Chapter 4: The Full Moon from a Thousand Years Ago (3)
(I)
“You’re back early?”
I welcomed Tina and Alfred, who had returned sooner than expected. Just like when they left, they re-entered through the wide-open window of the room.
“We have gathered the information you requested about the rumors.”
“So have I!”
Both of them bowed their heads to indicate they had successfully completed their mission. The one who began the report was Alfred, the Vampire Butler.
“…Your suspicion was right. Strange rumors are spreading like wildfire among the people.”
“Of course.”
Without some baseless rumors, it’s unlikely that public opinion would have changed so drastically in such a short time. Clearly, someone had been working hard behind the scenes.
They must have spread a provocative yet believable rumor that could easily unsettle people. It might even still be ongoing.
“So, what’s the content of the rumors?”
What kind of rumor was being spread that made the public’s gaze toward me turn so cold? Ordinary rumors wouldn’t be enough to tarnish my reputation, considering I’m held in as high regard as a Hero.
“…Recently, a divine prophecy came down from the Holy Nation of Serion.”
“Prophecy?”
“Yes, it seems this prophecy is what has been causing unrest among the people.”
“…”
A prophecy is a divine message, a warning given by the gods through human intermediaries. The Holy Nation of Serion, which worships the gods, occasionally receives these prophecies and passes them on to surrounding nations.
Tina then continued Alfred’s report.
“…The prophecy states that ‘the Ashen Vampire will destroy Avilia.’ It’s clearly referring to you, Master, and it’s making many residents anxious.”
“The Ashen Vampire…”
By “ashen,” they must be referring to my hair color. After all, I’m the only Vampire with ash-colored hair visible right now.
To put it simply, the prophecy claims I will destroy the Kingdom of Avilia.
“Five points. Ugh… this is troublesome.”
I let out a deep sigh.
In the world I used to live in, I might have ignored something like this. But in the era and world of the Tower of Avalon, a prophecy couldn’t be disregarded.
The goddess of the heavens and earth, Astira, was deeply rooted in this world. Even if most of the people didn’t actively worship her, they believed firmly in the existence of Astira.
And now, that Earthly and Heavenly Goddess, Astira, had declared that the Vampire Elzerba would bring ruin to their country.
Even though I had accomplished just as much as the Hero, the fact that an omnipotent god had delivered such a warning made it hard for the people of Avilia to dismiss.
“Hmm, but that’s not the real problem.”
However, Tina shook her head, indicating that the report wasn’t over.
“…The real issue is that this prophecy has been spread exclusively within Avilia, specifically in this capital.”
“Only here?”
“Yes, when I confronted the priests of Serion, who should always be aware of any new prophecies, they claimed they hadn’t received any prophecies recently.”
“…!!”
The priest of the Holy Nation of Serion, the only place across all the continents capable of receiving divine prophecies, testified that there had been no recent prophecies.
Moreover, this prophecy had only been circulating within the capital.
This meant that someone inside the capital had intentionally spread a false rumor, borrowing the name of a prophecy, to sabotage me.
Sure, human rumors are one thing, but spreading false rumors in the name of a god is much more sensational and far more effective at stirring people up.
As a result, they had succeeded in turning public opinion against me. Quite clever.
“…”
But something didn’t add up.
While the common folk might be easily swayed by divine words, the Hero’s Party was different. They had their own firm beliefs. As soon as they heard the prophecy, they would’ve either come to warn me or, at the very least, sought me out to investigate.
However, none of the Hero’s companions had come looking for me. They didn’t even try to cross paths with me.
There was no way they would act like that just because of a mere prophecy. This meant that there was likely another rumor circulating about me within the palace itself.
…Outside, my reputation was being undermined by the so-called prophecy, and inside, another rumor was isolating me.
“…Who could it be?”
I pondered who might be behind this scheme.
Someone with access to both the royal palace and the general populace, someone angry enough with me to pull off something like this.
—”I will make sure you kneel and beg for mercy.”
“…”
There was one idiot who fit all those criteria, but I couldn’t be certain yet, so I didn’t jump to conclusions. Instead, I turned to the Zombie Maid, Tina.
“Tina, did you manage to find out the source of the rumors?”
“I-I’m sorry, I tried, but…”
“It’s fine.”
I shook my head at Tina, who had bowed deeply in apology.
Tina must have used every method available to her throughout the long night, but if even she couldn’t trace the source, it meant that someone had deliberately covered their tracks.
…It wasn’t her fault for not finding out.
“You both did well.”
“It’s nothing, Lady Elzerba.”
“If you give us the word, we’ll continue investigating…”
“It’s fine. Take a break.”
After all, being Undead, it wasn’t good for them to roam outside for too long. I could handle the rest of the investigation myself, so I ordered my loyal servants to rest.
*****************
(II)
-“Elzerba! We’re here!”
-“Elzerba, we’ve arrived.”
Late into the night, two guests arrived at my room. I opened the door and greeted them warmly with a smile.
“Welcome.”
Although most of the Hero’s Party had been avoiding me because of some unknown rumors, not everyone had.
-“Ta-da! Let’s eat some fruit!”
-“She packed a lot of delicious things.”
The women lifting the fruit basket with smiles were the only ones who continued to treat me the same, even amid the strange rumors circulating.
