Chapter 44
【 The Vampire’s Family 】
A visit from the four people who carried the noblest bloodlines of the Arium Empire.
It wasn’t something that happened often.
No—an ordinary person would never experience something like this in the first place.
‘Come to think of it, how did I even become close with these four?’
No, to be precise, it was only three of them.
With Sara, I wasn’t on friendly terms. Rather, I had left a bad impression on her.
‘Hmm, maybe calling it “three” is awkward now too?’
I glanced at Lisa, who had been quietly sitting there for a while.
Sensing my gaze—or perhaps already aware of it—Lisa quickly turned her head away.
She was clearly avoiding me.
‘…Did I screw up?’
Because of my decision last night, the Disciplinary Committee route seemed completely tangled.
I really needed to think of a countermeasure.
Either I would have to talk to Lisa seriously, just the two of us… or, if things came to it, I might have to give up on the Committee route altogether and take another path.
“So? What happened after that? You said you walked out of the gym again?”
“Yes. It felt like several of my bones were shattered, but I somehow stood up and went back toward the werewolf.”
While I was lost in thought, Layla was fully focused on my story.
So, I continued recounting what had happened last night.
“I realized that if I kept defending, I’d die. So I changed my stance. Instead of my own swordsmanship, I tried imitating Lady Lisa’s technique that I’d seen before.”
At my words about copying her swordsmanship, Lisa glanced at me.
Pretending not to care until now—but she couldn’t ignore that part.
Well, she was hearing this story for the first time after all.
“At my current level, it was impossible to perfectly defend against that werewolf, so I decided to bet everything on one strong strike. So I…”
And so, I told them the rest of what had happened that night.
Lisa listened to everything while pretending not to care, and Sara was the same.
Layla, on the other hand, was sparkling with interest, hanging onto every word I said.
As for Jason…
‘He’s memorizing everything.’
From the look in his eyes, he was recording every detail of my story in his mind.
On the surface, he looked like he was just nodding along casually.
But after seeing him so many times in the game, and after meeting him face to face for the past month, I could tell—
That expression meant he was memorizing every single piece of information.
‘He’s probably planning to report what happened last night to his family.’
The Hawkbat Family was the house responsible for gathering intelligence in the Arium Empire.
To exaggerate only slightly, their family head was said to know every single event occurring not just in the Empire, but across the continent.
Every member of that house gathered information as naturally as breathing—and Jason was no exception.
‘I’d better not mention anything about what happened between me and Lisa last night.’
If that reached Jason’s ears, things could get unnecessarily complicated.
Though I wasn’t sure how long I could keep it from him.
“After that, nothing much happened. Lady Lisa appeared just in time and saved me.”
“Mm-hm, yeah. That’s the part I heard from Lisa. She said she killed the werewolf in a single blow, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct. With one strike from Lady Lisa, the werewolf was shattered to pieces. The other monsters were subdued by the instructors, and the situation ended there.”
“I see. That’s what it was. The instructors told us not to leave the dorms last night, so I wondered what was going on.”
“Just as Lady Layla said.”
Jason nodded and opened his mouth.
“We could see monsters rampaging outside the dormitory, but since we couldn’t go out, we were curious. Well, it’s not like we couldn’t go out if we wanted to, but still…”
“You had to protect the Princess.”
Sara, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke.
“Considering your family, I can understand it, but protecting the Princess comes before gathering information, doesn’t it?”
“Right. That’s why we stayed by Lady Layla’s side until everything was over. Fortunately, nothing happened.”
After responding to Sara, Jason turned to look at me with a rather meaningful gaze.
“By the way… Lisa killed that werewolf in one blow?”
“Yes, she did.”
“I heard it from Lisa too, but that werewolf wasn’t an ordinary one, was it?”
Jason stood from his seat and approached me.
“They called it a Lycanthrope—a higher variant among werewolves. The Alpha of the monster enclosure. Sure, if it’s my sister, she could’ve shattered it in one blow, but she must’ve drawn out quite a lot of power.”
Before I could react, Jason loosened the bandage around my neck.
Beneath it was the wound—where Lisa had bitten me last night.
He quickly examined the mark.
Thankfully, only Jason had seen it—but the fact that he had was troublesome enough.
