Chapter 70 - Destination: Romania.
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During the rest of the night, unable to fall back asleep, Nobunaga climbed to the roof of the mansion with a bottle of sake in her hands. While she drank in silence under the Underworld’s sky, the memories she had witnessed kept repeating in her mind.
She was certain that she knew her ’Master’ from somewhere. That feeling was insistent, as if it were deeply engraved in the most remote parts of her memory, refusing to disappear. Even after emptying more than five bottles of sake, that strange familiarity did not fade; on the contrary, it only grew more intense.
When dawn finally arrived, Nobunaga realized that the brat had already been in the main office for some time. Without wasting any time, she assumed her spiritual form, silently passing through walls and barriers until she reached the location. Upon entering the office, she found Alear already standing, organizing some documents on the desk. From the way he was dressed and the preparations he was making, it seemed he was about to leave...
"Oh, so you really enjoy dealing with paperwork. That’s something admirable. In my time, that was one of the things I hated the most..." Nobunaga commented, stopping beside the door.
Alear lifted his eyes from the documents, showing not the slightest surprise at her sudden appearance.
"It’s a responsibility I don’t dislike. In fact, I think it would be more accurate to say that I learned to enjoy it." He closed the last folder before continuing: "But, setting that aside, you arrived at just the right time. I was just about to ask Lotte to go call you."
Nobunaga tilted her head slightly, keeping her blood-red eyes fixed on him. The confused emotions she had been carrying since the previous night still remained vivid in her chest.
"...And for what reason?"
Alear placed the folder on the desk, turned completely toward her, and crossed his arms, maintaining his usual calm expression.
"Didn’t you say you wanted to know the human world?"
For a brief instant, Nobunaga’s eyes shone intensely. A flash of excitement crossed her crimson irises, revealing an enthusiasm she didn’t even try to hide.
"Finally..." she replied, letting a small smile escape.
Alear, however, made sure to clarify the situation before she built up any expectations.
"This time we’re not going to Japan. First, I need to take care of some matters elsewhere. After that, we can stop by there if you still want to." He paused briefly before adding: "Besides, I’ll need your help, so we won’t be able to separate during this period."
Nobunaga remained silent for a few moments. Part of her truly wanted to return to her homeland, to see how those lands had changed over the centuries and walk again through the places she had once conquered. However, upon recalling the dream she had the previous night and everything she had seen about Alear’s past, that desire ended up taking a backseat.
"...All right." She finally replied, in an unusually calm tone. "Japan can wait. First, I’ll accompany you, since you need my help..."
Alear observed her for a moment, noticing something different in her expression — a greater intensity than usual. He made no comment, simply making a simple gesture with his hand, conjuring a glowing magic circle around them. The pink light enveloped their bodies for an instant.
In the blink of an eye, the world around them dissolved.
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*Romania — Rooftop of an Old Building, Bucharest.*
The cold morning air greeted them immediately. The two appeared on the roof of an old historic building in the center of Bucharest, from where they had a privileged view of the entire city. The rising sun tinged the sky with orange and golden tones, bathing the landscape in a soft light that highlighted the classical European architecture. Orthodox churches with gleaming domes shared space with imposing neoclassical constructions, while wide avenues cut through the city and the Dâmbovița River snaked in the distance. It was a place where the old and the modern coexisted in perfect harmony: cars traveled along the busy streets and people walked hurriedly, bringing life to the Romanian capital.
Nobunaga took a few steps toward the edge of the terrace, letting the cold wind stir her long black hair. Her blood-red eyes scanned the landscape with intense curiosity, absorbing every detail of that ’unknown’ place.
"...What is this place?"
Alear approached and stopped beside her, keeping his hands in his pockets while calmly contemplating the view.
"Romania. More specifically, Bucharest, the capital."
Nobunaga turned her face toward him, arching one eyebrow slightly.
"Romania...? And what did we come here to do?"
"I came to recruit one more member for my Nobility," Alear replied casually.
