Chapter 16 : Mask Of The Red Death – (2)

Theories learned in the training center were nothing compared to the advice given by a seasoned veteran in the field.

I had no intention of wasting this opportunity to spend time with Undertaker, a veteran hunter.

“Why do hunters use aliases?”

I started by asking about aliases.

Aila had told me that hunters preferred to use aliases instead of their real names, but she hadn’t explained why.

At my question, the Undertaker’s expression stiffened slightly.

“High-ranking vampire blood mages—True Ancestor blood mages—can cast curses simply by knowing your real name. That’s why we use aliases.”

True Ancestor.

That word made me flinch involuntarily.

If that’s the case, does that mean I, a servant of a True Ancestor, can cast curses too?

And if so… how am I any different from someone like Aila, a witch?

“My lord…”

“Call me Undertaker.”

“Ah, yes. Why are you called Undertaker?”

He let out a small chuckle at my question and answered.

“There’s no special meaning to it.”

“No meaning?”

“Yeah. A hunter’s alias is usually given by a senior hunter. I got mine from the one above me. He died last year.”

I shut my mouth at those last words.

I’d heard it before—vampire hunting was one of the deadliest professions out there.

It was the reason why there were so few older hunters, like the priest.

Undertaker grinned as if pleased by my reaction.

“Don’t worry. We weren’t that close. Besides, it’s not like you’re guaranteed to die. If things get too rough, you can always switch to clerical work at the Hunter’s Guild. Maybe even teach at the training center. Not that I’m planning to. Still got some fight left in me.”

“A-ah, right.”

“So stay sharp during this hunt. Wouldn’t want to die before you even become a proper hunter, right?”

“Is this hunt dangerous?”

“Dangerous? Every hunt is dangerous. Death is always lurking. Never underestimate it.”

Undertaker spoke in general terms at first.

“But the vampire viscount we’re hunting this time won’t be an easy target.”

“I see… What exactly is a vampire viscount?”

“Vampires form bloodlines, and within those bloodlines are ranks. Viscounts are usually parasites clinging to earls, but some manage to break free and form their own territories outside their bloodlines. That’s the kind we’re after.”

“Are they strong?”

“Do you remember that vampire, Jursach, you said you killed?”

I nodded.

I wasn’t dumb enough to forget a vampire I personally exploded.

“He was on the level of a vampire viscount. Right. This hunt is not the kind of job you bring a bunch of training center brats to.”

Jursach, the vampire blood mage, had been caught rather absurdly—but that was thanks to my enhanced vision and the priest’s combat power.

Had we not been there, Jursach would have turned all the villagers into his thralls and gradually expanded his influence.

Undertaker’s warning made complete sense now.

“Then why are you taking us trainees along on this hunt?”

“It was the witch’s request.”

“The witch?”

“That’s the alias of Guildmaster Aila. What do you think?”

At his question, I thought back to Aila’s past words and actions.

“It suits her. Though I bet she absolutely hates it.”

“Haha, yeah. Just don’t ever call her by that alias in front of the Guildmaster—not even as a joke. You might actually die.”

I could already feel it.

That burning stare from behind.

When I turned, Luerin was glaring daggers at me.

Of course, she wouldn’t be thrilled about her mentor being called a ‘witch.’

But when our eyes met, she quickly turned her head away.

I guess the emotional trauma from our previous duel was stronger than her loyalty to her master.

“Anyway, Guildmaster Aila ordered me to bring you all along on this hunt. She probably had multiple reasons, but it’s most likely because you’re promising talents.”

“Promising talents?”

“Not only do you have the Guildmaster’s personal recommendation, but you’re also the first hunter the Priest has ever endorsed. I’m sure she wants to assess your capabilities.”

In other words, this was a kind of test arranged by Aila.

For some reason, Luerin seemed to be fired up with competitive spirit, but I wasn’t particularly concerned.

After all, that woman—Luerin—was pathetically weak.

After that, the conversation returned to more mundane topics.

Evening fell, and we decided to camp out.

Later that night, I stayed by the campfire, chatting with Camilla.

“What kind of hunt did the Priest go on?”

At my question, Camilla fed a piece of kindling into the fire and answered:

“The bloodline that Jursach belonged to is called the Golden Bloodline. He went to gather information on them. There’s a high chance that a vampire duke—or even a True Ancestor—is involved. But the Priest prefers to hunt alone.”

He was truly a lone wolf—there was no better word to describe him.

To stand against the Vampire Queen, I’d need to be someone who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with someone like him.

I still had a long way to go.

