The Melancholy of the Vampire Princess

The calendar year on Mizgarz was called the Mizgarz Calendar, or MC for short. It did not actually count all the years Mizgarz had existed, but instead only started when humanity came together and started an era where they lived in joint harmony. Because of that, the Mizgarz Calendar was actually somewhat of a misnomer, and some brought up the desire to abolish it, all the more so because there were a small number of beings who had, in fact, existed for tens of thousands of years. Even setting aside the entire history of Mizgarz, the history of humanity was much longer than the existence of the Mizgarz Calendar, but it was a clear fact that the calendar was useful when discussing such things.

This even held true for Benetnasch, who would also have had great trouble remembering her birth year without it. Six hundred years ago, during the year 2400 MC, a calamitous child was born in the vampire kingdom Blikjandaböl, located on Éljúðnir, one of the four great continents of Mizgarz. She was royalty, counting the true ancestor and originator of all vampires, Vlad, as one of her direct forebears. Benetnasch was born between the head of the family and one of his many concubines. However, among her many half-siblings, her standing was far from the best. Still, she was undoubtedly royalty at least and was in the line for succession. Unfortunately, her mother was not that favored by her father, and so it would be faster to reach where she was in line by counting from the bottom rather than the top.

While she wasn’t abused, she also wasn’t loved. The environment she was born into was all too common for nobility and royalty, though still unfortunate. Still, Benetnasch was not disappointed. Rather, she did not care one bit about her parents or her siblings. After all, she never even saw them as the same species as herself.

“Too thin.”

That was what Benetnasch had felt ever since she was developed enough to understand what was happening around her. To her, everybody but her had one thing in common, regardless of race. Their magic is so thin, as is their existence. It’s as if they’re not there at all, at least in terms of strength.

Not even Benetnasch’s parents were exceptions. Am I really their child? Wasn’t I born to someone else? Everyone told her that she was actually their child, but Benetnasch couldn’t bring herself to believe them. For example, pretend there are two monkeys in front of you. Would you accept them as your parents? No, you wouldn’t. After all, they are of a completely different species. Benetnasch, at least, couldn’t help but feel like every other vampire was the same, a completely different species. Am I just being conceited? Is this feeling that I am somehow special just born from some sort of childish sense of self-worth? How nice it would be if that were true...

Members of vampire royalty were taught how to fight once they reached a certain age. Vampires were apex predators and hunters. That was why their rulers could not be weak; a certain amount of strength was needed for the position. Because of that, Benetnasch was going to be made to gain battle experience with monsters while learning how to hunt. That being the case, Benetnasch experienced her first joint hunt with her siblings at the age of ten.

The vampires’ country, like others, was situated in a place where monsters abounded once you left the city protected by walls and soldiers. While looking across the vast wildland that stretched off into the horizon, Benetnasch thought of something completely incongruous to the current mood.

“Hey, old-timer...” Benetnasch called out to her elder, who had served her family since ancient times.

“Yes? What is it, young miss?”

Her other siblings were all either filled with nerves, enthusiasm, or hesitation at their first hunt. Either way, they were a ways away from their normal states. Among them, only Benetnasch was calm, as if she were simply out taking a walk.

“If I remember correctly, you told me a story about my father before, didn’t you? About how he once killed a hundred monsters in a single hunting trip, wasn’t it?”

“I did. He truly looked like a king at that time. Your father was young then, and he stood on the bodies of a hundred monsters, dominating them as one of the strong.”

“I see.”

Benetnasch sunk into thought. Since this was to be her first hunt, she didn’t know the difference in strength between her and monsters, so she didn’t know exactly how great of an achievement that was. But for now, let’s try shooting for that number, she thought. Still, at least I know now. This strange feeling, the one that tells me that I am different from everybody else... It’s not just me being conceited.

