Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint-Chapter 404: The Progenitor’s Return

How many times does an ordinary person get to see an Elder in their lifetime? If you lived outside the Duchy, chances were you’d only see one once. Because after that, you wouldn’t be alive anymore—whether you became their thrall or their next meal.

In that sense, I was an incredibly lucky human to be standing here, still breathing, while being scrutinized by three Elders.

“Sniff, sniff. Untrustworthy male. Looks weak. Is this really the king of humans?”

“Hmph, why did you bring back something so suspicious, sis?”

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

“Can he fight? Wanna have a go?”

“If he breaks, give him to me. I’ll fix him up and put him to use.”

...Or maybe I was just incredibly unlucky.

The boar beastman’s eyes gleamed as he sniffed the air. A petite witch with stitches crisscrossing her body circled around me. Sandwiched between the two, I felt like I was moments away from being crushed to death. If they were after human blood, I could at least offer a little and be done with it, but that wasn’t what they wanted—meaning there was no easy way out of this.

All because Tyrkanzyaka stepped away for a moment. Where was my savior?

"That’s enough."

Had my prayers reached the heavens? Vladimir approached just in time, his low voice cutting through the tension. As an Elder with overwhelming strength and authority, his words held undeniable weight. Even the two troublesome Elders begrudgingly backed away.

The Crimson Duke didn’t even bother looking at me, speaking as if I were irrelevant.

“Whether or not he’s the king of humans is of no concern to us. The only thing that matters is this—our Progenitor brought him here.”

“Tch, and that’s exactly what I don’t like about it!”

At Vladimir’s cold reasoning, Kabilla scowled and turned her head sharply. But Runken wasn’t ready to let it go.

“Vladimir. Aren’t you curious? They called him the king of humans! I’ve seen countless kings of beasts, but never a king of humans! Is it true? What power does he hold? Why did the Progenitor bring him?”

“We are vampires, Runken.”

If Runken was fire, then Vladimir was a vast, cold sea. Even in the face of seemingly reasonable curiosity, his response was calm and unshaken.

“Our only king, our only god, is the Progenitor herself. The king of humans is irrelevant to us.”

Fire could snuff out a single droplet, but even the fiercest blaze would be extinguished if cast into the ocean. Before Vladimir’s absolute authority, Runken’s fervor quickly waned.

“Hmph. Fine, fine!”

With heavy footsteps, Runken stomped off. I exhaled in relief—only to stop midway, my breath catching as I noticed the small droplets of blood shimmering around me.

So much for being uninterested. The most dangerous one here had his full attention on me.

The Progenitor has shown interest in humans before, but until now, it was just curiosity. This time, however, something is different. I need to find out what.

The blood droplets hovered around me, watching my every move. I wasn’t about to be dissected while still alive, but Vladimir was observing and evaluating me with meticulous care.

No interest, huh? Sure, maybe he didn’t care about me as the so-called “king of humans.” But as the guest personally brought in by the Progenitor? Oh, he was plenty interested.

At least I could tell he had no intention of harming me. He was only observing, making sure not to interfere beyond that. And that restraint, of course, came from his absolute loyalty to the Progenitor.

But was that really all there was to it? Even if he was a vampire?

I could read human thoughts, but that didn’t mean I knew everything. Just because you read a book once doesn’t mean you fully grasp its underlying meanings and truths. Mind-reading only allowed me to skim the surface, like flipping through pages of a record. That’s why observation was necessary. Sometimes, you had to probe a little.

And I was really itching to probe right now. Flashing a grin, I spoke up.

“Crimson Duke. Where did Tyrkanzyaka go?”

A simple question, but one loaded with implications. Chief among them—a provocation. A subtle way to rub it in that I could casually call their god-queen “Tyr.”

At first, the Elders didn’t even catch on. To them, even the name Tyrkanzyaka was something they rarely spoke aloud, a reverent title rather than just a name. It took a moment for the meaning to register, but then—

Kabilla’s eyes widened in shock.

“...Wait. Wait. Just to be sure, you weren’t calling her by that, were you?”

“I was. Tyr. Your Progenitor, Tyrkanzyaka.”

“Are you out of your damn mind?”

A creature that had devoured humans for centuries stared me down, her bloodlust tangible. Her presence alone was terrifying, but I knew one thing for sure—she couldn’t actually kill me.

Because I was Tyrkanzyaka’s guest.

So instead of flinching, I responded with a casual shrug.

“Oh, come on. We agreed to speak informally with each other. And besides, you call her ‘sis’ all the time, don’t you?”

“That’s different! The Progenitor is my sister! Of course I call her that! But a brat like you calling her by an affectionate nickname—”

Kabilla’s voice rose to a furious screech.

“I can’t stand it! I’m jealous!”

“Oh, you’re jealous? Then why don’t you do the same?”

“How could I? How dare I utter my sister’s sacred name like that...! Whatever! Just don’t do it! You have no right to!”

“What kind of qualifications does someone need to call another person by their name?”

“Age, for starters! My sister is 1,208 years old, and I’m 1,108! There’s a full century between us! If anyone is calling her by an affectionate nickname, it should be me before some wet-behind-the-ears brat like you!”

