blueteamnovel Chapter 253: The Story of King’s Concubine
Chapter 253: The Story of King’s Concubine
As the Vampire Hunter Association developed over the centuries, they eventually discovered people who had survived encounters with vampires and awakened with lingering trauma, or those born with abilities far beyond human understanding.
They were called Pharos.
Most of them possessed similar abilities. They could perceive things ordinary humans could not, making them invaluable when tracing sanguine vein residue or investigating supernatural phenomena.
Some Pharos, however, developed abilities that went even further. They claimed to see the "truth."
What that truth actually meant remained unclear. Only the Pharos themselves seemed capable of understanding it.
In ancient times, they had been known by a different name. Witches.
Men and women born with strange eyes and abilities beyond human logic. Their powers were not limited to sight alone. They passed knowledge down through generations, learning rituals, medicine, and strange arts from one another.
Much of it supposedly came from communing with nature itself, though others believed they were speaking to forgotten gods that once existed during that era.
The King’s beloved concubine had been one of them.
Based on the records Ulrich had managed to gather, the woman’s true name had long since been erased from history.
Every surviving text referred to her only as "the Witch." According to the royal archives, she had been a dangerously intelligent woman who used both beauty and supernatural abilities to enchant the King and secure his affection.
Yet the more Ulrich studied the records, the less he trusted them. History was always written by frightened men trying to justify their own failures.
The concubine had apparently hidden her identity for years while maneuvering flawlessly through court politics.
Then one day, after becoming pregnant, she had knelt before the immortal King Iscaron himself and sworn upon the False God that she had never betrayed him.
She became the first human to form a blood pact with the King. To prove her innocence, she was ultimately forced to reveal her identity before the entire royal court as a witch.
The revelation alone had shaken the kingdom, but the birth of Iscaron’s son–after he turned into a vampire that was impossible to reproduce–shifted the political balance entirely. From that moment onward, the royal court’s attention became centered on the new prince.
That was all Ulrich knew about the King’s concubine and it was precisely why the situation unsettled him.
It was impossible for a human witch to survive until the modern era. Even the most gifted Pharos remained mortal in the end.
Which meant something else was hidden within that mountain. Ulrich narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Lord Draemir."
Matthew’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. The young man looked strangely tense, almost hesitant.
"What is your opinion of me?" he asked quietly. "Why do you think Lady Isolde still refuses to turn me?"
Ulrich smiled faintly at the question. "Tell me first, what do you know about vampires, Matthew?"
Matthew lowered his gaze toward the floor. "They are strong. Immortal. They do not grow sick, they heal from wounds, and they evolve beyond humans."
His hands tightened slightly at his sides. "I want that strength."
"I see, and has no one ever told you that power and suffering are often born together?"
Matthew blinked, clearly confused by the answer. "Suffering?"
Ulrich studied him quietly for a moment. At last, he fully understood why Isolde had refused to turn the young man.
"What suffering exists in strength?" Matthew asked honestly. "If someone becomes powerful enough to endure everything, wouldn’t all their problems disappear?"
It was not stupidity, only innocence. A painfully shallow understanding of the world.
Ulrich’s smile softened slightly, though there was something distant within it.
"The strong and the weak are often reflections of one another," he said. "There are things neither the one with power or without can truly control. No matter how high one stands, there is always another sky above that sky."
His gaze drifted briefly toward the darkened window. "There are worlds far greater than ours, Matthew. Compared to the universe itself, we are little more than dust scattered in an endless sea."
Matthew nodded slowly. "I understand the saying."
"You understand the words," Ulrich corrected gently. "But not their weight."
The young man fell silent.
"That is likely why Lady Isolde believes you are not yet prepared."
He reached out and tapped Matthew lightly on the shoulder.
"And that is not a failing. To truly understand suffering, one must live through it personally. No one can fully wear another person’s pain as their own."
Ulrich then rose from the sofa with unhurried elegance.
"Well then, Matthew, we leave for your village tomorrow. I trust you will serve as our guide."
Matthew immediately stood as well and straightened his posture.
"Yes, Lord Draemir. I will do my best."
Afterward, he carefully gathered the wine glasses and pushed the trolley out of the room, leaving Ulrich alone once more with his thoughts.
The ancient vampire exhaled softly and shook his head.
"Young immortals, always so impatient when reaching for power."
***
The journey from the capital of Leuca to Amber Village took at least six hours. The war had ruined most of the roads, leaving them buried beneath thick snow and broken stone.
Even with Andrew driving carefully, the car still shook every few minutes whenever the tires struck uneven ground hidden beneath the ice.
Ulrich found the situation increasingly strange.
Orchina’s military clearly paid close attention to the region surrounding Amber Village, yet the infrastructure had been left in terrible condition.
Which only meant one thing.
"Matthew," Ulrich spoke calmly from the back seat, "I must admit my knowledge of the outer regions of Leuca is rather limited. Tell me, are the soldiers stationed in your village still present?"
Matthew looked slightly startled by the sudden question.
"Huh? I... I’m not sure, Lord Draemir." He hesitated apologetically. "I lost contact with everyone there a long time ago."
Snow continued to fall heavily outside the windows.
Andrew sat behind the wheel while Matthew occupied the seat beside him, occasionally pointing toward old routes half-buried beneath the storm. Ulrich remained in the back, quietly observing the scenery passing beyond the glass.
He could have traveled there using his power, but there was no reason to waste sanguine veins unnecessarily.
Ulrich’s eyes drifted toward the ruined road once more.
"This terrain is far too neglected, especially for an area supposedly monitored by Orchina’s military."
Even Andrew frowned slightly at that observation.
"They should have maintained these roads if transport routes were still active, particularly if mining operations continued."
"Precisely."
Ulrich rested one hand lightly against the armrest.
"A military that invests heavily in secrecy but abandons logistics is rarely guarding something ongoing. More often, it means whatever they came for has already been found."
"Or maybe they give up or find another way? We still didn’t receive any news from Seamus’ side at all." Andrew added his own theory.
The atmosphere inside the vehicle grew quieter after that.
And when they finally arrived at Amber Village, Ulrich’s suspicions were confirmed immediately. There was no life left there anymore.