Shinji Matou at Your Service

Seeing the two girls holding their black keys, ready to strike, Shinji scratched the side of his face in frustration.

"Why are people from your church always so stubborn? I have no ill intentions. Or do I just look easy to bully?"

"How could someone who serves as Princess's knight be easy to bully?"

A fourth voice joined the tense standoff in the black forest. It was the voice of Merem Solomon, who had been tricked by Shinji just minutes before.

"Oh? You've already recovered? Looks like my actions were unnecessary. But you don't learn, do you? After falling into my trap once, you still talk to me like this. Want to try again?"

"Ugh..."

These words hit Merem's sore spot, leaving him speechless. Shinji continued.

"If you truly want to talk, come out and face me. Don't try to fool me with disguises or familiars—it won't work and will only make you suffer again. I've shown my sincerity; now it's your turn."

"..."

The voice fell silent but didn't leave, as if contemplating the situation.

Shinji wasn't in a hurry; he waited quietly until the voice's owner made a decision.

"Fine, since it's Sir Knight's request. Please, lead the way, and thank you."

The last part was naturally directed at the two girls, thanking them for leading the way and guarding him. However, the girls didn't appreciate it.

Ciel snorted coldly and turned away, while the silver-haired girl, expressionless, said, "I just don't want to ruin my evaluation."

"Not cute at all, don't you think, Sir Knight?"

Merem seemed used to this and even had the energy to joke.

Following behind, Shinji smiled and shook his head. "No, I think the opposite; they're both very cute."

The place where Merem's real body was hidden wasn't far from the perimeter. It was also a barren wasteland, devoid of life—not caused by incendiary bombs, but perhaps by a meteor impact or dug out with a massive spoon.

In the center of the wasteland, a bonfire burned. Standing next to it was a young boy, about twelve or thirteen years old, his exquisite features erasing any trace of gender, like an angel from one of Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel—angels who, after all, have no gender.

"So, it's you, Merem Solomon."

Shinji pretended to just recognize him and approached the boy.

"Makes sense; no other dead apostle would be hanging out with the church like you."

"Because I want the church's secret treasures."

Merem smiled as he answered, his beauty transcending the mundane, rivaling even the Silver Princess, Estella.

"How did you recognize me? I never appear to the outside world in this form."

"I know you usually appear as a kind, elderly man, but that's just one of your familiars, the demon of the left arm, the Rat King,' a rat that can transform into a person."

"Completely correct."

Merem clapped his hands adorned with ten rings. If someone didn't know his background, they might mistake him for the legendary King Solomon.

"It seems the princess has told you quite a bit about us."

"Yes."

In truth, she hadn't, but Shinji was happy to let Merem think so.

Arcueid would only share information if Shinji asked, but if not, the ditzy True Ancestor wouldn't bother with such unpleasant topics.

Shinji's knowledge of dead apostles came partly from his memories of his past life and partly from Barthomeloi's intelligence. Of course, in Merem's eyes, there was only one possibility: Arcueid must have told him.

"Um, didn't the princess come with you?"

Merem's eyes darted around nervously, only in this moment matching his youthful appearance.

"No."

Upon hearing this, he quickly regained his composure, sighing with an old soul at odds with his youthful appearance.

"So, the princess is already close to being overwhelmed by her bloodlust. Hmm... it shouldn't have happened so quickly, but your presence has undoubtedly accelerated the process."

"You're right, which is why I must take responsibility."

Shinji and Merem were both among the few who understood the True Ancestors. A True Ancestor is the embodiment of nature, and while nature may be beautiful and have a will, it lacks emotions. When a True Ancestor gains emotions—whether love, hatred, or anything else—a conflict arises, intensifying the bloodsucking impulse.

A True Ancestor can only live forever without emotions, like nature itself. However, Shinji's encounter with Arcueid, meeting Altera, and his life with the Matou family made the once-emotionless Arcueid more human. The more human she became, the stronger her bloodlust grew. In just a few short years, she had reached her limit and had to seal herself away.

"You're here for Forest of Einnashe's fruit, aren't you? That fruit could indeed significantly alleviate the princess' impulse But this is only a temporary solution; the impulse will return before long."

"It won't return. As long as I'm here, it won't."

"What? It won't return?"

Merem's exclamation drew glances from the two girls. Beneath his youthful appearance was a mind that thought in millennia, so few things in the world could shock him anymore. Yet within twenty minutes, he'd been surprised twice—once when he was tricked and now again.

"Do you have a way to cure impulse?"

"Didn't you already experience it?"

Shinji replied with a smile.

"Experience... could it be..."

Merem's expression turned complicated.

Twenty minutes earlier, during their mental clash, Merem had been forced to retreat because he suddenly felt overwhelmingly hungry—so hungry he could hardly control it. As a vampire, his way of satisfying hunger was, of course, through blood.

At the time, two girls were sitting nearby, and to avoid drinking their blood in desperation, he had to send them away. The girls noticed something was wrong with Merem, so they kept their distance while guarding him, leading to the earlier scene where Shinji was stopped from approaching.

Merem had assumed Shinji had used some kind of mental magecraft, but he now realized it was Arcueid's bloodlust that had been transferred to him.

"Is such a thing possible? How on earth..."

"Just consider it my special ability. As far as I know, I'm the only one who can do this."

Shinji didn't have any special ability, but he did possess Magic. Transferring Arcueid's bloodlust was an application of Magic. However, magic is so extraordinary that revealing it carries too much risk, so he attributes everything to a supernatural power.

"I see. No wonder the princess chose you as her guardian knight."

Merem didn't doubt him and even filled in the blanks on his own.