Chapter 47

Gold. It stirs the desires of people.


A vast amount of gold can enchant and draw in the human spirit. Whether Duke Vlad Shimira intended this or not, her lord’s castle was entirely surrounded by gold, gold everywhere.

“The walls are gold, and the floors are pure gold. The Duke’s family has always loved such things.”


Mr. Layton Valencia whispered this as we were guided to the reception room.

“Even so, isn’t this luxury a bit excessive?”


Gold isn’t something you eat. Unlike Roka, who showed no interest, the Princess frowned.


It wasn’t anger, but rather the feeling of seeing something incomprehensible.

“I don’t mean to insult you, but was Duke Shimira wealthy enough to make even the walls out of gold? I’ve never heard that this territory was particularly rich.”


“We don’t receive salaries for our work. Where do you think all that money went?”


“Ah.”


The Princess immediately understood.


But if you work without pay, isn’t that just slavery?

“To some extent, I understand. The Vlad family is now the last remaining pureblood lineage on the continent. To outsiders, they may seem like mere lords of a small territory, but the Duke herself considers herself the head and leader of her clan. Still, it would be nice if she paid salaries.”


Mr. Layton forced a smile, but it was bitter.

The castle was excessively large for the territory, and we had to pass through several rooms and corridors before reaching our accommodations. We couldn’t meet Duke Shimira right away.


“I’ll report to her first, so please rest well today.”


There’s been a lot going on, and it’s already late at night. For vampires, who are the opposite of humans in terms of day and night, the night is a lively time, but for us humans, it’s time to sleep.

Staying up all night isn’t scary for me, and the Princess could probably last a day or two without issue. But Roka is a different story.


Her tail fur already looked a bit dry, and her eyes were droopy, as if she was sleepy.

While magical power can keep sleep at bay and maintain bodily activity, and divine power can banish drowsiness, it’s still better to sleep when you can, unless it’s unavoidable.

“It’s only natural, given that we arrived unannounced. So when can we meet Duke Shimira?”


“Her Majesty will likely have time tomorrow evening. Until then, I’ll have the maids attend to you.”


We all nodded.

Shortly after, maids who introduced themselves as servants of the Duke’s household came to guide us. They offered to show us to separate rooms, but Roka shook her head, and the Princess declined.


“No need. No need. The priest will share a room with me.”


“Oh my… Ah, understood. We’ll prepare accordingly. Shall I guide you to the largest and most spacious guest room with a bed?”


“Do so.”

As the blushing maid left, the Princess finally explained her reasoning.


I trusted her. I thought there must be a reason behind her actions.

“Saint. You need to be more careful with your actions. They saw you healing the vampires and took notice. Do you understand what that means to them?”


“I know.”


“Good. They might covet your divine power, kidnap you, and use you as a tool to extract it. You have no combat ability… You understand, right?”


Of course. I wouldn’t dare call myself smart, but I know that some might value the Lord’s power more than gold.

Some might try to threaten or persuade me to achieve their goals. But if I start fearing that, I won’t be able to do anything.


“I’m not afraid of someone coveting the Lord’s divine power and targeting me. That’s just an external danger, a small one. It’s the fear that leads to prejudice and malice that’s truly dangerous. Others might, but I must not.”

The real danger lies not outside but within, and I must only worry about what threatens my soul. Others may guard against me, but I must not do the same.


Yes, a priest must never guard against their neighbor.

The Lord watches over me. This is the great privilege I have as a priest.


Even with such help, if I fear and refuse to take even the slightest risk for my own safety, the Lord will withdraw His hand from me.

“Saint…”


The Princess’s face showed a complex expression, as if she wanted to say something but held back.


“Still, please be a little careful. You are far more valuable than you think.”

While the Princess and I were talking, Roka slipped away to wash up.


I took out a candle, lit it, and quietly placed it on the table. It’s a shame there’s no candlestick, but it doesn’t matter. The candle won’t melt, won’t shrink, and will keep burning.

