Chapter 123
The Cartel employees arrived at the village around 2 a.m. Riding in a stealth vehicle, they slowly made their way through the village, where only scattered streetlights illuminated the ground.
“Rear clear. No ghouls.”
“Left and right are clear as well. Even with thermal imaging, nothing could be identified.”
“Looks like they’re not active. Keep moving.”
The woman in the passenger seat gave the order. Adjusting the assault rifle in her hand, she stared silently out the window.
The sound of the vehicle rolling forward was greedily swallowed by the shadows. A vehicle that used human blood instead of electricity or fuel was, by itself, a byproduct of mysticism. The Cartel had quite a few things like that.
Of course, the side effects were certain as well.
For instance, when the fuel ran out, it would forcibly drain the blood of the passengers; or if it ran into a navigation ghost, it would stage an outlandish collaboration and lead them to the Sanzu River. There were plenty of risks that could get you killed if you slipped up even a little.
But the Cartel didn’t care about that kind of thing.
Humans, too, were in a sense just another resource that could be bought with money. If they died, they could simply be replaced, so there was no hesitation when it came to using mysticism. Why would they refuse to use something so efficient and capable just because an employee died?
Well, even so, the Cartel didn’t forcibly order its employees to use mysticism.
Since they used it entirely of their own volition, the employees were willing to bear some degree of risk. Besides, the extra pay for taking on that risk was pretty generous, so the money-obsessed ones used mysticism often.
The people in the vehicle now were no different.
“There’s an Eight-Foot Ghost under the streetlight. It isn’t our target, so let’s avoid it.”
“Yes.”
“Vwoooom.”
The person in the driver’s seat lightly turned the wheel. The huge thing beneath the streetlight looked back at the vehicle, but soon sagged again under the light. The woman stayed wary in case the Eight-Foot Ghost lunged at them, and closed the window once its figure was no longer visible.
A little later, the Cartel team arrived in front of the village hall, where the lights were off. They parked the car where not a trace of light could seep in, got out slowly, and entered the village hall.
“...Living room clear. Begin searching the first floor.”
At the woman’s command, the others searched the first floor quickly and quietly. But they found nothing.
“Proceed to the second floor. That’s where the client is, so everyone mind your manners. He’s a mage.”
“...Tch, a mage.”
At the woman’s command, a young employee grumbled. The woman stopped in her tracks, walked over to the muttering employee, and slapped him across the face.
“Smack!”
When her gloved fist struck his cheek, a few teeth and blood flew through the air. The employee let out a hacking sound and collapsed to the floor. The woman caught him before he could hit the ground with a crash, then kept beating him.
“Crack! Thwack, crunch!”
Fierce sounds rang through the living room. The woman beat the employee until he was nearly unconscious, then grabbed him by the collar and whispered in a calm voice.
“Whether the other party is a mage or a criminal, we only do what the client tells us. Never add your own personal opinion. Do you understand?”
“Kuh...”
“Remember this. All of our money comes from our clients. If you’re going to treat our precious guests like that, then quit. Or maybe you should have your brain adjusted.”
Thud.
The woman lowered the employee to the floor and gestured to the others.
“Put him in the car. And who is in charge of training that rookie?”
“...I am.”
“Then you carry him. Also, if that rookie talks or acts like this again, you’ll be punished too, so train him properly.”
“Understood.”
The man nodded, took care of the unconscious employee, and left the scene first. The woman gave several employees orders to remove the bloodstains from the floor, then took only two people with her and went upstairs to the second floor.
‘Blood smell.’
The second-floor hallway was thick with an unmistakable scent of blood.
It was the unmistakable body odor of a vampire. They usually hid it, but once they were wounded, that peculiar, nauseating fishy stench became impossible to conceal.
‘The smell... is from this room.’
The woman stood before Ian’s door and shot a sidelong glance at the people who had followed her. It was a look that told them not to act rude in front of the client. The moment they nodded, she cleared her throat and knocked on the door.
“This is the Cartel. Are you inside?”
“Come in.”
A reply came back immediately. The woman composed her expression into something a little brighter, then carefully opened the door. After that, she spoke in a clear voice.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Mage. I’m from the Cartel’s field support team. Rei...na...”
Her words failed to reach a proper ending and scattered into the air. It was because the scene inside the room was far too bizarre for her to continue speaking properly.
Ian was perfectly fine. Sitting in a chair with a grimoire in hand and smoking a cigarette, he looked utterly relaxed.
