Vol 5 Chapter 1 (2/2)
Being a vaood chance that the Clans—who claimed pureblood status for themselves—saw Relic as a nuisance
The ht for aonly what she knew to be true
“Allow me to be honest, Master Relic Of the Clans I described to you, the less favorably disposed they are to the Organization, the more hostile they will be towards you”
“I guess thatparticularly unhappy
Considerate of the e to hide, the maid continued
“But not all Clans will see you in a negative light, Master The Xiang Clan and the Chagzulu Clan are rather different as far as vao, and are less likely to show hostility The Shreemeice Clan seems to be rather wary of you, but that is likely because you are‘we are willing to take the female twin into our care’ Master Gerhardt saw that they were purely intending to protect Miss Ferret as opposed to trying to take her hostage”
“Really?”
“Of course, Master Gerhardt declined their offer But in that sense, it may be acceptable to see the Shreemeice Clan as a neutral party”
“I see…”
After a moment’s silence, Relic chuckled
“Now I’d like to get to know them even more I’m sure their members must be very beautiful”
“Reliiiiiic?” The jester growled
Relic was prepared to have her wrap herself around hiain, but Pirie put on a mischievous smile and leaned into his face provocatively Relic froze
“I get it now, Relic! I totally get it!”
“Wh, what?”
“Oh, Relic It actually kind of hurt your feelings, didn’t it? When you heard that these people you never irls—so we’d end up talking about Hilda instead! Because you thought you could fool yourself into feeling better once the conversation warot you! Tee hee! You should have just called Hilda and told her that you , Relic!”
“…”
The jester aze without a word If he were human, he would have flushed beet-red by now
Pirie gently butted heads with Relic and giggled
“You have to take good care of Hilda, Relic It doesn’t matter if she’s human or a vampire—I really really like her And she’s really serious about you, so you have to be serious about her too!”
“Pirie…”
“How’re you going to be a good Lord if you can’t make Hilda happy? Ahahahaha! You’re such an idiot, Relic”
The jester continued laughing, partly dissipating oncearound behind Relic
She then gave hi him to his feet
“You’re a vampire, Relic! People you’ve never met before call vampires monsters, so don’t worry about a few people who hate you! Hilda and Mihail care for you so reedy—you don’t have to be loved by every person in the entire world! Ahahahahaha!”
As the jester laughed maniacally, Relic’s eyes widened He then ly,
“Thank you, Pirie”
He asked the maid for permission to leave, and stepped out of the throne room
Relic von Waldstein was a vampire
That would not change, even if humanity or vampirekind were to die out
But as he thought of the girl who loved hiirl he loved above all else—a sad smile crept up on his face
‘Heh… I wish I wasn’t such a coward
‘Soive me a little push’
He would go see Hilda
With but one thought in mind, Relic turned his body into a flock of bats under the early evening skies
The vestiges of sunlight in the west stung his skin, but Relic endured it as he flew over to the village
Would he turn Hilda into a vampire? Or would he love her as she was?
Still not even close to a decision on their future, the boy only followed his instincts to see her once more
Seeing Relic off, the lasses and turned to the jester
“That was rather nosy of you”
“Just like you! You and the other ht? Tee hee!”
“You’re a gentle spirit, Miss Pirie To be frank, I’m not sure why someone so kind and clever as you are is so obsessed with a man like Watt Stalf”
“EEK! No! No, no! You can’t insult Master Watt like that!”
Pirie pouted, then began spinning in s she loved about Watt
“Master Watt is petty, nasty, selfish, boorish, vulgar, rude, violent, petty, proud, arrogant, ready to chop people, awful, petty, and always obsessed with the past, but I still think he’s great!”
