Chapter 213
Chapter 213. Descendants of the Night Kingdom
Yavka Cheesuina is a noble and prestigious, pure-blooded vampire.
“Pure” means that she was born from a marriage between vampires, unlike the vulgar vampires who were merely bitten and turned into familiars.
Among the “pure” vampire clans, the Cheesuina family has a particularly ancient history, tracing its origins back 600 years. They were nobles of the Night Kingdom, granted the right to live the eternal night through the direct bloodline of the true ancestor, Tsetse.
The term “Vampire Duke” for higher vampires also derives from the fact that the highest rank in the Night Kingdom was that of a Duke.
…Well, such noble vampire dukes are, in the Demon Lord Kingdom, at most counts.
“Did you call for me, Father?”
In a corner of the Demon Lord Castle, Yavka, having fogged her way into the doorless office, instantly sensed her father’s stern expression (Oh dear, this seems troublesome).
Her father, Vlad Cheesuina.
With deep-set facial features, black hair dyed like the night, and a curled mustache as his trademark, he looks no more than a 30-something human, albeit with a pale complexion and slightly pointed ears. In truth, he is over 400 years old and can be considered one of the oldest existing vampires.
“…I’m sorry, Yavka. There is a task that only you can undertake.”
Vlad, hands clasped upon his desk, said with a haughty face that showed no remorse despite his words.
“…Yes.”
This was typical, so Yavka didn’t think much of it. Though Vlad claimed to dote on Yavka, she often felt that he viewed her merely as an easy pawn, younger and more manipulable than her brothers.
However, even if she held resentment, Yavka lacked the strength to rebel. She couldn’t run away like her brothers…
“Come closer.”
Vlad beckoned and cast a soundproof barrier. Yavka obediently stepped forward, placing herself within the barrier that blocked sound.
“…You have heard that the Demon Lord’s Prince, Zilbagias, won a great victory in the recent battle?”
Even with the barrier up, Vlad whispered as if fearing eavesdropping.
“Yes. That, um, rotten flesh-obsessed prince…”
“Rotten flesh” is, of course, a derogatory term for the undead led by the Undead King Enma, and “flesh-obsessed” mocks Zilbagias, who is deeply infatuated with them.
With the Undead King Enma advocating for the extinction of the human race, and vampires needing to suck blood to maintain their existence, they are not on friendly terms. Thus, Zilbagias, siding with the undead, was naturally seen as a hostile entity…
“Indeed. As a reward for his victory, it seems Zilbagias has been appointed as the Governor of Evaroti. And, strangely, that rotten-flesh-obsessed prince has apparently made protecting the humans within the autonomous district his policy…!”
“What?!”
This took Yavka by surprise.
Despite being friendly with Enma, protect humans? What on earth is going on?
“Whatever his intentions, this is an opportunity.”
Clenching his sharp-clawed hands tightly, Vlad moaned begrudgingly.
“…We have always been hungry for blood.”
Currently, the standing of vampires within the Demon Lord Kingdom is quite bleak.
Their status is incredibly low, making it difficult to procure blood.
“The Night Kingdom has been destroyed by that detestable Holy Church for hundreds of years—when we allied with the Demon Lord Kingdom, we dreamt of a resurgence of the night age…”
With far-off eyes, Vlad muttered as if to himself.
The true ancestor Tsetse was slain by the heroes of the Holy Church, leading to the fall of the once-glorious Night Kingdom. The nobles of the Night Kingdom scattered and hid among human society, but no matter how powerful the night nobility, being unable to operate during the day was fatal.
Moving in large numbers would draw the attention of the Holy Church’s relentless night hunters and lead to daytime ambushes. Organized actions were almost impossible, forcing them into a nomadic lifestyle in small groups.
It was then that a Demon Lord in the far west declared the founding of the Demon Lord Kingdom.
In hopes of regaining their former glory, the vampires hurried to join him.
And it was none other than Vlad Cheesuina himself who negotiated with the first Demon Lord to recognize vampires as vassals.
“The reign of the first Demon Lord was relatively good.”
In the beginning, things went smoothly.
Vampires had the strength to grow their power without limit as long as they drank blood. They could also use various spells, from mist to charm, and wield blood as powerful magical weapons.
Drawing on their experience of being hunted by the Holy Church, they provided intel to demon kin who lacked combat experience against heroes and priests.
