Chapter 12 – Fly Me To The Moon

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Several days had passed since the incident at the lounge.  

I was slumped in a PC bang chair, blankly staring at the ceiling.  

‘Damn it… my life….’  

Why did I do something like that?  

I ended up drawing unnecessary attention in front of so many people.  

It’s social death.  

Even though I drank, the memory is still crystal clear.  

“Sigh.”  

A delinquent-looking man with sunglasses approached and started prying into my personal life. When I kept my mouth shut, he began bothering me, trying to get a reaction.  

It wasn’t just me who acted without thinking that day—those two were the same.  

They tried to get attention but ended up crossing the line.  

If someone stays silent, you should give up and leave, but they kept pushing, trying to make me talk.  

I especially don’t understand why they drank my brandy as if it were theirs.  

Did they really think I wouldn’t react if I stayed quiet?  

Unfortunately for them, I didn’t meet their expectations.  

I’m human too, and I have emotions. Plus, the alcohol had loosened me up a bit, making me bolder.  

In the end, I swung whatever was within reach and turned them into a mess.  

The sight of their joints twisted in unnatural directions is still vivid in my mind.  

“…….”  

But, the satisfaction of punishing them aside, I realized my mistake.  

I let my overly personal emotions take over and exposed myself in front of so many people.  

I drew attention.  

Much more than necessary.  

The gaze of others is always heavy.  

Too heavy.  

In society, drawing unnecessary attention as a social misfit is like a death sentence.  

A swarm of eerie, empty eyes, like those of a fish.  

“…….”  

Anyway, so.  

To cut to the chase.  

I had no intention of going back there.  

I had no idea how I managed to ruin my first impression so badly.  

‘But I guess I have to go….’  

I let out a deep sigh.  

I had to live up to the delivery man’s expectations, and I needed to adapt to this society.  

To the night world.  

To the underworld.  

Ruining my first impression didn’t mean I had to ruin my entire life.  

‘Enough, stop overthinking.’  

Let’s just do what I feel like doing.  

Unnecessary relationships are nothing but trouble.  

I left the PC bang, which had been my refuge for the past two days, and headed to the lounge.  

The night sky was clear, with a white moon hanging in the air.  

It was a bright full moon.  

* * *  

The bell above the door chimed clearly.  

Even with my head down, I could feel all the eyes on me.  

Voices calling out and whispers reached my ears, and I felt like I’d wither away any second.  

Why, why did I get so much attention?  

I knew the reason, but I still hated it.  

I pulled my hoodie even lower and quickened my pace.  

‘So this is what the salon floor looks like….’  

Staring at the floor, my eyes wandered to pointless details.  

My head was spinning, and all I could hear was ringing in my ears.  

Honestly, I couldn’t even distinguish the ringing from the murmurs of the crowd.  

‘I need to get used to it… I need to get used to it….’  

This is a place I’ll have to keep coming back to, after all.  

Of course, if I make a name for myself as a mercenary, I might get direct requests instead of going through intermediaries, but that seems like a distant future for me.  

So, I need to get used to this… this place where every action is scrutinized, this situation, this world.  

I hid my flushed face as much as I could, keeping my head down as I approached the bar.  

The same spot where the previous incident had happened, a place I’d rather forget.  

Glancing around, I noticed the brick wall that had been blown open was now covered with a simple curtain.  

‘Don’t think about it, don’t think about it.’  

At the bar, two or three others were sitting, waiting for contacts or sipping highballs.  

Watching them carefully, I realized something.  

‘Sitting at the bar means you’re ready for work.’  

A message that you’re ready to take on requests immediately?  

If so, then it was the same for me.  

I wanted to take on requests right away, pay off my debt, and settle down properly.  

I don’t know how my daily life will change, but I need to get used to it.  

The bartender handed a glass of wine to the customer sitting at the far right and then immediately approached me.  

“Seems like you’ve sorted out your feelings.”  

