The butler’s suspicion didn’t last long. It seemed he had a far more important task to accomplish: delivering a message to the overpowered knight.
“Lady Zarra,” he said calmly, “I have been entrusted with your summoning by your father.”
Zarra turned toward him, visibly annoyed. The only thing she said was a tired sigh and a quiet,
“Understood…”
Then she disappeared down the hallway.
Once she was gone, I was allowed to drop onto the bed, then I began doing some quick math about how the day had unfolded. My journey had started the moment the first rays of sunlight slipped through the trees — around six in the morning, if my guess was right. I spent roughly two hours wandering through each biome before I encountered the demonic rabbits. Three of them, one after another. The combat montage took another two hours. Most of that time was spent trying to locate a fourth rabbit, which I successfully did.
After that, I found the river.
That must’ve been around three in the afternoon, or around 15:00 assuming this world even bothered with proper timekeeping.
One hour fishing.
Three hours dealing with that accursed webbing.
Two hours surviving the spider, eating drugs and experiencing my first? near-death situation, and now…
Judging by the darkness outside the window, it was pretty much night.
Yeah, the day was gone and so was Zarra. All I could do now was prepare to sleep...
Except I couldn't.
Was morph the reason I couldn't visit the dream world? Or maybe it was because I had fainted one too many times during my journey. Honestly, I wasn't really sure which, but probably both.
"I bet Zarra is busy as hell, and I'm here, chilling in her bed, fondling myself while glaring the stat window to death."
As for the knight lady? She had her own fair share of problems.
She was waiting patiently inside the hall of a palace.
A vast hall stretched before her, lined with chairs placed neatly along the walls. The polished marble floor reflected warm torchlight, giving the entire space a quiet, ceremonial atmosphere. She sat alone near the center, absentmindedly bouncing a domesticated slime against the ground.
Up.
Down.
Up.
Down.
The creature wobbled happily each time it struck the floor, elastic enough to function almost like a ball. In my previous world we called that 'dribbling'. Here, however, it seemed closer to the local equivalent of reading a newspaper while waiting for an appointment.
Two guards stood before massive double doors, their spears crossed to block entry.
“Your audience with His Majesty is ready,” one of them said. At the announcement, they separated instantly.
Zarra rose at once.
She placed the slime gently on the floor and offered it a brief smile that vanished the moment she turned toward the doors.
The long hall was huge, big enough to host a thousand people and still have leftover space for roomservice. This one on the other hand? It was twice as big. The size alone screamed power while everything else whispered discipline.
Minimal furniture filled the space, allowing attention to settle naturally upon a massive white chandelier hanging overhead. Red runes glowed faintly along its frame, sustaining small spheres of fire that bathed the entire room in light.
Along both walls stood alternating ranks:
Three soldiers.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
One maid.
Three soldiers.
One maid.
A repeating pattern from the entrance all the way to the throne, defense and service intertwined.
Zarra walked the length of the crimson carpet alone. Each step echoed.
At the far end sat the king.
He was younger than expected, perhaps in his early thirties.
Sharp blue eyes framed by golden hair, matched by a neatly kept beard. One ruby burned within the crown resting upon his head.
Beside him, stood a boy with small white horns curved subtly from his forehead. His dark attire contrasted the hall’s regal palette perfectly. Copper hair fell across dark violet eyes, and even his fingernails followed the same shadowed aesthetic.
He stood out with two very unique characteristics.
Despite being male, he bore clear androgynous traits. If not told otherwise, one would surely mistake him for a woman.
Secondly... a throat tattoo...
A mark of slavery.
But why would a king need a slave?
Answer: intellect.
His horns betrayed his legacy, showcasing that he was an Oni, from the Oni race. When they grow into adulthood, one of two paths must be chosen. War or enlightenment.
War simply meant soldiers, fighters and mainly brutes. They would excel in battle, but not in diplomacy.
The second path, was the one chosen by this boy.
His mind surpassed scholars across the kingdom, valuable enough that the king himself had bound him into royal service. A pact ensuring the loyalty of an advisor meant to outlive generations of human rulers.
