owlsbooks Chapter 182 - No.182 Bounty Hunters? Quest? (3)
Chapter 182 - No.182 Bounty Hunters? Quest? (3)
[Dominic’s POV]
[Location: Morningstar Manor, New York]
’Long time no see, System.’
[A new quest is available]
’Let’s see then.’
[Chain Quest: The World Knows (1)]
[Description: Bounty hunters are now aware of the existence of Dominic Nocturne von Morningstar and Morningstar Manor. Hidden enemies, opportunists, ancient rivals, and infernal factions have begun moving beneath the surface.]
[Objective:
— Survive the first wave of hunters.
— Establish authority over your territory.
— Prevent hostile forces from gaining control over the Manor’s surrounding domain.]
[Failure Condition:
— Death of the Host.
— Collapse of Morningstar Manor.]
[Reward:
— ???]
[Penalty:
— The dead have no future.]
’Well.’
I stared blankly at the translucent blue screen hovering in front of me while the dining hall remained caught in tense silence around Grayfia’s report.
’That’s ominous.’
The System did not elaborate.
Naturally.
Because apparently, mysterious ambiguity was part of its customer service model.
Eris tugged lightly at my sleeve again.
"Papa?"
I blinked once and looked down at her.
"Hm?"
"...You’re making the thinking face again."
"...I have a thinking face?"
She nodded seriously.
"Very scary."
Selene immediately pointed at me from across the table.
"Confirmed! Protagonist internal monologue detected!"
"I am literally sitting quietly."
"Exactly."
That somehow made sense to her.
Which was deeply unfortunate for everyone involved.
I exhaled slowly and mentally dismissed the System window before anyone noticed me staring into space like a malfunctioning NPC.
Not that they could see it anyway.
The Lucifer Levelling System remained invisible to everyone except me.
One of the very few blessings in my increasingly catastrophic existence.
Because explaining magical blue windows to a table full of demonic royalty sounded exhausting.
Especially to Zeraphira.
Wrath would somehow interpret it as either:
A challenge.
A conspiracy.
Or both simultaneously.
Probably both.
Grayfia remained standing beside me calmly while the others processed the situation in varying degrees of concern.
Valeria looked excited.
Which was worrying.
Ezravia looked thoughtful.
Which was more worrying.
Ravvy looked hungry.
Which somehow felt the most worrying of all.
Carmilla rested her chin lightly atop folded fingers, red eyes calm and unreadable.
Zeraphira’s arms remained crossed beside me.
The air around her had warmed slightly again.
Not unstable.
Controlled.
But active.
Like restrained fire waiting for an excuse.
Gabriel slowly raised her hand.
"...Um."
Everyone looked at her.
She blinked once under the collective attention.
"If bad people are coming..." she said carefully, "...should we maybe lock the doors?"
Silence.
Then—
Selene gasped dramatically.
"The pure-hearted angel proposes the anti-home invasion strategy!"
Gabriel looked embarrassed immediately.
"...Was that stupid?"
"No," I answered honestly.
Then paused.
"...Just deeply insufficient."
"Oh."
She lowered her hand slowly.
Valeria leaned across the table toward Gabriel with sudden sympathy.
"Don’t worry. I also contribute emotionally instead of strategically."
Ezravia didn’t even look up.
"No. You contribute noise."
"I contribute morale."
"You tried to flirt with a cursed sword last week."
"It was emotionally available."
"It screamed."
"Passion takes many forms."
I rubbed my temple again.
The headache returning today was beginning to feel symbolic.
Grayfia’s silver eyes shifted toward me briefly.
"Master."
"Hm?"
"There is another matter."
Of course, there was.
Why would the apocalypse arrive one issue at a time when it could clearly multitask?
I gestured tiredly.
"Continue."
Grayfia inclined her head slightly.
"The four hunters were not ordinary contractors."
Carmilla’s gaze sharpened faintly.
"Experienced?"
"Yes."
Ezravia narrowed her eyes.
"Names?"
Grayfia paused briefly.
Then—
"One identified himself indirectly as David."
At that—
Selene stopped moving.
Not dramatically.
Not visibly to most.
But I noticed.
Her pupils contracted, which—
—which, frankly, was alarming.
Because Selene reacted to most things with theatrical chaos, anime references, or deeply concerning enthusiasm.
Stillness?
Stillness meant something.
Zeraphira noticed immediately.
"...You know that name," Wrath said flatly.
Every eye shifted toward the witch.
Selene blinked once.
Then twice.
Her cheerful expression didn’t disappear.
But it dimmed slightly around the edges.
"...Maybe?" she answered weakly.
"That is not confidence-inspiring," Ezravia said.
Selene laughed nervously.
"Aha~ well, you know! The supernatural world is very interconnected! Lots of Davids! Very common name! Could be any mysterious, potentially dangerous reality-warping psychopath named David!"
