Chapter 16 - To Think She'd Be This Happy
Translator: Roshi
"A Contract?"
When I asked, Serintia nodded.
"Right now I can only go to the Dimension where I am, but if we make a Contract, I can go to wherever the Contract holder is too!"
"Ooh?"
"So make a Contract with me, and when I get Bloodlust while protecting the Bloodline Clan, I'll come find you, so heal me. Okay?"
"Healing you isn't hard, but it's not a one-time fix?"
After all, what I had healed was only the "state" called "Bloodlust."
It seemed I couldn't cure the constitution itself that required blood.
Come to think of it, she was a vampire, so needing blood wasn't exactly something that could be called a disease.
Even if Bloodlust could be healed since it caused pain,
the constitution was something she inherently possessed as a True Progenitor.
"Of course! If I don't drink blood, it'll flare up again."
From what she told me, if she went without blood and only ate things like bread, the signs of Bloodlust would start appearing after about a week.
At that stage, it didn't hurt; it was just a slightly uncomfortable feeling.
After two weeks, the pain would begin. And it would gradually worsen.
She said that if she went a full month without drinking blood, she'd go on a rampage, but she'd never actually reached that point.
"Because if I can't drink by then, it hurts so badly that even if I don't want to, I have no choice but to drink..."
So she'd endured it until the pain became unbearable.
How badly must she have not wanted to drink.
As if recalling those painful times, Serintia's expression darkened.
I gently stroked her head.
"You've been through a lot."
Pat, pat.
At that, Serintia's expression brightened a little.
"Hehe... I was feeling a bit down thinking about back then, but when you pet me, Shin-hu, I feel like my mood gets better somehow."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah! I guess it's thanks to that endorphin thing? You were right, Shin-hu."
"Of course, of course."
I smiled, watching Serintia settle back into ease so quickly.
"Anyway, so if we just make the Contract, you can come get healed anytime?"
"Yep, that's right."
Having it confirmed once more, I felt somewhat relieved.
I'd thought it was goodbye forever.
But it wasn't.
'Besides, if she comes for treatment every time, that means I can earn EXP each visit too...'
No, what am I even thinking.
The kid's in pain, and here I am thinking about EXP.
Ugh, what kind of garbage person thinks like that.
I bonked myself on the head in self-reproach.
[Absolute Shield (S) has been automatically activated.]
'......'
Wait, it even protects me from hitting myself?
The activation conditions are really strict, huh.
At least there's no chance of it failing to activate and putting me in danger.
On top of that, not only did my head not hurt, but my fist didn't either.
I already knew, but it really was an incredible shield.
"...Shin-hu. What are you doing hitting your own head?"
"Ahem. Mm. It's nothing. Anyway, I'm glad we can see each other again."
At that, the corners of Serintia's lips curled up high.
"Heh heh, what's this. You'll miss me too, Shin-hu?"
The "too" in that sentence meant Serintia felt the same way, didn't it?
She didn't seem to be aware of it herself, though.
It was cute, so I decided to let it be.
"Yeah. Every time you come for treatment, I'll make you something delicious. Come eat whenever you want."
"Really?"
Serintia's face lit up with pure joy.
"Of course. I'll pack some chocolate for you to take back, too. But like I said earlier, don't eat it all at once."
I was about to tell her to brush her teeth regularly too, but then figured that since she was a True Progenitor, her teeth probably wouldn't decay, so I dropped it.
"Chocolate!! Got it, I'll savor it!"
Serintia gulped audibly.
She must have really loved chocolate.
"Great, then let's decide the terms of the Contract!"
"The terms?"
"Yeah. It's a Contract, so of course there have to be terms."
It was a bit different from when I'd formed the Contract Beast bond with Cer.
Then again, a Contract was fundamentally something carried out with conditions attached.
"First, Shin-hu, you heal me every time my Bloodlust flares up! That's the condition."
"That's easy enough."
All I had to do was touch her and use the skill once.
And give her some head pats while I was at it.
"Good, I've got your agreement. Now tell me what you want from me, Shin-hu!"
"What I want?"
"Yeah. Ask me anything!"
