Volume 4, Chapter 14 – A Moonlit Secret Meeting (2)

Is she really that happy that I asked her to teach me?

Ade has a look of absolute joy on her face.

Looking at that smile, I feel like she’s actually kind of cute, and I find my heart racing a little—but surely that’s just because I’m a bit lightheaded from the heat.

“Fufu. Very well. I’ll tell you. Existence Evolution is the process of evolving into a higher being by meeting specific conditions set for each race.”

“Yes. I know that much.”

“Now, since you become a higher being through Existence Evolution, your status aptitudes increase significantly. Also, several skill levels go up automatically. For us Vampires, when we become Vampire Nobles, Dark Magic, our Vampire Unique Skills, and—though I doubt Holy Attribute Resistance is possible—any other resistance skills we have will each increase by 1.”

“Then you become incredibly strong.”

“Indeed. However, there are drawbacks. When you undergo Existence Evolution, your level resets to 1, and your status drops to about half.”

“Eh?”

Ade wears a mischievous grin.

“Fufu, surprised? That’s why you must choose the right time and place when evolving. Fiene, when you undergo Existence Evolution, make sure you’re in a situation where you don’t have to worry about being slain by an enemy. For instance… how about evolving right next to me? I’ll protect you no matter what happens.”

“Eh? Ah, um, I’ll think about it.”

“Fufu, you really are adorable, Fiene.”

No, I have a feeling she’s about to hug me again, so let’s keep the conversation moving.

“Um, what are the conditions for evolving into a Vampire Noble? I heard that for Elves, it involves making their Contract Spirit a Greater Spirit.”

“It’s about creating many thralls. I don’t remember the exact number, but probably fifty thousand, or a hundred thousand? Something like that.”

“Uhih!”

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A strange noise escaped my throat.

“If you live long enough, your numbers grow to that extent. Before you know it.”

That’s right. I’d been swept up in Ade’s momentum and hadn’t thought it through, but I wonder if Ade did the same things Felhi did.

Seeing my expression, Ade looks into my eyes with a serious face once more.

“I understand that as a Saint walking alongside humans, there are things you cannot forgive. But saying that is the same as telling every Vampire other than yourself to die.”

“That’s…”

“Humans kill animals to eat them. Surely Vampires should be allowed to eat the bare minimum required to survive?”

That may be true, but as a human, I can’t just say “Yes, please” and accept it.

“But there are Vampires like Felhi who take over entire towns! And in the past…”

“True. That is why I intended to dispose of him. That kind of method only breeds useless conflict.”

Unlike me, who tends to just drift through life, I feel a certain weight to Ade’s words.

“There are all sorts of Vampires. In my opinion, Vampires like Felhi are nothing but fools. There are all sorts of humans, aren’t there? For example, it’s the same as humans who would make a cute little Elf like your sister-figure a slave.”

When she puts it that way, it’s certainly true.

“Well, it’s not like I was trying to dispose of him for humanity’s sake, though.”

Suddenly switching to a playful tone, Ade gives me a wink.

“Eh? Really?”

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“Yes. Vampires are already hated by humans; it would be bad if the hostility toward us grew any stronger.”

“Eh? Why is that?”

When I ask, Ade looks at me with exasperation. Then, she gives me a light flick to the forehead.

“Hey! What was that for all of a sudden?”

I raise my voice in protest, but Ade continues to look at me with a deadpan expression.

“Because it’s your fault.”

“Eh?”

I stare back at Ade, not understanding what she means.

“Oh stop. I get embarrassed when you stare at me like that.”

I hurriedly avert my eyes.

“Geez. You could have stared a bit more.”

Ade teases me jokingly again. Feeling like the conversation won’t progress at this rate, I bring it back to the topic.

“Um, so what do you mean by ‘my fault’?”

“I mean, Schwarz, the Vampire Noble who was the strongest at the time, fought a human in the middle of the night and was defeated. Back then, he was called the foremost Demon Lord Candidate, commanding many Vampires and monsters. He was a man who preferred solo action, but the news that he was erased in the night without any means of resistance was a shock.”

“Ah…”

I see. Apparently, because of me, a shockwave ran through the Vampire community, leading to the conclusion that it’s dangerous to openly antagonize humans too flamboyantly.

“Even I never imagined that the one who erased Schwarz was a Saint of the same race.”

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“Ahahaha.”

I never thought my actions would have an impact reaching this far.

“Therefore, as long as you are alive, other Vampires shouldn’t be attacking humans recklessly. Of course, since I’m going to marry you, after all, I won’t do anything that my beloved you would dislike.”

“Haa…”

I feel like all the energy has been drained out of me.

I’m only acting as a Saint Candidate by circumstance; I’ve never had the grand ambition of wanting to save every single human.

“By the way, Fiene. Where is that stifling knight? From the looks of it, I thought she’d be clinging to you to protect you.”

“Chris-san is, um, she caught a bit of a cold and is bedridden.”

“My. And here I thought she was the type who wouldn’t catch a cold. I was confident in that assessment, but I suppose my intuition is wrong once in a while.”

“Eeeh.”

It’s true that Chris-san is a bit… something , but I don’t think that has anything to do with whether she catches a cold. Besides, it’s partly our fault.

“Oh? But you’re a Saint, so shouldn’t you be able to treat a simple cold easily?”

“Actually—”

When I explain the sequence of events, Ade bursts into laughter, clutching her stomach.

“Ahaha! You really are adorable. Say, why don’t you just quit being a Saint and come to me right now?”

“No. I believe I already declined your proposal.”

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“Aww, I got rejected. How disappointing. Now, don’t you think it’s about time you went to treat her?”

“Now that you mention it, you’re right. Thank you for teaching me so many things.”

“Fufu. You’re welcome. Then, as a reward, won’t you become my bride?”

“I will not.”

“Oh, then perhaps you’d prefer to be my groom?”

“That’s not the point!”

“Fufu, I’m joking. I’ll come again. Oh, right. This country is very suspicious, so you’d better be careful. Especially since you’re the Saint-sama; I suspect you’ll find it incompatible.”

“Eh? What does that mean—”

“Well then, see you later. My Fiene.”

Chu

Without answering my question, Ade leaves a kiss on my forehead and vanishes, melting away into the darkness.

In the moonlight-illuminated rotenburo, only the sound of water pouring into the tub and the sound of my own heartbeat remained.

Author Note

By the way, the situation where the Demon Lord is Level 1 as seen on the Settings Tablet is due to the specifications of Existence Evolution.

Translator Note

We know, right?