Chapter 21 : Study In Crimson (1)

The scheme of the vampire baron Hoover that had unfolded in Barrington finally came to an end.

In the process, I had no choice but to reveal to the undertaker and Luerin that I was one of Lily’s thralls.

Luerin was shocked but, rather unexpectedly, seemed to accept it.

“Hah, well, I guess it makes sense. There’s no way my master would take in trash like you. If you were a thrall, then everything makes sense now.”

“You’re the one who got beaten half to death by that ‘trash,’ though.”

…

At my offhand comment, Luerin quietly turned her head away.

In any case, what remained was the aftermath.

Nearly a tenth of the city had burned down in the fire, leaving many dead and displaced.

Yet, the undertaker and Camilla didn’t seem particularly concerned about the city’s damage.

“Anyway, we accomplished our goal. The rest is for the city council to deal with. Honestly, if the hunters hadn’t intervened in time, more people would have died at the hands of the enemy’s forces.”

That was Camilla’s explanation. I asked cautiously,

“Aren’t the city leaders upset with us?”

“Not at all. If anything, they’re grateful.”

It seemed the vampire hunter guild had been around for so long that it had already established influence in most cities.

I couldn’t tell whether it was thanks to the exceptional skill of Guildmaster Aila, or if there were just that many vampires hiding in the world.

But still—

“Hmm. So this guy really died in the end.”

Camilla let out a soft sigh as she looked at the hunchback’s cold, lifeless body.

The only casualty for the guild was the Barrington branch’s local manager.

Camilla placed a hand on my shoulder as I silently stared at the corpse.

“Don’t be too heartbroken, Aiden. He wasn’t an official hunter, more like a local collaborator. He knew the risks when he volunteered, and the guild gave him the treatment he deserved.”

“But still…”

I couldn’t take my eyes off the dead hunchback.

In the end, wasn’t it because we weren’t perfect enough that this man died?

Was it guilt I was feeling?

Just as that thought came to mind—

“Considering everything, the damage is relatively small. Vampires exploit civilians for their blood. If all it cost us was one local collaborator’s life, it’s actually a cheap price to pay. Of course, it’s sad, but there’s no need to blame yourself.”

“…Is that so?”

“That’s right. If you truly want to save everyone, Aiden, then all you have to do is become stronger.”

“Like the Father?”

Camilla gave a smile in response to my question.

“Yeah. Like the Father.”

Returning to the hunter guild wasn’t exactly smooth.

First off, a sudden blizzard trapped us in a cabin for a couple of days.

While drying out the wet firewood and warming ourselves by the flames, I had a chance to talk to Luerin.

“How much magic can you use?”

At my question, Luerin snorted.

Magic clearly seemed to be a point of pride for her.

“Fire arrows, fire whips, and all sorts of flame-based spells—I can use pretty much any fire magic. By mage hierarchy, I’d say I’m somewhere in the mid-to-upper tier.”

At some point, Luerin had started speaking informally.

I didn’t mind—it meant she saw me as someone close.

Besides, as a senior from the sanctuary, it was only natural for her to speak that way.

Still, seeing her smug expression stirred a bit of mischief in me.

“Can you turn a human into a frog?”

“…Wait, do you seriously think I’m a witch or something?”

Seeing her react the same way as Aila once had, I couldn’t help but think: like master, like student.

As I stared into the crackling campfire, I suddenly recalled something the undertaker had once told me.

Things between us didn’t seem too hostile now—at least not anymore.

So I cautiously asked,

“I heard you were nearly burned at the stake.”

At my words, Luerin fell silent.

Her face was cloaked in the firelight’s flickering shadows, making it hard to read.

But when she finally spoke, her voice was hoarse—it wasn’t a topic she was eager to discuss.

“Yeah. I almost was. Just like my parents.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“You too.”

Luerin tossed the words out casually.

I turned to look at her, wondering what she meant—only to find that she was already looking at me.

There was a deep sadness in her expression.

“Your little sister almost got caught in a witch hunt, right? And she turned out to be a pureblood.”

“That’s right.”

“You want her back, don’t you?”

“That’s also right.”

“I get it. If my parents were still alive, I would’ve done anything to see them again.”

The real witch, Luerin, gave a bitter smile and tossed another log into the fire.

The blizzard howled, slamming against the cabin windows.