“I’d like to point out that you said ‘petty’ three tiize for insulting the man you so admire”
The y and bowed The jester moaned in frustration
“I guess the people in this castle really don’t like Master Watt”
The ave an honest answer
“So long as Master Gerhardt does not dislike him, I am hopeful that he is little worse than a nuisance And as for his face as a hu an acceptable job as themy mind, if he would think to work for the island even while wearing the face of a vampire”
<=>
Growerth Harbor area
(Not good I’m so tired…)
(I need a fuck)(Man, I’ry)
(shi+t Wish they’d all just die)(I don’t feel like working…)
(Ah Does this jerkass think I’?)
(I’d better start thinking about what to do once Grandpa passes away…)(The culprit must have been a vampire)(Maybe I should just die)(Was thehome makes me feel so depressed)(Muyifendoaahahahahaha! Man, I just wanna shout so nobody’ll understand)
(I’ on her)(Wonder if I can flip that girl’s skirt)(I want to hurry up and get out of the boonies here I want to live in the city)(I’es)(Oh my oh my oh my)(Wonder if Dad really thinks Mo on her…)(Wish he’d just die already)(Maybe I should go grab s from the bank while I’ured out that I’ve been squeezing rag water into his soup since yesterday for cheating on les?)
(I want to die)(Sweet!)
(I really want to do so, but…)(Or maybe the killer is somewhere in this crowd)
(If soe this way and—)
“Ah… How relaxing Such pleasant air”
Mirald leaned against a streetla district, his mind lost in the countless ‘sounds of the heart’ around him
In the garbled noise made of countless eh he were listening to a piece of classical music
(-or so intolike that Heh)
Hearing such thoughts froht—“So you’ve noticed!”
The boy flinched; he looked around in confusion, then ran off, terrified
“That was a little cruel of s” Mirald said to himself Someone came up to him
“(Ugh… I still feel sick)Hey Are you reading every mind in the area?”
Dorrikey was clearly in bad shape Mirald answered immediately
“I can shut them out if I want to”
“(Urgh… I should have coone insane yet Mind-readers in films and novels never like crowds”
“It feels pretty good once you get used to it It’s like the roar of a vacuu lullaby to your ears …Anyway, are you all right? You can’t stand running water If you were much weaker, you would have turned to ashes already”
Many va water, like rivers and oceans Althoughover water as a flock of bats or using vehicles like shi+ps or airplanes, those like Dorrikey eakened by thewater
“(I’ically deter It’s only that I didn’t expect the reatest enemy…”
“Why did you co to Mr Gerhardt’s conference The only thing I’ in that mind of yours are complaints about your seasickness”
It was a natural question to ask Dorrikey struggled to stand, straightening out his back
“(Urgh… I feel sick)Hahaha! It’s because you rely too much on your telepathy that you’re incapable of deduction I thought it ood idea to look into the mass disappearance in southern Germany, but there also happens to be a very peculiar serial killing case occurring on this island as well!”
His condition ian to tint Dorrikey’s voice
“(A mysterious serial killer who continues to evade the police… How the islandersin fear! But now, they can set aside their worries! The ace detective is here!)Where there’s an ace detective, there is crime! Where there is crime, there is an ace detective!”
“You’re still too decent of a person to be a va about your constant false leads…”
Mirald chuckled and sighed at Dorrikey’s sincere wish to solve the case for the people of Growerth
Suddenly, so occurred to him He turned
“Now that I think about it… I don’t see your assistant anywhere”
The self-proclailed to turn his head He carefully observed his surroundings
Finally realizing that the partner who had been with hi, he deduced that he was in a rather difficult situation
“W, WATSON?!”
