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The morning’s tranquility was shattered by a shrill chorus of cries.
The cries came from many birds, and there was only one reason they were making such a racket.

…An intruder, huh!

The forest I protect. That means some insolent intruder has arrived. In other words, it’s a signal calling me out.
I grab my axe, stamp my feet firmly on the ground, and race through the forest. Though I feel sorry that the ground is torn up and flowers are scattered with every step, I can’t worry about that now. If I don’t hurry there, the entire forest will be in danger.

Poachers come time and time again, trying to steal the forest’s bounty.
Naturally, as long as they don’t escape, I make sure they pay the price. But whether they just don’t learn their lesson or are desperate for whatever this forest holds, their numbers never seem to decrease.

Dealing with them is a hassle, but it’s my job—and it’s become much easier than before. The reason lies in a certain power that lives within me.

…It’s the contract Nee-san gave me!

Arje-neesan, the silver-haired vampire. The blood contract she bestowed upon me has granted me immense power.
On top of that, I haven’t slacked off either. I’ve trained relentlessly to overcome my speed limitations, and my skills as a Guardian of the Realm have improved as well.
Lately, I’ve even started to be able to cast simple spells. I’m definitely growing stronger.

“BUUMOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

I raced through the forest at a speed I couldn’t reach just a short while ago, letting out a roar.
Come on, poachers. I’m here. I’ve come to bring you to justice. That’s the message behind my roar.
Usually, this causes the panicked poachers to fall into the traps set by the goblins and kobolds. Lately, they’ve been even more cooperative than before, which has been a huge help.

Using the echoing calls of the birds as my guide, I headed toward the intruder.
They had his back to me. The distance was far, but since I’d been flaunting my presence this much and running without worrying about my footsteps, there’s no way they hadn’t noticed me. Are you trying to lure me? Well, I’ll play along.

I took a leap forward.
My trusty weapon is already raised overhead. All that’s left is the timing.
Rather than slicing through the air, I’m going in to crush it. It’s a massive axe, even longer than my opponent’s height. The blade, with its extreme pressure, isn’t meant to slice—it’s meant to crush the opponent.

“Waver.”

The moment those familiar words reached my ears, I chose to let go of my weapon.
Naturally, the axe was left behind and fell to the ground, but I didn’t care. I discarded it without hesitation and spun to a sudden halt.
I wasn’t just spinning. I swung my now-free arm in all directions, delivering blows in every direction. Regardless of whether they’d land, I moved based on the judgment that if I didn’t do this now, I might be in danger.

Was she on guard, or was she just taking it easy? A few meters ahead of me, after I’d completed a full spin, she was standing there. Judging by the distance, it looked like she’d dodged it with ease.
A ghost-like woman with short, black hair swaying in the breeze. I don’t know her name, but I’ll never forget her face.
I’m not so naive as to think I could easily forget that lecherous smile with those amber eyes narrowed in a sly grin.

“You’re back again, you…!!”

I glared at her with fury, but she still seemed like a ghost. She showed no sign of being intimidated, as if my gaze were simply slipping right past her.
I felt the unpleasant sensation of being ignored, and I wanted to run off immediately, but I held myself back.
If I let my temper get the better of me against this opponent, the fight would become like trying to grab something that can’t be grasped. “Calm down,” I told myself.

“Hmph. So you’ve started to think a little, have you?”

The opponent wasn’t even moving—let alone taking a fighting stance. She was just hurling words at me.

“…What do you want?”

No.
I thought that because the opponent’s demeanor had changed so drastically.
The malicious underhandedness from when we fought before was gone. Compared to the other day, she seemed much more passive.
It didn’t so much seem like she was feeling confident as it did like they had no interest in the forest or me.

My opponent shrugged as if exasperated. Even though she had no interest in me, she still made a point of taunting me with every move—it seemed like she was just being her true self. Her nasty personality really shines through.

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? I’m here to settle the score with Vampyr!”
“Huh? Wampy?”
“Vampyr!!”

I’m no Arje-neesan, but I couldn’t quite make it out. It was a word I didn’t really recognize.
I don’t really recognize it. Yeah, not at all. I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere before. Where was it, though…?

