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Chapter 72

"Why are you startled?" Ian, prodding the fire with his Sword of Judgment, asked.

Thesaya blinked and smiled, "I\'m not used to having someone by my side. Sorry."

She huddled within the robe, her movements awkward as if she wasn\'t accustomed to wearing anything over her body. She would have discarded it already if it weren\'t given by Ian.

"It\'s scratchy."

"Endure it. I\'ll buy you clothes when we reach a village."

"Clothes...?"

Thesaya frowned as if disgusted by the idea, then looked at Ian with a peculiar expression.

"If that\'s the case, couldn\'t you just give me clothes you\'ve worn, Ian?"

"They\'d be too big for you."

Charlotte was the tallest in their party. Ian was about half a head shorter than her, and Thesaya was about a head shorter than Ian.

"It doesn\'t matter. I\'d have your scent."

Thesaya sniffed the hem of the robe, her fangs flashing between her lips. Thirst swirled in her red eyes.

"I won\'t stop you from smelling it, but know if you try anything foolish with me, you\'ll lose your head," Ian said indifferently.

Thesaya nodded, "Don\'t worry. I won\'t do anything that stupid."

For as long as you could control her instincts.

Ian responded with a snort. He had no intention of letting her feed on him, uncertain of what else she might drain along with his blood. Ian\'s gaze shifted to the eastern sky, noting the approaching dawn. His eyes returned to Thesaya, who had been sniffing the robe, now looking back at him.

"Why? You said smelling it was fine."

"The sun is about to rise."

"So?"

Ian\'s brow furrowed, "Are you okay with the sunlight?"

"It\'s not great. It weakens me. Ah, you were worried about me." Thesaya grinned, stretching before removing the hood pressed over her head.

"Let me show you."

As the sun peeked from the east, its light stretched over the mountains and lit up Thesaya\'s profile. She squinted as if the brightness hurt, her silver hair beginning to lose its luster, turning a near-ash gray. Her pale skin lost its vitality, becoming utterly sallow, and the pronounced fangs above her lips vanished.

"Being in full sunlight really does hurt," Thesaya murmured, opening her eyes, which had changed from red to a deep, murky green, reminiscent of an old swamp.

Driven by a mage’s innate curiosity, Ian asked, “Is that your true form?"

"I\'m not sure. This is just what happens during the day. I can hardly use any power. Right now, even a stab could probably kill me," Thesaya answered nonchalantly, putting the hood back on.

With her gray hair and deep green eyes, she now resembled a slightly undergrown, ordinary fairy.

"That\'s why I mostly hide in the shade during the day. In this state, I\'d struggle even with a bear."

"Do all vampire clans become like this during the day?"

"I don\'t know. I\'ve never seen another vampire in daylight."

"What about sleep?"

"Unless it\'s like yesterday... once every three days is enough. Usually, I hide and sleep in caves or thickets during the day. It\'s too dangerous to wander around like this."

Ian nodded, absorbing the new information. It was all news to him. If other vampires were the same, then confronting them during the day might be an easy way to defeat them.

"Thanks for sharing your weakness," Charlotte\'s low voice followed.

She had woken up and was stretching, appearing somewhat like a large cat. After licking around her mouth with a dry tongue, she turned to Thesaya.

"When it\'s time to kill you, I\'ll remember to hold back with joy."

"Sadly for you, that time won\'t come, you beast. And feel free to try anytime. I\'ll make sure to scratch the other side of your face too. To keep things balanced." Thesaya responded with a smile.

Charlotte snorted, "Even as a demon, the disgusting pointy-eared brat is just as revolting."

"Are you alright?" Ian asked.

Charlotte moved her arms and neck around, "Perfectly fine. Does not hurt at all."

"Come here. I\'ll change your bandages."

Charlotte hesitated but glanced at Thesaya before nonchalantly approaching Ian. Ian unwrapped the bandage around her face and blinked in surprise.

"This is unexpected."

Charlotte, touching her face in confusion, quickly looked shocked. The wound had almost healed, leaving only the traces of fingernails behind. Even for a beastfolk\'s fast healing, this was abnormally quick.

