Chapter 129
Nahun and Cecili approached the stronghold of the bloodline. Unlike his previous visit, he was warmly welcomed by the guards.
“It’s you, Nahun! I’ll inform the Lord right away. Please, come in first.”
“Is that alright?”
“Of course. Nahun is a strong ally of our tribe, after all.”
It seemed that Seere had been managing things well with the bloodline even during Nahun’s absence. To be welcomed so warmly after eight years showed…
‘I didn’t expect this level of friendliness.’
However, in reality, Seere hadn’t done much. It was merely the result of Nahun having single-handedly defeated three Lords back then.
The Lords were as good as kings to the bloodline, except for the progenitor. Nahun, who had defeated three of them barehanded, had already become an object of reverence.
“W-wonderful one…!”
The Lord of the bloodline, Nilbana, rushed out and bowed to Nahun respectfully.
“I’m glad to see you well…!”
“Yeah.”
“W-what brings you here?”
“I came to see the progenitor.”
“The progenitor?”
“I brought Moon bl**d.”
Nahun said as he pulled out a cloth from his attire.
“There are thirteen.”
“…!!”
“I can’t guarantee full restoration, but she should be able to manage daily life well enough.”
“A-ah!”
Nilbana knelt on the ground, bowing his head to Nahun.
“Thank you, wonderful one! The progenitor will be pleased with your mercy!”
The resurrection of the progenitor was the wish of all vampires. Therefore, Nilbana, as a descendant of the progenitor, expressed his gratitude.
“It’s still too early to thank me. She hasn’t fully regained her strength yet.”
“Yes, I understand. Let’s hurry to the sanctuary.”
As Nilbana spoke, he looked at Cecili beside Nahun and asked.
“Are we taking that person too, wonderful one?”
“She’s my disciple. Is there any reason not to bring her?”
“Oh, no! My apologies.”
Nilbana’s concern for Cecili stemmed from the fact that the sanctuary was not a place anyone could enter. It was originally a location permitted only for the Lords.
Under normal circumstances, Cecili wouldn’t even be allowed in with her status… But if Nahun brought her, there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.
“It’s been a while since I last came here.”
In a massive hall resembling a plaza, a solitary coffin lay. Surrounding it were endless strange flowers that never wilted. However, there wasn’t a single pure white flower among them.
‘She hasn’t died.’
The progenitor had merely entered a long slumber, which indicated that she was not dead. It showed how fervently the bloodline desired the resurrection of their progenitor.
Nahun asked Nilbana.
“Has she awakened at all since then?”
“Yes, she has remained asleep all this time.”
It seemed that a single Moon bl**d had only awakened her briefly that day.
“Then that’s a relief, isn’t it?”
“Yes?”
“You’ll get to see her awake more frequently now.”
“…That’s true, wonderful one. You are absolutely right.”
Nahun gestured to Nilbana to open the coffin, and he gladly complied. Cecili, observing from the side, looked surprised.
Nahun was not flustered. He knew why she was shocked.
‘She hasn’t changed at all.’
They said the progenitor possessed eternal beauty, and even after eight years, her appearance had not altered a bit, resembling a work of art. While her lips and skin had grown pale from years of slumber, her beauty had not diminished.
“I will begin.”
“…Yes.”
As Nilbana stepped back, Nahun took out one piece of the Moon bl**d and crushed it, allowing the bl**d to drip slowly onto her lips.
As the pale lips and skin gained color, her chest began to rise slowly. As she started to breathe, her complexion quickly returned, and in that moment, her breath became distinct.
“……”
Her closed eyelids moved. Like a beautiful flower meeting sunlight for the first time, the red eyes revealed beneath the eyelids shone brilliantly.
“Wow…”
Cecili exclaimed in admiration. It was likely the first time she had seen someone so beautiful since Seere.
The progenitor opened her eyes slowly. Unlike their first meeting, she recognized Nahun immediately and greeted him.
“You’ve come to see the girl again, Nahun.”
“Didn’t I promise?”
Ersha Scarlet, the progenitor of the bloodline, opened her eyes.
Having drunk the Moon bl**d and awakened from slumber, she smiled lightly, as if pleased.
“Hehe, yes, you did make a promise with the girl. Thanks to that… we can share a longer conversation this time.”
“Is that so?”
“Is it not?”
Ersha tilted her head.
“Are you busy, perhaps?”
“Not at all.”
“Forgive me, but I don’t fully understand your intentions, Nahun.”
Nahun chuckled softly.
“I came here today to make sure we can continue talking in the future.”
“Pardon?”
“Everything I’ve gathered during your slumber is from my excellent and kind disciple.”
Nahun said as he handed her the cloth. Ersha accepted it and carefully unfolded it.
“Ah…!”
“With this amount, you should be able to manage daily life again.”
Ersha blinked in disbelief as she looked at the remaining twelve pieces of Moon bl**d. It was almost unbelievable.
“Did I… sleep for several years? Over fifty years?”
“Eight years.”
“Eight years….”
The fact that so much Moon bl**d was gathered in just eight years was astonishing. Nahun said to Ersha.
“I could have gotten one more, but circumstances prevented me from doing so.”
It was just a matter of forgetting, but Nahun felt embarrassed and made an excuse.
“No, Nahun… I don’t know how to express my gratitude for gathering this much.”
“You don’t need to thank me.”
“Pardon?”
“I told you earlier, didn’t I? I’m not the one who gathered that.”
“Lady Seir’s daughter….”
“Yes. Seere von Debata. My one and only disciple.”
As Nahun said this, Ersha smiled gently.
