To Be a Power in the shadows part 2

chapter 104

Milia used to be a subordinate of Elizabeth the Queen of Blood.

It was back when vampires still reigned over the night of the world. Even back then, Elizabeth was one of the strongest among progenitors.

Vampires hunted and fed on humans like it was a game. To many of them, humans were no more than mere livestock, to the degree where there were even countries ruled by vampires.

It was the golden age for vampires.

However, within such an era, Elizabeth was the only one who disapproved of feeding on humans more than necessary. She hunted only enough to sustain herself, and did not indiscriminately take lives. There were many vampires very vocally opposed to her way of life. Thus, despite her great strength, she only had very few subordinates.

But then the times turned, and it became the age of darkness for vampires.

It was a nightmarish age where humans hunted vampires. The fall of the first vampire monarchy triggered an explosion of revolts, causing the population of vampires to plunge in the blink of an eye.

At that time, Elizabeth was serving as feudal lord over a border domain within a small kingdom, helping to protect that border and country. She and her subordinates joined hands with the humans living there in farming, in hunting demon monsters, and in managing the land.

Within her territory, vampires did not look down on humans, and humans did not fear vampires. The reason why they were able to build and maintain that relationship was because the vampires there had sworn off human blood.

Vampires cannot live without feeding on human blood.

That claim which was thought to be common sense was proven wrong by Elizabeth personally.

The feeding compulsion that progenitors feel is severals tens of times stronger than what normal vampires feel. The pain she bore was surely unimaginable. However, she managed to keep at it, constantly suffering pain akin to her arm being gnawed through. And her subordinates also followed suit.

These vampires who stopped feeding on blood gradually lost their powers, until their strength was reduced to that of normal humans.

However, in exchange, they gained something.

That something was the ability to live under sunlight. The vampires who stopped feeding on blood became capable of living in the same world of sunlight and beauty as humans.

Furthermore, they also gained a heart of peace. By abstaining from blood and living under the sun, their feeding compulsion gradually thinned out. They became able to adopt the same mentality as humans.

But among them, Elizabeth, as a progenitor, was the only one who remained powerful.

Her skin would still be burned when exposed to sunlight, forcing her to always carry a black parasol when going out. It wasn't so bad that she would turn into ash, but it was not uncommon for progenitors to have a certain degree of resistance against sunlight.

But most importantly, no matter how long she abstained from blood, her almost maddening feeding compulsion never abated.

But even within that agony, she went about everyday like everyone else, parasol in hand. One day, she gathered her subordinates and said to them, "Let us build a land of peace here. A land where humans and vampires can live together in happiness, without fear of discrimination or condemnation......"

With that, she began accepting vampire refugees from outside and bringing them under her protection.

Of course, that was with the condition of abstaining from blood. Among them were those who scorned and opposed her. In all such cases, she would sadly but firmly expel them from her territory. If they refused to comply, she would end them with her own hand.