As allies with the demon warriors, they were unrivaled in nighttime battles. They slaughtered enemy soldiers, drank the blood, gained strength, and slaughtered more foes. Acting alongside the Demon Lord’s army negated the fear of daytime ambushes, and vampires rampaged to vent their pent-up frustrations from their nomadic life. It was a shining time reminiscent of a full moon night—
Or so they thought.
“Since the second generation took over, this is how it is…!”
Humans began to be violently oppressed and exterminated, making blood procurement difficult for vampires. The blood of the beastmen, who were particularly weak in magical power, was tasteless, and needless slaughter was strictly prohibited as it worsened domestic security, even for demons.
If vampires had made significant contributions to the Demon Lord Kingdom, things might have been different, but inconveniently, vampires had ceased to be effective as a fighting force by then.
Due to contracts with demons, the demon kin began to become immensely stronger.
Vampires were no longer needed for support; rather, they were seen as potential threats who might steal credit for victories from the demon kin. Their image of sucking live blood on the battlefield became contemptible, and their inability to move at all during the day became a liability.
—It was an unfortunate turn of events when the first Demon Lord fell in the early morning. Almost all of the vampires were leisurely sleeping in their coffin-like beds!
Who knows how much displeasure such events incurred?
“Moreover… those detestable corpses…!!”
It was also unfortunate that the Undead King Enma became a subordinate of the Demon Lord and provided handy, somewhat sunlight-resistant undead like skeleton horses. They began to be compared unfavorably.
Furthermore, the Night Elves started to infiltrate the alliance territory and activated their intel networks, which served as a headwind. The fact that they were well-acquainted with the methods of the Holy Church and human societal systems had once been a strong point for the vampires.
“We have not been able to utilize any of our strengths…!!”
Veins bulged on Vlad’s forehead. The harsh reality is hard for a proud noble of the Night Kingdom to accept.
Vampires, in the Demon Lord Kingdom, are pathetic in every way.
They turn to ash under sunlight. While they excel in nighttime combat and infiltration, they can’t contend with higher demon kin, and they steal the achievements of junior demon kin. Plus, to infiltrate enemy territories, even Night Elves could do it better.
Then, if asked how they could contribute otherwise—
—they can taste blood to assess the health status of their target and manipulate blood to handle minor injuries or ailments.
But there is no demand due to the Reiju Tribe’s ridiculous bloodline magic, “Teleportation Spell.”
—Advanced education. As nobles, many vampires can read and write, even perform advanced calculations.
However, initially, they had no interest in trivial matters like paperwork due to their noble pride, and by the time they realized they could contribute as officials, it was too late. Night Elves, demons, and hobgoblins were engaged in fierce competition for positions. There was hardly any room left for them to squeeze in.
—Infiltration investigations in the allied territory. If they could somehow manage daytime gaps, abilities like mist and charm are perfect for espionage.
However, when they attempted to collaborate with the Night Elves, they were turned down. Even with sunscreen ointment, sunlight couldn’t be blocked, and their prominent magic power drew attention. Most crucially, the necessity to suck blood severely hindered them. If a Vampire Hunter caught on, the Night Elf intel network could be dragged down with them.
Moreover, areas that were difficult for Night Elves to infiltrate, such as those belonging to the Holy Church and Forest Elves, were equally challenging for vampires. It is only natural for the Night Elves to determine that they would rather act alone for ease of movement and monopolization of achievements.
Thus, vampires are currently unable to contribute much to the Demon Lord Kingdom.
They cannot simply lounge around the Demon Lord Castle. The truth is, they are drastically lacking blood. Though they allied with the Demon Lord Kingdom to avoid the pursuers of the Holy Church, most vampires have ended up engaging in infiltrations into the allied territory.
From the border, moving across rivers and seas at night, they infiltrate the alliance. They drink blood from random humans and sneak into homes to steal valuables, returning to the Demon Lord Kingdom before dawn to sell their spoils.
…Indeed.
Proud night nobles have now become mere night thieves!
Yet, they still bear the appropriate risks associated with infiltrations, making them somewhat better than weak vampires who lack such resolve, clustering around half-dead human slaves used as substitutes for the “Teleportation Spell,” merely sucking blood.
The more they act this way, the more contempt they draw from other races…!
There are true nobles like Vlad who harbor a sense of responsibility and would not shamelessly imitate night thieves or parasites, yet to maintain their existence and power, they need blood. With hardly any humans available who could provide blood without reluctance, they ultimately must buy it from other races—
“And the result is… this!!”
