Chapter 72 71: The Vampire Of Soleda (4)

eαglesnᴏνel 

"Uhm… stop, supreme darkness ash god demonic king general majesty… I can't eat more cake…"

"Is he even asleep anymore? I don't trust him."

Elric woke up to a sudden noise. His eyes fluttering.

"He is asleep, alright? Lay off."

"Argh…"

His head hurt like crazy. He slowly pushed his eyelids open and turned to the side.

The sun shone bright behind and the white drapes around the window fluttered. Sitting next to him, were Erika and Claude.

"It is cold, can you close the windows?"

"Sure."

"Sure."

The two of them said at the same time, but didn't move and only smiled.

"What?"

Claude reached out and grabbed Elric's head. "Thought that will work twice?"

"No, seriously, it's cold. My head hurts."

Erika chuckled at his words. "Probably because you've been asleep for five days."

"Exactly, I need to sleep more."

Erika grabbed the sheets from atop Elric and pulled them away. Elric, rolled up in his sheets spun around like a top against the girl's fearsome strength and fell to the ground.

"Ow."

"Wake up now, your sleeping time is over."

"But…" Elric mumbled something and shed a tear before wiping it away. He was too much in pain to sleep, though. All his muscles were still sore and his head hurt like crazy, a result of using all the muscles in his body all at once.

"What happened?" Asked Elric as he stood up. "Is the old man zombie really gone?"

"That's your concern? Well, yes, he's gone. Like all the others."

"You saved the city, Elric Wald—"

"EXCUSE ME? I am certain I took that kill."

"Claude, you farm mule!" Elric suddenly screamed. "What do you mean? You interfered? You damned interfered you pistachio in chocolate icecream."

Claude grinned and stopped Elric before he could attack him. He held the boy in place and picked up a glass of water from the side. Elric nodded and sipped the water down.

"Skill issue," Claude said."

"Pfft!" Elric spilled all the water back in the glass, earning a frown from Erika. "You rat! Y-y-you!! Argh, I hate you!"

Claude chuckled while Elric fumed. Erika's frown loosened as she watched the two and her lips curled into a smile on its own.

An environment like this…

Didn't exist anymore for the heroes…

But, well, all was good now.

She had finished her trade, and her wish had been granted, albeit reluctantly by the General. Now… she didn't have to hold on anymore.

Maybe she could learn to be like these two too.

"Alright, really, what happened? Is the place recovered enough to get me some chocolates?"

"Not really," Claude answered, his body leaning against his hand on the bed. "But you can get some meat. A lot of the merchants that survived opened up their coffers."

"Yay! Meat!" Elric almost set off on his own, so Claude had to hold him back by the scruff of his neck.

"Slow down, big guy."

"Why?"

"You drowned half the city, we'll go with you."

"Yup! I'll go change real quick!"

Erika danced away while Claude moved to the closet too. Elric pouted slightly but took the chance to wash his face.

As soon his reflection appeared on the mirror, he noticed the many blurring scars that had appeared on his face.

Scars that should stay for long, had almost disappeared.

With a sigh, he washed his face and closed his eyes.

The vampire.

He remembered hearing a growl after collapsing.

"Tsk…"

Frustrating.

Deeply, severely, frustration. Elric bit his lips and wetted his hair before stepping out. As he placed a hand on the window he had gotten familiar too, his eyes went outside.

Dozens and dozens of people, all of them trying their best to restore the place.

Knights and guards from the castle of Maris and the different territories, along with some from the other kingdoms too all came and helped the citizens fix the place up.

The city of the dead was slowly coming back to life.

***

"Marcusssss!"

"Tomassss!"

"Puuun puun puu puuun!"

Three voices spilled out in the pubs near the outer parts of the city. The place once razed to the ground with blood and brains spilled on the floor was now clean and empty.

The trio of Marcus Tomas and Bagpipe Man survived! One didn't even need to think how.

"That great man who saved our lives, Leres! What a grand hero!"

"Hero is selling him short, you punk! That man has saved our lives, he's our god!"

"Puupouuun"

The three then lowered their heads.

"But he's nowhere to be found."

The three faced a grand dilemma.

"We also have to deliver this thing to the General…"

The three of them looked around for a few seconds. It was then, Bagpipe suddenly stood up. He placed the pipes in his mouth and—

"PUuuun! Puunu unpunnn! Punnuuu!"

"B-bagpipe…?"

"Puun pun!!!"

"You're right! We should do as our heart says!"

"Correct, all three of us, let us deliver this and help Lord Leres in his grand endeavors!"

"Puun?"

Of course, Bagpipe was trying to convey something completely different.

"Don't worry, bagpipe, we capiche!"

"Capooch."

New pages were soon to be added to the legendary legend of the legendary legend Leres.

***

Elric, Claude and Erika found themselves sitting around the fountain as they chewed on the meat.

"Where's Puzo though? And the other two?"

"They're running an errand for me," said Erika. "Mm! Chewy!"

"It's not bad."

"Well it wouldn't be after you threatened to turn him into a zombie, Claude. Too soon for those threats, don't you believe?"

Claude only scoffed at Erika's words. Elric, sitting in between both of them, held his skewer with both hands like a child and slowly bit into the meat.

"I do wonder, though…"

"Hm?"

"That vampire was resisting blood that badly, but why? It feels like it gave up and turned people into zombies by mistake, since the zombies would have spread that fast long back."

"Is it not just a new vampire? Such incidents are rare but vampire's usually don't come out in public. They finish their prey whole."

"Right," Elric nodded. "But that vampire never did that. After all, the first chocolate driver I saw was a goblin almost weeks back."

The other two turned to face him then.

If the vampire was someone that usually drank blood, it wouldn't have let a weak zombie be formed. It was clear to them from evidence that normal zombies formed form mist couldn't turn others into zombies, that was the case with the goblins and the dead in the warehouse.

But the blood zombie turned the whole town into a catastrophe overnight.

"Then… do you think there was something more to it?" Claude asked.

"I wonder… I am curious though…" Elric answered.

"In that case," Erika chimed in. "Should we take a look at it?"