OJTTEG-Chapter 20: I Did It on Purpose, Come and Hit Me

"I suppose I need to live past 45 first," Johnny remarks, sitting upright in the center of the teahouse. He nods, inviting his good friend to sit across from him.

"Try some of this. Though the afternoon tea time has passed, you can still treat it as a late-night snack."

"Alright, Johnny," Ormond replies, eyeing the sumptuous pastries before him. "I hope I don't end up with high blood pressure or cholesterol."

"We can discuss health concerns later. Right now, there's a small issue—you seem to have been hinted."

Despite his appearance as a blond gentleman, Johnny Brandkin, the vampire clan leader, narrows his eyes and tosses his golden hair, speaking earnestly.

Ormond sits across from him, and as he does, the door behind them slowly closes, sealing them off from the outside world. He understands completely; the upcoming conversation must remain private.

"It was An, wasn't it?" Ormond asks, squinting. "What kind of hint?"

"Hard to say. I can only tell you've been hinted, but you'll have to guess the type yourself."

Johnny elegantly sips his tea.

"I'm curious how she learned to hint at others," Ormond says, locking eyes with Johnny. "Vampiric abilities are innate. If it's just the heart, there shouldn't be any hereditary traits."

"Was it you?"

"She probably figured it out on her own. I wouldn't teach An such things; I want her to be normal more than you do."

Johnny swirls his glass, holding it up to gaze at Ormond through the glass.

"If she figured it out herself, she's a genius."

"My daughter doesn't need to be a genius in this area. If she becomes an investigator, I hope she remains an ordinary one."

"But I doubt your daughter would harm you, so let's discuss something else."

"You're quite nonchalant about this."

"My wish is for you and your daughter to live... for her to live with my daughter's heart. That's my way of respecting her choice. Beyond that, it's none of my concern."

He seems almost petulant.

"You're still bothered by this."

"I'm not."

Ormond has to admit, his values often clash with those of the vampire. Conversations with different species can be challenging.

Ormond takes a sip of his tea, then begins to inquire about the reason for their meeting. Johnny unfolds a newspaper in front of him, displaying information about a serial killer.

"Listen, you probably remember the incident with Dilandra..." Johnny mentions his daughter's name with remarkable calm, "It was the Scholars' Church that attacked An and Dilandra during their trip."

"Which faction?"

"Certainly not the moderate one."

"Go on."

"They're back. This serial killer is another monster created by the Scholars' Church. To test its effectiveness, they have a team constantly following and refining the experiment. By now, the killer has become quite formidable."

"Who told you this?"

"My informant."

So that's how it is.

In early 2015, Dilandra was not just a heart; she was a complete being, a living vampire. Due to their parents, she and An became close friends. However, during a group outing in February, cultists from the Scholars' Church ambushed their study camp.

When they were finally found, Dilandra had lost nearly half her head, while An lay beside her with a gruesome wound in her chest. It was easy to deduce what had happened: Dilandra, unable to regenerate due to the severe head injury, chose to give her heart to An, whose own heart was missing, to keep her alive as her blood loss became critical.

After learning about the incident, Johnny accepted the outcome. In a fit of rage, he wiped out all the Scholars' Church members in Doraine City. The Scholars' Church was largely composed of madmen obsessed with acquiring knowledge, proficient in conducting unethical experiments.

After receiving Dilandra's heart, An's personality began to change slightly. Dilandra had been a tomboy, and An started cutting her hair short and adopting a more masculine way of speaking.

The catastrophe nearly destroyed both families, so when Ormond hears news of the Scholars' Church again, he struggles to contain his anger.

"And then?" Ormond slowly places the tightly gripped cup back on the table, its surface covered in cracks.

"A royal heart has always been something they've desired... Remember to replace that cup for me; it's a two-hundred-year-old antique, long out of production." Johnny seems unfazed by the heavy atmosphere, popping a cherry into his mouth.

"They're probably here for An this time."

"What do you plan to do?"

"Nothing..." Johnny replies slowly.

What?

"You bastard! Take this! [The agony of stubbing your pinky toe on the table leg]!"

"...is impossible."

No sooner had he spoken than Ormond jumps up, pulling out an ancient book, roughly 10 centimeters square, from his coat. He forcefully flips open the worn pages, shouting loudly.

"What are you doing all of a sudden?"

But then he suddenly doubles over, clutching his foot, unable to suppress the sounds of pain escaping his lips.

"Though your book has no cost to use, any spell has a 50% chance of backfiring on you. I advise you to use it cautiously. If you attempt something too dreadful, I doubt even that esteemed doctor could save you."

Johnny looks at Ormond with a hint of exasperation.

"I wasn't finished speaking; doing nothing is impossible."

"Can you stop pausing so dramatically when you talk?"

"I'm just trying to sound like a villainous boss—they always draw out their words."

"Are you crazy?"

"You can hit me if you want."

"Johnny, take this!" Ormond suddenly opens the square book with one hand, "[100-Volt Shock Through the Body]!"

Johnny's body instantly stiffens.

"You're insane!" the vampire says, trembling.

"I did it on purpose. You can hit me if you want."

The two start bickering, but Johnny is the first to stop their childish game. He slowly stands up, his nearly two-meter height making him appear even more imposing. He stuffs his hands into his pockets.