"The effect of the blessing is beyond imagination." Ian realized. The blessing of the brazier had one of its effects accelerating physical recovery.

"Incredible. I wondered why I felt so light." Charlotte admired after unwrapping the bandage on her arm, finding no trace of the wound.

"No need for more bandages then. Prepare breakfast. We\'ll leave right after eating."

"Understood." Charlotte turned away.

Thesaya, rising to her feet, muttered as she moved toward the carriage, "Pity. Should have dug deeper."

Charlotte glared at her climbing into the carriage, then turned back to Ian.

"Allow me to cut off her tongue at least, Ian."

"No," Ian replied, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu, then chuckled and added. "But if the need arises, I might ask you to do it."

***

The carriage slowly made its way along the road. Ian could have chosen to travel faster, but there was no rush, especially after being chased by numerous pursuers in the previous quest. Plus, there was no immediate need to hurry.

The situation was already ahead of the game\'s timeline, with the border kingdom wars not yet begun. The main events that would emerge as the war intensified were still a while away. Thesaya joining their journey didn\'t necessitate speeding things up. Of course, not everything was peaceful.

"You really suit sitting on the coachman\'s box, Charlotte."

"Don\'t say my name, you brat. It\'s disgusting."

"Oh dear. The more you say that, the more I want to call you by name, Charlotte."

"One more word and I really will cut off your tongue."

Charlotte and Thesaya continued to sharpen their claws against each other. Without Ian\'s presence, they would likely go for each other\'s throats again. Ian was letting it be for now, unsure if this hostility would last or if it was the process of former enemies becoming closer.

"I was going to say it earlier but didn\'t. Even if you cut my tongue, it\'ll grow back by night, you dumbass."

"Then I\'ll have the joy of cutting it every day. Disgusting pointy-eared brat."

"I have a question." Ian, who had been looking at the map, suddenly spoke up, causing a sudden silence.

It feels like being the boss of villains. Thinking this, Ian continued, "Charlotte, it seems like you dislike Thesaya not because she is a vampire but because she is a fairy. Is that right?”

"Yes. Although being a demon is also disgusting, of course."

"Why?"

"I\'m curious about that too. Why, Charlotte?" Thesaya leaned in closer to Ian, joining the conversation.

Charlotte\'s brow furrowed, "Are you seriously asking, pointy ears? Despite being a typical high-class fairy, you don\'t know about the history between fairies and beastfolk?"

"Is that so? I\'m a high-class fairy?" Thesaya asked in return, surprising Ian, who looked down at her as she leaned against his foot.

"Do you not know your own identity?"

"Yeah. Didn\'t I say? I don\'t really know who I am." Thesaya smiled shyly.

"My first memory is of being tied up in that dreadful lab, screaming. I have no memories before that. Even my name came back to me barely."

The thought that the Empress of Pure Blood suffered from memory loss was indeed strange. Yet, Ian seemed to recall she had mentioned something similar the day before.

Thesaya added, "That\'s why I absolutely can\'t die. Not only do I need to get my revenge, but I also need to find out who I am."

"Ha...! As expected, the essence of a fairy isn\'t in the memories. It\'s an inherent deceit. Born betrayers, perhaps." Charlotte laughed mockingly as she clicked her tongue.

Thesaya frowned, "If you\'re going to insult me, at least give me a reason."

"Your kind, the fairies, were once allies with us beastfolk. We stood against humans together, defending our territories."

Charlotte\'s voice carried a low growl of curse, "Everything changed with the onset of the war with the demons. Humans thought all beastfolk sided with the demons, but that\'s not true. Beastfolks were divided among humans and demons, and so were your faires. The only difference was that more of you sided with humans, and were a bit more cunning."

Charlotte looked at Thesaya.

"You began calling yourselves high-classed fairies. Those who sided with demons were called dark fairies, and you didn\'t consider them kin. Unlike us, who still saw those who chose to side with the demons as kin divided by beliefs. And then one day, the Black Wall divided the continent. Do you know what you did first?"

"What was it?"

"Driving the beastfolks out of the south. However, most of them weren\'t on the side of the demons. They, like the fairies, had sided with humans. They just didn’t have the power shared with them."

