What will happen once tonight passes?
The Lamphas Church will finally be forced to confront a bitter truth—that they can no longer stop the vampires with their own power alone. This realization will plunge them into a pit of helplessness.
Humans, too, will fall into despair, seeing that there’s no one left to save them.
Just the thought of it filled him with an unspeakable joy.
“Despair, resignation, denial… Van Drake’s death was a supreme delight, but the aftermath is proving just as enjoyable.”
“…….”
Strigon beamed with a bright, carefree smile, clearly amused—but to Lucy, it all felt excessive.
The scent of blood tingled at her nose. Not for feeding, but merely to instill fear—this massacre had no other purpose.
They weren’t feeding. Was all this really necessary?
Hesitating, Lucy added.
“But King Herodes probably won’t like this. In the end, it’s his people dying, and his reputation will suffer too. Not just the Lamphas Church—this hits King Herodes as well.”
“Lucy, Lucy, Lucy.”
Strigon’s pleasant mood plummeted in an instant. With a sneer, he shook his head and repeated her name in irritation.
“Now I have to worry about the feelings of my own follower?”
“…No.”
Lucy wilted under Strigon’s cold glare and replied meekly. He scoffed.
“A guy who disgusts me—I accepted him as a follower and even granted his wish. And now I’m supposed to care about his mood? Ridiculous.”
Contempt curled at the corners of Strigon’s mouth.
Among vampires, attitudes toward followers, subordinates, and thralls varied widely.
Mirkala, another member of the Menorah, found subordinates boring since they only followed orders. Instead, she kept followers close and enjoyed their endless praises.
Then there was Olok, another Menorah, who disliked both followers and subordinates. He also tended not to keep many blood relatives.
In contrast, Strigon was a type of vampire who didn’t just distrust followers—he loathed followers altogether.
True loyalty? Don’t make me laugh.
Outwardly, they’d heap sweet-sounding praise on vampires, but behind the scenes, all they wanted was personal gain.
What they craved was obvious.
Eternal life.
But desiring eternal life meant clinging to life itself, something Strigon believed was beneath the dignity of a vampire.
He absolutely detested the idea of such people becoming his kin.
Rejected, many of those followers who gave everything would then resent the vampire, bitterly asking why they hadn’t been accepted.
‘All I gave was a mere instant of life, and you truly thought that was enough to become of the same blood as me? The arrogance of overestimating your worth knows no bounds.’
Strigon was utterly sick of the behavior of such followers. Of course, that entanglement with them had been a thing of the distant past, back when he had only just become a vampire.
Having gained many vampires as his kin, Strigon no longer had to deal with mere human followers.
However, there were times when vampires alone weren’t enough to fulfill his plans. In such moments, he had no choice but to make use of humans.
And since Strigon never trusted humans, he could only feel at ease once he had them bound by a contract—tightly gripping the leash, so to speak.
But this time, when using King Herodes to bring about Van Drake’s downfall, such a contract had been impossible.
Lamphas Church was the state religion of Herodes’ kingdom. As such, the king frequently encountered its high priests. If he had made a pact with a vampire, the lingering magical traces would’ve been discovered immediately.
Especially since the plan hinged on cooperating with Lamphas Church to defeat Van Drake, Strigon had no choice but to recruit the king as a follower without a contract.
Instead, to keep the king under control, Strigon used the man’s wish as collateral.
He promised that once Van Drake was destroyed, he would grant the king’s wish.
Eager for that reward, King Herodes became a loyal hound, deliberately stirring up the Lamphas Church’s zealous factions.
Never suspecting there was a vampire behind the king, the Church eagerly led the charge against Van Drake.
In the end, Van Drake fell—and Strigon fulfilled his promise.
King Herodes’s wish was no different from countless others.
Eternal life.
But unlike the others, he also wanted to retain his power.
To remain on the throne, he couldn’t become a vampire. And Strigon had no desire to turn him into kin either.
So instead, Strigon promised to show him another way to achieve immortality—and followed through himself.
With the deal done, Strigon no longer felt any obligation to care about the king’s dignity.
Even after the agreement ended, the king remained his follower.
“Had he been more prudent and promptly dealt with Van Drake’s remains, my presence here would have been unnecessary. Since he failed to meet my expectations, why should I trouble myself with his feelings?”
Though Strigon’s voice was soft and composed, his displeasure was unmistakable in every word.
Lucy scoffed internally. The idea of Strigon being considerate of anyone was absurd.
Unless it was that beloved ‘mother’ of his…
But she wouldn’t dare say it aloud. Strigon might show obedience to his lord, but to others, he was no different from a tyrant.
Especially to Lucy.
So she bowed her head, catering to his mood.
“…Still, since King Herodes is your follower, that means his kingdom is essentially yours too. I just thought… it wouldn’t be wise to lash out at something that belongs to you.”
Pleased by her submissiveness, Strigon’s mood shifted again, his tone suddenly warm and affectionate.
“You’re right. This kingdom is mine now.”
He gently coaxed Lucy with his voice.
“So, isn’t it fine for me to handle it however I please, Lucy?”
But the sweeter and softer his tone became, the more Lucy’s skin crawled.
Something that belonged to Strigon, to be treated however he wanted…
That included her, too.
Strigon reached toward Lucy again—but before he could touch her, his hand suddenly swept the air instead.
At that very moment, a red spear appeared out of thin air and slammed into the ground.
“Gah!”
It pierced through a survivor, who had been hiding among the corpses, barely breathing.
Lucy frowned.
Knowing Strigon, he had probably sensed through the red thread that the person was still alive long ago.
And yet, he deliberately left them alive—to let them cling to the hope that they might escape.
“What a twisted hobby.”
“Giving someone hope is always entertaining.”
Strigon laughed loudly.
Lucy found his attitude distasteful, but she couldn’t say anything. Instead, she turned away from him.
“Then keep enjoying your twisted game.”
“And you?”
“Anything’s more pleasant than staying here with you. Even going outside to grab a bite.”
“Oh dear.”
Strigon shrugged as if disappointed, but didn’t stop her. Lucy left, and Strigon was alone once more.
Now, at last, the auction house was truly silent.
Having lost interest in the place, Strigon leapt off the ground. His body scattered into a swarm of bats and reformed again in an instant atop the opera house’s spire.
The night wind tossed his golden hair and crimson-black cape in wild ripples.
Standing atop the highest spire, Strigon looked down over Noctiluca.
Perhaps having noticed the commotion at the auction, the holy knights were now rushing toward the scene.
Perfect timing. A seductive curve formed on Strigon’s lips.
“Since the fireflies have arrived, shall I give them some light?”*
He snapped his fingers.
Boom! Boom-boom-boom!
At that moment, explosions erupted throughout various parts of Noctiluca.
Choking smoke, flying sparks, and terrified screams. The chaos that began at the auction spread across the entire city.
Startled by the sudden blasts, the holy knights rushing to the auction house lost formation and scrambled in confusion.
Strigon gazed down at the bursts of fire blooming like embroidery across the city’s darkness. Embers rose and cast flickering light across his face.
With a smile beautiful enough to enchant anyone, he murmured to himself.
“This is the perfect fire for the Festival of Lanterns, don’t you think?”
🍓; *Fireflies (the paladins/holy knights/people from Lamphas), the ones approaching, likely glowing with armor or light-associated symbolism. Give them some light, it means setting off chaos, initiating destruction, or starting the real action.
