Chapter 38: Misunderstanding and Clash

“Princess!”

KAANG!

Glenn’s sword blade swung swiftly, but Sasha blocked it.

The sharp clang of metal echoed loudly in the cramped room.

…Where on earth did he come from?

“W-wait a moment—Sasha!”

“Dodge!”

As she quickly stepped back to create distance, Sasha followed closely.

There was a fiery blaze flickering in her deep blue eyes.

CHANG-CHANG!

“Damn, not the longsword but something shorter—”

THWACK!

“Cough!”

Sasha’s precise spinning kick struck Glenn’s chest.

Since his armor was lighter than usual, it actually hurt.

“You damned woman—”

Glenn immediately discarded his longsword and swung his fist.

In such a narrow room, it was a better choice.

Sasha crossed her dagger in one hand, and Glenn skillfully parried with his wrist guard.

At the same time, he closed the distance in an instant.

“Ugh!”

Sasha tried to counterattack with the other hand’s hidden blade—

THWACK!

“Pfft!”

But Glenn’s punch came faster.

Taken by surprise, Sasha staggered but expertly threw her dagger.

The distance was too short to avoid it.

Pfft!

He blocked it with his forearm.

Naturally, it hurt—

“…Damn, that stings.”

“Hold on, Sasha, stop!”

“ugh!”

As Sasha prepared to charge again, Isabelle hurriedly called her back.

Sasha bit her lip.

…Her lips?

Come to think of it, the outer clothes she usually wore were gone.

“Dark skin?”

No, it’s not exactly the skin of the Black Clans.

It was the kind of skin commonly seen among the desert tribes in the southern empire.

“Vampires suck the blood of desert folk?”

They prefer white-skinned humans.

Unless they’re desperate, there’s no reason for a vampire to pierce the fangs into skin like Sasha’s.

Something’s off.

But there’s no time to dwell on it now.

Glenn pulled out the dagger lodged in his forearm and scanned the surroundings.

“Stop! Let’s understand what the misunderstanding is—”

CRASH!

“Master!”

“Protect the princess!”

The ornate door burst open as Nedian appeared.

Behind him, several of Isabelle’s paladins rushed in at full speed.

Taking in the situation instantly, he dashed toward Isabelle.

“…Seriously!”

SHWUUUSH!

A crimson aura gathered at her palm, swirling wildly in mid air.

At the same time, red thorn-like pillars burst forth from the ground toward the charging Nedian.

“Bloody Spike.”

That was a spell.

Judging by the armored humanoid shape and the strength, a high-ranking vampire.

Watching Nedian dodge while rolling on the floor, Glenn collected his thoughts.

A high-ranking vampire like this was incredibly dangerous.

They were few in number and overwhelming in power.

Delaying was not an option.

Right away, Glenn activated blood magic.

Cheeeeeeee—

Faint red mist appeared around him.

His blood vessels twitched wildly.

“Ugh.”

Bloody Pack.

It was a blood magic spell Glenn had developed himself during the Riclang era.

The name came from the sensation, like taking a potent drug.

While active, it manipulates the blood inside the body.

It dramatically boosts physical abilities and dulls pain.

And above all—

“This feels pretty amazing.”

Since the one who developed it studied the effects of drugs on the body, adrenaline surged abnormally high.

Of course, it had its side effects, but there was no time to worry about those now.

Shaking his jaw from the intense sensation after a while, Glenn felt stronger than ever before.

THUMP—!

His leg strength condensed several times over, and he closed the distance instantly.

“Gah!”

Sparks of golden light flickered in his glaring eyes.

Grinning, Glenn involuntarily curled the corner of his mouth and grabbed her hair.

No—he tried to grab it.

“…!”

Sasha, startled, pushed back and managed to escape his hand.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

But one forearm was grabbed.

Feeling the heat, Glenn squeezed his grip.

CRACK!

The enhanced strength cracked Sasha’s forearm.

A painful groan escaped her lips.

“Aaaaa!”

Though contorted in pain, she reflexively kicked Glenn’s face.

POP!

Glenn simply caught the blow and returned it.

Ironically, Sasha was the one feeling the pain.

“Come here!”

With a savage hand, Glenn grabbed Sasha’s neck.

Then immediately cast blood magic.

“Reverse Flow!”

THRUST—!

“Gah!”

But the unfamiliar pain forced the spell to be canceled forcibly.

Even Bloody Pack was cut off.

Turning his gaze, he saw Isabelle’s furious expression.

…No way, she canceled the spell at that very moment?

Seeing Sasha a complete mess, anger flickered in Isabelle’s eyes.

“…How dare you!”

Raising her palm, blood droplets quickly gathered around.

She was clearly preparing something big.

“Stop her! Right now!”

“Master!”

Nearby, Nedian was battling three paladins at once.

Damn it, where were the other reinforcements? Were they all held back?

Glenn, desperate, prepared to rush in after Sasha, but Isabelle finished casting faster.

…Flowing with the root source—the Blood Control!

A red thread shot from Isabelle’s palm.

Blood droplets whirled around her, quickly spreading across the floor.

At the same time, Glenn’s movement was forcibly stopped.

“Ugh.”

It felt as if the entire room’s air was heavy and oppressive.

As if every muscle was resisting his will.

Blood Control.

A high-level skill that allowed control over all targets whose blood flowed within a certain radius.

Her plan was to suppress both him and Nedian simultaneously.

“Paralysis… no, it’s like being weighted down.”

Movement was restricted—well, just that.

Normally, such a spell would completely immobilize the target.

If so—this meant she had forcefully cast a high-level spell beyond her usual limits.

Ugh!

Glenn bit his lip and focused blood magic with one hand.

