Chapter 202: The Five Orange Pips (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 202: The Five Orange Pips (8)
“Hmm… for a temporary shelter, it’s quite well-made.”
“…Indeed.”
The KKK’s hideout, which I had entered with the bound Princess Clay in tow, was far more sophisticated than I had anticipated.
In my mind, I had pictured a simple tent city or a makeshift gathering in some humble dwelling, but this place was a full-fledged underground lair. I couldn’t tell if it was a natural cavern they had modified or something they had excavated from scratch, but the sheer scale of the entrance alone suggested the place was massive.
“It doesn’t seem to have been created by magic. It was likely an existing space that they remodeled…”
Princess Clay, murmuring beside me with a look of mild professional interest, seemed to share my assessment of the cave’s origins. That was a relief. It meant their magical capabilities were at least within the realm of our expectations.
However, if they required a space this large, their numbers might far exceed what we had prepared for.
“This place feels like it’s been around for a while, and it looks a bit fragile. Can’t we just collapse the whole thing?”
“Hey, keep your voice down.”
“With my magic, I could easily annihilate the interior… Wait, what did you just say to me?”
“Keep quiet and keep walking.”
“Ugh!”
As I walked ahead, lost in thought, I gave the ropes binding the Princess a sharp tug. She let out a disgruntled hiss as the restraints tightened.
“W-What is the meaning of this insolence…?”
“…You can’t just walk in here looking so bold. After all, you’re currently my prey.”
“Since when have I ever been anyone’s ‘prey’? I’m merely playing along with your tempo. The least you could do is show some basic courtesy.”
The Princess remained stubbornly uncooperative. While she was a competent individual who executed tasks with precision, she was incredibly frustrating to deal with in situations like this. Having grown up in a ducal house and led vampires from a young age, she was accustomed only to the deference shown to the highest echelons of society.
But that pride was a liability in our current situation.
“Well, there’s nothing for it. From this moment on, you’re cut off. No more of my blood for you.”
“W-W-What…?”
It was necessary to provoke her, to force a change in her attitude.
“And that’s not all. Let’s terminate the contract.”
“…S-Suddenly?”
“I’ll let you go right now. You and your minions can leave or stay; I don’t care. It’s up to you.”
I stopped in my tracks to deliver the ultimatum. Bewilderment began to frost over Princess Clay’s face.
“Y-You’re saying that now…?”
“Why not? Haven’t you been held hostage against your will this whole time? It’s better for you if I let you go without any penalty, isn’t it?”
“B-But…”
“Take out the contract. You always carry it with you, don’t you?”
Under my mounting pressure, she bit her lip, her voice beginning to tremble.
“T-The contract… I don’t have it on me. I left it at the hideout…”
“…Is that so? Then let’s go get it now.”
“N-No! It’s not there either. I actually… I lost it.”
Of course. I had anticipated this response. Princess Clay still needed my blood. Anyone else might have jumped at the chance for freedom, but Princess Clay—consumed by a thirst for power and control—wouldn’t let go of this opportunity even if she were to fall in love with me.
“So… canceling the contract is impossible. No, it simply cannot be done.”
“…Then let’s just draft a new one.”
“T-That’s…”
She was clearly flustered, realizing she couldn't extract any more power from me.
“…I-I-If I’m not around, who will manage the organization and the accounts?”
“I’ll just promote Miss Milverton. She’s managing the overall funds anyway, and she’s very obedient—unlike you.”
“T-T-Then… who will clean the house?”
“I can just hire a cleaner, right? Since Miss Blaze was seriously injured, I was thinking of hiring a maid anyway.”
As I began to untie the ropes bound around her, Princess Clay stared at me blankly, a lost expression washing over her face.
“H-Hey, w-why are you doing this all of a sudden…?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“I-I was… the first to join you, wasn’t I? Even though I’m the senior member… isn’t this treatment too harsh…?”
Eventually, Princess Clay’s expression turned genuinely aggrieved, and she even began to whimper.
“…I believe that merit is more important than seniority.”
I knew it was mostly an act, so I continued to respond with cold indifference.
“Uh, ugh…”
She bit her lip tightly, her shoulders trembling.
“So, Princess, this might be a good chance to prove your worth…”
“…M-My worth?”
It felt a bit strange, like I was teasing a tsundere, and I worried that pushing any further might backfire. I decided to throw her a bone.
“It’s quite simple, actually. You just have to act as I tell you and be obedient.”
“…….”
“Then, not only will you be treated well, but I’ll even allow you to feed on my blood. I don’t see what there is to complain about.”
She looked up at me with moist eyes and replied in a soft, hesitant voice.
“But… you’re not feeling well right now, are you?”
