Yeah I'm a King, so what?

Departure

A little over two years had passed since I met Celeste, and that moment suddenly came.

"I have nothing more to teach you."

With a beautiful voice as always.

"So I'm giving you permission to leave here soon."

My heart was at peace, knowing that the time had finally come. We've been together for over two years, so it's obvious that there's a difference.

Celeste thought over and over whether there was anything else she had forgotten to tell me, whether there was anything else she needed to tell me, before coming to a conclusion. So I won't hesitate either.

"Okay, I'll leave right away."

Celeste's face contorted for a moment. Putting it this way makes it sound like I was impatient for the day to leave. It may have been a shock to her, as we had been physically close and she thought that we had connected emotionally.

So I'll continue immediately.

"I want Celeste to come with me."

Her distorted face turns blank.

"I know you care about this place. I want to ask you to please accept that. I don't want to be separated from you."

I use honorific language with her that I have never used before. I may be wrong as I have no experience, but I think I understand the feeling. After admiring Celeste with ten faces for a while, she finally seemed to succeed in opening her mouth.

"I'm very happy about the sentiment, but I can't go. This is the last place I have left with memories."

It was a clear rejection, different from her usual teasing and playful tone. My feelings couldn't overcome her past.

"Understood."

That's all I managed to squeeze out bluntly. Even though I knew the outcome, losing the woman I loved had a greater impact than I had expected.

"Pfft."

Celeste's expression and voice change.

"Ufu, that's a really cute reaction. You knew I wasn't going to leave."

"You are my irreplaceable woman, so I wanted you to come with me no matter what."

"Then why didn't you just refuse to leave? I gave you permission to leave, but I didn't tell you to leave."

I wanted to be with Celeste, but I couldn't let her kindness go to waste, so that was not an option.

"Is that really true? Would you be happy if I told you I didn't want to leave and wanted to stay by your side forever?"

Celeste gave a small laugh.

"Well, I'm not happy about it. I want you to see the world. I want you to live freely in this wide world. That's what I've been working hard for."

"That's why I'm leaving here right now. So that I can become the person Celeste wants me to be, as soon as possible."

"Really, even if you gain knowledge and correct your distortions, your straightforwardness won't change. That's a good thing about you, but you'll miss out on the fun in life."

She spun around and jumped into my chest.

"You'll be fine as you are now. Live your life the way you want. Do what you want and follow the path you believe is right. My hope is that you will enjoy walking the path you have chosen for yourself."

The height difference between me and Celeste is already obvious, she fits perfectly against my chest. Still, the words sounded like those of a superior.

It belongs to the person who will lead me. There's no need for a response, just hug back and we'll understand each other. And after a long embrace, I dashed off. Celeste grabbed my arm and I was flipped over on the spot.

"Where are you going?"

A voice of astonishment echoes.

"No, you're going to travel like this empty-handed, without food, water, weapons, or armor?"

"..."

"So you collapse on the way to the nearest town and that's the end of it? It's a pretty big world out there."

I wasn't thinking about anything. I crouch down sulking.

"Yes... I'm fully prepared. Please wait a little while."

Celeste rummages through the storeroom and brings out her belongings. It seems she had been preparing for quite some time.

Lined up were leather-bound armor, gloves, and boots, as well as a shield wrapped in chains. Not all of them were high-quality items, but they were in good condition, and it made me emotional to think that she had cared for them.

"By the way, it was someone who came here before and I ended up eating it, but it was so pretty I thought it might be useful."

...I got the bare minimum of armor.

After that, there were some small items such as dried meat and leather bags to hold water, and I had enough equipment to travel.

In total, there were 30 gold coins, including the ones that Celeste had and the ones she had received from the wallets of the thieves who had been wiped out when I got here.

Having lived here for two years, I know very well that there's no way to spend money as long as I'm here, so I accept it without hesitation.

And two essential pieces of equipment.

One is a spear.

It is just over 2m long, but the tip is not a sharp point but a half-moon axe, a bardiche that can be used for both stabbing and slashing. The handle was much thicker than a normal one, and the blade was thick and large. The spear, which weighs about 15 kg, looks like an iron pole with an axe attached.

"It's quite old but in good condition, and although it's very heavy, I'm sure you can use it."

