I quickly traced our footprints. Unsurprisingly, a blind boy was able to find us. Half an hour later, I slowed down when I saw the smoke and embers of another camp.

I crept closer until I saw the wreckage of those unfortunate warriors.

Most people sat around the campfire in frustration. Today they have lost more than half of their population. Many people sat separately from each other. Eyes do not meet.

A true community bound together by blood or friendship will be held together. Pain and fear promote collective instincts and a sense of solidarity before a disaster. Those people are not like that at all. They are a pack of jackals and hyenas that are gathered by greed and the promise of easily violent. Now that their defeat was already apparent, they began to split along the lines of allegiance.

This rabble doesn't even deserve the name Warband. Truly pathetic.

I could see the male and the male in the race. Beta is a tall man with a black beard that grows all the way to his protruding belly. The leader sat on a rock, his hand resting on the hilt of a saber. I know why he called himself a raven. His jacket, pants, and boots are all black. Even his hat is of the same color, decorated with the shiny dark plumage of the eponymous bird.

I remembered when I was cleaning out the warehouse half a year ago.

I turned my attention back to the group. They have two sentinels. I also found eight people in different stages of despair. Only two leaders pose some kind of threat, or if they have weapons, they will be a threat, I doubt that.

I was disappointed, and this feeling worried me. I know what it takes to survive. From the books Loth lent me, I know that victory is often achieved before the battle begins. I'm still frustrated.

I want a challenge. I want to walk on the edge. I want to hunt well so that when I defeat my opponents, their blood will be much sweeter.

I remember Nami's expression when she asked me to drink the water from her. She's also thrill-seeking. Am I going to be a proud boss?

I looked down on Gaspard, and my master crushed him because of his arrogance. I now fear that this thirst for danger will lead me to unreasonable risks.

On the other hand, it is beneficial to measure risk. As a vampire, I've never learned as much combat skills as I did when I was in the Gauntlet Tournament. It's a bet, the price of failure, so I'm invested.

Even Rose, despite his age, is still taking risks. I found that even a bullet in his head was unlikely to take him out, yet the fight still posed a risk to him.

He still does.

Maybe that's what it takes to live, to really live this long.

Now I'm going to make my own rules. I challenge myself only when I'm sure I can at least escape and survive.

Yes, it sounds reasonable. I'll ask Loth for his opinion later. He has lived so long, there must have been guidelines.

I used a tried-and-true method of waiting until the first sentry was gone before killing him. In the camp, no one noticed.

It was the first time since that night that I had been with Toussaint that I had faced the blood I couldn't drink.

I can't get drunk this time. I decided to try to eat him. It may only give me a fraction of my normal vitality, but it's faster, doesn't get me drunk, and keeps me in control. Really, there's no better way to recover your strength quickly.

Let's do it now.

I inserted eight fangs into his carotid artery and pulled. This time it's much harder than the last time. The part of the pull I wasn't very sober. Lots of prey. Hunting grounds. Cattle.

Wait a minute, cow?

I smell the air. There, near the tent. Smells like a woman who hasn't taken a shower.

Could it be......

"You'd better come out!"

I turned my attention back to the crow standing in the middle of the clearing. Everyone else stared at him as if he was crazy.

"Peter disappeared silently a minute ago, and two men could not explain all our casualties. Not to mention, it all happens at night. I know what's going on, I know you're here. Come out. Let me see my apocalypse. Do you dare!"

Why? It's funny.

"Do you know by now, Birdie......"

Hearing my clear voice, they jumped in horror. They brandished weapons in vain.

Despair.

I walked to the middle of the clearing with my holster. I knew I looked like a young woman in travel clothes. Young, fresh, innocent, with the pale skin of a person who does not go out to work.

The image in their minds does not correspond to what they know. I acted like a threat, but I didn't look like it. Their expectations of the world will make them look down on me until it's too late. That's the power of vampires.

Although the crow roared, he swallowed nervously. He looks like a little boy and threatens the monster under his bed to come out just to drag something on his sheets.

You call out to the night, and it answers you.

I tapped my index finger under my chin, and this time I didn't need to hide what I was. The claws and fangs came out. I no longer bother to breathe or close my eyes.

"I'm curious, Birdie, what do you think will happen now?" Buzz? Heroic battles?"

The man swallowed and retorted with a look of confidence.

"Yes, in fact, I challenge you to a duel."

There is something desperate about this declaration. This is the words of a man who is about to drown and obsesses with the familiar.

