Two hours later…

「…Then I tore that idiot to shreds!… And then the Redwing girl put her foot in my bell tower's door, when I wanted to slam it shut in her face!… And I accidentally hurt her…」

With her arms crossed, Lily continues telling Straf about her night-to-night business as a baroness. Cycelia listens, still smiling awkwardly through her casual, and very graphic descriptions of violence wrought by her tiny child-like hands. Lily's tone softens a little when her scarlet eyes turn to Cycelia, and she quickly turns her gaze away.

「…Good grief, I bet you're not listening anyway, Straf!」

Lily declares while pointing her finger at his handsome, serene face.

「If he can, he's listening, Lily… You're very special to Straf.」

Cycelia chimes in, smiling at her with her chestnut head tilted slightly.

「W- Well… That might be so, but…」

Pouting heavily, Lily turns her pale face away from the both of them.

「…Hmpf. I've stayed here and riveted him with enough stories. I hope that's enough to feed your boredom and keep the hunger away, Straf.」

She adds, abruptly standing up from her chair.

「You're leaving, Lily?」

Cycelia asks as the little vampire nonchalantly heads for the door.

「Of course. I've yet to rest still…」

She replies with a scoff, then stops a few steps away from the bed.

「…Lily?」

Cycelia tilts her head in confusion as Lily declares her intent to leave, but then stops in her tracks, standing with her back turned to Straf and Cycelia.

「…He is going to wake up.」

Lily proclaims without even glancing over her shoulder.

「Of course… We just don't know when-」

「You misunderstood.」「Eh?…」

With a nod of her head and a smile, Cycelia eagerly agrees. Lily cuts her off, finally looking over her shoulder at her.

「I wasn't asking a question… He will wake up.」

She explains, then reiterates as she turns her gaze forward again, and departs the lavish bedchamber without another word.

Cycelia takes a deep breath, then lets out a long, sullen sigh as she looks at the king's study adjoining the bedchamber. She takes another look at Straf's handsome face, then slides off the bed back onto her feet. She winces a little when she puts her weight onto her still-aching foot.

「Ow… At least it's not that bad anymore…」

She remarks as she wiggles her foot slightly, then moves to the study's door with a little limp.

Cla-clack… Crrrrrrreeeeeeeaaaaaaaaakkkk…

Cycelia pushes down on the handle, then slowly shoves the door open with her shoulder. It creaks noisily, but unlike the doors to the bedchamber proper, the hinge lets itself be known due to disuse rather than sheer weight of the door attached to it. Cycelia steps in, and looks around with her hands held behind her back.

「Hmmmmm… Nothing changed, huh?…」

She says quietly while looking at the bookshelves and the tomes lying on the side of the large oaken desk, placed in the center of the room, and facing the door.

The past owner of the room had to have been an oak aficionado, as the entire room is furnished with it. Moreover, each set of furniture appears to has been fashioned out of a different species, some clearly imported, albeit all are still distinctly oak. The chair and the desk are all oak, both of different species. The shelves are all oak, and different from the desk and the chair. The floor is oaken, and of course, so is the door. Naturally, despite the different species of oak being used, it all is put together into a very tasteful combination.

The floor is a tone darker than the rest, the shelves stand out by being a little brighter, and despite the room appearing very serious and businesslike, the door invites visitors with its warm color. Whether intentionally or not, golden glow reflects off the oaken desk's surface from the balcony behind it, softening the otherwise serious atmosphere the empty room gives off. Almost as if rote, Cycelia walks up to the desk's front and looks at the book-filled shelves.

The shelves are filled with tomes on many, many subjects. Swordsmanship, statecraft, cutting edge economic theories from some forty or so years ago, there are more than plenty of time-wasters under many peculiar titles, too. Cycelia's emerald eyes return to the desk, to the stack of books upon it. Her gaze drifts down from its top to the bottom. She tilts her chestnut head when she reads「Collections of Tales and Stories for Children and Adults」on the spine of the bottom-most tome. She cautiously pries it out from the rest.

Thump…

「Khakh!… Khakhh!…」

A small cloud of dust rises up to her face from a perfectly rectangular spot beneath the stack when she finally frees the book, and the rest of them noisily drop back down to the desk.

「…Ahem.」

Cycelia clears her throat from the minor irritation, and takes another good look around the room. It had been meticulously cleaned and is entirely dust-free… Aside from the elements that would first have to be moved, or otherwise upset to access the dust beneath, or behind them. The floor is clean, and so is the desk.

