Chapter 26 : Storm’s Breeding Ground – (3)

The disturbance caused by Camilla eventually came to an end when, unable to bear it any longer, I called her “noona” (older sister) instead of “seonbae” (senior).
Noona. To me, who had only a mother who was a prostitute and a younger sister, Lily, with no shared blood, a noona who wasn’t related by blood had now appeared.
It was an oddly complex feeling.
“Think of me as a noona, and feel free to speak casually. Aiden, you’re a person of great value.”
Thanks to that, I was able to stop Camilla, who was drunkenly gossiping about her associates, but I couldn’t prevent her from continuously forcing alcohol on me.
Drinking an entire beer, I struggled to soothe my bloated stomach.
“So, Camilla noona, do you like to drink?”
“I can’t get enough of it. Hehe. On the Sabbath, I come down here to drink. At the guild, there’s a ban on alcohol, so I can’t drink as much as I’d like.”
It seemed strange to say it was due to the guild’s regulations, considering the guild leader, Aila, seemed to have several bottles of alcohol in her private room.
In fact, she did drink. On the Sabbath, when I visited her private room, I often saw her in a bathrobe sipping wine if she was bored.
I exchanged a glance with Luerin. She seemed to have had a similar thought, her face showing a hint of confusion.
“By the way, hiccup, what’s going on here? Weren’t you new recruits not allowed in?”
“Recently, that policy has been relaxed a lot,” I answered.
“Aha! So you’re running the training facility!”
Camilla spoke with a sly smile, and I responded with a sheepish grin.
It wasn’t entirely wrong. After all, the cadets in the training facility had always looked at me like I was some kind of demon. Even Sophie included.
“So, do you come here every holiday, noona?”
“Something like that. Recently, I’ve been so busy with hunting and other things that I haven’t been able to make time.”
Lifting her beer mug, Camilla smiled warmly. The cold beauty hunter, Camilla, whom I had first met, had now become a friendly older sister figure.
Feeling quite a different emotion, I looked around the tavern. There were hardly any villagers; most of the people were cadets from the training facility or hunters.
“Looks like the local economy here is maintained by the Hunter’s Guild.”
“Mm? Yeah, that’s right. Most of the people who come to these taverns, and the blacksmiths and artisans who supply goods, are all part of the guild. The clothes you’re wearing now and the weapon you received are the same.”
“Then these people must be well-informed about vampires.”
Living in Stormgate, I had dismissed vampires as just another myth. It wasn’t just me; when I was part of the mercenary group, the mercenaries treated things like witches or vampires as taboos.
But this village, near the Hunter’s Guild, must have a better understanding of vampires. It was based on that thought that I asked.
“Haha. Aiden, that’s such a funny question. Actually, this village…”
Just as Camilla was about to continue, a loud sound interrupted.
Thud. A mug was placed roughly on the table. The beer in the wooden mug swirled like a lake caught in a storm.
“Camilla, didn’t I tell you to drink in moderation?”
The man who placed the mug down appeared to be the tavern owner. His long white hair cascaded down, and a scar ran across his forehead, crossing his eyes.
As for his physique, I wasn’t exactly short, but the man was at least a head and a half taller than me.
From any angle, he certainly didn’t seem like a mere tavern keeper.
“Well, it’s good you’re here. We were just about to explain the origin of this village.”
“Origin?”
The tavern owner furrowed his brow, and Camilla nodded while sipping her freshly poured beer.

