Hakushaku to Yousei - Volume 24 - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 ♦ ​The ship wanders the fairy seas

The large round moon hung from the top of the sky. Standing on the ship’s deck, Edgar was looking up towards it.
The tip of the main mast protruded into the sky towards the moon. When he lowered his gaze as if he was tracing the mast, white sails filled his vision.
The ship’s bow followed elegant curves and as the sails fluttered in the winds, they made one imagine the form of a swan, with its pure white wings spread, as if it was about to take flight at any moment.
This is Ibrazel’s ship. Edgar naturally recognized it. He was on board a ship he shouldn’t be on; without thinking that it was odd for him to be there, he looked around his surroundings as he searched for Lydia’s figure, as if it was something given.
But no one was on the deck.
Or was it that no one was on board this ship? It was so quiet that it made him think so. Although the sails were filled with winds, the ship did not appear to be moving, nor was it swaying with the waves.
Even though the moon was this bright, the extreme silence brought on an uneasy atmosphere. As Edgar felt uneasy, he descended down the stairs which led to the cabins.
At the bottom of the stairs, was someone, collapsed.
Paul…
Edgar was about to run towards him, but he stopped in his tracks when he noticed a pool of blood spreading into the surroundings.
Who on earth had done such a thing?
When he shifted his gaze, a pale white corpse came to view from behind a door nearby as well.
Kelly?
And Nico.
What’s happening? Why is everyone dead?
What about Lydia?
Edgar dashed forth.
He opened doors one after another. The crouched human figures were completely still.
Lota. Francis. …Even Raven.
Lydia’s not here.
Lydia, please be safe.
Edgar ran as he prayed for that.
There was a door at the end of the corridor. Edgar approached that door as if he was attracted to it. The door opened even though he did not touch it; on the other side of the door, he found Lydia, trembling.
He was about to call out to her, but the Lydia who looked at him, was stained in the blood of others, and her tear-filled eyes were empty.
Don’t come near me, said Lydia, as she restrained Edgar by gripping the treasure sword which she held against her chest.
It’s me. I’ve come to save you. He called out to her, but Lydia shook her head sideways.
You’re lying. You’re here to kill me right?
The Merrow Sword which Lydia held up, was stained in blood, like she was.
Don’t tell me, that you… everyone?
Everyone, tried to kill me… I won’t trust anyone!
Arrow, stop her!
Edgar ordered the treasure sword, but there was no response. Lydia came striking down towards him; he grabbed her hand and it took all of his efforts as he barely stopped her.
... Arrow, aren’t you around? You too, are you already…?
Edgar tried to pry and snatch the sword away from Lydia’s hands. As she had exerted strength, the momentum caused her to stumble.
Oh no! Thought Edgar, but by then, the sharp sword point had already impaled her through her chest.
Lydia!
In the instant he shouted, Edgar opened his eyes and found himself on a sofa.    

It took a while before Edgar realized that it was a dream. Slowly, he wiped the perspiration off his forehead. It seemed that he had dozed off while he was waiting for Arrow’s return.
However, quite some time had passed since Arrow left. Although the blue skies signified that dawn was approaching, there was no sense of Arrow having returned. When he started to get worried about what had happened over there, the dream earlier came to mind.
With that unnatural fire, if Teran was moving to target Lydia and party’s ship, Lydia may be in danger.
Was that a prophetic dream?
It can’t be, thought Edgar as he shook his head vigorously.
To begin with, it’s impossible that Lydia would kill our friends. What on earth happened and how exactly did things turn out that way? It’s illogical because it was a dream, so it’s something that would not happen in reality.
However, both the Organization and Teran cast darkness onto people’s hearts. Even things like Lydia hating Edgar and raising a weapon against him that way was…
If I’d end up killing Lydia, then it’d be better for me not to have tried stopping the sword. Edgar regretted so even though it was a dream.
And in doing so, he thought, how foolish, as he heaved a deep sigh.
While Edgar was doing that, the puppy was staring at him curiously.
“Now that I think about it, you don’t realize it huh. That I’m practically the one who killed the person you loved the most.”
The puppy didn’t understand words.
“Once you know the truth, will you hate me?”
Or, could it be that this white dog wasn’t the dog of the village girl then? It’s said that there was a dead puppy in the pond.
Either way, Edgar was getting stained with blood bit by bit here. If anything happened to Lydia, it’d be his fault for being unable to stop Teran.
Even though it was a dream, Edgar still couldn’t get rid of the sense of despair at having killed Lydia. He held the puppy up in his arms and placed it on his knees, as if he was seeking redemption. As he did so, mysteriously, the unease from the dream disappeared.

​To think that, even as he was deep in the Organization, that’d actually be a time whereby he felt calm and content. Although he didn’t even imagine that was possible, at a time like this, a sudden thought came to Edgar’s mind; that at some point in time, he came to share a single soul which was inseparable from Lydia.
Even if they were apart, when he thought of Lydia, he felt that she too was thinking about him. He thought that the affectionate feelings he felt as he cared for something helpless was flowing into him from Lydia’s soul.
