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[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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Chapter 2: Ataraxia’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony (1)
A single whirlwind cut through the air.
The sword strike shot out in a straight line, aimed precisely at Ophelia's shoulder.
The timing and accuracy were astonishingly sharp, as if measured by a ruler.
Nevertheless, he was pushed back due to the disparity in speed and power after the technique's completion.
Above all, the mana to support his swordsmanship was sorely lacking.
Kaaang!
Sparks born from the clash of steel against steel shattered brilliantly.
Countless fragments of blood and fire stained the air red.
“……!”
The one who had attacked first was now forced onto the defensive.
Of course, the outcome of the match was already decided, but for the situation to be reversed at all was dumbfounding.
‘It's not getting through.’
Yohan clicked his tongue inwardly.
It had been an attack with his all, but the blade had failed to connect.
There was no way that terrifying hound would give him a passing grade for this.
However, Ophelia was lost in a completely different kind of shock.
This feeling.
This sensation.
A shiver ran down Ophelia’s spine as the fine hairs on her neck stood on end.
“Hahaha.”
The laughter that escaped her was by no means a sign of joy.
It was the result of a mixture of confusion and bewilderment.
A monster with absurd potential.
To think this was the level of skill displayed by a fledgling vampire who was only 25 years old.
He was simply incomparable to the immature fools who spent their nights under the moonlight, prattling on about how noble and lofty they were while gulping down blood and wine.
“Did the clan head or that cold-blooded human… I mean, her husband, perhaps teach you separately?”
“They're all busy.”
“True, the Tower's mana has become erratic lately.”
Everyone was away trying to figure out the reason for it.
In other words.
He had received no help from anyone.
This was an achievement accomplished purely with his own power.
The corners of Ophelia's mouth drew a crescent moon.
‘This will be fun.’
She looked forward to seeing the reactions of those who tacitly looked down on him for being a half-blood at the coming-of-age ceremony.
“This should be more than enough preparation for the ceremony in a week.”
Retrieving her sword, Ophelia turned to leave, but glanced back at Yohan.
Then, she added one more thing.
“Ah, it's not much of a reward, but for a bit of extra motivation, I hear the winner of this year's coming-of-age ceremony will be given one of the clan's sacred artifacts as a prize.”
So don't you dare even think about slacking off.
That's what her words implied.
And.
That story most certainly worked on Yohan.
‘If that reward includes the items inside the Blood Prison….’
There was something specific he wanted.
An item that could create a huge new variable if only he could take it into the forbidden book.
Originally, he had planned to just coast through and aim for the middle of the pack.
But now, a reason to take the coming-of-age ceremony seriously had emerged.
Yohan calmly began to map out his future plans.
＊ ＊ ＊
One week later.
Vampires from the various clans scattered throughout Black Castle gathered in one place.
The direct line, of course, as well as the collateral branches and even the newly joined.
The sight of so many who hadn't been seen in a long time was a spectacle in and of itself.
"Hoh. So you're from the Rosaria bloodline."
"Good to see you. How long has it been?"
"Have you been well?"
They exchanged warm greetings.
Of course.
Hidden within those greetings was the intent to gauge each other's power and level.
Especially since it was said that a special prize would be given to the one evaluated to have the greatest potential this time, was it not?
[On the day of the first full moon of the year one turns 25.
He who proves his own worth.
Shall be able to receive the purest authority of Ataraxia.]
Whether it was a sacred artifact from the treasury or anything else one desired.
It meant you could have it in the name of Alice von Ataraxia.
The power struggle was therefore bound to intensify.
And.
That twisted desire was directed toward the easiest prey to bite.
"It seems Lord Yohan hasn't changed much."
"He disappears somewhere all day and is rarely seen. I hear he doesn't even participate in social gatherings."
"Well, he does have a human side, so I suppose he would be a little different from us."
The Recluse of Ataraxia.
Unlike the others who enjoyed socializing and revelry, Yohan was always alone.
His actions were in complete opposition to the common sense of solidly building one's power base from a young age.
Because of this, everyone thought the same thing.
The Prince of Ataraxia had no interest in inheriting the throne.
Above all, the fact that he had mostly black hair—with only a part of his bangs being silver—and black eyes, instead of the characteristic silver hair and red eyes of a vampire, also played a large part.
