Tyvan re-opened his car door, leaning in to retrieve a small box from the center console. It was something he’d asked Briar Rose to prepare. She was the most thoughtful child he knew and had a natural talent for selecting gifts.

  Once the box was in Shay’s hands, she granted him the most dazzling smile, completely absent of her earlier frustrations. She opened it with great exuberance and marvelled at the cloth within.

  “Is this what I think it is?” she asked.

  “Indeed,” Tyvan nodded.

  He took out the dark length of fabric-- ah.

  There were two lengths of fabric.

  It had the same enchantments and was made of the same material as his gloves. As such, it was as resilient as it was versatile, useful as protective wraps or for binding a captive.

  He gently tied them around the young woman’s neck, feeling increasingly awkward about the fabric’s shape. The bowties he was familiar with had two hourglass shapes at either end.

  “Tyvan,” she said, “these are hair ribbons.”

  She pointed at the hair bunches on either side of her head. Twin hair bunch-ing was her usual way of styling her hair-- particularly with the use of ribbons.

  “...Yes, that would make more sense.”

  Shay undid the knot and put the ribbons away in her bag. “Thank you, Tyvan. I love...... it.”

  There was an unusual pause in her statement. However, unpredictable speech patterns were common for her and were therefore safe to ignore.

  Tyvan again took Shay’s hand and led her toward the restaurant in his memory. It would be brightly lit. The air would be suffused with the warmest, sweetest scents. And...

  “My mother took me here once, as a child. She is a woman of fine and delicate taste.”

  “That sounds so goooood!” Shay said, “I didn’t eat breakfast so I’m super hungry right now. Don’t make fun of me if I get barbecue sauce everywhere, okay?”

  “Hmph,” Tyvan smirked. “You can request the sauce on the side, for conscientious utilisation rather than having your meal smothered indiscriminately.”

  “Aw, well-- I think I want it like that, though~”

  A quiet and unintentional chuckle escaped Tyvan’s lips. It was wonderful to see her so joyful. But the barbecue restaurant wouldn’t be the last place he brought her. He wanted to share many more of the things he loved with--

  “Tyvan?” Shay suddenly stopped walking, her head curiously tilted to one side. “Is this the place? It looks closed.”

  “Of course, it’s the place,” Tyvan said, refusing to look up.

  Closed? Highly implausible. But... Shay had no reason to lie to him. Most likely, she’d made a simple mistake-- the result of a harmless misunderstanding.

  Tyvan slowly craned his head to the side.

  The tall windows revealed the restaurant’s interior.

  Dark.

  Empty.

  “No...” he whispered.

  The canvas awning over the tall windows had faded from nostalgic red to a dull, purple-pink. The letters upon it formed the restaurant’s familiar name.

  The quarter machine had disappeared. Gone was the plastic and metal approximation of a horse that rode to absolutely nowhere. Left behind were the mere four holes in which it was once anchored.

  Tyvan staggered a step closer.

  The sign on the window. Black with bold letters in white.

  Closed.

  That was-- not open?

  But... their opening hours. It should have been open. It was barely noon! Noon was a perfect time for a delicious, barbecued treat.

  A piece of paper. Posted against the glass door.

  A notice?

  Tyvan quickly read through the legal verbiage.

  Eviction. Delinquency of rent.

  No. A lie. A deception. Who would dare?

  “Tyvan?” said a soft voice. “Are you okay?”

  Shay was at his side. She’d latched onto his arm. Her gentle shaking was a cruel reminder that the terrible reality he lived in was real and actual.

  “This... this is impossible,” he groaned in a low voice. “Why was I not informed?”

  “Businesses close all the time,” Shay said, placing an assuring hand on his shoulder. “Tyvan... we can go somewhere else.”

  “Shay, I--” Tyvan returned his gaze to the glass... at the emptiness in his own eyes. “The Solaris Group owns this plaza. I own this whole lot. I... I know the owner. He-- he hasn’t... No?”

  That gentleman-- his business was doing fine? It was thriving. Not once had Briar Rose informed him of any issues with their rent.

  The eviction notice.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  He read it again.

  Nowhere in the text was the Solaris Group mentioned, nor any of his other company names.

  Tyvan tapped on the glass. “Who... are these people?”

  Shay looked at the paper, her expression falling into uncertainty. “That company... they’re a branch of Hongdai Capital.”

  Hongdai?

  That Hongdai?

  The company owned by the vampires who openly declared their hostile intent against ?The Kingdom??

  Tyvan felt his knees buckle. He steadied himself on a nearby pillar.

  He thought he was safe. He was prepared for the enemy to attack his finances. His base of operations was thoroughly secured. But instead... they targeted his holdings? His LIVELIHOOD??

  He smashed his palm into the brick pillar. The fake stone hissed and steamed, an outline of his hand corroding into nothingness.

  “They. DARE take away THAT WHICH I LOVE!!???”

  He clenched his eyes shut and shouted to the heavens, “Those... blood-sucking VAMPIRES in charge of REAL ESTATE?!??”

  “Yeah,” said a random passerby in a hooded sweatshirt. “Preach, brother.”

  Tyvan looked up, sorrow certain in his eyes. At least he had one human sympathetic to his despair.

  “Shay. I need names. I need addresses.”

  “Tyvan?”

