Loading User Commands:
[X] Head to the library.

---

Grimnír looks upon the place with wonder and awe. All around him are shelves stacked full of books. The rows of shelves extend farther than the eye can see, seemingly indefinitely. Thousands of books? Tens of thousands? Hundreds of thousands? There must be enough reading material here to keep a person occupied for several lifetimes. Before he can stop himself, he walks to the nearest shelf, examining its contents. While most of the books seem to be written in languages he can't yet recognize, he spots a few titles in English. He quickly pulls out a heavy grimoire that catches his eye.

"You can read those later," says Alice firmly. "We have more urgent business at the moment."

"A-ah, sorry about that," replies Grimnír as he immediately replaces the book. "What is this place?"

"This is the Voile Library," says the dollmaker. "All of these books belong to an acquaintance of mine who lives here. It is one of the largest collections of books known to exist in Gensokyo."

"Strange," he comments. "From the outside, I wouldn't think that a massive library like this could fit in the building."

"Space manipulation magic," replies Alice. "I'm not exactly sure how it works, but the residents use it all over the mansion. Anyway, we should head deeper inside. Patchouli should be at her usual spot."

For the next twenty minutes, they walk along the shelves, taking a turn every once in a while. Before he knows it, Grimnír loses his bearings as they go through the labyrinthine library. Fortunately, Alice seems to know her way as she continues forward. Is she using some kind of pathfinding magic? Or perhaps she has been here several times before, and has learned her way around?

"This Patchouli," he says. "What kind of person is she?"

"She is a magician who prefers to stay indoors," says Alice. "Her specialty is the manipulation and control of the elements. She knows powerful spells, but she rarely steps outside."

"Will she help us?" he asks.

"I don't know," she replies. "But at the very least, I don't think she will attack us without reason."

"..."

"And there she is," says Alice.

Almost hidden by several stacks of books, a frail-looking girl sits by a large reading desk. She has long lavender hair with several ribbons tied upon them. Her dress is pink and lacey, and on her head is a soft cap with a crescent ornament on it. The girl's deep purple eyes move from left to right in a steady rhythm as she reads a large tome.

"Ah!" cries a new voice.

They turn to see a strange, red-haired girl approaching them from between the shelves. Nothing is unusual about her deep red eyes and the large stack of books she is carrying in her arms. Even the cute little pair of bat-wings upon her back doesn't surprise Grimnír. However, the girl has a second pair of wings attached to her head. If they weren't flapping nervously, he would have thought they were a hair accessory of some sort.

To his surprise, Alice simply ignores the girl and starts walking toward the pink and purple magician. She doesn't wait for him to follow, and before he realizes it, he finds himself alone with the bat-winged girl.

"W-well..." mutters the girl uneasily. She turns to him with a puzzled expression.

Grimnír pauses to think.
[ ] Ignore the girl and quickly follow after Alice.
[ ] Introduce yourself to the red-haired girl.
[ ] Apologize for your sudden intrusion.
[ ] Offer to help her carry the books.
[ ] Ask for her name.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Land beside the gateguard. Try to learn more about what happened here.
[X] Request an audience with Remilia.

---

"A-Ah! Miss Alice?" cries the gate guard in surprise. "And that other one is..."

"A friend of mine," says Alice. "What happened here?"

"Oh, it was terrible!" says the gate guard. "Even with everyone helping, it took a really long time!"

"Did the little sister escape again?" asks Alice.

"No! It wasn't like that! In fact -"

Suddenly, she stops and covers her mouth with her hands. The gate guard shakes her head nervously and quickly glances around, as if looking out for someone. After a moment, she sighs in relief. Then, she gives them a forced smile as she recovers her composure.

"What's wrong?" asks Alice. "What caused this?"

"A-Ah, this?" mumbles the gate guard. "No, there is nothing to see here! This is just general cleaning! Sakuya left me in charge of watching over it!"

"But you just said that it was something terrible."

"N-No! I mean that it's terrible that we chose to do renovation and repairs today. It looks like it might rain, after all. Ha ha ha..."

"The front gate was ripped from its hinges..."

"It was? I-It must have rusted off in the rain. Yeah, I think that it was overdue for replacement anyway."

"..."

