She opened the door again to ‘hiss’ in pain, as she abruptly closed it. Strips of her skin had been badly burnt from the rays of the sun that had gone through the slightly opened door.

[Aaahh, that really hurts! I don’t think I could ever get used to that…... Okay, let’s try the next one. This one looks to have its curtains open too.]

After a few doors later they were able to find a room that they could enter. They completely covered the window by using the bed’s mattress and frame to stop even the smallest of light from coming in. With the room to finally be available to them, they dug around looking for clothes they could wear.

[You know when I first found out you were a girl and you had no problems walking around naked. I assumed you were a nudist, especially when you didn't bend an eye to be in front of that guy in armor.]

Leo said jokingly, his attitude clearly showing he wanted a rise out of Mia.

[Is that so?] She said disinterestedly.

[Aaahhh, you’re no fun, you know that?]

[……]

She stayed quiet, showing that she was in no mood to talk, yet he kept trying to force out a conversation.

[Ummm…. Sorry for losing it in the bath—I knew you're not the person I should have been frustrated with since you were kind of a victim of my choices to be reincarnated here, but I still decided to do it because of my anger, so, I'm sorry about that….]

She supposed she should respond lest he gets depressed again, he seemed to be emotionally sensitive.

[You need not concern yourself with it.]

When she responded, she felt emotions such as relief and happiness flow toward her.

She frowned, still not appreciating the fact that she shared emotions with someone.

[You know, you’re surprisingly nice for someone who could be considered a homicidal maniac.]

Nice!? Mia thought in outrage.

She made a complicated face before she scoffed at the comment.

[You are gravely mistaken if you think I am showing you any kindness. I am merely trying my best to survive the bind I share with you. You have no idea how vexing it is to feel your emotions. Every time you are sorrowful or despondent, I have to suffer the same agony. I am an undead, you know! I should be above such petty feelings as sadness and regret,] She said with a disgusted face.

Leo stayed quiet, as he felt downcasted. He guessed that becoming friends wasn't going to be that easy.

[Aargg, okay, okay, okay, I…. I apologize, that was too harsh of me.] Mia apologized, attempting to stop the influx of sadness coming to her.

[Ohh, sorry.]

[No, it is not necessary. I was too severe, but you also need to learn to not be so easily offended.]

[Ahh, R-Right.]

After several minutes of searching, they were able to find something that could fit them, a tavern wench uniform.

Mia wore it without hesitation and then proceeded to check herself out, by twirling in front of a body-sized mirror.

She wore a simple but elegant tavern dress uniform that suited her well. Her white blouse had puffy sleeves and a low neckline that revealed a hint of her cleavage. Her brown leather bodice hugged her curves and accentuated her waist. Her green skirt was long and full and swayed gracefully as she moved. At her feet, she ended it off with black leathery boots that reached her knees.

[So…... vampires don’t normally feel anything?] Leo suddenly asked, remembering her quote about being above emotions.

[…… No.]

She turned around and left the room, heading back downstairs.

[I see, so that’s why you didn’t show any hesitation about killing that knight guy?]

[We’re back here again?]

[No it's just a genuine question, I'm not going to get emotional about it.]

The was a pause. She found communicating unnecessary things to be a waste of time, so she wanted him to get to the point.

[….. What do you truly want to ask?]

[I ahhh, I mean, you said you had memories of one of their friend right? I’m surprised you didn’t feel anything about ripping his throat out and umm…...]

[…..] She took some time to formulate her answer.

[It would be untruthful to say that I do not feel anything. I do have emotions, but they are not oriented toward interaction or compassion for others. They are oriented towards myself and my desires, so if I find something I want, I will seize it without hesitation or any regard for others. Vampires are very hedonistic creatures. And as for being unaffected by the memories I inherited, let me ask you this. Does a reader who is reading a book feel exactly what the author intends them to feel?]

Leo took a moment to think.

[Ahh, I'm guessing 'no'?] He said with uncertainty.

[You would be correct; it would be impossible for an author to share his exact feelings with his audience. He can only sketch an idea of what he is trying to convey, but he will never replicate his emotions in a book.]

[I see, so it’s the same situation with you?]

She nodded.

[All the memories I inherited are like written in a book, separate from my own. I can observe how the lives of those people unfolded and understand how they felt at certain moments, but those emotions will never be truly mine. They, unlike you, can never interfere with how I feel.]

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

They reached the tavern and as they did Mia took a glass and started to help herself to some liquor that was on the shelves.

While she drank she contemplated on their next move once the sun set. She needed to figure out where they were going to go.

She didn’t have a map, but that didn’t matter. She should have had knowledge of the surrounding area from the hundreds of humans’ memories in her head. She searched through what she called ‘the well’.

A spot in her mind that held so much information that it would take her years to review it all.

A memory from a veteran adventure that decided to retire in the town of Dreake appeared. The man seemed to know a lot because of his constant travels.

