Chapter 373
Chapter 373: Habitat Estimate
It’s definitively confirmed that a vampire is lurking in Aulitos Lake—
The real problem is figuring out where the hell in this massive lake it is hiding.
“Do you have any ideas about roughly where it might be lurking?”
Just now, a corpse has washed ashore, and the fact that Arthur came to this town for an investigation— suggests he had some expectations, right?
“No, unfortunately, I haven’t narrowed it down yet. I just happened to stop by this town as a boat guardian.”
Oh, so that’s not it.
“However, the fact that a corpse washed ashore here has reinforced my hypothesis somewhat.”
“Oh really?”
“Most likely, this vampire is a purebred from the Demon Lord Kingdom, or at the very least, a subordinate from another region who moved into Aulitos Lake within the last eight months.”
Arthur scooped up some sand and let it fall, the white sand scattering in the wind—
“Alex isn’t from around here, right?”
He suddenly looked up with a gentle smile.
“…May I ask why you think that?”
“If it’s from the lake, it wouldn’t be ‘touring’ in this way.”
“…Makes sense. Yeah, I’m from the western part of the continent…”
I adjusted the collar of my shirt, feeling strangely itchy around my neck.
“Ah… I see. From the west… Then you probably don’t know that the water flow of Aulitos Lake varies by season. In summer, it’s the north wind, and in winter, the south wind changes the wave direction.”
The sand he let flow in the wind— ah, I can see where this is going.
“Eight months… So before last summer, there hadn’t been any ‘mysterious water corpses’ washing up?”
“Good deduction. Since last autumn, it seems the vampire has taken residence in the lake and has been discarding corpses like this; they’d likely have washed up on the northern coast. And recently, the north is in disarray.”
Arthur shrugged, citing the unstable political situation.
“Efforts to hunt aquatic beasts have stagnated, the lake pirates are rampant, so one or two water corpses might wash ashore without drawing attention. That’s why the existence of the vampire has been hard to reveal, and taking advantage of not being noticed, that vampire has gotten sloppier with its corpse disposal…”
“But seasons change, and as the lake’s water flow switches, the wash-up locations also change. And the vampire probably doesn’t even realize that…”
“Exactly. I considered the possibility that it might be changing its ‘hunting ground,’ but there don’t seem to be any missing persons near the areas where the corpses washed up.”
“I see. So it’s more likely that the vampire is territorial to the northern coast?”
“Probably. Still, it’s quite vast…”
Arthur shook his head with a worried expression.
…It is vast. If Arthur had already narrowed down the suspicious areas, I could’ve asked Leila for a quick trip and enjoyed a nice long vacation hunting vampires…
“That wouldn’t really be a vacation…”
No, wait, it’d mainly be an ambush, would it really be that relaxing…?
“Nevertheless, the fact that a corpse washed ashore here is a significant puzzle piece. Our captain is quite a skilled sailor, so combining the past data may help us narrow down some locations based on the water flow.”
Arthur clasped his hands over the corpse and offered a brief prayer.
“…I’m also currently on leave and back at Aulitos Lake. I’d like to settle this matter during the summer… It’s unacceptable to think that a dark entity is lurking somewhere in my homeland, right?”
“Absolutely unacceptable!!”
I nodded vigorously.
I completely understand that feeling! I get it very well!
“I’m glad you understand. So, I truly appreciate you, Alex, for exterminating those Night Elves.”
“It was nothing, really!”
“I heard you were on vacation too, just here for sightseeing—”
Oh?
Why does Arthur look a bit apologetic while smiling…?
“—By any chance, do you have any concrete plans after this?”
…Ah—
Ahhh—
“If you’re planning to enjoy the sights of Aulitos Lake… how about joining us on our ship? Having a skilled person like you, Alex, would be reassuring.”
I see now!!
That’s the kind of vibe it is!!
“Alex…!!”
Suddenly, I felt a tugging on my sleeve from behind. I turned and saw Leila with slightly furrowed brows, looking deep in thought… It’s as if she’s trying hard to hide her expression.
“…Is she Alex’s girlfriend?”
Arthur looked away awkwardly, seemingly a bit uncomfortable.
“Sorry for interrupting your date. She probably isn’t from around here, right? I’d like to think so.”
“…Why’s that?”
