Vol 4 Chapter 2 (1/2)
Sins of the Vampires
Several days earlier Waldstein Castle Laboratory
There was a vast network of caverns underneath Waldstein Castle Thanks to the bacteria created by the for faintly
In that soft light, the sound of running water pleasantly echoed off the rocks
Layers upon layers of stalactites hung fromites On the surface of the rocks around the the natural origin of the caverns
At the back of the caverns were calcified lireat pillars of connected stalactites and stalagmites that had probably been formed over tens of thousands of years
If this area were to be revealed to the world, it would probably be swarmed with tourists from not only Germany, but the entire world A little further to the back was the reround, but even that was now an artifact of historical value
Yet Gerhardt never chose to disclose this place to the public Nor would Relic, the current Lord of Waldstein Castle, choose such a thing
This was because these caverns did not belong to humans They were an otherworldly realm filled hat humans called 'monsters', and an irreplaceable home to these ‘monstrous’ creatures
”Hey, it's Seli?”
A surprisingly bold voice echoed in this space of 'others'
Even in a world of darkness, Mihail behaved no differently than he usually did
”H, hello, Mihail”
”Forget us—how're your injuries?”
Receiving Mihail warantic flower, and a green-haired boy sitting in front of her
The former was Selim, an alraune The latter of Val, a vampire born from a watermelon
”Co!”
Mihail sely unfounded confidence Another voice then addressed him
The voice was co frorossed in soame
Because these 'others' used the caverns as a sort of living rooht tables, decks of cards, and other personal belongings
It was, in a sense, very round But the air around them was rather like that of a park or a community center
The skeleton who first spoke to Mihail put so a enerator under his jaw to enunciate in a distinctive mechanical tone,
<it's a=”” scary=”” world=”” out=”” there—can't=”” even=”” walk=”” around=”” at=”” night=”” without=”” worryin'=”” my=”” pelvis=”” off-=””>
Suddenly, the skeleton was cut off by theacross from him
”Sorry, Mr Puzzle Ron Civil War, yakuman…”
<tseng! what=”” is=”” this?!=””>
The skeleton with card suit s carved in his skull rose fro
The e appearance He was dressed in the style of ancient China, but there were talismans stuck all over his body
<urgh… not=”” bad…=””>
”Heh heh… With this, I avenge myself for last month's defeat”
”Grrrowl…” ”That was quite hopeless from the very start”
There were two others seated at the table One was a skinny es, and a ith a blue enerally reotten himself into some trouble, as he was currently in wolf form
One of the things about the caverns underneath Waldstein Castle was that even such individuals could interact with others freely
Mihail entered this space without a care in the world
The ' the vampires, accepted him into their world without a hint of hostility
The boy continued to chat with thehbors
Suddenly, a snake as thick as a an to slither up his body
”Whoa?!”
Many sharp-eyed snakes pulled his body back like rows of chains, and Mihail was quickly e
He could feel warmth, so different from the cold of the snakes And he could feel softness, supple in a different way from the muscled forms of the snakes
But before he could confirm the identity of the creature behind this form, she spoke from overhead
”Mh time, Little Mihail Oh, I just can't stand it! You're still so cute I could hug you until all your bones snap!”
S hair, shaking her head from side to side with a smile
Through the fabric of her surprisingly thin clothing he could feel the suppleness of her bust Although it e, one look at the woman's lower body would probably drive most humans away in shock
Unlike normal humans, the woman's lower body was connected with countless serpents that were currently wrapped around Mihail's body
”Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch! M, Melina! I' buried in your chest and your snakes and I honestly can't say I' this at all, but you can't! My heart already belongs to Ferret!”
As Mihail struggled, even with a helpless grin on his face, the half-huled and released him
”Hah hah! I was just playing around, Mihail! You're so adorable when you're thinking about Ferret like that!”
Melina's appearance ledher for a scylla out of Greek ot six dogs instead of snakes But I do have a friend who fits that to a tee” Yet even before this , Mihail smiled without a care
”I' about Ferret!” He said with his head held high Tseng and Puzzle cheered him on
<it's good=”” to=”” be=”” young=”” go=”” for=”” it,=”” mihail=””>
”A boy on the border between affection and love Soe”
Seli scene
”Ferret is a wonderful person You'll do just fine, Mihail!”
”If only Ferret would be a bit more honest”
Soon, more 'monsters' and even witches joined in on the conversation Before he knew it, Mihail was surrounded by nearly twenty vampires, witches, and other creatures
”A thousand Euros on the married in three years”
”Isn't that too high for a starting bet?!”
”Then two thousand!”
”Why're you raising it?”
”Ron Golden Gate Bridge”
<ugh… two yakuman in=”” a=”” row…=””>
”Ferret's basically unconquerable, though”
”But when it comes to Ferret, Mihail's unstoppable”
”We're trying for a bloodless victory here, so conquest has nothing to do with it”
”If Mihail wants to conquer Ferret, I think he just has to strip Right now”
”Hey, soar on the loose!”
”I'ar! I'e a witch with human laws?”
