#Episode 68
“Will it be okay tomorrow? I don’t know… Look at this. Because you was stingy with resting time, you ended up wasting a few days of training time. It’s like trying to save one lux but wasting a hundred lux.”
“This kind of thing, cough, I’ll be fine after a day of rest.”
Todd kept insisting. Despite his young age, the constant frowning over the years had naturally formed wrinkles on his brow.
Vasha soaked a towel in water again and wrung it out with a wry smile.
“Does being stubborn really satisfy you that much?”
“Hmph. Are you saying I got what I deserved for being stubborn and catching a cold?”
“Are you going to keep twisting my words?”
“Isn’t that what you’re ultimately saying? Don’t be stubborn, listen to others, and behave like a good little kid.”
Todd spoke sarcastically. Even in his sick state, his sharp attitude remained unchanged.
Vasha had grown quite accustomed to Todd’s behavior. While wiping Todd’s arm with the tightly wrung towel, Vasha spoke in a gentle tone.
“What are you talking about? Being an adult means being able to listen to other people’s advice, not ignoring it. And since you’re still a kid, the only thing you have to do is eat well and grow strong.”
“But all you guys ever say is to take it easy, right? I don’t have that luxury. A stone that stops moving gathers moss. I should be sharpening my blade even during breaks.”
Todd’s wall of stubbornness was solid. It seemed he had no intention of changing his training methods any time soon.
That was a problem.
Somehow, Vasha had to convince Todd to reduce his training time. To not miss this chance, Vasha seized on Todd’s choice of words.
“And what if that endlessly rolling stone gets stuck in a mud pit? What if it doesn’t see the cliff ahead and falls straight off, shattering to pieces?”
“…So you’re saying I’ve shattered to pieces now?”
Todd refuted with a distorted expression.
With a wry smile, Vasha brushed away the disheveled hair tickling Todd’s forehead.
“Of course not. It takes more than a day or two for moss to grow. It’s better to stop once in a while to check if you’re even on the right path.”
Vasha’s words, like her gentle voice, were as soft as a spring breeze.
Todd could have countered Vasha’s argument with dozens of rebuttals.
But he kept his mouth tightly shut, saying nothing.
Vasha’s words continued to flow like a gentle breeze.
“I know you’re in a hurry because of revenge. But since it’s not something that can be achieved in a year or two, I hope you’ll allow yourself some time.”
Perhaps it was because Vasha was a vampire skilled in luring humans. Her soft-spoken words, one by one, soothed Todd, who was exhausted and weary.
‘…She didn’t seem happy when I asked for swordsmanship lessons. And now she’s telling me to rest all the time… Does she not want me to get stronger?’
Todd quickly shook his head, dismissing the thought.
‘No way. If I, as a familiar, get stronger, that benefits her too.’
However, the circumstances were too obvious to deny.
Unable to hold back any longer, Todd asked directly.
“Are you really okay with me not getting stronger?”
Caught off guard by Todd’s sudden question, Vasha rolled her eyes, wondering if her real intentions of trying to hold Todd back had been exposed.
But judging by Todd’s expression, he didn’t seem angry.
If so, there was still a chance to recover.
No, it might even be an opportunity to do more than just recover.
Vasha smiled slyly, curling her eyes into crescents, and flicked Todd’s nose with the tip of her finger.
“Of course.”
“What? No, why?”
Todd’s eyes widened in disbelief, clearly not expecting Vasha to agree.
Vasha, feeling wronged, pulled down the corners of her eyes as if to feign frustration.
“Why, you ask? I’ve never once told you to get stronger.”
Todd was at a loss for words.
Come to think of it, Vasha had been consistent from the very beginning when they first formed a contract.
That’s right. All Vasha ever wanted from Todd was for him to grow well. While she had told Todd to become sturdy, she never once told him to become stronger.
On the contrary, the one who wanted to become stronger was Todd himself. As a low-ranking familiar, he knew that it would only hinder his quest for revenge, so he hoped that Vasha would quickly become a high-ranking vampire.
