Chapter 17: The Red Mana League (6)

"How foolish."

Looking at the man in front of her, Joan Clay murmured to herself.

"There's nothing more important than life."

The magic circle under Adler's feet emitted a blazing red mana, akin to flames, engulfing his entire body.

The idiot in front of her probably thought that by obtaining that power, he would be able to defeat her.

"What a delusion."

However, the power in front of her wasn't something mere humans were capable of handling.

In a few seconds, that foolish man would probably disappear without a single trace.

Including the girl who had been cautiously nestled in his arms.

"...Huh?"

But several seconds, no, tens of seconds had already passed… The event she was waiting for did not occur.

– Ssshh…

The burning red mana that seemed to have engulfed Adler before had now stabilized before she even knew it, and was being absorbed into his body without any issues.

"You, you…"

"Why are you doing this, Princess?"

"What have you done?"

No matter how much she thought about it, it was simply impossible.

Even for vampires, obtaining the powers of a pureblooded vampire was something they risked their lives for. And even then, successful cases were extremely rare.

If mere humans were able to accomplish such a feat, countless vampires wouldn't have lost their lives over the centuries, coveting this power.

"I am fulfilling Princess Clay's request."

"…What?"

"To resurrect a pureblooded vampire in this world. Aren't I directly receiving the powers?"

Yet, the man before her was making the impossible possible.

Even if Princess Clay was exceptionally intelligent, this was a realm she couldn't possibly comprehend.

"How could… a mere human possibly…"

"Princess."

Adler, who was stepping into that realm, whispered softly to her.

"Did you really think I wouldn't know?"

Hearing those words, the Princess' expression turned into one of disbelief.

"How many times have I had the opportunity to observe the magic circle till now?"

"That's not a magic circle that a mere human mage could understand just by looking at it."

"...…"

"Even our kind couldn't fully comprehend it."

A smile appeared on the corner of Adler's mouth.

"So that's why… The reason the magic circle looked like that."

"What?"

"The meaningless intricate structure. The antiquated loops unnecessarily consuming the capacity. Codes that were hastily patched in every time there was an error, including the syntax."

Princess Clay's eyes widened at the uttering of those words.

"It's only natural for it to overload when the design itself is flawed, to begin with."

"You're saying… you modified this magic circle?"

"To be precise, I optimized it. With its current state, even a passing ant could quite easily be turned into a vampire."

Sweat began to stream down her forehead at that remark.

"The structure and characters of magic are still being deciphered in academic circles."

"If I were to be the creator of the magic system that is being so painstakingly deciphered, would you believe me?"

"Nonsense."

Although she responded that way, deep down she had begun to realize something.

The man smiling before her seemed to be familiar with the laws of the magical system that no one had ever managed to uncover.

No, it wasn't just a level of understanding. He had quite literally mastered it and made it his own.

"…When did you notice?"

She, who had never felt threatened in her life, bit her lip as an unfamiliar sense of danger washed over her being. Soon after, she posed the question in a quiet and heavy tone.

"To be honest, I wasn't certain about what plan you were devising. But I knew the true nature of that insubstantial magic circle."

"So you're saying you knew everything all along."

"Did I?"

Princess Clay quietly observed Adler, who merely chuckled in response.

– Krrrrack…!

In the next moment, the red mana she had been accumulating in her hand since she asked her question blew toward Adler like a gust of wind.

'He may have considerable intelligence and knowledge, but he's still human. In terms of raw power, I am significantly ahead of him.'

Watching Adler extend his hand forward with a slightly troubled expression, Princess Clay murmured to herself,

'That means I still have the upper hand…'

– Zzzzzz…

"...…."

However, when she suddenly witnessed the deep grey hued mana bursting out of the magic circle and calmly swallowing her red mana, she was at a loss for words.

"You had planted the Professor's mana in advance, hadn't you?"

"Yes."

"You… anticipated it to this extent?"

There couldn't have been another person other than Adler with the intellect and knowledge to meddle with the ancient magic circles.

"Hmm…"

This too, was probably something Adler had pre-calculated.

"…Let's just say that for now."

Seeing Adler scratching his head with an inexplicably flustered look on his face, Princess Clay's expression slowly twisted.

"Damn it."

The tranquil grey mana contained within the magic circle, which seemed to devour everything coming into contact with it.

It quite literally looked like a tangible form of death itself. That daunting barrier seemed impenetrable, even if she poured out all her strength into it.

"…Wait."

Given the circumstances, Princess Clay had only one option left to take.

"Let's make a deal."

Upon hearing that, the corners of Adler's mouth began to rise quietly.

"I'm not interested."

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"…What did you say?"

