Thanks to Meerkat for providing raw of this chapter
Another Last Episode
Khan was waiting for Luna’s return.
Recently, it had become a habit for him to peer intently out the window at the street when it was time for Luna to come back from town.
And when he confirmed Luna’s figure, he would quietly close the curtain and return to his magic research.
The rational part of him knew that Luna would always come back.
She fully understood that she had been sold. In fact, she seemed even more conscious of the price she was bought for than Khan himself.
Yet, there was anxiety. Perhaps Luna had fallen in love with a young man in the royal capital.
Love was an unknown territory for Khan, something he couldn’t comprehend.
So, if Luna was indeed in love, he worried that there was a possibility she might not return.
He was afraid of Luna disappearing.
The thought of waking up and being alone seemed unbearable.
He didn’t want to eat meals by himself at an empty table.
He hated the idea of no longer hearing the sounds of Luna cleaning or preparing meals.
It was terrifying to think that there might be nothing between them except the fact that he had bought her with money.
At first, he had kept her only as material for becoming the Undying Immortal Lich King.
But now, she seemed more valuable than even the Undying Immortal Lich King.
A value that could never be measured in money.
Yet, he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what to say.
All he had was magic. Surely, she liked learning magic too.
Now Luna was on her way to becoming a proper necromancer. A practitioner of forbidden magic.
Shouldn’t they aim for the pinnacle of magic together for eternity?
…But was that really right? Was he making a mistake?
He kept questioning himself. What did he truly desire?
And the answer he arrived at was, indeed, eternity.
However, not eternity for mastering magic.
It was eternity to continue their current daily life.
Being greeted with a smile and “Good morning” every day, having breakfast together, him doing his magic research, Luna bustling about with housework, and ending the day with dinner together.
He wanted to repeat that infinitely.
He wished for these warm and peaceful days, like basking in the southern wind, to continue forever.
Fortunately, Luna had the qualifications to become the Immortal King.
Even as a vampire, she would probably be able to go out during the day as usual.
Khan himself would likely never be able to go out in the daylight again, but as he rarely left the mansion anyway, he didn’t feel any pain about that.
There seemed to be no problem.
If the present could continue forever, they would probably reach the pinnacle of magic eventually.
Luna too should have no complaints about the current life… probably.
He was Luna’s master and teacher. There was no need to ask for her consent.
Even if he did ask, how would she answer?
Although she was generally obedient, he had a feeling she might not accept it for some reason.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that she might point to a different path, towards the light.
But Khan had chosen the path of necromancy. He couldn’t go that way anymore.
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Luna returned from town.
When I went to greet her, Luna was surprised, and then laughed cheerfully.
“So there are times when you wait for me, Master!”
Her figure, illuminated by the setting sun, seemed to be wrapped in a pale, moon-like light.
Something stirred within me.
“…I thought I’d have you help me with a magic ritual.”
“That’s rare! For you to need my help, Master!”
Luna’s voice was bright. She probably thought she was being recognized. And she was genuinely happy to be able to assist me.
I felt a pain in my chest.
“Come to my room. I’ll take you to where we’ll perform the secret ritual.”
“Just a moment, please! I’ll put my things away quickly!”
Her every casual word seemed to reproach me.
I returned to my room, but Luna came soon after. She must have hurried so as not to keep me waiting. She really is a hard-working child.
I touched the stone tablet I had prepared on the desk and infused it with magical power.
The stone tablet emitted a blue light, indicating that the mechanism had activated.
“What was that just now?”
Luna looked at the stone tablet curiously.
“It’s a preparation to prevent the ritual from being interfered with.”
When the stone tablet activated, it was set to make corpses buried in nearby graveyards appear as ghouls.
Large-scale magical rituals generate strong magical power.
If I were being monitored by someone, they would notice immediately.
This was a precaution for such a case.
The mansion’s barrier is powerful enough to keep anyone from approaching, but for those who break through it, this should provide some delay. Ghouls aren’t much of an obstacle, but even a tiny amount of time can make the difference between success and failure.
“Shall we go then?”
I chanted a simple spell. In response, the bookshelf in the room slid sideways, revealing a staircase leading to a hidden basement.
“What’s this?”
Luna’s voice was excited. Like a child who had discovered something interesting.
“For a magician, the place where one performs their secret rituals should be kept hidden.”
Saying this, I stepped onto the stairs. Luna followed without any question.
The preparations were already complete in the basement.
Catalysts and materials gathered over more than ten years. The preparation for the ritual to transform oneself into a vampire takes an unimaginable amount of effort and time.
Now it was about to come to fruition. But I felt no joy.
Even at this late stage, I still had doubts.
Luna was innocently looking around the basement. She was probably trying to learn from this too.
(I might have made a mistake)
Such a thought crossed my mind.
My teacher, Logan, aimed for the heights while remaining human.
I thought that was sentimental. I believed that if one was to master magic, one should also abandon being human.
…Perhaps I was the one who was mistaken.
However, I couldn’t turn back. Admitting my mistake would mean denying my entire life.
I stood in the center of the giant magic circle I had drawn in advance and began the ritual.
I had Luna help by supplying magical power as an assistant. Her eyes were shining as she helped.
The ritual requires a long time, concentration, and magical power.
Even during this time, my doubts didn’t disappear.
Was the pinnacle of magic really what I truly wanted?
Logan lived as if playing with magic.
I thought that was wrong. I believed we should face magic more earnestly.
But perhaps, before magic, wasn’t there something else I should have faced?
Wasn’t I being taught this by my disciple, Luna?
The doubts were endless, but the ritual progressed.
Heat was gradually leaving my body. I was probably becoming undead.
Before, I had no fear of becoming like this.
Now I was a little scared. Not of becoming undead.
I was afraid of what Luna would think of me once I became undead.
I glanced at her, and Luna smiled at me.
I hadn’t told her what this ritual was for. In fact, I hadn’t even taught her that necromancy could lead to becoming a vampire.
She was probably purely wishing for the success of the ritual, trying to encourage me.
Not knowing what would happen to me afterwards.
I wonder, after I become a vampire, the Undying Immortal Lich King, will she still smile at me the same way?
Or will I…
Just as the ritual was about to end, someone breached the mansion’s barrier.
Necromancy is forbidden magic. I had been careful, but I couldn’t deny the possibility that I was being monitored just on suspicion.
It was probably the kingdom’s agents.
But for some reason, I thought the intruders might take Luna away.
It was like an intuition. But a magician’s intuition is almost like foresight.
In the end, that gave me the final push.
I, now transformed into a vampire, slowly walked towards Luna.
“Master, are you alright? Your face has turned pale. Are you tired?”
Luna’s concerned voice slowed my steps.
Still, the distance between us was small, and I reached Luna.
As we faced each other, a sound came from above.
They must have entered the mansion.
Luna raised her head towards the sound. Her neck was exposed.
The vampire’s impulse overcame a moment’s hesitation.
I sank my fangs into Luna’s neck.
In that instant, I regretted it.
I should never have meddled with necromancy.
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