However, despite his status, he was not treated with cruelty. Privileges, education, family visitation were granted alongside wealth. Such luxuries were unheard of among slaves. Even civilians weren't living in such comfort.
Still.
A chain was a chain.
Zarra stopped at proper distance and knelt.
“I present myself before you, Caesar Zel Gosetth,” she said formally. “I am pleased to see you in good health… Father.”
“Raise your head, Zarra.”
She obeyed immediately.
The king studied her in silence.
Then sighed.
A long, weary sound.
“Daughter… I am disappointed.”
Her eyes widened.
Confusion flickered across her face. She had upheld her oath without fail; protecting civilians, maintaining discipline, never abandoning her duty; so why was he dissapointed?
“Sire,” she said carefully, “I do not understand. Could you please explain.”
The king leaned forward slightly.
“Since childhood you pursued the sword, drawn to it with unmatching admiration. You rejected nobility for your goals and I allowed it. I even permitted you to cast aside your royal name.”
His gaze hardened.
“So tell me… why have you brought a monster into my city? Why would you invite that abomination amongst the people you swore to protect!?”
Zarra froze.
“Monster?”
“The bloodsucker,” the king continued coldly. “Within my walls.”
He exhaled slowly.
“White skin. Snow-colored hair. Crimson eyes.”
A pause.
“A Harbinger carrying a scythe.”
It finally clicked. The daughter understood that word travels fast, especially when it comes to royal informants. She had been careless despite Durand's gift.
“…Diana?” Zarra whispered.
The accusation sounded absurd.
Yet the pieces aligned too easily.
She was surprised at first, but it wasn't exactly a baseless accusation. After all, vampires are known for their pale skin; a side effect from their sun allergy. For their crimson eyes, reflecting blood hunger. Even the silver hair was mark of their abandonment of humanity.
Zarra's mind jumped at the café scene, where her new friend had bit into the succulent meats with unnaturally sharp fangs.
It all made sense now, but at the same time it didn't.
Could such a helpless girl, truly, be an accursed vampire?!
While Zarra was busy questioning my very existence somewhere else in the world, I was dealing with my very own issues — which presented themselves in the shape of a status window.
══════════════════
? STATUS WINDOW ?
══════════════════
Name: Zephyr Diana Von Gaahr*
Race: H?um??aN?
Sex: Female
Age: 17
══════════════════
Level: 5
XP: 7 / 16
══════════════════
System Points: 18 ??
Dice: 0 ??
Currency: 0B; 0S; 0G; 0P ?
══════════════════
══════════════════
? VITALS ?
══════════════════
HP: Don’t Die ?
MP: 50 / 50 ?
MP?: 3 / Min ?
SPD: N / A ?
══════════════════
══════════════════
? TITLES & SKILLS ?
══════════════════
? Reincarnator ?≡
├ Status Window
├ Appraisal
└ Converse
══════════════════
? Extra Skills ?≡
├ Dice「D4」
└ Morph
══════════════════
? Unlocked Naturally ?≡
├ Carpenter
├ Blacksmithing
├ Accuracy Ⅰ ?
└ Poison Resistance ?
══════════════════
══════════════════
? KNOWLEDGE ?
══════════════════
? Arcana ?≡
├ Fireball Ⅰ 「3 MP / Cast」?
├ Torch Ⅰ 「5 MP / Min」?
├ Sleep ? 「6 MP / Cast」
├ Cleanse Ⅰ 「7% MP / Cast」?
└ Surge ? 「25% MP / Cast」
══════════════════
? Weaponry ?≡
══════════════════
? Bestiary ?≡
══════════════════
? Culinary Grimoire ?≡
══════════════════
? Lexica Botanica (Plants) ?≡
══════════════════
? Lexica Botanica (Biomes) ?≡
══════════════════
══════════════════
?? MORPH ?≡
══════════════════
? Demonic Rabbit ?≡
══════════════════
? Salmon ?≡
══════════════════
? Slime ?≡
══════════════════
