It was back when vampires still reigned over the night of the world. Even back then, Elizabeth was one of the strongest among progenitors.

Vampires hunted and fed on humans like it was a game. To many of them, humans were no more than mere livestock, to the degree where there were even countries ruled by vampires.

It was the golden age for vampires.

However, within such an era, Elizabeth was the only one who disapproved of feeding on humans more than necessary. She hunted only enough to sustain herself, and did not indiscriminately take lives. There were many vampires very vocally opposed to her way of life. Thus, despite her great strength, she only had very few subordinates.

But then the times turned, and it became the age of darkness for vampires.

It was a nightmarish age where humans hunted vampires. The fall of the first vampire monarchy triggered an explosion of revolts, causing the population of vampires to plunge in the blink of an eye.

At that time, Elizabeth was serving as feudal lord over a border domain within a small kingdom, helping to protect that border and country. She and her subordinates joined hands with the humans living there in farming, in hunting demon monsters, and in managing the land.

Within her territory, vampires did not look down on humans, and humans did not fear vampires. The reason why they were able to build and maintain that relations.h.i.+p was because the vampires there had sworn off human blood.

Vampires cannot live without feeding on human blood.

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That claim which was thought to be common sense was proven wrong by Elizabeth personally.

The feeding compulsion that progenitors feel is severals tens of times stronger than what normal vampires feel. The pain she bore was surely unimaginable. However, she managed to keep at it, constantly suffering pain akin to her arm being gnawed through. And her subordinates also followed suit.

These vampires who stopped feeding on blood gradually lost their powers, until their strength was reduced to that of normal humans.

However, in exchange, they gained something.

That something was the ability to live under sunlight. The vampires who stopped feeding on blood became capable of living in the same world of sunlight and beauty as humans.

Furthermore, they also gained a heart of peace. By abstaining from blood and living under the sun, their feeding compulsion gradually thinned out. They became able to adopt the same mentality as humans.

But among them, Elizabeth, as a progenitor, was the only one who remained powerful.

Her skin would still be burned when exposed to sunlight, forcing her to always carry a black parasol when going out. It wasn't so bad that she would turn into ash, but it was not uncommon for progenitors to have a certain degree of resistance against sunlight.

But most importantly, no matter how long she abstained from blood, her almost maddening feeding compulsion never abated.

But even within that agony, she went about everyday like everyone else, parasol in hand. One day, she gathered her subordinates and said to them, "Let us build a land of peace here. A land where humans and vampires can live together in happiness, without fear of discrimination or condemnation..."

With that, she began accepting vampire refugees from outside and bringing them under her protection.

Of course, that was with the condition of abstaining from blood. Among them were those who scorned and opposed her. In all such cases, she would sadly but firmly expel them from her territory. If they refused to comply, she would end them with her own hand.

Before long, almost all surviving vampires came to seek refuge under her from the humans who were chasing them. Their population started to bounce back, humans and vampires co-existed, and their land prospered. Due to the combined influence of her own strength and the parent country's support, even vampire hunters stopped appearing in her territory.

Right there, right then, the 'Land of Peace' that she had been seeking truly existed.

She prayed fervently for everyone there to live in happiness.

However, the Land of Peace crumbled in a single night.

It was the night of a Red Moon.

She had locked herself in her castle to concentrate on resisting the feeding compulsion that was growing day by day.

At the time, Milia was her top aide, and Crimson was the second.

The two of them took turns bringing food to Elizabeth's room. And the incident occured when it was Crimson's turn.

He had mixed human blood into her food.

The usual Elizabeth might very well have noticed it before eating. Even if she did eat some of it, she might very well have been able to suppress the compulsion.

However, it was during a Red Moon.

Unable to suppress the rebound from ingesting blood after such a long period of abstinence, she went on a rampage. Then the vampires under Crimson also raised the flag of revolt.

Vampires who could not see humans as anything besides livestock could not bear living together with said humans.

Elizabeth's dream... the Land of Peace was revealed to be but an illusion.

It took only several hours for the rampaging Elizabeth and those under Crimson to devour every single human in the territory.

Her own followers, who had abstained from blood, were powerless and thus ma.s.sacred along with the humans.

With the sole exception of Milia.

In order to stop Elizabeth, she chose to suck the blood from a dead corpse, crying the entire time.

