Chapter 21
At Melony’s firm words, Glen’s expression stiffened.
“I’ll… think about going back to Sir Eric.”
“…Melony.”
Left at a loss, Glen’s lips moved soundlessly.
Watching quietly with his arms crossed, Kain tilted his head.
“Mel, you’d better decide soon.”
Melony frowned as her gaze landed on Kain.
“Senior.”
There was a sigh mixed into her voice.
The decision had already been made. She was only thinking about how to shake off the bothersome Glen.
“We’re almost at our destination. I can’t change that now.”
Kain scoffed, calling her cold, but Melony didn’t even twitch an eyebrow.
“Where’s the destination?”
“Muto Village.”
“Why there?”
“I told you. I got hold of a lead. It might be there.”
“Wait a second.”
Glen shook his head, pressing a hand to his forehead as if it hurt.
“So you’re going to a place where it might be? Are you crazy?”
“Well. At the very least, I don’t want to hear that kind of talk from you, Senior.”
Stopping mid-sentence, Melony pointed coldly to somewhere behind them—the road she had come from.
“Get lost back the way you were going.”
“Over there is—”
“A replica nest will show up. Didn’t you come to investigate that?”
“Do you think I’m insane enough to go there alone?!”
Melony snorted and shrugged.
“Do whatever you want. I’m going.”
She hadn’t gone far when she glanced sideways at Kain.
“Hey. Aren’t you coming?”
“Without even giving me a drop of blood.”
“Shut up.”
After confirming that the grumbling Kain was following, Melony faced forward again.
Left alone behind them, Glen’s mouth worked uselessly before he hurried after them.
“I—I’ll go with you! Melony, promise me—once we reach Muto Village, we’ll go straight back to headquarters!”
“I’ll think about it.”
As if Kain weren’t enough of a burden, now Glen was added on. Melony deliberately let out a deep sigh.
Just then, Kain abruptly stopped walking and turned to look somewhere.
“Aren’t you coming?”
At Melony’s curt voice, Kain shrugged.
“Well… guess it doesn’t matter.”
Muttering, Kain suddenly spun around.
The distant tree he’d been looking at shook slightly, then went still.
A moment later—
Someone leapt down from beneath the tree.
“Tch. Annoyingly sharp, aren’t they.”
The man with green eyes clicked his tongue, frowning.
Staring intently in one direction, he smacked his lips.
“Good things taste best when you wait. Whatever.”
He let out a sinister laugh.
The place his ferocious gaze was fixed on was Melony.
Melony walked in the middle, with Kain on her left and Glen on her right.
No conversation passed between them.
Only Glen kept glancing sideways, clearly bothered by Kain.
“Mel, it’s too noisy over here. Mind if I do something about it?”
Melony merely looked back and forth between Glen and Kain, then sighed.
This is such a pain.
She muttered complaints to herself repeatedly.
She had spent most of her days chasing clues alone. Then she’d ended up with Kain—and that hadn’t even been a month.
She’d already been stressed enough traveling with Kain.
And now Senior, too.
Honestly, she wanted to kick them both out.
“Me? I haven’t said a word,” Kain protested.
“Your eyes are noisy. Your eyes.”
Kain suddenly leaned toward Glen and raised a finger—pointing straight at Glen’s eyes.
“W-What the hell?!”
Startled, Glen leaned back. Melony stopped walking for a moment.
“If you’ve got something to say, say it outright. You’re a truly despicable hunter.”
Muttering openly, Kain suddenly grabbed Melony’s wrist. She frowned at the sudden contact.
Ignoring it, Kain gently pulled her along.
“Let’s ditch the noisy hunter and go.”
“I said let go and talk.”
“Why? I don’t want to.”
“Let go.”
The more Melony tried to pull free, the more Kain tightened his grip.
She moved her other hand—the one holding the umbrella—toward his face. But Glen was faster.
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
Glen rushed in and grabbed Kain, forcing him to release her wrist. Kain shuddered in disgust at the contact.
“Ugh. Gross.”