Benetnasch leapt into action just as the signal to start sounded, and she headed in a vague direction where she felt there were monsterlike presences. Normally, she would be accompanied by a knight, so as to prevent fatalities among the royalty, but the knight that was assigned to Benetnasch was not fast enough to keep up with her. That’s disappointing... So they’re already unable to keep up after just a little bit of running? This was the first time Benetnasch had run with anything resembling her full speed, and she was utterly disappointed by the fact that she was able to so easily leave an adult behind. Hmm... As I thought. Maybe I really am different. Am I the strange one?

Benetnasch forced those doubts deep down, as she had already encountered her first monster. It was a wyvern that was covered in scales, and it was easily five times Benetnasch’s size. It had sharp fangs, vicious claws, and a large enough body that she nearly had to look straight up at it. All of those were oppressively intimidating, and anyone would be fearful at first glance.

However, Benetnasch was not afraid. She felt that the monster was no threat to her, surprising even herself. Maybe I’m just missing a sense of danger and fear... Benetnasch considered this silently. If that’s the case, then everything would just be me thinking too much into it.

As the wyvern roared, it swung down its claws.

See, it’s coming for me. Its arm alone is longer than I am tall, and it’s being swung towards me as it roars. I should be scared, shouldn’t I? This is a scary situation. But still... Why?

Benetnasch paused, thinking. Why does it just look like the noble but useless last struggle of a small animal?

Again, Benetnasch fell silent before musing, “So taking care of a hundred of something like this is considered amazing, huh...?”

Right at the moment, it seemed as if the wyvern’s claws would hit Benetnasch in the head. She used her small hand to grab the wyvern’s arm before then anchoring her other hand on the wyvern’s belly and proceeding to easily rip its arm off. Benetnasch ignored the screaming wyvern as she focused on its wound, where she saw the faint light of mana.

I see. So this is it. If I absorb this along with its blood, I can take in its strength. Having understood this, Benetnasch bit into the arm she’d ripped off, sucking in its blood along with its mana. It was the first time she’d sucked a monster’s blood, but surprisingly, she found herself not averse to it.

Just this isn’t enough for me to understand. I guess I’ll hunt a little more... After relieving the poor wyvern of its head, Benetnasch started looking for her next prey as she drank her first victim’s blood dry. All the while, she held onto the faint hope that somewhere along the way, she would hit a wall.

“Hey, you told me that my father once killed a hundred monsters in a session, and you called him strong, didn’t you?”

It was an unbelievable sight.

The man who Benetnasch had called an old-timer was named Roy. He had upheld his vow of loyalty since ancient times, when the true ancestors had been present, and had watched over many kings throughout history. All the kings he’d seen, including Benetnasch’s father, had been proper, strong rulers who had not shamed their ancestors, or at least, they should have been. However, he now felt that common sense of his that had been built up over the years collapsing inside of him.

It wasn’t just him. All the knights who had accompanied them as well as the other succession candidates—well, the former candidates—were, likewise, all struck speechless at the sight. Not even the king, who had finished his work early so as to be able to see the brave fighting figures of his children, as well as all his concubines were lost for words.

“Hey, Roy... Is this really a special accomplishment? Or were the ones I killed just too weak?”

The next ruler of the vampires sat under the shining moonlight. Her silver hair gently swayed in the wind as she looked down on everything with her youthful but beautiful face. There wasn’t even a hint of a hard fight anywhere on her. She was sitting on a mountain of corpses that didn’t just number a hundred, but easily double that.

“Hey, Roy... Tell me, how do I look from your point of view?”

In pure numbers, she was more than twice as strong as her father. However, that accomplishment of the current king had been done when he was a fully grown adult. He hadn’t even been close to a young ten-year-old child. So what was Benetnasch? At a mere ten years old, she was already showing enough strength to leave the king in the dust. There were no other words but “prodigy.”

At this point, Roy could no longer consider Benetnasch as the same species as everyone else. Why have I not noticed up until now? She’s just of a higher rank than all of us are. To her, we’re all naught but monkeys who failed to evolve.

By the time he’d noticed, Roy had already fallen to his knees, and everyone else present had followed suit. Nobody thought what they were doing was strange. After all, she was their ruler, and they were but her humble servants. It was clear to their instincts; because they were vampires, who were sensitive to mana, they could understand this.

