Chapter 7: A New Nation (P2)

After finishing my meal, Camille and I head outside. It feels good to be out in the open once more even if I'm still within the palace grounds. Still, I feel the need to see my city for myself so, after informing Joanna of my plans, I head towards the exit.

Camille: I feel I should warn you, Your Majesty. When you created this city, you also created different zones for different seasons.

Me: That's ridiculous. How would I know how to do all of that?

Camille: It surprised us too, but you did.

Me: I suppose that's something the "Voice" did as well.

Camille: It's possible. Your eyes were glowing with a different colour after all and your body did seem like it was being controlled.

Me: Then that's what happened because I certainly didn't build any of this. Though, the thought of having someone control me isn't exactly reassuring.

She smiles as we continue making our way out of the palace grounds. Before long, we're enjoying the city sites. Despite this being my first time out in the city, everyone seems to recognize me and starts showering me with praises. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, I dodge down the first alleyway I come across. To my surprise, however, Camille doesn't follow. In fact, no one does. Did I really just escape their line of sight that easily?

I don't waste any time, quickly changing my clothes thanks to a few of my skills, before continuing to explore the alleyway. It takes some manoeuvring but I eventually make it out the other side. When I do, however, I find that I am completely lost. Still, I don't stay stationary for long, fearing they'll see through my rather minuscule disguise.

????: Excuse me, miss? Are you perhaps in need of assistance?

Turning, I'm surprised to find a little girl there. She's enthusiastic, but I have no idea how she wears all that in broad daylight or why she's carrying a lantern. More importantly, why's she speaking to me out of the blue like this, a total stranger? Where are her parents? All these questions and more race through my head but the answer comes just as quickly. There's simply no reason for such precautions in a location like this. After all, nothing can enter and since no one wants anything, there's simply no need to steal, or anything. Not to mention the fact that I doubt I created criminals. It'd also explain the seemingly picture-perfect scenery everywhere I look.

It takes a while to remember the girl's there but when I do I find her still waiting patiently for my answer.

Me: Well, I was hoping to get to know the city better. Perhaps go on a small tour around it.

????: Oh! I can take you! I know this city inside out. My mother made certain I did so can I?

Me: Show me around? Sure. As long as your mother wouldn't mind.

????: She won't. I am Nina.

Me: Nice to meet Nina.

Nina: What's your name?

Me: I'll tell you at the end of our trip.

Nina: Awe. No fair!

????: That's quite the disguise, Your Majesty.

We both turn to find Camille standing a few feet away from us. How did she even find me so quickly?

Camille: Nina, shouldn't you be by Cecilia's side?

Nina: Mom said I should get to know the city.

Me: Wait, your mother is Cecilia?

Nina: Lady Cecilia, yes.

Me: I wasn't aware vampires could have children.

Camille: I'm not sure if I'd call her a child per se.

Me: What do you mean?

Camille: She's more like a clone than a naturally born child. It's one of the new skills her "mom" received as her gift following your ascension.

Me: I see I have more things to learn about this messed up situation I've found myself in.

Camille: It's not that bad. What if you had changed the entire world instead?

Me: I doubt it'd make much of a difference since I haven't seen the rest of the world.

Nina: Are we still going?

Me: Oh right, yes. Nina, lead away!

True to her word, Nina shows me a very detailed but summarized tour of the city and before long, I'm familiarized with all the major points of interest. Even so, what looked like a fairly normal city has turned out to be an overly large one. I should have guessed this since the army alone sat at half a million individuals but the city is truly massive. Even though we're walking, I'd say if one's in a hurry, they'd absolutely need to travel by faster means of transportation.

As we continue exploring, she leads us to a location that looks different from the rest of the city.

Nina: This is the Research Institute though I just call it the Library.

I know they said I built all this but even I will freely admit that this exceeds even my wildest imaginations. Waterfalls, gold roofs and accents, nature integrated into its every design? There's no way this isn't a palace! As we walk along the bridge to arrive at the entrance, however, that thought is quickly replaced with Nina's initial description. The statues along the bridge say it all. This is definitely a scholar focused building or, if not that, then a temple.

