While walking around London with Seras and Alessa, Alex hadn't expected Seras to like the books about the boy who lived so much. Of course, Alex knew what had happened to Seras in her childhood and everything she had gone through while growing up. But what pleased him even more was that Seras had managed to accept her past and let go of what had happened to her parents. Looking at Seras, who couldn't stop talking while they sat in a small café with few customers, Alex was glad that she had been able to accept her true nature.
Seras herself continued talking, only pausing to eat pastries—she had already eaten no fewer than ten. Next to her stood a whole stack of dessert plates, and she had no intention of stopping anytime soon. The realization that she wouldn't gain weight no matter how much she ate had become something every girl dreams of. The waiter serving the table where Alex, Seras, and Alessa sat was utterly stunned by what he was seeing.
Not only had Seras eaten at least ten different desserts, but Alex also looked as if he were about to empty the café's entire stock of strawberry cakes. Only Alessa had eaten just one slice of dark chocolate cake and some bitter cocoa. Deciding not to finish off all the desserts in the café, Alex suggested they continue their walk.
Hearing Alex's words, Seras looked at her dessert plate, then at the tall stack of plates beside her. Realizing how much she had eaten, she blushed slightly and nodded. Chuckling lightly, Alex paid the bill and left a generous tip for the waiter who had served them. As they left the café, Seras gently stroked her flat stomach in satisfaction.
"Where are we going next?" Seras asked with a smile, looking at Alex, who was carrying Alessa in his arms.
"We could go to the cinema and watch a movie, then head back to the manor," Alex said after thinking for a moment.
"I haven't been there in a long time and I even miss the smell of popcorn," Seras said with a bright smile on her face.
Hearing Seras agree, Alex reached into his pocket to take out his phone and check the address of the nearest cinema, but Seras grabbed his hand and led him along. Guiding Alex and Alessa, Seras was in an extremely good mood. In her mind, this was what normal life looked like if you ignored everything that was actually happening in her life. Seras had long wanted to visit certain places with those she considered her family and go on a normal family outing.
Even after growing up and becoming a police officer, she had never found anyone she could truly trust and tell about her past. And now, having found those she considered her family, Seras couldn't stop feeling happy. Despite what she had become—or rather, what she was—she could still live a relatively normal life and behave like an ordinary girl.
"Mama Seras, I hope you're not planning to empty the cinema's entire popcorn supply too? Especially since your mood improved so much when you heard we were going to the movies," Alessa asked, turning her head toward Seras.
"I'm not going to empty their supplies. I just like the smell of fresh popcorn," Seras replied, looking at Alessa with an embarrassed expression.
"I'm mostly hoping there won't be too many people there. Or at least that there'll be an interesting movie," Alex said in a slightly thoughtful tone.
Hearing Alex's words, Seras and Alessa nodded, agreeing that if there wasn't an interesting movie worth watching, there was no point in going to the cinema. After a short walk, Alex, Seras, and Alessa reached the cinema, which was crowded with people just as Alex had predicted. Choosing a relatively decent movie—a horror film—they bought popcorn and drinks for Seras and Alessa and headed into the screening room.
They chose a horror movie because Alessa definitely wasn't going to watch a comedy, and she absolutely refused to watch romance, which she considered disgusting. Seras had thought a movie about ghosts would be scary, but she soon realized that after everything she had dealt with and been through, another horror film about a haunted house with ghosts wasn't scary at all—it was just ordinary.
Fortunately, not many people had come to see this film, especially at this time of day, so the theater was almost empty. The three of them took seats where they wouldn't disturb anyone. The only thing that interested Seras during the screening was how creepy haunted houses looked in movies compared to real life. Seras leaned against Alex, hugging his arm and resting her head on his shoulder, whispering her questions into his ear.
"Are haunted houses in real life just as creepy, or are they much scarier?" Seras asked, leaning close to Alex and whispering in his ear.
