Vampire and Chocolatier 〜The genius alchemist’s sweet quest〜

“The plight of the werewolf species is something that worries me as well,” Sin said. “You should be feared and revered, but now you are lowering yourselves to the dark end of the alleyway, wagging your tails like domesticated dogs in search of food!”

“You! You dare to mock our pack?!” 

“I did not give you permission to speak. You really are a country bumpkin, aren’t you.”

Just after Sin let out a sigh, there was a loud and unpleasant sound as if something had been squished down. The werewolf who had interrupted him was no longer there. A black stain spread across the alley, as if a chocolate drink had been spilled.

Alfred fought down the urge to groan. He was only now realizing just how much danger he has found himself in.

“But it is a foregone conclusion. In the hundreds of years of your lives, have you ever produced anything of value? When the frail humans started turning wastelands into fields, hollowed out mountains to make place for their railways, and even soared the skies with their giant balloons, you remained as you always did, living your savage lives.”

“That, that’s…”

“You must understand: the age of legends is over. Now even I have to surrender in the face of their wisdom. Yes, and above all, the most respected one should be chocolate. To think there could be something sweeter than lifeblood!” 

As Alfred watched the turn of events with a scrunched face, Sin playfully winked at him. Thanks to that all, Alfred was no longer sure as to the true face of that man. Had he been playing the role of a friendly young man all this time to fool Alfred, or was he now playing the role of a merciless monster to intimidate the werewolves?

The werewolves seemed to already have forgotten their original goal and completely disregarded Alfred. They staggered to their feet, bones cracking, and glared at Sin, who elegantly placed his hands on his hips.

“I apologize for my previous rudeness. We were not aware that you were the renowned king of Ruviria. But even though we are dying as a species, we are still proud of our place in the world. If we were to be insulted like this and take it, we would be no better than dogs.”

“Then show me your pride with your teeth and claws. Worthless things should be burned to ashes.”

The werewolves, now on all fours, transformed into their full beastly forms and with a blood-curdling scream charged towards the vampire.

In a three-on-one fight between monsters, the scales should be tipped in favor of the werewolves. But even the most daring would not bet on the side of the werewolves. It would be obvious to anyone that those were in completely different leagues.

They couldn’t even touch Sin. Just as they stepped forward, ready to pounce, a pillar of fire shot from the ground. In a blink of an eye it blazed with such power it seemed to touch the moon in the sky. The three beasts writhed as in a dance and with a scream of agony burned to ashes.

Alfred stared dumbfounded at the devastation.

Not out of fear. Not out of relief that he had survived. An ordinary person might have felt that way, but that man was a true alchemist. 

There was no ignition material. No fuel. And yet, that intense pillar of fire rose up and burned the beasts to ashes in an instant. An extraordinary amount of heat. Where in the world did it come from? He didn’t know. All the common sense, all the knowledge he has obtained as an alchemist was all uprooted. As if all his long work has been kicked aside with a laugh – a sense of defeat. 

“I’m sorry. That’s what happens when I get worked up.”

When Alfred came to, Sin’s form returned to being a young man. For some reason, he had an embarrassed look on his face. Alfred only nodded with an “ah” of acknowledgement by reflex, not really understanding the other’s feelings. 

The calm part of his head analyzed the situation. “No, I was the one who asked you to do it. I got saved thanks to you.”

 He thought about being more polite, but in the end decided against it. Sin was probably a type of person that would get mad when suddenly treated like a stranger.

“Are you not scared of me? You won’t cry, soil yourself and run away?”

“Wait, you are worried about that?”

“Because if you don’t like me, I’ll be sad, you know.”

After hearing that, Alfred finally understood. A friendly young man, a merciless monster: both were the true nature of Sin. A cheerful, curious vampire who loved chocolate – a bad joke of a vampire.

“It’s all too absurd to be taken seriously… Alright? It’s in our nature to explore the mysteries of this world and make them our own. I couldn’t call myself an alchemist if I were even a little bit scared of a joke like you.”

“Wonderful! You are exactly what I have been searching for!”

For some reason, Sin seemed to be overcome with a deep emotion and hugged him. Alfred himself was just annoyed, but he had no energy left to resist, so he resigned himself to the role of a favorite stuffed animal. 

It would be a lie to say that he was not afraid of Sin at all – in fact, he was still on edge. But now, his curiosity was even stronger. After all, he was dealing with an immortal monster, a mouth-watering prospect for an alchemist. Even if he was on thin ice, there was no harm in being liked. 

That being said, it would be a problem if they got carried away, so it probably would be best to avoid the other man’s advances and maintain a proper distance. He was thinking for staying at the mansion for the night and leaving in the morning, but- 

“Then, I will help myself to my compensation. From this day forward, you are mine.”

“Wait… a minute! Isn’t that too sudden?!”

“You said you would give me anything but your life. So I will take everything else.”

Alfred was at a loss for words. The thing was, the man was right.

He still would struggle to escape, but it was only natural he was intimidated.

“I’ve always wondered about a thing. What would it taste like to drink the blood of a man who has just drunk chocolate? Would it be sweet? Would it be bitter? Let me hear your opinion as an alchemist.”

“Of course it would just taste like blood! If you want chocolate, just drink chocolate! What’s the point of going to the trouble of making cocoa-flavored blood?”

“You do have a point. Then, I will simply enjoy the taste of a man.”

As soon as he said that, Sin bit down on Alfred’s neck. He sucked and slurped the blood, making ill-mannered sounds.

There was no pain. His head felt numb and he felt a pleasant sensation as if his insides were being embraced. A high-pitched moan like one of a maiden escaped him and when Sin heard it, he giggled into his ear. Alfred’s face turned red with humiliation. He tried to shout obscenities at him, but all he could do was drool.

His vision grew blurry and his consciousness started to fade. Maybe that’s what a chocolate drink in the coffee shop felt when it was being drunk by me, he thought.

Alfred’s legs gave out from under him as if he was melting, and he fainted.

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