It was already bright outside by the time Jörg woke up. He didn’t know if he had slept just through the night or for several days.
His body was light, and his head was clear. It felt as if he’d lost one sense but gained a new set of eyes in exchange—eyes that could see a vast host of strange figures.
Monsters filled the Count’s room, wandering around and keeping close watch over Jörg. A new monster had been born, so they’d come to satisfy their curiosity.
Some monsters looked human, and some didn’t. Some appeared as beasts, or birds, or fish. Some were covered in fur or had two curving horns. Some left trails of wet slime behind wherever they went. Some cackled violently like monstrous birds, or looked at him with dancing eyes that changed color, or were formed of twirling air like wisps of smoke that never took a fixed shape, or had bodies that shimmered like jewels or stars in the night sky. Each one looked satisfied in their own form. They enjoyed their freedom. None seemed to harbor any animosity toward him, but neither did they seem overly friendly. If anything, they seemed to watch him with a kind of sympathy.
Jörg stayed still, not saying anything. It seemed like the smart thing to do.
The Count sat in his chair, reading a letter. He didn’t seem to pay any attention to the monsters. When Jörg sat up, the man set the letter on the table and looked toward him.
“I take it you now understand our history. Since ancient times, Europe has seen one group attack another without end. The war between the Ottoman Empire and Walachia was just one example. Smaller countries being absorbed by larger ones, territories whose borders change with every battle—these tragedies repeat themselves indefinitely. That is the natural outcome when countries share the same landmass. Wars do not start from nothing. The long history layered upon this land dictates what shape each era will take. It’s meaningless to say that wars only start under certain circumstances; anybody who goes about their everyday life in a time of peace is unknowingly creating the conditions for the next major conflict.”
So just by living, we’re all shaping the next war?
Jörg released the deep breath he’d been holding in. If that was true, then what hope was there for humanity on this planet?
“Humans are the ones who start wars,” continued the Count. “Humans are also the ones who stop them. Everyone has come to believe that. As such, governments and diplomacy have only refined that process. But the Great War is incapable of being stopped, even if people try. This war will not cease so long as nations keep pouring in resources and people from colonies, and as long as they continuously create new weapons to deploy on the front lines, overjoyed to see them succeed. This war doesn’t have a clear enemy whose defeat will quickly end the fighting. Do you understand? Right now, you’re fighting against that very situation, searching all by yourself for a way to end the war.”
“I understand. That’s why I asked to be given your blood.”
“The blood of Vlad must be urging you on, too. Be careful. His blood will do more than help you; it will consume you with an unbridled passion.”
“Is it really that overpowering?”
“It’s calmed considerably from what it once was. The Kingdom of Romania gaining independence resolved a large portion of its lingering regrets, but it will burn strongly again given the opportunity. To be honest, I feel it stir with every repeated skirmish in Europe.”
“If that’s the case, then I’m grateful,” Jörg said. “I think I would have given up on my own. I’m just a simple barber; I don’t have the perspective needed to lead a nation. But if this blood gives me that… From what I saw, Voivode Vlad didn’t seem like a bad person at heart. He may have gotten carried away while he was alive, but as the source of this magic, it feels like he’s a little more flexible.”
“Do not dismiss Vlad’s temperament lightly. He was no ordinary man.”
“Isn’t there any way to suppress the ferocity of his blood?”
The monsters filling the room all laughed loudly. Jörg heard them repeat how impossible that would be. A voice that sounded like an echo inside a cave said that Vlad’s passion was ferocious and unable to be contained by anyone.
The Count frowned, then waved a hand as if he were shooing a fly, ordering the monsters to be quiet. Once they were silent, he addressed Jörg again.
“The best way to suppress Voivode Vlad’s blood is to do nothing. Humans are hot-tempered and give in to their passions easily. They march off to war at the drop of a hat. Your best strategy is to devote yourself to a more carefree life. Relax, stay at home, enjoy a dull life of luxury, and you’ll be able to soothe Vlad’s blood. Go with the flow, like a jellyfish. Now that you’re a monster, the worst thing to do would be to dedicate yourself to a cause.”
