3 – Sacred
A serene solemnity in the temple.
Rupert, a middle-aged man who leads the contemporary order of knights, let out a heavy sigh.
“I swear… What on earth is he doing, wandering around like this?”
The man seated next to Rupert asked curiously in a graceful manner, sensing Rupert’s stifling lament.
“What’s going on?”
“I have a feeling something’s up. It’s not like I’m bothering the busy Pope with complaints, though.”
“Hmm. Even if you did, there’s probably nothing he can do about it.”
“You’re probably right.”
The two had entered the temple at the same time one day, and their camaraderie was so natural that ignoring hierarchy felt entirely appropriate.
“If he left the temple quietly, he’d live in peace… ‘That’ Arwel even pushed around the people of the Luminel family, not just the palace attendants.”
“What could he possibly have done?”
“I don’t know. It’s more worrying because it seems like he hasn’t done anything. Should I casually ask the Lord about it?”
“You still think of the Lord as the local teacher, don’t you?”
“Tsk.”
Rupert clicked his tongue in frustration.
Certainly, he had to somehow detain Harte, who was trying to leave the temple.
“No, it’s not that simple from the start…”
Unexpectedly, he plunged his head into the pond, and in an instant, he transformed into a different person. At first, Rupert thought he might be possessed by a spirit. However, that was absolutely impossible, so he quickly ruled it out from the possibilities.
“He seems uneasy.”
“Restless and silent. You know it too. It’s a walking miracle. There’s nothing else worthy to be unleashed in the outside world.”
“Well, I think a bit differently.”
“What?”
The Pope, referred to as the representative of God, quietly absorbed the vast sky. His devout blue eyes, tracing the lines of the horizon, gently folded.
“If such a being has ventured into the outside world… that too must be the will of the Almighty. At least, that’s what I believe.”
“What if that being abuses its power?”
“Well, it’s complicated. Incredibly complicated, but…”
He paused for a moment.
“As the Pope bound by the rules of the temple, I suppose condemnation would be necessary, wouldn’t it?”
◇
A deep night, as if a curtain of darkness covered the sky.
I was climbing a nearby mountain path with Yurián.
“Surprising.”
Even though we were on our way to meet the rumored vampire, Yurián seemed to have no complaints. Perhaps as a prince, walking himself was bothersome and tiring, but his cynical face showed no signs of discontent.
“Yurián. Aren’t you a bit scared?”
“A bit. But the Count wouldn’t assign me unnecessary tasks. So, my curiosity about vampires is stronger now. Yes.”
“… I see.”
It was a new experience. Despite all the tic-tac-toe, it ultimately meant trusting me.
It’s close to trusting the Count who trusts me… well, whatever.
“Yurián.”
“Yes.”
“It’s probably better not to use formal language. Today’s reaction from the Floaty was like that, and it seems more noticeable.”
“Indeed, you’re right.”
“I can just be casual. Do you think a commoner would speak comfortably to a noble, anyway?”
“That would be too casual, yes.”
“Exactly, so let’s just talk casually. Got it?”
“Got it.”
Ah, it’s nice not to hear that half-respectful tone.
Wearing clothes that I secretly felt uncomfortable in, I couldn’t shake off the unease in my heart.
“Director.”
“Yeah?”
“Setting aside concerns about safety, I don’t understand your thoughts. How is it possible to take care of a being like a vampire in an orphanage?”
“That’s a common way of thinking.”
I added a word afterwards.
“If it really is a vampire.”
In this world, being a fantasy realm, various races exist, and among them, the most well-known adversaries of humans are the demons.
And the term ‘vampire’ refers to a high-ranking demon among the demons. Just witnessing one can cause a state of emergency in nearby villages.
The idea that such a vampire would be sucking the blood of animals in human territory… That’s quite a convincing assumption.
“Huh?”
It was when we walked in silence for a while. A group of lights was moving in the distance.
“That…”
“It’s a torch.”
“One, two, six, seven? At this hour?”
