Of course, I didn't want to get involved in any of this, so I immediately refused:

"Um... can we decline? We don't want to have anything to do with other vampires..."

But Brand didn't see it that way. He sighed softly:

"You can decline, but others may not see it the same way. After all, lineage and power are undeniable facts. As long as you still exist in this world, there will be no one else recognized as the vampire king."

"W-wait... as long as we still exist in this world!?" Did I hear that correctly?

"Yes... In other words, there may be many people who want to kill you to take your place. It's not everyone, but there will definitely be some with such intentions. After all, in the nights ruled by our vampire clan, strength is everything, and the weak must obey the strong."

After hearing Brand's words, I felt a chill in my heart.

Would we have to live in constant fear of being attacked at any moment in the future? Who did we offend? We sacrificed our human identity, barely escaping death, only to face such a grim fate.

Perhaps my anxious expression was evident, as Brand immediately reassured me:

"Don't worry, I can't sense that oppressive feeling from you anymore. As long as your identity isn't discovered, no one should come looking for trouble."

"Wait...?"

Come to think of it... since just now, the oppressive feeling that Luna brought to me has disappeared. Not only that, but even the repulsive aura on myself has almost vanished without a trace.

Although I'm still somewhat different from my human self, compared to just now, I can hardly feel that power anymore.

"Why... has it truly disappeared...? Are we still vampires now?"

Brand suddenly paused, then looked at me and replied:

"Well... um... this might be because you still don't know how to control your powers, perhaps? Anyway, you've indeed become vampires now, there's no doubt about that."

"Is that so..." I couldn't help feeling a complex mix of emotions.

If we could just turn back into humans like this, then it wouldn't matter if we lost our powers. But now, we can't revert to being human, and we don't have the powers we should have... I can't help but feel like we're at a loss.

"Then... why did our powers suddenly decrease? Did the seal removal fail?"

Brand didn't answer me immediately; instead, he fell silent for a moment. He reached up to pull his hat down slightly, avoiding eye contact with me, before speaking with a helpless tone:

"Well... unfortunately, I'm not sure why your powers suddenly decreased. But I can assure you that the seal has been completely lifted. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to use the vampire's regenerative abilities for healing, right?"

"Yeah, that's true. So... do we have a way to regain our powers?"

He still shook his head lightly:

"Sorry... I'm not very sure about that either. But... for now, maintaining this state might also be a good choice."

"Uh...? But didn't you just say... that strength is everything?"

"Yes, that's true. However... whether you have strength or not, you've just entered the world of the night. So, it's wiser to remain inconspicuous rather than having great power but not knowing how to use it. With you in your current state, it should be difficult for anyone to realize that you're true ancestors."

Upon hearing this, I understood his meaning and quickly asked:

"Are you saying that nobody will know we're true ancestors, so there won't be any reason for anyone to attack us?"

"Exactly, but it's possible that your vampire identity could be discovered. It's better to temporarily conceal your true ancestor status until you're accustomed to the night life and understand this underworld. Even if you have that power, trying to dominate the residents of the underworld would be too much for you right now."

I waved my hands emphatically as I responded:

"No, no, I don't want to dominate anyone in the underworld, or be a ruler... Let's just stay like this."

Since there's still a choice, I naturally prefer to keep a low profile. As long as I'm not targeted by anyone, having no power doesn't matter to me at all, as I have zero interest in power anyway.

Speaking of which, Brand suddenly looked up at the sky.

"Alright... it'll be dawn in a few hours, so before that, let's find a place to hide from the sun."

"...Hide from the sun?" Luna curiously questioned him.

"Yes, because as you are now, being exposed to the sun will turn you to ashes."

"Uh... Huh!? Wait, what!?"

Luna and I were both shocked at the same time.

It sounded rather ominous. Do vampires really turn to ashes when exposed to sunlight?

But more than that, I wanted to seize the opportunity to ask him more questions now. There's no time for me to escape from reality. Whether or not the vampire thing is true or false, if I want to survive in this absurd fantasy world, I need to gather as much information as possible.

I picked up the book about vampires in my hand and showed it to Brand, while asking:

"By the way, besides being afraid of sunlight, are there any other weaknesses that vampires have? We have no concept of the vampire world at all, so I hope you can teach us more."

