**Chapter 11: Crystals of the Night II**
“Are we really going to let those guys join us? Sure, they saved our lives, but… it’s clearly suspicious. And of all things, they’re part of the ‘Vampire Hunters.'”
At his companion’s words, Lazar fell silent, his expression darkening.
Even mercenaries sometimes deal with magical creatures, but the ‘Vampire Hunters’ are a mad group feared even among mercenaries. They don’t possess special powers like the Eclipse Knights, and facing monsters as mere humans is a tale that sounds amusing in stories, but in reality, it’s terrifying. They are not the same as those who crush skeletons for fun, like Lazar and his group.
The number of true Vampire Hunters is small. Many who claim to be Vampire Hunters are merely pretending to borrow their name, but these two were clearly not just ordinary mercenaries. Their aura was different. They arrived in the dark without a single light and effortlessly struck down the ‘Black Bones’ in one blow—something no ordinary mercenary could do, and even if they could, they wouldn’t dare try.
Their appearance was also odd. The man who called himself Baron wore sunglasses in the dead of night, and the woman was dressed in an unbelievably light outfit. While Lazar and his companions weren’t heavily armored, their attire was certainly inappropriate for visiting the underground of a former demon king’s castle.
“It can’t be helped. Just be grateful we’re still alive. Besides, the Baron’s strength is insane. Did you see? He crushed a copper coin with his fingers; that’s not human strength.”
Lazar had seen many braggarts, but he had never encountered a man who could crush a coin with just his fingertips. Moreover, the first impression he gave off didn’t scream ‘musclehead,’ which was unsettling. While it was certainly not a feat of humanity, it was understandable if the opponent was a Vampire Hunter. Their minds may be twisted, but their strength was equally bizarre.
“And they said they don’t want any reward. We can work more safely than usual.”
He continued, trying to convince himself.
It was strange to say they didn’t want a reward yet wanted to join in on the job. If they were fellow mercenaries, Lazar would have been suspicious. However, they were Vampire Hunters. Their sole objective was to hunt vampires. Of course, they would accept money, but since mercenaries could earn easier, their fixation on hunting monsters was undeniable.
Moreover—unless they were of equal standing, it would have been impossible to refuse them after that encounter. Lazar and his group had already incurred a debt.
At that moment, he glared at one of his companions—Bolus, who was always getting into trouble due to his excessive womanizing.
“More importantly, Bolus. Don’t you dare lay a hand on Ruu. With that kind of strength, if he hits you once, you’ll easily break a few bones.”
He was far too young to be a husband. Whether they had that kind of relationship was unclear, but Ruu hadn’t outright denied it either, and there was a certain intensity in the Baron’s gaze and tone that suggested he wouldn’t hesitate to strike.
Bolus, having suffered enough pain in the past, seemed to sense the gravity of the situation and trembled with a serious expression.
“Yeah, I get it. I choose my battles.”
“However, the fact that the Vampire Hunters are getting involved means… could this job be… dangerous?”
He was well aware that things were getting suspicious. They had reported the appearance of the ‘Black Bones’ to their employer, but the employer’s reaction had been rather lackluster. While the ‘Black Bones’ were formidable foes, they weren’t particularly rare. For those who had actually encountered them, it was a serious matter, but the lack of a strong reaction was understandable.
If an Abnormal had appeared, it would make sense to call the Order of the Final Knights. The fact that no such action had been taken was clear evidence that the Desendoro didn’t consider this matter significant.
“Exactly. That’s why we’re bringing in the Baron. And if you’re worried, just set up a silver cross in the castle.”
Why had this job turned into such a hassle when it should have been easy? He sighed and looked outside. Night was falling once more. They would have to continue battling those accursed immortals in the castle’s underground.
—
To ensure he wouldn’t lose the shard of the Night Crystal, Lazar decided to place it in a locket and wear it around his neck. The locket Senri had bought was made of pure gold, which seemed fragile, but since it was a trinket from Desendoro, famous for its silver craftsmanship, he had to compromise. Even if it were made of steel, he would likely lose it anyway.
