Vampire's Slice of Life

"Alright, you can open your eyes now."

As Mayzin did so, she found a table on which there were herbs and a glowing stone.

"Hm? Isn't this the ingredients for that stew?"

Lith nodded. He wasn't surprised with how she knew as Lucifer had already told him about it when he last met her.

"These ingredients are exclusive to the world I went to. You can't find them elsewhere." Lith said. "That being said, these are still a few steps away from being proper treasures as per your standard as they don't narrate a big enough story yet."

Mayzin focused on the keyword 'yet' at the end and looked at Lith with an interested gaze.

"Still…"

Lith paused and turned to look at the sky.

"…These things are proof of a long… long adventure I went through."

Two Paths Blind Mountain World. A name really strange, but also something Lith would never forget.

There was no life threatening challenge Lith ever faced. Everything was smooth flowing because of the golden spoon he was born with.

Yet, this strange world had taught him a lot of things and awakened quite a few hidden emotions he had never felt before. From his near death in the illusion he faced when he first arrived to Miwa's death to meeting the otherworldly deities, it sure was quite the adventure.

Pain. Helplessness. Resolve. Persistence. Joy.

He went through quite the roller coaster of emotions.

What seemed like a joke when he met that old man had turned into a full fledged adventure which he would always remember.

These ingredients here that he had, they were a testament and a proof of it. They may not be treasures in others' eyes, but they sure were in his. And that's what mattered the most.

For the first time, Mayzin did not see mischief in Lith's eyes, but absolute seriousness when he spoke of these things.

From how long she knew of her nephew, he was as carefree and relaxed about everything. But at this instance, there was an emotion concealed within his eyes that she hadn't seen in a long time.

Mayzin was amused, however, this treasure was not yet something that could be said as the most prized possession.

"You still have a long way to go."

Those were the words that unknowingly left her mouth. She wasn't trying to be harsh, but that was the absolute truth.

Lith nodded his head. He knew about it.

"I know you want something that has a deep history with my own self, but that's going to take time."

Mayzin nodded. "Don't worry. If treasures were so easy to find, they wouldn't be called treasures."

Lith chuckled. "That's true too."

"Anyway, since the ingredients are out, let me make the stew for you. It'll not take much time."

With that, Lith got to work and displayed his exceptional cooking abilities.

…..

"Mhm~"

A moan inexplicably echoed out of Mayzin's mouth as she had the first spoonful of the legendary stew.

Lith smirked. 'I can make my ladies moan even without touching them or getting them in the mood.'

'Grand Lust Sovereign who?'

"Yeah, this is good."

Mayzin's words interrupted his train of thoughts and unknowingly stopped him from turning arrogant…

"Hah. I know it's good. That's why I made it."

…or so it seemed.

Mayzin, with a spoon in her mouth and looking at Lith, rolled her eyes in response. 'I shouldn't have praised him.'

Her expression made Lith think, 'Cute.'

It was quite the sight.

The two conversed over the stew and she was done eating, Mayzin wiped her mouth and snapped her fingers, changing the scene.

Lith now stood in the sky with her. At the bottom, he couldn't see anything other than clouds.

"We'll start with your training."

Mayzin walked close to Lith and said with a calm expression. She looked down and snapped her fingers again, bringing Lith under the tall canopy of trees.

Sunshine sneaked out from the leaf gaps and made an intricate spotted pattern on the ground.

Each spot was wide enough to have sunlight shine on three people of Lith's frame while the trees were big enough to be called baby World Trees.

"Where are we?" Lith asked, looking around the fantastical forest.

"At the opposite side of the world."

"Opposite?"

Was there something like that?

Mayzin clasped her hands behind her back and began walking forward, lecturing,

"Opposite with respect to the Neutral Continent. We take it as the reference point and divide the world into four cardinal divisions. However, that's not all there is to it."

Lith listened intently and followed her.

"The world is spherical and if you consider the Neutral Continent as the front face, it's obvious that there should be a back, right?"