”You're a witch, but you're still huin with, so you should have official records”
”Well, yeah! I irl!”
”…Which ed”
”Huh? …Uh, wait But, well, you can't prove ic with modern science, so maybe they could just call it lack of evidence…”
”What'sa perv?”
”Someone call a doctor!”
”Oh? I' it off!”
”Not you too, Ms Melina!”
”No! We really won't be able to judge you in a human court!”
”Someone call Circe!”
”Who?”
”The witch who turned Scylla into a monster in Greek myth”
”Greek myth?!” ”That's total fiction!” ”You have to be realistic here!” ”Your brain's too saturated with y!” ”Wh, what? Whaaaat?! But we're olves!”
<ron big=”” seven=”” stars=””>
”A double yakuman?!”
<ha your=”” talis=””>
”You two have been getting nothing but yaku”
”Grrrr…”
”…!” ”---------” ”…” <=””=””=””=””=””> ”” ”” ”” ””
”””””””””””””
Mihail slipped away fro into another topic altogether, and continued into the caverns with a spring in his step
The further he went, the ed
Other than the path in the ceiling that led into the underground lake, the route had no forks And unlike the caverns, the path was clearly artificial As nature gave way tobacteria disappeared, replaced by lightbulbs hanging fro Naturally, the path was much more even and could probably be traversed on a bicycle
Ahead was a laboratory where lived a pair of vampires known as 'Doctor' and 'Professor' Last ti a job opportunity as a test subject
This hat Mihail had coht, he realized that he was not Doctor and Professor's first guest today
Standing there was a strange man
He earing a suit that seereen, but it was a luold, red, and blue depending on the way light reflected off it,it difficult to tell the exact color
More bizarre was the hat on his head, also lureen It was the sort of top hat usually worn by quiz show participants
It al a button would sound a bell and a question mark would pop out Mihail initially wondered if there was a TV crew here to fil
But three seconds later, he re was impossible, and concluded that the man must be a vampire of so other than Hilda or hi, the air around him was different from that around a human
Although Mihail didn't boast a particularly keen sense of observation, he had lived a that so whether someone was human or not
'I've never seen this man before'
Mihail was suspicious for a moment in spite of himself, but,
”Oh well Maybe he's a newcomer I should say hi”
His doubt only lasted for a single second He walked up to the suspicious and h chatting with a friend
”Hi there Nice to meet you”
”…? Ah Nice to meet you” Theout into a smile
Froan to look even more mysterious
He was still quite young
But in spite of his relative youth, he was extre unbalanced about the two features
His large hat was pressed fir it difficult to read his expression
If the htly, even his eyes would be half-covered Mihail wondered if thethat that was no way to greet a stranger, he started with a simple introduction
”Um Hi I'm Mihail Mihail Dietrich Are you a new vampire here?”
”Ah! It's a positive pleasure to make your acquaintance! I am Doubs Hewley As you've already pointed out, I anificant And you would be… a resident of this castle? Or an employee in the local tourism industry? You look quite human to me”
”Oh, uh… I'reeably, a little surprised at the man's very affable response
”Ah, yes The viscount did mention that the island was ho sweetheart of the viscount's daughter Ferret!” Theon a look of shock Mihail responded with an even erated flail
”'S, sweetheart'?! That's… quite the term, but, uh, well… tolike it's filling with honey and I' by a thousand bees every day!” Mihail answered in panic
The bizarre man snickered, amused
”Now that is a s of the bees that carry sweet pollen cannot be dislodged until they are torn fros of love that pierce your heart will remain with you for all eternity, til death do you part! Exceptionally excellent! Your reward is a bonbon Which would you like? Mint-flavored? Or soda? Oh, shucks Just take them both Here, quickly!”
”Whoa! Thank you!”
It was a strange sight, the bizarrely excitablecandy from him
It see between them, but from an outsider's perspective, it lookedto lure a boy aith the promise of sweets
Half of the ht of his eyes shi+ning in the shadoas nothing short of eerie
But without a care for such things, Mihail grabbed the man's hands and shook them up and down, his face flushed red
”This is anized my relationshi+p with Ferret, just like that! Ferret and I really ! Oh, o see Doctor, quick!”
”Oh, yes Of course… and would Theo-I mean, 'Doctor' be inside here?”
”Huh? You mean he's not? The viscount said Doctor’s always in here…” Mihail trailed off, turning towards the laboratory entrance
Even now, the laboratory struck a stark contrast to the rest of the underground
The rocks thatway to a concrete wall
It was a sight straight out of the ruins of an ancient lost civilization, or perhaps soround vault in a bank, but all Mihail wondered about it was, 'how did they build so like this?'
In the middle of the concrete as a door you could find at any office building The electronic lock made it look so
But the man next to Mihail did not seeht, either
Mihail had assumed the man was a newcomer, but perhaps this was not his first visit to the castle
Thinking to hiain But the intercom was silent
”Huh Maybe they're out”
But as Mihail shook his head, the ht his mouth to the intercom
”Hah hah It would be in your best interests to stop pretending you aren't hoertips And in that same tone, he continued, ”if you don't hasten and hurry out of there, I can't guarantee ill happen to Mihail here!”
