Just thinking about the difficult action report to follow gave him a headache.
Why is it that as soon as I return to Norlington, all I get are such troublesome jobs? I'm from the Oceanography Department, I study dolphins and whales...
"Thank you for your assistance, Sister Haida. We will deliver a token of gratitude to the Secrets-Hunter cult shortly."
Utus placed one hand on his forehead, performing an ancient White Cup salute, expressing his thanks to Haida.
Although the specific details of the incident were still unclear, at least Rosalia was not in mortal danger... The worst-case scenario he had imagined had not come to pass.
"No need to trouble yourselves. I was merely performing my duties."
Haida responded coolly yet politely.
"Hmm..."
Glancing at Lloyd, who had fallen unconscious on the ground, Utus rubbed his knuckles, his gaze slightly wandering, seeming hesitant.
He looked conflicted, as if there was something he had to say but found difficult to bring up.
"Sister Haida, there is something I would like to discuss with you."
Finally, Utus spoke.
"Please, go ahead." Haida could roughly guess what he wanted to say, so she prompted him.
"...Would it be possible for us to take this vampire? The information in his mind is very important to the White Cup cult. We will share this intelligence afterwards and provide corresponding compensation."
When he voiced this request, Utus felt a sense of relief but also a twinge of guilt.
Without Haida's timely intervention, this vampire would likely have killed Rosalia and escaped. His side hadn't contributed any effort, yet here he was asking for the prisoner afterwards... It did seem a bit ungrateful.
He had heard that hunters of the Burial Court were quite particular about trophy ownership... So he was also prepared to be refused.
Haida pressed her lips slightly, not directly answering, but instead turned to look at Fran beside her.
"Dr. Fran, do you need him for your recent research?"
"No. This guy is highly similar to his eldest brother at the specimen level; lacks uniqueness."
Fran wagged her index finger, indifferent to Lloyd's fate.
The purpose of her trip was to complete the monthly house call, not to replenish specimens... Not to mention the quality of this vampire wasn't excellent in her view.
Like chicken ribs—tasteless, pointless, not at the level where collection was necessary.
Only after receiving Fran's agreement did Haida consent to Utus's proposal.
"Then we'll hand him over to you, Professor Utus. Although this vampire is currently in a hypnotic state, please be extra cautious during transport. He masters a second-category Molting Moon secret art that allows his spirit to escape."
Utus's eyes widened slightly, not expecting things to go so smoothly, and somewhat moved by Haida's reasonableness.
It was hard to imagine she came from a place like the Burial Court, which produced so many lunatics and fanatics...
"Thank you again for your understanding, Sister Haida."
Utus then gestured for the Error-Purgers outside to enter the room to make preparations for transporting the vampire. At the same time, he also noticed Fran beside Haida.
The deeds of this doctor were only circulated among Principal Grantham and a few professors. He knew of her somewhat, but only at a "slightly heard of" level.
Now it seemed, regardless of whether Fran possessed the miraculous medical skills of legend, her status within the Secrets-Hunters was probably not low.
When discussing prisoner ownership, Haida, now promoted to supervisor of the Burial Court, still needed her approval to make a decision... The subtle reactions in their brief exchange had quietly illustrated the hierarchy between them.
Haida didn't say anything more. After nodding in acknowledgment, she prepared to leave with Fran.
Although she was flawless in speech and courtesy, she was actually feeling somewhat guilty inside...
The reason she was here was because she was on the monthly house call with Fran, not due to an assignment from the General Affairs Division. If she really took Lloyd back to cult headquarters as "prey," she would have had a hard time explaining it.
Before leaving, Fran approached Rosalia and left her with a piece of advice.
"Miss Rosalia, do you remember the first question you asked during the divination? Now, I have given you the answer."
My first divination question? It was... how can the Moon's Favored be freed from the Blood Plague?
In a daze, doubt rose in Rosalia's heart. From the residual memory fragments in Fran's blood, she had only heard an incomprehensible conversation.
Just as she wanted to ask for clarification, Fran and Haida had already left the room and vanished from sight.
Click.
Rosalia wanted to get up but suddenly heard a short, sharp metallic sound by her ear.