The gate guard seems to be trying to hide something, but she is doing a pretty lousy job of it. Alice frowns at her and taps her foot impatiently.

"E-er," says the gate guard, suddenly turning her attention to Grimnír. "Now who is this with you? I don't believe we have met."

"E-Eh?" mumbles Grimnír in surprise. "Well my name is Grimnír, and I'm sort of staying with Alice right now."

"Staying with Alice?" repeats the gate guard.

"He is my apprentice," says Alice firmly, though her cheeks a light pink. "Anyway, you still haven't -"

"Ah, a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Grimnír!" cries the gate guard. "My name is Hong Meiling. I am the gate guard of the Scarlet Devil Mansion."

"You still haven't answered my question," whispers Alice, almost threateningly. "What happened here?"

"Here? The Mansion?" says Meiling nervously. "Ah, you must have come to visit Miss Patchouli! She is in the library as usual. Why don't I escort you two inside and -"

Without warning, Meiling grabs them both by the arm. Partly leading, partly dragging, she quickly brings them toward the front door of the Mansion. The gate guard is surprisingly strong, and neither Alice nor Grimnír manages to pull themselves away.

"W-wait! We need to speak with Remilia!" cries Alice.

"The Mistress?" says Meiling. "No, you shouldn't disturb her right now. She is far too bus- sleep. I mean she is far too asleep to speak with guests. Now come this way please~"

Before they can argue, they find themselves within the entrance hall of the Mansion.

"I believe you know the way to the library, Miss Alice," says Meiling. "Forgive me, but I have much work to do outside, so I'll have to leave you. Good day to you and your friend!"

With a quick bow, the gate guard quickly leaves, closing the front door behind her.

"W-wait!" cries Alice. "Gah!"

"Was that normal?" asks Grimnír. "Her letting us in like that so easily?"

"No, it wasn't," says the dollmaker, clearly still irritated. "She must be hiding something."

"Well, at least she let us inside," he says. "Now what?"

"I know the basic layout of the Mansion," says Alice. "But we should be careful not to get lost. I'd hate to bump into the chief maid like this..."

[ ] Head back outside.
[ ] Head to the library.
[ ] Head to the second floor.
[ ] Head to the dining room.
[ ] Head to the basement.
[ ] Wander around aimlessly.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Leave now.

---

The flight to the Scarlet Devil Mansion was relatively uneventful. There was hardly anything of interest to see on the way there, and even if there were, neither of them felt like speaking. Both Alice and Grimnír stayed silent during the trip, each occupied with their own thoughts.

"..."

Grimnír had many questions in his head. Would the gateguard let them inside? How much information would they have to share with her? Can they possibly bypass her without causing insult to the residents inside? Is it possible to defeat the gateguard with just the two of them? And would there be other threats once inside?

For some reason, Alice never mentioned anything about the other vampire. She kept describing only one vampire named Remilia, who was also known as the Scarlet Devil. He was tempted to ask more, but in the end he stayed silent. Perhaps Alice has her own reasons to keep it out of the discussion.

After a few minutes, they manage to leave the border of the Forest. Grimnír looks curiously down at the large lake below. For some reason, there is a fog forming on the lake and on the area around it. Somehow, the atmosphere feels a bit foreboding.

"There it is," says Alice as she points toward something at a distance. It looks like a large mansion complex.

...

"W-W-What happened here?" whispers Alice.

"The area looks like it has been through hell," replies Grimnír. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

"Yes, this is the Scarlet Devil Mansion, but..."

The dollmaker flies a little ahead, motioning for him to stay behind. As they approach, the devastation becomes clearer. The outer walls have large cracks on them, and the front gate has been completely ripped off its hinges. Uprooted trees lie carelessly around the garden. Several of the mansion windows are broken, and the front door looks badly damaged. Bloodstains can be seen all over the area.

"Now, this is just wonderful," says another voice. "That brat said she had things under control here..."

"Y-Yukari?" cries Grimnír in surprise. Sure enough, he can see the tiny gap youkai peeking out of his new "front pocket". However, she doesn't have her usual mischievous smile on her face.

"Keep your voice down," she replies.

"Do you know what happened here?" whispers Grimnír.

"I have an idea of it," says Yukari. "But I never saw this damage until now. It must have happened only this morning."

