Chapter 214
Chapter 214: Flying into the Fire
I kept my arrogant smile intact as I watched the vampire noblewoman stare at me, her eyes wide with shock.
It seems that Zilbagias, the Demon Lord’s Prince, was acting all high and mighty as you’d expect from a prince of the demon race. After dealing with the Undead King, I had the pleasure of encountering a vampire next. How delightfully busy I was!
“W-well…”
The vampire lady, Yavka Cheesuina, looked as if she had just been slapped after initially being treated kindly, her lips quivering.
What on earth was she startled about?
I’d only given permission for them to enter our domain as the magistrate when asked.
If she had just listened about the autonomous district, she would have known about my stance on protecting the human race!
Of course, I needed to put my foot down with the influx of vampires who might harm my people.
“I told you I’m busy, didn’t I?”
With that single remark, she seemed to understand that her request was rather indirect. Yavka’s face twisted in distress as she bit her lip, sharp fangs piercing through and drawing a faint trace of blood—different from us demon folks, their blood was red.
‘You know that your opponent’s goal is to suck blood.’
Antendeixis chuckled softly.
‘You’re so cruel.’
Stop it; being praised like that makes me shy.
If she had come up to me right from the start, whining, “Please let me suck your blood!” I would have knocked her flat for thinking I was a fool!
Now, how will the vampire lady respond?
Will she fume at being toyed with or come back with a witty retort—
“I-I deeply apologize for taking up your precious time, Your Highness!”
To my surprise, she suddenly prostrated herself right there, catching me off guard. Her dress shrugged off dirt and wrinkles, and in her excitement, she banged her forehead against the ground with a thud.
“Please, grace us of the blood of the human race…! Of course, we will pay a corresponding price…! I humbly beg you…!!”
…Well then.
‘You seemed like a haughty lady, but you have quite the audacity!’
Indeed. Or could it be that the vampires are truly this desperate?
I was curious to see what face she was making now, as her forehead pressed to the floor—
Now then.
Turning her down here would be easy. Very easy.
As both the magistrate and a hero—having vampires sworn into the territory to feed on the citizens’ blood would be intolerable.
Even if we had made a prior arrangement to ‘just take a little blood without killing,’ human life is utterly precious within the Demon Lord Kingdom, especially for the vampires.
In a sudden, carefree attitude like “Oops, maybe I bled too much!” I wouldn’t be surprised if a dried corpse was found.
…In fact, if they could control their craving so simply, the Holy Church wouldn’t be targeting them so vigorously today.
After all, they were relentlessly pursued until the rise of the Demon Lord Kingdom. If they had just restrained themselves by taking a little blood, avoiding leaving evidence, the Holy Church wouldn’t be on a blood hunt.
Yet, over the past several hundred years, at least one dried-up corpse had been found every year. Once they tasted blood, they’d fall into a frenzy and lose themselves; they were entirely unreliable.
It’s like inviting a heavy drinker into a warehouse full of barrels! …Though, it might not quite connect with Antende.
‘It’s like making Sophia be in charge of a wine cellar, isn’t it?’
Ah, you get it.
‘So what will you do? Trample this lady’s head and send her home?’
…I dearly want to do just that. Personally.
But due to my connection with Enma, I’ve already been deemed an antagonistic demon lord to vampires.
If I were to turn them away cold now, it would serve as an undeniable ultimatum.
From that moment on, I would have to brand every vampire force as my enemy.
—I’m fine with it. No matter how many of them come at me, I can crush them all.
The problem lies with the autonomous district. I was worried about foreign interference in the lives of my people—particularly from vampires. There’s no race more suited for charming, abductions.
What if there were victims? I could gain testimonies from the dead, but if the victim was killed while their self-consciousness was significantly impaired by charm, they might not grasp their final moments.
No… They might even resort to using necromancy with magic and torture to break their mind before killing them.
I can’t allow such acts!
Absolutely, I will not tolerate them!!!
“…”
Yavka, trembling fearfully, lifted her face slightly and caught a glimpse of my expression, letting out a pitiful squeak, quickly returning to her original position.
I caressed my cheek—what was my expression even?
Let’s think logically.
Unduly pushing them away here would mean making enemies of the vampires. While I could establish control with a firm stance, there was a risk that other demon races might notice the irreversible rift I’d created and egg on the cornered vampires.
It had been drummed into me many times through the Holy Church past experiences how troublesome it is when vampires are supported by demon races.
Considering this, the fact that the vampires braved to come and plead face-to-face could be advantageous in a sense.
Instead of becoming a troublesome enemy.
—I could embrace them and make good use of them somehow.
