“Gah! You still got drunk, hah? Didn’t I warn you to drink in moderation? It’s going to get in the way of tomorrow’s work!”


    “Who, Who is drunk?! Don’t spout nonsense!”


    “Is that something a person staggering like you should say, ah?”


    A middle-aged man scolded a youth, making the youth protest and deny, only to stagger off the main road, almost sprawling himself on the dirt ground. The housewives passing by who saw his funny gestures burst into giggles.


    View of a peaceful vige.


    Shedia sat on a random rock, looking around.


    Her semi-curly dark hair nketed one of her eyes, but she didn’t mind and continued to stare at the vige.


    The reason she was doing so was because this vige involved the mission given to her by the Ancestor.


    The mission was to subdue Cloud, a hero who was staying in a hut in the mountains near this vige.


    Originally, she was supposed to travel with the Prime Squad.


    However, they were displeased at her presence, so she travelled alone and was now waiting for them.


    For several days while she waited for the Prime Squad, Shedia mostly nkly stared at the serene vige.


    Most of her life, she had lived alone in the dark underground, so it was not a bad change to savour in the peace.


    “That big brother just likes alcohol too much. Other than that, he’s a really good person.”


    The kid sitting next to Shedia said, swinging his legs two and fro.


    The child was attracted to her ever since she first came to this vige, clinging to her and chattering whenever he managed to find free time.


    Vigers would normally be wary of outsiders, but Shedia’s round, innocent-looking eyes easily shattered the vignce of any onlooker.


    Her characteristic nk expression was enough to make others want to take care of her.


    So even though the child was attached to an outsider, the vigers didn’t bother much.


    “Sis. Sis, are you listening to me?”


    The child pulled on Shedia’s sleeve.


    She turned her gaze towards the child. The child had a freckled face.


    “Every day I only talk to myself and sister doesn’t even answers. Are you also bothered by me like other adults?”


    Shedia shook her head.


    Had she disliked the child’s loud-mouthed bbering nature, she would have left at once and hid out of the child’s sight.


    For a fact, she didn’t dislike peacefully looking at the vige while the child bbered in the background.


    But, it seemed to have been perceived differently by him.


    She had to think how to exin what she felt to him.


    Contemting as she tilted her head, Shedia recalled her older sister’s warm hand stroking her hair when she was a child herself.


    If it was that kind of warmth, her meaning would definitely reach out.


    Shedia inched her hand slowly. She was about to stroke the child’s head with her palm.


    – Aww!!


    When a loud scream spread throughout the vige, men in ck robes attacked the center of the vige. They either killed or subdued vigers who resisted.


    One of them ripped off his mask and sunk his sharp fangs into the nape of the person who he had suppressed.


    Bloodsucking.


    For vampires, it was an act that was no different than having dinner or lunch.


    “Uh… wha…?!”


    The child made a stupid sound at the sudden chaos that unfolded.


    However, the child was more hands-on than she expected.


    He snatched Shedia’s hand, pulling her.


    “Run, sis! Come on, let’s run away! Come over to my house and we will hide with Dad and Mom… Sis?”


    The child felt strange as he looked at Shedia, who stared back at him nkly.


    The child, taking a shuddering step backwards from Shedia’s arm, thuded back into someone, before mechanically lifting his head up, cowering.


    A vampire in ck robe was looking down at the child.


    “Hiiik?!”


    The terrified child stiffened before his body scrambled.


    The vampire snatched the child and brought him near his lips.


    “Haha, the blood of a pure human child is a delicacy among delicacies. Don’t worry, kid. I won’t eat you right now. When I’m extra hungryter, I’ll devour you then.”


    The child’splexion turned pale at the vampire’s giggling tone. The child instinctively snapped a look at the adult closet to him, Shedia.


    Seeing that, the vampire giggled as his body quivered.


    “You want that b!tch to save you? But what about it? It doesn’t look like she’s going to save you.”


    As the vampire said, Shedia nkly stared at the captured child, she did nothing else. The vampire also did not act hostile to Shedia.


    The child questioned in a trembling tone.


    “Sister… maybe… n, no, right…?”


    His words were incoherent, but meaning clear enough.


    Shedia neither affirmed nor denied.


    The child’s face was hit by a sense of betrayal. Tears like chicken poop fell from the corners of his eyes.


    “Traitor! How well aunties and uncles treated you! Evil! Traitor!”


    The vampire couldn’t hold back hisughter at the little child’s swear words, finding them cute. Either way, the child cursed at the overflowing sense of betrayal he felt.


    Shedia… she nkly stared at the child.


    * * *


    “It’s over there.”


    Looking at the old hut in the middle of the forest, Rowan, the leader of the Prime Squad, said. ording to the sources, Hero Cloud was staying there.


    “He hasn’t moved yet? After being hit by the Third Squad? What is he? A pig?”


    Did he considered them equal to those Third Squad trash?


    Laughters echoed in the silent night.


    If he was indeed having such a misunderstanding, it was their duty to correct him, out of politeness, of course. Haha.


    “Demolish that shithole.”


    “Man, we don’t need to spend so much effort on this, now do we?”


    “Ancestor wants it done.”


    “All right.”


    When Ancestor’s order was mentioned, the crew members also got silent.


    For them, Ancestor was an irresistible existence.


    The members of the Prime Squad circled around the shabby hut.


    Shedia tried to move ordingly.


    But Rowan grabbed her arm tightly, stopping her.


    “Where are you going?”


    “…”


    Shedia stared at him nkly for asking the obvious.


    Rowan frowned.


    “Don’t be silly and be still. We do the work.”


    “…it’s master’s order.”


    “Cut the crap. You know how much I want to tear that disgusting face of yours, master’s order being the only reason I’m not.”


    Rowan was feeling disgruntled at being appointed to the same mission that was to a werewolf and had been to lower blood vermins.


    Had it not been for the direct orders of the Vampire Ancestor, Kutcher, he would not have taken this mission.


    “Again, we are enough, so stay still. Contradict me, and your safety is no longer of my concern.”


    To Rowan’s re, Shedia nodded her head with her signature nk expression. Seeing the casual attitude, Rowan clicked his tongue distastefully.


    ‘Why are we still holding on with her? What fucking use is she?’


    However, now was the time to do the duty rather than understanding his master’s intentions.


    “Everyone ready? Activate your blood magic with moderate output. When I give the signal, st towards the hut at once.”


    Rowan shouted after confirming that everyone in his squad was ready, and in position.


    “Shoot.”


    Red arrows and spears made of clotted blood poured towards the hut.


    – Kugugung.


    The hut could not hold longer and copsed.


    Rowan ordered his men to nk any visible figure.


    The opponent was a hero, a human who annihted the Third Squad alone.


    They weren’t of those mongrel’s level, but caution was not redundant.


    Rowan’s thoughts were right.


    Above the copsed hut, a figure rose from thick cloud of billowing dust.


    As the dust dispersed in the wind, his identity was revealed.


    A man with ming red hair and an almost inhuman handsome appearance.