Blood 15: Child Abuse Alert Active

I’m going to die.

Seriously. I’m going to die.

It’s only been one day since I started moving with Ariel and Shiro.

I’ve been on the verge of death since the first day.

The cause is Shiro.

When Melazofis tried to pick me up to carry me at dawn, he stopped.

Just one word: “Walk.”

When Melazofis asked why, he gave no answer.

Instead, he handed Melazofis a bottle filled with red liquid.

Probably blood.

I’ve heard a little about vampires from Ariel.

She said I’m a True Ancestor. That I’ve overcome the weaknesses of vampires.

So I’m fine in sunlight. I don’t need to drink blood.

But Melazofis isn’t so lucky.

Melazofis is said to be exceptional among vampires, yet still suffers damage from sunlight and cannot survive without drinking blood.

According to reports, ordinary vampires would die instantly from exposure to sunlight. Melazofis, by comparison, fares significantly better.

Ariel stated that upon becoming a vampire, one acquires the skill "HP Auto-Recovery." As long as Melazofis limits skin exposure and wears a hat, external damage can be offset.

Thus, Melazofis wears a white hat made by Shiro.

The outfit originally worn was torn during yesterday’s incident, so now she wears a white shirt and white pants, both made by Shiro—entirely white attire.

Vampires are typically associated with black.

Melazofis, clad entirely in white like Shiro, stood out starkly holding the red bottle.

When accepting the bottle, Melazofis’s face twitched slightly—this was no illusion.

What surprised me was the tent and cooking utensils from earlier being entirely stored in another dimension by Shiro at departure.

I had heard spatial magic was highly valuable, yet Shiro used it casually.

This must be why Melazofis, said to have died twice, was still alive.

Likely, he had merely faked death and escaped via teleportation.

Then, after departure, I was made to walk until my legs trembled—until they trembled, and still I walked.

I am still an infant…

Do they really expect an infant under two years old to walk through a forest?

Perhaps because I’m a reincarnated one… or perhaps because I’m a vampire… I can move, at least, despite my age.

But hiking through a forest all at once? That seems too high a threshold, doesn’t it?

“Miss, are you alright?”

Melazofis’s question, repeated so many times I’ve lost count.

I’ve heard the same phrase at least four or five times already.

“Taisyou fuya nai.”

The words, already clumsy to begin with, become even harder to understand due to fatigue.

Only a rasping sound came out.

Whether Melazofis understood or not is unclear. But even if she did, nothing could be done.

Nothing is permitted—by Shiro.

Melazofis has tried lifting me, pulling me, countless times. Each time, Shiro stopped her.

She only shakes her head in silence. The purpose is unclear. Yet her unwavering stance speaks clearly: walk on your own.

I do not understand.

Ariel offers no help.

Only shouts “You can do it!” as if it were someone else’s burden.

It is someone else’s burden, after all.

Thus, I walked through the forest all morning and half the day.

I developed blisters, cut myself on branches, scraped my skin from falling—but I apparently have an “HP Auto-Heal” skill. In time, these injuries vanished.

Still, even if wounds healed, fatigue remained.

When I stopped to eat lunch, I could barely stand.

Had I not found a suitable branch to use as a walking stick, I would not have been able to stand at all.

I slowly lower myself to the ground, legs trembling.

I had never known, until now, that sitting down could be this difficult when pushed to the limit.

Perhaps due to overexertion, I appear to have acquired new skills: Endurance, Explosive Speed, SP Recovery Rate, and SP Consumption Reduction.

I did not understand what SP was, but situational context suggests it is a stamina-related stat.

Last night, Shiro was said to have prepared the meal. This time, Ariel will be doing it.

I scrutinize the ingredients retrieved from the other dimension by Shiro, checking carefully for any anomalies.

The breakfast was normal, but complacency is unwise.

The ingredients handed to me appear ordinary. For now, I relax.

"Take care."

"Really going through with it?"

Such exchanges occurred between Shiro and Ariel, but I was too exhausted to move, lying still in a state of collapse.

Ariel begins cooking.

A sphere of water emerges from empty space and falls into the pot.

The pot is heated by a flame that appears without fuel.

Such a sight reinforces the reality of this other world.

Vegetables are cut and added to the pot.

Aromatic steam rises from the pot as it simmers, seasoning added.

Just moments ago, exhaustion had dulled appetite. Yet the body, honest in its needs, lets out a quiet rumble.

The silence skill likely prevents sound from carrying outside.

Never imagined this ability would prove useful in daily life.

While the pot simmers, Ariel mixes a powder resembling dried yam with water, adds a light sprinkle of salt, and kneads.

Several more powders are incorporated. The dough is rolled thin and baked.

A dish resembling naan, as understood on Earth, was prepared.

Combined with the simmered broth, lunch was complete.

"Enjoy your meal."

Ariel had taught Melazofis the Japanese greeting, and all spoke in unison.

The naan-like bread was dipped into the broth and brought to the mouth.

Wait—bitter!?

What is this?

It's not unbearable, but it's bitter.

Honestly, not enjoyable.

Yet, saying so would be disrespectful to Ariel, who prepared it.

Hey, Melazofis, what's wrong?

You look unwell.

Since becoming a vampire, your complexion has been paler than before, but now it's even more so—pallid white.

"I'm fine. It's diluted to a safe level, not fatal."

"Miss! Do not eat it! It's poison!"

Melazofis shouted, his voice sharp with panic—contradicting Ariel's gentle tone.

"It's safe. Sophia-chan has Status Resistance. This is a meal to increase Poison Resistance, isn't it? The toxicity level is carefully adjusted to prevent death. It's fine. You'll just have to ignore the taste, though."

Wait, is this really poisoned?

"If you don't want to eat, you don't have to. But I won't be responsible if you starve."

Ariel said that, pushing the poisoned meal away, then ate it in one motion.

Next to her, Shiro finished his meal without hesitation.

Melazofis exchanged glances with him.

"Let's eat."

"Yes, understood."

Either way, life and death are in their hands.

There's nothing to do but eat quietly.

And so, both I and Melazofis finished the poisoned meal.

As Ariel said, the Status Resistance level increased by one, and Melazofis apparently gained the Poison Resistance skill.