The Delivered Letter

Three dust-laden travelers stood before a gloomy, deep forest graveyard.

These were the puppet and her two companions, who had journeyed to the castle.

Oh, and a black horse with fiery eyes, which galloped amongst the graves, greedily absorbing the dark energy from the soil.

The moonlight, hazy and ethereal, filtered through the branches, casting a fractured mosaic of light and shadow.

What should have been neatly arranged gravestones now lay toppled and shattered, presenting a desolate disarray under the moon’s glow.

In some overturned mounds of earth, even fragments of broken bones were visible.

“This is… your castle? While it contains a wealth of negative energy, still…”

The puppet gazed at the endless expanse of disordered gravestones, silent and contemplative.

“Uh, no, of course not. Actually, because of that attack, our castle sealed itself within a barrier at the last moment.”

“This is merely where the undead and ghouls, cultivated by the vampires outside the original castle, resided. Don’t look at me like that; this information simply appeared in my mind.”

The blond young man, Alger, who had suddenly spoken, tapped his own skull, a hint of confusion clouding his features.

“Young man, your talent is quite remarkable,” the puppet remarked, a smile of appreciation gracing her lips. “To absorb the information from your progenitor’s blood so swiftly after the embrace…”

Normally, when a vampire progenitor bestows the embrace, they infuse their essence into the target, leaving a brand within the recipient’s mind.

This brand is crucial not only for maintaining complete control over their progeny but also for imparting a small portion of family legacy and personal knowledge.

However, the one who performed this particular embrace ritual was an utterly clueless maid, who inexplicably failed to leave such a brand in the newly turned vampire’s mind.

Given these circumstances, for Alger to fully assimilate the blood’s inherent information in less than half a month, relying solely on the blood itself, was truly an exceptional feat.

“Indeed, after all, he is the one I chose.”

Having discerned the puppet’s gentle disposition, the timid viscount now dared to jest openly.

‘But it was still useless… he couldn’t even defeat my horse,’ the puppet mused inwardly.

After a few silent sneers, the puppet steered the conversation back to its original purpose.

“So, do you now have a way to lead us into that sealed barrier dimension?”

The puppet scanned the surrounding space, yet could only perceive faint, obscure traces of energy, offering no information about the sealed demi-plane.

“Of course! Behold the guiding treasure in my hand!”

“What is this? It’s just a letter!” Alger exclaimed, voicing his disappointment.

Alger loudly complained about his earlier expectations, but the puppet, standing nearby, wore a thoughtful expression.

“A letter? No, it’s not merely a letter. It seems to be a combination of a beacon and a summoning array. Hmm… what an interesting little trinket.”

Through the discerning ‘Eyes of Analysis,’ unique to alchemical beings, the secrets hidden within the narrow, wax-sealed letter were instantly unraveled.

“Princess Sally is correct,” Harriet affirmed. “This letter functions as a key to open the way. I shall use it now.”

With those words, Harriet tore open the envelope, which had been sealed with red wax.

A wisp of pale blue smoke drifted from the opened envelope.

It rose like delicate threads, carrying with it a faint, chilling fragrance.

As the ethereal smoke swirled, a ring of white mist swiftly rose around the graveyard.

A long, echoing whinny suddenly reverberated through the white mist.

The next moment, accompanied by the rhythmic clatter of hooves, a black, two-horse carriage abruptly emerged from the swirling fog.

“Hee-hawww~”

Upon seeing the carriage appear, a flicker of interest darted through Rao’s eyes, even as it continued to consume the dark energy.

The black horse then trotted over to its ‘kin’ – the two black horses pulling the carriage – and began to observe them with curiosity.

Though these two black horses possessed coiled muscles, they subtly exuded a translucent quality.

Their eyes burned with a faint blue flame, devoid of any living vitality.

Despite Rao’s posturing and attempts to engage them, the spectral horses remained utterly oblivious.

“Rao, come back,” the puppet called. “These are ghost horses; they aren’t your kind. No need to try and get friendly.”

