"Hmm, really? You're saying you have no connection with those 'Oath of the Reversal' folks?"
"Yes, Lord Vyrrak. I was traveling from the eastern city of Tillak and ended up here in Ajantu."
I casually spun a web of lies.
"How come you were inactive for a few days?"
"During that time, I was unwell suddenly, confined to my lodgings. I stayed inside for so long that, looking like a dead rat, the landlord seemed to have some misunderstandings."
It was a natural story, but the vampire's subjugation didn't work for me.
Since the moment I turned into a vampire, the instinct to obey the superior vampire who infected me, Vyrrak, was etched, but I could easily ignore it.
'But for now, let's go along. It's an opportunity to gather information about these guys.'
At first, I was uncertain about how things would turn out, but it turned out to be a great chance to worm my way into the hierarchy of vampires ruling this city.
"Tsk, whatever. Just come with me for now."
Vyrrak, having no income, flicked his tongue once and then threw himself out of the window.
I hurriedly followed after him.
<Entity Information>
-Entity Name: Heinz II
-Species: Vampire
-Common Traits: 'Mind Hub,' 'Enlightenment Index'
-Entity Traits: 'Bloodkinship,' 'Acceleration,' 'Regeneration'
-Specifics: Inherited the lineage of 'Brokolak,' causing the body to mutate into a vampire. When not exposed to sunlight, physical abilities explosively increase. Not bound mentally by the influence of 'Mind Hub.'
'My physical abilities have enhanced. It seems to be more than what I had when I killed that guy in Barkolak headquarters.'
It seemed that the pre-existing reinforced state was included in the heightened attributes upon turning into a vampire.
Following Vyrrak, I pulled out a thread of blood from my fingertips and sharpened it.
'Ah, just as expected.'
The skill I gained upon becoming a vampire, 'Blood Kinship,' allowed me to utilize the abilities that the vampire in Barkolak headquarter had used.
Enhanced physical abilities, blood weaponization, bloodsucking, including the abilities of the lowest rank of vampires.
'What rank is he? And what's this Brokolak about?'
As I looked at Vyrrak leading the way, he glanced at me once, seemingly satisfied.
"Now you've just inherited the blood, yet you already handle it to that extent. You seem to have quite the talent."
Although he seemed upset earlier, now that I seemed competent, he seemed to loosen up a bit.
"Seeing how well you follow, your physical abilities seem above average. It seems I didn't draw the short straw. At least you're better than the one who died, Pauline."
It seems the vampire I killed in Barkolak headquarter was named Pauline.
Ignoring the unnecessary details, I smoothly started a conversation with Vyrrak.
"Thank you, Lord Vyrrak. But may I ask where you're heading now?"
"You'll know if you follow."
He seemed too bothered to bother with any meticulous explanations.
We sprinted across the rooftops of the city, heading into the affluent neighborhood where the grand mansions in the city center stretched out.
"Here we are."
As we reached our destination, Vyrrak stopped in front of the most massive and splendid mansion.
Creak—
And soon, with a slight noise, the iron gate of the main entrance opened.
"Have you arrived, Lord Vyrrak?"
Inside the gate, a middle-aged man, pale-faced in servant's attire, stood waiting and bowed at a right angle.
"Yes. I suppose I need to have a meal. Prepare what I usually have."
"And this individual...?"
"Ah, this is a new kin I made recently. Just assign some kids to guide him around."
When the servant asked Vyrrak about me, he responded casually, seeming annoyed, and stepped into the building.
"Then please follow me."
"Ah, yes."
"Feel free to speak. I am just a servant, after all."
It seemed that the servant was of a lower rank than me, a kin.
As I followed the middle-aged servant into the mansion, another servant inside approached.
"From here on, this friend will guide you. Hayden, as the one who recently inherited the blood, assist him without any discomfort."
"Understood, Master Butler."
The middle-aged butler bowed to me again and then disappeared inside.
And then, guided by Hayden, I moved through the luxurious interior, asking various questions that had piqued my curiosity.
"This is the Ajantu branch of the 'Brokolak Clan.' Lord Vyrrak is one of the only three purebloods in this city, as far as I know."
It seemed that among the three, Vyrrak held a position responsible for all the vampires in this city.