After a moment of restless quiet, Luerin looked at me and spoke again.

“Also, you can talk casually with me.”

“…Sorry?”

“If what the Guildmaster said is true, you and I are on the same team now. Whether we like it or not, we’ll be spending a lot of time together—no need to keep distance for no reason.”

I nodded in agreement at her words.

“Okay, Luerin.”

“Call me ‘senior.’”

“…What?”

“I didn’t give you permission to use my name yet.”

“Alright then… senior.”

Only then did Luerin seem satisfied, her shoulders lifting slightly in contentment.

Well, I suppose I could consider her a second friend after Sophia.

After five days of travel, we finally returned to Glacialcliff, where the headquarters of the Hunter’s Guild was located.

The first person we ran into was Guildmaster Aila.

When she saw the undertaker wearing a disgruntled expression, she greeted us with a mischievous grin.

“Looks like you’ve figured out the situation in detail without me having to explain anything.”

“Guildmaster, if you had explained everything from the start, this kid wouldn’t have had to resort to using blood magic.”

“Well, there’s that saying—seeing is believing. Besides, it made convincing him a whole lot easier.”

It was clear the undertaker was still annoyed that I hadn’t been warned ahead of time about my nature as a vampire’s thrall.

“Undertaker, she says she’s sorry.”

“What pisses me off the most is that they sent me to monitor some rookie like him. What, was I supposed to handle his execution too?”

The undertaker glared sharply.

Aila silently raised a finger to her lips—a wordless demand for quiet.

He shut his mouth, though his expression was still full of displeasure.

“Tch. Let’s talk about this later.”

Bang!

With a harsh shove, the undertaker slammed the door and left.

“Sorry about the wait. He’s got a bit of a temper, that guy.”

Aila turned to me with a warm smile.

But I couldn’t ignore the words the undertaker had just let slip—monitor, execute.

Clearly, those weren’t meant in any friendly context.

Perhaps it was the safety measure Aila had arranged to keep the guild safe while bringing in someone like me—a vampire’s thrall.

Maybe the unease I felt showed on my face, because Aila quickly changed the subject.

“So, Aiden. How was your first hunt? Or rather, your second one?”

I gave a wry smile.

Camilla had said the hunt was a success, but I couldn’t shake off the discomfort over the loss we suffered.

It wasn’t guilt—it was closer to frustration that we hadn’t claimed a flawless victory against the vampires.

“I need to become stronger. For Lily… and to follow in the priest’s footsteps.”

Aila whistled at my resolve.

“Right. Honestly, I’d have the priest train you personally, but he hasn’t returned yet.”

She gave me a sly smile.

“So I found someone else who’ll help you grow stronger.”

“Someone who’ll make me stronger?”

“Yep. You can think of her as a mentor of sorts.”

“The undertaker?”

“Nope, he’s too busy handling executions. And physical training is something you’ll naturally pick up anyway. What I’m talking about is… more like a change in your constitution.”

“My… constitution?”

“You’ll see. Come on in.”

As the conversation began to stretch without answers, Aila waved her hand in mild irritation.

The door opened magically.

A woman with jet-black hair peeked her head in.

Her skin was so pale she almost looked like a vampire herself.

She looked no older than twenty and wore a spotless white coat, like some alchemist just stepped out of a lab.

“Let me introduce you. A hunter of the guild—her name is Eleonora. Her alias: the Inquisitor.”

“The Inquisitor…?”

I glanced over at the woman, Eleonora.

Despite the ominous nickname, she didn’t look particularly fierce.

In fact, she looked utterly worn out—hair unkempt, dark circles under her eyes, and cheeks sunken as if she hadn’t eaten in days.

She looked more like a corpse than a warrior.

Could someone with that kind of body even swing a sword properly?

As those doubts crossed my mind, Eleonora suddenly turned her head toward Aila.

“Guildmaster… don’t tell me this is the one—”

“That’s right. He’s a vampire’s thrall. A pureblood’s, no less.”

Aila confirmed it.

Eleonora slowly approached me.

For a moment, her dull eyes glimmered.

“What’s your name, kid?”

“Aiden,” I said.

“Alright. Aiden…”

She spoke in a voice so gentle and sweet it could have been a lullaby.

“…Can I lick your body?”

“…”

What the hell was that?