”Huh?”
Not understanding what the , Mihail tilted his head
Mere seconds later, the voice of a young boy crackled through the speaker
<good grief=”” hold=”” on=”” a=”” moment=”” let=”” me=”” open=”” the=”” door=””>
Though the voice was clearly that of a child, the register was that of an older man And with the response ca unlocked
”Ah, it's open! Sensationally stupendous! Let's step inside now—you too, Mihail! Hurry hurry!”
”Uh, right!”
Deciding to not dwell on the confusing situation at hand, Mihail followed the man into the laboratory
Not realizing that his unguarded decision had just spelled out his fate
<=>
Inside the laboratory
”…It's been quite so man”
”Yeah, it's been a while, Doctor! I was in the hospital longer than I thought, and this place completely slipped my mind I'm really sorry …Huh? Where's Professor?”
”She's asleep at the moment Her sleep cycle can be a little erratic”
The 'Doctor' Mihail was greeting apologetically was, in all appearance, a boy er than him
In contrast to the average-looking Mihail, the boy was beautiful—clearly on another level altogether Because of the almost artificial beauty of his appearance, calculated like some ancient work of architecture, the boy's looks were almost otherworldly But even his counter-natural looks were in the the boy called 'Doctor' look very much like an exotic monster
He had shi+linted like crystals His irises were a light silver, juxtaposed against the pitch-black pupils within His very eyes were like a pair of jewels
His nose, ears, the shape of his lips, and the pale skin peeking from under the sleeves of his lab coat were no different
His appearance was a ative feature had been re plant The very pinnacle of 'immature beauty'
But this beautiful boy used the kind of language expected from someone much older than he appeared It was extre particularly unusual on Growerth
After all, he was also a vampire, and as his appearance showed, one whose flow of time had stopped
Eternal youth personified earing a dissatisfied look In fact, he was looking quite wary
Although Doctor usually joked around with and teased visitors, enjoying the confusion of others, he was strangely silent today
”…Who are you, and what brings you here? I've noyou on this island before”
”Ah, but you did see h the security camera at the entrance just now, didn’t you? I don't think I should have to introduce myself twice… is what I'd like to say, but since you've taken the trouble to ask, let me introduce myself Re-introduce myself repeatedly, if you want! Because I love , unstoppable passion! Doubs Doubs Hewley If you like the naain! My nareeted by a round of applause, a rush of human blood, and the shouts of kittens They all cry, 'All Hail Doubs Hewley'! That is the world of my ideals, but I wonder if such a day will ever come?”
As Doubs recited his dreams and questions with his ar
”Stupendous! To think a part of my dream would come true in such a split-second instant! Here, here! In thanks and congratulations, I shall present you with this photograph of , stunning beauty, remember to hand this picture to her!”
”Thank you!”
Mihail applauded as he received the photograph, in which Doubs Hewley s
'This guy's aweso to say hi to Ferret next time with that kind of confidence!'
In contrast with Mihail's indomitable optimism, Doctor spoke with cautious calm
”…Why are you clapping, young man?”
”Huh? Uh, well, I just…”
”…I suppose your applause is not entirely unreasonable, so let me set that question aside for now …Doubs Hewley What I want to know is the purpose of your visit, not necessarily your name Of course, I've already learned of your ht in front of the intercom”
”Ohhh… So you were pretending not to be home! Heh, that's actually a little childish of you” Mihail said lackadaisically
Doctor onlyman…” and went silent
Not realizing that he had been used as a tool in the strange conversation between Doctor and thebut stand in confusion
The one to break the silence was the va, 'Doubs, Doubs' for some time now
”Well, then Seeing as this is our first et the formalities over with What am I to call you? Should I follow the norms of this island and call you 'Doctor'? Or act as an older personTheodosius'? Or 'Theo', like a friend? Or shall I close the gap a little ive you a nickname? It's all up to you and also yourself!”
”What's that last part hed
”I only said it because it sounded frightfully fanciful! Don't let it bother you!”
Realizing that Doubs would never stop at this rate, Doctor sighed and shot hilare
”How I treat you will depend on your purpose for co for your na for your affiliation and purpose”
”Dearto the viscount, you were supposed to be quite open to harmless jokes”
”…I've been feeling rather disinclined to them in more recent days”
”Hahahaha! Of course, of course! In other words, the incident six o is the reason for your moody melancholy!”
Doctor's expression faded
”…So you're one of them”
”Yes! Extraordinarily excellent! To think you'd have already known! Your reward is a bonbon Sweet is the reward given to those who reach the answer!”
”No thank you” The boy said coldly Doubs closed his fist over the candy with a disappointed look
And in the blink of an eye, a black cane rose up from his hand Doubs spun the cane and struck the floor
”Was that a ic trick?!” Mihail asked, amazed Doubs fixed his hat and struck a pose
”Yes! I happen to have a knowing knack for ic shows for vanificent joy of my life! If you'd like, I could make Waldstein Castle itself vanish!+ …Of course, only on television”
”A to lose her home, so you can't do that!”