NAPE - 115

Side Story 26

• Bibi-nim? Is that really you, Bibi-nim? “Yes, it’s me. What in the world happened? You have no idea how shocked I was.” Suddenly, mutated Corpse Flower seeds were in the hands of humans and hybrid vampires, and she was told they were passed down in her family for generations, and that Lord Schauer had betrayed them... Bibi unconsciously choked up. As tears welled up in her innocent eyes, Lord Schauer became extremely crestfallen. He let out a sigh mixed with remorse and lowered his head.

• I apologize, Bibi-nim. I am truly sorry... In the past, when the trainer came and threatened to burn down the botanical garden and destroy all of the Master’s legacy... I had to make a choice. I reluctantly handed over the seeds and cultivation method... If I had known Bibi-nim would return, I should have stopped him somehow... “Why didn’t you just tell me first...? Why didn’t you say anything? If you had told me beforehand, I would have found a solution or hidden them somehow...”

• I never thought there would be humans collaborating with the trainer. I thought everything was over once he died. Moreover... I was so ashamed when I first met Bibi-nim that I couldn’t say anything. I belatedly realized there was a confederate of the trainer and went to Thailand to try and fix things... but I was caught by a vampire using the Queens Romane Casino. When I barely escaped from there, I accidentally got caught by the Elder Council. “So that’s what happened... By the way, Lord Schauer, do you know where you are right now? I could secretly...”

• No, Bibi-nim. Don’t do that. You mustn’t. For an Enforcer, who upholds balance, to disregard the Court of Interrogation, that is unacceptable! Lord Schauer vehemently shook his head. “But speaking at the Court of Interrogation will be useless. You’ll be executed.”

• I would rather not speak. They are clearly looking for an excuse to target Bibi-nim, and I cannot allow that. If I were to defend myself, I would have no choice but to talk about Claireval and the trainer... Then wouldn’t the arrow turn back to Bibi-nim?! Lord Schauer was saying the same thing as Doyoon. Everyone was worried about Bibi and thought it was best not to expose anything. Bibi keenly realized that she was still powerless in vampire society. As the probability of Lord Schauer dying increased, a strong sense of reality set in. Bibi acutely realized where she belonged and what position she held. Vampire society was more intense and complex than the world of hounds she had belonged to. It was a dog-eat-dog society where if you were careless and fell off a cliff, a pack of crocodiles would open their mouths and devour you. Doyoon had no intention whatsoever of exposing her to that world just to save Lord Schauer. How had her father, as an Enforcer, exerted influence in this terrifying place? “My father, how did he quickly recognize the vampires’ sins and mediate them...? How was that possible? If someone broke a taboo, they wouldn’t have openly advertised it...” Now, facing a crisis, she became genuinely curious. She had only mumbled to herself, but Lord Schauer’s eyes lit up. He gasped loudly, as if he knew something. It was like he was hiding a treasure and giving hints about where it was.

• Ask whatever you’re curious about, Bibi-nim. “Huh?... Um... How did the Enforcer move so quickly before the Executioner could, without an assassination squad like Volpithon? And you said he lived confined in a monastery for 500 years. What was it like during that空白? Focusing on his agitation, Bibi leaned forward and asked actively. Richard, who was standing further away, also looked at them with a different expression than before.

• The Master always fulfilled his role, even during the blank period. “Lord Schauer, you know something, don’t you?” Bibi considered the possibility that what she was asking now might be the key to resolving the situation.

• Do you know the fairy tale about the king with donkey ears? “No.”

