"Another method?"
While pondering, Dark grew more and more curious.
If Vlad were simply "revived," it would do nothing to solve the problem.
So what exactly did Professor Silf intend to do in order to help the Blood Princess remove the influence of the Embrace?
Set up a barrier, open the secret passage… and then what?
The fact that the "Drifloon" would be affected showed that everything they were doing still revolved around Vlad as its core.
But if the essence remained unchanged, how much could the whole possibly change?
As if guessing what he was thinking, Professor Silf immediately continued, "There's a question that needs to be addressed here—just what, exactly, is a Vampire's Embrace?"
Dark frowned slightly and answered, "A kind of illness?"
In truth, he had carefully looked into the materials relating to Vampires.
A Vampire's "Embrace" originated chiefly from the Vampire's bloodline.
The closer the bloodline was to the progenitor, the stronger the effect of the "Embrace."
A Vampire with a bloodline pure enough could secrete a special magical factor from its fangs.
This magical factor was much like a bacterium. Once injected into a prey's blood vessels, it could absorb the power of the blood to rapidly multiply, thereby infecting the prey's entire body.
The so-called "blood-slavification" could in fact be classified as a kind of "symptom."
It was extremely similar to "sepsis."
For this reason, after looking into the materials, Dark had always felt that a Vampire's "Embrace" was actually an illness, rather than the phenomena commonly described as "magic" or a "curse."
But Professor Silf evidently did not see it that way.
She stated clearly, "Although I don't know why you'd think it a disease, as far as I'm aware, a Vampire's Embrace is actually a reproductive act."
"A reproductive act?" A note of surprise inevitably crept into Dark's tone.
Professor Silf explained patiently, "Vampires, as a species, have an extremely low capacity for conception. Of course, this is a common affliction of nearly all long-lived species. Yet despite their feeble reproductive ability, long-lived species are just like other creatures—they fall ill, they die when killed, and they rarely live long enough to pass away peacefully of old age.
This leads to the numbers of long-lived species declining year after year, dwindling toward extinction. In order to let the race continue, Vampires developed the ability of the Embrace over the long ages. Even without normal reproduction, they can still multiply their individuals."
Dark mused for a moment. "That does seem to be the case."
Professor Silf then continued, "Only by understanding the essence of the matter can one prescribe the right remedy. The reason Ophelia Brad did not turn into a blood slave is that, as a member of the Blood Clan, she possesses an innate resistance to bloodline erosion, which left the 'Embrace' incomplete. In a certain sense, she is still in the midst of the process of 'reproduction.' But now that process is about to be completed."
Dark asked curiously, "So we need to find a way to interrupt the act of 'reproduction'?"
"If it could be interrupted," Professor Silf said. "The problem is that a Vampire's Embrace is irreversible—it cannot be interrupted, and it will inevitably proceed to completion. So under these circumstances, we can only seek a new line of thinking, such as replacing the object of this process."
"Replacing it…"
Dark narrowed his eyes, lost in thought.
He realized he seemed to have already grasped the logic within Professor Silf's words.
Use some method to perform a conceptual substitution of the object of "reproduction."
So that the act of "reproduction" still proceeded, but Ophelia Brad was swapped out of it.
This was likely the unique logic of this idealist magical worldview.
By Dark's own conceptual logic, without Professor Silf's words guiding him, he would never have figured it out no matter how hard he racked his brain.
But now that he had the logic, how exactly was it to be carried out in practice to swap her out?
Through ritual magic, borrowing the special properties of the secret passage?
And what role did the Vampire Vlad play within all of this?
Professor Silf answered every one of these questions for him afterward, one by one.
After a good while, Dark suddenly understood it all.
Professor Silf actually intended to transfer this act of "reproduction" onto the Vampire Vlad.
But not by "reviving" him—rather, by "transmuting" him.
By using the form of "transmuting a Magic Guide Spirit" to interpret the concept of "reproduction," she would thereby swap Ophelia Brad out of it!
...
"The Vampire Vlad, as one of the Demon King's vessels, fundamentally and perfectly fits the concept of the Demon King's reproductive object."
"If all goes smoothly, not only can Ophelia Brad be liberated from it, but the Vampire Vlad's soul can also be dealt with once and for all."
"One could say it kills two birds with one stone," Silf said slowly.