A deeply rooted grudge, it seemed.

Ian asked nonchalantly, "Did you become a citizen of the Empire then?"

"I was lucky. I was young and served Lu Solar. But many of my kin weren\'t so fortunate." Charlotte\'s gaze was as somber as her voice.

"I still remember the smiles of those arrogant fairies, gloating over their domination of the South. If I had been an adult then, I would have made at least one of them a companion on the road to the afterlife, as many of my kin did."

Though not something a follower of Lu Solar should say, Ian didn\'t point it out. Their wildness and fighting spirit were almost instinctual, encoded in their genes.

"Listening to you, it does seem quite severe."

Thesaya nodded and then added, "I apologize on behalf of my kin. Charlotte."

Her tone was not apologetic at all.

Charlotte smirked, licking her lips, "There\'s no need for you to apologize. Your situation is probably worse than mine."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Even if you regain your memories, what difference will it make? Your kind will never accept you as one of their own. A fairy who turned into a demon. They\'d rather kill you. It\'s a pity you\'ve lost your memories."

Charlotte shrugged, "Life would have been more painful with them. Maybe that\'s why you erased them yourself, unable to bear being what you\'ve become. Considering your kind\'s frailty, it\'s entirely plausible."

Thesaya didn\'t respond further. After a moment of silence, she looked up at Ian again.

"Ian. It seems the beast\'s words may be true. My instincts keep whispering to kill her. Can I just follow that instinct?"

"Please allow me, Ian. It wouldn\'t take even a minute now." Charlotte eagerly chimed in.

Ian glanced back and forth between them and finally chuckled.

"Thanks to you both, I know exactly what to do now. Yes, you two will only be satisfied if one of you dies."

"Exactly...!"

"Finally, you understand."

"So, from now on, you two are one."

Both stiffened simultaneously, their expressions bewildered.

Ian continued leisurely, "From what I see, you\'d kill each other given the slightest chance, even under the pretense of a mistake. But I can\'t stand to watch that. I\'d rather lose both than lose one. Right, Thesaya?"

"Uh... Eh?"

"If Charlotte dies, you die by my hand. Even if it\'s something else that kills her, you die."

"What...? No..." Thesaya\'s eyes widened in disbelief before she fell silent.

Ian\'s gaze, deep and unwavering, made it clear he would tolerate no defiance or objection.

"...Alright."

"Good. And, Charlotte." Ian\'s gaze turned to Charlotte.

After a moment\'s resistance, she reluctantly met his eyes, influenced by his authoritative tone.

"Look at me. Now."

"Uh..."

Charlotte\'s gaze locked onto Ian\'s, her orange eyes rippling with waves of emotion.

"Death might actually be a blessing for you. So, I won\'t kill you. But I will take your hands, ensuring you can never wield a weapon again. And of course, you won\'t be able to escape from me."

Charlotte couldn\'t even let out a breath, seemingly completely overwhelmed by him.

Ian smiled, "Your response?"

"...Understood..."

"Good." Ian\'s smile persisted as Charlotte quickly turned her head away.

Silence settled over the carriage, but Ian leaned back against the seatback, feeling unexpectedly light. He might have felt like a real villain boss now, but the feeling wasn\'t unpleasant. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The efforts to persuade clients or companions in the past had often been frankly bothersome and tiring.

As Ian looked back at the map contentedly, Thesaya whispered to Charlotte, who was sitting on the coachman\'s box.

"Feels like we\'re tied by fate now, Charlotte."

Charlotte, without turning back, retorted, "Don\'t you know how to shut up?"

"I\'ve been alone for so long. Until now, I\'ve mostly talked to animals. Unfortunately, they can\'t talk back. Unlike you."

"Damn it..."

As Charlotte sighed, Ian folded the map and remarked, "We should be passing through a city by tomorrow noon."

Charlotte and Thesaya jerked their heads toward him.

To have to take these two into a town...

Yet, Ian spoke nonchalantly, "I\'d appreciate it if you both could keep from fighting and stay quiet while we\'re there."

He had no intention of forgoing a stop at the village because of them, especially not when a warm bed and a decent meal were at stake.