Volume 2 Chapter 105 And So, Off To The Next Adventure
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”If I manage to get out of here, the first thing I’ll do is kill Owl, and then I’ll come for you. This time, you won’t have Owl’s backup. You’ll have to face me under the blazing midday sun. Until then, you might want to get yourself armed and ready.”
”…I’ve been quite busy, even receiving a duel invitation from Lord Renaud. So, there’s a chance I might not be able to accept your challenge.”
”No way, I’ll make you accept it. After I take you down, I’ll set Azrael ablaze someday. That’ll be my stepping stone to the next stage.”
”────”
”And here’s the number to my bank vault. Just tell the current manager, and they’ll let you in. Inside, you’ll find my research materials and original papers on vampires.”
”Is that alright?”
”Sure, it’s no problem. I remember everything in there. If you ever want to know something about vampires, feel free to come by. When I’m alone, I have nothing to do but train or write papers.”
”…Yeah. If you feel like it, definitely.”
”If the guards allow me to have a wooden sword, I could even give you some training.”
Kian shot a glance at Oswald, whose unreadable expression didn’t change as he turned his back this time.
”You must be joking. There’s no way the guards would allow such a thing.”
* * *
When Kian returned outside the facility, he spotted a familiar girl with silver hair standing at the entrance.
That was Serena.
Though she had been completely out of the loop during this incident, she had been a loyal ally, consistently responding to Kian’s calls for help.
As soon as she noticed Kian emerging from underground, she pushed herself up from the tree she had been leaning against.
”Have you finished your meeting? Lord Kian.”
”Can you drop the title already?”
”I’m not being sarcastic. …Honestly, compared to when we first met, you’ve really become someone of significance. That’s all I mean.”
”Please stop.”
Kian sighed.
Serena shifted her light blue eyes to Kian’s back.
”What about the dark elf woman who was hospitalized?”
”She was discharged from the healing clinic yesterday afternoon. Right now, she’s out with Natra picking up her new spirit thread armor.”
”So… you can finally get back to your adventurer’s life. It looks like your gear has taken quite a beating, though. Are you okay with that?”
”I even feel a bit nostalgic about the wooden sword and the club. Well, I think I’ll be able to save up some money quickly by taking on Rank 6 quests. Once I have some extra cash, I plan to visit the fortress again and check in with Lord Renaud. I need to get the Windsong Blade repaired.”
”In the end, the blacksmith at Izerland Fortress told you he couldn’t fix it, right?”
”Yeah…”
Kian furrowed his brow and shifted his focus to the Night Wraith in his backpack.
The magic sword he had was still completely broken.
If he tried to cut something with it, there was a good chance it would snap for real this time.
”With Natra and, um, Ms. Rufna involved, your gear is worn out too. There’s no need to rush, so let’s prioritize recovery.”
”I’m sorry about that. However, there are a few personal requests out there. I’ve kept some flexibility in my schedule, but I can’t afford to dawdle too much.”
”Right. But we shouldn’t rush.”
”By the way, what happened to that Bloodsucking Kind extermination quest in the mountain village that we canceled before? Has anyone taken it up?”
Just before receiving a rescue request from Christy, they had been discussing the Shield Cain extermination request.
The reward was low, and it wasn’t a very lucrative job.
It was common for adventurers to avoid quests that didn’t pay well, but knowing that the poor village had scraped together their last coins to post that request made it hard not to worry about their situation.
Serena shook her head with a serious expression.
”No one has taken it yet… I think the villagers are still waiting for help.”
”I see…”
If no adventurers take the request, it will be canceled in 3 weeks, and the money, minus the guild’s commission, will just be returned to the village.
When a quest’s difficulty and reward don’t match, it’s often the requester who ends up losing out like this.
(It’s a request I’ve received once before. If it involves the Bloodsucking Kind, it’s a bonus for me since I can gather their essence while I’m at it. The request itself is about to be withdrawn, so I won’t rush to take it… But if the villagers make another request, I might consider it as a potential Quest to accept.)
He has been accepting requests from lords, nobles, and castle dwellers with some breathing room in his schedule, so he might hasn’t been able to manage the time for just that one request.
(What do you think, ‘glasses’? …Ah)
Kian started to talk to his trusty companion, nestled as always in his breast pocket, but abruptly cut off the internal dialogue.
He knew he wouldn’t get a response.
