"A little further ahead lies one of the entrances to the secret passage."
Dark's mind stirred, and he realized that this time the main stage was very likely to be within the secret passages once again.
"But if it's inside the secret passage, why seal the entire castle within a barrier? Is it to prevent interference, or is there some other reason?"
Just as Dark was mulling this over, Ryan Hacks suddenly halted. "Footsteps."
Although Dark had heard nothing at all, he immediately stopped in his tracks.
Ryan Hacks then glanced at him, reached into his robes, drew out a Magic Guide Card, and gave him a wink.
It was the first time Dark had seen Professor Hacks use a Magic Guide Card, and he couldn't help asking curiously, "Professor, you're a Magic Guide Master too?"
Ryan Hacks made a gesture for silence and silently recited a summoning incantation.
It took him a little longer than usual, but he did indeed succeed in activating the Magic Guide Card in his hand.
Then a wave of light like gossamer veil rippled outward, cloaking the two of them along with their Magic Guide Spirits.
Dark felt the sensation, as light as a thin veil draped over his body, and his eyes filled with curiosity.
But an instant later, he truly heard footsteps rapidly approaching, and instinctively shifted a step behind a statue.
But Ryan Hacks caught his arm, stopping him.
The next second, someone burst out from another passage, abruptly appearing within their field of view.
Dark's eyelid twitched, and he immediately realized the other party hadn't noticed him at all.
"An invisibility-effect Magic Guide Card?"
He suddenly understood, but then he thought of the "Invisible Man" from before, and a strange look crossed his eyes.
Still, now really wasn't the time to fixate on any "Invisible Man."
After all, there were quite a few people who possessed invisibility-type Magic Guide Cards.
Dark placed more of his attention on the newcomer.
What astonished him beyond measure was that this person turned out to be his opponent from the Dueling Festival—Tom Nixon!
"How could it be him?"
Just as Dark's brows knit together, he suddenly focused again, for he had abruptly realized that behind Tom Nixon, someone else seemed to be approaching—or rather, tailing him!
...
Tom Nixon had not the slightest inkling of Dark and Ryan Hacks's presence, and ran past in front of them at a breakneck pace.
And then, tonight's protagonist finally appeared.
Virt Gold.
Along with his lackey.
Robert Broheim.
...
When he saw these two, Dark unexpectedly felt a small measure of relief.
It was as though something had returned to his grasp.
In any case, it was very warm.
The corners of his mouth curled up without his even realizing it.
Virt and Robert likewise failed to notice them, and in but a moment had run past in front of them.
Only after those three's footsteps gradually faded did Ryan Hacks put away the Magic Guide Card, and Dark and the Magic Guide Spirits revealed their forms once more.
Ryan Hacks said, "Well now, what have we found?"
Dark: "One cat and two mice."
Ryan Hacks couldn't help laughing. "Why can't it be three mice? Come, let's follow and take a look."
With that he moved swiftly, and Dark immediately followed.
Ryan Hacks was a hero of the war, and indeed—even at tracking he was quite the master. He kept himself hanging behind Virt and Robert the entire time, without them detecting a thing.
Before long, the two of them arrived before a wall.
"It's here."
Ryan Hacks felt along the wall and confirmed, "They slipped in here. The academy's secret passages have many entrances, and this should be one of them. But under normal circumstances, the entrances to the secret passages ought to have been sealed. How did they manage it?"
Dark fell silent for a long while, then suddenly turned his head to look behind him.
But behind him was pitch blackness, terrifyingly quiet.
...
Inside the carriage atop the Spiral Clock Tower, Medea Bartholomew almost instinctively leaned back, then said with a giggle, "What now, Sarah? You've been discovered."
Sarah Silf drifted out a light reply: "Tough luck."
...
"Demon, did you discover something?" Ryan Hacks asked suspiciously.
Dark turned his head back and drew a deep breath. "It's nothing. I think the seal on this secret passage entrance was very likely cracked by someone. As for why the castle was covered with a barrier, it's probably to cut off the professors' senses. Shall we continue?"
But at this moment Ryan Hacks shook his head. "I know nothing at all about this secret passage, and I have no confidence in being able to protect you. So, I'll continue, and you stay here."
Dark was taken aback and was about to say he didn't need protecting, but Ryan Hacks suddenly looked up at him, his eyes brimming with unmistakable warning: "You're still young, with a bright future ahead. Go back."
