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

Promise

It’s similar to a situation from a manga.

Did I somehow awaken due to the crisis of death?

[Remaining Blood: 63]

I unconsciously deployed blood magic.

And it was the Blood Curtain, a newly learned skill.

-Crack!

The translucent wall of blood, which had a rather crude form, was cracked by two icicles made of mana.

If I had deployed it any later, or if I had needed to speak an incantation, I would have died without a doubt.

‘……’

No attacks followed after that.

-Clang.

I dispelled the magic and carefully observed her movements.

Her red eyes sparkle. And she mutters softly.

‘…Blood magic?’

Surprisingly, she seems interested in my magic.

Let’s introduce ourselves first.

If I remind her that we’re on the same demon side and just state my business, she probably won’t attack rashly.

‘I am Lee Ha-yu, a servant of the Asphodel family… I’m only here to get supplies on my master’s orders.’

‘…Asphodel family. Vampires?’

Her voice is calm to the point of being slow. She clearly has the air of an authority figure like Arein, but quite different.

‘…I see. Asphodel’s human servant.’

She closed her eyes as if understanding.

‘…So you’re not an ordinary human.’

That’s my line.

How can the Imperial Princess be a demon?

I have many questions, but first, let me make it clear that I have no hostile intentions.

‘Your Highness is the one who attacked instead of greeting. I’m just here to run an errand.’

‘…I was curious. You broke through my unique barrier.’

She spoke as if it were natural, showing no change in expression.

‘…I’m the 6th Princess, called Iris at the academy.’

‘Ah, yes. Lady Iris.’

Blonde hair and red eyes, a very common cliché, but seeing it in person, I understand why it’s the standard.

It’s so luxurious that I can’t tell if it’s hair or threads of gold.

And those beautiful crimson eyes, something I could never see in my previous world, were slowly changing to an emerald color.

‘…You saw, didn’t you?’

She points to her crown area with her small hand.

The horns were hidden by now.

‘I can keep a secret. I will definitely maintain confidentiality.’

‘…Yes. If you can’t keep it…’

As she rubs her thumb and index finger together, the fog grows thicker.

“…I could help.”

“I’m fine! By the way, please keep my secret.”

“…?”

She slightly turned her head to express her curiosity.

“About the fact that I can use magic…”

“…Indeed.”

She looks like she understands something. Yes. Since I appear much weaker, it’s better to be bold even if it seems shameless.

“By the way, even if you are the Imperial Princess, this is House Asphodel’s storage room. Don’t you think it’s rather rude to enter as you please…?”

While it might be somewhat discourteous, if she wanted to kill me, she could have done so earlier.

Let me try to change the subject and ask about her intentions for coming to Arein’s storage room. After all, I’m clearly the victim here.

She looked around the storage room and slowly began to speak.

“…I apologize for the intrusion. I have something important to tell Arein.”

Huh? She’s apologizing so readily?

“If you have a message, I could relay it…”

“…How can I trust you?”

“…!”

It’s even more frightening that her expression doesn’t change and her voice remains perfectly level.

‘Can’t trust me,’ huh.

Is it because I’m human? Is that how I should understand this?

“…Princess Isabella of House Izanek.”

“Pardon?”

“…She’s targeting Arein. I came to warn her about that.”

“What do you mean…?”

*ting*

As she rubs her fingers, my mind feels invaded.

“Ugh.”

It feels like she’s seeing through everything about me.

It’s as if I’ve been stripped naked and thrown before her.

*swoosh*

And it didn’t take long to return to normal.

“Huff… huff…”

“…You don’t seem to be lying.”

“What… do you mean?”

“…Isabella is trying to kill Arein.”

“What?”

“…What you want is to be released from being a familiar, right?”

“How did you…?”

“…Did you think becoming released from being a familiar would be that easy?”

“Are you saying it was a lie?”

…No. If we kill the master, the contract should be nullified.

Crazy. Is that really true?

It was such a simple solution that I hadn’t even thought of it.

Come to think of it, Isabella had never really told me any specific methods for nullifying the contract – I had just been making assumptions based on my perception of her.

I need to verify if what Iris said is true…

My mind is in chaos.

“Then what should I…”

“…That’s why I came to warn you.”

“…Are you going to kill me?”

“…I won’t kill you. Instead, well.”

