Misaki City is a city with a few issues.
The residents of Misaki City are somewhat aware of this.
If traced back, the earliest incidents go back about twenty years. Back then, it was said that some people saw a man-sized golden wolf in Misaki City, as well as a moon that, for some reason, appeared unusually bright.
Then, about seven years ago, due to the more recent timing and the number of people involved, residents still remember that Misaki City frequently experienced fires and the discovery of blood-drained corpses. It was rumored that these were caused by a vampire living in the city.
And now, similar rumors are spreading once again in Misaki City—recently, a vampire that drains human blood has appeared again.
It seems to be a pattern. Every so often, something happens in Misaki City. But these rumors usually only circulate for a few days, at most one or two weeks, before gradually fading away, and no one talks about them anymore. When someone tries to investigate later, they find it was all just empty fantasy.
Urban legend—that's the essence of many rumors circulating in Misaki City.
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Misaki City Station.
Ten years ago, due to an attack by one of the Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, the entire commercial area around the station was engulfed in flames. But now, seven years later, the station has been rebuilt. While maintaining its original scale, numerous fire prevention facilities have been added.
The series of fires caused by Vlov Arkhangel back then were attributed by the local government to severely inadequate fire prevention facilities. To prevent future fires, many new firefighting systems have been installed in Misaki City.
In addition to addressing fires, nighttime patrols in Misaki City have also been intensified. The vampire incidents that occurred almost simultaneously with the fires seven years ago left significant psychological trauma for the city's authorities. Since banning nighttime outings was impossible, they focused on increasing patrols.
Despite seven years of peace following those incidents, with no further strange occurrences, many felt their efforts were in vain.
Now, dragging a suitcase and exiting the station, Touko glanced at the city that felt increasingly unfamiliar. "Things have changed so quickly. The pace of modern society's development really makes me feel helpless, unable to keep up."
"Touko's ability to adapt to modern society already surpasses 90% of Magus." Naoki said with a laugh, following her onto the street while also carrying a suitcase. "You should know, at the Clock Tower now, there are still many Magus who can't use cell phones. Across the entire Clock Tower, only the Department of Modern Magecraft Theory and the Department of Botany have electricity and internet access."
For Magus who consider themselves superior, using modern devices like that is an insult. Compared to cell phones, they prefer communication Magecraft.
This isn't just true for older Magus; even the new generation of Magus from ancient families are like this. The only exceptions are the troublemaking students from the Department of Modern Magecraft Theory and the Department of Botany, which have long engaged with modern media.
Of course, there's also a small fraction of the Clock Tower's higher-ups.
And Touko not only uses cell phones but is also proficient with computers and various aspects of modern society. In this regard, she far surpasses most Magus.
"After all, puppets, in some ways, evolve with the times. What's the main aesthetic of this era, what kind of puppets are needed in this era—if you can't keep up with the times and only make outdated antiques, you won't make any money." Touko said, shrugging. "More importantly, I didn't expect you to come along too. I was hoping to spend some alone time with this kid."
As she said this, Touko glanced behind Naoki. There, Ciel, wearing the school uniform she used when infiltrating Misaki City years ago, was carrying a school bag. She looked like a student just returning from school, asked by her family to pick someone up.
"Because there's a Dead Apostle in Misaki City, I can't just ignore it." Ciel said.
"Even though you're no longer with the Holy Church?"
"It's become a habit. Can't change it."
Ciel had been with the Holy Church for over a decade. During those years, she had slain countless Dead Apostles. Fighting and exterminating Dead Apostles had become second nature to her.
When she heard that Naoki and Touko were coming to Misaki City to deal with a special Dead Apostle, Ciel volunteered to join them.
"You've left the Holy Church; you don't need to do this, Ciel." Naoki said with a wry smile. "It's a bit late to say this, but it would've been better if you'd gone back to London with Rei."
"Don't worry, I won't get in your way."
Ciel gave a faint smile. "I'll deal with this special Dead Apostle in my own way. You two do your thing. I'll take my leave here."
After saying that, Ciel turned to leave with her school bag. But the next second, Naoki grabbed her by the collar, lifting her like a chick and pulling her back. "What can you do on your own? You're no longer with the Holy Church. You can't ask for their help, and you don't have a penny to your name. Food and shelter will be a problem. Don't tell me you're going to sleep on the streets."
"I have experience hiding in sewers for a whole year. Surviving in a big city without money isn't an issue."
"Did I save you from the Holy Church just so you could live like that?" Naoki said, exasperated, tapping her head. "Now, just follow me and Touko quietly. You don't need to act alone like before. You need to learn to rely on others, Ciel—is that okay, Touko?"
"You've already decided, so what can I say?" Touko said, spreading her hands to show she didn't mind. "In that case, how about we settle the lodging issue first? Find a hotel, drop off our luggage, then go for dinner? I don't know if my favorite restaurant is still around after all these years."
"Dinner's fine, but we don't need a hotel. If we're staying, I have a place better than a hotel."
A place better than a hotel?
Touko frowned. "Where?"
"Just follow me. You're definitely familiar with it, Touko."