Anemoi 8 – Anemoi 10, Imperial Year 1645
Newhope – The Square
Rumors traveled faster than ships. By the time the merchant vessel docked at Newhope's harbor, word of the witch hunter had already spread through the crew, the dockworkers, and the fishwives.
Edmund Voss heard it first from a sailor.
"There's a new hunter in Luminara," the man said, wiping his hands on a rag. "Calls himself Alucard. Dresses all in black. Silver buttons. Wide hat. Looks like a theatre actor."
Voss raised an eyebrow. "A theatre actor?"
"That's what they say. Walks like he owns the road. Killed a witch in the marshes. Then killed twelve more in the hills. Alone."
"Twelve?"
"Twelve. Sword work, they say. Like a dance."
Voss thanked the man and walked to the square.
The Square – Morning
The class was gathered at the well, as usual. Elara was filling buckets. Roderick was sharpening his sword. Celia sat on the edge, reading. Miku and Hikari were mending nets. Talia and Rosalind were arguing about something trivial.
Voss approached.
"There's news from Luminara."
Elara looked up. "What kind?"
"A witch hunter. Calls himself Alucard."
Miku snorted. "Alucard? That's dramatic."
"He dresses in black," Voss continued. "Silver buttons. Wide‑brimmed hat. Looks like a theatre actor."
Celia lowered her book. "A theatre actor?"
"That's what they said."
Roderick stopped sharpening. "It's him."
"Who?" Talia asked.
"Vlad."
The group went quiet.
"He's hunting witches," Voss said. "Killed one in the marshes. Then killed twelve more in the hills. Sword work. Alone."
Miku blinked. "Twelve?"
"Twelve."
Rosalind crossed her arms. "And they say he looks like a theatre actor?"
"That's what they said."
"They didn't mention anything else?"
"Like what?"
"Like…" Rosalind gestured vaguely. "You know."
Celia smiled. "She means his face."
Voss shrugged. "The sailor didn't mention his face."
"Of course not," Talia said. "Sailors notice coats, not faces."
Hikari tilted her head. "So the rumors say he's dramatic, deadly, and dresses well. But not that he's…"
"Handsome?" Miku finished.
"I was going to say striking."
"Same thing."
Kithri, who had been perched on the roof of the well house, dropped down beside them. "Are we talking about Vlad?"
"Yes."
"What about him?"
"He's a witch hunter now. Calls himself Alucard."
Kithri's ears twitched. "Alucard. That's silly."
"He killed twelve witches," Roderick said.
"That's not silly. That's impressive." She flicked her tail. "But the name is still silly."
The Workshop – Midday
Daiki had been listening from the doorway of the workshop. He wiped his hands on a rag and walked over to the group, a strange look on his face.
"Alucard," he said slowly. "Alucard is Dracula backwards."
Torvin looked up from a barrel of wine. "So?"
"So, Dracula. Vampire. The name." Daiki's eyes were bright. "He chose that name. On purpose."
Kaito, tinkering with a copper pipe, didn't look up. "You're drunk."
"I'm not drunk. I haven't had anything since breakfast."
"Then you're still drunk from last night."
Daiki threw up his hands. "I'm not drunk! Think about it. He shows up out of nowhere. Silver hair. Red eyes. Calls himself Alucard. That's not random. That's a reference."
"A reference to what?" Torvin asked.
"To our world. To our stories. No one here knows what Dracula is. But we do." Daiki lowered his voice. "He could be one of us."
The workshop went quiet.
Kaito set down his pipe. "One of us?"
"A reincarnator. Like us."
Torvin scratched his beard. "That's a leap."
"Is it? He's from Mesos. He's a blacksmith. He's too good at everything. And now he's hunting witches under a name from our childhood." Daiki spread his hands. "I'm not saying I'm right. I'm just saying it's possible."
Kaito picked up his pipe again. "Possible. But you're still drunk."
"I'm not!"
"You're sweating."
"It's hot."
"It's not hot."
Torvin shrugged. "Even if you're right, what does it change? He's hunting witches. That's good."
Daiki opened his mouth, then closed it. "I don't know. It just… feels like something."
"Something," Torvin repeated. "Very specific."
"Shut up."
The dwarf and the gnome laughed. Daiki scowled and walked back to the square.
The Well – Gossip (Continued)
The girls had moved to the bench by the well. Kithri was perched on the edge, tail swishing.
"I don't understand," Miku said. "He's the most beautiful man I've ever seen. And the rumors don't mention it?"
"They mentioned his coat," Celia said.
"His coat isn't his face."
"His coat is very nice."
"That's not the point."
Talia laughed. "Maybe the sailors are blind."
"Or maybe they're threatened," Rosalind said. "Some men don't like admitting another man is better looking."
Kithri snorted. "That's stupid."
"That's men."
Hikari folded her arms. "Does it matter? He's hunting witches. He's alive. That's what counts."
"It matters," Miku said. "If you're going to be a legend, you should be a legend for everything."
"Including your face?"
"Especially your face."
Kithri stretched. "I think his face is fine. A bit pale. Like he never sees the sun."
"He's a blacksmith," Celia said. "He sees the forge."
"Forge isn't sun."
"Same heat."
"Not the same color."
The girls laughed.
The Square – Afternoon
Roderick walked past the bench. "You're still talking about him?"
"Yes," Miku said.
"He's gone. Hunting witches."
"We know."
"Then why are you still talking?"
"Because we miss him," Celia said. "And because the rumors are incomplete."
Roderick shook his head. "You're all impossible."
"We're thorough."
He walked away.
Daiki rejoined them, still muttering. "They think I'm drunk."
"You might be," Talia said.
"I'm not."
"You're acting like it."
Daiki sighed. "Forget it."
Kithri climbed onto the roof again. "I can see the sea from here."
"We know," Talia said.
"It's very blue."
"We know."
"And Vlad is out there somewhere, wearing a silly hat, killing witches."
Miku sighed. "I hope he's okay."
"He's Vlad," Kithri said. "He's always okay."
The Dock – Evening
The sun set. The fishing boats returned. The square filled with the smell of cooking fish and fresh bread.
Voss sat with the class at the long table. Mira the cook brought out stew. The conversation drifted.
"Do you think he'll come back?" Miku asked.
"Eventually," Elara said.
"When?"
"When he's done."
"And when will that be?"
Elara shrugged. "When there are no more witches."
"That could take years."
"Then it takes years."
Kithri stabbed a potato with her fork. "He'll come back. He promised."
"He didn't promise."
"He gave a look. That's the same thing."
The table laughed.
Celia raised her cup. "To Vlad. The theatre actor who kills witches."
"To Vlad," the others echoed.
Kithri flicked her ears. "And to his coat. And his hat. And his very nice face."
"To his face," Miku added.
The girls giggled. The men rolled their eyes.
Daiki raised his cup too, a little too enthusiastically. "To Alucard. And to the possibility that he's one of us."
Torvin snorted. "You're still on that?"
"I'm just saying."
"You're just drunk."
"I'm not!"
Kaito patted his shoulder. "Sure you're not."
The stars came out. Newhope hummed.
Somewhere in the east, a man in a black coat walked through the dark, hunting witches.
And his friends waited.
End of Chapter Ninety‑Nine