????: Ah...Nina. I see you've brought guests this time.

Nina: Yep! This is-

????: Lady Camille and if she's here then that means your other guest is our Illustrious Queen.

Me: Quite the perceptive eye.

????: Of course, Your Majesty. Your radiant beauty couldn't hide behind a million disguises.

Nina: Wait! She's the...

Nina drops to her knees, suddenly seeming much more mature as she pleads for forgiveness for not recognizing me sooner. It catches me a bit off guard, seeing a little child acting so mature but I quickly push the matter away, indicating that the whole point of a disguise is to not be recognizable. Still, I'm pretty sure I only changed my clothes so why is everyone talking as though I changed my entire appearance? Did I mess up when using my skills again?

????: Oh forgive me. I forgot to introduce myself. I am Childe, the first child of our mother, Lady Cecilia. 

So there are more vampires? Well, I suppose the city does have a lot of humans in it but I wouldn't find a city where vampires simply feed on anyone they come across as my ideal capital.

Me: So, I've met two of you on my very first day of leaving the palace. How many siblings do you have and how exactly do you eat, given...

Childe: You have met one of our sisters before. She's currently serving as one of your maids.

Me: Oh, judging from both your appearances, she'd be the one with the red eyes, yes?

Childe: Indeed. As for how many of us there are; It's hard to put forth a number since mother summons and dismisses us as she deems fit. At present, however, there are only five of us that are active.

Me: I see.

It sounds like something I watched in an anime before dying and coming here. There was a vampire with similar powers in that anime as well though her creatures didn't look quite as human-like as those before me.

????: As for how they all feed, I handle that part.

Turning I find a guy who looks like he could be pass as Necron's brother leaning against the wall. As my eyes skim over his attire, however, they lock onto the red fluid he's carrying with him in special containers.

 Me: Are those...

????: Blood, yes, but not mine. The citizens come here occasionally and donate. Of course, not all of it goes towards the vampires. Some's used for research as well though even with these two avenues, we still had to turn away a large portion of people and set up a scheduled system. At present, someone who donates blood doesn't have to do so again for another three years at the minimum.

Me: I assume that's thanks to the fact that there are a lot of people in the city, yes?

????: It is, though even I will freely admit I was surprised at how eager the people were to assist us once we made the public request.

Me: So, are you a vampire too?

????: Oh, no. Not at all. I am a Lycanthrope like Necron, though I suppose you'd most likely know our species by the name Beastmen.

Childe: Forgive him, Your Majesty. He survived your spell by being too far underground at the time but got trapped by the barrier around the city. As he's unable to leave, he was given a choice and ultimately chose to stay here and work with the Institute which found him while excavating one of the few remaining caves outside the city.

Me: That's fine, though I thought the barrier ended at the gates.

Childe: Not exactly. They extend out and thus around the surrounding crop fields, farms, etc. This allows the citizenry to get everything they need outside without worrying about being attacked. Your foresight as you built this city truly knew no bounds.

Me: I think you're giving me far too much credit there. So, what's our new friend's name?

Childe: This is Lucius.

As the words leave his mouth, there's a loud explosion seemingly outside the city. All it takes is a simple glance to tell Camille exactly what I want. She nods and before long, we're soaring above the city towards the sound. From this height, on Camille's back, I can see the full extent of the city but I can also see that there's what looks like a battle taking place outside the city.

Me: Camille!

Camille: As you wish!

She dives straight for the battle. As we get closer, I notice that one of the maids, Aika, is battling someone I've not seen before outside the barrier.

Aika: You will not escape!

The guy she's fighting barely manages to dodge her strike, launching himself into the air. He entangles and seemingly tries to cut her with some strings but they're ineffective against her armour and her blade quickly slices through them, releasing her once more.

Mai and Emerald are also here but they're currently locked in combat against clones of the guy Aika's fighting. Is he even here at all or are these merely all clones? We touch down some distance away from the battle and continue to observe how things are progressing but before it can continue much further, there's a scream which pulls everyone's attention.

????: Souka!!!