Rather than saying that the deep, warm and uncalculated feelings of love came from within Edgar himself, it was like Lydia’s.
That’s why, even if he was alone, simply by looking at the puppy, by hearing the chirping of birds, he felt as though Lydia was by his side.
That was a territory which could not be invaded, even if Prince’s memories ruled over Edgar.
Being able to think of that firmly, Edgar finally felt at ease. If he was able to feel peace, then Lydia should be fine.
Suddenly, he felt winds blow through his room and so he lifted his face. This was a cabin in which both the windows and doors were shut. Finding it suspicious, he looked about his surroundings cautiously.
“Hey Earl. It’s been a while. Or are you no longer the Earl?”
Leaning against a display stand as he stood, that person was in the form of a beautiful young man with impeccable looks.
“Kelpie, why are you here…?”
Seeing Edgar surprised, Kelpie snorted.
“Hmph. It seems that you are at least still Lydia’s earl.”
“How did you know my location?”
“Now’s not the time to talk about things like that. Because I don’t want to be found by those guys from the Organization.”
Nodding, Edgar stood up and turned to face Kelpie anew.
“What’s your deal? Is it about Lydia?”
“Of course it is. A Baobhan Sith boarded Lydia’s ship.”
“A Baobhan Sith?”
“It’s a female demon from the Highlands. By sucking the blood of humans and fairies, it can turn exactly into that person’s appearance. There were also humans who died from having their blood sucked dry.”
“An Unseelie Court?”
“To think that something like that demon is used; is it that guy who was controlling the Nuckelavee the other time?”
It’s Teran.
Edgar remembered the dead village girl who was said to appear to have died from having her blood sucked dry.
Teran had killed that girl by using the female demon. And if by doing so, he made it approach Lydia using the village girl’s form…?
“You’re in a position whereby you can stop him isn’t it? Do something quickly. Otherwise, everyone will be killed!”
Kelpie grabbed Edgar by the collar with great force. 
Calmly prying those hands away, Edgar asked.
“Did you see it board Ibrazel’s ship?”
“That’s right. Because the plains were in flames, Lydia and party had hurried to set sail. That female demon had the nerve to bite even me!”
“What did you say? Doesn’t that mean it took your form?”
“I immediately tried to give chase. Yet the moment that thing boarded the ship, the ship vanished so I was unable to chase after them.”
“It vanished…?”
“Most probably, they escaped into the fairy realm. But, because the plains were on fire, it seemed that they headed for a different direction though they were supposed to head towards the river. I searched the vicinity but I couldn’t find them.”
“In other words, without knowing that a demon is on board, Lydia and party are wandering about the fairy realm in order to escape from the fire?”
The inside of a ship was an enclosed space with no room for escape. Wasn’t that the same as having a ferocious beast released there?
What’s Arrow doing? Even though he said that he’d return by midnight, he still hasn’t returned even now when it’s already before dawn.
Something unexpected must have happened.
Edgar grasped both his hands tightly, as if in a prayer.
It’s true that Edgar was the only one who was able to stop Teran. But his current state was not Prince in the true sense. That’s exactly why Teran had acted as he pleased behind Edgar’s back.
By sending the Baobhan Sith as a spy into the earl family, Teran came to know of the existence of Ibrazel’s ship and its location in the plains of Wickerbone.
And by doing so, he set the plains on fire and made it such that Edgar would lose sight of the whereabouts of the ship. In other words, he was trying to destroy Ulysses’ plan of capturing the entire ship.
However, even if the female demon had snuck on board the ship, Teran should have only prohibited it from killing Lydia and ordered it to capture Lydia alive. If that’s the case, then he too was searching for the ship.
I have to save everyone by finding the ship before Teran does.
There came a sound of a door knock. Edgar knew at once it was Ermine. Because it was a knock for when Ermine came not as Teran’s subordinate, Edgar told her to come in, without being concerned over Kelpie’s presence.
Both Ermine and Kelpie only took a quick glance at each other before averting their eyes without a word. They’re not surprised, thought Edgar, as he had a vague feeling about the bond the two of them had, while waiting for Ermine to speak.
“We’ll soon be arriving at the river mouth of our destination but there still isn’t any signal of having spotted Ibrazel’s ship from the ships which arrived ahead of us.”
“Yeah, Ermine. More importantly, there’s an emergency.”
Ermine nodded at Edgar’s words as well.
“Yes. Actually, one of the ships under Teran had vanished. It seems that it snuck into the fairy realm separately.”
“Teran, that’s the guy. He’s the man who used the Nuckelavee right? He’s trying to search for Lydia isn’t he?”
That’s probably the case.
“Kelpie, please find Lydia’s ship quickly.”
“I’d have found it a long time ago if I could. There’s nothing I can do by myself.”
“You mean the sea is that vast?”
“More like complicated. The directions are always changing so it’s not fixed, and distances which you take one whole day and night to travel can also be passed through in the blink of an eye.”
Unable to imagine how that was like, Edgar fell into deep thought.
