Catacombs (3)
I stared at her with a look of pure confusion, as if I couldn't comprehend what I'd just heard. Merpin's words had veered so far from my expectations that there was no other way to react.
Merpin, seemingly anticipating my response, wore an indifferent expression. She removed the cigar from her mouth, lips still wreathed in smoke, and spoke.
"The New Villain Coalition? What the hell is that…."
My face went blank, words failing me. I furrowed my brow, trying to process it for a moment.
'New Villain Coalition?'
It was a name I'd never heard from the Association. Or maybe Flan had kept it hidden. I kept piecing things together with a grave expression, one theory leading to another. But no matter how much I speculated, Merpin's next words would probably clear it up better than anything I could come up with. I shot her a questioning look, laced with doubt.
"See? I knew the Association's dumb little lapdog wouldn't have a clue."
She let out a snort of laughter, as if finding my predictable ignorance amusing. Yet even that laugh carried a bitter edge of self-mockery.
"Those fucking bastards."
Merpin suddenly bared her teeth in open fury, grinding them as if something had struck a raw nerve.
"Huuuuh… just wait. These insane pricks, how the hell do I even…."
She frowned, clearly struggling to figure out how to explain it. While she rummaged around on the table, I turned my head.
Ar was still hiding behind me. Her shoulders were hunched tight, as if the earlier incident kept replaying in her mind.
"Ar?"
"Ah."
I kept watching her. Only after I spoke did she seem to notice my gaze. She let out a small sigh and lifted her head. Her face was shadowed with unease about being here. Even so, she kept clutching tightly at the hem of my clothes.
This is bad…
I let out a quiet sigh and wondered how to comfort her. Back when I was a kid… Tsk. She used to be the simple type who cheered up with food. I wasn't sure what to do now.
Candy?
I patted my pockets. Hero work involves sudden bursts of intense physical activity that burns through energy fast. That's why I always carried small, high-calorie stuff—like hard-to-melt chocolates or candies. Luckily, I had one piece of candy on me.
"Hmm, it's coffee-flavored. That should be fine."
"Huh…?"
Ar blinked at me, not quite catching my mutter. Her head was practically surrounded by invisible question marks. I gently opened her small hand.
"Eek…."
Startled by my sudden touch, Ar flinched, her face twisting with fear. But soon confusion washed over her features.
"Candy?"
"Eat this for now. We'll talk more later once Merpin gives us a place to stay."
I patted her head once and turned away. A soft "Uwa…" escaped from Ar behind me.
Merpin was glaring at me with a look like she'd bitten into a bug. It was laced with pure contempt, as if to say, 'This is some next-level bullshit.'
Irritated, I snapped back.
"You've gone full daughter-obsessed idiot. Well, given your age, I guess it makes sense."
"You're one to talk, Merpin."
"At least I didn't turn into a pathetic mess like you. Back when you were flying around, I just thought you were some crazy bastard, but now…."
Merpin closed her eyes for a moment, as if recalling the past, then twisted her face in disgust.
"Fuck."
She didn't hold back on the swearing. I could only imagine how deranged I must have looked to her back then. It was wartime, so I'd had to use my Mental Derangement ability freely. I'd simply used it in the most efficient way possible.
Though that's still just an excuse…
After all, I was the one who'd ruthlessly torn apart the inside of the Villain Alliance during that war. It made sense that Merpin would look at me like I was garbage.
I could understand it. Understand, but that was it.
"Anyway, I was getting a headache over this exact problem, and here you are."
"Hold on. What exactly is the New Villain Coalition?"
"Just read this. I went through the trouble of getting it for you, and you won't even look at it."
Merpin jabbed a finger at the paper, openly showing her displeasure. It looked well-used—already stained with alcohol. Damn it, I told you not to drink while reading documents. Still, it was legible enough. I read through it carefully.
"This is insane."
"The villains have split. You could call it the radicals versus… the moderates, I suppose."
Merpin shrugged, cigar clenched between her teeth. Her voice came out slightly muffled. I couldn't tell if it was from anger or the cigar.
"We in the Catacombs don't mess with the Association anymore. We just want villains to survive without dying. We've already been burned once. Going at them again would be pathetic, wouldn't it?"
"You've changed too. You used to scream about destroying the Association with every breath."
"That's what time does to you."
Merpin smiled bitterly.
"So we have to stop those reckless bastards. If they poke the Association again and get slaughtered, every villain left will go down with them. They think they've got enough A-class and B-class fighters to pull it off… but they're wrong."
"…."
No matter how strong the villains got, toppling the Association was nearly impossible. That was exactly why I'd come to the Catacombs. Even with my information, the Association wouldn't budge, but my goal was to change the system.
"Now that you're a villain, infiltration should be easier. Go wild inside the New Villain Coalition like you did back then and tear it apart from within."
She raised an eyebrow, glancing between me and the documents as if asking whether I'd do it.
I sighed and rubbed my forehead.
"Good."
Merpin grinned, clearly pleased.
…
Ar and I entered the lodging Merpin had arranged. I'd expected something rundown, but…
"What the hell? Why is this so clean?"
I looked around. Elegant wallpaper, a large bed, and even a big TV in front of it. The lack of windows was a downside, but since I was the type who preferred living with the curtains drawn anyway, it wasn't much of a negative.
I wore a puzzled expression at the unexpected sight. Merpin, as if her pride had been stroked, let out a small laugh and looked at me with a smug glint in her eye.
"What did you think the Catacombs ran on?"
"What, are you running a hotel business or something?"
"More accurately, we do all sorts of work that stays under the Association's radar. Most villains are awakened, so there's plenty of demand. That's how the Catacombs operates. We've got quite the funds."
Merpin shrugged as if it were no big deal and spoke with confidence. Ar's eyes were sparkling at the unfamiliar lodging, and I could practically feel Merpin's pride shooting straight up.
This damn Merpin.
She acted like the boss of the Catacombs, but it turned out she had a massive pride in her work. Still, she did radiate incredible charisma in front of other villains and her subordinates. No real problem, but it felt a bit jarring.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Merpin twisted her lips, annoyed by my stare.
"It's nothing, Merpin. Anyway, if you're staying off the Association's radar, I guess you're not taking assassination jobs."
"Assassination doesn't pay well… and the clients usually don't cough up the money anyway. Those dark-dark, shadow-shadow types aren't anything special. When you peel back the layers, they're all starving too. Might as well come up with better revenue ideas…."
"Enough. You've really changed a lot."
I grimaced. Merpin clicked her tongue at my reaction and waved her hand to signal she was leaving. Her signature red coat flared as she walked out.
Finally, I can have a proper talk with Ar. Well, not tonight, probably.
Today had been exhausting with everything that happened, but Ar was the priority.
Ar was exploring the lodging with bright, curious eyes.
"Do you like it?"
"Yeah…."
Ar nodded. A bright smile had spread across her face.
…That's a relief.
To be honest, I'd half-expected Ar to reject me. She'd built up so much distrust toward humans. I'd thought it would take a long time to get close… but seeing her act like such a child made me smile too.
"We should get some sleep. It's late."
"Okay!"
Ar trotted over. When I started laying out a blanket on the floor, she tilted her head in confusion.
"Mister?"
"You take the bed. I'm more comfortable on the floor anyway."
It was a lie. At my age, sleeping on the floor would wreck my back. But I figured she'd hate sharing a bed.
Ar shook her head vigorously.
"No. Let's sleep together."
"Huh?"
I looked at her in surprise. She wore a serious expression.
"Together. I don't like sleeping alone…."
As she spoke, Ar's face flushed with embarrassment and she lowered her gaze. All I could do was nod in a daze.
I'm not complaining, but…
It felt strangely awkward.
"Where did you get that candy? It was tasty."
"Ah, I carry them around for work."
"Do you have more of that candy?"
"You'll rot your teeth."
Ar and I took separate showers and got ready for bed. We chatted quietly before turning off the lights in the lodging. Sharing the same bed was more uncomfortable than I'd expected. Or rather, the bed was big, but Ar was sticking right up against me.
"Ar?"
"Yeah?"
I opened my mouth with a troubled look, but she just tilted her head as if asking what was wrong.
"…Never mind."
Let's just sleep. I let out a deep sigh and closed my eyes.
…
Late that night, Ar gazed quietly at the soundly sleeping man—Lee Kang-woo. Her red eyes gleamed in the darkness like those of a predator.
I never thought… this would happen.
Vampires were nobles of the night. They didn't need sleep. She hadn't told him on purpose. It was so she could observe him while he slept.
The moment today when he'd removed his mask and revealed his identity… And when he'd thrown himself into danger to save her.
Those moments kept replaying in her mind.
"Heh…."
Ar let out a soft, hollow laugh. She'd sworn never to open her heart to anyone again, yet it had happened so easily….
Ar closed her eyes. She remembered the first time she'd awakened as a True Ancestor.
That was when—
Hazard level elevated. Individual who has awakened as a True Ancestor located.
—the memory of being dragged away by the Association. The day her body had first been placed on the dissection table.