NOVEL NEXT Selin received a sudden summons again and went to find Dave.
“Selin Soleis—”
“Have you come? Sit down.”
Dave waved his hand dismissively, stopping the salute. He usually doesn’t follow formalities and is quite lazy, but for some reason, Selin felt today that he seemed to treasure his time rather than being bothered.
“What’s the matter?”
“Uh, let’s get straight to the point. The lady named Aria, whom you guys brought to the orphanage, have you seen her lately?”
“…? I do meet her occasionally, but she’s closer with Plona.”
Selin answered as honestly as she could, though she was puzzled. After all, finding the progenitor was proving more difficult than expected; why were they looking for Aria all of a sudden?
Seeing Dave being serious was unusual, so she believed he had a valid reason for bringing it up. The next words were awaited in silence.
“The higher-ups have decided to thoroughly investigate all suspects, no matter the cost and budget. I’ve heard that Cardinal Raul Carlos raised the possibility that the current progenitor has never fed on human blood. So we’re being told we can’t rely solely on eye color this time.”
“Well… that’s quite an unconventional perspective.”
The blood-red eye color, which is the symbol of vampires, stands as evidence from progenitor to minion. At first glance, it seems superficial, but historically, it has been a verified method.
It’s rare for a human to have red eyes. Of course, there are some, but if mysterious disappearances occur nearby, it’s nearly a certainty those incidents are vampire-related.
However, clever vampires infiltrating human society have developed countermeasures, so distinguishing based on eye color is not a generally accepted method. Solar and lunar tests are much simpler methods.
But the progenitor is different. Unlike their minions born as humans, they possess an adult level of intelligence and appearance from birth, yet they are essentially no different from a reckless child.
The time right after birth is when their bloodsucking instincts are the strongest. It’s impossible for a young progenitor to resist their instincts.
Typically, they catch humans to drink their blood and don’t even think to hide the bodies.
After a while, they begin to think a little, but by then, they usually leave behind so much evidence that they get caught.
All known progenitors have exhibited similar behavioral patterns. None of them have defied their instincts.
And it has been a long time since the fourth progenitor was born.
The claim that they might not have fed on human blood even once seemed as realistic to Selin as saying a fish left with a cat would return a month later unharmed.
“Well, that may be true, but if he said it, there must be something to it.”
“…But he is a cardinal. Referring to him as ‘that guy’ seems a bit disrespectful.”
“Who cares if he can hear? I just don’t get along with inquisitors.”
That was a statement lacking realism. It might have been something easily brushed off otherwise.
If the person making the claim weren’t Cardinal Raul Carlos, that is.
Raul Carlos, the man who rose from inquisitor to cardinal, is known as an expert on vampires.
Rumor has it that he dissected numerous live vampires during his time as an inquisitor.
How much of that is true only he knows, but nobody can dispute his extensive knowledge of vampire ecology, given the grim reputation.
“So why are you looking for Aria?”
“Ah, yes. Well, according to that guy, we have to check all suspects, but if we can start with the more suspicious ones, we can save time and costs. Since Aria is of unknown origin and her identity is unclear, she’s on the priority list of suspects. But I think Plona will get angry if I tell her, so you should go take care of this before she returns.”
In the end, it was just a matter of passing the buck. Selin couldn’t help but crease her brows at her superior’s serious explanation that had turned out to be a way of handing off her own annoying tasks.
“I do think Aria seems innocent.”
Though she hadn’t met her often, Selin remembered that Aria was someone who couldn’t possibly be connected to a monster like the progenitor.
A gentle and calm woman exuding an undeniable sense of goodness, even if her beautiful appearance hadn’t caught anyone’s eye, she still carried an air of nobility.
That was Selin’s evaluation of Aria. The idea that such a person could be a progenitor was nothing short of a ridiculous joke.
“Still, it’d be best to prove her innocence before Plona finds out. I’ll follow your orders.”
“Right. Then good luck.”
Plona would surely be displeased to find out. Though the task of shifting away the annoying job to someone else made Selin feel a bit resentful, it was something that someone had to do eventually.
Resigned, Selin left the room.
Until that point, neither Selin nor Dave had any serious suspicion that Aria could be the progenitor.
The two of them were solely focused on the task of quickly clearing her name from the suspect list.
*
Two weeks passed since Plona had visited.
The world had plunged into incredible chaos, while my daily life remained surprisingly peaceful.
After Plona’s visit, a global alert was issued in the name of Pope Arbinus.
Of course, the content was about the birth of the fourth progenitor of vampires in history.
The impact of the emergency declaration made in the pope’s name was tremendous.
The entire continent was in a frenzy to find the progenitor. Initially, the human nations that couldn’t easily believe it paused their infighting to unite upon realizing the pope was sincere.
Even the closed-off elves had completely shut themselves in their forests, and the beastmen, who relentlessly invaded at any time or situation, paused their attacks to observe.
Witnessing the anxious faces of the people in Randell, who hadn’t batted an eye when their neighboring village was attacked by beastmen repeatedly, made me realize I had been underestimating my own worth—if “worth” was the correct term.
People living in this era thought the progenitor was merely a legend from ancient tales. They knew to be wary, but they hadn’t imagined it would be taken so seriously.
However, judging by the terrified people and the knights and soldiers running about every day, it seemed that nobody was minimizing its significance.
And that was undoubtedly bad news for me. It meant that the entire country—no, the entire continent was fervently searching for me.