In any case if things were so, it would probably not be easy for Teran to find Lydia’s ship either.
“Even if I can find it, it’d be pointless unless the ship can return to the boundary between the two realms by itself. They have Nico over there with them, so even if it’d take time, I think they’d be able to find their way back, though the territory of the boundary between is also quite vast.”
Edgar wondered if everyone on the ship were able to protect themselves from the female demon until they return.
“In any case, you’ll need an extra pair of hands.”
“Yeah. But you can’t even go to the boundary with the fairy realm by yourself isn’t it? This selkie can’t act like a fairy much while a normal human isn’t of much help.”
But Edgar replied immediately.
“We’ll use a fairy doctor.”
“A fairy doctor?”
If it’s my fate to reign as Prince, then I’ll make use of even that. I came here with that intent. There’s no need to hesitate. As Edgar thought so, he turned his gaze towards Ermine.
“Summon Ulysses.”

*
​

He was on board the fairy ship of the Blue Knight Earl and floating in the seas of the spirit world. The more Paul thought about his current situation objectively, the more unsettled he felt.
He drew paintings of fairies out of interest and thought that he wanted to be known as a fairy painter. In reality, he was gradually achieving that but he never even dreamt that he’d actually be acquainted with real fairies.
And now, he was heading towards Ibrazel, a world thought of as a fairy tale. But Paul wondered if it was alright for someone like him to come along.
As he troubled over this, Paul came to the kitchen at the bottom of the ship by himself.
Of course, no one was there. But it seemed that the ship had hobgoblins who did the housework living on the ship, and so he heard that there was no need to employ people to take care of errands.
It seemed that the hobgoblins would also prepare the meals but since they still haven’t stocked up on food supplies needed for the voyage, the worker fairies were probably also resting.
It was said that humans don’t really need to eat when they’re in the fairy realm. Even so, eating was part of human instinct. If there were drinks or something small to consume, it’d probably calm one’s nerves.
Thinking so, Paul came down to the kitchen by himself, as he intended to prepare the wine and cheese he brought on board.
Checking the shelf for utensils, Paul took out bronze goblets and wooden plates. Both had the Ashenbert family crest on them, as they were decorated with carvings of an ash tree.
“I’ll borrow this for a while.”
As he called out to the fairy who may be in the area, Paul suddenly thought.
Even though they’re having a difficult time in which they do not know if they could even return to the human realm, he wondered if everyone would be happy that he was doing something like this. But there didn’t seem to be anything which he could be of help.
Everyone apart from Paul had their own respective roles. Lydia’s the owner of the ship, Nico’s the partner of the fairy doctor while Lota’s the captain of the ship. Kelly was indispensable as the lady attendant while Raven, as their combat power, was equivalent to having ten Marines on board.
As for Francis, even though Paul still didn’t quite understand him and saw him as a slightly frivolous man, he was a doctor and so Paul thought he was necessary for the voyage. And though Darnell, who happened to board the ship due to the circumstances, may be unwelcomed since he proclaimed himself to be the ‘Prophet’, by simply the fact that he knew about fairies, meant that he may be someone whom Lydia can count on to discuss with.
Amongst them, Paul was just a painter. Edgar had requested that Paul travelled with them on the journey to Ibrazel since before, while Paul had the resolution to follow them to the end, both as a friend and as a member of ‘Scarlet Moon’, the association which swore their loyalty to the earl.
But when he thought about it properly, it was not like there was anything Paul could do.
Soon after they set sail, they were embroiled in trouble and though they realized it, it was already too late to turn back. There was nothing Paul could do but to take care not to be a burden to Lydia and Lota.
Putting his feelings behind, Paul exited the kitchen as he intended to bring the utensils out. Then, he saw someone walking towards him from the other end of the corridor.
Huh? Thought Paul as he tilted his head to the side.
If I’m not wrong, that’s the fairy who was friendly with Lydia… Was Kelpie supposed to board this ship?
In the time when his head was tilted, Kelpie arrived at Paul’s side.
He grinned with his perfect beautiful looks.
The next moment, without knowing what had happened, Paul lost consciousness.

Please read this at Daydream Translations
Since they would not be moving the ship aimlessly until they found a way to return to the human realm, Lota left the pilothouse and was searching for Paul.
Even though he was on the deck until just a while ago. I wonder where he went by himself.
Somehow, Paul looked like he wasn’t very enthusiastic about accompanying us on this voyage. But for Lota, if possible, she hoped that Paul would come along.
Lota was familiar with the seas and ships but when it came to aiming for Ibrazel, it wasn’t going to be a regular voyage. If it’s about fairies, there was Lydia and Nico around. Although Lota wasn’t particularly uneasy towards the voyage, for Lota, Paul was someone whom she normally depended on; that was who Paul was to her.
Although she didn’t really understand what and how exactly she depended on him if she were asked, in any case, Lota thought that she depended on Paul for quite a fair bit.
“He~y, Paul?”
Even as she walked about while calling out for him, there was no response. The interior was surprisingly spacious, and it was probably because it was a fairy ship that the arrangement of the rooms were more like a mansion on land than a ship.
