Eighteen: The Land of Mages

Once again, I found myself mooching a meal at Hellsing’s place. Lady Yaochi’s culinary skills only made her image in my eyes grow more radiant; every smile and every sigh she let slip caused my heart to race...

Stop! Hold it right there, Fishbone. Watch it, or the Master will have your head.

I suspect I might be cursed. They say that in ancient times, there was an evil sorcerer named Freud who crafted a malicious spell that made the victim susceptible to attraction toward mature, older women. Perhaps I had stumbled upon his grimoire and fallen prey to this hex, which would explain why I was so utterly distracted.

Lady Yaochi offered me a side dish, and my chopsticks accidentally brushed against hers. I felt as though I had been struck by lightning—oh, this strange, ill-timed current...

Bella, watching from the side, chuckled, "Has he overtrained and damaged his nerves?"

Hellsing replied, "The high-level Mind Blade makes his emotions rather volatile; any kind of reaction is to be expected."

Lady Yaochi said gently, "He is a clever boy."

I murmured in response, "You are a beautiful lady."

Lady Yaochi smiled, saying, "Thank you for the compliment, and thank you for the special medicine as well; I feel much better."

I said, "Replenishing your magic is the least I could do."

If Hellsing knew the double meaning of that phrase, I feared I would not escape his blade, but fortunately, he seemed oblivious.

Hellsing and I drank some vintage wine. In high spirits, I regaled them with the glorious future of Weeping Village. Hellsing remarked, "If I were thirty years younger, I would certainly venture out into that wilderness myself."

I immediately said, "Once I have built the city, you are welcome to move to Weeping Village. The embers there can withstand the harsh weather, and there is a large lake with pristine water."

Bella asked, "Really? Can I invest and become a shareholder?"

I replied joyfully, "I couldn't ask for more! How much can you put in?"

Bella said, "I have to go back and consult with Lady Typhon. Her judgment has always been sharp."

Should I tell them about the LAST mechanical workers? They would have to know sooner or later, but the Kindred would never let a mortal like me monopolize such an important resource. It was a pity Lamia wasn't around; I had no one to consult. The Mask? He was even more confused than I was.

Suddenly, I cried out, "Oh no!"

Bella asked, "What’s wrong?"

I said, "I ran into a priest from the Era Empire on the way! That person knows the location of Weeping Village and the reactor inside the Charon Heavy Industries! Will they try to seize my village?"

Hellsing’s expression shifted, as did Yaochi’s. The former looked vigilant, while the latter appeared desolate and fragile. Hellsing said, "The Era Empire wouldn't do that. They are too far away; it wouldn't be worth the long trek."

I asked, "Master, Lady, do you have a history with the Era Empire?"

Yaochi said, "I used to be a priestess of the Era Empire myself."

This took me by surprise. "What a coincidence! And you aren't anymore?"

Yaochi replied, "I am not. They are likely still hunting me, and if it weren't for me, Hellsing would never have broken with the Sword and Shield Society."

I asked, "What is the reason for this? Can you tell me?"

Yaochi looked at Hellsing. Hellsing took a sip of wine and said, "Let’s start from the beginning. Have you heard of the Nephalem, those peculiar beings?"

I answered, "I've heard it several times already!"

Hellsing nodded. "Good, that makes it easier to explain. These types of beings easily acquire strange abilities. For instance, those powerful Kindred, or your two ghoul subordinates—they all have, to varying degrees, Nephalem bloodlines.

"Thousands of years ago, some Nephalem began to awaken. They didn't become Kindred, nor were they resurrected, nor were they possessed by demons; they simply gained an ability called 'magic.' They believed they had seen the truth of the world. Their lifespans did not increase because of this, nor did they crave blood or raw meat, nor did they grow black fur or fangs. By all external appearances, they remained human, but in essence, they were entirely different.

"They evolved on a spiritual level. They mastered magic and formed organizations, calling themselves Mages."

He pointed to Yaochi and said, "Yaochi is one such person, and so is the ruling class of the Era Empire."

Bella and I nodded. "Understood, please go on."

Hellsing continued, "The Mages realized that the world was completely different from what they had originally perceived. Kindred, werewolves, ghosts, and ghouls were all real. Humanity had always been threatened by these monstrosities, unaware of the fact that they were being manipulated.

"However, the Mages no longer considered themselves human either. They viewed themselves as having equal or even higher status than the Kindred—players at the top of the food chain. The Kindred established vast shadow institutions, exploiting human ignorance to serve their own interests. The Mages also united to build organizations to contend with the Kindred in the dark.

"This organization was called the Era Society."

I asked, "Is that the predecessor of the Era Empire?"

Hellsing said, "Not exactly. The truth is more complex. Although the Era Society was powerful, internal strife arose, eventually splitting it into four new groups: the Sword and Shield Society, the Charon Corporation, the Daughters of Demons, and the Labyrinth Guardians."

Bella remarked, "Two of those sound familiar."