"Why should I accept it?"

"Why not? Are you afraid?"

I moved, turned around, and slit the throat of the man who was coming at me from behind, and he pulled out the knife. I hear the sound of metal rubbing against leather. I saw the expressions on the faces of others as they forced themselves to look straight ahead. I could smell his sweat and his fear.

I immediately completed the circular motion, and the result was exactly the same as when I started, except for the red liquid dripping from my paws. I heard blood spilling on the ground and the gurgling of dying people.

I continued, as if nothing had happened.

"Am I real?" Or do I simply not understand the point of granting you this request? You're going to duel me anyway. Well, you can try. Why should I formally duel you?"

"A bet!"

"Oh?"

I could almost see the gears in his head turning, looking for a solution to his dilemma.

"I have news. I know you're looking for that girl, you think you'll get what you want from my diary, you won't. You get nothing. This is encrypted. ”

"Any password you come up with, my friend can crack in 20 seconds."

He shook his head.

"It's not that kind of password. I write something like this, I smell strawberries today, which means I'm thinking about my sister. ”

When he said that, he blushed. Ha, melancholy crow, thinking of a sister.

"It doesn't matter. I know something that I didn't write. Can't write. This is crazy. I know who she really is, what she really wants, and I know exactly who I sold her to. ”

"What do you want in return?"

"If I give you a good show, you'll let my people go."

There was silence in the clearing. You can hear the sound of a needle falling on the ground.

"We fought until we bleed. Every time you make me bleed, you can only choose one person. I'm not going to hunt them, they can survive tonight. Every time I draw yours, you tell me something I want to know. If I don't like it or it's too brief, I'll think you're out of ideas and I'll kill you. When we duel, I don't use my strength, only my body and my sword. ”

"Deal!"

"Then let's get started."

I jumped on top of the man, and he pulled me desperately, trying to slice me open with the same motion. I'm used to it now, and I know where the blade will fall. I just blocked it with my knife and stabbed him in the shoulder with my left hand. Don't go too deep. Not the main boom. It's not a sport.

"Gaaaaah!hell!"

"Speak."

"Hi, good. All right! The woman, she's not who she says she is. She has some strange rings and documents in German. When we caught her, she said she worked for the heir organization and didn't know what that meant. She said they were a powerful secret society. I think this might be nonsense, but what do I know?"

It seems that everyone and their dog are manipulating poor Cecil. Well, I don't care. As long as she doesn't endanger me, she can belong to the Chinese royal family, and I don't care. As for the organization itself, in the short term, it's absolutely impossible for them to have enough influence here to get any of my attention. If this is indeed true, then this is a question that will not arise much later.

I stood guard again, and we formed a circle. Crowe probed my defenses with conservative movements. I tried to move as little as possible until he faked too much. I jumped forward and struck the saber with the little gauntlet of the knife. We locked the blade, and I easily blocked his left hand with my left hand. I stabbed his wrist with my fingers, and he lowered the knife he had been hiding.

"Ah, damn it!"

"Speak."

Cold sweat began to break out on the crow's forehead. He had a dark patch on the wound on his shoulder and sleeve.

He smelled good, like the desire to fight and courage in the face of death. Thankfully, I'm content now, otherwise it would have been difficult to fight the "thirst".

"We sold this woman to some crazy community at the southernmost tip of the Appalachian Mountains. A bunch of idiots born to worship the strangest things. They are all infidels and madmen. ”

"Where?"

"Hey, don't do that, I ......"

"Where?"

“F… Riding a horse for four days, heading north. They have some mansions painted white and red. You'd think you'd been sent to damn Gloucestershire. ”

"Hmm."

We stood guard again, and this time, Crow gave it his all. I used the opportunity to dodge with minimal movement and tried to predict how he would move his body, however the fight became more difficult. His heavy cavalry saber was a disadvantage in quick encounters, but now its weight and strength made it harder to block and dodge. This exchange lasted for a long time. Thirty seconds. Forty seconds. He didn't relent.

At the 50-second mark, he got tired and slipped on the muddy ground. I jumped forward, but he surprised me. Instead of trying to stop him from falling, he slammed me with both hands. I blocked him with my left paw, but stopped just as I was about to stab him in the ribs.

We stayed there for a while, and I looked into his frightened eyes.

Humans blink a lot.

I got back on my feet and checked my left hand. The blade caught between the two claws, slicing my fingers. The wound has healed and is still ......

