Chapter 43: Meeting the Vampire Girl
"(～￣▽￣)～ La la, la la la~"
A lighthearted tune drifted through the forest as two petite silhouettes darted through the dense thicket, trailing a flurry of butterflies in their wake.
Temporarily free from immediate worries, the duo wandered further afield, gradually distancing themselves from the labyrinth. Shirazawa was searching for the nearby ocean, intending to use it against those Puppet Spiders. If brute force wouldn't work, he'd have to use his head. Spiders didn't just fear fire; they were creatures of the land—water was their natural enemy. If they could flood the labyrinth with an endless supply of seawater, those puppets wouldn't stand a chance.
With this plan in mind, the two set off toward the coastline.
...
On a shaded path, a horse-drawn carriage rolled slowly toward a town. Inside were Count Keren and his family. The territory Shirazawa and Shiro currently traversed belonged to this very man.
Dressed in a butler's uniform, the blue-haired Merazophis drove the carriage, his eyes scanning the surroundings with sharp caution. Seven or eight knights flanked the carriage on horseback, ready for any sign of trouble. The Keren Earldom sat on the border of the Kingdom of Sariella, adjacent to a foreign nation; the official roads were far from peaceful. They couldn't afford a lapse in vigilance.
"Sigh..."
Inside the carriage, Count Keren let out a long breath. "What is the nation of Ohts thinking? If they restrict trade, the only ones suffering will be themselves, not our Keren territory. Can they truly not see that?"
His wife, sitting beside him, cradled their daughter—not yet two years old—in her arms. Her beautiful eyes were clouded with worry. "On this trip, did you not see the King?"
Count Keren sighed again. "No. They claimed he was occupied with urgent matters and had no time for an audience."
"So, they are still restricting merchants from entering Ohts?"
"Yes. Something must have happened. Otherwise, they wouldn't be acting with such desperation."
As the two talked with furrowed brows, the infant in the Countess's arms let out a cry.
"Waaaaah—!"
Hearing their daughter's wails, the couple fell silent, turning their attention to her.
"Is she hungry?"
"Good girl, Mama's here. Don't cry."
The Countess was soothing the child and was just about to feed her... when suddenly, a chaotic clamor of shouting erupted outside the carriage.
"My Lord, bandits!"
Mera, driving the carriage, shouted with a grim expression. He drew the sword at his waist, standing ready with the knights. A fierce struggle broke out instantly. The Countess hugged her daughter tightly, her face turning pale.
*Clang! Crash!*
The sounds of violent impact were incessant.
"Aaaagh—!"
A scream cut through the air. Count Keren's heart tightened; he jerked the carriage curtain aside. Outside, the scene was one of carnage. His knights lay in pools of blood, and even Mera, his butler, was heavily wounded.
A bald man at the head of the group yanked open the carriage door, a sneer on his face. His predatory gaze swept over the Countess before finally landing on the infant in the swaddling clothes.
"Heh heh heh! It's the Count himself! We're in luck tonight!" He licked his lips, wearing a look of sheer greed. He reached out to grab the child.
"Stop!" Count Keren roared, drawing his sword to block him.
In that split second, a white figure flashed behind the bald man. A scythe swung.
*Squelch!*
Fresh red blood erupted, splashing across Count Keren. He stared in shock at the savior.
"This... this is a monster?" He was speechless with disbelief.
"My, my. Just a few steps and we run into a pile of experience packs. Thank the Goddess of Luck for this gift." The monster let out an eerie, cackling sound—a noise no human could understand.
"Eek!!" The surrounding bandits were terrified, stumbling backward.
"The... the boss was..."
"A monster I've never seen..."
"Run! Run for your lives!"
The bandits were scared out of their wits and scrambled to flee. But naturally, none of them made it. A cruel glint flashed in the monster's eyes; like a venomous snake, she locked onto the panicked bandits.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!*
The sound of scythes cutting through air rang out repeatedly. Each strike ended a life on the spot. Shiro happily collected the experience, and her level naturally ticked up. Killing humans was a total rush. The experience from a few weak bandits was comparable to two Greater Taratects. Shiro squinted her eyes in delight.
"I say, Shiro, was it really necessary to make it so bloody?" Shirazawa pouted slightly, wiping a stray splash of blood while complaining.
"I was afraid if I used magic, we'd level this entire area."
"Fair enough." Shirazawa shook his head helplessly. Since he was already there, he cast healing magic on the fallen Mera and the others. Their wounds were mended in an instant. Only a few unlucky ones were already dead beyond saving.
The rescued group looked at each other in bewilderment. A monster saving humans? It was a first for everyone. Even the well-traveled Count Keren stood dazed.
Shirazawa didn't explain—mostly because he couldn't. They didn't understand the local language, so speaking was pointless.
"Um... thank you." The Countess was the first to snap out of it. She bowed her head slightly toward Shirazawa, her eyes full of gratitude. If not for these two monsters, she couldn't imagine what would have happened.
"Uh, what are you saying?"
"Do you speak Spider?"
"Please turn on your mic to communicate."
The Countess: "..."
Having wiped out the bandits, Shiro returned to the carriage. "Wow, what a cute baby!" Her eyes sparkled as she stared at the infant girl. Those ruby-like, pure eyes were as captivating as an angel's. Her skin was soft and fair, and as her little mouth moved, tiny baby teeth were just visible.
*Kawaii na!*
Shirazawa: "..."
He knew it was awkward, but he had to say it. "Sister, do me a favor and look at this kid's stats first."
"Eh?" Shiro shifted her gaze, only then noticing the infant's extraordinary status.
[Humanoid]: Vampire
[Name]: Sophia Keren (Negishi Akiko)
[Level]: Lv1
[Attributes]
[HP]: 11 / 11
[MP]: 35 / 35
[SP]: 12 / 12 (12 / 12)
[Average Attack]: 9
[Average Defense]: 8
[Average Magic]: 32
[Average Resistance]: 33
[Average Speed]: 8
[Skills]:
[Title]: Vampire, Progenitor
[Skill Points]: 75,000
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