Chapter 391
Chapter 391. Experts
Well then, it’s Hero Alexander, having just arrived at the city-state of Tudoi on the eastern shore of Aulitos Lake.
“Are we supposed to meet the Vampire Hunters here?”
“It’s a bit earlier than planned. I hope they’ve gathered properly.”
As soon as we landed, Arthur and I hurried towards the Holy Church. Tudoi, being a trading hub, was bustling with activity, more so than any other city-state we had visited so far. Various goods from the eastern continent traveled through this city, crossing Aulitos Lake to reach various locations.
If we had the time, I would have liked to explore the market with Leila.
But knowing there were multiple vampires, we couldn’t afford to dawdle. After consulting with Captain of the NeedAlun, we decided to expedite our journey to Tudoi and skip several towns we were supposed to visit afterward, heading directly into the dubious waters between the city-state of Atetai and the Duchy of Hamilton.
As far as I could tell, I only got responses regarding people who had died suddenly, either of illness or accidents, when I tried to call out last night and this morning…
“We can’t skip Tudoi.”
Arthur said, wearing a troubled expression.
“The Vampire Hunters we’re supposed to meet are essential combatants for hunting vampires, and they also need to protect the crew of the NeedAlun. With just Alex and me, we might be strong in combat, but we lack manpower.”
That’s true. We can’t protect the crew with just the two of us. While we are both combat professionals, we aren’t tracking specialists. If we want to effectively hunt vampires, we should request the cooperation of the Vampire Hunters.
‘What kind of people are these Vampire Hunters, anyway?’
Antende chimed in.
Well, the Vampire Hunters are essentially priests who have intensely educated themselves in the know-how of vampire hunting, along with specialists from various races.
‘Oh, various races, huh?’
It was rare for the Holy Church, which mainly consisted of humans, to officially include Forest Elves and Beastmen as members. We humans alone aren’t sufficient to corner vampires that are genuinely trying to hide.
The Forest Elves use magic and bows. The Beastmen rely on their sense of smell and physical abilities. The priests utilize holy silver spells and various types of magic to pursue and eliminate vampires to the ends of the earth.
Well, I’ve only met them a few times in my past life, so I don’t know all that much about them. They are trained to predict vampire movement patterns and behavior based on past data spanning several hundred years and efficiently hunt them down.
They should be much more reliable than aimlessly searching around with Leila.
“Moreover, I was also supposed to collect additional fees for the NeedAlun crew here in Tudoi…”
Arthur shrugged while walking.
Ah, well, that can’t be skipped…
—The NeedAlun has bravely followed us through this extremely dangerous journey. Their strong sense of justice against the vampires, along with the hefty rewards promised by the Holy Church, are significant reasons, but what determined them most was their trust in Arthur.
If someone who even chased away the “Demon Lord of Aulitos” believed that he could protect them from the vampires, they would trust him enough to accept that there was a chance they may end up being bait with the NeedAlun.
If this request had come from some sudden hero out of nowhere, they would have surely declined without hesitation. That’s also one of the reasons it’s difficult to rent a new ship and rush into dangerous waters. Who would volunteer to go with a random Joe who couldn’t even use magic, especially if there might be vampires around? Even offering them a fortune wouldn’t sway them.
‘On the contrary, those who jump at the opportunity with an unseeing of danger just for the money raise concerns of their own…’
You’re not wrong.
“…We need to wrap this up quickly.”
At my words, Arthur nodded silently. As a result of rushing the journey, we couldn’t even spend half a day with our families in Tudoi, and we were skipping towns where we were originally supposed to stop afterward.
Of course, each city-state had wives and children waiting for them. Some had pregnant wives who were close to giving birth, it seemed. No matter the mission, Arthur must be feeling bitter about it…
While lost in thought, we arrived at the Holy Church in Tudoi. Being a prosperous city, it was a remarkably impressive church even in these times.
“I am Hero Arthur. I believe you received prior notice.”
“Ha! Allow me to show you the way, please follow me.”