After reviewing his memories, she set her priorities. The first and most important resource they needed to acquire was blood-- they needed humans.

Finding a place that had a relatively high amount of humans was preferable because if some went missing every now and then—the humans there wouldn’t immediately attribute it to a vampire.

They wouldn’t attribute it to a vampire if they weren’t experiencing vampire attacks on a daily basis that is.

Mia took the wine bottle she liked and slumped herself on a chair. She poured another drink for herself as she continued to think.

The Bathaija Empire bordered and was at war with Tarragona, which meant that vampire and undead attacks were common occurrences. People were much more vigilant and 'order knights' much more numerous. Staying in this country was simply a recipe for disaster.

Tarragona was equally terrible to reside in because putting aside the matter of getting there. Mia hated the idea of being under someone. She couldn't see herself taking orders from someone even if they were a fellow ancestor. If she'd had to choose between 'fighting every day for her life' and a safe place to live at the cost of being a servant, she'd choose battle one hundred percent of the time, and besides she enjoyed the thrill of a fight.

“The Tournonian Empire then,” She said, smashing the empty glass on the table with a ‘thud’, as she stretched her legs.

[The what?]

[It is of no consequence. You need not trouble yourself with it,] She said, not seeing a reason to inform him of their travel plans, since she wasn’t planning to let him be in control any time soon.

[…..Ahh okay, I guess….]

Silence fell between them as Mia thought of the routes to use.

[So, umm…. Have you figured out a name yet? For yourself.]

[Name?]

[Remember, you said you had no name, so I was asking if you’d thought of something since then because it’s kinda hard to call out to you if I don’t know your name.]

[Hmmm….] She paused to think.

She supposed she did say that didn’t she? Well, choosing a name should have been quite easy.

[Charlotte, Mia Charlotte de Bourbon.]

[Isn’t that the name of that knight’s friend?]

[If the whims of fate or the goddess of chaos have ordained me to bear her likeness, I shall honor her name as well. But I do not wish to be a mere copy of her. Therefore… pray tell, what is your full name again?]

[Ehh… Leon Ortiz.]

[Is that the name you bore in your human life?

[……Yeah?]

[I see, well regardless. I shall be known as Mia Charlotte de Ortiz Bourbon. A splendid name, is it not?]

[Yep, very creative.] Leo said jokingly.

***

A few hours passed and the sun was not that far from setting. However, throughout that time, Leo was close to losing his mind from boredom. Mia had gotten annoyed with talking so she decided to remain quiet while she planned out their trip.

She never told Leo that she needed to think, but just suddenly went silent midway through the conversation. Leo deduced that he had annoyed her, so he chose to keep to himself as well. But for a person who had lived in the technical era, his attention span was very low, which meant when he was left to his thoughts for more than ten minutes, he would desperately have the urge to do something.

He begged Mia for control of the body multiple times—the sight of the brown dried-up wall already too excruciating to look at any longer. She refused for reasons unbeknownst to Leo.

He tried to talk to her again. She ignored him.

He tried to sleep, but it was hard considering his eyes couldn’t close, and stop looking at that damn wall! And was it even possible for him to sleep?

[Okay Mia, I’m sorry! If this is your way of getting back at me for lashing out at you in the bathroom—I’m sorry. So please stop ignoring me!] Leo gave an exaggerated apology, as he screamed in their head.

He was trying again to talk to Mia but to no avail.

Was she asleep? He questioned. Could people sleep with their eyes open? Well she was a vampire, so maybe that was the case, but if so why wasn’t he asleep as well? Why was he left here staring at that stupid wall!?

He had stared at it for so long that he was sure it would remain with him for the rest of his life. Five wooden planks laid on top of one another from the floor to the ceiling. The bottom plank was the one most broken. The one on top of that had a face to which he called John. The others were not as interesting as John.

John, who looked to be so angry all the time. He had a scar on his right eye and he looked to be puckering his lips at Leo.

He was very flattered but he didn’t swing that way--- Wait! what the hell was he doing!?

[Mia! Miaaaaa! Stop ignoring me god damn it!] He screamed, the hours of silence and not being able to move already broken him.

[What?] She asked irritated.

[Magic!] He exclaimed the first thing that came to his mind.

[?]

[You said you'd tell me about magic, remember? In the bath today you dodged my question!] He whined, like a relative who lost his saved-up food in the fridge.

[….]

[You said you were going to tell me remember? don’t tell me you’re a liar now, are you!?]

In truth, Leo didn't remember much about that conversation. What he does remember was that Mia was going to explain about magic but never got to it.

[….] she stayed silent.

[I-I see you are a liar, j-just because something doesn’t suit you go back on your word.]

He stammered, afraid that she'd already gone deaf to his voice. He was trying to manipulate her into talking to him by taking advantage of what she told him earlier before they fought Thomas, that she hated lies.

She sighed.

