I Want to Break Free from the Vampire’s Blood Bag

Entrance Ceremony (2)

“Achoo!”

Just like before, for some reason I keep sneezing.

Even though it’s plenty warm despite the sun about to set.

[Remaining Blood: 15]

Anyway, the blood magic was effective.

‘It’s a shame my strength is only 4.’

I ended up having to use it once more when I ran out of energy midway, but at least I wasn’t late for the entrance ceremony.

-…Next, we will introduce the faculty of the Magic Department.

In the main hall, a splendid entrance ceremony was taking place amid numerous flower decorations.

The informal entrance ceremony for servants was tomorrow, so my spot wasn’t even properly prepared here.

The hall was full, so I had to stand near the door to watch, but I didn’t mind.

After all, entrance ceremonies are stuffy and boring.

The names of magicians, which seemed vaguely familiar from telegrams, were being listed one after another.

“*Yawn.*”

A yawn comes out automatically.

Then there was the Royal Class dormitory where I had left my luggage. I hadn’t been able to go inside.

But it was so luxurious that no amount of description would do it justice. The building itself was golden.

I opened the booklet I had received from the dormitory’s administration office. It contained a brief outline of the ceremony’s proceedings.

“-Next will be the Dean’s greeting and congratulatory speech.”

“It’s starting.”

I gave up on listening and focused solely on the booklet.

“Oh my.”

According to this, Lachesis Academy has four classes in total: Royal, Half, Third, and Quarter Class.

The capacity for each is 20, 80, 200, and 300, making it 600 students.

With the Magic Department and Knights being separate, it totals 1,200 people.

And class placement is determined by an ability test during the entrance ceremony, but seeing Arein sitting in the highest seat, it seemed certain she was destined for the Royal Class.

And all servants and attendants are placed in the Quarter Class.

Right now, the entrance ceremony for students excluding the Quarter Class is taking place here.

‘They say education at the Academy is equal, but isn’t this discrimination starting from the class assignments?’

Not only do they hold separate entrance ceremonies, but they don’t even bother to verify the abilities of servants.

Well, they’re commoners and lowborns because they can’t use magic anyway.

Of course, it’s said that there are rare cases of commoners who can use magic.

In such cases, it seems they’re exceptionally promoted to Third Class.

Looking at it positively, this is advantageous for me.

Quarter Class students usually only take lessons in servant etiquette, general education, and practical training, and only need to join their masters during practical lectures.

This means I don’t need to attend to Arein every day. Feels like I can breathe a little easier.

‘Finally, I might get to have something called personal time.’

Personal time, how I’ve missed those words.

While I was daydreaming with excitement, the ceremony was drawing to a close.

‘Lastly, we will have a congratulatory address from Vice President Eliana.’

Eliana is the one who meddled with me on the airship.

The one who said she’d select me as a representative of the lowborn.

She was giving an enthusiastic explanation about demon exchange students.

‘…This year will be special for Lachesis Academy. This is because the demon side has proposed exchanges through student programs.’

Such flowery words. Which makes it more suitable for a congratulatory speech.

Even while reciting her congratulatory speech, she seems to be looking around as if searching for someone.

‘This exchange program until now…’

‘Hm?’

Did she look at me? For a moment, I thought our eyes met.

‘…Therefore, I hope all students will abandon their narrow-minded views and take the initiative to uphold the pride of the Peros Empire citizens.’

Usually, when giving a speech from the podium, it’s standard practice to turn one’s head 120 degrees while speaking.

But somehow, the more she speaks, the more she seems to be focusing only in this direction?

‘What’s going on?’

It must be quite obvious because even the students listening to the speech are glancing this way.

A game of ‘trying not to be conscious of the stares’ has begun around me.

‘…The Empire is already moving toward an era of peace. Therefore, I hope Lachesis Academy will become the cornerstone of harmony with the demon race.’

-A slight smile.

‘Uh…’

She definitely seemed to smile at something, but it must be my imagination.

This happens all the time at idol concerts, doesn’t it?

She smiled in this direction! No, she smiled at me! That kind of feeling.

‘…I hope that every single student, without exception, will achieve their dreams through Lachesis Academy.’

With this, we conclude the 98th Lachesis Royal Academy entrance ceremony.

*Clap clap clap!*

Thunderous applause echoes through the hall as the entrance ceremony comes to an end.

And soon the surroundings become noisy.

The noble children are saying their final farewells.

‘Mother! Father! Don’t worry!’ ‘I have no doubt you’ll do well. You’re the star of our family.’

