Walking through the castle was a hassle, mainly because I had to dodge drunks left and right.
They staggered through the halls like shambling corpses, laughing too loud, spilling alcohol on ancient stone, shouting songs about a demon's death as if repeating it enough times would make it more real. A few nearly walked straight through me. I had to twist my body at the last second each time, careful not to make contact.
I took a small, petty joy in noticing that most of them were wearing Aiko's shirts.
At the very least, they'd been scammed by that midget.
That thought alone almost made the annoyance worth it.
Eventually, I reached the doorway of the person I actually wanted to speak with.
A familiar doorway.
One I'd stood before many times—sometimes welcomed, sometimes threatened, sometimes bleeding.
I could have tried to build suspense. I could have pretended I wasn't there yet.
But knowing her?
She'd already sensed me the moment I stepped into the corridor.
So I knocked once.
Then twice.
By the time I raised my hand for a third knock, the door swung open.
Seishan stood in the doorway, one hand resting on her hip, the other casually gripping her war hammer. The pose wasn't defensive—it was deliberate. Balanced. Confident.
And of course…
She was wearing one of those shirts.
That alone told me plenty about her mood.
"Well?" she said coolly. "How about you stop pretending I don't know you're here and reveal yourself?"
Her voice hit me with a strange sense of familiarity.
I hated how much I'd missed it.
After hearing it nearly every day for two years, its absence had carved out a quiet space in my mind I hadn't noticed until now.
I slipped past her, weaving around her body and into the room.
"Long time no see, Seishan," I said lightly. "I'd love to show you my face, but I can't exactly do that at the moment."
She turned slowly, eyes sharp, scanning the empty air where I stood.
I smirked.
She was trying to read me.
Like me, Seishan could sense blood—but unlike me, her perception was terrifyingly refined. Heartbeat. Tension. Thought patterns. Emotional spikes. She read people the way scholars read open books.
Or at least, she thought she did.
Thanks to Feltan, I knew better.
That method was flawed.
I'd used it once. Trusted it. Relied on it.
Then I learned how easily it could be deceived.
Even a normal human could suppress their heartbeat enough to appear calm.
And against me?
It was practically useless.
Controlling my blood manually—slowing it, redirecting it, masking reactions—had taken time. I still couldn't do it perfectly on my own, not while talking.
But with Gluttony's help?
More than enough to fool her.
Seishan's gaze lingered. Her brow furrowed slightly.
Then she sighed.
"Tch. You're still cheating," she muttered. "So… what made you think crawling back here was a good idea?"
The hostility was sharp—but rehearsed.
I chuckled.
"If I didn't know you better, I'd think you were actually angry."
"Oh, I am angry," she said, lips curling faintly. "Just not surprised you'd come here to try and get something out of me."
I stepped closer.
"Oh? Can't a man check up on an old companion without ulterior motives?"
She rolled her eyes.
"You can," she said flatly. "But you wouldn't."
My smirk widened.
"You really do know me."
I leaned in, my voice dropping as I whispered into her ear.
"I want you to betray Gunlaug."
Her reaction was instant.
Her body went still—then coiled.
Her eyes locked onto me with the intensity of a predator moments before it strikes. The grip on her war hammer tightened, veins standing out along her hand.
For a moment, the air felt thinner.
"And why," she asked slowly, "would I ever do that?"
She crossed her arms beneath her chest, posture casual but guarded. Calculating.
She was already weighing outcomes.
I hummed, circling the room lazily, every step measured.
"Oh, because I know you, Seishan. And you know me." I stopped behind her. "And you should never forget—out of everyone in this hell, I'm the only one who knows your weakness."
Her eyes narrowed.
"…Your family."
Her weapon shifted slightly.
I smiled.
"What about them?" she asked, voice cool but edged with steel.
I walked around her room as if I owned it.
"Just that you want to return to them," I said calmly. "So why stay loyal to a man who wants to rot here forever, ruling over a cage and calling it a kingdom?"
I reached out and took her hands with my one good arm.
The floating hand didn't bother her in the slightest.
"Join me," I murmured. "And I'll make sure you get out. Back to them. And don't insult either of us by pretending you weren't already planning to stab that golden bastard in the back."
She laughed softly.
Then she smiled.
That wicked, dangerous smile I remembered so well.
"You know," she said, stepping closer, pressing her body against mine, "you really should've started with the escape plan."
Her fingers traced lightly along my arm—not touching skin, but close enough to make it intentional.
"But I do have a question, Alucard."
She leaned in, lips brushing close to where my ear would be.
"What's your plan," she whispered, "and why shouldn't I assume you'll throw me under the bus the moment it benefits you?"
There she was.
The real Seishan.
The woman who weaponized desire, trust, and fear with equal skill.
If this were me a few months ago, it might've worked.
But now?
I leaned in just as close, whispering back.
"Oh, the plan is simple. We let Changing Star and her little band of misfits kill Gunlaug." I paused. "Then we head for the Crimson Spire."
Her breath hitched—just slightly.
"And as for throwing you under the bus?" I continued softly. "You already know I'd do it."
I smiled behind my words.
"And you'd do the same."
She pulled back, studying me.
Then she laughed.
"Oh, I do love honesty," she said. "So where do I fit into this scheme of yours?"
I stepped away.
"You're my informant. You play along when Changing Star tries to recruit you—she's riding high on her little victory, convinced she's a genius. Who are we to shatter her delusions?"
Seishan sat on the bed, smirk widening.
"I should've known," she said. "You make her a hero in public while pulling her strings from the shadows."
I didn't correct her.
Nephis wasn't the real threat I was trying to control.
The blind girl was.
And I'd deal with her when the time came.
"So," I asked, "what do you say? You and your handmaidens join me—and we make this war interesting."
Seishan rose just as one of her handmaidens passed outside the door.
"Alright," she said lightly. "Temporary allies. Sounds fun."
She left the room, hips swaying just enough to remind me she knew exactly what she was doing.
I watched her go.
Preparations were complete.
All that remained was to destroy Gunlaug and his army—
Free Feltan.
And finally escape.