"It depends on the place and the curse itself. But in reality, the difference isn't that big. The only thing is that in real life there usually isn't a happy ending," Alex replied, resting his cheek on Seras's head.
"Really? And what was the last haunted place you visited?" Seras whispered, almost touching his ear with her lips.
"We were in Korea on a family trip to cursed places…" Alex said with a slight smile.
"It was interesting. Mama Wednesday said Uncle Fester would have loved to vacation in a place like that hospital," Alessa said, having overheard Alex and Seras whispering.
"Uncle Fester?" Seras asked, peeking out from behind Alex to look at Alessa.
At that moment Seras couldn't understand what kind of person would even think of using a cursed psychiatric hospital as a vacation spot. But Alessa had no intention of answering Seras's question and returned to watching the horror movie while eating popcorn.
Seras turned her gaze to Alex, wanting to know who Uncle Fester was. Alex smiled slightly and began whispering in Seras's ear, telling her about Uncle Fester and even showing her a couple of newspaper articles and reports related to him. Hearing who Uncle Fester was, Seras was left speechless, unable to believe that such a person could actually exist—someone who deliberately got himself committed to psychiatric hospitals or prisons just to relax like he was at a resort, then escaped.
Seeing Seras's stunned expression, Alex smiled faintly, kissed her on the cheek to bring her back to her senses, and pulled her closer into his embrace. Finding herself in Alex's arms, Seras simply exhaled, realizing she would have to get used to the fact that her life was going to become even stranger, considering what kind of family she now had.
Even though Alex had already seen hundreds of similar movies about haunted houses and the ghosts that lived in them—and had even personally been inside such houses—he still thought that spending time like this was a good way to relax. When the movie ended and the lights came on in the theater, Alex picked Alessa up in his arms, took Seras by the hand, and they headed outside.
The cinema employee standing by the exit to the screening room recoiled slightly when he saw Alex, Seras, and Alessa leaving. They looked like a family of vampires who had come to watch not a horror movie, but some kind of comedy. Alex turned his head, saw the strained smile on the employee's face, and simply shook his head.
He was already used to such reactions and perfectly understood that their style of clothing and overall appearance could easily be mistaken for a family of vampires—although out of the three of them, only Seras was a Nosferatu, and even then only half. Once outside, Alex set Alessa down on the ground and checked the time.
"Little princess, did you like the movie? Or was it boring?" Alex asked, stroking Alessa's head while looking at his phone screen.
"It was interesting to watch how stupid people willingly go into a cursed place and die there. I'm still curious why they go to such places even when they know they're cursed," Alessa said, tilting her head slightly to the side.
"I think it's because people simply don't believe in anything supernatural, so they calmly walk into places that are called cursed," Seras said thoughtfully, hugging Alex's arm.
"You forgot to add, Seras, that people go to cursed places for thrills. Mostly teenagers who can later brag to their friends that they spent an entire night in a haunted house. It's like that case with the tulpa that Dean and Sam had to deal with," Alex said, putting his phone back in his pocket.
"Tulpa? What's that? Some kind of cursed flower?" Seras asked, looking at Alex in confusion.
"I'll tell you on the way to the car and even show you what happens when you use a tulpa," Alex said, putting his phone away and picking Alessa up in his arms.
Seras nodded at Alex's words and took his hand again. On the way back to the car, Alex began explaining what a tulpa was and where it came from. Seras was somewhat surprised that a simple drawing on a wall could bring something into reality. Noticing Seras's surprise, Alex explained what was actually required for a tulpa to work, so she wouldn't think it was that simple.
After hearing the full explanation, Seras nodded. Once they were in the car, Alex started telling them about everything Dean and Sam had gone through to deal with the tulpa. And when she heard that the whole problem had been caused by two idiots who kept changing an already made-up story, Seras was left speechless.
"Do idiots like that really exist? How are they still alive?" Seras asked in astonishment, looking at Alex as he drove.
