Chapter 139: To Warn an ‘Innocent’ Lady

Author's Pre-Chapter Note:

Sorry for the late upload. I've been occupied with a bad cold for the past week and I couldn't really focus on writing very much. I'm still a little stuffy, but I'm better now than I was when it started. I'll upload the next chapter on the usual day in time.

Also, I didn't get a lot of responses for the survey I posted last week. I don't know how many people are really still reading this story up to now, but it would mean a lot to me if you take a couple of minutes to give it a look. I'll reflect on the answers you'll leave and see how I can make updating this story better in the future. It will be left up for another week until the next update. Whenever you're ready, please use the link to the survey that I'll leave in the comments.

Thank you very much for your patience and understanding. Enjoy the chapter.

**

Julius and Konjiro listened to our party's stories attentively, but they each looked to be doing it with different intentions in mind. Eugus looked rather exhausted, despite having not done much. Maybe he was just done questioning how drastic things have changed in this assigned quest over the last few days and is just letting things ride out as he sees it.

As for Noire and Yukino, they looked to be paying attention, but I couldn't help but feel they both had their eyes on me most of the time. The Vampire was staring at my neck longingly with utmost curiosity, probably wondering what biting and sucking my blood from there would be like. The Kitsune wife, however, was harder to read as she was shifting glances between different spots on my person with frustration. It was like trying to find a chip she knew she saw on a marble statue from the first time seeing it, but no luck finding it again. These were based on Nyra's readings into their moods through her [Psyche Magic] and me trying to make sense of them.

{I don't know what exactly Yukino is looking for from me, but I do feel bad for rejecting Noire's advances to bite me—especially when I wanted to get bitten, too. Wonder if there's some compromise for her to just taste my blood without biting me, at the least? Something that doesn't have as much significant meaning behind it as Konjiro was implying earlier? Maybe I can ask her?}

Just as I was thinking that, one of the maids from outside came in and said Konjiro had a visitor waiting at the front. The Kitsune exasperated a sigh as he left the table to see what was up. He then came back less than a minute later, "I apologize for the abrupt news, Lady Krauss, but it seems I have some urgent business back at the guild."

"Oh, no need to fret, then, I appreciate your time looking after things here," Noire said while waving a hand, "We will meet again tomorrow as planned, yes?"

"Of course, Lady Krauss, but I still would like to have something reported related to these proceedings. Which is why, if I may ask, would you mind if Yukino took my place to observe?" Konjiro asked.

"I have no problems with that arrangement if Yukino is okay with it," Noire answered.

"If you do not mind me, Lady Krauss, then I humbly accept the invitation," Yukino answered cooly before turning back to her husband, "Konjiro, if nothing else comes up, I will see you back home with a report of what I have observed."

"Thank you, Yukino, Lady Krauss. Then, if you will excuse me …" Konjiro bid before bowing his head and leaving the cottage.

<Huh, interesting. Noire seemed a bit relieved to hear Konjiro leaving, but she's not totally relaxed knowing his wife's overseeing things in his place,> Nyra reported.

<You think she's not favorable of Konjiro and Yukino?> I asked.

<Well, Konjiro is communicating with her obsessive fiance who has been doing things behind her back,> Nyra argued.

<Point taken.>

"Well, then, it looks like we have learned a good bit about each other, settled for a time to meet tomorrow, and have nearly cleaned out our spread, is anybody else still hungry? Or is there anything else that needs to be discussed?" Noire asked.

An idea quickly came to my mind, "Actually, if you don't mind, Noire, I'd like to see your coffin, just to make sure I can fit it in my [Storage] for when we head out."

Noire blinked in surprise before a glimmer of excitement shined in her violet eyes, "Oh, but of course! It would be inconvenient if you cannot somehow fit it in your [Storage], yes? I will lead us to my room, then. Everyone, ask any of my maids for refills or additional helpings to your meals should you need it. Jinma and I will return momentarily."

"I'll be back in a bit, guys. Ume, would you please keep an eye on things around here?" I asked her.

Ume, already getting the idea of my motivations, nodded in understanding, "Of course, Jin."

I then activated my [Telepathy], <Sue, stay out of trouble, Kenaka and Mametama, notify me if either of you see anything strange.>

<I'll be good,> Sue answered nonchalantly.

