The sun beat down, drawing a faint sheen of perspiration from Vatler's skin.
It wasn't just the heat; the temperature rising within him was also the thrill of battle.
"Miss Minamiya, was it only recently that you became a witch?"
Though phrased as a question, his tone left no room for doubt.
According to their intelligence, this girl had always been human—until now.
"What do you want?" The Minamiya Natsuki walking ahead of him didn't bother to turn around.
"Merely curious as to how Miss Minamiya came to be accompanying Her Highness, the 'Princess of the Moon'." Vatler's smile was leisurely. "This princess has only just appeared, after all."
The fact that the Warlord's Domain was so interested in the princess suggested that the reports of her defeating the First Primogenitor might actually be true.
Minamiya Natsuki's steps halted for a moment, her head tilting slightly. "I know you. Dimitrie Vatler."
"Though merely a 'Noble,' you've managed to consume two 'Elders'—Second Generation vampires of a higher rank than your own, second only to the Primogenitors themselves."
Among vampires, the Primogenitors stood at the apex, and there were only five in the world.
The First Primogenitor—Lost Warlord.
The Second Primogenitor—Fall Gazer.
The Third Primogenitor—Chaos Bride.
The Fourth Primogenitor, said to be the strongest—Kaleid Blood.
And the newly emerged Fifth Primogenitor—the Princess of the Moon.
Beneath the Primogenitors were the Elders, those who had gained a Primogenitor's recognition and received a share of their blood.
Further below them were the Nobles, the distant descendants of those Elders.
For a mere Noble to triumph in battle against an Elder was nearly unthinkable. This guy must have something special about him.
Minamiya Natsuki shot a glance at the still-smiling Vatler. The space around them shimmered with a faint ripple.
"Let's go."
"After you."
In an instant, both of their figures vanished from the spot.
"This is...?"
Vatler stared at the empty lawn before him, a puzzled frown creasing his brow.
"The princess wishes for her vehicle to travel unhindered in this world."
"The Warlord's Domain will facilitate this matter." Vatler placed a hand over his heart, his smile unwavering. "But... a vehicle?"
"A train." Minamiya Natsuki had stopped at a certain point outside the city, right above the ley line that crossed this continent. "It seems to be called..."
She tilted her head, and a clear, chiming sound of chains echoed.
"The Mystic Eyes Collection Train."
A chain wreathed in golden light flashed briefly beside her.
A strange glint passed through Vatler's eyes; he had seen that very chain in last night's battle.
It seemed this Minamiya Natsuki was deeply connected to the 'Princess of the Moon.'
The corner of his mouth lifted unconsciously as he waited quietly for something to arrive.
The next instant, a pure white haze enveloped his surroundings.
A thick fog that obscured vision spread out from ahead. Though it was so dense he couldn't see more than a few meters, his breathing remained completely unimpeded.
A majestic form began to materialize within the mist—a deep grey train body, imposing and grand. Tracks unfolded beneath its wheels, stretching far into the distant fog.
This was the train that traveled the ley lines—the Mystic Eyes Collection Train.
Vatler stared, stunned, at the classic train before him, his hand involuntarily clenching.
Had the surrounding environment been shifted into a separate dimension?!
He warily scanned his surroundings, but quickly relaxed.
If that 'Princess of the Moon' wanted to harm him, she wouldn't need to go to such trouble.
A proper smile returned to Vatler's face as he gently adjusted a button on his cuff. "A remarkable train. Might I ask which company built it?"
Just which company could have constructed this mysterious train in a single night?
It wasn't any company. She and Trimmau had stayed up all night, assembling it from materials provided by Brunestud.
Minamiya Natsuki looked at him expressionlessly, her arms crossed over her chest.
"If there's nothing else."
With that, the girl's figure vanished from the spot.
Simultaneously, the white fog began to recede, and the train before him started to fade from Vatler's view.
"Also, I am not the 'Princess of the Moon's' attendant."
The words seemed to drift from the void itself.
Vatler stood his ground with a composed smile, clearly not believing a word of it.
--+--
One material after another appeared out of thin air in the room. A silver-haired maid was busy stacking them in the corner.
Minamiya Natsuki's room was quickly becoming rather cramped.
Minamiya Natsuki, who had just become a witch... There was still quite some time before the main story would begin.
Lifting her teacup, she shifted her gaze to the seat beside her.
In the blink of an eye, the figure of a black-haired girl abruptly appeared there.