“Yes, yes… um….”  

I spoke in a barely audible voice.  

I had no intention of getting drunk on brandy this time.  

Let’s act rationally, rationally.  

The bartender raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by my timid voice.  

“I, I’m sorry about last time… I think I lost my mind for a moment.”  

“This is an unexpected side of you. Which one is the real you?”  

“This is the real me. So please stop saying weird things… people keep staring at me….”  

I finally blurted it out.  

I’m just this kind of person, that’s what I meant.  

In a way, it could be seen as self-deprecation, but it’s a rational action.  

Lowering my own expectations is, for me…  

“Self-promotion is important for mercenaries, but with such low self-esteem, how can you be useful? Well, I’ll try to make it less burdensome for you, but you’ll need to get used to it eventually. Arrogance is a basic passive for mercenaries.”  

“Is that so…?”  

“Yes, it is. Well, I can’t do much about others’ gazes. Anyway, you’re a bit late. A named request came in for you a day ago.”  

The bartender fiddled with his mustache and pulled out a small tablet.  

A named request? For me? I haven’t done anything noteworthy enough to receive one yet.  

If turning fellow mercenaries into a mess counts as noteworthy, then this mercenary world is insane.  

Is it because it’s the underworld?  

Their sense of ethics is completely messed up.  

“Well, it’s a request mediated through Round Ark’s headquarters, so it’s probably under the guise of a test. Honestly, the contents seem a bit excessive for a test.”  

“Round Ark… Ah, the company the delivery man belonged to….”  

“Exactly. That means you don’t have the right to refuse this request. It’s your first step to proving yourself. And it’s directly from the higher-ups. In that sense, isn’t it about time you prepared?”  

“Prepared? For what….”  

By now, the attention on me had faded, and I no longer felt the heavy gazes.  

Everyone had returned to their own conversations, which was a relief.  

Finally able to take off my hood, I faced the bartender, who was smiling with anticipation.  

“‘Name’, I mean, a name. A codename, or whatever. You’re not planning to work anonymously, are you?”  

A name, a name. A name? Did he just say a name?  

My name, of course, I must have written it down that day, in that place. In the form of a signature…  

“…I can’t remember my name.”  

I was shocked.  

The bartender tilted his head, looking puzzled.  

“Didn’t you already know? Last time, you said you wanted to know yourself… or something weird like that.”  

I don’t remember.  

Did the brandy make me forget? Strange. I remember the situation clearly, but I… what…  

Like my brain had been rewired by the sharp smell of alcohol, there was a big gap somewhere.  

I stared at the bartender with a blank, shocked expression.  

The bartender, seemingly grasping a clue, smiled coldly.  

“This is interesting. A Vampire Lord who’s forgotten their true name isn’t common. In that case, this codename will be a crucial turning point for you.”  

“A turning point?”  

“It’s not your true name, but a name holds immense power for a vampire. In that sense, the codename you’re about to choose will become your second true name, won’t it? I’m looking forward to it.”  

Why does it hold such significance? I don’t understand.  

But instinctively, as a vampire, I couldn’t help but realize it was true.  

I’m standing at a crossroads. The first step, a fork in the road, perhaps a signpost pointing to countless paths.  

“…….”  

Well… honestly.  

I’ll be honest from now on.  

Is that even a job?  

Yes, as always, it’s humans who assign meaning to things.  

So there’s no need to attach profound meanings.  

Let’s keep it simple.  

“For the codename, just ‘Strigoi.’ That’s enough.”  

“…Strigoi? What’s that? It sounds foreign.”  

“…….”  

I shut my mouth, feeling like I’d shown off for no reason.  

Well, it’s a foreign word most people wouldn’t know unless they looked it up.  

What kind of idiot would memorize the German word for vampire?  

I only know it because of a game.  

Anyway.  

The bartender, seemingly giving up on understanding my thoughts, handed me the tablet and started playing a briefing video.