EnCoffin Me Chapter 21
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 21
While Alexio was opening a bag of snacks in his room, he clearly sensed the ripple of necromancy. He chuckled, preparing to snack while browsing for anything interesting happening that day. Suddenly, he felt like he'd forgotten something.
He paused to think seriously for a moment.
Then it hit him!
He immediately went to knock on the lunatic's door, but it was completely silent. The room's owner hadn't returned yet. He paced around angrily at the door for a bit, then started messaging the lunatic.
Alexio: What do you mean by this?!
He waited for a while, but the message remained marked as ‘unread.’ So Alexio bombarded the other person with dozens of messages, eventually tiring himself out. With a stubborn, experimental mindset, he opened the transfer page and sent the lunatic another sum of money.
Not checking your lightbrain in time? You'll regret it! You'll immediately try to cancel the transfer. Let's wait…
【The recipient has accepted your transfer.】
…and see.
Alexio: ???
What kind of garbage move was that?! Seriously?! He had time to accept money but not read messages? Was he messing up with him?!
He immediately contacted Ellie to confirm the lunatic's location, then stormed over.
Meanwhile, Lucius shut off his lightbrain, feeling rather pleased. His gaze returned to the notebook, the one that had once belonged to his former self, spread open on his lap. He was now able to open several pages near the back. Just as he'd expected, it documented the process of the silver cross being shattered. It also contained some information about the lich who had arrived with the vampire. But…
On the otherwise normal pages, there were clearly additions written later. The later script vaguely resembled his current handwriting, only more slanted and sharp. The added lines twisted through the margins, entangling with the original text, or repeatedly outlining certain words with different colored inks. Some sections were even scratched through the paper, as if he'd lost control while writing.
【He's so cute.】
【I want to kiss his fangs.】
【I saw his wings.】
【Eyes… eyes…】
And there were more, the phrases growing intensely frantic, almost making Lucius doubt if he himself had written them. Because the one who did seemed more like a madman.
His fingertips traced the last line of text, which the normal him had written in a calm tone.
【I don't care if the vampire see me as a plaything.】
And then, the crazed him had added—
【I'll be the most interesting one.】
“Mr. Lucius, the confirmation is complete. Thank you for your hard work,” a staff member said as they stepped out to thank him. Today's recording had gone smoothly. This ancient saint from ten thousand years ago had the calmest voice, perfectly suited for narrating history.
The production staff had already learned how incredibly unbelievable and indescribable this history was. Although some studies had previously suggested that light and darkness were once opposing forces, there had been no clear source, no details, and thus no way to make it feel real. This record was sure to cause an uproar throughout the Federation.
Lucius nodded slowly and closed the notebook with an indifferent expression. The myth he had just narrated flashed briefly through his mind. A vague suspicion weighed down his mood, though he forcefully pushed it aside.
“When will it be released?”
“Tomorrow! Or more precisely… this midnight! The announcement is already up on the official site!”
“Mm.”
After bidding the staff farewell, Lucius took a rarely used hallway. He preferred to memorize every inch of the terrain around him, and in the past few days, he had already familiarized himself with every accessible part of the conservation center. This path guaranteed he wouldn't run into Alexio. The vampire would no doubt arrive to find no one there, then furiously try to contact him.
It was about time.
The saint came to a halt, lowering his gaze to the lightbrain on his wrist. Sure enough, a call request had come through. But the caller wasn't who he expected. His cheerful mood dimmed a little. He accepted the call, maintaining a blank expression as the other party spoke.
“Sitting down to talk things through is certainly a good way to solve most problems, but Dr. Zhu, I think you've misunderstood. I never saw that word as an insult.”
After all, they were talking about the vampire, sovereign of the eternal night, a dark creature likely to live indefinitely. Not to mention, Alexio was a noble third-generation vampire, a position that placed him near the top of the vampire's rigid, pyramid-like hierarchy. The Holy Temple had estimated his age to be at least over a thousand years, as there were records of Alexio not only being acquainted with liches, but also having known dragons.
And the last known dragon had been dead for at least a millennium.
Lucius believed that for such a long-lived, powerful, and beautiful creature to call him ‘playmate’ was almost a compliment.
Of course he would prove himself. With his strength, he would force the vampire to recognize him as a worthy opponent, to see him in a different light, to focus on him and him alone, even if it meant wanting to kill him on sight. He would be the most…
The saint's hand suddenly trembled slightly, recalling the mad words in that notebook.
【I'll be the most interesting one.】
He froze for a moment.
Perhaps… he wasn't nearly as normal as he liked to believe.
Alexio had indeed arrived at the recording studio, only to find it empty. He felt like he'd already been set on fire, and the lunatic just kept dumping oil on him. With a stiff expression, he turned around and headed back. This time, he finally knocked the lunatic's door open. The lunatic had already prepared tea, and when he saw Alexio enter, he gave a calm nod in greeting.
“I was just about to talk to you.”
Alexio's rage meter finally exploded. He let out a breathless laugh, and instead of losing control, his demeanor became strangely composed.
“Having fun leading me around in circles?”
“……”
The saint looked at him silently. The lack of response was as good as an admission. Alexio had always known this lunatic wasn't nearly as well-behaved as he pretended to be!
