EnCoffin Me Chapter 15
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 15
While Alexio was worrying about the potentially embarrassing situation, Lucius was tidying up his notes from the day, then lay in bed, trying to fall asleep.
It had been four days, but he still couldn't fall asleep. His mind was exhausted, and he relied solely on mental power to keep from showing any signs of fatigue. He went to the medical department, but even Zhu Heng couldn't give a definitive reason. He only suggested that he could try lying back in his coffin. After all, he had slept in it for a long time.
The method might have been sound, but Lucius would never try it unless absolutely necessary.
That was the vampire's coffin, and he was his hunter…
He once was.
He closed his eyes, and jumbled memories began to invade him, something that had been happening frequently lately. He kept recalling the towering cathedral, the bell tower, the pigeons, and the massive silver cross entwined with thorns, crafted by skilled artisans. At sunrise, the silver cross cast a shadow against the sunlight, covering the plaza before the cathedral, where devout believers knelt and prayed.
This time, the memory fragments seemed to stretch longer. His former self was preparing to begin a day of study and training. Before leaving, he glanced once more at the silver cross when suddenly, a black mist drifted over the distant horizon.
It was the lich's undead shroud.
The shroud enveloped the cathedral's location, pushing out the light, leaving only thick darkness spreading. The cathedral immediately raised the alarm. Countless elite hunters poured out, while priests chanted protective spells, the glow from their staffs flickering like fireflies in the black tide.
Beneath the shroud, the young lich lightly tapped her scepter, and a large number of priests fell. Then, a massive shadow swept past the lich, gliding toward the top of the cathedral, the place where the glorious thorned silver cross stood.
Vampires, bat wings, allied with the lich, able to resist the radiance of the silver cross…
Alexio!
“Lucius, boy, follow me!” His mentor burst through the door, his tone urgent yet steady.
“This is a rare chance to observe. We'll assign our finest hunters to confront him. Of course, none of them are as strong as you will be in the future. You're the blade that will strike this vampire prince,” the elder said, leading him to a slanted tower opposite the silver cross, then issuing orders through a remote crystal.
“Counterattack!”
Countless arcane cannons fired together. The holy light illuminated everything. The priests who had fallen were replaced, resuming their chants. This time, the young lich remained motionless. Only the vampire kept his gaze fixed on the silver cross, the bat wings behind him beginning to shift their angle. He was preparing to descend.
“Evil vampire! You will surely face divine condemnation!” The most outstanding hunter charged forward. The Holy Temple didn't just train hunters against powerful dark creatures, but it also cultivated many ordinary hunters. The one now facing the enemy was Aamon, a hunter from Lucius' generation.
The hunter roared and rushed at the vampire, his hooks, magic, and sword all driven by relentless killing intent. After years of training, he believed at least… at least he was strong enough to fight.
The vampire teleported behind him. Every attack missed. The vampire even even had the leisure to make small talk.
“…Your name?”
The hunter's pupils suddenly constricted. Lucius, quietly watching from the tower, clenched his fists tightly.
He didn't understand the swirling emotions inside him. He only felt a suffocating pressure gripping him. The him in this memory thought he was feeling anger and resentment for his dying comrade. The him watching the memory initially thought so too, until…
“Aa…mon…”
The vampire smiled brightly, revealing a hint of sharp fangs. His deep rose-colored eyes sparkled.
“A good name,” the vampire said with a smile, “perfect for engraving on a tombstone.”
Caught off guard, the hunter's defenses shattered with a single strike. The hunter was slammed deeply into the plaza's ground, twitched a few times, and surprisingly, didn't die.
The vampire had clearly held back. Why? Both the past and present Lucius wondered. If it had been him facing the vampire, he would have done better. He would have blocked that blow, maybe even countered. He would have made that proud vampire fall from the sky. He wouldn't have retreated so disgracefully after just one exchange.
Why was he not allowed to face the vampire now?!
He must… he must…
The saint's fingers dug into the wooden window frame. Watching this memory, Lucius read the unspoken feelings of his past self.
【The‧one‧whose‧name‧should‧have‧been‧asked‧was‧me.】
He had sinned.
He was—
Jealous.
Alexio worried all night, and in the end, he fell asleep while still troubled. When he woke, he decided to set the matter aside for now and began thinking about what to eat for breakfast.
Ellie had grown much more trusting of him lately. Since the center was very safe, she no longer came to check on him in his room every day. Instead, they agreed to meet in the cafeteria. Alexio knocked on the door next door. After a while, the saint opened it, dressed and ready, though the dark bruises under his eyes were even more pronounced.
“Stayed up late again?” Alexio clicked his tongue. “Humans and vampires aren't the same. No matter how late I stay up, it doesn't show on my body. You should try to sleep more.”
