Author: Sunao Yoshida
Illustrator: Thores Shibamoto
Unofficial English Translations by: Vaestro
*Links will be attached when ready!
✝ RAM 6.1 - Public Enemy
Prologue ・ Chapter I ・ Chapter II ・ Chapter III ・ Chapter IV ・ Chapter V ・ Chapter VI ・ Chapter VII ・ Epilogue
PDF version (6.1 in full)
✝ RAM 6.2 - Night Hospital
Prologue ・ Chapter I ・ Chapter II ・ Chapter III ・ Epilogue
PDF version (6.2 in full)
✝ RAM 6.3 - Apocalypse Now
Prologue ・ Chapter I ・ Chapter II ・ Chapter III ・ Chapter IV ・ Yoshida's Notes
PDF version (6.3 in full)
Translator Notes:
This is a little project that I've been working on during my free time for a couple of months now, which is to translate the remaining untranslated Japanese novels into English. I'm doing this because I love Trinity Blood. I noticed there are no English translations for RAM 6 so I'll be sharing my translations for this book first. Everyone gets to read for free!
This tumblr post will serve as the masterlist for my RAM 6 translations. For your convenience, I'll be updating this from time to time with links to chapters once I release them. I'll also be sharing the PDF version soon for those who prefer that. I have finished translating all of RAM 6 but I still require time to proofread, adjust formatting and all that. It's a lot of work and I'm doing this alone, so please be patient with me.
There are a few minor characters in RAM 6 whose names are not found in wikis or even mentioned anywhere online. I can only translate them to the best of my ability from the written Katakana, so the spelling of their names might not be 100% accurate.
Furthermore, I have very limited knowledge in languages such as German, French, Spanish and Italian which can be found in the novels from time to time. I will do my best to translate those if I'm able to, since my goal is to keep my translations as accurate as possible to Yoshida-san's work.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if any corrections are needed. I hope you'll enjoy RAM 6's story as much as I do!
Hello! I'm reaching out to ask if you're still looking for a translator for some of the untranslated novels? I've gotten myself back into the novels lately and decided to translate the ones that didn't have official english translations during my free time. I'm happy to share my translations for RAM 6.1 to 6.3. I didn't release them anywhere online since I wasn't sure if anyone else did. I thought maybe I'll share them now so other fans get to enjoy them like I did <3
OH, yes, Please!!!!! Share anything you have, I would be really happy and I guess everybody else of this fandom too. 🤩🤩🤩
"How utterly cold of you... I have been searching for you this entire time, Your Eminence."
"Damn it!"
By the time his viscous voice reached her eardrums, Caterina had already lunged at the elevator control panel. She pressed every floor button within reach, attempting to halt the elevator at the nearest possible floor. However...
"Whoa! Not so fast, Your Eminence. Don't do that."
Before the doors could open, Galeazzo had withdrawn his hand from beneath his coat. The muzzle of an automatic pistol was aimed squarely at the control panel and the former captain of the private guard pulled the trigger without hesitation. As sparks flew violently, the doors that had been opening came to a stop, leaving only a narrow gap.
"You are going nowhere, Lady Caterina... I have something I want Your Eminence to hear in detail."
After replacing the empty magazine, Galeazzo narrowed his eyes with glee. He pressed the still-smoking muzzle of his gun against his former superior's chest and twisted his lips.
"That's right, I'm not letting you go... Do you understand?! It's all your fault, you vixen! Because of you, I lost everything! My family has disowned me, I was stripped of honor and position! What are you going to do about it, huh?"
"Y-Your Eminence!"
By the time Professor's feeble voice reached her, a heavy blow struck Caterina's knees. Galeazzo's military boots had kicked the cardinal, the crushing blow nearly shattering her joints.
"Ugh!"
However, Caterina endured the pain. On the surface, she remained calm, but in reality, she was mustering every ounce of her being to steady her faltering knees and remained silent, her razor-colored eyes glaring menacingly at her assailant.
"What's with that look?"
The beautiful woman's gaze, dripping with contempt, seemed to have delivered a severe blow to Galeazzo's pride. The former captain exhaled, his breath which reeked of alcohol was akin to the flames of a venomous dragon. Perhaps he was also on drugs. He grabbed Caterina by the collar with his well-trained, yet strangely twitching fingers.
"You filthy bitch... How dare you make a mockery of me, you vixen! Do you know your place and value your life? Beg for your life, I say! Damn it! Get on your knees right now! Kneel and beg for your life!"
The hoarse, angry voice was overlaid by the shrill sound of tearing fabric. The young man, who was screaming hysterically, had ripped the beauty's blouse with his hand. Yet the cardinal made no move to cover her exposed skin. She merely pursed her lips slightly and the chill in her gaze intensified.
"Damn it, don't look at me like that! Do you understand?! This whole mess is entirely your fault! I'm an elite! I'm born of a different class to those maggot-like creatures crawling out there! And for a woman like you... What's with those eyes?! Kneel! Hurry up and say you are sorry!"
"Good grief, what a horrid little boy."
The young man bellowed, foam flying from his mouth, but the voice that reprimanded him was not Caterina's.
"Unfortunately, I still don't fully grasp the situation, but one thing is certain: you have no right to call yourself an elite, boy. The qualifications for standing above others lie not in their origins, but in pride and dignity... Just like this lady before you."
"What the hell, old man! Don't butt in!"
The cardinal merely continued to glare coldly at the young man. Beside her, Galeazzo yelled at the gentleman who stood up shakily from the cart. He slammed the muzzle of the gun he had been aiming at Caterina down onto the older man's head and screamed hysterically.
"You are pissing me off! I'll kill you, old man!"
"Stop it, captain!"
When a groan escaped the gentleman's lips after being struck on the head, a flicker of agitation finally crossed the cardinal's expression. She clung to Galeazzo's arm, stopping him from hitting the Professor who had fallen back into the cart.
"It's me you hate... Stop taking it out on him!"
"Hah! Well now, are you more worried about this old man than begging for your own life?"
The young man curled his lips in triumph at finally discovering the winter queen's weakness — or rather, the means to wound her pride. His eyes narrowed and gleamed with a slimy sheen.
"What's this, vixen? You were having an affair with this old man? You filthy slut! Very well then, I shall kill him first! Watch closely!"
"S-Stop it!"
The cardinal, who had remained silent despite the humiliation, finally lost her composure. She tried to seize Galeazzo's gun, which was being pointed at Professor's head, but it was a foolhardy move. She was easily knocked away by the overwhelming difference in strength.
"Wait for it, you are next after this old man, vixen."
Casting a disgusted glance at the stumbling cardinal, Galeazzo placed his finger on the trigger.
"I'll torment you thoroughly, then carve your body to pieces."
The young man's voice, triumph with sordid delight, suddenly fell silent.
What had happened? Just as his finger was about to squeeze the trigger, it went limp instead and the gun fell from his grasp. From Galeazzo's gaping mouth, a crimson mass spilled forth.
"U-Ugh..."
"Don't mess with someone else's prey without consent, you monkey."
A deep voice came from the other side of the half-open doors, overlapping with the sound of blood spilling from the former captain's mouth and his ragged breaths. A strong arm thrusted through the gap — the owner of the clawed hand that had pierced Galeazzo's back and skewered his heart — snorted with utter contempt.
"The right to kill that old man is mine...Get it? Now, begone."
"…"
The former captain's eyes rolled back, and his body convulsed violently – very likely an instant death. As the corpse, with its heart impaled, collapsed while spewing blood and splattering crimson droplets, the assailant behind it was already forcing the elevator doors open with overwhelming strength.
"Well, well, well. I've been looking for you, you naughty little kittens."
Beyond the opened doors, a towering shadow stood in the dimly lit hallway lined with doors, grinning delightfully. It seemed all the burns had already healed. The grinning figure caressing his flawless bald head, was none other than the vampire, Kaspar.
"You dare disfigure my beauty not once but twice?! You Vatican pigs! Are you prepared to be skinned alive?"
"Damn it!"
Caterina immediately lunged for the cane leaning against the cart. She pointed its tip, which had a small flamethrower nozzle, at the vampire.
"Do not come any closer! If you do, I will show you no mercy!"
"Oh, how brave, for a mere Terran."
Impressed by the cardinal's threat, Kaspar stroked his bald head as if in admiration. However, the next instant, he vanished like a gust of wind.
"The true protector of mankind, the paragon of the clergy... But can the same be said of you now, Duchess of Milan?"
"Huh?!"
Caterina's face twisted into a grimace as the enemy reappeared again with a jeer. Kaspar, who stood there with a smirk, had pinned down the injured man who was supposed to be lying in the cart — Professor.
"Doctor Wordsworth?!"
"Hehehe, well then, what are you going to do now, Duchess of Milan?"
The cardinal's trembling cane, a clear sign of her agitation, caught Hundert Gesichter's eye. He curled his lips in amusement, baring sharp canine teeth in a sneer.
"Are you going to burn me along with your subordinate? Well, my speed is on a whole different level from you Terrans so I guess the old man will die alone, wouldn't he?"
"I don't mind dying at all, but could you at least stop calling me old man?"
The feeble voice was not Caterina's.
Professor, who had been pinned down, muttered in a voice tinged with resentment.
"I'm still in my thirties, this hurts me deeply. Ah, and you are underestimating this Albion gentleman a tad too much, Mr. Vampire. Do I look like a fool who would die alone? Your Eminence, would you kindly press the second and fourth switches simultaneously? That will activate a lethal weapon that is only effective against vampires."
"What?!"
Kaspar's eyes widened at the smug voice as Caterina pressed both switches as instructed. Immediately after, a small, dull silver orb shot out from the elevator into the hallway.
"Gah! What the hell is this?!"
It wasn't exactly fear of the term "lethal weapon", but Kaspar swiped at the high-speed silver orb's trajectory with his claws. He roared with laughter as the "lethal weapon" was knocked down into the hallway with ease.
"Hah! What is this? How is this 'lethal', you useless old man! If you are going to deceive me, you should have done it better... What?!"
It was at that moment that his loud laughter turned to a scream. Immediately after being knocked down, the shattered silver orb spewed forth a massive number of threads. They spread out like smoke and entangled the vampire who had the Albion gentleman locked in his arms.
"T-This is..."
The vampire screamed as he struggled to shake off the viscous substance that clung to him like a spider's web, stubbornly adhering his massive body to the wall.
"What is this?! You old fool! What the hell is this?!"
"This? This is a special sticky trap I developed. These unique viscous threads are made of aromatic gelatinous material and impossible for even your monstrous strength to tear apart. Checkmate, Mr. Vampire. With this, you won't be moving for a while."
The dying gentleman beamed proudly at his creation that had bound both the vampire and himself to the wall. Then, amidst heavy breaths, he turned to regard his superior.
"Your Eminence, now! Burn this thing to a cinder while you still can!"
