Tale of Discovery

Chapter 347: Eve of Return

"Step back, Aurora," I order as I move forth and help Gazef get up from the ground.

Contrary to my expectations, the man has a rather blank look on his face instead of fury or amazement.

"Hey, are you alright?" I question the man while lightly slapping his face.

Suddenly, Gazef coughs a few times, along with which some dirt came out of his mouth. How wretched...

"Ah! Yes," Gazef utters in a confused manner once he's done coughing, after which he turns his head to stare at Aurora.

"I hope that you can excuse her actions," I state.

"It's fine," he responds after releasing a deep sigh, "Though I must ask, what is she?"

"A half-dragon," I casually respond, not sure whether such a race exists in the first place.

"A half-dragon, you say?" he asks with narrowed eyes, to which I simply nod once.

It's the most plausible excuse that I could make. Dragons are known for being powerful, so it would make sense for Aurora, who has already exhibited her powers, to be such a being, especially so when said power is coupled with her appearance.

Fortunately, Gazef takes my word for it and seems to not be intending to inquire any further. Though, I was expecting him to at least ask why a half-dragon would be with me. Could he have figured out that it's a lie and just decided not to press any further? Due to my lack of knowledge regarding the races of this world, I can't properly judge his actions at the moment.

Deciding to think of this matter later, I turn my head to gaze at the scorched grounds and the deceased enemies' corpses - at least, what's left of them.

A strong scent of different burnt matter wafts in the air, which is undoubtedly disgusting to no end.

"Mr. Vincent, no, Lord Vincent, what do you plan to do?" Gazef's voice suddenly reaches me from behind.

"I'm not sure about that either," I respond as I ruminate over what would be the best course of action to take henceforth.

For starters, I suppose I could question Gazef a little regarding the kingdom we're in and the surrounding nations. My objective was, after all, collecting information for coming here. Now that an opportunity is present, it would be a complete waste to let it go just like that.

"For now, let's head back to the village," I say calmly, "I would like to converse with you regarding a certain matter."

"Very well," responds the man with a slight hint of nervousness in his voice.

---

"Before we begin, I hope that you excuse my lack of experience and common sense, for I have realized that my knowledge and related matters are rather limited as a consequence of having been cooped up in my empire."

Hearing my words, the two men sitting in front of me at the other end of the table look at each other for a moment before the one to my left says, "That's not going to be an issue."

The one that responded was Gazef, while the other one is the village chief.

The latter of the two was against being a part of this discussion, but I insisted on his presence since I have yet to leave an impression on the residents of this village. This discussion might just do that.

Still, it's quite a pain to converse in this manner of speech. Although I am already used to it a bit after having interacted with noble girls like Kurumi and others, it's still a little arduous to keep the act up continuously.

"Thank you for your understanding," I say with a small smile before adopting a serious expression and asking, "Earlier, you said that you're a warrior captain of... uh... Re-Estize?"

"That's correct," Gazef affirms with a nod.

"I'm not sure how much power one with such a title would bear, but I do have an idea of requirements for being granted it, "I say nonchalantly, "Tell me, how much does your lord care about your words?"

Expectedly, my words appear to trouble Gazef for a moment as he begins to think of something before ultimately looking me in the eyes and saying, "More than enough."

"Good."

It appears that the man in front of me is really valued by the kingdom. Though that makes me wonder what is he doing here exactly.

"Why did you and your men appear here? The capital should be quite a distance away."

"We were merely responding to reports of the villages being under attack."

"Even so, is there a need for someone of your caliber to take this mission on personally? Couldn't the work have been assigned to any general?"

As a response to my words, Gazef frowns as he remains silent for a brief moment before releasing a sigh and saying, "The kingdom's soldiers are all occupied at the moment."

"By what, if I may ask? What could be keeping the soldiers busy while the warrior captain and his men deal with such 'simple' missions?"

"War," he responds bluntly.

As I expected... This kingdom is currently at war. Now, the question is with who and how is the state of the war.

"Neighboring the Re-Estize kingdom is the Baharuth Empire, which the time has neared for the annual war. For this reason, the kingdom's soldiers are training hard while saving up energy for the upcoming war."

"I see. Best of luck in the war," I say with a smile, clearly indicating that I don't plan to have anything to do with it.

Seeming to have realized my intention, Gazef smiles wryly as he says, "Thank you."

"Anyway, those men and the 'angels' with them... do you happen to know anything about them?"

"I'm afraid, I don't," he responds with a sigh.

He's lying. Or, at least, he appears to have an idea but isn't sure of it. Unlike when someone lies directly, the 'deceit' I sensed in his voice is barely noticeable, indicating that he is doubtful of the matter himself.

"So, what are you planning to do?" I question with a small smile, "Don't tell me you plan to stay the night here with your soldiers."

"Of course not," he responds calmly, "We will be leaving for the capital soon."

"Meeting with the king?"

"If possible, yes."

"Send him my regards," I say as I lay back against my seat.

With this, I make sure that the king of this kingdom gets to know about my existence. This could come in handy for future negotiations once it comes down to that.

Though, the idea of using a non-existent kingdom, yet, as a card is quite an unusual one.

"So, uh... Lord Vincent," Gazef suddenly says in a serious manner as he straightens his back, "Is there anything that I can help you with?"

From his tone and behavior, it's easy to tell that he is inquiring about my circumstances in a roundabout manner.

