Published: September 9, 2025
Satou here. I think the phrase "noblesse oblige" originated somewhere around France, but when did it become famous?
In Japan, you mostly see it in manga or anime, but in another world, it seems to be a fairly common practice.
◇
"That stand-up collar, black hair and eyes, and that name. Above all, that flat face! 'Could it be... you're Japanese?'"
"Yeah. As you can see, I was born and raised in Japan."
"I thought so."
He asked the latter part in Japanese, so I replied in Japanese as well.
The true ancestor I met was a young man with naturally curly, purple hair like seaweed.
Despite his pale skin and French-like features, when he spoke Japanese, he had a Kansai dialect accent.
Wait, there was no causal link between the appearance in this life and the previous life, right?
I wonder if his real name used kanji like "番" or "播"?
"You don't seem to be the hero of the Saga Empire, but are you a ‘lost person’ who suffered spiriting away?"
"I don't know that term ‘lost person,’ but I think I'm probably a transferee."
"Oh? A few hundred years ago, the Holy Heralon Theocracy tried to imitate the secret ritual of hero summoning from the Saga Empire to summon a hero from Japan. Is there another country repeating the same thing...?"
He made a grim face and muttered dangerous things like "damn kidnappers" and "I should eliminate the summoners and the government again."
To him, transferees seemed to equal summoners.
If a level 61 true ancestor led level 40 to 50 vampire princesses in an attack, they could probably wipe out a small country easily.
Besides, as far as I know, there's no country called the Holy Heralon Theocracy on this continent.
For Princess Menea's sake, I should clarify this.
"That's unnecessary. They've already suffered an assault by high-rank demons, and those involved in the summoning appear to have been eliminated."
"Even demon race occasionally do good deeds."
I told the true ancestor what Princess Menea had said.
Whether it was true or not, I hadn’t verified it, but there was no reason for the princess to lie at that point, so no need to doubt it without cause.
"I want to talk more about Japan, but let’s handle business first."
"Sure. My business is—"
After apologizing for destroying the barrier and castle when rescuing Ms. Zena and others, I asked him to free the women who had been with Ms. Zena.
"They were slaves purchased through official channels."
"I can pay the price."
"We are not lacking money."
—No way.
"You said you bought them through official routes, but did you really go to the city?"
"Of course not. Once in February, a secret market opens in the upper labyrinth. Using the money earned selling demon cores and monster materials, we buy slaves put up for sale there."
Moreover, as a favored customer, he said he got brought in high-priced slaves that only he could buy.
"Do you keep the slaves as sources of blood?"
"That's rude. They are important servants of the castle. Please withdraw the expression ‘keep’."
"Sorry, I take back what I said earlier."
I deliberately provoked him, but he denied it much more strongly than I expected.
"They provide a few dozen cc of blood per month, but otherwise just act like maids in the castle. We never forcibly turn them into vampires, nor use violence or commit violations."
Though calling them a blood supply source isn’t wrong, it seems their free will hasn’t been taken.
He said after becoming a vampire, he gradually lost normal sexual desire.
Apparently all the vampire princesses are his wives, but their relationship is just hugging and kissing.
His only craving is drinking a glass of wine with a drop of blood three times a day, which is quite different from the vampires I imagine.
Somehow, it sounds like a vampire from a novel or story aimed at women.
"We dismiss willing slaves after 5-10 years, but during their employment period, we provide enough education and skills for them to become independent, plus living expenses to live on for a few years after release."
With such favorable treatment, many would want to become slaves, even if their master is a vampire.