It has been exactly two months ever since I asked Kler to train me in hand-to-hand combat. It was going well until my progress started stagnating due to being unable to earn the skill because of :Skill Manipulation: halfway through. At the time of this happening, Jacob the halfling left the village. The day after then came the first hunter visitor though he was just passing by to get to Aalto Adrian. Nothing much happened except for the fact that, out of nowhere, on a perfectly peaceful day, Aurias started rampaging attacking everyone in sight and trying to suck out their blood.

Good thing I was accompanying him to his dungeon at the time along with Blake so only the two of us saw what happened to him and I immediately forced down his throat plenty of the blood in my storage that came from hunters that knew I am a vampire. I'm going to have to ask for more before I depart because of that incident. After explaining the circumstances to them after the incident, they agreed to it so long that he kept it in moderation. I suggested it to be one different person every month but it seems that I've underestimated the humans of this world, Kler has suggested for it to be two different people a month. Apparently, that was the schedule his previous assailant set for him. He has survived for more than a decade or two even while under small illnesses, severe weakness, and stagnation, so a healthy person will be just fine even under that much he said. Kler was a high human though but that was apparently the reason he was able to escape, the constant contact with the vampire's mana and saliva has allowed him to evolve. I didn't ask further, but I'm keeping notes and will investigate further about that since I am a vampire of a higher caliber.

That aside, Aurias' dungeon has seen a considerable amount of development. Considerable enough for novice and veteran hunters alike to hunt in it. Herbs for novices, monsters for veterans. I don't know the details or how it works because the people themselves tending to it apparently don't understand either, the core wouldn't say anything except 'I do not know' when asked as if it was a set program even though it looked like it had a life of its own when normally talked to. There might be something that is stopping it from telling us or it just genuinely doesn't know though I doubt the latter. And Aurias can take the dungeon core with him. No need to say that Chief was very surprised as that was apparently never seen before. There's only a dummy core there now and the original is in one of Aurias' pouches. I wanted to take it with me but apparently, he needs it near him to do things such as see what's going on inside the dungeon or cast magic like how mages have to use some form of tool. Guess I'll just take him with me if I ever come back to this village someday.

That said, "Are you still good to go, Kler?" I asked to Kler who is currently grasping hard for air as he sat on the ground.

"Young miss… have mercy with this old man, I am not aging backward… sigh…" As he was wiping the sweat off his forehead he stood up and looked at me.

"I guess that is just what one would expect from a celestial vampire, your stamina is monstrous. I must say though, you're so much better than a lot of my previous students though you're probably still no match to this one boy named Arthur that I trained out of pity. Though with magic then you might win, he was never the best at magic control," he said with a smile on his face.

(Arthur, huh… he was thought by Kler? Or are we thinking of a different Arthur? In any case…)

"Kler, your life expectancy should be a lot longer now after your evolution so don't say that as if you're already rotting bones," I refuted.

"Hahaha! That's right, though I still can't keep up with you. Actually, I don't think anyone aside from me can keep fighting training with you for twenty-four hours¹I am settling with 24 hours. It makes things less complicated in this already complicated world with a complicated power system due to the author's previous lack of experience. straight in this mercenary group. That's almost a whole day, you know!?"

Right, the mercenary registration was accepted after a few inspections last week. There's also been a notice of a likely emergence of a new hunters' and commerce guild in this village if the population exceeds an amount that we were not informed about. Though they did say that it will likely happen since the dungeon isn't the only hunting grounds here. You do remember that this village is in a forest previously a monster's den, right? So several monsters still spawn around here though Blake's group has thinned them to a level that they won't threaten anyone so long they're not stupid enough to get ambushed. I in fact have seen quite a few of them moving in packs of five or more, though they're still rare to come by in such numbers. They're also just a bunch of wild animals that are considered monsters in this world, but if this is Earth, they're just bigger animals.

"That aside, let's take a seat there and take a rest. Tell me about the new residents in the village. I've been a little too busy improving my own strength that I've left pretty much everything to Nar and Blake," After I said so Kler nodded with a smile, and then Li and Lo came running towards Kler.

"Gramps." "Grandpa!" Li and Lo said respectively.

"Oh, would you look at that? Those two are already awake even though it's still so early," Kler said before heading towards the running twins.

"Did you come to train with us, Li, Lo?" He then asked.

"Yes! We wanted to try sparing with the young miss after that time at the dungeon!"

"Well, aren't they motivated? That aside though, why are they calling me young miss, too?" I asked after greeting the two with a slight bow which surprised them for some reason.