’Glasses’ continued its silent vigil, as if it were dead.
(So…, it seems this thing hasn’t said a word since that time)
Since then—
Since that desperate battle against Oswald.
From that moment when ‘Glasses’ manifested before him in the form of a beautiful girl, something had changed.
After that fight, she no longer answered Kian’s words.
Even now, when he put on the glasses, he became the same merciless monster. He could still track individuals through the scent of magic power in their blood. The abilities hadn’t changed.
But her will…
Her presence…
It felt like it had vanished from the glasses entirely.
”────”
It’s lonely──or maybe unsettling.
She was a suspicious character to begin with, but she had saved Kian’s life multiple times and imparted various wisdoms.
Come to think of it, had he ever properly thanked her?
Now, all he can do is wait for her return──.
(If she doesn’t come back like this, this murky feeling won’t go away. ‘Glasses’, what exactly happened to you…)
As Kian sat alone at dusk, Serena suddenly started speaking with a serious expression, saying, “Speaking of which…”
”Remember when we went to the Main Castle together for the rescue?”
”…Did something happen then?”
”Yeah”
Serena nodded hesitantly before opening her mouth to speak.
She closed it again, but with a determined look, she continued.
”Probably, but I think there was an ‘Azrael’s Death Sword User’ around Main Castle at the time.”
”What? Really?”
”I can’t be sure. It’s just based on my senses and memory. But that faintly animalistic smell of blood… there’s no mistaking it was them. … When I entered Main Castle that morning, I distinctly felt their presence within those castle walls.”
”────”
That is…
…it certainly narrows down the possibilities.
Considering they used Azrael’s Dance Swordsmanship, Oswald is the most likely suspect.
But Serena saw them unconscious up close.
If she could be sensed through smell, she would have noticed them.
(One of Oswald’s Knights, including Aisha… or)
Bampire Tobal Cain──also known as Owl.
Kian’s mind conjured up the image of Owl, with his Azrael obsession,
Come to think of it, at the Knights of the Sun’s succession ceremony after-party, he was the one who brutally slaughtered the Katze party…
Serena met Kian’s gaze with her blue eyes.
”Kian, do you have any leads?”
”…Yes.”
”Really!?”
”Yeah. But I can’t say. I don’t have confirmation, and if I told you the name, you might charge straight into a revenge attack.”
”…! You promised to help me with my revenge!”
”I did. But… the person I have in mind is incredibly dangerous. He holds a high social standing and is richer than even a nobleman. And his martial skills far exceed yours.”
Kian looked at Serena.
She was a simple girl.
What if she charged into battle against Owl with a misunderstanding?
Owl had no sense of humor.
Whether he was an Azrael’s Death Sword User or not, he would instantly kill Serena.
At the very least, he couldn’t risk revealing sensitive information to Serena, not with her current level of strength.
It seemed Serena didn’t understand his intentions at all.
”Answer me, Kian! Who do you think is suspicious?”
Serena narrowed her eyes and approached him.
Kian hesitated for a few seconds before saying,
”You’re no match for them right now. I’ll talk when I have confirmation. I’ll investigate this myself──”
”It’s my duty to avenge my brother! If I’m not strong enough, I’ll prepare and attack them.”
”No, if that person is the Death Sword User you’re looking for, I think you’ll be helpless no matter what you do.”
”…! You’re saying my strength is lacking! I can defeat them if I prepare properly! My attack power has increased significantly thanks to the money and equipment you gave me! I’ve even learned magic. I’m not the same as I was when I was a night watch in East End.”
”────”
When Kian remained silent, Serena’s face flushed with anger.
She was proud of her strength.
Although she knew a fraction of Kian’s capabilities, his provocative attitude was infuriating.
”Fine. Then let me prove my strength to you.”
”Eh…”
”A duel.”
Serena spat out the words with her eyebrows raised.
From his vampire senses, he sensed the guards at the prison turning their heads in curiosity.
”To you, I’m issuing a duel. You challenged me before, and I accepted. We need to settle the matter of strength among our group, and this is the perfect opportunity!”
”Seriously?”
”I’m serious! You, with your bravery, wouldn’t back down just because your equipment is subpar, right?”
”Wait a minute──”
”No time for that!”
Serena shoved a leather glove into Kian’s hand.
”It’s time to fight, Kian! I’ll defeat you and take the information about the Death Sword User!”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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