What a handsome man. I thought to myself as I watched the nobleman smile faintly.
It was already a night after sunset, and he had come to find us, enjoying the cool night breeze after throwing off his thick coat. Smiling brightly as he approached us, he was startled when he saw Roka.
“The Power of the Sun…”
For a moment, fear flickered across his face before disappearing.
It was because I had hidden Roka behind me, who was like a terrifying bioweapon to vampires. Only then did the nobleman let out an awkward smile.
“Ah, my apologies. I was momentarily flustered…”
Just as there are nobles and commoners among humans, vampires also have their own hierarchy. At the top are the True Ancestors, followed by the noble class known as Lords, and then the lower-class vampires known as mere bloodsuckers.
The gentleman before us didn’t seem to belong to the lower class at all.
“I am Layton Valencia, a Lord serving Duke Shimira. Since this title may be unfamiliar to humans, you may call me Baron Layton.”
Indeed, whether by vampire or human standards, Mr. Layton seemed to be a noble.
The problem is, the sun doesn’t discriminate between nobility and commoners, treating us all equally.
By the way, since vampires have their names and surnames reversed, does that mean his name is Valencia and his surname is Layton?
As I pondered this, Mr. Layton chuckled and answered.
“Only the True Ancestors have the privilege of reversing their names and surnames. Vampires below the rank of Lord follow the same naming conventions as you. My name is Layton, and my surname is Valencia.”
Ah, so it’s a unique privilege reserved for the clan’s leader.
As I marveled at the mysterious culture of another race, he glanced at Roka and took a step back.
“And if the wolf lady over there could step back a bit, I’d be grateful. Ah! Please don’t misunderstand. Some of my kind don’t enjoy the taste of beastfolk blood, but I don’t discriminate against them. It’s just that, well, the Power of the Sun she possesses is truly dangerous to us.”
Even nobles can’t withstand the sun, and even a Queen would be no different. That’s what Mr. Layton said.
“That’s why I sometimes envy you humans. I’ve never seen the sun before. For us, who must flee to the shadows at the mere sight of sunlight, the sun is an unknown entity. I still don’t know what it looks like.”
I’ve seen it in pictures. I’ve heard about it in stories.
But I’ve never seen the real sun with my own eyes.
If the sun is the source of light and warmth, an object of reverence for us, then for vampires, it’s an object of fear and the unknown. Mr. Layton glanced at Roka with a strange look before shifting his gaze.
“Are you, by any chance, Princess Ardein? Your Highness, I beg your forgiveness for doubting you, even if only for a moment.”
Perhaps because he is both a vampire and a baron of the Empire?
Mr. Layton knelt and bowed his head upon seeing the Princess. Princess Ardein, with a glint in her eye, asked in return.
“Do you have any reason to be so sure I am Ardein?”
“I have a keen sense for the scent of blood among my kind. How could I not recognize the scent of the Golden Bloodline? The blood of dragons doesn’t easily tarnish, even when mixed with human blood, and retains its purity for a long time. Your Highness, please forgive me for momentarily suspecting you might be an imposter.”
“It’s fine. The Empire isn’t so petty as to call that disloyalty.”
“You seem different from what I’ve heard…”
Mr. Layton stood up, seemingly surprised, and his gaze turned to me next.
I thought it would pass quickly, but he lingered longer than expected. I could feel Roka’s grip on my sleeve tighten.
“You don’t need to look at me like that. I’m not into men.”
Did Roka glare at him? Mr. Layton waved his hand dismissively.
“Others might not mind, but when you look at me like that, it’s truly terrifying. I may be much stronger than you, but if I were to be exposed to the Power of the Sun by accident… it’d be instant death.”
“Hmm, I know the world is vast, races are many, and each has its own unique traits…”
I had seen Hans’ hand turn to ash with my own eyes, so I fully understood how weak they were to the sun. Still, it was hard to fully grasp.
No matter how much all things in the world have their own affinities, the relationship between vampires and the sun didn’t feel natural to me.
“I didn’t know vampires were this weak to the sun. I thought sunlight just weakened their strength a bit.”
“That’s what we want you to think. If people knew how vulnerable we are to the sun, our kind would be in danger. Spreading partially true misinformation was a measure to protect us.”
Mr. Layton looked at me and bowed his head politely.
