I had a lot to think about.
　The performance of vampires. Why we're not out of the woods yet. How to avoid being pursued by the King of the Stakes and the Demise Knight. And how to get along with Senri. .......
　I, Endo Baron, have no clear destination for my journey yet.

　But I knew what I needed to do. All I can do is move forward, step by step.

　A moonless night. The back alleys were silent, not even a street light.
　My senses were picking up signs of human presence everywhere, but everyone was hiding their breath. They didn't move, as if it were a sin to make a sound.

　Out of nowhere, I felt countless eyes on me. I could feel that my every move was being watched.
　I feel like I'm stepping into a nest of ravenous beasts. And that perception is probably correct. The only thing I have to add is that I am a much more fearsome monster than the inhabitants of the nest.

　The end of the alley was a dead end.
　The air was sticky. I look behind me and see a number of figures on the path I've just taken.
　They're not looking at me, but I'm sure their attention is on me. If I try to go back, they will stand in my way. A mere human being is no obstacle now, but...

　I let out a small sigh and knocked on the plain metal door to the left of the dead end.

　Vampires are cursed and cannot enter a room without being invited.
　But with my superior senses, I'm aware of the heat that's killing my breath in the room.
　I can smell them. Intense wariness, alarm, quiet excitement, slight fear. A metal peephole in the door opens and two bloodshot eyes see me. A low voice calls out.

"............ What do you want?

"I'll talk to you inside. If you don't open the door, I'll have to force it open. It's not that much trouble, but I don't really want to do it.

　I could feel the hesitation behind the door at his direct words. However, I heard the sound of the door being unbolted and the door opened immediately.

　So far, so predictable, like a template.

　Basically, humans are weak. Especially in terms of physical ability, humans are more vulnerable than most demons.
　And even among such humans, there was a further disparity. The difference in weapons.
　Basically, spears are stronger than swords, bows and guns are stronger than spears, and magic is stronger than bows and guns. And they seem to think I'm a powerful mage. (Incidentally, the strongest human is the demise knight, but that's a very small exception, so I'll leave it at that. The same goes for the cursed ones.

　He smiled at a large man in a black suit who appeared.

"Make sure you're armed.

　They let me pass because they know that the only way to win a war against mages is to close the distance. If I don't let them in, they'll have to be on the lookout for powerful offensive magic flying at them from a distance they can't see.
　Since I didn't have anything on me, I easily completed the physical examination and was let in. Unlike the rough exterior, the inside of the building was clean and tidy.
　The carpets and furnishings under my feet were of a very high class, even for someone like me who does not have much of a forensic eye. They might be on the same level as those of some aristocrats.

　The black suit worn by the man is not just a piece of cloth. It is made from a material of demonic origin, and while not as strong as armor, it can repel arrows and simple magic, and boasts defensive capabilities that cannot be considered off-the-shelf. Only enchanted cloth equipment can boast a durability beyond that.
　If you could rip it off, you could sell it for a high price, but unfortunately you can't afford that. Rather, it would be conspicuous when sold and conspicuous when worn.

　Waiting for me in the parlor was a handsomely dressed old man and more than a dozen black suits.
　They had sharp, beastly eyes and earthy skin. His face was covered with old scars, and his all-black head was covered with veins. I could smell it. The smell of fine cigars.
　A large black sofa and a heavy wooden table. On it was a glass of wine of an unknown brand.

　I'm roughly seated on the couch facing the man. It seemed as if he would attack me as soon as I made any unnatural movement.
　The pompous man stared at me for a while, and then slowly opened his mouth.

"Are you the one who's been going around destroying organizations in every town lately?

　I frowned. Apparently the word had gotten out here, too.
　I thought I had destroyed them so completely that the intelligence network would not work, but it seems that the mafia has a wide reach beyond the towns where they reign.



That's right.

It's ...... ridiculous. ...... What's the point?