Vlad slammed the stack of documents on his desk in a fit of rage.
That was—an investigation report. He has been pretending to be a detective within the Demon Lord Castle. Given Vlad’s experience and the magically imbued materials within the castle, he could disperse his body to a limit without being noticed.
Thus, he eavesdropped on the conversations of the residents of the Demon Lord Castle (including demons) and compiled them into documents to submit to the Demon Lord. The cover being to detect and prevent any ill schemes in advance—
This is the “job” that the descendants of the Night Kingdom managed to obtain within the Demon Lord Kingdom.
But really dangerous conversations took place within soundproof barriers, and even for experienced Vlad… it’s rather strict (not absolutely impossible to enter).
Therefore, any “devious schemes” he could preemptively detect were meager at best. Vlad himself felt this way, and surely the Demon Lord had the same thoughts.
Yet, the Demon Lord recognizes the contributions of the vampires during the early days of the Demon Lord Kingdom and is aware of their blood shortages due to the expulsion of humans. There were hints of him assigning them work out of a sense of compassion along with rewards…
“It’s humiliating…!!”
Showing his sharp fangs, Vlad shook with anger. Was this the fate of the noble night aristocrats who once instilled fear in the lowly races as Vampire Dukes?!
An existence that is barely relevant, is this what vampires have been relegated to in the Demon Lord Kingdom…?!
“I can never forgive it, this state is unacceptable!!”
“Truly, you are right, Father. …Now, about that autonomous district…”
While trying to redirect the increasingly heated Vlad, Yavka spoke.
“Ah… yes. We’ve strayed from the topic.”
Fortunately, Vlad regained his composure with a cough, straightening himself.
“It’s fortunate that His Majesty the Demon Lord temporarily retracted his policy of expelling humans. If humans become nearby again, we can regain our strength.”
Vampires must drink blood to gain power.
Moreover, they cannot maintain that power without it.
If blood runs short, their magic power increasingly weakens until they eventually turn to ash. This is why vampires are classified as “undead,” even while their hearts beat and they are capable of reproduction.
“In any case, we need blood. We need it to regain our pride…!”
With what seemed like feverish eyes, Vlad spoke.
It all boils down to power. Without ensuring enough blood to gain strength, they would have no hope for raising their status within the Demon Lord Kingdom.
What can they do with such power? That fundamental problem remains unresolved, but if they fall further into weakness like this, their current status as first-class citizens, akin to the Night Elves, might be diminished to the same level as beastmen!
This is a serious… a serious issue.
“Thus, I asked His Majesty the Demon Lord for permission to enter the autonomous district…”
“…Is there a problem?”
“According to His Majesty, he has left this matter to the governor Zilbagias.”
Vlad’s displeased expression made Yavka feel a strong sense of foreboding.
—Why had she been summoned?
Considering the rumored disposition of Zilbagias…
She gently stroked her cheek. —She had confidence in the beauty she inherited from her mother.
“Yavka. Only you can do this. Get in touch with Zilbagias.”
“…………”
So it is, Yavka looked up to the heavens unconsciously.
A notorious fanatic for other races—that is how Zilbagias is evaluated…
“The humans of the autonomous district are treated even lower than beastmen, almost on par with goblins, but slightly better than livestock. However, since their purpose is to engage them in farming and livestock to increase productivity, needless killing is prohibited even for demons. Naturally, we are no different.”
But conversely—Vlad continued, looking intently at Yavka.
“—The fact that they are treated worse than beastmen means the price of blood will also fall. While we can’t drink at our leisure, purchasing blood should be possible, in theory. While paying for human blood is distasteful, it is unavoidable if we wish to safely gain even a little strength.”
Earlier, there had been talk about those who infiltrated the allied territory to drink blood, but that was hardly safe. Countries near the border have heightened their vigilance, and rivers and coastal areas with frequent bloodsucking incidents are well-guarded against vampires. In the worst case, one could run into a hero or a Vampire Hunter and never return again.
“We lack too much leeway. We need a safe ‘blood reservoir’ to replenish our strength.”
And, excluding the Evaroti Autonomous District.
There are no urban areas within the Demon Lord Kingdom that could serve that purpose.
“Yavka! Somehow, drag Zilbagias to the negotiating table. Once you do, I will handle the details. You can use any means necessary.”
—She was fed up. This was typical of her father.
