Chapter 30: Shards of Ice and Blood

I stood in the hall of the Adventurer Guild.
People talked all around us—low murmurs, the scrape of boots, the occasional clink of metal.
A party of adventurers stood in front of us.

A young man in his early twenties—blond hair cropped practical, armor of good cut and polish hugging a muscular frame—filled the space with an almost manufactured bravado. A sword hung from his back; everything about him screamed a cliché anime protagonist, right down to the eager tilt of his chin.

To his right, half-hidden by his bulk, stood an older man the size of a wall—brown hair cropped close, armor scarred and heavy, a great shield slung across his back. Calmness softened his face; he carried the kind of quiet confidence that smelled of iron and old duty.

Beside the big man, an elf woman like a wind through leaves—slim, green leathers fitted for the brush, blonde hair tied back, an arrow case slung high on her back. Her expression was flat, annoyed; she watched everything silently.

A mage stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the blond youth—black hair, a white robe patterned with faint golden threads, a staff tipped with a carved crest. He held himself with the pride of someone used to being the center of attention.

Behind them, occupying the doorway's shadow, was the girl I'd seen across the street earlier—deep black hair falling long, eyes the same blood-red as mine. She wore a maroon robe that shadowed her face. Her gaze pinned me, patient and bright as a blade.

"Can we talk?" the blond asked politely.

'Sebas check their status and let me know if anyone of then can hurt me.' I ordered calmly.

[ Affirmative, Master. ]

"Don't be alarmed. We just want to talk." The blond smiled, but his voice held a careful edge.

"I'm Lucian—Hero of Light. The big man is Roland, an imperial knight. This is Valen, my friend and a mage. She's Sylvara, from the Elf Kingdom. And she's Alice—an assassin we met at the guild few months ago." He introduced them with practiced enthusiasm.

'Finally getting to the point.' I thought, irritation pricking at the edges of my patience.

"Your talent is remarkable. Few can control dual elements, especially chantless. Valen here can use fire and water, but—" Lucian glanced to his friend—"he can't do both chantless at once."

Valen barked a laugh. "I can still cast high-level spells without much effort, you know." he called, not angrily but with a proud laxity.

"Yeah, I know. He's one of the kingdom's best mages and someone I'd trust with my back." Lucian said, genuine respect in his voice.

"What do you want?" I asked, flat.

[ Report: complete, Master. ]

'Later Sebas.' I replied, wanting to end the conversation quickly.

"Fine. I'll get to the point." Lucian's smile faltered into seriousness but stayed soft enough not to choke the atmosphere. "Join us. We're preparing to attack the Demon Kingdom. You're strong—your power would help the front lines."

'I knew it.' I thought as annoyance coiled in my chest.

"I'm not interested." I said coldly and moved toward the door.

"Wait!" Lucian called, voice high with pleading.

Then he shouted, louder, the conviction burning through the polished veneer. "You have such a great talent. Why not use it to protect those who cannot protect themselves? You should help others."

I stopped.

'These justice-seeking annoying people are the one I hate the most.' I thought, sharp.

"That's your wish, not mine. Even if I agreed, could you guarantee my daughter's safety while I fought with you?" I asked, voice flat but layered with something harder.

"Y-yes. We ca—" Lucian stammered, reaching for the obvious promise.

"I want you to put your life on the line for those words—because you'd be putting my daughter's life on the line." I snapped, anger threading through the calm.

The room tightened. Valen opened his mouth but found no words.

"She'd be safer among a group than alone with you." Valen said after a moment, voice too confident.

"I thought mages were supposed to be smart. I didn't know the kingdom's mages were this dumb." i replied, The insult was quiet but carved into the air.

"W-what?!" Valen protested.

"Is number the only thing that matters? What about hit-and-run attacks in the night? What about criminals targeting families when you're the famous hero? If you drag your name into the open, you drag danger to anyone close to you. What then?" My voice rose; the hall seemed to lean in, smelling the copper of tension.

Valen could not answer.

Sylvara's patience frayed. "We always post a night guard. We can detect danger and respond." she snapped.

"Against how many? For how long?" I asked. "If twenty come, what if fifty come together? If they strike in shifts—hit at night, vanish by dawn—eventually you tire. Eventually someone dies. Hypotheticals become bodies."

"T-Those are just hypotheticals—" Lucian tried.

"If you think the world is that kind, you're naive." I said. "Tch. I'm done." I turned and walked.

"Wait!" Lucian reached again.

"Stop, Lucian. That's enough." Roland's voice came then—low, deliberate. He stepped forward, shield at rest but present. "You can't force your morals on others, Lucian."

He watched Lucian with the steady patience of someone who'd seen too much. I felt a small relief at Roland's steadiness.