The sound was crisp and neat, like a fingernail lightly tapping a pocket watch case... Suddenly, her vision blurred.
The exhaustion from prolonged running, the fatigue from the surgery, and the drowsiness after sudden relaxation surged like a tide. Rosalia could no longer force herself to stay alert. Her eyelids slowly closed, and she fell into a deep sleep.
...
Several days later, Norlington South Railway Station, evening.
Mid-November, right between autumn and winter, and today wasn't a special day suitable for travel. Therefore, there were few passengers on the platform. A cool autumn breeze carrying a few red leaves blew past Rosalia's feet.
She stood by the platform waiting for the train to arrive, surrounded by dozens of Error-Purgers in plain clothes. Learning from the previous incident, the White Cup cult took her safety very seriously this time and would not tolerate any mishaps.
Most of the waiting travelers nearby looked somewhat surprised, guessing at Rosalia's identity.
Traveling with this level of security, was she a young lady of the Meredith family? Or an important figure of some cult?
The steam whistle shrieked. A steam locomotive with deep black lacquered paint broke through the gray-white smoke, gradually slowing down and finally stopping beside the platform.
Rosalia boarded the train, a strange premonition rising in her heart... Probably, it wouldn't be long before she returned here.
After all, the "Lark" dessert shop's December new product wasn't on sale yet; she hadn't had a chance to verify whether Fran's "Kiwifruit Sundae" was accurate.
...
White Cup Cult, Interrogation Chamber.
Rooms for interrogating ordinary people were usually dark and cramped, used to gradually erode the psychological defenses of the subject. But this interrogation chamber was bright as day; not a trace of shadow could be seen even in the corners.
Because its subjects were vampires... or rather, a Moon's Favored tainted by the Blood Plague.
"You White Cup pigs, aren't you best at those mind-disturbing secret arts? If you want to know something, just crack open the brain and look, why go through the trouble of interrogating me?"
Lloyd, wearing a leather restraint garment, with silver nails driven through his main joints, sat on the interrogation metal chair, unable to move.
"Mental secret arts are not omnipotent. True 'mind-reading' involves the domain of deities."
Professor Terence sat opposite him, calmly rubbing his white silk gloves.
"Interrogating me is meaningless. Didn't that monster of a sister tell you anything? I told her everything..."
Lloyd curled his lips into a mocking smile.
"Pointless provocation."
Terence's gaze was deep and calm, just staring quietly at the other.
"You did throw out some somewhat valuable statements. But you remained silent on the truly important intelligence... Who among the Moon's Favored sent you? And who provided you with a set of Secrets-Hunter standard equipment?"
"I'm curious, what will you do to me if I don't talk?"
Lloyd seemed fearless. After realizing he was under deep hypnosis and that [Separate Spirit and Flesh] had failed to activate, he had already prepared for death.
How do you threaten a monster who isn't afraid of death?
Torture? But how would an undead creature fear physical torture? Even if his head were cut off, with enough blood or a suitable body, he could still return to completeness.
"I will melt a pot of silver and pour it into your spine through an insertion tube."
Terence's tone remained calm, but some anger was already hard to conceal.
"So what are you waiting for?" Lloyd challenged nonchalantly.
A White Cup researcher full of practical spirit, and a vampire resolved to die; the former did not hesitate to use the cruelest methods to breach the endurance threshold of the non-human subject, while the latter was an ancient creature already accustomed to suffering.
Such a professional pairing of interrogator and subject would likely give birth to a new legend in the annals of interrogation...
Just as Terence was really about to go melt a pot of silver, Grantham entered the interrogation chamber and amiably patted his shoulder.
"Terence, let me handle this."
"...Alright."
Seeing the principal arrive personally, Terence gave a slight nod and then stood up to leave.
"Are you planning to play that old good cop, bad cop routine? Don't waste your effort. In two hundred years, what kind of scene haven't I seen?"
Seeing the smiling Grantham, Lloyd disdainfully raised an eyebrow.
Grantham looked composed, smoothing his meticulously trimmed beard, then straightening his wizard-style pointed hat before speaking unhurriedly.