After saying this, however, Ryan Hacks's gaze softened again, and he added, "That is, if you still want an A in History of Magic this semester."
Dark couldn't help falling silent. "Professor, that's hardly proper teaching ethics."
Ryan Hacks said airily, "After leaving the battlefield, I came to understand one truth—a man mustn't be too concerned with morality. Are you going back or not?"
Dark could only say, "Fine, Professor, I'll do as you say."
"Don't let me see you in there." Ryan Hacks left this final warning, then abruptly pressed a hand against the wall, and as the ripples spread, he stepped across and entered.
Dark looked at the wall that had returned to normal, tucked his hands into his sleeves, thought for a moment, and then truly withdrew from that spot.
...
After putting some distance between himself and the entrance, he drew out the "Drifloon" Magic Guide Card, made a couple of gestures toward that secret passage entrance, then put the Magic Guide Card away again and said to DemiDevimon, who had alighted on his shoulder, "DemiDevimon, tell me—is this melon sweet or salty?"
DemiDevimon cocked its head, puzzled. "Melons can be salty?"
"Quit playing dumb," Gatomon said disdainfully.
The little devil immediately glared at it. "This is called innocence!"
Dark: O__O "..."
After a long silence, Dark raised his hand, plucked out that wisp of azure wind from his hair, and lifted it before his face.
The "Blessing of the Wind Spirit" naturally coiled around his index finger, like a mischievous little sprite.
Dark stared at that wisp of clear breeze for a while, then suddenly asked, "Professor, can you hear me?"
...
Sarah Silf hadn't wanted to answer at first.
But under Medea's mischievous gaze, she still spoke up helplessly: "I can hear you."
...
As the original owner of that wisp of "Blessing of the Wind Spirit," Professor Silf had many ways to connect with it.
It was only that, given her own principles, she normally would not do so.
Moreover, each connection would inevitably create ripples of magic power.
Professor Silf was well aware of this.
Had she not been genuinely worried that Dark might encounter danger, she would never have done it.
It was precisely because Dark had sensed that faint ripple of magic power that he had suddenly spoken up.
But Professor Silf's response was still a pleasant surprise.
He immediately said, "In that case, can you tell me what this is all about?"
"So, do we tell him or not?" Professor Medea's voice suddenly came through the clear breeze.
Not the least bit surprised, Dark said, "Professor Medea, could you not do this? I'm really exhausted today."
Medea blinked, leaned in beside Silf, and said, "Professor here is very tired too."
Dark: "Then can we speak plainly and get to the point?"
Professor Silf's voice came through again: "Demon, have you run into some kind of trouble?"
Dark gestured to the Magic Guide Spirits, then adjusted his posture and leaned against the wall. "One of my Magic Guide Spirits has a problem, and I need help."
Professor Silf asked, puzzled, "Is it that Leomon?"
"No," Dark said. "It's the other one—the 'Drifloon.'"
Professor Silf: "That Ghost-type Magic Guide Spirit? What's gone wrong with it this time?"
Dark said, "Broadly speaking, it should be connected to what you're doing right now. So, can you tell me the details? Don't worry, I'm quite good at keeping secrets."
...
Inside the carriage on the Spiral Clock Tower.
Professor Silf and Professor Medea exchanged a glance. Professor Medea nodded very solemnly and murmured, "They've all gone into the secret passage."
Only then did Professor Silf say, "It's not that I can't tell you."
"That's good." Dark let out a breath of relief.
Silf added, "But you must keep it secret."
Dark: "I swear by God."
Silf smiled faintly. "I know you don't believe in God. In any case, remember this—not even Alvit can be told."
Dark: "Professor, you may begin."
Silf: "Very well. You should know of a person named Ophelia Brad."
Dark raised an eyebrow and said, "Of course. We've discussed matters centered on her many times, haven't we?"
Professor Silf then said, "You once met a person called Lia Goethe."
Dark's interest was piqued slightly. "Professor, are you trying to tell me that Lia Goethe and Ophelia Brad really are the same person?"
Professor Silf said, "Not just that. Olivia Copernicus is the same person too. Astonishing as it is, our earlier conjecture was entirely correct."
"That really is rather good news," Dark said. "So, how did the Professor confirm it?"
Professor Silf said quietly, "Brad told me herself."