Out of all the wounds on my body, he’d checked only the one on my neck.
It was clear he had noticed something.
“…I see. Now the picture’s complete.”
“Jason? What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“Nothing at all, Lady Layla. I just wanted to confirm something personal.”
Jason released the bandage and cast a glance toward Lisa.
Judging from her expression, Lisa was visibly flustered.
“Jason, why did you…”
“Let’s talk about it later, sis. It’ll be better for you that way.”
“…Lady Layla.”
After a brief hesitation, Lisa spoke up.
“If you could please go ahead to the cafeteria with Jason and Sara, I’d appreciate it.”
“Hmm? What about you?”
“I’ll have a short conversation alone with Gideon before joining you.”
“Alone? Is it about the Disciplinary Committee?”
“It’s not about the Committee… it’s personal. It won’t take long.”
Her expression wasn’t her usual emotionless one—it was serious.
Seeing that, Layla nodded as if she understood.
“Hmm, all right. If you’re saying it so seriously, I can’t refuse. Jason, Sara—let’s go have lunch first.”
“Yes, Princess.”
Sara immediately nodded and stood up.
The real problem was Jason—would he really leave so easily?
“Yes. Shall we go, Lady Layla?”
Unexpectedly, Jason stood up without resistance.
And so, Layla, Sara, and Jason left the infirmary—leaving only Lisa beside me.
“…Lady Lisa.”
After confirming the three had gone, I spoke first.
“You said you had something to tell me…”
“First, thank you. If it weren’t for you last night… a disaster would have happened.”
“As I said before, I only did what I had to. It was the best choice at the time.”
“It was pure luck that you knew about our family’s power—more precisely, about its side effects. But tell me.”
Lisa paused for a moment, then spoke carefully.
“If you know that much… then you must also understand what it means for someone of House Balmuth to drink a human’s blood for the first time, don’t you?”
“I’ve heard of it.”
“And even knowing that, you still let me drink your blood?”
“As I said, it was the best choice under the circumstances.”
That wasn’t a lie.
If Lisa had lost control at that moment, I’d have been the first to die.
And beyond me, there would’ve been more casualties for sure.
Letting her drink my blood had been far better than letting such a tragedy occur.
“The best choice… yeah, maybe it was. Better than letting people die. But Gideon, by letting me drink your blood, you’ve basically placed a shackle on your own future.”
“It’s all right. I’ve thought it through.”
“…Of course you have. You always seem to have a plan.”
But then—Lisa’s voice trembled slightly.
“I just don’t know what to do. I don’t know what I should do from now on… or how I should face you.”
“Lady Lisa. Are you all right?”
“I don’t know.”
Lisa lifted her head and looked into my eyes.
And when I looked closely, I could see it— a faint red gleam glowing within her blue eyes.
“Just… thirsty.”
“If you wish for my blood, you can have as much as you want……”
“No. I don’t want to hold you back. I don’t want to break your wings.”
It was, in a way, a very Lisa-like answer.
Kindhearted, yet stubbornly following her own path.
Exactly as she’d been in the game.
“You’re going to become a great swordsman. You shouldn’t be tied down to me, living your life as my blood source.”
“I really don’t mind……”
“I mind. And I don’t even know how my family will react.”
Lisa sounded slightly agitated, but she soon exhaled deeply and calmed herself.
Then, she returned to her usual expressionless face.
“From today, take three days off from Disciplinary Committee duties. You don’t need to come to the Committee Room during that time.”
“Three days? But I’m fit to be discharged today……”
“I need some time to think alone. So for now… please let me be by myself for a while.”
Otherwise, I really won’t be able to hold back—Lisa muttered under her breath, so faintly that I wasn’t sure if I had heard it right.
“I’ll get going now. And again… thank you for saving me last night.”
“I should be thanking you. For saving me from that werewolf yesterday.”
“I only did what had to be done.”
“And so did I.”
“…I suppose you did.”
With that, Lisa rose from her seat and left the infirmary.
I watched her retreating back and let out a quiet sigh.
‘Things got more complicated than I expected.’
I knew my relationship with Lisa would get tangled, but it seemed it had gotten far worse than I imagined.
‘I’m thirsty.’
As soon as she left the infirmary, Lisa took a small water bottle from her pocket and drank from it.
