Rae was away from Carmine Village for what felt like a lifetime. The ominous forests and sunlit valleys of her homeland had long since faded into memories, replaced by the harsh roads, dangerous encounters, and countless battles that had forged her into who she was now.
Her exploits had earned her fame far beyond the village. She was no longer just Rae of Carmine; she had become "The Crimson Battle Princess," a name whispered with awe among adventurers. Yet, as she approached the final stretch of her journey home, she couldn't shake the strange weight in her chest. Returning with her newfound strength and a legion of allies should have filled her with pride, but instead, it felt like the calm before a storm.
Her rise to prominence had begun as a gamble to prove herself. Armed with nothing but an E-class adventurer's status, Rae had thrown herself into the gritty, chaotic world of the adventurers' guild. She fought her way up from the bottom, challenging seasoned warriors and mages alike.
Her first duel was against an F-class adventurer—another burly axeman who mocked Rae for daring to step into the ring with him. The match was short-lived. Rae's nimble footwork and precise strikes outmatched his brute strength, earning her her first victory. Word spread quickly, and soon she became known as the audacious E-class who challenged anyone, regardless of rank.
Her next opponent was a D-class rogue, quick and cunning, who relied on his agility to outpace her. But Rae was faster anticipating his movements, her blades found openings in the chaos of his rapid strikes. When she disarmed him with a parry, he admitted defeat with a grudging nod.
As her victories mounted, Rae began challenging higher-ranked adventurers, flaunting her E-class status to gnaw at their pride. "An E-class like me shouldn't pose a threat, right?" she'd taunt, her attitude unshaken even in the face of seasoned veterans.
When she faced her first B-class adventurer, a heavily armored knight known for his unbreakable defense, the crowd laughed at the absurdity of the match. Yet Rae turned the tide with her resourcefulness. She didn't attack his armor directly but instead targeted the weak points in his movements, forcing him to exhaust himself. With one final strike, she broke through his guard and claimed victory.
Each duel solidified her reputation. By the time she faced an A-class adventurer, a renown fire mage named Varick, the guild hall was packed. His devastating spells sent waves of fire through the arena, scorching the ground around Rae. But she used her earth and water magic to shield herself, enduring his attacks long enough to close the distance. Her blades hummed with her own energy as she delivered the decisive blow, forcing Varick to concede.
From that day on, Rae became a symbol of defiant skill—the Crimson Battle Princess. Adventurers who once scoffed at her now regarded her with respect, some even offering to join her cause. Yet Rae's goal wasn't just to earn their admiration; she needed their strength. She used her victories and charisma to persuade them to accompany her back to Carmine Village.
"I know you think it's just another backwater town," Rae said, addressing a group of skeptical adventurers after one of her duels. "But it's more than that. There are people there who need us. Monsters are encroaching on their homes, and the neighboring nobility won't lift a finger. If we don't fight for them, who will?"
Her words, combined with her growing legend, convinced many. Slowly but surely, Rae began to gather a legion of capable fighters. But her task grew harder with the interference of Count Greythorne, a cunning noble with his own agenda.
Greythorne saw Rae's growing reputation as a threat to his plans and worked to undermine her efforts. He expedited his efforts of offering adventurers lucrative incentives to stay away from Carmine and with it Rae's cause. He promised gold, rare artifacts, and even promises of land or titles. His manipulative schemes spread like wildfire, turning many adventurers' heads.
Rae first noticed the effects of his interference when a trusted adventurer hesitated during a meeting. "I respect what you're trying to do, Rae, but Count Greythorne's offer… it's hard to turn down. He's offering a share in the spoils of his next expedition, not to mention quite the gold advance."
Rae clenched her fists but kept her voice calm. "Greythorne's promises come with strings attached. Do you think he cares about anything beyond his own power? I'm offering you something real—something worth fighting for."
The adventurer shifted uncomfortably, clearly torn. This scene repeated itself several times, and Rae began to understand the depth of Greythorne's influence. She couldn't compete with his wealth, but she had to find another way to win hearts and minds.
One of the most defining moments of her journey had begun as an ordinary day. Rae and Trina, her ever-watchful companion, had come across a group of injured women deep in the wilderness. The scene was dire—bloodied bodies sprawled across the forest floor, writhing in pain as a dark energy pulsed through them.
Rae knelt beside the nearest woman, her hands trembling as she summoned the golden light of her magic circles. "I can heal them," she said, her voice firm despite the doubt gnawing at her.
The light spread over the woman's wounds, knitting flesh and soothing her broken body. For a brief moment, relief washed over Rae. But then the woman's body began to convulse again, her injuries reopening as if mocking the magic that had tried to restore her.
Rae's heart sank. "Why isn't it working?"
Trina crouched beside her, her expression grim but thoughtful. "This isn't an ordinary injury. It's a hex—or perhaps the influence of a cursed object. Simple light magic alone won't be enough to counteract this level of dark magic."
"Then what am I supposed to do?" Rae's voice wavered. She hated feeling helpless, especially when lives hung in the balance.
Trina's sharp gaze softened as she placed a hand on Rae's shoulder. "There is a way, but it's… unconventional. I can teach you a dark magic technique to turn them into vampires of your bloodline. Their bodies would become immune to the dark magic afflicting them, and they'd survive."
Rae recoiled instinctively. "Turn them into vampires? Like me?"
