That night, everything came to a standstill.
The flow of air, breaths, and even time itself seemed to be fixed at a certain point, creating an illusion.
Only the heat waves arose endlessly.
Ceria stared blankly at the woman in front of her, forgetting even to breathe. It was a woman she had never once forgotten in her life.
How could she forget?
A wound that would never fade away remained in her mind, taking the form of that woman’s silhouette.
Even in her hesitation, the woman did not add a word.
She simply watched Ceria with a sad smile.
Having uttered her name once already, Ceria could hardly believe it.
A stammering voice escaped from Ceria’s lips.
“Um, Mother…?”
“Yes, Ceria.”
It was a gentle, noble tone.
Her mother had always been this way. Although her origins were unknown, she was a woman of rare elegance, even among the noble families.
The various stories she told during Ceria’s childhood flashed through her mind.
Hadn’t she once said that, in the depths of “Heavenblade Mountain,” where those who swore to devote their lives solely to the sword converged, there existed a secret gathering called the “Sword Circle”?
She had also heard about the Golden Domains scattered across the continent.
“Vampires,” “Brass Angels,” “The King of Beasts,” and “Islands of the Sky.”
Places guarded by fearsome monsters that were terrifying just to hear about were called the graves of adventurers. Listening to such mysterious tales from all over the continent, Ceria often dreamed with a pounding heart.
One day, she too would wander the world like her mother.
It was a dream she had long forgotten.
As she explored her memories, Ceria’s voice began to tremble with emotion.
“Um, Mother… is it really you?”
Yet still, the woman gave no reply.
Only one step, two steps.
Slowly she approached Ceria. At first, Ceria took a step back, but there was a limit to that as well.
Finally, they were close enough to touch.
The woman opened her arms silently.
But Ceria hesitated and couldn’t move for a while.
Fear spread in her blue eyes. It was a legitimate anxiety before the one she had longed for her entire life.
What if it wasn’t actually her?
The person she had missed every day. Thus, she was scared to reach out carelessly.
What if she were to be disappointed?
If she were to get hurt again, it seemed it would take far too long to heal.
This hesitation did not last long.
The woman, who had been silent, finally spoke.
“…My daughter.”
What depth of emotion could be contained in that single phrase?
Crying, laughing, and exuding regret and pain, that voice finally made Ceria burst into tears.
“Um, uuh… Mother…”
“Yes, yes. My daughter Ceria.”
Embracing the hesitantly approaching Ceria, the woman smiled with a heartbreaking expression.
“You’ve grown a lot. Really, you’ve grown… you’re already nearly as tall as me.”
Now Ceria could hardly sob properly.
She was simply letting tears flow without a word.
The voice she finally managed to squeeze out only expressed a short question.
“Um, Mother… I, uuh… how…?”
“Shh.”
But even that was only for a moment.
The woman tightly embraced Ceria, as if wanting to savor this moment for as long as possible.
In truth, Ceria felt the same.
The absence of her mother was a wound a young child couldn’t easily bear. She had only recited that she had forgotten after it had festered and caused scars that showed no signs of healing.
It was impossible not to be happy to have her mother back.
Leaving her crying daughter behind, the mother continued in a voice that strained to hold back her own tears.
“Our daughter, our daughter… I’m sorry, I left you alone for so long… haven’t you been suffering all this time?”
“Uuh, no… ngh!”
Due to the flood of tears, Ceria struggled to reply.
The woman did not force her to answer. As if she could already guess her daughter’s feelings, she simply offered a handkerchief with a pained expression.
After Ceria blew her nose, the woman continued softly.
“I truly didn’t want to leave you alone. No, in fact, it’s not just you… how is your father?”
At that gentle question, Ceria’s crying abruptly stopped.
Her wide-open blue eyes followed her mother. The woman’s face showed emotions of nostalgia without filtering them.
She must have been abandoned.
How could she miss that man so much? Was the depth of love inherited between mothers and daughters?
Even after such thoughts passed, Ceria hesitated and could not open her mouth.
What had become of Marquis Yurdina?
He was trapped in the family’s underground brain vault, barely clinging to life. Ceria would rather have her mother blame her father.