Fortunately, the initiative fell to me in negotiations. I could enforce even harsh conditions now.
…Besides, I had heard that the vampires had been behaving like robbers at the borders. Enma mentioned how they were sneaking into riverside towns at night and causing mischief.
It would be a senseless sacrifice.
I wouldn’t accept it under any circumstances.
If at all possible, I’d like to sweep every vampire away into ashes—but that’s not possible yet. Therefore, as a second-best option, if I could sort a stable blood supply, I’d have a chance to reduce the intruding vampires and mitigate damage.
“…Lift your face.”
Gathering my thoughts, I spoke up.
“…Yes.”
Yavka hesitantly raised her face, glancing up at me from her feet with uncertainty in her purple eyes.
“As you know, I guarantee the status of the human race within the autonomous district. This is to ensure their minimum safety and encourage their willingness to work.”
With an air of superiority, I continued to regard Yavka from above.
“Perhaps this will become an unprecedented act of benevolence towards humans in the history of the Demon Lord Kingdom. I plan to maintain this state for at least twenty years. If anyone intervenes with that, I will not forgive them, no matter who they are.”
Yavka’s expression grew desperate at my extremely firm tone. She probably thought she’d been coldly rejected.
Wait a second, calm down.
“…By the way, when I say I guarantee status, aren’t you interested in how I will do it specifically?”
To diffuse the cold atmosphere, I offered a cheerful smile, and Yavka jumped, managing a stiff smile in return. Did she almost seem to blur for a moment? Was she trying to use mist to make a getaway? How quick to judge retreat in defeat.
“It’s hard to talk about. Stand.”
“Yes…”
Yavka wobbly stood up. Her face clearly showed she wanted to go home now, but I hadn’t finished talking.
“The night elves who were ahead have created a roster of local inhabitants. Only those whose names appear on this list will be treated as citizens of the Evaroti Autonomous District, with their corresponding rights and status guaranteed—a system like that.”
“…Yes.”
“Though managing on a personal level might take time, the upside is significant. For example, monitoring the number of residents means we’ll notice any missing persons straight away, and names can be quickly identified.”
I erased my smile and fixated my gaze onto Yavka.
“And I can use those names to summon the deceased. If any of the citizens are taken away and killed by someone….”
I looked up at the beautiful woman, who was taller than me, with narrowed eyes.
“I will be able to pinpoint exactly who dared commit such insolence. Assuming their soul isn’t too damaged.”
But such specific details aside, Yavka’s change in color indicated that she understood what I meant.
“W-well.. such a thing! Our clan would never…!!”
Yavka, shaking her two-side-up hair, denied profusely.
“Can you assert that?”
“…!”
“Can you say with absolute certainty, that even the most foolish of our kind will not be tempted by the silver-tongued demon nor commit acts of insolence? Can you declare that?”
As though conveying that any incidents would be her fault.
“W-well….”
Yavka trembled with a nearly tearful expression, looking as if she wanted to say, ‘Why am I the one…?’ I couldn’t help but feel just a tad sorry for her. Just a tad.
Enough of the intimidation; let’s get to the main topic.
“Of course, my forces will provide security, and the autonomous human race will also attempt self-defense, but… Evaroti Autonomous District is vast. As it stands, I cannot claim we have sufficient deterrents against nightly threats… we simply lack manpower.”
I cast a meaningful glance at Yavka.
“Especially during the hours when humans are fast asleep… I can’t help but wish there were more who could serve as the guardians of the night in the district.”
“…?”
Yavka looked puzzled by my somewhat empty words.
“Returning to the roster I mentioned earlier, those listed will have the right to petition me, the magistrate, should unreasonable harm come to them or those around them. If the claims are valid, I or my officials will take action—but reversing that, unless there’s a complaint, any harm will be treated as though it doesn’t exist.”
—Except for any obviously missing persons, of course.
“So… for example, if someone were drained of blood while sleeping and didn’t even realize it, such an incident wouldn’t be acknowledged.”
If it’s not recognized, then it’s just as good as not happening.
“…!!”
Yavka’s eyes widened.
—If the district’s security is upheld at nighttime, I will overlook bloodsucking as long as the victim doesn’t realize they were drained.
That’s what I was suggesting.
“B-but Your Highness…!!”
“However…”
I interrupted the overwhelmed Yavka just as she was starting to brighten in delight.
“If one dried corpse shows up or even just one case of a person gone missing, I will ensure the consequences of disregarding my consideration are dealt with swiftly.”
Even after that had been said. No, precisely because I showed such willingness to compromise.
It could lead to ungrateful vampires sucking blood to their heart’s content in the autonomous district, then escaping into the allied territory.
