Ch.452Episode 17 – The Blood-Drinking Tree

# The Order sent reinforcements to Al-Yabd after proposing cooperation.

Inquisitors, exorcist priests, scholars from the archives who manage and study ancient texts, and a battalion-level force of holy knights.

I wondered if they really needed to dispatch so many people just to kill one vampire… but seeing that Al-Yabd had deployed similar numbers, they must have their reasons.

If two religious organizations that normally view each other like cattle had joined forces, there must be a compelling reason. A reason that the religious folk knew, even if I didn’t.

Just as intelligence work is the domain of intelligence agents, undead and demonic matters are the expertise of religious officials, aren’t they? The Inquisition and the Punishment Committee might be able to solve this vampire problem.

Okay. I’ll leave the situation to them for now. I’ll prioritize looking after Camilla, Lucia, and Francesca, and just drop by occasionally to gather information.

Specialization and division of labor. It was the perfect plan.

So the plan was perfect.

Just the plan.

## Episode 17 – The Blood-Drinking Tree

“Our little sister~”

Anyone who could address the Order’s only two saints with such familiarity must either be a high-ranking clergy member or someone with deep personal connections.

In that sense, there was only one person who could call Saint Lucia by the affectionate term “our little sister.”

“Big sister…?”

“Lucia~!”

Veronica embraced Lucia tightly. Lucia, who had just finished her medical rounds and was packing her doctor’s bag, blinked her rabbit-like eyes repeatedly as she found herself in the woman’s embrace.

“How did you get here?”

“I came to see my little sister, of course. Didn’t you miss your big sister?”

“Of course I missed you. I’m so happy to see you.”

“Yes, yes. You’re happy to see your sister? My adorable little sister.”

Veronica stroked Lucia’s hair while adding cooing sounds like “aww, is that so? there, there~,” causing Lucia to give an embarrassed, awkward smile.

It was a reunion between two people who hadn’t seen each other in a while.

“Uh, um….”

To my eyes, knowing the relationship between Veronica and Lucia well, this scene didn’t look particularly strange.

However, watching Lucia smile awkwardly while Veronica doted on her like a baby regardless of her discomfort gave me an odd feeling.

Like watching a middle-aged woman acting childishly…

“Major?”

“…Ah, yes.”

“Why are you looking at us with such irreverent eyes? Perhaps you were thinking something inappropriate.”

“Inappropriate thoughts… It’s not like that.”

“What do you mean by ‘like that’?”

Her eyes narrowed as she gave me a suspicious glance. It had been a natural response and thought on my part, but apparently I couldn’t completely fool a saint’s intuition.

Always so quick to catch on.

I shook my head firmly and avoided her gaze. Veronica, who had been watching me with quite suspicious eyes, turned away with a “hmph” and a haughty sniff.

“How was life in Mauritania? Was there anything uncomfortable?”

“No, sister. There was no discomfort. People from volunteer organizations who have been caring for patients for a long time helped me, and the convent provided unwavering support. Of course, I received much help from many kind people, including the Alliance and the government.”

“Aww~ I’m so proud of my little sister! It seems like just yesterday you were clinging to me asking for snacks, and now look how grown up you are.”

“…S-Sister…!”

“Ahaha. You’ve worked hard, Lucia!”

Though Lucia had become a proper lady and a saint, Veronica still looked at her with loving eyes as if she were still a child.

“Ah, uh….”

Lucia bowed her head deeply, her face flushed with embarrassment. Veronica seemed to find her reaction quite amusing and waved her hand playfully.

“I’ve kept a busy person too long in my excitement. Well then, take care! See you later~”

Lucia couldn’t even say goodbye properly as she stammered in confusion.

After waving her hand in farewell, Veronica quickly slipped out and closed the door.

Watching the scene, I looked at the saint with a grumpy expression. Veronica, brushing her sideburns, began to giggle. It was quite a mischievous expression.

“Why are you looking at me like that? It’s not like this is the first time you’ve seen it.”

“…Don’t you ever get tired of it? As you said, it’s not like you’ve only teased her once or twice.”

“Tired? No way. Not at all. It’s fun every time. Each time feels new.”

“…Bullshit.”

What a weirdo, as expected.

As I rubbed my forehead with a tired expression, Veronica let out a playful laugh and continued.

“Well, let’s put aside playing with my siblings for now. Shall we get to work?”

*

Fire is humanity’s greatest invention in history.

Scholars speculate that ancient humans began to use fire after observing it occur naturally. Lightning from the sky, friction from dry leaves.

