Codename Vestia - Chapter 7

Doyeong opened his eyes. A familiar log cabin landscape caught his eyes.

 

‘It wasn’t a dream.’

 

As he swallowed a sigh, he felt a warm sensation behind his back.

 

Doyeong looked around in surprise. It was because Camar was sleeping close to his back.

 

Doyeong quickly got up.

 

“What is this?”

 

Camar woke up to the sound and opened her eyes, looking disoriented. However, as soon as she realized the situation she was in, she got up at once and took a few quick steps to back away.

 

“Sorry.”

 

Doyeong asked suspiciously.

 

“Why were you sticking to my back?”

 

Camar faltered like a child who had made a big mistake.

 

“That… Lieutenant’s breathing sound made me sleepy. I was listening…”

 

She was saying that she had been listening to the sound of his breathing and had approached him unconsciously.

 

To be honest, Doyeong was surprised upon seeing such a beauty like he had never seen before sticking to his back first thing in the morning, but Camar seemed to think that he was surprised because a vampire had stuck herself onto his back.

 

However, he had no intention of correcting the misunderstanding.

 

“So many things happening so early in the day.”

 

Doyeong waved his hand begrudgingly.

 

“It’s hot. Give me some water.”

 

Camar got up quickly and poured the water for him. He drank the water himself because he could still lift a bowl of water even with his hands tied. Camar stared at Doyoung.

 

With eyes full of fascination which intensity might be strong enough to drill even a hole. Doyeong widened his eyes and stopped drinking.

 

“What?”

“Interesting. Drinking water.”

 

Camar, who said that, was like a child faced with a phenomenon never seen before. But Doyeong responded cynically.

 

“I’m not even drinking water through my nose. What’s the big deal?”

 

Camar was surprised.

 

“Can you drink through your nose?”

“Can you let me drink in peace?”

 

Camar pouted her lips upon realizing that he was being sarcastic, then asked.

 

“Are you not afraid of me, Lieutenant?”

 

Doyeong scanned Camar up and down.

 

“I wish I knew why the hell I should be afraid of such an idiot.”

“I am not an idiot.”

 

The bulging cheeks were so plump that he wanted to pinch them. Doyeong was too lazy to answer and waved his hand.

 

“I see vampires every day, so I’m not scared.”

 

Working with vampires, throwing jokes around, arm wrestling and playing card games. The reason you are afraid of wild beasts such as lions and tigers is because words do not work with them. If you could persuade the beast with words and have them sit quietly next to you, then there is no reason to be afraid.

 

Camar asked in curiosity.

 

“You see them every day? How?”

 

He could not say that it is because they belong to a military unit where humans and vampires work together, so Doyeong asked instead,

 

“Aren’t you aware that vampires and humans live together outside?”

“I know that, but…”

 

‘She knows, then that means there’s a way to communicate with the outside world somehow.’

 

Thought Doyeong. Then Camar said,

 

“Still, people are afraid of vampires.”

“Why do you say that? Have you ever been stoned and kicked out of town?”

 

Camar nodded. Doyeong knew a lot of vampires and had heard a lot of stories including what they were going through before it was revealed that vampires were real.

 

In fact, there weren’t many real vampires among the people who were witch-hunted by humans—presumably because there was a difference in power—but he heard that there were many cases of people being kicked out of town because something suspicious had been discovered.

 

Doyeong brought his arms forward and draped them over his thighs.

 

“Is that so? Did you come to this uninhabited island because you were so hurt by humans that you gradually searched for places with less people?”

 

If that’s the case, I understand why you live alone in a place like this.

 

“That too…”

 

However, Camar faltered and Doyeong frowned.

 

“Are you saying yes or no?”

 

Camar turned her head to the side.

 

“I don’t know.”

 

‘Why are you acting cute?’

 

Doyeong was surprised to have a thought like that.

 

However, Camar was on her knees, so her thighs were exposed. Doyeong really wanted to hit the man inside him. No matter how much he told himself, ‘That’s a vampire,’ he still wanted to stroke those dazzling thighs.

 

‘I’ve been through worse.’

 

He had been caught and beaten by terrorists. He had barely escaped and saved his little life by swimming to a deserted island only to get his leg broken in a fight because apparently a vampire lived there.

 

Doyeong sighed and looked at Camar.

 

“Won’t you give me breakfast? Are you going to let me starve? Don’t you know about the Third Geneva Convention (Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War)?”

[The Geneva Conventions extensively define the basic rights of wartime prisoners (civilians and military persona), established protections for the wounded and sick, and provided protections for the civilians in and around a war-zone. Source: wikipedia.]

 

***

 

“Lieutenant!”

 

From afar, Camar ran with a huge fish that he had only seen in books about ancient fossils. It would be a lie if he said that her appearance of being wet while jumping with excitement in the water with her bare body like a dog wasn’t cute. No, it was very cute.

 

Come to think of it, she looked a bit younger than Yeonha.

 

Yeonha was Doyeong’s old teammate and friend, and was a non-commissioned officer of the 3rd ERU (Emergency Response Unit) team he led while he was in MCTC’s Seoul branch.

 

It’s another different story, but Doyeong was newly assigned to the Central Guards Division’s TF(Task Force)-Pacific Team 2 years ago. This was because his performance at the Seoul branch was outstanding.

 

Joining the TF team from the permanent branch was a significant promotion, and Doyeong’s aptitude was better for the TF than for the permanent branch close to S.W.A.T. (Special Weapons and Tactics).

 

And this was what happened after a failed infiltration on a TF mission.

 

Anyway, the youngest member was a female vampire like Camar. Her appearance stopped at 19, and her mental age was also underdeveloped. She is now married and has grown up a bit, but the two of them give off the same vibe, so yesterday, he unconsciously felt like he was harassing Yeonha.