Naturally, he assumed Vasha thought the same way he did.
A bothersome hindrance. A burdensome load.
It turned out that he was the only one who had been viewing the other this way.
Realizing this, Todd’s face flushed red with shame, feeling an unexpected wave of embarrassment.
Vasha watched Todd’s face as he struggled to process his thoughts, his expression looking almost broken. With a cautious tone, Vasha asked,
“Where on earth did that idea come from?”
“Because I’m a Van Drake, so obviously…”
“That’s right. You’re a Van Drake.”
Vasha firmly gripped Todd’s shoulders and met his eyes.
Vasha’s stern face was reflected in Todd’s confused pupils.
Emphasizing the word ‘Van Drake,’ Vasha continued,
“Van Drake — the kind that grows stronger naturally, even if they don’t want to. As long as they age, they become stronger than vampires.”
Vasha’s red eyes gazed directly at Todd, then curled into a smile as if dawn was breaking through a thick night.
Faced with that sight, Todd felt a surge of indescribable emotion, like witnessing the sunrise after a long, dark night.
Unable to put those feelings into words, he could only stare in silence.
Vasha spoke again, her voice as kind as a lullaby.
“You’re already strong enough to take down most adults. So there’s no need for you to get any stronger than you are now.”
“But I’m still weaker than a vampire right now. If a vampire appears, then…”
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
“You?”
Todd’s eyes widened as if to ask, ‘What nonsense is this?’
He had never once considered that Vasha would step in.
Seeing Todd’s reaction, Vasha burst out laughing.
“I get it. I know you think I’m unreliable. But if I really had no abilities at all, do you think I’d still be alive to this day? Worst case, I can carry you on my back and run away, so you don’t need to worry too much.”
“Run away?”
“Yeah. Run away. Retreating is also a strategy. In fact, it’s often the hardest strategy to pull off.”
Vasha’s tone suddenly became solemn.
But Todd stood there like a child who had just been introduced to a new option. The idea of running away was a foreign concept to him.
His expression remained stiff, clearly struggling to accept it.
“But… If you run away, it means you’ve lost, right? You can’t run away from a vampire. That would… that would disgrace the honor of a Van Drake.”
Ah, so that’s it.
No wonder he always assumed he had to face his opponents head-on.
Vasha sighed softly, feeling the weight of Todd’s stubbornness.
“But weren’t you running away before you met me? Sure, you fell off a cliff while doing it, but still…”
“That’s… true…”
Todd nodded reluctantly, admitting the point.
Vasha, sensing an opportunity, slowly and deliberately guided the conversation step by step.
“Then why did you do it at that time?”
“Because I had to survive first…”
“Exactly. Running away might not be a way to win, but it is a way to survive. Sure, you could argue that you don’t know the outcome until you endure to the end, but it’s also crucial to get yourself out safely before things get worse. Especially for you.”
Vasha jabbed Todd’s chest with her finger.
“You’re the only one who can avenge your family. If you stubbornly face a vampire, who isn’t even your true enemy, and end up dead, then revenge and everything else will turn to dust. If a vampire appears, there’s no need to face them head-on. Run away, do whatever it takes to survive. Understand?”
<Never run from a vampire. That is the disgrace of a Van Drake. Why do vampires fear Van Drakes? Is it because of the blood that flows in their veins? No. It’s the unyielding determination to eradicate vampires, even if it means burning their entire bodies to do it.>
Vasha’s words overshadowed and erased the teachings of Todd’s father. Todd’s head throbbed as if his thoughts were being unraveled.
That’s right. Todd’s true enemies weren’t vampires. His true enemies were the Lamphas Church and the royal family — the enemies of his clan.
When he thought about it, it wasn’t just the swordsmanship that had to change to be effective against humans. A complete overhaul of his strategy was necessary.
Running away was also part of that strategy.
‘Yes, it’s okay to run away even if I face a vampire… because my true enemies are no longer vampires…’
As soon as that thought settled in his mind, it felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
