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The old king won’t be able to withstand the passage of time.

That thing that exists beneath the ground. If I hadn’t created that thing called Sanguinus, I might have been able to live a little longer… but nothing in this world is eternal.

As the time spent living increases, the vitality needed to maintain that body and continue life will only grow.

Since nothing in this world lasts forever, even if one were to take the life of another, that life will never last eternally.

For him, death is merely something he’s been putting off. It’s not something he can escape from.

Hmm… So there’s nothing eternal in this world. Does that mean I too am not eternal?

Well, I guess living for several millennia isn’t really a problem. As long as I’m given my proper rest, I can manage.

Hmm. I wonder. How long can I live? Does lifespan even exist? Can I continue to exist as long as this world does? What would happen if this star collapses?

I don’t know. There was nothing I could ascertain. I have never accurately understood myself, to begin with.

I don’t know how far I can go. The paths to other worlds are rarely opened, which is frustrating. Sometimes I wish I could eat food made by someone else, not just what I create. I want chicken! There are chickens here! I could make it! But I miss that greasy taste and sweet-spicy seasoning!

Hmm. I simply… miss it. The memories from that side are fading, but this longing won’t ever fade. It will forever remain in my heart.

I want to go home. Even without memories, that feeling doesn’t wash away. It doesn’t fall away. Is this nostalgia?

Feeling that overwhelming feeling, I let out a small sigh.

“Why are you sighing again?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

When I answered casually, Sia looked at me with a dissatisfied expression. What’s bothering her now?

Even after becoming a deity, Sia still acts like a human.

Ah, I suppose I’m not one to talk. It’s been ages since I stopped being human, yet I’m still clinging to humanity.

Well, it can’t be helped. At least not this.

“So, where are we going now? It’s about time we head back and get to work.”

“We’ll finish up soon, so don’t worry.”

At my words, Sia shot me a skeptical look, then sighed again.

“Well, Tia doesn’t seem like the type to lie. It must be finished soon, right?”

“Hmm.”

I just wanted to see someone I miss.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

The place Sia and I arrived at was the city of Seven, located in the eastern part of North Romania.

It’s the largest city in the nearby area and also the hub of logistics in the East.

But that doesn’t mean that the eastern part of North Romania is particularly habitable. Compared to other places, it has its fair share of shortcomings.

Life here is tough due to the cold air descending from the snowfields in the north and the nomads who attack through shortcuts without passing through Wallachia.

If it weren’t for the large animals caught up north… people living in this harsh land probably wouldn’t even survive half of what they do now.

Anyway, Sia and I have arrived in the city of Seven.

“It’s such a shabby place.”

“That’s what it looks like to you, Sia.”

Coming from a magic-filled Procyon, this city must seem greatly lacking in her eyes.

But to be fair, I doubt many cities would catch her eye.

“What are we going to do here?”

“I plan to meet the prince of Wallachia.”

“The prince? That old man’s son?”

“Yeah.”

Honestly, it wouldn’t have mattered if we just went back… but I thought it would be best to confirm it at least once.

Finding clues about Vlad, the prince of Wallachia, wasn’t very difficult. In fact, he didn’t seem to have much intention of hiding them in the first place.

“There’s a rumor about an organization that takes blood as an offering to join. It seemed easy to overlook at first…”

“Blood?”

“Blood carries various meanings. It could signify the flowing water of life, kinship from the same parents; in this case, it might mean to regard those born in different places as blood relatives.”

It wouldn’t just be about mixing blood to see each other as brothers.

“If you offer mixed blood to the head of the organization, you’re basically trapped.”

“Offering blood? Isn’t that similar to Wallachia?”

“It’s not similar; it’s the same. Well, blood has been recognized as having great value as a sacrifice since ancient times.”

Blood is the water of life. As the Goddess of Life, I can’t even fathom its value from the position I find myself in.

It’s no wonder people believed that drinking the blood of beasts or humans could drive away those that would harm humans.

Though in the end, the stench of blood only attracted more beasts.

“Anyway, that old king’s son will be in some organization that offers blood.”

Even if he isn’t directly involved, there are likely those connected to him.

“Ugh. This is troublesome; can’t we just go back?”

