I Will Try Raising an Enemy

 

 

 

#Episode 73

 

 

***

 

From then on, even when it wasn’t a rest day, Todd would come looking for Vasha after training and pester her to play chess.

 

One day turned into two, and two into three…

 

Eventually, playing chess became a part of their daily routine to end the day.

 

At first, Vasha did all the talking, chattering away while Todd remained silent, fully focused on the game. But as Todd grew more familiar with chess, he naturally started making a few comments of his own.

 

While moving his white knight, Todd asked,

 

“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen that familiar spirit around lately.”

 

“…Rasa?”

 

Caught off guard by Todd’s unexpected question, Vasha hesitated and made a wrong move. As a result, Vasha’s black pawn was captured by Todd’s other white knight.

 

Clicking her tongue, Vasha moved her piece.

 

Rasa only appeared when its intended to give Vasha a trial. After the trial for obtaining the hideout, its hadn’t shown up, and it had been bothering Vasha as well.

 

‘Rasq needs to be more generous with its trials so I can quickly regain my abilities and… my memories too….’

 

Fortunately, the memories related to sorcery were slowly being restored as she read through sorcery books. However, when it came to her personal memories, she was drawing a complete blank, and it left her feeling hopeless.

 

Vasha let out a sigh and casually replied,

 

“Well, its must be busy these days.”

 

“You’re giving your familiar spirit a lot of freedom.”

 

Todd sneered. Noticing Todd’s attempt to provoke her, Vasha didn’t flinch and responded shamelessly.

 

“Yeah, I believe in a laissez-faire approach.”*

 

“Funny, considering how much you meddle with me, telling me to rest or not to rest.”

 

“Medicine for the sick, candy for crying children, and blood for vampires. The situation varies from person to person, so the response has to differ too, right?”

 

“So you’re saying I wanted your interference, huh?”

 

Before Todd could even finish his outburst, Vasha moved her piece and declared,

 

“Checkmate!”

 

“Ah, damn it!”

 

Todd, dumbfounded, stared at the chessboard before erupting in frustration, shooting up from his seat.

 

Vasha’s black bishop, which had been lying in wait in an unseen spot, was now pointing its blade straight at Todd’s king.

 

Folding his arms, Todd plopped back down on his chair with a scowl.

 

“You were trying to rile me up to cloud my judgment, huh? Hmph, that tactic actually worked pretty well.”

 

“But you were the one who started the conversation,”

 

Vasha retorted, sounding exasperated.

 

But Todd, ignoring her completely, began reviewing the board. His demeanor was as serious as a knight analyzing a crucial match.

 

Seeing Todd like this, Vasha made a subtle suggestion.

 

“Why don’t you try playing chess with other people too? Everyone’s playstyle reflects their personality. Playing against others could be quite fun.”

 

“No, thanks.”

 

Todd, with his eyes fixed on the chessboard, replied indifferently.

 

“I have no intention of getting close to other humans.”

 

“Then, are you planning to play with me every day?”

 

Vasha asked playfully with a hint of laughter in her voice, as if teasing him. Todd shuddered, ready to snap back, saying, ‘Do you think I’m close with you?’ and calling Vasha’s words ridiculous.

 

But contrary to Vasha’s expectations, Todd just nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

 

“That would actually be better.”

 

Todd’s nonchalant response left Vasha speechless. When Vasha didn’t say a word, Todd finally looked up from the chessboard and smirked.

 

“What? Why not? Thanks to a certain someone, I’ve gotten quite good at playing alone.”

 

“When I first taught you how to play Solitaire, you asked if playing alone was fun.”

 

“I still don’t get it. Is that fun?”

 

“………”

 

Todd attacked Vasha once again, leaving Vasha’s mouth tightly shut. In the meantime, Todd tidied up the chessboard and arranged the pieces. Then, as if it were second nature, he moved his black pawn forward and continued speaking.

 

“Stop worrying about useless things and just start the game.”

 

“……….”

 

Vasha was well aware of how much Todd despised humans.

 

He despised not only the royal family and the Lamphas Church, who had driven his clan to extinction, but also the humans who, despite being under the protection of the Van Drake family, stood by and did nothing as the family fell.

 

That feeling was no different even for Oliver and Laurus.

 

For now, Todd kept them by his side since he found them useful. However, he had no intention of ever opening his heart to them.

 

Oliver and Laurus, understanding Todd’s wounds, accepted his sharp tongue and sarcasm, considering it part of who he was.

 

But Vasha couldn’t just sit idly by and watch Todd like this forever.

 

Although Todd claimed he was fine with just Vasha, no matter how much Vasha tried to take care of him, there would always be aspects that only someone of the same kind could understand and relate to.

