Ascendant Path of a Lustful Vampire Chapter 647: The Verdict

Merida laughed loudly, and Caius could sense stirrings in the darkness as though the other Editors were sharing looks.

And then Merida stopped laughing and ripped her sunglasses off her face, dabbing away drops of tears from the corners of her intense brown eyes.

"That’s how to want to plead your case?" She asked, "By claiming you’re writing a new story?"

Caius shrugged.

"I’m just saying, this is the Archive of Stories in a reality where it’s possible to be immersed in a novel, experiencing the world beyond just reading it. I have to expect that the original text for [To Kill A Demon Lord...] has been well preserved and unaffected, at least so far, by all that I’ve changed about the canon.

Or am I wrong and you don’t have that much... in power over the Stories in the Archive."

"Don’t try to bait me by insulting the Archive," Merida said coldly, "I assure you it won’t end well for you."

"What will you do?" Caius asked, "Erase the story and me with it? Okay. But you were already planning on doing that. If I’m doomed anyway, I might as well speak my mind."

"You know, I’m starting to see you as just as complicit as Samantha in this whole mess," Merida said, "You’ve liked changing the canon, haven’t you?"

"I never once denied it," Caius said, "If I didn’t change it, my death is certain."

"No, that was your fate after you accepted Samantha’s offer," Merida said and stepped toward Caius. She was shorter than him by a few inches despite her heels but she did well projecting an intimidating air as she continued,

"I’m talking about before that. I’m talking about why you jumped on the offer. I’m talking about why you were so willing to not be as repressive as Caius should be..."

"Again, I haven’t denied that I indulged," Caius said, his eyes staring into hers, "I think what’s more interesting and I’d like to know is just how much attention you were paying to my activities."

"Heh," Merida smirked and then turned away taking a few steps before she turned back to Caius,

"If I ever felt conflicted about condemning you, well, not anymore. Thank you for that."

"My pleasure," Caius said, "I just hope you can live with it."

"Live with what?" Merida asked.

"Live with never knowing how it turns out," Caius said, "You’ve been so intrigued watching me change canon and now you’ll just erase it all with no resolution."

"I have not been intrigued," Merida said.

"Then you’ll have no issue with unresolved plots. I can’t help but empathize. I know how frustrating it can be to be very hooked on a story only for it to never be completed..." Caius said and let his words trail off like the topic was too heavy to continue. He furthered the imagery with a shake of his head.

"Alright, stop it," Merida said.

But Caius didn’t stop.

"It’s a real shame. It was going to be so good too," he said with another wistful sigh.

Merida paused.

"Good?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, you seem like someone with good taste. You wouldn’t be intrigued by a story if it wasn’t good, would you?" Caius asked.

Merida nodded.

"Yeah I suppose I wouldn’t," she said offhandedly.

Caius glanced to the side at Samantha who looked at him with an expression like she was trying not to smile.

Merida shook her head but her eyes seemed slightly unfocused.

"How was it going to be good?" she asked.

"Well, that’s the fun part, isn’t it?" Caius said suggestively.

Merida’s eyes cleared up a bit.

"You don’t know," she observed.

"I have some ideas, but no, I don’t," Caius said, "And that’s what makes it so exciting. This is a story where the characters are free to act of their own free will. Sure, they have certain qualities and characteristics written into them, but really, they are free from outside influences.

The plot that should guide their actions is changing and how they react to situations can catch even Samantha by surprise despite how well she knows the characters. A story about a story that has broken free of predetermination— Fascinating, isn’t it?"

Merida let out a breath.

"A story outside of the influence of the Author. Many writers claim that’s a mark of good storytelling; To let the characters and plots take them where they wish to go.

Most often though, it’s just not true. Usually, it’s just justification for decisions they make that’ll piss off their readers and Editors.

’It’s not me, it’s what the characters wanted.’ ’I didn’t want that character dead. It’s what the story asked for.’

It’s usually just excuses," Merida said.

"But in this case, it’d actually be true," Caius said, "Sure, Samantha might still like what happens but it’ll often take her by surprise because she didn’t write it that way.

Take when Athenodora kidnapped me for instance. Samantha had no idea it would happen.

For every change I have made in the plot, the characters have reacted often in unpredictable ways. Because they are more than characters. They are complete beings with desires, goals, and everything else that makes a person real.

You know it’s true."

Merida pursed her lips and said nothing.

Caius continued.

"When Samantha described the Archive to me, she compared it to a multiverse and the Editors as the keepers of that multiverse.

That comparison is because the characters are real in whatever definition of ’realness’ you choose to use. It’s why I could inhabit the body of a character, become that character, live a real life and stand here conversing with you when we belong to separate realities.

And I’d guess you only insist on calling them characters, reducing an entire universe to just a story, because it makes erasing them so much easier."

"You’re delving into matters that are beyond your understanding. The Archive is a lot more complicated than you can imagine," Merida said.

"I know. So let’s focus on a less complicated topic;

At some point, nothing in [To Kill A Demon Lord...] will be relevant to my experiences. At some point, the two stories will diverge. You wish to see where my changes will lead the narrative and so do I.

It will make for a different story from what Samantha, under your guidance, wrote.

It will have satisfied her curiosity about what could have been if she wrote something different."

"So you’re saying I let this transgression stand?" Merida said.

"I’m saying that you stop seeing it as a transgression. See it more as an evaluation of alternative storytelling.

With the original work [To Kill A Demon Lord...] preserved and untouched, you have a chance to compare the newly written story and see if it was for the best that Samantha and I interfered with canon.

I’m suggesting that you legitimize the new canon as a separate work and let it play out."

"You’re serious," Merida said, incredulous.

"Of course, I am. And it’s you who stands to benefit," Caius said.

"Me?"

"You and anyone else who may have become intrigued with the new canon," Caius said,

"If you erase the universe, and stop the story from concluding, that’ll be the end of it for me. I’ll simply cease to exist. Characters in an incomplete work don’t long for completion.

That’s for the readers. That’s for you.

Just ask yourself; Can you live with not knowing how it ends?"

Merida was silent for a while and then looked at Samantha.

"Anything to say in your defense? Or do you stand by what he has said?" She asked.

"I stand by it," Samantha said and held her head high, "I’ll rather go out defiant than fall to your feet and beg you to—"

"We await your verdict," Caius said, cutting in before Samantha launched into a tirade.

Merida pressed her lips into a hard line and then the spotlight shining on her from above turned off and she was absorbed by the darkness.

"What do you think she’ll decide?" Caius asked.

Samantha shrugged.

"Who knows? Merida has higher-ups. She’s in charge of my work and her decisions are taken into account but she doesn’t make the final decision. Who knows what her higher-ups will decide?"

"How long does a universe erasure take?" Caius asked.

"It’s instant," Samantha said with a heavy sigh, "Once the decision is authenticated, it’s a simple delete."

"So no pain?" Caius asked with a light smile.

Samantha looked to the side at him.

"I’m sorry," she said, "For all that talk that you agreed, I did drag you into this."

"I dragged myself into it with that review," Caius said with a smile, "I should be thanking you for choosing me. Even if it all ended now, I have had a wonderful time in the world you created."

It might have been his imagination but Caius thought he saw a teardrop at the corner of one of Samantha’s emerald green eyes.

The spotlight returned.

Merida looked conflicted as she took a breath to calm herself.

"We have reached a decision," she said to Samantha.

"That was quick," Caius said.

"Sam_Ellis, your contract with the Archive will be reassessed," Merida said, and then turned to Caius,

"Caius Von Helsing, you are to return."