"Well, honestly, I don't really have anything to compare it to. As far back as I can remember, I've always been like this. But if I had to describe it…" I paused for a moment. "Powerful and free."
"Powerful and free…?" Syllia asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"Yeah. Even though I'm still figuring out what it really means to be a vampire and everything that comes with it, there's this overwhelming feeling inside me… like no matter what happens, things will somehow work out in my favor."
"That sounds amazing," she said softly. "I can't even imagine feeling that empowered all the time."
"Truthfully, so much has happened in the few days since I woke up here that I haven't really had time to process what being a vampire actually means. At first, the idea of drinking blood to survive disgusted me. Even worse was the thought of drinking from monsters or beasts. My system even warned me that while I could do it, I probably wouldn't enjoy it at all."
I let out a small laugh.
"But now that I've done it a few times… I honestly don't think there's anything else that feels remotely close to it. If I'm being honest, it's a little addictive."
"Well… if it's anything like being on the other end of it, I can understand why…" Syllia mumbled, her face turning beet red.
"Anyway…" I reached over and gently took her hand in mine. "Was there anything else you wanted to ask?"
Staring down at our intertwined hands, Syllia answered shakily.
"I-I don't think so… not right now, anyway…"
Seeing how flustered she looked, I couldn't resist teasing her a little more. I leaned forward until our faces were only inches apart.
"So, if that's all you wanted to ask…" I whispered in an alluring voice, my eyes glowing a deep crimson, "should I take this as you planning on staying with me tonight?"
Immediately, she began stumbling over her words.
"I-I should go check on my mom! Y-Yeah! I need to check on my mom! She only just got better, so I shouldn't leave her alone for too long! I-I'll head home now!"
Trying—and failing—to hide how flustered she was, she quickly stood up and hurried toward the door. But just before leaving, she stopped in the doorway and glanced back at me.
"Thank you, Lucy. Truly… thank you for everything you've done for me. I'll make it up to you somehow."
"Don't worry about it," I replied playfully. "Who wouldn't help a beautiful young maiden in need?"
"Ugh… you're impossible," she muttered before finally leaving.
I chuckled to myself.
'Ah, she's just too easy to tease.'
As the front door clicked shut, an uncomfortable silence settled over the house.
Well… I'm alone now, and wide awake. What should I do?
The sun had only just gone down, meaning most of the village was probably already indoors for the night. Maybe a few people were still lingering at the tavern like last night, and the night guards would definitely be making their rounds by now.
Maybe I should just go for a walk. See where I end up.
Even if I wandered outside the village, it shouldn't be too hard to find my way back. And honestly, I was confident in my strength. At the very least, I knew I could outrun almost anything dangerous.
Ah, but first… I should leave a note.
After rummaging through the kitchen, I found some paper and a quill. The note itself was simple—just a quick message saying I'd gone for a walk and not to worry if I was gone longer than expected. I had a feeling Syllia would stop by early in the morning.
Once I finished, I stepped outside and quietly shut the front door behind me. Closing my eyes, I let the cool evening air brush against my face.
"Ah… this is rejuvenating. Nighttime really is the best."
For the first time since arriving here, both my body and mind felt completely clear.
As I approached the village gate, I spotted the same guard I'd spoken to earlier standing watch.
"Oh, hey, it's you," he called out. "How're you holding up? Syllia came by looking for you earlier. She sounded pretty worried, so I thought something might've happened. Oh—and I'm Arnold, by the way. Realized I never properly introduced myself last night."
"I'm doing great!" I replied cheerfully. "A good night's rest really worked wonders for me. And yeah, Syllia's fine now. Apparently she couldn't remember everything that happened that night, so she mostly just wanted answers. Oh, and I'm Lucy."
I extended my hand, and he shook it gently before quickly pulling away.
Now that I got a proper look at him, he was actually pretty handsome. Short, messy brown hair, sharp features, and probably around my age.
He nodded along, seemingly satisfied with my explanation, before giving me a puzzled look.
"So… what exactly are you doing out here this late? Most people are already asleep. It's pretty rare to see a girl your size wandering around alone at night."
"I just couldn't sleep, I guess. I'm pretty confident in my magic, so I thought I'd go for a walk. Don't really have a destination in mind."
At my response, his expression shifted to concern as he briefly looked me up and down.
"I'm not really in a position to stop you from leaving, but… are you sure? Especially after what happened with Syllia yesterday. I know you defeated that orc, but still…"
I smiled slightly, finding his concern for someone he barely knew strangely sweet.
"Oh, I'll be fine. Like I said, I'm very confident in my attack magic. And there's nobody faster on their feet than me."
I puffed out my chest proudly.
Almost immediately, Arnold's face turned red and he awkwardly looked away.
"Cough… cough…"
"Right… well, like I said, I won't stop you. Just be careful, okay? And try not to wander too far."
"I will! Thanks for worrying about me!"
With a cheerful wave, I passed through the gate.
After traveling a fair distance down the dirt road, the village disappeared behind me, leaving me alone with my thoughts once more.
Now that I think about it… why did he suddenly get so flustered?
Glancing down, I realized the top few buttons of my tunic had come undone, revealing far more cleavage than usual.
Heat immediately rushed to my face as I hurriedly buttoned them back up.
"Ah, man… I hope he doesn't think I was trying to flirt with him or something. That'll make things awkward…"
With my wardrobe malfunction fixed, I continued down the quiet road with no real destination in mind.
Then a sudden thought crossed my mind.
Should I check on that camp again…?
I knew I could handle them. And from what I'd seen before, there were probably a lot more orcs still out there.
I'd hate to find out later that they attacked another village—or worse, captured more women—when I had the power to stop them.
"Damn it… I better go check. Worst case scenario, I can just wipe out the rest of them."
Stepping off the road, I broke into a sprint.
Within minutes, I arrived at the outskirts of the encampment.
And immediately, my fears were confirmed.
At least ten orcs were moving between the tents, hauling weapons and crates of supplies.
Did they just return from another raid? There definitely weren't this many supplies here before…
Crouching behind a tree just out of sight, I focused my vision. The world slowly tinted red as massive silhouettes began appearing throughout the camp.
Even after only encountering them once, the sight of them filled me with instinctive disgust.
They really are the natural enemy of women everywhere…
The memories of what happened here before flashed through my mind. My hands trembled with rage as I remembered what they had done… what they had wanted to do to my Syllia.
"I'll kill them all," I whispered coldly. "I won't let a single one live."
My crimson eyes narrowed.
"Anyone—or anything—that dares hurt my Syllia… dies."
And with that, I launched myself from the shadows toward the nearest tent.