As the last rays of sunlight faded beyond the horizon, the crescent moon of Aysia slowly rose, casting its unique silvery glow over the entire Elras.
The arrival of night was evident from the varying levels of activity around them. Fars, immersed in meditation, opened his eyes. The intense battles and the flexible use of various spells from the previous night had yielded significant gains, and he felt his cultivation had slightly improved—greater progress than he usually made over several days of training. It was no wonder they said practice was the best way to master knowledge; certain spells that had puzzled him before now felt clearer after repeated use.
Yuna was still deep in slumber, and Fars, reluctant to wake the girl who seemed to be dreaming sweetly with a smile on her lips, tiptoed out of the tent. In truth, the seemingly sleeping girl had already awakened the moment Fars got up. In the profession of thievery, both young and old developed a keen sense of awareness; even in sleep, the slightest noise could rouse them. Unfortunately, this instinct made it difficult for thieves to enjoy a truly restful sleep.
Fortunately, Fars had spent the entire day in a meditative state, and the various magical elements around him fluctuated with his mental waves without causing any other disturbances. The only magical fluctuations present were beyond Yuna's perception, allowing her to enjoy a peaceful sleep throughout the day. However, since she had only recently met Fars, Yuna was unsure how to communicate with him and, feeling him awake, reluctantly chose to continue pretending to sleep.
If there was blame to be placed, it was on Yuna for being too convincing in her act. She looked so enticing in her slumber that Fars couldn't help but steal a few more glances. The longer he looked, the more his desires stirred—not that he intended to do anything inappropriate. He simply leaned in closer, wanting to 'observe' Yuna's delicate features more closely.
After being watched for so long, Yuna began to suspect that Fars had discovered her ruse and was deliberately tormenting her. Confusion welled up inside her, affecting her body's other functions. Fars, sensitive to the flow of blood, noticed that Yuna's blood was quickening. A moment's thought led him to realize she was awake but pretending to sleep.
Having been a vampire for a while, Fars had grown accustomed to solitude. His life, while filled with ups and downs, lacked the warmth of familial joy. Looking at Yuna, who resembled a neighbor's little sister, he felt it would be a shame not to tease her a little while he had the chance.
With a sorrowful expression, Fars spoke to Yuna as if to himself, "Ah, if only the gods above would bless me, allow me to gently kiss the girl before me without waking her from her dreams."
He leaned down and pressed a light kiss to her cheek.
The moment Yuna heard Fars say he wanted to kiss her, she knew something was amiss, but it was too late. By the time Fars's lips touched her cheek, a blush had already crept up her face, and she instinctively pushed him away with force.
"Ha, it seems the gods do not bless this vampire fallen into darkness," Fars said, unfazed by being pushed away. He wore a contemplative expression, as if savoring the moment, and playfully shifted the blame to the gods. Poor gods, Fars didn't even believe in them, yet he invoked their names to justify his beastly actions. If they were to show their divine power, it would likely be a lightning bolt striking him dead.
"You..." Yuna covered her cheek where Fars had kissed her, her face a mix of embarrassment and anger as she pointed at the shameless Fars, struggling to find her words.
"Ah, so you're awake! And you still don't remember how to address me?" Fars, suppressing a laugh, feigned seriousness as he spoke to Yuna.
For a moment, Yuna was at a loss. It was he who had taken advantage of her while she slept, yet he acted as if he were the one to discipline her. But instinctively, she replied, "Master."
As soon as she said it, Yuna covered her mouth in shock, surprised at her own words. That wasn't what she meant! This damned vampire, just wait until I get my hands on you! She quickly drew her short sword, ready to charge at him.
Seeing the situation escalate, Fars swiftly dodged out of the tent, leaving only a soft voice that reached Yuna's ears: "Little Yuna, don't make a fuss. We're companions who will face life and death together; your sword shouldn't be pointed at me. I'm going to hunt; prepare dinner, will you?"
The irresponsible vampire fled, leaving Yuna alone in the tent, unsure of what to do. If she were to blame anyone, it would be herself for never having encountered such an unusual man. The men she had dealt with before either bowed and scraped to win her favor or were wealthy merchants who groped her without hesitation. In her tribe, women held the dominant position, and Yuna came from a family of high status. Thus, men her age had always treated her with deference. After arriving in the human world, she had only encountered greedy adventurers who sought bounties, which only deepened her prejudice against men.