Instantly breaking free from Blood Control—he immediately grabbed a dagger and threw it.

SHOOMK—!

“What—!”

Sasha caught the dagger on her back.

…From the start, an incredibly fast woman.

At the same moment, Isabelle’s spell was canceled.

“Nedian, break free immediately!”

“Gah—”

But vines of mana wrapped tightly around Nedian’s limbs.

He twisted fiercely, as if to break his arms, but it wouldn’t loosen.

“This is ridiculously fast.”

The worst situation.

Glenn made a last-ditch gamble and rushed to Sasha’s side.

“Kuh…”

He forced her up by the hair.

Then quickly pressed a dagger to the nape of her neck.

“Stop right now!”

A hostage situation.

Since Isabelle seemed to care for Sasha, he tried this.

“Who the hell do you think you’re talking to?”

Isabelle’s cold glare hardened as she waved her hand.

Red thorn pillars sprouted right before the bound Nedian.

A standoff holding hostages on both sides.

Nedian seemed about to speak, but a paladin blocked his mouth.

The other two paladins lay unconscious in a corner.

“…Hoo, for now—let’s talk.”

Sighing, Isabelle locked eyes with Glenn.

He growled low.

“Talk? About what, vampires?”

Vampires were creatures that seduced humans to suck their blood.

In his previous life—most who came to teach Riclang blood magic were vampires.

They were cunning, subtle, and cruel.

Glenn knew this fact better than anyone.

“…I have no choice. Why do you say I’m a vampire?”

“Do you ask me that? The nerve.”

“Whatever your reasons, I’m not a vampire. Don’t you realize that it only harms the two of us?”

“Hah, better than some imperial priest sucking blood, right?”

Glenn answered but kept scanning the room.

It was only a temporary stalemate. He needed to find an opportunity.

“Call the priest. You personally.”

“Huh?”

“There’s another female priest, right? Just call her.”

“What are you trying to do?”

Holy power was poison to undead like vampires.

Calling her would mean summoning her own nemesis.

“I’m out of options to convince you with words.”

“Typical trickery.”

“Ha—so what then? Want to try again? I warn you—you’ll die here.”

Her determined gaze settled the matter.

What the hell? Damn!

Glenn’s eyes darkened.

If she really was a high-ranking vampire—there was no way he could win now.

Even at Riclang’s level from his previous life, he couldn’t handle it.

A high-ranking vampire who had lived for centuries was a very tough opponent.

…Then why is she acting so straightforwardly?

Killing him quickly would be cleaner.

Something felt off, but the conversation was set.

“Fine.”

Glenn nodded reluctantly.

***

“Vampire?”

Monica looked at Glenn in disbelief.

He blinked a few times before answering.

“…No.”

“Then why would anyone say the princess is such a dangerous presence?”

“She clearly used blood magic—”

“Didn’t the prince tell me so directly? Blood magic.”

“That was about me.”

“Isn’t it the same for the princess?”

“…You really mean no?”

Monica’s expression showed disbelief.

She shook her head briefly, then clasped her hands in prayer.

“Oh, goddess.”

After a short prayer, she sighed.

“In the name of spring that overcomes winter, Princess Isabelle is not a terrible vampire. If she were such a dangerous being, she’d have sensed it immediately. She wouldn’t be sitting here calmly talking with the prince.”

Come to think of it, it was strange.

Vampires don’t feed on humans unless they have white skin.

It wasn’t impossible, but a matter of preference. They considered such blood dirty.

But Sasha’s skin, who seemed loyal, was from desert tribes.

And if Isabelle was a vampire, she would definitely be a high-ranking one.

Maintaining human form naturally for so long.

But a high-ranking vampire wouldn’t need negotiations.

Glenn was dead no matter what.

…Something didn’t add up.

As his excitement cooled, his thoughts became clearer.

And with the priest Monica publicly affirming it in the goddess’s name—

“Do you know how shocked I was? Invited to a meeting and suddenly stabbed with a sword.”

“Crrk.”

“The prince can be impulsive even normally. Before coming to Niran—”

Monica continued her lecture.

Glenn felt both bewildered and amazed inside.

That Isabelle was a blood mage? In the northern region?

He had never heard such a thing before.

Had it been intentionally hidden?

Since the reputation for blood magic wasn’t good, that was possible.

No, even if hidden, how on earth did she learn it?

He had given up on properly learning blood magic in the north.

That was why he took that terrible drug daily.

But perhaps she never needed to? That was unfair…

“Are you listening properly?”

“…Yeah.”

Damn, how old was he to endure this nagging?

Time passed filled with nothing but frustration.

***

The two facing each other said nothing.

Unlike before, only a cold atmosphere flowed between them.

“Hmph.”

“Tch.”

Glenn felt wronged, and so did Isabelle.

Their gazes were like silently asking who would apologize first.

“Are you two going to keep this up?”

Monica intervened, unable to stand it anymore.

Still, silence filled the room.

Both had strong pride, but neither were foolish.

Monica decided to clarify the situation again.

“I heard the suspicious action was first by the princess.”

If they clearly defined who was at fault first,

there was a person who needed to bow first.

“That is—”

“Then are you saying the prince suddenly swung his sword for no reason?”

Monica’s eyes carried a firm warning.

Isabelle hesitated, biting her lip slightly.

“…I was thoughtless. I will sincerely apologize to Prince Glenn.”

Their heads bowed facing each other.

Tap, tap.

“…Phew.”

Glenn sighed and slowly reviewed the situation.

For now, if what Priest Monica said was true, Isabelle was not a vampire.

More importantly, she was the princess of Arian.

Would holding onto this help negotiations? …No, probably not.

Better to clear this debt for now.

“Very well. I accept the princess’s apology.”

Glenn nodded slightly.