New Developments

“Ah, Mr Stephan! Thank you for coming today.”

“It was no trouble at all.” Stephan shook the man’s hand firmly. “I understand that you have a new prototype to show me”

“Y-yes, sir! Please, follow me. We’ll have to take an internal train to reach the hangar, but I hope that’s okay.”

Stephan laughed and handed his coat and top hat to the nearby butler. “Of course. I’m glad to see that you’ve been using our funding to expand your operations this much.”

“It’s my honour. Mardun Industries would not have been able to come this far without you and the donations made by your wealthy clients.”

Stephan smiled. “...Yes, they are very excited to hear about your new cybers.”

***

“Profits have risen another 7% this year,” the clerk said to the board. “With this continued growth, Harken Tech is gradually beginning to cement itself as one of the major players in the technology space.”

“How many more years until we reach a market majority?”

“About 5 or 6 years at this current pace, Miss Risa.”

The other board members became quite excited, though their CEO’s expression remained stone-faced.

“Is there something wrong, Miss Risa?”

She shook her head, then stood up from her throne-like chair to gaze out of the skyscraper’s windows.

“Harken’s growth is remarkable, near immeasurable at times, and our net worth becomes greater with every passing day. But I worry that it could all come tumbling down should we lose focus.”

“With you as our CEO, that feels impossible.”

“That arrogance, no, that self-confidence is the problem.” Risa locked eyes with the board member. “I want to see more money flow into the mobile device department. I don’t want Harken devices to lose out to anyone in this field. Is that understood?”

We have to become the leaders for the Pentagram’s goals to succeed.

***

“58 adventurers and almost 100 other victims,” Chairman Kingsley groaned as he read the reports. “No matter how you look at it, it’s definitely the work of Samantha.”

“So, that vampire really did survive?” Sven the Wild’s digital voice grunted. “Boss, it’s best to advise the branch heads to keep the newbies far away from the Pale Corpse Case.”

“...I was hoping they’d be sensible enough not to get involved, but I guess that’d be for the best. I don’t suppose you caught her this time?”

“No luck. Though, I did catch wind of the Pale Reaper again.”

“That unpleasant rumour again.”

Ever since Samantha started killing people and leaving their corpses behind, drained of all their blood and hanging high in public places, journalists started calling it the Pale Corpse Case. Then, soon after, rumours began to spread of a cloaked woman who appeared within 3 days before or after the victims had been discovered.

The press had started calling her the Pale Reaper.

“If she’s also a vampire, then some of those victims might be hers.”

“Thought Samantha was the last.”

“So did I, Sven, but it’s possible she’s started creating kin.”

“Where’s Allen?”

“Busy investigating the deaths of the Blue Banners still,” Kingsley said. “He thinks they might’ve been killed by one of our escapees.”

“...Boss.”

“What?”

“Don’t know about you, but I’m getting a little anxious about all this.”

“You and me both. The royal family too are paying very close attention to all this.”

***

“There’s still no news on the escapees?”

“Nothing good at least, my queen.”

Queen Elisebeth moved slightly in her throne, but her stone-faced expression remained. However, her lord husband, Prince Consort Oliver knew that meant she was disappointed in what she’d heard.

While many people loved Queen Elisebeth and believed her to be a just, noble and great leader, most also considered her to be inexpressive and emotionally detached. Oliver knew that wasn’t the case and that, in private, she would smile and laugh like anyone else would.

But right now, she isn’t Elise - she’s Queen Elisebeth. She is the mother and protector of this country, and everything she says, does and commands will create a stir.

“Have there been any new developments from the investigation of the ruins of Tartarus itself yet?”

“Not yet, my prince,” the prime minister said. “The merfolk have started inspecting the confiscated property and high security items to see what if anything is missing. The only issue they’re having is-”

“The full list was destroyed.”

He nodded at the queen. “In order to keep the most dangerous items from falling into the wrong hands, the warden and her majesty agreed not to ever disclose the full list so-”

“Record everything you find and write descriptions of the items you’ve uncovered, but don’t have the names off. I’ll check the list once it’s been penned.”

“As you wish, your majesty.”

…That small twitch in her eye. Oliver turned away and pretended not to see it. What was in there that’s got you so worried?

***

“Yo, rookie vampire.”

Emilia hadn’t even sensed the muscular man in the leather jacket approach.

He didn’t just appear behind me, did he?

“How’s your thirst?”

Emilia was on high alert.

The man knew who she was, what she was, and he’d snuck up on her without her even being able to smell him.

Vampires, by nature, had super enhanced senses regardless of if they drank blood.

For Emilia who had been avoiding capture for years and been tracking Samantha for just as long, it was impossible in her mind to not notice something or someone nearby.

“…Who are you?”

The man didn’t say anything, but he did smirk.

And charged at her.

They battled, but-

Emilia fell down face first into a pool of her own blood.

Even though she’d been on Samantha’s tail for 5 years, she had just been beaten and nearly killed by an unknown boxer. Despite her vampiric powers, she hadn’t been able to touch him.

“Damn, I thought Samantha’s little pet would be better than this,” Lucien muttered. He grabbed her roughly by the hair and gazed into her teary red eyes. “You…you haven’t had human blood in a very long time, have you? If you can't beat me, you’ll never get a chance of touching Samantha.” Then, with a broad grin, he whispered, “Hey, I’ll tell you where she’ll be in the future.

“All you have to do is go where I tell you and keep an eye on one young man. His name is Reiss Sunderland.”

***

“What do you think, Madam?”

Through a tiny camera hidden on Stephan’s lapel, Rose looked at the cybernetic prototype.

A battle robot with 1 large red eye, yellow coloured metal skin, boosters in its feet capable of flight and blasters that served both as stabilisers and weapons in its palms. Its design was both human and mechanical in appearance, giving it an eerie appearance that seemed to unease a few of the non-techs nearby.

“It’s perfect.”

“It looks good,” Stephan answered for the invisible Rose. “I’d like to see the manufacturing line and schematics too.”

“Of course! This way, please.”

“Don’t forget, Stephan.”

“I know. There are only 5 of us,” he answered too quietly for anyone but Rose to hear.

***

“The airship is now fully automated and ready for upgrading,” the private contractors told Samantha, entranced by her hypnotic gaze.

“Thank you all for your hard work these last few years. Now, when you all return home tonight, you will forget everything you’ve done here tonight and ever done on this project. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Lady Samantha,” 200 voices answered.

“Good.” Once the staff had all left, Samantha excitedly pulled out her mobile phone to call Rose. “Ah, I hope Onee-sama will be happy with me.”