My daily life is not peaceful - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Vampires and True Ancestors

“Vampires, you see, are supernatural creatures that exist in legends. However, these beings, distinct from humans, were discovered thousands of years ago. Records of them appeared as early as the Mesopotamian civilisation, and similar accounts of vampires exist across various cultures.” “They have no lifespan limit, feed on blood, possess powerful magic, and some formidable vampires can even summon familiars. At the pinnacle of vampirekind stand the three True Ancestors.” The language teacher spoke with such enthusiasm that spit flew, completely engrossed, but his lecture had little to do with the textbook. This was why many students, including Luo Yun, wished he’d teach history instead. Yet, every time, the teacher would lament that the headmaster wouldn’t allow it, or he’d even claim he wanted to be a PE teacher, pounding his chest in frustration, looking like a man unfulfilled. “The First True Ancestor, the Forgotten War King, rules the War King Domain of the Night Empire. It’s said he commands seventy-two familiars, blah blah blah…” Luo Yun didn’t listen to the rest. This was all old news. In this world where humans and demons coexisted, beastmen, vampires, and ghouls were no longer anything special. Some might only see rogue demons on TV, but Luo Yun lived on Itogami Island, known as the “Demon Sanctuary.” Vampires and beastmen were commonplace here. Decades ago, the great war between humans and demon legions ended with the signing of the “Sanctuary Treaty,” leading to the current state of affairs. Demons and humans were, after all, not of the same kind. The old saying from his hometown, “Those not of our kind must have different hearts (fei wo zu lei, qi xin bi yi)*,” held some truth. But those in charge had clearly anticipated this. The military called a truce, but civilian unrest and ethnic division couldn’t be allowed to fester. That wouldn’t foster social unity. Thus, the Demon Sanctuary was born. As the name suggested, it was a society where demons and humans lived together. Not only that, Itogami Island, as a particularly unique Demon Sanctuary, housed numerous research institutes. These institutes valued the demons’ unique traits, researching their physiological differences under the guise of study, paying subjects while doing so. One side offered money, the other accepted it—a win-win. It was the last class of the day. Luo Yun listened to the teacher’s nonsense while pretending to nod frequently. No choice—who knew if that loli homeroom teacher was spying from the window? After being caught a few times for classroom antics, going without lunch, and having his pocket money confiscated for half a month, Luo Yun knew he had to put on a good act, even if it was just for show. Ding ding ding! The bell for the end of class rang urgently. “…But everyone, understand this: in this Demon Sanctuary, I hope you won’t discriminate against any kind-hearted demon. Alright, class dismissed!” The language teacher finished, and the class monitor led with “Stand up.” After Luo Yun called out “Stand up,” the students bowed to the teacher, then a wave of noise erupted as they stretched, chatted with desk mates, and pulled lunchboxes from drawers. “Luo Yun, have you read the new ‘Sword Art Online’ release from a few days ago? I can’t believe that awful author! How could he kill off someone as cute as Sachi? Damn it! I was so looking forward to her story! Argh! That scum author should just die!” Luo Yun, still packing his books and not yet standing, heard a loud smack as his pen jolted on the desk. Looking up, a stunning blonde girl stood before him, glaring “fiercely.” When she mentioned “Sachi,” she practically gritted her teeth. Luo Yun glanced at the desk. A novel featuring a black-haired girl and boy surrounded by monsters lay there. The artwork was exquisite. This was “Sword Art Online,” currently a hit in Japan’s District 11. Though it wasn’t very popular at launch, it skyrocketed to the top of light novel charts after a few days, earning the author a nomination for this year’s best light novel award. Luo Yun stayed silent for a few seconds. He wrote this novel, and the “scum author” the girl was cursing, wishing to devour alive, was none other than himself. As for why, that story went back years. Luo Yun was a transmigrator, arriving in this world as an orphaned street child with no identity. He lived a year of vagrancy in Europe before getting caught up in the “Fourth True Ancestor” incident by chance. He befriended Agulola, the twelfth elemental body, and was later taken to Itogami Island by the Gap Witch, Nangong Nayue, who adopted him. Then the Feast of Flame Night erupted, dragging him into another incident. To save the powerless Luo Yun, Agulola perished alongside the original consciousness of the Fourth True Ancestor. Thus, the Fourth True Ancestor incident was resolved. Others didn’t know, but Luo Yun did: Agulola wasn’t dead. Her consciousness was sealed inside Xiao Nagisa’s body. As for why it wasn’t Xiao Gucheng, their encounter meant Agulola wouldn’t be as close to him as in the original story.

Footnote: fei wo zu lei, qi xin bi yi (非我族类，其心必异) – Literally “those not of our kind must have different hearts,” a Chinese idiom implying that outsiders or those of different origins may have conflicting intentions or loyalties. Here, it reflects the tension between humans and demons.