Fars, with his strikingly alluring face and flirtatious words, had forced Yuna to reveal a bashful vulnerability typical of human women. However, their relationship had not yet grown close enough for mutual reliance or shared lives. Fars was raised in a patriarchal society, while Yuna grew up in a matriarchal tribe; both were strong-willed individuals, and unless one of them changed, it would be difficult to forge a bond.
Soon, Fars returned with his catch. Knowing Yuna might not appreciate a blood-drained prey, he had specifically hunted a small wild boar. In the Qihar Mountains, these boars were relatively docile creatures, their meat tender and flavorful, far superior to the coarse texture of magical beast meat, and more delicious than domesticated pigs. He believed it would satisfy Yuna.
Indeed, when Yuna saw the small wild boar Fars had brought back, she happily went off to find a water source to prepare it. Fars had anticipated this and had already brought a large container filled with water from a nearby source. With nothing else to do, he casually found a dry tree trunk to sit on and took out a magic book to study.
The night did not hinder Fars's reading; rather, the fire Yuna had kindled felt somewhat blinding. One advantage of being outdoors was the ability to harness the light of the Aysia moon to aid in his training. On nights with good moonlight, meditating here for half a day could yield better results than a full day of meditation indoors. Of course, in a vampire's long life, one could not simply sleep during the day and at night; while such a routine would steadily improve their strength, it would make life rather dull. Thus, aside from meditating during the day, Fars always sought something to occupy his time at night. If there was nothing to do, he would travel, allowing his broad wings to gather moonlight, satisfying the vampire's craving for its glow.
Seeing Yuna, whom he likened to a little kitten, devour the roasted wild boar with such enthusiasm, Fars couldn't help but think that if she hadn't encountered him, willing to pay her two hundred gold coins a day and provide food and shelter, she would have struggled to support herself as a thief among humans, given her appetite. He was quite taken aback; he had to admit that human culinary skills were unmatched by other races. While other races might have their unique delicacies, they paled in comparison to the vast array of dishes humans offered.
Yuna had been captivated by the various delicious foods in the restaurants she had visited. Over the past year, the money she earned from selling stolen goods had mostly gone into her stomach. Unfortunately, being forced into the Qihar Mountains and entangled with a blood-drinking vampire made it difficult for her to return to the human world for a feast.
"Little Yuna, there's a water source nearby. Would you like to wash up? I can take you there," Fars suggested, noticing that the wild boar was nearly finished.
Having learned from her experience of being kissed while asleep, Yuna pondered Fars's intentions. Was he trying to trick her into bathing? This lecherous man certainly had voyeuristic tendencies. However, the suggestion was tempting; aside from a forced dip in the cold pool a few days ago, she hadn't had a proper wash since. That incident had been about survival, leaving her feeling even more uncomfortable. The more she thought about it, the more she could smell the unpleasant odor of not having bathed for days.
Forget it; if he wants to look, let him. Yuna decided she couldn't stop him and figured she might as well repay his life-saving favor. In this regard, women of the Wintusiah tribe were less coy than human women; being seen wouldn't cost her anything, especially not with such a handsome man.
Fars, lost in the memory of that kiss, genuinely thought Yuna needed to clean up. He hadn't anticipated her generous response: "Sure, why not? It's about time I found a place to wash. Those greedy adventurers have kept me too busy to bathe. But if you peek, just know I'll charge you a thousand gold coins for each time you're caught!"
A clear price? A thousand gold coins for a single peek? And only if caught! Fars thought that if he hadn't come into some money, he wouldn't be able to afford it if caught. Moreover, wasn't this a blatant temptation to peek? He had no intention of doing so, but now that the idea was on the table, it stirred his less noble thoughts. Upon reflection, he realized he indeed had the means to indulge in such voyeurism. He had many small spells suitable for such activities—magic eyes, ice mirrors, invisibility, and so on. More importantly, he was wealthy—very wealthy. Of course, he couldn't squander his money recklessly; hiring Yuna already cost a fortune, and no high-level mage would sell their services for such a low price. Naturally, he couldn't afford to hire esteemed magi whose worth was beyond monetary measure.
After tidying up their camp, the two of them set off, each with their own thoughts—one leading the way, the other following, one preparing to wash, the other preparing to watch.