I Became a Foreign Worker Loved by Transcendents

Vampires. As their name suggests, they were a race that fed on human blood.

Although their numbers were few and they struggled to act under the sun, the empire’s leadership still considered vampires a threat greater than even the Demon King or the Corpse Lord.

They, known as the nobles of the night, excelled at hiding in the darkness and had a great ability to infiltrate society using their power to beguile people.

If these few infiltrated human society to assassinate authority figures or beguile them into becoming puppets for their ambitions, the impact would be incomparable to any conflict caused by brute force.

“Haha, sorry for the dust. I haven’t used this hideout in a while.”

Indeed, the vampire who had brought me to this abandoned mansion was one of the most infamous fugitives of the empire among his kind.

Virgil Huntress. Commonly known as the Virgin Slayer.

Named for physically tearing apart virgins, he targeted even nobles and royals, making him a target the empire desperately wanted to deal with.

“Find yourself a comfortable spot. I’ll bring some drinks.”

But what could it be?

Why was this heinous criminal showing me such kindness?

“I’ll brew some black tea from the dried leaves I have here… Ah, there’s a dessert I bought as a snack. It’s a bit old-fashioned, but is that alright?”

“No, it’s fine. As a novice adventurer, I’m in a position to be grateful for anything.”

“Haha, you’re a diligent and admirable young man.”

Not just being considerate but even offering compliments.

Was this part of a vampire’s beguiling techniques? Using rhetoric to worm into someone’s heart…

No, after witnessing him slaughter a femme hero, it was hard to think he had ulterior motives with such a complete change in demeanor.

Aside from what he despises, he generally shows a generous attitude. At least, that was my impression of him.

“Ah, now that I think about it, I didn’t properly introduce myself when we met last time.”

As if to confirm my speculation, he soon placed his hand on his chest and spoke.

“My name is Virgil Huntress. A noble of the night, and I dabble in the business of darkness as both a hobby and a profession.”

“…Business of darkness?”

“Haha, are you interested?”

Slither.

Virgil, having removed his cloak, placed a piece of paper that came out of it on the table.

Inside, there were portraits of women, along with information about them.

What is this? A collection of memorial photos of a serial killer’s victims?

“If you have a preference, I can introduce you to a suitable woman from these. As a matchmaker of darkness, I’ll find someone who suits your tastes.”

“Uh… matchmaking?”

“Yes, I generally introduce widows to new companions. In such a chaotic world, many lose their husbands, but isn’t it too cruel to tell them to spend their lives in sorrow?”

The vampire, smiling slyly, fiddled with his hands.

The contented smile on his face showed he truly found his work rewarding.

“Of course, I can’t introduce women who are already taken. A man’s love should stem from conquest and inclusion, not from forceful possession.”

“…You have a firm philosophy.”

“As a noble, one must stick to their convictions. Haha.”

Ah, yes. With such conviction, he tore apart maidens.

I wanted to object in many ways, but I decided to keep quiet because I valued my life.

“Well, that’s why I, a noble, can’t leave those in trouble alone. Enough chit-chat. I’ll get straight to the point and ask…”

Swoosh.

Virgil Huntress retrieved the catalog he had placed on the table.

Then, sweeping his long black hair back and resting his chin on his hand, he said,

“The reason you were wandering the streets drunk—was it because of a woman?”

His eyes showed experience and shrewdness, and his voice was sharp and baritone.

I felt like he was delving into my inner thoughts, but I wasn’t particularly surprised.

After all, vampires had the skill to mesmerize people, and that skill enabled them to discern and unsettle the mind.

“In fact, what happened was…”

And for me, there was nothing to do but drink more anyway.

Having decided to consult with him, I swiftly presented a letter I had kept in my pocket.

“Oh, is this a love letter?”

“No, it’s a breakup notice.”

“…Hmm, I see.”

After briefly summarizing what happened with Merilyn, he, having read it, soon raised his eyebrows and began to look at me.

“It seems, from a glance, that this woman Merilyn has come to regard you as quite special.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Didn’t she make the decision to turn her back even on a lord to whom she swore to devote her dignity and life? So, rejoice. You have successfully elicited the emotion of ‘love’ from her.”

Startled.

In that unexpected moment, my body stiffened without my knowledge.

“Love… really?”

“I won’t assert what kind it is. Not only romantic affection but simple liking, as well as friendship or camaraderie, can also be called love. Just be sure that it is strong enough for her to stake her life on.”

Ah, right. Having risked her life, it couldn’t be a light-hearted feeling.

I didn’t think it was all vain, as I had also experienced that in my relationship with her.

“Merilyn felt a strong attachment to me because of my abilities, and I feel it too, which makes this parting even more painful…”

“Haha, to witness the birth of another ‘excellent non-virgin’ in the world truly warms my heart.”

With those words, my head dropped with a thud!

As the snacks on the table slightly lifted, Virgil, who skillfully grabbed one, asked me,

“Why so, young man? If you’re anemic, I could give you a transfusion.”

This vampire was making nonsensical remarks.

No, I thought he was seriously counseling me. Why did it suddenly go in that direction?

“…What do you mean by ‘non-virgin’ exactly?”

“I meant that you made the girl who wrote this letter a wonderful woman.”

“No. Merilyn and I aren’t in that kind of relationship! We’ve only met for a day or two… Anyway, we didn’t do it. That didn’t happen!!”

“Oh, my. It seems I’ve somewhat misunderstood you. I didn’t mean ‘non-virgin’ in that sense.”

Virgil Huntress, seeing me vehemently deny it with a scream, brought his finger to the letter in his hand with a bitter smile.

He, rereading the content, looked back at me again with half-opened eyes.