As we continued to exchange questions and answers as they came to mind, we eventually arrived in front of a room.
"You can use this room from today. If you need anything, just shake the bell inside."
Hayden bowed and then quietly stepped away.
Clank—
"Wow..."
Upon opening the door, the dazzling interior of the luxurious room caught my eye.
From tables and sofas to beds, everything felt like the epitome of luxury.
My reflection appeared in the beautiful mirror mounted on the wall.
A sharp, cold beauty with a pale, sharp face.
I had always considered myself handsome, but becoming a vampire had transformed me into an unquestionable flower boy.
'Well, this might not be so bad... And here, vampires can see their reflections in the mirror.'
Sighing, I threw myself onto the bed.
Despite waking up in the middle of the night and the dawn being far away, the effects of becoming a vampire kept sleep at bay.
I closed my eyes and organized the new information I had acquired.
According to Hayden, my senior in vampire education, the training would soon take place. He had focused on teaching me the basics.
Vampires were primarily nocturnal, and they slept during the day.
This was understandable, as even low-level vampires below servants, as depicted in movies, would burn in sunlight, and high-level vampires experienced limitations in their powers when the sun was out.
'If I disappear without a word, the kids will worry...'
Hayden assured me that I could leave freely after the training, but it was unavoidable for the next few days.
Knock-knock.
"It's Hayden. May I come in?"
After a moment, the sound of knocking on the door was followed by Hayden's voice.
"Yeah, come in."
As he opened the door, Hayden held a tray in one hand with a wine glass filled with red liquid.
'That's definitely not real wine, right?'
"It's been a bit since you inherited the blood, so I thought you might be getting hungry."
"Well, I wasn't that hungry..."
I was perfectly fine until now, but the moment I smelled the blood Hayden brought, a sudden and intense thirst hit me.
While I was still in shock, Hayden pushed the wine glass toward me.
"I just extracted this fresh blood. Go ahead and drink."
As the blood approached, my body began to react violently.
Fangs protruded involuntarily, my gaze remained fixed on the wine glass, and my whole body trembled.
'Is this the withdrawal symptom? If vampires can't resist the urge to drink blood at this level, it's no wonder they have a reputation for being bloodsuckers.'
Of course, I was an exception.
While I couldn't control the reflexive physical reactions, I could use "Mind Herb" to control impulses. So, I wouldn't go around biting people at my own discretion.
'Still, I guess I have to drink it now.'
Not doing so would raise unnecessary suspicion, and it wasn't the right time yet.
I reached out with trembling hands and grabbed the wine glass.
The sweet scent of blood wafted up.
'Still, it's probably risky just to drink it.'
I couldn't afford to find blood delicious.
Pressing the glass to my lips, I blocked my sense of smell and taste, connecting with Heinz.
Gulp, gulp...
As I swallowed the blood that I couldn't taste, my body calmed down with each gulp.
It seemed my mind became clearer, and I felt like I could handle my strength more easily, as if I had just taken a stimulant.
"Also, Madam Rosillica, who is also a kin, will be visiting shortly. While the formal education will start tomorrow, she wants to greet you briefly and exchange pleasantries."
I nodded lightly at Hayden, who took the empty wine glass.
It was better to finish what needed to be done quickly, after all.
Having waited for a while, I was soon able to greet another vampire.
"Hi there! Nice to meet you, newbie. You can call me Rosillica. What's your name?"
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Heinz."
"Don't be so formal. Feel free to talk freely. We're both kins. We're equal among the same rank, you know."
Rosillica's first impression was that of a lively beauty. Radiant looks, a bright smile, and a sociable demeanor.
At least until the moment of introduction, there was a favorable impression, but it didn't last long.
"By the way, you know what I like the most? It's the blood of handsome men. The more muscles, the better. Oh, speaking of which, you're just my type, aren't you? If you were still human, I would have sucked every last drop out of you. Hahaha!"
This was just light years away.
"Hey, Rosillica. Now that I know your taste for blood, why don't you tell me about our rank? I just became a vampire so I don't know anything."
"Ah, yeah. And you haven't drunk much blood yet, so it can't be helped. Let's have a tasting party and recommend each other when you develop a taste later."
