Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint-Chapter 465: Parasite

The Duchy is a land vast in territory but sparse in population. Furthermore, humans serve the role of livestock, providing blood. Since all administration, commerce, and military affairs are directly managed by vampires, humans rarely have any reason to leave their residences—and even if they do, it is always under the supervision of vampires.

Now, if a human were wandering alone without a vampire accompanying them? There were only two possibilities: either they were a human trusted by vampires, or they were a runaway destined for the compression chamber.

“...Ah. So you’re returning from the Night Ebb?”

The girl, who had been milking a cow, cast a wary glance at Hilde and me as we awkwardly approached. Seeing her, we forced a clumsy smile. Though we had done our best to clean up, the days spent rolling around in the forest had left us looking worse than just disheveled.

I racked my brain desperately for an excuse.

“Y-Yes, that’s right. We went to the castle because of the Night Ebb, but then we got caught in a tidal wave and ended up in an accident. A lot of people were injured, and since there weren’t enough hospital beds, the mildly wounded were told to make their way back on their own. Look, here’s an emergency transit permit issued by Count Erthe.”

I brazenly presented the (forged) transit permit, but, unfortunately, the naive countryside girl didn’t seem to grasp the authority such a document carried.

“...Wait here. I’ll bring some food.”

‘No matter how I look at it, they seem like they’re on the run. I should go ask Elder Bilitaire. If it’s him, as a Yeiling, he’ll know best.’

Stealing cautious glances at us, the girl briskly headed toward the village, abandoning her work.

Hilde and I exchanged a look and nodded in unison.

“She’s not buying it, huh?”

“Look at how she’s running. She’s about to go straight to the vampires and snitch~.”

“Let’s bolt!”

And so, we turned on our heels and ran for it—after grabbing the girl’s untouched lunch and milk.

As I stuffed a sandwich into my mouth, I grumbled loudly.

“This is way too closed-off! A traveler asks for a bit of help, and the first thing they think of is reporting us? Even the Military State wasn’t this bad!”

“The fewer people live in a place, the more closed-off they tend to be~. If someone goes out of their way to visit an isolated area, it usually means they have something shady going on~.”

“Are we that shady?”

“Well, we’ve been sleeping rough for days, and it shows~.”

“See? It’s all your fault, Hilde.”

“Hm?”

A sharp sting hit the back of my head. Hilde had flicked her qi-infused finger at me.

Nearly choking on my sandwich, I barely managed to regain my breath.

“Y-You’ve gotten pretty rough lately....”

“If ‘I’ were alone, I could’ve blended in and lived in that village peacefully for three whole months. Who do you think is making ‘me’ go through all this trouble?”

“Well, I mean, yeah, it’s because of me. But you had to leave the Duchy anyway. I’m just giving you a ride on the way. It’s not like it’s extra work.”

“If that’s how you see it, then how about we say our farewells here? You can settle down and live the rest of your life in peace~.”

“How could I survive this harsh world without Hilde? I still need you.”

I flattered Hilde with all my might, and her sour mood seemed to ease slightly. Though she still kept a stern expression, pretending to be upset, she continued.

“We’re getting close to the border now. It’s time for one last proper check-up. After today, we won’t have a moment to catch our breath.”

“I heard the southern part of the Duchy gets more sunlight and has fertile land, meaning there are more humans. Wouldn’t it be easier to hide there?”

“Yes, but there are also a lot more Ain stationed there. Especially near the border of the Military State, where ‘Iron Wall’ Xerser has been guarding the Duchy’s frontier for over five hundred years. He’s a formidable warlord. Though, no matter how strong he is, he’s still just an Ain, so escaping won’t be impossible....”

Hilde let out a sigh before continuing.

“...But if Tyrkanzyaka really wants to capture you, she will have definitely sent an Elder to the border.”

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“She probably would.”

Vampires are powerful. Even if their opponents are mere Ain, not even Hilde, a Six-Sword Saint, could claim victory with certainty. However, their greatest weakness lies in their numbers. A vampire’s retinue consists of no more than thirteen subordinates, and among vampires themselves, only the Elders, Ain, and Yeiling stand as true powerhouses. This strict limitation meant that, despite their overwhelming strength in skirmishes, vampires were ultimately pushed back in large-scale conflicts.

Thus, the Elders would be guarding the border rather than wasting their energy wandering the land aimlessly.

“If they have an Elder on their side, then on ‘our’ side, we’ll need whatever plan you’ve prepared to balance things out~.”

Hilde subtly pressured me to reveal any tricks I had up my sleeve. But what could I do when I had none?

It felt like forgetting a gift on an important day. I dodged the question with a forced laugh.

“H-Ha. Well, it’s just a theory that Tyr is after me. She’s already busy with the rebellion. Does she really have time to chase after someone like me? She might have already given up.”

“You think so~? We’ll find out soon enough~.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

‘Did he take any measures to keep the Elders from following us? With the Crimson Duke around, that won’t be easy~. But I guess we’ll find out when the time comes.’

Yeah, and when that time comes, we’ll still have nothing...

Blissfully unaware of my turmoil, Hilde stretched lazily and muttered.

“Ahh. Looks like we’ll be sleeping outside again tonight. Mm~. I don’t mind camping, but I’d really like a bath~.”