"Come to think of it, the reason I was able to conceive of this point was thanks to your 'Drifloon.'"
...
Dark let out a dry laugh, knowing that the existence of the "Drifloon" had, after all, failed to slip past the Professor's discerning eyes.
But transmuting one of the Demon King's vessels into a Magic Guide Spirit was truly a stroke of genius.
If one day he could gather N copies of "the Demon King's vessel," perhaps he could even summon the "Demon King" right on the spot?
...
Professor Silf's arrangement of the site was even more profound and complex than Dark had imagined.
For the most fundamental "Magic Guide transmutation," she employed a special "Ritual Transmutation Method."
She treated the entire castle as the ritual's grounds, using an Astral Barrier to adjust the astrological currents so that the greater environment conformed to what the transmutation required.
——Being able to meet this requirement in such an extremely short span of time relied entirely on Professor Medea's extraordinary personal ability.
After that, they relied on the special properties of the secret passage to reproduce a historical scene, in order to complete the entire ritual.
Within this, the key "players" were the Blood Princess, Virt, Robert, Tom, and Ryan Hacks.
Yes—even Professor Ryan Hacks was among their calculations!
...
"Virt Gold, as the Son of the Hero, plays the role of a Hero of one particular generation."
"Robert Broheim was once parasitized by the Vampire Vlad; he plays the role of the Hero's companion, a half-Demon who had been tainted by the Demon race."
"Tom Nixon is of beastman mixed blood; he plays the role of a mage—one who went from initial hostility to later laying down arms in friendship, ultimately joining the Hero's party."
"Ryan Hacks is the Hero of the Spear; he plays the role of the 'old man'—a key figure who appears at crucial moments, repeatedly saving the Hero and helping him grow stronger."
"And Ophelia Brad plays the role of a pregnant Demon King!"
...
This was not fabricated out of thin air, but a historical fact that had genuinely existed.
That generation's Demon King was a woman. When she was subjugated by the Hero, she was pregnant, and in order to protect the child in her womb she was run through the heart by the Hero—yet at the final moment she still succeeded, through a secret art, in giving birth to the child.
After she brought the child into the world, compassion stirred in the Hero, and he did not cut down the last remnant on the spot; instead he carried the child away, raising him as an adopted son.
Right up until the Hero died of illness, the Demon King's child never showed the slightest hint of rebellion.
He lived within human society under the identity of a demi-human, leading an ordinary, settled life.
It was only after the Hero died of illness that he packed his belongings, left the human kingdom, returned to the territory of the Demon race, and then reclaimed the throne that should have belonged to him—becoming the new Demon King!
Afterward, the Demon race and the human race entered a period of peace.
But peace ultimately shattered; the treaty the two sides had signed proved impossible to enforce, and the war between the Demon race and humanity broke out once again.
This was a very important entry in the records of history.
It perfectly demonstrated that the conflict between the Demon race and the human race was irreconcilable.
...
Professor Silf had extracted this segment of history and, according to the ritual's needs, compiled it into a highly feasible "stage play."
As for whether this "stage play" could actually achieve the desired effect?
She was not one hundred percent confident.
It was all an imitation of "Professor Didi."
Silf had no experience.
For her, this "experiment" was also an exploration of the secret passage.
It was a hasty attempt.
Moreover, the true executor of the "ritual" was Ophelia Brad herself.
She and Medea had merely participated in the arrangement of the site and the planning of the process.
Beyond that, they were simply "spectators."
Throughout the entire ritual, because her and Medea's presence would cause unpredictable effects on the ritual's environment, she could only hide herself inside Medea's Pumpkin Carriage.
Medea's Pumpkin Carriage could isolate presence and shield energy currents; it was an exceedingly precious Magic Tool.
In fact, the reason she had been able to bring Ophelia Brad into the academy was also thanks to this carriage's special power.
But under these circumstances, an intruder appeared.
...
"So my appearance changed the 'course of history'?"
A strange look showed in Dark's eyes.
Professor Silf's arrangement could of course not have been merely compiling a "stage play" that imitated history.
For this "stage play" to produce the effect it was meant to, far more preparations—ones invisible on the surface—were surely required.
The energy and material resources expended within it were extraordinarily vast.
And if such an enormous arrangement had all come to nothing merely because of his intrusion, he would certainly feel guilty.
