Author: Suisei
Translator: Rinkage
Character page: Here
Chapter 116 – I investigated with the hero
“Wake up!!!” [Youki]
My shout echoed through the room. It was intended to give Yuuga, still snoozing like a log, a harsh wake-up call. Sleeping Beauty had promised to meet up at noon, but despite waiting for a long time, he didn’t show up.
Earlier, when I left the inn, I had knocked on his door, but there was no response so I thought he had already left. But when he still didn’t show, I returned to the inn and found him in his room, sleeping soundly. I was so enraged that I couldn’t help but raise my voice.
“Uuh, ugh… Ah, good morning, Youki-kun…” [Yuuga]
“Good morning, my ass! It’s noon now!” [Youki]
“W-What? No way! S-Sorry, I’ll get ready right away!” [Yuuga]
“Why do I have to be the one to wake you up?” [Youki]
I don’t remember becoming your mum. That’s Mikana’s job.
Although, when I envisioned the two of them living together, I started feeling a little happy.
…Wait, why am I imagining Yuuga and Mikana’s life together?
My brain had probably gone off on a tangent because I was forced to watch the hero change. He attempted to put on his pants quickly, almost tripping in the process but somehow regained his balance by performing a somersault.
“If you have time to perform acrobatic moves, just get ready faster!” [Youki]
“S-Sorry, I didn’t do it on purpose.” [Yuuga]
It was impressive precisely because he did it unintentionally. Observing Yuuga for a day would probably be pretty interesting. Although, even if I had the time, I wouldn’t spend it tailing a guy all day.
“Okay, we can go now!” [Yuuga]
“Got it. So, why did you oversleep?” [Youki]
“Umm, I went to a nearby tavern for dinner, and some drunk guys were causing a ruckus, so I stepped in to mediate. Then, the tavern master was really grateful and we ended up talking for a while.” [Yuuga]
“And then… when you left the tavern?” [Youki]
“It was already bright outside.” [Yuuga]
I felt like giving his face a good smacking. I wished he’d respect the meeting time considering that I was only helping him out.
“How did you even manage when you were travelling the last time?” [Youki]
“If it looked like I’d be late, Mikana would come pick me up.” [Yuuga]
“Get it together, will you!” [Youki]
Was this guy the great hero who had saved the world?
“Don’t worry. I’ve been trying to be more responsible lately.” [Yuuga]
“What are you talking about? You just overslept today.” [Youki]
Actions are what truly matter, so prove it with your actions, not just words. Talk is cheap. I guess I just have to trust that he’ll get it together when it counts and keep investigating.
“All right. We’ll start investigating. We’ll prove Caius’s innocence.” [Youki]
“Yeah, we’ll uncover the truth with our power.” [Yuuga]
If Yuuga finds out that Caius is really a vampire during the investigation, this will be over in a different way. It might be better to investigate that noble brat, Shot, instead of Caius. Judging by how he acted, it seems like some dirt could be uncovered if we dig a bit.
“All right, let’s start by asking around in town.” [Youki]
“Ah, Youki-kun. I asked around about Shot-kun at the tavern last night.” [Yuuga]
“Seriously? Tell me what you found out.” [Youki]
I was impressed. So he wasn’t just chatting aimlessly at the tavern after all. My opinion of him improved.
“Apparently, Shot-kun has been holding back on playing around with girls.” [Yuuga]
“And how are we supposed to use that information?” [Youki]
Whether that brat’s been messing around with girls didn’t really matter to me. On second thought, it could be an important piece of information.
“Hmm. So, could it be that he has a grudge against Caius, so he wants to frame Caius as a vampire?” [Youki]
Setting aside whether Caius had laid his hands on Shot-kun’s female companions, it was possible that Shot-kun actually knew Caius’s true identity, so he requested the vampire to be put down.
“Yeah, there has to be a reason. He wouldn’t just claim Caius-san is a vampire and ask for him to be hunted down without some kind of motive.” [Yuuga]
“Of course. All right, let’s split up for the information gathering. I’ll go ask Caius if he’s done anything related to Shot-kun.” [Youki]
“Then I’ll ask around town to see if anyone has noticed anything strange happening around Shot-kun.” [Yuuga]
He should be able to handle some legwork thanks to what he learned from Raven. Although come to think of it, Raven wasn’t exactly great at gathering information either.