<=>
At the same time A residential area by the harbor
“…I’irl of about fourteen or fifteen
She had short, very curly hair hidden underneath her bowler hat She was also wearing a suit of a very old design, which could pass easily for one made for men That hy she looked like a boy from a distance—however, from up close, her features ely downcast air in her expression, but the youthful look of her face made her look more sad than depressed
Her name was Watson
‘Watson’ was not her real naiven to her by the man who obtained her—Key Dorrikey—who claimed that “It’s the only proper name for a detective’s assistant”
She did not know her real name, and she had no memories of her parents In fact, she did not know completely just what kind of a creature she was
But she knew clearly that currently, she was dressed to look like a detective’s assistant named Watson Of course, she did not know exactly what a detective’s assistant was
Things were fine until she caside Dorrikey, but she was distracted by the scent of a sausage truck that was driving down the street She was easily separated from the others, which led up to this moment in time
She realized that she was alone only when the truck stopped at the square But all she did washer present state
Grumble
Hearing the sound from her stomach, she produced a small purse from her pocket
She opened the zipper and turned the purse upside-down There was nothing but dust
“…”
Placing a hand on her growling stoan to wander the square
“Hey there That’s a weird outfit you’ve got on—so happen?”
She was approached by a group of slightly older boys, who looked to be delinquents trying to flirt with her
Watson sniffed She noted that the boys were not carrying any food with them
“…”
“C’ The name’s Hans—I’m pretty popular around the schools here”
The well-muscled boy snickered as he took hold of Watson’s shoulder She replied,
“You don’t look tasty”
“Wha?”
Hans frowned The boy next to hirabbed Watson by the chin
“Don’t think we’ll go easy on you just because you’re younger than us, bitch Hans here’s gone through everyone frorandmother”
He tried to push her chin to the side in a show of strength—but it was as though he had grabbed onto a solid tree branch She would not budge
Sorowled as the boys felt a warm breeze on their faces
“H, hey…”
Hans and his cronies noticed so; they took a step backwards
“What?”
The delinquent with his hand on Watson’s chin looked at her without thinking
And at thatto a halt
Right before his eyes was the girl’s face, slightly different from before
Her fangs glinted between her lips, covered in saliva The color of her eyes were shi+fting into an inhuman shade
The girl’s expression reh the boy’s
“…Let go”
Even her voice began to change And with that, her hand lightly took hold of the boy’s wrist ‘Lightly’ being froirl’s perspective
“Urgh…!”
His wrist caught in a vice-like grip, the boy’s body was forcibly bent back
At that
Silver fur began to cover the girl’s hand Her fingernails were growing hooked, and her hand had doubled in size
“Agh… Arghhh…!”
She was not human
Though the boys were residents of Growerth, they did not know about the existence of vampires
But even with their ordinary upbringings, they could tell for certain—the girl was not human
“…You definitely don’t look tasty”
Sensing the texture of the boy’s ar hi several irl, as shorter than he was
The other people in the square began to turn, wondering as going on
Hans, the leader of the delinquents, was silent for a few moments
“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH?!”
Then, he cried out and forcibly snapped his body out of its frozen state
The boys turned tail and ran off at once
“…”
As the boys left, Watson returned her hand and face to their original forms
She was a olf and a partner to Key Dorrikey, but it seemed she had no idea just what she was in relation to human society
The people around the boys But one by one their eyes began to return to the girl in strange clothing
“?”
Watson cocked her head, wondering what to do But the swell of hunger in her gut stopped her train of logical thought
Perhaps she should tear off the liinning to think
At that er took her by the hand and pulled her aside
“Over here!”
Running with the olf’s hand in hers was a girl slightly older than Watson
Watson hesitated for ato feed her, she decided to follow along
<=>
After a short dash through the streets, the two girls came to a stop in a narrow alleyway
The older girl took a moment to catch her breath and smiled at Watson
“Are you all right? I dragged you along because I thought you ht cause a bit of a commotion”
“…”
‘She’s a little skinny But she looks tasty
‘But if I bite her Dorrikey will get mad’
Not knowing just what kind of grisly thoughts were going through the olf’s rinned
“My name’s Hilda I live on this island And you are…?”
“…Watson”
“That’s a funny name Do you live here?”
