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

The night of the full moon came quickly.

Even people of reason like Alfred could not oppose the passage of time. Still, he desperately bit the bullet and was able to prepare enough to his satisfaction. Seeing his expression when he held a small box of chocolate, Sin smiled with expectation on his face. Both of them were wearing black suits, facing each other, as if participating in some solemn ceremony. 

“Can you kill me with that chocolate?”

“I can only say that you won’t know until you try. Alchemy is always like that.”

The wind from the night sea played with their hair. They were in the courtyard of the mansion, with Sin especially setting the table and candle stands. A round moon floats in the sky, silently watching over them.   

“Now then, let’s open the treasure chest. Will there be gold or a monster inside?”

“Something that’ll surprise you, that’s for sure.”

The vampire raised his eyebrows. Then, reverently, he opened the box. When he saw what was inside, a sign tore out from his throat, just like Alfred expected.

“Really… No, I didn’t think of something like this.”

It was neither gold nor a monster. The contents were, of course, chocolate.

It was not a single piece, though.

Sweet jewels of various colors and shapes were lined up inside the box as if to decorate it.

“The number wasn’t specified, I’ve prepared five types after a careful selection. I’m not as single-minded as you or Leonardo, and I don’t want to be tied down to just one woman.”

“But shouldn’t there be one ultimate, one throne?”

“Like you right now? There is no absolute monarch anymore, the Kingdom of Sablé has had a parliamentary system for a long time now. That’s why the old-fashioned vampires are so annoying.”

Sin made an offended face. His reaction was not only not good, but rather a straightforward one of disapproval. What he wanted was a masterpiece, a fruit of wisdom and skill, not a variation of tastes.   

Even so, Alfred held the belief that this was the correct answer.

“Just try eating it. I’ll teach you the profundity of chocolate.”

“…I never thought that a day would come when you would say that to me.”

Unsatisfied as he was, Sin put the first piece in his mouth. Alfred has named that lumpy shape a “truffle.” The vampire was probably being difficult, deliberately choosing the worst-looking one from the box, intending to find the blame with that one. 

“So you have two layers, hard on the outside and soft on the inside so that you can enjoy the different textures. The taste is the exact one of Leonardo’s, but this is fresher.”

Although it did not kill him, Sin’s initial enthusiasm seemed to come back. He chose the next piece, his hand hovering as if wondering which one to enjoy first.

Immediately after the vampire bit into it with his fangs, the aroma of rum wafts up to Alfred. From the look on Sin’s face, he didn’t need to ask for feedback. 

“When I was able to faithfully reproduce Leonardo’s recipe, I thought I was on my way to making the ultimate chocolate. But… I was mistaken.”

Despite learning more about chocolate and mastering a number of groundbreaking techniques – the goal seemed much further away than when he first made it. The more he learned, the more he saw a new side to cocoa, and the more he tried, the more options he had. It was a feeling as if he was traversing a new, vast universe.

He was lost and impatient, then he paused and looked at the scenery spreading before him. There was so much he didn’t understand, didn’t know, so he tried again and again through trial and error. 

“I’m grateful, you know. Whatever I do, I make new discoveries with such an interesting subject of study. Eventually, it became ridiculous to even think about an ultimate one. Because there are so many stars out there.”

Chocolate is a lump of possibilities. A series of new encounters, new experiences. So Alfred decided to keep those feelings inside.

“I suppose. It would be impossible to narrow it down just to one. So I’m grateful. For every single piece, a meeting with chocolate.”

“Are you satisfied, vampire?”

“Of course I am! I have never felt more alive!”

Sin’s hands were unstoppable as he popped the jewels from the box one after the other. Chocolate-coated orange peels, pralines made with crushed and roasted nuts and almonds, even the ones with raspberries and colored in vivid pink – the imaginativeness of each piece was enjoyed to the heart’s content.

As he did so, the vampire’s eyes glowed and his whole body also took on a faint phosphorescence. But it was not the horrifying color that burned the werewolves, but a golden glow, as if enveloped by moonlight.

Alfred understood. The vampire was satisfied. A long, long lifetime of over a thousand years has come to a close, and like many other creatures, the vampire was dissipating into ashes. There is not a trace of regret on his face, only ecstasy and the sweet, sweet happiness of tasting sweet, sweet chocolate. Only the realization of life could make one wish to die like this.

