Chapter 72

Tessia soon fell asleep.

The aftermath of fighting Charlotte and being interrogated by Ian seemed to have taken a significant toll on her.

She was huddled like a wild animal, wrapped in her robe, and it wasn't until the eastern sky began to faintly brighten that she stirred.

"...Ah."

She abruptly sat up and, meeting Ian's gaze across from her, sighed a beat later.

"Why are you surprised?"

Ian prodded the campfire with his Sword of Judgment and said.

Tessia blinked and smiled.

"I'm not used to having someone around. Sorry."

She fidgeted inside her robe and crouched down. Her movements were awkward, as if she wasn't used to wearing anything.

If Ian hadn't given her the robe, she would have thrown it off long ago.

"It's rough."

"Endure it. I'll buy you something to wear when we reach a village."

"Clothes...?"

Tessia frowned as if repulsed, then looked at Ian with a peculiar expression.

"If you're going to do that, why don't you give me the clothes you wear, Ian?"

"They'd be too big for you."

Currently, the tallest in the group was Charlotte. Ian was about half a head shorter than her, and Tessia was about a head shorter than Ian.

"It doesn't matter. It smells like you."

Tessia sniffed the hem of her robe. Her fangs glinted between her lips, and her red eyes seemed to shimmer with thirst.

"I won't stop you from sniffing, but if you try anything with me, your head will roll."

Ian said indifferently.

Tessia nodded.

"Don't worry. I won't do anything that stupid."

As long as she could control her instincts.

Ian responded with a snort.

He had no intention of letting her drink his blood, no matter what.

He didn't know what else she might absorb along with the blood.

Ian's gaze turned to the eastern sky.

The surroundings were brightening, indicating that the sun would soon rise.

His gaze returned to Tessia.

At that moment, she was still sniffing her robe and looked at Ian.

"Why? You said it was fine to sniff."

"The sun is about to rise."

"So?"

"......?"

Ian's brows furrowed.

"Can you handle sunlight?"

"I don't like it. It weakens me. Ah, you're worried about me."

Tessia smiled.

She straightened her back and removed the hood from her head.

"I'll show you."

At that moment, the sun peeked over the eastern horizon, and the light that spread over the distant mountain ridges instantly illuminated Tessia's side face.

Tessia winced as if the light was painful, closing her eyes.

Soon, her silver hair began to lose its luster, turning a grayish color, almost like ash.

Her pale skin also lost its vitality, becoming completely dry and lifeless. The fangs that had protruded above her lips disappeared.

"Exposure to light is indeed painful."

Tessia opened her eyes and muttered.

Her red eyes had turned a deep green, a color one might see in an old swamp.

Feeling the wizard's curiosity, Ian asked.

"Is this your true form?"

"I don't know. During the day, I'm like this. I can barely use my powers. I might die if I get stabbed by a knife right now."

She answered frankly and put the hood back on.

With her gray hair and deep green eyes, she looked like a slightly underdeveloped ordinary fairy.

"That's why I mostly hide in the shade during the day. In this state, I can't even defeat a bear."

"Does the same happen to other vampire kin during the day?"

"I don't know. I've never seen other vampires during the day."

"Sleep?"

"Unless it's like yesterday... once every four days is enough. I usually hide in caves or thickets during the day. It's dangerous to wander around in this state."

Ian nodded.

These were things he didn't know.

If other vampires were like this, they could be easily killed during the day.

"Thanks for revealing your weakness."

Charlotte's low voice followed.

She had woken up and was stretching, yawning. She looked like a large cat. She licked her lips and turned to Tessia.

"I'll be happy to hold back when it's time to kill you."

"Unfortunately, that won't happen, beast. And whenever you want to attack, go ahead. I'll scratch the other side of your face to keep things balanced."

Tessia smiled and said.

Charlotte snorted.

"A disgusting earwig is just as repulsive even as a demon."

"Are you okay?"

Ian asked. Charlotte stretched her arms and neck and replied.

"I'm fine. I don't feel any pain."

"Come here. I'll change your bandages."

