Chapter 8 Part 22
Translator : PolterGlast
Vitora Rutarak Daat
Waziart.
She is the current
head of the Waziart household, a prominent family in the Dizzard Empire.
At her side stands
Rugato, who once faced Nozomu and Irisdina.
DIzzard Empire, which
has been hidden away in the extreme cold of the northern regions, has never
appeared on the public stage until now.
But now, such a
country's leading figure has suddenly paid a visit to Arcazam.
Having finally
swallowed this fact, the dignitaries of the other countries began to clamor and
make a lot of noise.
Meanwhile, Nozomu and
Irisdina were speechless and stiffened.
Nozomu, in particular,
was greatly surprised, as he had thought that the disturbances between Waziart
and Francilt had been settled already.
"My apologies for
joining the party on such short notice. Well, you don't have to worry about me.
I won't mind you guys either."
Speaking towards the
surrounding dignitaries with a line that could be either an acknowledgment or a
provocation, Vitora proceeded to step forward.
Her gaze fell on the
plain swordsman who had just been dancing.
The sound of Vitora's
footsteps echoing on the marble floor was unpleasantly loud to Nozomu's ears.
"Is it you, the
one who defeated Rugato? I believe it was ...... Nozomu Bountis, was it?"
"… Yes."
The moment she
confirmed Nozomu's existence, Vitora's expressionless mouth lifted up in
amusement.
The sharp canine
teeth, characteristic of vampires, peeking out of Vitora's mouth, further
aroused Nozomu's wariness.
Nozomu pulled
Irisdina's hand and tried to hide her behind him.
The target during that
last incident of the secret agreement was a direct descendant of the Francilt
household.
Then it would not be
surprising if Irisdina was the next target instead of Somia.
However, Irisdina
gently held Nozomu's hand, which was trying to get her to move back, and
separated herself from him, then turned to face Vitora.
"Dear head of the
Waziart household, how may I help you?"
"Hm? Who are
you?"
Vitora's eyes, which
had once again returned to a blank expression, looked at Irisdina with a
sideways glance.
"I am Irisdina
Francilt, the next head of the Francilt family."
"Ah, you are of
that household. I see, so it was you."
A question mark popped
into Nozomu's head when Vitora said that she had just noticed and still with a
blank expression on her face.
If she was
dissatisfied with the settlement of past secret agreements and came here to
protest, or perhaps to retaliate, it was unnatural that she did not even know
Irisdina's face.
(Could it be that they
are not here for Iris and the other? If so, what on earth did this head of the
family come to Arcazam for?)
While thinking about
the questions that came to his mind, Nozomu glanced at Rugato, who was standing
behind her.
The old vampire butler
bowed reverently when he noticed Nozomu's gaze.
A butler who could
simultaneously control ten magics and attempted to take Somia's soul with the
vast experience and unusual abilities of the long-lived species.
Even the four of them,
Irisdina, Mars, and Tima, were overwhelmed by him, and Nozomu was finally able
to defeat him by bringing out Tiamat's power.
Considering that the
head of the Waziart family, including the old butler, visited Arcazam in
person, there was no way that the Francilt family was not involved.
"What... I came
to this city because I had some business to attend to, and I just dropped by
because I was a little curious about this party."
On the other hand, the
head of the family, who was the subject behind the incident, answered
Irisdina's question in a matter-of-fact manner.
Her tone of voice was
completely devoid of any emotion.
Although she said she
was interested in the party, it was clear that she did not mean what she said.
"Master, the
other party has come to see you."
"Oh, are they
here already?"
“Vitora-dono, I apologize for keeping you
waiting."
It was Victor who came
to intervene.
With Mena standing
behind him, he faced Vitora and bowed with a calm expression on his face.
"Don't sweat it. I
just arrived myself."
Irisdina, facing her
father, who was facing Vitora with a calm expression on his face, called out to
him, filled with doubts.
"Father, what's
going on?"
"I am the one who
has invited the leading figures of the Dizzard Empire to this party. I thought
it would be a good opportunity for me to have a word with them."
Irisdina's eyes were
tinged with shock when she learned that it was her father who had invited
Vitora to the party.
Irisdina gave a
questioning look to Mena, who was standing behind Victor, but Mena's expression
remained unchanged.
Irisdina turned her
gaze to Victor again, but he didn't seem to be concerned about it, as if this
was a predetermined course of action for him.