"I thought that the Scarlet Devil Mansion was pretty well defended," says Grimnír. "Alice described it like a fortress."

"It is a fortress," replies Yukari. "In any case, be very careful when you get inside. We still have unfinished business, so take care of yourself~"

She gives him one last wink before disappearing back into his robe. Before Grimnír can react, Alice starts motioning for him to follow. He quickly flies beside the magician.

"What do you think?" she says quietly as she points down.

Only a short distance away and above the Mansion, he notices a number of fairies dressed in maid uniforms running about. By the looks of their tools and actions, it seems like they are conducting repairs and cleaning up the damage. Some of the fairies seem to have bandages, as if recently hurt.

Nearby, a girl with long scarlet hair is supervising their work. She is dressed in a green beret and dress that complements the color of her hair. For some strange reason, Grimnír feels like he has seen her before, but he can't remember exactly when...

"We can easily sneak by like this," says Alice. "The gateguard and the maids seem preoccupied. But I'm not sure if we should..."

[ ] Head directly into the Mansion. Go through the front door.
[ ] Head directly into the Mansion. Sneak inside through a window.
[ ] Land beside the gateguard. Request an audience with Remilia.
[ ] Land beside the gateguard. Try to learn more about what happened here.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] A more brilliant plan? (Custom)

---

"Rather then fighting or sneaking inside, why don't we try a more diplomatic approach?"

"Do explain," says Alice.

"We should go there at night," says Grimnír. "Vampires are more active at that time, I believe. It may be in our best interest to speak to them when they aren't irritable or asleep."

He takes a deep breath before continuing.

"This is just a rough idea of what I have in mind," he says. "We should enter through the front gate and try to get the gateguard to let us through. Hopefully, we can get inside without the use of force. Once in, we can ask to meet with the vampires. I don't see any reason to hide our purpose, so we can probably tell them the truth. And we can try to offer something in return. There must be something that we can trade in exchange for the blood sample."

"..."

"What do you think?" says Grimnír. "It won't hurt to try, and we can always find another way if this fails."

Alice pauses for a few minutes, clearly in deep thought. She finishes her grilled lamprey as she thinks. After a drink, she turns back at him with a serious expression upon her face.

"We can try it," she says finally. "In fact, the magician who lives there is an acquaintance of mine. Perhaps she can be of some help."

Grimnír nods encouragingly. It is best that they avoid violence, if at all possible.

"But I don't think we should wait until nightfall," says Alice. "I'm sure that the vampire brat will make an unreasonable request, at best. We will need time to satisfy that request, if at all possible. Time we don't have."

He pauses to think. Time is of the essence.

[ ] Leave now.
[ ] Insist on going at night.
[ ] Pass by Alice's cottage.
[ ] Pass by Kourindou.
[ ] Pass by the Human Village.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Take a break at that red-lantern stand. They need to come up with a plan first.

---

"Here you are~" says the owner. "Two orders of grilled lamprey~"

"Thanks Mystia," replies Alice off-handedly. Shanghai gives the owner a polite bow.

"Enjoy the meal~" says Mystia before she returns to her grill. "Human shall crucify in the darkness~ Human shall crucify in the light too~"

"Don't mind her too much," whispers Alice. "She can be a little bit odd, but she is quite behaved for a forest youkai."

Grimnír nods in agreement. Mystia Lorelei, the owner of this small establishment, has been singing songs ever since they arrived. Her voice is quite enchanting, but the lyrics of her songs vary from slightly strange to outright disturbing. He doesn't mind it much though. It's like enjoying a song in a foreign language - you don't really need to understand all the words.

"Seems like we are the only customers," he comments.

"This place is more popular in the evening," says the magician. "For a variety of reasons. But at least we can talk freely right now."

Alice pauses for a moment, considering her next words.

"I-I'm sorry for earlier," she says, almost in a whisper. "I got carried away that time when I almost attacked that human. I knew he was dangerous, but when I saw the person who hurt Marisa, I just got so angry and -"

"Forget about it," interrupts Grimnír. "No one got hurt, so it's all fine."

"No," says Alice. "No it's not. Eirin was right. Someone could have gotten hurt or killed. I would never forgive myself if something happened to..."