"It's the mystery of the century. They even have their own online show. We sometimes watch it just to laugh. And they've apparently started becoming popular thanks to the list I gave them," Alex said, chuckling lightly as he lit a cigarette.
"How could a list make them popular?" Seras asked, clearly doubting that such an online show could be popular.
"A list of safe haunted places where they can film their show without dying. In those places they can safely clown around in front of the camera and nothing will happen to them," Alex said casually, blowing cigarette smoke out the window.
"I don't know what to say after that—whether to consider you a good person or not," Seras said with a smile, shaking her head.
"Mama Seras, Papa isn't a person—he's a demon. The Demon King. And Papa didn't force those idiots to go to those places and film their show. They did it themselves. It was their choice, and they have to understand the consequences," Alessa said, looking up at Seras from the back seat.
"Yeah, I didn't mean that. I meant how there can even be a list of safe cursed places. Can a cursed place really be safe?" Seras asked, realizing she had phrased it wrong.
"Well, there are such places. The House of Horrors we visited as a family in another world. The place is kind of cursed, but people go there for thrills to see ghosts. And the boss of that haunted house is actually a pretty nice guy. I hope that in the time I haven't seen him, he managed to get closer to his ballerina ghost and find his parents," Alex said with a light smile.
"Does that haunted house boss have the same kind of relationship as you have with Zhang Ya?" Seras asked, tilting her head slightly.
Alex nodded with a smile, and while they were driving back to the Hellsing manor, he decided to tell them more about Zhang Ya's world. Seras listened attentively and even laughed when she heard how GIR, MIMI, and Stitch had chased ghosts and how Stitch had brought the bathroom ghost to tears in the haunted house. Seras wasn't surprised at all that Alex looked for ways to have fun at every opportunity, even in creepy places.
When they returned to the Hellsing manor, Alessa was the first to get out of the car and dragged Seras along so they could watch the silly show about incompetent ghost hunters together. Watching Alessa pull Seras away, Alex couldn't help but smile. He had barely started putting his Impala back into his inventory when Bernadotte came running out of the manor.
"Damn, boss. It's harder to talk to you than to the Queen of England," Bernadotte said as he ran out.
"What is it, Pip? Do you need me for something?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow and leaning against the hood of his Impala.
Bernadotte stared at Alex, not knowing where to begin. After all, when the war in London had ended and he and the remnants of his men had been collecting pieces of their fallen comrades to bury them, all those remains had suddenly disappeared, and those who had died turned out to be alive.
On top of that, London—which had been engulfed in flames and nearly destroyed throughout the night—was completely intact. He had spent the entire previous day trying to find even the slightest mention that a war or massacre caused by vampires had taken place in London. But there wasn't a single mention in the newspapers or even on the news, as if nothing had happened at all.
He had even asked his own men—whose body parts he had been collecting around the manor—and every one of them clearly remembered how they had died. He had even gone as far as questioning Alex's people to find out what the hell was going on. But all he got from them was "ask the boss, he'll tell you everything."
"I wanted to say thank you and ask… How the hell did my men come back to life, and how is London still intact? Is this some kind of magic? Witchcraft? Illusion?" Bernadotte said, sincerely thanking Alex before starting to ask questions.
"You're right, magic is involved. But it's much more complicated and required a lot of preparation. As for resurrecting your men, think of it as a nice bonus—something like another chance at life," Alex said, holding out a pack of cigarettes toward Bernadotte.
"You know, boss. For some reason I'm not surprised by anything anymore. An army of vampires, Dracula, monster-hunting organizations, and so much more. I thought I'd seen a lot fighting for different countries and governments all over the world. If I told my grandfather about this, he'd probably just laugh and call me an idiot for getting involved in something like this for money. Mercenaries hired to kill vampires. You could make a whole TV series about it," Bernadotte said, lighting a cigarette and shaking his head with a laugh.
"A lot of people like you think the same way. You got involved for money, while some started doing this because of certain circumstances. They definitely don't get paid… What about the guys in your group? Are they going to continue working or have they decided to retire after surviving their first death at the hands of monsters?" Alex asked, patting Bernadotte on the shoulder.
