Chapter 34 | The Vampire Princess Later Drew the Holy Sword

Esper didn't take the hand right away.

This hand belonged to a Rank Nine, the pinnacle of the holy attribute.

There was no running away.

Even though they were both Rank Nine, the gap between Beatrice and Rafina was not something that could be measured by numbers.

Rafina was a new king who had stepped into Rank Nine less than two years ago, while the silver-haired brat in front of her—who looked like she should be sitting in a classroom munching on an apple—had lived for who knows how many years.

Hundreds of years? Thousands? No one knew, because Beatrice's name had appeared before the damn Ten Courts had even formed.

An eternal monster whom even Gloom would have to address as a senior.

Esper's shoulders slumped slightly.

“...Speak. What do you want me to do?”

Beatrice withdrew her hand, turned around, and pitter-pattered back to her chair, hopping onto it once more.

Her bare feet rested on the seat as she pulled her knees to her chest. The hem of her robe draped down from the chair, and her long silver-white hair pooled all over the floor.

Crouching there, she cupped her face in her hands and smiled warmly at Esper.

“Don't ask about such practical things just yet. Let Beya tell you about the benefits first~”

She spoke unhurriedly.

“I will keep your identity a secret. The name of the Vampire Princess, Lonia Catori, will never pass my lips to a second person. To everyone else, you are just Esper—a village girl with no family.

You should know better than I do what it means for a vampire's identity to be exposed in Avalon. Cecilia of the Heresy Inquisition is not an easy person to talk to. Her attitude toward vampires, well...”

The corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

“How should I put it... she is rather passionate.”

A chill ran down the back of Esper's neck.

She had seen that name on the bulletin board of the Adventurer's Guild.

Disciplinary Cardinal Cecilia, responsible for purging any existence that opposed the will of the Church.

A third of the wanted posters on the bulletin board were signed by her, and at least five of them targeted vampires.

“And now, for what I want you to do,”

she said blithely.

“In your capacity as the Hero, you will accept the Church's coronation and carry out the mission to subjugate the Demon King.”

Esper's fists clenched at her sides.

“...You want me to kill Fi—”

She bit her tongue.

Too late. Half of the syllable had already slipped past her lips. Beatrice's golden eyes lit up.

“Fi?”

Her silver-white eyebrows arched, her expression like someone who had just received an unexpected gift.

“Is it Fina? You call her Fina?”

Esper's teeth ground together with a soft creak.

“...You want me to kill Rafina.”

“Beya never said 'kill'~”

Beatrice's smile grew even more brilliant.

“I said 'subjugate.' Subjugating and killing are two different things.”

“What's the difference?”

“There's a huge difference. Subjugation is a journey. You take the Holy Sword, form a party, travel across the continent, and finally reach the Demon King's castle to stand face-to-face with her. As for what happens after you meet—whether you fight, talk, cry, hug, or do something else that shouldn't be said out loud—that is entirely up to you.”

Esper's breathing suddenly grew heavy.

“...You don't care whether the Demon King lives or dies?”

“Of course I care. I care about the outcome, and I care about the process. Lonia, think about it~”

Beatrice raised her head, staring straight into Esper's eyes.

“A Vampire Princess, holding the Holy Sword meant to subjugate the Demon King, going to find the Demon King she has known since she was six years old. No matter how others might view this story, I, for one, refuse to miss it.”

Esper stared at the expression on that twelve-or-thirteen-year-old face—an expression that belonged to no child of that age—and her stomach churned once more.

She had lost count of how many times she had felt like throwing up today.

Humanity held prejudices against demons.

Rafina had said that some people didn't want those prejudices to disappear.

Beatrice. This woman didn't care if the Demon King lived or died, didn't care about what the common people believed so firmly, and didn't care whom the Holy Sword chose.

She perpetuated hatred, ordering the Holy Spirit Knights to launch religious wars time and time again, offending the demons, the Storm Empire, Esperfite, and the Mage Tower... and all of it was simply because she found it amusing.