“Do you always light that candle?”


“It’s a kind of habit. It doesn’t hurt to keep it lit, so I always do.”


This habit also came from traveling with Yurinel’s party.


Even this small candle was enough to light up the four of us. Now, it’s just a memory, a story from the past.

“Saint, could you tell me a bit about your adventures? I’d like to know more about the Hero Party.”


“Of course. Yurinel and I were originally hometown friends. But one day, the church…”


As I was telling my adventure story, I suddenly realized.


Is Roka still washing up?

*****

If someone who can absolutely dominate themselves stands before you, it’s only natural to fear them, no matter who they are.


This was why Layton’s steps felt heavy as he approached Duke Shimira, as if walking through a thorny path. Honestly, Duke Shimira was a superior whose personality clashed with his.

‘What nitpicking will Her Majesty find today…’


You could understand Duke Shimira’s personality after just one day working in this territory.


She expects absolute obedience from her subordinates. No, she doesn’t just expect it—she considers it natural. She thinks it’s natural for no one to raise even a hint of objection, which has driven Layton, the practical worker, to the brink of madness multiple times.

‘Sigh.’


It’s not even to weed out disloyal subordinates. Duke Shimira truly believes that only her opinions are the truth.


So engrossed in her role as the queen of her clan, she once came up with a ridiculous plan and ordered its execution. She wanted the vampires to carve out a kingdom in the southeastern part of the declining empire.

Even if you gathered all the vampires, their population wouldn’t even match that of a small city like Larpentia.


And even that population would crumble like mayflies before the sun.

With this population, you want to establish a kingdom? Are you joking?


Even if they gained independence from the empire, the kingdom would be doomed from the start. It’s much better to remain part of the empire as they are now.

If she had provided an excellent plan or strategy, or even a sufficient budget, I might have racked my brains to make something work. But there’s none of that. Only orders.


This is the downside of vampires ruling their subordinates with ‘the power of domination’ instead of salaries. They don’t understand that a budget is essential for everything. They can dominate other vampires without pay, but can they do the same with humans? Even if they could, what next?

Would the temple just stand by and watch?


What about the empire? The empire may be tilting here and there, but its foundation isn’t broken yet.

Layton desperately tried to dissuade Duke Shimira, but from that day on, he noticed her gaze toward him had changed. Only then did he realize that in the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

‘This is something we don’t understand.’


To vampires, humans are insignificant, bumbling creatures.


Compared to themselves, who have no choice but to obediently carry out orders from above, humans are nothing. But Layton, who has been observing humans as the external face of Duke Vlad’s territory, knew better.


In that discord, diverse opinions are born, presented, and sometimes lead to better directions.

Moving as one heart and one mind is, in a way, terrifying.


But that movement lacks complexity. The limbs simply follow the head’s commands.

On the other hand, humans have countless factions acting without a head. Even the emperor is merely the representative of all imperial factions and cannot command absolute obedience.


Yet, that autonomy continuously generates novelty, propelling humans to become the dominant species of the continent.

If anyone makes a mistake, someone else can replace them. But what about vampires?


If the queen stumbles, the entire clan follows. The fate of an entire race rests on a single person.

Revolution or replacement is impossible.


They evolved that way.


Even bees can replace their queen if she fails to lay eggs, but vampires can’t even do that. In a way, they are a more deficient species than bees.

When intelligence first sprouted, and tools were just being invented, this was a great advantage.


But once civilizations flourished and conflicts between civilizations and races emerged, it no longer held. The power of domination was no longer a trait suited to the times.

“Your Majesty. It’s Layton. May I report in the audience chamber?”


But realizing this doesn’t change anything.


Layton entered the audience chamber and prostrated himself. He had to keep his thoughts about this queen play to himself; showing any sign of it would be bad.

As he knelt and glanced up, Duke Shimira was quietly observing him while caressing her golden throne.

“So, it’s confirmed that the woman is the Princess. But you’re not sure if the priest is the ancient god’s priest?”