This person is different.

Everyone could feel this, right down to their bones. That was why it wasn’t just her siblings, but the current king, queen, and the king’s concubines who kneeled. There was no hesitation. Seeing them, the young lady who was a monster herself had her eyes waver out of loneliness for a moment, but no one noticed.

“You are a ruler, a born one...” said the king. “Please forgive me for being so blind that I could not see it until now.”

Benetnasch hesitated before asking, “Calling me, the daughter of a concubine, a ruler with the king right there? Is that really all right, father?”

“No... Not at all... All right? I could never have opinions on something so rude. You are a ruler appointed by the heavens themselves. I am just a father who was given the role through luck...”

Benetnasch managed to squeeze the phrase “I see” out before she looked up to the moon. With that, it had been made clear to her. All too clear. As I thought. I’m strange. It wasn’t just childish conceit; I really am a different species.

Her father’s eyes would no longer reflect the form of his daughter. He’d never loved her anyway and had originally only thought of her as one of his many children, but even then, he still at least thought of her as his child. But now he doesn’t even think of me as his child... I can feel more love from him than before, but it’s the distant kind of love given to a ruler, not something to give to one’s child. Not even my mother thinks of me as her child now. She probably just thinks of me as a true king gifted from the heavens, one who just luckily happened to use her womb...

Benetnasch was silent for a long while. “I...see...” she eventually let out.

A born ruler. An insurmountable difference decided from birth. A predetermined status...

Having processed and recognized all that about herself, the feeling that welled up in Benetnasch’s heart was not happiness but a huge, empty vacantness. A feeling of solitude as if she’d been thrown into this world all by her lonesome took over her heart. I’m sure no one understands this loneliness. No one will understand this emptiness.

My father is not my father, and my mother is not my mother. I cannot even call those of the supposed same race as me as such. I am a unique, new race... Benetnasch was sure that fit her to a T.

That day, Benetnasch became alone at the young age of ten. Though she’d gained loving subjects—her parents among them—and she still had her siblings, all of them were simply her subjects in the end, and she was still alone. Even her family bowed to her, showing their subservience and worshiping her on their own.

There was no room for an equal relationship. Benetnasch had been forcefully placed at the top of a pyramid she did not want to be on. No one even tried to be her equal...

＊　　　　＊

Around four hundred years had passed. At this point, the continent of Éljúðnir, once considered a paradise for monsters, had become the safest continent in the world. The reason? Benetnasch had erased them all.

Looking for enemies, she’d continued to kill monsters. She’d continued to fight, hoping to find an equal. However, the more she fought and the more she killed, the more the gap between her and others widened, and the more alone she became. At some point, the title of the world’s strongest was hers to do with as she pleased, and not only was it said amongst people that it would be impossible to equal her, even dragons started to avoid her. She had no equal, much less a better. Others simply walked down the path she had opened while giving thanks and singing her praises. To the world, Benetnasch had no siblings. In fact, even the existence of her parents was called into question, and people had started to think that she had no family at all. However, that wasn’t true.

With her butt planted firmly in her throne, Benetnasch looked down at the kneeling masses arrayed before her. I believe the one standing closest to me and the throne but refusing to break his respectful bow is supposed to be my older brother? And the head maid who takes care of me so diligently should be my mother? There should also be many of my sisters among the masses of other maids as well. The man kneeling ahead of all the other ones should be the previous king as well as my father too.

Aah... What a dull, worthless life. Benetnasch’s ice-cold gaze swept past the crowd in front of her once more as she fought back a sigh. Unable to find a goal or even a reason to live, accomplishing everything so easily and not experiencing the slightest bit of trouble... It’s as if I’m a golem given the role of being a ruler. I’m dead, even though I’m alive... Benetnasch was utterly bored of her own life. That was why that meeting was heaven-sent to her.

It happened one day out of the blue. An invader had appeared in her land, a place even dragons and the devilfolk avoided. She was a heaven-winged girl with flowing golden locks and black wings. She also came by herself. She didn’t bring any comrades, led no armies, and had given Benetnasch a declaration of war all by herself.

