Chapter 49:
– Valerie –
The firing range behind Hellsing Manor felt way too empty. Ever since we'd lost most of our human soldiers in the last brutal attack, things around here had gotten painfully quiet.
I always liked having a crowd around—hearing the constant banter and laughter, feeling all that lively energy around me.
Now though, the silence was almost unsettling.
Integra promised she'd recruit more soldiers soon, but I knew it would take a while. It wasn't like I was eager to replace the men we lost, exactly—it just sucked having to start all over, getting to know a new group of guys from scratch. Still, I hoped the manor would feel lively again soon.
An explosion suddenly went off nearby, snapping me out of my thoughts.
My long blonde hair blew around my shoulders as the shockwave rushed past me.
Rose stood a few feet away, her wand pointed aggressively downrange, sending explosive spells hurtling into the wooden targets down range. I couldn't help but admire how focused she was, even if she did look like she wanted to blow the entire range to pieces in anger.
Honestly, I understood why Rose was pissed. She'd taken that last attack really personally—especially because she couldn't save some of our soldiers from the vampire and devil bastards that had stormed our home. Having to watch good men die right in front of her had messed her up, especially since Seras had to swoop in and rescue her. Not even getting a chance to avenge them herself had left Rose seriously frustrated.
Her pretty green eyes practically glowed with determination, her brown hair whipping around violently with each fiery spell she cast. She looked gorgeous when she was angry, and blowing shit up was definitely helping her let out some steam.
I leaned casually against the nearby wall, deciding to fill her in on my ridiculously weird day while she continued blasting targets apart.
As soon as I mentioned that Gabriel—yes, the actual archangel—and Sylvana Lucifer, the literal devil, both randomly declared they wanted to marry me, Rose's spellcasting faltered for a second.
She glanced my way with a visible pout on her pretty lips. "So, you're telling me an angel and a bloody devil both want to marry you now?" Rose grumbled irritably, flicking her wand to send another explosive blast downrange.
"Yep," I confirmed, unable to stop the amused smirk forming on my lips. "Then I basically panicked and flew away. It was awkward as hell."
Rose's pout deepened, jealousy clearly bubbling beneath her pretty features. "Of course, they'd just jump straight to marriage," she muttered bitterly. "Trying to insert themselves into your life when we haven't even…"
I raised an eyebrow, my smirk widening. "Haven't even what, Rose?"
Her cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink, and she cast her eyes downward, suddenly shy. "…We haven't shagged yet," she admitted quietly.
I laughed softly, shaking my head. Damn, Rose was too cute. Pushing off the wall, I stepped closer and gently took her chin between my fingers, tilting her blushing face upward. Then I leaned in, pressing my lips softly against her warm, pink ones for a quick but tender kiss.
When I pulled back, Rose's blush had intensified even further, spreading all the way up to the tips of her ears. I smiled at her warmly, stroking her cheek with my thumb. "There's no rush, Rose. It'll happen when we're both ready, yeah?"
She mumbled something softly under her breath, thinking I wouldn't catch it. "I'd like there to be a rush, though…"
My dhampir ears easily picked up her muttered words, and I grinned to myself knowingly, deciding to spare her any further embarrassment.
Instead, I gave her shoulder a playful nudge. "Come on," I challenged lightly, drawing my revolver from its holster and spinning it confidently around my finger. "Why don't we blow off some steam together? Bet I can hit more targets than you."
Rose narrowed her eyes playfully, competitive spirit instantly replacing embarrassment. "Oh, you're so on, Valerie."
—
Following that, Rose and I shared a pretty intense makeout session right there on the firing range. I'd only planned on teasing her a bit more, but one thing quickly led to another. Rose's lips were soft and warm, and the cute little noises she made as I kissed her senseless were music to my ears.
When I finally pulled away, she was staring at me, flushed and visibly dazed, breathing heavily with swollen pink lips. Damn, she looked gorgeous like that. I smirked, running my thumb over her lower lip one last time before stepping back.
"Feel better now?" I teased softly.
Rose just blinked at me, still looking adorable and a bit overwhelmed. "You're...really good at that," she mumbled shyly, cheeks still pink.
