Kousuke had come to Vermilia Castle in the North Tower, accompanied by Shurein and Mitsuki.
The objective was interaction with the vampires and an investigation into the Vermilia Jewel.
Kousuke himself wanted to focus on investigating the jewel, but since it had been a while since his last visit, he was dragged into a banquet.
He hadn’t informed them of his arrival on this particular day, but as soon as Zennet heard Kousuke was here, he quickly set up a banquet.
Kousuke, who primarily stayed secluded in the management layer, rarely visited Vermilia Castle like this.
Zennet demonstrated his excellent skills, thinking that if this opportunity were missed, there was no telling when the next one would be.
The efficiency was so remarkable that Kousuke couldn’t help but suspect Shurein. However, Shurein, sensing Kousuke’s gaze, said,
“I only heard about it suddenly myself? There’s no way I could have informed you in advance!”
Indeed, that was the case, and Kousuke had nothing more to say.
And so, in the banquet hall of Vermilia Castle.
This place was originally used for social gatherings, but as such events no longer took place, it was now mostly used for banquets and the like.
In the banquet hall, representatives of the vampires and the Iggrid Race were present.
Over the past decade, the number of vampires and the Iggrid Race had increased.
Since the addition of the Prost Clan, the vampires had been actively accepting vampires who wished to immigrate.
Now, they no longer maintained their lineage in a strict sense, and they were even reaching out to vampires who were active as individuals.
And as there were more vampires wishing to immigrate than they had initially expected, the number of vampires in this stratum had reached nearly a thousand.
“Still, you’ve really increased a lot in these ten years,” Kousuke remarked as Zennet poured him a drink.
“Indeed. That simply means many wished to live in a stable land,” Zennet replied.
“It’s not like you’re ostracized as much as you used to be, is it?” Kousuke asked.
“Yes. Some who already have established their own lives refuse to immigrate. However, it is still the case that those who intermarry with other races tend to immigrate more often.”
It seemed that vampires and other races, who were mostly humans, often felt out of place after such intermarriage.
This wasn’t exclusive to vampires; other races showed similar trends.
One reason for this was the difficulty in having children, especially with long-lived and short-lived species.
The main reason was that long-lived species generally found it difficult to have children, and it was said to be even more difficult than that.
“Is it really about the children?” Zennet asked.
“Yes. It seems they’re often looked down upon by their parents or close relatives.”
The issue of children became more pronounced, especially for those of high status.
The continuation of the clan was tied to the existence of children.
The difficulty in having children could, by itself, be grounds for being blamed by those around them.
“That’s a difficult problem,” Kousuke said, letting out a deep sigh, as he had faced similar issues regarding children himself.
“Yes. Since it involves family and household matters, I cannot lightly interfere.”
“You’re not forcing anyone to come, are you?” Kousuke inquired.
“Of course not. At the very least, we have obtained their consent,” Zennet replied.
Kousuke noticed the subtle wording but didn’t pry further. He sensed that in some cases, they might have even assisted those who eloped.
The teleport gate connecting the stratum where the vampires resided to the outside world, which originally connected to Crown Headquarters, now connected to a different location on the Central Continent.
The installation site was completely removed from trade routes and areas where adventurers operated.
While the vampires were aware of the teleport gate’s existence, remarkably little had leaked out to the outside.
Over the past decade, word had spread among the vampires about a place where they were gathered or protected.
However, due to past experiences, vampires who heard about immigration kept its existence to themselves.
Nevertheless, from a third-party perspective, assisting in elopements, which could be seen as forceful, increased the probability of such actions being exposed.
The teleport gate’s location was changed partly to disperse such risks.
This was so that the gate could be abandoned at any time.
The vampires living within the tower understood that the teleport gate was the lifeline sustaining their town.
Therefore, when discussing immigration, they never revealed the location of their town until the very last moment. This included the fact that their destination was within the tower.
By doing so, they prevented unnecessary trouble.
Kousuke had no intention of interfering as long as the vampires operated the teleport gate and their town while fully understanding the risks involved.
Although Kousuke had initially provided assistance, he now felt that it was completely out of his hands.
Of course, it would be different if they started forcibly dragging people into the tower, but as long as the individuals coming to the tower consented, he believed there was no problem.
***
“Kousuke, are you drinking properly?”
An Iggrid Race individual approached Kousuke, timing it after his serious conversation with Zennet had ended. He also brought along sake to pour for Kousuke.
“Ah, thank you. I am indeed drinking,” Kousuke replied.
“You’re still so stiff. There’s no need to be so formal at a drinking party,” the Iggrid Race member said cheerfully. This individual was one of the artisans who supported the production of their crafts. He already had many loyal customers but was a mysterious figure who never appeared in public. However, it was known that the crafts were made by the Iggrid Race, so some understanding of the situation could be inferred. Many of the famous crafts produced by Crown bore similarities to the techniques of the Iggrid Race, leading to speculation that the Iggrid Race was being sheltered in Amamiya Tower, but few fools dared to pry into that matter. Even if they did, Crown would simply turn them away.
“Hahaha. No, it’s just my nature, so please forgive me,” Kousuke said, brushing off the remark, but it wasn’t a lie.
“You’re a god, though. Are you getting along with the other gods like that?” This comment made Kousuke give a wry smile. It wasn’t an unreasonable concern if one weren’t aware of his special standing among the gods.
“Thank you for your concern. However, as I’m the first newcomer in a while, they’re treating me kindly,” Kousuke replied.
“Is that so, is that so? That’s good to hear,” the Iggrid Race member responded.
“Speaking of which, how is the Iggrid Race’s recent work going? Are there any difficulties?” Kousuke asked.
“You don’t need to worry about us. Lately, new materials for research are coming in one after another, and the young ones are enthusiastically studying them,” the Iggrid Race member replied. With many loyal customers, the Iggrid Race’s earnings were considerable. Using this surplus, Crown provided the Iggrid Race with new materials whenever they discovered them. While it was difficult to incorporate them into works immediately, some had resulted in great success. The delivery of new materials from Crown was also an expression of their expectations for the Iggrid Race.
“Is that so? Please tell them to do their best, but not overexert themselves,” Kousuke said.
“What are you saying? It’s natural for the younger generation to work hard. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to acquire any skills,” the artisan said with stern words, prompting a wry smile from Kousuke. Kousuke felt the weight of the words from a master craftsman who had undoubtedly gone through such experiences in the past and simply replied, “I see.”
This was the state of affairs for the vampires and the Iggrid Race. Other than the change in numbers, nothing fundamental had changed. The only significant alteration was the repositioning of the teleport gate leading outward.
