Hello Scrolls and Followers of Justice, Mr.Bones with chapter 21 of my fanfic He Who Came Back.
In this chapter we will have a tour, humor, a little romance and we will know more about Inta's past.
I hope you're enjoying it, once again I added an easter egg, it will be important for those who are following along, Traveler does this on purpose.
With you
The One Who Came Back
Chapter 22: Vigilance
"Once again, I'm sorry."
"Don't worry! It's not the first time a girl has covered me in fluids, I know some people who would pay for that."
"STOP MAKING EVERYTHING SOUND SO PERVERTED!!!"
"Only if you stop apologizing."
"Okay... So, tell me more about your former employee."
"His name is Takuya Yamashiro, or at least that's what he gave at the time, about five months ago. He was a nice guy, came to the hotel just when I needed him, the day shift assistant broke his arm and I needed a substitute. He worked all day and left at dusk. I hardly ever saw him, as you can imagine, that time of day is not our busiest hour."
"I thought you guys hated the sun."
"Hotel managers?"
"Vampires, silly."
"When I was younger, yes. Over time, you acquire resistance, and there are products to put on the skin. Today, if I stayed in the sun, it would take more than an hour to start burning, but as you can see, I still prefer to expose myself as little as possible," Inta said, briefly showing her skin to Entoma.
Both wore capes that covered their heads and concealed their beautiful long-sleeved clothes. Neither wanted to attract attention, not where they were.
"Right. So why did we have to wait until dawn to go to the address where he lives or says he lives?"
"First, because I needed a shower."
"I ALREADY APOLOGIZED!!!"
"He! He! He! It's okay, the reason was the location where he lives according to his observers."
"Yes, they reported that the address is a warehouse in one of the run-down neighborhoods, a terrible place to live, and it's being used by a dangerous group for activities more than shady."
"In that case, since it was already late at night, we probably wouldn't find any activity, so going during the day to analyze the place in person was the best option to check the location."
"I don't like waiting. If he disappears, even for a few minutes, you'll have to explain it to the Sorcerer King," the Battle Maid said in a joking tone.
"If I knew I was going to meet His Majesty, I would take the opportunity to ask for more free time so you could go for a walk with me."
"Don't be silly. Hi! Hi! Hi!"
'You know I can hear you, right?!' said Kyouhukou
'Then stop.'
Kyouhukou had developed a very intelligent monitoring system, and he and his relatives had a certain degree of telepathy that allowed them to converse without using words, similar to the incantations used by the Sorcerer King, but on a smaller scale and only at close range. But here, with a cockroach almost every ten meters, he discovered how to relay this signal, thus being able to monitor in real-time, seeing and hearing what was happening near one of his relatives, specifically the one who was hiding with Entoma. All he had to do was focus, which was quite difficult at the moment with all the commotion.
"Furthermore," continued Inta, "I doubt we'll find him, maybe just some clues. As I said before, he only stayed with us for two months and when he left, he clearly said he was going to the Holy Kingdom. Checking out the warehouse is just to find out why he provided this address, since I'm almost certain he didn't live here."
"Entoma, can I ask you a question?"
"Of course, if I can answer."
"What have you been writing these days?"
"Ah, you noticed! It's just notes about the trip. As you can imagine, my sisters and I don't have much free time. In fact, we hate being away from our master, but sometimes we are sent on missions that require us to... socialize. So, if any of them ever come here, they can use my notes to make the most of their time."
"Okay, you're making a travel guide."
'I told you.'
'Shut up.' – "This, you can call it that."
"Have you thought of a title?"
"Why?"
"Maybe you could publish it. There's nothing like it, now that the security of all kinds of people has increased, a book like this could be relatively successful. How about something like, '42 Days in Arwintar, A Travel Guide for Heteromorphs'?"
"Why 42? We couldn't even take the tour at the Academy."
"And doesn't that count?" Inta asked, spinning with arms open, showing the dirty, decrepit street cluttered with garbage and rats, even during the day.
"Stop it, you'll attract attention! So where's this address?"
"We passed it two blocks back, the one with the beggars at the door."
"Really?"
"Yes, and those weren't beggars, they were guards. The door is marked with a trafficking symbol."
"Trafficking of what?"
"Drugs, weapons, alcohol, people.
Probably all of them."
"My master ordered the elimination of drug dealers and slavery is illegal, but what kind of weapons could be being smuggled? Besides, weapons are not illegal and everyone uses them," said the speaker.
"Rune weapons. Hmm... I see that you're surprised," replied the other person.
