Aozaki Aoko Case File

Mario was the designated successor of the cardinal Laurentius, a man deeply entrenched in the Holy Church, who was notorious for his lust for wine, women, and power.

Laurentius was considered a strong candidate for the next Pope of the Vatican. He was known for his exceptional abilities and devout faith. Without these qualities, it would have been impossible for someone with so many flaws to rise to the rank of cardinal.

Mario Gallo Bestino was one of the twenty adopted sons Laurentius took in due to the Church's rule that cardinals could not marry.

If it weren't for the fact that Laurentius' preference had always been young, beautiful blondes with large... assets, many would have suspected these adopted sons were a continuation of the Catholic Church's infamous fondness for young boys.

Mario was selected as Laurentius' successor not only because of his talents but also because of his uncanny resemblance to Laurentius in his youth. This led many to speculate that Mario might be Laurentius' illegitimate son.

This suspicion became fuel for Laurentius' political opponents to attack him, but eventually, a DNA test proved that Mario's resemblance to Laurentius was a mere coincidence, and the matter was dropped.

Under Laurentius' long-term guidance, Mario developed certain traits—such as a dislike for those who give up easily, a relentless tendency to criticize others, and a striking arrogance—that were difficult to define as entirely positive or negative. These traits mirrored Laurentius himself.

This time, Mario traveled to Japan, bringing with him not only his ceremonial attire but also a delegation of dozens of Executors. It was clear that he intended to achieve something noteworthy to impress his father.

However, what Mario hadn't anticipated was that, perhaps due to the actions of a certain Magus, the power struggles currently converging in the Souya area were far too intense. The situation was so treacherous that even the Pope himself might drown in its depths, let alone an ordinary priest like him.

"Father Mario, are you here to hunt the Ancestors?" Ciel frowned as she asked. "I must warn you, the number of Ancestors in the souya area may far exceed your expectations... Thirty Executors would not be nearly sufficient to handle the situation."

"Hah, what nonsense are you spouting?" Mario shot Ciel a look of disdain. "I'm not here to deal with those filthy pests Ancestors. They're like the Serpent—your responsibility."

Ciel looked confused. You brought all these people to pressure me into working faster, but you're not offering me any support? How am I supposed to deal with this? "Then, what exactly is your objective, Father Mario?"

"Of course, it's the True Ancestor princess, Arcueid Brunestud!" Mario exclaimed excitedly. "For too long, these beings who defy the teachings of God and spread Dead Apostles everywhere have brought humanity immense suffering. This True Ancestor princess is even responsible for creating the disaster known as the Serpent. Surely, you're aware of that?"

Ciel's expression turned increasingly unpleasant, but she wanted to hear what other brilliant ideas this brat had.

"So, if we can focus our forces this time and strike while the True Ancestor princess is battling the Dead Apostle Ancestor, we can wipe them both out and surely—"

"I must stop you there, Father Mario," Ciel interrupted coldly, not even bothering with formalities. "First of all, the True Ancestor princess is our ally in the fight against the Ancestors and Roa. Secondly, Arcueid Brunestud is currently under the protection of the Aozaki sisters."

"Hah, and what of it?" Mario said disdainfully. "In the end, the True Ancestor is nothing more than a vampire who has strayed from God's light. Even if she's hiding with those two women, do you think I can't handle her?"

"Then I'm afraid I can't help you, Father Mario," Ciel said, her face devoid of emotion as she gave him a polite bow. "You should know that the Aozaki sisters recently defeated two Ancestors with ease. I don't believe that a mere thirty Executors would be enough to deal with a Magician of their caliber. Besides, I have a contract with them, so I won't be participating in this operation."

"Elesia!" Mario shouted in anger, calling Ciel by her true name. "Are you betraying the Holy Church for your revenge?!"

"Mind your words, Father Mario," Ciel replied sharply, turning back toward the blonde boy with a hostile expression. "You should know my origins and what the Burial Agency represents. If there's anyone here who might be swayed by vampires, it certainly wouldn't be me."

With that, Ciel slung her gear over her shoulder and left the chapel with Noel in tow, showing no intention of lingering. In her eyes, Mario's entire plan was nothing short of suicidal—far below the standard one would expect from the successor of a cardinal.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it…" Mario gritted his teeth and clutched his blonde hair with one hand, seething with rage. Ever since he had accepted this mission, his mood had grown increasingly irritable. And upon learning that Arcueid Brunestud was here in Souya, his fury had become nearly uncontrollable.

"Breathe… Calm down… Calm down…" Mario gripped his cross tightly and prayed silently, trying to suppress the inexplicable anger boiling within him. "This is a trial from the Lord and Cardinal Laurentius… I must stay calm…"

In the flickering candlelight, Mario's short golden hair, usually as radiant as spun gold, appeared somewhat dim. A flicker of blood red flashed in his emerald-green eyes but vanished in an instant, as though it were nothing more than an illusion.

...

There were plenty of luxury hotels in the Souya area. After their first choice was trashed, the three women had to find another.

After some searching, Touko finally settled on a high-end chain hotel not far from Souya's business district. While it didn't quite suit their tastes as well as the first one, it was still a decent option.

"All booked," Touko said, putting down the portable phone in her hand. "But there's a problem. The check-in date I reserved starts tomorrow afternoon. Where are we staying tonight?"

"Haha, this is where the wise and mighty Aoko-sama steps in to save us homeless girls!" Aoko declared confidently.

"Oh, oh, does Miss Aoko have a good place in mind? If not, we can always stay at the apartment Merem rented for me," Arcueid chimed in enthusiastically. However, Aoko wasn't interested in taking her up on the offer.

"Ta-da!" Aoko, like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, suddenly produced a miniature model of a Western-style house carved from some peculiar material. Touko, standing beside her, found it oddly familiar.

Arcueid covered her mouth in a cute gesture as she looked at the model in Aoko's hands. "You're not suggesting we stay in there, are you? Is it some kind of bounded field or something?"