The dollmaker falls silent, not looking him in the eye. After a moment, she takes a bite of her lamprey, though she doesn't seem to be tasting it. He, too, takes a bite. The grilled lamprey is surprisingly tasty. Perhaps this is the reason why this stand is popular with both humans and youkai alike. Odd location for it, though.

"The Scarlet Devil Mansion," says Alice. "Have you heard of it?"

"I only know that vampires live there," replies Grimnír. "Two of them, if I'm not mistaken."

"Yes, there are two of them. Both are very powerful and dangerous. Even I wouldn't want to face them in the middle of the night, especially during the full moon. You and I together would still have a difficulty subduing even one of them, and I doubt if we can catch either vampire alone."

"Do others live in that mansion?" asks Grimnír.

Alice nods grimly.

"Outside, at the entrance, is their elite gateguard. It is possible to defeat that one, but the others in the mansion will surely be alerted with the battle. At the mansion library lives a powerful elemental magician and her familiar. I would rather not involve them in this mess. There is also a large fairy maid staff in the mansion, some of which are specially trained for combat. Individually, we can take them, but they have the strength of numbers. Lastly, there is the chief maid, who only reports to the Scarlet Devil herself. She is extremely loyal, and she will definitely attack us if she suspects foul play."

"That sounds like a lot of opposition," replies Grimnír.

"I'm not sure what we can do," admits Alice. "Do you have any ideas?"

What would you suggest?
[ ] Fight your way through.
[ ] Sneak your way through.
[ ] Talk your way through.
[ ] Ask Yukari for ideas. (This will reveal her presence to Alice)
[ ] A more brilliant plan? (Specify)
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Ask Yukari for advice. She might know something useful.

---

Seems like Reisen and Dr. Yagokoro are arguing about something in the room they just left. For a moment, Grimnír considers eavesdropping on their conversation.

He is sure that they are hiding something from them. Ever since they arrived, Eientei has been oddly empty and deserted. Marisa mentioned that the lunarian mansion-clinic complex has a large rabbit staff with a mischievous leader. Also, a princess from the moon supposedly lives here too, though she is sort of a shut-in. Yet he hasn't seen any others besides Reisen and Dr. Yagokoro.

"..."

Grimnír quickly shakes his head. It isn't his place to decide if something is strange or not, especially in Gensokyo. Even if there was something wrong, it probably isn't anything that the lunarians plan to share with them. He really shouldn't poke around in others' personal affairs when he has quite enough on his own plate already.

He quickly catches up to Alice. Looks like she wants to leave immediately. But still...

"Hey Alice," says Grimnír. "I need to grab a few things from my room. Could I have a few minutes?"

"Move quickly," replies Alice. "I'll wait for you outside."

...

"There are only two vampires known to live in Gensokyo," says Yukari. "Both of them have the usual vampiric traits - supernatural strength, high magical ability, transformation, regeneration, and a thirst for blood. They do have a few weaknesses, such as sunlight and flowing water, but I discourage a direct confrontation with them."

"Why is that?" asks Grimnír.

"Mostly because you can easily end up dead," says Yukari. "And that is completely unacceptable. We haven't even explored the possibilities of your power. I, for one, am quite curious to see what you are truly capable of~"

"I see," he says.

If things get out of hand, he can try using that spell again. Seems like it can easily erase both living and non-living things, so it should work in a fight. It might be dangerous, but it's better than doing nothing.

Suddenly, the miniature Yukari pokes at him with her umbrella to grab his attention.

"Don't even think about it," she whispers. "They aren't ordinary vampires. One of them has the power to manipulate Fate itself, while the other has the ability to destroy practically anything she can get her hands on."

"But you've seen it, haven't you?" replies Grimnír. "My ability should count for something..."

"Not against these two," says Yukari. "You have only started learning to use your power, while they have hundreds of years in experience. They will tear you apart the moment they suspect that you can hurt them."

"Then what should we do, then?" says Grimnír.

Yukari looks up at him with a knowing smile.

"That, little Grim, is the right question..."

...

"Are you ready to go now?" says Alice. "We should hurry."

He gives her a quick nod as he slings the sack behind him.

"Where are we going?" he asks.

"The Scarlet Devil Mansion," she says. "Normally, I would avoid the place, but we don't have much choice. Vampires are quite rare in Gensokyo."

