How to Be a Dark Hero’s Daughter

* * *

I was riding at full speed. Thank goodness I learned horse riding.

Cedric probably didn’t understand my last words.

From the story I heard at the tower, the puzzling pieces that had been bothering my mind came together.

Once ensnared, they devour people whole. Especially, they feed on human blood.

However, the blood of a dead vampire is said to be a deadly poison.

It’s said to have the power to pollute an entire lake with just one vial.

On the other hand, the blood of a living vampire is said to be a potent elixir. That’s how extraordinary it was.

The blood of a dead vampire becomes increasingly potent poison the longer it’s stored.>

<…>

<…Symptoms?>

That was Siebel’s strategy.

The poison of the vampire. Pouring that poison into the water source of the capital.

Our kingdom has a well-established water supply system.

Each house has a pump, and even in the slums, several houses share at least one tap.

The water supply comes from a long river that runs through the center of the city.

‘They get the water from the upper part of the river.’

In big cities, rivers can be so polluted that the water becomes unusable.

Indeed, in my past life, the rivers that ran through the city were quite polluted.

But in this world, the civilization of Wizards remains.

‘I heard there’s a large magical facility upstream of the river that purifies the water.’

The position where the queen is placed.

That’s the location of the upper reaches of the city river.

In other words, they are trying to tamper with the purification facility.

<…>

<…Yes, that’s right. There are a lot of magic stones buried upstream… Yes. No one has returned yet.>

If Nigel plans something, today would be the day.

That’s why I sent Cedric and the family to where the bishops were.

‘I now understand the secret of the chessboard. The queen’s position is the purification facility of the city river, and the three bishop places… three reservoirs near the city. They also supply a lot of water.’

The position of the bishops are the reservoirs near the city.

Three places in the city. All are water sources.

Siebel’s final strategy. It was a plan to poison the water supplied to the city.

‘I hope it’s not too late.’

I thought as I rode my horse.

The chessboard Siebel showed me.

It was clear that the position of the ‘queen’ on the chessboard, shaped like a city map, indicates the city’s purification facility.

‘I should’ve paid more attention to the pawns.’

Pawns, the lowest-ranked pieces. They are the foot soldiers. They represented cities near the water source.

The pawns were closely packed, forming the city’s boundary. Now that I think of it, it makes sense.

‘There were two pawns missing.’

Two places.

Before I was kidnapped, three months ago, two villages had been wiped out due to a flu-like epidemic.

‘They must’ve tested the vampire’s blood there first.’

It would’ve been easier to wipe out entire villages.

‘Typical rural villages often use wells.’

So all they had to do was mix the vampire’s blood into the well.

‘Now everything makes sense. The epidemic’s onset was strange. Moreover, the first people to die in the isolated villages were… those living near the wells.’

I was in a rush.

* * *

“Emergency inspection? We haven’t received any such notice. Moreover, such a refined young lady came from the Mage Tower?”

I got off the horse, wiping away my sweat.

“Yes.”

I nodded. The facility manager looked at me with puzzled eyes.

“People from the Mage Tower already came this morning…”

My heart sank.