Serintia's gaze was resolute.
It was a look filled with the determination to do anything if it meant she could avoid drinking blood from now on.
Seeing that look, a mischievous impulse stirred in me.
"Hmm, then... maybe I'll ask for something really huge? Heh heh."
When I grinned and looked down at Serintia,
her gaze wavered slightly.
"Wh-what, what, what is it?! Go ahead and say it! I'm not scared!"
Pfft.
The sight of Serintia pressing her slightly trembling lips firmly together was so cute that a laugh nearly escaped on its own.
But I somehow held it in and opened my mouth.
"If a Monster that's too strong for Cer to handle shows up in our Dimension, could you come help take it down if I call?"
If another Monster appeared in front of our animal clinic,
and it was one that even Cer couldn't handle?
Of course, Cer was incredibly strong, so it was hard to imagine that happening.
But you never know.
Just look at how Serintia herself had come through an Emission Gate that was supposed to release Monsters on par with Trolls.
Thankfully, Serintia had no hostile intent.
But what if a Monster as strong as Serintia and with hostile intent appeared?
Cer's flames might not be enough.
Judging by the amount of EXP I'd earned from healing her, and the fact that she'd shaved 50 off the shield's durability,
it was certain that Serintia was stronger than Cer.
If I could call on her when help was needed, she'd be a tremendous asset.
"What, you said it'd be something huge but that's easy? I thought it'd be... I don't even need to put something like that in the terms; you could just ask and I'd do it. As a True Progenitor, I can't agree to such an unfair Contract! A Contract has to be formed by putting up things both sides consider equal in value."
"Really? Then doesn't it match perfectly?"
"...? What do you mean?"
"Just like helping me is easy for you, healing you is easy for me. We're both putting up something easy. So it works out."
"I-is that so?"
Serintia looked confused for a moment.
Then, as if she'd spotted a flaw, she raised her hand with a flourish.
"Ah, right! You could just deal with the Monsters yourself anyway, Shin-hu. You're stronger than me, so my help can't be worth that much."
Ah.
It seemed she'd gotten the wrong idea after seeing me block her mental attack and claws without batting an eye thanks to the shield.
"Um, Serintia. I think there's a misunderstanding. I'm good at defense, but I can't attack. All I've got are healing and shielding abilities."
"Huh?"
"So if a Monster shows up that Cer can't handle, your strength would really help."
"Is that how it is?"
"Yeah."
At that, Serintia's expression brightened.
"If that's the case, then it counts as a proper condition! Okay, Shin-hu! Then let's make the Contract. Hold out your hand."
"Like this?"
I spread my palm wide and held it out to Serintia as she'd instructed.
Serintia then spread her own small hand and pressed it against mine with a soft clap.
Ding!
[Serintia du Lanortas Veloche is requesting a Contract.]
[The mutual conditions are as follows...]
The conditions we'd discussed appeared.
[Do you accept?]
'Yes.'
The moment I accepted,
[The Contract has been completed.]
Along with the notification,
Whoooosh!
something flowed into me through my hand.
And then,
a red sigil of some kind formed on the back of my right hand.
"What's this...?"
"It's our Bloodline Clan's sigil. It appeared because we just made the Contract."
Serintia showed me the back of her hand too.
It bore the exact same sigil.
Fortunately, the sigil glowed for a moment before turning transparent and fading away.
Like the Dragon's Mark, it seemed to be invisible normally.
"So the Contract is done now?"
"Yep. And..."
Serintia pulled her hand away, stepped back a pace, and summoned something in front of her.
"...A pendant?"
It was a pendant set with a luminous red gem.
"If you wear this, you can call me anytime."
"Ooh."
It must have been some kind of artifact that could summon a Contract holder.
"Well, now that we've made the Contract, I'll really head back."
"Alright. Make sure you come before it starts hurting, the moment you feel even a little uncomfortable. Got it?"
"Yeah! Thank you, Shin-hu!"
Serintia beamed and walked toward the Gate.
Then she stopped, as if she'd just remembered something.
"What is it, Serintia?"
Serintia turned around and held out her hand.