"Huh?!"
Caterina's face stiffened at Professor's unexpected words — and rightly so. The gentleman told her to "burn this thing to a cinder" but that would mean reducing himself to ashes as well. Surely the Professor wasn't so clueless as to not realize that.
However, Professor continued to exhort the beautiful woman who was still standing there, frozen stiff.
"What are you dawdling for, Your Eminence?! These threads are a prototype, they won't hold much longer! They will start to decompose once they absorb moisture from the air. Hurry before that happens!"
"You… You fool!"
Kaspar shrieked at the Terran who was clinging to him while yelling at his superior. Still struggling desperately to break free from the sticky threads that even a Methuselah's superhuman strength couldn't snap, he raised his voice, hoping it would reach the cardinal, who was still standing there clutching the flamethrower, rather than Professor.
"If you do that, you'll take us both down, you old fart! Spare a bit more thought before you speak... Besides, aren't you Sforza's important subordinate? There's no way that woman would sacrifice you!"
"Someone like you will never understand our relationship."
Professor flatly denied his enemy's claim, then smiled softly. He murmured calmly, as if admonishing the vampire — No, the cardinal.
"Trust isn't just about being clingy. Sometimes, trust is carved with a blade... If we don't defeat you here, you will kill us both. Wouldn't that be a pointless death? If it comes to that, we should at least choose a path where one of us survives. It's precisely because she can make such a choice that I chose to serve her with all my talent. If Your Eminence is unable to do this, then you are no longer worthy of my respect."
"S-Stop, Caterina Sforza!"
A strangled scream escaped Kaspar's throat as the cardinal's finger, after hearing the gentleman's words, moved to touch the switch on the cane. The cane, which had been shaking as if mirroring her hesitation, stopped moving abruptly and she let out a furious scream.
"I-I understand! I'll give up on you! So-"
"What are you doing… Shoot us quickly, Your Eminence!"
The dying gentleman's voice rang out even louder than the vampire's.
He yelled at the cardinal, who remained motionless with his cane raised, with the expression of a father reprimanding his daughter.
"You are Caterina Sforza, aren't you? If so, you must shoot!"
"You are quite right, Professor."
A pale, beautiful face responded to the gentleman's words.
Without hesitation, she pressed the switch as a faint smile formed on her lips.
"It is as you say. Sacrifices should be kept to a minimum. That is the path one who stands above others should choose."
"S-Stop! Stop it... Huh?!"
A spurt of pale blue flame erupted from the cane, but when Kaspar's eyes followed the path of that searing light, they widened as if he had witnessed something unbelievable.
The flame did not engulf the vampire nor the gentleman. It went for a small hole in the ceiling — a sprinkler.
"W-Why?!"
Half a breath later, artificial rain began to pour down like a waterfall. Professor groaned, staring dumbfoundedly at the viscous threads that had dissolved instantly upon contact with water. Though his body was freed from the vampire's restaints, the exertion was likely too great for him to stand upright. Bracing himself against the wall, he forced out a voice while struggling as to not fall to his knees.
"Why, Your Eminence... Why..."
"Professor, your point is certainly valid."
Releasing her finger from the switch on his cane, Caterina smiled faintly. As she stepped out of the elevator into the hallway, she declared with a solemn expression, like a queen attending her coronation.
"Your statement is indeed correct. I might not be myself if I couldn't shoot back there — But I'm also not myself if I cannot risk my life for a subordinate in peril. Deputy enforcer Professor, I shall save you."
"Oh? How so?"
A malicious sneer overlapped with the cardinal's powerful words. Kaspar's lips curled upwards as he flicked the viscous substance off his massive frame.
"You foolish woman... How could a puny Terran monkey like you possibly defeat the splendid and invincible me!"
"I never claimed I could 'defeat' you, nor did that thought ever crossed my mind, vampire."
The vampire raised his bulky arms over his head, as if boasting about his newly regained freedom.
Caterina's icy, sword-like gaze pierced him as she twisted the knob on the cane, opening the flamethrower nozzle to its maximum and raised the tip once more.
"I only said I will save my subordinate."
"What?!"
Kaspar's voice, which sounded like a scream, erupted the moment Caterina pressed the switch.
To his eyes, it seemed as though his surroundings were suddenly shrouded in white mist. The droplets from the sprinkles had been vaporized by the flamethrower, instantly forming a thick smoke screen that filled the hallway.
"Now... Over here, Professor!"
Ignoring the roars of the startled vampire, Caterina moved forward in accordance with the number of steps she had measured in advance and grabbed the hand of the gentleman who had slumped to the ground. She lent him her shoulder to help him stand and attempted to steer him towards the nearest staircase.
"Hurry! Hurry... Ah!"
"I won't let you get away, vixen!"
The cardinal, who was staggering forward, suddenly jerked violently backwards — With a roar, an arm shot out from the other side of the mist and seized her luxurious blonde hair. Then, a clawed hand struck her beautiful face. Gazing down at Caterina, who had fallen with the wounded man slung over her shoulder, the bald vampire sneered triumphantly.
"Hehehe, what a pity, Terran... Your aim was good, but a tad too late. The fun ends here. Are you prepared?"
"Prepared? Prepared for what?"
Still lying on the ground, Caterina shifted her body towards the stairs as if to shield her subordinate, then raised her gaze. Her razor-colored eyes gleamed sharply as she wiped her cut lip with the back of her hand.
"You are the one who should prepare yourself, vampire... And no, it was not too late. Everything went according to plan."
"Huh?"
Even in the face of death, this woman remained arrogant. Kaspar was more appalled than angry at the cardinal's haughtiness. With a doubtful expression written all over his stern face, he shouted.
"Plan? What do you mean? Your reluctance in accepting defeat is pathetic, you ugly bitch!"
"It's nothing like that at all."
The fog finally lifted, and the beauty stared coldly at the cussing vampire before casually announcing his defeat and her own victory.
"Because I have bought myself ample time. Now, it is you who will be defeated, vampire... Is that right, Gypsy Queen?"
"Yes, Lady Caterina~"
The girl who had been standing on the staircase landing with an innocent smile immediately spread her fans wide.
The moment the gunshot rang out, Caterina was certain of that.
No, she wasn't the only one. Everyone who witnessed the scene must have thought the same — but the expected shock and death did not occur. Instead, what tickled Caterina's eardrums was a beautiful voice that sounded far too carefree to be the whispers of the grim reaper.
"Are you all right, Lady Caterina?"
The darkness before her was because she had squeezed her eyes shut reflexively. Peeking through narrowed lids, Caterina found a dark-skinned face peering at her.
"Sister Kaya?!"
Kaya Syokka — deputy enforcer "Gypsy Queen" — stood between her and Galeazzo with a large, widespread fan in hand. How was she standing there so calmly though? Galeazzo's gun that was pointed at her was indeed emitting smoke.
"W-What the hell?!"
A hysterical cry preceded several gunshots. Galeazzo's face was contorted as he continued to squeeze the trigger. However, none of the bullets that were fired in rapid succession hit Caterina, let alone Kaya, who was standing right in front of him. The bullets had all been deflected by the fan the girl was dancing with and ricocheted off into the opposite direction with a shrill sound.
"Is that all, big brother[1]?"
Then, Galeazzo's gun fell silent as Gypsy Queen chuckled lightly. The young man's finger was still on the trigger but the automatic pistol, with its bolt opened, only made a hollow metallic sound and no longer spewed out bullets.
"Looks like it's over... Now it's Kaya's turn. Dance, big brother. Kaya will sing."
"D-Don't move!"
The moment the girl snapped her fan shut and stepped forward, Galeazzo hurled the useless weapon at her out of desperation. The girl tilted her head slightly and dodged the whirring projectile — but it was a feint. In that instant, Galeazzo's hand had already drawn out a new weapon.
"Don't move! If you move, this woman dies!"
"AAAAAAAAAH!"
The high-pitched scream was not Kaya's and it certainly was not Caterina's who was watching the situation with clasped hands. It belonged to a young nurse who had thrown herself to the ground to avoid the gunfire.
Galeazzo seized her by the collar and was holding a long, thin cylinder-like object in his hand — a dynamite. There was even a self-made timer and something resembling handcuffs attached to it. He fastened the device to the screaming nurse's wrist and the former noble bellowed in a voice laden with alcohol.
"Stand back! Everyone stand back! Don't come near me! Mark my words, this isn't the only bomb! I've planted identical ones all over this hospital... If I wanted to, I could kill everyone here!"
"Everyone stand back!"
As the former captain of her private guard continued to rave hysterically, Caterina admonished the crowd around her. She knew she shouldn't be wasting further precious time in a place like this. However, as frustrated as she may be, she tried to steer the clamorous and startled civilians away from Galeazzo.
"Everyone, get out of the hospital! Quickly! Hurry!"
"Lady Caterina, you must go to Professor."
There were too many things going on simultaneously. Caterina was at her wit's end, overwhelmed by the situation that was unfolding rapidly at a dizzying pace, but she was saved by the girl in black. Gypsy Queen stood before the young man who was barking threats while using the hostage as a shield and chirped in a beautiful voice:
"A woman's hair is her life, but a man's life is precious too~ Kaya will take care of the bomb. Lady Caterina, please help Professor."
"Eh? But..."
Will she be fine on her own?
However, in the next moment, the beautiful woman nodded and spun around.
"Very well, I'll leave this to you, Sister Kaya. We'll send for reinforcements as soon as my hands are free. Prioritize defusing the bomb over apprehending the perpetrator."
"Yes, Lady Caterina."
It would be a lie to say that she wasn't worried at all.
However, Caterina was neither virtuous enough — nor foolish enough — to be hypocritical when a more precious life was at stake.
The cardinal urged the SPs with one glance and they bolted towards the corridor from whence they came.
The male nurse was startled when the door was thrown open without a knock. His eyes widened as he was just preparing to load folded sheets into the cart.
"You there! Have you seen the doctor who was here? A man named Amalfi from the cardiac surgery department."
Amidst heavy breaths, Caterina fired a question at the round-faced nurse. Then her eyes darted towards the empty bed and added hastily:
"And the patient in this bed... Where did Father William Walter Wordsworth go?!"
"W-Who knows? Neither the patient nor Doctor Amalfi was here when I came in...."
The friendly-looking nurse shook his head as if intimidated by the cardinal's stern demeanor. However, with a raised eyebrow, he seemed to have sensed mortal danger in Caterina's expression. He hurriedly stuffed the chocolate bar he had been eating into his back pocket and added:
"I was merely instructed by the head nurse to clean up the beds in the intensive care unit wards... I'm still a trainee so I'm not allowed to assist patients..."
"Damn it!"
The round-faced nurse continued to ramble on about something, but Caterina was no longer listening.
The head nurse who had ordered him to tidy up must've been "Amalfi". She turned on her heel in preparation to dash out of the intensive care unit.
