On the other end of the continent, Albert, Lilac, and Eshdar continued with their investigation of the conspiracy that would cripple the Demon Hunters efforts. But first, Albert wanted to visit his old friends while introducing them to Eshdar and Lilac.

Eshdar voiced his concern, as did Lilac, considering that both of them weren’t therians in the slightest (Eshdar merely having a general appearance of a werefox and Lilac not a Lycan, hence her hellhound-like physique). Lilac, especially, was also concerned that she would cause trouble to Albert due to her Tainted status, only for Albert to comfort her.

“Just because you are a Tainted, doesn’t mean you can’t talk with anyone anymore,” said Albert. “It’s not a death sentence.”

“But I thought you said they were affiliated with Demon Hunters,” said Lilac.

“Affiliated, yes, but they are not following the doctrines,” said Albert. “In fact, they became affiliated through me, and you know my standing with the rest of them.”

“Being a commander gives you all the authority.”

“And I don’t intend to abuse it. Don’t worry about yourself, Lilac. Marlene and the others can understand.”

Lilac nodded, but deep down, she felt uneasy. Now that she knew she was corrupted by a demon, she started to wonder if she just let Ifrit go instead of being attracted to her. She came so close of denouncing her old lover before she realized what she had done. Ifrit was never acting like a demon, nor was he manipulating her to love him and having sex with him. It was her who became attracted to him due to his compliments on her werewolf form. It was her who realized that Ifrit, despite of his violent ways to protect his friends, acted kindly towards her, never even forcing her. He even sacrificed himself and said sorry to her in the end. There was no way he was a demon. Even if he was a demon, Lilac doubted that he ever knew he had demon blood in him.

She started to wonder if it was a right thing to know. Maybe it was. If she didn’t know, she might be too careless and ended up completely corrupted. Otto of the Demon Hunters said that a Tainted wasn’t exactly a Corrupted, but gradual changes to personality would happen if she wasn’t careful, especially since she would be at the front line against demons, such as the Orobas (or Orobas’ servant, as the equine demon claimed) they fought earlier.

Her trail of thoughts broke when Albert called Marlene’s name. She was in front of a vast building with interior much bigger than the buildings Lilac ever visited. The ceiling was high, with sun windows that let the building’s cavernous interior bathed by sunlight. The building itself was filled with engineers and partially built cars, engines dangling on chains, and spaces dedicated to offices. Lilac could see several of them working on big sheet of papers, drawing car bodies and engine models. Lilac noticed that some of them looked similar to Albert’s car, but some looked less familiar and did not seem to be made for general use.

Then her attention returned to Albert, who, in Tragorian, said, “I want to introduce you to my travelling companions, Marlene. The fox is Eshdar Winsel, and the wolf is Lilac Rezmirn. Eshdar, Lilac, this is Marlene, owner of this workshop.”

“Owner?” said Lilac, surprised. “A woman?”

“Well, you clearly have never been to Dusdolf, then,” said Marlene, taking with a heavy accent much like Otto. “Let me guess. Tragorian women are not supposed to vote, too?”

“Hey, be nice, Marlene,” said Albert.

“It’s okay, Al,” said Lilac, making a smile. “I barely even set foot out of the village before…well, before Albert. Nice to meet you.”

“Marlene Schrader,” said Marlene while shaking hands with Lilac. “This is my company, SMW.”

“SMW?”

“Schrader-Motoren-Werke,” said Marlene. “In Tragorian, that would be Schrader’s Motorworks.”

Lilac, remembering the big ‘SMW’ on the grille of Albert’s car, along with Albert himself explaining the car’s origin, said, “Ah, I see. So, your company made the SMW Mark 5, right? The car Albert called Liz?”

“We made them, but we didn’t manufacture them. I believe Albert told you that it’s a unique prototype?”

As Lilac nodded, Albert said, “So, since we’re here, do you think you can check on Liz for me? She’s been through a lot ever since you delivered it for me. And for your information, the engine’s intact. Those metal plates sure protect the engine more than they protect us.”

