild beast running rampant.
“Roar!”
[…Huh?]
My jaw dropped.
Once she entered a hunt, she became a completely different person. No, a different Vampire.
She was only weak compared to Katarina or Si-Yeon; her pure combat power itself was by no means weak.
[Riri. You’re strong, aren’t you…?]
I was surprised in a positive way.
However.
“Riri. Pay close attention to your rear.”
“Yeah!”
“Your footing is too wide.”
“Yeah!”
“Do not use too much strength on a single monster. You could have killed that last one with half the effort. Move efficiently.”
“Yeah!”
It seemed severely lacking in Katarina’s eyes.
Katarina pointed out this and that, working her like an Instructor.
But Riri followed along well without struggling.
She excitedly cleared out the monsters like a tireless puppy, and the blood of her prey steadily accumulated.
[This is quite a lot, isn’t it?]
Annihilating all the monsters in a C-rank Gate meant the harvest was just as plentiful.
[Your Retainers have Subdued a “Goblin Pack”.]
[Your Retainers have Subdued a “Prairie Wolf”.]
[Your Retainers have Subdued a “Low Orc”.]
[Your Retainers have acquired experience points.]
[Level has increased by 1.]
On top of that, Riri’s level-up notification popped up.
“Riri is having fun! I want to keep doing this!”
“There are no monsters left now.”
“Aww - what a shame!”
Low-grade Blood Farming, experience farming.
Even Riri’s walk(?).
It was a very successful gate clear.
* * *
Riri’s gate clearing continued like that for several days.
One day with Katarina, one day with Si-Yeon. She went hunting, alternating like this.
Before long, Riri’s level had gone up by 2 more, reaching 38.
“Master! Riri is okay looking at the Sunlight now!”
“That is good.”
She overcame the Sunlight and became much more accustomed to Modern Civilization.
And at the same time.
Enough Low-grade Blood had been gathered to make the [Blood Silk Garment] and [Ink Shadow Parasol] Craftable.
When I touched the 'Crafting' section in the [Blood’s Grace] Interface.
“Hmm?!”
Riri’s ears twitched from across the room.
“Master, did you call Riri?”
It seemed she heard something like a voice in her head.
“That is the great revelation of the True Ancestor. Follow it and try Crafting the items.”
“Yeah! Got it! Riri will make the best gift for Master!”
Shouting brightly, Riri received all the Low-grade Blood she had gathered so far.
Then she sat down on the floor, settled in, and began Crafting in earnest.
Vwooom.
The blood floated into the air and clumped together into a round sphere.
Following that, a blood-red hammer was formed in Riri’s hand.
Tap, tap, tap - .
She gently tapped the sphere of blood with the hammer, shaping it.
It was similar to a Blacksmith hammering iron, yet because the material was various types of blood, it was a bizarrely beautiful sight.
[Oh. How fascinating.]
Marveling at the Retainer’s ability I was seeing for the first time, I watched the scene for a long while.
But it seemed to take quite a bit longer than I thought.
Because even after over an hour since the work began, there was no sign of it ending.
“…”
Unlike her usual energetic self, Riri was also extremely focused and not saying a word.
So I lay down on the bed and watched short-form videos on my phone until.
I drifted off to sleep.
And how much time had passed?
“Master! Master! Wake up!”
“Mmm…”
“I finished!”
Riri woke me up, saying the work was done.
The items that would help me overcome the Sunlight were finally completed.
I sat up in a half-asleep daze and checked the items she said she had finished.
And then.
[…]
I woke up completely.
[I-I’m supposed to wear this…?!]
Because the appearance of the clothes was vastly different from what I had expected.