Hellsing replied, "The Sword and Shield Society is the one we know today. They originated from the devout believers of the Vatican in the West. The Mind Blades they use are actually a form of magic, leaning toward close-quarters combat. We use magic to temper our own bodies; we were the thugs and soldiers of the Era Society.

"The Charon Corporation believes in a policy of capital. They are a massive multinational conglomerate involved in biology, medicine, heavy industry, weaponry—all that messy stuff. They disguise magic as technology and are the wealthiest and most public of the four organizations. They manipulate elections, control voters, and provide funding for the Era Society.

"The Labyrinth Guardians are the hardliners. They firmly believe that the identity of Mages must never be known to mortals, and they are busy suppressing any leaks. They are the judges, police, and assassins among Mages; they don't let a single whistleblower go. Even if a Mage performs a conspicuous or suspicious magic trick in public, they will travel thousands of miles to capture and put them on trial.

"The Daughters of Demons is what is now the Era Empire. They are the elite among Mages, skilled at tracing genealogies and bloodlines to find the Mages with the most outstanding talents. These gifted individuals are believed to inherit the power of powerful demons. The Daughters of Demons train them strictly to ensure their potential is fully realized, using them to deal with those monsters and phenomena that transcend common sense."

I asked, "Is this organization composed entirely of women?"

Yaochi said, "The original tradition was that they only sought out underage female Nephalem with extraordinary bloodlines to awaken them as Mages."

I said angrily, "That’s blatant sexism! Who says men aren't as good as women?"

Yaochi replied with a smile, "According to probability, female Mages have a higher success rate. Legend has it that during the dark ages of human history in Europe, the witch hunts were precisely because the magical talent of women was more easily manifested, and the consequences were more severe.

"But later, a powerful Son of Demons appeared. His magical power was unprecedented, creating a new era of glory for the Daughters of Demons. That Son of Demons became an exception as the leader of the Daughters of Demons, and starting with him, they began to occasionally discover and recruit males into the organization."

I sighed, "Perhaps this has to do with the trend of male effeminacy in the last century. They say before the apocalypse, the percentage of men who wore makeup and the money they spent on it was no less than that of women."

Yaochi said, "I don't know about that, perhaps so."

Come to think of it, should I buy some cosmetics to maintain my appearance? After all, the higher the attractiveness, the stronger the magic. I felt I had quite the potential to become a 'fresh meat' star.

Yaochi continued, "However, the Kindred are more cunning than Mages and better at mental control. Unknowingly, they infiltrated the Sword and Shield Society and the Charon Corporation, turning the heads of these organizations into puppets. Things became very complicated. The Kindred and Mages were originally opposed in the shadows, but eventually, they became so intertwined that it was hard to tell friend from foe."

Hellsing said, "After the Cataclysm, the Daughters of Demons recruited some remnants of the Labyrinth Guardians. They began pioneering settlements fifty or sixty years before Black Coffin, occupying Oregon and a small part of Washington state. That is the Era Empire."

I asked, "Alright, the Daughters of Demons became the Era Empire. So, how did Yaochi escape from the Era Empire? Is there some legendary tale of a hero saving a beauty hidden in there?"

Yaochi stood up to clear the dishes and said, "It’s getting late. I heard you’re attending a banquet tonight?"

I said, "I don't mind skipping that banquet. I just want to hear the rest of the story."

Yaochi stroked my hair and said, "Child, the end of the story is that Hellsing and I are living happily in Black Coffin, chatting and drinking with you. As for what happened before, there is nothing worth telling."

I sighed, knowing they had no intention of revealing more. Things being as they were, there was no need to force them. Perhaps one day, when Yaochi was alone, I could get her drunk and then... pry the full story out of her.

Bella hooked her arm into mine and said, "Let’s go, let’s go, big celebrity. Time to attend the most important banquet of our Kindred."

If I didn't go, Typhon had threatened to castrate me. Of course, I didn't fear any threats... however, we were all neighbors, and it was better to keep the peace. What harm was there in giving her some face? It’s not like they would drain me dry on the spot, right?

Bella said, "Huh? Why are you sweating and gulping?"

If things went south, I would find the weakest Kindred, take them hostage, and make a run for it.

Bella and I arranged to meet in front of her residence. Sigh, this was the trouble with being a celebrity; there were just too many social obligations. If Lamia knew I was out and about with Bella, would she be jealous? These were just social pleasantries, after all.

Bella saw my outfit and burst into laughter. "What are you doing carrying a gun and a sword?"

I said, "Isn't it a costume party?"

Bella asked, "What are you dressed as?"

I said, "A vampire hunter."

Bella chuckled, "My dear Fishbone, if you don't want to die a miserable death, you’d better dress more normally."

I had no choice but to toss the gun and sword into the trash, though I hid Mjolnir in my pants. This made me look a bit too bulky, but there was no helping it. This sword was terrifyingly heavy, but fortunately, my pants were sturdy enough.