“Hey, at least you can use the car as a cover,” said Marlene, realizing that Albert was being sarcastic. “Anyway, Johann can help you with whatever upgrades you need. Tell him what you need, even Gestjager upgrades.”

“I need them, yes,” said Albert. “Also, can we talk? Privately.”

“Come on,” said Marlene. “My office’s upstairs. Should be good enough.”

Lilac was amazed by the vastness of the building as the five of them walked to the second floor. Up there, the scope of the building, which was Marlene’s company’s workshop, became apparent. The corrugated steel made the building sturdier, yet also looking rather brittle at the same time, unlike the brick buildings in the city. Electric lights, with wires fastened to the roof, dangled over the workers, providing extra illumination when the sun’s natural lights were not enough. From the second floor, several workers, both Lycans and humans, observed the proceedings below while talking to themselves, probably having a rest.

Marlene then welcomed them into a room. Unlike the rest of the workshop, the room, which was her office, had wooden paneling and felt posher and more comfortable, which was fitting for the owner of her own company. The lighting was provided both by the window on the right side of the office and the lights installed on the ceiling. Floor was covered with carpet in addition to the wood panel, again to provide comfort and a certain level of authority as the owner. Lilac could tell they were intended for business talks, as no one wanted to talk in an uncomfortable room. It was like the tea shop’s private room.

The sun was quickly blocked by a curtain, as did the window overlooking the workshop on the first floor. She also locked the door leading into her office before she welcomed the three to a nearby sofa.

“Tea?” asked Marlene while carrying a pot kettle.

“Yes, please,” said Lilac, prompting Marlene to provide her a cup and fill it with hot tea. She shook her head when being offered cream. She took a sip. It was strong. She almost mistook the bitterness to coffee.

“Okay, Albert,” said Marlene. “Gestjager business?”

Albert nodded. “They asked me to keep Struttemberg safe while they deal with cultists near the city. At the same time, they want me to investigate the recent demonic attacks in the city.”

“The attacks intensified just as we heard about the situation in Tragoria,” said Marlene. “With the Gestjager stretched thin and the Vigilante isn’t around, they became bold. Struttemberg is just one of those heavily affected.”

“Vigilante?”

“She means Rhynsa,” said Albert. “Let me guess. Someone connected him to the Dusdolfian Vampire?”

“He got a price on his head,” said Marlene. “And yes. There is too much coincidence for the two to not be related. You know something about this, Al? Who is this Rhynsa?”

“He’s…an acquaintance,” said Albert.

Marlene sighed. “Look, Al, you don’t need to hide it. I deserve the rights to know. I can’t believe someone like that protects us from the demons and their followers. I know saviors have quirks, but that’s just disgusting.”

“Then would you believe me that he’s a werebat? A vampire werebat?”

“So, you’re telling me that he’s a previously undiscovered therianthrope?”

“He’s not a therian. I don’t have a better description. He called himself a Fuzandre, or for us, he’s a chiropteran. A bat…man.”

Albert wasn’t sure why he felt those words would gain more weight in the future, especially when Fuzandres became more common.

Marlene, while not entirely sure about it, understood that the Vampire wasn’t a human, nor was he a Lycan. So, she simply said, “Ah. I see.”

“You didn’t seem surprised.”

“It simply made me less disgusted, though still am.”

“Okay, let’s get back to the topic at hand. I noticed that there were hellhounds among the population. I have never seen them before.”

“They claimed to be refugees,” said Marlene. “Well, most of them are. Not all of them, however. Some got into trouble, though most just mind their own business. But the thing is…their arrival coincided with the increase of demonic attacks. No one out there think this is a coincidence, Al.”

“And you just readily blame the hellhounds for that?”

“No, not like that. Just so you know, I protected some of them. One lived in Johann. I employed the rest as a factory line worker. They needed a little time learning basic Dusdolfian, but it worked. Still, the general public might not like it.”

“No one can be comfortable with something they don’t know,” said Lilac. “It’s just our thing.”

“Anyway, let’s get straight to the point,” said Albert. “Marlene, we are investigating the increased demonic attack in and around Struttemberg. What can you tell me?”

