WeTried Translations

Translator: Hydrogen B

Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 407: The Progenitor's Transformation Is Innocent

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There was only one reason the Sanctum rejected vampires.

Vampires were not human.

This was neither a literary conclusion nor an academic one. It was not the result of dressing things up with grand words, setting clear standards, and scrutinizing every detail.

Simply put, vampires were different from humans.

They possessed long lives and great power, and they drank human blood to preserve their existence. Naturally, vampires became predators. By existing at all, they placed humans in the position of prey.

‘...Come to think of it, the cleric who killed me called me a seed of the Demon God. I thought it was just the usual insult.’

That was right. If Tyr had been left alone, humanity would have changed. Killing Tyr and creating the beings known as vampires had likely been a miscalculation on their part.

"Hmph. So they failed one after another. Judging by the state of things, those Sanctum bastards seem to be in trouble. That pleases me. But, Hyu."

Tyr had been sneering at the Sanctum, despite it not even being here. Then she asked me a question.

"If they truly wish to protect humans, they have no reason to oppose you, the King of Humanity. Why does the Sanctum attack you, and why do you avoid them?"

"That's simple. The 'humans' defined by the Sanctum aren't human."

The Sanctum created gods and established taboos. They divided good from evil and excluded heretics. All of it was meant to make the “humans” they desired the only humans.

"To me, humans include everyone. Vampires, beastkin, Sanctum priests, all of them are human. Yet the Sanctum treats vampires as though they should not exist. Who gave them that right?"

"...True."

"I could at least understand if they intended to kill every human on the other side and survive alone. But if they intend to use prophecies to prevent sins before they arise, decide good and evil as they please, and reshape the future... then I have no choice but to resist."

‘So that was why Hyu treated me normally. Whether I am the Progenitor or a vampire, I am still human....’

Before the King of Humanity, every human was ordinary. Tyr seemed to understand that, if only faintly.

"...And there's another reason the Sanctum tries to stop me."

I held out my hand. Tyr looked confused at first, then naturally placed her hand over mine.

Once again, I drew out the power of lightning.

"The Demon God understood the great principles of the world, but could not understand humans, mere imperfect and fickle beasts. That is why even the Demon God cannot properly create or change humans. The homunculus dilemma. The reason that even if you try to replace humans with magic, all you can produce are homunculi. Even if you understand the great principles of the world and wield magic, you still don't know how to create a human with it."

All anyone had was themselves. They could not understand another person through their own subjective perspective.

Could a great mage even imagine the world of a sniveling child? Could a painter depict the world as seen through the eyes of someone colorblind? Everyone saw the world through their own eyes and interpreted it according to their own perspective, so understanding another person's world was extraordinarily difficult.

"But I, the King of Humanity, know."

Lightning passed through our clasped hands. It was the same as before. It crawled through Tyr's body and made her tingle. It was something no one, not even the Lightning Thief, a Demon God, had been able to accomplish. They knew tiny bolts of lightning flowed through the body, but not how that current had to flow to turn a person into someone else.

But I knew. Once I gained the power of a Demon God, I could fully apply that forbidden knowledge to humans.

Regardless of the homunculus dilemma.

As sensation returned through my lightning, Tyr trembled slightly. She had experienced it once already, though, and was used to it. Rather than pulling away, she gripped my hand tightly and felt the sensation lingering in her palm.

‘Like when he revived my heart, my body....’

"If I'm given the means, I can change humans. A Demon God is that means. If possible, I'd merely grant their wishes instead of changing them myself."

Tyr's wish had been cut short far too soon. It was an ordinary life with a beating heart. That was why I had granted Tyr's wish. She could now clearly distinguish what was inside herself from what was outside, but an ordinary life still remained within her wish.

"You helped me too. So if Tyr truly desires it... I'll make you an ordinary human."

It was a weighty, frightening offer. If she accepted it, Tyr would be entrusting every nerve in her body to me.

She could not dismiss it as empty boasting. I had already made Tyr's heart beat, and I was using that power even now. It might be dangerous to entrust her very existence to another person.

‘I have already entrusted my heart to Hyu. And now that I have regained it and can feel emotions again, Hyu is the only one I wish to be with. What is there to fear in entrusting myself to someone I wish to entrust myself to?’

Tyr firmed her resolve. Instead of withdrawing her hand, she placed her other hand atop ours. With her lips pressed tightly together, Tyr looked up at me.

"Hyu. I..."

At that moment, mist stirred in the distance. There was an unmistakable presence.

Tyr, who had struggled to speak, closed her mouth at the sudden appearance of an unwelcome guest. Peering through the darkness, she shouted.

"Who goes there?"

"Great Progenitor!"

A vampire spread a black cloak like bat wings. Gliding through the dark mist, they recognized Tyr and dove sharply. With a thud, they landed on their knees, then crawled forward while regenerating their broken legs.