In the midst of all this.
"It's a pleasure to meet you for the first time."
A girl with a peculiar smile approached Yohan's side.
Waist-length, pure white hair and red eyes.
Even among the vampires, who were mostly composed of handsome men and beautiful women, she stood out.
"My name is Scarlet de Juliard."
The Juliard Clan.
A vampire clan that had joined Ataraxia 15 years ago.
Even Yohan, as uninterested as he was, had heard the name a few times.
‘Scarlet of the Blood Thread.’
Her ability to handle the deadly threads made of blood was said to be second to none.
There was a reason she was called the most likely winner of this year's coming-of-age ceremony.
"I'm Kang Yohan."
"Of course, I know. Understanding one's competitors is the most important part of winning, after all."
He could have let her cheerful opening remark slide.
The problem was.
The concept of a 'rival' was far too stimulating for this girl whose self-esteem shot through the heavens.
"Let me tell you how amazing my Blood Threads are. Even within my own clan, no one else at my young age can handle them like..."
"What abilities have you primarily focused on, Lord Yohan? And what will you be showing us at the ceremony?"
She followed him around like a puppy, prying into every little thing.
All the while, she didn't forget to boast about how great she was at this or that.
Yohan tried to quickly move away.
But it was not enough to shake off this leech.
"Lord Yohan? Lord Yohan! Are you listening to me? When a lady speaks, you should at least show some sincerity... no, isn't it chivalrous to at least show some interest?"
It seemed she had learned some semblance of etiquette.
She was young.
No, just immature.
Then again, to vampires who live for thousands of years, 25 must be the age of a newborn baby.
If not for his experiences in the forbidden book, he might have had a similar mental age to Scarlet.
Feeling like this was going to be exhausting for reasons he couldn't quite pinpoint, Yohan pressed his throbbing temples.
＊ ＊ ＊
Upon chairs carved from obsidian.
There sat the powerhouses who held the highest ranks in Ataraxia.
"I'm worried."
"The prince should be mingling with the other children..."
"Indeed. If he remains isolated like this, his path will surely be a difficult one."
The Nine Black Wings that move Ataraxia.
They were beings who had reached the pinnacle of purity by accumulating countless merits and deeds.
Though they were entangled by their own interests, their pride in protecting the clan was all the same.
If possible, they hoped Yohan would inherit the position.
However.
If he couldn't, it couldn't be helped.
In this place where the law of the jungle was absolute, the weak were bound to be weeded out.
If Yohan himself could not prove his qualifications as the clan head...
A new head would take his place.
"Let it begin."
The second-in-command, Vermilion, who had been granted the authority of the clan head's proxy, raised his hand.
[The Coming-of-Age Ceremony will now begin.]
[Become the last one standing in the 'Lake of Dragon's Blood'.]
[Any act that could inflict a fatal wound will be blocked by the adjudicators.]
The 45 vampires gathered at the lake warily watched one another.
Everyone here was a competitor.
Only one person could taste the sweetness of victory.
In that case, targeting the weakest first would be common sense.
"I've heard many rumors, but with that black hair and eye color, you're even more human than I thought, aren't you? You look so delicate, too. Are you sure you're even qualified to be here?"
A vampire from a collateral branch of the Mardios clan approached Yohan.
The intent to mock and crush him was palpable.
"Wow. This guy's a natural at insulting people's parents."
"What?"
"I inherited my human-like appearance from my dad. So you're basically saying, 'Your dad's a human,' right?"
Discriminating based on race is a huge deal, but discriminating based on species?
The Tower of Trials' Species Rights Protection Group would be up in arms over this.
"That's not what I meant..."
"Then, were you insulting my mother, the head of Ataraxia, for marrying a father like that? Something like, 'Your mom has ridiculously low standards'? Is that it?"
"......Hiccup?"
At the mention of the head of Ataraxia, the vampire's flushed face turned deathly pale.
Not missing the opportunity, Yohan added one more thing.
"I can assume that represents the opinion of the entire Mardios clan, right?"
"N-No, of course not! How could I possibly dare...!"
The condescending, informal speech from before had switched to the highest form of honorifics.
The way he was tearing up and sweating buckets was almost a little pitiful.