Silence.
Gabriel tilted her head.
"...How many reality-warping psychopaths named David do you know?"
Selene looked at her.
Then looked away.
"...More than one."
That—
That was somehow worse.
Grayfia’s silver gaze sharpened slightly.
"You recognise him."
Selene exhaled slowly.
The playful atmosphere around her faded another degree.
Not completely.
But enough.
"...Possibly," she admitted quietly.
Zeraphira’s eyes narrowed.
"Explain."
Selene scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"Okay, so, hypothetically speaking..."
"You’re already stalling," Ezravia interrupted.
"Rude."
"Accurate."
Selene sighed dramatically before finally sitting upright properly in her chair for what might have been the first time in recorded history.
"...There are independent organisations outside Hell that monitor large-scale supernatural anomalies."
Valeria blinked.
"...Like magical IRS?"
"No," Selene replied immediately. "Far worse."
That got my attention.
Selene continued carefully.
"They don’t rule territory. They don’t govern factions. They don’t officially participate in wars."
A pause.
"...They catalogue."
Silence.
Carmilla’s eyes sharpened faintly.
"Observers," she murmured.
Selene nodded once.
"Most people call them that, yeah."
Ravvy tilted her head.
"...That sounds harmless."
Selene looked at her.
"No," she said quietly. "They’re the reason ancient monsters disappear without anyone noticing."
The room stilled slightly.
Even Valeria stopped fidgeting.
Gabriel looked confused.
"...Disappear how?"
Selene hesitated.
Then smiled weakly.
"...Usually violently?"
"...Oh."
Grayfia remained motionless beside me.
"Does David belong to this organisation?"
"Maybe," Selene admitted carefully. "Or used to."
That distinction mattered.
Ezravia noticed immediately.
"You are uncertain."
Selene nodded.
"Because they don’t really have membership the way normal groups do."
Valeria frowned.
"...Then how does that work?"
Selene’s expression turned oddly thoughtful.
"Imagine a library."
A pause.
"Now imagine the librarians hunt eldritch catastrophes for quality control."
Silence.
Gabriel slowly lowered her orange juice.
"...That sounds very stressful."
"It is!" Selene agreed immediately. "Their entire thing is maintaining balance through selective intervention."
Zeraphira’s voice remained cold.
"And why does that concern you?"
Selene visibly hesitated.
Ah.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The witch scratched the back of her neck awkwardly.
"...Because I may have accidentally stolen from one of their vaults once."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Then—
Valeria leaned forward with sparkling eyes.
"Oh, my god."
Ezravia pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Of course you did."
Gabriel looked horrified.
"...Why would you do that?!"
Selene threw both hands up defensively.
"In my defence, they labelled it forbidden, cursed knowledge! That is basically an invitation for witches!"
"That is the opposite of an invitation," Zeraphira said flatly.
Selene pointed at her dramatically.
"Easy for YOU to say! You weren’t raised in magical academia! Forbidden sections are like mating calls for intellectual disasters!"
"...That explains so much," I muttered.
Grayfia’s gaze remained fixed on Selene.
"What did you steal?"
Selene immediately looked away.
"...Technically speaking—"
"What. Did you steal?"
The witch wilted slightly beneath Grayfia’s perfectly calm stare.
"...A prophecy fragment."
Silence.
Carmilla slowly lowered her teacup completely now.
That alone told me the answer mattered.
Ezravia’s purple eyes narrowed.
"What kind of prophecy?"
Selene laughed nervously.
"...The extremely regrettable kind?"
"No more stalling."
Selene exhaled slowly.
Then, finally spoke quietly.
"It mentioned the Morningstar bloodline."
The dining hall went silent again.
Not shocked.
Not dramatic.
Just heavy.
Like the atmosphere itself had become denser.
Zeraphira’s gaze snapped toward me briefly before returning to Selene.
"...Continue."
Selene swallowed once.
"The fragment was damaged," she said quickly. "Incomplete. I couldn’t fully decode it."
"For once, a blessing," Ezravia muttered.
"But there were repeated references to convergence."
My fingers tapped lightly against the table once.
Unconsciously.
The System quest lingered unpleasantly in the back of my mind.
The World Knows.
Wonderful title.
Very comforting.
Selene continued carefully.
"Bloodlines. Thrones. Seven authorities gathering around a dead star."
Carmilla’s eyes sharpened.
"...Dead star."
Selene nodded slowly.
"That part always bothered me."
A pause.
"Because prophecy language is usually symbolic."
Valeria blinked.
"...Usually?"
Selene looked at her.
"...Sometimes stars literally die."
"...Oh."
Ravvy raised a hand slightly.
"...Can I eat during prophecy discussions?"
"No," Ezravia replied immediately.
Ravvy looked devastated.
I exhaled slowly.
"You’re telling me there’s an organisation monitoring apocalyptic supernatural events..."
