The Man Who Remained — His Second Life Began with a Humble Bow of Apology.

The Girl Who Spent Eternity as a Child (Part 2).

The residents of this small village knew they were categorised as monsters, but none of them truly understood their own correct species.

That said, there were things they did know.

They knew that their village had been founded by those who were discriminated against as “hybrids,” cast out for having blood too mixed with other races, who then gathered and built this place to survive. And they knew this happened long before they themselves were born.

In other words, because everyone here was born to hybrid parents, it was almost certain that they themselves were hybrids as well.

However, almost no one in the village was explicitly told that their species was unknown.

The founding generation of this village had been formally diagnosed as “species unknown” before they were driven out of their original homes. But for their children and grandchildren born here, life was spent constantly fleeing from place to place, with little contact with the outside world. Getting their species properly identified was simply not an option.

Even so, since the majority of offspring born to hybrids were also hybrids, there was never any practical need for diagnosis. Moreover, every one of them possessed the same “Restarted” trait – a cursed blessing – which meant they would inevitably be discriminated against regardless of species.

Thus, this village continued to be forced into flight, endlessly persecuted for a discrimination that never needed to exist.

“So then… where should I begin… Perhaps I should just say it plainly without any roundabout explanations. You see, I’m treated like something diseased in this village.”

To be treated like a plague by a society already treated as diseased and uneducated outcasts—it was almost laughable in how utterly miserable it sounded.

“…And why is that?” Cross asked, choosing not to say superficial words like “That can’t be” or “Don’t worry about it,” but instead asking her to explain the reason.

Hearing that, Roza gazed into the distance. Though she was looking at the same clear blue sky as Cross, it was as if that beauty didn’t reflect in her eyes at all.

“How do I look, in your eyes?” she asked.

What Cross first thought upon hearing that was exactly what he saw: a child.

She had lustrous black hair, and though her face was innocent, it was undoubtedly lovely. The shadowed look in her eyes gave her an air of maturity beyond her years, like a girl trying to act grown up. No matter how he viewed her, Roza looked nothing more than a “child pretending to be an adult.”

But he suspected that wasn’t the full truth.

“…Well, if we’re just talking about appearance, I’d say you look about ten… maybe?”

“That’s about right. I think so too. …From how this conversation is going, I think you can guess, but I’ve actually been alive quite a long time.”

“How long?”

“The previous village chief… was the same age as me.”

“…A hundred years, then?”

At Cross’s guess, Roza’s eyes widened in surprise, and then she chuckled softly.

“Your species must be terribly short-lived… I’ve long stopped counting, but… let’s see, it was about eight hundred years ago.”

This time it was Cross’s turn to be shocked. Even factoring in that he was thinking in human terms, this far exceeded his expectations.

“That long…?”

“Yes. But just that alone doesn’t really matter to me. There are monsters with lifespans far longer than mine… some with no limit at all. But… I am special. In a bad way.”

“In a bad way…?”

“Yes. There was another in our village—a monster who matured despite having the appearance of a young child. But I am not like her. …No matter how much time passes, I remain a child in the truest sense. You were right to see me as a child. Because no matter how many years I live, my mind and body remain that of a child.”

After saying that, Roza whispered softly, as if confessing a sin.

“…I couldn’t even give my late mother and father a grandchild to hold…”

A heart unable to feel romantic love, and a body that never experienced womanhood. Her ageing parents died with worried looks still on their faces, burdened by her existence until their last moments.

And she was left behind, alone.

She once had a family.

They died, wearing worried expressions.

She once had friends.

But they grew up while she remained the same, and when the village was attacked, they died and never returned.

There had been someone she liked, just a little, as the opposite sex.

But he grew up, had his own children, and now even they were older than her.

Roza had been abandoned not only by her family but by the very flow of time itself. Her otherness was such that even in this village of outcasts, she was treated like something untouchable.

No one harassed or ignored her outright, but there was an unbreachable wall between her and the rest of the village—a wall built by the passage of time itself.

With a faint, self-mocking smile, Roza recounted her inability to grow and her foolishness with calm resignation.

And after her long self-deprecating confession, she turned her gaze to Cross.

“Tell me… how am I supposed to go on living like this? You’re a powerful monster, aren’t you?”

It wasn’t a question. It was closer to resignation. Rather than seeking a solution, she seemed to simply want to reaffirm her hopeless reality.

Which was exactly why Cross couldn’t accept it.

He thought of himself as a fool and a carefree idiot. But precisely because he was that kind of man, he needed those around him to smile. No—he had to make them smile.

“Ellie.”

He spoke softly.

Ellie wasn’t here. But for some reason, Cross was certain that if he needed her, she would come.

“Yes. I’m here.”

Though she hadn’t been there a moment ago, Ellie was now standing at his side, as if she’d known she was needed.

“Check her body. If there’s anything you can do to improve it, do it.”

“If I investigate her magical structure, it’s possible. However, what comes of that…”

“If it comes to it, I’ll beg Aura for help. For now, just do what you can.”