...Knowing Kabilla, that “wet behind the ears” remark was probably meant in the most literal sense. Only a vampire whose blood had already dried could say something like that with a straight face.

“Is age really that important? Should I just start calling you ‘Grandma’ then?”

“Not even close! My sister is older than your great-great-great-grandmother’s great-great-grandmother! Got it?! Do you understand the sheer gap between you and her?! So stop acting all familiar with her!”

Complete opposite of Tyr. She wanted her age to be acknowledged.

So that was Kabilla’s reaction. Runken probably thought I was insolent, but he wasn’t as meticulous as Kabilla about it.

That just left the one I was most curious about—Vladimir.

“As the Progenitor said earlier, she is at the Dark Lighthouse.”

...Huh? That’s it?

Even while reading his thoughts, I found it strange. Vladimir was curious about me, but it was purely in the sense of academic interest. Unlike Kabilla’s jealousy or Runken’s indifference, his curiosity didn’t cross any boundaries.

Fascinating human. Worth reading.

Meeting his gaze evenly, I pressed further.

“I heard she went to the Dark Lighthouse. But this is my first time hearing about such a place. No one’s explained what it is or where it is. That makes me curious.”

“There is no need for curiosity. It is difficult to comprehend, and even if you did, it would serve no purpose.”

“And what if I just want to know, out of simple curiosity?”

I was expecting some kind of reaction, but disappointingly, Vladimir was just... helpful.

“It is formed from darkness beyond human understanding. I will not describe its form or structure. But I will tell you its function. The Dark Lighthouse is a beacon that signals the Progenitor’s return.”

“A beacon?”

Beacons were lit. How could darkness function as a beacon? The entire area was already shrouded in gloom—starting a fire wouldn’t even be noticeable through all the fog, let alone send a signal.

Just as I tilted my head in confusion—

Darkness erupted from the tower.

If light could flare, then so could its absence.

Vampires were wounded by sunlight. In other words, they were more sensitive to light than anyone else. Even if human eyes saw nothing but the same darkness, vampires could see it. They could sense where it came from, whose it was.

Tyrkanzyaka, who had once wandered in search of a home for vampires, had discovered a land hidden beyond the Cloud Waterfall. She had decided to establish a nation there, but the mist alone wasn’t enough to completely shield it from the light of the rising sun.

So she divided her darkness. She infused the fog with it, spreading it across the entire Duchy. Thanks to that, vampires could live here regardless of whether it was day or night.

Tyrkanzyaka was both the progenitor of the vampires and the eternal queen of the Mist Duchy. That was why even Vladimir, who was effectively the de facto ruler, insisted on being called Duke instead of King.

To honor their Progenitor, the vampires had constructed Dark Lighthouses throughout the Duchy.

Only one being could wield such darkness—the Progenitor herself.

If she ever returned, these lighthouses would ignite, alerting all vampires so they could prepare to welcome her home.

Tyrkanzyaka had just now lit the Dark Lighthouse.

Emerging from the pulsating darkness, she parted the shadows that had taken the rough shape of a tower. First came her glowing crimson eyes, then her pale white skin, and finally, the parasol that hovered around her as if it were a part of the night itself.

Here, surrounded by the very darkness she had bestowed upon her people, Tyrkanzyaka looked more powerful and more otherworldly than ever before.

Light illuminates the land. But here, it was darkness that cast the landscape into relief.

A lighthouse of shadows. How very vampire-like.

This was something I could never have understood by simply reading minds.

Now, with all of the Duchy alerted to her return, Tyrkanzyaka turned to me, smiling gently.

“The entire land now knows of my return. The Duchy shall receive us. Come, Hughes.”

A god was smiling at me.

Honestly, if a god couldn’t be seen or touched, were they really a god? A true god was one who could rule a nation with a mere flick of their fingers.

Seemed I’d backed the right horse.

I reached out my hand and said with an easy grin,

“Then I won’t hesitate to impose a little. I am allowed, right?”

Offering my hand first was a request for an escort—a gesture indicating that I was entrusting my safety to the host. It was a bit of an old-fashioned mannerism, but Tyr liked things like this.

Sure enough, she accepted my request with a pleased smile.

“As much as you wish.”

Without hesitation, she took my hand.

Playing along, I let her lead me forward, but not before sneaking a glance behind me.

Runken and Kabilla were staring.

‘She smiled? Our sister smiled? It’s been centuries since she showed even a trace of that expression!’

‘The Progenitor didn’t just invite him. Sniff, sniff. Something’s off.’

Well? What do you think now?

I wasn’t just some random human.

I’d gone to prison with your Progenitor. I’d held her heart in my hands.

There was a gap between us that couldn’t be closed simply with time.

I shot them a smug grin.

This—this was connections. If you were going to attach yourself to someone, aim for the very top.

Who could say anything to me now?

Vladimir? Ha. What could he possibly do?

...

‘The King of Humans. What did the Progenitor see in him? What changed her dominion over us?’

Vladimir was still watching.

Unlike the other two, he wasn’t swept up by emotions. He was simply observing. Analyzing.

...Tsk.

This one was going to be tricky.

And so, guided by Tyrkanzyaka, I took my first steps into the heart of the Mist Duchy—

A land where humans were nothing more than livestock.