Even the stairs were sturdy with proper railings.
Lota, who descended down those stairs, noticed goblets lying on the floor and stopped.
She wondered if it was something that was taken out from the kitchen. If so, why was it left on the floor like this?
Lota picked one up. At that moment, she felt the presence of someone standing behind her and turned around as she was taken aback.
“Paul… what? Don’t scare me.”
It was Paul who was standing straight there. He nodded slightly, but for some reason, he turned around without saying a word.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
Lota chased after him anxiously.
“Did something happen? No… Are you regretting boarding this ship? It’s alright. Nico will find a path for us. Also, I’m really glad that you came along. It’s true. That’s why, please don’t think of wanting to go home.”
Paul entered a small room which door was left ajar and stopped there. When Lota, who caught up with him nearly collided into his back, he turned around suddenly.
Lota looked up at Paul at a close distance.
“Wh-? Like I said, there’s no need to be that troubled…”
The moment she started speaking, both her shoulders were strongly gripped. She tried to back away but she couldn’t, and Lota fell together with Paul as she stumbled.
He, who was over her, was not the usual Paul.
His face approached hers, and Lota panicked.
“St…. Stop!”
Lota punched him with her fist at once.
Yet, he did not flinch and pressed down strongly against Lota even more.
Was Paul this strong? Lota was unable to move to the extent that such a rude question came to her mind. Barely managing to move her legs, she kicked upwards at him, but her opponent did not even budge.
While she was struggling, she felt as though her neck was licked.
“Eh!”
At the same time as she was shocked, pain spread throughout her senses. Once she realized she was being bitten, her strength left her quickly.
What, this guy… it’s not Paul.
In her blurred vision, Lota tried to muster her strength, but it didn’t go well.
“Let go of Lota!”
Just as she thought she heard a voice at that moment, the thing which bent over Lota suddenly moved back.
Paul, with a mop in hand, was striking down on the thing which took his form. As it avoided Paul’s attacks, that unknown thing wiped Lota’s blood off its lips and slowly changed its form.
Even though it looked exactly like Paul, by the time they noticed, it looked just like Lota, like two peas in a pod.
Paul was taken aback by that appearance and froze with the mop was still raised above his head. Taking advantage of that moment’s opportunity, it escaped out through the doorway.
“Lota…. Are you hurt?”
“Yeah, more importantly, you look pale…”
Shortly after Lota pointed that out, Paul sat down on the floor as if his strength left him.
Still unable to exert any strength herself, Lota crawled towards Paul’s side.
“Pull yourself together! You were attacked by that too right?”
Paul’s shoulder was covered with blood, and his clothes were torn. There’s no mistake that he was bitten as well. And it appeared to be more severe than Lota’s.
“That thing, it sucks blood huh.”
Paul must have suffered quite a deep wound and had a lot of blood sucked from him, but he mustered his strength in order to save Lota.
“We need to inform Lady Lydia, quickly.”
Although Lota also nodded at Paul’s words, her body felt heavy so it didn’t seem like she’d be able to move immediately.
“Yeah… but let’s rest a little.”
Paul did not object. It may be trying for him to respond.
There were people by Lydia’s side. Raven and the others may have returned as well. Of course Lota was worried and obviously it’s better to inform Lydia quickly, but she didn’t have the confidence to reach the deck; she was also worried about leaving Paul alone by himself.
Lota was somehow able to move at least her upper body and she tied a handkerchief around Paul’s shoulder. By using the mop’s handle to tie a knot, it was fortunate that she was able to stop further blood loss without exerting strength.
In any case, Paul had probably avoided the danger of losing any more blood.
“Thanks. You saved me.”
When Lota whispered so, Paul, while still leaning against the wall, turned slightly to face Lota.
“… Does it hurt?”
Lota wiped the small trickle of blood from her neck with her hand. The wound appeared to be shallow, but the demonic creature robbed her of her blood and strength in an instant from such a wound.
“It’s no big deal.”
Compared to the pain, Lota felt somewhat more embarrassed at having Paul stare at her wound.
It was because, though it was a demonic creature taking Paul’s form, those gentle eyes which were right beside her right now made her remember the manner she was touched earlier. Even though it was a rough attitude which was unthinkable for Paul, she was slightly confused.
“I’m sorry, that was an unpleasant experience right?”
Paul probably thought of the same thing as well. He looked slightly awkward.
Certainly, the sight of someone taking his own form and assaulting a female friend may be a situation he did not want to see.
“It’s not your fault.”
“But, how should I put it, I feel bad.”
“But I bashed it, and also kicked it.”
“Th…That’s for sure. It’s only natural.”
Paul hung his head low, perhaps because he felt like he himself was beaten up.
“When I thought that Paul’s not like this, I was able to hit it. If it were the real you, I may not have struck.”
“Eh.”
Because Paul looked too shocked, Lota became flustered as well.
“No, I wonder. Shall we try?”
Although Lota tried desperately to make a joke out of it, Paul looked towards her with such a serious look in his eyes that she wasn’t able to take back what she said.