"Well, that's the
way it is. We may get along in the future. So, why don't we get to know each
other's faces first?"
Vitora, who opened her
mouth in the form of taking advantage of Victor's insistence, replied to
Irisdina in an indifferent manner.
"Then, let me
show you around. Please come this way... Irisdina, I'm going to be a little
busy. Don't worry about us, enjoy the party."
"...... No,
father, I'm going with you. Nozomu, I'm sorry. The dance ends here."
"I'll go with
you."
"No, I don't
think we can go that far."
Irisdina softly and
firmly rejected Nozomu's words, and glanced at the surrounding participants of
the party.
Irisdina's look made
Nozomu understand what she was trying to say.
At the moment, there
were many dignitaries from various countries gathered at this guest facility.
If they were to cause
a commotion like the one at the Francilte mansion before, it would surely
involve the other guests present here.
Even for the Waziart
family, it would be unthinkable to cause such an incident at this place.
"Nozomu, please
stay here. I don't know what Father and that woman are thinking, but if Nozomu,
who is getting a lot of attention right now, goes with them, there might be
some people who will make even stranger assumptions."
Irisdina told him not
to worry, but Nozomu could not nod his head to her words.
Vitora, who now has a
cold, blank expression on her face, was clearly smiling at Nozomu earlier, a
smile filled with emotion, and it stuck in his mind.
More than anything,
Nozomu was more worried about the fact that Irisdina was near the head of the
family that had tried to take Somia's soul away.
"But you are
going to go with the people who are connected to that household ..."
"It's all right.
I'm just going to follow them around a bit. Besides, ..."
Irisdina again turned
her gaze to a corner of the hall.
There was Jihad
walking toward them, carrying the giant sword "Jaw Drop" on his back.
"Pardon me for
interrupting."
"... Hou~, you're
quite good. What's your name?"
"Jihad Raundel. I
am in charge of security for this venue. Pleased to make your acquaintance,
Death Demon Princess."
Jihad bowed to Vitora,
who looked at him again with eyes filled with joy.
"Please allow me
to join you. You are the first foreign visitor to our city. As a representative
of this school, it would be impolite if I did not show you around."
"Jihad-dono,
that's not going to happen. However, I appreciate your concern."
Jihad offered to
accompany them as their guide, whereas Victor spoke to him in a reserved
manner.
However, there was a
hint of mutual understanding in their words.
Had Jihad heard from
Victor in advance?
But whatever their
true intentions were, it was clear that Jihad's presence here was an obvious
deterrent.
Jihad, carrying his
beloved Mithril armor and a giant sword, was in a condition ready for battle,
despite the calmness in his voice.
“Hm, you seem to be very wary of me. Rest assured, I
will not be a fool to wield my power against a mere mortal.
“…………”
On the other hand,
Vitora, who was being watched closely, was saying in a lighthearted tone,
"There is nothing to worry about", and was stuffing her cheeks with
cheese on a nearby table.
No matter how strong
Jihad might be, the other party was a being that could be compared to a natural
disaster.
From the point of view
of the vampire princess, even Jihad was not enough of a threat.
This situation truly
represented that fact, and perhaps understanding this fact, Jihad's mouth was
clenched tight as well.
"Besides, it's
time for our family to start looking outside of our territory. That is why,
although it is sudden, I have been invited to participate in this event through
an introduction by the Francilt family."
Vitora turned her back
toward Jihad, who was wary of her, and seemed to look completely unperturbed
and relaxed.
Her words about being
introduced by the Francilt family caused all the surrounding eyes to turn to
Vitor at once.
The numerous gazes
contain a mixture of surprise and suspicion, but Victor smiled and did not seem
to lose his composure.
While Victor continued
to show his unchanged attitude toward Vitora, Irisdina's face was distorted as
if she was biting a bitter bug.
It was clear from her
expression that she had heard nothing from Victor.
But she could not
question her father here and now. For there were numerous dignitaries around
her who were similarly intrigued by the situation.
Irisdina, for the time
being, spoke to Nozomu, who was standing by her side as if to protect her.
"Nozomu, you
should return to the party ..."
Nozomu is at a
critical turning point right now.
Irisdina herself did
not fully understand what was going on, but she felt that it was not a good
idea to keep Nozomu by her side at the moment.
Fortunately, the
surrounding eyes were on Vitora.
Irisdina tried to tell
Nozomu to leave during this time, but .......