“What?”
“…You could die, you fool.”
She whispered the last part under her breath, her face flushing slightly as she avoided my gaze.
“……Ugh.”
Honestly, that was dangerous. I almost fell for it. But I already knew from the Professor that she was secretly building her own power base behind my back.
It’s a good thing I was prepared…
I wondered if they taught acting in the social skills classes of the ducal houses. Even I, who had a sharp eye for spotting a performance, found it difficult to distinguish such high-level acting from reality. I remembered how perfectly she had played the part of a simple country girl during the Red Mana League incident when I first met her with the Professor.
She really was the fourth smartest woman in London.
“I’ll take care of myself. So, will you help me or not?”
“Hmph.”
Steeling myself, I asked in a slightly more relaxed tone. After watching me for a moment, she answered in a low voice.
“If it must be done…”
“It would have been easier if you had just said so earlier.”
Her tone was still brusque, but it was passable.
*
—Creak…
As the door to the underground sanctuary slowly groaned open, the eyes of the gathered members focused on us in unison.
“Shouldn’t all the current members have gathered by now?”
“…It seems to be a newcomer. There are quite a few in Britain who have joined our cause recently.”
“With the pressure coming from all sides lately, the integrity of the organization is weakening… A new face is always welcome.”
“But who is the woman next to him?”
The members began to whisper as we entered.
“Argh… this, this guy!”
Just as the curiosity reached its peak, the woman in red, who had been looking tense, suddenly raised her voice at the man beside her.
“Can’t you… just… release me now…!”
Her face was a mask of shame, humiliation, and a fear she couldn't quite hide despite her best efforts.
“D-Do you even know who I am…!”
“”………””
The sight was all too familiar to those gathered here.
“Who is that woman?”
As the atmosphere turned hostile, a man with a slightly different emblem on his chest emerged from the crowd.
“…She’s a vampire.”
In response to the leader’s question, the man holding the rope binding the woman answered calmly.
“…A vampire?”
“They still exist…?”
“I-I’ve heard stories. One of our officers is a descendant of vampire hunters…”
The hall quickly descended into chaos.
“…Silence.”
With a single word, the member with the distinctive insignia quelled the noise. He tilted his head slightly and asked, “Where is the evidence that she is a vampire?”
“Well, it would be faster for you to see for yourself.”
With that, the man snapped his fingers.
—Whirrrr!
“…What?”
The ropes binding the woman in red unraveled with a crisp, magical sound.
—Gooooooo!
“”……..!””
In that instant, a monstrous red aura flooded the main hall.
“How dare… you insult… me?”
The unbound woman began to murmur fiercely, gathering her strength to face the members before her.
“All of you… will burn in the fires of hell…!”
“That’s enough.”
“…Kulluk!”
The man snapped his fingers again. In an instant, the woman was bound once more. She was forced to her knees, collapsing on the spot.
“Retract your energy.”
“Uggrh…”
“Do you want to crawl around with your limbs torn apart again?”
As the man tilted her chin up with his hand and whispered coldly, the woman clenched her teeth, meekly withdrew her energy, and bowed her head in submission.
“……..”
Silence fell over the room.
—Clap, clap, clap…
In that silence, a slow round of applause began to echo.
“Excellent.”
The official with the peculiar insignia looked thoroughly satisfied.
“Wo—Wow…!!”
Taking his cue, the other members began to clap and cheer in unison.
“Take that vampire and follow me.”
Amidst the sudden roar of the crowd, the official moved toward the back of the hall and whispered to the man.
“Let me introduce you to the senior officials, including myself.”
“…Understood.”
Responding politely, the man bowed his head and allowed a triumphant grin to touch his lips. This man was, of course, Adler.
*
“…I-Is this sufficient?”
“Well done, Princess…”
Having successfully completed the KKK initiation as planned and caught the eye of a high-ranking official, I gently answered the Princess’s timid question and began to follow the leader.
Wait a moment!
At that moment, a bright red message flashed before my eyes.
[The area up ahead is dangerous.]
“Well, has there ever been a time when it wasn’t dangerous?”
After reading the message, I chuckled and tried to flick it away…
[I sense the presence of a being trying to break the rules of the world.]
“……..”
[So please step back. Neither you nor I are ready to face the harbinger of the erosion yet.]
After checking the urgent warning from Miss System, I had no choice but to stop for a moment.
“…Miss System.”
[Yes?]
“Do you know what a developer’s destiny is?”
[What is it?]
Apparently, Miss System had forgotten who designed this world.
“What is it, if not fixing bugs?”
[…Are you fucking serious right now?]
As the creator of this world, it was time to meet the troublemakers who dared to ruin my masterpiece.