《The maids haven't dared to touch it ever since?… They don't need to be so cautious…》

She thinks, and brushes some of the residual dust from the cover with her hand as she moves to the chair. Cycelia slides it out, then sits down while looking over her shoulder.

The view through the closed balcony's glass door succinctly displays the kingdom's, now empire's progress. From high above, far above the city walls and the rooftops, Cycelia can admire the generational work that went into constructing the capital, the toil that was put into feeding its citizens, and the blood that was spilled to keep them safe from man, beast, or both alike. She briefly considers turning the handle on the tall door, but the sight of the undisturbed snow on the railing outside makes her reconsider.

Instead, she turns her attention back to the old book in her hands. She glances at its cover one more time, then opens it and flips through its pages. Cycelia reads a few passages here and there, and with a tiny amused huff, a faint smile returns to her idly sullen face. It quickly fades, and she flips a few more pages.

The more she browses through the tome, the more apparent it becomes she knows its contents by heart, despite never having had read it. After a moment, her browsing becomes deliberate, and she searches for a specific passage she's sure she can find somewhere in the book.

「Ah.」

She utters out when her emerald eyes find it. She sets the book down on the desk, and guides her dainty finger along the text while reading through one of the stories within.

「…Hmmm.」

Cycelia glances up at the open door to the study, then lets out a pensive humm with her brows furrowed as her eyes return to the tome.

She resumes slowly flipping through the pages, smiling a little as she recognizes the stories in their written form…

…

A few hours later, in the evening, in the Ministry of Security barracks…

With his staff in hand, Will enters and adjusts his glasses. The Ministry agents look at him with narrowed eyes, and he picks the most senior-looking man that's having a drink to approach.

「You. Who is your armorer? There are three of them, aren't there?」

Will asks as he walks up to the man's table. The other agents around him look up at him with wary gazes.

「…Is this about that vampire incident?」

The agent replies with a visibly displeased expression after lowering his tankard to the table.

「…Correct. Answer my questions, please.」

Will nods, and adjusts his glasses again while standing over the man by his side.

「Tsk…」

He audibly clicks his tongue in response, and takes another gulp.

「…I am… Right now. But just so you know, I'm off duty in less than fifteen minutes.」

The agent replies, and shrugs his shoulders as he looks back at Will with his mouth scrunched to the side.

「And who the fuck are you anyway, kid? Think you can just waddle in here and start asking questions?」

Another agent from the table chimes in, nodding his head up at Will while leaning onto the table with his elbows.

「I'm leading an investigation. I've exhausted other options and confirmed my theories elsewhere. I was hoping to catch at least two of you, so that's lucky…」

Will curtly replies to the disgruntled agent chiming in, then turns his attention back to the armorer as he adjusts his glasses.

「…Are there two, or three of you?」

He asks again while staring at the armorer with a serious face.

「Three. But before you ask, I take over for the guy who babysits the weapons and armor from the morning, and I keep an eye on the armory until sunset. I've got nothing to do with this.」

The agent replies, and shrugs his shoulders as he assures Will.

「Right. I thought so. Since you're here for a moment longer and I have to wait for the other armorer anyway, do you mind telling me a little about a few things?」

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

「Like what?」

Will adjusts his glasses again, and the armorer leans onto his elbow as he asks.

「For starters, how did you know what the Flashlights are, and what they do? Was there anyone suspicious asking about them? What does your usual day look like?… Things like that.」

Looking around the table and the men sitting around it, Will asks. His eyes then return to the armorer before shrugging his shoulders.

「…Fine. But as soon as he shows up, I'm out. I'm tired of having to watch my back for vampires because of this shit.」

The man shrugs back, then nods towards the entry door. Will glances over his shoulder at it.

「Fair. Start with the Flashlights, then.」

He nods in response, and adjusts his glasses again…

…

A little over fifteen minutes later…

「…Now, I don't keep an extremely close track of things. Someone asks for bolts? I write 'em off… But I wouldn't lose a fucking magic weapon. I'm not that sloppy.」

Sitting casually with his back turned towards the table, leaning onto, the armorer replies with his arms crossed.

「I believe you. It reeks of intent, not accident.」

Will nods, and adjusts his glasses. The man leans aside to peek past him, then abruptly stands up.

「Fucking finally! You're late, prick!…」

The agent calls out towards the man who just entered the barracks, and is now stomping snow off his boots.

「Not my fault. There's snow all over…」

The second armorer shrugs, blaming the snow as he knocks last of the snow down onto the ground. His attention briefly turns to Will before turning his gaze back to the other agent.

