The Sweet Sunrise landed smoothly. When we walked down the gangway, no one challenged us, which shouldn't have happened. I was joking before, but maybe it's true. They may all be dead. Without saying a word, the knights and their retinue formed a small convoy, and as we made our way to the residence of the Lancastrian family, I did my best to hide my reaction.

I don't know the city.

The mix of blacks and whites is the same, and French is still popular, but now German and Irish have joined the mix. Gas lamps emerge from the ground, adding a firm glow to the lanterns and candles, reflected on the gold and silver jewels on the wrists and earlobes. Fashions collide and compete with each other in a carnival of colors. The smell of spices, alcohol and sweat hasn't changed, but now it's multiplied to match the crowds crowding the streets, who are happy to be out after a sweltering day. Only the Spanish-influenced architecture has not changed much. The city has grown amazingly.

I know that the world would move on without me, and yet, I am still troubled by the irrefutable evidence of the passage of time. Now is not the time to let your guard down.

I followed a group of knights, Shimena by my side, and the mortals behind me. I thought they would look like a military squad on a mission, but my contempt for Anatoly seemed to cloud my judgment. They move seamlessly in and out of the crowd. Anatoly is the descendant of a wealthy merchant family, while Aisha is a docile girl. Alaric is a smiling prodigal son who preys on people's hearts and attracts attention. Alec plays a silent thug on his way to ruin someone's kneecaps, most likely on their kneecaps. He doesn't need any acting skills.

They are very gregarious.

Only those who know how to find them will recognize them. They don't even walk at the same speed.

Peacefully and soundly, we left the old town and headed towards the suburbs. The night gradually regained its rights, and the deafening noise of the people turned into whispers. We met fewer and fewer people, and those who were looking at us lowered their eyes and hurried away. They have good intuition.

Lancaster's mansion was pitch black.

Anatoly raised his fist, and after a series of gestures, Aisha and Alaric disappeared on either side. Alec retrieved the shield and axe from the chest. I looked around. The last bystander was in a hurry to decide to change course.

All the vampires on the team have names that start with A! Really, Jime

A does not belong here. She should abandon the foolish idea of upholding the law around the globe and join me instead......

My subversive thoughts were interrupted as the rest of the team moved forward. As a prisoner, they have no right to leave, and I have received clear instructions on how to proceed. They can be summarized as follows.

Follow behind

Get out of the way

In fact, do nothing

Also, shut up.

The language is a bit flowery, but the meaning is clear.

As soon as we walked through the outer door, the manor came into view, and I could sense that something was wrong. One of the two doors at the entrance is slightly open, showing visible signs of damage. I could smell a faint smell of blood underneath the usual roses and cedars. Anatoly gestured again, and the others left. They stop at the threshold, check for traps, and go inside.

After a while, I joined them.

I've never seen the hall so empty. The place was empty, filled with the smell of dust and decay, and there were no lights. A lone decorative amphora lay on the door, shattered. The door to Baudouin's study was open.

The squad is somewhere, quietly clearing the field. Their aura is obscured, they are silent, so I don't know where they went.

Slowly, I approached the study. I noticed that the door was pried through.

The office was destroyed. Someone solved the problem with violence in a very methodical way. The bookshelves were empty, and the contents were scattered on the floor. A spilled can of ink left a stain on the carpet. All the paintings are on the ground. I noticed that one of them hid a safe, which was now closed. It looks like someone tried to open it, but without success.

"You used to live here, didn't you?" A neutral voice asked. I controlled my reaction and turned to Anatoly. The bastard crept up on me.

"Yes, about six months."

"Can you think of where the survivors might be hiding?"

Suddenly I became useful, and he became polite. I could have told him that we were welcome to find the nearest bundle of bayonets and sit on it, but I kept myself under control. The matter is serious.

"Behind the pantry, there's a place like a secret room."

"Take us there."

I passed him and walked through the first floor with the rest of the team. Aisha and Alaric joined us from the alley, and they quickly signed it, which I guess was the code for "I didn't find anything". We move quickly and silently. Because I'm the main character, I'm very careful. But there are no pitfalls. There were no steel wires, no hidden gunpowder, and no magic in the corridors. Nothing.

I only found blood. Someone died here, but their bodies were disposed of.

I examined it through the keyhole, sniffed it carefully, and then cautiously opened the pantry door. I focused on my hearing in case someone trapped it, just like the pastor Marquette trapped his home. Or nothing. The pantry itself was well supplied, and from behind the cupboards, I could hear the sound of breathing.

