“You sure that’s all?”

“Yup.”

We are getting ready to pack our things cause we are departing for our mission, that is to exterminate the chimera. I have everything all I need, armour, back up armour and some weapons too. We have a bitter atmosphere around us since Riku has joined the mission. Everyone feels uneasy with the fact that he is coming. They might have suspicion about Riku. Not me though.

I basically know Riku already. I know that he is strong, he is quiet and he has many, many strong battles in the past. He has a weird taste of fashion since he show up with these strange leather and sometimes, soft clothes whenever we meet. He also have a strange understanding of magic that is very different from us. He also have a strange habit of executing adventurers with bad reputation, which is fine but, he behead them and take their heads. Who does that? 

Anyway, I’m fully prepared to go to the subjugation with some other adventurers. 

We are about to go off to an adventure I wouldn’t forget. This is the first big mission that I have received and I can’t waste another second on doing something else.

The horses on the carriages are being prepared by the merchant on the edge of the kingdom where we will first part from the capital. The horses are like a nobles possession as it is as white as snow and has an armour as durable as my sword. The way the carriages are displayed are also like from a noble. It has a glazed brown as base colour and a white accent on the sides. 

The horses and carriages are rented by the guild master of the capital and his friend, Rayas.

As we are getting inside the carriages, I noticed Riku is still not here. He said that we should go without him but I’m kinda feeling suspicious about his absents. The way that he told me was nothing special and his expression is still as blank as usual but I can tell if someone has something they’re hiding just by looking in their eyes.

The other adventurers are getting on the other carriages and are in groups. I alone was sitting inside one of the carriages with no one to talk to. I guess this is still ok since I won’t have something like awkward moments.

A few minutes have past and we are off to go to Vortire where our destination is located. The five carriages are going as fast as thirty kilometres per hour. Vortire is about two days from here if we’re on horses and a month if we walked.

I’m in here alone in one of the carriages, relaxing and minding my own business. I’m feeling a bit lonely since I’m with my friends for the last month.

While I was relaxing, there was a black figure just appeared out of nowhere infront of me. The shadows inside the carriage are being sucked into one point. I figured that it was Riku who was about to appear. I was wrong. It was something strange. The shadows that formed around it disappeared. It was clear that it is not Riku. It is someone, wait.... Something, it looked strange, it looks like a black wolf. It is quadrupedal animal with sharp teeth and bright red eyes. 

“I got a message from Riku-sama.”

Oh. It’s his familiar. No wonder it can use the same shadow magic as Riku has. He can summon one just like that huh. I wonder how do you summon your own familiar though?

I bet that he has a message about how he is absent and has sent his familiar to help me with the mission. 

“Riku will be going ahead and wait there for all of your arrival at Vortire. In the mean time, I’ll be accompany to you and protect all of the adventures with you. That is all.”

Knew it.

On the way to Vortire, we have encountered a bunch of adventurers thugs that looked like from a small group of bandits and are trying to steal from us. Thankfully, Riku’s familiar has about the same powers of Riku have. His familiar's shadow powers are immense power that can cut a tree or even a boulder in half in a matter of seconds.

There are five of them and the way that they dressed are like from another region. They have armour with a marking of a wolf with red eyes. They looked sweaty and are frightened.

Riku’s familiar jumped from my carriage and ran forward the bandits. The bandits tried to fight back but the wolf overpowered them. It devoured first their arms then legs and then finally, their heads. It was a horrifying event.

We are safe thanks to Riku’s familiar. 

On the journey, it was peaceful after the bandits attacked. We have seen some eyes in the bushes in the forest but it looks like that they were frightened by the scenario before.

There was nothing to do but wait in the carriage until we arrive at Vortire. 

After five hours, we stopped at a stop on the forest. We ate some of our food, the way that the surrounding makes me feel uneasy, it looks like there are some more bandits or monsters ready to attack us, but thanks to Riku’s familiar making a scene a while ago, they’re not attacking.

After that, we headed back to the carriages and continued on the journey. We are about another two hours away to Vortire. 

After that two hours, we finally arrived at Vortire. It looked like it was more advanced than any other town. I don’t know why it is called a town, it should be called a city.

The gates are bright grey steels and are very durable even in wars. We went through without any troubles cause of the crest in the carriages.

We are guided by an adventurer who works at the capital’s guild. His name is Markus and is known for his magic: illusion. We were escorted through the road alongside him and have arrived at our destination. 

The guild was informed that we were here and had no need to explain to us the situation. We already know and have a plan about the extermination of the chimeras.

We are escorted to the guild’s inn and there we find Riku waiting in the corner.

“Do anyone of you know this young man over here?” said by Markus.

