Volume 3 Chapter 60 Before Leaving Châtillon II
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
[Note] About the differences between Natra, Rufna, and Sarah.
- You might find it easier to understand if you think of Natra and Rufna as having their brains eaten. Their missing cells are replaced with the mysterious substance of the wraith and Kian’s vampire factor (super stem cells).
Even though their cells are replaced, they are very similar to their original personalities, but they no longer have feelings toward Kian as Azrael’s followers.
- Sarah, on the other hand, has her brain restored by Priscilla, so she remains as she was.
”Here it is…”
A dark cave.
Kian splashed through the seawater that reached his ankles, making his way toward the blue rocks that looked like a giant stalactite cave.
The early morning sunlight and the cries of seabirds echoed behind him.
Detecting countless life forces from the cave ceiling, Kian instinctively shielded his face, just as a swarm of bats suddenly spread their wings and flew out of the cave.
Squeak, flap, flap!
They did not attack the intruder.
Maybe they sensed that he was on a whole different level from them.
”Phew…”
After the swarm passed, Kian looked back toward the cave entrance.
The bats, like black clouds, scattered around, and a gentle wave came slowly into the cave.
Kian wiped his forehead and turned his face back to the rocky area ahead.
He put on his ‘glasses’ and recalled the previous day’s fast-paced administrative tasks at Châtillon fortress.
Kian left the fortress early in the morning to explore along the cliffs, where the mountains met the sea to the north.
Natra wanted to come with him to train, but Kian refused.
He wanted to work alone this time because it had something to do with the vampire’s legacy.
He was in his ‘glasses’ state, which made him more secretive. He didn’t want Natra to see him enhance the vampire equipment.
(In the end, I can only rely on myself. I only need to share secrets with myself.)
Kian looked down at his unsteady feet because of the seawater.
He went toward the cave wall and put his hand on the wet rock.
The strong smell of the sea hit his nose.
”Damn it, I’m having trouble getting in here.”
’Fifty more meters and we’ll reach a place where the seawater doesn’t reach. There won’t be any eyes in the cave. Use Mist Form and charge in.’
”Understood.”
He had survived Azrael’s pirate ship attack, so the coastline around Châtillon was complex, with many rocks and caves to hide in.
There were sunken ships offshore, and there were nests of fish-men monsters called Ippiara everywhere.
These monsters are very sensitive to other, different beings.
If he used his vampire abilities too much, they would smell something ‘stinky’.
But one leap should be okay.
Kian turned into a mist and was blown by the sea breeze toward the wet ground of the cave.
The next Leap, his leather shoes touched the hard, wet rock.
Behind him was the cave entrance filled with seawater.
Kian touched the large rocks and moved his body to avoid them, walking deeper into the cave.
The cave was dark, but he could see fine with his vampire vision.
Soon, he reached the innermost wall, and through his ‘glasses’, he saw the equipment he was looking for buried under a large rock.
”Haah!”
He used ‘blast’ on the rock to make a crack.
Then, he punched it with his fist, and the rock that hid the equipment easily shattered.
A treasure chest of unknown material came out from below.
Kian grabbed it and pulled it out onto the platform, then smashed the lid with his fist.
”Wow, there’s quite a lot in here. Some clothes stacked on top──are these noble outfits? The sleeves are all fluttery, like the old-fashioned dress Priscilla wears. And these are all for men. There are 5 of them, and the material is… is it the same flashy dress buried in the ‘Labyrinth of Roses’?”
’Yes. It has magic power recovery and magic absorption effects. The strength is not very high since it’s just regular clothes. It absorbs dirt on its own, so getting blood on it is fine, but it can break easily if scratched by a monster’s claws.’
”Everyday clothes… Honestly, I’m a bit disappointed. I can buy clothes like these anywhere with some money. I don’t care about the effects.”
He sat on a nearby rock and lifted the shoulder part of the noble outfit to spread it out.
It was a beautiful outfit with deep blue and gold, embroidered with white.
If he walked through the town in this outfit, he might stand out too much, but at a dance party, he would look dazzling like some nobleman.
However, there are trends in high society, so wearing such old-fashioned clothes might get him called ‘outdated.’
As expected, the gear introduced by ‘glasses’ seems to have a lot of items that look useful but aren’t.
’Huh? Didn’t you love the ‘Nightshade’ gear?’
”That one was especially handy. The design was versatile enough to wear anywhere, and it didn’t show dirt. I think I buried a spare in the old castle of Dacia. I should go get it someday… Anyway, let’s check the gear sleeping at the very bottom. Let’s see.”
