Chapter 21
That night.
“Haa… I’m exhausted.”
Ariella felt completely drained.
After the library construction was finished, she had spent several days reviewing the account books.
Next, she went with Ludwig to the bridge construction site and personally arrested the goblin overseer.
Then, she even attended the interrogation.
As expected, the overseer claimed he “knew nothing.”
But contrary to his claims, his house was full of suspicious documents.
This has Bephar, that vampire, written all over it.
There was no way something like this could happen without going through the one in charge of finances.
No wonder he got all twitchy when she said she was going to check the books.
When she told Ludwig this, he looked deeply shaken.
It hadn’t been long, but he’d trusted this subordinate—only to find out the man had been bleeding the territory dry for years.
Ludwig had looked ready to chop off his head immediately, but Ariella stopped him.
She remembered their conversation:
“Don’t move yet.”
“Why?!”
“We don’t have solid proof. The goblin we caught isn’t talking either.”
“But all the evidence points to that vampire—!”
“If you kill a retainer just because things look suspicious, what do you think the others will think?”
“…?”
“If you kill a subordinate once without proof, you can do it twice, three times. Everyone will know that.”
Once people believe they can be executed any time, guilty or not, they’ll stop giving true loyalty.
Some might even run away before they can be targeted.
Ariella pointed this out, and Ludwig finally calmed down.
She planned to find a solid piece of evidence—something that could directly prove Bephar’s crimes—using the documents she’d already gathered.
“A few days. That’s all I need.”
Ludwig agreed in the end.
But for today… I’m done.
Her body was already at its limit.
She sighed at the mountain of papers filling her room. She couldn’t hand them to anyone else—this was too sensitive.
And honestly, besides Bephar’s own people, there was no one in this land who could even analyze these numbers.
That’s another problem with this territory.
All the financial work was handled by Bephar and his vampires.
There was no independent audit system at all. Compared to a human kingdom or estate, this place was completely slapdash. It was a miracle it even functioned.
Even after turning off the light and lying down, Ariella’s head kept spinning with thoughts.
Ludwig also needs to learn how the territory works. At the very least, he should know how to read.
The worries piled up.
Life here was nothing like the peaceful magic research she’d dreamed of.
Instead of studying spells, she was worrying about the ruler’s reading skills.
Her thoughts spread like ink in water. Sleepiness pushed in, and her breathing slowly grew steady.
“…”
Once she was completely asleep—
Ssshhk!
Uninvited guests began approaching her quiet room.
Two vampires, personally sent by Bephar.
They were his blood kin, loyal to him above the Demon King.
They crossed the hall and stopped outside Ariella’s door.
— This is it? The human contractee’s quarters.
— Just like we heard.
There were no magical wards, just an ordinary lock.
No one would imagine someone would try to harm the Demon King’s contract partner inside the castle.
One vampire began unlocking the door with magic while the other kept watch.
— What’s taking so long? It’s just a simple lock.
— Wait a sec.
The reason Bephar sent two for a single human was because he still remembered her fierce aura from last time.
Click.
— Got it!
They slipped inside, speaking mind-to-mind with magic.
— Over there!
The room was pitch-dark.
The magical “sun” Ludwig had created dimmed at night, and the heavy curtains blocked what little light there was.
The butler, Gruve, had hung them to help Ariella sleep better.
But vampires could see perfectly well in the dark.
There was a bed in the center, the blanket bulging where someone lay—Ariella.
— Good.
They exchanged a glance and nodded, moving in from both sides in case she woke and tried to flee.
This’ll be easy.
This woman had made trouble for their true master.
That couldn’t be allowed.
Bephar’s followers lived far better than the rest of the territory—rich, comfortable, even owning homes and land in other Demon King domains.
They had no intention of letting some human ruin their “golden age.”
They cast stealth magic and crept up to her.
Then—
Huh?
Flash!
Ariella’s eyes opened.
It wasn’t because she heard anything—they were too skilled to make noise.
Instead, she felt it—a strange, unnatural pull running through her whole body.
Why did I wake up? I can’t see anything…
Her half-asleep mind searched for a solution. No light at all.
As a mage, she instinctively reached for magic.
If there’s no candle, then make light.
She moved her mana and whispered the spell:
“Light.”
“…!”
“…!”
The assassins froze. She had been asleep a second ago—now she was casting magic.
A simple Light spell, most likely.
“Damn it, go!”
No more caution—they rushed her.
After all, Light magic was harmless—it only lit up a dark room.
But—
Ah, too much again.
Still groggy, Ariella forgot to restrain herself when moving her mana.
And Ludwig was back in the castle, very close by.
The result was obvious.
Whoooosh!
Mana not her own came pouring into her—Ludwig’s, rushing in like a waterfall.
Don’t tell me I’m gonna knock someone out again…
The transfer happened at lightning speed.
By the time Ariella realized, the spell had already triggered.
Right before the vampires could strike—light exploded from her fingertips.
A blinding flash, stronger than she intended—and nothing the vampires had expected.
Flaaash!
“Aaaaargh!”
“Kyaaaaagh!”
Both screamed, and Ariella nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Wha—what the?!”
Whoosh!
The Light magic ripped through the darkness in her room.
It was wild and ferocious—nothing like the soft candlelight she’d meant to create.
Instead, what she’d summoned looked like…
…the sun?