Only now did Dark exclaim in surprise, "Professor..."
A trace of cunning showed on Silf's face. "Yes—I caught her!"
This time Dark was truly shocked.
He had participated in nearly every step of the professors' plan: from the very beginning, unexpectedly capturing Vampire Vlad in the course of luring out the "Invisible Man," to thereby overturning all the deductions related to the Blood Princess, and now, to his astonishment, discovering that those wholly overturned deductions were in fact the truth...
And Professor Silf in particular had, without any fanfare, caught "Lia Goethe"!
How on earth had she done it?
And just what was the Blood Princess's past?
Dark's curiosity couldn't be contained.
Silf paused a moment, then said, choosing her words, "Ophelia Brad's magic power is very distinctive. In the five gate cards offered as prizes, I embedded a small program to verify identity.
Once it detected magic-power ripples resembling Ophelia Brad's, the gate card would automatically pop up a message."
Dark: "What message?"
The corner of Professor Silf's mouth curved up. "Come see me in my office."
Dark asked, incredulous, "Just like that?"
Professor Silf smiled and nodded. "Just like that!"
Professor Medea, beside her, could plainly see the smugness on her face.
But what Silf was smug about was not this stratagem of hers.
Rather, it was the fact that she had always trusted her students, and her students had always trusted her.
Though Ophelia Brad said with her mouth that she wouldn't go, her body still carried her to Professor Silf's office.
During that time.
Professor Silf did nothing at all!
It was the trust between teacher and student that had built a bridge between the two of them.
...
Upon hearing this, Dark couldn't help wearing a strange expression.
He simply could not fathom that the course of events could be so simple.
How could someone who had gone to such great lengths to infiltrate the academy possibly turn herself in over a single sentence like that?
But speaking of "turning herself in," that "Blood Princess" seemed to have a prior record of it?
Could it be a "surrender fetish"?
Good heavens, how could anyone possibly have such a kink?
But the way things unfolded was just that hard to predict.
Just as reality is never reasonable—those who always reason according to reasonable logic often end up crushed by an illogical reality.
Ophelia Brad not only turned herself in before Professor Silf, but even laid out her entire plan.
"And here I asked her so many times, and she wouldn't reveal a single thing," Professor Medea said sourly.
But no one cared about this little heartbreak of hers.
Professor Silf even glared at her. "I haven't yet held you accountable for smuggling someone into the academy!"
Professor Medea immediately put on an affected, coy air. "But I just couldn't refuse the request of my life-saving benefactor—"
Dark violently shuddered, goosebumps erupting all over.
Professor Silf was clearly none too comfortable herself, and hastened to continue the explanation.
Medea Bartholomew had once been to the battlefield.
The reason was to seek a "match made in heaven."
Of course, that was a rather artistic way of putting it.
In truth, it boiled down to this: perpetually single since the womb and fed up with people nagging her about it, she went off to the battlefield to clear her head—and to see, along the way, whether there might be some pleasing dream-man there.
With the identity of the "Prophet atop the Star Tower" as her guarantee, she was made an honored guest wherever she went, and her safety should originally have been beyond worry.
But she had a restless temperament, and carelessly plunged herself into crisis. The one who saved her then was the "Blood Princess"—Ophelia Brad!
Don't ask why a prophet would run into danger.
If prophecy really were such a convenient profession, then everyone would want to become a prophet.
But in reality, a prophet is a profession many people shun and avoid.
In light of the debt of a life saved, Medea accepted Ophelia Brad's request and brought her into St. Marian's Academy.
Of course, at that time, Ophelia Brad had a perfectly legitimate reason.
...
"Ophelia Brad's initial purpose in infiltrating the academy was to see her own child—at least on the surface."
As Silf said this, a flicker of complicated emotion crossed her eyes.
Dark said in surprise, "She has a child?"
"She does." Professor Silf let out a deep sigh. "I never once imagined that Virt Gold would be her child."
Medea added, "No one could have imagined it."
Professor Silf went on, "I still don't know whether it's because Bright Gold's bloodline power is simply too strong, or because he performed some special treatment—but even to this day, I cannot detect any trace of the Blood Clan bloodline in Virt."
"Before this, I had always assumed Virt's mother was the daughter of a minor noble, who fell in love with Bright after he saved her, and finally died in the war. And that Ophelia Brad had already gone missing long before Virt was born."
