Tale of Discovery

Chapter 344: Choice (1/2)

"Uhm Mr. Vincent?" a pleasant voice calls out to me as I step inside the house.

"Yes, Mrs. Emmot?" I respond while gazing at the woman.

She appears to have been abruptly awoken by the commotion outside as her hair is disheveled, and she is in what I believe to be sleepwear.

It's not revealing or anything, but only seems too comfy for them to be casual wear.

"What's going on outside?" she asks in a nervous tone.

"Nothing much," I respond nonchalantly as I begin walking, "Just a few soldiers attacking the village. Fortunately, the kingdom responded to this in kind and has sent its own soldiers over."

"Why? What's there in this village for them to attack?"

"No idea," I leave it at that as I make my way through the kitchen over to the room granted to me.

The moment I press my hand against the doorknob and push the door open, Aletia, who was lying down peacefully, suddenly jolts up as she stares at the door with a wary expression.

Naturally, I am able to see this through my senses, resulting in a small smile forming on my lips as I step inside and say, "Relax, it's just me."

"Bloodlust," the vampire lass mutters while frowning.

"Hm? Are you saying that you can sense bloodlust from me?" I ask curiously.

"No. Can't feel anything from you."

That's surprising. It's not like I am not aware of my own state, so I was convinced that the bloodlust she spoke of was from me.

"Then whose?" I ask.

As a response to my inquiry, Aletia simply raises her arm and points at me, or more accurately, at my left arm.

As if reacting to her actions, a bright light flashes for a split-second before a small girl appears at the center of the room.

Immediately after this happens, I notice something odd. The two times I have seen Aurora's humanoid form, she was beaming and had a pure, innocent look in her eyes.

Yet now, it's completely different with a tranquil look on her small face.

An eerie noise is reverberating in the room, which upon focusing my senses turns out to be coming from the two horns protruding from Aurora's head.

Aletia's originally cool expression is now replaced with one of discomfort as she stares at Aurora.

At this moment, a golden circle of energy with numerous small ruins in its center appears in front of Aurora as her eyes begin to glow.

{Alert: Familiar Aurora wishes to establish a contract as a mediator. Requesting permission from Father.}

What is this little one up to now? Although I can't be sure of what she's planning, surely it wouldn't be something detrimental for me, right?

'Granted.'

{Permission received. Providing assistance.}

The moment Nora's voice fades, a purple circle of energy twice as large as the golden one appears and pushes against it.

{Blood Contract perquisites established. Awaiting the confirmation of two parties.}

Blood contract? What's that?

[Father, once a blood contract is signed, it's no different from controlling the life and death of the one that depends on blood.]

Such a thing... Wouldn't Aletia simply reject signing the contract?

[Master...]

This time, it's Aurora's voice. For some reason, it felt like her voice is coated with malice, but not one that's directed at me.

[If no trust; kill.]

Oh. I finally get what's going on.

It seems like Aurora has recognized Aletia as a force to be reckoned with, so she most likely believes that it would be in my best interest to limit her while I still can.

If she doesn't sign the contract, then it would be too detrimental to keep her alive for a variety of reasons, such as an abrupt betrayal in the future.

It's not like I hadn't considered something like this happening before, but I simply didn't know what should I do to deal with these issues.

And now, Aurora has brought force a solution. Though, it's more of an ultimatum than anything.

Expectedly, Aletia is not satisfied with the way things are turning out as she is glaring at Aurora with a dangerous glint in her ruby eyes.

"I won't sign a contract with you," Aletia says in a firm tone while keeping her gaze focused on Aurora. Clearly, her words are not directed at me.

Seeming to have also noticed her misunderstanding, Aurora shakes her head a little before turning her arm to point at me.

"Oh," a voice of realization escapes from the vampire's limps as her expression softens.

She takes a short while to think of something before ultimately adopting a solemn look as she faces me and says, "I will do it."

That's unexpected. I thought-

"But on one condition."

"What condition?" I ask.

"Tell me what you really are."

A tricky condition. But if the effects of the Blood Contract are as Nora described, then I have nothing to lose from telling her a little about myself.

'Just to be clear, how can the Blood Contract be terminated?'

[Complete destruction of all of Father's physical vessels.]

Hey, now. Did I hear her correctly? Physical vessels? I am beginning to recall Jeanne's notion of my existence.

From this, I can infer that her assumption wasn't off the mark, well, perhaps other than the purpose of which I am 'using' physical vessels.

But then... Nora, what would happen to me if all my physical vessels are destroyed?

[New ones will be created.]

Wouldn't that mean that I completely immortal in every sense of the word?

[However, Father must be careful. Having multiple vessels is risky.]

[The destruction of a physical vessel can result in penalties that apply to all the other ones, including newly created vessels.]

[Such penalties include: Decrease in parameters, loss of non-Code abilities, and loss of progress in the Code Core initiation process.]

Of course, there will be a price to pay... What a joke, I can't risk losing quite a few of my abilities, so it would be better for me to refrain from dying.

'Hold on... Does this only apply to me or other Codes as well?'

[All Codes can't register the concept of death.]

What about Unknowns?

[Insufficient data to provide an answer.]

'Forget that, what about the Code that got destroyed in Sorcerers' Lair? If he can't die, when will he come back?'

Actually, I briefly recall discussing this matter before, but I didn't look into it much as my mind was preoccupied with other things.

[The time it takes for a Code to take a physical form after their previous one got destroyed varies.]

I noticed this before, but I am getting way more information and much more directly compared to before. Is this because Irene's authority is gone and is now replaced with Nora?

[Irene had acted independently on eleven occasions while retaining the notion that the reason for her actions was for Father's benefits.]

And withholding important information was among them, huh? I can guess what her thoughts were. The matter of Codes and Unknowns is not a simple subject and is best to be withheld from me until I am completely ready for it.

How troublesome.

Snapping back to reality, I look back at the vampire lass for a brief moment before releasing a sigh and walking to the bed.

I sit down beside her and say, "Honestly, I still don't know what I am. A human with powers? A god that has been weakened? But that's just my 'race'..."

"If you're asking what I know I am, I can only give you this answer: A lost being that's crossing worlds to discover my past."

"I don't understand," Aletia states.

Well, I didn't expect you to.

"Understand it or not, that's my answer," I say with a smile.

Realizing that I am not planning to say anything else, Aletia adopts a contemplative expression as she lowers her head and closes her eyes.

Now then, will she actually sign the contract? I wouldn't be surprised if she refused to do so, after all, who knows that sort of atrocious actions one could take if it was signed with the wrong person. Naturally, I wouldn't do such things to her.

"Alright," Aletia suddenly says as she opens her eyes, "Let's sign the contract."

Wait, now that I think about it, how come Aurora is able to bring forth such a contract as a 'mediator'?

[Father's Familiar has inherited a limited amount of knowledge of this world.]

'Because she is my familiar?'

[Negative. It occurred a day ago.]

Huh? Isn't that when we were inside the labyrinth? Right... she was able to take this humanoid form too. Just what exactly did she find in that place?

[Master.]

Hearing Aurora's voice in my head, I set my thoughts aside and look over at her as she moves closer to us with her arms extended in front of her.

"Alright," I utter while gazing at the two circles, "How can a contract be..."

'Wait. Don't tell me it's going to be a kiss.'

[Father is correct.]

Hah~ I am not even surprised anymore.