“As you command.”

Ellie nodded, stepped beside Roza, and crouched down to meet her eyes. With the refined manners of a knight, she gently took Roza’s hand.

“I will need a little of your time.”

“My time is worthless. Use hundreds of years if you like.”

“Then I shall take but an instant of it.”

Ellie replied with a soft smile, and then closed her eyes.

For Ellie, a spirit, magic power was not merely close to her—it was her very being. Whereas other races had to wield complex techniques to channel magic, she could use it directly and unfiltered. That alone was an overwhelming advantage.

However, in terms of sheer power or versatility, spirit magic did not surpass general magic. Spirits, including Ellie, often disliked the rigid frameworks of magic as a technique, so it wasn’t a matter of superiority.

But for tasks like diagnosing and healing physical abnormalities by flowing magic through the body, no mage could match a spirit’s capabilities.

“Release cast… release cast… release cast…”

She whispered repeatedly, allowing her magic to permeate and transform within Roza’s body. For Ellie, her magic was an extension of her own flesh and blood, allowing her to see through everything it touched.

Though Roza’s body held barely any magic within it, Ellie was astonished at how effortlessly it absorbed her flow. It was as if her body were a giant pipe, forever empty, waiting to be filled.

No matter how much magic she sent in, it seemed to disappear endlessly without saturating her. Roza’s capacity for magic was so immense, it was almost terrifying.

Normally, someone with a capacity this vast would have magic coursing strongly through them even if untrained. Cross was such an example: his raw magical output alone heightened his combat capabilities.

But Roza’s body had so little magic it was barely enough to sustain her life. It was abnormal even for a child—and even more so for a monster.

Still, Ellie doubted magic deficiency was what prevented Roza’s growth. There had to be some other reason.

And so, Ellie continued flooding Roza’s body with her magic, hoping to uncover the truth.

Time passed. Slowly, heavily.

It was only a minute or two… five at most. But the oppressive silence made it feel unbearably long. An hour… two hours… That was how it felt.

Finally, Ellie stirred.

Her expression… was hard to describe in words. It was a bizarre combination of having food stuck in her teeth, being startled by a shout behind her, and experiencing a miraculous revelation all at once.

Tilting her head with confusion, she murmured softly.

“…Why is there… a pure-blood here…?”

At her words, both Roza and Cross tilted their heads in unison.

“Pure… blood?”

It was a term neither of them recognised—Cross, who had only recently been born, and Roza, who had spent her life secluded in the village.

Ellie sighed quietly.

“Pureblood. The Great Lineage. The Noble Bloodline. The True Blood… There are many names. But they all refer to one species. Do you understand?”

She looked at them as she spoke.

Hearing all those names containing “blood,” Cross finally realised. A species deeply tied to blood.

In other words…

“…Vampire.”

Ellie nodded.

“Wait. Even I know what vampires are. But… I’ve never sucked anyone’s blood.”

Roza hurried to deny it, but Ellie shook her head.

“Purebloods do not need to drink blood to survive. In theory… they are immortal.”

Ellie began to explain.

“Pureblood” referred to the lineage of the vampire kings. In simpler terms, it meant the progenitor vampires—the original ones from whom all others descended.

However, this inheritance was not like normal parent-child bloodlines. Even if both parents were purebloods, their child would usually be an ordinary vampire. Thus, pureblood vampires became rare, while common vampires multiplied to become the dominant group.

Purebloods comprised less than a thousandth of all vampires. In fact, fewer than two hundred existed in the entire world.

There were two ways a pureblood could come to be:

The first was for a vampire to continue living for countless ages, fulfilling their nature until they ascended to become a pureblood—something so rare it was said to happen less than once in a billion.

The second was birth. Though almost impossible, there were rare cases where ordinary vampire parents gave birth to a pureblood child. In all of recorded history, only about five such cases were known. So rare that it was passed down almost as legend rather than fact.

“…But my parents were just hybrids.”

Roza spoke, stunned. Ellie tilted her head uncertainly.

“…A reversion to ancestral blood, perhaps.”

Never having witnessed such a phenomenon herself, Ellie could only speculate.

“Eh…?”

“…Well, in cases where parents have too many mixed bloodlines to identify, sometimes ancient blood re-emerges. Still… for it to be vampire blood, and pureblood at that… that is beyond extraordinary.”

“Isn’t it possible you’re mistaken? Purebloods are supposed to be incredibly rare…”

Ellie shook her head firmly.

“I once treated a pureblood before. I know exactly what I’m sensing.”

This was a story from before Ellie had come to Aura.

At that time, a vampire known as a Pureblood came to consult Ellie about his physical condition.

He was an old man with pure white hair and beard, wearing a gentle smile.

However, despite his kind appearance, he radiated an overwhelming pressure and charisma, along with an inexplicable sense of fear, which Ellie had never forgotten even to this day.

He was a member of the Primordial Clan, the very origin of vampires – beings so far above that they were like the ceiling of heaven itself.