That way, at least it might ease her heart.
On the other hand, she could also understand her mother’s feelings.
Perhaps Ceria would have felt the same way.
Even if she were to be abandoned by Ian, Ceria would endlessly long for him. Thus, she couldn’t bring herself to speak.
Knowing what her mother would feel upon hearing about her father.
The woman tilted her head, unable to comprehend this reaction. But even that was only for a moment; she had to assume a sad expression again.
“I’m sorry, Ceria… I don’t have much time left.”
“…What?”
What kind of thunderous words were those?
Ceria was left startled, swallowing her tears immediately. Just having reunited, now she had to prepare for another farewell.
Before she could utter her urgent voice.
The woman’s finger pressed down on Ceria’s philtrum. It meant there was no time for conversation.
With her daughter before her, the mother feigned a lowering of her voice.
“I must tell you a few things you need to remember. Make sure to keep them in mind.”
Hastily licking her lips, the woman began to speak incomprehensible words.
“First, never trust anyone. No one… And, soon the man you love will move. The next phase of the plan is just around the corner.”
“What do you mean…?”
“When that time comes, you must follow him. Lastly, remember the ‘smell of blood.’”
Having finished her arbitrary advice, the woman let out a sigh and took a few steps back.
Until that moment, Ceria stood there, frozen with a dazed expression. The woman quietly captured the moon in the sky in her retinas.
“…It’s time.”
Before Ceria could question what she meant.
A piercing sensation jolted through her spine, causing her to open her eyes wide. Fear emanated from the blue eyes turned to her back.
Something was coming.
It was an unmistakable presence. It was moving with such terrifying speed that it almost felt like it was tearing through the distance.
The woman must have sensed it too, as she ultimately had to smile sadly with a sigh.
“I’ll give you one last gift. From now on, your instincts will guide you.”
Then, just as Ceria was about to turn her gaze back to the woman.
A sudden pain struck her head.
It was her wrist. Her mother’s lips were placed there.
No, were they lips?
The moment she realized something sharp was glimmering between them.
“Ugh, ugh… Aaaah!”
With the burst of blood and water, a white pain bleached through Ceria’s mind.
It was the first time she had ever experienced such agony. It felt as if each cell in her body had turned into a needle, piercing her throughout.
The last voice she heard before losing consciousness was that of her beloved man, filled with indignation.
“Ceria, Ceria!”
Senior Ian.
Before she could even call out that name, Ceria fainted.
But was it an illusion?
Amid her fading vision, she thought she saw a black clump of mud.
“Guh, hee hee… The ‘Jealousy’ shall come…!”
It was the strange existence shaking with joy.
Returning to the dormitory, my feelings were a mess.
Once again, I had missed it.
The monster that struck Ceria was undoubtedly a vampire of the bloodline. The actual victim had fainted, so how the ambush had occurred remained a mystery.
At least it was fortunate that the sword master was with me.
Hearing that time was of the essence, the sword master immediately threw me over his shoulder and began to dash. His speed was so fast it was hard to keep my mind clear.
As I searched for Ceria’s whereabouts, that was the scene I witnessed.
I should have killed it the moment I saw it.
It was particularly unpleasant that the Dark Cult’s minion dared to touch Ceria. I clicked my tongue and threw off my uniform’s outer coat.
At that moment, something crimson snatched my coat.
“Alright, treasure obtained! Now then…!”
With a bright voice, I heard the sound of someone burying their face in my coat and sniffing.
I could only let out a frustrated sigh.
“Can’t you be quiet? I’m already irritated enough as it is.”
“Hehe, you’re getting embarrassed… But doesn’t this make us look like newlyweds? Aah, stop! Just stop! Really, you’re so hasty…!”
Once I grabbed the handle of my axe without hesitation, ‘Greed’ finally quit her nonsensical chatter.
How did I end up in this ridiculous situation?
Just as I let out a big sigh and began to unbutton, she spoke again.
“Well then, next, I’ll give you some really important information.”
My hand froze.
Before I could even muster a question, the girl grinned and said,
“The cause of this situation… the location of the ‘vampires.’”
The conversation was heading toward a pivotal point.