"The chocolate!! You said you'd pack some for me!"
Ah, right.
"I'll grab it real quick."
I chuckled and pulled some chocolate out of the dresser drawer in my room.
Hmmm!
Clutching the chocolate with a bright smile, Serintia vanished beyond the Gate.
The Gate closed behind her.
"She's gone."
Kkiing.
The house, which had been so lively just moments ago, fell quiet.
I tidied up the children's slippers Serintia had left behind and cleared away the dishes.
Serintia probably wouldn't be back for about a week now.
It was going to feel a little empty in the meantime, but,
'Well, I've just gotta keep doing my thing.'
Serintia would go back and work hard on fixing the Barrier and protecting the Bloodline Clan.
What mattered was that she'd keep coming from now on.
Having finished the dishes quickly, I looked down at Cer.
Kkiing?
I met Cer's innocent eyes, grinned, and grabbed his cheeks to squish them.
"Alright, Cer. How about we go for a walk?"
Kkiing!!!
*
Hmmm—.
Serintia had returned to her own Palace.
In her hands were two bags of chocolate.
"Hehe."
Just looking at the bags of chocolate was enough to spread a smile across her lips.
"Ah, I'm so happy!"
Serintia threw herself onto the bed and rolled around on the soft covers.
Shin-hu, whom she'd met by chance, had cured her Bloodlust.
And he said he'd keep treating her from now on.
Not only did she not have to drink blood anymore,
he said he'd make her delicious food every time she visited!
And when she went back to where the Bloodline Clan was, he said he'd give her chocolate too.
Everything had worked out so perfectly all at once.
She wondered if she'd ever felt this happy in her life.
"Hehehehe..."
After rolling around a bit more, Serintia carefully tore open one of the chocolate bags.
It hadn't even been long since she'd gotten back, but
one piece should be fine.
She unwrapped it and popped one into her mouth.
Sweetness spread immediately from the tip of her tongue.
The moment she bit down, that sweetness deepened and flooded through her mouth.
Just as Serintia wore an expression of pure bliss,
"Serintia-nim!!!"
Slam.
The door opened.
It was Edrick, the butler.
"Butler!"
"You vanished so suddenly, I was worried! I searched the entire Palace and couldn't find you..."
"Ah, so here's the thing!"
Serintia explained everything that had happened.
"...You're saying a human named Jeong Shin-hu cured your Bloodlust, Serintia-nim? Without blood?"
"I told you, yes! Hehehe. And he made me delicious food, and I brought back chocolate?"
"Chocolate...? What is that?"
"Want to try some, Butler?"
Serintia unwrapped a piece and handed it to the butler.
Edrick stared at the dark little object for a moment before putting it in his mouth.
"...It's sweet."
It was a delicious treat that didn't exist in this world.
"Right? I got two whole bags? I'll give you one as a special gift, Butler!"
Serintia held out an entire bag of chocolate to Edrick.
However, the hand she extended was trembling, ever so faintly.
Noticing this, the butler cleared his throat.
"Ahem. It is sweet, but eating too much would be a bit much for me. I think it would be fine if you just gave me one now and then."
"Oh, really?"
Serintia's expression brightened.
"Well, can't be helped then! I'll just have to eat an extra one myself. Hehe."
"......"
Edrick gazed at Serintia's beaming, joyful face.
'Honestly, I still can't believe it.'
A human who could cure Bloodlust?
Edrick himself had procured every history book and even knowledge from other Dimensions, doing everything he could to find a solution for Serintia, who couldn't bring herself to drink blood.
The conclusion had always been the same: nothing but blood could cure Bloodlust.
'But Serintia-nim doesn't seem to be lying.'
At first, he'd considered the possibility that she had secretly drunk blood and was pretending to be fine so he wouldn't worry.
But seeing her this genuinely happy, he had no choice but to believe it was the truth.
'To think Serintia-nim would be this happy...'
A smile of tangled emotions crossed Edrick's face.
Many feelings were mixed within it,
but if there was one thing he was certain of, it was a deep gratitude toward the human named Jeong Shin-hu.
*****
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