Marlene pondered about it, unsure if there were anything weird aside from the hellhounds. After thinking for a while, she said, “Actually, I always wondered about the mansion near the base of the mountain. It sat abandoned for almost ten years now, and no one claimed the place.”

“I know that mansion,” said Albert. “Who was the owner? Is it the local duke?”

“Duke Alfric of Holsten.”

“A duke?” said Lilac. “So, he’s royalty?”

“He was. Unfortunately, he passed away and his relatives no longer owned land in this city. That mansion is city property. No one seemed to take residence there, but lately…there are lights. Not house lights, just lights from a lantern. Someone is exploring the mansion at night.”

“That sounds like a trouble brewing,” said Eshdar. “My guess is the authority found a horribly mangled body of a trespasser.”

“You know the story?”

“I don’t. I guessed. It always happens that way. So, that’s what really happened?”

Marlene grimly nodded. “Ever since then, the mansion was off-limits. The incident was written off as a suicide. The Gestjagers might investigate if they weren’t too preoccupied with the cultists.”

“Hence our role,” said Lilac. “What do you say, gentlemen?”

“I suppose we can start with the mansion,” said Albert.

Eshdar, Lilac, and Albert nodded in unison, agreeing that it was the best place to start. After finishing their teas and helped wash the cups, both Eshdar and Lilac went ahead while Albert stayed to talk with Marlene. They returned to the sofa.

“So,” started Marlene. “You met a lot more friends throughout your travel.”

“I also lost them,” said Albert. “I recently lost one.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Thanks, I…Marl, I wonder. Can we ever accept that this world is going to change forever?”

“You sound rather ominous.”

“What do you think?”

“Well, as long as it doesn’t end with the world ending, I can accept it.”

“Then the least we can do is to prevent that from ever happening. It’s just…I don’t feel confident about helping my newfound friends when all I did was change their lives. Not sure if it was for the better or not, though.”

“Albert…this isn’t just your actions. They chose to follow this path and you can help guide them. You are already a mentor to them. I can easily tell. You know more things than they do, and you clearly show that you know what you’re doing. They chose to follow you, no matter the risks and the dangers they faced.”

“Maybe so.” Albert sighed. “You know, Marl.”

“Hmm?”

“Sometimes I wished I could stay in your team and help SMW grow. I could resign from the Demon Hunters and follow my dreams of being a racer. I mean, both lives are potentially short, though one pumps your adrenaline more than the other.”

Marlene laughed. “It is, huh? To hear the engine purrs as you ready to have the ride of your life. Nothing beats that excitement, especially if it’s the product of hard work.”

“It does, Marl, it does. But then…that’s how things are, isn’t it? Your dreams don’t always follow what you need. I know this is for the noble cause, but…when I lost my friend, I felt…hollow. It’s like I failed myself. There wasn’t supposed to be a risk involved, but then there was. I could blame Rhynsa for making it worse, but he helped clear the place so there won’t be any disruptions. It still wasn’t enough.”

“Albert.” Marlene put her hand on his. “Do not blame yourself too much. Do not blame others, too. All you do is turn you into something you don’t like: a man bent on revenge. I know you’re angry. I know you’re helpless. Yet…it all happened, and we have to live through it. You just have to believe that someday, you can properly honor him.”

Albert, touched by Marlene’s encouragement, said, “You’re right. This is not the time for regret.”

“And before you go, try and ask Johann about whether you want your guns upgraded,” said Marlene with a smile. “He’s eager to support your…unorthodox ways of hunting demons.”

“I thought he’s a car expert.”

“That does not mean he can’t do a little side project, right? Now, go, and promise you’ll return.”

“Struttemberg and your factory’s not going anywhere, right?”

Albert simply walked out as Marlene smiled. He knew Marlene meant it well. The best he could do to respect her was to at least survive if the whole situation turned out to be demon related.

It was his role to be a guardian, and he would do so. He would guard Eshdar and Lilac so they would see what the future had for them. That was his purpose.

That’s what a decent human would do.