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The truth is, it doesn't matter how much you like doing something. If you keep doing it for a hundred years, you're bound to get tired of it. Most Vampires are sick of fighting for exactly that reason.

But at the same time, a century of doing the same thing also eventually turns it into a habit. And when everyone in your tribe has this habit, it becomes the tribe's social norm.

In other words, it's a social norm for us Vampires to thirst for blood and war.

And, to this day, I still haven't overcome my 'social norm.'

But you haven't ever had any real accidents on the ship.

Of course not. I've trained myself for two whole centuries. The stuff you see me pulling is just a pastime of mine.

S

Don't look at me like that. I'll admit, I do lose control when I'm with the Doctor.

But about that, I've actually come up with a few new ideas ever since we started getting all this new blood on the ship. Still need some tinkering, though...

Uh, let's shelve that topic for now. Anyway, the reason I became a doctor is a simple one. I got tired of war. I got sick of it.

And I chose to reject the Vampire social norm, and while I looked for a way to overcome my instincts, I inevitably became a medical researcher.

Is that how you met Dr. Kal'tsit?

Well, she's a mysterious one, and she holds a bunch of titles, but she's a doctor alright, and I can see why you'd think that's how we met.

Though, in your view, is she really the kind of woman who'd sit down and discuss medical theory?

Or, actually, do I look like that kind of woman to you?

But you met each other a long time ago, didn't you?

Wait a second.

Should be this one, I think?

Wait, no, this is the book that we did together later.

What's this stinking thing all falling apart? Oh, now I remember. This is the journal where my first dissertation was published, and I kept it after it ceased publication.

There we go. These magazines here.

These are from decades ago!

I wrote for this magazine at the time, and then, one day, some dipshit showed up to write a long article supposedly poking holes in all my theories.

The key thing here is that I wasn't wrong, but all the things she pointed out were indeed issues that I neglected or didn't consider.

I wasn't about to sit down and take all that from her, so I followed her reasoning and did my experiment again, and it actually gave me better results.

Back then, basically anyone could publish whatever in a magazine, and her article was one of the few that I thought was up to snuff.

And she was...?

Kal'tsit, of course. She didn't even bother to use a pen name.

You know what really pissed me off, though? I wrote a dozen or so articles after that in response but she never submitted again!

That sounds just like Dr. Kal'tsit...

Until one day, a woman representing Theresa, the Sarkaz King, invited me to join them. She even pulled out all these magazines and told me she was that very Kal'tsit.

Mhmm. So what happened next?

I blasted her out the door and never wrote for the magazine again.

Hm, I still remember when Dr. Kal'tsit said she was going to take me to see another doctor. I thought you were her friend.

Warfarin, this is an official summons from the Royal Court! How dare you disobey us?!

Little fella, I've lived for a long time now. Do you know how many Royal Court fancy folk I've met, and how many of them I kicked right out my door?

This is war! The fate of our kind hangs in the balance!

Ugh... W-What did you do... to me...?

Stand here for another ten seconds and your blood will start to coagulate. Fifteen seconds later, you'll be a statue. If you leave now, you can still make it out alive.

Impossible. I've never heard of a Vampire power like this!

You're welcome to stay and see for yourself.

Gah! Don't you think you can disobey the Royal Court!

Yeah, yeah. I've heard that plenty of times, too.

Eh, looks like I need to find a new place to live. Again. I've made plenty of money, so maybe it's high time I moved to Victoria.

All this medical equipment would be a pain to haul there, though...

Hey, Warfarin, can you really turn people into statues?

Of course not. I was just scaring him.

Well, alright. I didn't know you were such a big shot, though.

Oh, shut up. I told you long ago that I'm a famous doctor among the Vampires.

None of us have ever heard of any Vampire doctors to begin with...

Why are you out here in the middle of nowhere, then?

Because I want to be.

Because we're close to the Kazdel border, which makes it easy to mail dissertations out of the country.

What's going on today...? There's no end to this stream of unwelcome visitors, is there?

Who are you?

Someone seeking medical help.

Too bad. I don't treat those who fight in wars.

I'll chase her away for you, Warfarin.

By yourself? Forget it. Better keep your blood in your body. Take the medicine and bring it home to your mother.

Uhh... okay.

Your reputation precedes you here.

It's nowhere near as thunderous as your name.

So, what's the big idea, Kal'tsit? You, of all people, need treatment from me?

I'm not the one who needs treatment. She is.

H-Hello.

You know my rules, Kal'tsit.

No matter how you slice it, Theresa is fighting in this war, and you work for Theresa.

No matter who you bring me, I won't take them as a patient.

Theresa is dead, Warfarin. This girl is the new King of Sarkaz.

At the time, you only came up to my elbow. At this rate, you'll be taller than me in a few years.

Four years have flashed right by.

I was actually really surprised when I first met you, too.

Because I don't look like a doctor?

Yes...

Whatever, it's not like I care about keeping up arrogant appearances like Kal'tsit.

I remember Dr. Kal'tsit saying Rhodes Island was preparing to leave Kazdel, and the facilities onboard were in varying degrees of disrepair, so she had to take me somewhere else for treatment.

She told me she was taking me to see a Vampire doctor, but that she's special in that she likes research more than blood.

She also said that the doctor is very skilled, and that the Royal Court tries to enlist her services every time there's a war, but she always turns them down.

She told you the truth, huh? Here I thought she'd exaggerate things to sully my name.

Ahaha.

Speaking of which, may I ask you a question, Dr. Warfarin?

If that'll get you to stop sticking a 'Doctor' in front of my name.

Theoretically, you're my superior now.

Hm, but you're the one who saved my life. Besides, it was you and Dr. Kal'tsit who built the foundations of Rhodes Island's medical section together.

Maybe nobody else knows that, but I do.

Ah, fine, fine. I get it. Ask away.

Why did you join Rhodes Island, Dr. Warfarin?

Why, to research medicine and save lives.

But Rhodes Island back then isn't anything like the Rhodes Island of today. At the time we were entirely focused on getting out of Kazdel. So why did you accept Dr. Kal'tsit's request?

How is Amiya's condition?

Physically, there's not much wrong with her, but her mental condition is a bit tricky, most likely because she's the King.

She talks in her sleep, she unconsciously reads the emotions of others, and she has trouble controlling her powers. A normal doctor probably wouldn't know where to begin with her.

That's why I came to you.

And I thought you'd at least stay and help take care of the kid, but you ended up just dumping her on me.

Rhodes Island's command has fallen into chaos after losing both Theresa and the Doctor. There are plenty of eyes trying to snoop on us too. I have to take charge and maintain order.

And given the circumstances, you made the journey all the way here to bring the new King of Sarkaz to me.

This is the King, Kal'tsit.

Theresa's a cruel one. How could she pick a fragile little girl like her to be her successor?

But Amiya is the last bit of hope she had left.

Hope is a poison to the Sarkaz.