71 – Error of Reunion – 1

She opened her eyes.

She closed them and opened them again.

It was dark in front of her, so she thought it was night, but it wasn’t.

Carmilla’s black eyes were filling her vision.

—L—aura, are you ready to come to me?

The captivating eyes, which stared straight at her so she wouldn’t dare escape, gradually turned red.

It felt as if blood would pour out if she poked those eyes that were like red rubies, so the overwhelmed Laura could only stare at them silently, unable to even breathe properly.

She realized too late that it was an act close to indulgence.

—You didn’t even run away, what a good girl.

She smiled coquettishly.

Her chestnut hair mixed with gold softly waved, tickling the back of Laura’s neck.

A foolish thought occurred to her that if they were woven together with her own hair, they would make a fluffy blanket.

—Actually, I know that L—aura was waiting for me. You wanted to become one with me…

Although the only reason she had not run away from her was to protect her brother.

In a floating sensation that was not quite clear, Laura ended up accepting it, wondering if that had been the case…

Carmilla lowered her head, opening her mouth to reveal her sharply protruding fangs.

—I want to meet you again quickly. Let us become one…

Her fangs pierced her neck, making a chilling sound.

Laura shuddered, feeling a tiny bit of pain and a powerful pleasure that made her feel like she was about to lose consciousness come over her together.

Ah, maybe being a vampire was not so bad either…

At that, she opened her eyes completely.

“…….”

It was an unfamiliar ceiling.

After blinking blankly for a moment, Laura eventually lifted the blanket and checked inside.

As she lowered the blanket in relief and raised her head, she saw her half-brother’s face.

Seeing her brother wearing a very delicate expression, Laura’s face turned serious.

“Brother, I’m disappointed in you.”

“No, that’s not it, Laura.”

The half-orc staff wielder, In, hurriedly made an excuse.

“I only came to check on your condition because you wouldn’t wake up!”

“Me? I definitely woke up earlier… Ah.”

She remembered losing consciousness as soon as she woke up and saw Gi-jun’s face right in front of her nose.

Recalling that humiliating memory, she immediately tried to get up and bang her forehead against the wall, but In desperately held her back.

“This is Jun’s house! If you destroy it, an even greater disaster will happen!”

“Jun-nim’s house?!”

Fortunately, Laura became completely docile at those words.

To be precise, she just didn’t know what to do with herself upon realizing the fact that she had slept in his bed, at his house.

But could it be… did Jun-nim sleep in this bed every day?

And I slept in that very bed!

“Have you calmed down?”

“Wait a minute, please give me some time……!”

Laura struggled to suppress the delusions that were about to swell up.

She had to erase all thoughts related to Jun-nim, entirely!

…As a bonus, she also erased her thoughts about Carmilla.

“Okay, now let’s talk.”

“Then I will tell you about your current state.”

Laura accepted In’s following explanation with a fairly calm expression.

Because she had already prepared herself to no longer be human from the moment she was bitten, and she had realized the moment she opened her eyes and stood up that her body was strangely light and full of energy.

Of course, she also knew that she was not a pure vampire, as otherwise, the holy power of Ishtar still flowing within her body could not be explained.

“At the moment I was about to lose myself… I felt like Jun-nim was supporting me. Maybe that’s why I was able to hold out without becoming a vampire.”

“Hmm, that’s possible. I also feel Father’s presence from time to time.”

“Don’t talk as if Jun-nim is a dead person!”

In’s explanation continued for a bit longer after that.

They had returned to Turis for now, but because the two people who had entered from the outside city died, an explanation to the guild was inevitable.

Jun went to meet the Lord with Unica and then headed to the mercenary guild, and he made arrangements for the party members to stay at his house for the time being.

That was because one of the party members was a werewolf and another had been bitten by a vampire, so they could not just disband like this.

“If it’s a werewolf, is it that boy… Gin?”

“All the other werewolves died, and he was the only survivor. …He will probably be with Jun from now on. It seems he obtained the attribute of silver, allowing him to exert great power not only against werewolves but also against vampires.”

“Is that so…….”

Laura did not feel like he was a stranger, since his race had mutated similarly to hers at this of all times.

Moreover, since they could both play an active role against vampires.

Perhaps this was destiny.

Perhaps it was a revelation from Ishtar-nim for the two of them, Laura and Gin, to join forces to assist Jun.

“I’d like to meet him.”

“Should I tell him to come in?”

“Are you crazy?! I will dress and go out to meet him myself, so you get out of the room now too, Brother!”

“I even changed your diapers when you were little……”

“Get out!”

