The moon shone brightly through the trees, casting an almost silver glow across the patches of grass and moss covering the forest floor.
I had been running for what felt like at least ten minutes now, and honestly… the stamina of a vampire was nothing to scoff at.
Looking through the trees ahead of me, I noticed faint lights beginning to come into view. From what I had seen in Syllia's memories, that had to be the village.
Just as I was about to break through the treeline, I suddenly realized something.
I looked down at Syllia sleeping peacefully in my arms, then back toward the village.
Then back at Syllia.
"…How the hell am I supposed to explain this?"
I could already imagine the conversation.
"Oh hey, here's Syllia back safe and sound."
"Why is she unconscious?"
"Oh, I just drank a little of her blood. Don't worry about it."
"…Yeah, absolutely not."
There was no way they'd casually let me leave after hearing something like that.
At the same time though…
I didn't exactly have anywhere else to go.
The thought of spending the night alone in the forest with orcs—and gods know what else—sent a shiver down my spine.
"I-I could just say I woke up in the forest with no memories…" I muttered to myself. "And that I happened to stumble across Syllia…"
I paused.
"…Okay, that sounds way too convenient."
Still, it technically wasn't a lie.
"As for how I found the village afterward… well, that sounds like a problem for future me."
Honestly, maybe they wouldn't even ask.
Deciding I should act at least somewhat normal, I slowed down to a walk before stepping out from the treeline.
The village finally came fully into view.
It wasn't particularly large, but a sturdy wall made from sharpened wooden logs surrounded it. Near the gate stood two young guards in simple armor, casually talking to each other.
I guess they didn't get many visitors this late at night.
As I walked toward the entrance, I realized I was following the same dirt path I had seen in Syllia's memories earlier.
When I got within around fifty feet of the gate, one of the guards finally noticed me.
"Hey! You there!" he called out. "What are you doing out here this late at night?"
I kept walking toward him.
For some reason, I felt like it would be better if he noticed Syllia first before I explained anything.
And right on cue, his eyes dropped toward the unconscious girl in my arms.
His expression instantly changed.
"That's Syllia!" he shouted, rushing toward me. "Where did you find her?! What happened?!"
The second guard immediately snapped to attention as well.
"I was traveling through the forest when I came across what I think was an orc encampment," I explained carefully.
The guard's eyes widened immediately.
He quickly looked Syllia over, likely checking for injuries.
"Don't worry," I added quickly. "I got there before anything… terrible happened."
He stared at me silently for a moment before slowly nodding.
Judging by his reaction, I guessed orc attacks weren't exactly uncommon around here.
"Alright," he said after a moment. "I understand enough. Come with me—I'll take you to her home so you can bring her back safely."
Then he looked me over curiously.
"I don't think I've seen you around before. You new to the area? Got a place to stay?"
I instinctively looked away.
"Actually… no," I admitted sheepishly. "If I'm being honest, I don't remember anything from before today. I woke up alone in the forest and eventually found Syllia. That's really all I know."
We had already passed through the gate and walked a short distance into the village when he suddenly stopped and turned toward me with a concerned expression.
"If you really have amnesia, then you should stay here for a while until you get things figured out," he said. "I'm sure nobody will mind. Everyone here loves Syllia, and once they hear you brought her back safely, people will probably want to thank you."
He scratched the back of his head.
"If her house doesn't have room, we've got a small guest house travelers can use."
Hearing that made my chest tighten slightly.
On one hand, I was relieved everyone sounded so welcoming.
But on the other…
I glanced down at the sleeping Syllia in my arms.
What exactly was she going to think when she woke up?
Some strange girl saved her from an orc… then immediately pinned her against herself and drank her blood.
"…Yeah. No."
There was no way I could be here when she woke up.
"Umm… would it be alright if I stayed at the guest house instead?" I asked quietly. "I don't want to impose on people I don't know."
I carefully held Syllia out toward him.
"And… could you take her home for me?"
Honestly, if I could avoid meeting her family entirely, that would be even better.
It would make disappearing tomorrow a lot easier.
"Now that I'm finally somewhere safe," I added awkwardly, "all the exhaustion is kind of hitting me at once."
The guard studied me for a second before carefully taking Syllia into his arms.
For some reason, seeing another man carrying her like that irritated me far more than it should have.
"…Huh?"
"Yeah, that's fine," he replied. "Honestly, if you really took down an orc by yourself, you've done more than enough already."
He motioned for me to follow.
"I'll show you to the guest house first. Her place is a little farther down."
I nodded and followed quietly behind him.
Now that I had a moment to breathe, I finally took a better look around the village.
It really was small.
Only a few dozen houses lined the dirt roads, most already dark this late at night. A few larger buildings farther ahead were still lively though—probably taverns or pubs judging by the loud laughter spilling from inside.
A couple drunken villagers stumbled around outside holding mugs of what I assumed was alcohol.
Most buildings were built from dark brown wood with cobblestone foundations, giving the entire village a warm rustic atmosphere. Instead of glass windows, wooden shutters covered most homes.
Eventually, we stopped in front of a small cottage.
It was modest—probably only large enough for two or three people at most—but honestly, it was kind of cute in its own way.
"This is the guest house," the guard explained. "There's a well out back if you need water. Someone will probably come talk to you tomorrow morning."
Then he gave me a genuine smile.
"Get some sleep. You look like you need it."
Before I could even thank him, he waved casually and continued down the road with Syllia in his arms.
The moment he disappeared from sight, I opened the door and stepped inside.
Several unlit candles were scattered around the room, but thanks to my vampiric eyesight, I could see perfectly fine in the dark.
The small house was simple but cozy.
A tiny kitchen sat off to one side with a wood stove and wash basin beside it. In the center of the room stood a worn wooden table with two chairs pushed neatly underneath.
There weren't many decorations, though I supposed that made sense for a guest house.
Toward the back, I noticed another door.
Pushing it open, I found a small bedroom with a single bed sitting against the wall.
Without another thought, I stepped inside and shut the door behind me.
Quickly stripping out of my clothes until only my black lace bra and matching panties remained, I paused briefly.
"…Wait. Where did I even get these clothes from?"
I blinked.
"…Actually, never mind. I don't really care enough to think about it right now."
Completely exhausted, I practically dove onto the bed before pulling the blankets tightly around myself.
Within moments, sleep finally claimed me.