 

“Look! Big!”

 

Camar ran to Doyeong, who was sitting under the shade of the tree, and smiled broadly as she held out the fish.

 

The difference from Yeonha was that this one exudes a more mature body with stronger taste. It felt like mere words were not enough to describe it.

 

Camar tilted her head and asked when Doyeong only stared at her without answering.

 

“Lieutenant, hurt?”

 

Doyeong sighed and stretched out his arms on his bent knees. Showing his arms with wrists tied.

 

“If you were like me, would you feel better in this situation?”

“You hate ropes?”

“Be careful if you want to say you like ropes. Some people might even want to tie you up.”

 

Camar tilted her head.

 

“What do you mean? You say hard words, Lieutenant.”

 

Doyeong didn’t answer because he didn’t want to tell her what he meant.

 

Meanwhile, Camar was lost in thought. If Doyeong was going to do something, he wouldn’t have missed a great opportunity like last night. Because she had thought that he was sleeping right next to her, she had also fallen into deep sleep.

 

Camar suddenly knelt down in front of him and Doyeong looked at her. Camar held out her little finger to him.

 

“Then promise. Don’t run.”

 

The dazzling white sand beach shimmered under the scorching sunlight behind Camar. And under the shade, even though it was only a verbal promise, the darkened red eyes seemed to be serious.

 

“I want to run, but I can’t.”

 

While saying that, Doyeong hooked his finger with hers.

 

Camar held his finger and somehow felt overwhelmed. Doyeong, on the other hand, was making a unique expression he was good at, he raised one of his eyebrows and stared at her, looking a little… It was an expression that made the spine tingle.

 

“What?”

‘“Nothing.”

 

Camar removed her hand and untied the rope. At last, his hands were freed. Doyeong quickly shook off his slightly numb hand.

 

He successfully had his arm released. He can’t run away because his leg is still broken, but he has already passed the first step.

 

“Lieutenant, are you eating this? I will grill this for you.”

 

Camar was quite skillful in preparing the fish for grilling. She’s just like Tarzan taking care of drifting Jane.

 

Doyeong didn’t want to believe his unconscious thoughts.

 

‘Does that mean I’m Jane? Huh? Am I the Jane?’

 

That, over there, is not like Tarzan, since she’s fully clothed. She’s more like the Little Mermaid who collects human stuff.

 

Doyeong watched Camar grilling the fish and asked.

 

“When were you born?”

 

He thought Camar wouldn’t answer, but that’s okay. There wasn’t anything else to do anyway. Asking wouldn’t hurt.

 

“14th century before Christos.”

 

But this time, Camar answered. He didn’t know what the criteria for answering or not answering were, but for now, Doyeong frowned.

 

“Christos? You mean Christ?”

 

He didn’t know what language it was, but he felt like he had heard it somewhere. It was only later that he found out that it was ancient Greek.

 

Camar nodded.

 

“You’re right if you’re talking about a man who died by being nailed.”

 

Doyeong stared intently at Camar.

 

“The 14th century BC? So you’re saying you’ve lived for over three thousand years?”

“Umm.”

 

Doyeong waved his hand.

 

“Forget it. It’s my fault for asking.”

 

Camar was bewildered.

 

“Why?”

 

Doyeong rested his chin with his hand, his elbow on the bent knee of his uninjured leg, and sighed.

 

“Does it make sense that an idiot like you has lived for three thousand years?”

 

In theory, luas is said to be immortal. But this is a world where it was rare enough to find one who has lived a thousand years. Even if only for jokes, is there no reason to say that if a luas is to celebrate their eleventh 60th birthday, Heaven must take care of them?

 

But Camar had a sullen expression on her face.

 

“I am not an idiot.”

“Had you cut that number in half, I would’ve pretended to be crazy and believe you.”

“No, it is 3350 years. But I slept a long time. Over there.”

 

Camar pointed to the mountain in the middle of the island, as if claiming her innocence.

 

“One day it was raining and windy. Big rainstorm. Very big.”

 

Then, as if recounting a fairy tale, she spread her hands out to express a big rainstorm, or perhaps a typhoon.

 

“It opened up the area where I slept. My body…”

 

She struggled to explain because couldn’t remember the words, and then she made a gesture in which her body bounced forward. Then she swung her fingers in a circular motion.

 

“I crawled out. I woke up from a pile of dirt, so I went out.”

 

Doyeong just frowned. It’s because it didn’t seem like a lie anymore once she said this.

 

Even though this was a world where vampires exist, he had thought that it was impossible. He did not want to believe in the number 3.000. But, is the being sitting in front of him with a puzzled expression really as old as some mummy?

 

Doyeong gave Camar a once over. He was acting very brazenly, but Camar didn’t mind at all. She just didn’t understand why Doyeong was doing this as she had been telling the truth after all. Seeing something like this…

 

“When did you wake up?”

 

When Doyeong questioned her, still filled with doubts, Camar tilted her head once in this direction and once there, as if counting inwardly.

 

“Four hundred years ago?”

 

Just like a hibernating bear, when it becomes difficult to find food, vampires also deliberately go into a long sleep. But that was a thing of the past.

 

In modern times, where food is abundant, there was no need to hibernate, so there were very few vampires that went into hibernation.

 

In fact, in the old days, there was not much difference between one hundred and two hundred years. Farmers always plow the land, kings fight, and so on.

 

But these days, things change so quickly that you can’t even guess what the world will be like when you wake up from the moment you fall asleep, which is probably the biggest reason why vampires don’t hibernate anymore.

 

Doyeong thought and asked again.

 

“When did you come to this island?”