Since he began forming his Nobility, Alear had been carefully evaluating which individuals truly deserved to occupy one of his pieces. Valerie Tepes had always been among his top options, but until then he simply hadn’t had time to go after her. In recent days, his attention had been completely focused on the politics of high demonic society, on training his Nobility, and on his own strengthening. Now that he had finally secured a period of relative tranquility, he decided it was the right time to act. Among all the candidates he knew, Valerie was one of the most accessible to recruit. To bring her into his Nobility, he would only need to face the entire Tepes clan. Even so, he had enough confidence to deal with that obstacle. Even King Tepes, whose strength was often compared to someone like Grayfia Lucifuge, represented to his eyes much more an interesting opponent than a threat capable of making him retreat...
Of course, he had also considered the consequences of this choice. Recruiting Valerie would inevitably draw the attention of Rizevim Livan Lucifer, the leader of the Old Maou Faction. After all, Valerie was the bearer of a Longinus — a Sacred Gear coveted by that organization because it was a fundamental piece in their plan to release the Beast of the Apocalypse, sealed by the Biblical God during the Great War, and plunge the world into chaos.
Even so, for him, the benefits outweighed the risks. Valerie possessed extraordinary potential and a Sacred Gear of incalculable strategic importance. Even if his decision ended up anticipating a confrontation with the Old Maou Faction, he considered it only a matter of time before their paths crossed anyway. If that confrontation was inevitable, he preferred it to happen after he had further strengthened his own Nobility...
Nobunaga’s eyes immediately sparkled with genuine interest.
"Recruit?" she repeated, clearly intrigued. "Now this sounds interesting. Who is the target? For you to need the help of a Demon King, I imagine it’s not someone easy to convince..."
Although she was still unfamiliar with many aspects of this world, she perfectly understood the meaning of a demonic Nobility. She knew it was a system in which someone was reborn as a servant of a High-Class Devil, establishing a permanent bond with their master. Alear himself had already offered her a piece before, but she had refused without the slightest hesitation. After all, she was Oda Nobunaga, the self-proclaimed Demon King of the Sixth Heaven. In her view, bowing before another person and accepting a subordinate position, even if it brought countless benefits, was completely incompatible with her pride. Her current situation was different. As Alear’s high-level Familiar, she had broad independence, could act on her own, and practically had no restrictions on her freedom. Joining a Nobility, on the other hand, would mean becoming much more bound to her master’s orders, giving up a large part of the autonomy she valued so highly.
That, however, did not mean she had no curiosity about the process of someone becoming a Devil and joining a Nobility. In fact, that was one of the main reasons for her interest. Moreover, as she herself had said, she knew that Alear possessed power comparable to her own. If even someone of that level was asking for her help to recruit a single person, then the obstacle certainly would not be trivial. That thought brought a smile to her lips. After all, it had been a long time since she had faced a worthy opponent. She was starting to feel that her skills were getting rusty.
Alear kept his gaze on the city for a few more seconds before answering, in his usual calm and objective voice:
"I’m going to recruit the princess of the Tepes Clan. Her name is Valerie Tepes." He paused briefly before continuing. "Because of her identity, recruiting her is a bit complicated. In addition to being the clan’s heir, she is the bearer of a Longinus. Precisely because of that, the entire Tepes Clan maintains constant surveillance over her. If we want to take her with us, it is very likely that we will have to face an entire army of vampires."
Nobunaga remained silent for a brief moment, absorbing every word. Her blood-red eyes narrowed slightly and, soon after, a fierce, wild, and excitement-filled smile appeared on her lips. She threw her head back and let out a deep laugh that echoed across the terrace.
"Hoh...! An army of vampires, huh?" She crossed her arms, her smile becoming even more arrogant. "And we’re going to snatch the princess right from under their noses... Kukuku... interesting! Very interesting! Brat, you really know how to choose your targets. This, yes, deserves to be called fun! Invading the territory of an ancient clan, facing their entire guard, and leaving with their heir... this reminds me of the military campaigns of my time! Leave it to me. If you need someone to force their way through... or reduce all resistance to ashes... I’ll be more than happy to do it!"
