NOVEL NEXT WORLD Starting today, I’m back to being homeless, which I had just mentioned to Eleonora yesterday. But to cut to the chase, that was half true and half wrong.
“Wow…”
As she stared out the quickly passing scenery, Eleonora let out a dazed exclamation.
I suppose it’s her first time in a carriage. When has she ever ridden one?
To be honest, I don’t have much to say either since this is only my second time as well.
Anyway, the estimated time to our destination is three days. While it’s true we need to sleep outside, calling it homelessness isn’t entirely wrong. However, sleeping in a carriage is like booking a hotel compared to the times I had to curl up under a tree with just a blanket.
Moreover, whether it’s thanks to the impressive technology of this world or the power of money, the ride in the carriage was unexpectedly pleasant.
Traveling over bumpy dirt paths without my backside feeling like it’s being torn apart is proof of that. Of course, this is an expensive carriage—cheap ones would likely be different—but the fact that it’s manageable with the era’s technology is commendable in itself.
Honestly, I have no basis for comparison. My only experience riding a carriage was when Martini’s guide took me south after leaving the duchy, but I was too distressed at the time to analyze the ride’s comfort.
Though, that’s not to say I’m particularly relaxed now.
I haven’t forgotten my debt to Martini and the duchy. I know all too well how dangerous, disgusting, and relentless humans can be.
After stubbornly insisting on marching through the mountains, I chose to ride a carriage this time. Having checked yesterday’s backlogged newspapers, the pace of the war was shockingly fast.
The Luminous Kingdom, the Empire, and the Bertica Kingdom were advancing on the Sahelrn Duchy from three sides.
Intense battles had already broken out multiple times. While the unification of the three major nations posed a threat to the vampires, the return of Grand Duke Martini Sahelrn to the front lines tipped the scales.
So far, that was good news. Unfortunately, Martini only had one body. The duchy couldn’t handle the onslaught coming from three directions, and the current situation was one of trading ground—pushing one back while being pushed back in two places.
While it was good to confirm that the duchy wouldn’t succumb easily as Martini boasted, the human assaults were overwhelming. It’s fine to be cautious, but I need to start using my time wisely.
I must not forget the reason the duchy is enduring this war.
I haven’t forgotten for whom they are buying time.
Ultimately, nothing will end until I’m strong enough to shake off the human threat.
Once the war with the duchy concludes, they will pursue me seriously. Therefore, I need to maximize my strength while I have the relative freedom to move.
That’s why I boldly changed my mode of transport this time. Now that I’ve gotten this far, no one should associate the mercenary that entered through Envalt with my current self.
Until now, I was obsessed with leaving no traces to avoid being discovered, but with eyes focused on the war, it’s better to head straight for my destination.
“Master, Master. Where are we going?”
Eleonora’s cheerful voice broke my train of thought. When I glanced over, the dragonkin girl was looking at me with innocent eyes from a little distance from the window.
What is she really thinking? She’s always been bold enough to approach fearlessly, but since last evening, she has shown no signs of wariness. She even asked me to drink her blood herself.
I’m not the fool who would cut open the belly of a goose that lays golden eggs. But since she looks so weak, I planned to keep an eye on her for about a month.
Still, I’m not such a sucker that I would refuse if she insists she’s okay.
But seriously, what’s going on in her head? If she’s following me to win my favor, that’s one thing; but judging by her expression, she seems to be completely devoid of thought right now.
If that’s the case, it means she genuinely trusts me and is willingly offering her blood.
Is this what they call Stockholm syndrome? There’s no other explanation for it!
To be precise, the only noteworthy event yesterday was when I gave her a meal and a bed she didn’t even need.
Of course, I’m not so clueless as to miss that this is incredibly luxurious compared to what she has experienced.
But does that really justify her eagerness to offer her blood to a vampire? I mean, if I were her, I wouldn’t be doing that unless I were crazy.
And thinking back, she even had a slight smile while I was drinking her blood. This is… pretty far gone, even for normal standards.
‘Hey, I should respect her preferences after all.’
