Reincarnated as the Vampire Princess' Familiar
Chapter 60 - 14 - The Blood Game resumes

Chapter 60: 14 - The Blood Game resumes

«The winner is Lyon Valakys!»

The announcer declares as the fight ends—so quick and effortless it wraps up in mere seconds, with my opponent, a newly arrived girl whose name I can’t even recall, lying defeated. My rank jumps only a few spots—I’m now at position 1079, still far from the 250th spot needed to be promoted to the Lunae Crescentis dormitory. But it’s still progress. I didn’t even need to use the Blood Words to beat her—I’ve promised myself to reserve them for real threats, not for such inexperienced opponents. My already decent control of Vis energy was more than enough to knock her out with just a couple of hits.

Judging by the cheerful atmosphere at our table tonight, it looks like the others won their matches too—and indeed, they did. Gerard, with his second consecutive win, climbed to position 1101, while Ginevra soared to rank 633. Even Roxy made her debut with a victory, though she doesn’t seem particularly interested in climbing the ranks. As for Luke... he won his match too, reaching position 991, but something feels off. He doesn’t look happy at all—in fact, he refuses to talk about it. And yet, he defeated a familiar ranked much higher than himself. He should be proud. He’s definitely hiding something.

My doubts turn into near certainty when who’s likely his opponent—a bald man even taller and more muscular than Gerard—approaches our table. He addresses Luke with clear disdain, calling him a «monster,» before disappearing among the countless tables of the mess hall, driven away by Ginevra’s threatening glare.

Ginevra... it’s so good to have her back at our table, even if she was gone for just one evening. After Ayra’s victory, she underwent another round of the miraculous lotions from Noxscura’s famous beauty center—a treatment Ayra herself also received to erase the wounds from the Judicium Sanguinis. Now, Ginevra looks like a completely different person—and not just on the outside. The smile lighting up her face is the brightest thing imaginable, fueled by the knowledge that the abuse and humiliation Countess Dulcar inflicted on her have finally ended. Her beauty doesn’t go unnoticed, drawing admiring glances that now far outshine those once reserved for the sexy nun Rossella.

Monster...? What was that bald guy talking about?

At that moment, Ginevra’s words from a few nights ago flash through my mind:

«I doubt Luke will accuse you again of not being ’a human like us’ anymore.»

I’m sure there’s a connection between the two things... but what? There’s no way Luke became a predestined familiar overnight, and even less chance he turned into a vampire—that’s just not possible. So... what is it? Sadly, every time I try to get some answers, Luke shuts me down with blunt and hostile replies. «None of your fucking business!»—he’s probably told me that ten times already.

Luke stayed at the table just long enough to finish his meal, then slipped away like a thief—or like someone with something to hide—back to his room. Gerard and Roxy also left soon after—their usual two-hour prayer session in Rossella’s room awaits them every night. If she weren’t a nun, I’d honestly think that those two were hiding something too. I wouldn’t even be surprised if one day they confessed they could no longer use Divine Light

Soon, only Ginevra and I are left at the table, sitting side by side.

«I guess that even though it’s just the two of us left, you still won’t tell me why that guy said those things to Luke...» I press again, burning with curiosity—I can’t wait to throw it in Luke’s face after all the crap he’s said to me since my first day here!

«You guessed right,» Ginevra replies with a mischievous smile, sticking out her tongue. Seeing her in such high spirits is honestly a treat for both the eyes and the heart. «Feel like going for a walk? I’m not sleepy at all, and there’s still an hour left before curfew.»

Unlike the old dormitory, the new one—built entirely on a single floor—has an outdoor courtyard dozens of times larger, surrounded by even taller and thicker walls. Since the very first evening, the courtyard has become the main hangout for familiars, with countless groups of various sizes gathering in every corner. Some even bicker and clash over control of certain areas, like rival gangs at war. Most of these are fake scuffles—just a way to pass the time—since harming another familiar outside of the Blood Games is strictly forbidden, and in the worst cases, even punishable by death.

An hour is just about enough time to walk back and forth along one side of the courtyard—a square about two kilometers per side—and that’s exactly the route we decide to take.

