Chapter 23: Six Months (1)
Elmenhilde Karnstein Pov:
"Lady Elmenhilde, Lady Millacra, welcome back."
The moment we appeared outside the gates of the Karnstein Household's Castle, the guards respectfully bowed towards me and Millacra.
"Go and inform Queen Carmilla that we are requesting an audience with her. While we wait for her reply, we'll be resting in our rooms."
"Yes, Lady Elmenhilde."
At my orders, one of the guards bowed and turned into a flock of bats before moving away.
"I'll see you when Queen Carmilla calls for us, Millacra."
"Rest well, Elmen. You have worked very hard on this investigation."
"Indeed, you too, Millacra. Take care of yourself."
With that, the two of us separated, and a servant escorted me to my room.
"Is there anything else I could do for you, Lady Elmenhilde?"
"No. You may leave."
"Please call me if there is anything."
After bowing once more, the servant closed the door and walked away.
Thud!*
The moment the door to my room closed, strength seemed to disappear from my body while my legs went soft, and I fell to the ground, panting heavily as my skin touched the cold floor.
It was impossible to keep the act as I had for the past three days, and my body trembled every time his face appeared inside my mind.
"I... I survived, and Millacra is safe, too."
Instinctively, my body curled up, trying to calm myself.
I could forcefully suppress the fear in my heart in his presence, but when alone, the suppressed fear started to take over my consciousness. It was impossible to hide it any longer.
Unknowingly, tears started falling down my eyes.
I vividly remembered everything—every pin that pierced my skin, every time my skin got slashed, when every bone in my body was broken, when my eyeballs were cut in half, and when my limbs were stretched until they almost ripped apart, tearing every muscle in my body.
It was terrifying, but that wasn't all.
The thing that scared me the most was the look in his eyes.
He did all that without the tiniest hints of emotions in his eyes, making it look like it was just a mundane task for him to do, nothing more, nothing less.
It was even worse than how Pure-Blooded Vampires looked at Dhampirs. No. It wasn't even comparable to the racial discrimination our species had.
Vampires looked at Mixed Breeds with disgust, but those eyes never saw me as a living being. To them, I was no different than a possession, something they owned.
A shiver ran down my spine.
Was this how Mixed Breeds felt when faced with a Pure-Blooded Vampire?
No.
It was worse than that.
Mixed Breeds knew that they were beneath Vampires and got looked down upon with disgust, but he looked at me as if I was an object he owned.
My position was at his feet, prostrating in front of him, just like an obedient slave or pet, whatever sounded more humiliating.
He made our relationship clear the moment it was established, and I had no say in it.
He was my owner, someone I couldn't run away from, and would need to serve him for the rest of my life.
My pride as a living being had long since shattered into pieces, much less my pride as a Pure-Blooded Noble Vampire.
He knew that I understood my position very well, and that was why he didn't completely 'break' me, only leaving me at the edge to get the best performance from his newfound possession.
The last bit of hope I had about freedom was gone when he mentioned Millacra, my childhood best friend.
Even though she was an airheaded fool, I cared for Millacra very much, like a little sister. She was the only one who didn't suck up to me because of my relations with Queen Carmilla, but because she was sad about how lonely I looked, always staying alone.
I couldn't let such a kind-hearted girl like Millacra experience something like that, and he would exploit that flaw as he saw fit.
I had no idea what kind of Magic Circle he placed on Millacra, and honestly, a part of me wished to never find out, obediently following his orders so Millacra would stay out of his sights.
Yes, as long as he has an obedient and useful slave, he wouldn't care who it was.
Millacra would stay safe, and I wouldn't need to ever experience that kind of torture again.
For me, the latter part was the most important.
I couldn't even call him something other than Master, even while thinking about him, not even his name.
That was simply how scared I was.
As a Female Noble Vampire from the Carmilla Faction, a female-dominated faction, I was taught since childhood that men were supposed to be beneath women and that we weren't to bow in front of anyone.
And truthfully, that was always what I wholeheartedly believed in.
All the servants within our castle were Pure Blooded Vampires, as Mixed Breeds weren't even allowed to step into the Castles used by Noble Households without their permission.
But the moment I met him, the harsh reality came crashing down.
