Chapter 15: Chapter 15 ~ New Enemies

Leaving my father's office, I was stopped by elder sister Sarah who was conversing with Ciel.

"Layne, do you have a minute or two to spare? Let's go to a restaurant near here and chat," she invited.

"I'm quite free right now, so that's fine I guess; what do you think, Ciel?"

"Sister-in-law had already invited me, I've accepted her invitation."

"Good. Now that both of you agreed, I'll take you to a nice restaurant, north of the Great Clock. It's quite near our Manor, actually."

"So… we walk there, right?" I asked.

"We can also use a coach to go there," Sarah replied to her brother.

"Or we can also use a carriage to go there, yeah, " I parroted her, as I'd forgotten the fact that I used to travel in such a coach.

Following elder sister Sarah towards our garage, we arrived, and stepped to one of the coaches already being prepared for departure. After giving the coachman our destination, we started our journey.

To be fair, being inside a coach was mightily different from walking to where we needed to go. You won't get tired at all by using it. In fact, it was quite relaxing since coaches nowadays now used some form of suspensions.

Peering outside, we noticed the townspeople had already arranged some decorations near their homes. While those who were a part of the festival committee, were busy decorating the streets with hanging lights and market stalls. From what I'd seen, the harvest festival would be a very eventful day.

The coach halted, it seems we've arrived at our destination.

The coachman very respectfully, opened the coach's door for us. What greeted us was a very grandiose building. Its pillars of white stood apart from the wine-red banners and carpets it utilised as furnishings; while the tasteful use of the eastern gardening art, bonsai, gave its deathly opulence some semblance of life. Its architecture truly is, reminiscent of the classical antiquity we rarely witness nowadays.

Rows and rows of stewards and stewardesses came outside of the building, greeting us.

"We very humbly welcome the Knight Captain of the Second Division, Sarah Carter, and her respectful guests!" they bowed.

My elder sister nodded at them, asking, "I believe we've already made reservations, correct?"

The head steward came forward, informing her, that indeed the restaurant had received her reservations, and he shall be the one to guide them to the prepared room.

Walking forward, following my sister, I noticed one of us hasn't moved from their spot. It was Ciel; her eyes dazed and confused, at both the magnificence of the place we were going for our late lunch, and the display of rows and rows and rows of stewards and stewardesses. Grabbing her hand, I escorted her to the room that was prepared for us.

On the way there, Ciel regained her logical faculty.

"You okay there?" I asked, quietly snickering.

"I've never seen a grand entrance like that, and it got me thinking about how much money it would take to dine in a place like this."

"Really? Remember you once had wealth, enough to eat three meals every day at someplace like this for at least a hundred years?"

"I did remember, but I've never really eaten at a grand place before, have I?"

"You do have a point; every time those aristocrats or nobles invited you to their parties, you rejected them."

Our banter about wealth and such continued for a while, at least until we arrived at the private room.

Inside, as you would expect, was glamorous. Though, there's a little detail that never escaped my eyes. Someone's there already, waiting for us; and it's an acquaintance.

"I never thought we'd meet again, Detective; and in a such short time, no less. That whole ordeal you sent us, I still remember vividly," I mused, a little irked.

"Now, now, Young Master. I too never would've thought you'll waltz in there, with your little lady, guns blazing," he replied, respectfully slighting me.

Our silent confrontation continued until my sister cleared her throat, and said, "We're here to eat, and discuss that vampire attack. Now stop your petty squabble or I won't stay my hand. Theo, I think you still owe my little brother something. Layne, I won't ask you to forgive him, but at least try to work together with him this one time."

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All conflicts died down, and Theo, the detective, rummaged around in his pockets, before pulling out an aged key; which he lightly threw to me.

"112A Baker Street, good room, already paid, fully furnished. Able to house around three people, a kind landlady that will cook you breakfast and dinner. Although you'll have a roommate."

"Who?"

"Me."

"I'd rather take my chances with the forest outside."

"Well, you'll be welcomed anytime."

"Thanks, but no thanks for the invitation. Still, I'll keep the key."

Our little banter was interrupted by the waiter who brought us the hors d'oeuvre of the course. Assortments of bite-sized pieces could be chosen from the artisanal china they served us, all of them delectable and mouth-watering.

"Layne, can you tell us what happened inside the hotel?" my sister asked after all of the waiters had gone out of the room.

"To keep things short, we went face to face with a high-ranking vampire-"

Theo, hearing what I had said, interjected, "Nonsense! It's just a small thrall, a lamprey."

"-That was hiding inside the lamprey," I continued.

I added in some more detail, "Moreover, it has the capability to absorb the blood of its foes, strengthening itself, whilst weakening its enemies."

"Continue," my sister replied.

"After attacking me, it seemed a little off, screaming some stuff; and it died," I lied about me being the one to finish it off.

"Some stuff? What did he say?" she asked, leaning forward.

"That his name is Dracul, the ruler of vampires or something, and it doesn't deserve its fate."

"Dracul? The Ancestor Dracul? Why was he here, in Rivellon?" Sarah muttered to herself.

Theo, hearing the new information, added, "After he attacked the Verse-Making Saint, it was said that he got cursed because he violated the Law, created by the Four Guardians, to protect the innocent. Maybe he's hiding here, biding his time."

Hearing my past title out of their mouths, both Ciel and I suppressed our astonishment.

I asked, "The Verse-Making Saint? Who is he?"

"Ah, I forgot you're new to the other side, Layne. He's the Orthodoxy's founder's best friend who was always commemorated at the end of the year, following his and his wife's death," my sister explained slowly.

"Orthodoxy?"

"An organization created by the arcanist Damon, to document all kinds of magick, and categorize it, while also optimizing it for human use. It's said that the founder managed to gleam the future, and could see the Verse-Making Saint and the Dragonheart making a comeback. Although it could be seen that he became weakened after both of his friends died."

Weakened after our deaths, that feels like a punishment, a sealing, by the Law of the Four Guardians. Dracul got weaker because he interfered with our ascension, looks like Damon did something at that moment too. Looks like Ciel, like me, can't still believe our friend betrayed us.

My sister's explanation continued, finally ending, "The founder, aware that both of his friends will come back, sooner or later, created the Orthodoxy to help them regain what they lost."

Adrift within the conversation, the main course arrived.

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