I walked out into the sunlit street; the crowd flowed around the guild entrance like tide. Heat pressed down; the city smelled of horses, frying oil, and the faint metallic tang of sweat from fighters. Liora nudged my chest.

"Sebas—report." I ordered.

Multiple screens appeared in front of me.

[ Master, that individual is indeed a hero. ]
[ He possesses multiple area-of-effect buffs and competent close-combat skills. The hero's weapon deals true damage that bypasses demon defenses. ]

'Thankfully it's only against demons. I don't want to test my shield us a justice blinded person.' I thought, feeling oddly relieved.

[ The knight exhibits strong AoE taunt and defence-enhancing abilities. His traits indicate tactical acumen—suitable for battlefield leadership. ]
[ The mage appears balanced: several shielding spells, resistance augmentations, and high-damage offensive capabilities. ]
[ The archer demonstrates exceptional precision and detection traits. She is lethal at single-target strikes and possesses moderate AoE attacks. ]

'They all seems pretty good. I wonder if it is the knight commanding them in actual battle.' I thought, curious.

[ Master, the girl you observed previously appears to conceal her true identity. ]

'Huh? Explain Sebas' I questioned, confused.

[ Her true name is Evangeline von Bloodrose. She bears the title "Last Survivor of the Bloodrose Family." She is a vampire of noble blood and commands blood-manipulation magic. ]

'A vampire?' I was taken aback.

"Wait!" an unfamiliar voice.

I turned. She was the girl Sebas had just identified—simple white shirt, leather pants and worn boots, trying to look ordinary enough to fade into a crowd. Up close, the maroon robe I'd seen earlier hung here like a memory stitched to her shoulders.

"Can we talk?" she asked.

"I already said I don't want to join you guys." I replied.

"It's not about that." She said quickly.

"What is it, then?" I asked.

"D-Do you really not get it?" she stammered, hesitant.

I just stared at her, puzzled.

"Come with me." She reached for my hand.

Her fingers brushed mine and recoiled as if she had been pushed back. She stepped back, bewildered. "W-what?" she whispered.

"I'll follow you." I answered.

'I'm now curious and I guess I have time in my hands.' I thought as I glanced down—Liora had fallen asleep against my chest, breaths soft and steady.

We slipped into a narrow alley. The city's noise thinned to a distant murmur; the air there smelled faintly of damp stone and old smoke, with a metallic tang—like rain on rust. She walked with quick, nervous glances over her shoulder, checking for tails. I matched her pace and kept my senses peeled.

"Which house are you from? Are you a survivor? Do you know anyone else? Can you contact them?" she rattled off, words breathless and urgent.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"You don't have to pretend. I'm like you." She pulled her hood down. As she did, a strange thing happened: from the top of her head the black hair lightened, creeping into white as if someone had washed ink from it. The shift looked impossible—like frost forming over midnight—slow and startling.

"I have information on the attackers who destroyed the Bloodrose household. I need to find others to tell." Her voice broke. "But I couldn't find anyone."

"I don't understand." I said.

"Y-you don't have fangs?" she asked in a low voice, realizing I was not a vampire.

"I'm not what you think I am." I replied.

She stared, flabbergasted. "B-But you have the same hair and eyes as us!" she said, still confused.

'Is white hair and red eyes are only owned by vampires, Sebas?' I asked, curious.

[ There is no conclusive evidence of exclusivity, Master. Vampires have long lifespans and hide their existence; their extended experience and potent magic allow them to craft identities. Physical traits alone are not definitive proof. ]

She sagged, a mixture of hope and exhaustion on her face. "I finally thought there was someone—some hope." She murmured.

"I don't care what you are. I'm not joining your party. I'm leaving." I said, stepping back.

'Maybe this way she'll understand I don't care about her being a vampire and just let me go without trying to fight.' I thought, trying a bluff.

"They don't know. Please don't tell them." She sounded defeated.

"You're not even trying to silence me?" I asked.

"What's the point? When I tried to touch you earlier, I couldn't. If I use blood magic in public, the imperial mage will detect it and come." Her voice was desperate, thin as a thread.

My heart began to pound. The alley seemed smaller, the walls pressing in; the city noise felt miles away. Emptiness swelled inside me—an old, familiar hollow.

'No hope. Huh..' I thought as the feeling strengthened.

'Being all alone. Hoping someone come and become a light in your world filled with darkness.' I thought as that familiar ache returned.

'Why am I… suddenly remembering those nights again.' I thought as despair cooled over my chest.

to be continued…

Author's Note:

Sorry for the late chapter! I had an exam yesterday, then got caught in the rain and ended up with a high fever today… sadly, I even had to miss another exam because of it.

I really hope you’re enjoying the story so far—your thoughts and feedback mean a lot to me, so please let me know what you think.

Thank you so much for reading and supporting me!