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Jenis stared intently at the corpse of Etrias for a long time. Truly, she stood there for what felt like an eternity, gazing at the dragon’s lifeless body as if waiting for someone.

Dragon corpses do not decay easily. Dragons are living beings cloaked in magic, and even if they die, that magic lingers for a long time, preventing microorganisms from taking hold.

If microorganisms can’t even get close, then naturally flies and insects wouldn’t swarm either. Thanks to this, the dead white dragon in Margaret’s hands looked remarkably unchanged, save for the dark red blood that had long since congealed.

Next to her, Walter, having inexplicably followed along when Jenis expressed her desire to see the dragon’s corpse, stood guard, feeling an increasing sense of unease.

Even after a considerable amount of time had passed, Walter alternated between glancing at Jenis and Etrias, frowning as he shifted his weight on his feet. Unable to bear it any longer, the hero finally spoke to the Great Sage.

“What… are we doing right now? Is it okay if I ask?”

“I’m holding back.”

“Holding back? From what?”

“From wanting to eat this. That meat looks incredibly tempting. I must have been too out of it last time to even notice this smell. I mean, the Elven Princess is kinda dying, so how could anything smell good enough to grab my attention?”

“Margaret was literally drenched in dragon blood. You didn’t think she looked appetizing then?”

Walter unintentionally made a remark that sounded a bit dangerous. Thankfully, Jenis, lost in her own serious thoughts, didn’t misconstrue his intention and simply shook her head quietly.

“If that’s the case… perhaps the mana of light flowing through a high elf’s body is so powerful that it overpowered the dragon’s scent. It feels more like I’m enchanted by the magic within the blood and flesh rather than the flesh itself…”

“Are you sure you can hold on? If you really must endure, you shouldn’t stay here too long…”

“You’re right. I’ve finished my inspection. When I infused with wyvern blood, a powerful thrill surged through my body and even enhanced my magic, but only the darkness increased exponentially. While it was certainly useful, being too engulfed in that power is not wise. The desire to taste dragon blood is intense, but I lack the confidence to handle the consequences.”

Jenis’s expression genuinely reflected her gluttony as she swallowed hard. Walter, despite his words, felt a genuine sense of relief at Jenis’s sparkling eyes filled with greed.

“But if it’s just one bite… for the sake of experimenting with the results…”

“Let’s head back, okay?”

In that moment, seeing Jenis reach her hand toward the dragon’s corpse, Walter felt a surge of panic and quickly drew the Holy Sword, striking her on the back of the head with its hilt.

Startled, Jenis turned around, her eyes wide as she only then regained her senses at the sight of the bright shining blade.

“R-right! This is dangerous! Ah, well, I guess that’s good to know! I feel a strong desire for the dragon blood. Um, that’s useful information. Thank you, Hero.”

“I should at least do this much. I don’t want to accidentally create a situation where I’m the one who gets tired.”

With that, the hero nearly dragged Jenis along with him, holding her hand as they made their way north, to the camp of the Northern Expeditionary Force. Jenis followed behind, still somewhat reluctant to part with the scent of Etrias’s blood.

Just when Jenis was finally unable to smell the dragon’s blood anymore, Walter, wearing a tired expression, removed his glasses and spoke.

“By the way, it’s strange. As far as I know, there’s no information indicating that vampires have a particularly strong preference for dragon’s blood. Studying vampires has been going on for a long time, so if such a characteristic existed, it would have come up at least a few times.”

“But dragon corpses aren’t exactly common, are they? Especially for a weak race like vampires, the chances of even tasting dragon’s blood are almost nil.”

“True. But strange things happen all the time in this world. You’re a half-vampire, and yet you felt a strong pull toward dragon’s blood. If it’s a trait of the entire race, at least a few reports should exist regarding vampires having such cravings for dragons, or even wyverns…”

“That’s true. You’re definitely right about that.”

A moment of silence passed between the two. Walter, who had been walking ahead of Jenis, took out his glasses from his pocket and put them back on.

“Perhaps it might be related to some less-researched bloodlines among vampires, which wouldn’t be impossible.”

“Less-researched bloodlines, you say?”

“There are two branches in the lineage of vampires. One is the native kind, and the other is the foreign breed, coming from very distant lands.”

“The clan of Dracula, then.”

Jenis said. Walter widened his eyes slightly, nodding in agreement.

“If the blood flowing through you is Dracula’s blood… your cravings might be a characteristic of the foreign breed. In that case, it also makes sense why there haven’t been any reports about it so far.”

“How long has it been since Dracula drove out the vampires of the continent and took power?”

“About a hundred years. In the last hundred years, there have only been two dragons confirmed dead, including Etrias.”

Jenis paused her steps momentarily, following Walter. He glanced back at the Great Sage with a puzzled expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“Hero, you know where in my parent’s lineage the vampire blood was mixed, right?”

Walter paused, pondering her question for a moment before nodding silently. Jenis released a sigh, as if she had expected this.

“Then it must be through my father.”