• Bibi-nim, I cannot say anything about the Enforcer. That power can only be transmitted orally by the individual themselves. Even if you are the successor. That’s why I cannot explain the contents of that USB in detail. I cannot, but I can assure you that what is inside that USB will be your greatest weapon. The Enforcer is justice itself. What made that role possible was... Static... crackle, Just before the last crucial clue, the screen suddenly went black. The video call ended abruptly. Bibi stared blankly at the laptop. “It’s not a communication error. I think time ran out. I bribed the guard over there. We can’t talk anymore.” Richard wore a regretful expression. Bibi, lamenting the interrupted conversation, mulled over what had been discussed. USB, weapon, justice and role, fairy tale... “Richard, the king with donkey ears... What’s that about?” “Hm? Oh, right. It’s exactly as it sounds.” Richard slowly, in an easy-to-understand way, recounted the fairy tale and its moral. The plot involved a barber who, upon learning that the king had donkey ears, dug a hole in the forest and shouted out the secret. And for a while, the secret about the donkey ears was carried on the wind throughout the forest. After hearing the whole story, Bibi jumped up from her seat. She then slowly walked along the wall, organizing her thoughts. She even mumbled to herself like someone in a trance. Richard, observing her, asked if she was okay. “If it’s too hard, should I call Doyoon?” “No. Listen, I... I think I understand what Lord Schauer was trying to say.” Bibi grabbed Richard and rushed back to the laptop. She then placed the necklace she had never taken off onto the table. When she opened the socket, a USB rolled out. “What do you mean, you understand?” “...Richard, please look at this USB. It’s people’s monologues... At first, I wondered what it was. But now I’m getting a feel for it.” Bibi moved the mouse quite skillfully. When she clicked on an icon in the folder, the website window she had seen before popped up. Richard squinted and watched intently. “A chat room for an unspecified number of people? The languages are all different, and everyone is just saying what they want.” “All of this is being saved.” “Really?” “Think about it. How did the Enforcer move faster than the Executioner? It was because of information. Could this be it?” Bibi revealed her hypothesis. When she pieced together Lord Schauer’s words, only one thing came to mind: the servant from the fairy tale of the king with donkey ears. The betrayal of someone who held a secret. The chat room where trivial and useless information poured out. Sensing something unusual, Richard slightly turned the laptop towards himself. “Shall we try an experiment? If I press Ctrl+F here, a search window appears. I’ll enter the keyword... Tudor family... Ah, it’s coming up. Oh my god...!” Richard’s mouth fell open in shock. His eyes were filled with horror. And no wonder, for the screen displayed everything that had happened in the Tudor family in detail: the contents of Isabella and Bibi’s phone calls, Richard’s departure from Long Melford yesterday, even Doyoon’s past plan to inherit the Executioner’s position. “Now I get it. They planted informers. One of the vampire servants belonging to each family. They made them record all of their master’s daily routines, main activities, and contacts on this site. Every little detail. This is far more detailed and has more evidence than the information we gather within our family. It’s qualitatively overwhelming. It seems document photos are also uploaded separately to the server.” Richard trembled slightly with what might have been ecstasy, anger, or horror. He looked back at Bibi and smiled crookedly. “I thought all the familiars of the Excold family had disappeared, but they haven’t. The previous Enforcer would have received reports in documents, but it seems Lord Schauer has digitized them like this in modern times. He’s competent. He’s someone who should be by your side.” “Can we... use this for Lord Schauer?” “Hmm... Doyoon wants to keep you completely hidden and protected...” Richard bit his lip, looking at the USB. He rubbed his chin with a thoughtful expression. “I don’t want to be protected. I want to protect someone too. Right now it’s Lord Schauer, but if a situation arises where I need to protect Doyoon, I’ll protect him before anyone else.” At Bibi’s spirited words, Richard gave a proud smile. “If you have to reveal yourself anyway, it wouldn’t be bad to ensure no one underestimates you. Ah, Doyoon will be angry if he finds out. He’s always kept what he liked in his closet and monopolized it since he was a child.” “I’m sick and tired of cramped spaces.” “Alright. Let’s do it.” Two days remained until the Court of Interrogation. Having found a clue, Bibi began preparations with Richard’s help. Preparations for the Enforcer’s re-emergence in vampire society.

________________________________________

The Court of Interrogation was held in the deep hours before dawn. In the center of a vast white space, like the Pantheon, with marble pillars forming a circle, an eerie moonlight descended through a hole in the ceiling. Here, only black and white existed. There were no colors beyond that. It was a place that unequivocally meant one of two things: life or death.

Countless people stood behind the pillars. Unlike the setting, they all held colorful expectations. The Executioner killing someone was a great amusement, while also providing relief that it wasn’t happening to them. Some even held the expectation that they could finally break the Enforcer’s spirit.

Several vampires wore masks; these were members of the Elder Council. They preferred to conceal their faces.