"I don't see why I should make a deal with you in this situation."

Faced with Adler's response, she momentarily felt at a loss for words.

"Are you asking because you don't know?"

"Yes, I truly don't understand, Princess Clay."

Even though she inquired with a tilted head, Adler simply looked back at her with a genuinely puzzled expression on his face.

"Assuming you manage to fully integrate that power. Still, as long as you're human, you can't avoid living on borrowed time at best, can you?"

Even if he successfully improved the magic circle and safely took the power into his body, the fact that he would be living on borrowed time wouldn't change.

What he had managed to achieve was, at best, containing the power within his body without overloading it.

However, even if one manages to completely house the power inside, a human body cannot bear the burden of having the ability to subdue all vampires.

"It might not be today or tomorrow… but you'll die within a few months, won't you?"

"It's fine with me."

Yet, the man before her seemed strangely indifferent to such a fate.

"My body is already in tatters. Such matters don't really concern me."

His confidence was baffling, but I soon realized the reason.

'…Was he dying from the start?'

Upon closer inspection, his body already lacked vitality. It was as if he was beyond caring, even if death was imminent to him.

"I…I can heal you."

Suddenly, she found herself speaking in an urgent tone.

"Transfer the power to me. You can still do it. In return, I'll take you under my wing and grant you immortality."

"...…"

"If you can't trust me, let's make a pact. Your specialty is contract magic after all."

Growing anxious, she could feel that over half of the power had already transferred to him. If they were to delay any longer, it might become irreversible.

Throughout her life, she had been preparing for this very moment, and she couldn't let it all go to waste just like that.

"I decline."

"I'll give you half of London."

"I don't need it."

"Fine. Not just London… I'll give you all of England."

"No matter how many times you ask, my answer will remain the same."

Thus, she began to speak in a tone of despair, setting aside even her pride and practically begging. However, Adler simply shook his head in response to her pleading.

"What do you want?"

"Are you asking about what I desire?"

"I'll give you whatever you need. Ask as many times as you wish. Even if it seems impossible, I'll make sure you get it…"

She, who had been droning on with a hollow voice, stopped speaking upon seeing his serene smile.

"Like I said, I don't need anything."

It was then that I suddenly realized why he remained impervious to any form of temptation.

"You already have it, don't you?"

"...…."

"The thing most precious to you."

The girl with short raven-black hair, who was asleep and nestled in Adler's embrace, now came into the Princess' view.

"But, I just don't understand."

"What don't you understand?"

"Does that girl truly hold that much value to you?"

Seeing this scene, her anger surged momentarily.

"Worthy of trading most of your remaining life for her?"

What value could that self-important, yet incomplete girl possibly possess?

"Worthy enough to bear a horrific curse that would haunt you until your last breath, even if by some chance you were able to survive through it?"

What kind of man, capable of easily ruining a lifelong plan, would risk his life so intensely to protect someone like that?

"While you might not die because you're human, from now on, you'll experience unbearable pain under the sun."

"...…."

"If you go even a day without drinking blood, your body will twist in agony, and as a human wielding such power, symptoms of mana poisoning will spread throughout your body."

After uttering that line, she looked for a reaction from Adler, but he simply looked back at her with an undisturbed expression on his emotionless face.

"So, won't you change your mind even now?"

"Heh."

"Kill that girl who discovered our plan and hand over the power, Adler."

There was no other way now.

It was time for her to use the last resort.

"I offer myself in exchange."

Upon hearing this, Adler tilted his head.

"Become my companion. Let's form an equal relationship and together, rule the world."

"...….."

"I'm not joking."

It might have sounded like a desperate plea, but there was considerable merit to the idea.

"With the power of the Pureblooded Vampire I will come to control stably, combined with your intelligence and magical knowledge, we can dominate not just Europe, but the entire world."

Perhaps this offer might just work out for both of them.

The man before her wasn't a fool to miss out on the chance to control the entire world just for the sake of a single woman.

"No…"

She was certain that he would be able to see through the merit of her proposition as well.

"It's a pity it has come to this but I will still decline."

However, he really was a fool in the end.

"Our time has run out."

The once red-illuminated magic circle cooled, and for a brief moment, the man's eyes in front of her turned blood-red before reverting back to its usual state.

"Ah…"

The power she had pursued her entire life was now entirely his.

"You damned fool."

Her legs gave out and she had no choice but to slump to the ground. Looking up at the approaching man with a loathsome gaze on her face, she spoke.

"To think you'd throw away a chance to own the world, all for just one woman."

"Well, what can you do, huh?"

He responded with a slight chuckle on his face.

"There are things in this world, that even if everything were offered in exchange, cannot be replaced."