As he watched Sin being enveloped in light, the alchemist also sensed the end of his quest. Having fulfilled the wishes of a vampire with a cursed fate and achieved a feat that the genius from two hundred years ago could not, he too was finally free.

Tomorrow, he will have to start all over again as a rootless alchemist, but the experience of making chocolate will surely help him in his future explorations.

What filled his heart was the sense of accomplishment-

“Wait! It’s still too early for you to go, vampire!”

“What’s the matter, all of a sudden? Don’t tell me you’re just now saying goodbye? I’m honored that you valued me so highly. In this chocolate, there is also love…”

“No, there’s not! Don’t think of a way to make everything convenient for yourself! It’s not what I want to say… Damn it, why does it always have to be this way?”

Alfred clicked his tongue in frustration. If he just remained silent and sent the vampire off, it would be a grand finale. Everything would be nicely resolved without any complications or fuss. 

Even so, as an alchemist, he could not remain silent. 

Because what was dominating his heart – was not a sense of accomplishment. 

“Don’t be satisfied just yet, vampire. I’ll make something even better next time.”

“…What did you say?”

Ah, he said it. He always had to say everything on his mind and get himself into trouble. He should have just put his head down and pretended he didn’t see, but when he realized a mistake, he just couldn’t help correcting himself. 

Alfred brushes his hair, rustled by the night wind, and puts his glasses back on. Once he had calmed himself down, he said what he was honestly feeling. 

“Do you think the whole charm of chocolate could be contained in a little box like that? There are no limits to the possibilities. There is no end to exploration. As long as I continue to create with my own hands, tomorrow will bring tomorrow’s ultimate, which will then create something far beyond the imagination. But you wouldn’t be able to taste the chocolate of the future.”

“Because I’m satisfied with the present, is it?”

“Yes. It would be a waste to not see the new dawn, wouldn’t it?”

Sin was silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a loud laugh. The light was so bright he seemed like he was just about to turn to ashes, but after hearing Alfred’s words, he just barely hung on.

He didn’t even feel a single spoonful of regret at parting with this joke of a vampire. No, maybe he did feel that much, but not that much anyway. So this was just a request made of self-interest. For sure. 

“I will keep making chocolate for you. But of course, I’ll demand suitable compensation… The ruler of Ruviria must support me. You are my golden ticket. The Goldoc merchants may try to kill me again, and I don’t want to lose a shield guarding my back right now.” 

“It’s just like a marriage proposal. I’m going to pass away with your love alone.”

“Don’t get me wrong. This is a reversal of the master-servant dynamic. I’ll be the master and you’ll be a lowly animal. If you understand that, then crawl on the ground and woof.”

When he said this provocatively, the vampire ruler knelt down on the spot. He did not bark like a dog but instead took Alfred’s hand like a knight taking an oath.

It was Alfred who was startled in the end. He did not expect that the vampire would do such an imitation. He was so flustered that he tried to retract his hand, but it didn’t budge, as if he was handcuffed. The golden light that had enveloped Sin was gone, and in its place, his eyes glittered red.

“I swear it, my beloved princess. I am a servant to you and chocolate.”

“I’m not a princess! Where did you ever get that idea from?!”

“Oh, I’m tired from being overfilled just now. I won’t be able to survive if I don’t drink some lifeblood. So could you please share some with me?”

“Waitwaitwait. It’d be a total loss for me!”

“Don’t worry. With a day’s rest, you won’t turn into a vampire.”

That’s not the point! – before he could say that, Sin pinned him down and set his teeth on his neck. What an amazingly avaricious vampire. He loved both chocolate and Alfred so much that he just had to indulge in both.

Alfred was humiliated by that betrayal, but he still gave in to the pleasure and his face turned red with shame as he struggled desperately, covered in mud on the ground in the courtyard.

The more he hated it, the more excited he became, and Sin’s eyes became even more dazzling. The justaucorps, the vest, and the shirt all were tripped away like wrapping paper, revealing the hidden chest. Alfred’s limbs trembled as his blood was sucked, and eventually – like chocolate – he melted.

After it was all over.

We will be together till death, the vampire whispered.

I will kill you, the alchemist muttered.