Of course, Benetnasch just thought of her as a simple idiot at first. Even after hearing the report, she couldn’t work up any interest. However, she came to understand that her decision was a mistake when the girl barged into the castle by herself a scant few minutes later.

Benetnasch was sure she would never forget the shock she felt at that time. In this world that was devoid of color, where everything felt thin and worthless, she was the only one who was different. Not just the mana cloaking her, but the entire feeling of her existence was clearly different from the rest of the world in Benetnasch’s eyes. That day, Benetnasch had met someone who was not just a member of the swirling, uncountable masses for the first time.

By the time she’d noticed, she’d already stood up from her throne and was staring at the girl, fixated. The emotion she felt at that point might honestly have been love at first sight.

“You’re the Vampire Princess Benetnasch, are you not? First, allow us to apologize for our rude entrance.”

“You’re...” Benetnasch paused. “Right, you’re the girl who defeated the dragon king. I see. I guess rumors turn out to be true sometimes. I thought it was all just exaggeration, but it looks like I was wrong.”

Benetnasch had known about the heaven-winged girl who’d defeated the Dragon King, but she hadn’t cared. She’d figured that it was either all a huge embellishment or the Dragon King had just been that weak. However, she now regretted that and wished that she’d looked deeper into it. If she had, she would have met the precious monster in front of her sooner.

The black-winged angel spent some time looking Benetnasch over, but she kept her mouth shut, probably because she couldn’t find anything to say.

It took Benetnasch a while as well before she asked, “What? Why are you being so quiet?”

“Oh, sorry... There’s a lot We should say, but We were just so moved. The Vampire Princess, the strongest in the world... You were one of our goals, and someone We admired. After seeing you face-to-face, We weren’t sure what We should say anymore.”

“I see. It’s an honor.”

No one had ever told Benetnasch they admired her, and likewise, it was the first time anyone had said that she was their goal. Admiration meant that the object was an ideal, something the admirer held a strong longing for. However, Benetnasch could count those who admired her—someone who had far surpassed a simple ideal—on a single hand, and there were even less people who made her a goal. Also, this was the first time she’d been honestly happy that someone had valued her as such.

“Then there’s no need for words. There’s something much faster than such things.”

However, as Benetnasch was at the moment, even that praise was vexingly slow. No, exchanging words itself isn’t vexing. It’s that there’s something else we should be doing with this time. So, Benetnasch flared her magic power and tossed her outer layer of clothing as she stepped forward.

“You came to fight, didn’t you? Then let’s!”

Benetnasch acted calm, but she was actually about to explode. It’s like I’m a monkey in heat, she thought, self-deprecating. Or maybe like I’m a virgin in front of a naked woman for the first time... Either way, I can’t hold back anymore. I want to make this happen even one second faster!

I never dared to hope for this until now... A gift that I could never even think of in my wildest dreams came rushing to me! If this is a dream, I hope I never wake up.

With that wish, Benetnasch laughed grandly. In response, the black-winged girl also smiled.

“We see. It’s as you say. Words aren’t needed.”

“Yeah. Let’s do this.”

Even though this was their first meeting, the two women acted like they’d finally seen a lover they’d been separated from for years as they jumped at each other almost wordlessly. Of course, this wasn’t for anything so sweet as a lover’s tryst. They were starting a fight to the death.

Well, it might have actually been a tryst, since longing desperately for a strong opponent was similar to love. Like separated lovers who would go for a hug before exchanging any words or a reuniting couple’s silent kiss, the two of them slammed their fists into each other’s cheeks with all their might, as if they were sending a message.

Benetnasch was shocked. “You’re good!”

Even while still flying backwards from the wind pressure given off by Lufas’s fist, Benetnasch stuck her feet out into the ground to stop herself. Then, she laughed while spitting out blood.

That hit just now busted my skull, didn’t it? I can see a broken fang rolling around on the floor.