Iris contemplated something before speaking.

“This works out well. I’ll transfer the authority to you, since you’re in the same situation.”

“Authority?”

“I’m passing the responsibility to you. I want to wash my hands of this matter.”

She rubbed her fingers as if sprinkling salt, and a note flew toward me.

—-

Ring

—-

Is there something about the ring used in duels?

As I received the note and stared at it blankly, Iris said:

“…This is the note I was going to give to Arein. What you do with it is up to you.”

She truly seems to have no attachments. As if she just doesn’t want to be bothered anymore.

She approached me step by step.

Even from afar I could tell, but her skin texture and appearance are exactly like a doll’s.

I forced myself to ask:

“…Even if I don’t give this note to Lady Arein?”

“…Yes. I don’t care. Just keep your promise.”

-Clank.

With that, Iris left the storage room without another word.

As she left, the magical mist gradually dissipated.

“…”

* * *

%%%% Basic Alchemy Practice

During practice, I kept glancing at Iris, but she didn’t even look at me once, as if nothing had happened.

I couldn’t concentrate on the class at all. Not that it was my class anyway.

If I proceed with the duel as planned, Arein will surely participate.

For whatever reason, Isabella intends to kill Arein.

If that happens, my contract might be nullified.

Arein dies. I become free. Is this really right?

‘This is driving me crazy.’

But if I tell her this fact, I might never get another chance.

Before that, I’m not sure if I should believe Iris’s words. Is Isabella really trying to kill Arein?

Time passed relentlessly as I kept alternating between looking at Arein and thinking.

.

.

.

The next class was about the trust relationship between knights and servants, which for some reason was held late at night after dinner had ended.

– Chirp chirp.

– Crackle crackle

In the darkness, the sounds of insects and burning bonfire could be heard.

Professor Agnel Regermond. She’s wearing simple knight’s armor today as well.

“How is it? Has anything changed since you switched positions last time?”

– Murmur murmur.

What’s the point of saying anything?

Because of her, last week I went beyond just changing – I felt my life was threatened.

– ‘Kneel.’

My whole body trembles at the shocking statement even now. How did I ever find such courage?

“That’s what the relationship between knights and servants is like. The visible social status will certainly be maintained within the bounds guaranteed by this society’s system.”

Agnel continued speaking while looking around at all of us gathered in a circle.

“However, we can’t be certain that such status-based rules will be maintained in wars or urgent situations.”

She smiled slightly.

“So when hardship comes your way, you must think of the person beside you as a comrade and dedicate yourselves to each other to build complete trust. The important thing is, you should never try to force this through status.”

Everyone was puzzled by this sudden talk about status, but I somewhat understood what she meant.

Just look at me, already plotting my escape – what would status matter when you’re about to die?

Then someone raised their hand and asked a question.

“Professor, does that mean that in dangerous situations, instinct takes precedence over reason for any person?”

“That’s a good question. Preventing that is exactly what chivalry is for. As nobles by birth, you need to fulfill your noble obligations.”

Indeed, the nobles of this world, especially humans, seem to place great importance on noblesse oblige.

“It might be very difficult to practice chivalry alone. I experienced that myself. But remember, there are always others walking the same path.”

In other words, while there’s a class system on the surface, we should cooperate voluntarily.

This might be the most ideal master-servant relationship possible in this world.

– Crackle crackle.

Being night with a bonfire makes one emotional.

What should I do? Should I tell Arein? Why did the princess give me the sword hilt?

If Arein had treated me just a little better… would my thoughts have changed?

“There are many ways to confirm and refine mutual trust. Eating together, sleeping together, and sometimes when people face the same crisis, they rapidly develop a sense of camaraderie.”

I remember doing CBR training at boot camp. The suspension bridge effect made that night quite lively.

“So tonight, we’re going camping. When you have different sleeping arrangements, different meals, and perform different roles and activities than usual, don’t you think you can confirm each other’s trust?”

Uh… this isn’t the military, are we really going to sleep here?

At times like this, I find myself checking Arein’s reaction first.

……

As expected, Arein’s expression was stiff. Of course. She’d only lived the life of a young lady.

It’s natural for a mage to have difficulty adapting to classes with knights who are obsessed with chivalry.

But Arein, this is the elective you chose. Bear with it through sheer willpower.