Suddenly, her eyes were riveted to one spot.
Her gaze was on the cart placed beside the bed. The wheeled cart labeled "Linen Room" was filled to the brim with a tall pile of carefully folded sheets and blankets. However, it wasn't the soiled fabrics that caught Caterina's attention. Below the cart, she spotted wheel tracks on the linoleum floor.
Alvarez seemed to have noticed the abnormality as well.
"Your Eminence, that cart-"
"Yes, I'm aware."
Caterina silenced the whispering SP captain with a look and a gesture. Then, she ordered in a low voice.
"I'll draw the target's attention. Major Alvarez, I'd like you to... Oh?!"
"Huh? W-What's wrong?"
The flustered round-faced nurse asked when he heard the beautiful woman's gasp of surprise. His voice choked up in fear, as if terrified of what new challenge the woman and her black-clad companions might throw at him.
"I-Is something the matter, Signora[2]?"
"No, it's just… The IV tube you're holding. If you put it away like that, the fluid would leak, no? You must close the valve properly."
"Huh? Oh, that's true."
The nurse looked in the direction Caterina was pointing at and his face relaxed with relief. He closed the valve with his plump fingers and began making excuses even though no one asked.
"I-I was careless. Heh~♡ I'm still a trainee so I make mistakes often and get told off by my seniors-"
"Now!"
It was at that moment Alvarez's sharp voice rang out.
At the same time, the elderly SP captain slid his sturdy frame towards the nurse. Of course, the nurse was not his intended target. It was the cart placed next to him that was so heavy that it had left deep wheel tracks on the linoleum floor which made no sense even if it was laden with dirty laundry and cleaning supplies. With all his might, Alvarez pushed the cart away from the bewildered nurse and towards Caterina.
"Secure it, Your Eminence!"
The cardinal leaned forward and somehow managed to catch the cart as it slid towards her with great momentum. The impact caused the sheets and blankets to fall off, but she paid no attention to them. The beautiful woman rummaged through its contents, pulling out a white coat and a pair of men's slacks hidden beneath. When she finally got to the bottom of the cart, she discovered a tall figure lying within with its limbs bent.
"I knew it... Doctor Wordsworth!"
"Tsk!"
"Don't move, you bastard!"
The moment Caterina found Professor lying at the bottom of the cart, the nurse clicked his tongue sharply, and almost simultaneously, Alvarez and the other four SPs drew their automatic pistols from their shoulder holsters.
When the nurse's stubby fingertips extended into sharp, dagger-like claws, the SPs swiftly replaced the ammunition in their pistols from anti-personnel parabellum bullets to anti-vampire silver-tipped bullets. However, by the time they raised their guns and squeezed the trigger, they were a split second too late. The enemy had already attacked.
"H-He's gone! Haste-"
That split-second delay had sealed their fate. The SP who tried to warn others of the nurse who had vanished like a waking dream had been blown away as though he had been rammed by a train. Meanwhile, an IV tube fell to the side of the bed where the nurse had been standing just a second earlier, and the second man in black had his back slammed against the wall.
"Y-Your Eminence, you must flee at once!"
Alvarez urged his superior on while his third – and last - subordinate screamed as he was flung through the window and vanished into the darkness.
"Hurry! While I'm still here to shield you-"
"'Still here', huh? What should I do with you?"
A deep, gruff male's voice overlapped with Alvarez's desperate cries. By then, the elderly SP captain's head had been seized in an eagle-like grip by someone standing behind him.
"Heh, too bad. Time's up~"
"M-Major Alvarez!"
Caterina's warning was drowned out by the gruesome sound of ripping flesh.
Blood spurted onto the beautiful woman's cheek as the elderly major, whose back had been split apart, groaned and collapsed into the pool of his own blood.
"Oh dear, this stinks. As expected, old man's blood is foul so it's no good… Ah, it's a pleasure to meet you, Your Eminence~♡ My name is Kaspar, by the way. Rosencreutz Orden, Rank 6=5. My friends call me Hundert Gesichter[3]."
The perpetrator paid no heed to the fallen victims.
This was likely his true form. He turned his imposing, bald head atop his sturdy frame towards the beautiful woman standing before him and bowed elegantly.
"My apologies for sullying your lovely face... But rest assured, I have no business with you tonight. I'm not here as a member of the Orden, but as a woman with a disfigured face... If you hand over that hideous middle-aged man over there, I shall take my leave immediately~☆"
"What does a vampire want with a member of the clergy?"
Narrowing her eyes deliberately, Caterina stifled a gasp. She continued to look back and forth between the skinhead vampire and the man lying at the bottom of the cart.
"Instead of killing him outright, you went through the trouble of kidnapping him... What exactly is your goal? Are you trying to extract information about the Vatican from him? Or are you using him as a bargaining chip in exchange for Cherubim?"
"Boo! You got that all wrong. Well, to sum it up in one word, it's revenge. You may be unaware of this, but three days ago, that ugly creature committed a heinous act. He committed the grave sin of disfiguring my face!"
The vampire Kaspar spread his arms wide like an actor on stage. In a deep baritone voice, he denounced the man's crimes.
"Your Eminence, could you possibly forgive such a sin?! He scarred a maiden's face, of all things! As a woman yourself, surely you understand how heinous a crime that is? Killing him outright would be too merciful a punishment. No, I must take him somewhere secluded and slowly torture him to death... Oops!"
In an instant, the giant's massive form vanished – only to reappear, blocking the doorway right before Caterine's eyes as she spun around to make a dash for the door.
"Heh, what a pity. Are you trying to outwit me? Non, non. That's simply impossible~♡"
Kaspar waved a mocking finger at the cardinal who had recoiled as if driven by despair and fear. He then sneered at the pale, beautiful woman who was blinking vigorously.
"I thought I might spare you if you behaved yourself, but now I'm afraid I must kill you… Though, well, perhaps that's fine. To be perfectly honest, I find women like you physically repulsive. I mean, in terms of sheer beauty alone, I'm superior, aren't I? Yet you get fawned over by men simply because you're biologically female... It's utterly unbearable."
The moment an ominous tone filled the baritone voice, the sharp claws on Kaspar's fingertips drew an arc. The vampire sauntered towards the cardinal, who stood frozen in silence, while tapping his eerily gleaming claws loudly.
"D-Don't come any closer!"
The vampire's attitude, like that of a cat tormenting a mouse, had perhaps stoked the cardinal's fear. Caterina let out a furious cry as though seized by despair. She hurled everything she could get her hands on at the approaching vampire. IV needles, pillows, a water pitcher, and even a cane that belonged to a certain patient... Yet none of them struck the monster. They missed their target by a large margin, merely staining the walls and floor in vain.
"Now, now, you mustn't do that, Your Eminence. It's indecent to make such a mess of the room..."
The vampire couldn't help but smile wryly at her disgraceful behavior that was unbecoming of "the world's most beautiful cardinal." When she finally stopped, Kaspar shook his head reproachfully.
"It's all right. There's no need to be so frightened, it won't hurt, but I do need to peel off that haughty face of yours. Once it's done, the skin... Well, wouldn't it make a lovely cushion cover? I'm actually really good at sewing."
"Sewing... Ah, how enviable."
It was at that moment when the "Woman of Steel's" voice changed drastically. Her words, which had been trembling with fear up until then, became tinged with frost.
The most talented woman in the Vatican was utterly incompetent not only at sewing, but at all household chores, so her statement may not have been entirely false. However, her beautiful face, like that of a winter queen, no longer held any trace of distraught from before. Casting aside her mask of fear, the cardinal sneered at the monster with deliberate frigidity.
"But, Kaspar... Before worrying about others' faces, you ought to concern yourself with your own."
"Huh?! What's with the sudden- Wait?! Sforza, what exactly are you looking at-"
Hundert Gesichter finally realized that the woman was focusing her gaze on something behind him. He turned around as if drawn by a hook and his face twitched violently the very next second.
"D-Damn…?!"
Kaspar's eyes widened as something was being thrusted at him. It was the cane that Caterina had thrown at him and missed just a moment ago. Grasping it was a middle-aged man who had half-raised himself from the cart that had been left by the doorway. He looked as haggard as a corpse, but his long face was characteristic of Albion nobility.
"W-Wordsworth... Sforza! You bastards planned this from the beginning-"
The next moment, a swirling vortex of pallid light surged through the not particularly spacious intensive care unit ward.
The flames from the flamethrower concealed within his cane mowed the vampire down like the tongue of a fire dragon.
"AAAAAAAAAAH!"
A blood-curdling scream erupted.
Although the vampire avoided a direct hit, the right half of his body had been licked by flames, leaving him writing on the floor. He attempted to extinguish the fire by twisting his body around. Caterina had no time to deliver the final blow. She dodged the flames and sprinted to the cart while calling out to the gentleman lying limply within.
"Let's get out of here while we still can, Doctor Wordsworth! Can you stand?!"
"Ah... That seems to be a tall order, Your Eminence… It appears my wound hasn't fully closed yet."
Lying still, Professor pointed a slightly trembling finger at his abdomen. His wound had reopened, rapidly staining his white pajamas crimson. At this rate, he wouldn't be able to stand, let alone walk.
"Do not concern yourself with me... I want you... Your Eminence... To go ahead."
"Zip it... If you utter such nonsense again, I will sew your mouth shut."
Rebuking the gentleman who gave her a feeble smile in response, Catherine mustered what little strength she had left and pushed the cart. Hearing the screams of the vampire still trying to extinguish the fire behind her, she meandered down the deserted corridor, dragged along by the cart that had begun to move unsteadily.
"So, what is the current situation? Did you receive the message I entrusted to Sword Dancer?"
"Yes... I immediately deployed six enforcers to Vienna."
Caterina answered Professor's feeble question while trying her best to gain as much distance as possible.
"But two of them have gone missing... I'm at a bit of a loss now."
"That's a grave matter. I can't afford to lose consciousness... Ugh!"
"Are you all right, Professor?"
Amidst the violently shaking cart, Caterina called out to the injured man who was groaning weakly. However, she couldn't slow down. The vampire's angry screams still reverberated from the room behind them, but for how long? If that monster really wanted to, they would both be caught in mere seconds. They must escape before then.
"That... There it is!"
Caterina cried out in joy at the sound of a chime up ahead.
At the end of the corridor, the elevator doors opened. If they could get on that, they might be able to escape, but the corridor stretching out before them seemed infinitely long. Would she make it in time? Panting, the beautiful woman ran as hard as she could. Twenty meters. Ten meters. Five meters. But then the doors had begun to close-
"Let me in! Let me in please!"
Caterina shouted desperately at the figure in the elevator. In that instant, the doors which had been closing swung open again.
She made it. The moment she slid into the elevator with the cart, Caterina collapsed, gasping for breath. At the same time, the figure closed the elevator doors. The sound of the moving elevator after a brief delay was akin to a gospel song. Still breathing heavily, the cardinal called out to the injured person inside the cart.