“Though your mother developed the method for controlling it, yes. Your father was forcibly turned into a vampire by Dracula, and the vampire blood you inherited isn’t of this continent’s native lineage but rather Dracula’s.”

“So in the vampire family tree, Dracula would be my uncle.”

“He would be about a cousin of the Demon King.”

At Walter’s words, Jenis grimaced, reacting as if she had just heard something shocking for the first time.

“Wait, are you saying the Demon King is a vampire too? A descendant of Dracula’s? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“If the rumors are true that James Moriarty voluntarily drank Dracula’s blood to secure his reign as the Demon King, then his offspring must have inherited the vampire’s blood as well. Well, it will come to light eventually. Let’s not rush things.”

Just as Jenis was about to voice her discontent regarding Walter’s nonchalant attitude, at that moment, her cross necklace began to hum, and a small whispering sound echoed from within.

“Wait a moment, what is this saying?”

Surprised, Jenis brought the necklace to her ear, but the indistinct murmurs were too faint to decipher.

In a hurry, Jenis brought the crystal at the end of her staff closer to the cross. The hero watched with interest as Jenis drew mana from the necklace and infused it into Reyna’s red eyes.

Once the crystal of her staff amplified the voice, it was only then that Count Harker’s voice began to resonate clearly.

“Jenis. If my voice is conveyed through this necklace, go help Baron Harriet. Our family’s worst nemesis is heading there, so if the Grand Mage’s power is lacking, you are the only one who can assist him.”

Upon hearing the Count’s message, Walter’s expression darkened, and he lowered his head solemnly.

Jenis looked at Walter with a puzzled expression, tilting her head. It was a gesture that seemed to seek permission, but anyone could tell that she had already made up her mind.

“Y-you want me to go? I can manage things even without the Great Sage. If I want to go back south, I will.”

Walter let out a deep sigh, waving a hand dismissively. Jenis nodded politely to the hero before leaving her response for the necklace.

“Yes, Father. If that is your command.”

The Great Sage looked up at the sky. The new year was approaching, yet there was no festive atmosphere amidst the enemy’s territory.

At least the sky was clear without a single cloud. It had been quite some time since it last snowed. In this situation, snow would only hinder the attacking forces, and clear skies provide the enemies an opportunity to breathe. The clarity of the sky itself wasn’t a bad thing, but today, it was suspiciously clear.

“Could the north winds have driven all the clouds south?”

Jenis raised a hand, lightly shielding her eyes.

“Or has something in the south taken all the clouds away from the north? The first scenario is fine, but if it’s the second, it might be quite a dangerous situation.”

“I saw white clouds transforming into dark clouds as they flowed south. I already had a sense that something was happening.”

“Then it must be Dracula’s doing. During a time like this, with the Imperial forces charging ahead, there can’t be many members of the Demon King’s Army who have the freedom to stir trouble in the south.”

“At least it’s fortunate we have an alliance. Even if Dracula mobilizes with all his might, he won’t have the military capacity to subdue the south through the limited route of the Forgotten Mountain Range.”

“I’m not so sure. Was Dracula ever powerful enough to manipulate clouds?”

“What do you mean, Jenis?”

“I mean this. Earlier, I was staring at Etrias’ corpse, and it struck me that the blood flowing out from below the chest area seemed to have pooled later than the other bloodstains. It felt like something fresher… had somehow layered over the older, congealed blood.”

“That’s impossible. Etrias’ corpse is currently within our troops’ occupied territory. If someone were to tamper with the dragon’s corpse, they would not have escaped our watch.”

“There’s no denying the existence of a being powerful enough and skilled enough to do just that.”

Walter understood Jenis’ words. The current situation might be more critical than he had thought.

“If Dracula’s objective is Baron Harriet’s Territory, no matter how much trouble he creates around there, our professors can’t recklessly act on their own in their own lands. But if the current Dracula is an enemy that even the Harker Clan struggles to contend with, the situation in the south could become far more turbulent than the Hero imagined.”

“Jenis, we should hurry. The Northern Expedition is vital, but ensuring the south’s safety is even more important.”

Finally able to perceive the situation correctly, the hero’s expression turned grave. As Jenis turned her steps towards the south, she spread her wings wide behind her.

“That’s right. With you and the Elven Princess, it may be tough to move forward, but I’m sure you won’t be pushed back. I have to go right now. The journey is long, and every minute counts.”

“Going without Princess Margaret, Jeongjae, or even you? It can’t be helped. Handle things as quickly as possible and come back.”

With Walter’s permission, Jenis shot up into the sky. The hero silently muttered as he looked up at the green-robed half-vampire soaring through the heavens.

“A half-elf… the Great Sage? A fox hiding its claws… a luminary warrior who masters both light and darkness…”

Walter’s face, softly reciting Jenis’s traits, was filled with both anticipation and concern.

“Truly, this could be dangerous.”

The hero turned and headed north. With Jenis absent, there was surely much more he had to do among the Northern Expeditionary Forces than before.

 

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