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Translator: Kazumi
Editor: Kabur & Silavin
“So, first, let me explain about this Prost coffin.”
Biana started to explain, keeping her gaze on Kousuke.
There was the temple director and the priest who looked like he was about to grit his teeth beside him, but they did not seem to be in Biana’s line of vision.
“This Prost coffin holds the souls of the vampires who have completed a certain ritual.”
“Souls?!”
A ridiculous statement came out of nowhere.
Kousuke had thought that managing souls was the work of a God, but the Prost coffin in front of him was fulfilling that role.
Seeing Kousuke’s reaction, Shrein added.
“Do not be mistaken. This coffin itself does not control the soul and manage life and death.”
“You mean?”
“Think of the High Elves. They existed only as souls. Kouhi summoned them, but normally, it is impossible for a soul to remain in this world.”
“That’s right. The coffin however makes it possible for the soul alone to remain in this world, as opposed to normally requiring a body to do so.”
“I don’t know how the High Elves are able to stay in this world with only their souls, but it is because of this Prost coffin that we are able to exist in this world even as souls.”
Kousuke nodded in understanding their explanation.
“I see. That explains the rumors about the Prost Clan.”
The Prost Clan did not exist with a physical body, but with this Prost coffin, they exist in a soul state.
That would explain the vague rumors about the Prost Clan.
They have not completely left this world, but since they do not exist with a physical body, it would be difficult to claim that they survived.
This was the reason why they could not find the Prost Clan at all when they came to the continent.
“Huh? Does that mean Shrein is in a similar situation?”
Kousuke noticed something and looked at Shrein.
“That’s right. I, too, existed only as a soul after the ritual. Then I was summoned by Mitsuki and took on a physical body again.”
“I see.”
With that explanation, Kousuke understood how important this Prost coffin was to the vampire clan.
“In past attacks against us, the Prost Clan gambled to abandon their bodies and exist only as souls. Nevertheless, the coffin and the temple itself cannot exist without someone to manage it, so we need someone to be the guardian of the coffin.”
So the guardian of this generation was Biana, who now stood in front of us.
It was not that Biana kept watch all the time.
After a certain number of years, a person was chosen from among the members of the clan who had become soul entities to be the guardian.
Those who have been guardians for generations have been managing this place and waiting for the right moment to return.
“That time is now.”
Looking at Biana, who was looking at Kousuke intently as she said this, Kousuke could guess what she was implying.
“So you want me to do something.”
“Half right, half wrong.”
“Meaning?”
“To be precise, I want you and the people over here to help me.”
Biana looked at Peach as she said this.
“Me, really?”
“Yes.”
Peach tilted her head at the sudden nomination, and Biana nodded broadly.
“What are we going to do?”
“First of all, I will explain in order, so may I talk to the <Supreme One>?”
“Ah, yes. Go ahead~.”
In response to Biana’s confirmation, Peach simply nodded.
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Turning once again to Kousuke, Biana continued.
“I want the <Supreme One> to create something.”
“So that’s where I come in.”
Shrein nodded a little excitedly at Biana’s words.
“Well. I’m interested in what I have to create, but what’s with the over-the-top name? It’s extremely embarrassing…”
Kousuke felt indescribably uncomfortable every time he was called <Supreme One>.
Biana, however, showed no concern and answered his question.
“The <Supreme One> is one of the gods that we vampires consider very important.”
“Heh…?”
Kousuke looked stunned at the unexpected words.
Kousuke was indeed a God, but he had never been in a situation where he was worshiped by vampires.
He looked at Shrein, but she too shook her head in confusion.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t really know what to make of it either.”
Shrein shook her head.
She was surprised that Biana called Kousuke by that name, but she had never thought that Kousuke was a <Supreme One>.
“I think you will understand what he is going to create for us.”
Biana replied to Shrein, a kindred spirit.
Incidentally, for her Prost Clan, there was no hierarchy between Vampire and True Ancestor Vampire.
There was only a pure difference in power.
However, that was one aspect that determined the hierarchical relationship, but it was not the whole factor.
“What will he be creating?”
“Yes. It will be using this.”
At Shrein’s clarification, Biana produced a palm-sized spherical object from her pocket.
“What is that?”
“Oh…!”
Shrein tilted her head when she saw it, but this time Kousuke reacted.
Seeing this, Biana nodded happily.
“Just as we had expected, you understood what this is just by looking at it.”
“Well, I’ve done a lot of research on it and I haven’t been able to find out what can make something like that.”
“Kousuke?”
Shrein asked, reacting as if he had known beforehand.
“Don’t you recognize it? There’s something similar in Shrein’s castle.”
“Don’t tell me it’s a Vermilinia jewel?”
Peach noticed first and tilted her head.
The reason Shrein did not notice it was because it looked very different from the Vermilinia jewel itself.
“More precisely, I’d say it’s a stage before it becomes the Vermilinia Jewel, right? More specifically, even with the same process, it won’t turn into a Vermilinia Jewel.”
When Kousuke looked up Vermilinia Jewel a while back, there was a part of it that he just couldn’t figure out.
That part of the sphere was directly related to the sphere that Biana had.
However, it was not the Vermilinia Jewel itself that Biana was holding.
Nor was it the Prost Jewel.
What Biana was holding in her hand now was something that was in the preliminary stage before it would become the Prost Jewel.
The jewel was given to her by Clara, the Goddess of the Mountain, and for a long time, the keepers of the jewel, including Biana, had been putting their power into the jewel in order for it to take on its true form.
Biana nodded at Kousuke’s words.
“That’s right. I would like the <Supreme One> to use this to create a Jewel for this temple.”
“…Heh?”
Kousuke was taken aback by these unexpected words.
Kousuke no longer doubted that this Arcis Temple was based on the same logic as the Vermilion Castle.
If she wanted him to make something similar to the Vermilion Castle’s jewel, that would be understandable, but Biana was asking Kousuke to make something that would bind Arcis Temple to the Jewel like the Vermilion Castle.
“As for how it will be done, I think there are some things that are difficult to explain orally, so I will tell you differently, Shrein, was it? I will perform the rite of transmission, if that is alright with you.”
Shrein immediately nodded at the mention of the transmission.
It was one of the rituals of contract handed down in Vampire tradition.
Naturally, Shrein understood its purpose.
“Of course I don’t mind. I’d rather ask you to let me perform it.”
“Then let’s get started.”
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The transmission ceremony itself was over quickly.
The point was that the ritual of transmission was to be able to pass on the knowledge Biana possessed to others.
Of course, both the giver and the receiver needed one person who knew the ritual, but in this case, there was no problem because Shrein was there.
The knowledge would then be passed on to Kousuke and the others, as if relaying the information from Shrein.
Of course, the temple head and the priests, who were already unable to keep up with the conversation, were not included.
All of them, who had been given this knowledge, were convinced and at the same time groaned involuntarily.
The most perplexed was Peach, who was asked to help.
“Can we really do this?”
She was saying that until the very end, but was persuaded that it was absolutely necessary for the sake of the Prost Clan.
Of course, Kousuke agreed.
As a result, Peach nodded her head reluctantly, saying, “Please don’t complain if I fail!”
