The True Ancestor’s Blood and a Maid’s Fury

‘Wait, wait, wait a minute, buddy.’ Seraphina suddenly felt a surge of panic. ‘You’re not planning for me to possess Claire, are you?’

“What else?”

Cardo raised a golden finger and gently inserted it into Seraphina’s body.

‘W-what are you doing? That tickles…’

“Look at this.”

Cardo’s finger paused precisely at the center of Seraphina’s chest. A mysterious golden light emanated from it, piercing a small patch of skin and revealing a hidden black fragment beneath.

“This is the [True Ancestor’s Blood] within you. More precisely, it’s an incomplete fragment, propagated by the main body and rooted deep inside you.”

Seraphina looked down at the black, broken rectangular piece, which resembled a chocolate bar snapped in half. She instinctively swallowed.

Cardo leaned closer, gripping the black rectangle in her hand and holding the [True Ancestor’s Blood] upright before her eyes.

“Now, I shall demonstrate how this [True Ancestor’s Blood] operates.”

‘Hey, wait! If I recall correctly, the [True Ancestor’s Blood] should… Ugh!’

As Cardo exerted slight pressure with her finger, the [True Ancestor’s Blood] instantly erupted with a magical hum.

Simultaneously, the white halo encircling it contracted slightly.

Yet, this seemingly minor action caused the surrounding light to vanish instantly, creating a void of cosmic darkness around the rectangular fragment.

The effect of this series of mysterious magical rituals was…

‘Cardo! Stop it! I can’t take it anymore!’

Seraphina, with her mere 20 HP (approximately 600 health points), simply couldn’t withstand the [True Ancestor’s Blood]‘s astonishing drain of 30 HP (actually 33.33333…) per second.

“Oh, oh! My apologies!”

She swiftly ceased the magic, but in those mere seconds, Seraphina could no longer support herself. She collapsed to the ground with a thud.

‘Grandma… help me out here.’

After an entire night’s ‘baptism’ by Claire, combined with a few seconds of ‘germination’ from the [True Ancestor’s Blood], Seraphina’s already pale, cold skin had become even less human, approaching the pallor of bone.

With a mischievous grin, Cardo walked over and looked down at Seraphina. “Hehe, it’s a pity. Thanks to your damned [Divine Blessing], even a hundred [Divine]-tier grandmas wouldn’t be able to help you now~”

“Back to the main topic.”

Cardo once again produced the black rectangular fragment. “The ritual we just performed was a demonstration of the necessary process for the [True Ancestor’s Blood] to take over consciousness.”

“A preemptive measure.”

“Only by initiating a [Life Usurpation] against the host of the child fragment can the [True Ancestor’s Blood] expel your consciousness and seize control of your body.”

“This is also why… the True Ancestor must propagate [Fragments] within your body.”

‘Can you phrase that differently? You’re making it sound like she’s laying eggs inside me…’

Cardo covered her mouth with a hand, a wicked smile playing on her lips. “Isn’t that precisely what it is?”

“Moreover, if you accept my suggestion… it won’t be long before you’ll be ‘laying eggs’ inside Miss Claire yourself~”

‘…Speechless. I can’t talk to you. Typical True Ancestor mindset.’

Seraphina waved a hand dismissively and turned her head away.

“I apologize. Perhaps it’s because I’ve personally experienced the agony of being possessed, but I’m not keen on using this method.”

“Besides, a forced melon won’t be sweet…”

“Tsk, tsk.” Cardo placed her hands on her hips, a frown creasing her brow. “Seraphina, since when have you become such a righteous gentleman?”

“Back then… when you conquered Iqiyah with [Purification], you didn’t overthink it, did you?”

‘…That was also a mutual agreement with Iqiyah.’

“Sigh…”

Out of Seraphina’s sight, Cardo lowered the hand she had kept behind her back.

Along with her hand, she also lowered a [True Ancestor’s Blood] fragment, identical to the one within Seraphina.

“Alright, I’ll follow your lead.”

****

Several hours later.

Behind Krieg Manor’s castle, in the expansive garden clearing, three figures dressed in maid uniforms stood in solitary silence.

“Miss Seraphina, your task is to sweep this clearing.”

The elderly maid handed Seraphina a broom, then turned to Fourierina, who stood beside her.

“Miss Fourierina, as a senior, you are responsible for familiarizing her with the work.”

‘No, why should I!?’

“There is no ‘why.’ This is Mr. Gus’s arrangement.”

Dropping a broom, the elderly maid cast a chilling glance at Fourierina, then strode away.