“Sigh…”

Arein sighed while tying her hair.

Fortunately, she seemed to have anticipated this situation somewhat, as she was wearing more comfortable clothes than usual.

-Clap!

“If you’ve checked your groups, let’s begin right away!”

Everyone scattered from their places at Professor Agnel’s clap.

.

.

.

-Since we’re late, we’ll sleep first. Those on watch duty, manage the bonfire thoroughly!

-A week should be enough time for heads to cool down. You might have gotten emotional at the moment of role change, but now you can judge more objectively. Think while watching the bonfire.

-Snore!

-Snooze!

-Group 8-

Knight Roman Disword

Squire Johan

Knight Daisy Pikes

Squire Carol

Mage Arein S. Asphodel

Servant Ha-yu

Group 8 consists of two knights, two squires, plus me and Arein.

And due to insufficient numbers, Teaching Assistant Eliana would help out in between.

We drew lots for watch duty, and I got the first shift.

The knights must have been used to such events, as they fell asleep right after saying good evening.

-……

Everyone went into the tent, leaving only me and Arein sitting in front of the bonfire.

I had no choice but to get up from my spot.

“My lady. Please take the first watch and get some good rest until morning. I’d like to take your shift for you, but there’s an evaluation.”

“……”

Arein’s shift is second. Though I said I’d take her place, I didn’t really mean it, but since I wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway, I thought switching shifts wouldn’t matter.

“Well then, wake me up comfortably when it’s time.”

“Ha-yu.”

Arein called out to me as I was about to enter the tent.

“Stay with me.”

Could it be that she wants me to stay because she’s bored being alone…?

Right. It would only make me more tired if I tried to sleep for just a short while anyway.

*Plop*

I sat across from Arein with the campfire between us.

*Crackle crackle*

“……”

As I mindlessly stared at the campfire, Arein spoke first.

“I was rude then. I still think so even now.”

By ‘then,’ she must mean last week. I apologized briefly.

“I’m sorry.”

“And on the weekend too.”

For some reason, Arein started bringing up not just last week’s events, but those from a few days ago.

“It was rude to go out with Endelson’s woman as you pleased. Making that bet was also rude.”

“Ah, that was for the assignment…”

“It was rude to climb on top of your master while feeding. It was rude to enter your master’s room. It was rude to smell of other women.”

Excuse me?

Arein counted off on her fingers as she expressed her grievances to me.

“Greeting Floria in the dining hall was rude too. Even though I said eat as much as you want, picking only meat without any vegetables… it’s all rude.”

Hey, that’s going too far about the eating habits.

“But at the flying ship…”

She raises her head to look at me.

Perhaps because of the darkness around us, it feels like we’re the only two people here.

“I won’t do it anymore.”

“Ah…”

These aren’t memories I want to bring up.

While I was considering how to respond, Arein spoke.

“And I’ll try to trust you. From now on.”

Trust, is it? The princess clearly said not to trust anyone carelessly. Now she says she’ll trust me?

“You always came back after all, no matter how difficult it was. You had no choice but to do so.”

Arein drew her own conclusions about me. It doesn’t feel particularly good.

Is she going to call me Asphodel family property again? Does she need to step on my pride that much to feel satisfied?

Then, a word I’d never heard from her before came out.

“……I won’t treat you carelessly. What I mean is… if you lose the duel, the main family won’t stay quiet… so…”

Her words are completely jumbled, making it hard to understand what she’s trying to convey.

Arein turned her gaze away before stating her main point.

“From now on, don’t try to hide anything from me.”

“……Yes.”

I’m quite good at lying too. It seems the only thing that’s increased since coming here is the number of lies.

“Fine. If you have something to say too, say it.”

“Pardon?”

“Just for today. I won’t get angry. If there’s something you want, tell me.”

They say when people suddenly become nice, it’s either because they’re about to die, or they’ve noticed you’re planning to run away.

Should I tell her about Isabella’s plan? What would happen to me then? Would they spare my life?

Just one last time, I want to check one more time.

As if possessed by something, I began to mumble.

“Excuse me, My Lady. Perhaps someday…”

Arein turns her gaze toward me.

“?”

Slowly, deliberately, I asked her.

“Someday… could you set me free?”

-Crackle, crackle.

A bonfire was burning in her red eyes.