This was by no means unimportant information. If it was true, then their Vampire Ninja village would inevitably be shaken to its core.
Not only would there no longer be any need to worry about succession, but even the conflict between the conservatives and reformists could be resolved.
However, Seraphim quickly reacted and did not so easily believe what Eriri had said.
"That's impossible!" Seraphim shook her head.
"The leader's death is something known by everyone in the village. Besides, if the leader isn't dead, then why hasn't he appeared for over a hundred years?"
Eriri did not answer Seraphim's question. Instead, she threw out another one.
"Do you know the exact cause of your leader's death?"
"Of course I do. Over a hundred years ago, our Vampire Ninjas fought against a certain faction, and our leader died in that battle. Everyone in our village knows about this."
"Then do you know which faction your enemy was?"
"This…"
Seraphim froze on the spot.
All along, she had only known that the leader died in a war more than a century ago, but she had never heard any detailed information about that war.
Looking at the dazed Seraphim, Eriri didn't continue speaking. Instead, she pulled Eu along and headed toward the living room.
By the time Seraphim came back to her senses, Eriri and Eu had already passed her and reached the entrance of the living room.
Without time to think, Seraphim hurriedly followed them.
Soon, the three of them arrived in the living room.
Eriri casually sat on the sofa with Eu's hand in hers, then picked up the remote control beside her and turned on the television.
Having lived here for nearly two months already, Seraphim showed no restraint and naturally sat down on the single sofa across from them.
Although the topic Eriri had just raised left her very curious, she didn't rush to speak. Instead, she quietly watched as Eriri leisurely switched channels with the remote.
Like that, several minutes quickly passed, until Seraphim finally could no longer hold herself back.
"My lady, may I ask your name?"
Though earlier, when she had first come before Eriri and Eu, she had heard Kyoko call out Eriri's name before leaving, Seraphim still wanted to confirm it herself to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings.
Hearing her inquiry, Eriri finally put down the remote, then turned her head toward the respectfully looking Seraphim.
"Listen carefully. My name is Eriri Spencer Sawamura. Just call me Eriri."
"Understood." Seraphim nodded seriously, then continued.
"Lady Eriri, since you mentioned the cause of our leader's death, that means you must know what really happened back then. Could you please tell me what occurred more than a century ago?"
"Oh my, forget it. Even if you knew, what difference would it make? Don't you already believe your leader is dead?"
Eriri leaned back on the sofa, showing a disinterested expression.
Seraphim was left momentarily speechless, her eyes revealing a trace of grievance.
How could she not know that Eriri was teasing her? But her curiosity had already been completely piqued, and giving up now was too difficult.
After all, this was a secret from more than a hundred years ago.
Moreover, this matter was very likely tied to the leader's survival. Otherwise, Eriri wouldn't have brought it up all of a sudden.
The question of whether the leader was still alive was the most important matter for the entire Vampire Ninja clan. If he truly lived, then the clan's situation would definitely improve greatly.
So, whether it was to satisfy her own curiosity or for the sake of her people, she had to find out more.
Taking a deep breath, Seraphim stood up from the sofa and dropped to her knees before Eriri in a formal bow.
"Lady Eriri, I beg you, please tell me what happened over a hundred years ago!"
"Alright, since you're so sincere, I suppose I don't mind having a good chat with you."
"But before that, get up first."
Hearing Eriri's words, Seraphim finally let out a breath of relief and obediently rose from the ground.
Once Seraphim sat back down on the single sofa, Eriri spoke up.
"Let me ask you a question first. Have you ever heard of Villiers?"
"Villiers? What's that?"
Seraphim's face showed a blank expression. It was the first time she had ever heard the term Villiers.
"Villiers is a nation in another world. Its specialty is a group of Magiclad Girls (Masou-Shoujo) who wield various magical weapons and transform to fight."
"By the way, Kyoko is one of Villiers's Magiclad Girls."
At first, while listening to the earlier part, Seraphim's expression hadn't changed much. But when she heard Kyoko's name, her face instantly filled with shock.
She was quite familiar with Kyoko's strength, after all. In the beginning, she had suffered more than once at Kyoko's hands.
Although she didn't know why Kyoko had spared her life back then, she was certain Kyoko's power far surpassed all Vampire Ninjas.
If every Magiclad Girl from Villiers was as strong as Kyoko, then their Vampire Ninjas would be utterly powerless before Villiers.
"Could it be that this Villiers nation was the faction our Vampire Ninjas fought against more than a hundred years ago?" Seraphim asked solemnly.
"Exactly!"
Hearing Eriri's confirmation, Seraphim immediately lost hope about the leader being alive.
Facing such an overwhelmingly powerful Villiers, it was only natural that their leader had fallen in battle.
Just as she was feeling down from this "truth," Eriri's voice sounded again.
"Perhaps you don't know this, but your leader was originally a member of Villiers—and not just that, he was the creator of the Magiclad weapons."
Seraphim's eyes instantly widened in shock.
"If that's the case, then why has our village never had any rumor of Magiclad weapons?"
The Vampire Ninjas already had considerable power. If they could also wield Magiclad weapons, their strength would have increased dramatically.
