Lord Of Blood - Volume 1 Chapter 7 Subtlety

After changing clothes and finally wearing something more comfortable, Linus leisurely walked around the estate to familiarize himself with most of its interior.

At some point, he could see lights from cars approaching the mansion and therefore walked over to the main entrance. There he leaned over the wooden reeling and watched as visitors came in.

“We still get visitors at this late hour? Come to think, what is Integra her sleep cycle?”, he asked and was sure the man beside him heard it clearly.

“Lady Hellsing is active at many different hours. Lately, because of the murders of supernatural nature, we have more activities pertained to that specified field which tends her to work at later hours through the night.”, answered Walter with a slight smile and looked at the guests as well.

And when those two gentlemen actually noticed someone they seemed to have nodded somewhere. Following their gazes both Walter and Linus could see a blond-haired woman looking at them in curiosity.

“You better don’t think about attacking innocent people.” The sudden words came from no other than Integra herself that was now walking down the stairs to meet the guests.

“So distrustful?” Linus smirked a little at her.

“That goes especially for you!” She glared at him through her round metal-framed glasses.

“Ah! Its you!” Seras actually looked up to see who was talking and saw Linus further up and could not stop but exclaim in surprise and shock.

That actually triggered Integra. “Stop gawking here. Walter! Bring these two to Fargason. They should get themselves useful.”

“As you wish, Lady Integra.” Walter accepted his order with a small bow and then looked to Linus first and then at the somewhat frowning Seras. “If you both would please follow me?”

“Sure.”

With his guidance, both of them were dragged towards the left-wing of the mansion at the ground level.

“Uhm…” Seras looked at Linus while following together with him. It was like she was trying to pierce him with that gaze.

So Linus could only sigh lightly and smiled at her. “What is it, Seras?”

“It really is you…”, she repeated the same thing again that shot through her mind all the while.

“Should I be someone else?”, he asked back?

Seras only shook her head and frowned while contemplating if she was just remembering things the wrong way. “No…but. I thought you were dead…Like the others…One of those things…”

“Well…You are not that wrong. But considering that we both died at that damn church. It can be confusing, I guess.”, stated Linus matter of factly.

“Huh!? We both died? Does that mean that master also saved you?” Seras looked at him with wide eyes and now saw the reddish glint in his iris. “Ah, your eyes…”

Linus only squinted them after hearing her words. only a little snort came out of him as a reaction. “He and saving me? That sadist is not going to bother about something like that. It probably is already a cursed miracle that he bore his fangs in your neck.”

“Then you are not like me?” At that question, Walter in front of them seemed to react slightly as well and turned his head very subtly to the right side to listen in better. That, of course, didn’t go unnoticed for Linus since he looked ahead at that moment.

“But then how are you still alive?”, she continued.

“So you know that you are a Vampire now?”, he asked back. And when she cast down her face he knew his answer. She couldn’t yet fully understand or accept all of this yet, but she knew.

“So I didnt just remember wrong…” was her mumbling answer.

“Yep, as I said. We both died. I did so even sooner than you. But I guess my love for you was so great and the will to protect you transcended all logic that it turned me into a Vampire!” Now Linus was actually joking and had a grin while saying that to her.

That got Seras into a jolt and even Walter in front was slightly coughing.

“Huh!?” Seras looked at him surprised and started to blush madly. “W-W-What are you saying!!?”

“I am just kidding. Don’t look so depressed.” He looked at her face and could only smirk on her reaction. “Just let us both accept that we made it out somehow alive from there for now.”

That let Seras somewhat pout her cheeks after she realized he only played with her out of the blue.

Its also not like I was lying entirely…Hmm, I did try to save her then. He could only sigh internally about his action.

“Alright, you both. We have arrived at our first stop. This here is the gun range. Equip yourself with some firearms and then let’s proceed. There should be some operators already inside that are training.”

“Thanks.”, smiled Seras and went inside with Linus in tow.

When they entered the room the smell of gunpowder wafted inside Linuss nostrils. Interesting.

While he was still outside, this strong smell could actually not be picked up. Can only two doors really eliminate the smell that well?

Before they entered the range there was still a small locker room.

The answer was no and he could feel some energy fluctuating around the door when he concentrated on it. I guess some special spells or talismans were used. The occult factor really is off the shards in this organization.

“Is something the matter?”, asked Seras after she saw Linus take a look at the door more thoroughly.

“Hmm? No, everything is fine.” He answered her and then looked at the guys that stopped to shoot as well and stared at the duo.

“Are you the two new guys? Want to test out the range?”, asked a guy that looked like a squad leader.

Seras only nodded while looking at him and then tried to pick up a normal rifle.

“You sure about that gun? Why don’t you better take this one?” The guy went ahead and presented Seras a 50.cal BMG. Obviously a much higher caliber gun that has some weight to it.

“No, no. That is way too heavy for me!”, denied Seras him but the guy still kept pestering her.

“Come one, you can easily handle this. After all, you are one of them, right?”

Linus just went ahead and grabbed the anti-material rifle from his grasp. “Alright, buddy. I am only going to say this once. You better stop your racist behavior. Otherwise, it could end badly.”

The guy only frowned deeply at his words and Seras was confused.

“Seras, we have much greater strength than normal humans now. We could very likely swing massive boulders of steel around ourselves without much effort. You should get used to…” He still glared the guy down. “unusual options in weapon choice…”

But he didn’t keep standing there for long and grabbed an ammo crate. “Anyway, we are not here to chit-chat. Walter is waiting.” And just when he said that the speakers that were installed in the room activated and notified the group of a mission.

“What timing.”

With that, they prepared their gear that basically just consisted of the main rifle and a sidearm coupled with some ammo and then rushed with Walter to their Operations Commander that they would be working under for the time being.