“Instead of just camping, let’s go for a ‘parasitic stay.’”

“Parasitic stay?”

I may not have had a hidden trump card, but at the very least, I could make sure Hilde stayed in top shape while she was working so hard for my sake.

***

"Matilda. Did you find them?"

"No, Village Chief Bilitaire. When we went back, they were already gone."

"Tsk, tsk. So they were fugitives. Ah, that’s why I told you not to be so quick to show suspicion."

"Why? But my guess was right, wasn't it? We shouldn't be letting fugitives in, should we?"

Yeiling of the Pygmy Bloodline and the wise leader of Black Valley Village, Village Chief Bilitaire, clicked his tongue as he looked at the young girl.

"In situations like this, the best approach is to welcome them first and offer hospitality."

"Why? If they were fugitives, shouldn’t they have been kept out of the village?"

"Now, calm your excitement and fear, and think carefully."

In other lands, vampires might be feared and despised like mosquitoes or bedbugs. But in the Duchy, vampires were trusted elders, caretakers, and teachers who shared their wisdom. The oldest and wisest among them, Village Chief Bilitaire, patiently explained to the girl.

"Let’s assume they were just travelers, as they claimed. Then it would only be natural to shelter them briefly and send them on their way. We show them kindness, and they repay us in return."

"But they looked like beggars! I could smell their stench from ten steps away!"

"I can’t smell, so I wouldn’t know, but those who work the night tide always receive their pay. If they were truly laborers from the night tide, they should have had sufficient money on them. And if providing them shelter was too much trouble, I could have simply collected a blood tax from them."

Village Chief Bilitaire also oversaw the collection of blood taxes from neighboring villages. It wasn’t a systematic process, but in tightly-knit rural communities, such methods were often more effective. Vampires, who had no emotions or descendants of their own, rendered the fairest judgments, free from the corruption and collusion that typically festered in closed societies.

"But they were fugitives, weren’t they?"

"That is all the more reason to have brought them into the village. We could have observed them, reasoned with them, or, if necessary, fed them well enough to lower their guard before capturing them."

It might have seemed like an unusually gentle approach for a cold-blooded vampire, but in truth, the way vampires cared for humans followed the same logic. A well-fed, well-treated human provided better, richer blood over a longer period. Bilitaire laid out his coldly calculated kindness.

In contrast, the young girl, who had yet to learn the art of diplomacy, remained unconvinced.

"But they were criminals—fugitives! What if they stole from us or harmed someone?"

"Oh? So you were thinking about the village’s safety?"

"Yes!"

It was a childish lie, but there was no way for Village Chief Bilitaire to know that. Not that it mattered whether it was true or not.

Even if the vampires' kindness was rooted in cold calculation, Yeiling of the Pygmy Bloodline had led the village to peace and prosperity for nearly two centuries. The people truly respected «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» her. Everyone depended on her, and she, in turn, provided for them.

"If that were the case, then all the more reason you should have brought them to me, Matilda. If they were such scoundrels... the moment you aroused their suspicion, they might have harmed you first."

From a purely logical standpoint, Bilitaire's advice was the optimal course of action, considering all possible variables. Yet, it was also a piece of warm advice meant for the girl’s well-being.

"M-Me?"

"Yes. Now that you understand, don’t wander around alone from now on. You were lucky they were just scared fugitives. If they had been murderers or starving beasts, what would you have done?"

"I... I never thought about that...."

It was no coincidence that old folk tales were often structured to instill fear in children. It was a form of wisdom devised by adults to teach reckless youth caution. The more fearful one was, the longer they lived—and the longer they lived, the more blood they could provide.

Gently scolding the girl while instilling just the right amount of fear, Village Chief Bilitaire leisurely placed his pipe between his lips once more.

Watching the Yeiling exhale a puff of acrid smoke, the girl thought to herself:

"If they just kept their mouth shut, they’d look no different from my friends...."

She stared at the village chief, whose appearance was no different from a child her own age. She felt a certain closeness to Bilitaire because of that, but whenever she saw that expression—one that seemed to have lived through centuries—she was reminded of the vast difference between them.

"But why did they run away? That was foolish. They should have known that running blindly only makes them criminals."

Bilitaire, still puffing on his pipe, answered.

"Not all vampires are like our bloodline. Old Bakuta is an easygoing one, and thanks to his power of insatiable hunger, he can quench his thirst with the blood of beasts. That means he demands less from your kind.... I won’t speak ill of other bloodlines, but there are many who waste blood on those they cannot even consume."

Bilitaire had been speaking in a matter-of-fact tone, but then, as if something had just occurred to him, he murmured:

"...You said they were a man and a woman, didn’t you? Tsk, it might be that, then."

"That?"

"There’s something about it. For some reason, couples who are expecting—or might be expecting—always seem strangely eager to leave this land."

"Why, though?"

"Even at my age, I don’t quite understand it myself."

Fwoosh. A sigh mixed with smoke drifted into the air. The girl coughed—it seemed she wasn’t used to the smell of tobacco yet.

"—That’s what he said, Father."

"Doesn’t matter. Just focus on gathering food."

At the feet of the pipe-smoking vampire, in the dark, cool basement...

Hilde and I, hidden within using earth magic, were busy looting supplies.