"That, no."
Fortunately, Professor Silf's reply dispelled his worry.
"A drama of the Hero subjugating the Demon King could of course never have only five actors. As long as the main storyline is unchanged, the side plots can be adjusted.
Even if something did go wrong, there's still Medea. She'll use the power of the barrier to mend any errors in the whole process from the outside."
Medea's voice then rang out: "Tonight is an opportunity that may be encountered but never sought."
...
The right timing, the right conditions, the right people.
The perfect time.
The perfect place.
The perfect cast of personnel.
...
As though everything were predetermined.
As though everything were destiny.
...
Yet in truth,
destiny had long since been broken.
Everything had long since been changed.
...
Once he understood the whole situation, Dark gradually set his mind at ease.
Whether the ritual ultimately went smoothly or not had little to do with him.
He only needed to know that after tonight, the "Drifloon" would recover, and that was enough.
"So then, next…"
Dark deliberated. "May I find a place to catch some sleep?"
...
"We're at the top of the bell tower."
Professor Silf's voice drifted up lightly.
Unlike Professor Medea, who loved to spectate and never minded the trouble growing bigger, Professor Silf had never intended from the start to let Dark take part in this matter.
As for the "observation" Medea had mentioned, she had not the slightest interest in it.
"That's too high up." Dark yawned and said, "I'll just find a classroom nearby to lie down for a while. Hopefully it'll all be over when I wake up."
So he found an empty classroom close by and walked in, bringing his Magic Guide Spirits along.
Tonight's ritual involved Ophelia Brad's safety.
If he insisted on inserting himself into it, there was no telling what variables it might cause.
A person may not necessarily attain a lofty realm, but one must never be without a bottom line.
This bit of gossip—better left uneaten!
Besides, he had actually already eaten his fill.
So full he was about to burst!
"Virt is actually the child of Hero Bright and the Blood Princess, Ophelia!"
"According to the theory Professor Silf described, when the Blood Princess gave birth to Virt, she was still in the midst of the 'Demon King's reproduction,' and her veins were flowing with the Demon King's blood because of the Demon King's Embrace."
"Reasoning forward, Virt's body probably also has the Demon King's blood flowing through it."
"No wonder he could read that copy of Into the Abyss!"
...
"The most serious piece of information this event reveals is probably this very point."
"A future Hero who carries the Demon King's bloodline…"
"Compared with that, the Blood Princess and all the rest of it hardly matter anymore."
"If this information were exposed at this point in time, Virt's situation would likely become extremely difficult."
"It's rather generous of Professor Silf to have actually told me everything exactly as it was."
"I just wonder whether they've arranged a 'mother and son reunion' scene?"
"Probably not."
"After all, the role the Blood Princess plays in this stage play is a Demon King who must be struck down by the Hero."
"The drama of the Demon King and the Hero—truly an eternal, unchanging theme."
...
Dark lay across the seats, pillowed his hands behind his head, and quietly gazed at the ceiling of this unused classroom.
In a corner of the ceiling a spider's web was spread, and a spider labored diligently upon it, weaving the web denser and finer.
Before he knew it, he closed his eyes and fell asleep for the third time tonight.
DemiDevimon lay on the desk beside him, eyes open, staring up at the sky.
Leomon and Gatomon leaned against the wall on the other side, arms folded across their chests, feet crossed—both in the very same posture.
The "Drifloon" Magic Guide Card was still faintly flickering, but at a gentle frequency and a very low brightness.
...
The affairs of the world are strange by nature.
The Son of the Hero carries the Demon King's bloodline in his veins.
The Son of the Valkyrie carries the Demon God's bloodline in his veins.
If even the descendants of the Kingdom's Twin Swords are like this—
then how many mixed-bloods in this world carry the blood of the Demon race?
The so-called "total extermination of the Demon race"—just how much of it is true?
...
"Beep——"
In a dream full of blossoming flowers, Dark suddenly jolted awake.
He opened his eyes and reached out, his hand groping toward his card pack.
The next instant, a continuously vibrating Sorting Card—gate card—was swiftly in his grasp.
"It's information from the gate card? Not the Sorting Card?"
Dark nodded his head; that wisp of clear breeze still lingered, the fluctuation of magic power still persisting.
"Who is sending me a message through the gate card?"
____
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