Chapter 42: Take a shower? Or take a bath?

Cynthia absorbed the bloodstone’s power, its energy coursing through her.
Yet a nagging unease lingered—what had she overlooked?

If Balof was the mastermind, who was the goat-headed monster, Luofengte?
She scanned the purification center, probing with magic, but sensed only herself and Ina underground.

Puzzled, she consulted the Blood Demon.
It’s ancient. It must know something.

[That guy behind the undead in the waterway?]

[Yeah.]

[Oh… that one…]

The Blood Demon paused, then admitted, [Never seen it.]

Cynthia’s eye twitched.
Suppressing the urge to snap, she pressed, [It’s gone now.]

[No point dwelling. Can’t find it now. Wait for it to show.]

Wait?
Cynthia wanted to argue, but the Blood Demon’s logic held.
No clues, no trail—chasing ghosts was futile.

Fine. We’ll wait.

As she mulled, Ina flopped onto her, mumbling, “Cynthia-chan~ when can we go back up~?”

Cynthia flushed briefly at the soft weight but regained her composure.
“When the lord’s people handle this mess.”

“I’m so sleepy~”

Ina’s fatigue hit hard, her body slumping.

“Didn’t you just nap?”

“Never enough sleep! You’ve clearly never worked!”

“Worked what?”

“I knew it~”

“What’re you on about…”

“I’m going up now!”

“Wait quietly!

Lorena returned with city guards, who gawked at Balof’s massive corpse.
She spotted Cynthia and Ina in a corner—Ina kneeling, nursing a lump on her head, looking pitiful.

“Miss Ina? You okay?”

“She’s fine,” Cynthia said, hauling Ina up.
“Let’s go. Weren’t you whining about going up?”

“Cynthia-chan, you bully… I curse you to eat without utensils…”

Ina mumbled but followed as Cynthia dragged her.

“I don’t use utensils.”

“Huh?”

Ina paused, remembering Cynthia’s vampire nature.
She drinks blood…

Wait. Am I her utensil, always tagging along?

Her mind spun.
It’s like a spicy burger following me around!

“Wow, Cynthia-chan…”

Ina sighed, awed.
“You’re so patient…”

“Patient with what?”

“Not eating me.”

“You’re delirious.”

Cynthia sighed, baffled.

Lorena cut in.
“Senior Cynthia, Miss Ina, the lord wants to meet you.”

“Why?”

“To thank the city’s saviors.”

“Hm…”

Cynthia wasn’t keen, but the lord’s invitation was hard to refuse.
Plus, she had questions for him.

“Fine. Tell him we’ll come.”

Lorena hesitated.
“Will you… disguise yourself?”

Cynthia shook her head.
“I’ll go as I am. Vampire or not, he won’t touch me.”

If the lord was fool enough to attack his benefactor over her race, he didn’t deserve his title.
And Cynthia doubted Bazerolle’s humans could threaten her.

“Then… I’ll report your true nature?”

“Go ahead. Thanks.”

Dusk greeted them topside.
Cynthia wasn’t sure how long they’d been underground, but Ina’s drooping eyes suggested it was long enough.

After parting with Lorena, Cynthia took Ina to the Adventurer’s Guild.
Charlotte and Tiani were at the counter.

“Oh my~ Little Ina and… Cynthia?”

Charlotte’s eyes lit up, then faltered at Cynthia’s true form.
Tiani froze too.

“‘Nothing’? I nearly died down there…”

Ina yawned, exhausted.
“Sister Charlotte, is there a bath?”

“Yes… but Cynthia…?”

“She’s a vampire,” Ina said casually.

“Vampire? No wonder she’s so strong…”

Charlotte and Tiani weren’t shocked, just surprised.
Living near the Kalmoz Empire, vampires weren’t new.

Charlotte exhaled.
“President, I’ll take them to clean up.”

“Go relax,” Tiani said, smiling, likely aware of the sewer events.

“Don’t forget our promised reward~”

Ina winked, grinning devilishly.

“It’s yours. Go bathe.”

“Bathe? I’m clean enough…”

Cynthia scratched her head, heading for a room.
Group baths felt… intense.

“What’re you saying, Cynthia-chan~?”

Ina grabbed her hand, her grip unyielding, smile bright.
“We’re all girls! What’s to fear? We’re bathing together!”

The bloodstone’s power was hers, but Luofengte’s mystery gnawed at Cynthia.
The Blood Demon offered no answers, leaving her to wait for the creature’s return.

Ina’s antics—clinging, whining, joking about being “eaten”—lightened the mood, though her exhaustion was clear.
Lorena’s return with guards shifted focus to the lord’s summons.

Cynthia chose to face him undisguised, confident in her strength.
Back at the Guild, Charlotte and Tiani’s warm welcome eased the tension, though Ina’s insistence on a shared bath left Cynthia flustered.

The Blood Crown loomed, and Luofengte’s shadow lingered, but for now, Cynthia let Ina drag her along, questions unanswered.