Chapter 5 The Past
Chapter 5: The Past
As a child, Baili always sat alone in the shadows, watching other children play in the sunlight.
Only about one-tenth of people could awaken magic, and most of these children would eventually join the Empire’s army. They would be further screened for magical purity, which determined their development potential.
Yet, Baili’s awakened magic attribute was ice—an uncommon ability that inspired fear in others. Though only twelve years old, his body temperature was as cold as a corpse. Normal children his age were innocent and lively, running and playing freely in the sunshine.
Baili should have been just as innocent and carefree, but his frost, which froze everything, had also frozen his heart.
“Can I join you?” Baili timidly stood up, pleading for their answer.
“Sure, let’s play together.” Baili looked at the figure before him and unconsciously reached out to grasp their hand.
But in the next moment, intense cold conducted like electricity through the boy’s body. He retracted his hand as if shocked, with a thick layer of frost already formed on it.
He stared at Baili in terror, who was equally panicked.
“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
The crowd scattered, leaving only Baili in the shadows with the frost on the ground.
From then on, no one was willing to hold that cold hand. Whether during routine training or when studying his guns and cannons, Baili always wore thick gloves, constantly feeling countless strange eyes watching him. Despite now controlling ice elements as easily as moving his limbs, as if they were part of his body.
Even so, he continued forward alone, with no one by his side.
The lonely child in the shadow of the tree grew into a solitary adult. Always withdrawn since childhood, he remained silent and reserved even after becoming a Templar Knight.
His childhood trauma changed his personality, and the Empire’s rulers valued this trait, molding him into an obedient killing machine. Baili only knew war; he never questioned its meaning. He treated his subordinates like emotionless machines, seeing only the black-and-white orders without any superfluous emotion.
“So warm… so thirsty…”
In his hazy state, he felt liquid moistening his lips, gently licking at them. The liquid was warm with a slight metallic taste, though it was mostly a sweet experience.
…
After Baizhi had drunk enough of the liquid, his consciousness gradually returned. He was curious—hadn’t he just collapsed from extreme weakness? How was he now fine?
He pondered what miracle medicine could have such an effect.
Before figuring out the answer, he realized he was pressed against something soft and fragrant.
“Had enough? If not, big sister still has more.”
Vivian smiled, even winking playfully, her shoulder clearly bearing two small bite marks left by Baizhi.
Baizhi looked around. The changing room background remained the same, except now he was inexplicably being held in Vivian’s arms.
“Come on, let me go. You’re flat as an airfield and still pretending.”
“My, how rude. You crawled over here yourself, I merely went with the flow. That look of enjoyment on your face—who are you trying to fool?”
Baizhi quickly ran away, curling up in a corner. However, this time he didn’t release an ice wall to seal himself in.
“This isn’t right. She must have ulterior motives, definitely trying to use me.”
He hugged his knees tightly against the wall, lowering his head to avoid facing Vivian. He had insisted he wouldn’t fall to become such a vampire, yet his body had been more honest than anyone.
The knightly code forbade above all such hypocrisy, and he knew exactly what he had become.
Moreover, the Seraphic Holy Fire—his only means to resist vampires—had burned out completely and would be unusable for another month.
Looking at Baizhi, Vivian understood the psychological shock he was experiencing. At least he wasn’t putting up ice walls to block her out—that was better than before.
“Take your time and calm down. I’ll check on you later, but in a few days, you won’t be able to be so willful.”
Vivian crouched down and patted his head, though Baizhi now resembled his childhood self. He didn’t try to freeze her hand, simply allowing her to caress him freely.
As a child, he could only sit silently under the tree, watching other children play while they avoided him.
“Even though she’s an enemy, it still feels so warm.”
Only after Vivian had walked away did he dare stand up to timidly examine his surroundings, noticing the prince’s formal attire on the table. It was clearly prepared carefully by Vivian. In his impression, vampire princes wore bat-style ceremonial clothing.
But the tailcoat before him was sewn with a cross emblem, seemingly custom-made. It appeared she wasn’t completely trying to humiliate him but had given him some face.
Seeing this, his attitude toward Vivian improved slightly. But then he remembered how she had forced him to eat cake a few days ago, claiming she’d heard he liked it…
Wasn’t that obviously intentionally tormenting him? Baizhi opened his mouth speechlessly, unsure whether to curse her or say something else.
Though he didn’t know her purpose, he wouldn’t die anytime soon, so he might as well see what Vivian was planning.
He waved his hand lightly, trying to control ice elements. After assessment, he found his power reduced to just one-tenth of his peak state…
Barely able to use “Frost Domain,” his extreme cold that once covered an entire city now only reached a small room. The frost temperature wasn’t cold enough either—it could kill low-level monsters but was inadequate against anything with proper defenses.
Thinking of Vivian’s earlier warning that using “Frost Moon” was too dangerous, he now believed she had a point. After all, that holy sword required a Templar Knight’s power to wield.
If he went looking for his old companion now, he’d likely be drained completely.
Baizhi swallowed fearfully, not wanting to overdraw himself and experience such a state again…
Now with a child’s appearance, according to Baizhi’s research on vampires, this night-dwelling race could choose an age form to solidify.
This meant that as long as he could continuously grow stronger, recovering his previous form wouldn’t be difficult.
But how to grow stronger was the question—he couldn’t remain a child forever, as that would severely damage his male dignity…
Thinking about this, Baizhi developed a headache, lying on the table lost in thought, the white cowlick on his head swaying back and forth.
In a corner Baizhi hadn’t noticed, Vivian was watching his every move through a surveillance eye.
“My goodness, he’s so adorable… Children really do look better.”
She rapturously held her face, closing her eyes and smiling foolishly to herself.
A knock interrupted Vivian’s self-indulgence. She waved her hand in dissatisfaction, gesturing for the visitor to enter quickly.
It was Duke Wensa. Vivian had resumed her ice-queen face, showing her usual unapproachable demeanor to outsiders.
“Clemant is now making trouble. After we took Fort Liege, that shameless fellow still wants a piece of the pie.”
Vivian laughed coldly, silently conjuring a strand of netherfire in her hand. The rising flames burned, reflecting on Wensa’s face.
“I’ll handle that ghoul Clemant. You may withdraw and prepare the prince’s coronation ceremony for our Rose Sanctuary.”
Wensa couldn’t stay silent now, seeing that Vivian clearly wasn’t taking Clemant seriously.
Vampires weren’t a unified bloc; each faction fought for itself. Vivian’s Rose Sanctuary was just one of the stronger forces, but in terms of raw power, it was no match for Clemant’s Night Temple. Moreover, according to Wensa’s knowledge, the Night Temple seemed to possess some mysterious power, apparently technology obtained through cooperation with the Empire.
“Vivian, you should know the situation. After all, the Empire’s Frost Moon Knight died at your hands. I trust your judgment.”
With that, Duke Wensa left without looking back. He knew Vivian had her own discretion, and pressing further would only anger this proud queen.
In the room, only Vivian remained, her thoughts unknown.