Different Races or Genders never mattered, and those meant to lower their heads would do so regardless.
Master made me change my views on life within a single day, and he forcefully made me understand my position.
He knew it, too, that I would instinctively lower myself in his presence.
The fear I felt towards him was no longer superficial, but instinctive.
The worst part was that he was only ten.
I couldn't even imagine what sort of monster he would become after he matured, and that thought terrified me even more.
It took me several hours to finally calm down, and I got up from the floor before cleaning the mess I caused while crying for so long.
Master ordered me not to make any slip-ups when I was alone at the Carmilla Faction.
Before meeting him, the thought that I'd be one day wiping the floor with my own hands never even crossed my mind.
But now, this was my reality…
Following that, I changed my clothes and looked around the room.
Rather than a bed, at the centre of my room was my coffin, but currently, I wasn't in the mood to have a good rest.
Vampires could only heal when they slept inside their coffins, but that was limited to physical injuries, not mental trauma.
I'd most likely get nightmares the moment I fell asleep.
"It's been a few days since I drank blood."
Pure-Blooded Vampires were incapable of consuming anything other than blood, while Mixed Breeds and Humans turned Vampires could consume normal food.
Soon, a bottle of blood Master had previously given me appeared inside my palm.
It was his blood.
Opening the bottle, I gulped down all of it.
A Devil's blood was far more delicious than a Human's, more so if the Devil was strong, and his blood was the most delicious I had ever tasted.
"Hmm…"
I looked at the empty bottle in my hand for a few seconds.
"He most likely wishes for me to get addicted to his blood."
He had forbidden me from drinking any other person's blood. There were only two plausible reasons as to why he would do that.
Vampires could gain far more power by drinking the blood of other beings, so if I continue to drink only Master's blood, my power would start to increase, and I'd be more useful to him.
My Magic Power, along with the control I had over it, was increased a little by only drinking his blood twice.
The second reason was an addiction. If I were to drink such delicious blood, I'd naturally get addicted to it, so it'd act like a drug that'd forever bind me to him.
There was a chance that I might end up like a pet wanting its Master's attention.
True, I could not drink it behind his back, but I was too scared of the consequences if he were to catch me.
At this moment, I could only watch as he broke me into whatever he desired.
Knock!* Knock!*
"What is it?"
"Lady Elmenhilde, Queen Carmilla has summoned you."
"Very well."
After fixing my expression, I left my room as the servant guided me towards the Queen's Castle.
Other than Millacra, only Queen Carmilla has known me since my childhood. No matter what, I couldn't leave any sort of abnormality in my behaviour in front of her.
On my way, I ran into Millacra, who got summoned from the Vordenburg Household's Castle.
The Vampires' residence was like a large dome, covering a lot of land with numerous castles built inside, assigned to different Noble Houses.
Pure-Blooded Vampires couldn't survive in the sun, and inside the dome, it was always nighttime.
The servants only accompanied us to the outside of the Queen's Castle since no men or Mixed Breeds were allowed inside, and from thereon, we were accompanied by female servants that served the Queen.
Arriving in front of a large door, we just stood there quietly, waiting for the moment we'd be called inside.
"Why are you waiting outside after I called you here? Enter already."
The doors in front of us parted, revealing a luxurious hall. On the other side of the hall was an empty throne placed high above the ground.
"Over here, you two."
We simultaneously turned towards the source of that voice, only to find someone sitting alone at a round table, looking at us with a smile.
The one who greeted us was a beautiful girl in her pre-teens, appearing a year or two older than me in physical appearance, staring at us with a friendly smile.
She had calf-length pink hair, partially done up into two pigtails held with black hair pieces that resembled bat wings.
Her eyes were redder than mine, and their colour appeared similar to my Master's.
The girl's smile revealed her sharp fangs, and from this angle, her pointed ears were visible.
Unlike most Vampires, her skin wasn't pale. On the contrary, it looked quite healthy, and her cheeks were slightly pink, making her look extremely pretty, even by our race's standards.
She was the current Queen of the Carmilla Faction, Krul Karnstein, and my mother. However, her surname changed to Carmilla after she inherited the throne after the incident with the Carmilla Royal Family four hundred years ago. [1]
"Greetings, Queen Carmilla."