Charlotte flinched, looking surprised, then glanced at Tessia and approached Ian with a nonchalant expression.

Ian unwrapped the bandages on her face and blinked.

"This is surprising."

"......?"

Charlotte tilted her head and touched her face, then her expression turned to one of surprise.

The wound had almost healed, leaving only a faint mark where her nails had scratched.

Even with the rapid healing of a werewolf, this was an abnormal speed.

"The effect of the blessing is beyond my imagination."

Ian said, realizing the reason.

One of the effects of the blessing of the hearth was to increase the speed of physical recovery.

"Amazing. I felt my body was lighter."

Charlotte marveled, unwrapping the bandages on her arm. There was no trace of the wound on her arm.

"There's no need to wrap more bandages. Prepare breakfast. We'll leave immediately after eating."

"Understood."

Charlotte turned around.

Tessia, who had suddenly stood up, turned to the carriage and muttered.

"What a shame. I should have dug deeper."

Charlotte glared at her as she climbed into the carriage, then turned back to Ian.

"Let me at least cut her tongue, Ian."

"No."

While answering, Ian felt a strange sense of déjà vu and chuckled, adding.

"But if the time comes, I'll ask you to do it."

***

The carriage slowly moved along the road.

They could have moved faster, but Ian didn't force it.

It was the aftermath of the previous mission, where they had been chased by numerous trackers.

Moreover, there was no immediate reason to hurry.

It was already earlier than in the game, and the situation had escalated, leading them to the north even faster.

The war between the border kingdoms hadn't even started yet.

It meant there was still time before the main events, which would only appear when the war matured.

Tessia's joining didn't provide a reason to rush.

Of course, everything wasn't peaceful.

"Charlotte, you look great sitting on the driver's seat."

"Don't call me by my name, earwig. It's disgusting."

"Oh, the more you say that, the more I want to call you by your name, Charlotte."

"One more word and I'll really cut your tongue."

Charlotte and Tessia were still hostile towards each other.

If Ian wasn't there, they would immediately try to kill each other again.

Ian decided to let it be for now.

He couldn't tell if this was a long-standing grudge or the process of former enemies becoming closer.

"Earlier, I was going to say... my tongue grows back at night, even if you cut it, fool."

"Then I can enjoy the pleasure of cutting your tongue every day. Disgusting earwig."

"I have a question."

Ian, who had been looking at the map, suddenly said.

The two, who had fallen silent as if by magic, watched Ian carefully.

I feel like the leader of the villains.

Thinking this, Ian continued.

"Charlotte, you seem to dislike Tessia more because she's a fairy than because she's a vampire. Is that right?"

Charlotte nodded.

"Yes. Being a demon is disgusting, of course."

"Why?"

"I'm curious too. Why, Charlotte?"

Tessia leaned towards Ian and chimed in.

Charlotte's brows furrowed.

"Are you seriously asking, earwig? As a typical high fairy, you don't know the history between fairies and werewolves?"

"Is that so? I'm a high fairy?"

Tessia countered.

Ian looked down at her, who was leaning against his feet.

"Do you not know your true identity?"

"Yes. Didn't I say? I don't know who I am exactly."

Tessia smiled.

"My first memory is of being tied up and screaming in that terrible laboratory. I have no memories before that. My name is just something I remembered."

The Empress of Blood had amnesia.

Come to think of it, she had said something similar yesterday.

Tessia added.

"The reason I can't die is that I need to take revenge and find out who I am."

"Ha! Indeed, the essence of a fairy isn't in memory. You're inherently despicable. Born traitors, perhaps."

Charlotte laughed and clicked her tongue.

Tessia frowned.

"If you're going to insult, at least give a reason."

"Fairies, in the past, were allies with werewolves. We fought together against humans to protect our territory."

Charlotte's voice was laced with a growling curse.

"Everything changed when the war with demons began. Humans thought all werewolves sided with demons, but that wasn't true. Werewolves were divided between humans and demons. The same was true for you fairies. The only difference was that more of you sided with humans and were more cunning."