Here and there, words of blessing and cringe-worthy remarks pour out.

‘How enviable.’

Being in a crowded place seems to make me envious of more things.

Family. Yes, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen my family. I wonder how much my younger sister has grown, the one I barely spoke to.

‘I wonder if they ever think about me…’

‘You’re not late.’

‘Ah. My lady.’

Arein was suddenly standing in front of me.

Her appearance in the student uniform was somewhat different.

The magic department’s uniform consists of a white shirt, black robe, and a brooch necktie to complete it,

For Arein, who always wore flowing dresses, there was now an unfamiliar neatness about her that was hard to see until now.

‘Now you look more like a student.’

I stood before her like an automated machine.

‘Your luggage?’

‘They said I need the master’s permission to go up to the dormitory, so I left it in temporary storage.’

‘Show me the way.’

Hearing Arein’s ice-cold voice, I felt as if I’d taken a cold shower – it instantly cleared my mind.

Right. This life as a slave is my current reality.

Perhaps my life in Korea was the dream.

In the continuing silence, Arein slowly opened her mouth.

‘…Dinner…’

‘Ah, you mean the blood-feeding time? I’ll come when your dinner is cleared away.’

I heard that the Royal Class even has meals brought to their rooms.

I figured I should go in when Arein finishes her meal, around the time they clean up.

But Arein gave me a pained look.

‘Did they teach you it was okay to interrupt?’

‘I’m… sorry.’

Wasn’t I just trying to remind her about the blood-feeding time in the evening anyway?

‘…When you come, bring this.’

Arein handed me a note.

—————————————————

-Magic and the 4 Elements ~On Expanding the Concept to 5 Elements~
-Proper Maintenance of Noble Dignity
-Royal Ceremonial Law

—————————————————

Just glancing at the titles, they looked like textbooks for lectures.

Since Arein uses a lot of magical tools and has many belongings, she’ll probably be going in and out of the storage room for a while.

That’s when it happened.

“Ha-yu! Let’s go together!”

-Grab.

A suggestive high-pitched voice.

It was Floria.

Before I knew it, she had grabbed my elbow.

When Arein looked at her with disbelief, only then did she let go.

“Ah, greetings to you, Lady Arein! I’m Floria, the eldest daughter of the Endelson family.”

Although Floria gave a formal greeting, Arein’s expression was slightly sour.

It must be confusing to see a noble using honorifics with me, a commoner.

“……”

She stares at me intently with tightly sealed lips. She’s probably wondering if we know each other.

“Ah.”

I need to say something, but I’m not sure how to explain it.

It would be a disaster if I said we met at the festival in the past. Should I say we met on the airship?

At that moment, Floria clung tightly to my side.

I could feel something soft through the stiff dress shirt, but I deliberately tried not to be conscious of it.

‘With marriage in mind… oof!’

I restrained her once again as she was about to go wild, and made an excuse that wasn’t really an excuse.

‘We met at the airship port.’

‘…How did that happen?’

As I hesitated to answer Arein’s question, which I thought she wouldn’t be interested in, Floria broke free from my restraint and answered instead.

‘Well… do there need to be reasons between a man and a woman? Our eyes just met on the deck.’

Floria held her cheeks with both hands and made a love-struck expression.

This is exceeding the danger level.

‘…And then?’

I could feel a slight tremor in Arein’s voice. She kept asking follow-up questions, which was unlike her.

‘Since Ha-yu is Arein’s servant. Of course, I don’t have any plans for now.’

The word ‘now’ is peculiar, but let’s move past it.

‘……Lee Ha-yu. Go back.’

Arein told me to wrap up the situation as if she couldn’t stand to look at it anymore.

‘Oh? Unfortunately, I’m in third class, so my dormitory is in the same direction as Ha-yu’s. We can go back together. Ha-yu!’

‘……’

Uh…? Oh, yes……

But Floria’s words didn’t end with my response.

‘You must be happy, Lady Arein, being in the Royal Class. You get to live in Lachesis’s finest building after all.’

‘……’

As early evening sets in, the golden building near the main hall seems to sparkle even more.

Materially, it’s the best. But why does it feel like I’m being fed something?

‘…Don’t be late.’

I came. Not late.

It means just touchdown at the dormitory and run here.

-Whoooooosh.

I can hear the sound of the circular train arriving.

‘Hurry, Lady Ha-yu~ The night is short.’

Floria grabbed my sleeve and pulled gently.

I’m not sure if Arein saw this.