The two of us bowed respectfully.
As her child, I had little to no connection to Krul. Even before my birth, she was busy ruling over the Carmilla Faction, so naturally, I had no affection for her as my mother, just respect for Queen Carmilla.
The Carmilla Faction wasn't like the Tepes Faction where several Noble Households had a lot of power, enough to challenge their Royal Family. Here, Queen Carmilla ruled the whole faction with an iron fist, and she held all the authority.
While the Noble Households of the Carmilla Faction weren't weak, they had to lower their heads in front of the Queen.
"From what the servants mentioned, you were able to catch the culprit behind all those disappearances, right?"
At Krul's question, the two of us raised our heads.
"Indeed. But since that pest from the Tepes Faction resisted a lot, we couldn't capture him alive."
"Those pests are indeed very persistent."
Krul nodded at my words, turning towards Millacra.
"The culprit managed to knock me out at the start of our encounter, and all of the work was done by Elmenhilde and the Current Overseer of Bucharest."
"Hm?"
Krul looked surprised at Millacra's words, and her reaction wasn't out of my expectations.
Millacra was, by no means, weak. Her powers in controlling Shadows and Darkness surpassed mine, but overall, she was weaker than me by a small margin, and her being an airhead didn't help in battle.
Krul turned towards me, her eyes demanding an explanation.
I explained the incident that had never happened, word to word as Master had previously told me to, and after the explanation ended, Krul nodded.
Throughout the explanation, I never mentioned Master's real name, only referring to him as the Devil or the Overseer.
I was afraid that if I were to say his name, I would subconsciously add an honorific to it, which would be weird here.
The reason that my 'previous' self referred to Master as 'Lord' had nothing to do with his status as the overseer. It was because of his status as Satan Beelzebub's brother, as even during our first meeting, there was no need for me to greet the previous overseer, much less acknowledge his presence.
"That child—the younger brother of Beelzebub, his name was Azrail, right?"
Child.
It was hard to hold back my laughter at Krul's words.
He was no child, but a Monster that surpassed even my worst nightmares.
The fear I felt towards Master vastly surpassed my respect for Krul by an unimaginably wide margin.
"Yes."
"Is he that strong at such a young age?"
Krul looked intrigued, similar to how I was after meeting Master for the first time.
"Indeed. If I were to fight him seriously, it'd be a tie."
I had no idea how Krul would react if she were to know that Master was an Ultimate Class Devil at the age of ten.
Forget about Krul; even the Devils would place him under strict monitoring if that were to happen.
But since he was actively hiding his strength, I naturally wouldn't say something that would upset him.
"To think Devils have another such talent…" Krul rested her chin on her palm, letting out a sigh. "What an absolute waste."
From what I remembered, Master did say that Queen Carmilla was a position worth 'owning,' although it was a mystery whether he was serious or not.
Maybe that was why he asked me about my chances to become the next Queen of the Carmilla Faction and to raise my influence within the faction.
He wished to have absolute control of the faction. After that, it'd be able to supply him with test subjects without fail, whether it was by making me the Queen or by enslaving the current Queen, Krul Carmilla.
But if he were to enslave Krul, wouldn't my whole bloodline be his slave, and would I be a higher-ranking slave than her?
Even so, I doubted it'd be that simple, and it shouldn't possibly be a short-term plan.
Krul was strong, as strong as, if not stronger, than one of the Four Great Satans, Devils who were publically known to surpass the Ultimate Class.
But considering Master's frightening growth rate, I didn't believe that Krul had much time left to enjoy her freedom.
There was no compassion in my heart for the Vampire Race, and I couldn't care less about them. As long as I and Millacra were safe, everything was fine.
That was just how much he twisted my mentality in the mere ten days we spent inside the [Time Barrier].
"Elmen, what are you thinking about?"
Krul's sudden question surprised me, but I still managed to act naturally.
"Nothing, I was just thinking about how the Tepes Faction can't even keep their servants in check."
"They're incompetent fools, that's why." Krul giggled, leaning back on her chair. "So, tell me more about what happened during the investigation…"
"Yes…"
We were questioned about Master's strengths and behaviour for a while before Krul told us to leave.
On our way back, Millacra suddenly asked.