Brand glanced at the book in my hand and then chuckled lightly:

"Heh... you can't rely on those kinds of books. Weaknesses depend on the individual vampire's constitution. For example, some vampires are afraid of holy water, crucifixes, silver, garlic, but... there are also vampires who are not affected by any of those. Some weaknesses can even be overcome through training, so the existence of weaknesses varies for each vampire."

With that said, Brand suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the sky, looking at me seriously:

"However... sunlight can be said to be the only common weakness among vampires. If the skin is directly exposed to sunlight, the body will be severely burned. If exposed for a long time, it could even turn to ashes, and regeneration is impossible."

"Wait a minute! So you mean we have to wait until nightfall to move around?!"

"Yes, that's right. Vampire's activity time is completely opposite to humans, it's during the night."

As soon as Brand declared this, Luna immediately expressed her dissatisfaction:

"Ugh... How could that be! I don't like the night..."

Brand could only helplessly comfort her:

"I'm sorry, but as far as I know, there haven't been any exceptions to this rule so far... Um..."

As he said this, he seemed to remember something and his expression became somewhat awkward.

"Well, maybe there are... but those are extremely rare exceptions..."

"Really?! How did he manage to do that?!" I quickly asked him.

"No, no, those are extremely rare exceptions and not to be taken as a reference. Besides, they manage to avoid sunlight through some method, so it's not accurate to say they're truly immune to it."

"...I see..." Luna and I lowered our heads in disappointment together.

Seeing us so dejected, Brand added a few more words:

"Actually... in ancient legends, there were also some who believed that true ancestors could ignore sunlight..."

"R-really?!" Luna and I immediately lit up with hope again.

If we could live under the sunlight, we would be essentially no different from humans.

But seeing us so happy, Brand quickly changed his tone and warned us sternly:

"Wait a minute, it's better for you not to try it casually. After all, it's just a rumor, and whether it's true or not, no one knows. So far, I haven't seen any vampire survive after being exposed to direct sunlight. Please don't just go out and try it! If you turn into ashes like that, I can't bear that responsibility."

"We... we understand." Both of us nodded vigorously.

I understood Brand's concern wasn't just alarmist talk. Even though I couldn't comprehend why vampires would fear sunlight, I would definitely steer clear of it now that I knew how dangerous it was for us. After all, who would dare to try it again knowing the risks? I had barely salvaged my life, and I didn't want to turn to ashes out of curiosity.

Seeing us obediently listening, Brand sighed with relief:

"That's good. But... you two are really modest. I thought you might be angry."

"Why would we be angry?" Luna asked.

"Because generally, the older a vampire's bloodline, the higher their status, and consequently, the more arrogant their attitude. But... you two are different from others. Not only do you lack any arrogance, but you're also friendly and approachable."

"Haha... well, thank you..." I chuckled wryly.

I really didn't know if Brand's remarks were meant to be complimentary or not. But there was nothing to be done about it. We had lived in poverty since childhood, so even if he told me we were princesses of some great kingdom, it wouldn't matter, right? It would be more useful if he gave me some money instead.

Perhaps sensing my displeasure, Brand immediately spoke earnestly to me:

"Don't underestimate yourselves. Even if you're different from the true ancestors I imagined, in all my years of life, this is the first time I've encountered vampires of your true ancestor level. For vampires, it's like meeting an idol superstar or a king of a nation – it's extremely rare. So, to have the honor of meeting you like this is the highest privilege for us vampires."

I couldn't help but look at myself and feel somewhat incredulous. Even if he praised us so highly, it wouldn't change anything. Forget about status or money, just getting by day to day was already a headache for us.

I scratched my head a bit skeptically and said sheepishly, "Really? I don't think I'm that amazing... I feel like you should be much more formidable than us."

"It's not necessarily the case. It's because you've just become official vampires, so it's normal not to be used to it. But I believe it won't be long before you surpass me."

"I doubt that's very likely," I quipped.

I wasn't entirely sure how strong Brand actually was, but after the seal was lifted, I could clearly sense an inexplicable pressure emanating from him. Fortunately, Brand wasn't our enemy, because I could tell he wasn't an easy opponent to deal with.