"Not entirely like you," Trina clarified. "They'd be eternal retainers bound to your bloodline."
"But..."Ray froze at the thought of binding some one to eternal servitude.
"This is their best chance at survival." Trina insisted
Rae hesitated, glancing at the women's faces twisted in agony. "We need their consent."
"And how do you propose we ask them in their current state?" Trina countered, gesturing to the unconscious bodies.
Rae swallowed hard. She hated the idea of making such a lifechanging decision for someone else, but the alternative was to watch them die. With a deep breath, she nodded. "Teach me."
Trina explained the process guiding Rae through each step. The first step was to inject Rae's blood into their system. As Rae carried out the task, she watched in amazement as the dark energy in their bodies seemed to dissipate, their pain subsiding. For a moment, it felt like a miracle.
But Trina's voice cut through her relief. "This is only a reprieve. To complete the transformation, you must stab their hearts with a dagger coated in your blood. Only then will their bodies fully adapt and survive the transition."Rae's hands trembled as she took the bloodied dagger. The act felt sacrilegious, yet she knew it was their only chance. With a steady breath, she plunged the blade into the first woman's heart. Her skin turned deathly pale, and her hair faded to an eerie gray, her breathing stopped.
"She looks… dead," Rae murmured, her voice trembling.
"She is," Trina replied bluntly. Rae become ghostly pale."Don't worry this is normal to the process," Trina said beaming with confidence "Unlike someone else's transformation.""What next?" Rae asked inquisitively with a voice tinged with worry"You need to tie their mana circuits to yours, creating a permanent bond. Think of it as an exchange of life force. Usually we use the life energy of a monster to sustain the corpse before the ritual is complete but she is full of life energy so that won't be necessary." Trina explained"I still don't understand what I am supposed to do," Rae said a bit confused"There is a spell chant for it, but you don't like chanting spells so let's see what you can do."Rae assessed the situation, recognizing the challenge it was. With enough thought, a solution seemed possible. Trina had explained that the task required connecting her mana circuit with the mana circuits of the other women, creating a metaphysical bond between them. The concept reminded her of quantum entanglement, a phenomenon in quantum physics that involves particles like photons and electrons, usually related to their spin. However, this idea didn't entirely fit the current situation. Then, another idea surfaced. Perhaps the connection between her blood and the other woman's blood remained intact, even if it was in separate bodies. It was like her blood in her current body acting as a transmitter and her blood in another body functioning as the receiver. Drawing inspiration from how radio waves work, Rae realized she could use this concept to link her mana circuit with theirs.
With the concept in mind, it was time to create a magic circle that could bring the idea to life. Rae began by imagining a symbol that would instruct the dark spirits to locate any dark magic in the women's blood that carried the same dark signatures as hers. Next, she designed a symbol to enhance the link between the transmitter and receiver. An additional idea struck her—to incorporate light magic into the process. If she could isolate the weakest part of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as radio waves, and use it alongside the dark magic enhancement, she could further strengthen the bond. Since radio waves have the longest wavelength, the connection would remain unaffected by distance.
Finally, Rae needed to set up a micro transmitter to establish full circulation in the circuits. She envisioned a symbol that would direct the dark spirits to ping back the dark signature to the source—herself—functioning like a kind of echolocation. To mitigate the risks of relying solely on dark magic, she incorporated a hint of light magic, as dark signatures could potentially be overwritten. The entire process brought back memories of working with computers in her previous life.
When Rae completed the magic circle, a reddish-purple glow with a golden outline formed around the women. The woman's color returned signaling her success.
Rae moved to the next woman, repeating the process until all of them had undergone the ritual.
Trina watched, her lips curving into a smile. "You continue to surprise me. You might just be the right choice…" she murmured, her voice almost too soft to hear.
Before Rae could question her, a surge of energy flowed through her, unlike anything she'd ever felt. It was raw and overwhelming, a blend of her mana and the newly awakened presence of the women she had saved. Slowly, they stirred, their eyes fluttering open.
"What happened?" one of them groaned, holding her head. "Why does everything feel… strange?"
"Same here," another iterated.
"Weren't we just fighting some powerful adventurers?" a third woman exclaimed.
"Wait, who are you two? … What—what's wrong with my hand? Why can't I unsheathe my sword? Are you two witches?" the fourth woman said, her tone hostile.
"Oh, I know them. They are the famous party, the Crimson Knights," the first woman stated.
"I don't know how to tell you this, but... you are vampires now," Trina said, her voice soft.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE ARE VAMPIRES?! Is this a joke?" the fourth woman exclaimed.
"Well, I'm afraid not. You were afflicted with a curse and at death's door. The only way to save you was by turning you into vampires," Rae explained, her voice tinged with a hint of guilt.
"So does this mean that one of you is a vampire queen?" the first woman asked.
"Actually, currently we both are, but eventually..." Trina trailed off.
"You two did not have the right to turn us into vampires without our consent," the first woman said, her voice firm, "but thank you for saving us. So, are we to join your party since we are members of your clan now?"
"Only if you want to," Rae said, her tone soft.
The five women huddled up, discussing in hushed tones. A debate ensued between them, but finally, one by one, the women agreed to join her party. Over time, Trina trained them all with, shaping them into a formidable force. Milly, Daphne, Eleanor, Ella, and Michelle—names that would come to be feared and respected alongside Rae's. Their strength, combined with Rae's growing reputation, earned their group the title "The Valkyries."