He hung the 5 noble outfits on a nearby large rock and pulled out the gear that occupied about 2-thirds of the treasure chest.
It was a set of armor that was silver overall, with higher defense than light armor──what could be called medium armor.
It had a thick long-sleeved chainmail and a sturdy leather breastplate worn over it.
Brown leather gloves covered his arms.
The belt around his waist had many pockets for storing potions and knives.
The long male battle skirt was distinctive, hiding his legs down to his feet.
It wasn’t steel, so it couldn’t be called heavy armor, but it definitely looked like a master of some sword style or a famous, brave general.
The ‘Nightshade’ set had a sleek silhouette, but this one was solid and heavy.
Wearing it might slow him down a bit because of the thick fabric.
But with Mist Form and vampire strength, it seemed like there would be no problem at all.
’This is ancient magician gear. Rejoice, Kian. This is the magician equipment you wanted at first.’
”This looks like magician gear?”
’Yes. Magicians need defense. Witches and shamans also wear steel plates in battle, right?’
”I’ve heard it was like that in the past. But what about now…? Against a western swordsman with beast-like strength, I think it’s better to be a bit lighter than to be overly armored.”
’For a vampire, this kind of gear is light armor. We have much more strength than normal humans.’
”I see. But… what are you thinking, bringing this out after I learned the Secret Technique? I was just planning to focus on my warrior monk skills, and you really have bad timing.”
’It seems that whatever this one do, I’m destined to be criticized by you. But I don’t mind that cold side of you.’
”For now, I’ll try it on. I’ll make my final decision after that. My shirt and pants are soaked with seawater, but… it should be fine.”
’Listen while you put it on. This is called the ‘Silver Ice’ combat outfit. The previous ‘Nightshade’ was light armor and could be used for travel, but this one is purely for battle. It looks good too, so you can wear it anywhere except for fancy dance parties with nobles.’
”Silver Ice. It has a cool sound, just like Nightshade.”
’The effect absorbs life force from the surrounding land. Lady Sarah carved magic language into the mountains to draw magic power from the air, maintaining the other world. But the effect was even more powerful. The carved magic language was not ancient elvish, but rather the language of the Night Clan. The lost ancient magic severely distorted the laws of nature and forcefully drained life from nearby creatures.’
”No need for grand words. Can you tell me simply how intensely life is drawn out?”
’The trees wither. Small animals with low magic resistance freeze and die.’
”So just existing can take life away?”
’True, but only against plants and small animals. That ancient language is built in. Additionally, the gauntlets──equipped leather gloves──have standard vampire magic. They can create ice spears and walls, air crystal spears and walls, and even freeze a certain area to slow down enemies. You only need to fill your fingertips with magic power to activate them at will. You’ll sense the effect. As a side effect of the equipped magic, they can also regulate the temperature of the nearby space, keeping you cool in warm layers or warm in the cold.’
”…Um, doesn’t that seem really strong? I feel like I just heard about an effect stronger than ‘Nightshade’.”
’It is strong. That’s what I said, right? Unlike “Nightshade”, this is purely for combat. Plus, it’s meant for magicians, so it’s multifunctional.’
The ‘glasses’ continue.
’When you bathe it in blood, the effect becomes even stronger, and it has a self-repair feature, just like “Nightshade”. Furthermore, to help support the fragile body of a magician──this means weak from a vampire’s perspective──it includes physical enhancement and support functions.’
”──Alright, I can wear it now. Is this all?”
Kian finished putting on his beautiful armor, which was silver and dark brown, then stepped out into the open space between the rocks.
Sunlight shot in from the cave’s entrance, bright and shining.
The skirt from his chest to his ankles was silver.
His leather gloves and boots were dark brown.
A chainmail and scarf peeked out from his neck, covering his collar.
Impact pads were on his shoulders, making him look even stronger.
When Kian spun around once, his battle skirt swayed, making a soft jingle of metal.
’Very tough. It can’t be torn by a sword or Cain’s claws. Thanks to the magic inscriptions, it’s strong against fire, heat, divine swords, and even mithril. Silver can bounce off physically.’
’Glasses’ easily spoke, describing it smoothly.
’But if you soak too much water, the armor gets heavy. You’ll need to use Mist Form to drain water. Moving underwater is much harder than Nightshade. Also, the noise might give away your position to creatures with good hearing.’
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply