Strike the Blood - Volume 21 - Chapter 4.2

2

How did it come to this—?

Yuiri Haba thought that as she stood still in the lobby of a luxury hotel with hollow eyes.

The time was just past six PM. Less than six hours remained until Kojou Akatsuki would be set loose once more.

She hadn’t seen this herself, but Kojou had transformed into a monster as a result of his Beast Vassal implantation. To be blunt, there was little hope that even a shred of reason was left in him.

The first stage of the plan Asagi Aiba had concocted was to return Kojou to the state of a complete vampire.

It sounded preposterous, but technologically, it apparently wasn’t all that difficult. After all, Asagi had The Cleansing on her side. Using the forbidden spell to rewrite the world, she just had to force Kojou’s body back to its prior state. Whether the twelve Beast Vassals protecting him would allow her to approach and shoot The Cleansing into him was a different story—but worrying about that wouldn’t solve anything at this point.

They had bigger problems. Even if they returned Kojou’s body to that of a proper vampire, nothing would be resolved for good unless they stopped the Beast Vassals from rampaging. A vast quantity of demonic energy was required to force another person’s Beast Vassals to serve him—he would need enough “feed” to tame them.

That meant they needed to acquire this “feed.” She understood the logic.

What didn’t sit well with Yuiri was that the plan required her returning to this hotel to confront the Second Primogenitor once again. Despite her inner turmoil, the ceremony had gotten underway.

“I heard that Iblisveil had set his eyes upon a human woman… I see—so that was…you, Priestess of Cain.”

He stared down with red eyes at Yuiri and company from a temporary throne in the back of the lobby. This was Aswadguhl Aziz, ruler of the Middle Eastern Dominion, the Fallen Dynasty—otherwise known as the Second Primogenitor, Fallgazer.

“I apologize for the sudden intrusion, Malik. We come today with a request, Your Majesty.”

Asagi Aiba boldly replied with this as she faced the Second Primogenitor. This did not make for comfortable listening for Yuiri, who was standing beside her. Yuiri’s lips had gone pale, and sweat was pouring down her back.

She and Asagi were the only two facing off against Aswad.

For some reason, Asagi was acquainted with Iblisveil Aziz, Fifth Crown Prince of the Fallen Dynasty, so with a little convincing, he’d promised to swiftly arrange an audience with the Second Primogenitor.

She’d chosen Yuiri to accompany her because of the girl’s familiarity with the Second Primogenitor’s face, nothing more. Give me a break, Yuiri had thought at the time.

Yes, Yuiri had dined with Aswad. But that was only because she’d lost her engagement with him and was taken captive. He’d held off from treating her harshly because of his warm feelings for her—or rather, because she’d been useful in his schemes. But that hadn’t erased the debt Yuiri owed for having lived to tell the tale after raising her blade against a primogenitor.

For Yuiri to double back to the Fourth Primogenitor with a request was without doubt a brazen, impudent act.

That being said, few human beings had a connection with the Second Primogenitor, so Yuiri had been their only option. If anything, this was inevitable. Fallgazer had a reputation for being reclusive, and compared to the other primogenitors, much about him was shrouded in mystery. The value of having met him face-to-face was priceless in a negotiation, however much their reunion weighed upon Yuiri’s heart.

“Very well… Speak.”

Aswad smiled seductively, seeing right through Yuiri’s anguish as he prompted Asagi to proceed.

“Then speak I shall. Your Majesty, under the Electoral War of Itogami Island, I request that you become the subject of Shizuri Kasugaya Castiella, ruler of Saikai Academy Domain—”

Asagi was undaunted as she calmly laid out her demand before the Second Primogenitor.

That instant, the atmosphere in the lobby went frigid.

The key retainers of the Fallen Dynasty surrounding Aswad and the guards behind them all froze in shock. Only a single person—Iblisveil, who’d arranged the audience—bent over, shoulders trembling, as though he could barely keep himself from bursting into laughter.

“You are telling me to become the ogress girl’s…retainer?”

