Operation (4)
All of them looked utterly bewildered.
The most confused expression belonged to none other than Kubira Rox himself.
The captain of the security force, no less.
"Hey! Captain Rox! What the hell is going on here? Didn't you report that the work on this thoroughfare was nearly done?"
"Well..."
He looked even more flustered at the mayor's question.
He hadn't lied, but with things turning out like this, he had to come up with some excuse as security captain.
The real problem was that no one knew why this had happened.
But Hierniorn and I were a little different.
'That, and traces are left behind.'
A far thicker stench of blood than the Red Ghost girl's.
And my enhanced Transcendental Eye, thanks to the Dragon's Tear, picked up suspicious traces everywhere.
A Red Ghost operative of much higher rank had been through here.
'Hiern, just in case, scour the area thoroughly. The bastard might be hiding somewhere.'
True to form for Dickferji's "Watcher."
Hierniorn flapped his wings and soared into the sky.
I scanned where the Red Ghost girl was, confirming she was still wandering the city streets.
She seemed to be dithering over where to hide.
If the Watcher had no interest in her and decided to hunt me down personally first...
'Well, that wouldn't be so bad. All the professors and security are here.'
The Red Ghost girl might even get her wish of freedom.
The Vampire Choker still had some effect left, so she could put it to use.
Musing on such things, I stepped forward.
Standing between the mayor and security captain—who still couldn't grasp what was happening—I drew up my mana and spoke.
"Looks like someone's trying to sabotage my mission."
"What? Who the hell would dare sabotage Young Master Kirian's mission?"
"Someone who wants us sticking around this city longer. Looking for an opening, no doubt. Dickferji's even more dangerous than I thought."
"...!"
I started the repairs from scratch, making a show of it.
At that, Mayor Averb's face hardened.
Word was he'd pulled out all the stops to impress me, but now the holy war had cost him face, and here I was rubbing it in.
His anger naturally turned toward the security captain.
"Hey! A word! Captain Rox!"
"...Yes, Mayor."
The two stepped away.
In the distance, I saw Professor Rapens and Professor Kuger sighing.
I paused the "Restoration" spell and cast "Audio Enhancement."
Serious voices drifted over from their conversation.
"Schud, you think this is really the Red Ghosts' doing?"
"Could be. Like Kirian said, messing with the mission keeps us in Dickferji longer—more chances to strike."
"Hah! These punks who couldn't take a punch hiding in the shadows, plotting their slimy schemes? And that security captain's full of hot air too! 'We don't take reckless risks,' my ass!"
"Senior Sapina, if they decide to target Kirian..."
Professor Rapens's voice dropped.
Professor Kuger clicked her tongue in response.
"You saying we scrap the patrol?"
"Yes."
"I knew you doted on Kirian, but this much? He your secret son or something? Kirian Rapens... Sounds pretty good, actually..."
Of course, nonsense.
Professor Rapens neatly ignored it and turned toward Dickferji.
"Eternalism's reputation takes another hit, but no choice. Disciple's safety first."
The academy's reputation.
A topic I'd never really cared about.
But my thinking shifted a bit.
I was part of Eternalism too, and the worse its standing, the more it hurt me.
And scrapping the patrol because of me—
'That doesn't sit well at all.'
I had to succeed on this mission and get out, no matter what.
And above all, this "Watcher" piqued my curiosity.
Slowly tightening the noose, herding the target into his own net.
'That's how vampires hunt.'
I knew it well.
Whether Dickferji's Watcher knew the old ways from 500 years ago and was mimicking them, I couldn't say.
But it successfully dredged up that bitter aftertaste from the depths of my memory.
The final end of the vampire clan, savage yet noble.
"Damn that Ulfrik bastard."
His doing, too.
500 years ago, as Ulfrik Kirchheis set out on his expedition to the Demon King's Castle, he made one promise to the Human Empire's emperor.
The pact for the extermination of the vampires.
"Drive out the Demon King's spies—the vampires—from humanity's continent entirely, Emperor."
The Allmaster informed the emperor that the vampires were backed by the Demon King and would be a major obstacle to the expedition.
He demanded the Empire wipe them out completely.
Only then could they march on the Demon King's Castle, he insisted, driving the point home.
But in truth, demons and vampires had no real connection.
"Master! Why make such a demand?!"