“What I meant was, the girl who wrote this letter had never given her heart to anyone before she met you. Perhaps her blind loyalty to her master stemmed from actions solidified to escape her lowly origin.”

“…Can you tell all that just from one letter?”

“When you live long, you start to see certain things.”

Virgil, bursting into laughter, gently placed the letter on the table.

Then, he tilted his head and started tapping his temple with his finger, lowering his voice.

“So, I have a question at this point. Was the distance she kept from you different from that with others?”

“…Distance, you say?”

“I mean, whether she makes jokes that would be awkward for you to hear, doesn’t feel repulsion toward physical contact, or shows her cloaked body only in front of you.”

My body trembled more and more with each word.

His words struck too many chords with me.

“Looking at your face, it seems you’ve never seen her do that with others.”

“Yes, at least not in front of me…”

“Surely, the person who gave this letter wouldn’t behave like that with other men. Conversely, it means that a woman who only looked at her master is doing such things with you, which signifies a crack in her purity.”

A crack in purity?

Was it permissible to use such expressions just for liking someone, without a physical relationship?

Was virginity, as commonly spoken about in the world, so easily disrupted?

“I assert with my dignity as a noble that the retainer who has only seen one master her whole life has awakened to love by meeting you and has become a splendid non-virgin. That’s something to be proud of in your life.”

“…I’m not very knowledgeable, but what are the conditions for being a non-virgin like that?”

“Of course. Virginity itself signifies purity… a being without any flaws!”

Swish!

Virgil Huntress’s body faded into the darkness and disappeared.

Then, suddenly appearing beside me, he whispered in my ear,

“In our vampire society, a true virgin is one who has never harbored anyone in her heart (Heart), lacks even basic knowledge to console herself (Technique), and has no experience with others (Body)… Imagine, when judging virgins, we even score these three elements!”

What the…

I knew vampires were obsessed with virgins, but scoring knowledge and emotional worth too?

Did scoring 100 in health and physical education at school equate to being a sex master in the red-light district?

“People, including my kin, often misunderstand this, but I don’t particularly dislike virgins. I killed those who lacked manners in a fit of anger, and they all just happened to be rotten bitches.”

As I grimaced, thinking vampire culture was far from normal, he, who might be relatively normal, continued speaking confidently with his arms crossed beside me.

“So, another question. Do you think a person who has never given their heart to anyone, lacks the skill to express love, or even the ability to court, can fully develop a relationship with you?”

“Hearing you say it, it seems unlikely…”

“Indeed, those who have loved become more honest with themselves, those with knowledge seek to utilize it, and those who’ve had physical relations crave that pleasure with others. To maintain virginity without any such experience? Unless secluded in a room their whole life, expecting them to show you kindness is absurd, don’t you think?”

“Yes, you’re not wrong. Yes…”

Indeed, no matter how nice they seemed, if they didn’t show me kindness, they were just pretty garbage.

Having seen the fate of such trash, I felt half-convinced by his logic.

I still couldn’t dismiss it as nonsense, but he had the rhetoric and gravity to seriously package even such nonsense.

“Overlooking that, many men today are obsessed with the ideal, worshiping the perfectly unblemished virgin, but usually, when they try to make this ideal a reality, it ends in disaster.”

Whoosh.

His body became mist again and disappeared beside me.

“So remember this advice. A married woman with proven experience of love towards others is better than a pure bitch who has no chance of loving you, and even better than a married woman is a non-virgin who has ruined her virginity with her own hands.”

Then, appearing before me, he pointed his sharp-clawed finger at me and spoke in a low voice,

“Even though the world is chaotic and full of those who have lost their companions, doesn’t this make the value of love formed by untainted men and women even higher?”

For someone like me, not accustomed to romantic relationships, it was an undeniable truth I couldn’t even refute.

He expressed his confidence boldly, even lifting the corners of his mouth.

“…But.”

Yes, it was a bit exaggerated, but fundamentally, it wasn’t wrong.

In such a chaotic world, the value of those who showed kindness to me surely increased.

Vivian and Merilyn, too.

The reason I harbored feelings for them was because I understood that value.

“Even if we have feelings for each other, I might not be able to meet her anymore.”

But wasn’t being together with them something that required strength?

I lacked strength, so all I could do was watch them leave.

And that would keep happening in the future, too…

“So, are you saying you’re afraid of your current heartbreak and will repeat the same mistake?”

As he held my shoulder, he spoke to me in a heavy voice.

“If you regret letting one woman go, don’t you think you should at least protect what remains?”

“What remains?”

“Is the person in your heart now, the one you think you can’t meet anymore, all there is?”

My body trembled with a start.

Before I could even think, my body reacted, knowing how to respond to his words.

“Yes, there must be more. And now, you’re afraid to advance relationships with those who remain, unable to forget the experience of heartbreak…”

Whoosh.

Once again, his body disappeared before my eyes…

No, he didn’t disappear.

His body, transformed and spread like mist, cunningly surrounded me, making it feel as though he had vanished.

“Those who have left are beyond help, but if there’s still something you desire, you must first seize it with your own hands before thinking about it… If there’s time to debate qualifications, go and claim them with your own will.”

Listening to the echo emanating from the mist, I gradually felt my mind becoming engulfed.

Hypnotism. A type of mesmerism used by vampires, the so-called nobles of the night, when targeting their prey.

“This cruel world is not kind enough to wait until you’re mentally prepared.”

Normally, I would feel a sense of crisis and resist, but still, I did not resist and ended up accepting his voice.

Believing that he, who sincerely advised me for my sake, would not do such a thing with malice.

And when I came to my senses again,

I found myself with my head buried in the ground, repeating the words, realizing something was seriously wrong.

“Airi, please have sex with me!”

No, this vampire, sir.

This is too much, no matter how you look at it.