"Of course, now we know that she was saved by Bright during that vampire attack."
Hearing this far, Dark had already worked things out in his mind: "In other words, the Blood Princess's disappearance was a fabrication. In reality, after she was taken by the vampire, she was rescued back by the Hero.
But the Hero concealed this matter and even wed her in wedded bliss. Let me guess—the reason the Hero concealed it was to protect the Blood Princess, and the reason the Blood Princess needed protecting was that she had been Embraced by a vampire?"
Reaching this point, something suddenly jolted within Dark's heart, and he asked, alarmed, "Surely… the vampire that bit her wasn't Vlad?"
For some reason, the atmosphere on the scene suddenly turned silent.
After a long while, Professor Silf finally said, "Your imagination really is quite rich."
Dark rubbed his nose and said awkwardly, "It's just average."
But Professor Silf then immediately said, "In a certain sense, you're right."
Dark: "Eh?"
Professor Silf continued, "Where you're wrong is this—Vampire Vlad is merely one of his vessels."
Dark: "Who is 'he'?"
Silf: "The Demon King."
Dark: "Oh."
Silf: "You're not surprised?"
Dark: "I'm very surprised."
Medea: "Pfft."
Silf said helplessly, "That's how it is. This wasn't information meant to be disclosed to a first-year student, but since it's you, there's no need for me to conceal it.
After Ophelia Brad was taken away by the vampire back then, she was delivered straight to the Demon King's side.
The Demon King bit through her neck and performed the Embrace upon her, turning the last of the Blood Clan into a blood slave!
Then Hero Bright Gold arrived, rescued Brad from the Demon King's hands, and successfully escaped. But it was already too late."
From blood slave to Blood Demon, and then to vampire—this is the necessary process of advancement for a non-hereditary vampire.
After being Embraced by a vampire, one becomes a blood slave, subject to the vampire's control.
Blood slaves are bloodthirsty, savage, and devoid of reason—the lowliest of monsters.
Only after advancing into a Blood Demon can one control the desire to feed and gradually recover one's reason.
If Ophelia Brad truly had been turned into a blood slave by the Demon King, then the reason the Hero concealed the news had been found.
No matter what Ophelia Brad's identity had been before the Embrace, she could never again appear in human society.
And the reason Ophelia Brad came to be wanted by the Holy Church in the war's final days is also easy to infer—largely because the Hero who sheltered her had fallen.
From the Holy Church's standpoint, they likely did not even know that Ophelia Brad and Hero Bright Gold were husband and wife in fact.
Otherwise… their wanted notice would probably have had a child's name added to it as well!
In order to sever the Holy Church's continued pursuit, Ophelia Brad chose to turn herself in of her own accord.
With her identity as a war hero, coupled with her ability—as a member of the Blood Clan—to resist the erosion of the vampire bloodline, she obtained "forgiveness." She was merely locked away in Bastia Prison, rather than executed.
Had the one who Embraced her been an ordinary vampire rather than the Demon King, she would not have ended up in such a plight.
Fortunately, her war-hero identity did indeed play its part, and her treatment in Bastia Prison was fairly decent.
Not only did she have her own private cell, but she could also obtain whatever books she wanted.
Apart from being unable to go out, there was nothing else to complain of.
But over these ten years of imprisonment in Bastia Prison, the degree to which Ophelia Brad was eroded by the vampire bloodline gradually deepened. She realized that if she did not act soon, she might well be turned completely into the Demon King's blood slave, controlled by him in her very thoughts.
Thus, seizing the opportunity of the Heretical Order's assault on Bastia, she escaped from the prison.
...
All the threads had connected together.
Listening to Professor Silf's meticulous account, Dark finally gained some sense of the reality of Ophelia Brad's experiences.
At the same time, he had also gained an opening to inquire about information on the Demon King.
"The Demon King is a vampire too?"
"No."
Professor Silf denied it decisively. "The Demon King is not a vampire, but he possesses all the traits and abilities of a vampire. This is derived from his vampire vessel—that is, Vlad!"
Dark couldn't help pressing, "Just what exactly is Vlad?"
Professor Silf explained, "Vlad is one of the countless vessels the Demon King created. The moment the Demon King is killed, he is reborn within one of these vessels.
