EnCoffin Me Chapter 119
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 119 Reversal (3)
The next day, Cravenson sent out alone to investigate. Originally, Prince Lucius said he would accompany him, but… who would have thought the prince insisted on finishing the entire plate of baked rice first? Such determination and perseverance earned Cravenson's silent respect!
However, the consequence was that he ended up flat on his back.
While fighting back the urge to grumble under his breath, Cravenson skillfully contacted the spies they had planted within the Holy Temple. After all, if the Holy Temple had their spies, then they'd make sure to plant a few nails into the Holy Temple as well.
…Although the purpose of those nails was quite strange now.
He briefly met with his contact. By the time they parted, he already had the relevant images of the young saint. The prince would surely be very pleased, and the vampire race could have some peace for a while.
The Holy Temple really was generous!
Alexio didn't know any of this. He was in his room, frustratingly battling with geometry. After wrestling for over half an hour, he gave up and started digging at the wall with a hidden spoon. A hole had already been dug into the wall over several months, which he usually covered with a table. Now, it seemed he was on the verge of breaking through.
This would be his secret passage to freedom! He had already scouted the area. The outside was desolate with hardly anyone passing by. He could easily continue enlarging the hole until his entire body could fit through.
When the hole was about the size of his head, Alexio's eyes lit up. He poked his head out, and then—
His gaze met an entire square packed with people.
The archbishop was preaching from a slightly elevated platform against the wall below. With every scoop Alexio dug, falling debris hit his head. The archbishop remained motionless, maintaining an unsettling silence before a storm.
Oh no! He dug into the wrong wall! He should have dug the one on the right! If Alexio remembered correctly, this place was...
The preaching square, where grand gathering held once a week, with believers from all over the country coming to listen to sermons. The most notable feature of this square was the pristine white building directly facing the Holy Temple. Skilled craftsmen had carefully painted a crown of thorny cross on the white wall. It could be said that, much like the silver cross atop the main cathedral, this served as the Holy Temple's face-saving project.
Now, in the center of this face-saving project was Alexio's head.
The archbishop silently brushed dust and bricks from his hat and took a deep breath. The priests among the crowd wiped their faces.
Sometimes, they even suspected that Alexio was divine punishment for the Holy Temple.
Divine punishment meant to drag their good name through the mud!
Alexio's classroom had been moved to a suspended metal shed. He sat miserably in front of his papers, feeling like Rapunzel in a high tower, but without long hair to use as a rope. Every day, only a griffin picked him up for school and dropped him off, and he couldn't even be the first to eat anymore
It was suffocating.
When Cravenson sent this news back, he truly suspected that the prince would die laughing over it.
“That's too funny,” Lucius said with a genuine smile, clearly in a good mood. “As a reward for making me laugh, go and subtly reveal some of my hobbies. I want him to understand me better.”
Suddenly, he remembered something and pressed his aching stomach.
“Don't forget to include that ‘I don't eat,’” he added.
The cooking class, or rather, those toxicology and demolition classes, could be put on hold for now.
A confused Alexio was hit with impromptu make-up classes. That night, he was forced to study until midnight, sitting across from his teacher, both looking haggard. When the class ended, he threw himself onto his bed and gritted his teeth at the so-called ‘destined one.’
It's all your fault! You damn bastard! Otherwise, why would I have to suffer make-up classes?!
Thinking about tomorrow's random oral exam, Alexio's vision darkened.
Things were only getting worse. He had to find a way to escape.
Lucius sneezed twice in a row behind his hand, but he was actually pleased. The little hunter was perhaps thinking of him. Cravenson, standing beside him, held back the urge to point out that sneezing twice usually meant being cursed at.
“Cravenson, I want to see him,” Lucius said, resting his cheek on one hand. His dazzling platinum-blonde hair slipped over his shoulder. He looked nothing like a vampire but more like a radiant saint. Of course, Cravenson knew this prince well. The handsome exterior was just a lure. Deep down, Lucius was a genuine lunatic.
“The Holy Temple is watching him very closely,” Cravenson replied cautiously. “It's almost impossible for them to let him out before your destined one finishes his training.”
Cravenson really knew how to read people. Just that ‘your destined one’ remark relaxed the vampire's expression.
“And what if I absolutely have to see him?” Lucius asked softly.
See, he really was a lunatic. Cravenson sighed and racked his brain for a solution.
“Maybe you could agree to the manticore's request,” he suggested. “Queen Delvie has been massacring the manticores inside her kingdom. The manticore king sent a request to the vampires a few days ago, but Lord Theo doesn't seem interested.”
Lucius kept his composed face, but his eyes brightened slightly.
“So, Theo doesn't want to get involved?”
“…Yes.”
“Then I'll get involved instead.”
“……”
Lord Theo's misfortunes seemed about to multiply again. If Prince Lucius stepped in, a flood of accusations would surely fall on Lord Theo. This prince was not the type to be an unsung hero. He was more than willing to step on Lord Theo's head to make himself stand out.