After chasing out the grumbling half-orc, Laura sat on the edge of the bed and checked her status, only to be startled.

Originally, with the exception of her holy power, which she was born with at Rare grade and had now reached Unique grade, and her Charm at Rare grade, the rest of her stats were at a miserable level.

But now?

[Laura Nir (18th year): Shamu-Leta Mixed-Blood 2nd Generation]

[Title — Saintess Candidate (Rare), Benevolent Healer (Rare), Servant of Contradiction (Rare), Elder’s Kin (Unique)]

[Dazed Dreamer (R) Priestess of Ishtar (R) Lv54]

[Strength (R) — 13+5]

[Dexterity (R) — 8+5]

[Endurance (R) — 11+5]

[Holy Power (U) — 1+15]

[Charm (R) — 66+15]

[Blood Power (R) — 25+25]

[Laura Nir (18th year): Shamu-Leta Mixed-Blood 2nd Generation]

[Title — Saintess Candidate (Rare), Benevolent Healer (Rare), Servant of Contradiction (Rare), Elder’s Kin (Unique)]

[Dazed Dreamer (R) Priestess of Ishtar (R) Lv54]

[Strength (R) — 13+5]

[Dexterity (R) — 8+5]

[Endurance (R) — 11+5]

[Holy Power (U) — 1+15]

[Charm (R) — 66+15]

[Blood Power (R) — 25+25]

Not only were her Strength, Dexterity, and Endurance all raised to Rare grade, but a new Rare grade stat called Blood Power was also added.

Although her Holy Power had dropped to the lowest value of Unique grade in return, it was an excessively small price to pay considering what she had gained.

‘Humans have to put in so much effort to raise their stat grades, but vampires do it so easily.’

Even though it was clearly her own status, Laura felt despondent just looking at it.

No wonder the Light Faction, even if they completely overwhelmed the Dark Faction in numbers, could not fully drive them out and were even pushed back.

However, there was a bit of a misunderstanding on her part, as not everyone would be strengthened like this by becoming a vampire.

This miraculous growth was only possible because Carmilla, a high vampire, wanted to make her a direct blood relative, even consuming all the blood of her clone, which could not be easily created.

Carmilla was a vampire of a much higher rank than Laura thought, perhaps more than anyone else thought.

The proof of that was the Unique-grade title “Elder’s Kin” that Laura had obtained this time, but because she had so many things to worry about, she had not even managed to recognize that title.

‘My race… has also changed.’

A Dazed Dreamer.

For Laura, who had woken up after dreaming of being bitten by a vampire, it was a name she could not dare to complain about.

Should she at least be grateful that she had not been stripped of her position as a Priestess of Ishtar?

As if trying to live up to her race’s name, she stood up while struggling to grab hold of her still hazy thoughts.

—Come to me. We will be together forever.

“Shut up!”

Perhaps because she recalled the dream, Laura, who was screaming at Carmilla’s voice digging vividly into her head, snapped out of it upon remembering that this was Jun’s house.

‘I must not be swayed, let’s calm down. There’s no need to get excited, Jun-nim will protect me… Just like he did back then.’

Closing and opening her eyes gently, Laura let out a deep breath, “Whew,” and changed into the new priestess robe that was in her inventory.

Meanwhile, she flinched upon discovering a luxurious silk pouch placed by the bedside.

Even though no one had told her, she realized that it was something Carmilla had left behind for her.

“…….”

Hesitating over whether she should throw it away just like that, she eventually opened the pouch.

As expected, high-grade space magic was cast on it so the interior was greatly expanded, and the largest portion inside was occupied by the chocolates that Carmilla had kept eating even while leaving her meals.

Seeing her share this amicably with the Shadow Stalker, Ruthven, she had thought the two of them might be dating, but who would have thought they were both vampires.

‘Ah… this.’

Only now, after obtaining the vampire’s blood and changing her race, did Laura realize that this was not simple chocolate.

It was blood, and human blood at that, processed by mixing it with chocolate to make it easy to consume.

“Urgh!”

Laura, who retched for a moment at the sudden nausea the moment she realized it, soon began to glare at the chocolate with teary eyes.

Before the thought of how many people had been sacrificed to make this chocolate could even cross her mind, disgust welled up inside her at herself for wanting to eat it.

She hated the existence of the chocolate that forced reality upon her when she had been inwardly relieved that she hadn’t become a vampire, and she hated Carmilla, who had kindly left the pouch behind, knowing she would need it.

Yet, she could not throw this away.

