#Episode 22
Vasha was left speechless by Todd’s question. If Vasha had a choice, she wouldn’t have chosen Noctiluca, so she had even less to say.
Flutter, flutter.
At that moment, the letter that had been fluttering beside her suddenly unfolded in front of Vasha, drawing several arrows on a map to emphasize Noctiluca.
‘Is it mocking at me, or is it insisting that I must go to Noctiluca? Maybe both…’
Vasha sighed and pushed the letter aside, as if pulling back a curtain. Beyond it, people were lined up in front of Noctiluca’s gates, waiting to be inspected.
Late at night, when Noctiluca reveals its true colors, the area in front of the gates was bustling despite the hour. Guards were inspecting each visitor as if it were midday.
Todd, intimidated by the visible tight security from a distance, pointed to the main gate and asked,
“How are we supposed to get in there?”
“I have a plan.”
Although Vasha couldn’t answer why she chose this place, she could answer how they would get past the gate.
From the moment they set off, knowing they were headed to Noctiluca, Vasha had been thinking of a solution.
“We’ll hitchhike.”
“Hitchhike?”
As Todd furrowed his brows at the unfamiliar term, Vasha hid in the bushes near a secluded path leading to Noctiluca, searching for a suitable target.
“Is there anyone driving a cart alone? Maybe a local farmer… the less suspicious, the more better.”
“So you’re saying we should catch a ride on a cart now?”
Todd was incredulous. Could they really get past the gate using such a simple method that even a child might think of?
What about the Lamphas star?
There were countless reasons to object, but Vasha ignored Todd’s concerns and focused on finding a target.
Just as Todd was about to suggest thinking of another way or heading to a different city, a person slowly approached, pulling a cart from afar.
The cart was piled high with milk cans, likely delivering milk from a nearby village.
“Perfect!”
Vasha quickly confirmed that there was no one else around. Before Todd could stop her, Vasha gleefully ran down the path.
Watching Vasha, Todd clicked his tongue. Though Vasha seemed to listen and take her opinion into account, she ultimately acted on her own accord.
Even coming to Noctiluca had been like this…
‘She hid the destination on purpose, knowing I’d object.’
Finding a hideout might be important, or it might not be, but if Vasha’s impulsive actions ruined things in a critical moment…
The thought alone made Todd shudder.
Determined to get revenge on the Lamphas Church and the royal family, Todd felt the need to either remove or control this variable.
‘If I pretend to listen well, maybe that vampire will lower her guard and share more information with me?’
But the idea of being friendly with a vampire made Todd’s skin crawl. Wrapping his arms around his chilly forearms, he reluctantly followed Vasha down the forest path.
***
The milkman, about thirty years old with shaggy brown hair, looked kind but appeared dull and foolish with his vacant expression.
Vasha got so close to the milkman that their noses almost touched, repeating a silent incantation while locking eyes.
The milkman muttered, following Vasha’s words. His cheeks were still rosy, which was odd considering he should have lost color if he had been bitten.
To an outsider, it might have looked like lovers whispering sweet nothings.
Todd, arms crossed and clearly displeased, watched from a distance.
All of Todd’s worries about breaking through the vampire’s guard melted away like salt in water.
Todd knew he needed to act indifferent to Vasha’s feeding, but the creeping discomfort was hard to suppress.
Thump, thump….
A momentary scream. The smell of blood. Fangs shining in the moonlight, a man who didn’t even realize his blood was being sucked, making dazed, excited sounds….
All of this stirred Todd.
He felt as though he was encroaching upon a forbidden taboo. Just like when he had sneaked into the basement of the Van Drake Castle without his father knowing….
The Van Drake Castle, once a duchy, had pointed spires that seemed to pierce the sky. The castle and its grounds were vast, serving various purposes, and there were areas Todd couldn’t access.
The basement was one of them.
From the basement, occasional animal cries could be heard. Unable to contain his curiosity, Todd had sneaked into the basement several years ago.
Standing alone in front of the eagerly awaited basement door, his heart pounded as if it were racing at full speed. Through the basement door, he could hear thin, faint sounds, like the wind seeping through the cracks in the bricks.
Todd had carefully tried to open the basement door.
<You are still too young.>
At that moment, Todd’s father appeared from nowhere and stopped him.
In the end, Todd couldn’t see anything and had to turn back, but he remembered clearly how fast his heart had pounded at that time.
It was the same now. When Vasha’s fangs pierced the neck of the foolish milkman, Todd’s breathing quickened, and his heart raced uncontrollably.
‘Come to think of it, our family is easily angered by matters related to vampires….’
Todd recalled a family secret his father had told him.
<Our family did not inherit the dragon’s blood from the beginning. The first head of the family, who lost his loved ones to the Vampire Lord, was blinded by vengeance and made a deal with a dragon, offering his descendants in exchange. The power we possess is merely the result of that bargain.>
Todd’s father, Abraham Van Drake, had continued while clutching Todd’s hand brought from the basement.
<The dragon accepted the first head’s deal and bestowed power upon our bloodline. Thanks to this, our family gained the strength and mental fortitude to face high-ranking vampires alone.>
<Isn’t that a good thing?>
<There is no gain without a price, our little Van Drake. I heard you tried to go to the basement?>
<Aunt!>
It wasn’t Abraham who answered but Todd’s aunt, Wilhelmina. Unlike the head of the family, Abraham, who guarded the territory and rarely moved, she actively roamed the continent hunting vampires.
Todd, who rarely saw his aunt, welcomed her warmly.
Wilhelmina pushed Todd’s smooth forehead with her finger and muttered with a smile in her voice.
<Even if you’re still young, you’re a Van Drake. Fearless and full of initiative….>
<Then you can tell me what’s in the basement. I’m a Van Drake too.>
Wilhelmina laughed loudly and shook her head.
<But you are still a child who doesn’t know madness yet.>
<Madness?>
<Yes. The price of our power. You may not know it yet, but the more we use our power, the more madness comes upon us from time to time.>
Wilhelmina gazed out the window. The moon high in the sky seemed to be watching them.
<Your vision turns red as if drenched in blood, and your heart feels like it will burst out of your chest. When that happens, all you can think about is killing or being killed….>
A bitter smile played on Wilhelmina’s lips as she spoke. But strangely, it seemed she both hated and did not wish to escape from this madness.
<Then why not just not use the power?>
At Todd’s puzzled question, Wilhelmina waved her hands.
<How can you say that when we need and use that power to hunt vampires? Such a statement proves that you are still young.>