"Are you all right, Professor... Are you still conscious?"
"That person looks like he's in a lot of pain. Are you all right?"
What overlapped with Caterina's question was not the Professor's reply. The Albion gentleman was clutching his abdomen with ragged breaths. Gazing down at Caterina, who was kneeling beside Professor, the other occupant in the elevator questioned.
"You seemed to be in quite a hurry, Lady Caterina? What has gotten you so flustered?"
"Huh?"
The voice that called out her name was laced with venom, like a deadly spider speaking to a small bird that had fled into its lair. Caterina involuntarily flicked her gaze upward and her eyes widened.
"Y-You?!"
"Well, well, what a coincidence, Your Eminence..."
Smiling at her beautiful face that had stiffened with shock and despair, the former nobleman, Galeazzo Visconti returned her gaze with distorted, hatred-filled eyes.
✝ End of Chapter II
[1] Kaya addresses Galeazzo as "big brother" since he is older than her, not because they are related by blood nor is it used as a term of endearment in this setting. It's similar to how we might use "mister" or "sir" to address an older male in general.
[2] "Madam/Mrs." in Italian.
[3] Kaspar von Neumann's codename in the Orden which means "A Hundred Faces" in German. In Japanese, it is written as "King of a Hundred Faces (百貌の王)".
"Good heavens, we worked so hard to suture your wound, but you kept moving around, so it has reopened."
The doctor said with a bitter expression.
"The bleeding is quite severe... This will require a considerable amount of blood transfusion."
"I shall leave all matters concerning Doctor Wordsworth's treatment to you. In return, please treat him to the best of your ability."
Just then, four SPs on stretchers were being rushed into the treatment room by nurses. Fortunately, none of them seemed to be in mortal danger, though all were reported to be in critical condition. Caterina watched with concern as her faithful subordinates were being carried away, only turning back once the last stretcher was out of sight. Several nurses pushed a bed on castors towards her and she threw them a glance before questioning the doctor.
"So, you say the abdominal wound has reopened... Is further surgery necessary?"
"Absolutely and it must be performed urgently. We have secured an operating theater, so I'd like to start right away... If you'd like, would you care to accompany us, Your Eminence?"
"Well, let's see... Ah, Professor, can you hear me?"
At the doctor's question, Caterina's expression flickered with a hint of hesitation before dropping her gaze to the bed that was passing by. She peered down at the gentleman whose eyes had opened a little and inquired in a gentle voice.
"How are you feeling? Does the wound hurt?"
"Well, if I must describe this in a single phrase... I feel as though I'm ascending to heaven..."
Professor uttered a rather uncharacteristically straightforward joke and offered a faint, wry smile. Then, his expression shifted slightly, and he reverted to his usual composed self.
"But enough of that, it's getting late. You need not concern yourself with me, Your Eminence. I'm not a child so I don't need you to accompany me."
"You haven't changed, have you?"
Caterina responded with a faint smile as her subordinate tried to shoo her away. Then, as if remembering something, she placed the cane she had been holding into his hand.
"Very well, I shall take my leave. But before I go, I'm returning this to you... Your cane."
"Ah, how very kind of you. Now I may escape this place with ease."
The nurses looked horrified at the gentleman's words as he accepted the cane with great care.
"May I ask you something, Doctor Wordsworth?"
The beautiful woman pointed at the cane and inquired in a slightly hesitant tone.
"That cane... Did you truly believe I was going to press this switch just now?"
"Well, how do I put this?"
After a brief moment of silence, Professor shook his head.
"Unfortunately, Your Eminence, that question is meaningless, therefore I cannot answer it. That is because-"
"Now, now, mister, please be quiet. There is a hole in your abdomen. Air will leak out."
Professor's voice, which was about to reply in a dramatic manner, was cut off. The nurses had thrusted a thick IV needle into the noisy patient's arm. Ignoring his screams, they began to push the bed away.
On the other hand, the cardinal, who stood there with a look of disappointment, was greeted by a carefree voice.
"Lady Caterina, Sister Loretta has made contact."
Kaya, who had successfully dealt with Hundert Gesichter, returned briskly.
"She wants you to return to Palazzo Spada immediately. There's a long-distance message from Sister Kate in Vienna. So..."
"I understand."
Caterina sighed, perhaps relieved that she didn't have to hear Professor's answer, or perhaps from sheer exhaustion. She watched the nurses push the gentleman away and responded to the girl with just a sidelong glance.
"I understand. I'll return as soon as possible. Sister Kaya, please convey my reply to Sister Loretta."
"Yes... Ah, but is this truly fine, Lady Caterina? Will you not accompany Professor?"
"It matters not. There is nothing I can do for him by staying here."
The cardinal answered as she continued to watch Professor's bed recede down the hallway.
"Ouch... Please handle the injured with care. I'm seriously wounded. Please treat me with a little more affection, won't you..."
Hearing the gentleman's voice protesting to the nurses from the corner of her ear, Caterina turned around slowly, but without hesitation.
"I can't do anything for him if I stay here, so I shall at least attend to my duties… Sister Kaya. I'm returning to Palazzo Spada. Please check if car arrangements have been made."
Abel gave the grinning, dull-eyed Magician a firm warning. He pointed the muzzle of his old-fashioned revolver at his opponent's chest and repeated the warning again.
"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, you are under arrest for thirty-eight counts of murder, criminal damage and various other charges. Now, surrender obediently!"
"I never had a weapon to begin with, Father."
Magician maintained a gentle demeanor despite being threatened by the priest. With the same sinister smile, he raised both of his arms, which had regenerated without anyone noticing, above his head.
"And if this is your wish, I will surrender. I will gladly become your prisoner... But are you happy with this?"
"Huh?"
Abel furrowed his brows in confusion. Failing to comprehend what the other person was trying to say, he ended up repeating after Kämpfer.
"Am I happy with this?"
"No, I was just wondering if surrendering here would put you at ease."
In contrast to the priest who had his doubts on display, Magician exhaled smoke in a calm manner. He proceeded to explain while puffing the cigarillo he had been holding in his mouth.
"After all, I am the man who killed so many of your loved ones. If I hadn't been there — in the city of Barcelona — that beautiful nun and the people in the city might still be alive and smiling."
"What?!"
Barcelona — when the name of that place was mentioned, Abel couldn't help but hold his breath. His fingers trembled as if they had been electrocuted and he desperately tried to restrain himself from pulling the trigger of his gun. However, Magician continued to speak politely, seemingly unaware of the priest's distress.
"Yes, they were all good people. Sister Noel, and the nameless people of Barcelona... All of them are now buried beneath cold earth. Well, the dead may still be silent, but Father, are you truly fine with that? Are you really going to tolerate such a tragic story in silence? Don't you want to take revenge on me?"
Abel's hand, which held the gun, began to perspire when he heard Magician’s words.
Kämpfer was certainly right. He could avenge Noel and the others now. No, not just Noel and the people of Barcelona. This man tried to destroy Caterina and Rome as if they were all trash. There was no point in keeping someone like him alive. Yes, even if he pulled the trigger here, no one would blame him...
"I won't fall for that again, Mr. Kämpfer."
Nevertheless, the muzzle of his gun did not actually spit out any bullets.
Even as he drew a deep breath, the priest's face showed no murderous intent. He gingerly returned the hammer of the gun he had cocked to its original position, then whispered in a voice that was completely in control of his emotions.
"Besides, there's something I really need your help with... You know what I'm trying to say, right? Tell me the location of 'Silent Noise', the low-frequency weapon you gave to the Resistance! Quickly now!"
"'Silent Noise?' Resistance?"
It was Kämpfer's turn to tilt his head as if taken by surprise. He cocked his head slightly while cradling the cigarillo butt between his fingers.
"What do you mean by that, Father?"
"Do not play the fool!"
This time, Abel had raised his voice. Pointing the gun between Magician's eyebrows, he repeated in a strong, firm tone.
"We've already established that the Orden instigated Waltraute and the others, and handed the weapon over to them. Now, where did you install it? Tell me quickly!"
"Ah. I see, that's what you mean."
Magician, however, did not respond to the priest's biting question. Instead, he snapped his fingers and muttered to himself as if he had just realized something.
"That's very typical of Sir Balthasar... I see, I see. So that's how it is."
"What are you mumbling about?"
Abel yelled at Magician who was indulged in self-satisfaction.
The king will be here tonight. If the Resistance were to try to kill him, they will definitely use "Silent Noise". What will then happen to the lives of more than a thousand people in the building?
"I'm in a hurry! Tell me quickly!"
"I'm sorry, Father. It looks like I won't be able to comply with your request tonight... Oh, please don't misunderstand. It's not that I don't want to hear you out. I honestly do not know anything about the low-frequency weapon."
Before Abel could unleash his anger and yell at him again, Kämpfer shook his head. He continued his sentence in a sincere manner as if to imply that he had never told a lie in his life.
"I'm truly sorry that I couldn't meet your expectations... But, I may be able to lend you my strength and help you fulfill your wish."
"What do you mean?"
With the gun still pointed at Magician, Abel urged him to continue speaking. There was no other way. He concentrated hard to avoid being deceived and implored the man to elaborate.
"What do you mean by lending your strength?"
"I know where the Resistance is based. I could take you there, if you'd like. However, that's all I can do — it's up to you to negotiate with them, or eliminate them, and shut down the weapon in question."
At that, Magician ceased his words for a moment. After a brief pause, as if to confirm Abel's intentions, he concluded his proposal.
"Of course, whether you believe in my kindness or not is up to you, Father. You can believe in me and protect this city, or you can shoot me here and avenge Barcelona... You are free to do as you wish."
"I understand."
Abel took a deep, hot breath and lowered his gun. He had no other choice. He turned away from the emotions that were still smoldering deep within his chest and nodded.
"Very well. Please come with me... But in return, if you do anything strange again, I will never forgive you."
"Certainly. I'll keep that in mind."
Whether he was aware of the priest's complicated feelings or not, Magician bowed reverently like a faithful butler attending to his master.
"I will always take your words to heart. Therefore, I hope you will do the same-"
"Oh? Isn't that the wimpy Father Nightroad over there?"
Just as Abel was about to slide his revolver back into its holster, a husky voice rang out from the darkness of the parking lot.
"I thought you were skipping work, but you're hiding out in a place like this. You're still leading a carefree life as usual... Oh? Who's that gloomy-looking person over there? Friend of yours?"
"Sister Monica, the Black Widow!"
Abel's voice trembled as he saw a figure standing in the middle of the parking lot which had been empty up until now. He uttered the name of the beautiful woman wearing a low-cut evening dress. She was glamorous, but had a venomous-spider-like smile plastered upon her seductive lips.
"Monica, you're in Vienna too! Oh, I'm so glad you're here. There's something I'd like you to help me out with."
