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The members of the Order of the Holy Knights who had crawled out of the basement were too shocked to speak. They merely pointed towards the basement as if they had seen a monster.

Ibrahim, collecting testimonies from the two dazed members and the rest of the search team, took the members preparing for dismissal and descended into the underground himself.

And when he emerged again after going down, the argument broke out.

“We need to move it. Right now.”

Ibrahim insisted that the coffin should be moved immediately, while Matt countered, “You want us to carry that heavy thing through the sewer and escape? We’ve already collected the Saint’s blood; are we just going to leave it behind?”

“I can’t leave the coffin behind!”

“If we don’t move soon, the entire city is going to come after us. How about we burn it instead?”

“If it could be solved by burning it, we wouldn’t even be discussing moving it!”

“Then let’s blow it up! How are we supposed to escape while carrying such a massive coffin?”

The arguments between the two created a clear contrast, each presenting different logic and reasons in a tense standoff.

“Pull!”

The Order of the Holy Knights members, gripping the rope, strained to pull the coffin up from the basement.

“The barrier is about to disappear!”

“We’re all going to die at this rate, damn it.”

The Information Officer of the Operations Team couldn’t hide his anxious expression, declaring, “Let’s deal with the blood packs first! If they fall into the hands of cultists, the operation is over!”

I asserted that we should dispose of the blood.

In the helplessly flowing time, as the barrier reached its limit and started collapsing like a sandcastle swept away by waves—

-—!

A blue strike cleaved through the disintegrating barrier, revealing a familiar face gently grasping a rune sword.

“…I did say we should just leave, didn’t I?”

He spoke to me.

—

Episode 17 – The Tree That Drinks Blood

—

I snapped back to reality at the sound of someone knocking on the door.

Rolling my wide-open eyes, I saw the firmly shut sliding door in my line of sight. Slipping on my slippers and cautiously opening the door revealed Lucia, boasting her radiant blonde hair.

“Lucia. What brings you here?”

“I just received the test results and wanted to deliver them.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Lucia nodded with a kind smile.

She opened the files in her arms and began reading the sheets herself.

“Blood pressure is normal, and both vision and hearing are perfect. No special issues were found in the blood, and there are no skin diseases… Athletic and cognitive abilities are above average. Yes, here are the results. Congratulations.”

She congratulated me with a bright expression. Her words came from the heart.

I double-checked the test results paper, wondering if I had missed something.

Fortunately, there seemed to be no significant issues.

“Health is the best.”

“It’s the greatest blessing.”

“Same difference.”

As I organized the results, Lucia, who had been smiling, brushed her hair behind her ear, seemingly ready to say something more.

“I heard from Camila that you’ve been temporarily dispatched to the region. Did you manage to finish your work there?”

I replied while packing my belongings, “To some extent.”

“Then I’m glad to hear you returned safely. How long do you plan to stay here?”

I had no idea. I couldn’t predict when, where, or how I would need to move, so I didn’t have much to say. But seeing Lucia’s face compelled me to at least mumble something vague.

I vaguely remembered explaining something earnestly, yet the actual words I said slipped my mind.

Just as I was taking off the patient gown and changing into regular clothes…

“Oh, I almost forgot. This.”

“What is it?”

“The priest who handed me the results asked me to deliver this as well. However, I have no idea what it is.”

“……”

I stared blankly at the envelope Lucia had set down.

When she finally left, claiming she had patients to attend to, I calmly locked the door, then checked the contents.

What Lucia handed me was the test results.

However, there were details included that differed slightly from what I had just heard.

“…Psychic sensitivity, normal. Mental contamination level, normal. Distortion rate of object recognition, normal, and no reaction to artifacts.”

A detailed examination report consisting of 28 items. After thoroughly checking the contents, a sigh of relief finally escaped me.

I set the report ablaze and tossed it into the metal trash can.

Throwing off the patient gown, I perched on the bed and rubbed my face.

“……”

Then, I quietly closed my eyes and fell into thought.

—

“Have you come out, Brother Frederick?”

As I gathered my belongings and exited the patient room, an inquisitor in a clerical robe greeted me at the door.

“Did you wait long?”

“No, Brother.”

I pushed the sliding door aside and threw him a question.

“What about the others?”

“Generally, everyone who returned from the port, including the Order of the Holy Knights, is safe, but the two brothers who stayed underground for an extended period aren’t doing too well.”

“…Is it serious?”

“Not really. They’re just a bit shaken, resulting in weakened spirits.”

The inquisitor took me around to the rear of the building. Perhaps it was prepared in advance by the cult; there was a makeshift teleportation magic circle in the clearing.

In an instant, my vision narrowed and then expanded, with the desert sprawling before me. An expanse of sand as far as the eye could see. I didn’t know its name, but I was sure it was somewhere in the Mauritania Continent.

