#Episode 100
Know your enemy, and you will know yourself.
While crafting an artifact for Todd, Vasha also took the opportunity to study Lamphas’s sorcery. Among Lamphas’s techniques, one, in particular, seemed useful at that moment.
‘If I can seal a vampire’s magic, then by altering its direction, I should be able to seal holy power as well.’
Todd had insisted that reversing the direction of holy power and magic was nearly impossible. Yet, for some reason, Vasha could do it.
Using this ability, she had prepared in advance in case a holy knight ever infiltrated the estate. The magical arrays, discreetly drawn throughout the mansion, would remain dormant until she activated them, ensuring that the holy knights sensed nothing unusual.
And the plan worked.
‘All that effort paid off.’
Normally, the ritual required multiple holy knights, each positioned at a corner of the formation, channeling an equal amount of holy power. The same principle applied to magic.
However, since Vasha was the only one handling the magic, her only option was to use enchanted objects as conduits. The real challenge, though, was maintaining perfect balance in the magical energy.
To solve this, she made a drastic decision—using her own body as a medium for the spell.
‘…At least regenerating a few fingers won’t take too long.’
The sealing formation’s focal point was the banquet hall. Since the ritual’s range was limited, considerable effort was needed to drive Bernardo into the prepared location.
But in the end, the effort bore fruit. Humming to herself, Vasha stepped toward Bernardo.
“Now that the holy power is sealed…”
Bernardo broke into a cold sweat. His entire body felt submerged in water, unbearably heavy. The dagger he had been gripping had long since slipped from his grasp and clattered to the floor.
Using magic to manipulate holy power—there was no doubt about it now. His opponent was a high-ranking vampire.
‘Damn it. Now that I think about it, there was a report about a high-ranking vampire with purple hair…’
Even as a Lapis Ignarius, Bernardo was nothing more than a moth flying toward a flame against such a powerful vampire.
But that didn’t mean he could afford to give up.
“Hngh…!”
Even if it was futile, he had to resist until the very end.
Otherwise, what was the point of Lamphas bestowing such overwhelming power upon him?
Bernardo summoned every ounce of his holy power.
His body felt as if it were bound by thick iron chains—heavy and oppressive—but not unbearable.
The moment he gathered all his remaining strength, a thin streak of radiant light cracked through his body.
“Guh…!”
Bernardo’s holy power was far stronger than Vasha had anticipated.
Desperate to suppress it, she unleashed her full magical energy.
Yet the reins she held onto were far too weak to control a raging wild horse.
“This alone won’t be enough to stop me!”
In the end, after an intense struggle, the first to falter was Vasha.
The seal restraining Bernardo shattered like brittle sugar glass.
“Khak…!”
Vasha’s magic, now deprived of direction, rampaged wildly within her body, wreaking havoc. Blood trickled down her chin.
Under normal circumstances, she would have lamented the waste of her own blood, but at this moment, she barely had the strength to care.
She stared blankly at the ceiling and muttered,
“…What kind of holy knight possesses such absurd power…?”
Bernardo’s unleashed holy energy poured from the broken seal, surging upward and even reaching the ceiling.
Vasha had seen something similar before—in a dream.
She recalled a vision of the Vampire Lord awakening, its overwhelming magic blanketing the world. In response, the Holy Kingdom had deployed the Pope and the entire Cardinal Council to erect towering pillars of light, forming a protective barrier around their land.
The light had been so brilliant that even Hudel, watching from afar, had seen it pierce the sky.
‘Compared to that, this pillar barely reaches the banquet hall’s ceiling… but still, this isn’t something an ordinary holy knight should be capable of.’
Typically, at least three holy knights were required to subdue a single low-rank vampire.
A vampire’s magic accumulated by absorbing the souls of others. Because of this, no matter how exceptional a holy knight was, it was difficult for them to amass the same level of energy as even a single low-rank vampire.
Priests, who frequently performed prayers, could gather holy power more easily than knights, but even then, a bishop-level priest was usually needed to defeat a low-rank vampire.
Of course, there was one exception—the Lamp of Lamphas, a sacred relic possessed by every diocese. With it, even priests below the rank of bishop could eliminate low-rank vampires.
However, the Lamp of Lamphas was strictly controlled by the diocese, meaning not just anyone could wield it.
And a holy knight, bound by the scrutiny of their bishop, would have even less access to such a sacred tool.
Given all this, Vasha’s decision to sacrifice her own fingers to draw the sealing formation had not been excessive—it had been necessary.
It was just that Bernardo’s holy power was beyond any standard measure.
‘Bishop level? No… at least archbishop level… Damn it! I was never meant to fight him in the first place!’
An archbishop wielded enough holy power to rival an entire order of holy knights.
With such overwhelming strength, it was no wonder Vasha’s carefully laid trap had failed.
An unexpected, formidable opponent—Vasha was completely cornered.
Just as she tried to think of a way to overcome this crisis, the pillar of light rippled at its edges, much like water overflowing from a brimming vessel.
Then, like a crashing waterfall, an overwhelming surge of holy power descended upon Vasha with violent force.
***
Those who wished to stay in Laurus’s good graces hesitated to bid, unwilling to name a price.
As a result, Wilhelmina’s remains also ended up in Laurus’s possession.
At last, all matters were settled.
There was no longer any reason to remain at the auction. They moved toward the front to pay for their winnings and retrieve their items.
The auctioneer, who had been closely observing Laurus, quickly approached and asked,
“Are you leaving already?”
“Hm. I believe I’ve enjoyed myself enough. I don’t have much energy left, so it’s about time I took my leave.”
Laurus replied indifferently as he handed over the payment. Meanwhile, Todd pretended to examine the auctioned goods, discreetly keeping an eye on those handling their winnings.
One could never be too careful. Todd remained particularly vigilant, ensuring that no one swapped out the goblet they had won.
The auctioneer, reluctant to let Laurus leave, attempted to persuade him.
“The next item is the Count’s painting. Wouldn’t you like to stay and see how high the final bid goes?”
“I’m not particularly curious.”
Laurus shook his head curtly, his tone sharp. The auctioneer sighed in disappointment.
He had hoped that witnessing fierce competition over his paintings might encourage Laurus to offer another piece for a future auction.
However, the renowned artist seemed utterly indifferent—both to how much his works sold for and to whom they went.
‘Still, judging by how many items he won today, he must have enjoyed the auction in his own way.’
The auctioneer glanced at Todd with a satisfied expression. He knew Laurus had spent far more money than expected, thanks to Todd’s influence.
One couldn’t expect everything to go perfectly on the first try. The fact that Laurus’s successor was open to auctions at all was already a significant win.
‘If I can continue building a positive relationship with the Renfield family, one day, I might get the chance to auction more of Laurus’s paintings.’
And when that day came, every one of those pieces would end up in his private collection.
For now… I need to win that painting in today’s auction first.
Thankfully, there were no laws preventing an auctioneer from participating in their own auction. A subtle smirk crossed his lips.
Meanwhile, Laurus’s painting was brought to the auction stage.
“Finally! The moment you’ve all been waiting for! The highlight of today’s event! The masterpiece that will make waves throughout the entire Herodes Kingdom is about to be unveiled!”
A large painting, nearly as tall as a person, stood covered in a white cloth. Despite its impressive size, it looked small atop the grand opera house’s stage.
The crowd murmured in disappointment.
“I expected it to be bigger, considering it’s called The White Tiger.”
“Still, buying it is definitely worth it.”
“If you can afford it, that is.”
“And now… the reveal!”
The moment the auctioneer pulled away the cloth, the entire audience instinctively gasped.
NOOOO VASHA