"Ah, I heard about it. You're going to dismantle the low-frequency weapon in Barcelona, right?"
The woman spoke listlessly while running her hands along the slits of her dress. She licked her lips as she peered at the silent Magician from the corner of her eye.
"Hmm, is that the terrorist? The Duchess of Milan had issued a restraining order with a bounty on him, no?"
"Uh... Y-Yes. But for now, let us focus on dismantling the low-frequency weapon together."
Abel was about to add a quick explanation but he clamped his mouth shut in surprise when he realized the woman who stood before him had suddenly vanished.
The very next second, the priest instinctively pushed the man standing next to him away.
"Get down, Mr. Kämpfer!"
"Tsk!"
At that moment, the sound of a woman clicking her tongue repulsively alongside the sharp sound of a thin blade slicing through the wind reached his ears.
The Cinquedea — a broad blade that swiveled from behind had cut off several strands of Magician's black hair while he was being pushed away, and a thin streak of blood trickled down Abel's cheek. The blade then flew over the head of the fallen Magician but it was deflected by a kick from the side by Abel.
"What's the meaning of this, Monica?"
When did she get back there? Abel yelled at the nun who was now standing on the cobblestone pavement that glowed pale pink.
"That was dangerous! Are you planning to kill him?!"
"Yes, that's right, I'm going to kill him."
In response to the priest's question, she answered without any sign of remorse.
"You see, there's a total bounty of ten million dinars on this man. It would be a shame to allow this golden egg[2] to escape. So, it's safer to take him apart here and bring only his head to the Duchess of Milan... Oh, I'll give you a share of the bounty too. How about an eight-two ratio?"
"Wait a second! Have you not been listening to me? Vienna is in a dangerous state right now, if we do not dismantle the weapon, many will die like in Barcelona! This man is the only one who can prevent that!"
"There's no need to shout, I get it. What's the big deal though?"
Black Widow shrugged her shoulders, making it seem like the priest's spittle was a far more serious issue than his protest.
"What happens to this city is none of my business. People die? So what? It has nothing to do with me."
"Did you hear that, Father?"
The chuckling voice was not Monica's. Magician had finally stood up and raised his eyebrows as if to indicate something.
"She's brutally honest. She doesn't hide her desires... She's a 'human'. You failed to save Sister Noel back in Barcelona and now you're trying your best to protect her, correct?"
"Be quiet!"
The thorn lodged in the depths of his heart made the priest's voice waver. He yelled at the sneering Magician.
"Please, just be quiet for a moment! I- Eh?!"
"It's dangerous to look away, wimp~☆"
The moment Abel recoiled from the murderous intent that had silently closed in on him, the Cinquedea, dancing in the darkness, grazed his cheek.
Abel instinctively tried to raise the muzzle of his gun but the blade shot up from a blind spot below and blocked his movement. All he could do was stomp backwards.
"You came to destroy a terrorist's hideout and yet you're protecting a terrorist yourself, that's a huge problem, Father Abel."
Monica's movements, as she twirled the Cinquedea in a reverse grip, were as beautiful as a dance. However, the voice that came from beyond the dance of death was dripping with venom as she struck Abel.
"What you did was an obstruction of duty. I'll be sure to report that to the Vixen of Milan!"
"Damn it!"
By the time there was a roar and a flash of cold light, Abel's finger had already left the trigger of his old-fashioned revolver. Crimson liquid spurted from his wrist onto the cobblestones and a cry of agony escaped the priest's mouth.
"Farewell, wimp~☆"
The blown kiss and the venomous sneer were accompanied by the eerie sound of the wind. Abel's body doubled over in pain as the Cinquedea was being thrusted down upon the back of his head. The thin blade looked as if it would shatter the priest's medulla oblongata, but-
"Stop it, Sister Monica Argento."
A shrill metallic sound preceded a flat voice of restraint.
When Black Widow leapt sideways with the halved Cinquedea in hand, a fourth figure had appeared in the parking lot.
"T-Tres!"
"What are you two doing, Father Abel Nightroad and Sister Monica Argento?"
A small shadow approached with the sound of methodical footsteps and glanced at Abel with emotionless eyes. With a smoking pistol at his disposal, he questioned the priest and the nun in a monotonous voice.
"Private combat during a mission is prohibited by internal regulations. If you continue to engage in combat, you will be subject to punishment."
"And there I was wondering who it was. It's the little one..."
Displeased with having her fun interrupted, the nun lowered her hand that was holding the Cinquedea. Shaking her head and her black hair that was stuck to her forehead, she regarded the mechanical soldier.
"Are you going to interfere with my work?"
"I have no intention of interfering with your mission, however, an attack on Father Nightroad is intolerable under current circumstances... Father Nightroad, as things stand, Black Widow's opinion is correct. That terrorist is too dangerous to be taken to Milan alive. He must be eliminated here."
"W-Wait a second, Tres!"
Blood continued to flow from his sliced wrist. Abel took a step forward while trying to stop the bleeding. He kept Magician behind him in order to shield him and pleaded earnestly.
"There's something this man needs to do. 'Silent Noise' has been installed somewhere in this city! We need to find it and dismantle it quickly."
For a brief moment, a light flashed in the mechanical soldier's glassy eyes.
"Is that information reliable, Father Nightroad?"
"Yes and time is running out. Tonight, the opera house is being targeted."
Abel was about to say more, but suddenly his tongue froze in place.
An overwhelming urge to throw up made his chest constrict. Had he lost so much blood that his body went into shock? No, it wasn't that. The sensation he felt was far more foreign.
"Damn, we're too late..."
"What's that sound?"
Abel groaned as the feeling of discomfort he felt earlier returned again and at the same time, Monica who had been fiddling with the Cinquedea in discontent, raised her eyes skywards. A low vibration resembling the sound of a pipe organ reverberated through the night sky.
"It's 'Silent Noise'. It has begun!"
It was too late-
Abel raised his gaze at the brightly lit opera house in despair. His skin trembled. It was too late. The building was starting to resonate. There must be more than a thousand people in there, but how many of them will survive?
"Damn it... At this rate..."
Abel bit his lip and considered running in. The stone walls were beginning to make an eerie buzzing sound. If he entered the building now, he might get caught up in the collapse. Still, he couldn't bring himself to stand there idly.
"W-What's that sound?"
The first thing everyone heard was a low hum like the flapping of insect wings.
"I feel sick..."
All over the theater, particularly sensitive audience members complained of a rising urge to throw up, but even those who were unharmed were in no position to help them. Driven by an instinctive sense of unease, they looked up towards the ceiling — in the direction of something invisible and inaudible.
Was there something wrong with the air conditioning? Or did the speakers malfunctioned?
The moment someone in the audience, feeling suspicious, stood up to call for a member of the staff, it began.
A deafening boom, as if lightning had struck somewhere nearby, raged within the opera house. Although the sound itself was too low in wavelength to be heard, the sound pressure and the swell of air swept right through the entire theater.
"W-What is that sound?!"
The sound itself was inaudible. However, the intense ringing in the ears instilled pain as if it was piercing their eardrums, causing the well-dressed gentlemen and ladies to scream in unison.
Some of them clutched their ears and passed out. Some crouched down and barfed. A small minority stumbled and placed their hands to the wall only to discover that it was creaking and shaking violently. Amidst panic caused by the unheard sound, the walls, floor and even the ceiling gradually began to rumble. It was as if the building itself was writhing in agony.
Just as the screams were about to reach climax, another roar echoed through the theater.
"Please wait, Father."
A voice called out calmly and a hand reached out to grab Abel's sleeve, stopping him from breaking into a run. With a surprising amount of strength, the owner of the voice, Kämpfer, had managed to hold the priest in place and jerked his chin towards the building.
"Don't worry, the opera house is safe... Do you not hear that sound?"
"Sound?"
Surprised by the unexpected words, Abel had forgotten to shake off Magician's hand as he strained his ears.
The low humming of insects' wings continued to rain from the sky, but another sound had mixed in with it. It was even lower and heavier than the sound that came from the sky. What was it?
"It's coming from inside the building? I can hear it from inside the opera house... What is that?"
"It's 'armor', the armor of sound[3]... Hmm, it seems someone with a sharp mind is in there."
The "Silent Noise" pouring down from the sky and the deep bass sound emanating from inside the opera house — the two discordant sounds shook the night air as if competing against one another. And then, the vibrations of the opera house walls ceased. The banging of the walls and the rumbling of the earth could no longer be heard.
"It... It's gone?"
Abel wondered how much time had passed since he first noticed that sound. By the time he came to his senses, the low sound echoing from above had vanished. The cacophony from within the building was still ongoing, but apart from that, the opera house as well as the four of them in the parking lot stood still as if nothing had happened.
"Why?"
Abel muttered, dumbfounded.
It was definitely an attack by a low-frequency weapon. It was the same sound he had heard in Barcelona and in this city, but it was negated — how?
"Ah, could it be... Whoa?!"
Abel finally figured something out and was about to speak again only to jump over to Kämpfer to push him down. Taking advantage of the distraction, the Cinquedea had struck again.
"Stop that, Sister Monica Argento."
In response, Tres raised the muzzles of his M13s.
"Until we confirm the current situation, any hostile actions against Father Nightroad or Isaak Fernand von Kämpfer will not be permitted."
"Stop spouting nonsense, doll!"
This time, Black Widow spat as she swung her blade at Gunslinger.
"Neither the low-frequency weapon nor Vienna has anything to do with me!"
"Mr. Kämpfer, now!"
If I miss this opportunity, there will be no more chances to escape — with that thought in mind, Abel began to sprint as if driven by something. He leapt into the driver's seat of a car parked nearby and gave Magician an order.
"Come with me! Hurry!"
"Wait, Father Nightroad."
Tres shouted at the car whose engine had roared to life, but the Cinquedea approached, cutting off his voice. The barrel of his combat pistol blocked the blade, but a shrill sound echoed through the parking lot.
"We're going... Hold on tight!"
Abel ordered as Kämpfer slid into the passenger seat and the car sped off.
<Target A and B have withdrawn from the front line.>
In the darkness of the "ring", the red taillights of a car rapidly faded into the distance. The girl in the coachman's seat, who had been watching them, reported in a toneless voice.
<Shall we pursue them, master?>
"No, that won't be necessary."
The brown-haired young man opened his eyes upon hearing the maid's voice and shook his head curtly. From within the carriage parked on the side of the road, he coldly observed the two remaining individuals arguing in the parking lot and issued an order.
"I'll leave the pursuit to Acht (VIII). Let us return to Turm. If my predictions are correct, the rats will soon be on the move. I'd better head back to assist the Countess and my brother... Please inform Drei (III) and the others, Zwei (II)."
<Understood.>
"So... Crusnik has failed to kill him this time too. What will the other deputy enforcers do now?"