“The disgusting one is you, vampire. How dare you put those cursed hands on her—!”
“Senior.”
The bickering clearly grated on Melony’s nerves. Her voice sank low.
“If you don’t want to go back alone, shut your mouth.”
“O-Okay.”
Silence fell again among the three.
Only Kain wore a victor’s smile, while Glen ground his teeth at the sight.
“Melony, I didn’t get to ask earlier. What do you mean by that guy being a lead?”
“Exactly what it sounds like.”
“You even know him?”
“I do.”
Her sworn enemy—the Vampire King. And one of the four bishops who had long served at his side.
A hard-won clue she had finally discovered after a long search.
That was why Melony didn’t want to miss even the slightest possibility.
Traces of the king whose power and soul had been torn apart by Saintess Sabina.
Even if it turns out not to be him, I still have to check.
It was a rare opportunity.
Eric, the head of Clovis and someone like a second father to her, was important—but she had no choice.
The opportunity right in front of her was simply more urgent.
“That scrawny-looking guy?”
At that, Kain chuckled.
“In all my long life, that’s a first.”
“He doesn’t look strong at all. One arrow from me would be enough.”
“No chance.”
Shrugging, Kain pointed to the arrow hidden inside Glen’s cloak.
“You could fire every single one of those silver arrows and still wouldn’t catch me.”
“……”
“I’d be faster than your arrows.”
Glen, who’d been walking just fine, stopped again. Irritated by the constant waste of time, Melony grew annoyed.
“Senior, just ignore him. Kain’s always like that.”
“…No.”
Glen’s voice, which had been grumbling nonstop, turned serious.
Melony stopped and looked him over. Then she realized.
He hit Senior’s pride.
Glen was the best archer in Clovis. He’d never once missed his prey.
No matter how fast the target was.
Melony acknowledged his skill as well. She’d been impressed the few times they’d hunted together.
He did it on purpose.
Kain had a talent for provoking people. Melony herself had once been furious, but now she was used to it.
Glen, encountering him for the first time, had no chance of resisting the provocation.
“Let’s see you dodge my arrow.”
Truly enraged, Glen pulled out an arrow—one of the precious silver ones, no less.
Melony blinked.
Should she stop him, or not?
Kain grinned, utterly relaxed, as if daring him to try. Melony rubbed her forehead.
“There’s no time for this. Stop it.”
Despite her attempt to intervene, Glen loaded the arrow with a cold smile.
“One shot is all it’ll take for trash like you.”
The usually cheerful, chatty Glen became impossible to stop once he lost his temper.
Melony turned toward Kain.
“You stop it too.”
“Why should I?”
“He’s a master archer.”
“Exactly. That’s why I want to see it. No reason to stop, right?”
Kain looked at Glen with clear interest. He showed no intention of dodging.
Seeing the standoff about to unfold, Melony looked fed up.
If it comes to it, I’ll shoot them both.
An arm or a leg—neither would die. It was the only way to stop them.
Just as Melony raised her umbrella properly—
Glen released the arrow.
The result was exactly as expected.
Kain vanished and reappeared in an instant. Even Melony, with her keen vision, couldn’t track his movement.
Glen’s arrow embedded itself in a tree, and Kain was already perched on its branches.
“I told you… to stop.”
Without a word, Glen approached, pulled the arrow from the tree, and loaded it again. In that instant, Kain vanished once more.
Before anyone could guess where he’d gone—
“Oh dear.”
Kain’s voice came from behind Melony.
“Too slow again.”
Snickering, Kain stood as another arrow flew past his back. What a waste.
After missing twice, Glen’s expression turned vicious.
“I’ll kill you.”
Seeing the murderous look in his eyes, Melony knew he meant it.
This was bad. She had to stop them.
I’m the one who’s supposed to kill him.
Melony grabbed Kain. At the same time, Glen fired another arrow.
As Melony twisted quickly, gripping Kain’s wrist—
Crack—
Something shattered, and smoke burst forth.
“……”
The smoke swirled, then was instantly absorbed into Melony’s body.