“Uh…”
“…………”
“Ah…”
“…………”
“Hmm…”
“Argento! Argento Vampyr!!”
“Huh? Oh, ah!”

It wasn’t until everything was put into words that I finally understood.
Argento Vampyr. In other words, Arje-neesan. Since I call her Arje-neesan, the last part of her name has become a bit vague.
To begin with, vampires don’t usually have family names. If they do give their name, it’s usually for some special reason. It’s no wonder I’d forgotten it.

“There’s no point in hiding it, you know…?”

Her threatening words certainly rub me the wrong way, but she’s clearly serious. If I do as she says, a fight will be unavoidable.

…What should I do?

Where is Arje-neesan right now? I at least know the general direction.
I’d already heard she was heading toward the Republic to begin with, and we’re bound by a blood contract to boot.
Honestly, it’d be pretty tough for me to take this guy on. Even in my current state, I’m not confident.
That said, I can’t tell her where Arje-neesan is. I don’t think she’d lose if she faced her again, but even setting that aside, there’s no way I could betray my benefactor by selling her out to a dangerous person.

Besides, this guy’s speech and behavior are weird, her movements are wobbly and creepy, and she’s got a terrible personality—no matter how you look at it, she’s no good.
Arje-neesan would probably find it annoying to be stalked, too. There’s no need for a showdown—the battle’s already over, right?

“Come on, bring that Vampyr out!”

Vampyr this, Vampyr that, she’s being really annoying.

“Ah… That person isn’t here. To begin with, she isn’t a resident of this forest.”
“…Then tell me where she is!”

All right, all right—she’s taking the bait nicely.
Fighting the urge to smile, I point outside the forest. Not in the direction Arje-neesan is in. In a completely different direction.
I wait for her to look in the direction I’m pointing, then say slowly.

“The, uhh, Empire? I think? She said she’d be going there.”
“The Empire? Why would she go to a place like that…?”
“I don’t know the details. But it looked like she had some big goal in mind.”
“A purpose… Hmm, I see. Well then, I guess I’ll just have to wreck it all…”

I don’t react to her muttering to herself; instead, I stand with my arms akimbo, a solemn expression on my face. I put on an act, looking as if I’m simply waiting to see how she’ll respond.
This is the first time I’ve done something like this, but it seems like I won’t have to fight this person. Just like Arje-neesan, she doesn’t care about the value of this forest.
In that case, I’ll just have to send them somewhere where they’re least likely to cause trouble for Arje-neesan. According to the birds, the Empire is apparently a ravaged country, so I’ll let her die of starvation over there.

“……You’re not lying, are you?”
“She’s not connected to the forest. There’s no reason to hide that.”
“Hmm. Well, in that case, I’ll let you off the hook.”

Her silhouette wavered slightly.
This was the second time I’d seen her move, but I still couldn’t quite catch her movement. Before I knew it, she was gone.
The danger had passed. Making that judgment, I relaxed my body. Accepting the feeling of the wind cooling my cold sweat, I sat down on a nearby rock.

“I wonder if Arje-neesan is doing okay.”

Thanks to the power of the Blood Contract, I can sense how each other is doing. Right now, she’s in perfect health.
Still, now that the topic has come up, I can’t help but want to see her face, at least. Is there any way I can be of use? I had that thought, but I dismissed it myself.

…I’m just a burden, aren’t I?

Just now, standing in front of that woman—that disgusting woman—I could barely move.
Arje-neesan is different. She brilliantly drove that woman away. She crushed her pride so thoroughly that she earned her hatred.
What use could I possibly be to someone capable of doing something like that?

I sighed and looked at my hands. I’ve been training since then, and they feel a bit thicker now, but it’s still not enough.
I have to get stronger to protect the forest. And if it’s possible, I want to use my strength to help Arje-neesan.

“That’s why I’m going to train.”

I clenched my spread fingers. I have the strength. And I’m motivated. So all that’s left is to hone it.
I’m sure I can still get stronger.
The connection with that person that dwells within my body. Believing that it will be rekindled someday, I got to my feet.
Before I knew it, the sun was already high in the sky. If that person were here, she’d probably say it’s the perfect day for a nap.
For me, though, it’s the perfect day for intensive training.