Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Blood Hook (2)
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A chill ran down his spine, making his shoulders hunch involuntarily. Ronan whipped his head around. Red mana, identical to Sita's or Ophelia's, was seeping through the crack in the door.
"Fuck, what the hell are they teaching here?"
Ronan kicked the door open and stormed out of the building. His eyes widened at the sight outside. A crimson mist blanketed the streets.
"W-what is this? Clouds? Where did it come from all of a sudden?"
"Doesn't it smell weird...?"
"W-where is everyone?! Guys!"
Nothing was visible through the thick fog. Only the students' panicked voices echoed from all directions. Ronan rubbed his forehead and spat out a curse.
"These crazy bastards...!"
The culprits were obvious. Gripping the hilt of his sword, he plunged into the mist. Red mana scattered everywhere led toward the training grounds.
Every breath brought a sharp, metallic tang of blood assaulting his nostrils. The ominous chill crawling up his spine amid the sticky haze made his hairs stand on end. He was just reaching the training grounds when...
-Swooooosh...
"Huh?"
Suddenly, the mist began to clear. More precisely, it swirled in one direction, gathering together. Soon, the training grounds came into view, along with Ophelia and Sita standing in the center.
"Incredible. To handle Blood Mist on this scale all at once...!"
"Pya!"
"Still, don't push yourself too hard. It's a great technique, but it consumes so much blood... You should only use it when you can secure enough supply."
Sita perched on the head of a training dummy, her four wings spread wide. The mist was being entirely absorbed into her. Her soaked feathers glistened a dark crimson.
Before long, the mist vanished completely. Clap, clap, clap. Ophelia applauded and handed Sita a fish made of blood. Sita, having sucked up all the mist, snapped it up in her beak.
"Ppya."
"Looks like we can move on to the next technique... This one's offensive, so watch closely."
Ophelia pointed her right index finger at the dummy Sita was sitting on. A red orb formed at the tip of her slender finger. Tang! The orb shot from her fingernail and struck the dummy's head.
"Pya! Pyaaa!"
"It's like a swordsman's sword draw—pretty cool, right? It's one of my favorites too."
Sita flapped her wings excitedly like a child. A hole the size of an acorn had been punched through the dummy's forehead.
"One more time... Let me show you."
Ophelia smiled in satisfaction, about to demonstrate again, when a familiar voice came from behind.
"What are you doing?"
Ophelia turned around. Ronan stood there, arms crossed, glaring at her.
"Ronan? How...?"
"How? Did you drink or something? Why don't you just tattoo 'vampire' on your forehead?"
"No, that's not it... I definitely cast invisibility and perception interference barrier..."
Ophelia looked around in bewilderment. The open training grounds showed no signs of any measures taken.
"Huh?"
Ophelia's face hardened. Ronan let out a disbelieving scoff. Students were starting to gather at the training grounds one by one.
"Nice work. Looks like you got so carried away you forgot. Somehow you haven't been caught until now."
"You're right... My mistake."
"Damn it, hide it for now. I'll keep the others away."
"...No. I can still cover it up."
"What?"
Regaining her composure, Ophelia quickly chanted a spell. A magic circle drew itself on the ground, and a wave of mana spread across the entire nest. The student at the front tilted their head.
"Huh? Wasn't someone there just now?"
"What? I didn't see anything."
"I'm pretty sure the mist gathered this way..."
Ronan's eyes widened. In mere seconds, she had simultaneously cast perception interference, silence, and invisibility magic.
Ophelia pointed her index finger again at the dummy with the hole in its forehead. Crack! Her elongated shadow surged up in the shape of jaws, swallowing the dummy whole.
"There. All good now."
Ophelia sighed in relief only after confirming every trace was gone. The two strolled casually through the confused students. Ronan stared at his hand, cloaked in the invisibility magic, and spoke.
"That's how... You've stayed hidden all this time."
"It's nothing special. Just parlor tricks I picked up from living in hiding... The real impressive one is that child."
"Sita?"
Ophelia nodded. Scanning the surroundings, she murmured in admiration.
"She absorbed all that mist spread over such a wide area... No cleanup needed."
"How's teaching her? Got some talent?"
"Talent...? Even the Shadow Archduke's childhood probably wasn't this much. This child is a genius... No, something beyond that concept..."
Ronan had no idea who the Shadow Archduke was. But seeing the usually stoic Ophelia say that, it must be impressive. Sita, perched on Ronan's shoulder, kept looking around.
She seemed to be observing the mana wavelengths at work nearby. Ronan scratched Sita's neck and said,
"Hear that? You're a genius. Everyone's a genius these days."
"Pyaa~"
Sita purred like a cat. It was hard to imagine she was the one who had conjured that terrifying mist moments ago.
"Guess I need to step it up."
He knew she was no ordinary creature, but this level was unexpected. At this rate, he'd fall behind not just Schlieffen, but Sita too. Recalling Ophelia's other magic, Ronan spoke up.
"Hey, could she learn other magic besides blood magic?"
"Hmm... Not sure yet. But learning two different types at once might overload her... Better to focus on blood magic for now."
"Got it. Just wondering, no rush."
Her current spells like invisibility and perception interference looked awfully convenient. It'd be nice if she could learn them, but he had no intention of pushing Sita.
The two people and one creature soon returned to the club building. They locked the door and drew all the curtains before finally dispelling the lingering spells. Ronan smacked his lips and said,
"So, where do we train now?"