"Of course, my master personally worked for the revival and revitalization of Rune Art. He won't be pleased. Is someone smuggling them from the Dwarf Kingdom?"
"Sometimes it's simpler than you think. The Sorcerer Kingdom has a monopoly on their production, and while they're in the hands of the dwarves or the Kingdom, they're safe. But all it takes is stealing a shipment from a traveling merchant to resell. Since it wasn't directly stolen from the Sorcerer Kingdom, you won't receive any news about it."
In fact, Albedo already had a report in hand about this, ready to authorize the use of the Hanzos to search for and dismantle such thieves ... and their operations. She was just waiting for His Majesty's stamp of approval.
"Alright, let's take a look from above then," said the speaker.
With grace and lightness, Entoma leaped and landed slowly on the roof. Inta needed two pushes from the wall to reach the same spot.
"The building doesn't have an exit on the roof. Apparently, the only entrances are the front and the windows, which are sealed. 'Kyouhukou, are you there?'"
'At your service, milady. The observers received reinforcements and are searching the area. There seems to be a hidden exit to the sewer and a passage to the alley behind the building. There's apparently a large amount of contraband, as well as some kind of person in a cage. My relatives can't describe it well because it's wrapped in cloth and piled up in a corner. It could be our target.'
'Okay, let them stay on standby, and let us know if there are any updates. We'll wait until nightfall to catch as many of the involved as possible.'
"Very well, Mr. Barintacha, I have only one question left. Where are we going to have lunch?"
After lunch, an afternoon walk, and a brief tea break, the day was beginning to darken. The couple decided to return to the observation post and, with no major news, they just waited for the right moment. According to Inta, it would be better to wait until after midnight to have the opportunity to catch as many bandits as possible."
"Tell me more about what happened after you left the cave!" said Entoma, lying on her back and looking at the stars. She was wearing a black BBs suit, so she was almost invisible in the moonless night. Inta was in his natural form, wearing a hooded cloak that was apparently magical, as it had increased in size to cover the abnormally disproportionate body of the Elder Vampire.
" Well, after I left the cave, I started visiting cities. Sometimes I would create a domicile, but when I started to attract attention, I would move. I found other vampires, all much younger than me, but they had much more experience and taught me many things. Did you know that the natural appearance of a vampire varies greatly from individual to individual?"
"I have little experience with vampires, the only one I work with is my superior Lady Shalltear. Her natural appearance is quite different from yours, whereas the vampire brides look more like you."
"The bat appearance is probably the most common, but I've also encountered some insectoids and others that looked like worms. Generally, vampires adopt the appearance of a species that feeds on blood."
" About your superior, I wish I could talk to another vampire, it's been centuries since I exchanged information."
"I think you could really learn something, after all, she is a True Vampire."
"AN ORIGINAL!! Wow! A vampire queen, she must be incredibly powerful."
"Yes, but she also has a dangerous temper. Remember to be very careful with her if you ever meet her.
"Noted. "
" You said you left the cave about seven centuries ago? Then you must have seen the Six Gods and the Eight Kings of Greed."
"You have no idea how easy it is to miss these things. When great deeds are being done, no one realizes the size of the thing, and only decades later do they exalt it all. For example, I only found out about the Six Gods fifty years after they appeared, and they weren't even deified yet. When the Kings of Greed appeared, only Surshana was still alive, and I lived on the other side of the continent, I never got to see one of the Eight Kings, they all killed each other decades after they appeared. The religion of the Six Gods only flourished after that, the followers made their deeds divine, embellished their stories and greatly increased their conquests, thus creating a religion.
"You know that my master is more powerful than the Six Gods."
" Probably. I heard about the power of his magic in the Katze Plains, if that's not an exaggeration..."
" It's not. "
"Ok, then he's much more powerful. I also know about the fight against the Demon King and what's coming after it, it seems that a new religion is emerging, much faster than before. The Witch King has constantly shown his power, both to create and to destroy, his benevolence and his punishment, that's all people need to worship him as a God. I have no doubt that soon it will become the dominant religion in most of the continent before the end of the decade.
"You don't seem to believe in divinity."
"From my experience, divine beings or beings with divine powers come and go, only time will tell who was the true God."
"You are wise to think that way, after all my master is not a divine being, he is a Supreme Being. "
"What's the difference?"
" Gods are beneath him. "
"Oh! I should have measured my words better, since I'm probably talking to one of his angels."
"Oh come on, you silly!"
'I can still hear you '
NHACK!
"What was that?"
" Nothing - nhom nhom nhom - , just a little snack! I think it's time for us to go inside."