Laughing quietly, I winked and headed back inside, leaving her to cool down.
Stepping into Integra's office, I found my boss looking a bit less stressed than earlier. Walter stood beside her desk. He glanced up and smiled politely as I walked in. "Valerie, perfect timing," Walter greeted smoothly. "We just received some promising news."
I perked up at that, leaning casually against the edge of Integra's huge wooden desk. "Really? What kind of good news?"
Walter folded his hands neatly behind his back. "We've made contact with a rather reputable mercenary company. They've agreed to work with us."
I raised my eyebrows, genuinely surprised—and relieved. "Seriously? That's amazing!"
Integra sighed quietly, folding her hands on her desk. "Hopefully. We did our best to explain to them exactly what they'll be dealing with. Of course, I don't think they actually believe we're primarily a vampire hunting organization."
I chuckled softly. "Yeah, well, they're definitely in for a shock then, aren't they?"
She gave a slight nod. "Either way, they'll be arriving in Britain soon enough. This will help significantly with our current manpower shortage."
I smiled warmly, feeling genuine relief. Having some new faces around would definitely bring the manor back to life. "That's really great to hear, Integra."
She studied me quietly for a moment, clearly sensing something else was on my mind. "Something tells me you're not planning to be around to greet them when they arrive," she pointed out. She was really good at reading people.,,
I sighed and scratched the back of my neck sheepishly. "Yeah, about that… There's a chance I might not be here when they show up." I started to explain what was going on.
Walter raised a curious eyebrow, while Integra fixed me with a questioning stare. "Care to explain why one of my top assets suddenly feels the need to take a vacation during such a crucial time?"
I took a breath, then launched into explaining my ridiculous day—Gabriel and Sylvana Lucifer suddenly declaring their intentions to marry me, my panicked running away, and everything that had led up to that. Including my discussion with Sairaorg and Kuisha about his mother.
Integra's expression grew progressively more incredulous as I spoke, until she was outright gaping at me. "You're telling me an actual archangel and the literal devil both want to marry you? And they're being completely serious?"
"Unfortunately, yes," I confirmed dryly, rubbing my forehead. "Trust me, I wish I was joking."
Those kinds of confessions were way too much to just dump on someone out of nowhere! It didn't matter how unbelievably hot Gabriel and Sylvana both were.
Integra shook her head, running a hand through her platinum-blonde hair. "While I'm not sure that turning into bats and fleeing was the most dignified response to proposals of that magnitude, I'm quite pleased you had the sense not to immediately say yes." She paused, eyeing me knowingly. "Especially given your weakness for attractive women."
I pouted slightly at her teasing. "Hey, that's not true…" Integra just raised an eyebrow at me skeptically, and I sighed, shoulders slumping. "Okay, fine—maybe it's a little bit true. But still!"
She chuckled softly, leaning back into her chair in amusement. After a brief moment, her serious demeanor returned. "So if it's not the archangel or the devil driving you away temporarily, what exactly is?"
My expression softened instantly, excitement and hope filling my chest. "I found out some news about my little brother, Gasper," I told her quietly. "I want to see him as soon as possible."
Integra's features relaxed into understanding. "Your brother…?" She sighed lightly. "...Very well, Valerie. Family matters must always come first, even for vampires I suppose. Do what you need to do." She gave me her approval to leave as soon as I wanted.
"Thank you, Integra," I said sincerely, relieved she understood how important this was to me. Making sure Gasper was truly alive and ok!
She gave me a warm but firm look. "Just make sure you come back soon. And if Gasper is in a bad situation, he is welcome here as well. I could always use more assets at my disposal," she said, but I knew she cared more than that about me.
—
It was my first solo trip ever since joining Hellsing, and honestly, it felt a little strange going somewhere completely alone. Usually, I had Seras, Alucard or at least some Hellsing soldiers tagging along.
Now though, it was just me, myself, and I.
My suitcase hung around my neck, magically shrunken down to a comfortable little pendant.
It contained pretty much everything I'd need—my favorite clothes, my revolver, plenty of extra ammunition, and something else tucked carefully at the very bottom. That something had my eyes almost tearing up every time I thought about it.