While the maid nodded and turned the carriage around, the young man stroked his chin and muttered.
The first stage of the plan — to pit the deputy enforcers against Magician — was a success. However, even if they were the Vatican's elites, he certainly did not expect them to be able to nullify the weapon so easily, and there was no way that Magician wouldn't notice their schemes. The fact that he had chosen to come along of his own accord meant that he was trying to outwit them.
"And now, we're going to outwit him even more... Or rather, the real show is just starting."
The young man, Basilisk, muttered to himself as the carriage turned a corner, and shut his eyes again.
Yes, the night has yet to come.
✝ End of Chapter VI
[1] Polite as always, Abel addresses Isaak as Kämpfer-san (さん) which is equivalent to "Mr." or "Mrs." and speaks to him in a respectful manner.
[2] Golden eggs are commonly used as a symbol for something of great value, usually money.
[3] It is indeed written as "armor of sound" (音の鎧). I believe it's a term used to describe the trick Leon used to nullify the low-frequency weapon. There is a brief explanation for this in the next chapter.
The word "ring" referred to the ring road which encircled the center of Vienna, the former capital of the now-defunct Duchy of Ostmark.
The boulevard was constructed after the ancient city walls were dismantled. Various government offices, major trading companies, media outlets and cafés lined the streets like jewels on a lady's ring. On weekdays, the place bustled with government officials, workers and vendors catering to them. On weekends, however, it was a different story.
"Hmm, it seems there's no one inside. I suppose it's an off day after all, Hugue."
Even in Germanicus, where there were many workaholics, Sunday was technically a day of rest. The main street was deserted and the classy café had no other customers other than the priest duo occupying the front window seats. Diagonally opposite the café, a long, narrow building sandwiched between other buildings on either side, was no exception.
There was something oddly intimidating about that building.
Its decorative walls, which imitated the neoclassical style, were bleak and resembled the lair of an evil wizard in fairytales. Countless windows on its walls stared down on the street like vacant eyes.
After confirming that all the windows had their blinds drawn with his binoculars, Abel Nightroad reverted his attention to his companion before him who was reading a newspaper.
"Well, it's Sunday so it makes sense that no one's there… But, this is their stronghold after all. I can't imagine they would leave the building completely unattended."
"The address is correct. Kärntner Straße 3/24 — according to Cherubim's information."
In contrast to the priest, who was muttering leisurely, a gloomy shadow hung over the blond young man's face.
Under his wavy hair, his northern facial features were as well-chiseled as a classical sculpture, but his pale green eyes burned with a dark flame. Father Hugue de Watteau, a handsome man with a melancholic aura, cast a somber gaze towards the building in question and spoke with a voice that resembled a hellhound.
"Furthermore, preliminary investigation confirmed that people associated with the Neue Vatican had paid frequent visits to that building. No, they were not the only ones who had been making contact. The Erin Independence Alliance, the Clermont Preachers, the Camorra Vendina family, the Mithraic Cult… It's like a trade fair for heretical societies and terrorist organizations. There's no doubt about it. The Einherjar Chamber of Commerce is a cover for the Orden."
“I don't think you should jump to conclusions, Hugue."
Abel shook his head in a rare admonishing manner. He threw a damper on the enthusiasm of his companion who was on the verge of leaving his seat to enter the building at any moment.
"Tres and the others will be joining us tonight. We should wait for them before we make a move, it's still not too late by then. After all, this is Germanicus. We best act with caution."
"Especially at a time like this when the king is in Vienna… I know, Abel. I wouldn't go in alone either."
Tapping a slender finger on the newspaper article that reported the visit of Ludwig II, King of Germanicus — also known as the "Tyrant King" — in Vienna, Hugue twisted his lips as if mocking his own incompetence. However, even with that expression on his face, the priest from the north was still breathtakingly beautiful. He sighed wistfully at the waitresses who were admiring his profile in awe and with a hint of suspicion since it was unusual for two men to come to a café like this on an off day.
"But even now, master[1] is stuck in the intensive care unit with a 50/50 chance of survival. Even if he does survive, there is a possibility that he'll be left with some kind of disability... Abel, I can never forgive them..."
"I understand how you feel. No, I feel the same..." Abel heaved a deep sigh as he stirred the red liquid that had once been tea but had now turned into a gel-like "something" after thirteen spoonsful of sugar were added.
A week ago, simultaneous attacks struck both Milan and Rome, resulting in many casualties. One of the incidents — officially reported to have been perpetrated by the remnants of the Neue Vatican — nearly took the life of Caterina, the Minister of Holy Affairs. Although the worst-case scenario had somehow been averted, Alfonso d’Este, who was a key witness, had died. The severely injured "Professor" was still in the intensive care unit in Rome and his condition an uncertainty.
The only ray of hope that could be grasped amidst the disaster was identifying the place that seemed to be "their[2]" base of operations. It was a great accomplishment for the AX since that organization's true nature was barely known apart from the name "Orden". There were no clues as well, up until now. It was no wonder that Caterina, who was currently in Rome, was thrilled to learn that they were in Vienna.
However, the most beautiful cardinal in the world was also the most cautious strategist. It could be a desinformation[3]. Germanicus was already a problematic military nation and Vienna was the former capital of the Duchy of Ostmark which had been destroyed by Germanicus sixteen years ago. To assign a large number of personnel to such a place could, at worst, cause a diplomatic issue. With that in mind, only deputy enforcers[4] were dispatched to Vienna for now.
"So, Abel... How long do we have to stay like this?"
The swordsman tilted his head as he methodically unfolded the social section of the newspaper.
"The King of Germanicus will be staying in the city for another three weeks. I understand that we need to move cautiously, but if we wait for that long, we might end up giving them a chance to escape. Shouldn’t we do something before that happens?"
"No, I don’t think we need to wait for weeks."
Abel shook his head in a particularly optimistic manner in response to his pessimistic colleague. He recounted the latest information he had received when he left Milan this morning.
"Well, it seems Tres, who is heading our way, has somehow obtained a microchip containing this country's state secrets."
"State secrets? Germanicus'?"
"Yes, apparently it contains an order from His Majesty King Ludwig to establish a new intelligence agency. In exchange for returning the microchip, we will request tacit consent for our activities in Vienna — that is Caterina's plan."
"I see... So that's why you deliberately timed our meeting with Father Iqus and the others tonight to coincide with the king’s schedule."
Hugue flicked his long fingers at the newspaper article that reported the king will be gracing the opera house with his presence tonight. However, he was probably already envisioning the moment of revenge in his mind. His green eyes, which were gazing out the window, flickered with murderous intent.
The streets were deserted. Only a few homeless people could be seen rummaging through trash bins on the corners of the main street. At this rate, no one should be around by midnight. All that was left for the priest duo to do was to make arrangements with the authorities. If things should escalate into a big commotion, they wouldn't have to worry about collateral damage. That was their plan.
"Huh?"
Abel suddenly frowned.
He heard voices that sounded like an argument coming from a corner of the street. No, it was a one-sided, intimidating shout. He turned his gaze in that direction and saw a shabby figure pushing a cart — a homeless man who had been rummaging through the trash bins in front of the Einherjar Chamber of Commerce — surrounded by several burly men who resembled ferocious thugs. Abel had no idea what the problem was but they were pushing the homeless man around and kicking the cart he was pulling.
"Oh, that looks like trouble."
They were probably fighting over something stupid like the cart had hit them, for example. The homeless man, on the other hand, had a hood that covered his head completely so Abel couldn't see his appearance very well, but he was petite and delicate-looking, so it seemed impossible for him to escape those men.
The silver-haired priest knew he should help, but he didn’t want to get into trouble. Not here, not now.
"Well, I'm at a loss. What should we do, Hugue... Huh? Hugue?"
Abel shifted his attention back to speak with the person in front of him and involuntarily uttered a cry. On the table was a neatly folded newspaper and a steaming mug of schwarz[5], but the swordsman's melancholic face was nowhere to be seen. Abel searched his surroundings in panic and spotted the swordsman who had somehow exited the café, and was now striding towards the source of the commotion.
"T-This is bad... Oh, excuse me, may I have the bill please? And a receipt. If possible, please leave the amount column blank."
By the time Abel managed to pay the bill and rush out of the café, his companion had already reached the battlefield. The blond priest called out to the tall man who stood a little further away from the group who was still harassing the homeless man.
"Hey, you there."
"Hm?"
The tall man's lips curled in disgust and that was his final word — the grey metal rod in Hugue's hand moved at lightning speed, and as the man turned around, it gently prodded him in the solar plexus. That was all it took. The unfortunate man collapsed, his eyes rolling back in his skull.
"W-Who the hell are you?!"
"It doesn't matter who I am. Stay away from that person."
The bulky man who seemed to be the leader spat at him, but the swordsman quietly but firmly ordered and twirled the metal rod in his palm. Startled, the men took a step back and the priest spoke again in his usual gloomy tone.
"It's unmanly to gang up and subdue a defenseless person... If you have even the slightest bit of shame, then you should just disappear."
"D-Disappear?!"
At first, the men were shocked at the disgrace of their comrade who had gotten himself defeated so easily, but they soon remembered they had a numerical advantage. They glared at the arrogant, handsome man and the silver-haired priest who had finally caught up to him with a receipt clutched in his hand.
"You bastards! Are you two civilians trying to get in our way?! We won't show you any mercy even if you're a priest!"
"Civilians? N-No, are they low-ranking government officials?!"
Abel’s face blanched at the men's words. So, were these thug-like men soldiers? No, there was something odd about them.
"I see! Could these guys be... H-Hugue, no!"
Abel attempted to stop his colleague but he was a second too late. The metal rod swung horizontally and swept away the legs of the man who was trying to seize the blond priest. The slightly overweight victim thrashed about and screamed loudly. Another man who tried to attack from the side was knocked back by a swift kick that hit him squarely in the jaw. He stumbled heavily backwards and collided into the homeless man's cart which had been repositioned a little further away from the center of the commotion.
"Huh?!"
The very next moment, Abel pushed up his round glasses and gasped.
It wasn't because the victim had fallen in a strange manner, or because he was surprised to see a young woman's face under the homeless man’s hood which had been thrown back amidst dodging.
His eyes were drawn to the contents that had rolled out of the overturned cart on the stone pavement — an object made out of five or six other long, thin, cylindrical objects. At first glance, the short threads sticking out from the ends of the cylinders reminded him of candles, but of course, it was nothing that idyllic.
"Dy-Dy-Dy-Dynamite?!"
"Don’t move!"
Abel's eyes widened at the same time the woman pulled out a black shiny lump of iron from under her patched coat. The lump of metal, composed of curves and straight lines — the bolt of a small crude submachine gun — was released as she continued to scream.
"Everyone, please don’t move! If you move-"
"Hah!"
