Chapter 74

Chapter 74: Chapter 74

Night, like a rich wine, clearly possessed something that intoxicated people.

The darkness, the deserted streets, the strangely suggestive atmosphere, and the soft moonlight subtly drew the filthy desires hidden in the deepest recesses of the human heart to the surface.

Many people even became addicted to the night itself. Like nocturnal animals, they came alive only after darkness fell.

The people who visited the performance hall known as the Garden of Roses were of that sort. They dressed formally and conducted themselves politely, but their unsettling smiles betrayed some impure desire.

Strangely enough, all of them were young and attractive. Even the oldest among them did not appear to be beyond their early twenties.

Rickart and Ice could blend in well enough among such people, yet they somehow felt alienated.

Although they looked similar on the outside, it felt as though they belonged to an entirely different species. Rickart had the uncomfortable feeling that they might realize at any moment that he and Ice were not like them.

The first thing to greet them upon entering the building was brilliant light. It was bright enough to make them momentarily forget that it was nighttime.

An usher dressed as neatly as the audience inspected their invitations. His skin was pale and his eyes were bloodred, as though he were openly announcing that he was a vampire.

The guests, however, seemed to assume it was makeup or part of the establishment’s theme and paid it no mind.

When Rickart handed over the invitation, the usher bared his fangs in a broad grin.

"Welcome, travelers. Please enjoy the performance."

Dressed in a black cloak and top hat, Rickart tipped his hat slightly in greeting and acknowledgment.

Beyond the usher hung a curtain. When they pulled it aside and stepped through, dense darkness seemed to swallow them both.

Only a thin sliver of light slipping through the gap in the curtain behind them faintly illuminated the interior. An enormous performance hall came into view, though there were fewer seats for the audience than expected.

Apart from groups who had arrived together, the seats were arranged far apart from one another. The stage was concealed by a curtain, apparently while preparations for the performance were underway.

Rickart and Ice chose suitable seats and looked around. Then they heard wet smacking noises in the darkness.

Wondering what everyone was eating, Rickart looked around and discovered men and women engaged in intimate acts throughout the hall. Beyond bewildered, Rickart was profoundly shocked, and his eyes widened. What was this? Were they animals?

Perhaps because he came from the conservative interior, Rickart was left speechless by the liberal sexual culture of the coastal city. It was enough to make him feel almost hostile.

Even more shocking was that men were doing such things with men, and women with women.

"I think we came to the wrong place."

Ice spoke. The assignment was one thing, but he also seemed to believe that this was no place for them. Despite being unafraid of vampires, he found this foreign culture difficult to endure.

In an age when transportation and communication were poorly developed, encountering another culture was almost no different from encountering beings from another world.

Even people from different regions of the North felt that way about one another, so those who lived far apart could hardly help but feel it even more strongly.

The smacking sounds from around the hall grew increasingly intense, and merely remaining seated became unbearably awkward.

Just as they seriously considered leaving, the curtain covering the stage finally opened.

Then came the beautiful sound of a harp.

The sound of fingers caressing the strings instantly captivated Rickart. Special lanterns illuminated the stage from below.

A man wearing skin-tight clothing and a floral crown skipped lightly onto the stage like a butterfly.

As though showing off his perfect figure, he performed several graceful movements before addressing the audience.

"When God created the world, there was paradise in the beginning. Behold the man and woman who walk through paradise."

He then skipped lightly off the stage again.

Painted wooden backdrops depicting grass and trees appeared onstage, and a male and female actor emerged to begin the play. Incidentally, both the first man and the actors who had just appeared were vampires.

They recited grandiose lines, and anyone could tell that the play was a reenactment of scripture. But was it truly acceptable for vampires to perform such a thing?

Setting everything else aside, Rickart had never seen acting before, so the experience was both fresh and astonishing.

Despite the crude stage props and rigidly formal dialogue, Rickart felt as though he had traveled through time and was witnessing the beginning of creation himself.

That was because the vampires were pouring everything they had into the performance, breathing their very souls into their acting.

The play continued until a thunderous sound effect suddenly erupted, like a massive metal tray being struck. It was as though thunder had cracked directly before their eyes.

Boom!

"Gasp!"

"Eek!"

