Chapter 3

Ludia Grünwald was a commoner's daughter living in Broot, the foremost city on the Tailhen continent.

This world—Red Planet—is a red star watched over by the sun's radiance and the blue star Eden.

According to mythology, the gods once descended from Eden aboard divine ships, transforming this uninhabitable planet into a miraculous place where life could thrive.

Furthermore, the gods released several creatures they had brought from Eden onto this planet, and over a long period, their numbers increased.

Thus, this world called Red Planet was born.

A creature known as the "Falsch," said to resemble the gods, had built civilization on this planet, and vampires were among them.

The Falsch were based on the appearance of the gods but were divided into several species due to subtle differences.

The Falsch with animal characteristics were called Simere, those with bird characteristics were called Vogel, the magic-wielding ones were called Elf, and the vampires, who were the closest and yet the furthest from the gods in terms of appearance and nature.

These four species were known as the Four Great Falsch and divided the world among themselves.

Ludia was an ordinary woman among the vampires, with a beautiful face but no outstanding abilities.

She was physically weak, barely able to crush an apple, and had never lifted anything heavier than 100 kg in her life.

Even when she ran at full speed, she couldn't run 100 meters in less than 8 seconds.

Despite her lack of notable talents, her beauty became her downfall.

One day, she caught the eye of Baron Bernhardt, who visited the town by chance and ordered her to spend the night with him.

Honestly, he wasn't her type, and she wanted to refuse, but he was the lord of the region. Defying him could have dire consequences.

However, the worst part was that she became pregnant after that one night. She cursed him in her heart countless times, wishing he had at least used protection.

As a result, she became his concubine, but her treatment was far from good.

She was given a house that was only nominally a mansion and was isolated there with only one caretaker.

She had asked for a two-story house with a pool and a large bath, but her request was ignored. Damn.

The food was always the highest-quality steak, and she had requested it to be medium-rare, but it was always well-done. She was so frustrated that when she told the cook not to come anymore, he actually stopped coming. What a useless man.

Despite her rather tough and brazen nature, Ludia had a daughter.

Her name was Mercedes, a lovely girl who looked just like her, even without favoritism.

Ludia was truly grateful that her genes had worked well. If she had given birth to someone like her husband, she would have cried.

Until around the age of five, Mercedes was a rather ordinary, cute child, but around that age, she began to show an unusual intelligence.

She probably realized her situation accurately.

One day, she started reading books in the study every day, and Ludia knew that she often went to the nearby mountains, pretending to play in the garden.

Actually, she would leave the garden within five seconds, carrying a rock and running outside the window. Even a fool would notice. At least try to hide it.

The rocks she carried grew larger each day, and by the time she was nine, she was moving rocks the size of 10 meters. So, at least try to hide it.

Mercedes likely had a purpose or was aiming to escape this life by training herself.

When Ludia secretly checked the study after Mercedes visited, she always found books about Seekers on the desk. It was clear what she was up to.

So, when Mercedes declared at the age of ten that she wanted to become a Seeker, Ludia wasn't particularly surprised.

"Mother, I will become a Seeker."

"Uh-huh, I knew."

Mercedes, radiating a magical power that could make an adult faint, declared her lifelong decision with a determined look, but to Ludia, it was a future she had long anticipated. She thought, "Ah, she's saying it today," with little surprise.

A ten-year-old becoming a Seeker... Of course, it was dangerous, and a normal parent would try to stop her.

But Ludia could see that Mercedes had a talent for battle. She was confident that her child was a genius, even without favoritism.

Vampires, while not as keen as wild animals, had a sense to detect strong individuals.

This sense told Ludia, "This kid is dangerous."

At just ten years old, Mercedes already had the aura of a strong individual.

Ludia had felt this for quite some time, so it was nothing new. "At least try to hide it."

"…Aren't you going to stop me?"

"If you were a normal child, I would. But you're obviously very strong, right?

If so, as long as you don't do anything reckless, it's fine."

Ludia, sipping her coffee, answered casually, surprising Mercedes.

It was a laissez-faire attitude, or perhaps a sign of how much she trusted her daughter.

Ludia placed her hand on her daughter's head and smiled softly.

"I can't live freely because of that damn bastard… I mean, due to bad luck. But you can.

Live freely, as you please. That's my wish."

Ludia didn't want to be a hindrance to her daughter's aspirations.