I wondered why anyone would cross the ominous mountain path at this dark hour when unsettling rumors were circulating. Even the silhouette that could be vaguely seen suggested a simple and unassuming figure, likely carrying minimal baggage.
There was only one possibility to consider.
“A hunter?”
Though the probability of it being a rather inept hunter was quite high.
In fact, with just a little thought, anyone would realize that the rumor was not about a vampire. Most probably, everyone had assumed that the mysterious entity was a harmless creature, perhaps a beast, from the scent of its blood or the traces it left behind.
Such uniqueness could be turned into profit.
If auctioned at the underground market, it had the potential to strike it rich.
“Director, should we head in that direction?”
“… Probably.”
The light wasn’t dispersed, and the figures were densely clustered. Moreover, individual movements were extremely minimal.
The likelihood of having found a target was high.
I roughly grabbed Yurián and silenced my footsteps. The thick foliage made the path too dark because it blocked the moonlight.
As an inexperienced Yurián, I could have tripped and fallen.
However, in the midst of that…
The moment when the situation took a sudden turn came with a man’s scream, reminiscent of a beast’s roar.
“aaargh!”
The orderly light of the torch swayed and flickered, gradually extinguishing one by one, and the forest fell silent. Now, only the moonlight filtering through the leaves, trickling down like raindrops, served as our guide.
Rustle, rustle.
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Pushing through the bushes, we advanced.
As we got closer, the scent of burning wood tickled our noses, and soon a putrid smell turned our stomachs.
“Ugh…”
Yurian frowned deeply. This kind of stench seemed to be particularly harsh for a young child.
And so, as we left the densely forested area and entered a clearing that stretched out like a meadow, the bright full moon illuminated the previously darkened view.
Yurian, peering past the fallen hunters, spoke in a tense voice, his eyes fixed on the glaring red eyes.
“Director.”
“Yeah.”
“Is that… a vampire?”
“No.”
I could say with certainty.
“It’s human. Just a little different.”
Indeed, it was a pitiful misconception to mistake it for a vampire.
From head to toe, covered in blood, the smell was overpowering. Its small stature was evident at a glance, but the menacing aura was so irrational that it felt overwhelming.
Truly a predator.
It was a child that seemed to be on a different level as a living being.
“A human… really?”
“I told you. They’re just slightly different from ordinary people.”
Several years ago, from this moment.
There was a dragon who took his hobby very seriously.
The hobby of dragons, in general, is playing make-believe. They are the epitome of lunatics who transform into creatures they find amusing and then engage in intense role-playing.
Furthermore, it was also a gathering of intellectually challenged individuals who would throw a fit if they discovered the play. They would get offended by the slightest provocation.
And so, one day.
A lunatic of another level was born, who could no longer be satisfied with ordinary play.
As soon as the dragon transformed for the sake of immersion, he cast a spell on me.
It was to make me completely forget about my life as a dragon during the period of enjoying the hobby.
And thus, as an ordinary person with amnesia, my infuriating hard mode hobby life began.
Luckily, I succeeded in living as a human and married the woman who helped me.
After spending their first night as a couple, the next day arrived.
It was the day the dragon had determined as the end of the hobby and the day I would regain my memories as a dragon.
The dragon, who had already lost his human emotions, left his wife without any hesitation.
The infamous dragon was called the Bloody Dragon.
Instead of gold, he craved blood. He was truly the king of lunatics.
“Ugh… Ahh…”
And the girl who let out eerie voices from the other side was the fruit of the couple’s night of destruction.
“A half-dragon inheriting the blood of the Bloody Dragon…”
As a normal woman, it must have been unbearable as a mother.
From excessive violence to instinctual bloodlust.
The time to give up on the child must have come very quickly.
That is why I have no choice but to convey these words.
“You’ve been strong all this time.”
Those bastards who tried to hunt the child. They didn’t suffer any serious injuries, just lost consciousness.
They must have craved and longed for the blood of their own kind, and managed to survive by nourishing themselves with the blood of beasts.
She is a girl of twelve, the same age as Yurian.
“Of course, you too.”
I tapped Yurian’s head lightly.
