Vampire’s Paradise

“Ah…”

A sigh escaped my lips.

Was it born from the regret of finishing my meal, or was it because I felt overwhelmed at the thought of cleaning up after?

I’d like to believe it was the latter. That way, perhaps my remaining humanity would be measured just a bit higher.

I sneaked a glance down.

While it wasn’t exactly low enough to be considered below my eye level, at my feet lay the corpse of some nameless beast that resembled a wild boar.

…I had just sucked this thing’s blood not a moment ago.

And I did so with all the dignity of a civilized being, burying my face in its nape, greedily guzzling the blood that shot up like a fountain as if I was a pump.

I vaguely remember reading somewhere that a human body contains around 5 liters of blood on average.

So, how many liters of blood must have been in the body of this beast, which was even larger than a sumo wrestler?

When I found it, it had already been wounded and was bleeding. But since it was still alive, more than half of its blood must have remained.

However, if I drained enough blood to nearly turn the body into a mummy, just how many liters did I drink?

Of course, there might still be some blood left in its organs or scattered about, but I doubt I’ve ever drunk that much liquid all at once in my life.

Drinking 3 liters of water in one go can be dangerous.

Or rather, I can’t say for sure since I’ve never experienced it, but before being a danger, wouldn’t I just be too full to drink any more?

I don’t remember the exact numbers, but I think I read that drinking a large quantity at once can lead to death.

Yet despite the sticky blood sloshing in my belly, which was likely over 3 liters, I felt no discomfort at all.

In fact, I felt utterly revitalized. The debilitating fatigue that had plagued me for weeks had vanished, and my body buzzed with energy.

My mind, which had been foggy and chaotic, was crystal clear, and in every way, I felt the best I ever had since waking up in this world.

That realization frightened me terribly.

After sinking my fangs into the body of a beast larger than myself, draining it of blood, I felt elation and omnipotence rather than disgust, and it terrified me.

“Now I’m really… not human anymore.”

Despite my complex feelings, my voice held a tinge of excitement.

The joy of being freed from long craving surged uncontrollably, reminding me that I was indeed a monster that thirsted for blood.

I mustn’t get drunk on this.

I mustn’t get carried away.

Drinking blood is merely a meal for survival.

Sucking blood is just like eating meat.

I mustn’t assign it any greater significance. I mustn’t dwell on it, or enjoy the act.

I must remember.

Even if I lacked the courage to carry it out, my resolve to remain human—even if it meant taking my own life—my desire to live like an ordinary human being, my vow to never harm a human and to hold onto human emotions, I must remember it all.

I slapped my cheeks hard with my palms, and felt a fleeting rush of clarity.

First things first: I had to clean up. While this place isn’t a busy road, there’s no guarantee hunters won’t pass by.

Leaving a dried up beast’s corpse by the roadside wouldn’t be ideal.

It might seem like an overreaction.

But if someone discovers it and feels something’s off about the state of the body, and realizes that its blood has been unnaturally drained, I can’t guarantee they wouldn’t think of vampires.

I inspected the pre-existing wounds on its side and leg.

I’m no expert in action movies that can discern weapons just by looking at wounds, but the large, irregularly torn wounds looked like they were from another large beast.

It’s clear these weren’t made by arrows and definitely not by knives, so it must have been a beast… right?

If the answer was “not a beast but a hunter using a morning star or claws,” well… that would be a case of the exam taker being polite by considering such a ridiculous possibility.

Regardless, it took me a good chunk of time to drain the blood.

If the perpetrator was a person—a hunter—they would’ve caught up to their slow prey by now.

The thought of them possibly having witnessed me drinking the blood makes me feel a bit dizzy. My sanity had flown away with the blood scent.

Anyway, if we assume it wasn’t a hunter but another beast attacking, they should have arrived long ago, right?

I want to believe that. If so, I have plenty of time to take care of things.

Well, either way, I don’t intend to drag my feet.

Fortunately, the location is right next to a cliff. If I can drag the beast’s body just a meter or two to the side, disposing of the evidence will be a piece of cake.

The issue is whether I can actually move it or not.