Well, I’ll leave it to Yuuga for now. As long as he doesn’t cause any trouble, it should be fine. If he crosses the line, though, I’ll just make sure to report everything to Mikana and Cecilia when I get back.
“Let’s hope we both come back with good news.” [Youki]
“I have a feeling you’ll do well, Youki-kun. I’ll gather as much information as I can, too.” [Yuuga]
After parting ways with Yuuga, I headed to the castle alone. While walking through town, I couldn’t help but notice something peculiar; there seemed to be an unusual number of couples around. Could this also be the work of Caius, the cupid? I should have brought Raven along with me. If he consulted Caius about his problem, his relationship with Happiness would probably take a big step forward.
“Excuse me!” [Youki]
I greeted the seemingly empty castle as I entered. The hallways and furnishings were just as pristine as ever. It made me wonder if Caius was the one doing the cleaning.
Like yesterday, I headed straight to the top floor without much caution. I knocked firmly and waited for a response before entering the room.
“Oh, troubled youth, you’ve come… Hm? Wait, you’re the demon kid from yesterday, aren’t you?” [Caius]
“Hey, don’t call me ‘demon kid’… just call me Youki.” [Youki]
“All right then. I’ll call you ‘demon boy’.” [Caius]
“I’m not really at the age to be called a ‘boy’, you know.” [Youki]
“From my perspective, you’re still a boy.” [Caius]
Caius laughed heartily. As always, he was hard to decipher.
“So, what brings you here today?” [Caius]
“I’m currently investigating the person who had put up the request to have you, the vampire, taken down.” [Youki]
“Well, they’re not wrong. I am a vampire. That’s the truth.” [Caius]
“Yeah, but have you ever done anything to make a noble hold a grudge against you?” [Youki]
“None that I can recall. I am a guide for the lost. I do not bring harm or misfortune to anyone.” [Caius]
The legend of the cupid persisted because Caius never wavered from his beliefs. If he had, there would have been at least some sort of dark rumours about him by now. With that in mind, the likelihood that Caius did something wrong is practically zero. Based on Shot-kun’s reaction, the problem likely involved women.
“So, you’re saying you haven’t been leading any of the town’s women astray?” [Youki]
“…That’s impossible.” [Caius]
“Impossible? Come on, that can’t be true.” [Youki]
He’s a man, after all. There’s always a chance. It’s hard to believe he has no interest in women. In fact, if he wasn’t interested, he wouldn’t be offering love advice in the first place. And yet, he’s completely denying any issues involving women. Could it be that…
“Demon boy, I can roughly guess what you’re thinking. But I don’t have those kinds of interests.” [Caius]
“Ah, I see.” [Youki]
“I guess you’re trustworthy enough. Come, follow me.” [Caius]
Upon saying that, Caius stood up from his seat and left the room. Piqued by curiosity, I chose to stay silent and followed him. He led me to a dining hall within the castle. A long table, just like the one I saw at Cecilia’s mansion, could be seen in the room. The table could easily seat twenty people, making me wonder how big a family he had.
“This way.” [Caius]
For some reason, he lifted the tablecloth, prompting me to look under the table.
A hidden door?
I continued following him down the door, keeping my curiosity to myself for the time being. The stairs seemed endless, and the dim light from candles barely illuminated the way.
“Hey, you’re not conducting some kind of shady research down here, are you?” [Youki]
The atmosphere made it feel like we were heading to some kind of suspicious laboratory. I couldn’t help but imagine a heavy iron door leading to something… ominous.
“Nothing shady at all.” [Caius]
“You’re asking me not to be suspicious after leading me to a place like this?” [Youki]
“Hahaha.” [Caius]
He laughed it off.
Was it really a good idea to follow him? It was probably a mistake to go along with him without questioning his intention.
“What lies ahead?” [Youki]
I ended up asking in a more formal tone, but Caius’s expression darkened slightly in response. Probably due to the tension, I swallowed nervously.
“Beyond here… lies my lover.” [Caius]
RinkageTranslation 
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