The discovery of fire led to invention. In the Neolithic period, ancestors who succeeded in artificially producing fire using flint began to actively utilize it—to drive away darkness, repel beasts, and cook food. This is where cooked food was born.

This revolutionary invention brought about the end of an era. Cooking created methods like grilling, steaming, frying, and boiling, advancing human food culture while simultaneously relegating the era of raw food consumption to obscurity.

However, even in today’s modern society, raw food culture can still be found in various places.

Sometimes in the name of tradition, sometimes as bizarre food, and occasionally as a delicacy.

“……”

Camilla, a magician from 21st century England, looked down at the bowl with a decomposing expression.

“What is this?”

The local man in military uniform responded in broken Kiyen.

“Beans. Not cooked. Our staple food. Rich nutrition.”

Whether in Mauritanian common language or local dialect, Camilla could have understood if he had spoken in whatever was comfortable, but unfortunately, the brain-translation device (presumably magical) was slightly lacking in performance when it came to interpreting awkward foreign languages.

But she could understand the meaning.

“…You want me to eat this?”

Camilla showed the “bean dish” in the bowl and asked again. It wasn’t boiled or steamed, so it couldn’t even be called a “dish”—just beans that had been roughly washed with water and placed in a bowl.

The local man in military uniform nodded with a bright smile.

“Okay to eat.”

“Gyaaaah…!”

At the instruction to eat raw beans, Camilla screamed while pulling at her hair.

“Why on earth?! Who eats beans just like this…!”

Everyone knows the infamous reputation of British cuisine, but at least British cooking includes the concept of cooking. They might make jelly from eels or stuff sardines into pies, but even the British don’t eat beans raw.

Baked beans simmered in a sweet and sour sauce until soft, or low-calorie, high-protein pea soup garnished with whipped cream and mint leaves are typical examples.

There’s no need to use England as an example. Even in rural Africa, where insect-eating and raw food cultures remain, beans are mostly boiled or cooked. For Camilla, who had traveled through all kinds of cultural regions including the Third World, being told to eat uncooked beans came as a shock.

But there was a reason for this.

“Lighting a fire is dangerous. Smoke rising high into the sky is noticeable across the vast desert. Whether it’s a caravan, raiders, or hungry monsters that are drawn to the light, smoke, and smell… no one knows.”

Francesca appeared beside Camilla, who was making a sad face. The alchemist, carrying a bundle neatly wrapped in cloth, held a bowl of beans just like Camilla’s.

Francesca gave a slight smile and offered what was not quite consolation to Camilla.

“So there’s no choice. You just have to eat them as they are.”

“Kyaaaah…!”

Camilla plopped down on the sand, threw her head back, and let out a scream. It was a shriek identical to the monster she had just vanquished.

Mauritanian continent, 45km northwest of the refugee camp, uninhabited area.

Camilla’s scream echoes in the middle of the desert.

*

“So a vampire has appeared?”

“Yes.”

As we entered the dim corridor, there was a crackling sound and the lights came on. The motion sensors had detected objects entering the corridor.

“I heard the Holy Knights discovered it. They raided a cultist hideout while retrieving Lucia’s blood and found a coffin there. You knew about this, didn’t you?”

“I was at the scene.”

“I figured as much, knowing your personality.”

Veronica entered the room at the end of the corridor. It was a temporary office prepared for the saint.

While I placed anti-eavesdropping equipment on the table, Veronica casually threw her coat onto a hanger and plopped down on the sofa.

“This has become a headache. Of all things, a vampire…”

Veronica grumbled that she had a headache. The office seemed to be filled with familiar-looking items, suggesting that the clergy had already brought her belongings.

She unlocked a wooden box and took out a dark brown stick. It was a maduro cigar with a deep color.

“A vampire. A vampire…”

“What does the Vatican say?”

“Those old fogeys always think the same way. Orders came down to eliminate it by any means necessary.”

The groups that received the order were the Inquisition and the War Ministry—the intelligence agency and the Department of Defense. The one issuing the orders was Raphael, the master of the Medius Cathedral—in other words, the Pope.

While Veronica sucked on the cigar before lighting it, I took one cigar from her box.

Her reddish lips left the cigar, and one eyebrow raised.

“Major. Why are you taking my cigar?”

“Is it too precious?”

“You should at least ask permission. How can you just take it without even asking…”

“Try talking like that normally. You never say anything when it’s just the two of us.”

“…Ahem. Anyway!”

I borrowed her special matches to light the cigar and savored its taste and aroma. After waiting for the cigar to burn evenly as I rotated it, I puffed out smoke and asked Veronica a question.