The audience gasped in surprise, and even Rickart, who had become thoroughly absorbed in the play, flinched.

The first man and woman learned of good and evil and were expelled from paradise.

Afterward, as though to relieve the audience’s tension, an acrobatic performance began without warning.

A female vampire swung from a trapeze suspended high above the ceiling, sweeping back and forth over the audience’s heads. She then leaped through the air and caught another performer swinging from the opposite side.

"Wow!"

"Ooooh!"

The audience was utterly captivated by the play and acrobatics, too absorbed in enjoying themselves to think of anything else. Rickart, however, became bored during the acrobatic portion.

"They should’ve just continued the play. What is this supposed to be?"

"Ricky, don’t forget our assignment."

Ice cautioned him. Rickart nodded. He had not been as captivated as the rest of the audience, but he had to admit that the play had impressed him.

After the trapeze act ended, however, they bound the female vampire’s limbs to a huge wooden board. A knife thrower emerged and began hurling daggers at her.

The audience watched with bated breath as the daggers struck astonishingly close to her face and between her legs. Then the performer addressed the audience.

"Would anyone care to volunteer?"

Rickart wondered who would volunteer for something like that, but surprisingly, hands rose throughout the hall. Most of the volunteers were women.

"Me! Pick me!"

"Choose me, Adam!"

The vampire descended into the audience, selected one of the volunteers, and escorted her onto the stage. The audience applauded with delight as the woman’s limbs were bound to the wooden board.

A sharp dagger flew toward the woman. One, two, three, and then—

Thwack!

One dagger buried itself directly in the woman’s heart with enough force to leave only the hilt visible. The audience froze, and the knife thrower made a playful, clownish expression of dismay.

Then, with a loud clatter, the entire wooden board flipped over. The dagger embedded in the woman’s heart had vanished without a trace. Only then did the audience sigh in relief and applaud.

"They switched the woman. Did you notice?"

Rickart spoke to Ice. The original woman had truly died, and another woman who had instantly transformed to resemble her had appeared in her place. The newcomer was a female vampire.

The vampire escorted the woman back to the audience, but the man who had accompanied her did not appear to notice. No—perhaps he knew and simply did not care.

Rickart understood intuitively.

That bastard was a vampire slave.

Vampire slaves were humans who served vampires as their masters.

The female vampire who had taken the original woman’s place in the audience turned toward Rickart and Ice with a broad grin. Her long fangs gleamed.

The dim performance hall might have chilled another person’s blood, but Rickart merely smirked and returned her grin. Then he sent her a warning with his eyes.

You might die.

The female vampire seemed surprised. Her smile vanished, and she tilted her head.

The play resumed afterward, but after witnessing such a despicable deception, Rickart lost interest.

The acting was fairly entertaining, but now it all felt fake. They should have simply continued with the play.

After being cast out of paradise, the first man and woman wandered through the desert and endured all manner of hardships. Eventually, they found a place to settle and had children: Cain and Abel.

Then came the tragedy that divided humans and vampires in earnest.

"And so the first murder came to pass! It was committed between brothers! Smash his head with a stone and kill him! A new world shall open!"

Boom!

Another tremendous sound effect erupted. Then a man was dragged out from somewhere, looking utterly terrified.

The actor playing Cain roughly forced him to the ground and began smashing his head with a real stone.

Thud! Crunch! Thud!

It was not acting, but an actual murder. The audience, however, could not tell whether it

Night was like a rich wine. There was undeniably something intoxicating about it.

The darkness, the deserted streets, the strange sense of incongruity, and the pale moonlight subtly drew out the filthy desires hidden deep within the human heart.

Many people became addicted to the night itself. Like nocturnal animals, they came alive only after darkness fell.

The people who visited the performance hall called the Garden of Roses were of that sort. They dressed formally and conducted themselves politely, yet some impure desire could be sensed in their unsettling smiles.

Strangely enough, they were all young and attractive as well. Even the oldest among them did not appear to be beyond their early twenties.

Rickart and Ice could easily blend in among such people, yet they somehow felt alienated.

Their appearances might have been similar, but it was almost as if they belonged to different species. Rickart felt as though they might realize at any moment that he was different from them.