While regenerating the damage at unbelievable speeds, Benetnasch’s heart was filled with joy. In one hit, she’d understood. She’s stronger than me, overwhelmingly so. That was why Benetnasch was so happy. Finally... For the first time since I was born, I’ve finally found something to aim for.

Without waiting for the damage she’d taken to fully heal, Benetnasch once again dashed off.

I don’t care about the future. I just want to extend this happiness by even one more second!

＊　　　　＊

Benetnasch’s life changed once she’d met the black-winged girl, Lufas Maphaahl. She’d started to think that this dull, pale world wasn’t so bad. Benetnasch had also met a bunch of people who had been raised by Lufas’s unique ability into something like pale imitations of her, and it was enough that Benetnasch thought that it would be all right to align herself with them.

Benetnasch’s fight with Lufas had ended with her loss. To the rest of the world, it seemed like the fight had ended in a draw, and their respective nations merged, but that was just something Lufas had cooked up with Benetnasch’s influence in mind. In actuality, it was a complete loss that was simply dressed up as a draw and an absorption made to seem like unification. The vampire’s country, Blikjandaböl, which had persisted since the age of the true ancestors, thus ended, and Benetnasch agreed to join Lufas and lend her might to Lufas’s goals on the condition that they would have a rematch.

This isn’t bad, Benetnasch thought. She had people she respected standing by her side and a clear goal in the form of Lufas. Her days spent like that were much more fulfilling than before, when she had been like a living corpse.

However, it would all come crashing down due to the worst possible betrayal. Her companions whom she respected—who in later years would become known as six of the Seven Heroes—betrayed Lufas and struck her down. The worst thing was that they’d interrupted Benetnasch’s longed-for rematch to do it. As a result, Lufas was brought low because of the wounds Benetnasch had inflicted in their rematch. What would it be other than a total disgrace? Then, as if to twist the knife, Benetnasch was somehow treated as a companion to those traitors and lauded as one of the Seven Heroes. One of the Seven Heroes who defeated Lufas Maphaahl—that title was something that made Benetnasch want to puke.

Just like that, the funnest times in Benetnasch’s life had ended. The colors of her world faded once more, and she gradually lost interest in everything. As for the others of the Seven Heroes, even they started to look like part of the faceless, worthless masses to her.

“Benetnasch, I’m begging you...” said Alioth. “Help us. We need your power to defeat the Devil King.”

Benetnasch simply remained silent.

A few days had passed since that terrible betrayal. Alioth and the rest of his group had visited Benetnasch in her castle to petition for her help. While sitting on her throne, Benetnasch looked down at the six people who she had once recognized as her equals with ice-cold eyes.

“Go away.”

That was all Benetnasch had to say. That wasn’t something anyone should say to their friends, but Benetnasch no longer recognized them as such. Even this audience with her was something they weren’t allowed to cut in line for, so they had been forced to wait three days until after all the other nobles had had their turn. In other words, they’d fallen low enough to be grouped along with all those Benetnasch cared nothing about.

“W-Wait, please! You know that the Devil King is preparing to attack now that Lufas is gone, don’t you? If we don’t defeat him now, then the world will—”

“You’re right. All the days of peace, order, and safety from monsters and devilfolk that Maphaahl had worked hard to build until now have all been ruined. Now the world has returned to a hell where people are trampled over by those monsters and devilfolk, just like it was before Lufas Maphaahl.”

“If you know already, then—”

“It’s all thanks to you.”

Those words from Benetnasch were enough to make Alioth stop in his tracks, and not just him either. None of the six of them could say anything.

“You all ended it yourselves. You struck a faithful friend in the back and erased her without a thought for what comes afterwards. You even ruined my rematch with her... And you’re asking for my help on top of that?”

“Well, that’s...”

Benetnasch said nothing in reply.

“That’s... None of us get it...” admitted Alioth. “Back then, we really did think it was the right thing to do... But now that we think back on it, we must have gone crazy or something. We were wrong, and we know it. As for why we did that... Why we thought that Lufas must be defeated, no matter what... Truthfully, I don’t even understand my—”

Benetnasch’s fist thrust into Alioth’s face. It was a full-force blow; Benetnasch had struck him without holding back, thinking that she wouldn’t care if he died. If the one receiving it hadn’t been Alioth, who was level 1000, there would have been nothing above the base of his neck right now.