Something reminds me that I moved before Anatoly touched my shoulder. I couldn't hold back my hiss. He's not looking at me, he's looking at the safe house. The team was carefully deployed, with Alaric and Aisha remaining in the hallway to guard the rear.

Anatoly slowly moved the piece of furniture aside. It moves on a prepared railing with little noise. In the back, we find an empty room with a cow in a maid's uniform sobbing uncontrollably. She smelled of fear and sweat, and she urinated in a corner of the room. It stinks.

I hate her.

We remove from the cow what is in the person we admire, and thus the cow is created. The irony of contempt for our own creations did not escape my eyes.

When Anatoly lit the lanterns, the howling and weeping humans were still curled up. When she saw his dark face, with tears on his face, she was overjoyed.

"Oh master, master, thank you!"

"Shhhh Tell me, what's going on here?"

"Yes, yes, of course. Where to start......"

"This place was attacked."

"Ah, yes! The White Order has found us. Do you know them?"

"I did."

"They attack during the day. The guards quickly became overwhelmed. Their murderous soldiers fought without mercy. I'm so scared!"

"Go on."

"They killed Sophie. She forgot to lock the door, she had just slept in one of the bedrooms upstairs. ”

Wait a minute. There were seven Lancastrian vampires here when I arrived. If you count the one who died in the fortress, it is eight. I killed Charlotte the fat sow when I ran away, and killed Lambert at = Ter. Sophie, the idiot, died here. Only Moore, Melusin, Rapist Wilburn and Bully Harold remain. In the name of the watchmen, I'm already halfway done! What an auspicious night!

"They couldn't find the others, because the break room could only be opened from the inside," Niu continued.

The defenses of vampire dens are always the same. The enemy attacked at dawn. They need to successfully defeat the human defenders and then find the vampires. We always sleep underground, so we need wisdom to find it, and we need wisdom to blow it up. Sometimes, mortals will also set fire to slow down the attack, as they did in vampire fortresses. If the attackers don't eliminate everyone in time, the House of Lords and the ladies wake up first, and they are usually unhappy about the invasion. I'm talking about ripping your limbs off and using it to beat your friends into meat sauce. Then, as time went on, the situation became even more dire. It was a race against time, and the White Cabal lost.

Those who attacked the fortress at night were simply suicidal.

"The mages realized that they could not get close to our master, and they quickly fled. They keep the defenseless alive. ”

They are truly human. I have to keep this weakness in mind.

"At night, Lady Moore ordered the others to hunt down the Order and eliminate it. One of her mercenaries managed to track down the retreating party to a small village called Trister Chas in the northwest. Melusin was appointed in charge because Lambert had not yet returned from the hunt for that pervert. ”

The people of the Lancaster house say I'm a pervert? See pot see pot. I heard Shimena gently laughing at me beside me. Thank you for your support, sister!

"What about Mrs. Moore?" Anatoly asked.

After everyone else was gone, she evacuated the building along with Baudouin, the fledgling newcomer, and several others. I don't know where they went, I swear!"

The squad leader was silent. I could see that he did not approve of a lady ignoring such an insult. I can only assume that he and Moore don't know each other, or he would have known that she has no shame at all. However, she does care about her reputation. There must be more factors at play.

Anatoly does not respond to chicks. He already knew about her poaching.

"Why are you still here?" Anatole asked.

"I know you'll be back. I'm here to serve, master! Niu said with an expressionless smile. Her eyes were filled with blind adoration. Most likely, she has gone too far to live on her own.

"Of course. You did very well. ”

I can predict what is going to happen. All my instincts were screaming, but I was still amazed when the knight successfully decapitated her with his soul sword. There was still a smile on his detached head, manic and nervous.

Anatoly is expedient. I'm not sure I'm in favor of this waste. On the other hand, she slows us down.

"We follow the protocol. Then we went after the attack group," he continued.

The others nodded, and we left.

The original protocol stipulated that any breached nests must be cleared. As we left, I turned around and took one last glimpse of the raging fire engulfing the manor, enjoying every second of it. The engulfing flames erased Lancaster's presence and my memories from this place, and the flames crept up to heaven with a great roar. They cast a strange shadow over my familiar environment.

Ah, yes. The enemy's stuff is on fire.

Beautiful.