Hanging it around his neck, he felt like a transparent vampire had been created. Senri looked at him with a bemused expression.
“End, you’re too relaxed.”
“It’s not End, it’s Baron. And it’s not Senri; it’s Ruu. My wife, Ruu.”
“…That’s a lazy excuse. There are far better ones out there.”
“Better than doing nothing.”
Senri let out a deep sigh.
Lazar had presented the setting he wanted to play out. He needed to regularly draw blood from Senri, and during those times, they would have to be alone for self-defense. It was a reasonable setup. This way, if those rough mercenaries tried to make a move on Senri, he could easily knock them down without hesitation.
After all, Senri had said she would stay by his side. That meant they were family. And to be involved with Lazar, who was an Abnormal, required a bond stronger than mere friendship. Thus, they were husband and wife. He spoke with a serious expression.
“There’s clearly something in that castle…”
“…The Shadow Demon King was a Mage.”
Senri stated flatly.
The information gathered from Lazar and his group was alarmingly sparse. However, a few new things had come to light.
Incidents of Abnormals invading from the outside had been occurring for quite some time, and multiple parties were already involved in the repelling missions. The upper echelons of Desendoro apparently had no intention of reporting this matter to the Order of the Final Knights for now. Even when they reported the emergence of mutated Abnormals, they received no significant reaction.
This meant that the current situation was not an abnormal occurrence—mutated Abnormals had appeared before. While the ‘Black Bones’ had nearly killed Lazar’s group, they were not monsters that humans couldn’t contend with. If there had been fatalities, the response would have likely been different, so they must have been dispatched without incident.
Furthermore, it was becoming clearer why this city had been so excessively focused on vampire counter-strategies.
The underground had likely been thoroughly inspected by Desendoro, yet they had overlooked the Night Crystal. There was a possibility that something only an Abnormal could detect remained undiscovered.
“If we have time, let’s also check out Rainer’s castle. After all, I never got to look around there, and I’ve always wanted to see it.”
“…”
Senri slightly furrowed her brows. However, she didn’t say anything more.
In any case, Senri must have been curious about the castle as well. Verification was necessary.
—
The castle of the Shadow Demon King stood majestically even now. Illuminated by the moonlight, the ancient fortress, though somewhat dilapidated, was breathtakingly beautiful.
Lazar and his companions waited in front of the castle. Today, there was no sign of Abnormals.
“They usually lie in wait underground. Generally, Abnormals aim for the underground.”
“…Why is that?”
“Unclear. However, it’s said that powerful Abnormals tend to dwell in labyrinths underground, so perhaps they simply prefer it?”
These people truly knew nothing.
Lazar glanced at Senri, who shook her head slightly.
Lazar shared the same sentiment. He loved coffins and the underground, where sunlight couldn’t reach, but he wasn’t drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Other Abnormals likely felt the same way.
Yet, if those skeletons were heading underground because they sensed the presence of the Night Crystal, that was another matter. While he had sensed the crystal’s presence, it was only after he had gone underground. The power of the Night Crystal wasn’t strong enough to be detected from above ground.
The skeletons moved with purpose. This meant someone had given them such orders in advance.
With his current abilities, Lazar could generally defeat the skeletons. Even if Lazar’s group betrayed him and attacked, it wouldn’t pose a problem. And even if the master of the skeletons showed up, he could likely escape with Senri by his side.
He wanted to explore the castle as well, but for now, he followed Lazar’s group as they headed underground.
Just as they were about to take their first step down, Lazar suddenly stopped. Senri, who had been walking behind him, halted in response.
“…Is something wrong?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
He furrowed his brows and closed his eyes to sharpen his senses.
There was no need for time. He thought it was just a figment of his imagination, but it wasn’t. Lazar and Senri seemed unaware.
He sensed the presence of the Night Crystal.
Focusing his gaze into the darkness, he saw no signs of life in the underground passage that had likely been created by the Shadow Demon King.
“The Crystal of Night… is said to be a part of Anadora. The one who rules over darkness—the Skeleton King, who once commanded thousands of Skeletons—the Ruler of the Underworld (Knight-Crosser). Heh heh… I know not the truth of it.”