The moment they entered the building, they were greeted by brilliant light. It was bright enough to make them briefly forget that it was nighttime.

An usher dressed as neatly as the guests inspected their invitations. His skin was pale and his eyes were bloodred, as if he were openly announcing that he was a vampire.

The guests, however, seemed to regard it as makeup or part of the establishment’s theme and paid it no mind.

When Rickart handed him the invitation, the usher bared his fangs in a grin.

"Welcome, travelers. Please enjoy the performance."

Dressed in a black cloak and top hat, Rickart raised his hat slightly in greeting and acknowledgment.

Beyond the usher hung a curtain. When they pulled it aside and entered, dense darkness seemed to swallow them both.

Only a thin sliver of light slipping through the gap in the curtain behind them faintly illuminated the interior. An enormous performance hall came into view, though it contained fewer seats than expected.

Aside from those who had arrived together, the guests were seated far apart from one another. The stage was concealed behind another curtain, apparently in preparation for the performance.

Rickart and Ice found suitable seats and looked around. Then they heard wet smacking noises coming from the darkness.

Wondering what people were eating, Rickart looked around and discovered men and women engaging in amorous acts throughout the hall. He was beyond dumbfounded—he was deeply shocked. His eyes widened. What were they, animals?

Perhaps because he came from the conservative inland regions, Rickart was rendered speechless by the coastal city’s liberal sexual culture. It even stirred hostility within him.

More astonishing still, men were doing it with men, and women with women.

"I think we came to the wrong place."

Ice spoke. Their assignment aside, he too seemed to feel that this was not somewhere they belonged. Though he did not fear vampires, he found this alien culture difficult to endure.

In an age when transportation and communication were undeveloped, encountering a foreign culture was practically no different from encountering extraterrestrials.

Even people from different parts of the North felt that way about one another, so those who lived far apart could hardly help feeling it even more strongly.

The smacking noises grew increasingly intense, making it unbearable simply to remain seated.

Just as Rickart began seriously considering leaving, the curtain concealing the stage finally opened.

Then came the beautiful sound of a harp.

The sound of fingers caressing its strings instantly captivated Rickart. Special lanterns illuminated the stage from below.

Soon, a man wearing skintight clothing and a wreath of flowers upon his head bounded lightly onto the stage like a butterfly.

As though displaying his flawless figure, he assumed several elegant poses before addressing the audience.

"When God created the world, there was paradise in the beginning. Behold the man and woman who walk within it."

Then he bounded lightly off the stage again.

A painted wooden backdrop depicting grass and trees appeared, and a male and female actor emerged to begin the play. Incidentally, both the man who had first appeared and the actors now onstage were vampires.

They recited grandiose lines, making it obvious to anyone that the play was reenacting a story from the scriptures. But were vampires truly permitted to perform such a thing?

Setting everything else aside, this was Rickart’s first time seeing a play, so he found the experience both fresh and astonishing.

Despite the crude stage props and rigidly formal dialogue, Rickart felt as though he had traveled through time and was witnessing a scene from the dawn of creation.

That was because the vampires were putting their hearts and souls into their performances.

As the play continued, an enormous sound effect suddenly erupted, like someone striking a huge metal tray. It was as though thunder had exploded directly before them.

KABOOM!

"Gasp!"

"Eek!"

The audience inhaled sharply in surprise, and even Rickart, who had become deeply absorbed in the play, flinched.

The scene depicted the first man and woman gaining knowledge of good and evil and being cast out of paradise.

But then, as though to relieve the audience’s tension, an acrobatic performance began without warning.

A female vampire rode a trapeze suspended from the high ceiling, soaring back and forth above the audience’s heads. Then she leaped through the air and caught another trapeze swinging from the opposite side.

"Wow!"

"Ooooh!"

The audience was utterly captivated by the play and acrobatics, too busy enjoying themselves to pay attention to anything else. Rickart, however, lost interest when the acrobatics began.

"They should have continued the play. What is this supposed to be?"

"Ricky, don’t forget our assignment."

Ice cautioned him. Rickart nodded. He had not become as engrossed as the other guests, but he had to admit that the play had left a strong impression on him.

After the trapeze act ended, however, they bound the female vampire’s limbs to an enormous wooden board. A knife thrower appeared and began hurling daggers at her.