"Not all vampires side with the demons! Most don't!"
"Withdraw the order now! Their entire clan could be wiped out!"
My fellow disciples and I rose up to dissuade him.
Yet Ulfrik wouldn't budge.
Instead, he smiled faintly and said,
"Still, we eliminate risks. If it raises our odds against the Demon King even a little, I'll do anything. You disagree? Disappointing."
"..."
He silenced us all.
I thought the misunderstanding would clear once the Demon King fell.
But events spiraled out of control in an instant.
Even before the expedition departed, the Empire's forces attacked the vampires under the banner of a holy war.
"The emperor's knights have besieged the vampires' castles..."
"Word is they're using holy fire for the siege..."
"The vampire king demanded an audience with the emperor, but was refused..."
Both sides suffered heavy losses.
But no one could rebel.
The Allmaster's authority was absolute, and no one dared obstruct Ulfrik on the eve of his march to the Demon King's Castle.
Not even the Human Empire's emperor.
Thus, the vampire clan met its futile end.
Looking back, it was a perfect scheme.
'Ulfrik was preparing for his own fall. At least ensuring humans and vampires couldn't unite against him.'
In the end, he erased a powerful immortal race from the continent's map.
The Red Ghosts were born right after.
A degraded offshoot—indistinguishable from humans even when mixed among them—gained vampire powers and began lurking in the shadows.
'Probably the first leader got those powers passed down from a dying vampire and kept handing them on.'
Perhaps driven by a desire for revenge against humanity.
Without Ulfrik's insidious plot, the Red Ghost race might never have emerged.
Now, only I remembered this tragedy.
'You two never saw it as a tragedy. No thought of revenge against Ulfrik either.'
Hierniorn scratched his feathers with his beak.
He seemed to know he'd done wrong, so I spared him the "peace dove" jab.
The guardian spirit, finishing his patrol, reported the area was spotless.
No hidden Red Ghosts.
At that, I could only click my tongue.
With the Land Spirits fled deep underground, I'd have to redo this alone.
It'd take days more.
If this was the Watcher's plan, he was clever.
Then Professor Rapens approached me.
"Kirian, work with the other trainees. Your peers, Libiel, Rafar, and Nazel will help."
"...Is that okay?"
"Given the situation, yes. Help others catch up later if needed."
"Understood, Professor."
He beckoned, and the trainees came rushing over.
Having their missions poached might sour moods, but...
"Like I said, winner buys dinner tonight. Everyone agreed?"
"...I'll cover dinner if I lose. But I'm focusing on beating Professor Kirian this time."
"Senior Obri! Watch my performance!"
"Tch. Thoroughfare restoration? Lame mission."
"Let's finish it in a flash, show 'em, Rafar."
They seemed fine—eager, even.
Like they'd gotten a shot at beating me.
Attitudes possible only because they didn't know the Red Cartel was the real threat.
'Good enough.'
With the Watcher possibly striking anytime, I'd conserve mana here.
As repairs resumed, the kids worked hard; I tagged along, matching their pace half-heartedly.
"Hey, Kirian. You're slacking, aren't you?"
"...Nah?"
"Tch. Clearly not giving your all..."
Libiel called me out, but whatever.
Senses on high alert, I delved deeper.
A three-way fork appeared.
I hadn't checked it properly before—the Land Spirits had handled it.
"You go that way! I'll take this!"
"Hey, no! That's the easy path! Switch!"
The kids scattered naturally; the two professor guardians exchanged meaningful glances and split.
Mine was Professor Kuger.
We were probably thinking the same.
'If they're attacking, now's prime time.'
Hence the white-knuckled grip on her sword.
But no alerts yet from Hierniorn overhead.
No strangers spotted.
That's when Mayor Averb returned from berating the captain.
"Uh, Young Master Kirian?"
"...?"
His attire was oddly disheveled.
Sweating profusely despite the weather.
Forcing a smile, he brought up something irrelevant.
"We're deeply sorry for the sabotage due to our negligence. How about dinner on us tonight? W-what do you say? Sound good?"
Red flags everywhere.
Above all, my Transcendental Eye detected danger.
"Target's energy density is rising steadily."
"Uncontrolled energy state."
Right in Mayor Averb's chest.
Dangerous mana bubbled like lava from there.