“...And if I refuse?”

“Then Beya will have no reason to keep your secret.”

Beatrice's tone was light and airy, as if she were merely commenting on the pleasant weather.

“A vampire sneaking into Avalon, registering with a fake identity at the Adventurer's Guild for a year, and even drawing the Holy Sword of humanity... Hm, what do you think Cecilia will do when she hears this news?”

Beatrice hopped down from the chair, landing softly on the stone floor.

“And do you really want to refuse?”

Her voice suddenly grew softer.

“The Holy Sword chose you. A Vampire Princess who grew up alongside the Demon King.”

A pale finger slid out of her sleeve, the tip lightly tapping Esper's chest.

“Don't you think that's very strange?”

Esper looked down at the finger poised in front of her chest.

Its tip was an inch from her heart. An inch from the hollow void that had remained empty for a year.

“Don't you want to know why you were able to draw the Holy Sword?

Don't you want to know why the one who draws the Holy Sword is destined to either kill the Demon King or be killed by her?

—Don't you want to know what Gloom was hiding?”

“...What did he hide?”

“I can't tell you right now, unless you agree to play with Beya~”

Subjugate the Demon King.

Subjugate Rafina.

Carry the Holy Sword, cross the continent, walk into Abyss City, into Gloom Castle, down that pitch-black corridor...

And stand right in front of her.

This was what she called playing.

“...I have conditions.”

Beatrice's golden eyes flared with light.

“Speak.”

“The method of subjugation will be decided by me. You will not interfere.”

“Of course. It wouldn't be any fun if I interfered too much.”

“The members of my party will be chosen by me. You will not force anyone in.”

“Naturally, that's fine.”

“...Cease spreading malice and prejudice against the demons, and support Rafina's new policies.”

Esper stared at Beatrice.

“Oh?”

Beatrice stared back.

The interest pooling in her eyes was as thick and sticky as honey.

So dense it seemed ready to spill over from her irises.

“Deal. Beya promises you.”

Vow Power coalesced once more, turning into golden runes.

Inscribed upon them were the agreement between the two and their various conditions.

“Just press your thumbprint at the very bottom~”

Beatrice pressed hers lightly, and Esper followed suit.

“Excellent, excellent. Now, tomorrow you will attend a meeting at the Roundtable Hall to perform the release ceremony for the Holy Sword.

Then, the day after tomorrow, once the coronation ceremony is complete, you can set off.

By tradition, there's no need for the Hero's party to be fully assembled right from the start, so it's perfectly fine if you want to add people along the way during your travels.”

—The Roundtable Hall.

Avalon was the capital of the Storm Empire, and the Roundtable Hall was the heart of Avalon.

It was also the residence of the Emperor of Storms and the Sword Saint.

Attending a meeting there... was something she had never even dared to dream of.

But there were plenty of things she had never dared to dream of. Just like how she had never imagined she would sit face-to-face with Beatrice and talk about so many things.

“By the way, when I drew the Holy Sword, I seemed to hear a completely emotionless voice speaking a bunch of words. Do you know what it was saying?”

Beatrice pouted her lips, appearing to think for a moment.

“That's just the notification from the Holy Sword that every generation's Hero hears. No one can understand it. Even if Wald were here, he wouldn't be able to translate it. After all, the memory of it becomes hazy after you hear it. Do you still remember what it said?”

“...”

“Alright, if there's nothing else, Beya will be going now~”

She really couldn't remember.

While Esper was still trying to recall, Beatrice had already turned and walked toward the door.

But just as she reached the door, she stopped, as if suddenly remembering something very important.

She turned her head slightly, looking back at Esper.

“By the way.”

Her voice returned to that dignified, maternal tone.

“You call her Fina.”

“...So what?”

“Nothing. I was just wondering, what does she call you? Little bat~”

The footsteps faded down the corridor.