‘…Lee Ha-yu.’

‘Yes?’

…Don’t be late.

……Yes.

I moved away, detaching Floria who was clinging to me.

* * *

‘It seems… no one has applied to be Miss Lee Ha-yu’s roommate. You’ll have a single room…’

The Quarter dormitory. They say there are double and quad rooms, but no one applied to be in my room.

Well, it would be uncomfortable to share a bed with a demon’s minion after all.

‘Sweet!’

Although Floria insisted on coming in to see, which was a bit of a hassle, I finally secured my private space.

While there’s supposedly a big difference in facilities compared to other class dormitories, it’s incomparably better than my original room.

‘It’s spacious! So spacious!’

Having a double room all to myself makes it quite roomy.

-Shhhh.

The bathroom attached to the room. Hot water flowing endlessly.

-Boing.

A soft bed, not just a simple board.

‘I want to sleep.’

Just looking at the fluffy blanket stimulates the desire to sleep. But not yet.

‘Haah… since they said to come quickly.’

I stuffed vegetables into my mouth hastily and headed to the temporary storage room.

* * *

‘Today, you must have properly realized it, right?’

Arein felt thrilled with an inexplicable satisfaction.

After washing up and changing into her favorite pajamas, lying in bed made everything feel lighter – from the boring entrance ceremony to what happened in the barrier.

‘Since the saint is gone, a new girl…?’

Though the girl who clung to Ha-yu at the end bothers her, it doesn’t matter.

Unlike with the saint, there seemed to be no emotional wavering.

And today, as a master, she was flawless.

She perfectly imprinted on Lee Ha-yu that their identity belongs to the master. As a bonus, she also taught the Serius family’s child a lesson.

From making the subordinate know their place to establishing the hierarchy, it was truly perfect.

‘By the way…’

Arein raised her palm toward the ceiling.

The white lace slip tickles her arm.

‘I wonder if it hurt?’

I hadn’t intended to go that far, but for the first time, I ended up hitting her.

“What? It was the natural thing to do.”

She couldn’t possibly feel any guilt towards Lee Ha-yu.

It was nothing more or less than a master-servant relationship.

There’s only one emotion a master needs to feel towards a slave – anger is enough.

“She showed an expression I’d never seen before.”

After being slapped, Lee Ha-yu seemed to lose all distracting thoughts and obediently submitted,

With a dry smile, she even refused the cake that was personally left for her.

Somehow it felt uncomfortable, but he soon returned.

“Of course.”

Where else could Lee Ha-yu go? She couldn’t even run away to become someone else’s servant.

“Still, I should praise her for refusing food for the sake of blood. Perhaps she’s finally developed some reverence?”

At the time, it felt unpleasant that she had rejected my consideration, but thinking about it now, I wondered if it was an action taken out of obedience.

-♪♩♪

I find myself humming.

Though I said I would feed on blood today, I actually had no intention of doing so.

-Clatter.

Because I’ve already ordered and prepared various delicious chocolate snacks from the dormitory cafeteria.

Just going to give a little praise.

“Need to give a carrot.”

Arein hugged her pillow tightly.

* * *

“Should have borrowed a lamp…”

Though I arrived at the storage room a while ago, it’s dark and there’s too much stuff, so it’s taking quite a while to find things.

Need to finish quickly, or Arein will be in a worse mood.

“Let’s see. Books about elements are here.”

It’s a hardcover book made of leather.

It had a suitable sense of luxury.

“Wonder how much something like this costs?”

-Ding.

“Oh my!”

[You have discovered a magic book!]

[Magic Book (Advanced): On Magic and the Conceptual Expansion of the 4 Elements ~To 5 Elements~]

[When used, you can learn elemental magic according to the user’s settings]

[※]

What is this?

This wasn’t here before coming to the Academy.

As if drawn to something, I pressed the warning notice.

[※Warning]
[Each spellbook can only be used once]
[The spellbook will disappear immediately after use]
[Current Book Owner: Arein S. Asphodel]

I had forgotten since there wasn’t much of a game system here.

In typical RPG games, when you find spellbooks like this, you can learn the skill immediately.

With this, I might be able to properly supplement blood magic.

“Hoo.”

Though I want to use it right away,

“The problem is that it’s not mine.”

I put the book down with regret.

That’s when it happened.

-Step.

-Bang!

“?”

Whether due to the wind, the archive door closed, and complete darkness fell.

“……”

And then everything around became dead silent.

‘……’

It was definitely footsteps where I felt someone’s presence…