"We're mercenaries and we always work off the money we're paid. None of us have families, so if we end up dying, we'll mourn each other. The main thing is to set aside money for a proper funeral. No point wasting it all on alcohol and prostitutes," Bernadotte said, chuckling lightly and looking up at the sky.
"Well, it's nice to hear that you idiots have decided to stay even after facing shit like this. Any other mercenaries would have taken their advance and run away with their tails between their legs the moment they found out who they'd have to deal with," Alex said, exhaling cigarette smoke.
"That's exactly why our squad is so in demand on the mercenary market. We may be idiots, but at least we're honest idiots who finish the job," Bernadotte said with a grin.
Alex chuckled lightly and shook his head, looking at Bernadotte, who had just admitted he was an idiot. But Alex really believed that if any other mercenary squad had been in Bernadotte's place, they would have run away the moment they learned they'd have to deal with vampires. Alex decided to chat with Bernadotte a little more about various things related to mercenary work.
Eventually the conversation smoothly shifted to the organization Alex ran. Mostly Alex talked about what Bernadotte had already heard from the other guys: the high salary, the opportunity to visit places he couldn't even imagine, pleasant bonuses, and new equipment. After finishing his talk with Bernadotte, Alex decided to go see Integra and spend some time with her.
To surprise Bernadotte even more and show him a few tricks, Alex drew his attention and put his Impala back into his inventory right in front of him. Bernadotte watched the entire car disappear and stared at Alex in shock, mouth wide open—so wide that his cigarette fell out. Seeing Bernadotte's stunned expression, Alex smiled faintly, patted him on the shoulder, and headed toward the manor doors.
"Boss, about what you said regarding your organization…" Bernadotte called out before Alex entered the manor.
"Don't rush. You have time to think. Like I said, I'm going to invite you. But first find out the details and think whether it's worth accepting such a job or not. Because what awaits you will be a far more exciting adventure than you can imagine," Alex said, waving his hand as he walked into the manor.
"How mysterious… But very interesting. I think I should learn more about my new job before starting it," Bernadotte said with a grin, stubbing out his cigarette and following Alex into the manor.
Once inside, Bernadotte immediately headed to those who could actually give him straight answers instead of mysterious and vague replies that made no sense. Heading to the part of the manor where they had been given sleeping quarters, Bernadotte still didn't understand that the truth he was about to learn would be far more shocking and surprising—so much so that he would even start doubting everything that was happening.
Meanwhile, Alex reached Integra's office and entered without knocking. Integra, who was busy talking on the phone at that moment, raised a cold gaze to Alex and continued her conversation. Seeing Integra's familiar cold look, Alex simply smiled and listened to her phone call.
Approaching Integra, Alex leaned in to hear who she was talking to and recognized the elderly male voice on the other end. It was one of the Round Table members—Sir Hugh Irons. Hearing what the conversation was about, Alex stepped back and gave an awkward cough, earning another cold look from Integra. After finishing the call, Integra put the receiver down and looked at Alex, who had sat down opposite her.
"Where were you?" Integra asked, lighting a thin cigar.
"Covering up the traces of my trap and taking a walk with Seras and Alessa. We sat in a café and went to the cinema," Alex replied calmly.
"So while I was working, you were having fun. I hope you had a good time," Integra said in a calm tone, looking straight into Alex's eyes.
"Before you get angry and throw something at me for leaving all the work to you, I can say in my defense that I'd be completely useless in this matter. It's impossible to find a believable explanation for what happened and how it happened," Alex said, raising his hands to show he couldn't have helped anyway.
"I wasn't going to throw anything at you, husband. And I didn't need to explain anything. Her Majesty the Queen was satisfied that the people of her country are safe and sound, and so is London. All Her Majesty and the Round Table members were interested in was what happened to the remnants of Millennium," Integra said, the corner of her lips lifting slightly in a smile.