Apparently, he have already arrived and had troubles entering Vortire cause he has no registration card or any identification recorded in the guild. He explained that he was part of the subjugation but they did not believed him.

“Yes, he is part of the subjugation.”

Markus quickly apologized and had given him money for his apology. Riku did not accept it and said he only needs an identification card to enter any town.

He quickly agreed and went to the guild to forge him a proper new identification card fresh off the blacksmith.

After the reunion, we headed to our own rooms and started to rest. After a good night’s sleep, we went to the guild and started to go to the guild master. On our way, we are being praised by the people of Vortire.

“They’re the ones, right?”

“Are they really going to kill them?”

They kept talking about us like we are celebrities. It kinda feels nice to be as famous as this. I really need to accept more missions like this. The scythe clan is famous but not famous enough if you’re rank is just like mine.

The one and only, guild master of the Vortire: Sir, Alexander Wang, came through the crowd and came straight to us with style. 

Vortire is known for their advance society while still being called a town. Plus, the guild master is also a very famous adventurer that once killed a black viper with just his hands. He is an S rank adventurer with metal magic. He can create swords, shields and arrows with his magic. 

He said that he wanted to congratulate us for being a brave team of adventurers who will protect his town. He also said that he would do it for his town on his own but he said that he can’t battle with his magic anymore because of some disease that stops is hands from moving normally.

We were greatly honoured by his words and phrases. There were ten of us I think.

I know that they would be proud of themselves cause of the phrases but they are still D rank adventurers. Two of them are C ranks and one of them(Riku) still possess unknown abilities.

The night of that day, we celebrated our arrival with the guild master.

Guild master: “I haven’t seen you here, what’s your name?”

Riku: “Me? I don’t want to say it.”

Michael: “Hey, don’t be disrespectful to the guild master.”

“...”

“It’s ok if you don’t want to say it. I just want to know if I know you already.”

“...”

“You really don’t talk to much don’t you?”

“...”

“hahaha, ok then, I like this one. I can tell that you are very powerful. If I’m not handicapped, I would fight you.”

“...”

It’s been a very loud night with Lion-san and the guild master but it makes the room more lively and fun. They’re laughter makes Riku want to go out and kill them, hopefully not literally. They managed to get too drunk and fell asleep in the bar. I was not drunk at all since I can drink twelve rounds of wine and I’m still standing still.

I realized that Riku had left the inn a while ago. It is very strange that there has been no one screaming or being reported someone being decapitated. I had a feeling that he is up to no good.

I looked all over for him and still had no luck. I can’t believed that he just left a perfectly fun celebration without telling any of us.

I encountered a very beautiful voice that sounded like from a woman. I followed that voice to a cliff with an astonishingly amazing view from the top. Once I’ve reached the top, I was disappointed that it is not what I was expecting. It was Riku on the top of the cliff. He was sitting and had a box that’s open and it was the one that producing the voices of the girl that I heard.

“Riku! What are you doing here.”

Riku looked at me and stands up. He closed the box and the music of the beautiful voice stopped. He said to me “ Why are you here?”

“I was looking for you. What are you doing here?”

“This is the only place that I’ve found that is so peaceful, I can listen to what you’ve just heard.”

“Oh, sorry I bothered you.”

“It’s ok.”

“You’ve forgotten what I said to you, right?”

“What? No, sorry I can’t.”

I completely remember everything he said while he was slaying those bandit adventurers. “I’m a vampire.”. How would I forget that. I know now why he is so strong but, it’s still a mystery what his abilities are. I know that he is using appraisal disguise. And those skill of his is not just from shadow magic.

“Then I have to kill you now.”

“Wait!! I can keep a secret. Just you and me. No one will know.”

“Hmmm”

“I can’t be sure that you will keep it a secret.”

“I can.”

“Ok fine, I am a vampire. What you’ve heard from before was true. I am a vampire.”

He sits down and continued to listen to the box. I came closer to him and sit besides him. I didn’t came too close to him though, no homo. I just sit close enough to hear the music and his voice.

“Why did you want to come here with us to slay the chimera?”

“It’s as you said.”

“To come here with us?”

“No. To slay the chimeras.”

“Oh, sorry I misinterpreted that.”

I continued to listen to the music that the box produces. I can’t believe that a box can do that. I don’t know any magic that can do that. I can’t ask how it was producing such wonderful voices and sounds cause I’m “too stupid” to know what he is talking about.

I really can’t believe that he was a vampire. I should investigate more about his past to know him better. He probably don’t have any friends but I can be one.

I still have more secrets to uncover about him. But I have the one key component that could be one of his biggest secret. He said it himself: “I’m a vampire.”