“With my limited insight, I couldn’t be certain. But it’s a fact that the priest can heal us vampires. I personally experienced his divine power.”


When Kyle briefly infused divine power to interpret the Curse of the Sun, Layton felt an unprecedented sense of euphoria. All fatigue vanished, his mind cleared, and his body was filled with vitality.


At the very least, it’s certain that his divine power benefits vampires.

“Good, you’ve done well.”


Only after hearing the report did Duke Shimira nod.


She seemed to be in a good mood today. Layton sighed in relief internally and was about to leave when his head suddenly felt heavy, and his steps faltered.


A searing pain, as if his insides were being torn apart, struck his abdomen. A chilling laugh echoed through the hall.

“You’ve worked hard all this time.”


A spear, as if someone’s arm had been stretched thin, unnaturally long and crimson.


No one held or thrust the spear, yet it pierced Layton’s back and emerged from his front. The spear’s tip split like a bird’s beak and began devouring his entrails.

“Why…?”


Layton shuddered at the bizarre sensation of his blood being drained. The grotesque phenomenon of all his strength being sucked away made it clear what this spear was.

The ancestral spear of the Vlad clan. A spear that drinks blood and devours flesh.


The Blood-Sucking Spear, an ancient vampire relic, had pierced him, leading him to his death. But why?


By any measure, he wasn’t someone who deserved such an execution.


He had never committed a crime worthy of this.

“Layton. I despise those who pretend to follow my words while harboring other thoughts behind my back.”


But whether that’s true or not isn’t for him to decide.


Duke Shimira didn’t think so.

“You have a son, don’t you? A deformed child, unfit for the bloodline.”


His heart sank, and fear enveloped his entire being. He wasn’t afraid of dying.


He was afraid of losing something more precious than his life. He stammered, trying to speak.

“Given my service… please… spare my family…”


“I ordered that disabled brat killed. Your wife has been remarried to someone else.”


At that moment, even the physical pain meant nothing.


A mental agony, as if his soul were being torn apart, overwhelmed him. He could only open his mouth, unable to speak.

“If she bears another deformed child with someone else’s seed, she’ll be disposed of too.”


He had been mistaken. No matter how much he contributed to the bloodline, to Duke Shimira, it was all just ‘what he was supposed to do’ as a vampire.


To her, he wasn’t a subordinate or vassal—just a tool.


A tool she could discard at any time. But was he the only one?

All vampires must seem that way to her. Born with the power of life and death, she likely doesn’t even see other vampires as her kin.

Thud!


His bloodless face showed a flash of resentment and regret before it faded.


The Blood-Sucking Spear, having drunk the blood and life of a lord, seemed satisfied and withdrew itself into the Duke’s hand. The spear, which hadn’t drunk properly in a while, had been nourished by this event.


Its power had reached its peak. Good.

Snap!


The spear’s tip closed, becoming sharp again, and a blood-red light shimmered. Duke Shimira, having used a tool she intended to discard as a whetstone to refine the spear, wore a satisfied expression.

Passing by the now-dead Layton, she left the hall and headed down the corridor. Her goal wasn’t to kill the Princess but to subdue her, which is why she brought out this spear.

‘Ardein von Illumina. I’ll play with her for a bit, then use her as a bargaining chip.’


The last known strength of the Princess was Expert-level, top tier. She hadn’t broken through to Master level.


In that case, Duke Shimira was confident she could subdue her. On this moonless night, there were no variables to overturn the difference in their strength. Vlad Shimira was confident in her abilities.

Strike while the iron is hot. Ardein would be completely defenseless now.


Capturing the Princess of the Empire, especially the first Princess, and presenting her to the Demon Emperor would instantly make her a key figure in the Demon Emperor’s Empire. Then, what reason would there be not to establish a kingdom?

As her expectations grew, the Duke’s steps quickened. The future she dreamed of was right before her eyes.


The revival of the vampires would be achieved by none other than herself. The task all her ancestors had longed for would now become reality through her hands.