If she was left unchecked, her trembling fingers might have pulled the trigger, resulting in several casualties, but that was not the case. Hugue, whose back had been turned to her, drew a quick breath and swung his metal rod. His rod-handling technique made it look as if he had eyes on the back of his head as he knocked the submachine gun away and high up into the air.
"Nice one, Hugue!"
Abel praised his colleague's miraculous feat as he caught the falling firearm with unsteady hands.
Why would a homeless person be carrying something as dangerous as a dynamite and a submachine gun? Even if Germanicus was a warlike military nation, surely it wasn't that? It didn't seem like they were planning on starting a territorial war...
The answer to Abel's doubts was given moments later by a deep man’s voice and the stamping sound of countless pairs of military boots.
"All right, that’s enough! Give up, terrorists!"
A man bellowed and several figures came rushing out from the alleyways.
Their grey uniforms and bowl-shaped helmets with a bulge on the back of their heads were unmistakably those of the Germanic army, as were the rifles and military submachine guns in their hands. Why were they here though? And what about terrorists?
"You are the leader of the Resistance 'Edelweiss', Waltraute vön Donitz, and her members, correct?"
One of the thugs who had been knocked down by Hugue groaned in a gruff voice. He dragged his injured leg in pain as he rose to his feet, then changed his rough tone to that of a stiff military man before introducing himself.
"We are from the Ostmark Regiment of the Gendarmerie[6] Corps of Germanicus. Daughter of Baron Donitz, you are under arrest for attempted assassination of the king."
"Resistance?! Attempted assassination?!"
While Abel goggled in shock, the thugs — or rather, those pretending to be thugs — pulled out handcuffs and ID cards. As much as Abel wanted to escape, the soldiers around him had the muzzle of their guns pointed at him and refused to budge. The priest let out a shriek of protest.
"N-no, that has nothing to do with us — we were just trying to save an unfortunate woman who was being harassed! We are nice guys who just happen to be passing by! We have nothing to do with the Resistance, or assassination, or anything like that!"
"Shut up! We know you've been hanging around the Einherjar Chamber of Commerce since this morning! Why would mere priests do that? That organization is notoriously known as an arms smuggling organization that supports the defeated soldiers of Ostmark, 'Edelweiss' included! Don’t make such a pathetic excuse!"
"The priest speaks the truth."
A low feminine voice rebuked the gendarmerie officer who was trying to knock Abel down. The homeless woman, with her hands handcuffed behind her back, groaned as if in resignation.
"I have never seen their faces in the organization before and I don't know anything about the Einherjar Chamber of Commerce. I got these explosives elsewhere."
"Hah! What a stupid excuse!"
The woman's defense only seemed to further solidify the gendarmerie officer's suspicions. His stern face, like that of a military hound, contorted in hatred and he jerked his chin at the three of them.
"We found out that the organization has been selling you weapons and ammunition in secret. They also disguised the delivery as junk scraps... and then Denitz, you showed up. These priests are your bodyguards, aren’t they?"
"I have no idea what you're blabbering about."
After a brief moment of silence, the woman shook her head. She was likely in her mid-twenties. Apart from her slightly close-set eyes, she was quite pretty and her beauty exuded aristocratic elegance. The woman was no mere commoner.
"Besides, there are many remaining retainers of Ostmark in Vienna who bear a grudge against Germanicus. We don't need the help of these unreliable priests." She retorted stubbornly.
"That's your ploy... You probably assumed we’d let our guard down around these guys who seemed hopeless and weak but you're wrong! We'll use all our strength to take down even the most helpless of opponents. We will never let our guard down."
The gendarmerie officer then turned his cold eyes at the priests and issued a command to the armed soldiers on alert.
"All right, arrest these men and escort them to the gendarmerie headquarters! I'll interrogate them thoroughly later. Then, the rest of you, follow me. We're going to search the Einherjar Chamber of Commerce's building. All those who dare oppose His Majesty the King and any remaining people in the building are to be arrested!”
"Jawohl[7]!"
The soldiers saluted in unison, like precision machinery, and began to move at once. They split themselves into squads of about ten and surrounded the gloomy building on all sides. A number of them went to the back door as well. They all looked like knights who were about to set the wizard’s tower ablaze.
"Wait a second, this has gotten out of hand, hasn't it..."
Partially taken aback, Abel sighed. As he slowly backed away from the soldiers who were slowly approaching him with handcuffs in their hands, he whispered to his colleague whose green eyes were shining beside him.
"What's wrong, Hugue? We can’t possibly escape from this many people."
"Not really."
Shaking his head sullenly, the swordsman narrowed his eyes as he examined the number of soldiers surrounding them as well as their equipment.
"An escape is still feasible at this level but if we do that, our audience with the king tonight... Hm?"
Hugue who had been grumbling gloomily suddenly paused. His expression hardened and he lifted his head skywards like a hound who had heard a dog whistle.
"Something the matter, Hugue? You’ve got a strange look on your face... Is something bothering you?"
"No, did you not hear something just now? It sounded like an organ..."
"A sound?"
Abel looked doubtful again upon hearing the swordsman's words. It was a warm, spring day with the blue afternoon sky stretching overhead. If it weren't for the swarm of unrefined armed men surrounding them, it was the kind of weather that would make him want to skip work and go on a picnic. However, there was no sound of an organ anywhere.
"No, I don’t hear anything..."
"I see. I was just imaging it then... Wait what's that sound?!"
Hugue asked again. This time, the "sound" had certainly reached Abel’s ears. It was a deep rumble reminiscent of distant thunder, but it wasn't that. The sound was coming from beneath their feet.
"W-What is this? An earthquake?!"
"W-What... What’s going on?!"
It appeared that the priests were not the only ones who heard the "sound". Cries of shock arose from the handcuffed woman and the soldiers on the other side. They could clearly feel the swirling airflow on their faces. An unpleasant wind that made everyone present nauseous churned, then swelled into a tide, and poured into one place. What laid ahead was-
"H-Hey, look at that!"
The two priests instinctively raised their heads when they heard screams from the soldiers and gasped.
A roar comparable to that of an avalanche and a massive cloud of dust erupted before their eyes. No, that wasn't all. Behind the screen of white dust, the outline of the silhouette of a tall building was slowly distorting. It looked as though a pillar of salt was crumbling.
"T-The Einherjar Chamber of Commerce..."
As the giant shadow collapsed like a rotting tree, Abel could only gape in consternation.
✝ End of Prologue
[1] Referring to Dr. William Walter Wordsworth.
[2] Referring to the Rosencreutz Orden.
[3] "Disinformation" in German. I'm keeping this intact instead of swapping it to English because it is intended to be read this way according to the written Furigana.
[4] Referring to AX agents.
[5] Written as black mocha but the Furigana reads schwarz. I believe it means "black" in German and in this context, it refers to black coffee that has no added milk/sugar.
[6] The written Furigana for this is "Militärpolizei" which is the German word for "Military Police". I'll be using just "Gendarmerie" for my translations.
[7] Here, it means "Yes, sir!" in German. Jawohl is a stronger word than ja and is usually used in a military context as an affirmative answer to an order.
"Hospitals, hospitals are fun~♪ You go in sick, you come out dead~♪ Once you're dead, it's okay~♪"
"That's enough, Sister Kaya Syokka. This is a hospital room. Please be quiet."
In a corner of the intensive care unit ward, Caterina Sforza sternly reprimanded the humming that continued incessantly from the front. The source of the humming — a gypsy girl with a dark, deep-set face — shrugged and nodded lightly. After throwing her a glance, Caterina urged the black clad man who was standing nearby to continue his report.
"My apologies for the interruption... So, regarding Sister Kate's report, is it true that two deputy enforcers are currently missing?"
"Yes, Your Eminence. After the incident at the opera house, they were unable to contact Crusnik and Sword Dancer."
The one who answered respectfully was Major Federico Alvarez, squad leader of four SPs[1]. He was well over fifty years old, but he had the best physique of them all. With his back kept straight, the middle-aged veteran resumed his report.
"There is an eyewitness testimony from Gunslinger that Crusnik went to the city with a key witness in the Barcelona incident. As for Sword Dancer, there is no information whatsoever regarding his sudden disappearance."
"So, our combat strength has been reduced by one-third before we could even identify the perpetrator."
The beauty rested her pointed chin upon steepled fingers and sighed deeply. She slid her gaze to the bed beside her and murmured with sorrow.
"I'm failing to understand why six enforcers were dispatched then... What exactly are those two doing?"
"Shall Kaya go to Vienna too, Lady Caterina?"
The girl who was swinging her legs in boredom suggested to the cardinal who was enduring a headache. However, when the beauty tried to reply, she had already given herself the answer.
"Yes, that sounds good. Let's do that. Sing and dance, then kill all the bad people~♪ While we're at it, we'll decapitate the slacking priests, squeeze their blood dry, fry their hearts in a frying pan and feed them to the birds~♪"
"Let's do that another time, Gypsy Queen."
Caterina calmly rejected her enthusiastic proposal.
In truth, she was fearful that the girl might actually mean what she said, but more than that, she was terribly hesitant to deploy her reserve forces at this point. Of all eight existing deputy enforcers, Gypsy Queen was Caterina's only reserve force. With two still missing and one unconscious, sending the girl to Vienna was out of the question.
"I do at least hope you'll be all right, Doctor Wordsworth."
Caterina spoke sympathetically to the gentleman before her who was connected to countless IV tubes.
William Walter Wordsworth — self-proclaimed "Rome's greatest intellectual".
Three days ago, the deputy enforcer, who was injured in a battle with a vampire that attacked Castel Sant'Angelo, was still in a coma. According to the hospital, the emergency surgery was a success, but his condition was still fluctuating despite that. His pale face showed no signs of life and she could only hear faint breathing from his mouth, where an oxygen inhaler had been placed. The pipe and cane placed beside the bed may never be used again.
I am perhaps their grim reaper.
Wearing a blank expression, Caterina suddenly thought to herself.
The one constantly pushing them into danger and jeopardizing their lives was none other than herself. Even now, her subordinate was on the brink of death and yet all she could do was watch in vain. She was perhaps the worst superior or master ever.
Staring at the long-faced gentleman's limply closed eyelids, Caterina sighed again.
"Please come back soon, Professor. It's difficult not having someone to talk to..."
"Uhm, Your Eminence? Are you still with me?"
Alvarez's voice brought the cardinal, who was traversing through a swamp of anxiety, back to reality. It appeared the SP captain had been reporting right from the top. His polite face peered into Caterina's beautiful face as if to confirm the expression of his unresponsive superior.
"Is something wrong? Are you unwell?"
"Oh, no, sorry. It's nothing... Uhm, were we talking about Vienna?"
"No, we're on the situation in Milan right now. It concerns the replacement of Captain Visconti."
The elderly captain modestly corrected his superior. He handed her a file with the Sforza family crest — the snake and sword — engraved in wax and opened it reverently.