Alear smiled faintly.
With Nobunaga by his side, that mission would certainly become much simpler.
Just like Devils, Vampires are one of the oldest races of darkness, existing since time immemorial. They also possess a rigidly hierarchical society based on blood purity and social position, in addition to sharing some characteristics and weaknesses similar to those of demons. The main difference is that while Devils inhabit the Underworld, Vampires remain hidden in the Human World, with their largest population concentration in Romania. Despite the similarities, their cultures and worldviews are quite distinct. Like Devils, they enjoy an extremely long lifespan, but in return, they tend to be even more proud, isolationist, and conservative. Their arrogance was almost legendary among other supernatural races.
Discrimination within vampire society also reached extreme levels. Dhampirs — individuals born from the union between vampires and humans, like Gasper Vladi and Valerie Tepes herself — were seen as impure and frequently suffered mistreatment even from their own families. For the vampire aristocracy, pure blood represented everything; any trace of humanity was considered an unforgivable stain.
Furthermore, hunting humans was part of the very nature of vampires, with blood being their main source of nourishment. Over the centuries, male vampires used human women both to satisfy their desires and to produce offspring, while female vampires did the same with human men. However, children from these relationships rarely received any recognition or decent treatment.
Vampire society was governed by two royal families: the Tepes Family and the Carmilla Family.
Centuries ago, a great schism occurred among the vampires. The dispute revolved around which lineage should lead the species: a true male ancestor or a true female ancestor. The conflict ended up permanently dividing the race into two major factions. On one side emerged the Tepes Faction, dominated by men; on the other, the Carmilla Faction, composed and led by women. Since then, both maintained a historic rivalry that, in different periods, even evolved into open wars.
While recalling this information, an idea began to take shape in his mind. Instead of directly invading the Tepes territory, perhaps it would be much smarter to exploit that centuries-old rivalry. If he could negotiate with the Carmilla Family, he could turn an invasion into a joint offensive. After all, weakening the Tepes would be as advantageous for them as it was for him. In addition to providing information about the territory, routes, and defenses, the Carmilla Faction would probably not waste the opportunity to strike at their historic rivals. It was, without a doubt, a much more efficient strategy than simply attacking alone...
But was that really necessary?
Alear reflected for a few moments.
After all, he was not alone.
By his side was Oda Nobunaga, a very powerful Servant — someone who, in her prime, had been recognized as a true Demon King. Combining her strength with his own, he was confident that the two of them would be capable of facing even a Satan if it became inevitable. As for the Tepes Clan, the information he had gathered from ancient records and books indicated that King Tepes possessed Ultimate-Class strength. He was undoubtedly a powerful opponent by Underworld standards, but nothing more...
In the worst-case scenario, he and Nobunaga would face the entire clan simultaneously. Even so, he could not see it as an impossible battle. On the contrary, he believed it would just be a slightly more laborious fight than usual.
Moreover, involving the Carmilla Family would be an extremely difficult task. Vampires harbored a strong aversion to other supernatural races and, because of their pride and isolationism, they would hardly agree to cooperate with a Devil, even if it meant weakening their historic rivals. And even if he managed to convince them to participate, it was practically certain that they would demand something in return for their help. However, he had no interest whatsoever in owing a favor to a faction as proud, unpredictable, and politically complicated as the vampires.
On the other hand, Nobunaga observed Alear for a few seconds while he remained lost in his own thoughts. After waiting patiently for a moment, she huffed softly and crossed her arms, clearly impatient.
"Hey, brat." She called him, interrupting his reverie with a firm and direct voice. "Stop thinking by yourself. What’s the plan? If it’s some boring or poorly thought-out strategy, know from the start that I don’t intend to follow you blindly."
Alear turned his attention to her and answered with his usual calm.