It's to be expected that he do so, after all, nobility at the current age is of extreme importance, let alone royalty. For all one could know, they just might offend someone petty with high 'power', inviting certain doom upon themselves and their loved ones.

"Hopefully, not," I respond with a small smile, "I believe my men will appear tonight."

"Is that so? What makes you think that?" Gazef asks with a slight hint of curiosity in his voice.

"A little magic spell," I respond nonchalantly, not planning to elaborate on the matter any further.

Being the smart man he is, Gazef realizes my intentions as he nods his head once and remains silent.

For a minute or so, none of us say anything, most likely because none of us has anything to say. Though, after a little longer, the village chief suddenly excuses himself and rises to his feet before leaving the small building.

With only the two of us left, Gazef's expression suddenly turns serious as he slowly asks, "Lord Vincent, forgive me if my words appear to be offensive, but are you an enemy of the kingdom?"

Hearing this, I am unable to hold myself back from chuckling for a few seconds before looking him dead in the eyes and stating firmly, "So long as I am unoffended, you can take me as a neutral party."

"Then... why did you save this village? Why did you save us?" he asks after a brief moment of hesitation.

"I wonder so myself..." I mutter as I get up from my seat and begin to walk toward the door.

"Lord Vincent," Gazef suddenly calls out once I place my hand on the door handle, "I hope that we meet in the capital if you ever pay it a visit."

Coming to a halt, I smile at his amusing words as I turn my head and say, "I hope so too."

---

"Oh, you're awake," I utter once I step into the room assigned to me in Emmot's household.

"Where were you?" the stunning vampire asks in a calm tone as she sits on the bed.

"Dealing with some trash," I respond as I make my way over to the bed.

As I do so, I sense slight movements on the ground before a certain snake slithers her way over to my leg and climbs up to my left arm.

"Good girl," I praise her once she has coiled around my arm while patting her small head with my finger.

"Are you going to stay here?" the vampire beauty, Aletia, asks in a doubtful tone.

"No. We will be leaving this village tonight."

"Where?"

"To my home in this world," I say as I move toward the bed and sit on it before reaching my arm out to run my hand through her silky hair.

"This world?" Aletia repeats with a bewildered look on her doll-like face.

"You'll understand in due time, my cute little vampire," I say with a grin as I shift my hand over to her face and start stroking her smooth cheek.

Yeah, I am positively fond of her. How do I put it... her actions and words seem to have a naturally soothing influence on me.

Although it hasn't been long since I have met her, but I feel like the connection between us is quite strong. I don't know why that's the case, but it definitely isn't any random feeling.

Ever since I had 'awoken' for the first time back in the Rift, there have been numerous bizarre happenings that I could hardly register with how inexperienced I was.

Now, I can make heads and tails of quite a few matters, such as the high possibility of Aletia being somehow related to my difficult past.

Speaking of which, unlike a month ago, I can barely focus on thinking of my past without feeling uncomfortable. In fact, I suppose it's about time that I can ask Tiamat about what she 'saw' from my past.

"Victor," Aletia suddenly says, breaking me away from my thoughts.

"Yeah?" I question while focusing my gaze on her face.

"I want to suck you," she says seriously.

My eyes widen slightly as I say, "You mean, down there or-"

"Blood! But if you want me to..." she interrupts before licking her rosy lips.

"It's a little too early for that," I remark with a smile, "For now, your soft lips on mine will be enough."

Hearing my words, Aletia grins as she pokes my side and says in a cheeky tone, "Shy?"

"You horny vampire," I say with a laugh as I turn my body and push her down on the bed.

I look down into her ruby-red eyes for a second before lowering my head to kiss her slightly parted lips.

Aletia is a little startled by my actions, but that only lasts for a brief moment as she directly tries to return the kiss. This girl... It's almost like she can't wait to eat me whole.

And so, with a small war starting between our lips, I proceed to slowly move my hand over to her small breasts and caress them lightly.

The two of us continue to kiss for a few minutes, only to stop due to hearing a light knock on the door.

Our lips part as I get off her body and make my way to the door, more than displeased to be interrupted.

However, once I open the door and set my sight upon the 'culprit', my displeasure quickly fades.

"Why are you here, Priestess?" I ask while observing her face that has two streaks on them - a clear indication that she had been crying.

Contrary to her appearance, the small girl smiles and bows before saying, "I came here to say goodbye."

"You're leaving?"

"Yes. We will accompany the soldiers before separating halfway and going to E-Rantel from there."

"Isn't it dangerous?"

"Not that much," she responds.

"Alright. In that case, take care," I say with a smile.

"You too," she says before turning and walking toward the kitchen before exiting the house.

Currently, it's twilight, so the sky will turn dark on the way back to their destination, which is something to be concerned about.

Nevertheless, that's where it ends - slight concern. I barely know any of them, so it wouldn't matter much what becomes of them.

Anyway, since it's turning dark, the villagers outside are slowly going back into their homes, including the Emmot family.

Of the family of four, only Emmot's wife had remained home, mostly in the room she shares with her husband.

Emmot has been busy discussing things with the other men of the village, while the two daughters have been diligently helping a middle-aged lady out with some work.

However, none of this will matter soon, since I will be leaving for Nazarick.

A portion of my objective for coming here is completed and I have 'gained' something unexpected in the form of an adorable vampire who is now contracted to me.

Now, I only hope that those back in Nazarick will be accepting of Aletia as a fellow non-human.