"As instructed by Your Eminence, Galeazzo Visconti has been relieved of his duties as commander of Castle Sforza's guards as of yesterday. He has also voluntarily retired from the private army of the Duke of Milan's household. Furthermore, President Lorenzo Visconti has approved of this personnel change. He is extremely sorry about the scandal of his nephew firing a gun at Your Eminence and would like to visit sometime to apologize in person."
"Ah, I'll leave that matter to you, Major Alvarez. Please handle it as you see fit."
Caterina shook her head as if the topic had been about a stray dog that had wandered into her garden. In a split second, she pushed the matter of the nobleman who had thrown away both his career and future into oblivion and steered the conversation back to the main issue at hand.
"The most pressing matter now is Vienna. Inform Sister Kate to keep the reports confidential. If she contacts you, let me know even if I'm asleep. Also, tell her to do everything in her power to find the low-frequency weapon. It's fine to leave the two missing enforcers as they are for now. We must prioritize the disposal of that weapon."
"Understood. I will notify her as soon as I return to Palazzo Spada. By the way, it's almost midnight, I humbly suggest heading back for some rest. You have a meeting scheduled at seven o'clock tomorrow morning with Cardinal Medici. I think you should take care of yourself a little bit more."
"Ah, that's right. That person is strictly punctual. I wouldn't want to be late."
She had rushed to the hospital as soon as she returned to the Holy City from Milan so she hadn't visited the Pope's Palace, let alone seen her brother. Ever since the last Inquisition trial, her relationship with Francesco had been extremely cold, but she had no intention of taking that into consideration at this point. For now, they should at least maintain a ceremonial relationship.
But is this okay? Is it okay for me to be the only one to "take care of myself" when my subordinates are teetering on the edge of life and death? Then again, it's true that even if I stay, there is simply nothing I could do.
"Is something the matter, Your Eminence?"
"Huh? Oh, it's nothing."
Caterina stood up when being questioned again. That's right, there's nothing I can do here. I should get some rest and prepare for tomorrow.
"All right, it's time we head back. Please fetch the car downstairs."
"Going home, going home, the cardinal is going home~♪"
As one of the SPs bowed and left the room, the girl who had been sitting with a bored look leapt to her feet. In contrast to her superior who was looking at the bed reluctantly, she headed towards the door without giving the patient a second glance.
"This is a hospital, everything happens here~♪ People grow up here and get old, get sick and get well, are born and die here — yay!"
"Oh, excuse me."
The ominous but cheerful humming was interrupted by a scream from the girl and a man's voice. The door had been pushed open from the hallway just as the girl reached for the knob. She hit her nose by accident and fell on her bottom. The young man in a white coat on the other side of the door reached out in panic.
"I'm sorry, miss. Are you hurt?"
"Are you the doctor on duty? Doctor Amalfi?"
Caterina called out to the young man who was helping Gypsy Queen to her feet.
"Cardiac Surgeon Dino Amalfi" — her eyes swiftly examined the name tag on the chest of the young doctor who had his hair parted like a playboy.
"Cardiac surgeon... Has the patient's heart weakened?"
"Yes... It seems the bleeding and organ damage were too severe."
The young man cleared his throat, his eyes darting back and forth between the chart he was holding and the priest lying on the bed. He then shook his head solemnly and added.
"Indeed, he was in quite a dangerous situation at one point but he's recovering fairly well now. Don't worry. I will help... No, I'll definitely help him."
"Please, doctor, he's like family to me."
Caterina gave in to the young doctor's confident assurance. She leaned her beautiful face forward, which was unusual for her, and pleaded in a firm tone.
"We may not be related by blood but he is an important family member to me... No matter what happens, please save his life."
"Leave it to me, Your Eminence."
The young man's face flushed at the beautiful woman's words. He closed the chart and nodded vigorously.
"I will definitely save him, even if it means sacrificing my own life. Please rest assured that he is in safe hands."
"Thank you. I'll be counting on you from now on. Let's make a move, Sister Kaya."
Casting one final glance at the bed, Caterina left the intensive care unit.
"Lady Caterina, why is Professor a family member to you?"
The girl beside her suddenly inquired as they descended the stairs and heard a commotion in the lobby.
Caterina wasn't dressed in her usual robes tonight. Opting for a plain suit and a thin coat, she resembled a company president's secretary at first glance. Furthermore, her face was hidden behind large sunglasses, but in Rome, many people were familiar with the beauty of the "world's most beautiful cardinal" and the sister of the Pope. The deputy enforcer gazed innocently at her superior who was heading down the stairs with her head slightly inclined, choosing to avoid the elevator.
"Lady Caterina, your family is no more, right? They all died ten years ago. They were murdered. That's what Kaya heard."
"Yes, my immediate family. But at that time, I met some important people... He was one of them."
Caterina offered a somewhat forlorn smile to the girl who had tilted her head.
In that horrible incident ten years ago, her mother, Lucrezia Sforza and her legal father, the former Duke of Milan, both died. Having lost everything, she inherited the Dukedom of Milan, a legacy of blood, glory and vast fortune. At the same time, she was taken in by her biological father, Gregorio, who was Pope back then, and entered the Holy World.
However, to the girl, who was still in shock from the incident, Rome was practically enemy territory during that time. There were those who bore animosity towards the Pope's biological child who appeared out of nowhere, those who were interested in the enormous fortune and status she had inherited, and those who were simply after her beauty... If fate had not placed several knights by her side back then, the girl would've been physically and mentally torn apart, and "Cardinal Caterina Sforza" would never have been born.
"Since then, Doctor Wordsworth has always been devoted to me in every way. If he had returned to Albion, he would've been rich and successful, but he stayed in Rome and became my right-hand man... It's all thanks to him that I am in the position I am now."
"Hmm... But Kaya doesn't really like that man. He stinks of cigarettes, he's always so arrogant and he's never nice to Kaya."
"Professor's pride is the flip side of his sensitivity... He probably has trouble showing his kindness to others."
Kaya's overly honest opinion made Caterina's smile turn into a bitter chuckle. As the girl turned away, the cardinal placed her hand on her subordinate's hair and continued speaking in a somewhat admonishing tone.
"I admit that his pride can be exhausting for me at times, but Doctor Wordsworth is still precious to me... Huh?"
The beautiful woman who was trying to placate Gypsy Queen suddenly looked away.
Several police cards were parked in front of the entrance, their blue lights flashing. Furthermore, in a corner of the lobby, people were moving about in a hurry.
"What's the commotion about?"
"I'll go have a look, Your Eminence, please wait here."
With a nod, Alvarez hurried into the crowd. He peered around and spoke briefly with one of the onlookers, then returned.
"I don't know the exact details but it looks like a murder case. A doctor was found dead. A forensic examination will begin soon... Your Eminence, we must remain inconspicuous. Let us use the side entrance."
"Agreed."
Caterina nodded when prompted by the captain.
Rome was a safe city but murders were not uncommon. Nevertheless, a group of curious onlookers had gathered in one of the hallways. No one paid any attention to the group heading for the back door.
"He was in such good spirits when he came to work just a while ago. Who could have done this to him?"
"The victim was stabbed repeatedly in the abdomen..."
A few people were being questioned and their words reached the ears of the cardinal, who was walking briskly. She shifted her gaze in that direction and saw a police officer having a deep conversation with a chubby nurse not too far away from the crowd.
"Given the brutality of the method, it was very likely a grudge-driven murder... So, do you have any idea who might have had a grudge against the victim? For example, women-related issues or medical malpractice... Was there anyone who wanted to revenge against the victim?"
"Revenge?! No way, I can't imagine such a thing happening to him!"
The elderly nurse was dabbing her eyes vigorously with a handkerchief, but when the police officer spoke, she raised her voice and shook her head with conviction, like a priest at a confirmation ceremony.
"He was really kind and everyone liked him. I can't imagine anyone having a grudge against Doctor Amalfi!"
"Amalfi?!"
Caterina looked up as if she had been struck by the proper noun that had spilled from the nurse's mouth. However, at that moment, everyone, except for Gypsy Queen who was staring longingly at a chocolate bar in the store, looked tense. Alvarez was the first to react. The elderly SP captain turned his sturdy body around and entered the group of people he had just left behind. Caterina reflexively followed suit.
"W-Who are you guys?!"
Ignoring the officers kneeling on the floor, Alvarez placed his foot under the body of the man lying face down in his underwear. With practiced movements, he turned the body over.
"It's him?!"
Recognizing the bloodless, upturned face, a groan escaped Caterina's lips as though she was the one who had died.
The dead man's membrane had already begun to fall from his vacant, wide-open eyes. A massive chunk of his neck had been chomped off, which was likely the fatal blow. However, it wasn't the tragic sight that made Caterina and the others gasp. The face of the corpse — a young face under that playboy-style parted hair — was familiar to all of them. Yes, it was the exact same man they had just met.
"So, that was... Oh no! Professor!"
"Y-Your Eminence?!"
Caterina turned around as to not hear Alvarez's panicked voice.
Anyone who knew her would be surprised to learn that she was indeed the "Woman of Steel". With a stiff expression of anxiety and fear, she immediately tried to slip past the man in a hunting hat who was standing right behind her.
"Oh? Are you, by any chance, Cardinal Caterina Sforza?"
A voice that sounded extremely exhausted, yet somehow imbued with abhorrent vitality, caught the cardinal's shoulder.
Or rather, to be precise, it was the man's strong hand that grabbed Caterina's slender shoulder. However, what caught her attention was the dark hatred in his voice. The man in the hunting hat stared into the face of the beautiful woman. He was a handsome young man but his expression was hollow and the corners of his lips had curled into the shape of a crescent moon.
"Have you forgotten my face? The face of Your Eminence's loyal vassal... The face of the subordinate you dismissed."
"Captain Visconti?"
Galeazzo Visconti — the nephew of the president of Visconti Enterprise in Milan and the commander of Castle Sforza's guards until the day before yesterday. Caterina was slightly taken aback to see his face, but she immediately raised her hand to pry his fingers away.
"What a surprise. When did you come to Rome? Ah, if you're here to talk about getting a new job, let's do it another day. I'm in a hurry right now..."
"A new job? No, I have no intention of doing that."
Galeazzo pursed his lips nervously and pulled out his right hand which had been in his pocket from the start. He seemed to have consumed a considerable amount of liquor. He exhaled a breath that reeked of alcohol and pointed an automatic pistol between Caterina's brows.
"After all, it's all over for me now. I was not only fired, but with Your Eminence's instigation, I was also disowned by my uncle, abandoned by my family and lost everything... Therefore, Your Eminence, I came here today to give you a taste of your own medicine!"
"Y-Your Eminence!"
Caterina couldn't move as she heard Alvarez's shriek-like cry. With widened eyes, she stared blankly at the flames spewing from Galeazzo's pistol.