I was still lacking. That’s why…

“Are you thinking about that sister of yours, Lily?”

Camilla must’ve read my expression and asked, guessing the general idea.

She had let her black hair flow loose instead of tying it up, and it gave her a slightly more mature air.

“Yes. I’ve been wondering how I might get Lily back.”

At my reply, Camilla gave me a gentle smile.

“Family love is a powerful thing.”

“Don’t you have family too, Camilla?”

“I did.”

Past tense.

I didn’t pry.

Neither I, nor Sophia, nor Camilla—none of us became hunters without having lost something precious.

Just then, across the fire, my eyes met Luerin’s.

I wondered what kind of past she carried.

Before I could ask, she hurriedly ducked into her tent.

“What the hell did you do to that girl?”

Camilla asked.

I gave a bitter smile.

There was no way I could say I’d smashed three of her teeth and broken her nose.

After about a week of traveling, we finally reached our destination.

It was a city—not too big, not too small.

Larger than Glacialcliff, where the main Hunter’s Guild was located, but far smaller than Stormgate, where

I’d spent my childhood.

“This is Berrington, a small city. First, let’s stop by the local branch.”

“Branch?”

“The Hunter’s Guild has branches all over the place. They’re kind of like information hubs.”

Camilla explained in his place, and I nodded.

Now that I thought about it, on our way north to the training center, we’d stayed at a strange facility instead of an inn.

“Oh my, if it isn’t the Undertaker himself! I received your letter. Here for a hunt, are we?”

The head of the Berrington branch was a hunchbacked man.

He twitched his mustache constantly and kept bowing deeply.

He was surprisingly accommodating, providing us with lodging and other conveniences.

Thanks to that, we were able to quickly formulate our strategy.

Before we could even rest from the journey, the hunchback returned with a city map and began explaining the situation.

“A plague has broken out recently.”

“A plague?”

“Yes. It began in the old city and has started to spread to the surrounding districts. It’s quite terrifying. Red blotches appear on the skin, the victim suffers immense pain, and before long, blood starts to seep from the body… and then they die.”

“Ugh… eugh…”

At the grotesque description, Luerin shuddered.

Judging by her reaction, it seemed she wasn’t used to these types of conversations—suggesting she’d led quite a sheltered life.

“So, what does this plague have to do with the vampire we’re supposed to hunt?”

I asked, and Camilla answered.

“Well, because the one spreading it is the vampire. Especially a disease that makes people bleed—it’s easier to narrow down the culprit in cases like this.”

“Easier to narrow down?”

At my question, the hunchback replied,

“Yes. We call it the Red Death.”

The sinister name caused Luerin to hiccup again.

We were briefed on the overall situation by the hunchback.

The Red Death plaguing Berrington was the work of a vampire baron.

“He’s likely trying to collect blood en masse to elevate his status as a vampire. Disgusting and petty tactics.”

The Undertaker, having grasped the situation, twisted his lips in clear displeasure.

“It’s safe to assume the vampire baron is hiding within the old city. But Berrington’s old city is quite large. It’s almost certain he’s hiding there, but if he’s a blood mage, he’ll be very good at concealing his presence. It could take a while to track him down.”

“Then we won’t need to worry about that,”

Camilla said, placing a hand on my shoulder and giving it a light squeeze.

“Eiden here’s a walking bloodhound.”

“A bloodhound?”

“He’s got a good nose. Can pick up the scent of blood really well.”

“Hm.”

The Undertaker looked at me with interest.

I frowned.

Should I be grateful that Camilla introduced me as a human bloodhound, or should I be annoyed at being called a bloodhound at all? I wasn’t sure.

“I-I can find him too!”

Luerin suddenly cut in, apparently unwilling to just watch me take the spotlight.

“I learned a tracking spell from the Guildmaster. As long as there’s a victim’s corpse nearby, I can follow the flow of blood to locate the vampire.”

Two trackers now stood before the group.

The Undertaker, studying both of us, eventually nodded.

“Then let’s split into two teams. I’ll take the rookie recommended by the Priest. Camilla, you go with the Guildmaster’s apprentice. Regroup here before sunset.”

“Sounds good to me,”

Camilla said with a nod.

But something about what the Undertaker said caught my attention.

“Camilla… he called you ‘Rose’?”

I tilted my head, confused.

Camilla nudged me in the side.

“That’s my alias. The Priest gave it to me. But don’t go around calling me that—it’s embarrassing.”

Rose.

Rose, huh…

I looked at Camilla.

“…Ah.”

She really was a thorny flower.