"And what version did you come up with? Or did you tell them the truth that the Major went for treatment and the Doctor didn't survive his role as living weapon?" Alex asked, tilting his head.
"I didn't say anything like that. I simply said that all remnants of Millennium have finally disappeared, and that was it. They don't need to know the rest," Integra replied, flicking cigar ash into the ashtray.
"Nice to hear. And since you've finished part of your work, would you like to take a short break and have a drink? I have something you'll like," Alex said with a smile.
"It depends on what we're drinking. And whether it's worth distracting me from work," Integra said calmly, stubbing out her cigar in the ashtray.
Alex smiled and took a bottle of alcohol out of his inventory. Integra raised an eyebrow and looked at Alex, silently asking about the drink he had pulled out. Alex smiled slightly, pulled a chair closer to Integra, and poured alcohol for both of them.
Integra looked at the liquid in the glass, raised an eyebrow slightly, brought it to her nose to smell it. Sensing a pleasant fruity aroma and a light woody tang, she took a small sip and was surprised by the taste of the alcohol Alex had poured for her.
"What is this? It tastes like whiskey, but softer and richer," Integra asked, looking at Alex.
"It's what the gods drink in Valhalla. At least in that world Dionysus isn't a complete asshole and brews really good alcohol," Alex said with a smile.
"I see. That explains a lot about the taste… Pour me some more," Integra said, nodding and finishing the rest of the alcohol in her glass before setting the empty glass on the table.
Alex smiled slightly and poured more alcohol into Integra's glass. After taking another sip, Integra massaged the bridge of her nose to relieve the fatigue in her eyes. After all, the entire time Alex had been gone, she had been answering phone calls and endlessly answering the same questions that had already started to annoy her.
Continuing to sit in silence, Integra shifted her gaze to Alex, who was looking out the window with a carefree smile, as if nothing had happened and he hadn't done anything. Sighing, Integra stopped thinking about work for a moment and thought about other things.
"In two days we're going to an audience with Her Majesty the Queen," Integra said, looking at Alex.
"Hmm… Why? Do I have to go too?" Alex asked, looking at Integra thoughtfully.
"Yes. You have to be present as well. You're a member of Hellsing and my husband. And the Queen specifically said that you must attend too. Considering how much you've done for England," Integra said calmly, lighting a thin cigar.
"Alright. Whatever the Queen wants, I'll go. In any case, I'm planning to rest. Attending formal receptions isn't that big a problem," Alex said, shrugging slightly.
"Just behave normally. Not like you usually do. Your behavior is the behavior of the Hellsing family, and it must be appropriate," Integra said in a strict tone.
"I would usually launch into my standard tirade about how I see all these monarchs, aristocrats, and the like. But don't worry, I know how to behave properly when the situation requires it. Playing the role of a courteous aristocrat with a polite smile on his face at all times isn't that difficult," Alex said, shrugging lightly.
"I hope that's true, husband. I hope one of your masks doesn't slip at the wrong moment," Integra said, setting her empty glass on the table.
"I am the very picture of politeness. But now I'm curious what the Queen of England wants from me and what reward she wants to give me. It would be funny if they gave me an aristocratic title or knighted me. I haven't received titles like that yet," Alex said, chuckling lightly.
Hearing Alex's words, Integra gave him a blank look, then smiled faintly and shook her head. Even after learning the truth about who Alex really was, what he had done, and even who his father was, Integra still couldn't look at him any differently.
In her eyes he remained the same guy who had suddenly appeared in Hellsing by jumping through a third-floor window and introducing himself as an agent of the Federal Bureau of Control. Integra couldn't help but think about how much had happened in just two weeks—so much that she had found herself a husband who turned out not to be human at all, but the son of the Creator himself, and the first demon to boot.
Alex looked at the thoughtful Integra, leaned closer, and kissed her on the cheek to pull her out of her thoughts. Feeling the warmth on her cheek, Integra turned her head toward Alex and rolled her eyes, pushing his face away.
