Project Necro is an official initiative by Re:Library.

“—Arje-san? Hey, Arje-san. Wake up, please.”
“Nya?”

Since I’d been woken up, I got up without protest.
As I sat up, rubbing my sleepy eyes, I saw a starry sky through the hole in the ceiling. I wonder what she does on rainy days in this shed?

“Is it still nighttime?”
“It’s already nighttime. You must sleep very soundly.”
“Hehe, not really.”
“I’m not complimenting you! And why does your voice sound so happy while your face stays completely serious!?”
“It’s a vampire specialty.”
“I-Is that so? That’s amazing.”

Though she made a slightly skeptical face, Kuzuha-chan seemed convinced.
Hmm, if she believes a lie like that so easily, then this kid really is simple-minded.
Maybe because I slept on the fluffy straw, I don’t feel too stiff, but stretching always seems to refresh me, so I stretched as usual. Yeah, I feel refreshed.

“Arje-san, your front! Your front!”
“Huh? Oh, sorry.”

It seems the blanket I was wrapped in had slipped down. Since Kuzuha-chan pointed it out, I put it back on.
I don’t really mind, but it’s rude to make the other person worry about it.
Then again, I feel like Kuzuha-chan’s the one to blame to begin with, and I think it’s a bit odd for someone who was just hitting a naked person with fire and wind to be the one making a fuss about it.
Wrapping the blanket around me and stepping away from the straw, I saw two plates lined up on the ground.

“What is this?”

My thoughts came out as words. I was so confused by what was in front of me that I just blurted it out.
The plates themselves were flat and round, with slightly deepened rims—the kind commonly called soup bowls. What I couldn’t figure out was what was sitting on top of them.
It was clearly hard to call it soup. It was a yellowish-white color and looked sticky. That stuff was piled high on the plates.
The smell that reached my nose was an unpleasant mix of sweet and sour.

……Rotten rice porridge?

That’s the only way to describe it. No matter how you look at it, this is hardly something you’d call food. It’s worse than dog food.
Kuzuha-chan sat in seiza position in front of the plate and pressed her hands together. With her fox-colored hair hanging down, she bowed deeply and said,

“I’m going to eat now.”
“Wait a minute.”

In an almost reflexive motion, I snatched the plate from in front of her.
I quickly tossed the failed, half-formed mess on the plate into the blood box. I did the same with the other plate—presumably my portion.

“……Arje-san?”

Kuzuha-chan turned to look at me with a puzzled expression.
I’m sorry I snatched your food away right when you were about to eat it, but I think I made the right call.

……Honestly, this would definitely give you an upset stomach.

It’s not good to eat something that can’t even be called food.
Just seeing it being eaten right in front of me makes me feel sick. In my opinion, children should be given something fresher and more nutritious to eat.
She probably eats this kind of thing on a daily basis, but I just couldn’t ignore it.

“…Thank you for the meal. Did you get this from the lord?”
“Y-yes. I received it while you were sleeping. Um, I’m sorry it’s not exactly delicious, but… did you just eat that?”
“Yes. Vampires can eat food with their hands.”
“Is that so!?”
“That’s right. I can even eat from my elbow.”
“T-That’s amazing…!”

Yeah, she actually believes me, which is kind of funny, so I’ll just let it slide. Her sparkling cat-like—no, fox-like—eyes are cute, anyway.
I take a few nuts and fruits out of the Blood Box and hand them to Kuzuha-chan.
See? Much better than eating something that might not even be food.

“This is to make up for eating your portion. Here you go.”
“…Is that really okay? Seriously?”
“Yes. It’s an apology, after all.”
“…Thank you.”

Bowing her little head even lower than she did when she was about to eat that rotten porridge, Kuzuha-chan starts eating the nuts. It seems she’s finally understood my intentions.
I can go without eating for a few days, and I still have plenty of food left.
Since Behaki seems to be eating the grass growing around here for now, giving away a single meal for a young girl isn’t much of a burden.
After waiting for Kuzuha-chan to finish eating, I gather my thoughts.

“Kuzuha-chan, are you satisfied with how you’re being treated right now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Being separated from your mother, staying here alone, and eating meals like this… doesn’t it get hard sometimes?”
“…My mother is fulfilling her duties. I can’t be the one complaining around.”
“I see… Don’t you feel lonely?”
“…Just a little. It’s been several months since I last saw her. We always communicate through messages. I do wish I could see Mother just once and tell her myself that I’m doing my best…”

I’d thought both the lord and her parents were terrible people, but as I listened to Kuzuha-chan’s story in detail, I began to wonder if perhaps the situation was different.

…Her parents, too, maybe?

If her parent is as gullible as her, then I can sort of understand the current situation.
I’m not saying parents never treat their children badly, but it’s more likely for a stranger to harm another stranger than that.

Lowering my gaze, I noticed an empty plate. An empty dish, its contents already retrieved by the blood box.
What was on the plate was by no means a proper meal, but for her, it was surely the best hospitality she could offer.

“Excuse me, Kuzuha-chan. I’m going out for a bit.”
“Huh? Where are you going?”
“I’m full, so I’m going out for some fresh air. If I’m late, feel free to go ahead and sleep.”

Without waiting for Kuzuha-chan’s reply, I stood up and headed for the exit.
I pushed open the wooden plank—now little more than a hole—that no longer served as a door, and stepped outside.

“Well then, shall we go?”

I’d slept well and eaten my fill.
A little exercise would probably help me sleep soundly again.
I focused my sense of smell and tracked down the direction of the human scent. I don’t sense as many people as I did in Arlescha, so it’s probably a small village.
I stowed the blanket in the blood box and transformed myself into a bat.

……In a way, I’m just paying back a favor.

What she served to me was by no means what you’d call a meal, but that’s not the point.
What matters is how I feel about the sentiment behind it. What she offered was more than enough of a favor to me—it’s a burden.

I’ll meet with her mother, confirm her true intentions, and bring her back if possible.
I might as well repay that favor while I’m out and about.
Flapping my bat wings, I took flight. I took the shortest, least troublesome route—and flew straight at it.