"What went wrong…"
I reflected upon returning from death.
Judite had said, "How dull," and killed me.
In other words, maybe I should say something more interesting. However, I couldn't come up with anything like that at all.
Anyway, I decided to go back to Judite once more.
"So, what benefits do I gain by taking you as my disciple?" she asked the same question again.
"There are no benefits. However, please make me your disciple," I said, this time choosing to appeal with sincerity since I couldn't offer any benefits.
"It's not worth discussing." she declared, and I was killed once again.
◆
Afterward, I repeatedly visited the vampire Judite only to be killed.
At one point, she asked, "So, what benefits do I gain by taking you as my disciple?"
I replied, "I can take care of everything. Shopping, cleaning, meal preparation, you name it. So please, make me your disciple."
She responded with, "I don't particularly feel the need for such things," and killed me.
On another occasion, in response to the same question, "So, what benefits do I gain by taking you as my disciple?"
I said, "Leave the physical work to me! I might not look like it, but I have experience with farming, so I'm confident in my strength!"
To which she replied, "If it's strength you're talking about, I'm superior," and killed me.
And then, on another occasion…
"I can be a conversation partner. You see, living in a place like this, there's no opportunity to talk to other people, so I thought you might be feeling lonely."
"I'm not particularly lonely," she said, and then she killed me.
After that, I attempted many times, only to be killed. I had no idea what she was looking for.
"So, what benefits do I gain by taking you as my disciple?"
"I can show you interesting things."
"Interesting things…?"
Saying this, the vampire Judite showed interest.
"Yes, I have a purpose. It's revenge."
"Revenge? It sounds quite delightful."
I was surprised that this was the most positive response I had received so far.
With a sense of inner joy, I began to explain my past: the persecution by the villagers, the loss of my beloved, and the exile to this dungeon due to false accusations. However, I concealed the fact that I kept returning from death with the skill "Save & Reset." It was still too early to trust her that much.
"So, I desperately want to become stronger and make the villagers see my power. To achieve that, I want to become your disciple and gain strength," I said, bowing my head.
"Kihhihi, that's quite interesting," she chuckled.
"So, what kind of revenge are you specifically thinking about?"
"Um…"
Revenge was all I had in mind, and I hadn't really thought about the specifics.
"I will kill them all," I said, considering the answer that would likely please the vampire in front of me the most.
"How will you kill them?"
"I will torture them before killing them. It will be the most gruesome way. No one will be spared, regardless of age or gender. I'll make them regret subjecting me to this from the bottom of their hearts."
"That sounds quite good!"
She grinned broadly.
"I've developed a desire to see what will become of you."
"Alright!"
"Don't get too excited just yet. If you pass the test, I'll make you my disciple."
"A test? Thank you!"
Finally, I had provided an answer that satisfied her. I didn't know what kind of test awaited me, but I couldn't afford to miss this opportunity, so I steeled myself for whatever lay ahead.