Suspected Necromancer

Chapter 13 – Prince of the Rama Kingdom

“Master… why did you do it?”

Khan heard Luna’s voice in his fading consciousness. He couldn’t tell whether it was real or a dream.

“To master magic.”

He managed to whisper, his lips moving slightly.

“Why did you bite me?”

“Initially, I intended to use you as a sacrifice… to become an Immortal King.”

“Immortal King? Why didn’t you become one, then?”

“As long as you’re careful around sunlight, there isn’t much difference between an Immortal King and a vampire.”

“Huh? So why did you bite me?”

Luna asked the same question again.

“I… was afraid… of eternal solitude.”

“Huh?”

“Until you came, solitude was… akin to an old friend of mine. But with you at my side, gradually, I… began to fear being alone. That’s why I bit you to turn you into my thrall… to have you as my companion forever.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me about this!?”

Luna wailed.

“If I had told you… would you have accepted it?”

“Of course not! If you had told me, I wouldn’t have allowed it! I told you we should live together properly as humans until the end!”

“… But then, I wouldn’t have been able to master magic.”

“What’s wrong with that!? Don’t pursue something just for the sake of mastering it! You’d eventually become foolish and grow tired of magic one day if you live forever! The value and beauty in pursuing something comes because we don’t have infinite time!”

“Ha…”

Khan’s lips twisted slightly as he laughed. It was the first time Luna had seen Khan smile.

“Perhaps… you’re right.”

Khan’s body was gradually turning to ash. Yet, his expression remained serene.

“There was another fear… the fear that you would eventually leave me. Lately… you seemed happy. I realized it was because you had connections with the outside world. I… didn’t want to let you go.”

Luna gasped. Her master, whom she thought had no interest in her, had actually been watching her.

“Since you bought me, master, it’s obvious that we’d always be together!”

“I see… I suppose I got… a better ‘product’ than I expected…”

Khan’s body completely disintegrated.

“Yes, I hope I was the best ‘product’… master.”

Luna stared intently at the ashes that used to be Khan’s body.

──

“So, what are you going to do with her?”

After a while, Luciana asked Rato.
She was inquiring about how they would handle Luna.
Luna had turned into a vampire, but being of Asura descent, she had ascended to the rank of Immortal King.
This was evident from her complete lack of reaction when exposed to the light of the ‘Mirror of the Sun’.

“…Luna, do you resent me?”

Rato didn’t answer Luciana’s question and addressed Luna.
Luna was still standing before the ashes that used to be Khan.

“I don’t resent you. After all, Rato, you came to help me, right? I couldn’t possibly hold a grudge.”

Luna turned her gaze towards Rato and offered a fleeting smile.

“I see. Then you should come to my place.”

“Huh?”

Luciana let out a surprised voice.

“Rato-sama, this is different from keeping a pet, you know? Luna-chan is now an Immortal King, a powerful magical being. And being akin to a vampire, she requires human blood to survive. We can’t welcome her into the royal palace.”

Luciana pointed out the harsh reality.

“If it’s blood you’re worried about, I can provide mine. That should solve any issues.”

Rato arrogantly declared.

“…Are you serious?”

Luciana stared at Rato, dumbfounded.

“Of course. A king should be able to keep a vampire under control. It’s a part of the job.”

“…King?”

Luna, who had been silent, chimed in, looking puzzled at Rato and the others.

“Is Rato actually the king? And come to think of it, isn’t Luciana a mage?”

Rato, Luciana, and Kilian exchanged glances.

“…Well, I’m a mage who serves Rato-sama. Rato-sama isn’t a king yet, but he’ll become one soon. The current king is sick and doesn’t have much time left. That’s why this one-track-minded prince here is set to succeed him just because he’s the eldest son.”

Luciana explained with a sigh.

“Rato was a prince?”

Luna was surprised.

“Are you unhappy about something?”

Rato looked somewhat annoyed.

“It’s not that I’m unhappy, but… you see, I don’t really want blood, so it’s fine. I’ll just go back to the place where the slave traders kept me, and…”

“Absolutely not.”

Luciana said firmly.

“We can’t just leave a vampire unattended. By sucking blood, a vampire can increase their thralls indefinitely, you know? Originally, they’re not able to coexist with humans. But even I wouldn’t be able to stand against Luna-chan. At the very least, let her come with us. The generous Rato-sama is offering his blood without limit, after all.”

Luciana winked.

“Just come.”

Rato grabbed Luna’s hand.

“You have nothing to worry about.”

Luna couldn’t shake off his hand.

──

Rato and the others confidently escorted Luna to the royal palace.
Luna was introduced to others as Rato’s new exclusive attendant, and not many found this odd.
Rato was known as an eccentric prince, and his quirky behavior was nothing new.

“It’s all thanks to my good behavior.”

Rato said with a smile. They were now alone in Rato’s room, a spacious area about half the size of Khan’s mansion. The ceiling was high, and luxurious furnishings were on display.

“Isn’t it because of the trouble you caused?”

Luna found it more surprising how easily she had been welcomed into the royal palace.

“In the end, the result was good so my behavior was good. It’s as simple as that.”

Rato said as he bit into a pile of fruit on the table.
The pale green fruit emitted a satisfying sound when bitten into, revealing its white flesh.

“If you can eat, you should.”

“Why?”

Luna didn’t feel very hungry.

“If you eat a lot, it will turn into blood. If eating can eliminate your need for blood, then you should eat. I’ve decided to provide you with my blood, so I need to eat a lot to produce enough blood.”

While speaking, Rato continued to eat fruit one after another.

“If there’s something you want to eat, just let me know. I’ll arrange it for you.”

Even though he said that, Luna still didn’t feel hungry.

“I don’t have anything specific in mind.”

“I see.”

Rat didn’to seem to mind.
In the next room, Kilian and Luciana were observing the scene cautiously through a special mirror.
While Rato was aware that they were monitoring, these two were prepared to defy Rato’s orders if necessary, even to the extent of killing Luna.

──

Luna was provided with a couch instead of a bed. Rato had suggested using his bed and taking the couch himself, but Luna had declined.
The couch was far superior to the bed Luna had used in Khan’s mansion, with a high ceiling and lavish decor.

However, Luna felt thirsty.
While she hadn’t felt hungry when awake, after waking up in the middle of the night, she was struck by a severe thirst.
She took a bite of the remaining fruit, but it didn’t quench her thirst.
Her gaze fell on Rato, who was sleeping on the bed.
His vulnerable neck seemed incredibly alluring.
Luna slowly moved towards Rato’s bed.
In the adjacent room, Kilian drew his sword and prepared to intervene, while Luciana gripped her staff.

“Did you start craving blood after all?”

At that moment, Rato got up. Luna was surprised and took a step back.

“No, I was just…”

Luna was in a daze, but she remembered clearly what she was about to do and became frightened of herself.

“I promised you my blood. The neck is too conspicuous, so choose another spot. My non-dominant arm is fine.”

Rato was right-handed, so he extended his left arm towards Luna.