"Just because I drank a little alcohol doesn't mean I'm relaxed enough to let you go beyond kisses and hugs. I still have work to do," Integra said, giving Alex a blank look.
"Oh, my wife doesn't love me and rejects my love. I'll go get drunk out of grief and howl at the moon," Alex said in a tragic tone, wiping away fake tears.
"You can go, but leave the bottle. When you're done acting like a child, you can come back," Integra said, ignoring Alex's fake tears.
"Ah, my wife is kicking me out," Alex said, falling off his chair and clutching his heart.
"Yes, I'm kicking you out of my office so you don't interfere with my work. But be in the bedroom by midnight. I'm not going to search the entire manor for you. If you're late, you'll sleep on the floor. Understood?" Integra said, giving Alex a blank look.
"Yes, I understand. I'll go for a walk in the basement. Alucard should have woken up by now. It's not every day she loses three million souls. I wonder how she's feeling," Alex said, getting up from the floor and brushing himself off lightly.
Integra looked at Alex thoughtfully and nodded, showing that she was also curious about Alucard's current condition. After all, after she had gone to restore her strength by sleeping in her coffin, she still hadn't woken up. Before leaving, Alex kissed Integra on the cheek again, to which she simply rolled her eyes, indicating that he should leave and let her get back to work.
Humming a tune, Alex left Integra's office and headed to the first floor, where the hidden entrance to the basement was located behind a painting. Moving the painting aside, Alex began descending the stairs, still humming. Once downstairs, he looked around, searching for Alucard. She should have been sitting in her usual spot by now.
"Looking for me, my love?" a young female voice sounded right beside Alex.
Alex raised an eyebrow in surprise and turned his head to see Alucard in her young form as a sixteen-year-old girl. Alex raised an eyebrow in surprise at seeing Alucard in such an appearance. She was wearing a white formal suit, with long straight black hair and bangs on her forehead.
Alucard watched Alex's surprise, and her usual smile appeared on her face. She grabbed Alex by the collar, pulled him closer, and immediately kissed him on the lips. After the kiss, Alucard lightly licked Alex's lips with a cheerful smile.
"Why are you in this form, Carmilla?" Alex asked in a surprised tone.
"This? Hmm… I'd call it the aftereffects. Losing all those souls affected me a bit. I didn't even suspect it was possible. As it turns out, sleeping in the coffin alone wasn't enough to fully recover," Alucard said, waving her hand lightly to show she didn't really care what had happened to her.
"I see. Although you look cute in this form. Though the outfit could use some changing, and then it would be perfect," Alex said with a light smile.
"Puhahaha… Only you can keep calling me cute, my love. And which outfit do you prefer?… Or do you prefer there to be no outfit at all?" Alucard asked, running a nail down Alex's chest.
"That sounds tempting. Both options. But right now I'm more concerned about how you're feeling. Are you really okay?" Alex said with a light smile, leaning closer to Alucard.
Alucard's eyes widened for a moment when she heard Alex's words, then a smile appeared on her face and she started laughing again. How could she have forgotten that Alex was the kind of guy who would worry about her well-being and safety, even though she was immortal and considered a monster? Hearing Alucard's laughter, Alex simply shook his head and decided to steer the conversation back to something more important.
But before he could open his mouth, Alucard took his hand and pulled him toward her throne, immediately seating him on it. After sitting Alex on her throne, she climbed onto his lap and sat facing him. Alex smiled and wrapped his arms around Alucard's waist, curious about what she would do next. Alucard leaned forward and kissed Alex again, wrapping her arms around his neck, clearly hinting that he would be staying here for a long time and wouldn't leave until she had had her fill.
To be continued...
(So, this is a chapter about Alex's everyday life; there will be other events and dates later. But for now, I need to run; my friend was finally able to return home after almost two years. And so nothing bad will happen here, so I'm off to get a drink. Peace, love, and everyone should have friends.)
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