-“Sweets will cheer you right up!”
The beautiful elf with green hair and a stunning figure, ‘Lilianel Greenfield,’ exclaimed. Beside her stood a graceful girl with blonde hair.
-“You didn’t seem well this morning. Eat some fruit and regain your strength.”
She wore an elegant dress and a silver tiara perched on her head.
She was the second princess of the Kingdom of Avillia, ‘Sophie Avillia.’
“Come in.”
Perhaps noticing my foul mood, I invited them into my room, grateful they had come to lift my spirits.
“Please, have a seat here.”
“Oh! Let me take the basket!”
Alfred and Tina arranged the table and chairs before showing the ladies to their seats. It was a bit surprising that they could handle basic chores besides fighting, given that Alfred was a Vampire Butler and Tina a Zombie Maid.
“Wow!”
“…”
Elf Lilianel and Princess Sophie took their seats, and I cautiously pulled out an ornate chair to sit with them. Once I was seated, Sophie spoke.
-“Elzerba, you’ve been troubled by the recent change in your comrades’ behavior, haven’t you?”
“Huh? Yeah, something like that.”
I nodded at the princess’s question. To be honest, I wasn’t too affected by the fact that the unimportant side characters from the original game were ignoring me, but the persistent rumors were irritating.
-“Don’t let it bother you. Why should you care about them? The way they’ve been treating you coldly is what’s really pissing me off.”
Lilianel bit into an apple with a crunch and shouted in her typical bold manner. The princess chuckled and agreed with her.
-“That’s right, don’t worry about it. It’s probably nothing.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
…But someone had dared to invoke the name of ‘the oracle’ to stir up trouble, and there was no way I could just let that slide. I had to get to the bottom of it and deliver payback.
I decided to ask them directly about the rumors.
“…By the way, have either of you heard any rumors about me?”
-“Rumors?”
-“Rumors about you…?”
Both Lilianel and the princess blinked in surprise. Lilianel tilted her head, looking genuinely confused.
-“Not that I know of? Maybe because I sleep 18 hours a day…?”
-“I haven’t heard anything about you either, Elzerba.”
Sophie nodded as well.
“…I see.”
Judging by their innocent expressions, they weren’t lying.
Considering Lilianel’s tendency to sleep over 18 hours a day and rarely engage in outside activities, it made sense that she wouldn’t know anything about the rumors. And Sophie, being preoccupied with her duties as a princess, might not have had the chance to hear them either.
…If they had heard the rumors, would they be treating me differently?
‘Alright.’
Rather than let them get caught up in the gossip and risk losing my last allies, I decided it was better to explain the situation to them and ask for their help with the investigation.
With Lilianel’s keen elf senses and Sophie’s vast connections, I was confident they could help me uncover the culprit in no time.
“I’ve found out a few things.”
-“You’ve discovered something?”
-“…?”
I began explaining.
From the baseless rumors being spread in the name of the oracle to the possibility that the culprit had also spread rumors within the Royal Palace.
Lilianel and Sophie’s expressions hardened as they listened.
-“…This is getting serious.”
-“How awful!”
Lilianel seemed surprisingly calm, while the princess was furious, clearly empathizing with my situation.
-“So, do you have a suspect in mind?”
Lilianel handed me a glowing blue apple from the fruit basket as she asked.
“…Well, I have my suspicions, but no solid proof yet.”
I answered her question and took a bite of the apple she had given me. Instead of a sweet taste, a sourness so intense it made my face scrunch up filled my mouth.
“Damn, this is awful! Zero points! This apple’s trash! It’s like toxic waste! You eat it!”
-“Hehe, sorry.”
Doesn’t she know vampires can’t handle sour things?
I tossed the apple with my teeth marks back at Lilianel, who caught it easily with a laugh.
-“Only suspicions, huh….”
Despite the light-hearted moment, Sophie remained serious.
-“So, you haven’t investigated the Royal Palace yet?”
“No, not yet.”
It was hard to conduct any investigation when the so-called comrades were avoiding me so blatantly. But now I was determined to dig deeper. If they kept dodging me, I’d send my Skeleton Soldiers to drag them to me.
-“Alright, I’ll start helping you from tomorrow!”
“Wow.”
The princess clenched her fists, filled with determination.
She gently held my pale hand and spoke warmly.
-“I will mobilize all my connections to investigate. How dare anyone spread such rumors about the hero who saved this kingdom! As a princess, I cannot forgive this.”
“…Thank you.”
Indeed, power and wealth ruled the world.
Hearing Sophie’s pledge to use her influence, second only to the king, to uncover the truth behind the rumors gave me a sense of reassurance.
-“Don’t worry, Elzerba.”
The princess, her innocent smile radiant, looked at me.
-“I’ll always be on your side! As both a princess and your ‘friend,’ I’ll do my best!”
It was a pure smile, one that warmed my heart.
In this world of swords and magic, blood and steel, and unseen political battles that raged within the Tower of Avalon, her smile was a rare, sincere sight.
Her smile made my lips curl up.
And that was the last smile I would ever see from the princess.
********************
(III)
That very night, after we had shared a pleasant conversation, the princess who had promised to help me investigate the rumors was found brutally murdered in her room.
The clear marks of two fangs on her neck.
…Her cause of death was a vampire attack.
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