“I should personally express my thanks to her.”
“Now that I’ve broken it open, you should eat it and awaken. I have some things to discuss afterward…”
Nahun said.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Even if it takes time to recover her strength after consuming the Moon bl**d, it meant he would wait for her. Ersha appreciated this consideration and slightly lowered her head before addressing Nilbana.
“Nilbana, please show Nahun to a suitable place.”
“Yes, progenitor.”
“I will follow shortly afterward.”
Ersha looked at the gathered Moon bl**d Nahun had provided and smiled beautifully.
“Please wait a moment, Nahun.”
“Alright.”
#
After being led to the reception room and waiting, Nahun wore a stern expression. The reason he seemed out of place was due to Cecili’s behavior.
She was talking to something in the corner as if she were conversing with someone, seemingly speaking to her palm.
It was probably a spell that Seere had cast on her. And of course, the one Cecili was conversing with was surely Seere.
“Cecili.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t report anything strange to Seere.”
When Nahun said this, Cecili cleared her throat and replied.
“I didn’t report anything strange. I only mentioned that the progenitor of the bloodline is extremely beautiful.”
“…Sigh, Cecili. Don’t you realize that the more you say, the more difficult it becomes for me?”
“I do know.”
“Then can’t you tone it down a bit?”
Cecili stared at Nahun for a moment.
“Nahun.”
“What?”
“Let’s be honest with each other.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you really have no interest in the progenitor at all?”
“If you mean from a romantic perspective, then yes.”
He could firmly answer that. People like Cecili, characters from a game… those who were originally from this world might think differently.
You couldn’t measure them against human moral standards. They were demons. Thus, others wouldn’t find it strange if Seere had feelings for Nahun.
That could be the case, but Nahun was different.
Having grown up in the conservative environment of South Korea, he was originally human. He knew very well how morally questionable it was to adopt a child he had cared for since childhood as a partner.
So to Nahun, being in a romantic relationship with Seere was ‘something that shouldn’t happen.’ Even if it wasn’t about that, due to having cared for her since she was young… it wouldn’t stir feelings unless she approached him unabashedly.
“Why is that? A person like you is honestly… just as beautiful as the progenitor I saw a moment ago.”
“True. I can’t deny that.”
“Then why….”
“That girl is someone I’ve cared for since she was young. Do you think I would feel that way about her? I’d rather wish for her to find a good partner.”
Nahun’s obstinate answer made Cecili sigh.
“Sigh, you must be having a difficult time too, Your Majesty.”
“I’m also having a hard time.”
“Still, I have to support you, Your Majesty. Do you know how painful unrequited love can be?”
“…You speak as if you have experience.”
“Do you think you’re the only one who underestimates my age, Nahun? Do you think I haven’t experienced such things?”
Nahun admitted he had misjudged her.
“Then why didn’t you give Seere advice? It’s better to give up on unrequited love early.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“Hmm?”
Nahun tilted his head slightly. Seeing that there was no one near Cecili, he thought perhaps unrequited love ended in failure.
“I succeeded, so I’m helping you.”
“…Succeeded?”
Then why is there no one beside Cecili now? Nahun swallowed that question internally. He let out a slight sigh and spoke to Cecili.
“Please, don’t let that experience give Seere false hope.”
“No one knows whether it will end as false hope or not, Nahun.”
“…What else can I say?”
Just as Nahun gave up and shook his head, the reception room door quietly opened. A woman who had finished preparing to welcome guests entered.
‘She looks much better now.’
The woman, who had only worn a thin, white garment while lying in the coffin, looked far more beautiful in proper attire. It gave off a true feeling of being the leader of the vampire race.
Nilbana was covering one of her eyes with her arm as she gazed at the progenitor who could now walk outside without issue, seemingly overwhelmed by her presence. While it may not seem like an emotional moment, for the bloodline, it was a wish come true after a lifetime.
“Thank you for waiting, Nahun.”
“A little.”
“Hmm, that’s quite a pout.”
Ersha slowly approached and sat across from Nahun. The fact that she had dressed formally, unlike her usual comfortable attire for slumber, indicated that she was returning to her daily life.
“So what was the reason you wanted to wake me this time, Nahun?”
“I came to make a proposal.”
“What kind of proposal?”
As Ersha asked, Nahun suddenly extended his hand.
“Nahun?”
“Ersha Scarlet, I would like you to assist me.”
“You want me… to assist you?”
“It might not be appropriate to say so, but I can guarantee the safety of the bloodline moving forward.”
With Nahun’s proposal, Ersha’s eyes widened. It seemed trivial, but it was a declaration that the Archdemon would protect them.
“…Hehe, really, you’re quite mischievous, Nahun.”
“What do you mean?”
“You only make offers that I can’t refuse. You know well what choice I’d make for the children if you say something like this….”
“Well, isn’t it normal to talk about something by understanding the other person’s desires?”
“That’s fair enough.”
Ersha was not the kind of kind-hearted progenitor who cared for the life and d*ath of each individual member of the bloodline, but she was more sincere than anyone in ensuring the survival of the bloodline.
With the power of an Archdemon, she could ensure the continuance of the entire race, no matter what happened. Ersha was not someone who would turn down such an option.
“Alright.”
Ersha gently took Nahun’s hand.
“Though I may be lacking, I will wholeheartedly assist you, Nahun.”
“You can’t afford to be lacking. I have high expectations of you.”
“Oh my, you really are greedy.”
The recruitment of the strategist that Nahun had longed for was now realized. Thanks to this, Nahun smiled contentedly and said.
“Let’s work well together.”
“Please take care of me as well.”