She was at a loss for words at that remark.

"Doesn't everyone have at least one such irreplaceable thing?"

"It's a breach of contract."

Clutching onto her very last hope, she mumbled in a faint voice.

"What breach are you talking about? After all, the pureblooded vampire has been revived, and under my command, the vampires will become active once again. Isn't that the Princess' goal as well?"

"I… I am not satisfied with this outcome."

"Is that so?"

If she wasn't satisfied, then the absurd terms of the contract where he would become my subordinate would…

When she had first drafted this clause, she believed that he desired to become the Princess' possession.

"…Joan, if you wish to work under me, you'll need to learn to accept defeat gracefully."

But that didn't seem to be the case.

"How dare you. I am of royal blood, a Princess…"

"A fallen duchess, at most. Perfect to be made into a slave."

From the very beginning, the loathsome boy had intended to have her under his control.

"How… how dare…"

"If you keep this up, I won't give you any blood."

"….Stop."

Being a half-blooded vampire, she could no longer resist him— now that he possessed the power of a pureblooded vampire.

Even if he was a mere human with not much life left in him.

She was already about to faint from the scent of the blood coursing through his veins.

"Oh, what did you say back then?"

"...…."

"Right, that's what it was…"

Adler, taking off the red ring that was on her finger, slid it onto his own and then extended it toward her.

"Kiss it."

Then, he repeated the words she had once said to him.

"And, make the oath of a servile demon."

Though she tried with all her might to back away from the loathsome man, she only found herself kneeling before him.

"Stop."

The coldness of the ring and the warmth of his finger touched her lips and tongue soon after.

"Well done."

As he began to gently stroke her head, a tingling sensation started spreading throughout her body.

The overwhelming desire to dominate that filled her mind was replaced by the pleasure of being caressed by the boy's hand.

'…I didn't want to know of this feeling.'

She wanted to leap up immediately and pierce his heart with her magical powers.

"From now on, you are my servant."

"…Yes."

But contrary to such feelings, her body was already fully obedient to him.

"Now, drink."

"Uh…"

Though she tried to resist in any way possible, the moment his finger entered her mouth…

She found herself tightly closing her eyes and biting down on it.

"Good."

With a metallic taste, his blood began to spread throughout her mouth.

– Sssss…

And at that very moment, a golden seal began to engrave on her stomach.

'No…'

"Since you've awakened by drinking my blood, I can't simply let you be."

Yet, as she sucked on his intoxicatingly sweet blood with a dazed look in her eyes, he mumbled, looking intently down at the Princess.

"I might have to keep you in the ring for a while."

Then Adler pointed the ring at the Lady.

"It might be cramped and uncomfortable, but you'll understand, right?"

'How dare he…'

"Still, continuously carrying you around in this ring doesn't seem quite right."

His words, treating her as though she were an object, made anger rise in her chest. But…

"Soon, I'll adopt a red cat, it seems…"

Despite this, her body, which had been greedily sipping his blood, was trembling with pleasure until the very last moment when it began to be pulled into his ring.

"Just wait inside for a while."

'This is the worst.'

That was the moment Princess Joan Clay became the possession of Isaac Adler.

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"…Sigh."

After a while, the vibrations of the red-glowing ring began to gradually subside. Only then did I exhale a deep breath and slump to the ground.

"Somehow, I've won."

For now, with no other place to hide her, I've sealed her inside the ring. But since we have a familiar contract, I can call her out whenever I wish.

There were quite a few twists and turns here and there, but in the end, I successfully obtained Joan Clay.

"It's a relief…"

Thankfully, Charlotte Holmes was unharmed.

I was successful in completely preventing the unfortunate events that occurred in the original game.

"Truly… a relief…"

Perhaps it was due to the overwhelming sense of relief, but my eyes began to droop.

"..."

It would be problematic if I fell asleep now. I tried to shake off the drowsiness, but it seemed too much for my body.

'…Considering everything, this isn't so bad.'

If my current physical condition wasn't under such unique circumstances…

If there weren't secrets hidden within Adler's mana…

I might have been in grave danger right now.

'With Holmes in a slumber, maybe I should also take a short rest…'

As I thought about this fact and tried to close my eyes for a moment, a strange sight began to unfold before me.

"...…?"

'Am I dreaming right now?'

Charlotte Holmes, who should have been asleep due to the sleeping spell, was standing before my half-lidded eyes for some reason.

'Ah, it must be a dream.'

Thus, after a brief moment of confusion, I soon smiled gently and closed my eyes.

'…That Charlotte Holmes wouldn't ever make such a face.'

Although it was merely a teary face of hers within a dream, it felt like a sufficient reward for everything that I had done.