# Episode 66
After appointing Todd as the new successor, Laurus became so passionate about successor training that it made his previous lethargy seem laughable.
With Laurus’s enthusiasm, Todd Van Drake proved to be an outstanding successor. Unlike Albert, who used to slack off in every possible way to avoid lessons, Todd voraciously sought knowledge and education. In fact, Todd was eight years younger than Albert when he had first become a successor.
<Since it’s a familiar chosen by Lady Vasha, it makes sense, but that kid is way too fierce. Just one look at his eyes, and you can see how venomous he is. He’s a Van Drake through and through.>
Even after that, Laurus continued to grumble that all the Van Drakes were full of venomous people. However, despite his words, Oliver could clearly see that Laurus had taken quite a liking to Todd.
‘Recently, his health has visibly improved as well.’
Laurus, who once seemed like a flower withering away day by day, shedding petals as he awaited his end, now had life breathed back into him.
Oliver had no other wish than for Laurus to live healthily for a long time. It didn’t matter to him if the master of Renfield was a Van Drake or a vampire.
Once again, Oliver was grateful to Vasha.
“Thank you for keeping an eye on the Count’s condition.”
“You were the one who told me about Todd in the first place. You could’ve just ignored it, but you didn’t.”
Vasha shrugged her shoulders.
Although Vasha found Todd adorable in many ways, she was well aware that Todd’s personality wasn’t exactly one that others would find ‘cute.’
His arrogance and self-reliant attitude were difficult traits to like, even for an adult, let alone a child.
Oliver had mentioned that Todd didn’t even pretend to listen to him, but it was likely more than that.
‘He might’ve even told me, ‘Get lost, old man, and stop hovering around me.’’
While Vasha’s guess wasn’t far from the truth, it wasn’t entirely accurate either.
In any case, Oliver’s attempt to reason with the fiery young Todd must have been unpleasant, but Vasha still appreciated Oliver for trying.
At Vasha’s words of gratitude, Oliver replied bluntly, without so much as raising an eyebrow.
“I’m not as cold-hearted as I might look.”
“So you’re aware of your appearance, huh?”
Vasha chuckled at his unexpected self-awareness. Feeling a bit awkward, Oliver cleared his throat before continuing.
“Besides… I don’t dislike stubborn brats with no outlet for their frustration.”
Vasha was impressed by how he interpreted Todd’s defiance in such a positive light.
“You see him in a good light, huh?”
“Well, people tend to like those who remind them of themselves, don’t they?”
With that, Oliver bowed his head slightly as if to signal that he was taking his leave. Vasha nodded back.
She watched Oliver walk down the corridor toward Laurus’s room in the west wing. His back was straight, his posture firm.
Perhaps it was because of what Oliver had said, but Todd’s image started to overlap with Oliver’s unyielding figure.
‘If Oliver was like Todd in the past, then maybe Todd will one day treat me with the same respect Oliver shows to Laurus.’
Vasha let out a short, self-deprecating laugh.
‘Nah, that’s too much to hope for… If only he’d just tone down his stubbornness a little. Even his temper…’
Shaking off her unrealistic hopes, Vasha headed toward the training ground where Todd was.
Even at that moment, Todd was probably out there getting soaked in the rain. There was no time to lose.
***
Tap, tap.
The rain drummed on the rocky ground.
The damp air carried the faint scent of wet roses. If you took a deep breath, you could detect the subtle fragrance of roses hidden beneath the smell of rain.
Before she knew it, she was right in front of the training ground. Through the misty veil of fog, she spotted Todd, swinging his sword. His figure appeared like a silhouette behind a translucent curtain.
Vasha stood at the edge of the corridor, where the rain had splattered the stone floor, and called out to Todd.
“That’s enough for today, Todd. Come inside. It’s raining too hard.”
Todd’s sword, which had looked like it wouldn’t stop for anything, suddenly halted.
“Damn it.”
His voice was filled with frustration as he realized his training had been interrupted. Todd cursed under his breath. His words were so clear that they could be heard distinctly even amid the sound of the rain.
With a sigh, Todd stopped swinging his sword and approached the corridor where Vasha was waiting.
Todd, now standing under the corridor, was completely drenched. Water dripped from his clothes, forming dark puddles on the floor. He brushed aside his drooping bangs with the back of his hand, grumbling as he did so.
“That old man Oliver must have tattled on me right away. I thought it was strange how easily he backed off.”
Vasha wiped Todd’s wet face with a towel she had brought along. She had been worried that Todd would snatch the towel away and throw it aside, but after a brief struggle, he eventually allowed her to continue.
Considering how long he must have been in the rain, the towel quickly became soaked. Vasha regretted not bringing a larger one, but she was glad to have brought at least this.
As she dried Todd’s hair with the towel, she responded.
“It’s not about tattling. I was just worried about you. You’ll catch a cold like this.”
“A Van Drake, catching a cold? Don’t make me laugh.”
Todd snorted at Vasha’s concern, but he still obediently allowed her to dry his hair.
“…Do Van Drakes really never catch colds?”
“That’s right. I’ve never caught one since I was little, and I’ve never seen any other Van Drake catch one either. Besides, do you think this is my first time training in the rain?”
Vasha tilted her head in confusion as Todd firmly shook his head, as if to dismiss such a ridiculous idea. She had assumed it was something serious since Oliver had urged her to stop him, but Todd’s calm demeanor left her feeling uncertain.
If Todd were a normal child, she would have told him to stop being so stubborn and quit lying. But Todd wasn’t a normal human being.
He was a Van Drake.
And because he was a Van Drake, he could do countless things that would be impossible for a human.
He could recover quickly even after being stabbed, and he could survive a fall from a cliff high enough to shatter every bone in his body.
Considering that, it did seem a bit odd for a Van Drake to catch a cold.
‘It’s like how people living in tiger-infested regions tend to have a weaker body odor because the tigers attacked anyone with a strong smell. Maybe all the Van Drakes who sneezed while lying in wait for vampires ended up dying, so only those with genes that resist colds survived.’
It was a relief that Todd didn’t get sick, but that didn’t mean she was ready to accept his reasoning so easily.
‘If he trains every day, rain or shine, he’ll get stronger that much faster. That’s a bit… problematic. It’s better if he skips training sometimes.’
Vasha tried to reason with him some more.
“Even if you don’t catch colds, it’s still unnecessary to put yourself through this kind of weather. Why don’t you take a break for today? You could use the time to study something else in advance.”
“If I don’t swing my sword even for a day, it’ll start to rust. My movements will get slightly off. I couldn’t train while we were on the run, so I have to make up for it by swinging it more.”
“I think you’ve swung it enough today to keep it from rusting…”
But Todd firmly shook his head. He looked like someone being chased, exuding an anxious energy.
“I’m still far from done. I have to swing it exactly 500 more times.”
“Then how about you divide it up? Do 100 swings per day for five days, taking breaks on rainy days.”
“Do you have any idea how often it rains in summer? What if it rains tomorrow too? Are you going to suggest I postpone it again? If I keep doing that, I won’t be able to swing my sword even if I do it all day long.”
‘Sharp as ever.’
Vasha had been trying to slyly suggest that Todd rest on rainy days, hoping to use the rainy season to slow him down. But Todd saw right through her plan.
He listened quietly to Vasha’s further attempts at persuasion, even nodding a few times. But just when Vasha felt a brief sense of relief, Todd nonchalantly said,
“…Hmm. On second thought, I should keep training.”
