Vampire's Slice Of Life

1110  It Was A Rainy Night...

The silhouette kept flickering and calling Lith to notice it. He meditated in his spot and did not mind the thrashing actions it did. The chaotic night eventually passed, and in the morning, the door of the room was opened by the shrine maiden. ”I hope you had a good rest,” she said. ”Please come with me for breakfast.”

Lith nodded and got up to leave. He washed his face with some water and went to have breakfast with the priestess and the shrine maiden. The food here was simple. A few rice balls, some fruits, eggs, and tea. Lith had a bite of the rice ball and asked, ”What happened last night? Why was there so much disturbance?”

The priestess held the teacup with both her hands and took a sip. ”The shrine is cursed. At night, a lot of lost souls wander around this place and suck the life of any living being they can find. The room you were in is protected by many talismans, and thus kept you secured.”

Lith understood the gist of the matter. ”Are the wandering souls strong?”

”Depends.” The shrine maiden was the one that answered. ”Thereʼs ones that are physically strong and can kill you while thereʼs also some that put a huge toll on your mental health. You might be traumatized for life and kill yourself to escape this trauma.”

”Interesting…” Lith said with raised eyebrows. ”Have people died like that?”

The shrine maiden and the priestess nodded their heads. ”The last death that happened was a decade ago.” The priestess said.

”Can you elaborate?”

The woman nodded her head once again. ”It was a rainy night…”

A young man had appeared out of nowhere at the shrineʼs gate. The shrine maiden found him and offered him some food and a room to stay the night. She also warned him to not wander around at night. The young man agreed with her initially, but as the night progressed, he felt restless with the things around him and wanted to go out for a small walk and fresh air despite it raining.  He did not heed the shrine maidenʼs words and ventured out. Who did what to him was known, but the next day, the shrine maiden had found him chopped in pieces, half buried near a tree with his head completely intact. His eyes had a crazed look on them as if he had seen something he shouldnʼt have. Another important point was that the man wasnʼt wet from the rain, nor were his surroundings near the tree. Lith finished the last rice ball and thought, ʼYeah, itʼs best if I leave and avoid getting into unnecessary troubles.ʼ

Lith liked adventures but putting himself at such a risk willingly was not worth it. If there were any benefits he wouldʼve gotten, then sure, he may have given some thought. But with how the shrine maiden and priestess have explained things, there didnʼt seem to be any rewards.

Lith chatted with the two ladies some more and decided to leave the place and go to Lumpia city. ”Iʼll be back at night. Once the breakfast is finished, please send off our guest.” The priestess gave this instruction and left. Ten minutes later, Lith was guided outside the shrine by the shrine maiden. He gave her a small bow and left. The shrine maiden picked up a broom nearby and began dusting the pink leaves on the ground. A few steps away, darkness flashed in front of Lithʼs eyes, and when light returned, he found himself standing on top of a tall mountain. Everything around him was pink, the trees, plants, and shrubs. Wondering what place he had reached, Lith turned to look around and saw a mesmerizing view of a temple. Around this temple, a shrine maiden in pink and white robes was dusting the leaves on the ground with a gloomy expression on her face. Her facial features were pristine like a well polished jade, and despite moving absentmindedly, her movements were fluid. Lith blinked his eyes and looked around again. There seemed to be no civilization nearby and this was the only living person in his close proximity. Should he go and approach her? Lith wondered. The situation looked highly suspicious. Nobody in their right mind would be in a desolate place on their own, dusting the ground with a broomstick. The lady was not looking at him and seemed to be zoned out. After careful consideration, Lith sighed and made up his mind to go talk to her. This lady was the only person in the closest proximity and maybe she would know of something. Walking up to her, Lith snapped her back to reality and had her look at him.

”Who…” The shrine maiden was alerted and took a step back. ”Hello~” Lith stopped and waved at the lady with a warm smile.

The lady took another step back and put the broom in front of her for defense. ”Who are you? How did you arrive at the Kento Shrine?” If it was anyone else, they wouldʼve been attacked without dialogue. Lith was asked question purely based on his handsomeness and gentleness. He looked like a gentleman who wouldnʼt hurt even an ant based on his looks.

”I do not know how Iʼve stumbled at this place either, young lady.” Lith said innocently with a slight bow. The shrine maiden slightly lowered her broom when she heard the words ʼyoung ladyʼ. It seemed to her that this youngster couldnʼt tell her age. ”What were you doing prior to coming here?” The shrine maiden asked with cautiousness, despite being flattered by Lithʼs words. ʼSomeoneʼs asking the right questions…ʼ

It was fascinating to know that this wasnʼt just another dumb and innocent shrine maiden that was popularly seen in mangas and anime. She was a genuine person with basic common sense. Lith scratched his cheek and said with an awkward smile, ”I was out searching for a herb, but accidentally fell into a ditch and stumbled here. I do not know how and why.”

”Herb?” The shrine maiden asked. ”Which one?”

”It was the hundred-year-old running ginseng.” Lith said immediately without batting an eye, as if it was all true. ”My sisterʼs a bit sick and…”

Lith made an excuse on the spot and the shrine maiden believed him due to how fluently and clearly he had said everything. Eventually, the shrine maiden took him to the shrine. He sat there, had a chat with her and got served some tea. The shrine maiden then asked him to wait until the priestess was back because she would be able to guide him properly. The priestess was back, had a chat with Lith, then offered him dinner and a place to stay the night. Before she left the room, she warned, ”Remember, just go to sleep and do not come out of your room until itʼs time for breakfast tomorrow…”