The audience watched with bated breath as the daggers embedded themselves astonishingly close to her face and between her legs. Then the knife thrower addressed the audience.

"Would anyone care to volunteer?"

Rickart wondered who would possibly agree to such a thing, but volunteers unexpectedly appeared all around the hall. Most of them were women.

"Me! Me!"

"Choose me, Adam!"

The vampire personally descended into the audience, selected one volunteer, and led her onto the stage. The audience applauded enthusiastically as the woman’s limbs were bound to the wooden board.

Sharp daggers flew toward her. One, two, three—and then—

Swish! Thud!

One dagger buried itself squarely in the woman’s heart, driven so deeply that only the hilt remained visible. The audience froze. The knife thrower playfully made an exaggerated expression of dismay, like a clown who had made a mistake.

Then, with a sudden clatter, the entire wooden board flipped around. The dagger buried in the woman’s heart had vanished without a trace. Only then did the audience sigh in relief and applaud.

"They switched the woman. Did you notice?"

Rickart spoke to Ice. The woman from before had truly died, and another woman who had transformed to resemble her had appeared in an instant. The newly revealed woman was a female vampire.

The vampire escorted the woman back to the audience. The man who had accompanied her seemed not to notice the difference. Or perhaps he knew and simply did not care.

Rickart understood instinctively.

That bastard was a vampire slave.

Vampire slaves were humans who served vampires as their masters.

The female vampire who had taken the original woman’s place turned toward Rickart and Ice and grinned. Her long fangs gleamed.

The dim performance hall should have made the sight chilling, but Rickart merely chuckled and grinned back at her. He sent her a warning with his eyes.

You could die.

The female vampire seemed surprised. Her smile vanished, and she tilted her head.

The play resumed afterward, but having witnessed such vile deception, Rickart lost interest.

The acting was impressive enough, but now it all felt false. They should have simply continued with the play.

The first man and woman, driven from paradise, wandered through the desert and endured all manner of hardship before somehow establishing a home. They eventually had children: Cain and Abel.

Then began the tragedy that would divide humans and vampires.

"And thus occurred the first murder! A crime committed between brothers! Crush his skull with a stone! A new world shall open!"

KABOOM!

Another enormous sound effect erupted. Then a man was dragged out from somewhere, looking utterly terrified.

The actor playing Cain seized him roughly, forced him to the floor, and genuinely began smashing his head with a stone.

Thud! Crack! Thud!

It was not acting. It was an actual murder.

But the audience could not distinguish whether it was real or fake. No, they seemed to want to believe it was fake. They appeared to think there was no possibility it could be real.

The man died within moments. Vampires in black cloaks swarmed him and freely tore into the fresh meat of the newly slain man.

It happened openly upon the stage.

It was a perfect deception.

Then, with a bang, smoke billowed from behind the stage, and a female vampire suddenly appeared.

She wore a highly unusual and exceedingly provocative outfit.

Her skin was snow-white and her lips crimson. Her dress was slit high along the side, exposing her long legs. Her breasts were voluptuous, and her figure curved like hills across an open field. With every step, her hips swayed dramatically from side to side.

Rickart recognized her immediately.

She was Leman’s younger sister, Lemania.

Wearing black gloves that reached her elbows, she held up a bright red apple and gazed at it as she addressed the audience.

"God gave us the magnificent gift of instinct. Suppressing it is therefore an act of foolishness. Restrain your appetite? Shun lust? Suppress your anger? No. Eat to your heart’s content. Ravage to your heart’s content. Destroy to your heart’s content. That is what makes us truly human, and that is why we are all brothers and sisters."

The curtain descended.

As though they had been waiting for that very moment, the audience erupted into calls for an encore. Everyone rose to their feet, cheering and applauding without even realizing the performers were vampires.

No, in truth, they did not care whether they were vampires or anything else. They had enjoyed the performance, found it immensely satisfying, and fervently agreed with the message that they should obey their instincts.

Thus ended the blasphemous performance. The audience continued applauding for a long time before leaving the hall one or two at a time.

A few guests, however, did not leave. They walked behind the stage instead. Rickart and Ice followed them.

Suddenly, a hand shot out of the darkness, seized Rickart by the collar, and dragged him aside. A face abruptly drew close to his as though about to kiss him.