Benetnasch no longer had any interest in listening to the rest of it.

I thought that he might have said something even a little worthwhile, but crying about his regrets at this point? It’s not even worth listening to. Don’t understand? You trampled all over my wishes for something of that level? You were wrong? That’s the worst thing you could have said! It doesn’t matter who or where or when. You people are the only ones who should never say that! If the ones who defeated Lufas were to say that it was a mistake, then that would make Lufas a fool who was defeated by mistake. That would be the most disrespectful thing possible.

That was why Benetnasch would not listen to any more of their drivel. After punching Alioth flying, Benetnasch sat back down on her throne and looked down at the group.

“I’m disappointed in all of you... Get out of here. I will not say it a third time.”

“Benetnasch...!”

“Or...”

Benetnasch’s crimson eyes glowed. Magic power overflowed from her entire body, and she broke through the level 1000 limit. She was now in the world past level 1000, a place only Lufas and Benetnasch had ever been able to reach. With that much power, it would be possible for her to take on the rest of the Seven Heroes all at once. It was exactly because she was so powerful that she was necessary for the fight against the Devil King and why Alioth and the others had come for her help.

“Do you want to make me into your enemy along with the Devil King?”

Those words made Alioth and the others recoil from her before they all left silently. They’d sensed that if they were to continue to try to reason with her, she would attack them in that instant.

While watching the pathetic forms of their backs, Benetnasch clicked her tongue. If it were Lufas... If it were Lufas Maphaahl, she would have knocked me out and dragged me to the fight, even if she had to fight me a little first. But the men who defeated her are like this? Where’s their drive? Their spirit? Are those really the backs of the men who I once respected?

“Roy, don’t let them through next time. If they send any letters, just burn them without opening them.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. As you will.”

＊　　　　＊

After that, about another two hundred years had passed.

To Benetnasch, those two hundred years were terribly boring. Fairly large incidents happened, such as the members of the Seven Heroes—other than herself—losing to the Devil King and humanity’s territories shrinking considerably, but none of that mattered to Benetnasch. To her, it was just worthless trouble that only affected worthless people.

However, she still held a slight sliver—the tiniest slice—of hope. It happened around 150 years ago. Just once, the Devil King had come to mess with her. At that time, he’d said something strange.

“Lufas will return in 150 years,” was it?

Benetnasch hadn’t truly believed in it, but there was nothing else to put her hopes in, so she held on to that small sliver as she waited.

If that was a lie, then I’ll just erase the Devil King. With those thoughts swirling around in her mind, Benetnasch let the days flow past her, but one day, she finally found out that what the Devil King had said had not been a lie.

“Lady Benetnasch! There’s been a huge incident!”

As always, Benetnasch had spent her day in boredom. That was when one of her retainers burst into the room in a panic. Thinking that some small fry, like one of the devilfolk’s Seven Luminaries, had invaded, Benetnasch turned her gaze to meet her subject’s, uninterested. However, what she’d heard next completely broke all sense of calmness in her.

“The country of Laevateinn tried and failed to summon a hero... There have been reports that the Black-Winged Conqueror, Lufas Maphaahl, has been revived... Eep?!”

After hearing the report, Benetnasch reflexively bolted upright. She was so surprised that she accidentally let out a burst of magic power, needlessly scaring her retainer. However, she didn’t care about any of that. More important to Benetnasch was the good news that had just reached her ears.

After taking a moment to process, she exclaimed, “So she’s here...!”

Naturally, the corners of her mouth slid upwards. The pale world immediately started to regain its color, and her heart was filled with joy.

“You made me wait too long, idiot.”

I can’t stop smiling. I’m shaking too. I can’t help it. I’m so happy. I can even tell my knees are shaking too.

This was the prequel to Lufas Maphaahl’s story. As well as the story of the girl who, more than anyone in the world, waited in anticipation for Lufas’s return.