Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint

The Castle of the Full Moon was unusually bustling, as if in the midst of a festival.

Those who had come to witness the Night Tide lingered near the fortress, their reasons unclear even to themselves. Still, expecting to make a fortune from the event, they were already spending their future earnings in advance.

Thanks to that, Hilde and I found ourselves filling our empty stomachs at a lively market street. As she ate, Hilde cast a glance toward the Castle of the Full Moon and remarked,@@novelbin@@

"Father, a war is raging in the castle, yet here we are, leisurely enjoying our meal. Shouldn’t we be doing something?"

"Even if we hurry, I doubt we could do much about what’s happening in there. For now, let’s focus on making the best possible choice."

"And the best possible choice is sitting in a restaurant and eating? That’s a bit disappointing~."

Hilde muttered as she stared at the darkened fortress.

Something had gone wrong within the castle. She could sense it instinctively, even without putting it into words. Even the drunkards in the streets, despite their intoxication, stole nervous glances at the swirling darkness enveloping the fortress.

But that was as far as their concern went.

What happened inside the castle was vampire business. Humans simply turned their heads and went on enjoying their peaceful lives.

"No need to worry, right? It’s a battle that Tyrkanzyaka is bound to win. If she wins, that’s the end of it. And if she loses, she can just stop her heart, take control of the other vampires, and then ask you to bring her heart back again~."

"I can’t do that."

"…What?"

Scraping the last bits of food off my plate, I set down my utensils and spoke.

"I wasn’t the one who revived her heart."

"But you did it, didn’t you?"

"It’s hard to explain, but it’s not exactly like that. I am the King of Humans, and Tyr is human—so in a way, I represent her. But she was the one with the will to reclaim her heart. She even attempted a dangerous method to get it back."

That method was ordering Finlay to take control of her. At the time, we weren’t sure if it was the right answer, but in hindsight, it had been a valid attempt. Even Ruskinia had broken free of his shackles that way.

"It was nearly the right answer, but for me, it didn’t matter whether it was right or not. She had the will to try, and that was enough. And it just so happened that I had the means to resolve it. I restored her heart in her place."

"Oh? That means you had the ability to do it, doesn’t it?"

"My ability and will depend on Tyr. If she ever chose to abandon her heart for the sake of more efficient control, I would respect that decision."

I took a refreshing gulp of water and wiped my mouth with a napkin. Hilde, watching my now-clean face, murmured,

"…Father, you’re rather strict."