Select.

"What?"

"You're bleeding. Choose. ”

"Dalton".

As he said his name, I heard a scream coming from behind me. I turned around and saw the bearded man take out a gun and take aim.

Not at me, but at a frightened young man sitting next to him.

Tsk, I don't want anyone to ruin my good times. My move.

I plunged every finger of my left hand into the man's chest. He was out of breath and dropped his gun.

What's wrong with Ooowww? It hurts! I think I broke both knuckles! Why are the ribs so hard?! Master puts his whole hand on a person's chest to make things look easy! How is it!

I removed my hand. The man fell silently, and I had to face the crows again. I do my best to touch up my expression.

Ouch ouch ...... Hi! Damn it! Must be concerned.

The crow looked at me warily. I'll stand guard again, and we'll continue to fight.

I could tell he was tired. Midnight had passed, and he had been tired and bleeding for a day.

Ravens have a pattern. At the end of the exchange, he likes to swing and hit his opponent's sword on the way up, then immediately chop down and move forward before they recover. This trick must be very useful against weaker opponents, especially considering the weight of his saber.

It didn't work for me.

Next time he'll do it. I slashed my sword farther away, and just then he turned and entered his defenses. I made a shallow cut in his chest.

"Hey!"

We are now in the final act of this tragedy, and others can feel it. I caught some subtle gazes, and I heard footsteps. I turned to a dirty man in a straw hat, who was closer to the edge of the forest than before.

"You run, you'll die first."

The man stopped. This will give me a little time before I can finish this.

"Speak."

"I, yes. of worship. They keep stealing people from place to place, God knows for what. ”

Steal. I know who is "stealing" those people.

"It didn't help. Tell me how you know what I am. ”

“… The leader of the cult. I sold the woman to him. He said you were vampires. He says you're hoarding power. He said that he would achieve this goal on his own and share the bounty with his followers. ”

"Hmm."

I returned to the center of the clearing and waited for the crows to do the same. As soon as he was in position, he rushed at me, and all his valiant companions turned and ran away.

I stand by my position. The raven, seeing his men running away, let out a cry of despair, rushed at me.

Extraordinary! Of course, I also expected a cunning outlaw to do this. I flicked my left arm, and after a while, the crow tripped and fell. He stared incredulously at the dagger stuck in his chest. I haven't wasted any time in the last six months.

"I told you the Blade was a warning."

I chase every robber. I ate them one by one, all the time. In the dark, they are all slow and noisy. I made it quick and painless.

When I returned to the clearing, only Crow and the young man Dalton were left.

"It shouldn't ...... It's like this. We should ...... Become an adventurer. Heroes...... Like the old knights. The fallen leader said in a nervous voice.

I straddled the crow and let my hair fall on his face. He is so warm and his perfume is exquisite. Perfect end to a worthwhile hunt.

"You mean heroes?" Do heroes attack travelers? Do they have affiliation?"

"They...... Indigenous, not white women. ”

"They are slaves. Who they are doesn't change what you do. ”

"That abundance... From a monster. ”

"Ah, but I know what I am. It's like I know who kidnapped people for that strange estate you mentioned, and like I know why you sold that woman to them so quickly. You have fallen deeper than most, Raven. Now, any last words?"

The raven bared her red teeth and smiled at me at the end. Resist to the end. I love it.

"See you in hell."

Ha.

"Goodbye, human, it's a good hunt."

When I was done, I stood up and accepted the destruction I had brought.

The bodies were scattered in the clearing, scattered around broken tents and trampled personal belongings. The sole survivor of the massacre knelt on the ground with his head in his hands. I'll ignore him for now.

I approached the largest tent and opened it. The unwashed corpses here smelled a pungent stench, but I persevered.

Two young women stared at me with crazy eyes. The first trembled with rage, while the other cowered behind her. They were dressed in tattered rags. Their black hair was fine and messy.

As I approached, the strong one was whispering and cursing.

Buzz.

I stepped back, grabbed a skinning knife, and went back into the house and threw it at their feet. I don't care about them.

The crow sat on a short stool. I flattened it and sat by the fire.

I need to think.

Why should I take on this challenge? Why did I kill these men, but spare their captives? What should I do with Dalton? Should I stick to the spirit of the agreement and let him go? Or do I follow the letter and make sure he's dead before a settlement is reached? Could it be that I was led here by Binger's ridiculous narrative abilities because what I learned was essential for us to continue our exploration?

