Replenish the monster ranks? That was the first Sasuke had heard of the monsters' numbers being depleted in any sense. Was it actually possible that patients had managed to kill enough of the creatures that Landel was feeling insecure?

Unlikely. If Sasuke knew anything about megalomaniac, self-absorbed people with more or less absolute power over their domain, Landel would have addressed a genuine lack of pets well before announcing any such weakness to the patients with such goodwill. That meant that Aidou was probably right, as the vampire irritatingly tended to be --

... but sometimes, Aidou was also just weird. Sasuke shot the vampire a look when the word mouthwash sounded out of his mouth, then a slightly amused one when hairbrush followed. Perhaps the days were getting to Aidou after all. "I'm ready. I can rough it if I have to."

The dryly entertained tone dropped when it was revealed that Aidou had an immediate acquaintance who was infected. It would be folly to pass up a chance to observe, inasmuch as Sasuke could, what this new infection was doing to the patients -- and sadly, an accomplishment that already ranked beyond some of Sasuke's latest days and nights.

"Let's leave, then," he said, cool efficiency taking over again as he turned to move, poised to follow Aidou's movements.