“This isn't the first time. There was also that time at the griffin training ground at the military headquarters.” Alexio's memory suddenly became sharp. Vampires weren't known for the best recall, unless it came to holding grudges!
“The old marshal suggested keeping my combat ability under wraps for now. And honestly, it wouldn't be hard to hide…” He stared straight at the saint, then suddenly smiled. The tattoo near his right eye seemed to darken and glow. “As long as I beat you up somewhere without surveillance.”
The saint immediately stood up, but it was clear he was no match for a serious Alexio. The soundproofing here wasn't great, but there were no neighbors on either side, so Alexio had no reservations about delivering a well-earned beating, washing away all the negative energy this lunatic had brought him since his resurrection.
When things finally settled down, the two of them sat calmly at the table again. The saint had a bruise under his left eye, while a corner of Alessio's clothing was singed.
“Looks like you still can't draw the holy spear,” Alexio remarked with satisfaction. “Wonderful. I hope you stay this weak forever.”
Lucius' expression remained icy as he took a sip of tea. Alexio, in contrast, cheerfully lifted his cup and said, “I'm in a good mood now. Go on, what is it?”
“…The property paperwork is finalized,” Lucius replied coldly. “We're moving out of the conservation center the day after tomorrow. And if we rely on your speed in choosing a house, we'd be stuck in a completely unfurnished model unit.”
He tossed Alexio a brochure. On the cover was a two-story home with a garden, located in the capital's central district. Actually, Ellie had given Alexio several brochures from the start, hoping he'd purchase a property in the area specially designated for dark creatures and high-level individuals. Alexio had shown some interest at first, picked a few places, then promptly forgot about it until today.
“I reserved the place under your name before. Coincidentally, you transferred money to me today. Combined with what I already had, the full payment has been made,” Lucius continued. “Please decide on the interior style as soon as possible. Even with today's advanced technology, decorating tomorrow and moving in the day after is pushing the limit.”
There was a lot to unpack in that short explanation. Alexio could hardly believe how quickly the lunatic had mentally adjusted to living under the same roof as him. But what shocked him even more was how the guy had somehow bought property without saying a single word about it.
He'd assumed that the saints of the Holy Temple didn't really earn money… since they were usually supported by others…
“History,” the saint said simply. “Because I remember nearly all of it.”
That was one field Alexio couldn't touch. He did remember some major events, but they were utterly insignificant compared to the extensive, systematic history Lucius memorized. Not to mention, the lunatic had always been unnervingly knowledgeable. The ancient knowledge from ten thousand years ago could still be vaguely corroborated in modern times, such as biological evolution, ethnic origins, geological shifts.
Given how people longed for that era, the lunatic could probably make money just writing scripts for movies and TV series.
When Alexio finally picked a style and showed it to him, Lucius looked slightly surprised.
“Didn't expect you to choose that style. I thought vampires were more into…”
Alexio's instincts told him this wasn't going somewhere good, but he still asked.
“Into what?”
“The kind with thunder and lightning.”
“…Do you want your face to be symmetrical?”
Lucius dropped the topic. He had other matters to keep an eye on, namely, getting the vampire to actually do his part.
“The first mythological short film is already finalized by Pupil. It'll be released the day after tomorrow. So… how's your progress on supplementing the remaining history?”
“……”
“Haven't touched it at all?”
“……”
Lucius took a deep breath, calming himself down. It seemed he had still overestimated the vampire's work efficiency. No, he had estimated that he had any at all. Without someone breathing down his neck, the vampire wouldn't do a thing.
“Bring it here. I'll watch while you finish it.”
Alexio opened his mouth, about to say something, but the saint cut him off bluntly.
“Don't tell me you remember nothing?”
“I remember! I lived through it!”
In the hours before bed that day, Alexio lost count of how many times he regretted bragging so confidently at the start. The effort of trying to recall gave him a headache, and what he did remember came out in scattered fragments. According to Lucius, it was like history chewed up by a dog.
“I truly didn't expect this,” Lucius said with a touch of pity. “If I had known, I wouldn't have made things difficult for you.”
His memory was intermittent, mostly blank, and the parts he did recall were often mixed up… A vampire's memory was truly bizarre. Maybe it was because they periodically slipped into irresponsible hibernation. Alexio had only fragments of human history, but he remembered the power shifts and developments among dark creatures with surprising clarity. At least Lucius managed to gain some insight from it all.
Alexio lay slumped over the table, barely clinging to life.
“Her mother was… was… was Ilir…”
“…That was her long-dead great-grandmother.”
“……”
Alexio glared bitterly at the pile of papers on the table. The jumble of names and countries continued to torment him. Historical terms clashed and bounced around in his mind without a moment's rest.
As he stared, he suddenly sat up straight.
“See? My memory's pretty good!”
Lucius remained unmoved.
“Do you have a fundamental misunderstanding of what ‘good memory’ means?”
Alexio didn't get angry. Instead, he excitedly pointed out each event he remembered, as if tracing the trajectory of someone's entire life. He looked up again, a hint of a smile in his eyes.
“See? I remember everything related to you.”