“Let’s go. Everyone is waiting.”

The inquisitor pointed to a cliff. Specifically, a path between the reddish rocks.

As I walked along that path, I suddenly turned back to the inquisitor, who was acting as a guide.

“By the way… is it true?”

“Well, what are you referring to?”

“That coffin we found underground.”

The one leading the way shot me a glance.

“Is that really a vampire inside?”

“…….”

No response came back.

The Inquisitor just maintained a faint smile and continued walking silently.

Then finally, as we neared the end of the path, he turned to me and said, “See for yourself.”

*

The elevator, reminiscent of something from a mine, sent me down into the depths.

The monster’s jaws. Or perhaps a dark hell where mythological sinners were imprisoned. The massive cave, stretching endlessly downward, reminded me of Tartarus from a comic book I had once read.

“Have you arrived?”

“Matt.”

“Looks like you made it down here in one piece.”

Just then, as the elevator came to a sudden stop, Matt opened the door for me and extended his hand.

“Did you really think I would die easily?”

“Well, not exactly.”

I took his hand and stepped outside. Pouting slightly, Matt crossed his arms with a disinterested expression.

He glanced at himself in a mirror, touching his reddened skin with a casual air, and asked without much concern.

“So, you’re fine. How’s your girlfriend?”

“Matt, Francesca is not my girlfriend. How many times do I have to say that for you to understand?”

“A notoriously picky magician comes to save you at the risk of her life, and you say you’re not dating? Wow, you really are clueless, huh?”

“Let’s leave it at that.”

“Haha.”

Matt looked at me, chuckling. It seemed my predicament really amused him. I questioned how one could even find humor in this situation in the first place.

Anyway.

Right after escaping the Necropolis, Francesca underwent a thorough checkup with 28 items on the list, and thankfully, there were no major issues.

Similarly, most of the members of the Operations Team, including Matt, the Information Officer, and Ibrahim leading the Holy Knights, were confirmed to be in stable condition. The only exception was a few members of the Holy Knights who were slightly dazed after going underground.

Everything was perfect.

There were no casualties, and Francesca, whose identity was nearly exposed, was safe. Lucia’s blood was successfully recovered. The operation was set to conclude successfully, and in fact, part of it already was.

Put simply, that meant half of it went horribly wrong.

And the reason was incredibly simple.

“…Tsk.”

While wandering the corridor, I rubbed the back of my neck and posed a question.

“So, how did the investigation turn out? Something must have come up.”

Matt strolled along casually with his hands shoved in his pockets.

His monotonous voice followed the dragging sound of his shoes.

“I think not hearing it would be better for your mental health.”

“Matt.”

When I shot him a sharp look, his joking ceased. Matt momentarily halted, adopting a serious expression as he spoke.

“It looks like the religious folks had it right. Unluckily so.”

“…….”

“Look.”

Thick fingers pointed behind us. There, a glass window filled one wall.

Smooth rock formations extended into a vast cave, where numerous equipped individuals moved busily about.

Yet in the center, where not even an ant could pass, stood an ancient coffin.

Matt, stepping closer to the glass, spoke.

“Can you believe it? They say what’s inside that coffin is a monster that went extinct hundreds of years ago. Sounds like something straight out of a fairy tale, right?”

“…I guess.”

Whether it’s a centuries-old monster or a decomposed corpse.

It goes without saying.

“If something were to pop out of that coffin, it would not be a good thing.”

*

The port of the dead whale. Ash Tree Alley in the Necropolis.

A time when all things were bathed in indigo hues.

As a large man clad in ragged clothes entered the house, a chilling air welcomed the guest. However, the homeowners couldn’t greet their unexpected visitor at such an early hour.

Thud, thud. The heavy footsteps echoed loudly, startling a fly that took flight from a decapitated head.

Splash. Ripples formed over a pool of blood.

When the rough footsteps stepped out of the puddle, red footprints followed at a slow pace.

With every step onto the blood-red stairs, a creaking sound screamed like a wail.

Where he emerged from the puddle was the basement of the mansion.

The cold air, tinged with dust, tickled his throat, and the man, surveying the empty basement, knelt on one knee.

“…….”

His rough fingers brushed against the accumulated dust on the floor.

It was a spot notably less coated in dust than elsewhere.

“…….”

A place where something had recently been, with relatively less dust. The man lifted his gaze to gauge its size.

His rugged fist clenched tight. The veins stood out prominently, and at the same time, his fist trembled slightly.

And then.

-……!

From amidst the tattered rags, a huge forearm emerged.

An unusual pattern etched on that forearm began to cast a strange glow, driving away the darkness of the underground.

 

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