Maybe she has a taste for masochism. Being an open-minded vampire, I decided not to dwell too deeply on it.
What does it matter why she’s cooperative and friendly? That’s a good thing.
Even if she’s lost her marbles, as long as she maintains her madness nicely, it doesn’t matter. Whether she’s gone crazy from a hard life or developed weird tastes, if she becomes my ally in a world full of enemies, her mental state is a minor issue.
Besides, she doesn’t seem to be the type to take advantage of the situation. She still moves quickly, acting sensibly without needing instruction, so there’s no need to interfere.
Moreover, I had a reason to increase Eleonora’s value.
After tasting her blood yesterday, I realized it holds a value that easily surpasses that of ordinary humans, even in its current state.
The stronger one is, the more power one gains from their blood; and I already knew that taste and power are generally proportional.
And the last taste of Eleonora’s blood was by far the best I’ve ever had.
The first sip overwhelmed me with the scent of blood, nearly causing me to turn her into a mummy, but thankfully, I managed to snap back to reality and drank moderately, experiencing a level of revitalization that was simply remarkable.
Whether her current strength or latent potential influences this is uncertain, but one thing is clear: as a source of nourishment, Eleonora is outstanding, and her future value as a combat asset is high.
I dislike children. Actually, I dislike all other beings, to be honest.
Considering that over 90% of the intelligent life forms in this world would be hostile towards me, my disgust can be said to be quite justified.
But at this point, Eleonora is practically like winning the jackpot on a five-digit lottery ticket!
Even if I don’t know the last digit yet, it’s already a huge win. Thinking that way, my reactions to her start to become more generous.
“I’m heading towards Pahera.”
Maybe that’s why my words flowed out less sharply than usual. How she took it from there is unclear, but at least that’s how I think I said it.
“If we’re going to Pahera… is it the lawless city near Albresia?”
“Have you been there?”
Surprisingly, she seemed to have a bit of knowledge.
Wait, it’s not that surprising. She did mention wandering the continent before being captured by humans, so it wouldn’t be strange if she passed through there.
I sent her an expectant glance, but unfortunately, Eleonora shook her head.
“No, I haven’t been there, just heard about it.”
That’s a shame. But then again, knowing something doesn’t really change anything.
Anyway, it seems that this long journey is finally nearing its end.
As mentioned earlier, the carriage is heading to the city of Pahera in the northwestern Armes Kingdom. More precisely, we’ll reach the outskirts of Pahera by carriage and walk for another day or two, but either way, the destination is roughly near Pahera.
The lawless city of Pahera.
The name Eleonora dropped was simple but hit the nail on the head.
There, conflicts never cease.
Beastmen, vampires, elves, and all sorts of races gather and stoke tensions. It’s common to experience incidents akin to terrorism, and dilapidated buildings and the smell of smoke are the norm.
The fundamental reason behind Pahera being in such chaos is that it lies on the border with the Land of Elves, Albresia.
Albresia—a natural fortress that has never once allowed incursions from other races during the Race Wars and is the last line of defense for elves.
When the Race Wars were nearing their end, humans wielded the sharpened swords they had honed and began to expand throughout the continent, targeting territories that included the Land of Elves, blessed by the World Tree, a resource trove.
The founders of what are now the Bertica Kingdom and the Armes Kingdom swiftly marched towards Albresia, dividing up elven territories at the tail end of the Race Wars.
However, the result was a brutal failure. And it was not merely a failure due to inadequate military strength.
What thwarted the human invasions was the massive barrier that protected the Elven woods.
The fog-like barrier enveloping the entire forest induced powerful illusions on intruders. The dense fog that obscured vision rendered humans incapable of making any progress towards the center of the forest.
Yet the humans of that time, who were significantly behind the elves in terms of magical prowess, could not even confirm that what they were facing was magic. It was a phenomenon that existed in a dimension entirely separated from the magic they understood.
Ultimately, the humans could only admit defeat to the mysterious fog and retreat.
It was at this time that Albresia earned the nickname “Mist Labyrinth.” And that is precisely why I am heading towards Pahera now.