Chapter 209: Stakeout and Festival

Kumo and I headed towards the north side of the city. We could immediately tell we were in the upper echelon of society.

Most of the buildings and technology here seemed almost futuristic. The things they could do with mana crystals seemed astounding.

All the vehicles were shaped like seeds. They were soundless as they hovered through the air.

The oddly shaped buildings looked like neon signs as they glowed bright blue.

“It seems like most of the mana crystals are used here,” I said to Kumo.

“Yes, you’re right. They’re probably giving the rest of the city whatever little scraps are left over.”

“There has been a question that has been plaguing my mind ever since I came to this city.”

“What is it, darling?” Kumo asked, looking at me curiously.

“Where do the witches get the mana crystals that power this entire city? They have a reservoir that has been powering this entire city for centuries.”

Khalissi told me that mana crystals are created when the air is so thick with mana that it crystallizes. One of the causes of this is when there is someone powerful to create these crystals.

They must have a vast amount of mana, and it must be powerful enough to change the air itself.

The mana crystals I found in Starlit City were all formed because of the rift that opened there. Not even Khalissi is strong enough to create them.

Kumo and I looked out of place walking through this section of the city.

Most of the population consisted of vampires and witches. It didn’t seem as lively as the rest of the city. Most of the people here acted like strangers towards one another. I had to wonder if they were truly happy with their lifestyle.

Soon, Kumo and I finally arrived where the mana crystals were located. Security was tighter the closer we went to the factory.

We were forced to stalk the building from much further away than we had hoped.

For some reason, I could feel this ominous presence inside the factory. No, it wasn’t the factory but another building close to it. There was a building beside the factory that looked almost like a scientific laboratory.

The air was thick with mana, so I knew this was the place.

“There are a lot of witches guarding this place. I hardly see any vampires,” Kumo whispered.

“Yes, you’re right. It’s the witches that control the mana crystals. They probably want to keep the vampires out of their business.”

Kumo nodded, agreeing with what I said.

“So how are we going to get inside the building?” she asked. “With the others, we could bulldoze our way through.”

“No, it’s best to do things stealthily. If we so much as try to fight our way through, then the entire city will come down on us.”

We should go in there and take the mana crystals before anyone is the wiser. Though a part of me was curious to find out what was in that laboratory.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was just as important or even more important than what was in the factory.

For now, I decided to focus on the factory. Kumo and I only watched the perimeter as I tried to figure out the optimum way for us to enter.

I was also figuring out who the best person to bring along with me for this crucial mission.

Right now, I was thinking of bringing along Khalissi and Kaguya. These two seemed perfect for this kind of mission.

I doubt the others could pull off anything that had to do with stealth.

Especially Sylvie, she would probably make a ruckus the moment we stepped onto the premises. Isabella would find a reason to be mad at me so she could argue, and Selthia’s overenthusiasm to please me would most likely cause her to do something crazy.

Just then, I saw something. A tall, blue-haired woman wearing glasses stepped out of the laboratory. Based on a description I got from Charlotte, I immediately knew who this woman was.

This woman was one of the 4 queen witches that ruled the city. She was the final witch that I hadn’t met yet. The witch of calamity.

She was wearing a lab coat and was surrounded by other witches who wore lab coats.

The moment I saw her, I resolved myself to bring someone else along with me when I decide to infiltrate the laboratory.

“I think I’ve seen enough, let’s go,” I said to Kumo as I stood up from my hiding spot and offered her my hand.

Kumo smiled at me and took my hand.

Night fell as we headed back home. The city seemed lively as we saw fireworks going off.

“It looks like they are beginning the countdown for the hungry ghost festival,” Kumo smiled.

“Oh, that’s right. I promised you we would enjoy it before we go back home, didn’t I?”

Kumo blushed bashfully.

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to. I understand if you’re tired after everything we did today.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m curious to see what this festival will be about.” Saying that, I grabbed a hold of her hand.

Her body jolted strangely, and I could see she was trying her best to contain her excitement.

There were all sorts of food being sold. Food that would be offered to the ghosts that came through the rift.

After buying a few gifts, Kumo and I stood in the crowd of people as fireworks went off to count down the time until their arrival. The air was filled with excitement, and Kumo’s joy was palpable as she stared at the sky.

“Even though this takes place every year, it’s been so long since I’ve been to a proper ghost festival,” Kumo said.

“This is my first time. I half expect a giant rift to form and ghosts to pour out like an ant hill or a bee hive getting hit.”

Kumo covered her mouth with her fan and giggled.

“That’s not exactly how it goes, darling.”

I looked at her questioningly, but from the teasing grin on her face, I could tell she wasn’t going to tell me anything.

“Don’t worry, you’ll see how it is in a couple of minutes. In the meantime, let’s play some games.”

Kumo practically dragged me through the festival as we went from stall to stall.

“Here, I haven’t played this in a while,” she said as she stopped in front of a stall that read ’Goldfish scooping.’

In front of the stall was a large tank of water with goldfish swimming around.

“Where I’m from, this game is called Kingyo Sukui. The goal is simple. Just scoop up as much goldfish as you can before the paper scooper breaks,” she explained.

The game sounded simple when she explained it, but for some reason she had a mischievous grin on her face.

The two of us were handed a scoop made of paper by the stall keeper.

“You go first,” she said, still grinning.

“Okay.”

Without hesitation, I dipped the scoop inside the water. The scoop seemed fragile, so I decided to go for the smaller fishes.

I gently glided the scoop across the water, feeling confident that I could capture the tiny fish I had set my sight on, but just then…

SNAP!!

The scoop snapped before it even got to the fish. The sound of the scoop breaking was followed by muffled laughing coming from behind me.

“I expected better of you, darling,” she teased. “You should only lower the scoop into the water when you’re ready to catch the fish. Keeping it in there for longer only raises the chances of it breaking.”

Hearing Kumo’s explanation, I felt like an idiot.

“Don’t worry. Not everyone gets it on their first try. It takes a lot of skill and practice. Let me show you how it’s done.”

Kumo held her scoop just above the surface of the water, watching the fishes intensely.

It looked as if she was targeting the biggest fish in the pond. She waited for the perfect time before she struck. It happened in an instant.

The surface of the water didn’t so much as ripple. Next thing we knew, she was holding the largest goldfish in the tank on her scoop.

I should’ve expected this of her. Spiders are master hunters. The stall owner stared at her with his mouth hung open as she proceeded to catch every fish in the pond without the scoop tearing or cracking.

Her technique was flawless. Her movements couldn’t even be seen by most around her, and in the end, she had won the grand prize, a giant plushy shaped like a ghost.

Together, we continued to go from stall to stall, playing various games. Strangely, Kumo seemed like she was a master of every one of these games. She always won the highest prize.

“I’m a master of festival games,” she boasted. “I used to be something of a drifter. I would go to many different festivals in search of my soul mate. That is why I became so good at these games.”

When she spoke, she seemed a bit sad. Every time she reminisced about the past, she seemed saddened, but in the next instant, her expression brightened.

“Were you impressed by my skills?”

I smiled at her and patted her on the head.

“I’m very impressed by your skills. You bested even me.” Her face flushed, and she began to pant heavily.

“Darling!”

Just then, the countdown to the hungry ghost festival came to an end, resounding with a loud bang from the fireworks.

Kumo and I stared up at the sky, waiting to see the specters that were going to visit us.

I couldn’t help but feel excited by what was to come, and immediately as I thought that, a thick white fog descended upon us.

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