“Aiden, let me introduce you. This hiccup here is Ivan. He’s a fellow hunter who graduated with the priest and also the village chief.”
“Graduated with the priest?”
The priest was a founding member of the vampire hunters’ guild. That meant this Ivan guy was…
“That’s right. Just like Aila-sama, he was once the head of the vampire guild. He’s also the one who hunted the ‘Jinjo,’ which was used as the guild’s headquarters.”
“Could it be that the name written in the training facility textbook…?”
“Yep, that’s him.”
Why would such a prominent figure be running a tavern in a village like this?
I soon realized the reason. Ivan’s posture was slightly slouched. When I looked down, I saw a slender prosthetic leg attached where his left leg had been cut off at the knee.
“With my body like this, it’s been impossible to stay on the frontlines.”
Before I knew it, Ivan had perched himself on the backrest of the chair where Sophie was sitting. Sophie flinched, but he didn’t seem to care as he continued.
“After passing the job on to the priest, I created Glintmarch. It was to find something I could do to support the guild, even if I stepped away from the frontlines.”
“So, this village was created to support the guild?”
“That’s about it. Most of the villagers here are retired hunters or their families. I also have a family now.”
Ivan turned his gaze toward the counter. There, a woman in her thirties was smiling and looking our way.
“I was lucky. Even with my old, shabby self, and missing a leg, I found a woman who’d love me.”
“That guy is a complete thief. I think there’s almost a twenty-year age gap between him and my new sister-in-law.”
“Rose, stop saying useless things.”
Ivan lifted his glass and tapped Camilla’s head lightly with it. With tears in her eyes, Camilla pouted in dissatisfaction.
The Camilla I knew was an excellent and cold-hearted hunter, but in front of Ivan, she seemed like a mischievous little niece. In fact, that was probably what she was.
“Anyway, enough about me,” Ivan said, crossing his arms and turning his attention to me. His gaze was sharp and devoid of emotion, the complete opposite of the warm look he had just given Camilla.
A chill ran down my spine. Even though he was missing a leg, Ivan was a legendary hunter who had slain the ‘Jinjo’ and founded the Vampire Hunter’s Guild.
That meant he had likely already figured out my identity. It seemed like Camilla and Luerin had reached the same conclusion, as their faces stiffened.
Sophie, however, tilted her head curiously, not aware of the sudden shift in atmosphere.
But then,
“The Hunter’s Guild has changed a lot. No, it’s not just the guild, but the definition of ‘hunter’ itself has changed.”
Without showing any animosity, Ivan spoke with a wry smile.
“Boy, there’s no need to be afraid. I hear you got a recommendation letter from the priest.”
“Y-Yes, I did.”
“The priest is a hunter who fought alongside me against the Vampire Queen. I lost my leg, and he lost his eyes. The guild also lost three of our comrades.”
I had been told that it was the Vampire Queen who took the priest’s eyes, but this was the first time I was hearing the full story.
“If the priest hadn’t been there back then, there’s a high chance I wouldn’t have made it back alive. So, no matter what, I respect the priest’s decision.”
Ivan unfolded his arms.
“So, if the priest brought you here to make you a hunter, then there must be a reason for it. I’m not in a position to hunt anymore, so I’m more likely to be cheering you on. Besides, as someone who’s not even a full-fledged hunter, what harm could I possibly do to you?”
Creeeak.

The sound of Ivan’s prosthetic leg clacking against the wooden planks echoed through the room. Before I knew it, Ivan had gotten up from Sophie’s backrest and was walking toward the counter.
“Aiden, was it? Follow me.”
Not understanding the situation, I looked over at Camilla. She flashed me a sly grin as she raised her glass.
“Go on. It won’t be anything bad.”
“Y-Yes…”
I followed Ivan through the counter and into the storeroom. When Ivan opened the attic door inside the storeroom and descended into the basement, a musty air hit me, and there were barrels lined up everywhere.
At the far end of the basement, a long shelf stood, and Ivan limped toward it, opening one of the drawers.
“Take this.”
From the drawer, Ivan retrieved a small dagger. It wasn’t even the length of a forearm, but I could immediately tell that the dagger wasn’t made of ordinary materials.
“Is this a fang?”
“Yeah. It’s a dagger made from the fang of a Jinjo. It’s kind of like a charm.”
I took the dagger from Ivan, almost hypnotized by its presence. As soon as it touched my skin, I felt a strange pulse, as if the dagger was alive, sending a rush of energy into me.
“It’s called Ballad.”
“Ballad.”
“It was made from the fang of the Jinjo that occupied the Glacialcliff castle. After killing it, I made this dagger from its fang.”
Ivan casually flicked his mustache and continued.
“The Jinjo rules over ordinary vampires. If you stab a vampire with Ballad, it causes excruciating pain.”
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“There are two main reasons.”
Ivan raised one hand.
“First, you’re the first hunter recommended by the priest. As his comrade, it’s only natural for me to give you a gift.”
“….”
“And the second.”
Ivan’s expression grew grim.
“Be ready to stab that dagger into yourself at any time.”
This wasn’t just a gift from a fellow hunter; it was a heartfelt warning, one meant for someone who might end up as a vampire’s thrall.
“…I’ll remember that. But I don’t believe I’ll ever need to end my own life.”
“Hmm?”
“At least, if I were to take my own life, it would be by the hand of a fellow hunter or…”
I continued, recalling the executioner who had been known as the “Executioner.”
“…Or the Vampire Queen.”
I wasn’t sure what my expression looked like, but I was certain that it was filled with hatred.
Ivan raised one corner of his mouth slightly.
“Right. It seems the priest isn’t completely clueless after all.”
In a way, this could be considered a form of praise.