<We will be vigilant, Milord,> Mametama spoke for both her and Kenaka.

Noire then led me up the stairs where her room was. There were a couple other rooms around the large second floor, two of which I assumed Gabriella and Beelzebub were resting. The Vampire seemed to be in a good mood as she led me, at least that was what Nyra told me after using her [Psyche Magic].

Soon enough, I found myself in a large, extravagantly pink room, and the first thing that stood out to me was a large open coffin that matched the color scheme. It was painted rose pink and polished to a brilliant shine. Decorative floral designs were engraved around the sides, and on the lid was an emblem carved in what I wondered was the Krauss Family crest that signifies their nobility. Noire did mention something about that as she explained the forged letter yesterday, after all.

As for the coffin's inside, it was lined with red velvet fabric and cushioning, only two expensive-looking pillows sat next to each other at the head with no blanket. I guess it insulates the temperature inside enough that Noire didn't have to worry about being cold overnight, or could that insulation be added in through magical means? Also, on the inside of the lid was a barely distinguishable handle. It was probably so Noire can open and close the coffin from the inside, and it looks to be designed so anybody resting in there won't have to worry about hitting their head upon waking up. Looking at it as a whole, it looks big enough to be comparable to a queen-size bed with how much room there was inside. {I never thought I'd see something so morbid be displayed in such a girly, princess-like design.}

I literally wouldn't be caught dead in something like this when it was time for me to leave this world. I didn't even think a Vampire would sleep in something like this, but Noire is a girl at the end of the day, so maybe this was designed more to her feminine tastes?

Putting the coffin aside, there was also a chair in front of a vanity that also looks to function as a desk as I could see an inkwell and quill pen sitting at the corner. The whole thing was made of wood painted white, also designed with flowery designs in the carvings, with the surface and the mirror cleaned and polished to a great shine. I could imagine a princess sitting in front of the vanity as one of her maids does her hair and makeup to start the day. I guess the same scene can also apply to noble ladies like Noire.

"Please do not misunderstand this coffin and room to be aligned with my tastes," Noire said with a surprisingly cute sulking face, snapping me out of my observing daze, "Father had this room set up for me and my little sister while we were young children, and she just could not sleep without me next to her, hence why the coffin is as big as you see here. She is able to sleep by herself now, of course, and I nagged Father countless times to change this room, but he just cannot bring himself to do it. Regardless, my real coffin back home has much more maturity and class than this one."

{Ah, so he's one of those doting, overbearing father types that just can't accept his daughter growing into a woman, good to know Noire's taste has changed over the years … though, she's over a hundred years old, is that still considered 'young' in Vampire years?}

<I don't know, but I have a feeling the difficulty level of winning over her dad for good relations just went up if he's this stubborn,> Nyra commented.

From the Pixie's statement, something occurred to me, <... Now that you mention it, why did he think it was okay to let Noire marry to Rowling?>

"Anyway, do you think you will be able to fit this coffin in your [Storage]?" Noire asked me.

Suddenly, I got a slightly disturbing message from Kenaka through [Telepathy], <Milord, Yukino has gone upstairs, saying she wishes to check on Gabriella, but I imagine that was her cover to eavesdrop into your business with Lady Noire. I suggest you be careful.>

<That was fast. Thanks for the heads up, Kenaka,> I thanked him.

Turning my attention to Noire, I held a finger over my lips. "I'm going to do another surprising trick. Can you keep this a secret?" I whispered.

After a pause of surprise, Noire became ecstatic to see what I had up my sleeve as she nodded without hesitation.

"[Soundproof]," I chanted, creating the amorphous, bubble-like field I was familiar with that I manipulated to cover Noire's room, "Okay, that should do it, is your door locked?"

"A [Soundproof] Null Spell! How marvelous!" Noire exclaimed while clapping her hands in delight before remembering my question, "Oh, and yes, I locked it so we wouldn't be disturbed."

"Excellent, because there's another reason why I had us come here to speak so discreetly," I informed.

"Yes?!" Noire asked, looking to be on the edge of her seat with heated anticipation.

"I wanted to personally warn you that you may be getting pulled into an intricate plot for a coup against the Demon King," I announced.