Around this time of year, the red Maius Moon sets quite early, making way for the calmer, more relaxing Minus Moon and its pale silvery glow, which casts an almost magical aura even over this wretched place. And if it can pull off such a miracle here... then lingering on how it highlights Ginevra’s renewed beauty feels almost pointless. If we’d met in the human world, who knows... I probably would’ve courted her nonstop, even though I doubt she would’ve ever seen me that way. She’s nineteen, and I’m only sixteen; at this age, girls don’t usually go for younger boys. And besides, I’d risk ruining the beautiful friendship growing between us... God, did I just mentally friendzone Ginevra?! What kind of mental spiral is this? As if I could actually interest her... and yet, according to Ayra, I do. She must be wrong, obviously. A vampire—as empathetic as she might be—has a totally different view of the world than we humans do. She definitely got it wrong.

«Is there something weird on my face...?» Ginevra asks—she’s probably wondering why I’m staring at her in silence, but it’s hard to look away from those wonderful blue eyes and the joy that now shines in them.

I really hope that smile lasts forever...

«Luckily, not anymore...» I reply simply, lifting my gaze slightly to the sky and letting out a deep sigh of relief. For a moment—when Amelia had Ayra cornered with the power of the Succubus Mark—I truly feared the worst. But fortunately, here we are.

«Now that I think about it... it’s kind of strange that you’re still here in the dormitory, and more than that, that you’re still allowed to take part in the Blood Game. As Ayra’s personal slave, shouldn’t you be with her day and night?» I ask her.

«It was a whim of mine, and Ayra was more than happy to indulge me,» Ginevra replies, blushing slightly and lowering her gaze. «You, Gerard, Luke... you’re my family now, and I can’t imagine the rest of my life without you, even if it means being locked up in this prison and eating the crap they serve us every day. As for the Blood Game... I would’ve gladly passed on them, but unfortunately, the rules are clear: staying here is only allowed for those who participate, so it was kind of a forced decision...»

«Look on the bright side; at this rate, you’ll be promoted to the Lunae Crescentis dormitory in no time—it’s way more comfortable than this one, and I really hope the food’s a lot better too.»

But she firmly shakes her head. «I just told you I chose to stay here to be with all of you, didn’t I? I have no intention of going to Lunae Crescentis alone—I want us to go together. Or at least, that’s what I hope... I know I can’t force you or the others to give up your promotion. But it would be nice if we all changed dormitory together, don’t you think?»

«Yeah, I think it’s a really nice idea,» I say. «After all, over there I don’t know anyone except Dorje—Sasha Valakys’s familiar—and he doesn’t even seem like a particularly sociable guy. Starting over completely alone would be seriously annoying...»

«So it’s just because you’re too lazy to make new friends again? And here I was thinking you’d miss seeing me every day—you’re such an asshole!» she exclaims with obvious irony, giving me a playful punch on the arm.

«Well, well, look who we have here! Who would’ve thought love would bloom between you two? That night really worked miracles!»

A male voice rings out from behind us—a familiar voice, though I can’t quite place where I’ve heard it before—and we both immediately turn around.

Dimitri Vorthgen and Camila Kalkuth—he practically bursting with enthusiasm, while she looks clearly annoyed, maybe because of his overly exuberant attitude—stand hand in hand behind us.

Yes, I remember them! They’re the two we fought alongside on the night of the Mons Moon, against that group of lycan. I haven’t seen them since then, but that’s to be expected in a place this huge. Still, back then they didn’t seem to get along at all—in fact, she looked like she outright hated him... I can’t believe they ended up dating!

«W-We’re not a couple...» Ginevra murmurs, blushing and lowering her gaze.

«No? That’s really a shame—you looked so in sync, I actually thought you were already together back then. But when I asked around, it turned out you weren’t. I was honestly surprised,» Dimitri replies.

Did he really get that impression...?

Camila, who had been silent until now, lets out a theatrical sigh, as if silently scolding him. «Don’t mind him—he’s a good guy, just incredibly immature sometimes... Anyway, I’m really happy to see you’re doing well. Actually, you look amazing!» she adds, noticing there’s not the slightest trace of scars or marks on Ginevra’s face. «I don’t know what kind of crazy beauty treatment you did, but please, tell me your secret! My skin’s cracking more and more every day... I’m honestly ashamed to even look at myself in the mirror—I look awful...»

Actually, Camila is anything but horrible. Her skin is a bit dry, like her hair, but her beauty is undeniable—even without any beauty treatments.

«Don’t say that, my love. You don’t need weird lotions—you’re beautiful even like this!» Dimitri tries to reassure her, though not very effectively.

«What do you mean by even like this? Are you implying something?» Camila snaps, glaring at him, while Ginevra and I can’t help but chuckle quietly.

It definitely won’t be a boring evening...

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