This is why teasing kids is so much fun.
'Ah, but physically, I'm a kid too.'
He had been through so much in the forbidden book that he sometimes forgot.
Just as he was thinking that.
"Stop getting baited like an idiot. Move."
Another one stepped forward.
An appearance as cold as ice.
The aura emanating from his body was clearly far superior to the others who had gathered around.
"And you are?"
"Cadmun of the Rosaria clan."
"My friend here also seems to be a bit short on words, doesn't he?"
"Do you expect honorifics? This sacred coming-of-age ceremony is a place where all participate as equals. If you want our loyalty, prove your qualifications with skill."
Qualifications...
He wasn't wrong.
Yohan gazed at the shimmering ripples of the lake.
The Lake of Dragon's Blood was a sort of device prepared for young vampires who had very little mana.
Of course, using the dragon's blood to its full potential was nearly impossible, but even if they could only use 1% of it, they could manifest a wide variety of abilities.
Pzzzt...
Blood began to rage in Cadmun's hand.
A skewer, about one meter in size and dyed a vivid crimson, was formed.
"Ooooh!"
“To create a ‘Blood Spear’ in such a short time.”
Murmurs of admiration flowed from the clan members who were watching.
For a vampire who was just now going through the coming-of-age ceremony, his level was exceptionally high.
A few seconds later, those waiting behind him also manifested their own abilities.
Spears, bats, and orbs made of blood filled the surroundings.
"You acted all high and mighty like you wanted a one-on-one fight. But it looks like you're all ready to jump me as a group, huh?"
"My apologies, but there's no such rule in the coming-of-age ceremony."
The truly noble simply overcome any adversity.
Who one chose to team up with was their own free choice.
But right at that moment.
Swish!
Crimson threads crisscrossed vertically and horizontally through the air.
An incredibly fast and sharp strike.
Plop. Plop.
Shattered spears and skewers fell to the ground.
"Scarlet!"
Cadmun glared in the direction the red threads had flown from.
"Don't tell me you intend to betray us?"
"Bullying one person with a large group isn't really my style. The victory will be mine in the end anyway, but the Juliard clan believes the process leading to the result is also important."
"A foolish decision. Even someone like you can't take on all of us!"
"From your level, I can see why you'd think that's impossible."
A relaxed smile graced Scarlet's lips.
[Scarlet activates her innate ability, 'Blood Thread'!]
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
Red threads rose from the Lake of Dragon's Blood.
Hundreds of lines intertwined and tangled, creating a single, giant spider web.
At the same time.
Behind the web, a ceremonial formula with a brilliant pattern began to be drawn.
"An army-crushing... wide-area skill. Dammit, don't let it be completed!"
"Attack!"
"If that thing activates, it's over!"
Booooom!
Whack! Whack! Whack!
A storm of blood erupted.
Like a whip.
The Blood Threads, slicing apart dozens of spears and skewers, literally cut down everything that came within their range.
She even showed the ability to connect her threads to her opponents' bats, turning them against their masters.
Her talent for using nearly 10% of the Lake of Dragon's Blood's potential was nothing short of dazzling.
It was simply incomparable to Cadmun, who could only utilize a mere 2% of the Lake's power.
She was certainly strong.
So much so that it was hard to believe she was someone just now undergoing the coming-of-age ceremony.
However, just as Cadmun had said, it was too much for the still-maturing Scarlet to handle over 40 vampires at once.
As time passed, Scarlet's breathing grew ragged.
"She's almost done for! Keep pushing!"
"Just a little. Just a little more!"
Having seized the chance for victory, the members of the various clans attacked even more fiercely.
Before long, the spider web was riddled with holes, and the army-crushing ceremonial formula shattered before it could be completed.
"Haa... haa... haa."
Scarlet wiped the sweat from her forehead, panting heavily.
It was right at that moment.
Yohan stood beside her.
"That's enough. For now."
"What? I can still... Wait, what are you doing now?"
Scarlet's voice grew urgent.
"Don't tell me you're going to fight? Even, I was barely able to hold on, it's impossible! There's no way you can win!"
"Just stand back and watch."
Still.
It wasn't so bad that there was at least one kid here who understood the concept of honor.
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[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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