　I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea. I slowly surveyed the men surrounding me.
　They were already drawing their guns and swords. It's not really a discussion, but the glint of their blades is not silver, which I'm not a fan of. Bullets would not be a problem. There was no pattern of the mafia carrying silver bullets in the town so far. Apparently, silver bullets are not a common thing.
　The man in the corner of the room seems to be a mage, but I don't need to tell you about his magic.



　The purpose, or ...... many things. I turned my gaze back to the executive of the family, whose name I did not know well.

"Money.

"............What?

　The man's eyes widen. He gives a small sigh and continues.

"We need money to live. At first I was going around crushing bandits who had strongholds outside the town. But there aren't many large bandits, and if there were any prisoners, they were very troublesome. We couldn't just abandon them.

　It was also very troublesome to deal with the prisoners when we crushed the Liners. At that time, it was impossible to bring them back, so Senri had to set up a ward to ensure their safety for a while and then return to the town.
　In the end, we don't know what happened to the prisoners of the Rainer army. If the fortress city of Lonburg had sent soldiers immediately, they would have been saved.

　There are different kinds of people who fight for a living.
　Those who slay demons for a living. Those who fight wars and get paid for it. Those who hunt bounty hunters. But none of them were right for us.
　We were being hunted. It's best to keep a low profile. If you hunt the big one too many times, word gets out. You can't disguise her good looks with a pair of glasses.

　Anyway, I thought of an easier and quicker way to get the money.

I thought of a quicker and easier way to get some money. "Crushing the mafia is quick and good for people. Unlike bandits, there's one in every town, and they have a lot of money. You can see why criminals attack people.

It's ...... crazy, man.

　In addition, most of the bosses in these underworld are connected to the government, so it's not easy to touch them unless you're a monster like me.
　This is like a form of purification. Crushing the mafia is a vampire's calling because it helps people and brings in money. The Knights of the End do not generally fight criminal organizations, but Senri would allow them to do so if they were mafia.

　Crush the mafia, get the precious metals, and leave town. That's my life these days.

"Who leaked the information about ......?

　The man continued in a dusky voice.
　He hasn't attacked me yet, either because he believes in his superiority or because his instincts tell him who I am. I don't think it's worth asking, but I don't need to hide it, so I answer.

It's the mafia from the last town. I interrogated them before I destroyed them. It's a good thing they have a lot of influence.

"Oh!　You think you're getting out of here alive?

　The thug next to me opened his eyes and threatened me. What a trifle compared to the roar of the linel.
　It might be enough to blackmail an ordinary person, but I've already experienced it so many times that now I even feel pity for him.

I don't recommend you to fight. I don't mean to be a jerk, but I'm a bit of a misanthrope. Besides, if you have what I want, I can let you off the hook.

"What?　That's bullshit.

Shut up!　I'm talking to you!

...... Okay. ...... Boss.

　Apparently, this guy was the boss.

　The boss blackmailed a thug who was pointing the muzzle of a gun that he didn't know what kind, but was bigger than the one Cainusi was using.

　Prestige is important to the mafia. Nevertheless, it is genuinely amazing that he is still able to put up with such a ridiculous offer of negotiation.
　After all, human beings are amazing. They may be weak, but their boldness is top-notch. If they had known who I was beforehand and had prepared for me, I might have lost.

　The boss, without saying a word, urges me to continue with a glance. I lifted the sunglasses I was wearing and said.



I want a jewel called the Night Crystal. It doesn't matter how small it is. ...... Apparently, it's quite rare. I've been to a lot of towns, but very few people even know it exists. If I had one, I'd leave town and leave you guys alone.



　The cannibals have done a really nasty thing to me. The crystal that Kainushi had given me had burned up, and now I was in a position where they could come after me at any moment.
　I wonder where Cainusi and Lord got that crystal from. .......

　The boss's eyebrows twitched. It looks like I'm off the hook again.

　I sighed heavily and stood up, feeling disgusted.