Chapter 33
Trading blood with a vampire.
After humans won the racial war a hundred years ago, that practice was banned. It was stipulated by law.
If a Clovis hunter—of all people—had broken it, it would become a serious problem.
“I usually stop at the wrist.”
“Then what’s the neck?”
Since it was already exposed, Melony told Glenn the truth under his questioning.
Glenn was one of the very few people Melony trusted.
“Kain isn’t an ordinary bishop. It was the price for using his abilities.”
“A price…”
“It was worth it.”
By then, the two of them were descending a mountain.
They had once been a famous partner pair in Clovis. Their teamwork was that good; they knew exactly what the other wanted.
They finished jobs quickly, and whenever a case landed in their hands, it was always a sure win.
“Alright. I get it, I really do. Melony, I understand your situation. Even that you put restraints on that bastard.”
Glenn looked reluctant as he conceded. Melony glanced at him and snorted.
“Then what about this snake?”
“Kain’s avatar.”
Kinaz, who had been dozing quietly on Melony’s shoulder, lifted its head. When its eyes met Glenn’s, it flicked its tongue.
“Hik.”
“T-that thing even sends out avatars?”
“Looks like it.”
“That bastard’s no ordinary bishop.”
“I think so too.”
Strictly speaking, he was a vampire of unknown identity. Even so, Melony had no choice but to cling to Kain.
As a result, she obtained information—and even met the king’s avatar.
“Melony, there’s a village just a bit farther. Let’s stay a day.”
“Okay.”
Melony took out her map to check, then looked up at the darkening sky.
By the time they reached the village entrance, it was already pitch-black around them. It was a small village with only one inn.
They took two rooms and went upstairs.
“Melony, if anything happens, I’ll come over, so don’t worry.”
“Stop worrying about me right there. It gives me the creeps.”
“What about dinner?”
“Not hungry. If you are, eat by yourself.”
Smiling lightly as she replied, Melony waved her hand and went into her room first.
With a sigh, she put Kinaz on the bed. The snake nodded off, then startled awake.
“I just put you down because my shoulder hurts.”
The blue snake stared straight at her, then eventually curled up again. As Melony gently stroked its head with her finger, she set her bag down.
She walked to the window, opened it, and scanned outside. It was an unremarkable village.
She closed the window again and sat on the edge of the bed.
“Whew.”
The sigh that left her mouth dissipated into the air.
“I shouldn’t sleep like this.”
Because of recurring nightmares, she could no longer sleep properly. Repeating the scenes that had become her trauma only deepened the agony.
She avoided sleeping because she didn’t want to dream. Naturally, that meant she was constantly short on sleep.
This is killing me.
Even when she worked in Clovis, it had never been this hard. Even catnaps had been enough back then.
But losing sleep to nightmares was different. She had stopped sleeping altogether.
So whenever she rested or even sat down briefly, drowsiness reached out for her.
“Kinaz.”
Melony climbed fully onto the bed and leaned back against the wall. At the sound of its name, the snake slithered up onto her thigh.
The heavy weight made her feel slightly more awake.
“If I have another attack, wake me up. Got it?”
She didn’t know if Kinaz understood, but when it nodded its head, she felt reassured in her own way.
Even though Kinaz was Kain’s avatar, it felt strangely different.
She gently brushed the snake’s body with the back of her hand. It swayed its head side to side as if it felt good.
“I thought snakes would gross you out.”
Flinch. Kinaz shrank back, nervously watching Melony’s reaction.
“You’re different.”
Snakes shouldn’t have expressions, but Kinaz seemed pleased. Melony smiled faintly and blinked.
This was bad. She’d hoped Kinaz might help her fight off sleep, but it was no use.
“Kinaz, don’t forget what I said.”
Murmuring those words, Melony finally lost the battle and closed her eyes.
Only Kinaz, lifting its head from her thigh, remained awake.
“Give me… blood.”