I ignored the two indigenous women, who were stumbling around the camp, crying in their language, kicking and spitting at the corpses.

I accepted the challenge because it was the right thing to do. They should be given a chance to achieve something, and not slaughter them like animals. It was a good hunt.

This is Hunt's concept. It must have something to do with the contaminated blood in my veins. I never thought about the concept of hunting when I was alive. Should I stop? Will it kill me like blind confidence kills Gaspar?

I don't think so. The blood of a raven is delicious and powerful because its power does not come from the person itself, but from the way it ingests it. Respecting the spirit of hunting, winning the game makes me stronger. It also makes me feel more energetic. The race compels me to work for it, not to take it with overwhelming force, just as the blood of a supplicant is sweeter than the blood of a cow.

Yes, I know I'm right. I will respect the prey, and in turn, it will make me stronger, more patient, and more cautious. Challenges remind me of my limits and remind me never to despise mortals, just as a raven reminds me of technical imperfection when it cuts my fingers.

If the situation I'm experiencing is a challenge in itself, then I don't need to limit myself. Instead, I will use every tool at my disposal to achieve victory.

Yes, that's as it should be. The red nectar needs to be fought for by itself. I can never forget it.

Now to the next question.

Who am I going to let go and why? Loth was right. Rules and guidelines are the first step in any normal society. As the only vampire in the area, I need to make my own rules and enforce them.

I'm going to lay down the ground rules now, just as I did when the Continental Congress made the constitution more than 20 years ago.

Those whom I call friends, those who are bound to me by deeds or oaths, those whom I am negotiating, and those who are too young, should not be touched without their explicit consent. This includes applicants.

Those who have nothing to do with me can be eaten, but not killed or enslaved.

Those who do not respect the rules of hunting and harm weak prey, those who break their oaths to others, and those whom I have agreed to catch may be eaten, tortured and enslaved, but not killed.

Those who break their oaths to me and myself, those who steal lives for selfish gain, those who steal the dignity of women, will be punished. These rules apply to groups that I believe have a war relationship with, but not to their relatives.

Those who endanger my existence and those who try to kill me but respect the spirit of the hunt can be fed and killed, but not tortured or enslaved.

Most importantly, I had to keep my promise to protect me and my family.

Yes. It feels good. At least for now I'm going to apply those rules. If I think it's necessary, I'll adjust as I go.

I turned my attention back to the present. The boy didn't move, and the two indigenous women looked at the man who had fallen to the ground with suspicious eyes as they cleaned themselves. The tall one stroked her knife with a pensive expression.

I started collecting supplies. I know what to do with this kid, I don't want witnesses.

I prepared two heavy backpacks and returned to the woman. Diplomacy is difficult because they don't speak English, French or Spanish, and I don't blame them. They made enough grunts and pointing noises that they understood that they should take their horses and food and go, but they refused. After pointing to the sky and the fire a few times, I finally remembered that it was the dead of night and that traveling was not the best idea.

I was satisfied that they were not a threat to me, so I decided to let them do whatever they wanted. Instead, I grabbed the boy by the elbow and dragged him into the shade. He didn't resist.

"Can you understand me?"

He nodded.

"You're safe tonight, but only tonight."

The young man looked up at me. Like other robbers, he wore a farm suit and travel clothes, and his workmanship was simple and sturdy. His brown vest was too big. I think he's probably the youngest in the group, about 16 years old.

I came face to face with a pair of blue eyes that were lighter than mine. They are large and have strange magnetism. Even when I looked at the rest of him, my gaze was pulled back. He looked at me with a childish curiosity, and although I smelled fear in him, it was not as strong as I thought.

I don't want to kill him. I don't think he's a threat to me. He doesn't feel like it.

"If you don't mention it to anyone, and you don't mention me, I'll let you go. Do you agree?"

The boy considered my words carefully for a moment, then nodded again in agreement.

"I swear."

"I will not betray you. I swear. ”

"Very well, now I'll test your words."

I grabbed his unresisting arm, bit it, and stared into his eyes.

"Are you going to betray me?"

"Nope. Never. ”

It's so fast. According to my rules, I can kill him if I think he's a threat. I didn't. He's also not a friend, so he can be fed, but won't hurt further.

I'm not thirsty.

Phew, that's enough, it's late.

"Good. You can leave and go where you want. I want to respect your words, even if you don't respect me, as long as I believe in you, I won't pursue you alone. ”

"I won't betray you."

