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“ …Howaam”

I drifted out of my daze and let out a yawn.
Looking around through tear-blurred eyes, it seemed I was in a forest.
I wiped the tears from my eyes with my finger and sat up. Hmm…?

…Ah, right. I defeated that squid and flew all the way here.

I sent that squid with the grand name “Abysscall” back to the sea, and then flew here in my bat form.
I could have landed as soon as I reached land, but I figured it would be a hassle if someone came looking for me, so I flew a little farther and ended up in this forest.
I figured I wouldn’t stand out here. With that in mind, I landed on the ground, deactivated my bat form—and since I was tired, I fell asleep.

“Mmmnya.”

I stretched lightly.
I could tell the sunlight filtering through the trees is morning light—it’s still cool and refreshing, not yet too hot.
That means at least one night has passed since I arrived here.
Maybe I slept for two days, but I don’t remember anything from while I was asleep.

“I had a nostalgic dream.”

Even though I say “nostalgic,” I was in that world just half a month or a month ago. In that world, I could indulge in lazy slumber.
Thinking about it makes me miss it. I want to go back to that kind of life soon.

“Well, what should I do now?”

For the time being, I’ll have to flee the country. Given Samakah’s personality, he’ll probably delay reporting me, but even so, it’s better to get out of the country.
Since they wouldn’t leak information about someone who’s profitable to other nations, once I’m out of the country, I won’t have to worry about being pursued.
I don’t know which direction the border is in, but I remember which direction Alrescha is. It’s a bit of a stretch, but if I keep moving away from Alrescha, I’ll eventually end up outside the country.

Of course, I’ll have to travel to do that, but there were quite a few problems with that.
First, food. I could manage for about three days, but that doesn’t mean I won’t need any. Water included.

Next, clothes. I can clean them with restoration magic, but I only have this one outfit I got from Zeno-kun. It’d be a hassle if it got torn. Felnoute-san had prepared a few for me, but I left them behind.
It would’ve been better if I’d prepared for both of these in advance, but if I’d gone back to Alrescha as things were, trouble would’ve been waiting for me, so it couldn’t be helped. I did cause quite a ruckus, after all.

And then there’s blood. Even if I can go three days without food, I’ll probably start craving blood around that time.
On top of that, if I have nothing to eat, I won’t be able to distract myself from the Bloodsucking urge. Without food or drink, I doubt I’ll be able to hold out for a week like I used to.
Since I can’t store blood in the Blood Box, there’s nothing I can do about it—I haven’t made any preparations.

Also, this is less a matter of preparation and more a lingering regret, but I really wanted to at least say goodbye to Felnoute-san.
I paid for my lodging properly, so I don’t owe her anything, but I still wanted to say goodbye. Though thinking about it now is pointless.

“Haaaaa…”

And one more thing. There’s an issue that makes me let out a huge sigh.
This is more important than blood. And yet, it’s a truly hopeless problem.
If it were food or water, I probably could find a way to get them. Even blood—I could just catch an animal or a monster and suck its blood.
Even for business with Felnoute-san, I might run into her somewhere. Alrescha is a nice place, so if I get the chance, I’d like to go back for a nap.
But right now, this one problem—the one that makes up the bulk of my worries—I just couldn’t think of a solution.

“…This is such a pain.”

Yeah. It’s a pain.
I don’t want to walk.
I hate flying as a bat because it’s tiring.
Actually, I don’t even want to work anymore.
Someone carry me. Prepare my meals, too. Oh, and snacks and blood.
I know. I know it’s pointless to think like that.
I’m the only one here. If I don’t move myself, I won’t get a single step forward, and no food will appear either.
Even so, I absolutely refuse to work.
Sigh I wonder if a prince or princess might just happen to pass by, pick me up, and carry me all the way to the castle, where they’d take care of me and serve me everything on a silver platter.

“…Let’s sleep.”