[You are truly as a child. Very well, what do you wish to converse about? The sun is nearly gone, and talking will not be much of a priority once it does.]

Leo blinked, not expecting to have succeeded. Franticly he gathered his thoughts and asked the thing that he wanted to know most.

[Teach me magic!]

[…..Teach, is it? Well, I fear that will not be feasible.]

He paused, not having expected that answer.

[But…. But you can do that shadow thing that saved us from Thomas?]

[The technique that developed at that desperate juncture is imperfect. Though I would like to boast that I could wield magic, it would be simply untrue. I know not how this technique operates nor what its precise effects are.]

[Ehh………….] He paused, confused at what she was trying to get at. How did that translate to her not being able to teach him magic? [You lost me.]

Mia sighed.

[You truly know nothing huh?]

[I already told you. I came from a world with no magic, so you’re gonna have to explain to me the very basics.]

They fell silent as Mia put together her words.

[In this world, one’s affinity determines the nature and power of their magic. There are six established affinities: water, fire, earth, wind, holy, and death. However, I have come to realise that there are more affinities than what has already been established.]

Her eyes moved to our hand on the table before moving somewhere else.

[Furthermore, with these affinities, a person can manifest a certain phenomenon in the world by using a technique that is fueled by a power called mana.]

She became silent as a way to ask if Leo understood.

[Okay I got it, but that still didn’t explain why you can’t teach me.]

[I am proceeding with the explanation, you requested for me to instruct you as if you were an infant, did you not?]

Leo was about to give a rebuttal but chose to keep quiet as he didn’t want to waste time.

[Technique is the word we employ to denote the act of utilizing mana to produce a phenomenon. I presume this is what you mean by magic, correct? You desire me to instruct you into getting a technique so you could generate a phenomenon in the world?]

[Yess,] Leo exclaimed drawing out his reply.

She didn’t need to literally explain it step by step. Leo grumbled as she waited for Mia to get to the point why she can’t teach him. He had understood how the magic system works by the time she explained that techniques are powered by mana.

Leo had played many fantasy game and read or watched many stories about magic, so he understood, techniques was just another word for spell, mana was mana, and affinity was well affinity. There was nothing complicated all he wanted to know was how he could start firing of his own spells goddamn it.

[Here lies the dilemma, unfortunately, a technique is not learned but awakened. Disregarding the issue that we may have different affinities, I cannot teach you because there is nothing to teach. You will have to discover how to do it on your own, then a technique will awaken eventually. It would be beneficial if you could observe someone who had the same affinity to copy, but since we evidently have different affinities, you cannot learn anything from me.]

Leos excitement vanished.

[Wait, so…. you----what do you mean a technique cannot be learnt?]

[I speak the truth, there are no guidelines for you to take to acquire a technique. People do not share senses. There is no method of instructing a blind person to see color.]

[Bu… but don’t we share senses?]

[Do we have the same affinity?]

Leo paused unsure as how to answer, but Mia continued.

[You will have to ascertain how to perceive on your own. I will concede that you can receive some guidance from someone who was equally blind, but you cannot obtain it from someone who was deaf. Therefore, I cannot impart you any knowledge, as we are nowhere near similar.]

Leo remained silent as Mia got up and stretched.

“The night is upon us,” She announced with a tinge of joy in her tone.

As she prepared to leave Leo got out of his thoughts and asked.

[Hmm… is chaos an affinity?]

[I would surmise so, since the god of chaos truly exists.]

Leo frowned, not liking her answer which implied that there weren’t many people who had a chaos affinity.

[Well I'll have to ask the goddess to teach me next time I see her, or find someone who has the same affinity.]

[I see, good for you I suppose.] Mia said as she exited the door.

[Wait stop,] He exclaimed.

She stopped moving as she became more vigilant.

[What?]

[Aren’t you going to grab a bag or something?]

Mia’s eyes twitched as she slowly closed and opened them. She relaxed, as she asked Leo.

[For?]

[Well that’s kinda the thing that you grab when you’re about to travel. It would seriously help if we ended up carrying something, but also need free hands at the same time.]

She thought about it for a few seconds before she went back into the tavern to get a bag. She came back at the front door minutes later with a black shoulder bag, that looked to be able to carry two to three large books.

[I discovered some coins, including gold ones, which will aid us greatly if we seek to act and hide among humans. I suppose that tongue that always prattles can utter useful things once in a while,] She said patting the bag on her waist.

[I…. I don’t talk that much do I?]

She never answered him but moved in the direction they originally came from.

***

With their boots clacking on the stone streets, they arrived back at the destroyed part of the town. Mia had planned to use the missing part of the wall as an exit.

As they stepped into the crater, they passed Thomas's corpse, which seemed worse for wear after drying up in the sun.

Mia moved passed with not a single care.

[Are we really going to leave him like this?] Leo asked, his voice gloomy.

Mia stopped. She looked at the body with disinterest before she asked.