Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint-Chapter 432: The Top-Ranking Female Lead and the Ordinary Male Lead

The Night Tides, the greatest event in the Mist Duchy, was approaching. When the currents shifted and the sea beasts swam upstream, the duchy's waters would recede, leaving behind a drained swamp. For the full moon’s duration, the vast ocean, once untouchable by human hands, revealed its vulnerable underbelly.

This was when the duchy's residents gathered at the Lunar Castle to make their fortune. And where blood flowed, vampires followed.

Even the subordinates of the Elders, whether they were asleep or away, were no exception. A group that had arrived at the Lunar Castle now knelt before the Progenitor in greeting.

“The Dullahan Bloodline humbly offers our reverence for the Progenitor’s return in place of our slumbering Elder. Please forgive our lord for not being present on such an auspicious day.”

The Mist Duchy was an expansive land with little capacity to support human life. And where humans did not tread, beasts inevitably filled the void.

In the untouched highlands of the duchy's southwest, wild horses roamed free.

Ordinary humans had no means of taming them. A single kick from one of those beasts could send a man to the afterlife. However, vampires, who neither tired nor suffered injuries, could easily mount the creatures and break them in. Unlike the primordial lands of the south, the wild horses in this region had gradually interbred with escaped domesticated ones over centuries, becoming more docile.

Thus, for generations, the southern Mist Duchy had been known for its fine steeds, which were sold at high prices to neighboring kingdoms—because knights needed horses.

Those who mastered horse-rearing, both humans and vampires, grew stronger through it. And at the pinnacle of this domain was Dullahan, the Black Knight.

More famous as the Headless Horseman, he was currently in slumber somewhere.

“I do not mind. I, too, have only just returned after a long sleep. How could I fault Dullahan? Your greetings shall be accepted in his stead.”

“We are honored beyond measure... But, Progenitor, may I ask—who is the human standing beside you?”

“Ah, you mean this one?”

Tyrkanzyaka turned her sharp gaze on me. A strange hostility was directed my way.

With an air of discontent, she muttered, “What else but my consort, who does nothing but loiter outside? He’s little more than a good-for-nothing, so don’t pay him too much mind.”

Caught off guard by the sudden insult, I protested.

“Wait, Tyr! A good-for-nothing? Sure, I’m just idling around right now, but I came here as a guest, didn’t I?”

“And yet, despite being a guest, you spend all your time outside and never show your face. What kind of guest does that?”

Tyr pouted as she replied.

It had been like this for a while now.

After I finished the procedure to restore her senses, things were peaceful for a time. But once I started stepping outside a few times, Tyr gradually became more irritable.

The reason was obvious—she was displeased that I wasn’t making time for her. If I took it a step further, it might even be an early-stage form of jealousy.

She probably wasn’t even aware of it herself, so I couldn’t be certain.

For someone who had lived since the 12th century, she sure acted girlish at times.

Should I be glad that she was becoming more human? Or should I be troubled that the focus of her newfound humanity was me?

“Then give me work! If you assign me a task, I’ll handle it properly!”

“Hmph. No need.”

“No need?! You can’t just keep calling me a good-for-nothing and then refuse to give me a chance to prove myself! That’s unfair!”

“They say after three failures, there is no cure. I’ve already entrusted you with two tasks, and you have yet to prove yourself. What reason do I have to entrust you with a third?”

“Two? When did I take on two tasks? And how did I fail them? I completed one successfully, and the other hasn’t even started yet!”

Sure, I tried to slack off whenever I could, but at the very least, I met the bare minimum requirements for my responsibilities. I did just enough work that she couldn't outright accuse me of being completely useless!

When I protested, Tyr scoffed.

“Success? You mean that half-baked result?”

“Half-baked? Just this morning, you were so taken by the scent of flowers that you even nibbled on a petal like a horse! And now you call it half-baked?”

“W-Why are you bringing that up now? I said it was half-baked! Besides, that flower—its taste was dreadful! It was so bitter I wanted to spit it out!”

“Of course! Flowers aren’t meant to be eaten by us!”

To any observer, it would seem like we were arguing.

And, well, we were.

But to the vampires present, the scene seemed to convey something else entirely.

‘So the rumors were true—the Progenitor has taken a consort.’

‘And she treats him so informally. She was always as cold as ice, as distant as the ocean depths... But now, doesn’t she seem almost... human?’

No, you’re mistaken! This is an argument!

I’d done her all sorts of favors, even risking myself to grant her wish, yet she was becoming increasingly demanding.

How much more was I supposed to give?!

...Okay, fine, I was living off her influence, enjoying unrestrained authority in her shadow.