"I'd be grateful, but offering it with just your left hand isn't very convincing."

The second is a cloak. At first glance, it appears to be a cloak made of plain black fabric, but upon closer inspection, it can be seen to have been dyed.

"That cloak is my special design. It's just plain white fabric that has been soaked in something."

Celeste nodded and let out a sigh, then I imagined something.

"There's a limit to how much lust you can have, so how can you instill something like that?"

"No! It's blood! My blood!"

So it looks like a special vampire bloodstained cloak made by Celeste.

It certainly seems much stronger than just fabric. The weight is the same as regular fabric. According to Celeste, it probably won't burn and also has the effect of scaring away animals. And the best part is that when you put it on, you can feel Celeste. With everything ready, we finally fell silent.

I decided that staying there for too long would only make me feel sad, so I got up to stand up.

"Let's leave in three days."

I was suddenly taken aback.

"Why are we opening it for another three days?"

I'm not saying that it will increase my regrets.

"We may never see each other again! So this is the last time."

I hugged Celeste, who was blushing and looking down, because I thought that was a man's role.

"Let's mate in a wild and nasty way!"

I figured it would be something like this anyway.

***

[The next section contains explicit sexual content. Time passes as Luc and Celeste spend three final days together, exchanging blood and making love repeatedly. The intensity of their final encounters leaves marks across his body, including on intimate areas. They explore acts they hadn't before, pushing boundaries in their farewell. Eventually, exhausted and satisfied, they rest in each other's arms for the last time.]

***

And finally the time to say goodbye comes. The farewell to the vampire took place late at night, under the moonlight, wearing my armor, a blood-black cloak, and a spear slung over my shoulder.

"Two years is just a blink of an eye compared to the time I've lived, but I've never had such a rich experience. It was really fun."

"For me, my whole life has been with Celeste."

"Fufu, you've become a fine man. You've also passed the women's exam. But... you shouldn't treat a human girl like you're me, you might die. That nasty Luc will probably sleep with many women from now on."

I thought it was typical of her to tease me with her seductiveness until the very end.

"Would you mind coming with me one last time?"

"No way~♪"

A lighter tone, that's it.

I press my lips against Celeste's.

Thinking that this might be the last time I see her after having held her as I pleased until now, the kiss becomes longer. Eventually, the kiss ends with a bridge of saliva.

"I can't be with you, but it's not a permanent breakup either."

She whispers as she sees my eyes widen.

"When you have risen to the top, become a nobleman, become king, and have this land for yourself, come and I will be your wife, your mistress, or even your mother."

For a commoner to talk to an aristocrat, let alone a king, is a delusion, an impossible nonsense.

"Or, as time passes, if you find yourself alone and succumb to illness or old age, and realize that your death is near, come and see me. I will at least offer my head to you on your lap as I watch over you until the end."

This is salvation. I hear a hidden voice telling me that if I'm going to live in this world, I should try to become king, that I should strive to reach the top, and come back when I run out of energy.

But the voice continued, "If by some miracle I were to reach the top, I would be yours forever."

Of course, it wasn't Celeste's telepathy. I'm just imagining it. But if I become king, I'll get Celeste. She will live her whole life with me. After exchanging one last kiss, I left the house where I had spent the past two years, most of my time since coming out onto the surface. I continued walking without looking back, thinking that maybe I would hear someone calling out to me from behind, or maybe she would come and hug me, but in the end the sun rose and I was walking through the forest without incident.

Celeste watches the man's back as he leaves. She remembers something like this happening sometime ago. It is quite moving to see a boy who has been raised with knowledge and love grow into a man and leave.

So this is one more person. Thinking about it like that makes her a little sad, but she's sure the sadness will go away in time. After all, time is infinite.

But what if he really does become king?

Celeste felt a sweet numbness in her lower abdomen and shivered, then went home. Even though there is no longer a man to hold her, his scent lingers throughout the house, giving her a sense of satisfaction even when she sleeps alone.

It would be a problem if all traces of him disappeared from this house. She wouldn't be sa

tisfied with hunting and killing men who came here or boys who went a little further away as she had done up until now.

A man like that... his mind, body, and talents are all so rare.