The Hunter of Vampire(part 4)

Three days had passed at St. Peter Monastery. The Assassin Guild swiftly arrived there with its resources and wealth. Shadow promptly prepared all the supplies he had bought from the equipment store within the monastery. St. Peter Monastery, despite being a monastery, also served as a trading hub due to its strategic location, with branches of the Adventure Guild present there.

Vergil watched as Shadow and his party members got ready to perform Mass Teleportation. Marrie was busy preparing and casting the spell. "There's just one last thing I can say: be careful on this mission," Vergil said as he watched Shadow enter the circle of magic.

"Will we meet again?" Shadow asked with curiosity.

"Hopefully, I won't need to involve them in this mission," Vergil replied.

"Them? Is something going to happen?" Mistral inquired.

"I'll explain later," Shadow responded calmly.

Marrie held the magical flower with four pillars of magic from the large circle, while White Fang and their three Wargs mounts also entered the magic circle. Marrie dropped the flower on the ground, and with a blink of an eye, they arrived outside the village of Red Coal near the Valley of 100 Eyes. They purposely landed a bit away from the village to avoid suspicion as spies for the vampires.

Shadow rode White Fang, while Marrie and the others also mounted their Wargs and swiftly urged them forward. According to the initial report from the Assassin Guild's Red Coal branch, this village was known for its miners. In addition to the human residents, there were many Dwarves who operated shops here due to the abundance of monsters and mining resources. Shadow and his party entered the village of Red Coal, where the atmosphere was bustling with the sound of hammers striking iron being forged.

Shadow surveyed his surroundings and immediately headed towards a shop. He had a tradition whenever entering a new village or town—to visit the weapon shop located there. Marrie shook her head, "Shadow's habits never change at all," she said.

"Habits?" Luciana asked.

"He can't resist stopping by the weapon shop in any place he visits," Marrie replied.

"More precisely, it's a habit he developed when he was young. Growing up training directly among the Dark Elf tribe, it's only natural for him to check what weapons the town or village's weapon shop has," Mistral explained.

"It's been like that for as long as I can remember," Luciana sighed.

"Shadow always says that every place has its own signature weapon, whether it's a dagger or even a sword," Mistral added, exhaling deeply.

Shadow immediately entered the weapon shop and approached a Dwarf who was the weapon seller there. The shopkeeper laughed and pointed out a newly arrived sword. Shadow swiftly made his way to the spot indicated by the shopkeeper, where a sword was displayed prominently in a corner. He picked up the sword and examined it closely, paying careful attention to its details.

"Hmm... the sword's material is quite strong, yet it feels surprisingly light," Shadow remarked.

"Hahahahahaha, you have a knack for assessing fine goods," chuckled the shopkeeper.

"And not just that..." Shadow continued as he drew the sword from its sheath, revealing rune carvings in the middle of the blade.

"That's a special Rune commissioned by the Assassin Master. We've tried engraving that Rune on the Assassin Master's own sword, and the results were truly remarkable," the shopkeeper explained.

"Do you mean Assassin Master Vergil?" Shadow inquired.

"Of course, who else but him? The Assassin Master has been instrumental since the early days of the Azeroth Kingdom's founding up to the current Belarus Empire," the shopkeeper affirmed.

"Wait a moment... Azeroth Kingdom has been standing for over 250 years, which means Assassin Master Vergil is..." Shadow paused, processing the information.

"Never mind that. This sword is a gift for someone named Shadow Blackheart, so I'm sorry, it's not for sale," the shopkeeper interjected.

"So, Uncle intentionally made this sword for me," Shadow realized.

"Hahahahahaha, so it's you? What a coincidence," the shopkeeper chuckled. "I've given it some touches as requested by the Assassin Master," he added.

"What touches?" Shadow asked.

"I've refined this sword several times, making it extremely sharp, and I've enhanced the rune as well," the shopkeeper explained.

"Alright then, I'll take this weapon... I feel a connection to it," Shadow said as he sheathed the sword.

"Hahahahaha, excellent... excellent... This weapon is made from a material quite unfamiliar to all blacksmiths here at Titaniumforge. Despite its unfamiliarity, it's remarkably easy to shape," the shopkeeper remarked.

"Uncle, if you meet Assassin Master Vergil, please give him my regards," Shadow requested as he left the shop.

Marrie observed Shadow exiting the shop with a sword, knowing well that Shadow was quite skilled with swords and weapons but very selective. "Looks like you've found something you like," Marrie remarked.

"Did you find something interesting?" Luciana asked.

"Actually, even better and for free. This sword is lightweight and has magical runes inscribed on it," Shadow replied with a pleased expression.

"Did you get a discount? Or did you find a rare item?" Mistrall inquired.

"More like I received a gift from Uncle. I got this sword for free because Uncle Vergil made it with special runes," Shadow explained.

"I somehow forgot that the Assassin Guild was once part of the Shadow Guard of Azeroth Kingdom," Mistrall mused.

"The Shadow Guard of Azeroth I heard was quite dangerous because they always managed to infiltrate enemy territory," Luciana added.

"And I was trained by Uncle Vergil in sword techniques," Shadow said proudly.

"But you always lose to me in sparring," Mistrall teased Shadow, who immediately looked crestfallen. Marrie and Luciana chuckled softly.

"Since we have some time, we can take on a few jobs available at the Adventure Guild. I noticed there's an announcement about a magical labyrinth outside the city... it's a decent income and we can also find lodging for a few weeks," Shadow suggested. The others agreed and began looking for affordable accommodations.

******

Meanwhile, at a location near Dracula's castle.

"Has it begun?" asked Assassin Master Vergil as he observed the convoy leaving the main castle belonging to the Vampire Lord.

"Ah... Master is here, it seems it has begun," said an assassin who was overseeing the operation.

"Looks like I'll have to use this..." Vergil said as he reached into his pocket.

"Does the master have a special device to track them?" the assassin asked.

"Of course, as the head of the Assassin Guild, one must have many tricks up their sleeve..." Vergil replied as he tossed something towards the convoy.

The small object Vergil threw landed on the roof of one of the prison carriages in the convoy.

"With this, I'll use my own methods. What I'm using this time can't be replicated with the technology available in this world," said Shadow.

"Master...?" the assassin responded.

"Don't worry, this is a perk only I possess," Vergil said with a smile.