But still! That much should be allowed, right?!

“...Enough. We shall continue this discussion later.”

“Later? So what, am I supposed to just stand here like a useless decoration until the vampires get curious enough to ask about me, only to be brushed off as a good-for-nothing? Are you trying to tame me like some rebellious youth?”

“A rebellious youth would be preferable. You are much worse.”

‘She looks displeased, but even that is unusual for her. In formal settings, she never showed any emotion before. Could it be because of this rumored consort? He’s got that slick, lazy look, but other than that, he doesn’t seem special.’

‘A man should have a robust body and a fine beard. How in the world did this consort manage to win the Progenitor’s favor?’

‘How dare he talk back to the Progenitor? Just because he is favored doesn’t mean he can act so arrogantly. If he keeps this up, it’s only a matter of time before he meets a terrible fate....’

Wait a minute. The way they were looking at me—did they really think I was some useless, spoiled consort?

Come on! I have skills! I’m literally the King of Humans! That’s not just some low-grade novel title!

...Hold on.

This situation seemed oddly familiar.

An all-powerful male lead—the absolute ruler of a nation, with a face carved from marble, always cold and distant. The strongest warrior, ruling through fear and might.

Then there was the female lead—plain in both birth and appearance, with nothing special about her except her humble, resilient nature. She had no great talents, but she possessed one unique ability: the power to understand others.

Even the formidable male lead, feared by all, was no exception. The ordinary female lead understood him, and at some point, without realizing it, his heart began to waver—

...If I reversed the genders, this was exactly my situation.

No wonder these vampires were giving me such weird looks.

They saw me as a foolish human consort. And since they weren’t particularly emotional creatures, they kept their thoughts to themselves, watching in silence.

“We humbly ask, Progenitor, may we offer our service to Lalion, the Blooded Beast?”

“You always did treat Lalion as your own Elder. Very well. Do as you wish.”

“We are honored beyond measure, Progenitor.”

After offering their thanks, the vampires retreated.

But that wasn’t all.

‘My blood no longer feels the oppressive pull. Has the Progenitor truly lost her power?’

‘With our Elder asleep, we have no decisions to make for now, but...’

‘If the rumors are true, we must awaken Sir Dullahan, even if it is disrespectful.’

‘No. Perhaps it would be better to leave him be and watch how events unfold. The rebellion hasn’t begun yet—and there is no need to taint his honor with unnecessary action.’

So the rumors had already spread.

The vampires who had yet to awaken their Elders were choosing to observe for now. That was fortunate.

Things were moving quickly, but Tyr’s transformation into a more human-like existence was moving even faster.

For no particular reason, she had insisted I stand by her side today. She was subtly flaunting her authority, introducing me to the visiting vampires, and occasionally throwing in a scolding, as if trying to tame me.

...Looking at it now, she really did seem like a male lead from a novel. Flaunting her status like this.

And if that were the case, then what was the correct response in this situation?

“There are so many vampires. This really makes me feel that Tyr is truly the ruler of this land. Just receiving greetings alone feels like it could take all day.”

“You only just realized this? Keep it in mind from now on.”

“Right. This was the last one, wasn’t it? Seems like all the Ain of the absent Elders have shown up by now.”

I counted as I spoke, and Tyr, seated atop her coffin, slowly lifted her head.

There was no throne in the Lunar Castle’s grand hall. Instead, Tyr’s black coffin served as her seat of power, radiating endless darkness and bloodlust—a throne of boundless strength.

Leaning against it, she asked, “Do you even know who the Elders are?”

“Of course. They’re recorded in the history books.”

Every Elder I had met so far had lived alongside history itself. They were so infamous that it would be harder not to know them.

Excluding the five I had encountered, one deceased Elder, and one who wasn’t exactly a person...

“There’s Myuri of the Waning Moon, Sir Dullahan, the Black Knight, Lahu Khan, the Watcher, Sister Yeghceria, the Fallen Nun, and Old Bakuta, the Leeching Hag. Their names alone are famous—they all sound so cool, no wonder they’re popular.”

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“Popular? The Holy Council must have had a heavy hand in recording history.”

“They must not have realized what they were doing. No matter how much they exaggerated their evil deeds, the more they emphasized them, the more people found them fascinating. People are naturally drawn to interesting villains rather than boring heroes.”

There was no better way to bond with someone than to complain about a common enemy.

My childish remark worked like a charm—Tyr chuckled softly.

“That is true. Even I was drawn to someone as foolish as you.”

“...Huh?”

“...It is nothing.”

Pretending not to have heard her, I changed the subject.

“So far, only the bloodlines of those Elders have shown up. The rest aren’t coming this time, are they?”

