Diana pointed to a specific area in the illustration and said, "Look here, at the back of his hand."
His eyes appeared hauntingly lifeless. They were like windows to a soul trapped in perpetual darkness. But, the longer I looked, the more I see shadows danced across the illustration, creating an interplay of light and dark that made it challenging to discern the details.
Finally, as my vision adjusted, the hidden feature emerged before me. There, etched onto the back of his hand, was a symbol that seemed to mirror the intricate tattoos on his chest. Its lines intertwined like serpents, forming a complex design that held an air of ancient mysticism.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed a distinct number 9 etched into his skin, written in the form of "IX" in Roman numerals. In this world, numbers were conventionally represented using the familiar Arabic system, which is convenient for someone like me. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised, as I had never seen nor heard anyone mention Roman numerals in this world.
"Frustratingly enough, besides the abundance of drawings portraying him, I haven't found any substantial information of value within its pages."
Diana sighed heavily, "Haaa... You see, the book is actually a fictional romantic story centered around a young goddess falling in love... That's the gist of it."
"Huh?"
Diana continued with a hint of exasperation in her voice, "The author of this book happens to be Machaah, the goddess of youth. She is deeply obsessed with him to the point of creating hundreds of fictional stories featuring herself and him. She recently handed this book to me. Truth be told, I initially thought it was a book about the fountain of youth, so I accepted it. Only later did I realize that she was distributing this type of book to every female god as a message... She's quite a lunatic."
"I swear, that's becoming more and more common..."
"..."
"Adelle doesn't have this kind of mark... Nor does it even remotely resemble the mark I received from her, but his appearance is quite something else."
While we were on the right track with this connection to Absalom, the lack of information about him made it uncertain how useful it would be. I couldn't help but wonder if Adelle, through her bloodline, might possess some knowledge that could shed light on the situation. However, broaching the topic of her past had always been a sensitive matter.
"Well, at least we have a lead now, Diana," I said, trying to remain optimistic. "But why didn't you show this book to me earlier?"
Diana hesitated before answering, "I thought it was irrelevant... and the contents didn't seem particularly informative or helpful."
"Understandable." As I continued to gaze at the illustration, thoughts of Cytheria's face filled my mind. "You know, I've been pondering over Cytheria. Did you notice her reaction when she saw Adelle? Does she know her, or am I just imagining things?"
"Her? She's quite a character." Diana added, expressing her impression.
"Similar to your sister, Alicia."
"Alicia? No way." Diana responded, chuckling softly.
"You know," Diana paused, capturing my attention, "the world is a much bigger place than I had imagined. I thought I knew it all when I first arrived here, but I quickly realized how wrong I was. Each passing day brings new lessons and discoveries, and I am humbled by the vastness of knowledge that exists. I had been told that gods were superior beings possessing the greatest knowledge, but being here has opened my mind to a new realm of understanding—the nature of the evolution of the world. It's intriguing."
I earnestly listened to her words, gradually starting to grasp their meaning. Carefully, I put the book down and leaned my back against the rail behind me. "The world, understanding, knowledge..."
"Am I really this dumb?" I muttered to myself.
The cat appeared on my shoulder as it climbed over my face. "Meow~♫"
"I need to leave now."
"Are you sure...?" Diana lowered her head.
"Don't wear such a sad face. It's not like we'll be separated from each other." I gave her a parting kiss before returning to my body. It managed to uplift her mood somewhat, but the concern in her eyes remained.
The missing "piece" that I had been searching for. It had been right under my nose all this time. Our lives had intersected numerous times. Initially, I chose to ignore that person, thinking that by doing so, I would attain peace. However, that turned out to be far from the truth. Due to my connection with the heroines, I'm inevitably drawn toward the blackhole figure, Shin Morino. Our peculiar encounters were not mere coincidences; they were intricately intertwined by design. I overlooked such a simple and blatantly obvious thing, and it took me an eternity to finally realize it.
At present, my knowledge about them is quite limited. Without a doubt, the hidden depths lie beneath the surface. Considering the broader perspective, the range of possibilities expands into a vast and uncertain territory. While I find myself engrossed in a game of two-dimensional chess, they seem to be operating on a level of three-dimensional, or perhaps even four-dimensional, chess.
Moreover, I possess a unique card that holds all the aces, granting me an extraordinary advantage over others. To put it simply, I intend to exploit this advantage to its fullest extent by targeting the main character and using it as a game-changing strategy.
The world itself has rewritten the very fabric of existence.
────────────
"Ngggh—!" I slowly opened my eyes.
-Smack!
Upon waking up, I found Adelle's feet on my face. I gently moved them away and sighed to myself, exasperated. "I forgot about her terrible sleeping habits."