Silence.

Fourierina clenched her fists and slowly bent down to pick up the broom. Seraphina watched her warily, seeing the maid on the verge of an outburst, and knew she didn’t want to stay by her side for another moment.

‘In that case, I’ll take my leave.’

“Don’t you dare run off! Stay right with me!”

Fourierina roared, dramatically stomping her foot, each impact like a clap of thunder.

“Damn it, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have to be out here baking in the sun.”

She snatched the broom, gritting her teeth in frustration. Despite her anger, Fourierina dared not defy her superior’s orders, violently swinging the broom and kicking up a cloud of dust that made one cough.

‘Grandma’s tears, you think I want to bake out here…?’

Seraphina muttered, picking up her broom and about to follow Fourierina. The next second, a dull thud echoed, and a sharp pain flared in Seraphina’s head.

‘Did… did someone just split my skull open?’

Before Seraphina could even process what had happened, another dull thud struck. She instantly lost her balance and crashed heavily to the ground.

“Motherf— Do you have a problem with that, you bastard!?”

With a furious glare, Fourierina relentlessly pursued Seraphina even after she had fallen, swinging her broom in a vicious chop.

“You damned bloodsucker! You’d better not let me hear a single complaint!”

“Otherwise… I’ll drag you into the sunlight and burn you to… ashes?”

Fourierina paused her broom mid-swing, staring blankly at Seraphina, who lay beneath her like a battered sandbag.

“How did you… not burn up in the sun?”

Fourierina’s face was etched with astonishment, as if she had seen a ghost in broad daylight (vampires not counting).

“Could it be… you’re a master?”

“But… that’s impossible. You’re clearly only a Rank One….”

Scanning the prostrate Seraphina, Fourierina’s expression gradually shifted from surprise to fury.

She once again wielded the broom, bringing the hard wooden stick crashing down onto Seraphina’s head.

“Speak! You damned bloodsucker! What the hell is going on here?!”

Silently, Seraphina endured Fourierina’s relentless assault.

Though Fourierina’s attacks were fierce, she wasn’t a genuine adventurer. Her strength was limited, insufficient to breach Seraphina’s defenses.

However, one particular thing filled Seraphina with dread.

It was the sun-shielding device on her chest.

Though merely a small emblem, if this madwoman accidentally damaged it, Seraphina would turn to dust in an instant, utterly beyond rescue.

Yet, shielding the device with her hands would expose its secret to Fourierina.

Facing such overwhelming force, Seraphina couldn’t possibly resist Fourierina. If Fourierina used brute strength to pry her arms open… unless Cardo intervened, Seraphina’s life would depend entirely on this madwoman’s sanity.

“Speak! Speak! Speak!!!”

It was perilous. This woman had nearly struck the device several times already.

If she didn’t protect it now, the next strike might…

Seeing the broom about to descend once more, Seraphina quickly clasped her hands over her chest.

Bang!

With a dull thud, the broom knocked Seraphina’s raised arm aside, landing heavily on the device’s location.

‘Phew… Thankfully, it wasn’t damaged.’

“Haha! This is it, isn’t it!?”

With a sneer, Fourierina leaned down and roughly yanked Seraphina’s hands apart.

It was clear she had realized the device’s existence.

“You damned bloodsucker… you damned bloodsucker! You killed my parents, do you think I’ll let you off!?”

“It’s only because I lack the power to kill you myself!”

With just one hand, Fourierina firmly bound Seraphina’s wrists.

Next, she straddled Seraphina’s waist, pinning her down with her weight, and then… reached out for the fatal emblem.

‘Calm down, Fourierina!’ Seeing the dire situation, Seraphina quickly shouted, ‘Aren’t you afraid of Claire…’

“Shut up! Bloodsucker! You have no right to utter my name!”

Evidently, Fourierina had lost all reason.

“Father… Mother… you’ve waited long enough!”

“Today, Fourierina will avenge you!”

As Fourierina leaned down, Seraphina truly panicked.

‘Cardo! Save me!!!’

…Cardo did not respond.

‘Give me strength!!! Quickly!!!’

…Cardo still did not answer.

‘Save me now! If you don’t, I’m going to…’

Still no response, but Fourierina’s hand had already touched the device.

Seeing the shielding device about to be ripped off, Seraphina, utterly powerless to resist, closed her eyes in despair.

‘Could this truly be the end of everything, right here!?’

Just as Fourierina was about to unfasten the device, a clear, resonant voice echoed from the castle beside them—

“Miss Fourierina, what are you doing?”