"I can polymorph into a bat... So, outside Phileon."
"Damn, can't do that every time."
He was already feeling the need for a private training ground. Not just for Ophelia and Sita.
Schlieffen, Asel. And soon-to-be-recruited monsters like Erzsebet needed an environment where they could go all out. Ronan, hands clasped behind his head, muttered,
"I'll figure something out. There must be some spare space."
"Okay. Until then... We'll train outside."
Phileon Academy's grounds were vast enough that a dragon's nest wouldn't seem out of place. Their club advisor, Professor Baren, was one of the few who knew Ophelia's identity, so it should work out somehow.
"By the way, can Sita handle Essence of Primal Blood? Think you can teach her in four days?"
"Yeah. With this talent... More than capable."
"Good. Let's get started then."
The two immediately got to work. Ophelia sent a message to the Blood Hook requesting a change in rendezvous point and date. She didn't forget to write the letter in ink instead of blood, disguising it as Jarodin's handwriting.
"Tell them two conditions from us. No more than a day from the capital. Sealed location. They handle the rest."
"Risky terms... Perfect for the kids to pull some tricks."
"That's the point. Just teach Sita well."
Ophelia nodded. That very night, she took Sita outside Phileon for training. Sita returned to the dorm just before dawn.
"Piyaaa..."
"What happened to you? Did Ophelia beat you or something?"
"Ppiit."
Whatever she was learning, Sita was completely exhausted. She flopped onto the bed and passed out.
Ronan covered Sita with a blanket, then sat cross-legged again. His mana circulation training, started at midnight the previous night, was still ongoing.
"Huuuuh..."
He focused solely on mana training, setting aside all other practice. Still unfamiliar, circulating mana through his body brought dizziness and headaches each time.
"Damn it. Not easy."
Wielding a power he'd never experienced his whole life was far more grueling than expected. It felt like waking up with wings or a tail. Only around full dawn did Ronan sense meaningful progress and finally sleep.
"New member's here. Be nice, get along."
The next day at lunch, he introduced Ophelia to the club members. They agreed to hold off on revealing her vampire identity for now. Ophelia, looking sleepy and nodding off, waved demurely.
"Hi... I'm Ophelia. Third year in Magic Department... Joined because I wanted to pet Sita."
"Uh, I'm Asel. No, Asel."
"Wow, she's doll-like and pretty... First-year Martial Arts, Marya Karabel."
"Wahaha! Braum Biodan here. What a lineup of stars joining us!"
Her introduction happened with all members present except Schlieffen. Marya, scrutinizing Ophelia's face, suddenly threw an arm around Ronan's shoulders. He grimaced at the python-like grip.
"Hey, can't breathe."
"Ophelia. How long have you known this guy?"
"Huh...? Met at the interview...?"
"I see. Thought you went way back, like me, before enrolling in Phileon. Let's get along."
Marya said it boastfully. Ophelia tilted her head, puzzled by the intent.
Ronan finally shook off her arm using both hands. She seemed to be getting stronger by the day.
"Ugh..."
Asel watched the two with uneasy eyes. Lately, his chest tingled like a bird pecking at his heart. Then, the expressionless Ophelia turned to him.
"You're... familiar."
"M-me?"
"Yeah... Rumor spread even to my year... The kid who aced every written midterm exam?"
Asel's eyes widened. At the sudden grade talk, he instinctively shrank back. The poor boy was still hounded by Erzsebet about his perfect score secrets.
"Y-yeah, that's me... I guess."
"Perfect... Help me out later."
"Help how...?"
"I've got research going... Need a smart assistant like you."
"A-assistant?"
Ophelia nodded firmly. Asel froze in terror, unable to respond. The mana pulsing within her was at least as potent as Erzsebet's, if not more. Unable to fight the drowsiness, Ophelia stood.
"Alright... That's a yes."
"W-wait...!"
Ignoring Asel, Ophelia headed upstairs. To nap in the most secluded room. Watching her, Ronan shook his head.
"Some nerve. Long-lived races, huh..."
He'd worried she might not fit in, but it was needless concern. Time flew by. The reply from Blood Hook arrived at midnight on Friday.
-Caw! Caw!
A scrawny crow served as messenger. The neatly folded note bore only a single bloodstain, as before. Ronan cursed.
"Rude mosquito bastards. Sending it on the day of."
"...It's here."
Ronan waited in the club building with Sita and Ophelia. He was geared up and ready to head out immediately. Sita, now close with Ophelia, dozed on her lap.
Ophelia infused mana into the note, and the bloodstain reformed into a map. It was noticeably different from last time. Reading it, she spoke in a worried tone.
"...This is bad."
"Why?"
"Their proposed location is suspicious. They're openly planning tricks."
"It's Jarodin, so expected. Sealed place anyway, no issue."
"...Got the hair?"
"Yeah. Saved some from his clothes last time."
Ronan handed Ophelia a small paper envelope containing a few strands of dark red hair. She sighed faintly and said,
"...I can't understand humans' adventures. A race that can't even live a century, why are they so eager to die faster...?"
"Because we might not die. Anyway, you taught Sita how to handle Essence of Primal Blood properly, right?"
"That's... Perfect. No worries."
"Good. Gotta head out soon, so do it quick."
"...Got it. Don't get hurt."
Ronan nodded. Ophelia sighed again and placed her hand on his cheek. Mana gathered in her palm, emitting a cool glow. Sita's eyes widened.
"Pya...?!"