"Progenitor, forgive my rudeness. But there is something I must petition you about!"

Their respect was unmistakable. Otherwise, they would not have landed on their knees hard enough to injure their own joints. No matter how well someone could regenerate, dragging themselves along on shattered joints required considerable resolve.

That was why Tyr, though displeased, could not harshly drive them away.

"You knew it was rude, yet you intruded upon my outing? Do you not fear annihilation?"

‘We were at an important point...! If this mood is ruined, how am I supposed to continue this conversation?’

"I fear annihilation. Yet even if I must suffer it, there is something I must say! Please allow me to speak!"

The vampire prostrated themself once more and pleaded. Tyr's anger softened at the desperate, earnest appeal.

"I permit it. Speak."

"I am Jazra, a thrall of Lord Luscinia. I sincerely revere the return of the Progenitor, and like every vampire, I am overwhelmed with joy at seeing you again...! But I cannot fully rejoice because of the recent tragedy!"

"Are you speaking of Luscinia's death?"

A dead Elder's thrall had come to appeal directly to the Progenitor. Tyr already knew what this was about, so she answered with irritation.

"I have already made my decision. I summoned Lir Nightingale and those around her, and I will hold a trial at the Castle of the Full Moon. Your task is only to await the trial and give testimony."

"But, Progenitor! Lir has fled beyond the Duchy!"

"I was told that she left before I could find her. I sent Erjebeut and Dogo to bring her back. They will handle the matter well. If your curiosity is satisfied, withdraw."

‘The matter is serious, so I explained it to this thrall, but I cannot let one interfere with my precious time. Once we go to the Castle of the Full Moon, it will be difficult to be alone with Hyu until the trial ends. If this one still does not understand and interrupts my time...’

Perhaps Jazra failed to notice Tyr's mood growing steadily more vicious. Rather than bowing and withdrawing, Jazra shouted even louder.

"She will not return! After killing Lord Luscinia, she escaped the vampires' control. Because the blood bond was twisted, she can exert no control over us, Lord Luscinia's thralls, nor can we control her! Trusting in her paltry talent, she is a traitor who rebelled against the Duchy, and against you, Progenitor!"

It was a sincere appeal, but the timing was poor. Tyr's eyes turned cold as she spoke quietly.

"Do you truly wish to die?"

Chilling anger surged. Tyr's irritation had now risen to killing intent.

"I had to summon her, so I summoned her. I must know the truth, and I will uncover it. I will hold the trial and deliver judgment. I will fulfill my duty, so what more do you demand of me? You, a mere thrall!"

"P-Progenitor?"

"There are limits to rudeness. There are limits to anger. You dare pour out your emotions before me? Know your place. Do not try to sway me with the feelings of someone like you!"

The Progenitor's anger was absolute. A mere thought of killing intent could drain every drop of blood from a thrall and kill them. Tyrkanzyaka, the Progenitor who had created the vampire race and was the true owner of their pure blood, possessed that power.

Yet Jazra did not notice that piercing killing intent, which denied the very existence of vampires.

Instead, Jazra was confused.

"What...?"

‘Is the Progenitor angry? Then why can my blood feel nothing at all?’

She had once possessed that power. Before regaining her heart, when the boundary between outside and inside had been blurred, even blood outside her body had been subject to the Progenitor's control. That was why the Progenitor could reduce thralls and Yeilings to puddles of blood simply by thinking she might do so.

But now that Tyr had regained her heart, she could perfectly distinguish outside from inside. Having gained the ability to feel emotions that belonged to herself alone, Tyr could not kill a vampire with this anger.

If she wanted to kill one, she had to move her own body and carry out that will.

Like any other human.

‘If the Progenitor were displeased, my blood would have trembled first. Yet my blood remains calm. The Progenitor did permit me to speak...?’

Jazra's thoughtless petition to the Progenitor had its own basis. By the common sense of a vampire who had lived for centuries, being allowed to speak meant they were permitted to say what they wished.

Only, the world had changed recently.

Quite a lot.

"...?"

Tyr finally sensed that something was wrong. A vampire who should have been trembling in terror and submitting before speaking kept failing to understand and provoking her.

It was impossible. A vampire two ranks beneath her could not do something the Progenitor had not permitted.

‘My control cannot reach them...? Is that why this thrall defied my feelings?’

An absolute ruler who had decided life and death with a thought had regained her heart and become an ordinary ruler. Faced with this suddenly changed reality, Tyr and Jazra stared at each other, question marks written across both their faces. At first, neither understood what was happening, but they slowly began to grasp reality.

Jazra realized first. Slowly straightening up, Jazra asked,

"Progenitor. Could it be... that you too have broken free of the blood bond..."

And those were Jazra's final words.

A sharp bone saw tore through Jazra's chest and drank their blood.

Footnotes:

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