Vol 1 Chapter 2 (1/2)
Chapter 2 - The Moonflower Princess
She was fleeing.
Running away, further and further—she continued to run.
From what sort of place was she trying to run away from? Even leaving those
she suddenly realised.
for her to flee.
Part 1
As he stopped the <oracio> chant, the light from the amber inserted onto the
laboratory and its mountains of books and doc.u.ments, was pa.s.sed on to the
Because of the trouble at the grounds of the performing arts festival, Lyle had
'medical treatment' that had to be done for her, it would have been
After placing her on the sofa, Lyle breathed the <oracio> into the amber. As
recovered.
Maria, who had watched the entire process from start to end, thanked him.
ident.i.ty, she was still astonished by the rate the girl recovered with the light
”...... She really is no human, is she.”
lifeforce. Without a doubt, she's a Phantasm.”
also exist. —So? What are you going to do with her?”
enquire about her circ.u.mstances.”
”I'll see you off till the main gate.”
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”...... Lyle. Was it because of the mage half of you that you saved her?”
that it was the right thing to do. Helping her, that is. Seeing her being
”And then you stepped in”, said Maria with an amazed expression while
take action before thinking, eh. After all, sensibility isn't your strong suit.”
Even though he himself thought so, Lyle could not change himself so easily.
optimistic, he would be able to live up to Maria's expectations—
was there.... ?”
”Nope, not at all.”
head, humming.
horse carriage that had been on standby,
Said Maria as she waved her hand, and Lyle waved his hand in return, bidding
Milla who was seated at the coachman's position cracked her whip, and the
Part 2
no longer be seen,
Tearing at her hair, Maria rolled around in the interior of the pa.s.senger
”Lyle and that girl! Lyle and that girl are alone together! Lyle and that
”—If you are going to be that worried about it Milady, would it not be better
Milla responded with a business-like calmness to her master's abrupt and
”But, but......... I don't want him to think that I'm an overly clingy woman!”
beautiful, was she not?”
put such great effort into becoming a splendid woman! Paying attention to
Look! This chest! This chest of mine! In order to make Lyle happy, I worked
with a bra on at night to maintain its shape...... And yet he hasn't made a
Lyle like flat cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeests!?”
liking large b.r.e.a.s.t.s is high.”
Milla nodded her head vigorously from coachman's seat through the
in a panicked state.
stop himself from ogling it.”
Maria slowly sat down.
smile,
In the smallest of voices.
master was still a 'girl'. If that was not cute, than what was? If she would be
throw himself at her.
”Ah, however...... it is possible that he might have an interest in a totally
”A-And what is that?”
Maria gulped in antic.i.p.ation, waiting for the answer of Milla, who had
”——————lolita.”
been struck by lightning.
59
lolitaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
sunflower, closed the compartment window.
60
”.......”
atmosphere in the room had completely changed.
illuminating the girl who was rising up from the sofa. The moonlight seemed
shoulder.
turned into a surreal fairytale-like setting.
will-o'-the-wisp.
A clear voice leaked out from the girl's small lips. Though she was confused
calm.
”....... You were the one who provided me with magical power, were you
With a small nod, the girl gently got off the sofa. Her silken dress fluttered,
”......... I apologise for not introducing myself sooner. My name is
. I am a descendant of the 'Nosferatu'
1
gases (wikipedia). Blut is German for blood. You'll understand the significance of this name
who resided east of Ilsestein, and one of the 'Nebulablut'...... Would you
”—It's Lyle. Lyle Waldstein.”
Vampire, Nachzehrer2
beings with diverse and powerful abilities, as prominent proof of their might.
«Nosferatu», were especially well-known even among the other Phantasms,
And she—Lunaria, seemed like she belonged to one of the considerably high
To the «Nosferatu», the 'Community Name' bore a special meaning. She who
the strength of her lineage, was, so to speak, something like a princess.
content with having that kind of social status? Though the questions he had
to do so.
floor. Her pale silver hair spread out on the floor, revealing her white slender
”...... Though I am but a novice, I will serve you as far as this body allows.
”Wa—?”
conduct of a slave, thought Lyle as his mind went into a panic.
2
Night'.
Methuselah, according to the Hebrew Bible, was the oldest person to have lived. The
”R-Raise your head! Why are you—?”
