After hearing this, Luna couldn't help but interject and ask, "So... we weren't human from the beginning?!"

"From what I can see now, it seems that way," Brand replied with a helpless smile.

"Then... who placed the seal on us?" Luna inquired further.

Brand didn't answer immediately, taking a moment to think before responding, "I'm sorry, I don't know the details, but I speculate it might have been your parents."

"Our... parents?! Are they still alive?" Both Luna and I had been without parents since childhood, so hearing about them from someone else was unexpected.

Brand shook his head, "Sorry, I'm not sure about that either. In fact, the existence of the True Ancestors is like a legend to us vampires. Their numbers were already scarce a thousand years ago, and now they're almost extinct. If any of them are still alive, they would be several thousand years old by now..."

"Thou... thousand years?!" I involuntarily gasped, so surprised that I almost couldn't speak.

"There's nothing surprising about that; we vampires are basically immortal beings," Brand explained calmly.

"But... why would they seal our powers and then abandon us here? Were we... abandoned by our parents?" I asked with a hint of sadness.

Brand shook his head and gently reassured me, "No, it's not like that... The power of the True Ancestors is too formidable, attracting many enemies naturally. So I guess... your parents probably wanted to hide you here to keep you safe from harm."

"Is that so..." I knew it was just Brand's speculation, but I sincerely hoped it was true.

"Unfortunately, you were unexpectedly killed by the bandits. And in order to keep you alive, your bodies allowed your vampire traits to resurface. Otherwise, you would probably have perished," he explained further.

"I see... So... is there a way to heal our wounds, or are they beyond recovery?"

Compared to the matter of my own parents, I am more concerned about whether I can still be saved. Just standing here at the moment is almost making me pass out from the pain.

Brand crouched down, carefully examining our bodies and conducting some checks.

"Sorry, please allow me to do some examination... Hmm... This is not good. Although your bodies are aware of the fact that you are vampires, the seal has not disappeared? No wonder the wounds cannot heal on their own..."

"What... what does that mean?" It sounds quite ominous, doesn't it?

"In conclusion, you are currently as weak as humans, with just a few characteristics of vampires added. If you want to unleash the regenerative power that vampires originally possess, you need to completely remove the seals on your bodies."

"Remove... the seals?! Is there any way to reseal them?"

If possible, I still hope to live as a human, but... Brand replied with a troubled expression:

"Well... unfortunately, if someone could seal the power of vampires from ancient times like yours, it would probably only be your parents who could do it. So once it's removed, it's probably impossible to return to being human."

"This..."

Just the thought that I might not be able to turn back into a human made me hesitate.

No... that's not right. What do I have to hesitate about? If things continue like this, our wounds won't heal, and what awaits us is probably a dead end. Even if we don't die physically, we probably won't be able to endure it mentally.

I had no choice but to plead with Brand:

"Could you... help us remove the seal? I don't know... how much longer I can hold on."

Although Luna didn't say anything, from her posture, it seemed she was also nearing her limit. If we lost consciousness like this, we probably wouldn't wake up again.

But after pondering for a while, Brand answered me with a troubled expression:

"...This... it might be a bit difficult..."

"Why? Can't the seal be removed?!" I asked him, disappointment written all over my face.

But Brand just shook his head, looking troubled as he explained the reason:

"It's not that... Although it's very difficult, with my power, I should be able to remove it. But your parents wouldn't have placed such a large-scale seal on you without reason. If I were to help you remove it just like that, I'm afraid it might interfere with your parents' intentions."

"Our... parents?!"

"Yes... In any case, this is a matter for your bloodline, and others cannot interfere. It's an unwritten rule among the bloodlines. If I forcefully remove the seal for you, it could potentially cause disputes among the bloodlines..."

As soon as he mentioned our parents, I couldn't help but roar in frustration:

"It's none of their business, right? They abandoned us in this village for so many years, never once came back to see us, we didn't even know if they were alive or dead. If they're still alive, I won't forgive them! So even if I remove this seal, it has nothing to do with them, because it's my own decision."

