immediately after I enter the store, I look around the store to make sure nothing is out the ordinary.

There is nothing unusual about the interior.

The interior gives the impression of a long-established used bookstore.

However, when I look at it with suspicion from the other side, everything in the store seems to affirm the existence of vampires.

The tallest bookshelves block the sunlight from the windows.

Instead, a magic light illuminating the store.

It is a interior that avoids the vampire's weak points.

And then...

"Welcome!"

the voice of a young shopkeeper comes from the store counter.

At first glance, he appears to be a young man with ordinary black hair, but his face is exactly like the vampire I saw in the game.

"!"

I almost screamed, but I held back just in time.

keep it down.

If  he notice my intent and attack first, I'm sure I won't make it out alive.

And if Misha was still safe, I would be putting her in danger as well.

Until the right moment, I would play the ignorant, harmless child.

"Do you have a book for kanji learning?"

"Yes, but do you have enough money?"

"Yes! My dad gave it to me!"

Is this how I should perform?

Maybe it is not alarming yet.

As proof, the vampire took a book from the bookshelf, approached me and handed it to me.

I would never approach someone I recognized as an enemy so unprotected.

"Have you studied the alphabet yet?"

"Yes!"

"Then this is for you. It's very simple, so you'll be able to understand it in no time."

Saying this, the vampire smiled in a way that reassured the child.

A gentle smile that you would never doubt if you didn't know who this man is.

The fact that he was smiling at me in a way that was no different from a human being made my resolve slow down slightly.

Because although this guy is a vampire, he looks like a human being, and while he's doing this, he really does look like a real human being.

I don't feel guilty when I murder an insect, but when I kill a creature that is close to a human being, I cannot help but feel a great deal of guilt.

---No, I guess that' s just what vampires want to think.

Suddenly, I remembered something about the ecology of vampires that was described in the official setting book.

The vampire's ability to mimic humans is high in order to adapt to human society and hunt smoothly without suspicion.

His kindness is probably a skill for this very reason.

If so, no need to be modest.

I' ve had enough of this.

I know I made up my mind, I'm going to fight to save Misha.

Besides, I can' t wait too long.

If Misha's kidnapper is not a vampire, we'll have to resume the search immediately.

In any case, I don't have time to waste on my wretched struggle.

'Thank you very much! Um, oh, thank you!"

I reach into my pocket, pretend to look for my wallet, and pick up the water bottle.

Then, without saying a word, i splashed the contents of the bottle, the water from the river, at the vampire.

I am not sure if such a thing would work against a monster, but in the main story of Arcue, there is a depiction of a vampire actually getting frightened after being sprayed with water.

Those who have a propensity against water are afraid of even a small amount of harmless water.

"What?"

The vampire who is doused in the face with water is slightly frightened and takes a few steps backward.

In the meantime, I quickly finished chanting the Holy Attribute spell and released a shot with all my magical power.

"---The Hollow Lia, the prestige of God."

It is a magic that only emits a white light of the Holy attribute and is basically non-harmful.

However, when vampires and other demons come into contact with this light, their entire body burns and they are in great pain.

This would not be the case if the vampire was resistant to the holy magic , but this vampire, who was still effective in the event that occurred ten years later with the divine authority Hollow Rear, still burned his entire body and screamed out.

"Gyahhhh!"

In front of the vampire writhing in severe pain, I was unable to make my next move.

I was able to move because I had followed the plan up to this point, but I'm not used to roughing it so that I can improvise in a real battle.

I mean, this is my first battle!

What is General Schneizel doing? If he doesn't come to help me soon...

'You're a little bastard, you know that?"

As soon as the vampire stared at me in the shape of a demon, I felt a rush of goosebumps all over my body.

The fear I had never felt before made me shiver and my legs trembled and stopped moving.

"Oh, ah!'

I quickly tried to respond with magic, but even my voice was hushed.

What is this? How could this be?

I don't think so, is this the killing intent that's striking me right now?

I don't know.

I don't know, but at any rate, it's not good.

This chill is really something bad!

"Spirit of the wind, give me wings on my back!"

I blast to my footing and retreat like I'm about to be blasted off the ground.

Immediately after, a crimson blade sliced through the spot where I was standing.

--- Would I have died if I hadn't dodged it just now?

"Tsk."

Another flash of the blade, mixed with a cluck of the tongue. The vampire slashes at me again and again with the blood sword extended from the back of his hand.

"Wait, it's your move the whole time?"

"Don't you dare say that you don't know what you're doing!"

He side-steps to avoid a strike from above, then looks around the store for a moment before looking for the next spot where his escape should be made.

In this narrow space, I will only be caught if I run away in the dark.

Using the shields of furniture and bookshelves as a path, he runs around the store and somehow manages to avoid the blows.

"General Schneizel! Hurry up!"

" sorry, I'm a little late."

A bang, and the sound of a door being broken down behind him.

Just as I was relieved that help was finally coming, something passed right next to me at a ferocious speed.

It hit the vampire with such speed and power that it smashed into the wall and shattered the enemy.

"Ha, it flew!"

Schneizel grimaces, and when he sees the doorway left open after losing the door behind him, he is satisfied that he kicked the door open.

"Yeah ------."

"Let's go for another shot, just in case."

Grabbing the crumpled vampire by the head, Schneizel wakes him up and slams a hard fist into the body.

"Gah!"

The poor vampire spits blood, foaming and convulsing with white eyes.

The opponent I was running for my life had become half-dead in an instant.

What is this frightening person?

"I was scared of this person. Let's quickly go look for the maid."

"Oh, yes."

I left the vampire completely quiet and headed for the back room.

⚪️.

"Misha!"

In the back room was the girl I was looking for.

The girl was tied and gagged, but she appeared lifeless.

However, she looked tired and weak, and her eyes seemed to be lost in focus.

There are no noticeable external injuries, but just to be safe, I activated the recovery spell.

If the injuries are not too severe, this should be a good thing for the time being, but... I'm afraid I'll have to keep it up.

"Don't waste your magic. The girl will be fine. I know it when I see her."

If Schneizel says so, I'm relieved. I looked into Misha's face, feeling relieved.

Misha's eyes, which had been blank, became clearer.

The dazzling lights may be bothering her, or she may be narrowing her eyes at the luminescence of the restorative magic.

"I'm glad you're alive, I'll take it off now, please hold still.""

I whispered to her to calm her down, cutting the rope binding her hands and feet with magic and slowly removing the gag.

'Yong ------ master?'

Thank God. It seems that the shock hasn't affected her memory.

"Yes, it's me. I'm here to help you, Misha. There are no vampires here anymore, so don't worry."

Misha gave a small nod and closed his eyes.

She must have been tired and fearful. When she was reassured, she seemed to lose her consciousness.

"General Schneizel, please help me carry Misha."

"I'll help you carry Misha. And you've been calling me general for a while now, but I'm still commander of the legion."

Ah.

Yes, that's right.

he is still young, so how can I be sure that this is not the case now?

We returned to the Endenbergs' place, thinking about the lack of closure.