Coming to a stop, the carriage door opened.
"That's it. We're here."
Malivor was the first to step out.
After a long yawn and a stretch of his arms, Tom climbed down as well.
Yes, he had ended up sleeping during the ride there.
According to the mission instructions given by Captain Laylla, they were supposed to depart from Nikz to Fohrd, a nearby neighboring city. Their task was to pick up the client's daughter and safely escort her back to Nikz.
Still following Laylla's directions, they had stopped the carriage roughly near the center of the city, intending to finish the remaining distance on foot.
Nikz and Fohrd were not all that different in terms of architecture or overall appearance. The only real difference was that Nikz was clearly much larger territorially and had a bigger population. Consequently, more people walked its streets and more bats crossed its skies.
At that moment it was around noon, and few vampires were outside. Most of the people walking through the streets were humans.
Vampires themselves did not possess a biological need to sleep the way humans did. Even so, they had developed the habit of staying indoors more during the day and being active between sunset and sunrise, maintaining a reversed routine compared to humans.
A few blocks away from where they had left the carriage, Tom and Malivor glanced around to confirm they weren't being followed before entering a small inn.
"Gentlemen, may I help you?" A frail-looking older woman greeted them.
"Yes, please. We're here for Miss Luna Kit," Tom answered.
"Sorry, I don't know her. But would you gentlemen like a room?"
Both of them declined and instead sat down in the inn's small entrance hall.
Nheeeé.
Less than a minute later, a loud door swung open, followed by footsteps echoing through the corridor.
"Alright, now I'm leaving."
At the exact same moment, both Tom and Malivor turned toward the voice.
Carrying a large, stuffed suitcase in her left hand came a beautiful young woman with a sharp expression, nearly pale skin, jet-black hair, crimson eyes, and glossy black lipstick across her lips. She adjusted her long sleeve, quickly covering several symbols drawn on her arm before repositioning the strap of her jeweled leather bag around her right forearm.
The receptionist greeted the young woman as she walked out and joined the two men near the inn's entrance.
Malivor glanced sideways at Tom, already trying not to laugh.
Malivor… Tom forced the most serious expression he could manage.
Tom was about to say something when the vampire girl interrupted him.
"We'll talk inside the carriage."
She said it while effortlessly pushing the large suitcase toward them.
Stopping in front of the two men, she placed her bag atop the suitcase, and an effect as dark as the night wrapped around her body before she transformed into a tiny bat.
Malivor wasted no time. He waved toward the bat and pointed a finger at Tom.
She immediately flew over and slipped between the ordinary shirt and gray jacket Tom was wearing, settling into one of the inner pockets of the jacket.
"That was planned too?" Tom whispered to Malivor, frowning between his words.
The plan to get the vampire girl's attention had already been arranged beforehand.
Obviously, whoever worked at the inn wouldn't reveal information about a guest to complete strangers. At least, that would have been highly suspicious.
However, Laylla knew — and had informed Tom and Malivor — the name of the person they were looking for. So all they needed to do was say the name out loud, because their client would inevitably hear it with her sharp hearing.
Even though they hadn't fully expected their client to have luggage, they adapted quickly. Malivor kept one hand close to the suitcase and bag, using his telekinesis so he wouldn't have to deal with the weight. Meanwhile, Tom became responsible for transporting the vampire in her bat form.
He already thought all of this through and figured we'd probably have to carry her while transformed into a bat, which is why he only came wearing a regular purple shirt while making me wear a jacket, so I'd have to stay close to the vampire girl for at least a little while. And on the way here he made that stupid bet with me even though he had already planned all of this in advance?
No, impossible. The Malivor I know isn't that smart.
…Is he? Tom shot a quick glance to the side, only to find Malivor looking completely relaxed.
Without exchanging another word, they walked back toward the city center, where the carriage awaited them.
Still using telekinesis, Malivor placed the suitcase on the opposite side of the carriage door and set the bag atop the cushioned seat.
The two young men sat on the same side, opposite from the bag.
After signaling the driver, he snapped the reins attached to the horse's bridle, and the carriage began moving once more.
Feeling movement inside his jacket pocket, Tom opened half of the jacket, allowing the bat to emerge. She returned to human form beside her bag, once again wearing that sharp expression.
"Luna."
"No. That name is just a disguise." Once again, the vampire woman interrupted Tom.
"A disguise?" This time it was Malivor who questioned her.