I wonder if I can move something slightly bigger than an average-sized person…

But since I feel pumped up after drinking blood, let’s give it a shot. If it doesn’t work, I’ll figure something else out then.

And so, I tried various methods.

I pulled, kicked, and pushed.

It was hellishly heavy and barely budged, but with all my might, I finally managed to shift it a little.

“Ugh.”

A mere 2 meters felt like a thousand miles.

Well, at least I can push it. I’m lucky I gained some strength; otherwise, I’d probably be stuck here doing nothing.

After a desperate struggle, the beast’s corpse teetered over the edge of the cliff.

Cautiously, I gave it one final shove, making sure I wouldn’t fall with the body and create an awkward situation. The part of the body that was supported by the ground was less than what was hanging free, and it plummeted into the abyss below.

Splash—

A chilling sound echoed in the distance, and I sighed.

“I’m drenched in sweat from head to toe.”

But seeing that I succeeded, it’s clear that I’m stronger than I look.

Still, I wish I had been made a bit stronger instead of being a lucky ordinary person as a vampire.

According to Plona, there are many incredibly powerful vampires that exist as long as they’re under the sun, but how far down the list of weaklings am I?

While I wouldn’t mind having the ability to operate under sunlight instead of strength, I have no complaints either. Upon reflection, I was fine even after coming into contact with silver.

I’ve never heard of a vampire immune to sunlight and silver, but at least for me, it may be a better gift than power, considering I wish to live as a human.

After finishing the cleanup and confirming that there was still no sign of anyone around, I finally moved on.

Suddenly, a new worry flashed through my mind.

“I’ve put out the immediate fire, but what will I say when I return to the orphanage?”

It’s ludicrous to think that they wouldn’t notice I’ve been gone, but on top of that, I couldn’t possibly explain my blood-soaked clothes.

I mean, if you’re clinging on to a bleeding wild boar from the side that’s dripping blood, it’s only natural to get covered in it, right? What was I thinking when I lost my mind over blood?

“…Wait. However, I look fine now?”

Despite my clothes being soaked in beast blood, I felt rationality returning.

The scent of blood was delightful, but it didn’t elicit an uncontrollable hunger for me.

Just like one doesn’t feel the urge to eat delicious food when they’re full, maybe that’s the case here; if so, that’s good news.

It means that, as expected, even animal blood can fill the void of hunger, which is comforting.

When I came up, I was resigned to a fate of death, so I hadn’t even considered the descent, but contrary to my fears, the way back was simple enough that I wouldn’t get lost.

As I walked down the path with various thoughts in mind, I soon found myself looking at the orphanage from the edge of the forest.

Is this really the right thing to do?

Suddenly, a weak part of me hesitated, halting my steps.

I had intended to survive without harming any humans.

But is returning to live among humans at the orphanage truly the right thing to do?

Deep down, I already know the answer.

It’s better not to go back.

If I return to the orphanage, I will constantly fret about whether my identity will be discovered, worry that I might lose control and attack those around me, and I’ll need to procure meals while evading people’s eyes regularly.

The director and the children, alongside everyone else I care about, would be forced to live under the threat of a vampire attack.

In that sense, hiding myself and leaving for somewhere away from people’s prying eyes, living alone in the wild, may be the better outcome for both me and them.

But I don’t want that. So this is my selfishness.

I chose to refuse an honorable death as a human, cockamamie as it may sound, with the hope of living like a human in a vampire’s body.

But since I’m alive, can’t I afford just a tad more greed?

I’m not trying to play the role of a tragic protagonist, but isn’t it my right to express my selfish wish of wanting to live like an ordinary human in this second life I gained after losing my first life to illness?

I don’t know. But at the same time, I also think this: What if I don’t know?

“Ah, it’ll work out somehow.”

I’ve given up trying to rationalize my actions. Giving up felt like a weight lifted off my chest.

Right. What’s it to anyone if I want to live? The concepts of right and wrong matter little to me now.

I want to live alongside those I care about, as a human.

I fervently hope that this life is filled with simple and ordinary happiness.

Carrying that earnest wish within me, I headed towards the orphanage with a heart lighter than before.