"Because Magiclad weapons can only be used by those with Villiers blood. The unique magic within their bodies is the key to controlling them."
Hearing Eriri's words, Seraphim finally understood.
Though she had never heard of Villiers, she did know a bit about the origin of Vampire Ninjas.
There was a detailed record of it in the clan. Otherwise, the village would not have sent her to this city to find Eu in order to revive the leader.
Vampire Ninjas, put simply, were a race born from the fusion of Eu's blood. In a sense, they could be considered Eu's kin.
Without caring what Seraphim thought, Eriri continued speaking after a short pause.
"Over a hundred years ago, your leader joined forces with two powerful Magiclad Girls to launch a rebellion against the reigning queen of Villiers. Unfortunately, the rebellion ended in failure."
"As punishment for leading the revolt, your leader was cursed by the queen of Villiers—a curse that left him in a constant state of near-death."
"After the rebellion, your leader did not return to the village. Instead, he faked his death, concealed his identity, and went into hiding."
"So your leader has never been dead, not even once~"
After listening to Eriri's account, Seraphim's heart could not calm down.
She no longer doubted Eriri's words. Eriri had explained everything so clearly, and besides, she had no reason to deceive her.
Now that she knew the leader was still alive, the first priority was to find him and bring him back to the village.
Moreover, since he carried such a severe curse, he had to be brought back and protected in the village, and they had to seek a way to break the curse.
For the majority of Vampire Ninjas, the leader was akin to faith itself. All the more so since the head of the conservatives was his own daughter.
Although Seraphim still didn't know Eriri's true identity, both her extraordinary aura and the attitudes of Eu and Kyoko toward her made it clear that Eriri was no ordinary person.
Thus, she once again sought Eriri's help.
"Lady Eriri, do you know where our leader is now?"
"Of course I do. There's nothing in this world I don't know," Eriri replied confidently.
Seraphim's heart leapt with joy at her words. But before she could ask the leader's location, Eriri spoke again.
"However, I don't think you need to go looking for your leader. If he doesn't wish to show himself, he must have his reasons. When he decides to appear, he'll come before you on his own."
Hearing this, Seraphim fell silent. She deeply agreed with Eriri's words.
"I understand…"
After saying that, she once again fell silent, this time for nearly ten minutes.
During that time, Eriri and Eu also remained quiet, leaving only the sound of the television filling the room.
When Seraphim finally moved again, she walked straight over to Eriri.
"Lady Eriri, thank you for telling me these things. As repayment, from this day forward, I will serve by your side as a servant. I hope you won't despise me!"
As she spoke, Seraphim half-knelt in front of Eriri.
Eriri looked in mild surprise at Seraphim kneeling by her feet.
She had considered several possibilities for Seraphim's next move—perhaps leaving to return to the Vampire Ninja village, or continuing to beg her for more answers, or even staying with Eu to find a way to lift the curse.
But she had never expected Seraphim to directly pledge herself as her servant—and without any conditions at all.
Even if Seraphim had asked for the position of Vampire Ninja leader in exchange, Eriri wouldn't have been surprised.
But her astonishment only lasted a few seconds before it faded. She simply chalked it up to her own overwhelming charm.
And since this was a beautiful woman's voluntary surrender, she naturally had no reason to refuse.
"Are you serious? Think carefully. If you become mine, there'll be no chance for regret."
"Yes, I've thought it through." Seraphim looked at Eriri with complete seriousness.
"Alright then. I accept your request. From now on, you are my exclusive servant."
Eriri stretched out her right hand and gently stroked Seraphim's head.
"Since you've become mine, naturally, I won't treat you poorly."
As she spoke, Eriri deftly planted an energy seed into Seraphim's body.
It had been about half a year since she last implanted such a seed. Using this method again after so long brought back a sense of nostalgia.
"Do you feel the energy within your body? This is my reward to you. Through training, this energy will make you stronger."
Eriri wasn't worried in the slightest that Seraphim would take advantage of her and then run away.
Whether Seraphim had some hidden purpose in pledging herself didn't matter to her. She didn't bother probing her heart.
Because the moment she accepted Seraphim as her servant, their lives became forever bound together.
Hearing Eriri's words, Seraphim—who had been flustered by the sudden appearance of unknown energy within her body—quickly calmed down. Then an unexpected joy welled up inside her.
"Thank you, Lady Eriri."
In truth, Seraphim's desire to become Eriri's servant held no ill intent. It was simply gratitude—and perhaps also the pull of Eriri's charm.
Originally, she had intended to serve Eu. Now that her service was directed at Eriri instead, it wasn't such a big difference.
And now, having received such a great gift from Eriri, she felt her decision had been exceedingly wise.
"Alright, Sera, get up. From now on, you don't need to perform such unnecessary formalities."
Eriri chuckled softly, giving Seraphim's cheek a gentle pinch before withdrawing her hand.
Nodding crisply, Seraphim stood up from the floor.
As she was about to return to the single sofa, Eriri suddenly held her back.
When she turned, she saw Eriri patting the empty spot beside her.
"Come sit here~"
"Yes."
Seraphim didn't refuse Eriri's order. With a trace of excitement, she sat down right beside her.
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