[FMMIKA] Chapter 231: Artorius and Crimson Moon

"No, those were just the conditions you imposed unilaterally."

In Crimson Moon's calm gaze, there flickered malice and dissatisfaction.

"If you invite me here just to provoke my anger, then so be it. I can go back now and start a war along with my vampire army. Otherwise... you better take this seriously."

"I've been very serious."

Artorius explained, trying to maintain his composure in the face of Crimson Moon's baseless accusations.

"In this world, there won't be anyone else who can offer better terms than I can."

"Perhaps because there won't be anyone else in the world bold enough to challenge me on an equal footing." Crimson Moon couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Don't use such rhetoric; it only makes you seem inferior for no reason."

"It's not rhetoric, just a sarcasm." Artorius replied casually.

Artorius's relaxed tone left Crimson Moon momentarily speechless, her gaze fixated on him with an intensity that seemed as though she wanted to kill him with her eyes.

This version of Crimson Moon carried a fiery and spirited aura, unlike the Crimson Moon from the previous future timeline where she had an aloof and emotionless demeanor.

So, instead of eliciting any negative emotions from Artorius, her gaze actually piqued his interest. He found himself appreciating Crimson Moon's beauty.

Objectively speaking, her nearly inhuman perfection in appearance was something Artorius had only seen in a few individuals before. And none of them were 'human.'

His most adorable mother Artoria, his aunt Morgan, his big sister Vivian, and his teacher Scathach—they weren't pure humans.

Their beauty was not human; it was goddess-like, capable of captivating a mortal's heart and soul in an instant.

Not to mention, vampires.

Vampires, a supernatural race in any fantasy tale famous for their beauty, often share similarities with succubi. Whether it was sensuality, beauty, or charm, their appearance always captivated the hearts of mortals.

Although to be fair, Crimson Moon wasn't a monster, not a vampire, and not even a succubus as her identity as a vampire was quite subtle. However, that feeling when gazing at her was still somewhat...

—Beautiful.

She was an exquisite beauty with golden hair and crimson eyes, typical features of any Queen of the Vampires in novels.

In the 'original story', there was a fatally attractive White Princess Arcueid, and Crimson Moon's appearance was just an imitation of her.

Artorius couldn't help but think and vaguely regret.

'Why didn't I notice this earlier...?'

'Oh, well, maybe it's because of the change in identity and position.'

'I gave her a good thrashing, and she couldn't keep up the mighty act anymore. Besides the divinity, she gained some humanity. That's why I started feeling something for her...'

'Now that I think about it, I've never been with a female vampire before.'

'Especially someone like the King of the Moon...'

'What would it be like, I wonder, to be intimate with her...'

As he thought these things, Artorius's gaze toward her became slightly dangerous.

Sensing this 'danger', Crimson Moon's expression subtly changed, and she moved slightly backward, seemingly unwilling to get closer to Artorius.

However, Artorius seemed oblivious to Crimson Moon's resistance. His gaze became even more penetrating, as though he could see through everything about her.

"What? Is it okay as long as they're beautiful, even if they're monsters?" Crimson Moon taunted as if she knew Artorius's thoughts.

"Hahaha..." Artorius chuckled with delight. "You make it sound like I'm just any ordinary guy."

"..."

Hearing him say that, Crimson Moon found herself momentarily speechless.

"Okay, let's get serious."

After finishing the daily task of flirting with the girl who wasn't his mother, Artorius looked a bit more serious and said, "What exactly are you unsatisfied with? Tell me, and we can discuss it further."

Even though he said it like that, Crimson Moon always felt that if she said "No", would result in him pushing her down and doing naughty things to her right there and now.

Nevertheless, she mustered up the courage to voice her protest to Artorius.

"You promised me something intangible and now you want to take away the very essence of it. Anyone be dissatisfied with such a deal, right?"

===

This all happened a day ago.

Before the arrival of the Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, the King of the Moon had arrived first.

After her entire army had been wiped out by the light beams of Artoria Species, the vampires had lost their ground to show off to Artorius. As a result, negotiations between the two sides proceeded quite smoothly.

There were no tests, and no one tried to outmaneuver the other. Artorius gave Crimson Moon his proposal directly.

"Give me the Moon and become my subordinate."

When Crimson Moon heard Artorius say that, she nearly couldn't resist attacking him directly.

However, before she could make a move, the memory of the terrifying light beams forced her to suppress that desire.

"What do I get in return?" Crimson Moon asked as calmly as possible.

"Peace of mind." Artorius replied calmly.

Upon hearing this, Crimson Moon's followers behind her couldn't contain their anger.

Whether it was Merem, Gransurg, or Trhvmn, these loyal subordinates of Crimson Moon all glared angrily at Artorius.

Artorius chose to ignore the dissatisfaction of those underlings. He continued to look at Crimson Moon seriously and said something that deeply moved her:

"Ally with me. You will find peace."

There was one more sentence Artorius didn't say, but Crimson Moon could probably guess it.

That is—"I believe this is what you need most."

Why?

Fear.

Crimson Moon was in a deep fear.

Fear of the indescribable enemies from the outer space.

Compared to the Counter Force of Earth, which held a special position and had some self-defense capabilities, the Moon of Crimson Moon was truly a solitary and homeless entity.

Crimson Moon's fear of 'death' exceeded that of Gaia. The threats of death that Crimson Moon encountered were no less than those faced by Gaia.

After all, there were still many invaders on the surface of the Moon.

Of course, these invaders didn't seem to think so.

They seemed to have no desire for the Moon, which was virtually worthless and simply used it as a launching pad and foothold to invade Earth.

This subtle sense of being overlooked combined with the fear of death gradually drove Crimson Moon towards madness.

In her ultimate fantasy, she would replace Gaia, shatter the Earth's outer shell, and reveal the inner sea of the planet. With this immense power as a foundation, she could live peacefully, without fear of any beings invading.

===

Leaving aside whether Crimson Moon's delusions could succeed, let's focus on what she truly desires. Ultimately, it all comes down to what Artorius told her.

She simply wants peace of mind.

That's all there is to it.

Because of this, when her Dead Apostle subordinates assumed a stance ready for battle, she waved them off.

"Be more specific." Crimson Moon said calmly.

She deliberately tried to appear calm and relaxed, but her eyes had already betrayed her.

"Wait until I'm done with my other business."

Artorius only replied like that. His mood was cheerful, but he intentionally kept Crimson Moon guessing all day.

He chatted and laughed with Justinian, infuriating Crimson Moon to no end.

More than once, she cursed Artorius—until after bidding Justinian farewell, she couldn't help but finally vent her frustration on him.

And that was how all of this discussion with Crimson Moon started.