Lifting her head, Lunaria turned her gla.s.s-like eyes towards him.
”Owner, you say......”
of keeping me as a 'Servant'?”
Lyle's thoughts were thrown into such a disarray that he became speechless.
to use humans as 'Servants', the fact that the opposite could happen would
”And so, what would you have me do? The provisioning of a catalyst? Taking
”...... A— , u— ..... mgh.............”
words. It was partially due to astonishment, but mainly it was because of the
manage was,
”A lullaby?”
her movement was almost like she were a puppet that had its strings cut.
while feeling good by listening to a gentle and peaceful lullaby.”
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”It's not an order. I'm just asking a favour of you. You don't have to do it if
Lyle cleared the books from a corner of the room, creating a s.p.a.ce large
Using his overcoat as a replacement for the blanket, and a dictionary for the
”There's a blanket on the other side of the sofa, go ahead and use it.”
floor.
She started her song.
singing voice, Lyle's tired consciousness slowly faded away.
Vaguely, he saw the figure of a girl who was lost within the deep fog.
Calling out to the girl within the fog, Lyle fell asleep to the sound of the
Part 4
Looking at the sleeping youth's face, Lunaria absent-mindedly thought.
and even the shoddy magic at the performance had caused her great
She was not afraid. To begin with, her survival had been a mistake.
understanding that it was her end. Why did this youth endanger himself to
Lunaria shook her head. Whatever it was was inconsequential.
dress and wrapped herself in it.
The blanket had a smell that was different from its material.
problem with the blanket. Whether it was a old rag or whatnot, there was no
Just like any other night since she had come to the world of humans, Lunaria
Part 5
The young man on the leather-covered sofa looked up at the ceiling
The combination of both strength and beauty in that body, could be a sample
Next to the young man, was sprawled a half-naked woman wrapped in bed
The young man looked at the body of the woman which stripped away a
”...... Hah.”
room was knocked upon.
While touching the long sword that was leaning against the back of the sofa,
”—I apologise for troubling you at this time, Lord Vilhelm.”
unnaturally cut forelocks, bowed his head.
performing arts festival.
close favourably earlier. So, are you all enjoying the night?”
the 'pleasure quarters' of the royal capital—in other words, a high cla.s.s
”—It is thanks to Lord Vilhelm that we are able to enjoy ourselves tonight.....
that. It is necessary for us to retaliate.”
”Lyle Waldstein.”
”For a commoner like him that has enrolled into the school as a scholars.h.i.+p
off like that, we have damaged Lord Vilhelm's reputation.”
”Then, what about Maria Highline?”
Stroking his cheek, Vilhelm smiled seemingly happily.
can't be helped that she's the only daughter of the Highline Foundation's
A fervor filled his eyes, and Vilhelm nodded his head.
try whatever you've been thinking of. I'll be looking forward to it, and
”—Got it!”
Scholars.h.i.+p students of Vergenheim, which was run by the royal inst.i.tutions,
Teaching that eyesore of a lad who was in that status his social position—the
”...... Base humans like that are easy to deal with.”
—That would be sufficient. Vilhelm swirled his gla.s.s filled with wine around.
the foundation for me, that would save me some effort.”
As he was smiling and sipping the wine, the woman lying sprawled called out
Replying with a ”It's nothing” while smiling, Vilhelm stroked her hair as
It was child's play for Vilhelm to give pleasure to a woman. And not just
different way, they wanted to have their worth recognised by someone else.
”....... How much are you worth? Lyle Waldstein, «Disciple of the Last Hexe»,
With a faint smile, the young Margrave finished the rest of his wine.
68
The first thing Lyle did when he woke up was to turn his line of sight toward
There was a substantial bulge in the blanket on the sofa in the middle of the
the gap in the curtains.
Lyle murmured with a complicated expression on his face and left the
hence he headed towards the washroom in the corridor.
staircase that was connected to the corridor,
”It's cool! I'm all dolled up and I won't give up. I have what a woman needs,
The copper haired person turned about, and the figure of Maria appeared.
eyes were faint signs of eye bags.
”However, Master Lyle is at that age, isn't he? A mistake or two is—”
y'know? F-For me to have made a mistake now.....!”
”Please calm yourself down, Milady. Here here, it'll be alright.”
and Maria lifted her half-crying face.