Aswad quietly regurgitated the words. “Correct,” affirmed Asagi, a smile coming to her lips.

Yuiri felt like her heart had stopped. No, maybe it really had stopped for a few seconds. Asagi’s demeanor was courteous, but her words were arrogant. She didn’t think there was anyone who’d asked a primogenitor to become someone else’s vassal in all recorded history.

Yuiri found the side of Asagi’s dignified face vaguely terrifying to behold.

She’d thought this back when the girl had provoked the Holy Ground Treaty Organization into a war, but Asagi Aiba was unfathomable. In addition to nerves of steel, she was crazy smart. She honestly felt it was unfair that Asagi was blessed with the looks of a supermodel on top of all that. One might say she was truly worthy of becoming a Blood Servant of the Fourth Primogenitor.

Still, her opponent was formidable this time. They were negotiating with no less than a vampire primogenitor.

“You filthy human!”

“Such…insolence…!”

“Inexcusable, even for an acquaintance of the prince!”

Cries erupted from the retainers gathered in the lobby. Their eyes shone with half anger and half fear. They were afraid of being caught up in the Second Primogenitor’s rage.

However, Asagi received the gazes of disgust trained upon her as calmly as a serene breeze.

“Of course, I won’t ask you to do this for free. I have prepared what I believe is suitable compensation.”

Asagi spoke with a distinct grin. Aswad slightly narrowed his eyes. It was not clear from his expression what he might be thinking.

“So you say you are capable of providing recompense that I, ruler of a Dominion, might accept…yes?”

“O-of course we are. Right, Aiba?!”

Yuiri checked in with Asagi in a shrill voice in order to escape the terrifying figure before her eyes.

“Of course,” replied the other girl with a nod full of confidence.

Yuiri hadn’t actually heard the details of what this payment was supposed to be. What she did know was that Asagi had said, “Leave it to me,” before hastily getting this and that together. Yuiri was pretty sure she’d arranged something of considerable value. All she could do at that point was trust her.

Iblisveil’s vassals quietly pushed in a cart covered with a white cloth. The compensation Asagi had provided was resting atop it.

“How…intriguing. What is it, I…wonder?”

Aswad leaned his body forward with a sway of his purple hair.

Asagi stripped away the cloth covering the cart and proudly puffed out her chest.

“Curry.”

This must have been what people meant by “stunned out of your mind.” Amid the lobby, which was now silent once more, this whole thing seemed to Yuiri like it was happening in a world far, far away. Everyone, including the key retainers of the Second Primogenitor and the soldiers of the Fallen Dynasty, froze in shock. Even Aswad was no exception.

Only Iblisveil was smiling, desperately forcing down his laughter.

“Huh?”

Yuiri’s voice finally came out.

As if to trample upon her hope that this was some kind of bad joke, what sat on top of the cart was a commercial-grade rice cooker that had been used to make a stockpot.

“This is European-style curry from Nellore in Island West, which is renowned as the tastiest shop on Itogami Island. They limit this to only twenty per day, and they sell out super quick, but I used my connections as a regular customer to get a pot from them.”

Asagi triumphantly continued her explanation. And yet, the retainers in the lobby showed no reaction.

“M-Miss Aiba…”

Yuiri grasped Asagi’s shoulders unconsciously, shaking the girl back and forth. Even her endurance was at its limit. With all that had happened, it seemed inevitable that Yuiri’s head would fly off her shoulders. She just wouldn’t be satisfied if she didn’t levy a single complaint before that moment came.

“Are you an idiot?! You are, aren’t you?! You said to relax, that you had it covered, and this is what you brought the Second Primogenitor as a bargaining chip?!”

Sure, when Yuiri and Aswad had eaten together, he’d found prepackaged off-the-shelf curry quite delicious. Yuiri had mentioned that to Asagi. She hadn’t thought anyone would get the idea that it was acceptable to prepare curry for the Second Primogenitor as tribute.

“Wait a… Wh-what?! Just so you know, even royalty can’t eat Nellore curry without an appointment…!”