「This guy wants to ask you some shit… See you tomorrow guys.」

The daylight armorer mumble a quiet warning to the second armorer, then glances over his shoulder to bid the rest of the barracks farewell.

「See you.」「Yeah.」「Watch out for slit-eyes.」

Most of the agents return some form of a casual reply, finish their drinks, then walk out as well. The armorer walks up to Will with his brows furrowed, staring warily at him.

「…Yeah?」

He newly arrived young man says in a quizzical, slightly confused tone.

「…You're one of the armorers, right? What hours do you cover?」

Will adjusts his glasses, and asks.

「…From now to tomorrow morning. Why?」

The armorer replies, narrowing his eyes. Every now and then, a lone vampire enters the barracks and heads upstairs.

「Is there a room here we could talk in private? I'd prefer if the vampire agents didn't hear this.」

Will looks around the barracks, and a few small groups of crimson-eyed, ominously armored vampire agents stare at them from across the room.

「Look, I've got work to do, I don't have time for this…」

The man shakes his head and tries to walk past Will, but is stopped by his outstretched hand.

「This is more important than any work right now.」

Will replies, and adjusts his glasses with a serious expression while looking into his eyes.

「Tsk… I was trying to be polite. I don't have to answer shit to you, and I don't feel like it. Fuck off, I've got a long day ahead of me.」

The armorer clicks his tongue. His wary, somewhat neutral expression shifts to quite obvious anger, and he tries to walk past Will to his other side.

Will moves his staff in the way, blocking him again.

「You're fuckin' pissin' me off.」

With the other path now blocked, the man seethes at Will through his teeth.

「…You don't have to answer my questions, but I'm working for the marshal right now, and directly aiding the empress in maintaining the peace…」

Will replies, calmly adjusting his glasses.

「…If you don't want to answer my questions, I'll explain the situation to her. I'm sure her majesty can find some free time to ask you a few questions herself, personally.」

He adds in an ominously calm, casual tone while staring the armorer directly into his eyes. The man shrinks a little, grimacing slightly…

…

Five minutes later, in the Ministry of Security barracks, in a witness interview room…

Adjusting his glasses, Will sits down at a small square table in the dim, cramped, almost claustrophobic room. The armorer is sitting right across from him, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed, and his mouth heavily scrunched to the side in frustration. Will props his staff against the nearby wall, then places his hands on the table, idly putting his fingertips together.

「Ask. But if you take too long, I'm out of here, and I don't care if you bring the marshal, the empress, or the fucking dragon himself.」

The armorer nods up, audibly angered.

「It shouldn't take longer than thirty minutes… I just have a few basic questions. Nothing tough.」

Will shakes his head, replying with a confident, assuring tone.

「Then ask. Stop wasting my time.」

The man verbally prods him again, nodding up at him once more.

「Then… How did you know what the Flashlights are, and what do they do?」

Will asks, adjusting his glasses.

「Tsk… After that Murusburg shitshow, some of the vampire hunters that came back talked about them. They told us how they burn vampires with a single trigger pull…」

The armorer clicks his tongue and shrugs his shoulders as he replies.

「Did anyone ask about them a lot?」

「No. Not really. People were very curious when they first heard of it, but after that it became common knowledge amongst the agents. Then they were locked up for safety reasons.」

Will asks, and the man casually replies in a nonchalant tone.

「I see… Can you tell me what your day usually looks like? What do you do?」

Nodding his head, Will asks another question, then adjusts his glasses. He continues starting into the armorer's eyes intently without breaking eye contact.

「When nobody starts asking me stupid shit and I can get to work?… I go sit by the armory and watch the door to make sure nobody is picking it, like someone might be right now.」

The man nonchalantly replies again, shrugging his shoulders once more. His arms remain crossed, and he continues leaning back in his seat with his legs outstretched under the table.

「Relax. The other agents wouldn't let someone slip past.」

Will raises his palm towards the man, gently shaking his head.

「Yeah, I'm talking about them.」

The armorer scoffs, nodding.

「…Anyone in particular?」

Will tilts his head and furrows his brows a little. The two stare at each other in a prolonged silence.

「No. But you'll never know. Is that all?」

With a tight-lipped grimace on his face, the man finally barks back.

「No… Just a few more…」

Adjusting his glasses again, Will briefly lowers his head.

「…Do you ever leave the vicinity of the armory? Stop watching it like a hawk?… Take a break, have a drink?」

Returning his gaze to the man's eyes, Will asks. Another prolonged silence begins while the armorer stares at him, visibly growing increasingly frustrated by the minute…