Curious about the time, I glanced at the window and saw sunlight filtering through the curtain. "Morning already? Thank goodness, there are no classes today—"
Suddenly, my entire body was seized by intense pain, followed by a numbing cold sensation. I struggled to breathe, unable to utter a single sound. I wanted to scream and release the pain, but the crushing sensation in my chest prevented me from doing so. I bit my lower lip until it bled. Thankfully, the pain subsided after a few seconds.
"B-Bastard. I forgot... Ick!"
As I made my way to the bathroom, there was a sudden knock on the door that nearly gave me a heart attack. Instead of answering the door, I quickly scanned Adelle's room, desperately searching for a hiding spot. I didn't want to cause another scandal, especially since I was trespassing in the girl's dormitory. I managed to stagger my way to the bathroom, but I heard a familiar voice from behind the door.
"Claude. I know you're there."
'Lily!'
I opened the door to find an eerie gaze from an elf greeting me. If I didn't know her, I would have run for my life without a second thought. The aura around her was murderous. Lily narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing my neck, and slowly examined me from head to toe.
'What did I do? I literally fought for my life here, you know?' I wanted to say those words to her.
"How's your body?"
"All—"
"Don't lie to me. It hurts like hell, doesn't it?"
I rolled my eyes.
"Hmph! This is what you deserve for meddling with a vampire. Clara notified me. How many times has this happened?"
"This is the first time. The previous occurrences were milder, but now, the situation has escalated..."
Lily approached the slumbering figure of Adelle and gently pressed the back of her hand against her forehead. "Her body shows no signs of abnormalities, not even exhaustion. If anything, she appears revitalized. How about you?" She then turned her attention towards me.
"I'm fine."
"Really?" Lily poked my right arm.
"Argh!" I grunted in pain.
'What was that?! It felt like a thousand bullets shot through my entire arm.'
"You fool. Your blood vessels are in a state of disarray, and even your healing ability is struggling to restore them to normal. This is the inevitable consequence of interfering with a vampire. Your body is currently enduring a significant setback, and if this continues, the stress will continue to accumulate, eventually becoming unbearable."
"Diana said the exact same thing, word for word."
"Because you're lacking." Lily's index finger was pinpointing her own forehead.
"No need to rub it in."
Lily let out a sigh of relief, visibly relaxing her shoulders, as she cast another glance towards the bed. "Vampires continue to be enigmatic, even to our elven kind. Despite a few superficial similarities between elves and vampires, they are fundamentally separate beings. Moreover, it was widely believed that the vampire race had vanished centuries ago. In the eyes of many, vampires were seen as either demonic creatures or malevolent wrongdoers, condemned by Gaia for their sacrilegious acts. As a result, the Temple long ago sanctioned their extermination, alongside other entities deemed as demonic. Alongside the vampires, the elves were also once targeted for inclusion on the list."
"Extinct, huh? It's possible that their interest lies in the blood magic that only vampires can wield. Among all races, vampires possess the unique ability to utilize blood as their primary form of magic."
"Perhaps. Similar to other species classified as demons, vampires have a tendency to coexist and assimilate within different societies, akin to parasites or humans."
"Harsh words. Lily. Harsh words."
"I'm just being blunt because it's true. Someone managed to disrupt their ecosystem, and now they can't survive without it."
I averted my eyes.
"All of these events have been triggered by your scent. Vampires have a heightened sense of smell when it comes to blood. Unfortunately, your blood carries a potent and alluring scent, making it challenging for them to resist. That's why she initially approached you."
"That's quite an accusation, princess. But I suppose I can't fault her for being captivated by my irresistible charm. It's just one of the many burdens I must bear." I flashed a confident smile.
Lily fell silent for a moment, seemingly disregarding my remarks. She then retrieved a vial and a syringe, wearing her expression seriously. "... Don't underestimate the gravity of your situation. You had that deranged woman with red hair chasing after you as well. Here." Lily firmly grasped my arm and administered the injection.
"Ack! Could you please be a bit more gentle? It would be appreciated if you could give me a heads up before injecting anything."
"Stay still for a while. Allow the medicine to do its work, dilating your blood vessels and healing the inflammation caused by Adelle. You're fortunate to possess a unique disposition; otherwise, the consequences could have been dire."
"Thank you." The effects of the medicine Lily had given me were already taking hold, as a warm sensation coursed through my veins. It felt liberating.
"When does this occur?"
"This kind? It's the first."
"This is also my first encounter with a vampire. Neither my father nor my brothers have come across one, except for my mother. Right now, we'll diligently monitor her condition every day. But before we do that, please enlighten me with everything.." Lily's expression turned serious.