“Because she’s too fair-skinned; I figured she must be from elsewhere. If she is from elsewhere, she’s likely traveling with you, so it wouldn’t make sense for you to move around while leaving her behind here… Of course, if she comes with you, I can cover her fare. If she needs to part halfway, I’ll cover the return fare as well.”
Wow, he’s really thoughtful…
“It means he values you as a strong asset. You’re the kind of guy who finds and eliminates infiltrators the moment you arrive for a vacation.”
Yeah, if I were in Arthur’s position, I would try to recruit him as an ally.
“It’s not like I’m trying to interrupt a date or anything…!”
Leila raised her voice, unusually upset.
“Alex is on leave…!”
She hesitated for a moment, probably because she recalled that Arthur mentioned he was on leave too.
“I’m really sorry about that. But even if you were to come along, it would still be a break. Generally speaking, it’s a tranquil boat trip, and we’ll dock at various towns, so it could be sightseeing too… Well, we might occasionally be attacked by magical beasts, but no hero would just sit around during a crisis on the ship…”
“There’s no way someone would say, ‘I won’t fight because I’m on leave.’ If such a hero or priest exists, I’d smack them down.”
“I understand…! That’s why I really want… to have a peaceful time… here, just quietly…!!”
Leila’s desperation is— I probably can guess why.
I can’t just look away from this situation—
“I often hear this from my wife and kids…”
Arthur’s gaze fell, and he shrank back a bit. Oh, so he’s married… Well, with a handsome guy like him, no one would overlook him…
“However, it’s sort of a hero’s saga. I can’t just sit still during times like this.”
Right? He looked at me with those eyes, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
That’s right.
Now that I think about it, I can’t pretend I didn’t see anything. My objective is to wipe out the Night Elf spies, but if there are dark entities around, I’ll certainly take them out.
Especially, a vampire lurking in the lake— how could I just let that go?
Leila and I could search around, but from the sounds of it, Arthur has a pretty solid idea of the water areas. It would be a shame to forego valuable leads to split up. It might be worth sticking with Arthur until he gathers the next clue.
Just—
“Sorry, but…”
As I casually opened my mouth, Leila, who had partially resigned, looked up with “Eh?” and Arthur blinked, surprised.
“—Could you wait for my answer for one day?”
I raised my index finger, and Arthur slapped his forehead and nodded awkwardly, “Of course!”
“We’re the ones making an audacious request here. I can’t demand you decide right here and now. Really, Alex, if you have your own matters, please prioritize those… Just… Please discuss it well with your girlfriend…”
Arthur glanced at Leila.
“Ah, that would be helpful.”
“Sorry about that, truly. My ship, in fact, will be docked in this town until the day after tomorrow, so once you have a conclusion, could you let me know at the Holy Church or the port? It’s the ship NeedAlun.”
“Oh, you’ll be here until the day after tomorrow?”
What’s this—! That basically counts as a vacation now.
“Got it, let’s do that. I’m leaning towards considering it positively.”
“Thank you! Then, until next time.”
Arthur prayed over the corpse one more time before departing.
“Um… Hero! Good luck!”
“Cheering for you!”
“May you be blessed!”
The soldiers who called out to Arthur’s back turned their expectant gazes toward me with “Of course, you’ll do the same, right?” and I couldn’t help but smile.
But that’s how a hero is.
“I’m not sure if I’ll accompany him, but I have no intention of letting the vampire go. Whatever it takes, I’ll turn it to ashes.”
“Ooo…!”
The soldiers were ablaze with excitement.
Meanwhile, Leila… when I turned around, she was brimming with enthusiasm, or rather, a fierce determination to kill.
“There’s no helping it. Since it’s come to this, I’ll give it my all…”
Ah, she’s tightly gripping her skirt…!
“I’ll give it my all… and kill that vampire…!!”
S-Sorry…
“W-Well, leisurely cruising through various places on a ship isn’t a bad idea…”
Plus, I might be able to wipe out the Night Elves along the way—
But then again, that’s provided I’m going along with them.
“? Hero, is there something still?”
One of the beastman soldiers tilted his head as I gently knelt beside the corpse.
“Actually, I just need to investigate a bit more.”
I quietly— cut a strand of hair left on the corpse with a knife.
Where he was killed, how he was attacked.
—If I could ask him directly, that would be the most straightforward way.