“That is correct. Most of them are still asleep somewhere.”

“What a shame. I wanted to see them at least once.”

It would’ve been interesting to read the thoughts of ancient Elders.

And maybe they even had some knowledge that could help Tyr.

I let my words trail off with a hint of regret, but upon hearing them, Tyr nodded and rose from her seat.

“Catalina. Summon the Elders. Wake them all and bring them before me.”

...What?

Did she just issue a summons for all the Elders?

While I doubted my ears, the handmaid simply accepted the order.

“What is the deadline?”

“Immediately.”

“I shall obey, Progenitor.”

“Wait, wait, wait!”

I hastily cut in, and Tyr turned her gaze to me.

I stepped in before things could spiral completely out of control.

“Tyr, what are you doing?”

“Summoning the Elders, as you requested.”

“You’re waking up all the sleeping Elders? Just like that?”

“You said you wished to see them.”

Tyr said it so casually, as if summoning the sleeping Elders was no big deal.

“There was simply no reason to call them before. But now that a reason has appeared, there is no reason not to.”

“...And that reason is...?”

To vampires, their subordinates were merely extensions of their own bodies.

Even now, after regaining her heart, Tyr’s perspective hadn’t changed.

To her, I was just an ordinary human who saw Elders as great figures.

But to Tyrkanzyaka, they were merely limbs—ones she could summon at any moment.

“You said you wanted to see them.”

Summoning them at the mere request of a consort.

Wow. Just like that? If she actually went through with it, I wouldn’t be ruined, but it would cause a national uproar.

People would start whispering that I was recklessly manipulating the thirteen rulers of the duchy.

I firmly rejected her idea.

“I appreciate the thought, but it’s fine! If they’re sleeping, let’s just leave them be! Waking someone from a deep sleep is just rude!”

“It would make no difference. For vampires, slumber is merely a means to pass the ages. Ah, and there is also the issue with Ruskinia—I may have use for them after all.”

“No need! The castle is already cramped as it is. Let’s just leave them be.”

“The castle has more than enough space, even if we were to gather all vampires within it.”

“That’s not the point! This is the home where you and I reside—wouldn’t it be annoying if it got crowded? What about privacy?”

Tyr paused at that word.

Until now, she had considered her subordinates as mere extensions of herself.

Just as one wouldn’t ask their own limbs to respect privacy, Tyr had never cared about such things.

But after losing her Dominance, her senses had begun to awaken.

The thought of Elders intruding into the place where she had been regaining those senses—where she had started to experience a new kind of existence—seemed to make her hesitate.

“...Hmm. You have a point. With the Night Tides approaching, summoning the Elders as well would indeed be burdensome.”

“Exactly!”

“Very well. I shall rescind my order... However, wait.”

Tyr was about to call Catalina back but suddenly tilted her head.

“...But is there even anything you need privacy for? What do you even do?”

“Well, I could make something to need privacy for.”

That’s an easy fix.

“...How?”

“We’re done with all the visitors, right?”

“Yes, but...”

“Perfect. The more time, the better.”

It wasn’t anything complicated, nor was it something I shouldn’t do.

I had refrained so far simply because I had wanted to let Tyr take things at her own pace.

I had hoped she would experience things gradually and change on her own.

But... this seemed like a good time.

I approached Tyr.

By now, she was accustomed to my presence, so she didn’t react when I stepped close.

She simply observed, silently waiting to see what I would do.

Tyr was stubborn, especially in matters like this.

She wanted to be led.

So I would grant her wish—even if I had to be a little bold.

I placed my hands around her back and legs—and lifted her into my arms.

Tyr had been watching me closely, but in an instant, she found herself cradled against my chest—like a princess.

Even a vampire as ancient as she would be caught off guard by something like this.

And now, with her heart restored, the reaction was even greater.

Tyr clasped her hands together, her crimson eyes widening in shock.

“W-Wha...? Hughes...?”

Lighter than I expected.

Even an ordinary human could carry a girl of this size.

Still holding her, I spoke.

“Catalina. Our schedule is done, right? Pass along a message—we are not to be disturbed for a while.”

Catalina, ever the composed vampire, kept her expression neutral despite the sheer absurdity of the scene.

“...Understood.”

“Oh, and cancel the Elder summons. No need for that anymore.”

Leaving only those words behind, I strode out of the hall.

I could feel the handmaid struggling internally, wondering how to process this.

But that was her problem, not mine.

Tyr, still in my arms, stammered.

“H-Hughes, this is... w-what...”

“Come on, Tyr.”

I smiled.

“Let’s go make some privacy.”