Even though my tone was firm, it didn't sway Brand's determination. He still hesitated and said:

"But... I find it difficult to interfere with the norms among the bloodlines. Why don't we think of other ways? I can try to find someone to treat you, or..."

"Waaah!"

Just then, Luna, who was beside us, seemed to have reached her limit. Her body swayed, almost fainting.

"Luna!"

Both Brand and I nervously supported her to prevent her from collapsing. After Luna steadied herself again, she forced a smile with a pale face and looked at me:

"I'm fine, sister... Luna can still... hold on... cough... cough..."

Luna's voice grew weaker and weaker, clearly showing that she was just barely holding on. Meanwhile, another pool of blood had formed at our feet, indicating that the situation was getting worse.

"Are we... going to die like this? Vampires... shouldn't die so easily, right?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Brand turned to look at me, his expression troubled as he softly replied:

"Vampires indeed possess considerable resilience, and even with injuries of this severity, it's unlikely to lead to death so easily... In principle, you're both vampires, but since the seal on your bodies hasn't been removed, you only have the recovery ability of humans at the moment. If you continue to weaken as humans... it's indeed possible that you might die."

Hearing his words, I had no choice but to once again plead with Brand:

"Please... we don't want to die like this. Can you please help us get better? If this continues... we... won't be able to hold on much longer."

Dragging along with near-fatal wounds, yet unable to receive treatment, I began to feel increasingly weak as blood continued to drain from my body. Witnessing our deteriorating condition, Brand finally made up his mind.

"Well...! No matter what, I can't let the progeny of the True Ancestor perish like this. I will find a way to remove the seals on your bodies and make you complete vampires. However, by doing so, you will step into the darkness as vampires, never to able to return to the sunlight... Are you okay with that?"

"The current situation... leaves us with no choice, right...?"

Brand looked at me with a serious expression and said earnestly:

"No... You still have the option to peacefully accept death."

"Uh...!?" Was he serious?

"You need to think carefully. Once you turn your back on the sunlight and step into the night, what awaits you is an endless road of loneliness and a future without hope. Living like that... would be far more painful than death. If you still choose to live despite knowing this, then I will remove the seals for you and make you true vampires."

"I..."

At that moment, I couldn't grasp the full meaning behind Brand's words, nor did I understand what kind of price becoming a vampire would entail. But if I chose death, then there would be no future to speak of. If I wanted to know what kind of future being a vampire would bring, then I could only find out by living it.

Glancing at Luna, we nodded at each other, understanding without words, and made the same choice.

"We... want to live! Please, remove the seals for us... Even if it means becoming vampires."

Seeing our decision, Brand's expression relaxed, and he immediately began preparing to lift the seals.

"I see... I understand. If you become full vampires, your injuries should heal quickly. However... removing the seals is also very dangerous. If something goes wrong, it could cause you even greater harm... Do you trust me?"

"I trust you, but... Mr. Brand, but why do you want to help us?"

I asked this because Brand's appearance seemed too coincidental, and his unwavering assistance started to make me suspicious. Moreover, he was a real vampire - could I really trust him?

I knew it was quite impolite not to trust someone who had already helped us so much. However, entrusting our fate to him next meant asking some questions to put my mind at ease.

But Brand's character was much more noble than I had imagined. He didn't seem offended by my question; instead, he just smiled warmly and replied:

"Hehe... It's good to be cautious. Not everyone's motives are as pure as mine. After all, the existence of your true ancestors is like a legend, and there are plenty of bad guys who want to take you down to make a name for themselves."

"What!? Take us down!?" Who did we offend?

Then he raised his hand and gently patted my shoulder, speaking with seriousness:

"Of course. The more famous you are, the more attention you attract. The path you'll tread from now on will be filled with bloodshed and conflict."

"Is... is that so..." It was terrifying to think that there were various types of people among vampires.