Chapter 203: The Five Orange Pips (9)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 203: The Five Orange Pips (9)
“By the way, are you a vampire hunter by any chance?”
I was silently following the man, who wore a badge I assumed belonged to a high-ranking member of the KKK, when he suddenly turned toward me and asked in a low voice.
“Um, not exactly.”
“Surprising. To capture a vampire without even being a professional hunter... you must be quite skilled.”
“Ahaha…”
Feeling awkward, I could only offer a strained chuckle. The man glanced back at me, continuing his interrogation.
“I’ve seen my fair share of vampires, but I’ve never encountered one this powerful.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course, I’ve killed every vampire I’ve come across until now. Honestly, I could eliminate that woman whenever I pleased if I felt like it.”
At his chilling words, the Princess momentarily radiated a murderous aura.
- Grit…
Fortunately, perhaps remembering the promise she made me, she didn't act on her impulses. She merely ground her teeth in silence.
“It seems you’ve trained your catch well.”
“…Y-Yeah, you could say that.”
“Power is the ultimate logic, after all. The weak are naturally meant to be dominated by the strong. The history of the world proves it.”
The man glanced at her briefly, a hint of mirth in his voice as he continued.
“Of course, the positions of the strong and the weak can always be reversed. Just look at the recent French Revolution.”
“Um, calling the French Revolution ‘recent’ is a bit of a stretch…”
“…Or the American Revolutionary War that happened around the same time. It is a dynamic era. Power can be snatched away at any moment; conversely, you can dominate with your own might and rule.”
Initially, I found his rambling bothersome, but as I listened, the conversation took an extraordinary turn. Somehow, it felt oddly familiar.
Hmm…
I narrowed my eyes, scrutinizing the man’s face. It wasn't a face I recognized. He had an ordinary, delicate face that could belong to anyone—the kind of ambiguous appearance where you couldn't tell if he was young or old.
Moreover, his physique was hidden under his uniform, and even his mana was so perfectly restrained that it was undetectable. In short, I could glean no information about the person in front of me. The only thing I could discern was that he possessed enough skill to warrant extreme caution.
…I can’t help but be nervous around someone of this caliber.
“And from here on, this is merely my personal conjecture.”
I moved forward warily. The man turned his head fully toward me and continued in a whisper.
“This turbulent era is likely the spark that will soon ignite a massive event.”
“What do you mean…?”
“…A world war.”
Upon hearing that, I instinctively stopped in my tracks.
“According to my calculations… we might soon witness the end of this world.”
“………”
“Before such times arrive, it’s crucial to expand the organization as much as possible.”
“Who exactly are you…?”
“These days, even the strongest of the strong must strive not to lose their dominance to the weak.”
Watching him smirk and murmur in that whispery voice, cold sweat began to bead on my forehead.
“Huh, that’s a first for that kind of reaction.”
He began to chuckle softly.
“You’re the first person not to laugh at that story.”
“What are you—”
“I’ve been rambling for far too long, haven’t I?”
Suddenly, he stopped and pointed silently at a door beside him.
“The leadership is gathered in that room. You may enter with that woman, though it might be better to leave her here.”
“……..”
“…What are you waiting for? Go on in.”
He tilted his head slightly, an inscrutable smile playing on his lips.
“Th-This guy, what on earth is he…?”
Princess Clay whispered from beside me, glancing warily at the man.
“Do you know this person, Adler?”
I stared at the man for a long time, his expression unreadable, before I quietly turned toward the door.
“Wait outside.”
“…Uh, what?”
That mysterious man was concerning, but the imminent danger looming behind this door was more pressing.
Are you really going in?
“……..”
I really can’t help you if something happens.
I was about to face a dangerous individual who could not only endanger Charlotte but could also bring down this entire world. It seemed better to leave the Princess here than to drag her into such a volatile situation. If necessary, she might even be able to keep that skilled guy in check.
“I’ll be right back.”
“W-Wait a moment…”
I quietly opened the door and prepared to enter, but then—
“Ah?”
Perhaps feeling uneasy, Princess Clay tried to grab my arm, lost her balance, and leaned into me.
“…Be careful, Princess.”
“Ah…”
“I’ll handle this alone. Princess, you keep an eye on that man…”
Before she could hit the ground, I caught her by the waist and pulled her into my arms, intending to usher her back outside. However, she just stared up at me with a vacant, dazed gaze. I leaned in to whisper to her.
- Clink…!
In the next moment, the door slammed shut behind us, plunging the room into absolute darkness.
“………”
Silence followed.
.
.
.
.
.
“Eek, eeeeek…”
“What has you so frightened?”