“No way. Now that we’re here, we have to see it all.”

Along with the grumbling Sia, I made my way through the dark alleys.

After a few rounds of shaking down members and having them direct me to their superiors… I finally came face-to-face with a young man in a rather respectable mansion.

“Well, it seems he does have a hint of what he looked like when he was young.”

“Who are you?!”

His features resembled that foolish young man from his past, but he had red hair like blood and a pale complexion that lacked vitality.

“You don’t need to be overly wary. I haven’t killed anyone on my way here.”

“No, Tia. Just because you didn’t kill anyone doesn’t mean you weren’t brutal about it.”

“I wouldn’t kill them unless I had to.”

As long as the breath continues, they can recover their injuries by replenishing their vitality through drinking blood.

If they don’t lose their breath, they are tenaciously alive like insects. There’s no need to even worry about them.

“Do you even know where you are…?”

“I came looking for you, Vlad. Prince of Wallachia.”

At my words, Vlad’s expression turned strange.

“Do you know my identity? I don’t know who you are, but I can’t let you go…”

Mid-sentence, Vlad suddenly halted.

I had only displayed a tiny bit of my vitality, yet he froze in fear.

“Letting you go, huh….”

What must I look like in his eyes right now?

Do I appear to him as a monster with endless life?

If just seeing me could freeze him… that’s really pathetic.

“Such a presumptuous thing to say.”

Here he is, running such a puny organization.

“If your tongue is too long, you might just find it cut off, you know?”

“Tia, if you say that, it really feels like you’d pull it out.”

“If necessary, I would.”

“Scary!”

Well, let’s stop this light banter with Sia for now.

I carefully examined Vlad.

He contained a significant amount of life, but it didn’t seem like he used it efficiently. It looked like he was simply hoarding it foolishly.

Yet, what he was doing was simply creating an organization like a thug in the shadows.

Is this prince just some loser? Tsk.

“I was curious about what kind of person he’d be, being that old guy’s son, but if this is all he has to offer, it’s quite disappointing. I guess he inherited the ugliness of his father. Can blood really not lie?”

“That old man? I don’t think he was that bad, honestly.”

“He was worse back then.”

I can’t tell if that arrogance is ingrained in his blood or if it’s his ability to handle life that has inflated his ego.

He’s the type of person I’d find hard to look at.

“Your father said you were incredibly talented, but that must have just been the love-blind remarks of a father. It seems you weren’t worth coming to see after all.”

“W-Who are you…?”

Feeling the gap in status, Vlad began using honorifics.

“Just ask your father directly.”

Disappointment surged over the underwhelming presence of Vlad.

All I wanted was to go back quickly.

“You’re nothing more than a worthless vampire.”

“A vampire…?”

If I had known it would be like this, I probably wouldn’t have come to see him.

Instead, my disappointment only grew.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Vampires.

While their origins are somewhat known, the process of their spread is not clearly established.

Various claims about that process are known, and among them, if I were to pick the two most plausible theories, they would be:

One claims that vampires, originally operating in the darkness, began to expand rapidly due to a certain event, leading to many problems and getting hunted down as humanoid monsters, as demons.

The power they had operating in the shadows of civilization led to their hunting and shattering into pieces, causing them to scatter across the world.

This claim names the vampires that were referred to by many simply as vampires, which is known in academia as the Vampire Theory.

Another theory argues that the vampiric people of Wallachia (modern-day Dacia) spread as they fled from the Demon King, transformed by the guardian spirit Sanguinus.

Records show that Wallachia once collected blood as tax, indicating that there might have been vampires among their ruling class.

The blood guardian Sanguinus, who pierces enemies to absorb their life, failed to protect the people from the non-living army of the Demon King. Countless citizens who couldn’t bear to see their fellow countrymen be sacrificed to the Demon King’s army were said to have fled safely and taken refuge among the people of Wallachia.

This claim named themselves Sanguinus, leading to the Sanguinus Theory.

These two opposing theories spark ongoing intense debate over which is correct.

The moment the truth becomes clear, the vampires will finally know their roots.

– A guide for adventurers exploring the world.

The Vampire Segment of the World.Guides to the Races.

 

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