I didn't want to get close to her at all, but for now, I couldn't help it.
"Our rank is the fourth. It's after Holy blood, Noble Blood, and Pure Blood. Below that are just Servants and Slaves, so practically, it's the bottom. They don't even treat them as vampires."
After listening to the story, I could infer that Servants are the servants who are like the employees of this mansion, and Slaves are the general term for mindless vampire monsters.
'Becoming a kin was also a stroke of luck.'
It must have been because one had just died, and I seemed to be usable.
"If I were to compare it, the kins is the knight rank. Pure Bloods can be said to be nobles. Noble Bloods is the royal family, the leader of the clan. And the Holy Bloods… well… they're just objects of worship."
"Objects of worship?"
"Our ancestor and the being we must absolutely obey. The primordial existence."
Rosillica, murmuring with reverence, soon chuckled.
"Though, beings like us at the bottom will probably never lay eyes on them in our lifetime."
As I conversed with Rosillica, I began to sense the dawn approaching.
The thick curtains covered the windows, but I could still make out some light.
"Oh my, it's already gotten to be this time. Let's continue the education tomorrow since it's late now. It's well known that beauties need their sleep, after all."
Rosillica, winking mischievously, left the room.
'Late, huh...'
I sighed at the momentary feeling of alienation.
It was only when it became brighter outside that I felt a slight exhaustion.
'I'll have to get used to it.'
***
Following that, it was decided that I would engage in education by conversing with Rosillica and moving around myself for the next few days.
Luckily, on the second day, I was allowed to go out, using the excuse that I had left my belongings at the accommodation.
'To be honest, I took it out sneakily, but I didn't think it would be such a big deal.'
When I brought this up to Rosillica, who was in charge of the education, the response was quite nonchalant.
"Just go and come back now."
"Huh? Aren't we not allowed to go out before the education is over?"
"Well, I mean... I don't know about other places, but here, it's okay not to worry about it."
It turned out that this rule was in place to protect the newly turned vampire, and since Ajantu was already under their dominion, it didn't really matter.
Due to the nature of vampires, who had to obey those of higher ranks, there was no need to question, let alone rebel, and it wasn't a dream that was even possible.
Thanks to this, I was able to sneak out in the evening, pack my belongings, and go to greet my siblings.
"Oh, mister!"
"Mister! Where did you go!? We went to the room in the accommodation, but you weren't there. We were worried!"
As I arrived, the siblings immediately embraced me.
For a moment, Diana wrinkled her nose and cautiously looked at me.
Seeing the expression on their face as if they had a lot to say, I smiled bitterly and separated myself from the siblings.
"Well, it turned out like this. But don't worry, I won't let any harm come to you."
Ugh...
As I tried to lower myself, Diana held me even tighter and whispered in my ear, "I'm not worried. If you need blood, you can drink mine. Not too much, just a little, please?"
I couldn't help but burst into laughter at the sight of the little one cautiously speaking, stealing glances at Aaron.
"Ow! Hey... what are you doing!"
"You're the one saying things. Well, now take this money and live your life. I'll get in touch later."
Even though I had become the head of the city, it was still best for these kids to leave this place.
I don't know if it was the same kin, but if Vyrrak, a Pure Blood, wanted to eat these siblings, I, a lower-class vampire, couldn't protect them.
'As long as I can call Hans, my options will expand. Until then, let's just live quietly like now.'
Since parting ways with the siblings, I continued my education with Rosillica upon returning to the mansion.
I learned how to manipulate the energy that vampires use, known as "blood mana."
"What's this? Is it your first time? Why are you so good at this?"
Perhaps it was Hans's experience in dealing with dark magic, or maybe it was due to his high mental strength, but I quickly became familiar with using energy.
And the things to be cautious of as a vampire.
"Garlic? It doesn't matter~ Why? Water? I like hot springs. There's one in the mansion's basement."
It seemed that the vampires in this world didn't have many weaknesses.
They were weakened by sunlight and didn't heal well from silver weapons, but even that wasn't absolute.
"We can overcome that somehow. What we really need to be careful of is the divine power. It's the polar opposite after all."
That's how I gradually accumulated my knowledge and etiquette as a vampire.