If that happened, I would genuinely regret my judgment.
It’s like trying to raise dogs to protect a flock, only to end up with a hungry wolf, leading to the downfall of the sheep—such a fable!
Above all, I owe it to those who become victims to take preventative measures—
“What a thing it would be…! I promise, our clan will never perform such insolence!”
Surprisingly, Yavka asserted with determination, eyes narrowed, her lips firmly closed.
“Oh? You’re quite confident, I see.”
“…I…”
Placing a hand on her chest, Yavka once again took a subordinate bow.
“Please acknowledge me as the supervisor of the vampire race in the Evaroti Autonomous District. Those who cannot control their bloodlust of their own will not be allowed inside our region. Only those of blood power and noble responsibility shall become the nighttime guardians of the district.”
“You stated it. Then, what if that oath is not upheld?”
I narrowed my eyes.
“How will you take responsibility?”
“…I will offer my fangs. My blood. I shall present my heart as a price worthy of my promise to you.”
Yavka, who spoke as though squeezing the words out, suddenly had a thought.
“…If that should still fall short, according to the customs of the Night Kingdom, the responsibility shall revert to my parent, so I will kindly ask my father to cover the remaining demands.”
“…Haha. Hahaha!”
I couldn’t help but laugh at her bluntness.
I had intended to place a high-ranking vampire in charge at Evaroti. If anything were to occur, I would have to hold them accountable, as they’d do their utmost to supervise.
However, it was Yavka who proposed it herself. She went as far as to declare she would be that responsible party.
I had thought she was merely a noble lady, but she turned out to be quite something…
‘You have guts, don’t you?’
Yes, indeed. For a vampire, she has a good spirit.
I rather liked her.
“Very well. I appreciate your enthusiasm. Yavka Cheesuina, I hereby appoint you as the representative of the vampire race in Evaroti. You shall be responsible for the selection of vampires who can enter Evaroti and shall strive to maintain the nighttime peace in the district.”
“…Yes! I accept with great reverence.”
Yavka bowed graciously, but I did not miss the mix of regret and relief on her face. …I truly hope it goes well. If anything happens, I won’t take it lightly. I can only pray that her choices are sound.
Nonetheless, having the vampire side (at least the Cheesuina faction) on my side was significant.
They might have various shortcomings and can be somewhat dull in the Demon Lord Kingdom, but…
Their title as “Nobility of the Night” is no joke.
It’s impossible for other races to slip through the shadows where these folks lurk.
“Yavka. Here.”
I rummaged in my pocket and handed her a small brooch.
“Eh? Yes…?”
Yavka was taken aback by the sudden gift, but when she sensed the powerful magic within the brooch, she leaned backward in shock.
“This is a starter fund. A brooch that ward off poison. It should fetch a high price with mortals. You could use it to make a new dress or something.”
Given her dress had become utterly wrinkled and dirty from kneeling and prostrating, I said:
“We can’t have you being unpaid in such a position. I’ll sort out payment and an official decree later. Furthermore, if the vampires maintaining security prove effective, I intend to reward them appropriately. I expect great things.”
“Y-yes…”
Yavka stood there, half in a daze, as I waved goodbye and walked away.
‘…Well, I suppose it ended up working out quite well, huh?’
True.
While I still felt some unease about inviting vampires, it was certainly better than them being adversarial and sneaking in unchecked.
Under the supervision of the daughter of Vlad Cheesuina, representative of the vampire race, they would likely exert themselves to prevent any unwanted incidents.
And at night, if it’s only lowly demon races wanting to meddle in the autonomous district, they might just be stopped. If stronger demon races show up, it would be war. I would have no choice but to fight back seriously, making it entirely about more than just the vampires.
Overall, I think it turned out to be a decent result.
…Well, assuming no one ends up dead from blood-sucking, there may be some who suffer minor ailments from too much blood loss.
In that sense, I have a little discontent left… but even that degree of loss is something I could probably endure.
If it’s the equivalent of being bitten by a mosquito, then—
I could manage.
†††
“…”
Left alone, Yavka stared blankly down at the brooch in her hand.
She could hardly believe she had survived that encounter, feeling as if she was still intact.
But—was that truly the right answer?
There was no doubt that she had deviated greatly from her father’s initial plan of “buying the blood of the human race for a fair price.”
Moreover, her life—her physical life—was at stake.
“…”
Once more, she gazed at the brooch in her hand—an exquisite item imbued with powerful magic.
Yavka began to dissolve into mist, her form disintegrating into a cloud.
She spread her essence thinly until just the faintest breeze could carry her away.
For now, she only wished to—drift without a destination, lost in thought.