"Jennifer, History Department, majored in Ancient Relic Conservation. Graduated last academic year, chose to stay on as a teacher and joined the White Cup cult as an Error-Purger."
"Wesley, Mechanical Engineering Department, majored in Core Design. Also graduated last academic year, also a newly appointed Error-Purger."
He recounted the two names as if listing treasures, his aged gaze carrying some nostalgia.
"During last year's graduation season, I personally handed them their diplomas and White Cup holy emblems... and gave them my blessings. I still remember their excited yet shy smiles."
"Their lives had just begun... However, because of a fool who wanted to assassinate his kin, they were forever stuck in the past."
Jennifer and Wesley... those were the two Error-Purgers who initially escorted Rosalia at the North District boundary and were killed on the spot.
Grantham took out an ancient briarwood pipe from under his gray robe, lit the tobacco, slowly took a sip, then exhaled the swirling smoke.
"So, Mr. Lloyd. You can try begging for mercy next, but I will ignore it."
No torture, no torment.
After a brief ten minutes, Lloyd gave the name of the Moon's Favored Marquis "Bernhard Murdoch," and he had only one request.
"Please, let me bathe in sunlight..."
—
Fog Street Clinic, Surgery Room.
Haida and Sigrid, wearing heavy white hazmat suits, were observing Fran, who was concentrating intently on identifying the unknown material.
If the consultation fee was of the "book" or "technique" type, such rigor wouldn't be necessary, but the attitude towards raw materials couldn't afford the slightest negligence. If something like a virus were to spread, the aftermath would become very troublesome.
For example, Originium clusters that infected living beings and spread through dust, or the happy green mushroom people that thrived wherever organic matter existed...
Fran liked solving problems but hated creating trouble for herself.
"Oh, it's a high-risk item..."
After spending some time, the reward for this month's house call revealed its true form.
[Ito Tomie's Hair (One Strand)]
[Quality: Fine]
[Effect: Warning, this item is high-risk. Do not apply externally, ingest, or graft onto your skin or mucous membranes in any form. If possible, store this item in a sealed container. If you inadvertently become a host, it will heal your injuries and make you beautiful in the short term... and ultimately strip away your original personality.]
[Note: "Admire her, possess her, execute her... These are not contradictory. Each is humanity's instinct towards its own kind."]
Seeing what Fran picked up with tweezers, Sigrid narrowed her eyes in confusion.
"Dr. Fran, is that... a strand of hair?"
"As you can see, yes. But this isn't an ordinary strand of hair... It's a dangerous and special hair."
Fran carefully placed this long, black strand of hair into a quartz container, storing it meticulously.
Even though she herself wasn't very afraid of this type of parasite, if it got onto flowers, plants, cats, dogs... it would be quite bothersome.
"This strand of hair comes from a rule-based anomaly. Hmm... You could also say it's a malevolent spirit with physical form?"
Fran talked about Tomie's related information with interest.
"Women contaminated by it will gradually be assimilated and taken over by it. They become beautiful, arrogant, and gain a nearly pathological charm. Those enchanted will slowly develop a desire to dismember her. This desire becomes uncontrollable over time."
Haida's gaze sharpened, guessing: "Every piece of the dismembered victim has the ability to infect and assimilate... That's its method of propagation, correct?"
She always had a keen sense for dangers that could spread in chains like this.
"Correct." Fran clapped appreciatively.
For now, this strand of hair didn't seem helpful for her ongoing research. But cells capable of infinite division and specific differentiation would surely come in handy someday.
And Fran was quite curious what would happen if this thing were experimented on with Ork flesh...
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(T/N: Whenever Grantham appears, my mind overlaps his appearance with Dumbledore.)
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T/N: Hey readers~! New Translator here! Before I say anything, I'd first like to thank the original author for creating this wonderful story. Without them, I wouldn't have the chance to share this adventure with you. I hope my translation does justice to their work, and that together, we can enjoy this story.
With that said, I'm happy to let you know I'll be uploading daily chapters. And for those who wish to support my work and gain early access, I've set up a Patreon where advanced chapters will be available.
[email protected]/PeakTL