A Multiverse Journey Starting from the Supreme Sovereign

A nation's culture was always tied to its local terrain and climate.

Because of its cold climate, the Kingdom of Aldegia's overall culture and art tended toward simplicity and ruggedness.

Just like the shops lining the capital's streets, each one was plain in color, lacking the splendor and refinement of the Mediterranean region, yet possessing a more majestic charm.

Saigō walked through the kingdom's streets with Aurora, taking in the foreign scenery and listening to the beautiful tunes played by street performers.

Aurora wore a wool-collared coat over the simple white off-the-shoulder dress she had worn while sleeping inside the ice crystal coffin.

Since she was called Sleeping Beauty, she naturally possessed the delicate and elegant features of a princess.

In particular, Aurora's beautiful hair, which gleamed with iridescent light from different angles, and her Flame Light Eyes always drew astonished looks from passersby.

Aurora seemed curious about everything. She looked here and there, her exquisite face filled with an inquisitive expression.

When he had first arrived in this country, Saigō had also been somewhat interested in Northern European culture.

However, after spending so many years in Europe with Nangong Nayue and staying in the Kingdom of Aldegia for quite some time, Saigō no longer felt the same thrill at these sights as he once had.

Aurora suddenly stopped, her slender, fair legs coming to a halt.

Seeing that Saigō seemed not to have noticed her and continued walking ahead, she hesitated before reaching out with her soft white hand and grabbing the hem of his sleeve.

"Hmm? What is it, Aurora?"

Feeling the slight tug on his sleeve, Saigō stopped and looked at this Host Body of Crimson Ice of the Demon Princess in confusion.

Aurora raised her other hand and secretly pointed to the side, a faint blush appearing on her tender face as though she were embarrassed.

Saigō followed the direction of her finger and saw a roadside shop, where several pastries on display looked especially tempting.

Smelling their fragrance, Aurora's throat bobbed as though she had swallowed.

"You want to eat?"

Understanding her meaning, Saigō asked with a smile.

"Yes, I am a little hungry!"

Aurora covered her small stomach and looked timidly at Saigō like a puppy waiting for its owner to feed it.

A pleading look appeared in her Eyes of Blazing Light, completely unlike the cold, merciless expression she had worn on Gozo Island when Saigō had ordered her to summon Crimson Ice of the Demon Princess (ciff), destroy the island, and freeze the sea.

"You're a vampire, aren't you? Shouldn't you be drinking human blood? Why do you need to eat ordinary human food? Isn't that a waste of food?"

Saigō raised a brow.

"Do you have some misunderstanding about vampires? A vampire's bloodsucking is an impulse of sexual desire, not a means of replenishing nutrition."

"...Even vampires need to eat!"

Aurora corrected Saigō's misunderstanding of vampires.

Come to think of it, since arriving in this world, Saigō had never really studied vampires. He had assumed the vampires here were the same as those in his impression.

Aside from the fact that vampires here had summons called Familiars.

Yet from Aurora's words, Saigō realized that the vampires of this world were completely different from what he had imagined. Drinking blood was not actually necessary for vampires.

But after considering it carefully, he felt that this was only natural.

If vampires and humans were like people and food, the two sides could never coexist peacefully, and the Sanctuary Treaty could never have come into being.

"That is interesting."

Saigō stroked his chin. He even began wondering whether the vampires of this world were truly vampires. Could they be like the vampires in the World Tree game, a bunch of lampreys?

Thinking as he walked slowly ahead, Saigō said to Aurora in an even, unruffled tone, "...I certainly do not mind if you want to go eat something."

"...But you have to pay for it yourself."

Hearing Saigō's words, Aurora declared righteously, "...I have no money!"

Saigō turned to look at Aurora, who wore a proud expression as though being penniless were something remarkable, and said irritably, "...This is the first time I've seen someone so openly ask another person to pay for them."

"...I refuse your request! Remember this, Aurora: you are merely a tool, my pet. Pets have no right to make demands!"

"...You can only receive whatever your master is willing to give you."

Hearing Saigō's cold words, Aurora said softly, "...But if I do not eat, I will starve to death."

"The hotel has all the steamed buns and rice you could want. It is all just to fill your stomach anyway, so it makes no difference what you eat."

"That is far too cheap! I do not want to eat nothing but rice every day!"

Aurora let out a timid complaint.

However, seeing Saigō ignore her, Aurora did not dare complain further and obediently followed him onward.

As Saigō had said, she was nothing more than a tool, a Vessel, a containment object sealing Crimson Ice of the Demon Princess.

Though she had been given the name Aurora, she was still merely Number Twelve, a True Vampire Vessel.

The sole meaning of her existence was to participate in the Feast of Blazing Light and resurrect the Fourth True Ancestor.

And once the Fourth True Ancestor was resurrected, they, the Vessels, would lose their purpose and their lives.

Aurora understood the meaning behind Saigō's words. There was no need to give special treatment to a tool destined to lose its life in the future.

Nor could Aurora possibly harbor any thoughts of resistance.

Even if the person before her were not Saigō, the demon who had absorbed the Primogenitor, as long as someone was willing to participate in the Feast of Blazing Light, she would follow their orders. Everything was for the resurrection of the Fourth True Ancestor!

Much less now, when Saigō himself was the Primogenitor. As a Host Body, Aurora could not disobey his commands all the more.

After crossing a broad street and arriving before a restaurant that looked exceptionally high-end, Saigō stopped again. He turned to Aurora, who was obediently following behind him, and smiled.