Ellie had been trembling with fear and awe in his presence, but that Pureblood elder had treated her very kindly. When her work was done, he even gave Ellie a candy with a grandfatherly smile, as if looking at his grandchild.

At that time, he had spoken to her, his eyes tinged with loneliness:

“Please, remember my blood. And if someone with the same blood as mine ever appears before you, I ask that you introduce them to us. Our clan… is a lonely one.”

Because of this encounter, Ellie had come to understand the characteristics of those called Purebloods.

They were the vampires among vampires, so pure and untainted that they were called monsters.

They possessed a nobility that placed them at the absolute pinnacle of their kind.

That was what it meant to be called a Pureblood.

Though, of course, Ellie never imagined she would encounter one in a place like this.

“…No. That can’t be. I’m just a defective hybrid. I’m not some grand or noble species.”

Roza declared this firmly.

And it was understandable.

She had spent her entire life being discriminated against as a hybrid, forced to abandon village after village, living on the run. It was impossible for her to suddenly accept such a claim.

“But if you are indeed a Pureblood, I can tell you both why you haven’t grown and how to fix it.”

“…I suppose I should listen to an expert. So, I’m actually from some rare species, am I?”

Roza suddenly changed her attitude and spoke with a cheerful smile.

Seeing that, Ellie gave a wry smile, while Cross looked relieved that there seemed to be a way to help her, nodding gently with a soft smile.

“So, what do I need to do?”

“It’s actually quite simple. Roza-san, have you ever felt an urge to suck blood in the past?”

“…No, I… ah, wait, yes. I did, once. Hundreds of years ago.”

Back when she truly was a child, looking the same as she did now, there was a time when Roza had suffered from an intense desire to suck someone’s blood.

But believing herself to be just a hybrid, she was too embarrassed to tell anyone about it. Instead, she suppressed it entirely.

A young girl’s sense of shame and her desire not to stand out as a monster outweighed her instincts as a vampire.

And today, hundreds of years later—a span of time by no means short—she had completely forgotten about it.

“Purebloods are a perfect species, free from the weaknesses common to vampires. At most, they might feel a bit unwell during the day. However, blood is still their nourishment. Even if they are immortal, their bodies need sustenance just like anyone else.”

“…Wait. Ellie, are you saying that Roza-san hasn’t grown because… she’s malnourished?”

At Cross’s words, Ellie nodded with a troubled expression.

“…So it’s not my constitution or some defect… It’s just that?”

“Yes. Unfortunately, that’s exactly it.”

As Ellie said this, Roza let out a long, weary sigh.

“Haaaaaa… What have I even been doing with my life… So, what do I need to do in the end? I just need to drink blood?”

“That’s right. Though… it might be a bit difficult to do immediately.”

“Why?”

“Simply put, you haven’t had blood in hundreds of years. If you suddenly consume it now, your body might go into shock.”

“Then what should I do?”

Despite seeing a path to improvement, the fact that it wouldn’t be quick left Roza feeling frustrated. To her—someone who had lived with a child’s heart for centuries—it was deeply aggravating.

“Hmmm… Well then. How about you start by trying Cross-san’s blood to get used to it?”

“…Why mine?”

“Because you’re young, male, and have abundant magic power.”

“…Why does it have to be a man’s?”

“It seems vampires have less resistance to the blood of the opposite sex. Besides, your blood is undoubtedly the kind vampires prefer.”

“…You’re surprisingly knowledgeable about this.”

Ellie responded to Roza’s words with a gentle smile.

Roza shifted uncomfortably, her face tinged with embarrassment as she spoke to Cross.

“So… um… that’s how it is… would you…?”

“Come on! Where do you want to bite? My neck? Or should I cut my arm or finger for you?”

Cross leaned forward eagerly, holding his dagger to his finger with an excited glint in his eyes.

Roza recoiled slightly.

“…Why are you so enthusiastic about this?”

“I’ve never had my blood sucked by a vampire before. It’s kinda exciting. Ellie, just to be sure, there’s no danger of me turning into a vampire or becoming her thrall, right?”

“No. That only happens when a contract is formed between both parties. Only high-ranking vampires can do that, and even then, it’s not something they can force on someone resisting it. Especially for someone like Roza-san, who has never lived consciously as a vampire, it’s impossible.”

“Then no problem! So, how would you like to do it?”

While Cross spoke excitedly, Roza looked at Ellie with an exasperated yet grateful expression.

“How should I drink it?”

“Just bite and suck directly.”

“…Sorry, but I can’t bring myself to bite. Could you just make a small cut on your finger for me?”

At her request, Cross’s face lit up happily.

“Got it.”

With that, he pricked his index finger with the dagger, and a small bead of blood welled up.

He offered it to Roza, his eyes filled with anticipation.

“…I don’t really… feel anything. I don’t feel thirsty or like I want to attack him. Am I really a vampire…?”

With a deeply annoyed expression, Roza brought Cross’s finger lightly to her mouth and sucked gently.

“See? Nothing’s—”