"Oh right, since
we're here, why don't we have some of the students come along too? I'd love to
talk to some of the students from this academy."
Before Irisdina could
even speak to him, Vitora beat her to it.
Vitora's words carried
obvious curiosity, and the eyes of the surrounding people turned to Nozomu.
Nozomu, too, met
Vitola's gaze head-on, as if he was not about to back down.
"... Yeah, that's
okay."
"Okay, then,
let's go."
At this moment, the
fact that Nozomu was even being noticed by that Death Demon Princess was made
known.
It would now be
impossible for Nozomu to hide.
Behind Nozomu's
shadow, Irisdina bit her lip as she distorted her expression.
============================
With Victor in the
lead, the group went around greeting people.
However, even after
Victor's introduction, Vitora only replied with a curt "Oh," or
"I see", and showed no interest in paying attention to them.
The dignitaries who
were introduced to Vitora also had sweat beading on their faces and just
lowered their heads.
It was not surprising.
The presence of Vitora
was one thing, but the presence of Jihad, who was ready to fight, and Rugato,
who was waiting in the shadows to keep him in check, made the atmosphere in
this group even tenser.
In such a small space,
the most powerful people on the continent were gathered and vigilant. It was
like a dragon, a gryphon, and a chimera were facing each other.
If there were the
slightest spark of fire, there would surely be an explosion.
In the midst of such
an active volcano on the verge of erupting, Vitora was the only one who seemed
to be relaxed.
"Fumu~, this sure
is delicious. It's much better than the ones made in my own territory."
Vitora, who seemed to
like the cheese that was served as part of the dish, was again admiring it as
she picked a piece of it from the plate on the table.
She rolled it around
in her mouth as if savoring each bite, and then slurped it down with a glass of
wine in her hand.
Meanwhile, Nozomu was
amazed at the way Vitora was tasting the cheese.
"Is it strange?
For me, a vampire, to taste wine and things made by human hands?"
"N-, no,
umm..."
Vitora, noticing
Nozomu's gaze, turned to look at him with a smile.
Her eyes were not as
emotionless as they had been earlier when she had been introduced to the
dignitaries by Victor, and they were clearly tinged with interest.
"Just because
we're vampires doesn't mean we drink only blood all the time. Our needs remain
the same, and we do need other foods to sustain our lives."
"Is that
so?"
"Yeah.
Nonetheless, blood is still the most delicious thing for us. We all have
different tastes, but sometimes we are so addicted to blood that some of our
people even commit acts of violence."
While saying so,
Vitora drank the remaining wine in her glass.
The sight of the
crimson liquid, reminiscent of blood, running down her thin lips and
disappearing was so glamorous that one could not help but let out a gasp.
"Blood is an
inseparable part of our lives. I myself am concerned about the blood I
drink."
"Hou~, I am
somewhat curious to know what the princess's preferences are."
Vitora's smile
deepened as she answered Jihad's question from the side.
"It's simple.
It's the blood of those who seek victory without wavering. It's the blood of
those who struggle toward victory, even if they lose their limbs, even if they
crawl on the ground, even if all hope is taken away from them."
As she answered,
Vitola's eyes, which had been fixed on Nozomu, instantly squinted.
The next moment, a
gust of wind blew across Nozomu's cheeks.
"Eh……"
The pain running down
his cheek made Nozomu involuntarily let out a gasp.
Wondering what was
going on, Nozomu put his hand on his aching cheek, and felt a sticky, slippery
sensation spreading across his palm.
At the same time, an
irony, rusty scent wafted into his nose.
When he looked down at
the hand that he used to wipe his cheek, he saw that there was a sticky patch
of blood on it.
When Nozomu turned his
gaze back to Vitora, he saw that her pure white fingernails were also covered
in Nozomu's blood.
Vitora looked at
Nozomu's blood on her nails with a look of ecstasy on her face.
“So this is your blood. I see, you are young, and the
color is very vivid."
Nozomu's entire body
broke out in a cold sweat.
As soon as Vitora
showed up at this venue, Nozomu's body had entered a state of alertness.
Even if he was unaware
of it, the hellish training he received from his master and the experience he
gained from overcoming numerous training courses made him able to respond to
even the surprise attack of a top-class assassin on an subconscious level.
Despite this, Nozomu
was unable to respond to Vitora's casual swing of her arm toward him.