Then she chased after Elizabeth, who had already left the territory by the time.

Elizabeth and the others' momentum was unstoppable. Within the very same day, they obliterated the small country that she had been protecting, tearing the kind-hearted king into shreds.

Milia did not make it time. All she could do was wail beside the corpses of the king and queen consort and beg for their forgiveness.

Thus Elizabeth's rampage continued for three whole days, during which three more countries suffered damage beyond the point of recovery.

It was only on the night after everything was over that Milia was able to catch up with Elizabeth.

Elizabeth was crying while gazing at the countries that she had destroyed.

"So that this mistake would never be repeated, so that I would never be revived, please scatter my ashes in the sea..."

After leaving behind those words, she impaled her own heart with a sword.

With that, she was supposed to have turned to ash.

However, she did not. The sword had missed her vitals by the tiniest bit.

She stopped breathing, and her heart stopped beating.

It was exactly as if she was dead.

Yet, she still lived.

The moment human blood touches her lips, life would surely be breathed into her once more.

On the other hand, by just pus.h.i.+ng the sword a tiny bit in the right direction, she would surely turn to ash.

Milia could not bring herself to do either.

Unable to disobey her master's will, yet also unable to kill her master with her own hands. So she hid her master in a coffin so that she may sleep for eternity, and swore to stand guard for that same eternity.

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"It was a foolish decision. Having abstained from blood, I did not have the strength to uphold my oath. Crimson managed to wrest Elizabeth-sama away, and is now trying to use her again. I must make up for the mistake I made a thousand years ago. If Elizabeth-sama is made to rampage again, I wouldn't know how I can ever apologize to her..."

Milia smiles sorrowfully.

"This is everything about me. I'm sorry for keeping it a secret from you..."

"It's fine, I am the same. My secret is that I might have demon possession. Long ago, a black bruise suddenly appeared on my back, and it grew larger and larger. But one day, it rapidly began to shrink, until it disappeared completely like it was a bad dream. If that was truly demon possession, then I will eventually... That's why, before I leave for good, I forced my younger brother to accompany me here, so that he can earn the qualification to join a knight order. But he got kidnapped the moment I took my eyes off him... If anything actually happens to Sid, I wouldn't know how I can ever apologize to him either..."

"So that's what it was..."

The two share the silence for a while.

"Um... I don't think the Land of Peace was an illusion. There is also no guarantee that a mistake would be repeated just because it happened once. How about trying to talk with Elizabeth one more time?"

But Milia shakes her head.

"I no longer wish to disobey my master's command."

"Then I'll do it. I just have to abduct her and wait for the end of the Red Moon. Then she won't rampage, right?"

"Likely so, yes..."

"Then after the Red Moon is over, I'll wake her up with my blood. Then I'll have a talk with her. Surely something would change from that. And it'll all be done by me arbitrarily, so you won't be implicated."

"But... I don't want Elizabeth-sama to suffer anymore sadness..."

Milia.ia is looking down while considering. Surely various conflicts are clas.h.i.+ng inside her mind.

"Just once more. Just one last talk. It's too tragic for things to end this way. For Milia, for Elizabeth, and also for everyone who died..."

Claire peers into Milia's eyes and smiles.

There is hesitation in Milia's eyes. Even she herself does not want things to end this way.

But it's terrifying.

The possibility for the same mistake from before to be repeated is terrifying. The possibility of making Elizabeth go through even more sadness is terrifying.

"The Land of Peace that you two strove for was no illusion. That is what I believe. So let's give this an ending where everyone is laughing together."

"I'm sorry... I will impose on you then."

Milia raises her face and nods.

"Don't worry about it. As I said, it'll just be something I'm doing on my own accord."

"Also... I apologize for saying mean things to you earlier, about how demon possession can never be healed. There's a secret village of vampires founded by some old friends of mine. I'll help you ask them if they know anything."

"It didn't bother me at all. And thanks. So then, let's sock Crimon a punch and kidnap the sleeping queen."

"Un. We will also definitely save Claire's younger brother."

"I'll be the one to save Sid. Don't you dare steal my role."

"Ah, un..."

"But do support me in my beautiful and gallant rescue drama."

"... You got it."

Then the two resume climbing up the tower.