“That isn’t the point! What’s wrong with you?! Just because it’s a little tastier doesn’t make it suitable for bargaining with the ruler of a Dominion!”

“I’m telling you, this curry isn’t just a little tastier! The shop owner procures his own ingredients and thoroughly steams handpicked meat, vegetables, and fruit for ninety-six hours to develop its robust flavor. Plus, they use a secret specially curated spice to push it to the heights of taste! Even Mr. Ozawa, the leading authority of Itogami Island’s curry scene, said he had to bow his hat to its flavor!”

“Er, who even is this Mr. Ozawa…?!”

“Enough already,” went Yuiri as she clutched her head in anguish. Despite this, Asagi showed no hint of remorse.

“Also, the rice paired with the curry is an ultra-high-quality variety produced by Itogami Island’s Magiakari brand. They top that off by cooking it with deep seawater rich in minerals! Everything in Nellore curry fits together perfectly!”

“I’m saying, that’s not the pooiiiiiiint…!”

“…Bh…”

A small exhale not even amounting to a whisper interrupted Yuiri’s confounded scream. It had escaped from Aswad. He curled up on his throne, his entire body trembling as if in pain, and then…

“Bhh…bw…ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”

“Y-Your Majesty?!”

Heedless of everyone’s stares, Aswad burst into laughter, leaving retainers and soldiers alike to gaze at him blankly, completely at a loss. Their expressions registered shock, terror, and confusion.

This was probably a new sight even to those who had served Aswad for many years. The Second Primogenitor was cackling with tears in the corners of his eyes.

“Curry… You would have me…bend my knee for curry…ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!”

Aswad began wheezing from laughing so much. Even so, his fits of giggling did not abate. He continued breaking out in mirth several times over as he remembered what had caused it.

Yuiri could do nothing except stand still and watch without a word. Meanwhile, Asagi wore a sullen expression. She still didn’t have a single clue why he was laughing at her.

“H…how many centuries has it been since…I have laughed so… I wonder…? Truly, this island never ceases to…amuse.”

He continued rolling around and chortling for another five minutes. Just as looks of serious worry began to come over his retainers’ faces, Aswad finally sat up straight and quietly put his breathing in order.

He then summoned one of the retainers in attendance behind him.

“Now, General…once upon a time, spices were worth their weight in gold, were they…not?”

“Certainly, though that was quite a while ago.”

The warrior type who had been called general replied in a baritone voice that carried very well. And as one of Aswad’s retainers, he was naturally quite easy on the eyes. His stern, middle-aged looks were like those of a refined actor straight from the silver screen.

His reply left Aswad nodding in satisfaction.

“Then curry made with the ultimate in spices could be considered tribute worthy for a king…yes?”

“Indeed.”

The general nodded curtly. Yuiri gazed upon that roundabout exchange with surprise.

Surely Aswad did not seriously believe that curry was a tribute equivalent in value to gold bullion. With that brief exchange, however, fiction had transformed into reality.

Now that Asagi had offered suitable compensation, Aswad’s retainers were unable to dismiss her demand as insolence. Next, it was Aswad’s turn to grant her a boon worthy of a primogenitor.

“Very…well, for this one night, the Fallen Dynasty shall venerate the daughter of the Castiellas as its liege.”

Aswad made his pronouncement in a regal tone of voice.

Crushed by fatigue, Yuiri felt a little dizzy but earnestly kept her psyche in one piece. Though they’d just barely managed to succeed in making the bargain, they were still in an audience with the Second Primogenitor. There was no telling what kind of unreasonable demand Aswad might make on a whim.

“However, I have one…condition.”

A suggestive smile came over him, as though he was teasing the already wary Yuiri. Her shoulders trembled. “Kuh-kuh,” Aswad chuckled in amusement.

“You shall join me for supper to…night. As we indulge in this curry, you will take your time and tell me the details of your…scheme.”

“With pleasure.”

Asagi nodded with a radiant smile.