#Episode 4
Vasha’s chest pounded with anticipation.
Whenever she tried to recall her past, her mind felt foggy, as if veiled.
She couldn’t remember who she was, or who had turned her into a vampire… Nothing came to her mind.
No, she thought she couldn’t remember anything, but now it seemed like that wasn’t entirely true.
The letter was right about this place not being unfamiliar.
Vasha often had peculiar ‘dreams.’ Long ones, with vivid details that continued on and felt strangely real.
In those ‘dreams,’ Vasha saw this world.
The Lamphas Church, which had pursued her, also appeared in her dreams.
‘Perhaps I didn’t dream it, but rather unconscious memories resurfaced?’
It made sense if Vasha herself was originally from this world and, for some reason, lost her memories and ended up in another world.
Why there were clues in this world to regain her memories and powers.
Why she kept dreaming of this world every time.
‘The perspective of the dream was a bit strange…’
Vasha’s dream progressed from the viewpoint of a young boy. In it, Vasha always watched from the sidelines as the boy fought various monsters.
Among the fallen monsters were vampires.
‘Until now, I just laughed it off as a subconscious wish, thinking it was because I was too tormented by my own kind… But now, isn’t it a bit odd?’
Thinking it wasn’t just a simple dream, there were several troubling aspects.
As if interrupting Vasha’s thoughts, a new sentence came to mind in the letter.
[A new trials is presented as compensation.]
[Trial (Linked): There is another human fugitive in the forest currently.]
[You appeared and hid from Lamphas Church, but you are severely injured.]
[Find that fugitive!]
“Fugitive… Those fugitive were accused of heresy or something, but they shouldn’t be dangerous, right?”
Vasha rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
However, Vasha’s pondering didn’t last long. The moment she saw the following compensation, her eyes widened.
[Reward: Unlock [Binding Contract (Limitation)]]
‘Binding Contract!’
The [Binding Contract] was a soul contract where both parties made pledges, a magical bond that could form a Familiar.
Among high-ranking vampires, only a few knew this magic, but the Vasha of the past clearly knew how to perform it.
‘Can I easily reclaim such high-level magic just by finding one person?’
Although the appended ‘(Limitation)’ was a bit concerning, regardless, the [Binding Contract] was still the [Binding Contract].
After all, no matter how dangerous the other party might be, they were ultimately just a human and an injured one at that. Vasha’s mental scales tilted to one side.
‘Anyway, if I have to follow the letter’s instructions to regain my memory, might as well go for the reward that immediately appeals to me.’
Vasha hummed a tune.
Of course, combing through this vast mountain to find the fugitive wouldn’t be easy.
But that wasn’t comparable to obtaining the [Binding Contract].
Plus, with the injuries healed, there was nothing to complain about.
‘It doesn’t seem like they treated me with the reward for the trial in vain… They’re just telling me to search diligently after curing me, right?’
Vasha glanced over the rustling letter and suddenly reached out.
Slap!
The letter, which consisted of a single sheet of paper, narrowly avoided Basha’s hand, now revealing a thick, stiff script, unlike the previous handwriting.
[Caution: Handle the letter with care.]
“Are you sulking because you got buried in the dirt? But I got buried too. That’s fair.”
The letter remained silent.
Vasha chuckled. Then, as if casually lowering her hand, she swiftly reached out and grasped the letter.
The letter continued to rustle, displaying its warning message repeatedly.
[Caution: Handle the letter with care.]
[Caution: Handle the letter with care.]
“It’s okay, it’s okay. Folding it a couple of times won’t kill you. Besides, this letter was originally folded into the envelope anyway.”
Vasha cheerfully hummed as she neatly folded the letter and tucked it into the pocket of her coat.
Such distractions could scatter one’s focus when searching for a fugitive. Vasha patted her pocket lightly, spreading her senses.
Although her injury had healed, there was no room for leisure in the vast forest.
***
Despite scouring the mountains all day, the faces of the Lamphas Order, who couldn’t find any traces of the vampire, grew grim.
“Could it be that the vampire has fled to the nearby village?”
“Then we’re in trouble. If she were to turn everyone in the village into pawns of evil…”
“She didn’t seem to be a powerful vampire, so there shouldn’t be any major consequences. But…”
The Lamphas Order swallowed dryly. They scanned the searched mountains, finding no trace of the vampire or remnants of the cult.
The Lamphas Order sighed. They had lost two rabbits they were chasing.
The eyes of the Lamphas Order turned to the leader, who seemed to be a seasoned knight.
The knight gazed into the forest with his sharp eyes.
The steep forest, as if carved with a knife. The echoing cries of animals in the night.
After much contemplation, the knight made a decision.
“The heretic may have already escaped the forest. Even if not, surviving in these woods won’t be easy. Let’s focus on hunting down the vampire for now.”
“Brother’s words are right.”
The knight’s proposal garnered nods from the other Lamphas Order members.
“There’s a large city nearby. It would be troublesome if the vampire’s influence reached there. Let’s search the surrounding villages first and be cautious about the vampire.”
***
Leaving a small number of people in the forest as a precaution, most of the Lamphas Order exited the woods.
With the reduced number of people on the mountain, it became easier to pinpoint their target.
Vasha sensed the faintest energy and the strong scent of blood.
“This one is a deer, that one is a pack of wolves…”
After spreading her senses endlessly, the vampire’s keen intuition finally caught the faint energy of something dying in the distance.
“Human? But the energy feels somewhat alien for a human…”
However, no other injured individuals’ energies were found nearby, no matter how many times she looked.
“Let’s follow this energy for now. If it’s not our target, I’ll search again.”
Vasha hopped through the steep mountains towards her destination, her mind filled with thoughts of finding the fugitive and reclaiming the [Binding Contract]
How far had she gone?
As Vasha’s target’s energy drew closer, her mind was focused solely on finding the fugitive and reclaiming the [Binding Contract].
After what seemed like an eternity.
Vasha felt the presence of her target getting closer.
It was nearby. Vasha cautiously scanned her surroundings.
“That’s starled me.”
Due to the dense trees, Vasha hadn’t realized it, but there was a deep abyss stretching endlessly right in front of her.
If Vasha hadn’t been extending her senses, she might have slipped.
No matter how much of a vampire she was, falling from this height would be disastrous.
Of course, she wouldn’t die, and regeneration was possible, but the pain of being injured wasn’t enjoyable.
Vasha let out a relieved sigh and extended her head towards where the arrow was pointing.
“But did the fugitive fall from here…? Are they alive?”
Vasha peered below, but trees growing sporadically along the cliff obstructed her view. She called out below.
“Hey, fugitive? Heretic?”
There was no response, but she could hear what sounded like groaning.
“Seems like they’re alive… That’s impressive in its own way.”
Vasha clicked her tongue. It seemed that the stacked-up trees acted as a cushion. Of course, even with that, it wasn’t a height a human could endure.
“Remarkably sturdy… Athletic build, perhaps?”
Vasha swallowed her saliva. Still, since they were injured, Vasha didn’t think there would be much danger. She decided to trust the letter in her pocket.
“Anyway, I have to descend from here…”
Vasha sighed. Despite vampires having significantly better physical abilities than humans, the cliff was endlessly steep, enough to give even her pause.
But what could she do? Vasha grabbed a protruding rock and carefully descended down the cliff.