For once, the saint was unusually silent, offering no retort. Alexio frowned in confusion and suddenly stepped closer.
“Lun… Lucius, what's wrong?”
Hearing his name spoken by the vampire, the saint's body trembled slightly. Then he lowered his lashes to hide the change in his expression.
“Nothing,” he answered as calmly as he could. “Last night, I remembered some things from the past… about you… destroying the silver cross.”
This was one of Alexio's notable achievements. He still remembered it, so he nodded happily when he heard it mentioned.
“I remember that too.”
Lucius clenched his fists. He told himself not to ask, as that would only deepen his sin. But despite his reason's warning, he feigned indifference and asked, “I'm curious, why didn't you kill that hunter?”
After asking, he immediately watched the vampire's expression closely. He had imagined many possible reactions, perhaps a sudden realization, or a slight smile, but he found all his guesses were wrong…
Because the vampire looked utterly confused.
Lucius had to add more, nominally as a hint, but in truth, each point was something he deeply cared about.
“You asked his name and then let him go.”
Alexio thought hard for a moment before laughing. “Did I? To be honest, I don't even remember if that person existed. What did I say back then? I'm ninety percent sure that even if I asked for his name, it was just to deliver a harsh threat.”
【A good name… perfect for engraving on a tombstone.】
Lucius felt the tightness in his chest loosen like never before. He glanced sideways at the vampire, who smiled slightly, revealing sharp fangs. His deep rose-colored eyes met Lucius' gaze, and the tattoo of the sword wrapped in roses gave his entire face the dark, exquisite beauty unique to dark creatures.
The vampire didn't remember that hunter, or even that scene itself.
“So, what was that person's name?” Alexio asked, growing curious.
“…No need to tell you.”
The saint quickened his pace, leaving the slightly dazed Alexio behind. Alexio froze for a moment, then immediately grew furious.
“You lunatic! Then why did you make me recall the past?!”
He took back his earlier thought that the lunatic was somehow well-behaved. This one was completely insane! Was it fun to mess with him like this?!
Lucius heard the vampire hurrying up behind him. He took a deep breath, suppressing the faint smile that threatened to surface. His left eye still sent sharp pain as a warning, but this time, he chose to ignore it.
He recalled the aftermath of that memory—
The thorned silver cross fell heavily to the ground. Believers gathered around its shattered remains, wailing loudly. His mentor was among them, tears slowly streaming down his aged face. When he raised his face again, it was filled with deep-seated hatred.
From the black mist behind the lich, a beast emerged, with the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion. It too shed tears of hatred, its front paws placed forward in a deep bow to the vampire.
This was the King of Manticores. The tower built by Queen Delvie was forged from the tails of its kin. The vampire had fulfilled the maticores' revenge.
Because he was watching the memories, he could clearly see every expression on their faces — the hatred, the fear, the dread, and the hidden agendas. He remembered what the vampire had asked him to reconsider. Even he himself had sinned. Even his mentor and friends, though their faith was stronger than his, were not immune to harboring malice.
He still had plenty of time to think and to confirm these doubts through his own memories.
The world was no longer pure white in his eyes.
He himself was the source of the stain.
To welcome Alexio's arrival, the military raised a gray veil to ensure the sunlight wouldn't harm the vampire. Alexio finally ended his rant about the insomniac lunatic before getting out of the vehicle. Had he not gone to the medical department before departure, he would still be in the dark about the lunatic's situation. He had, of course, taken Zhu Heng's advice and planned to shove the lunatic back into that coffin tonight to see what would happen.
The old marshal was tied up with some affairs and could only meet them at noon, but he had arranged for an adjutant to give them a brief tour. Alexio looked at the griffin emblem on the military headquarters and asked, “Do griffins still exist here?”
Griffins and manticores were very different, comparable perhaps to K-9 and huskies. Griffins were naturally good at obeying commands, possessed crystalline barrier magic and flames, and their huge wings made them kings of the sky. In Alexio's time, the Holy Temple's Griffin Knight Order was imposing, and powerful hunters would often form a pact with a griffin, becoming partners who shared honor and disgrace.
Alexio remembered that the lunatic had also once had one, which fortunately lived out its three-hundred-year lifespan and died peacefully in its sleep.
After all, while the Holy Temple would seal the lunatic away, it would not expend great effort to seal a griffin.
“Yes. Although the headquarters doesn't have a large training ground for griffins, there is a smaller area where they live,” the adjutant explained. “If you're interested, I can report to the marshal and arrange a visit this afternoon.”
Alexio caught the lunatic's eyes light up and nodded decisively.
Might as well go. Although he was visually fatigued from seeing them, the current lunatic probably hadn't seen many griffins yet.