To Lota, Paul was the only male friend with whom such a conversation wouldn’t be laughed off as a joke.
When they inadvertently looked into each other’s eyes, a strange atmosphere started to flow between them. The distance between them shortened to that like lovers, and Lota pushed Paul’s face away with both her hands in spite of herself.
“Th-there’s no way we’d try right! Normally speaking!”
“Th-that’s right. Sorry.”
Lota wondered if Paul, who turned his face away hurriedly, intended to try.
I wonder if I did something bad, thought Lota. But she knew that Paul wouldn’t be offended by something like this. 
“I guess I’m too dependent on your kindness. I unconsciously behave like how I was as a pirate in the past when I’m before the guys at downtown right? Something like I have to behave like a boss. But because when I’m with you Paul, it’s like I’m with family, so I can calm down.”
“Family….?”
“No, in actual fact, I don’t really know what a family is like. I do think of the family of the master who brought me up as family, while on the other hand I have Gramps with whom I’m related by blood so I understand that that is also family. But for some reason, being with you feels most like being with family.”
Lota had always felt that she lived as though she was drifting along with the seas. Without having a home to return to or a fixed place she belonged to, she’d live on at wherever she happened to drift to. She had come to think that that in itself was not bad.
Pursued by the country she was born in, she escaped from her country, and in that journey, the ship became shipwrecked and she drifted on the seas by herself. Although she couldn’t remember anything about that time because she was too young, she felt that her destiny was such. That’s why she threw away her life as a pirate easily and began living with her grandfather. But even if she was the grandchild of the Archduke of Cremona, she thought that she wouldn’t be inheriting that family.
It was only that, for Paul whom she happened to drift towards, she felt that she wanted to stay by his side a little more.
“If you don’t like it, you can get angry.”
“I don’t dislike it. Since I’ve no family, I’m more than happy.”
Because Paul’s gentle, he said that to her. Lota, who ended up depending on that, felt embarrassed at her childishness which pushed away love that was natural for her age, but she couldn’t grow up completely to be an adult. 
“I’ve always wanted to be a man. A manly pirate.”
“That’s just like you.”
“But now, I don’t think that way. I wonder if, with just a little bit more, I’ll understand why I’m a woman.” 
“Whether you understand or not, I’m Lota’s family.”
Because Paul was such a person, Lota was able to lean against him innocently. Although now Paul lent a shoulder to Lota as she leaned against him that way, strangely Lota felt happy that he was depending on her without reservation.

“Do you think that if you go to Ibrazel, you’ll be able to save the Earl?”
The seas had calmed down completely. Darnell spoke to Lydia, when she was thinking of Edgar absent-mindedly while waiting for Nico’s return with Raven and Kelly as there as nothing else she could do.
Of course she thought so. But Darnell probably didn’t think that way.
“When Prince was born, it was the last Blue Knight Earl who drove him out of Britain.”
And Edgar too was the Blue Knight Earl. If he, as the master, was able to obtain Ibrazel’s power, there should be a way to keep only Prince away forever.
“They too were only able to drive him away. As it stands, isn’t it pointless to expect powers beyond that?”
“The situation now is different from how it was a hundred years ago.”
Edgar himself was also Prince. As long as he continued to hate Prince’s existence, it was probably not entirely impossible to destroy the organization.
“I do not think that Ibrazel still has power. When the earl family died out, all of that power should have been completely erased. It’s probably only the McKeels which still has the power to defeat Prince.”
“Meaning you’re the only one who can do that?”
“I need the power you received at the Sacred Land.”
“I didn’t receive anything. Even the McKeels no longer have the power of the Prophet.”
“I’ll pray that that’s not the case.”
If there was no longer power left anywhere which could destroy Prince, then that too meant despair for both Edgar and Lydia. But Lydia feared that the power of the McKeels may end up killing Edgar. Lydia could only hope that if it’s the earl family’s Ibrazel, by recognizing Edgar as the earl, Ibrazel may be able to save him. 
“You, are you really the Prophet?”
Unbeknownst to her, Francis was standing beside Lydia.
“I hope you won’t get close to Lydia too much. Because even if Edgar’s not around, I’m Lydia’s knight.”
As he placed his arm across Lydia’s shoulders in an overly familiar manner, Francis glared at Darnell.
“If I can prove that I am really the Prophet, will you not hold me back?”
“If you’re real, I’ll push you into the sea.”
“Wait, Francis.”
“Well, that’s what Edgar said.”
Francis laughed as if he was making a joke.
“… I can’t prove it. However,”
Of course Darnell did not laugh. He still held a strong gaze towards Francis.
“The master of the Unseelie Courts will let out a scream in his final moments. Inside me, there is that moment in the future which appears vividly. I think that it is my duty to decide on the direction to progress now in order for that vision to not vanish.”
Lydia wondered if that was referring to Edgar.
She wondered if Darnell’s prophecy referred to something which would definitely occur in the future.
Lydia wanted to save Edgar. But why was it that even by heading towards Ibrazel, it did not lead to a change in the future the Prophet saw?