"It's settled."
In just a single day, Minamiya Natsuki had grown considerably more adept with spatial magic.
Brunestud gave a slight nod, her eyes focusing on the empty space behind Minamiya Natsuki.
When a witch formed a contract with a demon, a Guardian—a familiar of the demon—was entrusted to the witch as the price.
The Guardian was the source of the witch's power, but also her watcher.
Should the witch take any action that violated the contract, the Guardian would immediately take her life.
And Minamiya Natsuki's Guardian was...
Short golden hair, crimson cat-like eyes, adorable cat ears, and a super-deformed, chibi physique.
It was none other than the legendary Princess Cat—Neco-Arc!
So her Guardian was her...
Brunestud narrowed her eyes.
So Minamiya's spatial abilities were granted by her... Truly fitting for an elusive gag character.
Minamiya Natsuki took a sip of the black tea Trimmau had brought her, and her eyes widened immediately.
The skill in brewing this tea... was exceptionally high.
A graceful curve touched her lips as she looked at Trimmau standing nearby.
The latter puffed out her chest with pride.
The desire to have a maid of her own began to grow rapidly in Minamiya Natsuki's heart.
Setting down her cup, she returned her mind to the matter at hand.
"Princess... Your Highness, regarding the price of the contract... what is its specific meaning?"
A witch who formed a contract with a demon gained power, but also had to pay a price.
At the moment the contract was formed, the corresponding price had entered her mind—'Show the Princess this world.'
Thinking of that vague cost, Minamiya Natsuki's brow furrowed slightly.
The contract was absolute; she wasn't worried that Brunestud would do anything to interfere with her own wishes.
Judging by Brunestud's attitude towards her, she didn't seem to dislike humans.
The most pressing consideration was how exactly she was supposed to fulfill this price.
The girl pondered fretfully.
"Take it literally." Brunestud's voice was flat. "There's no need to follow me around. Trimmau will notify you if you're needed."
A role similar to a service provider?
"Understood." Minamiya Natsuki gave a slight nod, her lively, doll-like eyes shimmering.
Still a young girl, she hadn't yet developed the gravitas she would possess in the future.
"May I ask one more question?"
"Speak."
"The Mystic Eyes Collection Train... what are Mystic Eyes?"
Since it was a train for collecting Mystic Eyes, it naturally needed to have Mystic Eyes.
According to the knowledge she had studied, the concept of 'Mystic Eyes' didn't seem to exist.
"You can think of them as tools for employing magic."
To avoid unnecessary explanations, Brunestud used 'magic' in place of 'magecraft' for the sake of clarity.
A glass cylinder filled with liquid suddenly appeared in her hand.
A pair of eyeballs floated within it.
Unlike the Mystic Eyes from her old world, which were rooted in the human body, these were simply eyeballs embedded with magical circuits.
By engraving magical circuits into an object, one could activate them simply by providing mana.
This was a technique from a different world entirely.
For Brunestud, the more difficult part had actually been creating an eyeball capable of receiving external information and providing vision.
"Simply supply mana, and you can use the spell."
Encased in mana, the eyeballs drifted out of the liquid.
Before Minamiya Natsuki's eyes, the pupils of the eyeballs suddenly glowed red.
An immediate chill filled the room, and a thin layer of white frost crept across the table in front of her.
"These are Mystic Eyes."
To be able to unleash an attack similar to a Familiar's so easily...
Minamiya Natsuki narrowed her beautiful, doll-like eyes. She was beginning to understand just how effortlessly the being before her could alter the world.
"I will be going to Itogami Island later." Her gaze shifted to Trimmau. "You can find me at Saikai Academy."
Trimmau gave a slight bow.
Suddenly, the space rippled, and a small figure popped out of the void.
Neco-Arc stood before Minamiya Natsuki, hands on her hips.
Her rounded, Doraemon-like paws reached into the void and pulled—yanking out another Neco-Arc.
Then, she punched it, knocking it out cold.
Within the dreams of the unconscious Neco-Arc, a massive bounded field slowly materialized.
Neco-Arc delivered two more punches for good measure, seemingly to ensure it wouldn't wake up.
"This is the Prison Barrier. The chains can open a door to it. Use it as you wish."
Her skirt swaying, Brunestud turned and walked towards the door.
Ahead of her, a high, clear steam whistle sounded from the depths of nothingness.
It was a sound that shook the very fog, resonant and operatic.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.