"...What an obedient little pet. Since you are so well-behaved, I cannot treat you too poorly as your master."

"Come on. The place you wanted to visit earlier was only a dessert shop. Children who eat too many sweets get cavities. It is better to eat a proper meal."

With that, Saigō walked straight into the restaurant.

Aurora froze for a moment, then her face lit up with delight. She quickly moved her straight, slender legs and jogged after Saigō.

"Since you wish to offer sacrifices to me, I shall naturally grant your wish, and I shall also forgive the harsh words you spoke to me earlier!"

Aurora declared confidently.

Saigō had already grown accustomed to Aurora's way of speaking.

This vampire was obviously quite timid, yet she never watched her mouth and always acted so proud.

Useless Aurora

Baltic Sea herring and grilled eel had distinctive flavors, while sea bass and rainbow trout were juicy and delicious.

The salmon and cod soup made from fish caught where ocean currents converged was incomparably fresh. Fresh herring pickled with spices and flavored with a little onion was simply irresistible.

Together with king crab legs, abalone marinated in white wine, and the strawberries and blueberries produced in abundance by the Kingdom of Aldegia, it made for a lavish seafood feast.

"This is so delicious! I have never eaten anything this delicious before. I am very satisfied with the tribute you have offered to noble me!"

Aurora ate until her mouth was slick with oil.

Her soft white hands held a king crab leg. With her tremendous strength, she needed no tools at all and simply snapped it apart.

Then she sucked out the sweet crab meat, her Flame Light Eyes glistening with moisture as though she had been moved by this rare delicacy, letting out a sound of complete satisfaction.

"Have you already forgotten how you are supposed to address me, Aurora...?"

Saigō leisurely enjoyed the white-wine-marinated abalone in his hand. After swallowing the abalone in his mouth, he glanced at Aurora across from him and spoke calmly.

"My deepest apologies, Lord Zarathustra! I-I merely acted out of habit!"

Aurora was at a loss, waving her little hands back and forth while holding a knife and fork, her expression somewhat panicked.

It was not that she feared Saigō whipping or beating her. As a True Vampire Vessel, she did not care about such things.

What Aurora cared about was making Saigō unhappy and causing him to never bring her out for a grand meal and delicious food again.

Seeing Aurora like this, Saigō felt rather helpless. He increasingly felt as though he were raising a pet.

This Number Twelve Vessel was indeed obedient. At the very least, she would not refuse anything Saigō ordered her to do.

Yet sometimes she was very disobedient as well. She quickly forgot things she had been told and never corrected herself, just like a self-willed cat.

"Aurora, you said you have never eaten anything this delicious. Then what did you eat in the past?"

After thinking for a moment, Saigō began probing her, hoping to learn some secrets of the past from Aurora.

The reason he did not ask directly was because he feared Aurora might be under some restriction that prevented her from revealing secrets of the past. Thus, he used a more indirect approach.

"In the past, I never ate anything. I was always asleep on that island."

"...I am the Primogenitor's watcher, the medium that seals the Primogenitor. When I awaken, I am to assist the Primogenitor in completing the Feast of Blazing Light and resurrecting the Fourth True Ancestor!"

"Now that Lord Zarathustra is the Primogenitor, I am also your watcher!"

Though Aurora was already full and her little stomach had bulged, she still did not want to give up and tried hard to stuff salmon into her mouth.

As for Saigō's question, she did not think much about it and answered straightforwardly.

"You never ate anything in the past?"

Saigō frowned.

"Yes. As I said, I was always asleep. This is my first time waking up."

"...I am truly fortunate to have encountered Lord Zarathustra after waking up. Lord Zarathustra has offered me such precious tributes, and I am very happy."

Aurora narrowed her Flame Light Eyes and shook her iridescent hair, revealing an innocent smile.

That smile was far too pure, like transparent ice crystal—clear and beautiful.

"Lord Zarathustra is such a gentle, kind person!"

Aurora said sincerely.

Saigō neither confirmed nor denied Aurora's exaggerated praise.

He was merely puzzled. From Aurora's words, he could tell that she had been asleep ever since she was created.

Though Vessels of the Fourth True Ancestor had awakened in the past, and the legend of Holy Annihilation had spread amid the rampage of Familiars.

Aurora had definitely not been among those awakened Vessels.

"How much do you know about the Celestial Tribe?"

This time, Saigō asked directly. In this world, aside from Holy Annihilation and Sin God Cain, the Celestial Tribe was what interested him most.

"The Celestial Tribe? I do not know."

Aurora shook her head, confusion in her eyes.

"You do not know? Weren't you created by the Celestial Tribe?"

Saigō asked again.

According to the intelligence provided by Nangong Nayue and String God Island, the Fourth True Ancestor had once launched a rebellion against the Celestial Tribe, only to be suppressed by them and split into twelve parts.

That was all humanity currently knew about the Fourth True Ancestor's past.

"I also do not know whether I was created by the Celestial Tribe. The only thing I know is that my mission is to seal the Primogenitor and complete the Feast of Blazing Light."

"...As for anything else, I know nothing."

Aurora shook her head. Her mouth never stopped moving, so her words came out muffled.

"Then you really are useless, Aurora."

Saigō said regretfully.

"I'm sorry. I am just this useless and cannot bestow blessings upon you."

"...You have offered me such a precious gift, yet I cannot respond in kind. That makes me very sad."

Aurora spoke in a dejected tone, racking her brains for a way to repay Saigō for treating her to this meal.

But there was nothing in her empty head. She simply did not know what to do.

"Forget it, Aurora. Just be a good pet for me."