“…No, the future isn’t set in stone. We have gotten out of danger countless times by our own strength and I think that if we didn’t do anything, we’d have died a long time ago. The same goes for now. If we don’t take action, we’ll be wandering in the fairy realm forever.”
Lydia desperately tried to refute his words. Darnell had a slightly surprised expression, but he turned to face the seas while he was in thought.
“That too, is also the truth. It’s only that I can see the image of the future frequently, which means that this too is the truth.”
Darnell’s red-coloured hair shone with a mysterious gold as it was basked in the moonlight. As it appeared to be demonstrating his mysterious powers, though Lydia tried to put on a brave front, her uneasiness did not disappear.
“Lydia, it’s terrible!”
As if it was dealing a final blow to Lydia’s uneasiness, Nico’s voice rang across the deck.
Swinging his tail, Nico dashed towards her on two legs. Lydia could also see Raven and Kelly’s figures behind Nico.
“A Baobhan Sith has entered the ship!  It’s the female demon which attacked me!”
“Ehh!”
It was Francis who let out a shriek. Even though he had earlier protected Lydia from Darnell by standing between them, he suddenly paced about nervously and glued himself to Raven’s side when his eyes rested on Raven.
“That’s terrible. Lydia, what’s that fairy’s weakness? Will the Cross work?”
Francis took out a rosary from his pocket, but
“I think that charms from the human realm which protect against evil spirits don’t quite work in the fairy realm…”
“If you are faithful in your belief it’ll probably work.”
When Darnell said so,
“Then it’s impossible!”
Said Francis as he hugged his head.
“Speaking of which, the demon can change into the form of the person whom it sucked blood from. The three of you, are you really the persons themselves?”
Darnell pointed out a critical point. In an instant, Francis, who was beside Raven, jumped back.
“We’re real! When we encountered the female demon, it was taking Kelpie’s form. But it suddenly revealed its true form… it was an old woman.”
Lydia was shocked by Kelly’s words.
“Did Kelpie come?”
“We didn’t see the actual person. He may had encountered the female demon before he boarded the ship while if he had boarded this ship, he would have gone to Lydia in the first instance.”
“That’s true. It’s as Nico said. Let’s take it that Kelpie didn’t board the ship and let’s watch out for the demon.”
“Meaning if it’s Kelpie’s form it’d be the female demon huh.”
“Anything else? Nobody’s blood was sucked right?”
“Both Miss Kelly and myself are fine. But can the demon impersonate a person countless times so long as it had sucked the person’s blood once?”
“It can probably do so as long as it remembers the taste.
When Darnell said so, everyone looked towards Nico simultaneously.
“I-I’m the real Nico!”
“Because we’ve been together all this while, I can vouch for that.”
At Raven’s words, the tension in the air was relieved for the time being, but if they did not take care not to let any more people have their blood sucked, the chaos would probably get bigger.
Furthermore, if the Baobhan Sith sucked all of a person’s blood, that person will die; a fairy that dangerous had snuck on board this ship.
“Speaking of which, Mr Paul and Lota are not here.”
Taken aback, Lydia looked around the deck.
“That’s bad.”
When Darnell said so, the door to the bridge opened.
With her coffee-coloured hair tied up into one using a rope and wearing a gorgeous dress with its skirt hem tucked up, Lota appeared with a smile. Because even her dimpled cheek was entirely Lota’s, Lydia ran towards her out of relief, before thinking about it.
“Lota, what a relief, we were just about to go search for you.”
However, Raven swiftly slid between them in front of Lydia.
“Lady Lydia, is this really Ms Lota?”
“What are you guys talking about? Of course I am me.”
Raven suddenly positioned his knife. Lota averted her eyes as if she was avoiding it, and walked towards Francis.
“Guys, what’s wrong?”
“Wah, don’t come here!”
Screaming, Francis dashed forth. Led along by that, Nico too ran away.
“No! I’ll die if my blood is sucked again!”
“N-No! Everyone, we mustn’t get separated!”
Lydia shouted anxiously and tried to chase after them, but Lota grabbed her arm.
“That’s right, it’s weird that they’re running away.”
Immediately, Raven pounced on Lota.
“Stop, it may be Lota!”
The knife flew up into the air. In order to stop Raven, Lydia clung onto Raven at once, but she forgot even the fact that it was dangerous to stop Raven once he was in a combat stance.
Lydia was flung aside and she missed her footing at the stairs beside.
“Lady Lydia!”
Raven immediately jumped and landed beside her; he helped Lydia, who had fallen, up. As there was a landing just a few steps down, though she had landed on her behind, it wasn’t a very high fall.
“Milady!”
Kelly tried to run to Lydia as well, but Lota pushed her aside and descended the steps slowly.
Lydia wondered if, as they thought, it wasn’t Lota but the female demon.
“My apologies, Lady Lydia, are you hurt?”
“No, I’m alright… I think.”
Without hearing the end of Lydia’s reply, Raven tried to leave that place and hurriedly pulled her hand. 