Jörg had thought the Count was a relaxed person by his very nature, so he was more than a little surprised to discover the truth. He thought the man’s good upbringing and social class exuded a peculiar listlessness, but the Count was telling him otherwise: It was all a tactic to control the madness inside him.
Living a relaxed, subdued life to hold back the ancient raging blood? That wasn’t the lifestyle Jörg had imagined. Thinking about the incredible effort it would require, Jörg felt the chasm between him and the Count shrink ever so slightly. But he held his tongue. Thinking about it from the Count’s point of view, he was sure the man wouldn’t like being pitied by a servant like Jörg.
Whether or not he knew what Jörg was thinking, the Count continued.
“There is one other important issue. Now that you’re a real monster, your body cannot survive on normal food alone. You will have to obtain sustenance from human beings. If you do not, then you won’t be able to use your powers.”
“How do I do that?”
“Simply by touching them. You can draw sustenance from anyone regardless of sex or age, so take it from whomever you like. After a while, you will be able to absorb it simply by being near your target. You can do the same on the battlefield.”
“What do you mean?”
“Once a battle is over, you can sustain yourself on dying soldiers left in no-man’s-land.”
Jorg pictured it in his mind: In the light of the setting sun, a man encased in a black cloak leans over a fallen soldier like a priest attending to his deathbed. Muttering what sounds like a spell, he takes sustenance from the dying soldier. When the soldier passes on, he searches out someone else, working his way across the expanse. An overabundance of nourishment covers the land like a thick mist that surely must attract other monsters.
“It’s like being the God of death,” Jörg whispered.
“Yes, in a way.”
Jörg stayed silent for a while before saying, “Then do you mind if I go to Paris one more time?”
“Where do you wish to go?”
“The brothel where Bernadette works. It seemed like she wanted to tell me something.”
“That would be a fine place to draw sustenance from humans. While you’re at it, you should talk to some of the other customers. I assume Allied soldiers will be there.”
“Okay. But there’s one problem.”
“Which is?”
“It costs money, going to a brothel.”
“I will lend you some.”
“But I don’t have any way to pay you back.”
“There are many ways for you to repay me. It doesn’t have to be money, either; you could continue working as my servant forever.”
“No, thank you. I want to live my own life.”
Truth be told, Jörg had been worrying about money for a while. Even as a monster, he would need funds to stay connected with human society. He had no idea how the Count made his own money.
“We can work that out later. I take it this means you have enough money that you can lend it out to people?” Jörg asked.
“Of course.”
“But you don’t work, and you don’t own any land. So do you have some sort of ancient, highly pure gold coins or bars?”
The Count nodded. “That, and there have been many extraordinary opportunities for investment in Europe over these hundreds of years. I have made good use of them to increase my fortune to where it is today.”
“Do you think I can also learn how to invest?”
“All you need is the will.”
“But during war, stocks and bonds—”
“Rise and fall like normal. Perhaps you would like me to buy you some stock in railroads.”
“Please. I’d also like to learn how to start a company. I think running a business would be the best way to make money and pay off my debt in full. But I don’t know anything about how to do that.”
“It’s a good idea; however, you should wait until after the war. Your earnings will change dramatically based on which nation you establish yourself in. Countries can fall into a spiral of inflation after a war, which could bankrupt you in an instant. It would be best for you to study business for now, while you wait for the right time.”
“I understand.”
“It would also be best not to tell Lila that you have become a monster.”
“Okay.”
“She’s a clever girl, so she’ll figure it out sooner rather than later, but there’s no need for you to tell her now. You can simply explain that you’ve improved your control of simulacrums.”
“She’ll hate me once she realizes.”
“It doesn’t matter if she hates you; you will still protect her. As promised. Speaking of which, what have you decided to do about the intelligence work? Have you come to a decision?”
“I’ll do it.”
“Which side are you going to help?”
“I’ll help both, while also forsaking both.”
“Oh?”
“I won’t ally with any country. I’m only doing this for my own benefit.”
The Count clapped his hands together theatrically. “Wonderful!” he said, sounding delighted. “The words of someone who has become a true monster. That is why you are worthy of inheriting my blood.”