**Chapter Ten: The Town of Immortality, Part 4**
Morning came, followed by day, and once again, night fell. I awoke in the closet of the DeSen/A Doro inn, stirred by the sound of Senri’s gentle breathing.
The DeSen/A Doro inn was not particularly welcoming to vampires. There were no curtains, and the closet was adorned with an abundance of holy crosses, overtly designed as a strategy against vampires. However, the weakness that vampires had towards crosses was quite delicate. What we struggled with were the holy crosses, but compared to other weaknesses, they were not fatal. This was why I, who had yet to possess various abilities, could fight against the Master Beast of vampire hunters wielding a cruciform sword, and why Senri’s sword did not resemble a cross.
I took a moment to confirm the clay-covered cross design once more and let out a small sigh. The increasingly clever strategies against our weaknesses were somewhat different from my image of vampires. Of course, considering that life and death were at stake, it was unthinkable to let my guard down…
The silver-haired former Eclipse Knight glanced at me, a faint smile gracing her lips, one that only I would notice. Even now, Senri was beautiful. Despite having checked the castle last night and being active during the day, there was no shadow of fatigue in her vibrant aura.
“Good morning, End.”
“Good morning. The closet should be designed to accommodate more humans.”
“…It would be spacious if I turned into a dog.”
“If you turned into a dog, you’d want to run around…”
Recently, I had been trying not to transform into a dog too often. That ability was convenient, and I loved both the fluffy white dog form and the sleek black dog form, but that was precisely why I felt I might overuse it if I let my guard down. Even so, I generally took on a dog form while moving, so it would be best to refrain from doing so in the city.
I felt fine. I was in perfect condition without needing to stretch my limbs. Unfortunately, the power of blood still lingered within me.
After a moment of contemplation, I retrieved the sunglasses I had stored in the drawer and put them on. Finally, I checked the small shard of stone, no larger than the tip of my pinky, that I had tucked away in my pocket—the Night Crystal (Knight-Crystal) I had obtained just last night.
—
The life form I had encountered in the underground passage was a mercenary. The timing of my assistance was merely a coincidence. I had sensed the presence of living beings but had not known they were struggling against skeletons.
Five men, likely in their twenties to thirties. The mercenaries were not particularly impressive. They had tough appearances and decent muscle development, but their abilities were on par with the lowest-ranked soldiers of the Rainer army. Powerful living beings typically possess robust life force, even if they cannot control it like Senri could. These men lacked that. They seemed unable to use magic, and their leader, who called himself Lazar, was someone I could easily handle with my eyes closed.
However, I had no intention of fighting alongside them or engaging in combat, so their strength was irrelevant.
Lazar and his companions were perfect for gathering information. They had no suspicion that I was an AdeDoro, and while they were captivated by Senri, I couldn’t blame them; I had been entranced by her at first as well, and even now, I sometimes found myself staring. If they tried to make a move against us, I would gladly retaliate, but I could allow them to gaze for a moment.
In conclusion, the information I obtained from Lazar and his group was mostly useless.
It seemed they were hired to eliminate AdeDoro intruders in an ancient castle. Their employer was the town of DeSen/A Doro. The request was to defeat the AdeDoro who occasionally intruded into the ancient castle. They shared this information easily because it was not something they felt the need to conceal. There were no lies among them.
That was all they were doing; there were no instructions to protect anything. It appeared they had taken on similar jobs several times before.
I did not acquire the kind of information I had imagined. However, I did learn that they knew nothing. They were exceedingly ordinary mercenaries. Generally, mercenaries do not delve into their employer’s circumstances unless there is a special reason. Even so, I found it questionable that they would disregard the dangers of eliminating AdeDoro, but that was their choice, so it couldn’t be helped.
The most significant outcome of last night’s investigation of the ancient castle was—obtaining the Night Crystal.
Senri closed her eyes for a few seconds, then opened them and nodded vigorously.
“There’s no doubt… the presence has vanished.”
“Yeah. I can tell too.”
I began to consciously manipulate the power of blood during the interpersonal feeding battle—after the Night Crystal had been lost. Until then, I had only been vaguely aware of it, but now I could understand. The power flowed into the small stone. I could see it clearly.
The black stone had been lying in the depths of the underground passage that Lazar and his group had been guarding—just in a corner of an unremarkable hallway. It hadn’t been in a treasure chest or on a shelf; it had been left there like an ordinary stone. Its size was no larger than my pinky, and a human would have never noticed it. Even if they had, they wouldn’t have thought to pick up such a small stone in the dark.
Perhaps even an Eclipse Knight wouldn’t have noticed it. Only because I could see the flow of negative power was I able to barely recognize its special nature.
In any case, despite everything, we had successfully achieved our objective in this town. However, honestly… it felt unsettling how smoothly everything had gone.
I hadn’t expected Senri’s suggestion to lead so directly to results. I thought it would be enough to grasp a few clues, but Senri herself seemed surprised, so she must have felt the same way. I couldn’t make sense of it all. I had always acted based on logic, but the events that had transpired in DeSen/A Doro were beyond reason. Everything had gone too perfectly, as if following someone’s script.