Watson shook her head
“I caot separated”
It was a mechanical answer Hilda made to ask about Watson’s irumble
Watson’s storowled as sadness tinted her eyes
“I’ry”
Her eiven way for the first tis
Not knowing in her wildest dreaently spoke to Watson
“Would you like to get so to eat? I can buy you a bit of food, if you’d like”
Watson’s eyes began to sparkle as she silently upgraded the girl froency rations’ to ‘a nice person who feeds me(don’t eat her)’
Following her instincts, the olf named her food of choice
“Raw meat”
<=>
Harbor area
“This is terrible… positively dreadful… If Watson were to kill soer, my reputation as a detective will be ruined! I’h to somehow compensate the victim’s family, and above all else, could Watson even be sent to a human prison in the first place? Can she even make up for her crimes? No—before all that, is there even a way to make up for the loss of life?”
The self-proclai to himself
“Mirald Couldn’t you find her with your telepathy? I’er”
“Hate to tell you, but even e She’s not in the area—if she’s still alive, that is”
Dorrikey grabbed Mirald by the collar and growled,
“If that was a joke, it wasn’t a funny one I hate the thought ofsoood! What if she tried to hurt soainst by the local vampires?)”
After his surprisingly serious outburst, Dorrikey was once again back to being a nervous wreck Mirald y and shook Dorrikey aside
Then
(Hey, that’s the park they showed on TV)
(I got a text saying Hans and the guys got attacked by a girl That was real?)
Hearing several quite sihts at the saence point
There was an electronics store in one of the shops nearby, with televisions displayed inside
Gesturing at Dorrikey (as stillto himself), Mirald pointed him over to the televisions
And on the screens, they saw—
<=>
The mayor’s office
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“…Which shi+t-for-brains as that?”
Watt sighed loudly as he spotted a fa his work
He deter up tall tales—Watt was sure that a young olf really did nearly reveal herself to the public That was the simplest conclusion
“shi+t As if the serial killings weren’t fucked-up enough to scare the piss out of people Relic, that incompetent little—“
Though he complained out loud about Relic, Watt was inwardly afraid that perhaps the as one of those under his influence But none of his subordinates were young girls, and none of thehters
He breathed a sigh of relief, but then came the next question
‘What if she’s from outside?
‘What if she transformed because she didn’t know the rules around here?
‘Is this the Organization’s doing? Do they never get sick of invading this island?’
By the ti to do with the serial killings, the word ‘varam
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‘Hey, hey Why the hell’re you ju to vampires now?
‘And who the hell would dress up as a olf girl to beat up a man, dumbass?
‘fuck it ZZZ Network—if you’re gonna waste , chase some real leads for once’
Now that he thought about it, the reporter was the same woman who had asked him about vampires earlier that day at the press conference
Adding ZZZ Network to his list of nuisances, the mayor returned to his duties
But the news about the olf continued to bother hilanced out the
There was Waldstein Castle, the symbol of the island
Some of the lamps were lit, supposedly for security purposes With a tch, Watt grumbled to himself
“I should have a talk with that wet-behind-the-ears prince…”
<=>
Harbor area Shopping district
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When the bespectacled woman finished, the screen cut to ZZZ Network’s studio Several people were discussing soed and turned to Dorrikey
(That was obviously your partner just now)
Because he did not want anyone to overhear the conversation, he broadcast the thought straight into Dorrikey’s mind
(…Wait a moment Don’t let prejudices color your deductions As we all know, there is a large olf population on this island In other words, another olf may be responsible for the incident Or perhaps this was a trick involving a titch The culprit is on this island!)
(Calm down)
Mirald sent an i streahts After a ot a hold of hihed loudly
(Oh, Watson… How many times have I told her that she eue—)
(You’re one to talk, Dorrikey—what’s one measly olf transforates those involved in a crime to reveal the answer? Well, anyway I have a problem on my hands)
(What ht that be?)
Dorrikey shot him a dubious look Mirald shook his head
(Well… You know that I have to regularly quench my thirst for b
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