Shinji Matou at Your Service

Damn Director!

The Director naturally referred to the leader of the Burial Agency, the current Narbareck.

Damn was how the young man described the Director, and judging by his tone, there was no hint of a joke in this descriptor—it was a genuine wish for the Director's death.

The other person in the room showed no dissatisfaction or opposition. After all, this was quite common in the Burial Agency they belonged to. Not just the two people in the room but all eight members of the Burial Agency—seven regular members and one substitute—wished for the Director's demise, except for Narbareck herself.

This was because the Director had an extremely vile personality. Enjoying killing was one thing, but the key issue was that when there was no one to kill, she would find different ways to bully the other members of the Burial Agency, making everyone's life miserable. If Narbareck did not possess top-tier power and had not sealed several of the Twenty-seven Ancestors, these outliers would have sent her to hell long ago.

For now, since their fists weren't as strong as hers, they could only vent through words.

Cursing their leader out of habit, the young man flipped open the report and exclaimed upon reading the first paragraph.

"What?"

"Merem, what happened?" said the other person in the room.

This was a young girl dressed in a black nun's habit. Compared to the overly luxurious ceremonial robe worn by the young man called Merem, the simple black outfit with white trim and a cross emblem on the chest was the normal attire for Holy Church members.

The girl appeared to be a few years older than Merem. If Merem had just crossed the threshold of youth, the girl was nearing the end of that stage, about to graduate from girlhood into young adulthood.

The girl's style somewhat resembled Shinji's, with an Eastern face but Western features—short blue hair and blue eyes. The difference was that Shinji's blue was ocean blue, while the girl's blue was sky blue. Shinji had curly hair (recently straightened), while the girl had straight hair.

"Something big happened. Hahaha, this is truly interesting."

Merem laughed heartily, not hiding his delight.

"For you to laugh like that, it must indeed be significant."

The girl was accustomed to Merem's demeanor.

"Of course, one of the Twenty-seven Ancestors was eliminated. Completely eliminated."

"The Twenty-seven Ancestors? And eliminated? That is indeed big news—which one? The easiest to eliminate is still living well..."

"Hey, hey, is it okay to be so blunt?"

"There's nothing wrong with it because I dislike you."

"Ugh... so harsh."

Merem smiled as he let out a sorrowful wail, seemingly enjoying this kind of exchange with the girl.

"But compared to this one, I am indeed easier to eliminate."

"You admit it?"

The girl's sky-blue eyes showed a hint of curiosity.

The girl knew very well how troublesome Merem in front of her was. Although his current body was not strong, he didn't rely on his body for combat. He relied on a massive group of familiars and Four Great Daemon Beasts that acted as his limbs. Each demon was terrifying enough to rival god-level phantasmal species, not to mention he had collected countless treasures over his long life. Even without relying on familiars and demons, taking him down wouldn't be easy.

The girl was certain that if she attacked Merem now, there would be only one outcome—she would be suppressed. Because Merem was also one of the Twenty-seven Ancestors, the Twentieth Seat, also known as The Crown, Merem Solomon, and simultaneously the Fifth Seat of the Burial Agency—the Burial Agency was such a bizarre organization where even heretics could join if they had the power.

"I have no choice but to admit it."

Merem gently stroked the gem ring on his right index finger.

"After all, that was an existence that had turned into a phenomenon."

"I see, the Thirteenth Ancestor, the Night of Wallachia, who appeared near the Vatican three years ago. We happened to be on missions away from the headquarters then, so the Holy Church organized a temporary punitive force, which was completely wiped out."

"So what? We've always had a mutual dislike for the higher-ups, except for the Director. Everyone is waiting to laugh at the higher-ups. Even if the Director took the Holy Church's secret treasure, she probably couldn't handle the Night of Wallachia that had turned into a phenomenon. As far as I know, the only one who could deal with that one is the Eclipse Princess of Black Blood."

The Eclipse Princess of Black Blood, also known as Princess Altrouge, had made a pact with the Crimson Moon, the Night of Wallachia.

"How on earth... hmm, Japan..."

The ancient Dead Apostle, fixed in the form of a young boy, continued reading the report. Suddenly, his arm trembled, and he let out an incredulous yet delighted "Ah."

"It's—it's her!"

As he spoke, Merem's face rapidly turned from pale to bright red, and the girl seemed to hear a "pop" sound.

Seeing Merem like this, the girl had a premonition. She reached out, took the report, and her gaze fixed on a name.

"Arcueid Brunestud... of course, it's her. Only she could make you show such an expression."

The girl knew that Merem Solomon was a direct Dead Apostle of the original True Ancestor, Crimson Moon Brunestud, and harbored a pure admiration for his master, being the most die-hard supporter of the Crimson Moon faction. After the Crimson Moon was blasted to dust by the Old Man of Jewels, Merem went into seclusion. When Arcueid was born, this admiration and loyalty transferred to the Crimson Moon's clone, Arcueid.

"She woke up from her slumber and went to Japan... How did she get to Japan? No one prepared identification for her, no one taught her modern social knowledge, no one bought her a plane ticket... Is she alright? Won't she cause any trouble?"

Merem muttered incessantly like a mother hen looking after her chick, rendering the girl speechless.

"Do you think she can't survive without you?"

Merem paused, muttering to himself, "Could it be Black Wing? No, it wouldn't be him. Then who could it be? Someone who knows the location of the castle stands by her side, and can arrange her identity..."

Assisting the princess in integrating into society had always been Merem's duty. Whenever the princess awoke from her slumber, Merem would rush over to teach her common sense, arrange her identity, buy plane tickets, and even provide funding. But this time, he knew nothing about her awakening.

"Whenever it comes to her, you become like this. If you keep reading, you'll find out. It's that woman, who can easily charm ignorant poor souls."

The girl spoke with annoyance. Compared to Merem himself, she had a stronger aversion to the True Ancestor he admired.

"See, I was right. There's a guy who calls himself her guardian knight. Hmph, and he's only fourteen."