Before Nozomu could
react and move his body, Vitora's claw, already lightly swung, sliced through
Nozomu's cheek.
This was proof that
there was a disparity in ability between the two, to the extent that there was
no room for personal skill to intervene.
In fact, even Jihad,
who was aware of this fact, was wide-eyed in astonishment.
Irisdina, who had been
standing by Nozomu's side and watching what was going on, spoke up.
“Vitora-dono, doing such a thing in this place is……”
"It is all right,
isn't it? I'm not even killing him."
"He's... not your
blood bag."
Though quiet,
Irisdina's tone of voice was filled with clear anger.
In response to
Irisdina's protest, Vitora finally turned her gaze on her.
The gaze of a powerful
person, equal in power to a disaster, was directed at a single girl.
Even so, Irisdina
directed her expressionless indignation at Vitora, who had wounded Nozomu and
was now entranced by his blood.
"What, you're
angry? Hm, I thought he was into Francilt, but was it the other way
around?"
"~ !?"
Perhaps amused by
Irisdina's attitude, Vitora released some inciting words.
Irisdina was about to
become even more agitated by those words, but it was Victor who warned her.
"Irisdina, stand
down."
"Father ..."
"Stand
down."
"…… Pardon
me."
After being warned by
her father, Irisdina bit her lip in frustration, then bowed and stepped back.
Confirming that his
daughter had stepped back, Victor once again bowed toward Vitora.
"I apologize
about my daughter."
"It's fine. After
all, I was the one who interrupted their precious time together. I have the
capacity to let this level of rudeness slide."
Having lost interest
in Irisdina, who backed down after being warned, Vitora once again looked at
Nozomu's blood on her fingernails and slowly took a mouthful of it.
She spread it on her
tongue as if she were tasting candy and tasted it with great care.
Eventually, with a
smacking lips sound, the white porcelain finger was pulled out of her mouth.
Her expression was
happy but somewhat unsatisfied.
"It's not bad,
but ...... you seem a bit lost, don't you?"
“…………”
"I see, now it's
not the right time ... Rugato, let's go home."
"As you
wish."
Vitora turned on her
heel and began to walk away, as if she had no more business here.
The dignitaries in
front of her opened the way as if the tide was receding.
Vitora, who had been
walking along the open path, suddenly looked back as if she had just remembered
something.
"Oh right,
Francilt. I will send an envoy later. We shall discuss the terms of our
agreement regarding our territory."
"Yes. I look
forward to it."
"Agreement?"
The word
"agreement" stuck in Nozomu's mind.
Hearing this word, the
dignitaries were all buzzing.
With surprised
expressions on their faces, the dignitaries whispered something to their
attendants, and the attendants left the venue immediately after hearing what
was being said.
While Nozomu was
puzzled by the scene, Vitora and Rugato had disappeared from the venue.
"Jihad-dono.
Thank you."
Viktor lowered his
head to Jihad.
Jihad nodded and
accepted Victor's sincere gratitude, but his hardened expression remained
unchanged.
“Victor-dono, as the representative of Solminati, I
find this matter extremely regrettable. From now on, the Academy will have
nothing to do with this matter."
"I understand.
Let's go, Irisdina."
"…… Yes."
Irisdina followed
Victor as he turned on his heel and walked away.
She glanced back at
Nozomu with a dark expression on her face, but quickly returned her gaze and
walked away.
Her expression was
grave, completely different from the cheerful one she had shown earlier.
Nozomu's fist clenched
tightly as he looked away from Irisdina.
At that moment, Jihad
suddenly said something to Nozomu.
"Nozomu-kun. Keep
your distance from her for a while."
"Eh?"
"Don't you see?
Vitora's attention was clearly focused only on you. You seem to be of
considerable interest to her."
“…………”
Nozomu felt it too.
It was always only
Nozomu, not the Francilts or Jihad that Vitora treated with genuine interest.
The fact that she was
willing to lick Nozomu's blood in such a public and visible place showed that
her interest in Nozomu was extraordinary in comparison to others.
Nozomu was in a state
of extreme tension, but at the same time he was perplexed by the friction between
Waziart household and Francilt household, which he thought was over, and by
Jihad's bitter words toward Victor.
"Let's move to a
different place. Come."
Jihad, who had been
observing Nozomu, urged him to follow him and left the venue.
Nozomu looked for a
moment in the direction Irisdina and the others had left, but then tightened
his expression and followed Jihad's lead.
