I charged straight at the goblins without hesitation.

The moment I moved, Berno followed right behind me, his sword flashing through the dim sewer light.

The goblins shrieked in panic—

"Kieeeek!"

—but they didn't stand a chance.

Our blades cut through them cleanly, one after another, until the only sounds left were the faint splashes of water and the dripping of blood from our swords.

When the last goblin fell, I finally caught my breath. That's when I noticed her.

"Blood… please… give me some bloooood…"

Lina.

She was crouched against the wall, trembling like someone who hadn't eaten in days. Her face was pale, her lips dry, and her voice weak—barely even a whisper.

"Lina?" I called softly, but she didn't respond.

Her eyes were unfocused, her body twitching as though she were fighting to stay conscious.

I sighed quietly and stepped closer. "…You're really helpless like this, aren't you?"

Then I extended my arm toward her.

"Hap—!"

Chomp.

The sharp sting of her fangs sinking into my skin made me flinch. Warmth spread from my wrist as she began to drink, and I could feel the strength slowly returning to her body.

Her breathing steadied. The color started coming back to her face. And when she finally lifted her head again, her crimson eyes glimmered faintly in the dark.

"…Your blood tastes pretty good after all," she said, her voice steadier now, though still slightly teasing.

I frowned. "Didn't you say it tasted bad before?"

She gave a small smirk. "You're still hung up on that? How petty."

"…"

"Ah—!"

Before she could take another sip, I gently pushed her face away.

Lina pouted, her expression full of disappointment as she licked her lips. "You didn't have to stop me so soon."

I ignored her comment, glancing down at the faint bite marks on my wrist. They were already starting to heal thanks to the potions I'd used earlier.

Berno, who had been watching the whole thing with a look of disbelief, leaned closer and whispered, "But… why is she drinking human blood if she's not a vampire?"

I sighed. "She's a blood mage. I figured she just needs blood for her spells, not—"

"Huh? I am a vampire, though," Lina interrupted casually.

"…"

I stared at her.

Berno stared at me.

And then—

"Damn it, don't say that so suddenly!" I hissed, clutching my chest. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Lina just laughed softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "You asked, didn't you?"

I groaned, wiping the sweat from my brow.

Of course. Out of all the people I could've teamed up with… it had to be her.

"Wait a minute—you're really a vampire?"

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

I'd known one of the heroines in the original story was a vampire, sure, but actually meeting one in person was… different.

Especially now.

In the Empire, vampires were among the most persecuted races. Most people saw them as monsters—parasites who prolonged their lives by drinking human blood. Centuries of fear and propaganda had nearly wiped them out completely.

Seeing one standing in front of me now, alive and unashamed, felt surreal.

Still, I shook the thought away.

…So what if she's a vampire?

That didn't really matter to me right now. What did matter was something far more pressing.

"Alright," I said, extending my hand. "Hand over the elixir."

Lina's crimson eyes narrowed slightly. "You're so impatient."

"Impatient?" I raised an eyebrow. "I risked my neck for this, you know."

She stared at my outstretched hand for a moment, her expression unreadable, before finally sighing and placing a small crystal vial in my palm.

The liquid inside shimmered faintly, glowing with a soft golden hue. Even without unsealing it, I could feel a strange, potent energy radiating from within.

So this was the elixir.

I didn't know exactly how powerful it was, but judging from the magic it emitted… it was definitely worth risking one's life over.

"Not bad," I muttered, holding it up to the light.

But before Lina could say anything else, I pocketed the vial and stepped closer.

"Huh…? What are you doing?" she asked, her voice wavering slightly.

I met her gaze calmly. "What else? Arresting a criminal."

Her expression froze, disbelief flashing across her face as she instinctively took a step back.

I pulled the binding ropes from my spatial pocket and tightened them around Lina's wrists and torso until she couldn't move her arms.

This should be enough to haul her to the guards.

"Eh?" she muttered, making that stupid surprised noise people make when they're trying to act clueless.

Lina. An elixir is an elixir, and criminals should be arrested.

I hadn't broken my promise—the potion had been payment for saving her life—but that didn't mean she got to walk free after whatever she'd done.

Justice still had to be served.

She squirmed once against the ropes, then looked up at me, all urgency and pleading. "I know something important. Aren't you curious?"

"Not really," I said flatly, tightening another knot.

"Um… this isn't going as planned…?" she blurted, eyes darting around as if searching for an escape route.

I kept binding her, deliberately unmoved. Let her panic—act the part of the guilty one. It would make the guards' job easier.

For a beat she froze, then, in a rush, she spilled out, "The princess."

I paused mid-knot.

"…What?"

"The princess might be in danger," Lina said, the words tumbling out faster now.

That was the kind of sentence you couldn't ignore. My hands stilled on the rope as I tilted my head, listening. The ropes bit into her wrists but didn't stop her from talking; urgency sharpened her voice.

If Lina was telling the truth, this changed everything. I didn't loosen the bindings right away, but I did look at her properly now—no longer indifferent, but calculating. The guards would want proof, not rumors. If the princess was at risk, there wasn't time for half-measures or formalities.

"Start talking," I said, voice low. "Now."

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