Thinking about what lies ahead makes me feel gloomy. First, I’ll just sleep and try to forget it all.
With that thought, I lie down on the bed of grass. The sensation against my back is the characteristic hardness of the earth, but it feels pleasant in its own way.
The breeze that occasionally blows through the trees carries not only the green scent of plants but also the fragrance of flower nectar.
A natural scent, a blend of subtle sweetness and freshness.
If I’m being honest, I miss my little bed, but taking a nap wrapped in a scent like this isn’t bad. In fact, I like it.
Just as I was trying to switch off my thoughts to sleep—a strange, off-putting note mixed in with the scent.
It was a strange smell. Sweet—but in a provoking way. And there was something sour mixed in as well.
It’s a smell I remember from back when I was still allowed to go outside, long before I was reincarnated. What on earth is this?
The stench is so strong I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep comfortably, so I snap my wavering consciousness back to reality.
It’s ruining my attempt to get some rest. I don’t know who it is, but they’d better take responsibility and take care of me.

“It’s getting closer.”

The unpleasant smell keeps getting closer and closer, growing stronger.
Vampires are, by nature, sensitive to smells and sounds. This is a racial trait, separate from any skill effects.
It’s the same as how “dogs and cats have a better sense of smell than humans” or “women have a better sense of color than men”—it’s an advantage we have as a species.
On top of that, since I possess the “Enhanced Sense of Smell” skill, I’m now more sensitive to “stinky” smells than I was before my reincarnation. It makes perfect sense that vampires can’t stand garlic.
A short while after I caught the scent, a rumbling sound reached my ears.
The vibrations shaking the ground were rhythmic, so I knew it wasn’t an earthquake—something was “walking.”
I had already determined the direction based on the smell, so when I looked in that direction, I saw what it was.

A massive figure, roughly two meters tall by my estimate, was walking awkwardly through the gaps between the trees.
Its body, clad only in a loincloth, was incredibly muscular and covered evenly in short, black hair. It seemed quite filthy, with several flies buzzing around it.
Its legs were slender compared to the bulk of its body, yet still muscular, and its feet were equipped with hooves.
The hands at the ends of its log-like arms had five fingers. In shape alone, they resembled those of a human. Clenched in its grip was an axe so large I thought it might be capable of severing a tiger’s neck.
And the face, emitting repeated, rough snorts, was clearly not human.

A large, wet nose, an elongated face, and short black hair covering its entire body, just like the rest of it.
After taking a good look at its whole body, I remembered that similar creatures appeared in some of the novels I’d read in my cell before I was reincarnated.
A Minotaur, or a bull-headed monster. Creatures like that. No, perhaps “monsters” is the correct term.

“MOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”

It bellowed. It bellowed “moo.”
It was loud enough to make the trees shake, but it definitely bellowed “moo.”

“Ah, it’s the smell of a cattle barn.”

It was definitely a smell I’d smelled before. I finally remembered and it all made sense.
Yeah, I’ve been to a barn before. I think it was my father’s distant cousin’s cousin who raised them. Apparently, it’s some kind of prestigious brand, but that was long before I ended up in this barred room, and since I was just a kid, I don’t really remember what the adults were talking about.

“How foolish, you poacher!!”

It spoke. And quite fluently, at that.
The language translation function is set to a very limited range—just enough to translate human speech. After all, even if I could understand bird language, it would just be a nuisance when I’m trying to sleep.
If I could understand cow language in my current state, that would mean the cow in front of me is fluent in the common language used by humans in this world.
Honestly, I was surprised, but more than that, there was a word in what it just said that caught my attention.

“…Poacher?”
“This forest is watched over by the birds…looking out for filthy poachers like you!!”

I wondered what it was talking about, but it didn’t seem interested in listening to my explanation.
Also, for a forest supposedly under the birds’ watch, I slept soundly all night. Isn’t their surveillance network a bit lax?
Completely oblivious to my doubts, the bull is incredibly fired up. It’s snorting so hard it looks like steam might come out. Ugh, it stinks.

“I shan’t forgive anyone who defiles the forest!!”

Wagging its thin, ox-like tail, it stomped the ground. Clearly enraged, the creature raised its weapon.
Watching this, there was only one thing on my mind—and on my lips.

“…I wonder if bull blood tastes good?”

Of course, the axe came crashing down.