Even after emptying the bottle, the burning thirst didn’t go away.
If anything, after seeing Gideon, the thirst had only intensified.
‘I want blood… Gideon’s blood.’
Lisa clearly understood her desire.
And precisely because of that, she was troubled.
She didn’t want to live a life constantly craving Gideon’s blood.
She never wanted to hold back her junior.
‘Did they say drinking animal blood helps a little? If it gets worse, I might need to contact Mother.’
For the first time in her life, Lisa was suffering from a thirst she could not quench.
So she was trying to find a way to deal with it.
“Sis, are you done talking?”
Just as Lisa was wondering where she could get animal blood, a green-haired boy approached her.
“Didn’t you leave earlier with Lady Layla?”
“I told Sara to go on ahead. Something more important came up than eating lunch.”
“Something important?”
“Gathering information is always important to me.”
Jason gave a cryptic smile.
“If you don’t mind, how about a sparring match, Sis?”
“A spar? All of a sudden?”
“Just come hang out with me for a bit.”
Lisa tilted her head, and Jason chuckled softly.
“It’ll help both of us—if we fight directly.”
Meanwhile, at the same time.
Inside the Imperial Palace of the Arium Empire.
A red-haired woman was making her way toward the audience chamber.
“Why did he call me all of a sudden?”
She was Kafka Balmuth—current head of the Balmuth Family, one of the Empire’s three Dukes, and the mother of Lisa Balmuth.
“It’s nice seeing the Imperial Palace again after so long… ugh, but what a hassle.”
Though nearing her forties, she still looked young—at most, in her late twenties.
She had just arrived at the palace after being summoned by the Emperor.
“…Hmm.”
While walking silently through the corridor, Kafka suddenly turned her head back.
Then she sighed and spoke.
“Hey, Andrew. I know you’re there. Quit fooling around and come out.”
“Oh? How’d you know?”
“Gah?! You bastard! I told you not to jump out from the side like that!”
A man suddenly appeared beside her, and Kafka flinched in surprise, throwing a punch his way.
But the man dodged it effortlessly, grinning.
“Ha-ha-ha, your reaction’s still the best even after all these years.”
“Seriously. When are you going to grow up? You’re almost forty.”
“They say men are children forever. Besides, I still look young, don’t I?”
The man spoke with a mischievous grin.
The green-haired man’s name was Andrew Hawkbat—current head of the Hawkbat Family, also one of the Empire’s three Dukes, and the father of Jason Hawkbat.
“Sigh, yeah, sure, whatever you say. Anyway, what about Dilug? He’s not here yet?”
“He’ll come in his own time. You know he prefers being alone.”
“True. But do you know why His Majesty suddenly summoned all of us?”
“Why would I know that?”
“You always seem to know everything.”
“Well, you’re not wrong.”
Andrew smirked and nodded.
“Remember the Monster Enclosure at Lysquare Academy?”
“Oh, that. Of course I remember—I saw it a few times when I attended the Academy.”
“Last night, all the monsters there escaped and caused chaos. I’m guessing that’s why we were summoned.”
“Ah… really? That’s no small matter, but still, did he need to call all three Dukes over something like that?”
“The Princess is currently studying at the Academy. From His Majesty’s point of view, an overreaction makes sense.”
“Oh, right. Now that you mention it, Lady Layla enrolled this year.”
Kafka nodded, understanding the situation.
“Well, I suppose it makes sense, though summoning all the Dukes still feels excessive.”
“When it’s about one’s child’s safety, I doubt we’d react much differently.”
“Heh, not me. Even if it’s about my kid, I’d stay calm, you bastard.”
“Hmm, really? Then tell me, did your eldest daughter contact you recently?”
“My eldest? Lisa? Why?”
“Oh, so she didn’t. Well, I only heard it from Jason on my way here.”
“What? Did that quiet, diligent girl cause some kind of serious trouble?”
Kafka suddenly felt uneasy.
She had a feeling she knew exactly what kind of “trouble” Lisa might have caused at her age.
“I haven’t confirmed it myself yet, but according to Jason, Lisa might’ve drunk her junior’s blood…”
“…Ah, damn it.”
Realizing her worst suspicion was right, Kafka cursed and rubbed the back of her neck.