  “My thirst can no longer be slaked by barbecue sauce. I will have blood in its stead.”

  Shay took in a deep breath. “I want to be part of this operation too.”

  “That goes without saying!” he growled. “I want you. I want everyone! As soon as we get back, report to Briar Rose. Gather as many agents as you can muster.”

  The operation was set to take place on the following afternoon and evening. Tyvan had arranged for Mister Plum to deliver Shay’s suit early, the additional cost for the rush extravagant to the point of excruciating. However, certain things in life were appropriate to vie for quality over cost.

  Weapons. Armour. A mattress and pillow. A proper set of cast-iron pans.

  The overtime costs of mustering every available combat member of ?The Kingdom? would be... painful, but it couldn't be helped.

  Then, the circumstances dictated that their youngest would take part, as well.

  Shay had proven her ability to defend herself. Ivalice would have forced her to resign otherwise. But still... Tyvan sought to ascertain the extent of her ability.

  There was a room perfect for combat display in the Dungeon that was Elysian Heights.

  “Wwwwwow~” Shay said, admiring the tatami mats and paper walls. “I’ve only seen a Japanese dojo in manga. Should I take off my--”

  “Yes, you should take off your shoes,” Tyvan said. He placed his equipment bag down and began stretching his body.

  Shay had eschewed the martial training outfit of her family, opting for her designer black-and-white tracksuit instead. Ah. And she had wisely transferred her protective pin to its lapel.

  They matched... to a point. Tyvan wore his olive-green tracksuit, issued to him during his military suns.

  “Thank you,” he said with a warm smile. “I thought similar of yours.”

  On a whim, he tapped on both of her hair bunches. She wore the ribbons he’d gifted her.

  “How’s it look on me?” she asked with a light smile.

  “Perfect,” Tyvan nodded.

  “P-erfect?”

  “Yes. That’s... what I just said.”

  “And how do I look, Lady Shay?”

  Alexei was also present.

  He sauntered forth, his hands resting on his waist, and his chest pushed forward. He wore a borrowed pair of short, olive-green shorts and a sleeveless undershirt. He had a moderately acceptable fighter’s build, decently muscled and devoid of body fat. It was, however, a shame that the person it belonged to was... a generally frustrating presence.

  “Do you work out too?” Shay asked, “Or are you fit because, uh...”

  “My bloodline?” Alexei suggested.

  “His obnoxity?” Tyvan followed.

  Shay smiled sheepishly. “Your uh... age.”

  Alexei’s idiotic smile fell for a short, but satisfying moment before he forced a new one. “I do like to think I’ve aged rather gracefully.” He bowed. “You have my humblest gratitude, milady.”

  He righted himself, opening his arms in a welcoming gesture. “Should you ever bore of Mister Valorum, I can prepare a place for you at my--”

  Tyvan rotated his body, swinging his back fist toward Alexei’s belly. His true goal, however, was the fool’s throat. And once that was struck with a merciless knife-hand, Alexei staggered backward, hissing and coughing.

  “Um... why is Alexei here, exactly?” Shay asked.

  “Alexei has,” Tyvan pursed his lips... “volunteered to assist in testing your combat proficiency.”

  “Lord Protector,” Alexei wheezed, “I must object.”

  “Overruled.”

  “Valorum! You’re asking me to spar with a human? I beg you to reconsider. On my honor, I would never, not ever, raise my hand against a woman!”

  Shay splayed out the fingers of her hand, absentmindedly tapping the tips.

  “You’re mistaken, Alexei,” Tyvan said. “You’re not a sparring partner.”

  He knelt down, retrieving a pair of metal bands from his equipment bag. Those, he latched onto Alexei’s bare arms. “Your role, this evening, is as a target dummy.”

  “Are you calling me a fool?” Alexei frowned.

  “I have called you a great many things,” Tyvan replied. “That is but one of them.”

  “Tyvan,” Shay whined, “why are you so mean to Alexei, anyway?”

  Tyvan opened his mouth to defend himself, but hesitated. He hadn’t realised he was so harsh.

  “It’s nothing, Lady Shay,” Alexei said with a hearty guffaw. “Hah! Hahaha! The Lord Protector is my benefactor. Having agreed to assist me in my plight, I’m willing to do this and more! So much more!!”

  Nonetheless, Alexei Balanescu was not a man who deserved kindness.

  “My body is ready!” Alexei declared, “My heart is ready.”

  “Compose yourself,” Tyvan insisted.

  “My pride is NOTHING compared to the pain I’ve endured watching my bloodline fracture and fragment into aimless bickering!”

  Tyvan shrugged his right shoulder. Alexei winced, stepping back and guarding his chest and neck with both arms.

  “So I just have to fight him?” Shay asked.

  “Think of him as a regular vampire to be beaten without mercy,” Tyvan said. “The iron armbands will ensure your safety.”

  “A handicap,” Alexei mused. He stepped to the side, punching at the air. “Forgive me, Lord Protector, but I’m still many times stronger and faster than a human.”

  “Hrmm... Let’s see how far that confidence will take you.”

  Taco Bongo Cashier - “What can I get you guys today?”

  Shay - “I’d like a 2 taco meal, please.”

  Tyvan - “I’ll have 20 tacos. And the same number of bongos, if you would.”