Led by the monk, we were brought to the rear of the Holy Church. Given the nature of our visit, I didn’t bring Leila along.
Stepping into a larger lounge, several individuals from various races were lounging about, relaxing.
Their gazes shifted toward us.
“This is Arthur Hilburn, the person in charge of this matter. And here is my colleague, Hero Alexander.”
“Nice to meet you.”
I gave a slight bow.
“…Is everyone gathered?”
“Tiisan and the Leitor group haven’t arrived yet. The original meeting was scheduled for the day after tomorrow…”
A middle-aged priest, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, responded in a deep voice. He had a distinctly chiseled face with a white scar that looked like it had been inflicted by claws near his left eye.
“I apologize for the sudden summons regarding that.”
“…Oh, I’m not blaming you, you know? I’m merely stating the facts… so don’t worry about it.”
He waved his hand casually to the polite bow of Arthur, opting not to wear the traditional white robes commonly associated with priests but donned a long red-black coat that blended with the night, along with a matching broad-brimmed hat.
In the middle of summer, no less.
‘Looks like it’d be super hot.’
Perhaps there was a decent enchantment on it… something protective against magic beyond just that, maybe temperature-maintaining… He definitely gives off a vibe of a seasoned warrior…
“Please forgive my late introduction; I am Bishop Lexar Marthihunt, specializing in vampire hunting.”
Gah! A bishop!!
My impression of this person skyrocketed in danger. Normally, someone at his rank and age would be managing a local church, yet here he was, still out chasing vampires!
‘He could be one of your kind.’
Apparently, his family fell victim to vampires when he was young, and he was rescued by a heroic priest just before he was killed himself. He successfully manifested the holy attribute during his coming-of-age ceremony and became a vampire hunting specialist. The scar on his left eye is one he chose to keep as a reminder of that time. So he wouldn’t lose his thirst for revenge… It resonates with me so hard!
Then, we entered a brief introduction session. Everyone seemed to have their backstories and pasts, but two individuals stood out.
One of them was a calm-looking female Forest Elf.
“I am Yesera del Montagne. As you can see, I’m an archer.”
With a magical longbow slung over her back, she wore a simple tunic and has been hunting and killing vampires ever since her sister was murdered by one five hundred years ago. Five hundred years ago, around the time the overbearing ancestor vampire, Zetz, was vanquished and the Night Kingdom (a country where vampires held power like the Demon Lord Kingdom) fell. It must have been a tumultuous period with vampires who escaped from the Night Kingdom rampaging in various places.
But wow, she’s a living witness to history, that’s incredible…
‘Hmph, five hundred years old is still just a young girl to me.’
Even though she’s an elf, she looks too youthful. Maybe she has some blood from the High Elves?
‘Please don’t ignore me…’
The other was a young wolf Beastman with black fur.
“I am Rujiakka, pleased to meet you.”
He introduced himself cheerfully, but his appearance was bizarre. First off, both of his eyes were covered with a blindfold, and he was also wearing a leather mask over the tip of his pointed nose.
“They say Rujiakka here is the best among us…”
Bishop Lexar commented, noticing my curious gaze.
“No… To be more precise, I should say he has a keen sense of smell…”
“I can’t see since birth, you know!”
Rujiakka flipped up his eye patch, revealing his murky white eyes.
“In exchange, I have the best sense of smell amongst my clan!”
He tapped the leather mask on his nose with his fingers. His remarkable sense of smell was a hindrance even in daily life, making a mask essential while in the city.
“I can smell the stinky odor of vampires from far away! Even if they hide in water, they’ll eventually struggle to come up for air. When they do, the evaporated moisture reeks and wafts through the wind towards me!”
It seems vampires have a distinctly foul odor—perhaps the scent of blood or something like that—and Rujiakka boasts that he could detect them even if they were dozens of kilometers away as long as the wind was in his favor.
And judging by the surrounding reactions, he must have a notable track record.
“Uh, um, good sir, is your name Alexander?”
Sniffing keenly, Rujiakka focused his murky eyes on me.
“You sure do smell like a strong dragon!”