69
”Yes. Milady, you are the one who knows Lyle best. If Milady does not trust
”....... That, that's right. Thank you, Milla. That's right. There's no problem at
Clenching her fist, Maria's determination was renewed. However, she was
Moving rapidly down the corridor, Maria energetically threw open the door
”Good morning! Ly—le.......”
On the sofa that Lyle always slept on was a girl with pale silver hair.
and delicate body that had not a single st.i.tch of clothing on it.
The girl might be weak in the mornings, as she bowed her head seemingly
Maria then closed the door, speechless.
”Milady!?”
of blood. It looked like her spirit and soul were being sucked out of her body.
”Wow, interestin—No, no, how pitiful.....”
70
Just then, Lyle returned from was.h.i.+ng his face. Rus.h.i.+ng over to his collapsed
not respond at all.
”I wonder what it could have been? She did not get enough sleep last night,
”Maria did not get enough sleep? That's unusual, she always seems to fall
”...... That's right.”
Part 7
Dragging out a table and chairs from the nooks in the mountains of books,
the meal, Maria who had pretty much returned to her usual self, asked.
Lyle turned his gaze towards Lunaria who was in the interior of the room,
”—Lunaria.”
Lyle grimaced.
would not listen.
up in a troupe of itinerant performers?”
”Picked up?”
ended her explanation.
Maria added, frowning, to Lyle who was scratching his neck.
in while on a tour in the east. No one knew anything about her, not even her
looks and voice.”
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”Yesterday, after leaving the academy, I changed my mind and paid a visit to
to clean up the mess, I ended up being her guarantor on paper. And because
'picked up'. That was all I got and, as you might expect, I was rather shocked.”
Lunaria, the target of everyone's stares, as expected, answered in an
”That is the entire story. I am but a vagrant la.s.s—nothing more, nothing
”That doesn't really tell us much....”
Lunaria declared to the perplexed Lyle, as though it were somebody else's
”Please feel free to sell me to a slave market or even a brothel. You will be
This time round, Lyle was rendered fully speechless.
degree of self-abandonment was so serious it would not be odd to think that
”...... I don't like this at all.”
imposing stance before Lunaria, she lashed out verbally without attempting
”Although it's a little embarra.s.sing to hear this coming from someone as
lightly? There are those who have no choice but to sell their body in order to
”...... What do you mean?”
whatever it is. A soulless corpse has no right to make light of the people who
”... Then, please give me the appropriate treatment as a corpse would
Lunaria did not even show the slightest bit of resistance.
An existence that ought to disappear.......?
to one who had given up on everything, but,
”... Hmph.”
”—And? What are you going to do with it?”
”An object cannot be referred to as a human. That's why, calling it 'it' will
It was rare for Maria to become this resentful. Usually, she was not so
”You're her guarantor on paper, aren't you? She's a girl after all, you should
”I-don't-wanna-do-it. If you leave her to me, I'll go 'please dispose of this for
”Looks like I really have to do it...... Even so, a vagrant with no background
”Hm, isn't that fine? You could just use her like a pack mule.”
anyway.”
aren't you? You have various privileges and rights conferred upon you.
Royal Library—You also had a private laboratory provided, along with the
”The privileges extended that far?”
but it seemed that there had been some new additions since his
”To be precise, although it is a category of the teaching staff guidelines, it's
laboratory. Of course, the wages are paid by the owner of the laboratory,
can just provide the bare minimum of a roof and meals, give her some rags
”Rags......”
expressionless.
”See. Just work her to the bones as much as you want.”
”You're heading back already?”
want later.”
”I got it. This is something I started, so I should be the one to see it through
”Well then, see you later.”
Part 8
womaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!”
Milla, at the coachman's position, could only muster an amazed expression at
”If you dislike it that much, then wouldn't it be better to simply forcibly make
”Grrrrrrrrrr........ if that actually worked then I'd have done it a long time
Although Maria was groaning and crying out loud, she forced herself to calm
”..... But, that was a good stimulus. That laboratory shut-in, Lyle was rather
He had obtained the position of a scholars.h.i.+p student in Vergenheim
serious during lessons, but everything taught in those were already like
Lyle had learnt a ma.s.sive amount of knowledge from «The Last Hexe». While