“You must be the priest who healed our soldiers. Ah, I’ve kept you standing for too long. Please, everyone, get on the carriage. It’s humble, but it’s the most comfortable carriage in the territory, drawn by our special breed of horses.”
The large carriage had enough room for all five of us, with space to spare. There was plenty of room to sit comfortably, but Roka and the Princess squeezed in tightly on either side of me. Before I could complain about the seating arrangement, the Princess whispered softly.
“Kyle. For now, since there are vampires here, please call me Your Highness. And you, please call me Your Highness as well.”
“Your Highness. There’s no need to sit this close, is there…?”
“No, we must stay close. A priest who can heal vampires is not as simple as you might think. It wouldn’t be surprising if Duke Shimira has already heard about you.”
“You didn’t see how blatantly that man was looking at you earlier.”
Roka chimed in. The child even grabbed my arm tightly, puffing up like a guard dog.
Hey, you’re the one making me feel cramped.
“It’s a bit disappointing to see you so wary, haha.”
Mr. Layton entered the carriage, removed his hat, and placed it beside him. He then sat opposite us and called for the carriage to depart. The coachman acknowledged, and soon the carriage began to move.
Not long after the carriage started, Mr. Layton smiled faintly.
Not at the beautiful Princess, nor at the lovely Roka, but directly at me.
“Priest, or perhaps the young lady over there. If you’re bored, would you like to solve a riddle?”
No one had said they were bored, but it felt awkward to interrupt.
Mr. Layton began speaking with great enthusiasm.
“What is the most powerful thing in this world?”
“Grimudo.”
The Princess snorted and answered immediately.
“I don’t see the point in asking such a question.”
“Haha, but that’s not it. Grimudo may be stronger than all of us combined, but can he claim to be stronger than the sun in the sky? Can Grimudo’s power extinguish the sun that brightens the day?”
“Then, is the answer time?”
Something stronger than the sun. It might be a stronger star, or perhaps time itself. Even stars have lifespans, just like us.
It’s just that they have much more time allotted to them.
“Time. Indeed, time is one of the most powerful things in the world. But even time is ultimately one of the Laws of the Universe.”
“Laws…?”
“Yes, miss. The Laws of the Universe. An absolute law that no one in the universe can escape, incomparable to any law we might create.”
He paused for a moment, then muttered slowly.
“It’s a force so overwhelming it sends shivers down your spine. Before it, everything in the world is meaningless. When our ancestors ruled the continent, considered themselves rulers, and thought they had conquered everything…”
“The Laws of the Universe shifted. It was truly the first time such a thing had happened. No vampire, no matter how strong, could escape it. After all, we are all inhabitants of this universe.”
The woman beside me, as if she already knew the story, retorted.
“I know that you vampires were cursed by the Ancient God.”
The Princess might know, but this was the first I’d heard of it. The curse of the Ancient God? Wasn’t the Ancient God just a figure from stories?
“The Ancient God, who is the Law of the Universe itself, grew angry and inserted a new clause into itself, at the cost of its own consciousness.”
Apparently not.
“Thanks to that, we went from rulers of the continent to mere bats. But honestly, I don’t really care. The glory of my ancestors, long before I was born, has nothing to do with me. I don’t think vampires need to reclaim the continent.”
It was only then that I realized why Mr. Layton had been staring at me so intently.
Fortunately, it didn’t seem to be out of romantic interest.
“But isn’t it too much? The sins of our distant ancestors, whose remains we’ve never even seen, are being passed down to us, who have nothing to do with them.”
“Are you telling me this because you want me to solve this problem for you?”
“Priest. I’ll be direct. I can’t force you, but I’d like you to tell me the truth.”
His smile faded completely for the first time.
As if preparing to speak seriously, he took a deep breath before continuing.
“The only thing that can bypass the Laws of the Universe is another law. Priest, is the one you serve, by any chance, the Ancient God?”
I couldn’t answer that question. Because, honestly, I didn’t even know if the Ancient God truly existed. Wasn’t it just a figure from stories?
Is my Lord the Ancient God? Was there even a separate classification for Ancient Gods?
I didn’t know about that, nor did I know much about my Lord, so I couldn’t answer. After a moment of silence, I looked at Mr. Layton and asked.
“Who exactly are the Ancient Gods?”
“Huh?”
Even though I was a member of the Hero Party, it was embarrassing not to know such things.
But it’s better to ask than to answer blindly without knowing anything.