Charlotte looked at Tessia.

"You started calling yourselves high fairies. Those who sided with demons were called black fairies and were not considered kin. Unlike us, who saw those who sided with demons as kin divided by belief. One day, a black wall divided the continent. Do you know what you did first after that?"

"What did we do?"

"You drove the werewolves out of the south. But most of them weren't on the side of demons. They just sided with humans like you, sharing power with them."

It was a deep-seated grudge.

Ian asked indifferently.

"Did you become an imperial citizen then?"

"I was lucky. I was young and served Lusola. But there were many more of my kin who weren't."

Charlotte's eyes and voice were equally dark.

"I still remember the smiles of the earwigs who boasted about taking the south. If I had been an adult then, I would have taken more of them to the afterlife, like many of my kin did."

It wasn't something a follower of Lusola should say, but Ian didn't point it out. Their wild nature and fighting spirit were close to instincts.

"Hearing that, it was indeed severe."

Tessia nodded and added.

"I'll apologize for my kin. Charlotte."

Her tone was far from apologetic.

Charlotte licked her lips and smiled.

"You don't need to apologize. Your situation is probably worse than mine."

"…What do you mean?"

"Would anything change if you regained your memory? The earwigs would never consider you kin. As a demon fairy, they would try to kill you. It's a pity you lost your memory."

Charlotte shrugged.

"Your life would have been more miserable if you had your memory. Maybe that's why you erased it. You couldn't bear being a demon. Given your weakness, it's entirely possible."

"……"

Tessia didn't respond.

After a moment, she looked up at Ian.

"Ian, it seems the beast is right. My instincts keep telling me to kill her. Can't I just follow them?"

"Please, Ian. It won't take a minute now."

Charlotte chimed in eagerly.

Ian looked at both of them and chuckled.

"Thanks to you, I know exactly what to do. Yes, you two will only be satisfied if one of you dies."

"Right…!"

"Finally, you understand."

"So from now on, you two are one."

The two, who had been nodding, froze. They looked confused.

"From what I see, you two will try to kill each other no matter what, even if it's a mistake. But I can't stand that. If I lose one, I might as well lose both. Tessia?"

"Uh… huh?"

"If Charlotte dies, you die by my hand. Even if something else kills you, you will die."

"What…? No…."

Tessia, who had widened her eyes and turned to Ian, closed her mouth.

Ian's eyes, which had sunk deeply, were stubborn and unyielding, not allowing any resistance or refusal.

"…Understood."

"Good, and Charlotte."

Ian's gaze turned to Charlotte. After a moment, she couldn't resist and looked away. Ian's cold voice continued.

"Look at me. Now."

"Ugh…."

Charlotte's gaze was drawn to Ian's eyes.

A wave spread through her orange eyes.

"Death might be a blessing for you. So I won't kill you. But I will cut off your hands, so you can never hold a weapon again. Of course, you won't be able to escape me."

"……."

Charlotte couldn't even breathe.

She seemed completely overwhelmed by him.

Ian smiled.

"Answer."

"…Understood…."

"Good."

Ian smiled.

Charlotte quickly turned her head away.

Silence fell over the carriage, but Ian leaned back against the seat, feeling relieved.

He felt like a real villain leader, but it wasn't a bad feeling.

In fact, it was the opposite.

Persuading clients or companions was often quite troublesome and tiring.

While he was satisfied and looked back at the map.

"Feels like we're a shared fate now, Charlotte."

Tessia whispered to the driver's seat.

Charlotte spat out without turning back.

"Do you know how to shut up?"

"You've been alone for a long time. You've mostly talked to animals. Unfortunately, they can't talk. Unlike you."

"Damn…."

While Charlotte sighed, Ian, folding the map, said.

"We'll probably pass through a city by noon tomorrow."

Charlotte and Tessia flinched and turned to him.

'To think I have to take these two into a village…'

Thinking this, Ian continued without hesitation.

"At least, I hope you two won't fight and will keep quiet while we're there."

He had no intention of giving up visiting the village because of them.

Especially not for a warm bed and decent food.