Princess Clay, who had been nestled in my arms with that blank stare, began to tremble violently, her face turning pale.
“I… I hate the dark.”
“…Are you really a vampire?”
When I asked the question half-jokingly, she whimpered in response.
“I-I’m a half-blood, so the sun doesn’t affect me much. I actually prefer the bright daylight…”
“Still, there’s no reason for you to fear the darkness this much.”
“…When I was young, if I made a mistake at home, they would lock me in a coffin all day. They wouldn’t give me food or water.”
“Ah.”
Yes, that would certainly cause trauma. Childhood trauma lingers for a long time; I knew that all too well.
“Then I’ll keep holding you. Just try to stand up slowly.”
“…Eh?”
“Don’t stray from me. It’s dangerous here.”
With no other choice, I whispered as I stood up. Princess Clay clutched me tightly and stood as well, her body still shaking.
“How could someone like you think of digging a tunnel back then? Ah, is that why you gave up?”
“…Q-Quiet.”
“You do have a cute side, after all.”
“Shut your mouth…”
As I slowly moved forward with her, I narrowed my eyes and came to a halt.
“Wh-Why did you stop?”
“…Shh.”
“Ahhh.”
Princess Clay whispered a question, and I quietly raised my hand to cover her mouth, holding my own breath.
“There’s something ahead…”
In the pitch-black darkness where not an inch was visible, I felt a presence.
You can still go back.
As I took a deep breath to calm my mind, another message in a wildly scribbled font appeared before my eyes.
It might be too late to say this, but there’s no need for you to strain yourself this much. You are already doing well enough…
“…What, have you developed a crush on me or something?”
……..
As I muttered with a frown at the message blocking my view, the system window—which had been rapidly displaying word after word—cut off abruptly and vanished.
“…N-No, I haven’t?”
Hearing Princess Clay respond in a whisper as if talking to herself, I took a deep breath.
- Shaaaa…
I silently summoned golden mana into my hand, illuminating the room.
“……..!”
At last, I saw it. The thing that filled the room.
“…Ugh.”
Numerous eyes simultaneously shifted their gaze toward me, covering every available surface. I felt tentacles squirming up from all directions, slowly coiling around my legs and crawling upward. My body felt as though it were sinking into the darkness.
- Crackle…
“A-Adler…?”
It felt as if I was encountering that indescribable entity from the Creeping Man case all over again. That same dizzying sensation began to overwhelm me.
“Why are you covering my eyes…?”
Amidst the chaos, with my hands still shielding the Princess’s eyes, I bit my tongue hard enough to bleed to maintain consciousness. I tightly closed my eyes and began chanting the magic I had prepared in advance.
“……..”
How much time passed?
“…Ah.”
When I reopened my eyes, the world appeared as quaint pixels, like a classic video game.
“It worked…”
The Cognitive Filter magic—a spell I had been researching whenever I had the chance to avoid being rendered helpless by mental attacks—had successfully activated.
“Ugh…”
Only now did the scene clear, allowing me to see the reality of the situation.
“Save… me…”
“The darkness… darknessdarknessdarkneSS…”
“Ah, ah…”
In the center of the ocean of blinking eyeballs and wriggling tentacles, I could see the members of the KKK writhing in panic and despair.
…Stupid bastards.
Beneath those fools was a massive Magic Circle that filled the entire room. It seemed they had attempted to summon something for their next act of terror but ended up in this mess instead.
So, perhaps destroying this Magic Circle will resolve the situation…?
Despite the filter on my senses, I struggled to maintain my fading consciousness. I quietly bent down to erase the Magic Circle when—
“…Huh?”
Right in front of me, I noticed a seemingly ordinary piece of paper in the hand of a writhing cult member.
“…….”
Of course, it wasn't just an ordinary piece of paper.
Hello, Adler?
The paper was talking to me, the words writing themselves just like the system.
I’ve always wanted to have a conversation with you.
“……..”
After staring at it for a long while, I finally spoke in a chilling voice.
“What the hell are you doing in my world?”
After about half a year in this place, I had finally come face-to-face with the source intent on destroying this world.
.
.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, in the corridor outside the firmly shut door…
“…Indeed, pretending to be a man is quite challenging.”
The man from earlier was still there, leaning against the wall.
“Anyway…”
Suddenly, she reverted to her original appearance, her long grey hair cascading down as she wore a chilling smile.
“…‘My world,’ huh?”
— When do we move in?
Her subordinates, who had been surrounding the hideout for several hours, transmitted the question to her ear.
“It sounds almost like the proclamation of a god.”
— Professor? Can you hear me?
“…Doesn’t it? Adler?”
— Professor?