And in fact, he was. As if he had no worries or concerns at all, Ian exhaled cigarette smoke with a peaceful expression.
“You were later than I expected. Did it take about two hours?”
“...We needed time to prepare. More importantly, Mage, what exactly is that thing on the floor...”
“Ah, that?”
Ian looked at the lump rolling around on the floor and made a face as if he found it disgusting.
“A vampire.”
“...”
A vampire? That thing?
Reina pressed her lips together and stared at the “lump.”
It was, literally, a lump. Like a snowman, a huge sphere had been stitched beneath a perfectly normal head. It was wearing clothes, but that didn’t mean its skin was completely hidden. White skin as pure as jade peeked out between the unidentified fabric and trembled.
“...”
The vampire said nothing. It simply stared fixedly at Ian while blood poured from its mouth, nose, eyes, and ears. Ian met that gaze head-on and gave a bitter smile.
“Just in case you misunderstand, turning her into that is absolutely not my taste. If anything, it’s closer to the opposite.”
“...”
“I like pretty and cute things too. Monsters that look like those roly-poly dolls are just disgusting to me. That’s why I picked her.”
“...Is that so?”
“She said she couldn’t feel fear, so I was experimenting to see how much torment it would take before she did. I’ll rest for a moment and turn her back to her original form, so wait a bit.”
Reina nodded and approached Ian. The other employees standing behind her swallowed hard at the sight of Camilla, then quickly composed themselves and moved with disciplined steps.
“Is this the room you requested to have cleaned?”
“Yes.”
“Then we’ll clean first. You can watch us from the room, or leave it to us and step out if you prefer.”
“How long will it take?”
“Hmm... for a space this size, I’d say about 30 minutes. There’s quite a lot of spilled blood.”
“That’s not too slow, at least. Then I’ll wait.”
“Understood.”
To let Ian rest comfortably, Reina first tidied up the sofa and bed, then asked him to wait wherever he liked. Ian didn’t bother refusing her kindness.
The Cartel employees shoved Camilla into a corner and started cleaning the room the moment Ian settled in.
Cartel cleaning wasn’t much different from ordinary cleaning. They used the special cloths and deodorizing towels they’d brought to wipe away the blood and flesh soaking the room, making the blood smell fade. When they opened the window, a cold breeze rushed in and circulated the air inside.
“If you’re cold, please tell us. I’ll close it again.”
“This much is fine.”
Ian exhaled cigarette smoke out the window and stared out at the village swallowed by darkness.
He didn’t feel particularly sentimental. He was just thinking about what to do after dealing with Camilla.
‘Taking another request would be fine, and doing something else wouldn’t be bad either. Or maybe I should buy a car.’
If he handed Camilla over to the Cartel, he’d get several hundred million won. There were countless things he could do with that. What appealed to him most was buying a vehicle, visiting the Cartel shop, and going to the wizards’ market.
Buying a vehicle wasn’t a problem, since he could do that through the Cartel shop as well. He could use it right away.
On the other hand, Ian still didn’t know the wizards’ market very well.
He’d known such a place existed for a long time, but he knew almost nothing about how it worked or how to use it. At most, he only knew that most of the items there were priced in the hundred-million won range.
‘Until now, I had no need to use it, and I didn’t have much money either, so I hadn’t paid it any mind. But things are different now. It wouldn’t be bad to take a look.’
What sort of things were being sold at the market, roughly?
He knew that potions made by renowned alchemists were being circulated there, but there might also be various magical tools available in the market. Maybe he’d even find a tool whose effects he liked.
Either way, it was a deal Ian couldn’t lose on. He stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray.
After quietly killing time, the employees who had finished cleaning put the gear they’d temporarily taken off back on and bowed to Ian.
“Cleaning is complete. Is there anywhere that’s inconvenient for you?”
“No. If you’re done, then let’s head out.”
Ian said as he got up from the bed. Reina nodded and looked at the other employees. They immediately put on their gas masks, lifted Camilla up, and started carrying her out.
Camilla’s mouth was sewn shut now, so she couldn’t even scream. All she could do was stare at Ian with bloodshot eyes.
“...Judging by the vampire’s reaction, it seems we failed to make her afraid.”
“She feels pain, but she isn’t scared. If anything, she’s just enraged.”
Ian shrugged and left the room with Reina. When he casually looked back, the room had become spotless, with no trace left behind.