Letting out a sigh and dropping her expression slightly, she answered,
"Yeah. My father made me create one. He and…" She rubbed her forehead. "I get stressed just thinking about it. The worst part is that my mother agrees with all his 'whims.' No offense to you two, but this whole thing was completely unnecessary. You didn't need to come here just to protect me on the way back to Nikz."
Tom shrugged while Malivor merely raised an eyebrow.
"Anyway. My real name is Nikita. And yes… before you ask, my mother chose that name inspired by the capital's name." Nikita crossed her legs before placing one hand against her forehead.
"I see. Honestly, that's interesting."
Tom said it in an attempt to lighten her complaining mood, though it proved useless, since she continued venting while Malivor had to cover his mouth to hide his laughter.
After nearly thirty seconds of silence, Tom spoke again.
"I don't know if this is rude of me, but can I ask why you were traveling? Or why your father hired us to protect you on the way back?"
The moment he said those words, Malivor lowered his head dramatically and placed a hand against his forehead, pretending to scratch it.
He was doing everything in his power not to burst out laughing at his partner's painfully awkward attempt to start a conversation with the beautiful young woman.
"Hm. No, it's fine. I just don't know your names yet," she replied normally.
"Tom. And this… this is Malivor." For a moment, he considered making some kind of insulting remark about his squadmate.
"Right. Since you're not vampires, you probably don't know this, but the Moon Hunt Festival starts next month, so I went to prepare myself by studying under the Archmage Luna Myrtes. As for why my father hired you two… that's just because he felt like it. No offense, but I have more power than both of you combined."
Imagine if she was trying to offend us. Instinctively, Tom glanced sideways at Malivor, only to realize Malivor had done the exact same thing.
Neither of them underestimated the young woman sitting across from them.
Just being a vampire already gave her a natural advantage in strength and power compared to ordinary humans, and there was also the fact that she had trained under an Archmage.
What likely never crossed her mind was the possibility that the two men sitting across from her were both Ascendants.
"Ahem. I stayed awake all night because of this mission, so I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me up if you need anything."
Without asking permission or waiting for approval, Malivor faked a yawn, turned sideways, rested his head on one hand and closed his eyes.
You sneaky son of a— . Tom wanted to mutter something, but resisted the urge.
Nikita laughed.
"Then I'll ask. What exactly is the Moon Hunt Festival?"
"Oh. It's a hunt. Well, obviously. It's a competition where vampires fight one another for apprentice positions under members of the Crimson Court."
She stared directly into his eyes.
Tom, in turn, didn't break eye contact.
First, he had asked because he genuinely wanted to understand more about it.
Second… he still needed to fulfill his side of the bet he made with Malivor.
Noticing that his curious gaze remained fixed on her, she relaxed her expression and continued.
"Any vampire over the age of twenty-five can participate in the festival, which takes place every May during odd-numbered years."
"Wait, so twenty-five is considered adulthood for vampires?"
Yes, that question was completely biased.
And Nikita noticed the implication immediately, smiling mischievously while moving her index finger side to side in a silent "no."
"From eighteen onward. Though there are some crazy guys and girls who risk getting married even before that." She squeezed the seat cushion. "Tsk tsk."
Tom quickly gave up on asking her age the moment he heard her click her tongue against her teeth.
Her teeth… That was when he noticed her canine teeth were incredibly sharp, suggesting she really was an adult — and that otherwise she probably wouldn't be able to do that.
Bruh, what am I thinking? If she went to get ready for the festival, it's because she's going to participate, so she's at least twenty-five years old. Again he wanted to bury his head in a hole out of shame.
Mildly disapproving of Tom's behavior, Nikita dropped her smile, causing her fangs to retract.
"The members of the Crimson Court decide whether or not they want disciples, and whether those disciples have the potential to someday replace them. There are also rare cases where someone can join the Court as a new member instead of merely becoming a successor."
You're intentionally talking about a bunch of boring stuff now because you realized I'm trying to flirt with you.
That thought hurt almost like a dull blade trying to cut through his brain.
Tom knew perfectly well he was ruining his own image by doing what he was doing, but at the moment he was trying to swallow his pride so he could "make a comeack" later on.
"Mhm," he agreed concisely.
"This year there are only two apprentice openings. One under Miss Salas, and the other under Mister Yuki. So it's going to be kind fierce."
At that moment, Tom quickly looked up at her.
Mister Yuki?!