For her, who could not dare to suck the blood of someone or something else, this chocolate was her only salvation right now.

‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry…’

This was deception.

Whether she sucked human blood directly or extracted it to make chocolate, the fact did not change that someone was harmed and suffered in the process.

Wouldn’t it be extremely shameless and disgusting to eat chocolate just because it made her feel comfortable, while refusing to drink blood?

“……It’s delicious.”

Knowing that, Laura, who failed to overcome her vampire instincts, ultimately unwrapped the chocolate, broke it into small pieces, and felt happiness as she ate them.

Startled by the smile that crept onto her lips without her realizing, she tried to maintain a blank expression, but in the end, she finished eating the entire chocolate.

‘Then the rest…’

After consuming the blood mixed into the chocolate, Laura, whose head had miraculously cleared up, examined the contents of the pouch with a much better physical condition, even while carrying a sense of debt and guilt in a corner of her heart.

The most eye-catching thing was a bright red dress; it was not a voluminous evening gown, but a dress that boldly cut off below the knees to allow for combat, made of a tight-fitting material that emphasized her figure… It was a dress filled to the brim with Carmilla’s taste.

However, it was of Unique grade, and it had amazing options that increased all close-combat stats as well as Blood Power just by wearing it.

“Th-this perverted woman……!”

The thought of tearing this wicked outfit apart immediately and the thought that, considering its performance, this might be the appropriate clothing for her right now clashed alternately, plunging Laura into agony.

However, those thoughts of hers vanished without a trace once she checked what came out next.

First, fishnet stockings that seemed to go very well with the red dress; they were Unique grade but had no effect unless worn as a set.

‘A set?’

What came next… was a garter belt that made up a set with it.

Unique grade, set configuration.

“……Sh-shameless.”

After staring at it with a pale face, Laura shoved the garter belt and stockings back into the pouch at the speed of light.

Even if she could somehow tolerate the dress, she could absolutely not tolerate that.

For her, who had lived her entire life wrapped in priestess robes, the hurdle was simply too high!

No matter how outstanding the performance was, even if it amplified her Blood Power and stats, and even allowed her to use a skill that added extra agility!

Even if wearing this would make her a much greater help to Jun-nim……!

“Carmillaaaa……!”

How dare she inflict such terrible agony and suffering upon her!

She would definitely seek her out and tear her to death!

Wait, find her herself?

‘…I think I can find her!’

The moment she reached that thought, Laura sprang up.

Come to think of it, while sucking Laura’s blood, Carmilla had constantly told her to “come find me.”

Hadn’t the voice telling her to come to her been heard in today’s dream, and even after she woke up?

That was not a simple whisper of temptation.

In fact, that voice was leading her to where Carmilla was.

She could intuitively grasp where Carmilla was right now!

‘Could this… could this be of help to Jun-nim?’

If they could find and wipe out their stronghold directly before the vampires invaded.

Of course, it would be crawling with vampires, and it would be an environment where they were stronger.

Nevertheless, they would be able to fight under much better conditions than having the kingdom attacked!

Jun-nim would also be very pleased!

‘I must tell him, right away!’

Laura, in a hurry, was about to open the door and leave, but she stopped upon discovering a blood-colored dao leaning next to the door.

The dao that Carmilla had wielded while active in the party under the guise of Armilka shone sharply without a single chip despite fighting countless fierce battles—and it even seemed to have been permanently strengthened by being drenched in her blood.

‘…I am no longer a simple priestess.’

She had obtained the robust physical capabilities of a vampire.

She had also obtained Blood Power.

Although it was a power she had never wielded in her life, letting it go to waste was simply too foolish.

Eventually, she reached out for the dao.

The moment she picked it up, it felt as if it fit perfectly in her hand.

Perhaps because it harbored the blood of a fellow vampire, it felt as comfortable as a part of her own body.

Although she had not learned any weapon techniques, she felt as if she could swing this dao quite splendidly.

“N-no. Now is not the time for this.”

Shaking her head to dispel the sense of unity with the dao that felt almost ecstatic, she picked up the scabbard lying nearby, sheathed the blade in a fairly natural motion, put it into her inventory, and opened the room door.

“You’re awake.”

Gi-jun was standing there.

In an awkward posture with one hand raised as if he had been about to knock, a vague smile was hanging on his lips revealed beneath his mask.

“How are you feeling?”

“……Haa.”

“Laura!”

Laura fainted again.

That her gaze had been nailed to Gi-jun’s smooth neck right before she fainted.

That a certain dark and intense impulse had surged from deep within her chest.

She remembered it without forgetting this time.