“Raphael and the bishops want the vampire eliminated. Okay. Fine. Do you know how to kill a vampire?”

“No.”

Tsk. Veronica clicked her tongue briefly, buried herself in the soft leather, and continued.

“Vampires were the last undead to be eradicated hundreds of years ago. Records and documents of the eradication are kept in the archives, but there’s no one in the Order today who is knowledgeable about vampires. It’s already been more than 200 years.”

Unlike necromancers who maintain their lineage and cause various problems, or demons who still travel between hell and the mortal world, undead are completely eradicated once they’re hunted down.

Veronica explained:

“For thousands of years, religious organizations have worked to eliminate the undead. They identified the causes and blocked them, developed methods of exorcism, and so on. As a result, some undead can now only be found in fairy tales or history books. Kraken, unicorns, yeti, kikimora, doppelgangers, alraune…”

I brought the cigar close and blurted out:

“I’ve seen werewolves occasionally. A few days ago, one was caught by the Magic Department in western Abbas.”

“Well, it’s hard to kill them all. Just like how the medical community can’t eradicate infectious diseases no matter how hard they try.”

Veronica shrugged once, put down her cigar in the ashtray, and held her head.

“The Order has worked for thousands of years to reduce and eliminate the number of undead. When a parish priest received and reported damage from residents, they dispatched inquisitors and exorcist priests. If the damage was enormous or the dispatched clergy went missing, the Holy Knights were sent on an eradication mission under the Pope’s orders. Vampires were an example of this.”

This part I already knew.

“Vampires are probably the species that received the most eradication orders in church history. Once they became active, they caused casualties ranging from dozens to tens of thousands. In ancient times, the Vatican lacked resources and responded after vampire damage was reported, but as the damage accumulated, they had to take preemptive action.”

That preemptive action meant large-scale searches by the Inquisition.

The saint summarized the war between vampires and the church recorded in history:

“The foundation of religion is faith. It starts with the expectation that believing in God will bring benefits. The expectation that you’ll receive blessings while alive and peace and rest after death.”

Simply put, it’s motivation—the belief that your efforts will bear fruit and lead to rewards.

More elegantly expressed, it could be called “expectancy theory.”

“In that sense, the undead directly contradict the church’s teachings. If the consequence of abandoning faith and breaking God’s rules is not divine punishment but an immortal body, why would anyone foolishly attend church and offer donations?”

“But there must be risks. If there’s gain, there must be loss, right?”

“Desperate people don’t have the luxury to think that far. As you mentioned, the reason werewolves still exist today is because some people chose to become werewolves after seeing the advantages, don’t you think?”

“I suppose so.”

“Vampires are the same. Eternal youth, an immortal body. They can’t walk under the sun, but they live for eternity and rule the night with tremendous power as creatures of darkness. It’s an appealing option for anyone dreaming of immortality.”

Veronica said that in reality, many kings, nobles, and wealthy individuals voluntarily chose to become vampires. Dreamers who couldn’t control their desire for eternal power and wanted to build their own kingdoms. The “Countess Erzsébet” that Ibrahim mentioned was one of those many dreamers.

But everything comes with a price, and that price is a principle that even dreamers cannot escape.

“The church couldn’t just sit back and watch. If the result of abandoning faith and opposing God was immortality, eternal life, and power, the value of religion would disappear.”

God did not punish the dreamers who gave up being human.

If divine punishment didn’t come down, someone had to judge them in God’s place.

So humans decided to directly question and judge their sins.

“Isn’t it funny?”

With a cigar emitting whitish smoke in her hand and her legs crossed, the saint smiled.

“Mere humans, not angels, punishing sins in God’s place. Sometimes I wonder what the Popes are thinking.”

The gatekeeper of heaven, instead of opening the gates of heaven to the dreamers, drove them into hell with sulfur and flames. When the Pope’s orders came down, the Inquisition and the Holy Knights began to move, and Al-Yabd and Nirvana also purged vampires according to their own rules.

And so, after the last vampire was beheaded 400 years ago, the name “vampire” was erased from the world.

Or so it seemed.

“……”

As her vibrant, luscious lips parted, gray smoke dispersed into the air.

“…The scholars are analyzing the ancient texts from the archives, so a plan to eliminate the vampire will soon emerge. Once preparations are complete, we can quietly deal with it before any damage occurs.”

The saint added with a mischievous voice and a bright smile:

“After that, I can go play with you and my siblings! Right?”

Tap. Tap tap.