"And the plan?" says Grimnír.

"E-er," mumbles Alice as she hesitates. "I-I don't really have any plan in mind yet, but I'm sure that we can come up with something once we get there."

"You don't sound too confident," notes Grimnír.

"I'm not," admits the magician as she looks away. "I really have no idea how we can pull this off..."

For a moment, Alice turns around and looks up at the sky. She watches the clouds in silence as she thinks. Then, she turns around with a determined look on her face.

"But we have to do it," says Alice. "We have to try."

"Hmm..."

Going directly to the Mansion without a plan might be risky. A short break at that red-lantern stand should give them enough time to discuss and come up with something. Or they can probably pass by the Human Village, though he has no idea what they should look for. They can also try something else...

[ ] Head straight to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Figure it out when you get there.
[ ] Take a break at that red-lantern stand. They need to come up with a plan first.
[ ] Pass by the Human Village. Maybe you can learn or find something useful.
[ ] Custom

"Thank you very much for the meal," says Grimnír. "The food was delicious!"

Dr. Yagokoro nods with a smile.

"Reisen is quite a good cook, isn't she?" says the doctor. "She has learned much since we arrived here and has grown accustomed to this way of life."

"I-It's nothing special," says Reisen, slightly blushing.

Grimnír forces a smile back. It's too bad that he wasn't able to taste much of it. Every other time he looked away, some food would simply vanish from his plate. He noticed that each time something disappeared, he could feel some movement in the front of his robe. Thankfully, none of the others noticed this discrepancy. Somehow, he just knows that Yukari is also enjoying this meal, too.

"I suppose that this time is better than any," Dr. Yagokoro says, the tone of her voice suddenly businesslike.

"Eh?"

"Take this."

She gives him an unusual item. It looks like a medical syringe.

"That syringe is tipped with a special needle made from lunarian silver," says the doctor. "Hang on to it carefully. You two will need it if you want to save Marisa."

"Ah, that's right!" says Alice. "You haven't told us the results yet!"

"The details are technical, but I'll explain it as simply as I can," says Dr. Yagokoro.

As she clears her throat, she motions for them to stay quiet.

"I've isolated the chemical compound we need to create a proto-serum. I was actually quite surprised when I saw the reading. To be sure, I ran several more tests, but all of them confirm the same thing. The cure is something that I had already documented in the past. If I can obtain a sample of a certain substance, I can easily manufacture a suitable drug for Marisa's condition."

"T-That's great then," says Alice as she sighs in relief. "When you hesitated earlier, I thought that it might be something terrible."

"..."

The lunarian doctor looks at her thoughtfully. Then, she turns to look at Grimnír. Finally, she sighs heavily and gives them a sad smile.

"I can't send Reisen with you to get it this time," says Dr. Yagokoro. "Eientei can't be directly involved with this incident anymore. Certain... conflicts of interest may arise."

"What?" Alice and Grimnír cry out at the same time.

"That said, if you can obtain the substance, I will manufacture the cure without asking how you got it."

"I don't understand," says Grimnír. "Is it something rare or dangerous?"

Dr. Yagokoro glances at Reisen, who has stayed silent all this time, before turning back to them.

"Both," whispers the doctor. "To create the cure, I need a sample of vampire blood."

The room falls deathly silent at those words. Dr. Yagokoro looks slightly saddened, but her eyes are firm with her decision. Reisen opens her mouth, as if to argue somehow, but in the end, she doesn't find the words. Alice bites her lip, as if remembering something unpleasant. Surprisingly, it is she who finally breaks the silence.

"We are going," she says simply. Without another word, she leaves the room, Shanghai following close behind her.

Grimnír thanks the lunarians before turning to follow the magician. He quickly walks into the hallway and spies Alice already heading toward the exit. However, he stops when he hears a hurried conversation in the room they just left. Seems like Reisen and Dr. Yagokoro are arguing about something.

But that isn't any of their business, is it?
[ ] Quickly follow after Alice. You have to stay focused on finding the cure.
[ ] Carefully eavesdrop on the lunarians. Something strange is going on.
[ ] Ask Yukari for advice. She might know something useful.
[ ] Wander around Eientei and investigate. They are distracted right now.
[ ] Custom