The vampire knight turned sharply and saw the Ghoul King's menacing grin—the frozen figure had been an illusion. The real Ghoul King had been lurking nearby, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Valred, battle-hardened and cautious, was a difficult target. The Ghoul King knew this, so he focused on the inexperienced vampire knight, who, despite her skills, lacked the necessary experience. The Ghoul King thought, "If I can't kill the Count of Castaigne, taking out an Abhorashin heir will still be a victory."
But all of this was within Valred's calculations. The future Count of Castaigne had anticipated this move, pretending not to notice the Ghoul King's presence.
Seeing the trap had been sprung, Valred smirked. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the dagger in his left hand skimming across the bridge's surface. It ricocheted off the ground in a V-shaped trajectory, shooting straight toward the Strigoi Ghoul King. The Ghoul King was fast, but Valred was faster—too fast for him to dodge.
As the dagger shot out from beneath the nightmare steed, the Ghoul King's eyes widened in terror. But these creatures, driven by desperation and hatred, were ruthless. Instead of dodging, the Ghoul King lunged at the knight, determined to take her down with him.
The knight froze, stunned by the Ghoul King's ferocity. As his clawed hand, crackling with dark magic, reached for her neck, Valred cursed under his breath. With his free hand, he grabbed the knight's belt and yanked her toward him.
In that split second, Valred's quick action saved her life. The Ghoul King's claws missed her by inches, and Valred's dagger plunged into the creature's body. The gem embedded in the hilt flashed, and the surrounding flesh exploded, shredding the Ghoul King's internal organs.
A deafening boom echoed as the shockwave hit. The force, combined with Valred's pull, sent the knight tumbling off her horse and onto Valred. The weight of her full plate armor, made of mithril alloy, plus her own body, crushed Valred, leaving him gasping in pain.
The battle was over. The Ghoul King was reduced to gory fragments, the ghouls were annihilated, and three of the crypt horrors were dead, with the fourth fleeing wounded. The two young vampires had emerged victorious against a Strigoi Ghoul King, four crypt horrors, and a horde of ghouls. It was a feat few would believe, even Valred himself if he hadn't lived through it.
But this victory wasn't luck—it was skill. If they were to fight again, the outcome would likely be the same.
Valred's prowess was undeniable. His masterful swordsmanship, combat experience, and mid-level spellcasting abilities, combined with his vast mana reserves and affinity for the winds of magic, made him a formidable opponent.
The vampire knight had also performed admirably. She had single-handedly killed two crypt horrors and injured another. While her success was partly due to her superior equipment—the lethal lance and the shield that could deflect attacks—her keen sense of timing and fearless spirit were equally crucial.
However, the two young victors felt no joy. The knight had been knocked unconscious by the explosion, and her weight, combined with her armor, had left Valred struggling to breathe. He lay there, wincing in pain, unable to move.
After a while, Valred finally mustered enough strength to push the knight off him. He took deep breaths, relieved to have oxygen filling his lungs again. After checking himself for injuries and finding none, he turned his attention to the knight.
As he examined her, he noticed something unexpected.
"A girl?" Valred muttered, frowning. Earlier, her helmet had obscured her face, and her hair had been tucked away. Combined with her youthful appearance, Valred hadn't realized.
Now, with her helmet off and her fiery red hair cascading down, her striking features were unmistakable. Her voice, when she had been agitated, had also been higher-pitched than a boy's.
To better assess her condition, Valred had removed her armor. Now, cradling her in his arms, her delicate frame and soft skin made it clear she was indeed a girl. If Valred hadn't figured it out by now, he might as well hang himself from a tree.
After confirming she was unharmed and would wake soon, Valred knew they couldn't stay. He retrieved his dagger from the gory remains, wiped it clean with a handkerchief, and sheathed it. He then searched the battlefield, hoping the Ghoul King might have left something valuable.
But the Strigoi had been impoverished for years. The Ghoul King had nothing but his rotting flesh. Frustrated, Valred snapped his fingers, and pale flames erupted from the remains. The fire consumed the flesh without damaging the bridge, leaving the battlefield spotless.
With the area cleared, Valred prepared to leave. He couldn't leave the girl behind, so he placed her on her nightmare steed and used a levitation spell to float her armor, shield, sword, and lance alongside him. Leading the steed, he headed toward his carriage. The nightmare, a semi-undead creature, instinctively feared Valred's powerful aura and obeyed without protest.
After a while, the knight stirred awake, finding herself lying on Valred's lap, curled up in the carriage seat. She blinked, disoriented, then gasped as she realized her state of undress.
"Your armor and weapons are over there. Nothing's missing," Valred said, gesturing to the pile of equipment on the floor.
"…Thank you," the knight whispered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"It's nothing. Helping a fellow vampire is only natural," Valred replied. Then he asked, "But I'd like to know how you ended up in that mess. The Strigoi usually stay hidden in their lairs unless they have a compelling reason to venture out."
"I don't know," the knight admitted, looking even more flustered. "I only just arrived here. I'm not familiar with what's been happening."
"I see… Then it's likely they were after me," Valred mused, realizing she was probably one of the students Headmaster Asta had mentioned, who would be staying at Drachenhof Castle.
The knight didn't seem bothered by the idea that Valred might have been the target. Among vampires, such blame-shifting was nonexistent. Instead, she asked a question that had been on her mind:
"How did you detect them? They must have used magic to conceal their presence. I didn't sense them at all."
"Witchsight," Valred explained. "The Strigoi have lost their innate witchsight due to their degeneration. They probably didn't account for that. But you should have known about it."
"Well… I get headaches whenever I try to use witchsight, and everything becomes blurry," the knight admitted sheepishly.
"I see," Valred nodded. Then he asked, "So, why were you waiting for me here?"
"…No reason," the knight stammered, growing more flustered. Seeing Valred's puzzled expression, she added, "There was something, but it's not important anymore. Anyway, I'll be in your care from now on, Valred von Castaigne."
"Alright," Valred said, deciding not to press further. He smiled and asked, "By the way, I don't think I've caught your name yet."
"Anne von Abhorashin. I'm the cousin of the current Count of Abhorashin," the knight replied with a smile. "You can call me Anne."
"Valred von Castaigne," Valred introduced himself formally, even though she already knew his name. He took her hand and kissed her fingertips, saying, "There's still much I don't understand, but regardless, welcome to the Castaigne County."