The Undead King of the Palace of Darkness

“How does it feel, being a vampire?” “Huh? That was quite abrupt…”

Moving my body is fun. Vampires don’t gain muscles through muscle training and they don’t get tired even when they move around, but maybe it’s because of the experience from my previous life that I can’t calm down unless I’m moving. Today, when I was doing my daily routine of handstand push-ups as usual to confirm the joy of my body moving without pain, Senri, who was sitting in a chair and observing me, suddenly asked me something like that.

I bounced up into the air strongly with the power of my arms, spun around and landed.

It’s rare for Senri to ask me something like that. She’s always careful to try to make me forget that I’m an undead as much as possible.

I don’t mind it at all, but — even though it’s been quite a while since we started traveling together, for Senri, becoming an undead is still a tragedy. Still, it’s hard to describe how it feels. If I was asked the same when I was a human, I would most likely have also felt troubled back then too. As I frowned and groaned earnestly, I answered timidly.

“Hmm… if I had to say it… it feels like I’m moving even though I’m a corpse.”

“… I see.”

I’m strong, I’m not in pain, I get thirsty, but I don’t get very hungry and I don’t need to go to the toilet either. I have several deadly weaknesses, I have to hide from humans and I keep getting attacked by wild vampire hunters, wild Order of Death Knight and wild Demon Kings, but overall – I feel incomparably better compared to my previous life. And Senri also provides me with blood.

As I blinked in confusion out of the old habit, Senri eventually replied with a heavy voice.

“The Kings of the Dead that live for long lose their humanity. Eternal time – is too long for a human’s soul.”

Isn’t that… because the kind of necromancer, who would become the King of the Dead would have a problematic human nature? I would certainly go crazy if I had to live alone for tens, hundreds or even thousands of years, but I’ve only just become undead. The undead are immortal but right now I look my age, so I should still have some time until my immortal body becomes too much for me.

I’ve been a little worried about that for a long time, but there’s no use thinking about it, so I decided to put it off for later.

I said with a heavy tone to Senri, who looked like she wanted to say something.

“Senri, I’ll… work the night shift.”

“… I see.” “Everybody hates the night shift, right? I… I would definitely work the night shift if human society acknowledged me.”

“Night shift…”

It’s the perfect job for me. I’ll be the guard or whatever. If you’re not good with the sunlight, all you have to do is avoid it and if you can’t eat garlic, all you have to do is live in a way that lets you steer clear from it. Once you get used to it, a body full of weaknesses is unexpectedly fine. I won’t die even if I’m left as just a head or set on fire, so some level of weaknesses should be forgiven. Well, I kind of feel like I wouldn’t have to experience those if I wasn’t a vampire, but this world is full of dangers.

If I were to be reborn, I would choose to be a vampire again. I mean, won’t I die if I run into werewolves as a human?

“I’ll be a guard that only works at night. I’m a professional who has the physical strength tens or hundreds of times stronger than a human and won’t die even if I’m only left as a head. I’ve even fought against the Demon King. And, I’ll provide for you, Senri.”

“… End, your positive attitude is a great virtue.”

I was praised.

Though, even Senri, who says that, used to be bedridden, but she’s a Death Knight now. Maybe feeling better than you used to… is an incredible strength.

That’s why, Senri shouldn’t ―― feel too obliged to me. I’m not pitiful. I am feared as a monster, the Order of Death Knights is trying to kill me, I was chased around by the vampire hunters and I’m a bit worried about immortality, but – I’m still having fun despite everything. I’ve died once. Normally that would be the end. The fact that I’m still moving like this is a bonus. Complaining would be unreasonable.

I stood in front of Senri, took on a serious expression and opened my arms wide.

“Also, I have you too, Senri. I’m… not alone. So I’m not lonely at all.”

Perhaps I might have become depressed if I had to live as a vampire alone. There’s a possibility that I would have attacked people in order to drink their blood. However, Senri prevented that with her own body. She has always been an understanding person. She’s noble, thoughtful of me, strong and – kind. It would be too much to ask for a higher status than this.

Senri kept looking at me with her clear eyes, but then she stood up and opened up her arms without saying anything.

See? — She’s incredibly kind.

I gently hugged Senri with a smile —

— And pushed her down on a nearby bed. The power of the blessing of Death Knights is strong, but without it, Senri’s powers don’t go outside the realm of humanity. Once I’m close enough to hug her, her swordsmanship skills become irrelevant. Senri opens her eyes wide in surprise. That expression on the face of Senri, who’s always calm, is very age-appropriate, fresh – and very cute.

“?! End?!”

“You’re so kind, Senri~“

“No! That’s not what I meant! I just gave you blood recently!”

A sharp kick flies into my stomach, but it’s nothing for me, who can be relatively fine even if there’s a hole in my stomach. As I approach her, I can feel a strong smell of blood under her pale skin. Her heart is beating hard. I hold down Senri’s limbs and rub my head against her neck. I don’t know why, but I feel strange. My vampire hunting instincts are being stimulated. Her white skin is smooth, her limbs are delicate and she’s soft no matter where I touch her. Even in the dim darkness, illuminated only by a candlelight, my vampire eyes could clearly see her flushed skin. Senri voiced her protest.

“End, no! This is different from what you promised! You get blood once a week!”

“I won’t drink your blood! But I’ll snuggle you! According to the vampire knowledge I’ve acquired, male vampires love beautiful girls!”

“?!”

Studying ahead is important. I must find the next place to drink the blood from – the place where Senri’s reaction is the best. The moment I concentrated all my nerves and took it more seriously than my muscle training, the soul that existed deep within Senri’s body beneath me, started to shine strongly.

“’Soul Release’!”

☠

“… I will absolutely never trust you again.”

Senri told me, who had lost my powers from the light of Soul Release and was rolling on the floor after being knocked off. ‘Soul Release’ is the weakest spell amongst the spells that use the blessing. Even if it could purify a low-level undead, it can only be a light punishment for me.

I stand up while rubbing my stomach.

“I’m hearing that for like the 5th time though.”

“…” I’m fine. There’s no need to worry. I won’t give in no matter what happens, won’t have regrets and will be happy. Do you understand me? Senri turned away in a puff.

Perhaps because I’ve become stronger from receiving blood regularly, I’ve become used to the ‘Soul Release’ too. Next time. Next time I can definitely do it.

Senri quietly turned her narrowed eyes at me, who had become convinced, and sighed a little.

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