 

Just as humans could never fully understand a vampire’s bloodlust…

 

Vasha moved her pawn in front of Todd’s pawn to block his advance and added with concern.

 

“But Todd, don’t hate humans too much.”

 

Click.

 

“The philanthropic vampire has arrived. What? Are you worried I’ll go on a human-killing spree or something? Ah, I see. Are you worried you’ll lose your food source?”

 

Click.

 

“That’s too much work for you, anyway.”

 

Click.

 

Their conversation bounced back and forth like a ball over the chessboard. A look of genuine sadness flashed in Vasha’s eyes as she gazed at Todd.

 

Vasha also understood Todd’s feelings very well.

 

She, too, had once let her guard down with a seemingly kind member of her own kind, only to almost be devoured.

 

Because they were the same kind, the betrayal stung even more. Knowing how easily she could read their true intentions, she became overly cautious and distrustful…

 

Since then, Vasha had built higher walls of caution toward her own kind, never letting her guard down.

 

Thanks to that, Vasha was able to survive until now, but she couldn’t help feeling a piercing loneliness from time to time.

 

However, Vasha’s situation was different from Todd’s.

 

Unlike Vasha, who had been alone, Todd had Vasha by his side. With Vasha there to protect him, Todd didn’t need to raise his guard and face threats from all directions to survive.

 

Vasha didn’t want Todd to suffer the same way she did. So, she tried to reason with him.

 

“There are people who are kind to you. If you keep pushing everyone away, it won’t be good for you.”

 

“……….”

 

Without responding, Todd moved a chess piece. The thick fog of silence hung over the chessboard until the game ended.

 

After yet another defeat, Todd furrowed his brows and pressed his lips tightly together as he swiftly cleaned up the board. Without saying a word, he turned and left Vasha’s room in a huff.

 

Watching Todd’s stubborn back, Vasha could only think of one thing — he was the very embodiment of unyielding obstinacy.

 

“Haa… There’s still a long way to go…”

 

Left alone in the room, Vasha sighed deeply. Her fingertips lightly tapped on the chessboard, and then she flicked the black bishop forward as if pushing it away.

 

The Todd that Vasha had seen in her dreams had intended to revive the Vampire Lord, but he wasn’t as hostile toward humans as he was now.

 

‘There must have been someone who broke through that deeply rooted distrust….’

 

But now that Todd had become Vasha’s familiar, he would likely never meet that person again — whoever they were.

 

Which meant that Vasha had no choice but to take on that role herself…

 

The sense of obligation and pressure weighed heavily on Vasha’s shoulders. But what troubled Vasha the most was that she had no clue how to convince Todd.

 

Unlike the neatly arranged chessboard, Vasha’s thoughts were a tangled mess, and she had no idea where to start.

 

Whenever she struggled to persuade others, she would usually resort to using 【Charm】, which would solve things instantly. But Todd was completely immune to 【Charm】 and any kind of mental sorcery.

 

‘How do humans persuade each other in situations like this? Maybe there’s a limit to what a vampire like me can do…?’

 

Overwhelmed with frustration, Vasha buried her face in her palms. Feeling helpless, she let out a deep sigh once more.

 

‘The one who eased Todd’s distrust of humans… I wonder who that was? They must be incredible. I wish I could see their face just once.’

 

***

 

“Haha, so this is Noctiluca at last, Matteus!”

 

Upon arriving at Noctiluca, Bernardo burst into hearty laughter as he gazed up at the Star of Lamphas that welcomed him.

 

The towering man stood right in front of the city gates, causing merchants and travelers attempting to enter Noctiluca to sneak glances at him, then quietly step aside to avoid him.

 

“Damn it, if I say it took nearly three months to get from Haidus to Noctiluca, people will just scoff. They’ll probably mock me, saying I wasted time on a gourmet tour in every village I passed!”

 

Bernardo’s squire, Matteus, tugged him toward the side of the road. As he did so, he bowed his head repeatedly, offering apologies to passersby.

 

Only then did the onlookers’ interest begin to fade. Matteus let out a sigh of relief, patting his chest as if calming his heart.

 

 

 

🍓; 

*Laissez-faire approach refers to a leadership or management style characterized by minimal interference or intervention from the leader or authority figure. It originates from the French term ‘laissez-faire,’ meaning ‘let do’ or ‘let it be,’ reflecting a philosophy of non-intervention and freedom to act.

*Philanthropic vampire is often used metaphorically to describe individuals, organizations, or entities that appear to engage in charitable or altruistic activities but ultimately extract more value or benefit themselves disproportionately in the process.