The object of our objective had been obtained. Yet, I did not understand why it had been lying there, nor did I know why the skeletons had attacked the ancient castle or who had been directing them.
What exactly was the Night Crystal (Knight-Crystal)? At first glance, it appeared to be just a stone. I knew it could look like a gem under certain circumstances and that it was likely fragile.
Why had it been lying there? Was it, as Senri predicted, a remnant of the Shadow Demon King? However, the Shadow Demon King had perished long ago. Why was it still there? And conversely—why was there only one left?
Lazar and his group had apparently searched the passage as well. The reason the Night Crystal had not been discovered was that it looked utterly insignificant, but a being like an AdeDoro would instinctively sense it. Even if the wall had collapsed and revealed a new passage, that had happened several years ago.
Logically, it should have been long gone.
No, before that, the crystal shouldn’t have been something that could be sensed from a distance—
We had obtained the Night Crystal. The reason we hadn’t left this place immediately was that the events of the day felt far too unnatural.
Moreover, if this was the source of the Night Crystals, it would be a waste to leave after acquiring just one. Having already destroyed two, I wanted to gather a substantial amount, including reserves. I considered swallowing the crystal, but given the reasoning behind the vanishing presence, that would be too naive. If I were to ingest an object that absorbed negative power into my body, my own power might diminish significantly, and my body had already suffered enough, making it impossible to feel at ease even if I stored it within.
It would be fine to flee after sensing the worst omen.
Senri looked up at me, her transparent eyes unchanged since the first time we met, and said, “I’ve secured a promise. BaロN/A, even if the presence vanishes—this town is too harsh for you. If anything happens, let me know.”
“It’s fine. I can endure it to some extent.”
Since my revival, I had faced all sorts of hardships, but even that was better than my previous life. Senri gently leaned against me. Water flowed everywhere in this land, a precaution for when I might suddenly lose my strength. I gripped Senri’s cold hand while rubbing my aching fangs with my tongue.
—
The specialty of DeSen/A Doro was garlic. It was so ingrained in the town that it was difficult to find a meal without it.
The place I designated for our meeting was a high-end bar. It was one of the few establishments that served dishes without garlic, which Senri had researched.
“In this town, meals without garlic are taxed.”
“…I wish my father would deal with those who set that tax.”
I complained for what felt like the umpteenth time since arriving in this town at Senri’s words. Our sense of smell was keen, and there was no way garlic could kill a vampire simply by being added to a dish; it was purely harassment. However, Senri’s blood was sweet, and it would undoubtedly bring me unchanging joy. She hadn’t eaten garlic for my sake. For me.
The entrance was underground. We descended the white staircase and passed through a stylish door. Just as Senri had said, there was hardly any garlic smell inside the bar. While there were a fair number of guests, they were all well-dressed.
Indeed, even in a city like this, there are bound to be a few who wish to avoid garlic from time to time.
The mercenaries we helped last night were waiting awkwardly in a corner. While mercenaries are often imagined to be drowning in drink, the table before them held only small glasses. I raised my glass and approached, wrapping an arm around Senri’s shoulder, my voice buoyant.
“Hey there, sorry for dropping by so late. We’ve been a bit busy during the day.”
“N-no, you all are the ones who saved our lives. Let me at least thank you properly.”
His tone was somewhat brusque, but that was likely due to the life he had led. There was no hint of hostility or fear in his expression.
I hadn’t had much experience communicating with people outside of fighting, but I had read plenty of books, so I knew the drill. When negotiating with mercenaries, it was best to show strength. I boldly took a seat at the empty table and ordered the strongest drink available. The bartender’s eyes widened slightly, but he said nothing.
The reason I had reunited with Lazar and the others was to gather more details about the situation. Last night, we had been in the dark, but we had promised to get more information from the employer. Since we had wiped out the Adoradoro, this was our only lead.
Lazar and the others seemed a bit tense. They had been surprised yesterday, but now they were faced with a man who was far younger and stronger than them, adorned with a stylish glass, and a silver-haired beauty who clearly was no ordinary girl. Meeting in the shadowy ruins of an ancient castle only added to the intrigue.
I put on my friendliest smile and introduced myself.
“Let me introduce myself again. I am Barona. Barona Silvis, a Vampire Hunter. And this is… Ruu. Ruu Silvis.”
“A Vampire Hunter!? Th-that’s why…”
Senri’s eyes widened in surprise. It was a bit late for this, but I decided it was best not to use Senri’s name, as he might be pursued by the Order of the Final Knights. While it was a name I had heard occasionally, it was better to err on the side of caution.
Lazar and the others exchanged glances, murmuring among themselves at my audacious introduction. A Vampire Hunter was perhaps even rarer than the Order of the Final Knights. Moreover, judging by the Master Beasts they had seen, I was certainly an oddity. It was fitting to introduce myself as such in this city, especially since a cursed Albatos had been hunting vampires. If he could do it, then so could I.
I caught a glimpse of Senri’s expression and declared confidently, “The reason our last names are the same is that I married into the family. We’re head over heels in love. If you try to flirt with my wife, I’ll let her punch you, so consider that resolved.”