She didn't want her to be trapped in this rotten cage. She wished for her to soar freely in the sky.

Ludia strongly wished for this.

◆

Mercedes had expected her mother to oppose her decision, thinking it was too early at ten years old, but the easy approval left her somewhat disappointed.

Still, it was a pleasant surprise to be given the go-ahead.

Mercedes immediately began preparing for her new life as a Seeker.

Seekers were explorers who ventured into secret realms and dungeons to uncover their mysteries.

Naturally, their work often required them to stay in one place for days, weeks, or even months or years.

Initially, she had no intention of taking on such high-risk jobs, and she wouldn't be given the chance anyway, but it was good to be prepared.

First, she needed food and drink that could be stored for long periods.

She also wanted clothes suitable for exploration, as her current attire, while not luxurious, was still frilly and unsuitable for a commoner.

She wanted pants instead of a skirt, and a simpler, less flashy design.

And, of course, equipment.

She was confident in her abilities even without weapons, but she had no one to compare herself to.

After five years of training, she might still be weak. Ultimately, she needed money to buy these things.

"…I'll start with some small jobs to earn some money."

Mercedes smiled wryly, feeling the awkwardness of starting from scratch.

She wanted to be a Seeker and needed equipment, but first, she had to work to get it.

Thus, she decided to start with simple errands that didn't require much equipment.

She left the house, determined to start with what she had.

"I'm going out."

"Be careful."

With her mother's support, she stepped outside and leaped into the air, stopping mid-air.

Mercedes used a self-created magic to temporarily reduce the gravity on herself, allowing her to float.

She named it "Befreien," which lightened her gravity to speed up her movements and allowed her to fly by cutting off gravity.

However, she had to be careful not to completely eliminate gravity, as it could send her into space.

In a state of light weightlessness, she kicked off the air, landing in front of the city.

The house where Mercedes and her mother lived was far from the city, likely because Baron Bernhardt didn't want her to be seen.

Of course, Bernhardt himself lived in a large mansion in the city, along with his legitimate family.

Her unknown father didn't matter to Mercedes.

She was fascinated by the city she had never seen before but didn't act like a tourist.

She maintained a calm demeanor, walking confidently through the streets.

It was midnight, the most active time in the city.

People were bustling about in the moonlit night.

"Hmm, as I suspected from living in the house, the civilization level is medieval.

But it seems slightly more advanced than I expected."

The buildings in the city were not ostentatious but were clearly built with high architectural skills.

The roads were paved with stones, making them easy to walk on, and the buildings were well-balanced to maintain the city's aesthetic.

On the main streets, merchants set up stalls, and some pulled carts.

Mercedes felt a slight sense of dissonance.

It was more like a 21st-century recreation of a medieval city.

The buildings were too clean. While some were worn and dirty from years of use, the overall cleanliness was too high.

The hygiene was also good; there was no waste on the streets, and litter was rare.

It seemed like a convenient medieval city, but the dissonance was hard to ignore.

"Maybe it's because I'm a modern Japanese person…."

She decided not to overthink it. She needed to accept and acknowledge what was here.

Despite the dissonance, the clean city was a plus for Mercedes. She didn't want to walk through a city filled with filth.

She decided to take a light tour of the city.

It seemed like a nice, livable place.

The residential buildings were clean, and there were parks nearby.

The commercial district had shops, and she even found a public bath.

Occasionally, she saw high-status women wearing clothes similar to the German dirndl, which was striking.

"Germany… or Japan? It feels like a place created by a collaboration between Japanese and Germans.

What kind of development led to this?"

Civilization's development is influenced by the land's characteristics, climate, and environment.

Most things have a reason for how they developed.

However, this city felt somewhat distorted.

Of course, it could be her imagination.

She had a good sense of the locations of the shops she would need.

She didn't have money to visit them now, but she would in the future.

"Well, it's time to head to the Explorer's Guild."

She decided to end her tour and headed to her destination.

Note: The mother's physical abilities, as mentioned in the story, are below average for vampires.

Vampires, even ordinary ones, have a grip strength of around 100 kg and can run 100 meters in about 8 seconds.

They have high stamina and can run a kilometer without tiring.

The human world record for grip strength is 192 kg, so a well-trained human could potentially match them.

In this story, vampires are numerous, so their abilities are set lower than in other works.