Matriarch Innocence (2)

"Human toy… Are you worthy? Worthy of my granddaughter's sacrifice?"

Matriarch Innocence's face was ashen, and the pressure she emitted was far too inconceivable for my newly turned Vampire body. The threat level that she produced far exceeded anything I'd ever experienced, and it became hard to breathe just by being near her presence.

I'd felt my bones being crushed and my blood flow reversing at the Elder Vampire's question. I felt like… If I gave the wrong answer, even in jest, this creature in front of me would erase my existence within a blink of an eye.

That was how insignificant I felt in front of this Goliath.

But…

I'd fought against a bigger adversary before. An entity that even the lofty Matriarch Innocence could never hope to match.

Death.

I was supposed to die on that night. My life had been reaped from my body, and my consciousness was just inches away from dissipating forever. If it wasn't for Irina, I would have been tossed into the River Styx, never to awake again.

I swore never to live as a cripple with my new lease on life. Never to bow down in the face of an adversary and to fight for my own life with every means necessary. My own power. My own… Legacy.

It was suffocating… Just fighting back my instinct to run as far as possible was turning my stomach inside out. However, for the sake of my own life… I didn't.

I stared back at the abyss that was Matriarch Innocence and did what I did when I faced my eventual demise.

I smiled.

"Words won't prove anything, Matriarch."

"Huh?"

Evidently confused by my odd action, the five-thousand-year-old Vampire squinted and even forgot to raise the pressure on my shoulders. With my body being released from her grasp, I heaved a sigh of relief and continued:

"Actions are the true decider of one's worth. So, rather than tell you that I'm worthy, I'll prove that your granddaughter made the right choice."

"Oh? And how will you do that?"

All of a sudden, I felt the entire world had been isolated. Irina wasn't there. The cottage that we were in wasn't there. And the whole dimension that we lived in had disappeared. All that remained was the Matriarch and me.

The stage was set. The battlefield had been prepared. The opera had begun. If I lose, I lose my life. But that didn't matter to me.

From the moment I was freed from my chains as a cripple. From the second, I learned that my fate had returned to my hands. From the instant, I could use magic once more.

I swore…

"I will… Become the strongest being in the world!"

"..."

"..."

My firm, heartfelt declaration. I knew that I had the potential, and I knew I had the necessary knowledge. And while I was held behind by my disabilities, it didn't damper my confidence one bit. In fact, it had enhanced me to a height I would have never imagined.

While I was crippled, I wasn't idle in the slightest. I trained my mind in ways that no human ever could. I strengthened my resolve to never waver even when facing Death right in its face. And most importantly, I envisioned every method I could to improve my body just in case I recovered.

And all of that will prove useful in my future training.

I was confident of it.

No, it was a foregone conclusion. It will take time, but Vampires had an eternity ahead of them, did they not? I will become strong. Strong enough to take on this Elder Vampire and bring her down a peg or two.

But of course…

"HAHAHAHA!!! Human, you sure are amusing!!!"

The Matriarch began to bellow out as if she'd heard the funniest joke of all time. Well, I couldn't blame her. From her perspective, it was like an ant telling a bull that it would one day become big enough to squash it. And it was true that I was powerless to even be annoyed by her laughter.

So, all I could do was wait for the Matriarch to finish her laughing spree.

"Irina, did you bring this toy here so that he could be your exclusive comedian?"

"My name is Jin Valter, Matriarch."

"HAHAHA!!! Fool, do you know how many idiots wish I would remember their name? Some would even offer up their entire countries if I could at least remember their surnames. You're not worthy, comedian."

… Well, at least I upgraded from toy to comedian.

"HAHAHA!!! Well, at least you have the guts, I'll give you that…'' The seductive female Vampire wiped the tears off her eyes as she slowly regained her bearings. "But, you're right. If you had given me an empty promise, I would have had your head served to Irina as a warning."

"!!!"

For the first time in a while, Irina reacted violently. Earlier, she had been intimidated by the Matriarch's overwhelming presence that she'd forgotten all about protecting me. However, as if that was a one-off mistake, the adorable creature seated beside me moved her hand in front of mine and growled angrily.

"Don't worry, child. I won't do that anymore. Your comedian has amused me, so I'll take him off the killing floor for now."

For now, huh? I really am nothing more than a pig waiting to be slaughtered in her eyes. Tsk, even after breaking free from my cripple status, I'm still powerless. I had to admit, this was an irritating feeling.

"Becoming the strongest being in the world, huh? Now, that's a statement I haven't heard in a long time…"

The Matriarch looked up in the air, seemingly in nostalgia as she remembered the days of her yesteryear. I wasn't sure what she was reminiscing or how long ago it was, but she seemed to be reliving a pleasant time.

