**Chapter 11: Negotiation**
As the night deepened and the streets fell silent, I left the inn alone.
Being a rural town, the streets were nearly deserted. Still, I made sure to move stealthily, heading towards the meeting place written in the letter.
A crescent moon hung in the sky, its phase neither particularly favorable nor unfavorable. Yet, at this moment, my body was brimming with power. Perhaps even more so than during my encounter with Epe. The pleasant sensation made me hum a little tune.
I had received Senri’s blood. Although I had only drunk it recently, this time I had taken a bit more than usual. It had been a somewhat forceful persuasion, but I needed strength for the negotiation ahead. This was not a mere act of feeding to suppress my bloodlust; it was a means to enhance my own power. The strength and pleasure I gained now far surpassed the fleeting taste of blood I had experienced before.
The meeting place mentioned in the letter was a large tavern. Despite the late hour, it was bustling with patrons. This was likely to ease my wariness; the presence of so many ordinary people implied that an attack was unlikely.
The letter, marked with a cross and filled with hostility, sought to negotiate with me.
The sender was not the End Knight, but rather a Vampire Hunter who had received a request from that Knight.
I had anticipated being pursued, but I hadn’t expected to be caught up to. I thought I had distanced myself sufficiently, yet here I was, unsure of how they had managed to track me down and how I could escape from this predicament.
The letter indicated that I should come alone without informing Senri, and it stated the condition for negotiation: I was to possess a gemstone that concealed negative energy, known as the Night Crystal.
After pondering this, I decided to take a gamble. Given that my location had already been discovered, I felt as if I was being held by the throat. For now, I didn’t think I would be killed on sight. If they intended to kill me, they would have ambushed me without revealing their presence.
More importantly, the Night Crystal was something I desperately needed. According to Senri, it was quite a rare item.
It was also advantageous that my opponent was a Vampire Hunter. The End Knight would never tolerate the dark denizens, but a mere money-driven Vampire Hunter might still be open to negotiation. I had no idea what they would demand, but I could make some educated guesses.
I navigated through the dazzling light and entered the tavern, searching for my negotiation partner.
It didn’t take long to find them.
Even among the crowd, the Vampire Hunters stood out unmistakably. A large man clad entirely in black and a girl, also dressed in black, formed a duo. A large cross pendant hung prominently from their chests, almost comically overt.
The cross was a weakness. However, it was not at a level that would turn them to ash upon approach. Moreover, its effect on me, being of a lower rank, was not significant.
Resolute, I slowly approached their table. The man’s suspicious black eyes and the girl’s wild, beast-like gaze pierced through me.
They were human. I sensed no energy akin to that of the End Knight from either of them. I had heard that Vampire Hunters were mere mortals who hunted vampires, but indeed, it took remarkable courage to do so. Even I, a lower-ranked vampire, could hardly fathom hunting one of my kind, yet these fragile humans aspired to do just that…
This was—no small matter.
I calmed my raging spirit from the intense feeding I had indulged in and allowed a smile to grace my lips. There was something unsettling about the duo. Perhaps that impression was shared by ordinary humans as well, as they had drawn the attention of those around us.
“You are… the End,” the girl said, her voice trembling with barely contained fury.
She had black hair and dark eyes. Though she appeared younger than Senri, her presence was far more imposing, like a predator ready to pounce. Did she harbor some grudge against me?
“I am honored to be invited. Moreover, I appreciate the effort you’ve gone through for my sake—”
“Please, sit. We did not come here to fight. The request must be… fulfilled properly,” the man interjected, narrowing his eyes and casting a reproachful glance at the girl.
He was a clever man. However, the light hidden within his murky gaze was far from human.
I complied with his suggestion and cautiously took a seat across from them.
“You seem to have come alone, just as promised. You haven’t spoken to anyone, have you?”
“I merely responded to sincerity with sincerity. Besides, Senri is currently a bit fatigued…”
At my words, the ageless man raised an eyebrow and nodded, “As per the prior information.”
It seemed they had been keeping tabs on me. They had even discovered my room at the inn, which was entirely expected.
I felt invigorated. Everything was unfolding as I had imagined.
“This is Albatross. I am… referred to as ‘Kainushi’ in these parts.”
“Kainushi…? What do you keep?”
The man who introduced himself as Kainushi smiled without revealing much and pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. He slid it across the table without ordering any food and spoke directly.
“My request is simple—return the Epe princess you have ensnared.”
“And in exchange, what will you offer?” I inquired.
Kainushi deepened his smile and replied in a whisper-like tone, “Complete freedom. In return, I will grant you complete freedom. I will hand over the Night Crystal that conceals negative energy, and the Order of the Final Knights will never pursue you again. I am merely a mediator. They cannot resist killing upon seeing an Abaddon. I believe this is a fair deal, don’t you?”
I see… so that’s how it is.