I could watch it all night. Just one or two glasses of Lancaster roasted in the pit is even more fun. I can laugh like crazy too. Luckily, I'm a mature and cunning vampire master, and I don't need those tricks to get satisfied.

It's still good, though. Yes.

Our footsteps took us northwest through swamps and slums created by rapid expansion. The Mississippi River in the south and Lake Pontcharttrain in the north combine to make the air humid and oppressive. Despite the late hour, our mortal followers are still fanning themselves. Our guide was a local acquaintance we met near the marina and he led the way. Sometimes, he would turn around, as if to make sure we were still here, and he would back off when some of us weren't there. The squad patrolled in groups in our small convoy, so when the poor man checked on us, he never saw the same face. The others came and went without a sound. Two hours later, we arrived at our destination with brisk steps.

Trieste Chas is a junkyard. It also means "sad hunt" in French, and I hope it's not a prophecy. No more than 200 people lived here at any one time, and they were crammed into a dirty house, the center of which was a pair of workshops and a chapel. Our guide told us that the city provides cheap ceramics and tablecloths for the whole area. I'll admit there's nothing to see in Marquette, but even I can tell that the place is full of misery and people are barely making ends meet. There is no paint here, just some decorations, and there is garbage everywhere. Even in the pungent smell of smoke, I could smell the stench of garbage and filth.

This is another important thing. Trister Shase was the scene of a recent battle, the traces of which can be clearly seen. Billowing black smoke dotted the city. What is even more indicative of the existence of vampires is that the church is gone, probably collapsed.

"Set up camp. Hide. Anatoly ordered, and the two mortal assistants expertly walked to the side of the road. At the same time, the knights picked up their equipment and left to a hidden bush to change clothes.

Yes.

I now realize that I can never join them. Forever.

Now, dressed in armor and fully equipped, they spread out and disappeared into the dense woods around our destination. Jimina, Aisha, and I were left behind, struggling forward. Vesta pulled out her scepter, and I felt the magic emanating from her, albeit very subtle. I used the break to get closer to my sister.

"Well, do you always get naked in front of each other when you wear armor?" Is that all?"

"In the name of the Eye of God, you flatter us, don't you, you little pervert"

"No!"

"Alaric has a perfect ass ......," she added dreamily.

"Well, I guess that's pretty good," I replied, and patted myself on the mouth. Jime

A said nothing. Her "got you" smile says it all.

I've been manipulated by Ximena! Parameter! I have to concentrate, or I won't be able to save Elsa tonight. I remained silent and looked around until we entered the village. The outer ring of the house has been barricaded. Furniture and bags of semi-finished fabric stood in the way, but there was no sign of violence here. The whole scene is weird. It looked like the city was ready for a siege, but no one warned the authorities. This could be a Lancastrian influence, or something more sinister.

A whistle sounded to our right. We left the first of the three concentric circles of the house, moving in the direction of the sound. We also met the first victim.

"A fighter for a white cabal," Jime

A commented.

The deceased sat against the wall with his head bowed. He was wearing a white jacket with blood stains from multiple chest wounds, which had been cut with a knife. It's too sloppy. A broken musket lay beside him. I don't see any amulets in him.

"Then it's not a mage." I whispered.

"Not all White Secret Societies can cast spells. They also had infantry in their ranks. Don't underestimate them, they are well-trained and dedicated. ”

I nodded noncommittally. I rarely underestimated my opponents from the start.

We continued on our way, and I kept looking around for any signs of hostility. I didn't find it. I only found blood. Many people died here, but only a few bodies remained. I think they probably won't have time to clean everything up. As the situation became stranger, so did my uneasiness. There's a lot of stuff here that doesn't make much sense, so I'm always looking for clues. I checked every house we passed, looking for runes in case our enemies managed to hide the aura of the spell. I check the movement of each window in case they succeed in masking their presence. So far, there haven't.

It only took us a minute to reach a taller house close to the center, which moved low and fast. Our destination is grander than any other edifice we've seen so far. Hey, there's even a little paint on the boards! The owners tried to imitate the Victorian house architecture, but the means were rudimentary and the judgment was poor. If a skinner-walker could turn into a building and get caught in the process of transfiguration, I could expect such horrors. It even smells a bit similar.

Taste is really inexplicable.

Faced with this embarrassment, I shook my head and followed the other two people inside. The rest of the team gathered in a place that resembled a living room. Honestly, I'd rather call it a survival house, it's more appropriate. The furniture is made of rickety planks, the sofa is a bit shabby, and there is a set of sunken tea sets on the table near the entrance.