The sound of fingernails tapping on the armrest began. In the flowing silence, the saint gave me a strange smile.

After sitting silently and staring at Veronica, I stopped pointing my finger.

“The church that hunted vampires must know how to kill them. And surely you, who shot a demon and sent it back to hell, would be able to kill a vampire.”

“……”

“Why exactly did Raphael send you here?”

“Who knows~?”

Veronica tilted her head with a suggestive smile.

It might seem like harmless teasing or a boring joke, but the deep smile on her lips was quite vivid.

Veronica, who smiled mischievously, spread her hands wide. If this were a variety show, there might have been a “ta-da” sound effect for such a pose.

“It’s a se~cret!”

“……”

“Why don’t you try to guess! Who knows? I might even give you a reward— No, no, wait! How can you suddenly resort to violence!?”

“Come here. Let me flick your forehead.”

I wiggled my fingers, preparing to give her a forehead flick.

In the end, Veronica gained nothing but a lump on her head.

*

As the grains rode the gust and scattered and mixed, a massive whirlwind began to rage.

“Ungh…!”

The rough sandstorm not only scratched at the windows but also assaulted the skin. The sand grains were so abrasive that tears welled up even with eyes closed.

After enduring the desert’s harsh breath with her whole body, Camilla made a sad face and forcefully closed the car door she hadn’t managed to shut earlier.

“Whew… It’s no joke how hot it is. The sun is scorching, and now this wind…”

Just then, a wind arose inside the vehicle. The skin that had been sparkling with sand regained its original snow-white color, and the sand grains, carried by the wind, swirled and moved along the ceiling.

After the sandstorm escaped through the window gaps, Francesca raised the window and asked in a gentle voice:

“Are you alright now?”

“Wow! Thank you, Francesca!”

“Don’t mention it.”

The two exchanged a high-five energetically. Of course, since Francesca wasn’t familiar with high-fives, Camilla ended up doing most of it herself.

Having completed the monster elimination operation in the uninhabited area, Camilla moved closer to the air conditioner to enjoy the cool breeze.

“I feel like I’m going to die. Coming to Mauritania makes me feel like I’m being steamed alive.”

“Weren’t you fine in the Kiyen Empire? I remember you never felt cold.”

“Yeah… Strangely, I don’t feel the cold, but I seem to be sensitive to heat.”

Francesca tilted her head and muttered “Is it your constitution?” but Camilla thought differently.

As far as she knew, she wasn’t sensitive to heat. She didn’t remember suffering from the climate when traveling through Africa or the Middle East.

She had been fine even when working with Doctors Without Borders, so she wondered why she suddenly became so sensitive to heat. However, Camilla just assumed she had gotten heat exhaustion from staying in the scorching sun for too long. After all, she was now enjoying the air conditioning.

After moving away from the air conditioner as her senses cooled, Camilla asked Francesca:

“It’s been a while since we’ve had an operation in the uninhabited zone, right? How is it?”

“Yes. No problems.”

Originally, the operation to eliminate monsters in the uninhabited zone was handled by both Camilla and Francesca.

Camilla’s role, with her powerful firepower, was essentially ground forces.

When peacekeeping forces or government troops identified an area with monsters, she quickly moved in with the army and swept through the area. Caves, rocky areas, valleys—places where direct combat was necessary were Camilla’s battlefield.

In contrast, Francesca’s role was the air force.

Areas too vast to deploy troops but where fighting was necessary—for example, wide plains or the middle of the desert—were entirely Francesca’s responsibility.

-Whoosh…

Whitish smoke rises from a small dot flying in the sky. It looked like smoke or a smokescreen, but it was actually fine powder.

As the powder sprinkled in the air settled on the ground, changes occurred in the quiet desert. The surface of the calm flowing sand bubbled like boiling water, and monsters emerged from the sand in various places.

-Kieeeeeeek…!

-Shaaaaaaah…!

The monsters rolled around on the desert, continuously screaming in pain. With each roll, their outer shells and tissues stuck to the ground, and muscles and flesh were scattered on the sand with each movement.

The sorceress on the flying carpet looked down at the ground once, changed her flight path, adjusted the valve, and flew over the monsters’ heads.

The powder-covered monsters let out even louder howls and bared their teeth at the cursed sorceress, but she simply flew back to the base, leaving the desert behind.

Camilla, traveling by car, was watching the scene with quite a curious look. She was amazed that monsters could be killed so easily and impressed by Francesca, the creator of that substance.

“That’s the powder, right? The one Francesca invented.”

“Yes.”

Francesca nodded with a calm expression.