Therefore, even the Hero could only seal him away, rather than kill him outright. Because no one knows exactly how many vessels he has, nor where each vessel is. In fact, all the information about Vlad was likewise told to me by Ophelia Brad."
After listening carefully, Dark couldn't help thinking to himself: "Hearing this, it's even more of a headache than Voldemort..."
Unable to see Dark's expression, Professor Silf now said, "Let's set the matter of the Demon King aside for now. Vlad's revival should have been an incidental event; he ought to have been completely dead. Ophelia Brad told me that Vlad was one of the vampires who invaded the academy during the war. He once had contact with her, but was later killed within the secret passage.
However, the nature of his soul was extremely peculiar. This is perhaps related to his being a vessel, and it also created the precondition for his ability to revive."
"I see."
Dark nodded. "I understand roughly. Then what was the Blood Princess's true purpose in infiltrating the academy? Surely it wasn't purely to visit her son?"
Professor Silf said, "That was of course one of the purposes. The other purpose… was to revive Vlad!"
Dark said in surprise, "But hasn't Vlad already..."
Professor Silf sighed. "That was an accident no one could have foreseen. Ophelia Brad's original aim was to revive Vlad and then command him to remove the vampire erosion from her own body.
After all, the Demon King's vampire abilities come from Vlad, so she believed Vlad must have a way. But later..."
Dark's expression turned strange. "But later, she discovered Vlad had already been revived, and then died again?"
Professor Silf shook her head. "That's precisely where the problem lies. This time too, Vlad didn't die completely."
Dark was stunned. "What do you mean?"
Even his very ashes had been refined away—how could he still not be dead?
Professor Silf said, "Ophelia Brad found Vlad's soul one step ahead of us, cut off a portion of it, and used it as the foundation to craft a Phylactery."
Dark realized tonight really was a night of surprises. "A lich's Phylactery?"
Professor Silf answered, "More or less. In any case, she successfully re-cultivated Vlad's soul fragment to completion, and intended to revive him once more on Easter… that is, today!"
"I see."
Dark abruptly exhaled a breath. "I finally understand."
Professor Silf asked, puzzled, "What is it you understand?"
Dark touched the "Drifloon" Magic Guide Card he had put away, but did not speak of the fact that the "Drifloon" had been refined using the powdered soul of Vlad.
For the most part, he had already deduced where the "Drifloon's" problem lay.
The Blood Princess had evidently already initiated the ritual, and Vlad was probably already in the process of being revived.
Moreover, the Vlad revived this time would very likely have his memories restored because of "Easter."
But "the Vlad with memories" was the Vlad the Blood Princess wished to revive.
As a "Drifloon" that was in essence refined from the powdered soul of Vlad, it would naturally be affected by the ritual.
Although the portion belonging to "Vlad's consciousness" should be in the Blood Princess's hands—so the "Drifloon" would not turn into Vlad because of it—it was highly likely to share in a portion of the memories.
Thinking a step further.
Might the "Drifloon" have already become one of the Demon King's vessels?
Dark thought rapidly in his heart, but when he answered, he said, "The Blood Princess wanted to emulate the 'Resurrection' of the 'Holy One,' letting Vlad recover his memories at the same time he was revived."
"Indeed so."
Professor Silf affirmed his judgment, but immediately added, "However, that's already in the past tense. I've already persuaded her to abandon this impractical notion."
Dark was slightly puzzled. "Why?"
Professor Silf said, "Because even if Vlad recovered his memories, he could not possibly possess the ability to remove the Demon King's Embrace. Ophelia was merely blinded for a moment by immediate gains and losses."
In other words, it was a case of grasping at any straw in a desperate crisis.
Professor Silf continued, "Vampires are a race that places extreme importance on rank, and that is determined by their bloodline. A high-ranking vampire holds absolute bloodline suppression over a low-ranking one.
Vlad's place in the sequence is obviously far below the Demon King's. Relying on him to remove the Demon King's Embrace is like relying on a lizard to deal with a dragon—an utterly laughable affair."
Dark actually did not understand much about this.
But since Professor Silf had judged it so, it was most likely indeed the case.
He analyzed, "In that case, if the Blood Princess really had done so, not only would she have failed, but she would very likely have been devoured in backlash by Vampire Vlad?"
Professor Silf smiled faintly. "Which is why I offered her another method that is far more likely to prove effective."
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