As soon as I entered, my nose was uncomfortable. Less than three hours ago, at least six people died here. The blood is still sticky.

In the center of the room, there is a conspicuous pile of ashes.

Four are finished, and there are three more.

"Report." Anatoly said. The other members took the floor in turn. I learned that all the houses were empty, and the only road in town ran north, so the people here were probably evacuated recently. The church is completely gone, but the pharmaceutical factory remains, its entrance and several windows are heavily protected. There is no sign of the Lancaster family.

I didn't pay much attention to it because other people were talking about how to break through the workshop. If someone wants to kill Elsa, surprise is still the best way. I focused and looked out the window.

I found something.

"I'm sorry." I said, and the knights turned to me. Before Anatoly rebuked me, I pointed to a nearby house and said, "I want to see this ruin."

They all turned their heads to look at where I was pointing. My goal was a half-collapsed house, close to the main road to the north and a little closer to the town centre. The destroyed church is right next to it.

"I'll go with her. I want to see their defenses," Jime

A said. Once again, I would like to thank her for her constant help.

Anatoly let us go without saying a word, the team started to prepare again, and no doubt he was happy to see us outsiders leave. Being an absolute affects its chances of survival, and Anatoly is unusually submissive. I'm going to enjoy it while it's still there.

Jimina followed me out. We move like shadows from one bunker to another. On the side of the road, she stopped me.

"You do your thing; I want to go and see the studio. ”

I nodded, turning my attention back to where I chose, while she climbed a tree to see better.

I didn't pick this place by random. So far, nothing has happened, and the city is empty. The Lancasters don't have enough manpower to kill Aisha anymore, so the White Cabal is most likely to be the culprit, especially since they killed at least one of the attackers. If I want to know more, get some warnings, I need to gather information, and this is the best place to start.

The edifice in front of me shows a large number of traces of battle. The logs on which the walls were built were riddled with bullet marks and scorched by multiple spells. The body of a white cabal lay near the entrance, half of his head ripped off and killed as he entered.

I crossed the road and walked through the door. The smell alerted me in advance, but the sight was still impressive. Inside, I found at least four blood stains where the body was dragged out.

And a pile of ashes. Five were done, and there are two left.

I'm just a little worried right now.

There was only one corpse left but the ashes, and he wasn't the White Order.

The man was young and muscular, dressed in leather armor dyed black, with short jet-black hair. He fell on a pile of rubble and then fell to the side. The cause of death was a small-caliber bullet in the temple, one of the many wounds on his body. I counted three stab wounds and two gunshots. One shot broke his left arm, and the other grazed his flank. He collapsed in a pool of his own blood.

When I saw him, I felt an inexplicable sense of loss. I pushed the stupidity away, but it came back to my head and settled there, adding to my worries. Something is happening here. Bad stuff. I need to understand.

I noticed that on a delicate longsword, the fallen warrior also had a beautifully crafted mage gauntlet. The badge on his shoulder bears the "L" that Mrs. Moore used as a seal in important letters. A quick check found no other issues. No notebooks, no handy farewell letters.

When I'm depressed, I close my eyes and open myself up to feel something else. Foul odors are not uncommon. Blood. Sweat. Feces. Gunpowder spent. Midsummer nights are the quietest.

A pulse of magic came from behind the man. At first, it was so weak that I thought it was a remnant of the many spells cast here, but I should have known better. I should have realized the cold breath. I know now.

I clamped the body under my arm, lifted it gently, and carefully placed it on his back. On a whim, I closed those dark eyes one last time and put my hands on his chest. This simple action made me feel so much better, and I now know why. The man fought to the end, and while he was dying, he covered another corpse. A man with red hair and pale arms dotted with freckles emerges from the ruins, previously hidden by fallen warriors.

Melusin, rescued by her courtiers.

I removed the heaviest wood and crushed her body and uncovered her body. Her petite figure is covered in female Lancaster leather armor. I pulled a few spikes out of her and threw them along with the drops of black blood. It only took her a few minutes to recover because the wound was not very serious. A hole in her skull popped back with a screeching sound, and she blinked and woke up.

She took a deep breath and whimpered in a broken voice. Ignoring her surroundings, she crawled on the ground and then knelt towards her prone position. She kept trying to breathe and talk, but only a dry cough came from her aching throat. When she arrived at her subjects, she sat aside. She approached one wound after another on his chest with her trembling hands, retreating each time, as if fearing that she would hurt him. Her eyes finally found the hole in his head.