A vial filled with Alucard's blood.
My father had given it to me himself. According to him, if I thought of Gasper as my little brother, that made Gasper his son as well!
If Gasper drank Alucard's blood, he could purge away every last trace of his disgusting biological father's DNA. Then we'd finally become true blood siblings!
The only problem was… I vaguely remembered Gasper had a fear of blood? I think? I wasn't exactly sure how that worked for a fellow half-vampire, but it was always kind of that way.
Meh, I'd figure it out. And if not, I'd just pin him down and pour it down his throat.
With my boots clicking confidently across the airport tiles as I walked past long lines of passengers waiting for security checks. Being part of Hellsing had its perks—I was literally getting the royal treatment here. A few of the airport staff gave me respectful nods, letting me bypass every security checkpoint without question.
I boarded quickly and found my seat in first class, settling comfortably into the large comfy chair. To make sure I could have the journey in peace, I'd even bought out the seat next to me. It wasn't cheap, but I had the money to spare and it was definitely worth the privacy.
As I strapped myself in, I glanced out the window, mentally preparing for the very long flight ahead.
I was flying to Japan. And no, I hadn't bothered informing Sairaorg or his cousin about my visit.
Sure, Sairaorg had earned plenty of trust from me, but I hadn't met his cousin Rias yet. I needed to see with my own eyes how Gasper was actually being treated as a member of her devil peerage.
Words were nice, but I wanted proof my little brother was safe and happy!
If Gasper was being treated right, I'd stick to my promise and heal Sairaorg's mother—no questions asked. And then, of course, I'd collect that big fat paycheck afterward.
I closed my eyes, leaning my head gently back against the comfortable seat as the plane began to take off.
—
…I stepped off the plane and stretched my arms high above my head, groaning softly as my joints popped pleasantly after hours of being cramped. I didn't pay much attention to the stares I felt directed my way. I knew lifting my arms like that exposed my toned stomach and pushed my chest out a bit, but honestly, I was way too tired to care about people ogling.
Fuck, that had been a ridiculously long flight. Next time, I was definitely going to take a portkey or something. Well, assuming the local magical government managed to get their shit together by then—which, given how thoroughly Voldy had wrecked things before fleeing the country, wasn't guaranteed anytime soon.
With another tired yawn, I walked swiftly out of Tokyo airport and flagged down a cab, sliding smoothly into the back seat. After quickly instructing the driver in Japanese, I settled into the seat, closing my eyes again as he started driving toward Kuoh town.
Kuoh town was supposedly a quiet little place—small, peaceful, and devil-controlled, owned mostly by Sairaorg's cousin and another devil girl, or so he'd told me. I knew the drive there wasn't exactly going to be short, but hey, at least it wouldn't be another twelve-hour flight stuck in a metal tube in the sky.
That flight was definitely nowhere near as peaceful as I'd hoped. I'd bought the seat next to mine specifically so I wouldn't have to deal with other people for the entire trip, but of course some entitled lady had to ruin it. A few hours into the flight, a woman carrying an obnoxiously screaming baby had the audacity to march right up to first class and plop herself down beside me, declaring loudly that it was perfectly fine since no one was "obviously" sitting there.
Things escalated pretty quickly when the flight attendant politely asked her to leave and return to economy. The woman immediately started kicking up a huge fuss, screaming and shouting and making a complete spectacle of herself. The baby's ear-piercing wails only made the whole thing worse—especially for my sensitive dhampir hearing.
Freaking Karens…
In the end, I decided fuck it, and just used vampire hypnosis on her to make her shut it, and leave me in peace for the rest of the flight. A bit heavy-handed, maybe, but desperate times called for desperate measures. I was not sitting next to a crying baby for the entire flight…
I was jolted out of my annoyed thoughts when the cab driver announced in Japanese that we'd arrived at the outskirts of Kuoh town. Blinking rapidly to clear my head, I pulled some Japanese currency from my pocket and quickly handed it to him.
"Thanks," I told him in smooth Japanese as I stepped out, feeling immediately relieved to finally be out of confined spaces.