"I know. You’ve already made that very clear." A faint smile appeared on his lips. "Don’t worry, I’m not as stupid as you seem to believe. I have some ideas in mind, but first I need to know one thing. What is your Noble Phantasm?"
Although he already knew the functioning of her Noble Phantasm because of his past life in Chaldea and, as her Master, had access to the basic information of his Servants, Alear preferred to ask directly. Nobunaga, naturally, had no idea that he already possessed this knowledge. In addition to confirming the details, the question reinforced the image of a cautious strategist. After all, knowing precisely the capabilities of one’s own allies was the first step to devising a truly efficient plan...
Nobunaga arched an eyebrow, surprised by the question, but soon opened a confident smile.
"So you decided to act like a real strategist, huh?" she commented in an amused tone. "Very well. My Noble Phantasm allows me to summon anything from a single musket to an army of three thousand of them. As long as you can supply me with enough mana, I can turn an entire battlefield into a hell of gunpowder and fire. Entire armies can be exterminated before they even realize what happened."
She placed one hand on her waist and smiled arrogantly.
"However, if you expect me to work that hard, know that you’ll owe me a big favor afterward. It’s better to prepare some good sake and a feast worthy of a conqueror if you want me to defeat your enemies. I don’t lift a finger for free... or rather, I don’t fire three thousand muskets for free."
Alear simply smiled at the corner of his mouth.
"You really never work for free, do you?"
Nobunaga immediately turned her gaze to him. Her smile disappeared, giving way to a completely flat expression. She narrowed her eyes slightly, clearly suspicious.
"What exactly did you mean by that...?"
Alear held her gaze for a moment. Then he simply shrugged.
"Nothing."
"...Huh?" Nobunaga remained staring at his face for a few seconds, trying to figure out if there was any hidden meaning behind those words. In the end, she just clicked her tongue in irritation.
"Tch... annoying brat."
She had the distinct feeling that Alear was mocking her, but since there was no provocation in his words, she had no way to retort without seeming childish. Besides, there was something in that tone of voice that continued to cause her strangeness. It was as if he were speaking to an old acquaintance, someone he had already lived with for a long time. It was true that in recent days Alear had already had enough opportunities to understand part of her personality, but after the strange dream from the previous night and the persistent feeling of familiarity that refused to disappear, she was starting to believe more and more that the two of them shared some common past.
In any case... she would discover the truth during this adventure...
That thought was enough to convince her to accompany him without further questions. More than the curiosity of getting to know the modern world and revisiting her country, what truly sparked her interest was the possibility of finally discovering why that boy seemed so strangely familiar to her...
Alear completely ignored her "insult."
"Anyway, we’ve already wasted too much time."
He took a few steps to the edge of the building, calmly observing the movement of the streets far below. The morning wind gently stirred his hair while his gaze remained fixed in the general direction of the Tepes territory. In truth, although they had come to Bucharest, the main territory of the vampire faction was located in a remote mountainous region, outside the capital.
"Assume your spiritual form and follow me. The fewer people who notice our presence, the better."
Nobunaga arched an eyebrow.
"You’re going to act stealthily? I thought we were just going to invade the place."
"Invading is still an option," he replied without even turning around. "But first I need to confirm some things personally. Entering with noise without knowing the terrain would just be a waste of energy."
She let out a small laugh.
"Kukuku... so there’s still a brain working in there."
"I prefer to call it common sense."
"Hm... still boring." Even while complaining, her body began to slowly dissolve into countless particles of light, assuming her spiritual form again.
"Ready."
Alear simply nodded.
"Don’t get separated."
In the next instant, he took a step forward and simply leaped from the top of the building.
The wind cut violently across his body during the fall. At the same time, a thin layer of magical power enveloped his figure as he activated his invisibility magic. The spell’s ripples distorted the space around him for a brief instant.
Soon after...
His figure disappeared completely from view as he advanced toward the territory of the Tepes Faction, with Nobunaga following him in spiritual form right behind.