“Wow… the rumors that vampires can’t be reflected in mirrors are actually true.”
Hill compared the photo on her mobile phone with Inafa. No, it would be more accurate to say the phone displayed nothing but a regular landscape photo.
“Kaka, I am an authentic vampire, after all. It is only natural that I do not show up.”
“Eh… but then wouldn’t life be very inconvenient for Illyon? If a girl can’t see her own face, how do you handle bathing, hair care, or putting on makeup?”
“Kaka, Tiana’s eyes can still reflect me. When she is in her dragon form, the size of her eyes makes for a perfect mirror. Alternatively, I can create a Blood Spirit with its own eyes, or even decapitate a Magic Ape. However, those start to smell after a while, so they are never as useful as Tiana.”
‘What kind of glitch-exploiting vampire is she?’ Siloque thought.
Siloque glanced at the seemingly endless rooftops. “Give us a tour of the castle. It’s so big, I’m afraid we won’t finish seeing it all today.”
“Oh! Let us go, then. I shall try to familiarize you with the layout before dinner.”
Inafa took the lead and stepped onto the stairs. Subsequently, the massive main gates swung open to the left and right with a sound like a localized earthquake. Siloque exhaled and pushed Hill into the castle.
An automatically opening door.
It reminded Siloque of his experience struggling with the female ghosts in Heinhurst, and those disgusting, giant jumping fleas in front of the gate. When he had first come to rescue someone, he and Hill had climbed the outer walls and entered through the main hall area. He had sent Hill to pry open a window while he set up barriers and traps in the surroundings. They had never entered through the proper channels.
“Wow! This is where the battle with Father Gascoigne took place!”
A cheer erupted from the twin-tailed girl’s mouth. The front courtyard of the castle welcomed the siblings with beauty akin to a masterpiece. Looking at the gates of the manor, one would almost hesitate to step inside. Plants bathed in dappled sunlight, hedges, and cast-iron fences lined the path.
Seeing Hill and Siloque standing dazed by the scenery, Inafa wore a satisfied expression. Behind them, the doors began to close again, prompting them to move forward.
“Those stone statues over there aren’t just decorations, you know. They are living statues. They can grow larger and harder, and their eyes can fire lethal black beams.”
“That is a terrible description.”
“Stupid human, is your head filled with nothing but filth?”
“The fact that you understood means you aren’t much better yourself.”
“Ugh! …Kaka, I shall treat that as the whimpering of a Saint Bernard trying to catch my attention.”
The vampire rolled her eyes at Siloque. She began explaining which mechanisms were off-limits to touch or step on as they crossed the front courtyard and headed toward the main entrance.
Upon opening the inner doors and entering, Hill let out another gasp of admiration. In the center of the main hall, which was covered in red carpeting, stood a marble fountain with shimmering, swaying water. At the far end was a grand staircase, with wide corridors branching off to the left and right. Though no performers were in sight, the faint sound of a violin drifted through the air.
Incidentally, the place where they had fought earlier was the main hall on the second floor—a hall above a hall.
Along the way, Hill took out her Note Book to jot down information. The siblings followed Inafa to the third and fourth floors to look at the rooms before returning to the main hall and heading down the right-side corridor.
“Has Illyon really lived in a place like this all alone?”
“Mm, for about 150 years? Well, I do not remember the exact count,” Inafa said naturally, her tone calm.
“You’re very strong, Illyon. I can’t imagine living without video games or my family. I definitely couldn’t handle this kind of environment.”
“Hey, Hill, you just said something very hurtful without realizing it.” Siloque was startled by his sister’s blunt honesty.
“…Kaka, it is fine, stupid human. So much time has passed that I have long since moved on. Besides, a vampire’s life is meant to be solitary. This sort of thing is only natural.”
Hill naturally linked her arm with Siloque’s.
“Stop that. We aren’t some lovey-dovey couple showing off while touring a gallery.”
“Who would want a perverted brother like you?”
“Hill, I am not some sort of rental girlfriend,” Inafa and Siloque protested one after the other.
“Exactly. My brother is a pervert.” Hill laughed happily.
‘Wait, is my reputation in Inafa’s heart really that low? And since when did my sister start enjoying slandering me? Is this some new game she’s playing?’
Stopping before a small door, Inafa gently pushed it open. When the siblings stepped outside again, they saw a place that, while not as flashy as the front courtyard, was filled with mystery. A hedge made of thorns with small red flowers blocked the path ahead, forming a maze that prevented one from seeing the end.
“If you pass through this maze, you will arrive at a garden filled with maple trees.”
Inafa touched one of the thorns. “Inside, there is a lake connected to the castle’s large bathhouse. In autumn, the scenery is filled with falling leaves. It is so beautiful that even if you died and were immediately resurrected, you would still remember it. There is also a white stone pavilion. I shall permit you to join me there for afternoon tea.”
Inafa introduced the area with a beaming smile, preparing to lead them into the maze.
“I see. Yawn… Oh, sorry.” Hill, who was still writing in her Note Book, let out a tired yawn.
She was indeed exhausted.