The trembling hand curled into a fist, and she struck him weakly on the shoulder. Then, she pushed the corpse and tried to get him to move, showing signs of life.

It took a few seconds before she gave up. Her head was lowered until her forehead touched her forehead and she began to cry. Her voice was weak and broken, too low for Jimena to hear. For a few minutes, she just cried, choked, and then cried even more. Her claws clenched the armor of the fallen vassal.

Finally, she stopped.

When her face was raised, blood dripped freely from her eyes and from the deceased.

Finally, she noticed me. Her eyes met mine, and she giggled. This is not the laughter of entertainment, but the laughter of someone who transcends sadness and is on the side of madness. Didn't say a word. She bowed her head and remained silent.

I understand yesterday's intuition.

Forgiveness by sharing the loss.

That's the problem, and the real problem. Can I forgive her for being who she was and acknowledge that we have what we have in common now?

Is this it?

Ridiculous.

Absolutely ridiculous.

Should I forget my true nature and who I am for the sake of a supposedly better outcome? No. This kind of thinking goes against everything I do, against everything I do. We Ni

a

I will not forgive. We flattened out. No amount of pain and suffering can erase the debt, unless it is of our own making.

That being said, there are several ways to get revenge, and I believe it's time to go smart.

"It's fun to watch you crawl on the ground, but I have to interrupt you," I said.

"What do you want?" She said hoarsely, without much confidence.

"First, tell me what's going on here."

"What didn't happen...... Eye-...... Arthur ......"

I grabbed her neck with my claws and pressed down in a dominant posture with wonderful sarcasm that she had taught me herself. She hissed, but did not resist.

"What do you know?" She asked, gasping slightly from the pain and the loss of bond.

"You're here with Harold, Wilburn, and your vassals. You have defeated the White Order. ”

"Yes. They prepared the terrain very well. We pushed them all the way back to the marijuana lab, and they locked themselves inside after we destroyed the church. It was Arthur's idea to scorch it from a distance, and it worked well. The Holy Land should be their last bastion. They killed Wilburn in a house. He didn't obey my orders. They seduced him with a woman. ”

That disgusting pig. Finally relieved.

"Wait," I said, adding, "why isn't Mrs. Moore with you?"

"A ruse. In short, I almost had her recalled to Manchester on charges of embezzlement. It's not a lot of money, but it gives me control over the local branch. The shrewd Harpy must have guessed my intentions, as she captured and converted a brilliant white cabal ruler only so that the rest of us could deal with the aftermath. She ran away, didn't she?"

"She".

“。 It doesn't matter anymore. There is no such situation. ”

"Focus. How did the Order defeat you? Do they have special weapons?"

Melusi

E laughed, sniffed, and then tried to wipe the blood off his cheeks, but without success.

"Stupid girl. Didn't I tell you? We defeated them and cut off their retreat. They found temporary shelter in the workshop. ”

"If they don't beat you, then who will?" Who killed Harold and your vassals?" I asked curiously. Melusi

E did not answer, but pointed to the northern road with a blood-stained paw.

The red light is constantly growing there, increasing in intensity with each second. Soon, the sky was illuminated by a crimson morning light, which could not illuminate the stars. The source comes into view. One torch lit up the night with a vengeful glow, others moved to the side, setting fire to the cloth-covered barricades outside. From all around us, the fire burned, until the whole city was surrounded by just a huge hell, and from the north, the embers of the army on the edge of a slope, and its carriers came into view. At the front line, strong soldiers brandished shields covered with crosses and silver spears, forming a wall. Behind them, a line of musketeers dressed in Gabriel's uniforms marched forward. They are led by a man on a horse waving a battle flag with a winged Great Heaven using the Light of Purification to kill a group of demons. His words sounded true.

For when angels sinned, if God did not have mercy on them, he sent them to hell.

If He had not forgiven the ancient world, when He brought the flood upon the ungodly people

But he allowed Noah and seven others to live, and delivered Lot from the Gentiles.

God knows how to save the godly from their trials and to leave the unrighteous to be punished on the day of judgment.

The day has finally come!"

"Amen." A hundred people answered in unison.

I looked back at Melusin's prostrate body, and was surprised to find that she wasn't still there.

"That's them," she said succinctly.

Oh, shit.