It was the female vampire who had appeared at the end of the performance. Ironically, Rickart could feel the thick breath of a vampire whose heart no longer beat.

But a dagger had already been drawn and pressed against her throat. Had she pulled him any closer, he might have slit it open.

Lemania smiled with satisfaction and released Rickart.

"You smell wonderful. I’ve never encountered a scent as fresh as yours."

Ice had not immediately noticed Rickart’s disappearance, but he arrived a moment later.

They were now in a dressing room. Lemania walked across the floor with sharp, clicking steps, sat in a chair, and crossed her legs. The slit in her dress was so high that not only were her sensual legs fully exposed, but even part of her buttocks was visible.

Rickart did not allow his attention to wander. He held the dagger, its blade gleaming in the light, before tucking it back beneath his black cloak.

As Rickart and Ice watched, Lemania took out a long pipe and placed it between her lips. Around the time she began exhaling smoke, a scream echoed from somewhere far away. It was difficult to tell whether the person was crying or laughing.

"What’s happening to those people?"

"They’re volunteers."

"Volunteers for what?"

"People who wish to experience the utmost pleasure, or who wish to become vampires. We don’t force anyone. That wouldn’t be elegant."

"How is my old brother? Is he doing well?"

Lemania appeared to know exactly why Rickart and Ice had come. How remarkable. Did high-ranking vampires gain the ability to read human thoughts?

"I liked him more than I like you, at least."

"What peculiar tastes you have."

"The play was worth watching, but I didn’t care for the deception."

"A play is a reflection of reality. Conversely, when necessary, reality itself can become part of the play."

"Is that so? I don’t know anything about that. Why did you invite us?"

Lemania knew what Rickart and Ice wanted, but Rickart did not know what she wanted. All he knew was the fact that she had abducted his father.

Lemania leisurely exhaled smoke before speaking.

"Your pure blood. I won’t devour you. I only need a little."

"...Me? Or him?"

Rickart did not appear to take the situation seriously at all. He merely asked whether she meant him or Ice.

"That one only has a pretty face. He’s rotten inside, and his scent is foul. But you’re different. It was your pure scent that caught my attention. I smelled you from the moment you entered the city, like the faint fragrance of flowers spreading through a sewer. It was impossible not to notice."

Unlike her brother, Lemania could not see through Rickart’s previous life. But she seemed capable of sensing its traces through his scent.

"Why do you need my blood?"

"If even blood like yours fails to stir my father, then I lose. You may kill him or spare him as you please."

Looking more closely, Lemania appeared utterly exhausted.

She had probably spent a long time trying every possible method—persuading her starving father, threatening him, and doing anything else she could think of—to make him drink blood. But nothing seemed to have worked.

There was, however, one flaw in her proposal.

"What if my blood does stir him?"

"Then you’ll have to die."

"You’re honest. I like that."

Had Lemania tried to ensnare him with some clumsy scheme, Rickart might simply have fought her. But since she had laid everything bare, the only thing left was for him to decide.

"I’ll go alone."

Rickart spoke to Ice. As expected, however, Ice shook his head.

Knowing that Ice was unlikely to listen even if he tried to stop him, Rickart contemplated the matter alone.

When Lemania’s tobacco had nearly burned away, he spoke again.

"I’ll collect my weapons and return in the morning."

"Very well."

Rickart set his condition, and Lemania accepted it.

Thus, Rickart and Ice safely left the performance hall for the time being.

"She says you stink."

Rickart spoke to Ice. The situation was tense and serious, but he seemed to be trying to lighten the mood.

"That woman reeked of powder herself. She has no right to criticize anyone."

"Why would she wear powder when her skin is already so pale?"

"To hide her wrinkles, obviously. She’s an old hag, isn’t she?"

"Hehehe..."

Rickart and Ice returned to their lodgings while bad-mouthing Lemania and gathered their equipment. As a precaution, they also brought Illiya’s holy oil. Then they stayed awake throughout the night, waiting for morning.

When morning finally came, Rickart and Ice left the inn once again.

Outside, the brilliant sunlight was sweeping away the filthy desires of the night. No wicked thing dared survive beneath its fierce gaze.