Chapter 13 – Fly Me To The Moon

Ｒｅａｄ​ ｏｎ ​ＫａｔＲｅａｄｉｎｇＣａｆｅ​

The voice coming from the tablet didn’t seem to matter, as the bartender openly played the video in the lobby.  

The lack of headphones suggested that it didn’t matter if others overheard, or perhaps there was some special device in place.  

The brief static noise at the start of the video indicated that a lot of effort had gone into the briefing.  

Since it was a request mediated by Round Ark headquarters, I was worried it might contain some top-secret information.  

But it didn’t seem to be the case. Looking around, no one seemed interested in the video playing on my tablet.  

Whether it was an unspoken rule, politeness, or pretending not to care while actually paying close attention, I couldn’t tell.  

When I received the tablet, there seemed to be more whispering, but I decided to ignore it.  

Even if I listened closely, most of the chatter seemed to be from overly curious people interested in my next move.  

Aside from the mental strain of their expectations, there was nothing unusual. I pulled my hood back on.  

Meanwhile, the small tablet played a video with static reminiscent of an old CRT screen.  

The voice was quite pleasant. Is this how most mediators sound?  

It seemed to be the voice of a young woman.  

I pushed aside my distractions and focused on the video.  

[Round Ark – Central C Industrial Complex Construction Committee]  

[You should prepare for a long-term assignment.  

The difficulty of the request itself is one thing, but we can’t predict how it will end.  

Let’s begin the briefing. This is your mission.  

Recently, there have been reports of wolf howls every night at the construction site of the C Industrial Complex, managed by the Central C Industrial Complex Construction Committee.  

Common sense would suggest that there are no wolves in the city. It’s undoubtedly werewolves.]  

…It’s absurd how casually they mention werewolves.  

It hasn’t even been a month since I found out vampires exist. Why are they talking about it like it’s common knowledge?  

Please don’t assume I’m a native of this world.  

Anyway.  

[However, the puzzling thing is that the wolf howls are heard even on nights without a full moon.  

Typically, werewolves only lose their humanity and revert to beast form on full moon nights.  

It’s hard to believe they’re just imitating wolves because there are too many of them.  

Zones A and B of the C Industrial Complex had to be completely sealed off due to the werewolf sightings. Can you imagine the scale?  

An area equivalent to two apartment complexes was sealed off solely because of werewolf activity.  

The investigators we sent could only grasp the general outline of the incident, not the full picture.  

According to the limited information we’ve gathered, some kind of drug is circulating among the dozens of werewolf packs in the area.  

Werewolves are, after all, wolves—beasts. Different packs usually compete when they meet, but the sheer number of packs gathering like this is far from normal.  

Your task is to investigate the source and nature of this drug. And to disband the werewolf packs disrupting the construction committee’s work.  

That’s all.  

I heard this is your first mission. Good luck.  

It might seem risky to assign such a dangerous task to a rookie, but Round Ark trusts you.  

You don’t have the right to refuse the request, so I won’t ask if you accept it.  

However, given the scale of the request, there will be collaborators, and the reward will be substantial.  

I look forward to hearing good news from you.]  

…I can’t help but feel like I’ve been handed something way too big from the start.  

Well, as the delivery man said, it’s proof of the high expectations Round Ark has for me.  

By the way, I later found out that the static throughout the video was part of a perception-hindering system.  

When I pointed out that the briefing video had a strange vibe, the bartender explained it to me.  

Anyway, I headed straight to the site.  

* * *  

Late at night.  

A quiet crosswalk, the traffic light blinking orange in the early morning.  

Across the bridge on the other side of the crosswalk, an industrial complex with cranes flashing red lights and idle factories came into view.  

I stood stiffly, staring at the person across from me.  

A cold silence hung in the air.  

With dry lips that somehow felt moist, I managed to speak.  

“Uh, last time there were two of you, but why are you alone this time…?”  

“…Miss Hongryeon wasn’t part of this request. It’s better to leave such dangerous elements behind.”  

The person across from me was the priest from last time.  

The priest with whom I shared no good memories.  

This time, instead of a beige trench coat, he wore a heavy black trench coat.  

Maybe that’s why he seemed even more intimidating.  

I asked the priest, just in case.  

“…I heard there would be collaborators.”  

“If you’re asking if it’s me, then yes. We’ve been assigned the same request.”  

I wanted to run away. If it weren’t for the fact that this request was directly mediated by Round Ark headquarters, I would’ve definitely run.  

So, my first mission is to work with a vampire and a vampire hunter?  

Are they out of their minds?  

I was too stunned to speak.  

“Ahem.”  

Perhaps noticing that I had no idea how to handle the situation, the priest hid the scripture at his waist and spoke.  

“…Let’s set aside past grievances for now. We’re in the same boat, after all. I can distinguish between work and personal matters, so there’s no need to worry.”  

“Uh-huh.”  

“We need to resolve the request, don’t we? If you ask me whether I prioritize saving the cursed species or the official request, it’s the request. After all, we’re comrades under legitimate procedures.”  

I couldn’t respond to the priest’s words and just kept glancing around.  

It sounded like he was trying to comfort me, encouraging me to focus on the task, but to my ears, it sounded like he was saying he’d kill me once the job was done.  

Isn’t he constantly emphasizing his duty to save the cursed species, separate from the mission?  

“You remember the details of the mission, right? Saving the werewolves.”  

While I hesitated, the priest took the first step.  

I reflexively followed.  

“They said to prepare for a long-term assignment, but it’s better to finish the job quickly. Since there’s no issue with working late at night, let’s head out now. Any problems?”  

“Ah, no. No….”  

It seemed we weren’t just exchanging greetings and starting the job tomorrow.  

But I had no choice.  

Since I was already here, I had to move forward somehow.  

I kept glancing at the priest, trying to gauge his mood as we walked.  

* * *  

Today was the first time I learned that the industrial complex I always saw across the river was called the C Industrial Complex.  

Seeing the imposing, massive structures up close gave me a new perspective.  

Anyway, Zones A and B of the C Industrial Complex were quite deep inside, so even after crossing the bridge, we had to walk for a while.  

Then, suddenly, the priest turned around.  

I flinched and shrunk back.  

Throughout the walk, the priest occasionally turned to look at me like this.  

But whenever our eyes met, he just stared at me with heavy, piercing eyes.  

I couldn’t tell what he wanted.  

Of course, he didn’t show any further reaction, but even though we were supposed to be comrades, the atmosphere between us was terrible.  

Feeling like the cold silence was my fault, I forced myself to lighten the mood by speaking up.  

“…Uh, Father, aren’t you scared? It’s so dark everywhere, but you’re walking ahead so confidently….”  

“Because evil lurks in the shadows, always waiting for a chance to corrupt humanity. They hide in the darkness, waiting for an opportunity to strip away humanity and morality. The stench of evil is nauseating, so I can navigate the darkness.”  

“…Uh-huh.”  

Honestly, I always thought I was bad at relationships.  

But it seems there’s someone worse than me.  

Right here, right now.  

Of course, he’s better off than me, who’s timid and indecisive, but I still can’t bring myself to like him.  

The future already seems bleak.  

Can I really do this?  

With someone like this?  

Anyway, lost in such thoughts, we walked for a while.  

Step, step…  

“Ah… here we are.”  

A large sign with the letter “A” painted in peeling paint came into view.  

We had finally reached the depths of the industrial complex, Zone A.  

AlucardLovesFish