But, just as if I were standing in the eye of a storm, my daily life at the orphanage remained astonishingly unchanged.
In fact, that tranquility triggered feelings of unease. Just making eye contact with people while shopping made me anxious, and even in my sleep, I dreamt of being captured by the Luminous Kingdom’s Palace.
For the past two weeks, I had racked my brain tirelessly, but no concrete solution had surfaced.
Realistically speaking, for someone like me, it’s impossible to escape pursuit. Remaining still was the best option, but this situation wouldn’t end until the progenitor was caught.
Thinking about it was incredibly frustrating.
How long must I sit on pins and needles? The endless wait felt like I had returned to my past life, waiting for the day of death.
But that suffocating wait came to an abrupt end before I could even prepare mentally.
“Long time no see, Aria. I’m sorry, but could you accompany me for a bit?”
From the moment I heard that Selin had come alone to the orphanage without Plona, something felt off.
And when I heard her next words, my stomach dropped.
“What’s going on…?”
My answer barely escaped my lips, but I didn’t sound like I was maintaining my composure at all.
“The policies have changed, and now we need to check everyone involved. I don’t think you’re a vampire, but since orders have been given to confirm those with unclear identities and no family, your name is on the list of priority checks. I’m sorry, but I need you to come with me right away. It won’t take long.”
Her deliberate avoidance of the word ‘suspect’ and the polite tone hinted at her concern for me; however, unfortunately, that didn’t improve the situation.
What am I going to do?—repeated in my mind like a mantra.
It might seem like a question, but I had no real choice. Refusing would be akin to confessing guilt.
Would I be able to escape from Selin?
…No, that’s impossible. I hadn’t lived in vain; I was well aware of the weight the title of Knight carries in this country.
With my physical abilities only slightly better than those of an ordinary person, there’s no way I could outrun her. The moment I tried to flee, I would be subdued.
Should I have fled earlier if I knew this would happen?
No, even if I had, the outcome wouldn’t have changed.
At this point, there was no alternative. Being captured and exposed was a foregone conclusion. The moment I was discovered, execution would be the next step.
It was hopeless.
Was there a chance I wouldn’t be caught because of an error during the check? It would be far more likely to escape successfully.
…Would confessing make them spare my life?
If I claimed I was different from the past progenitors, that I hadn’t harmed a single human and had no intention of doing so in the future, would they listen?
Of course! I was originally human! They might just let me go if I said I wanted to live like an ordinary person!
“—Aria? Aria? Is something wrong?”
“I… I have something I want to ask.”
“Hmm? Oh, feel free to ask anything.”
“The policy change… is it because the progenitor hasn’t fed on human blood even once, right? If that’s truly the case, then isn’t this progenitor harmless? Would she still be targeted for execution?”
“True. If it’s real, then it undeniably is an exceptional case. But likely, it won’t change anything. The potential for the progenitor to grow poses too great of a threat. They wouldn’t just leave it be, assuming it harmless. The higher-ups won’t let such a variable go unchecked. It’s much safer to execute it cleanly.”
Though Selin responded earnestly, her words felt like a death sentence to me.
Ah.
So, it ends up this way.
…So what should I do now?
“Aria? You don’t look well. I understand your anxiety, but it’s just a simple check.”
Am I really going to just sit back and wait for death?
Am I to die simply for existing, having done nothing wrong?
Is my very existence a crime?
Am I not allowed to live?
“Are you feeling unwell?”
I heard a voice filled with concern. And in that moment, I realized what my final move was.
“It seems… I might be the progenitor…”
“What did you say?”
The final choice I made in that moment was to rely on Selin’s compassion and mercy.
The Luminous Kingdom does not accept my existence. No, not just the Luminous Kingdom, but most nations in this Terra continent are moving to kill me.
But what if it’s not a nation, but an individual?
The Luminous Kingdom may not know of me, but Selin does.
From the Luminous Kingdom’s perspective, my existence is just a variable they want to eliminate, but for Selin, she has information about me.
If she believes I’m harmless and lets me go just this once, I might just be able to escape.
Of course, even if I dodge this moment of crisis, I’d likely be captured again somewhere. That’s why I had stayed put until now, but at this point, a chance to survive, even just a 1%, is better than 100% certain death.
Selin looked at me with confusion.
She wanted to know why I thought I was the progenitor, how I hadn’t harmed anyone yet, and I answered her questions honestly.
After hearing my story, Selin fell deep into thought.
Her response required her to process the unexpected confession.
Confusion, fear, anguish.
Many emotions flickered across Selin’s face.
Then finally, slowly, a look of determination filled her eyes.
“I’m sorry. Aria.”
No.
Why say such things?
Don’t apologize.
It feels as if you are rejecting me.
“Humans and vampires cannot coexist.”
A blunt declaration cut sharply.
It carried a clear message of rejection.
Something I had been repressing inside me crumbled down like a house of cards.
Please.
Please, spare me.
I’ll live a good life. I’ll live alone in a remote mountain area with no one around.
I won’t even ask to live a normal life like others anymore; I’ll simply ask to survive, please let me live.
“Is it really… not possible?”
“…”
I begged desperately, clinging to the slightest hope.
But the answer came back cold and unyielding, and her gaze toward me grew cold.
Ah, even the second person I’ve known longest in this world cannot become my ally.
The sandcastle I built from trust and hope collapses swiftly.
By the time I realized this belated truth, everything was already over.