“I thought I should develop something after seeing the swarms of spiders coming from the north. The uninhabited areas where monsters mainly live are untouched by humans, so even if the army goes in to fight, it’s hard to predict victory easily. I thought we might have to face monsters again… and now it’s being used like this.”

Francesca watched silently as the powder she developed killed the monsters. There was no need or reason to feel sadness for the dying monsters.

What she was thinking about was how much budget the local government had allocated to formally adopt this powder.

“……”

The local government, which had deployed the prototype in the desert battlefield far from the border as a test, quickly realized that the powder was a much more useful weapon than the officials had expected.

After several tests, the Ministry of Defense expressed its intention to formally adopt the weapon, and after meetings, a contract was signed.

Since the powder was developed entirely by Francesca’s efforts, all profits went to her. The news that it had been adopted as a regular army weapon reached the ears of diplomats. Reports from military attachés (or intelligence officers dispatched from intelligence units) with connections to the Ministry of Defense attracted considerable attention in their home countries, and some countries made offers to conclude trade agreements. Even the Ministry of Defense of her home country, Fatalia.

Now Francesca was not just a simple alchemist or civil servant but a businesswoman who secured contracts from foreign governments. Of course, since her abilities had long been recognized in the magical community, those who knew the child of the Ranieri family accepted it without much thought.

However, Francesca herself, despite being the center of everyone’s attention, wasn’t interested in such things.

What use were wealth and honor? What she truly desired was something more abstract and profound.

However,

-‘Director Ranieri.’

“…Yes.”

-‘We’ve received a message. From the Republic of Fatalia.’

Hearing the report through the communication crystal, Francesca looked down at the crystal with a tired expression.

“From the government?”

-‘No. From your family.’

“……”

-‘I… I understand this isn’t my business, but perhaps you should consider taking the call—’

Her tightly closed lips parted, and a cold voice flowed out. The Magic Tower representative staff member had no choice but to stop speaking.

The Magic Tower delegation leader, Francesca, said:

“I’m sure I told you I had confirmed the official documents from the Oracle and the Secretariat. If it’s not that important, is there any reason I should care?”

-‘…No. I’ll handle it at my level.’

I apologize for the intrusion.

With those final words, the communication ended. Francesca, putting away the faded crystal, rested her chin on her hand and stared out the window. Suddenly, Camilla, who had been looking at the desert, spoke up:

“It’s just like the Vietnam War.”

“…What’s Vietnam?”

“Ah…!”

Camilla looked at Francesca with a surprised expression.

How should she explain this? A war between North Vietnam and the United States? Before explaining why the war broke out, should she explain what North Vietnam was? But to explain North Vietnam, she’d have to talk about communism, World War II, and the history of French colonial rule.

While pondering how to resolve this issue, a question suddenly crossed Camilla’s mind—a good question to change the awkward subject.

“There’s something like that. By the way, Francesca.”

“Yes.”

“I haven’t seen you for days. Where have you been? I was bored with Frederick gone on a business trip and you disappearing too.”

“……”

This time, it was Francesca who was taken aback.

The alchemist, faced with a question she hadn’t expected at all, smiled awkwardly and fell into thought.

“Well…”

Where should she begin? The background of Necropolis? The circumstances of the saint’s blood being stolen? Whichever topic she chose, the answer would be quite awkward.

If it became known that she had infiltrated Necropolis, brought in the Holy Knights to attack the cultists, and discovered a “coffin” there, it would be troublesome for more than a few people. Even if that wasn’t the issue, if it became known that a Magic Tower magician had infiltrated the Port of the Dead Whale, the outcasts would be the first to revolt.

While they were pleasantly throwing bombs at each other to avoid the awkward situation, a loud bell sound and vibration shook her pocket.

“Ah. Just a moment! I’m getting a call.”

“Go ahead. Don’t mind me.”

“Excuse me for a moment…”

Whew. Francesca, who sighed in relief, turned her head toward the window. Camilla apologized and quietly took out her mobile phone to press the call button.

“Yes, this is Camilla.”

The other person’s voice wasn’t audible, but it didn’t matter. Francesca, having lost interest, simply rested her chin on her hand and enjoyed the passing desert scenery.

Camilla nodded and repeatedly answered “Yes, yes.” Whoever was calling, it seemed to be quite an important contact.

“A place I need to go? Well, if I can adjust my schedule, there shouldn’t be a problem…”

Just as she was absorbed in the gentle conversation and the boring scenery,

One word from Camilla’s mouth awakened her consciousness.

“…Necropolis? Where exactly is that?”