"Correct."
"...And one of their people just confirmed I exist."
Selene pointed weakly at me.
"...Yup."
"And you stole prophecy fragments connected to my bloodline from them."
"...In my defence—"
"There is no defence."
"Fair."
Grayfia finally spoke again.
"Did David recognise you?"
Selene blinked.
Then frowned slightly.
"...No."
A beat.
"At least... I don’t think so."
That was not reassuring.
Not remotely.
Zeraphira crossed her arms tighter.
"You are withholding something."
Selene visibly winced.
Ah.
There it is.
The witch sighed dramatically before slumping forward across the table.
"...Okay, so, tiny additional problem."
Valeria leaned in immediately.
"How tiny?"
Selene held up two fingers.
"...Emotionally devastating, tiny."
Ezravia’s expression flattened.
"Speak clearly."
Selene pointed weakly toward herself.
"I may be on their blacklist."
Silence.
Gabriel blinked.
"...There’s a blacklist?"
Selene looked personally offended.
"Gabriel, I am a dimensional trespassing witch with questionable impulse control. Of course, there’s a blacklist."
"...That’s fair."
"It really is."
Grayfia’s silver eyes remained calm.
"What level?"
Selene went very still.
That alone answered enough.
Even Valeria noticed.
"...Wait."
The pink-haired demoness blinked slowly.
"...There’s levels?"
Selene nodded weakly.
"...Unfortunately."
Ezravia’s voice lowered.
"What level?"
Selene smiled at someone moments away from being executed socially.
"...Catastrophic nuisance."
Silence.
Then—
Carmilla laughed.
Softly.
Elegantly.
Actually laughed.
It wasn’t loud.
But it immediately made everyone look at her.
Even Zeraphira blinked once.
Carmilla rested her cheek lightly against one hand, amusement flickering through crimson eyes.
"...That is the most accurate description of you I have heard thus far."
Selene pointed accusingly.
"I bring whimsy and magical wonder!"
"You stole prophecy fragments."
"Knowledge yearns to be free!"
"You also summoned a haunted train into Tokyo."
"...The passengers enjoyed it."
"No, they did not."
Gabriel looked increasingly concerned.
"...There was a haunted train?"
"Only briefly," Selene replied.
"That sentence is terrifying."
Grayfia’s gaze shifted back toward me.
"Regardless," she said calmly, returning the room to seriousness with terrifying efficiency, "David did not engage."
That mattered.
A lot.
Ezravia nodded slowly.
"Meaning he assessed the situation as unfavourable."
"Yes."
Zeraphira frowned slightly.
"...Or incomplete."
The room quieted again.
Ah.
Wrath noticed it too.
Grayfia inclined her head slightly.
"I considered that possibility."
Carmilla’s fingers tapped lightly once against her teacup.
"They were gathering information."
"Yes."
"Which means," Ezravia continued quietly, "someone else will eventually act on it."
The atmosphere tightened.
Because that—
That was the real issue.
The first group had been cautious.
Professional.
Controlled.
The next might not be.
Ravvy tilted her head slightly.
"...Can we kill those ones?"
"Ravvy," Gabriel whispered helplessly.
"What?" the black-haired demoness asked innocently. "I am adapting to the conversation."
Valeria patted her shoulder proudly.
"Growth."
"It is not growth," Ezravia muttered.
I leaned back slightly in my chair again, mind running through the System quest objectives.
Survive the first wave.
Establish authority.
Prevent hostile control.
Territory mechanics.
Wonderful.
Absolutely wonderful.
Because apparently, transmigrating into a dead demon prince’s body wasn’t enough suffering already.
Now I apparently owned supernatural real estate.
My life had become a politically weaponised property dispute.
Eris tugged my sleeve again.
I looked down.
She held up a pancake piece toward me.
"For Papa."
My expression softened automatically.
"...Thanks."
She nodded proudly as I accepted it.
The entire table watched the interaction for half a second.
Then—
Valeria dramatically clutched her chest.
"Oh no."
Ezravia didn’t even look at her.
"What now?"
"My ovaries."
Silence.
Gabriel nearly inhaled orange juice into her lungs.
"VALERIA!"
"What?!" the pink-haired demoness protested immediately. "That was adorable!"
"It was breakfast!"
"It was paternal affection!"
"It was pancakes!"
Selene wiped at imaginary tears dramatically.
"The daughter route remains undefeated..."
Zeraphira’s eye twitched.
"Why are all of you like this?"
"No one knows," I answered honestly.
Carmilla calmly sipped tea again.
"Evolutionary failure, perhaps."
"I heard that."
"You were meant to."
"Okay, what’s our game plan—"
BOOOOM!
***
A/N: Sorry for the massive unannounced break and neglecting the book.
Stone me, I can take it!
Leave a review, seriously, it helps.
— Comment your thoughts.