"Fool, you might be the first person in a thousand years not to cower in fear when they meet me. I shall let you live and train under the Everwinter House as a reward. Irina, your wish is granted. I'll let this comedian of yours train using all the resources you have."

"... Thank you, Honoured Grandmother."

"Ah, there was that other thing, right?" The Matriarch smiled coldly as she remembered the main reason for my visit. "You said that his soul has been injured?"

"Y-Yes!!!" Irina regained her wits and abruptly answered the Elder Vampire.

"Alright, let me have a look…"

Matriarch Innocence's eyes turned to my growing body, and her beautiful wintry-grey eyes turned crimson. Unlike that quack who examined me yesterday, the Elder Vampire didn't need to feel my pulse or conduct a soul search. Or maybe she did, and I was too weak to resist or notice it.

Nevertheless, the examination was done in a matter of seconds, and soon, the Matriarch had completed her check-up.

"Interesting… I've never seen this happen before…"

"I-Is it bad?" Irina asked in my stead.

"No, that's not it…"

The Matriarch continued looking at me even though her examination had been long over. Just like the Doctor, it seemed like she was looking at me as if I were a specimen to be experimented on.

"You used a quarter of your soul to hold his soul together. That was a risky move on your part, but it did its job. His soul is now as strong, if not more robust than any True Vampire's soul."

"So he's fully recovered?!"

Irina burst out in glee as she heard the first piece of good news she had all day.

"Yes, but the problem comes with your remaining soul fragment in his body." The Elder Vampire put aside her biases and went into an investigative mood for a brief moment.

"No living creature, even True Vampires, can house more than one soul. A small fragment, maybe. But a full quarter of a soul? That's the main problem for his irregularities."

The Matriarch continued to give her hypothesis as to my body's problems.

"Now that his soul has fully recovered, it's time to return your soul fragment. In fact, his memory problem must have something to do with your soul still inhabiting his body. You should know better since you've waited this long to finally turn him."

"Yeah…"

What did that mean? I wanted to ask that question, but I quickly swallowed my words. The Matriarch seemed to know that I would ask that and promptly added:

"The main reason why Irina has kept her distance from you even though she desperately wanted to be by your side was due to her soul inhabiting your body. If she was anywhere near you before your soul fully healed, her soul fragment would automatically try to return to its original place. If that were to happen while you were still recovering…"

Ah, that made sense. According to Irina, my soul had been ripped into pieces. And if the glue that kept it all together were to come undone…

I might have died even earlier than expected.

I turned and looked at the white-haired beauty who had averted her eyes. To think that she had endured all these years just for me… Although I didn't know why she adored me so much, I knew that her love was genuine.

And for such a girl, how could I keep holding her back?

"Now that I've recovered, shouldn't I return Irina's soul to her?"

"Of course, you should! Rather, you should just end your own life so that her soul would return immediately!"

"..."

This fucking Vampire… Does she want to kill me or not?

Fortunately, Irina wouldn't let the Matriarch do as she pleased.

"I jest," the Matriarch sighed before Irina could growl like the adorable puppy she was. "You will have to return the soul, but not now. First, you'll need to mature as a Vampire. Learn how to use our magic and let your body and soul sync together as a True Vampire. Only then would you be able to return Irina's soul without any repercussions."

The Elder Vampire waved her hand, and instantly, Variel the butler appeared before our eyes. Without any indication, the aged Vampire went on one knee and gave the Matriarch a salute reserved only for royalty.

"My liege."

"Variel Caramitru. You will teach this fool how to use his Vampire abilities. Physical combat, awakening his Aspect, basic magic… Make him somewhat usable."

"Your wish is my command." The butler nodded his head and crossed his heart.

I quickly asked: "How long would the training take?"

"Depends on your rate of learning. If everything goes quickly, you will be able to return Irina's soul within a year."

"... I understand."

'A year, huh? No, that's too long. Irina has already sacrificed so much for me. I shouldn't keep holding her back anymore.'

Quietly, I made a promise to myself. I didn't know how strong I would be, but there's one thing I'd never had a doubt about. I was a superbly fast learner. If some people took ten years to learn something, I only needed one. Furthermore, I would be able to wholeheartedly devote all of my attention to becoming stronger, something I was already going to do anyway.

Good… I'm beginning to look forward to the next few days.

As I was silently contemplating my future moves, the Matriarch waved her hand once more and said:

"Alright Variel, take the fool away for now. I need to have a chat with my rebellious granddaughter."

"Understood."

Seeing that it was my cue to leave, I gave Irina one final glance. As if we had a heart-to-heart connection, Irina's simple smile conveyed all of the emotions I needed to know. Her faith in me. Her desire to protect me. And the relief she had that I was going to be okay.

Goodness… What an adorable little sister I had.