"Hey, do you think Queen Carmilla is interested in Azrail Astaorth?"
"Maybe a little… After all, he is quite different from most Devils."
"Indeed. He is also very kind. Remember when he tried to comfort me after our subordinates were abducted? He even helped us big time."
I hoped that Millacra could live in that happy illusion about Master forever.
After all, the reality was very frightening.
"... Yes, he is."
After arriving back at the Karnstein Household's Castle, I didn't directly go into my room, but instead, I went deeper into the Castle until I arrived in front of an old, wooden door.
It wasn't anything special, just a dungeon used to store the criminals of the Carmilla Faction until they died, or well, waited to die since they never had the luxury to choose their deaths.
Since the Karnstein Household was the highest-ranking Household ever since the foundation of the Carmilla Faction, it was our duty to keep this place in check.
And currently, the highest authority within the Household belonged to me.
As the current Queen Carmilla, Krul couldn't be Lady Karnstein, and since males had zero authority when it came to positions like that, there could be no Lord Karnstein.
Not to mention, my father and brother were executed by Krul when I was three.
The two of them were fed up with the oppression of men and dared to threaten Krul by using me as a bargaining chip, trying to increase the male rights within the Carmilla Faction.
My father's and older brother's heads were severed from their bodies right in front of my eyes, and honestly, that incident didn't bother me much.
It was just how Carmilla Faction worked, and it was a well-known fact that Krul had children with that man because she wanted to conceive me, a Female Pure-Blooded Vampire who could inherit the Karnstein Household in her stead.
Despite being her child, my older brother was nothing but a failed child in Krul's eyes, and even if he were to live, he would've been my servant.
Apart from Krul, I was the only vampire alive who had inherited the real bloodline of our Household.
Thanks to that, I was considered Lady Karnstein even though I hadn't yet officially inherited that title, so my status was similar to an Heir when speaking officially, and my authority within the Household was only second to Krul. However, she barely paid attention to it because I was more than capable of handling everything. It was a sort of mutual agreement we had.
At the deepest parts of the dungeon, there were tens of thousands of Vampires and Dhamphirs chained around the floor, barely alive.
Vampires had Immortal Bodies and wouldn't die unless killed, but they would become weak if they didn't consume any blood and would need to live in a near-death-like state for all eternity, similar to the ones stored inside this dungeon.
In our culture, forcefully keeping someone alive without feeding them blood was considered the most gruesome punishment, and it was officially called [Eternal Banishment].
Many Vampires here were thousands of years old, even before Krul was born, and they had even witnessed the Great War with their own eyes.
There were also thousands of Former Noble Vampires locked up in various cells.
If any of these things were given a certain amount of blood, they'd return to their full strength within minutes.
As the next Head of the Karnstein Household, I had full authority to execute all of them on a whim without any consequences. Even if all of them were to disappear and never reappear, no one would question me.
However, there were several dozens of Vampires and Mixed Breeds here who could potentially rival Krul in strength if fully restored, or maybe even surpass her, and the number was me being generous.
According to Master's orders, I'd need to separate them into groups according to their previous strength and potential.
For this task, he had given me twelve days, and although it was too much work for a single person to do, a slave like me had no right to deny an order from him or even negotiate to extend the time limit.
My current situation was similar to what my father and brother lived through. The only difference is that their Masters were Kurl and me.
How ironic. The owner had now become someone's pet.
"I don't know if Master enslaved me knowing how much I could provide as the next Lady Karnstein… Or if it was a random whim like he had previously told me."
It was futile for me to try and comprehend his thoughts, as to him, my only worth was in following his orders.
But one thing was certain, which made me shiver.
None of the prisoners here would have peaceful deaths at Master's hands, and I might end up becoming one of them if I didn't become a loyal dog, even more so than I already was.
Compared to what Master did to me, [Eternal Banishment] seemed like the salvation I could never reach.
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Words: 3,465
A/N:
1. She's not meant to be an important or reappearing character, but yeah, she's the one from Owari No Seraph. I simply added Krul because someone needed to fulfil the role of Queen Carmilla in this chapter or in case Mc takes over the Vampire Race in future. Was thinking of making it Luminous but realised Mc has read Tensura, so went with her instead.