"... Huh?" she asked in confusion.

"Going by the clues I told you about earlier and some conjectures from a convincing source, I believe Rowling may be trying to marry into the Krauss family as part of a plan to a large scale coup. The Duke of Demons, Vask, is currently the most likely suspect to lead the whole operation to take the Demon King position by force," I explained further.

After blinking and taking a few moments to absorb what I said, I thought I saw a glimpse of disappointment on Noire's face before she exasperated a sigh. She then closed the lid to her coffin and hopped up on top of it, crossing her arms and legs while settling into her seat. Such an act would make anyone in a funeral service faint at the sight that harshly disrespected the dead. In this case, the Vampire was trying to make herself comfortable like a teenage girl sitting on a bed, ready to listen to another one of her overbearing father's scoldings.

"Okay, grab that chair and let's get this over with already, from the top," Noire said, dropping her formalities like she was done putting up with whatever she's dealing with.

I was so surprised by her response that I had trouble trying to absorb her request, "I'm sorry?"

"Explain to me what Vask and Rowling are planning for this coup against the Demon King. You went through such lengths to get us alone to tell me this, right? Then, go on, have a seat and explain it all to me, chop chop," she urged while clapping her hands impatiently, "We haven't got all day."

"Um … okay?" What's her deal? I thought as I took the chair in front of the vanity.

<Oh, boy … I know it can't be helped under these circumstances, but you really dampened her mood there, buddy,> Nyra informed me.

From there, I told Noire about Chaos Barrage, how Vask, Rowling, and Konjiro could be connected to it, and how her marriage may come into play for their coup.

"... And? Is that everything?" Noire asked with a raised brow.

"That's … everything, yeah. Have you … been in something like this before?" I asked hesitantly.

Noire sighed, "The coup's new to me, but this isn't the first time a marriage candidate wants to marry into a prestigious family for nefarious purposes. The Krauss Family is especially prone to stuff like this, not just because we're close to the Demon King, but word on the grapevine said that we've become 'weak and soft' for supporting her actions to make peace with the humans and demis across the border. This mindset has also been 'infecting' other demons who are for this change and we've been growing weaker as a result. Perhaps they thought they could 'help' the demons become strong again after marrying into the Krauss Family and take Father's position as Minister of Defense and Weaponry. It's been like this with the previous Demon King as well."

"... If I may ask, what's your personal opinion for the Demon King trying to make peace with the humans and demis?" I asked.

Noire closed her eyes and thought deeply, "... 'I love blood, but I do not wish to smell or taste any of it from my fellow kin out of violence.' Those were Father's words when he was asked of his support for the peace treaty when it was formed between the Three Territories. I agree and stand by his words, and I'd like to add to it that not experiencing the same from the other kin out of war would be preferable to me. Losing blood in such a manner is not only a horrible waste, but the thought of just tasting it in the air is unsettling to me."

{Wow, having a Vampire like Noire saying all of that really speaks levels of how serious she is on this. My [Intuition] isn't picking up any lies on what she said, either.}

"Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to turn this question back to you with interest," Noire then said, opening her violet eyes to me with a serious air, "How do you feel about the peace treaty between the Three Territories in Padimon? And what exactly are you hoping to gain informing me of this possible coup?"

"Well … first of all, I'm not a native of Padimon, I haven't even set foot on the Human-Kin's Territory to see what the country's like," I said.

Noire widened her eyes in surprise.

"The only seemingly 'decent' humans I've seen so far during my time here are Julius, Carmen, and an adventurer I ran into named Kisaki," I continued, "All the other ones were from the White Rapture that I took out at Dondegarm and I haven't met a single person from the Demi-Kin yet. I haven't been in Padimon for very long, with the Demon-Kin's Territory being the first country I've set foot on, but personally, I like how the place looks so far. If that is due to the peace treaty, then I think the previous Demon King was onto something.

"As for what I could gain from informing you of the coup, well … there's something else I should let you know, about why I took on this quest in the first place."