"Yes."

"We are exactly at the back side of the world, on an isolated island that not many know of."

Mayzin said and walked into a bush, disappearing from Lith's sight.

He too did the same, and felt a blinding light cover his vision.

Squinting and covering his eyes with his palms, Lith's vision adjusted itself and a breathtaking view appeared in his sight.

Rolling mountains surrounded a flat grassland. Crystalline rivers emerging from distant mountains converged here and made their way out towards the sea.

In the center of all this was a civilization where the entire infrastructure was made of polished sandstone, rising so high that they pierced the clouds.

In the four directions stood four imposing statues, casting a big shadow over the tall structures.

At the base of these statues were various magic circles, out of which people from various races could be seen appearing and disappearing.

"The Dwelling of Giants?"

Lith unknowingly blurted out loud.

"Yes." Mayzin said and turned around. She then squinted her eyes and stared at Lith. "I thought you would catch on where we are given the density of elemental energies and topography."

Disappointment was all over her face as she bluntly pointed out Lith's shortcomings.

He couldn't help but shake his head and say, "What are these standards of yours? Do you think I'm omniscient or something?"

At the end of the day, he was but a normal vampire who wasn't even considered an adult by his race's standards.

Mayzin clicked her tongue and wrinkled her nose.

"If someone were to know I went on a date with a guy who doesn't even know where each race is located… it would be such a scandal."

Lith didn't take her words to his heart. He simply yawned and walked past her, waving his hand saying, "That's not very cash-

money of you."

"Cash what?"

Mayzin wasn't well-versed with modern lingo and was confused.

Lith gazed at the distance and ignoring her question, asked, "What are we doing here? Do you perhaps want me to destroy the Giants or something for training?"

Mayzin blinked in response and was taken aback. What sort of thought process was this?

"What are you? An edgy teen or something?"

"What?" Lith turned around and asked with some surprise.

Mayzin's lips twitched and she continued, "Does life not matter to you? Why would you think of wiping out the Giants?"

"…"

Lith was totally at a loss for words. It was not that what his aunt said was wrong, but the fact that his thought process had been twisted and he disregarded life so easily was what surprised him too.

Mayzin took a deep breath and walked close to him, looking at the Giants' civilization.

"It seems you've been desensitized to killing and don't think much about it. That's not a good thing."

Only now was Lith reflecting on this. The dark halo on his head, which he was sure Mayzin saw but didn't ask, was proof of how much he did not value life.

He was the reason for a world war and the death of many. Although he had means to reverse everyone's death, he did not have the means to reverse time, which meant the destruction of property and trauma was something that would continue to linger.

"I thought I would wind up everything and leave quickly, but… well nevermind, it doesn't matter."

Mayzin turned back to look at Lith, her eyes flickering with a thoughtful glint.

Lith didn't know why, but there was nothing he could say in response when seen like this by his aunt. The air around them was sort of depressive and he hadn't been in such a suffocating atmosphere before.

Mayzin walked close to him and flicked his forehead, bringing forth a stinging pain.

"What's with the gloominess? Where has all the mischief gone? I thought you would be rebutting me and defending yourself, saying something like: 'Oh, you're going to stay for longer? Then I'll get to spend more time with you!'"

"…"

Lith was dumbfounded with what he heard and saw. Did his aunt just imitate his speech and mock him?

What?

Was she the same dragon he was having a really difficult time getting together with? The same person under whom he had been suffering consistently during training?

Mayzin was having a really good time watching her nephew suffer. The corner of her lips had a subtle upward curve which went unnoticed by Lith. She was trying her best to not laugh.

"Anyway, there are two objectives you need to achieve during your training."

Mayzin showed two fingers to Lith and said.

"First." She showed one finger. "You are to stop the infighting occurring there."

"And second."

She showed two fingers again and grinned widely.

"…You are to bring the entire Giant race under me."

"…What!?"