Chapter 36: The Elegant Kidnapper

Chapter 36: The Elegant Kidnapper

'I wonder what Lord Nosferato is doing, is he alright? Of course, he's fine; after all, he is Lord Nosferato.' Kokushibo was thinking while tending to the customers.

"Hey, good morning. What kind of food is this?" A new customer just arrived at the stall, seemingly drawn by the meat.

"It's called Greek barbecue," 'at least that's what the lord called it.'

"Greek? What does that mean?"

"Why do you ask?" Kokushibo didn't know how to respond, so he returned the question.

"Nothing, just curious, haha. But anyway, how much does this 'Greek barbecue' cost?"

"35 mons."

"Hmm, it seems a bit expensive, doesn't it? How about we do it for 20 mons?"

"35 mons."

"What a tough negotiator! Fine, let's go with 25 mons."

"37 mons."

"Alright, here's your 35 mons." Kokushibo could hear the customer complaining that he didn't know how to negotiate, but Kokushibo didn't care since this was the price his lord set. He would never sell for less.

As the customer left, a rat caught Kokushibo's attention.

He was about to kill the rat so that it wouldn't tarnish the establishment's reputation, but then he remembered his new colleague.

"Nobunaga?" Kokushibo spoke with a hint of suspicion.

The rat got startled and ran away.

Sigh "It seems it was just a normal rat." Before Kokushibo knew it, the rat was staring at him, seemingly mocking him.

Kokushibo drew his katana, a vein throbbing on his forehead in anger. "So, it was you after all, wasn't it?"

The rat nodded in agreement, still appearing to be enjoying itself.

Kokushibo calmed down and sheathed his katana again.

"Is Lord Nosferato okay?"

The rat nodded again.

"Is this a model rat?"

The rat shook its head.

"Listen, I left some carcasses in the forest over there. Maybe they've attracted a crow to feast on them. Go switch bodies with one of them; I'm tired of talking like this," Kokushibo said while turning the meat so it would roast evenly.

The rat stayed put, so Kokushibo added, "I can't go with you. Nosferato ordered me to take care of the stall."

After hearing that, the rat went off alone to the spot Kokushibo had indicated.

Kokushibo then noticed that the street was getting less crowded. He looked at the remaining bread—nearly gone—then gazed upwards, lost in thought.

Not long after, Nobunaga returned, shaking his head.

"You didn't find any, huh? Sigh, later, I'll go searching with you. For now, hide so you don't tarnish our reputation."

Huitzi's Point of View

After killing that demon, Huitzi was slightly injured, but he quickly recovered.

"Damn it, why did I spit acid from my stomach instead of my mouth?" Huitzi muttered to himself while examining the melted part of his cloak.

'I need to get back quickly. That letter on the table needs to be investigated... but first, where's my hat?' Huitzi was frustrated about having to change clothes and losing his hat.

Searching through the woods, Huitzi soon found his straw hat and returned to the inn.

"Well, on the bright side, it seems no one noticed the massacre that happened here." Huitzi then entered the inn and broke into a random room.

"Hahaha, finally, new clothes!" The smell of blood was very strong, and inside this room with closed windows, the air didn't circulate, making the morbid stench even more prominent. The odor was so strong that it made Soloctis cry again.

"Hey, calm down, calm down." Huitzi then shook Soloctis on his shoulder to soothe him as he spoke to him.

"Let's grab that letter and get out of here quickly; after all, I don't want to raise you in prison." Huitzi then entered the room and picked up the letter from the floor. It was stained with blood on the outside, suggesting it had been hidden earlier and was pulled out after the person's hands were already bloody.

Opening the letter, Huitzi read:

In the deep shadows, the veil lifts,

A breath of night where the light drifts.

In the silence broken by soft steps,

The moon hides, in shadows it preps.

An empty cradle, an echo lost,

Who wanders in darkness at any cost?

The chains of fate, forged in steel,

Lead the little one to a new ordeal.

Veiled stars in a clouded sky,

A secret kept, a path awry.

He who dares in shadows to tread,

Shall never be seen under the same moon's spread.

Success sealed, in the silent night,

Where eyes don't see, fate holds tight.

The path laid by invisible hands,

Where the moon smiles in impassive stands.

"I've seen Lupin, the gentleman thief, but now I'm dealing with an elegant kidnapper? You've got to be kidding me." Huitzi slapped his own forehead in frustration.

"Hahahahaha," Soloctis started laughing.

"Well, at least someone's having fun here." Huitzi then began tickling Soloctis, making him laugh even more.

"Nobunaga, do you have a rat nearby? I want you to track down who's behind this operation."

"I have four rats in the nearby area, none of them models."

"That'll do. Come here and track his scent. Also, search the forest; we're going to hunt down that bastard."

"Bastard, bastard, bastard!"

Hearing Soloctis repeat that, Huitzi slapped his own forehead again.

"You've ruined the moment! Your first words should've been 'daddy' or 'mommy'; why did it have to be 'bastard'?"

"Bastard, bastard."

Sigh "Why did I say that?" 'Maybe this is punishment for leaving him alone with Nobunaga.'

Author's Note:

Hello, dear readers. I'm currently having some difficulties with writing about running a business. I've never created one, so I don't know how a company functions. I also want to do a mini training arc, mainly to understand how the transparent world and the Demon Slayer Mark work.

I also want Soloctis to learn a specific fighting style. I'll give a heart to anyone who guesses what it is, as well as to those who guess the type of weapon he'll use.

Also, from now on, Huitzi won't act alone like before. He has Kokushibo, a very skilled fighter, Nobunaga, the future greatest informant in the world, and he'll also have more subordinates, both humans and demons, so expect a change in his attitude.

End of chapter.