“In any case, let’s hide ourselves for now.”
Lydia had no choice but to follow Raven as he said to.
“But, Kelly…”
“First, we have to protect you.”
After they hid themselves in a small room, Raven finally took a breath and kept his knife.
“Lady Lydia, please lock the door and stay hidden here. I’ll come for you after I’ve dealt with the female demon.”
“W-we can’t do that, with just me hiding. Everyone’s in danger! Moreover, even for you, what will I do if something happened to you!”
“I’ll knock. Five times. If I try to open the door without doing that, even if it’s my appearance please don’t hesitate and shoot me.”
Ignoring Lydia’s pleas, Raven took out a pistol.
“It’s not lead but iron bullets. It can probably shave off a little of a fairy’s power.”
Then he turned his back.
“I’ll definitely defeat it.”
“Raven, you can’t. You can’t tell if it’s the demon from its appearance; what will happen if you’re wrong? We’ll end up hurting each other.”
Lydia tried to leave the room to chase after Raven.
(Please calm down, My Lady. You’re the enemy’s target.)
When Lydia turned around as she was taken aback, she found Arrow floating gently in a silver cupid-like form.
“Arrow, where were you?”
(I was by your side. But if that’s our opponent, it doesn’t seem like I’ll be of use. The Merrow Sword can only be used by the Earl, while your bow is not suited for one-on-one close combat.)
You’re right, replied Lydia as she let out a sigh.
Although Raven said that he would defeat the Baobhan Sith, a fairy cannot die from a human weapon. They can only throw it off the ship, but they’d have to get close to it in order to capture it.
Even before that, it seemed difficult to differentiate between their friends and the demon.
“Even for fairies, it’d be dangerous if their blood is sucked dry… That’s right, where’s Swan?”
(She’s lying low, because it’ll be problem if the Baobhan Sith notices her existence and takes over the entire ship.)
“Is that so? It’s fine if that’s the case. You too, take care not to let your presence be noticed.”
(Yes, but we can’t just stay still here. I’ll try searching once more to see if a path has appeared in the seas nearby.)
“You’ll get lost if you leave the ship. Moreover, the sluaghs may appear.”
(It’ll be dawn soon so it should be alright. Furthermore, as long as there’s Bow, I won’t lose sight of the ship’s location.)
“That’s true. Since you understand this moonstone’s words.”
Lydia didn’t. Even though both Lydia and Edgar had obtained the fairies and gems which hold the magic of the earl family, they weren’t able to use it perfectly.
It may be because they’re not the real Blue Knight Earl.
(Bow can’t speak, but if it’s with you, the Countess, the both of you should be able to understand each other.)
Arrow said so, as if he noticed Lydia’s troubles.
“If so, that’d be great. Thank you.”
Arrow bowed and vanished. Taking a deep breath anew, Lydia opened the room door quietly.
As a fairy doctor, she couldn’t be hiding in a safe location. Not just that, for Lydia was the Countess. Wasn’t the safety of everyone who was heading for Ibrazel Lydia’s responsibility?
Although up until now, Lydia had only thought of her friends equally, but now that Edgar’s gone, Lydia thought about her own position.
Edgar had always been conscious that his sole judgement could turn a situation for the better or worse. He didn’t leave anything to other people. Even if he trusted others and entrusted them with work, he was conscious that the responsibility laid with him.
Lydia had to lead the earl family in place of Edgar who was such a person.
Although the obligations of a noble weren’t something which Lydia could be accustomed to immediately, Lydia mustn’t escape from that.
“That’s right, I need to find Lota.”
If the Lota earlier was an impersonation by the demon, it’d mean that the real Lota had her blood sucked by the demon. Lydia wondered if she had collapsed somewhere.
There wasn’t the presence of anyone in the passage. Lydia wondered where Raven went. She wondered where the others were hiding from the female demon out of fear.
Lydia headed towards the stairs. The gentle waves of the calm seas couldn’t be felt by their bodies in the form of a sway, but occasionally, the ship would make a creaking sound. Although Lydia jumped at that each time, she walked while muting her footsteps.
Peeking her head out from the corner quietly, she checked the area before her. Then, someone tapped her shoulder.
Shocked, Lydia turned around and before her eyes, stood Lota.
At once, Lydia moved back by jumping away, while she searched for the pistol Raven handed her in her pocket.
“….Lydia…? It’s me…”
As she said so, Lota faltered, and looked like she could collapse any moment. Lydia, who was unable to extend her hand out to Lota, suddenly felt anger towards herself and shook her head vigorously.
What on earth am I doing? Even though my best friend seems to be in pain, to think that I’m doubting her and not even helping her.
Regardless of whether she’s the real Lota or not, Lydia couldn’t forgive herself for pointing a gun at Lota.
Throwing away the pistol there, Lydia walked towards Lota. She stretched her arm out in order to hug and support Lota.
“What a relief. I’ve been searching for you. You were attacked by the demonic creature right?”
Lota wrapped her arms around Lydia in relief, and supported her faltering body. On closer look, Lydia noticed that she looked pale as well. It was clear that she was different from the lively Lota earlier.