He’s no different. In the palace, he must have cherished each day of his lonely existence, contemplating the preciousness of life.
The world is truly harsh.
“Anyway, why are there so many vulnerable children around here…”
Just as I took a step forward.
“No, stay away…! Ugh…”
The child staggered back, making a strange sound.
“Ugh… Huh…”
Her desire-filled breath was rough. Yet, her tightly clenched lips showed fear.
The struggle of a young girl’s heart against her instincts was incredibly strong.
“Director.”
At that moment, Yurian grabbed my sleeve.
“What are we going to do?”
“What do you want to do?”
“To my reversed question, Yurian responded with another question.
‘Can you save him?’
‘Oh, oh, oh, look at you, not answering like a noble but showing fear.’
If he’s noble, he should respond with confidence…
‘Save him,’ I should say.
…”
Yurian nodded.
Having confirmed his intention in this manner, it was settled.
He didn’t mention escaping.
Even if he’s rotten, the male protagonist has quite a demeanor.
In that case, I have no choice but to respond to that demeanor.
‘Since you’ve given permission… Yurian, are you an accomplice too?’
‘Director?’
One step, I stepped forward.
At that moment, like fireflies from the ground, golden particles shimmered.
The particles of light, gracefully rising, spread like a golden galaxy.
Shaking leaves scattered the radiant light like morning dew, and above the lush bushes, flowers blossomed, creating a discordant harmony of seasons and life’s vitality.
Sacred.
It is the transcendent power possessed only by an extremely small number of believers who have received the name of God.
A providence that forcibly brings about miracles not allowed in the mortal realm.”
“In the footsteps of my deity, guiding the world.”
“Oh, stop… Don’t…!”
“Under your name, I too shall tread upon the world.”
“…!”
The golden nugget changes from a point to a line, from a line to a surface. And the golden light transformed into the shape of a cocoon, binding us like knots in an instant.
I continue to recite the proclamation.
For the completion of an unfinished miracle.
“May the merciful power reach the white life.”
Also, may I take on the burden of that life.
To atone for innocent sins.
And thus, bestow a blessed life upon the child who will run beyond the horizon.
“As a life bestowed with the name of God, I pray.”
In the moment of concluding the prayer.
The crimson energy, riding on the golden cocoon that bound us, crossed over and engulfed me.
It was the process of the dragon’s instincts transferring from the girl to me.
The realization of an omnipotent realm that was originally deemed impossible.
A miracle manifested as sacred.
Thanks to it, for the first time, I could see the world from the perspective of the girl.
“Ah…”
The hands bound by knots were warm. And the impulse to crave blood writhed as if urging to kill the two children and drink blood right away.
“Is this the instinct of a dragon?”
If I were to fulfill the impulse, I would follow the stability similar to that of a dragon. The nature of the instinct of a dragon itself was like that.
“Sigh…”
Just having this makes me feel really dirty.
Therefore, I compressed the energy of crimson light like a bead and emitted it onto the palm of my hand. It resembled the dense formation of veins inside a bead filled with blood.
“I should create a dragon enforcement team in the empire.”
Squeezing the instinct-concentrated bead with my fingers, I roughly shattered it. Then, with a sharp sound, the crimson energy scattered into the atmosphere.
The culmination of the curse that had been constricting the throat of a ten-year-old girl was such a trivial thing.
“Sigh… Sigh… Ugh…”
A turning point came for the child who had been breathing roughly.
Thud!
She, in her bloodstained armor, soon collapsed lifelessly. It seemed like she had suddenly escaped from the instinct that had been tormenting her and succumbed to exhaustion.
I embraced her and signaled to Yuriel that it was time to leave.
Yuriel, who was following behind, cautiously asked a question as if encountering a stranger.
“Who is the director… What kind of person is he?”
“Well, I am what I am.”
I spoke the truth as it was.
“The rookie orphanage director.”
…
The brilliant light of a miraculous event, the curse longing for blood, and the singularity vanished, leaving only the tranquil darkness to settle on the night.
The desolate orphanage welcomed a new family member.