In the darkness, the only thing that gleamed was a pair of bright red eyes.
They chased after Melony faster and faster. No matter how frantically she ran, her short legs had their limits.
No, don’t. I’ll be eaten.
“That sweet… blood.”
The voice scraping at her ears sent chills down her spine.
It looked as though it wouldn’t be satisfied until it drank every drop of blood flowing through her body. Even so, she kept running, her breath climbing painfully into her throat.
“Mom! Dad!”
Please, anyone—save me. I don’t want to die.
Please!
At last, she burst out of the forest. There stood her saviors.
“Monster, get away! Leave our daughter alone!”
“Melony, go inside the house. Hurry!”
Her parents stepped forward to protect her.
“Ghk…!”
“Aaaah!”
Before her eyes, their bodies were torn apart, ripped and bitten.
Bright red blood splattered everywhere.
And then—
“Melony!”
“…!”
She was a split second away from firing her gun on instinct.
At the end of the barrel stood Glenn, hands raised, staring at her in shock.
“It’s me, Glenn. Melony, are you with me?”
“…Senior.”
Barely regaining her senses, Melony noticed Kinaz dangling from her shoulder. It must have woken her, just like she’d asked.
With a sigh, she lowered her gun and pressed a hand to her forehead. Cold sweat soaked her entire body.
Tears running down her face made her realize she’d been crying again.
Am I still afraid of that? Me?
She felt hollow.
She had become a hunter to escape that past, and she had killed countless vampires with her own hands.
Yet the vampire king she’d met back then still had her trapped.
“Did you eat dinner?”
“Huh? Ah, no. I wasn’t really in the mood either.”
“Then let’s step out for a bit. I feel like having a drink.”
“Sure.”
“I’m soaked in sweat and really want something cold.”
After picking up the gun she’d left on the bed, Melony stood up. She put the snake down on the bed and met its gaze.
“Stay here.”
At that, Kinaz’s eyes widened slightly. It flicked its tongue as if it had something to say.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t understand a snake’s words, so Melony just patted it.
“Behave. I’ll bring you something back.”
“Snake food… should I get a mouse or something?”
“Kinaz doesn’t eat that kind of thing.”
“Then what does a snake eat if it doesn’t eat that?”
Until the door closed behind them, Kinaz kept staring blankly at Melony’s retreating figure. Though she knew that gaze was on her, Melony ignored it.
Outside the inn, the two headed to a nearby tavern. They ordered just one plate of fried chicken as a snack.
“Melony, after you see Sir Eric, are you leaving again?”
“I have to. I finally found a lead.”
“Then let me come with you.”
Melony snorted after taking a sip of the freshly poured beer.
“With you, senior?”
“Yeah. We’ve investigated together plenty of times. Why act surprised now?”
“No. I’m the only one who ran away from Clovis.”
Melony had left Clovis for personal reasons. That had branded her a troublemaker.
“One troublemaker is enough.”
There was no need for someone else to be stigmatized because of her problems.
She drained her beer and set the glass down.
“You probably have things you need to do too, don’t you?”
“I don’t.”
She stared straight at Glenn’s serious reply.
Strangely, Glenn showed none of his usual smile. Melony wasn’t used to seeing him like this.
“I can’t stand watching you go with a bastard like that.”
“Senior.”
Just then, Glenn reached out and clasped her hand. The unfamiliar sensation made Melony quickly pull away.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“You hate vampires, don’t you? Just like I do.”
“That hasn’t changed.”
“Then you still feed one?”
“I told you, I don’t have a choice.”
She wanted to stop talking about it, but Glenn kept dragging the subject back up. Feeling uncomfortable, Melony let out a heavy sigh.
“Drop it.”
He kept poking at her mistakes, one by one. It was irritating.
“Sir Eric could easily kill that bastard.”
Despite Melony’s refusal, Glenn continued.
“So take him to headquarters—and kill him.”