“If that vampire is taken by the Cartel, how will she be treated?”
“Noble vampires are valuable, after all. I think they’ll draw her blood to make medicine or use it to create various tools. And, um... there’s a new research project the Cartel is pushing, so she might be used for that as well.”
“What kind of research?”
“Research into transplanting a mystic brain into a human body.”
“...Hah.”
Ian let out a dry laugh, as if he couldn’t believe it. For something said so casually, the content of the research was rather brutal.
“Is that even possible?”
“Theoretically, yes, but there has never been a successful case. They’ll probably try to do it properly this time.”
“...Bad news for Camilla.”
“Do you feel pity for vampires?”
“No, I just said it was bad news. That’s all.”
He shouldn’t misunderstand. Camilla’s outward appearance was like a child’s, but her true form when she shed her disguise was much closer to a monster. It was impossible to even guess how many people she’d devoured with those sharp fangs.
Needless to say, there were mages who got excited by monsters, but none who felt sympathy for them.
That was all there was to it.
“How do you plan to erase the record that I stayed here?”
Ian brushed aside his thoughts and asked. Reina answered right away.
“We’ll deliberately leak information related to mysticism to the Administration Bureau and let them handle it themselves. Of course, your personal information will be thoroughly concealed, so please don’t worry.”
“...There’s no need to go that far now, though. Well, if it’s good, then it’s good.”
Clunk!
While they talked and moved, the Cartel employees loaded Camilla into the back seat of a large van. Before they could close the doors, Ian stepped up beside Camilla and let out a faint smile.
“From now on, be careful around mages. Of course, that’s only if there is a next time.”
He placed a hand on Camilla’s head and activated his magic.
“Be reborn.”
Crunch!
Using his day’s final re-creation spell, he restored Camilla’s outward appearance as closely as possible to its original state.
It still wasn’t perfect. Her legs were different lengths, and her features had scattered freely in every direction. Her genitals had moved to her chest, and her nipples to her thighs, where they kept opening and closing.
“Hoo, so making a human form is still difficult, huh.”
He muttered that to himself, kicked Camilla in the face as she glared at him, and flopped down in the empty seat. After confirming he was aboard, Reina took care of the other employees as well and soon began heading out of the village.
“Just take me as far as the bike in front of the tunnel.”
“Yes, understood.”
The van moved slowly down the road in silence, just as it had when it first came here. Ian quietly stared out the window, wondering what to eat for breakfast.
*
“Mm-hmm~”
A small villa on the outskirts of Incheon.
Dolores came out of the shower naked and hummed softly. Her red hair and breasts swayed with her movements, and Dolores absentmindedly dried her hair while staring at the mannequin displayed in the corner.
The mannequin wearing a silver dress was standing in a very acrobatic pose. Dolores stared at it blankly, then frowned slightly when she saw that the dress had been torn a little.
“...Looks like it was torn in the last battle. Sigh, and it was one of my favorite dresses.”
Not only the dresses Dolores normally wore, but also the dresses worn by the mannequins she controlled, were all made from thread spun by the mage herself. To repair them, they had to pass through the maker’s hands.
“It’s a hassle, but it can’t be helped. I’ll have to stop by the ‘Owl’ after a long time.”
The Owl.
It was the word used to refer to the market where mages mainly operated. There were so many lunatics there that it wasn’t a place she used often, but at this point there was no choice.
“Come to think of it, was it about time for Clock Tower Academy to start classes? I clearly remember there being a discount for bringing a partner... but I don’t have a partner of my own.”
Dolores muttered to herself, shook the moisture from her still-wet hair, and stood naked in front of the mirror to strike a pose. Her teardrop-shaped breasts sagged slightly under gravity.
“Hmm.”
She gazed at her own body as if savoring it, then smiled brightly and covered her mouth with her hand.
“Well, whatever! A partner who can’t appreciate my beauty would be meaningless anyway, hohohohohot!”
Dolores comforted herself like that and laughed in front of the mirror for a long while. After a bit, unable to bear the cold, she shivered violently and crawled under the blankets.
“Ah, this weather is too cold for a frail young lady like me to endure...”
She turned on the electric blanket, lay there wriggling, and ordered fried chicken and beer. Then she smiled goofily, hugged the blanket tight, and peeled and ate a tangerine.
“This is what mating is...”
Quoting something she’d seen on the internet, Dolores popped the tangerine into her mouth in one bite.