Chapter 25

I turned to Serulis and said,

“Well, this is a good opportunity then. I will get a house of my own.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t act surprised.”

Serulis looked surprised, but I didn’t think it was surprising at all.

I wasn’t going to be a guest at their house forever.

I should acquire a new place as soon as possible.

Luchila had an air of reserve as he said,

“I would like to live with Lord Gerberga as well…”

“Aye, that is fine.”

“Thank you.”

“Then I’ll live there too.”

“Serulis, you have a fine house of your own.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t act surprised.”

Serulis should live with Goran at the mansion. Or else, Goran would be worried about her.

After all, I wasn’t planning on getting a mansion the size of Goran’s.

After that, we headed back to the village.

We had to tell the chief that the situation had been resolved.

When we started walking:

“Baaaaahhh.”

A voice came from behind us.

“What?”

“I feel like I just heard the cry of a sheep.”

Serulis said as she looked around.

And then the head of a sheep popped out from behind the rock that Gerberga was sitting on.

I asked Luchila,

“Is that sheep the first casualty?”

“If by casualty, you mean the cause of the shepherds being shocked.”

According to Luchila, when he had scared the shepherds and sheep, all of them had run away.

And only one sheep remained.

Luchila tried to ignore the sheep, but it took a liking to him and followed him back.

“The villagers will be happy to have their sheep returned to them.”

“That’s true.”

Serulis took out a rope from her Adventurer’s set and tied it around the sheep’s body.

“Now, let’s go!”

“Baaah.”

Serulis led the sheep away. She looked happy.

Luchila also picked up Gerberga with both arms and started to walk.

“Cluck.”

Gerberga seemed to be used to it and sat quietly in his hold.

But Luchila was looking around uneasily and seemed cautious of each step.

Serulis saw this and smiled gently.

“You don’t have to be so scared, you know?”

“But, vampires might attack us.”

“It’s fine if they attack us.”

I say. Luchila gives me a suspicious look.

“Vampires? They are frightening enemies. It’s best that we don’t encounter any.”

“Did I tell you that I recently killed a Vampire Lord?”

“No. You did say that a beastkin tribe was warring with the vampires, though…”

And so I told him the story.

We had gone out goblin hunting and ended up killing a Vampire Lord.

“Mister Locke, you were able to kill the Vampire Lord?”

“Well, I had the help of a B Ranking beastkin Warrior.”

“I see.”

Then Luchila looked at Serulis.

“Wh-what are you looking at?”

“Uh, I’m just worried that we don’t have the beastkin Warrior with us now.”

“Bu-but I’m very skilled with the sword too, you know? I’m an incredibly strong Warrior for your information!”

“Huh. That’s amazing, considering you’re just an F Rank.”

“Cluck-cluck.”

Luchila had no faith in her at all.

Serulis was not happy about that.

Her fists were shaking.

We arrived in the village without further interruptions.

I made a report to the chief and returned the sheep to him, which made him very happy.

As an Adventurer, it was always nice to see people overjoyed at your solution to their problem.

On the way back to the capital, Serulis was in a good mood.

“Hummm-humm.”

She was even humming a tune.

“What is it, Serulis?”

“I was just thinking about how happy they were.”

“I see. That’s good.”

“Cluck-cluck.”

Luchila was still carrying Gerberga.

It never went wild. It would just cluck quietly from time to time.

Serulis looked at it and muttered.

“It really just looks like a chicken.”

In fact, I completely agreed with her.

However, I couldn’t call Luchila’s dear Lord Gerberga a chicken.

Predictably, Luchila took offense to Serulis’s words.

“What is wrong with you! Are you mocking Lord Gerberga!”

“Oh, not at all.”

“Then why are you smirking!”

“I’m not smirking.”

This was like watching children fight.

But it was probably best to let them do as they pleased, to a certain degree.

I thought this as we walked, when suddenly, I sensed a threat in the air.

Something was falling from the sky towards Luchila at an incredible speed.

I moved faster than it.

I lightly pushed Luchila out of the way and grabbed the neck of the thing and slammed it into the ground.

“Guaahhhh!”

It was a vampire. It was coughing blood after having hit the ground.

“Cluck!”

“What?”

Gerberga and Luchila were shocked.

Serulis had sensed it too and had been in the middle of unsheathing her sword. It was an impressive reaction speed.

Still, it had not been fast enough to protect Luchila.

I looked at the vampire and said,

“The sun hasn’t even set yet.”

“Bastard…what are you?”

“I have no intention of introducing myself to a lesser vampire.”

“Bastard! You dare mock me!”

This anger suggested that he was not a lesser vampire.

Calling a vampire a lesser vampire when they weren’t one, was the most effective insult.

I would have to use it more often.

“What is your aim?”

“It was trying to get Lord Gerberga!”

Luchila answered before the vampire could.

He was probably right, but I wanted to hear it from the vampire’s mouth.

“Luchila, could you be quiet for a second.”

“Yes. I understand…”

And I asked again,

“Were you ordered to do this by a Vampire Lord?”

“I will never tell!”

The vampire started to transform into a swarm of bats.

I could not allow him to escape.

Just as I was about to activate Drain Touch,

“CCCOCKKK-A-DOOODLE-DOOOOOO!”

Gerberga cried at a high pitch.

In an instant, the parts of the vampire that had transformed into bats turned into ash.

“What!”

“Of course… The God Fowl…would not permit me to escape…”

The vampire muttered in resignation and coughed up blood. Then his entire body turned into ash.