“Yeah… you saw it huh, the demonic creature in my form…”
“In any case, let’s sit down. It’s better that you not move.”
“Don’t you, doubt me? … That I may be the demonic creature.”
“It’s already clear. You wouldn’t say that if you were the demonic creature.”
Lota smiled faintly while revealing her dimple, then pointed at the third door ahead.
“Paul, he’s in there.”
“Don’t tell me, that Mr Paul’s attacked too?”
“Yeah, Paul’s got it worse.”
Lydia walked while supporting Lota, and when she peeked into the room, she found Paul seated against the wall, with his eyes shut as if he was completely exhausted.
“Oh dear, we’ve got to call for Francis.”
Lydia seated Lota on a chair, but Lota did not let go of Lydia’s hand.
“You can’t loiter about by yourself. I’ll go together with you.”
“Don’t push yourself. Moreover, we can’t leave Mr Paul by himself.”
“I’m… fine.”
Paul muttered with a weak voice.
“Lady Lydia… you’re the one they’re after. That’s why, Lota, please go along with Lady Lydia…”
At that moment, a knife flew towards them, grazing Lota’s cheek and stabbing into the wall.
“Wh-what are you doing! Raven!”
Raven was standing at the doorway.
“Let go of Lady Lydia.”
Somehow, it seemed like Raven thought that the Lota here was the demon earlier. He glared at her with eyes filled with killing intent.
“Wait, Raven, that’s not it.”
“Lydia, move aside.”
Lydia tried to step forth, but Lota pushed her aside with unexpected strength.
“There’s also the possibility that this guy is the demon. I’ll take him on.”
Lota desperately exerted strength into her faltering body and stood up.
Raven positioned his knife.
What should I do, thought Lydia anxiously. Then, Kelly dashed in before her.
“Milady! Please run away quickly! The demon is heading here!”
“Eh, wh-what do you mean?”
“Kya! That’s it. It changed into his form…”
The one who appeared at the end where Kelly pointed towards, was Francis. Raising the candlestick in his hand like a sword, he was out of breath.
“Lydia… Th-THAT is the demon. Don’t be deceived…”
“That’s not true, I’m not! Yet, he suddenly attacked me…”
“You were behaving suspiciously!”
Behind the two of them who were in an argument, Raven moved soundlessly.
“Kya!”
As he twisted Kelly’s arm and pushed her down, Raven kicked the bronze candlestick Francis held up to the air.
The candlestick which spun in the air, broke a glass dramatically and flew out of the window.
“Don’t tell me… it’s you? I see, you took on Raven’s form huh…” 
Francis said so as he moved back.
Who exactly is the female demon?
Lydia too had no clue, but shortly after she thought so, Raven tried to pounce on Francis.
Francis immediately hid behind the back of a chair to avoid the tip of the knife. Even as he was bent over, Francis took out a pistol.
“Sto….”
Lydia’s voice was erased by the gunshot.
Perhaps he was impatient, for Francis’ aim was off by a great deal, but Francis tried again to point his gun at Raven, who was standing composedly.
No. At this rate, everyone will begin killing each other.
I have to stop them. Lydia jumped in between the both of them at once.
“It’s me. I’m the female demon. Come, you people, start killing from me.”
Lydia jumped onto a chair and waved both her arms widely. When she looked down towards Raven and Francis in turn, she saw the both of them looking at her, dazed.
“Isn’t that so? It’s also possible that it’s impersonating me.”
For a while, both of them remained frozen and didn’t move an inch, but eventually, Raven lowered his knife. Francis followed and did the same. Both of them were silent, but as neither Raven nor Francis directed a weapon towards Lydia, they both probably believed that the other wasn’t the demon.
“Th-That’s right! The Mistress is a dignified lady. There’s no way she would jump on top of a chair and speak sharply in a vulgar manner.”
At that moment, Kelly raised her voice. Everyone turned their gaze which gathered at Kelly all at once, and Lota muttered in a low voice, as if she was delivering a verdict.
“It’s you isn’t it?”
Raven moved in order to capture her. Immediately, Kelly turned around. It escaped with a speed that was impossible for Kelly.
Lydia said desperately, in order for Raven who went on a pursuit to be able to hear, with feelings that hoped to reach Nico and Darnell who weren’t here, as well as even Kelly who was probably injured somewhere.
“Please, everyone. Please, just don’t doubt our friends!”
The reason why the demon which slipped in amongst them did not kill them one by one by sucking their blood dry, was because it wanted to fan the emotions of fear. And so, by planting the seeds of suspicion, it was turning them against each other and causing them to hurt each other.
In truth, even Lydia had nearly pointed a weapon at Lota so it was a situation which was likely to develop into them killing each other.
Teran cast darkness onto people’s hearts. By sending the Baobhan Sith, he was trying to set each and every one of them up to become devils.
He was waiting with a snicker for them to destroy themselves, as they wallow in regret and despair at having lost to their own weakness.
I won’t let Teran get his way.
Lydia firmly resolved that in her heart.