“I will avenge the manticores. That's much more compassionate than the indifferent Theo,” Lucius said as he stood up, feeling even lighter. “As for how to avenge them… how about breaking the silver cross on the Holy Temple's main cathedral?”
“Your Highness always make wise decisions,” Cravenson praised, playing his role as a loyal subordinate perfectly. He was doing very well at it.
“Will he see me?” Lucius asked, feeling a bit anxious and uncertain.
“You'll need to find a better angle.”
“Then I'll break through head-on,” Lucius decided. “Send three tons of rare bones to the lich. I want her to assist me in the attack.”
Cravenson accepted the order. Lucius was very decisive, so three days later, their attack plan was officially underway.
The lich's undead army filled the sky. Three tons of rare bones were indeed a handsome reward. Even if she didn't use them herself, they could be given to the dragon to chew on. Wapped in a black cloak, the lich slammed her scepter downward and unleashed the curtain of the dead.
Alexio had just pulled an all-nighter studying. He was supposed to have an exam today, but he was abruptly woken up early. The priest hurried him out of the pure white building and up to the nearby tower. This place was usually deserted, which was perfect for Alexio to observe his destined vampire from a distance.
“What about the exam? What about my breakfast?”
The priest had no idea what was going on inside Alexio's head.
“This is a rare opportunity!” he said sternly. “A once-in-a-lifetime chance! You need to observe him up close. Remember, don't get discovered, and don't get killed. All of this is so that one day you can stand before that vampire and fight for the glory of the Holy Temple!”
The turtle kept repeating his sermon, but in Alexio's mind, the glory of the Holy Temple was worth less than a fried egg for breakfast.
Hungry, he hid on the tower, his eyes almost green, staring at the bricks as if he wanted to nibble on them.
Suddenly, as if by instinct, he approached the small window and saw the vampire's bat wings spread as he flew toward the giant silver cross. The Holy Temple hunters leapt up to intercept him, but the mages' incantations were dispelled by the lich. One of the best hunters on the ground leapt up. Alexio remembered him as Aamon, a generation older and already seasoned in battle. His grappling hooks and longsword gleamed, yet he didn't get a single glance from the vampire.
“Ah!!!”
Aamon shouted.
Alexio thought he must have eaten very well to be able to shout so loudly.
The gap in strength was simply too great. After just one encounter, Aamon was knocked down by the vampire. The vampire arrogantly looked around the battlefield. No hunter was his match. He then smiled.
“Where is my destined hunter? Where are you hiding him? Let me see him, and I'll retreat.”
No one believed the vampire's lies. The name of the capricious and lunatic third-generation prince had already spread far and wide. Even the second-generation vampire couldn't control him. The Holy Temple would never risk releasing a hunter who hadn't fully matured.
“What's his name?” the vampire asked in a still gentle tone. “Too afraid to show himself? How cute.”
Alexio had already risen to his feet, his expression cold as he stared at the arrogant vampire in the arena. He didn't care about the glory of the Holy Temple because it was an empty concept with no real meaning. But he cared about his own dignity. And right now, the way that vampire spoke of him made him sound like nothing more than a pitiful little creature.
He had to set that notion straight.
Even if he hadn't eaten.
Lucius had provoked for a long time. Knowing the Holy Temple wouldn't be foolish enough to release his fated one, he was somewhat disappointed. The silver cross had already fallen heavily to the ground, but it didn't bring him much satisfaction.
Too boring. This was really boring. Would it be better to go into slumber until his destined one grows up?
Below, the priest supporting the barrier suddenly had a familiar ominous feeling. He was one of the people tormented by Alexio's antics. The moment the feeling surfaced, he instinctively shouted—
“Alexio!”
Suddenly, the arrogant vampire flying in the air was pierced by a beam of intense light and began to fall. His bat wings instinctively folded inward to protect himself, but the hunter wielding the holy scythe was already uncomfortably close. In that lightning-fast moment, the vampire caught sight of the hunter's beautiful deep rose-colored eyes.
His eyes were truly beautiful, just like the roses grown in his estate's garden.
The domain restrained his hands and bat wings. This ability clearly weighed heavily on Alexio, causing a slight sweat to form on his forehead. But even so, he still smiled.
“Remember this! This is what your dad looks like!”
After the initial surprise, the vampire's fangs couldn't help but slip past his lips, revealing a strong surge of desire.
“Ale…xio?”
The domain began to shatter. Alexio's time for growth was ultimately too short. However, the Holy Temple was clearly not a useless teammate. On the ground, a black-robed bishop roared, “Find a way to get him back! We're about to fire the cannons here!”
The priest responsible for Alexio instantly opened his mouth. He knew a spell that could definitely summon Alexio back.
“Alexio! Time to eat!”
***
U: Dage is not a dog /ᐠ ╥ ˕ ╥マ