<Jinma, are you sure you should be saying this?> Nyra asked, sensing where I was going, <If you're interested in Noire, this might lower her favor for you.>

<I know, but with the circumstances as they are now, it wouldn't be right of me to keep hiding this from her. Besides, we already have a guarantee of meeting the Demon King through Sue, which was the main reason why we took on this quest in the first place, so it won't be much of a loss if Noire decides to end everything here now,> I explained.

I heard Nyra sighing in my mind, <I'll keep an eye on how she's feeling to see how good we have in coming out of this. You've been doing surprisingly well with her on your own so far, so just do what comes naturally to you, I guess.>

<Thanks, Nyra.>

From there, I told Noire my main reason for taking on her quest and what I initially hoped to gain after its completion, a chance to have an audience with the Demon King through her family connections. I told her the person who gave me the info of Chaos Barrage's movements was the same one who would help me speak with the Demon King instead and would guarantee a favor granted to me should I assist them from stopping the coup. I didn't tell Noire that Sue was that very person. When the Vampire asked what my reasons were for wanting to speak with the Demon King directly, I only told her I had some personal questions that only she could help me find answers to.

"So really, you don't need to take on my quest if your meeting with the Demon King is guaranteed," Noire summarized, "If that's the case, then why are you still here?"

"I'm a guy that doesn't abandon a job that was given to him unless the person in charge says otherwise," I answered, "However, considering the circumstances now, putting your safety first, I'm honestly concerned as to whether moving forward with this quest is a good idea."

"You suggest we drop the dungeon crawl?" she asked with a raised brow, "Won't this sudden change affect your standing as an adventurer?"

"I just became an adventurer at this rank under special circumstances," I said, "If I lose this rank as quickly as I earned it, that's no bother to me. I may not have known you were exposed to this sort of thing enough to be numb to the surprise, and I've experienced first-hand how well you can fend for yourself in a fight. Even so, I'm telling you the dangers that are lurking behind the scenes of this quest because I've come to like you enough to care so much for your safety."

Noire blinked in surprise, "Y-You … like me?"

I nodded, "I apologize if you're offended by me initially using you to get to the Demon King. I understand if that puts me on the same level as the other nobles who've tried to approach you and not wish to see me again. If you wish to drop this quest now because of the dire situation, I won't hold it against you, but if you'd allow me, I'd like to escort you back to your home in Korangar so you can fill your father in on the situation and come up with a plan to stop the coup. It will be free of charge, of course, as I owe that much for deceiving you up to this point. I just want to do this out of the feelings I've grown for you over the short time we spent together and make amends for my wrong towards you."

"... Um, please excuse me, I need a moment," Noire said before turning her back to me.

I sighed internally, {Well, that settles that, I guess. A shame I won't get bitten by an actual Vampire … I don't know if Ume has the [Magic Fangs] skill, but could she possibly pierce my high defenses with her Dragon teeth?}

<Hold up, I wouldn't count yourself out just yet,> Nyra interrupted.

<Huh? Why?>

<Because I'm reading Noire's filled with so much joy that she may pop like a bubble.>

Before I could ask Nyra further on her reasoning, Noire spoke up with her back still turned, "So, to reiterate, you only wish to speak with the Demon King for your … 'personal questions', yes? Is that all?"

"Yes, that is all," I answered without hesitation.

"No plans on taking the throne or some position of power?" she asked.

I shook my head, "I didn't think that was possible for me being a human, but no, I have no such plans."

"And … you really like me, despite my lineage as a Vampire?" Noire asked hesitantly.

"Have you seen my wife and party?" I asked, "You being a Vampire is interesting, but at the end of day, I like you as much as a male does for a female."

Noire sat there not saying anything in response, her shoulders trembling for reasons I couldn't comprehend. The silence in this room was growing surprisingly heavy despite how girly everything was.

"Uh, Noire—"

The Vampire held up a hand to stop me, silently asking me to wait a little longer for her response. I heard her taking a deep breath before she straightened her back to a more composed posture. She cleared her throat and spun on her seat back to me, her expression oddly calm.

"Jinma … I want to answer your question with a personal favor of my own, if you're up to the task, of course. Will you hear me out?" Noire asked.

I only nodded in response.

Noire then put up a graceful smile, and the next words she said left me dumbstruck, "I want you to not only escort me through the dungeon, but help me rip Rowling's useless testicles off and shove them down his throat."