With a wave of the puppet’s hand, Rao, feeling rather unamused by the two unresponsive creatures before him, returned to the group.

“So, can we depart now?”

“We can, but your horse, honored guest…” Harriet began hesitantly.

“Oh, you mean there isn’t enough space, don’t you? No matter… Rao, go on in and take a nap.”

With a subtle expansion and contraction of her domain, the black nightmare horse vanished without a trace, leaving behind only two pairs of wide, stunned eyes.

“Is there enough room now? Let us depart.”

“Uhm… yes, alright. As expected of you, honored guest. We shall depart immediately.” Harriet stammered, still slightly dazed.

Stunned for a moment by this display, Harriet eventually led the other two onto the darkly painted carriage.

One must understand, that was a living creature! Yet even the most precious spatial artifacts could only contain inanimate objects!

Ignoring the still-shocked maid, the puppet began to examine the carriage interior.

The carriage was designed to seat four, with a row of sofa-like seats on each side.

A cooled incense burner stood in the central aisle.

A black-bronze bat perched atop the burner, its mouth serving as the incense’s spout.

Despite its once opulent decorations, a persistent sense of decay clung to it.

The puppet sighed softly, finally withdrawing her gaze from the flaking golden lacquer on the carriage ceiling.

Silence descended within the carriage, broken only by the incessant clatter of hooves from outside.

“Princess Sally, you… you will help us, won’t you?” Harriet’s voice broke the stillness.

After a long moment, the girl’s words shattered the silence.

They were imbued with both supplication and desperate longing, like a drowning person clutching for a life-saving log.

Upon hearing this, the puppet ultimately let out a soft sigh.

‘Though maintaining hope is good, the despair that follows shattered hope is the true abyss,’ the puppet mused. ‘So be it, I shall make things clear to her.’

“Help you, I certainly will,” the puppet began. “But how do you wish for me to assist you?”

“This…” Harriet faltered.

“You’ve already told me that only you and your Lady Princess Master remain of the vampires in Cainhurst Castle,” the puppet continued. “So, is it safe to say this family exists only in name?”

“No, it’s not…” Harriet quickly countered.

“I can help you repair your dilapidated castle, restoring it to its former glory. I can shatter the great seal and rescue your Queen. I can even assist you in causing a ruckus at the Holy Church’s stronghold, for I hold no fondness for those individuals either.”

“But what then? If your Lady Master intends to revitalize this utterly fallen family, I will not offer my assistance. At most, I would serve as a high-end combatant, a bargaining chip for you to attract others, for I have grown weary of war and intrigue.”

The puppet spread her hands, her gaze calm as she watched Harriet bite her lip.

“I don’t understand any of this…” Harriet confessed, her eyes clouded with confusion. “Please, honored guest, just rescue the Princess first. I believe my Master will surely have a plan.”

The maid’s vision blurred with uncertainty, as she sank into a state of bewilderment regarding the future.

Alger, concerned, patted his beloved’s shoulder. He then spoke:

“It’s alright,” he reassured her. “You often speak of how magnificent your Queen is. I believe that once she is rescued, she will undoubtedly break through this predicament.”

“…Yes, thank you,” Harriet murmured, a glimmer of hope returning to her eyes. “The Queen will surely tell me what to do next.”

“Ahem!” The puppet’s soft cough interrupted the two mouths that were rapidly drawing closer.

“Ah! My apologies! I didn’t mean to!” Alger quickly exclaimed, pulling away.

“…Hmph! I’m only giving you some face… don’t let it happen again.” Harriet huffed, though a blush crept up her neck.

‘What a pair of fools,’ the puppet thought, a faint smile touching her lips.

The puppet smiled, watching the two startled individuals quickly separate from their embrace after being roused by the cough.

‘Still, what a novel-like development… So, my role should be… the wise old mentor?’

‘Haha, forget it,’ she concluded, dismissing the thought.

Closing her eyes to rest, the puppet leaned back against the seat, quietly awaiting the carriage to deliver them to the magnificent castle the maid had described.