The boy's reaction was rather strange. Could he be mentally retarded? This explains why Crowe chose to let him go. He must be the last person to die.

"You should leave the camp right away. I doubt your former captives will forgive you for what you have been through. ”

"I know where to go."

Again, there is no doubt about it. Something was wrong with this young man. He fully accepted the situation. Will he hide his true identity? No. When I bit him, I did feel his essence, there was no doubt that he was a mortal.

Phew, it doesn't matter. I've been delayed for too long.

I made sure I had all the weapons with me and quickly left the area. The return trip was much quicker because I didn't need to look for our camp or hide my presence. Two hours after leaving, I quickly saw the campfire we were familiar with.

When I got back to camp, I saw a hint of magic in the air. Loth wasn't idle while I wasn't there.

I crossed the boundaries of the incantation and made a slight bell. I heard a sleeping man wake up and follow the sound to a slightly haggard place. He motioned to Bingle and we left the fire that was about to be extinguished and discussed what was happening during the night without waking him.

I told him everything, including my discovery, the code of ethics, and Dalton's fate.

"Hmph. Ali, are you drunk?"

"What? Hmph, maybe? How do you know?"

"Your concentration is not concentrating, you are more contemplative than usual. I've seen this happen to Konstantin in Boston, who had similar emotions after a deadly hunt. In any case, I must congratulate you tonight. Well done"

"What do you think?"

"You removed the threat, left no dangerous survivors, and got what we wanted. Now you have returned safely. Tyr, I wish every raid went so smoothly. ”

"Yes, now we have to decide how to proceed."

"There's no doubt he's dead, isn't he?" We headed north, cleared the madmen, and rescued the girl, if she was still alive. I'm skeptical, you know what? Any strange cult that buys people will not let them last long. ”

"I don't like that. We are blindly entering a situation that is likely to be very dangerous. Shouldn't someone be sent to deal with this?"

"Yes, little girl, we are there!" We are two of the most powerful entities within a hundred miles radius, so we have to defend our territory. Hahaha, Tyr, sometimes you're still so human. Do you think the gendarmes or militia will come to catch monsters?"

"Well, it's not them, but their supernatural companions?" I thought the Knights of Gabriel or the Vampire Knights squad would be dedicated to hunting down these strange groups. ”

Loth looked at me silently for a moment. The atmosphere has become heavy. A pressure made me want to look away, and I was reminded of who the Slopes of Scolag really were, not a gentleman and a scholar, but an ancient creature with a wealth of magical knowledge, his hands stained with blood. I remember when we fought together. I remember the silent icy metal giant fighting and pleading his way out, never stopping, never flinching, and I shuddered.

"Little girl, this is our territory, we don't need idiots to protect it. This is not a human world, where you can rely on institutions and laws. For us, what belongs to us is what we can get and keep, and never forget it. Besides, I can't tolerate those fanatical mongrels stepping on it. ”

Loth closed her eyes and massaged the bridge of her protruding nose.

"Hey, listen to me, I'm like an old man. Girl, I didn't mean to scold you. Sometimes, you're so good at being yourself that I forget you're so young. As for the knight squad, you don't understand. ”

He sat down and assumed a lecture posture with his hands together and I sat comfortably.

"I mentioned that they would fix the paranormal problems before they got out of hand. I didn't tell you more, but I should. Vampires are a rare species. You are a bunch of domineering and arrogant people. In a big city, you rarely see more than fifteen, and they will be protected by a handful of masters. Vampires are able to sit at the top of the hierarchy because each owner is very dangerous. The Knights Squad are a group of battle-hardened masters who have dedicated their lives to war. There are few of them, but you can be sure that if they are sent somewhere, the problem is solved. Perpetual.

The problem is, they're always busy. They will only come here when the cult somehow gets out of control and begins to summon terror from afar. ”

"They...... Can they really do it?!"

"Yes, it can happen, but we're not going to let things get to this point. Don't worry. ”

"I see. So it's up to us. Well, I won't let you down. ”

"I know I can count on you. Good. We have big days ahead of us. I'm going to have to sleep for a while. ”

Loth lay down, and five minutes later, I heard two people snoring, like two trumpets playing a duet. If I were a mortal woman who wanted to sleep, I believe I would suffocate them with a pillow right now.

I took out my notebook on the ancient language and reviewed it as the night slowly drew to a close.