While saying “any means necessary,” his eyes eloquently spoke “use any means at all”—
He was commanding her.
Yavka disliked such an attitude from her father, which led all her brothers to leave for the border and become “night thieves.” I wonder if they are doing well now—
“…Understood.”
However, it would be impossible to oppose her overwhelmingly powerful father.
Yavka had no choice but to bow her head submissively…
†††
And so.
Observing when the prince was free.
Yavka now stood facing Zilbagias.
“I am Baron Yavka Cheesuina. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Daintily grasping her skirt, she bowed gracefully—
(Considering this, it might be an opportunity.)
Yavka thought positively.
(If I can drink blood in the autonomous district, I can gain more power!)
Then—perhaps she could escape from her current life of being caged by her father.
Maybe she could gain more freedom!
(I would like to see more of the world… the allied territory.)
Yavka was a vampire born in the Demon Lord Castle. She had never ventured outside the Demon Lord Kingdom and knew little of the world’s breadth.
(I’ve heard the allied territory is dangerous.)
Heroes, priests, and Vampire Hunters wander around, waiting in ambush against dark attires in that territory.
Still, it was better than spending forever in weakness under her father!
(I will explore the world more…!)
—If only she could drag Zilbagias to the negotiating table, her father would figure things out from there.
Initially, it was a role thrust upon her with reluctance, but at this point, Yavka was ready to resort to charm for her freedom.
“…………”
Yet, Zilbagias wore a thoroughly skeptical expression.
“…………”
She faltered slightly. Her renowned beauty, coupled with the smile praised as a flower in the night by the night nobles of the Demon Lord Castle, had no effect whatsoever.
(…Could it be that Enma said something to him!?)
Did that rotten woman speak ill of the vampires? Is that why she felt such resistance, or rather, no response at all?
Maintaining her smile, Yavka cursed Enma in her mind with all the refined elegance she could muster, when—
“Hmm. Let me hear your request.”
Suddenly, Zilbagias smiled and leaned back, crossing his arms.
…His eyes did not smile. It made her feel uneasy, as if facing her father…
“Fear not, my father Vlad has an important matter he wishes to present to you—”
“Ah, I misspoke. Let me rephrase that.”
Interrupting Yavka mid-sentence, still smiling, Zilbagias declared.
“I would like to hear the request of the vampires, not just you personally.”
“…Huh?”
“As you know, I was appointed as the Governor of Evaroti, and lately, I have been incredibly busy.”
As he advanced, peering into her face, Yavka instinctively recoiled, stepping back.
Zilbagias laughed even more at her unconscious behavior.
“I’m short on time to spare for trivial pleasantries. Lord Vlad is the representative of the vampires, and you are his daughter and messenger. Therefore, you must be aware of the true matter at hand. You wouldn’t dare send a useless little girl who can’t even negotiate, would you?”
…Yavka was left speechless, her eyes wide.
She never thought she would be called a “little girl” by someone as young as a six-year-old. Indeed, she was still under fifty and young, but—
If the opponent were not a demon prince with powerful magic, she might have exploded with rage.
—No, more than that.
Slowly understanding the situation, she felt a chill.
Rather than dragging Zilbagias to the negotiating table, she found herself dragged into it.
“Speak. What is your purpose?”
Cancelling his smile, Zilbagias commanded.
Instinctively, Yavka straightened her posture and opened her mouth—
(—What should I do!?)
What should she say? This was beyond her expectations. She hadn’t even considered it.
But there was no time to dawdle; if she stayed quiet, she could picture Zilbagias mocking her as “useless” and leaving without another word—
Desperately determined not to lose the fleeting opportunity, considering Zilbagias had bypassed negotiations with Vlad and forced this confrontation upon her, she knew he would not appreciate convoluted phrasing.
Then—
“—We, the vampires, humbly request permission to enter the Evaroti Autonomous District.”
Quickly taking a subordinate’s stance, Yavka bowed and earnestly made her request.
“…Is that it?”
Unperturbed by Yavka’s tension, Zilbagias suddenly broke into a cheerful smile.
“Fine by me.”
………….
It was shockingly simple.
Importantly, it was almost too easy to receive permission.
“Th-thank you—”
“But.”
Still smiling, Zilbagias continued.
“Should you harm any humans in the autonomous district, there will be strict penalties. Naturally, that includes bloodsucking.”
—It felt like she had just been slapped across the face.