…I entered Kuoh Town on foot, a small frown tugging at my lips as I glanced around.
Strangely enough, there were absolutely no magical wards or defensive measures to announce that a supernatural creature like me had stepped into devil-controlled territory. Honestly, that seemed pretty damn sloppy. Especially considering Rias Gremory was supposed to be Sylvana Lucifer's own little sister—I figured she'd run a tighter operation than this.
This lack of security was just sloppy.
Walking further into the heart of town, I noted how calm and surprisingly peaceful everything was. It felt like some picturesque, small-town paradise, which was actually kind of bizarre given how close it was to Tokyo. I supposed some people would love it here, but personally, I was a city girl through and through.
Still, I took a deep breath, letting the scents around me filter through my nose. Part of me hoped I'd pick up a faint trace of Gasper. I hadn't seen him in years, but maybe I'd still recognize his scent.
Unfortunately, even though I caught the clear lingering traces of several other devils–probably peerage members, I didn't detect my little brother's presence anywhere nearby.
That was disappointing.
I wandered toward what looked like the town's market street, considering where I might start searching for him, when suddenly some random teenager stepped directly into my path.
He stopped, glaring openly at me. The kid had messy white hair, red eyes, and an expression that was practically begging for a punch to the face. "What the fuck is some shitty vampire bitch like you doing walking around in broad daylight?" he spat, his voice dripping with contempt. "Do you want to die, you disgusting bloodsucking whore!? HUH!????"
Wait…
What the fuck did this little shit just say to me!?
My brain actually froze up for a second, struggling to process the sheer absurdity of what I'd just heard.
Did this random asshole really just say that to my face? Yes, yes he did…
Then the realization fully clicked in, and my confusion rapidly morphed into pure, unfiltered rage. My pupils sharpened into slits, fangs growing slightly longer, and without even thinking about it, my nails lengthened into wicked claws as I swung at the bastard's head!
"Woah there!" the prick laughed, jerking back just in time to dodge my swipe—though he did lose a couple strands of white hair in the process. "You're a kinky and nasty bitch, aren't you?"
I snarled at him angrily, flexing my fingers again. "Who the hell do you think you are, talking to me like that!? The fuck is your problem?"
He sneered right back, flashing me his middle finger proudly. "Listen up, vampire bitch! I'm the great Freed Sellzen-sama! And I'm gonna be the one to cut your fucking head off. Just you wait! I'll see you again soon…"
Before I could lunge at him again, he threw something at the ground—a smoke bomb.
It exploded immediately, engulfing me in a thick, choking cloud that had my throat burning. Shit—he'd laced it with chili powder or something. My eyes watered, my nose and throat stinging viciously until my enhanced healing managed to quickly kick in and clear the pain away.
Unfortunately, by the time I recovered, the irritating asshole was already gone.
Worse still, when the smoke cleared, I saw a small crowd of Japanese civilians gathered around, all staring at me in absolute shock and confusion.
They'd clearly seen everything.
Shit.
I groaned internally, letting out a frustrated sigh. It would probably take forever to hypnotize every single one of them and make them forget what they'd just witnessed.
But then I quickly decided… Fuck it.
This wasn't actually my problem—if the devils who supposedly controlled this town were fine with some psychotic human asshole running wild in their territory, then they could damn well deal with the aftermath themselves. Turning swiftly, I hurried away from the scene before anyone decided to call the cops on me.
I was more focused on finding Gasper anyway. And if that asshole ever came near me again, he'd be the one losing his head.
XXX
How will Valerie react to finding Gasper locked up?
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Here is the list of Current Advanced Chapters on there:
The Fallen Gamer ch 335-339
Thunder and Black Wings 28
The Fox Hole 97
Thunder and Black Wings 27
A Systematic Tale: The Hero 17
The Blood Queen 52
The Fox Hole 96
A Systematic Tale: The Hero 16
A Systematic Tale: The Hero 15
The Fox Hole 95
The Blood Queen 51
Thunder and Black Wings 26
The Fox Hole 94
A Systematic Tale: The Hero 14
The Blood Queen 50
The Fox Hole 93