"I told them to because I told them I want them to be your servant like your personal maids. They both unhesitatingly agreed though I'd like it if they put a little more thought into it…"

"Yes, we thought that we will learn a lot from the young miss since like us, you also use multiple types of weapons."

"I see, but you should understand that I won't need them and that they will just become dead weights to me, right?" I said before looking at the cheerful twins that somehow didn't lose their smiles even after what I said.

I then looked at Kler who was looking at me and the twins with a gentle smile like usual.

"Hmmm," I hummed to their expressions.

"You should've figured it out by now, right?" Said Kler after smiling wider.

"… no, I have multiple ideas but I'd rather hear it from you guys," I simply replied.

"I see. It's simple really, we just asked for one of the three requests from Blake's contract with you," He shrugged and said so.

"What?" I asked, genuinely unable to grasp the reasoning why though it probably didn't show in my expression.

"Well, we wanted to somehow repay you for all of the things you've done for us and we thought that it would be best for you if we are to lend you a little manpower while getting rid of one of the requests," He explained as he leads the twins by their hands' side by side to the bench that I was sitting on.

"Then wouldn't adults be best for that role? Like, they can pretend they are my adopted parents so I wouldn't be continuously questioned at country border gates or when entering a new town…"

"Well yes, there's that but since half-elves are indistinguishable from vampires because their ears are of the same length we could have miss Lory pretend to be your mother and Li and Lo as your sisters. If it weren't for their crimson eyes then they will look like from the same race but since yours are only like that in the middle then there's no problem so long none focuses on them too much," He said as they sat beside me.

"No, you don't get it…" I wanted to refute but before I could talk he suddenly had a solemn look on his face before saying.

"I instead that they come with you to the others and I wish to insist to you, too, to please take them with you," He then said.

"But, I see no benefit for either of us. They may learn some things from me but then they will be put into constant danger because of what I usually do, and you would not be able to see them too. While I stand to gain nothing but possible deadweight."

He groaned before saying, "That's the reason, young miss. You only see things or people based on what you gain from them. I want you to change that. WE want you to change that. And this is the best way I have come up with. To be accompanied by lovely people. You may already have Miss Lory but she is just not enough. I am concerned for your future if you don't learn anything about friendship or just attachment…" He said. It's obvious from his expression that he was being genuine.

"I… see…" I then smiled and looked at him eye-to-eye to which he smiled.

"You truly are one kind person, Mister Kler," His smile grew gentler and sweeter after what I said, but I then added…

"But there's a problem…" Noticing that there was something wrong after staring into my eyes, Kler's face was filled with sorrow.

"I… can't feel emotions," as soon as those words left my small mouth, the atmosphere took a whole 180 degrees and their expressions were filled with nothing but pain.

Silence.

After a few minutes of staring at each others' eyes, I left the trio for breakfast.

*****

Noon. 16th hour of the day.

"Are all of your luggage packed already, Li, Lo?" Lory smilingly asked the twins that wore dejected looks on their adorable faces.

"Yes," They both replied at the same time.

"In the end, I will still need to take them with me? Haven't I already told you that I'm planning to go to the Hyuu continent? You'll be a whole sea apart from your granddaughters, you know?" I asked to my left where Kler stood as we watch Lory lead the two to our carriage.

"Yes. After what I've learned then the more I think that you need them. Though we ended up taking two requests off the contract it was all very worth it," Kler said with his usual gentle smile though hints of sorrow could be seen in his expression.

"Hm, well, regaining my emotions is currently my ultimate goal so it helps. I also got rid of two of the three requests. Two birds with one stone, or is it three since it's two requests?"

"Oh well. I'm leaving their wellbeing to you, young miss."

"Don't worry about it, it's one of the requests after all. Though I added that to the contract for you to use to help the village flourish even more but… your kindness. I hadn't taken it into account," I sighed in resignment.

"Haha! That's what you get for being too distant, young miss!" Garga the dwarf shouted as he walked towards us along with his party.

"Distant, huh… not my fault, not my problem."

Lory then butted in and said that the preparations is finished and that we were ready to depart anytime.

After giving our farewells, with the sound of the whip, we departed.

As the well-designed village walls were getting further, Li and Lo suddenly tugged my coat's hem and said, "We'll do our best, young miss!" with determination on their faces.

"I see. Them I am counting on you two," I said before making two sets of clothes with my improved control over :Magic Creation: and handed it over to them which they looked at with confusion.

"As maids that is. Ehe," I said with a cheeky silly tone and smile.

*****