IWTRAE Chapter 114

 

 

 

Vampires usually act independently.

 

However, there are times when even those vampires move together—and that’s when their clan leader gives the order.

 

In other words, the vampires who raided this auction house all belonged to the same clan. Not just any clan, but a high-ranking one led by Menorah.

 

In such a situation, a lower-ranking vampire like Vasha…

 

Vampires of subordinate rank in a clan aren’t all that different from regular humans in terms of status.

 

At best, if they’re part of a well-respected clan, people might cut them some slack out of respect for the clan leader—but that clearly didn’t apply to Vasha.

 

‘She never talks about her clan or her bloodline, and she seems oddly ignorant of vampire society… She’s probably from some no-name clan, or was abandoned without proper education by a high-ranking vampire.’

 

That thought stirred an inexplicable sense of discomfort.

 

Imagining Vasha as a pitiful figure, dumped and left to wallow in sorrow by her superior, made him irritated.

 

And the idea that Vasha might not even realize she’d been abandoned—like some clueless fool—was just as aggravating in its own way.

 

Either way, from the perspective of Menorah’s clan, a lower vampire like Vasha was nothing more than a bonus snack.

 

‘If she shows up and gets caught by another vampire… Yeah, better not rely on her power at all. It’s safer to escape without involving her.’

 

The very idea sent chills down Todd’s spine.

 

He firmly resolved not to call on Vasha, repeating the decision over and over.

 

When it came to protecting himself, he’d use whatever he could.

 

Putting on a frightened tone with a trembling voice, Todd asked Matteus.

 

“There are so many vampires swarming outside… Can that Holy Knight really take them on all by himself?”

 

Laurus shuddered at Todd’s pitiful, on-the-verge-of-tears act.

 

Just holding a calm expression was draining every ounce of his energy, and he nervously glanced at Matteus.

 

Fortunately, it seemed Matteus had been completely taken in by Todd’s performance.

 

Trying to reassure him, Matteus quickly responded.

 

“If I can borrow a sacred relic from the Noctiluca Diocese, it should be possible.”

 

“But the vampires outside aren’t ordinary ones, right? As soon as they appeared, the Lamphas Star shattered. Isn’t the Lamphas Star supposed to block vampires?”

 

Pretending to be clueless, Todd subtly probed Matteus.

 

He was trying to figure out whether Matteus had any additional information.

 

“It’s true that vampires can’t enter places protected by the Star of Lamphas without permission. But if they’re ‘invited,’ the protection becomes useless—and for high-ranking vampires, even that restriction doesn’t apply.”

 

“So… does that mean a high-ranking vampire showed up this time?”

 

“It’s not just any high-ranking vampire. Menorah themself made an appearance during this raid. Specifically, a Menorah named Strigon…”

 

“Strigon!”

 

Todd shouted the name in shock before he could stop himself.

 

Startled, Matteus looked at him.

 

“You know of Strigon?”

 

“N-no… I just thought I’d heard the name somewhere…”

 

Realizing his mistake, Todd scrambled to cover it up.

 

But Matteus didn’t seem convinced by his excuse.

 

‘It’s not like just anyone would’ve heard of Menorah. Moments like this make me think Todd really might be a Van Drake…’

 

Matteus’s suspicions, which had briefly subsided, flared up again.

 

But Todd didn’t have the luxury of worrying about Matteus’s doubts.

 

More pressing was the threat implied by the name Strigon.

 

‘No wonder… I felt a Menorah’s presence, but sensed nothing from Lucy. That eerie aura must’ve belonged to Strigon.’

 

But the more he thought about it, the more mysterious Lucy’s identity became.

 

‘I’m certain Lucy is a Menorah.’

 

He had never heard of a Menorah named Lucy before.

 

And yet, Todd had no doubt about her true nature.

 

Why? Because when Laurus introduced her, he called her ‘Van Vassenar.’

 

Vassenar was a noble title granted only to vampires who had inherited the blood of the Progenitor directly.

 

That name carried a blood curse: if any vampire not of Menorah lineage dared to claim it, their blood would rot in their veins.

 

So no one could fake that title.

 

If Lucy had called herself ‘Vassenar,’ then she had to be a true Menorah.

 

It also made sense that Todd, a Van Drake, had never known about her—she must’ve been the fifth Menorah, created right before the *Progenitor fell asleep.

 

‘Still, it’s strange that I can’t feel any real power from her, even though she’s a Menorah…’

 

There were too many oddities.

 

But for now, considering the situation, the fact that Lucy might not have any power was a relief.

 

One Menorah was already more than they could handle.

 

The idea of two Menorahs attacking Noctiluca at once? That was simply unthinkable.

 

What mattered right now wasn’t whether Lucy was a Menorah, or why her power seemed absent.

 

Those questions could wait until they had escaped Strigon.

 

Just as Todd decided to set aside the matter of Lucy’s identity for the time being, Matteus also chose not to press further into Todd’s secrets.

 

Right now, surviving the crisis was all that mattered.

 

Taking a moment to steady himself, Matteus turned to Todd and Laurus.

 

“In any case, I intend to get out of here and alert the diocese of the situation, no matter what. What about you, Count, and your grandson?”

 

Todd hesitated for a moment.

 

He had drawn a perception-blocking magic circle here, but it wasn’t perfect.

 

Once all the humans in the auction house were killed, the vampires’ next destination would be obvious.

 

They’d scatter across the city and sink their fangs into unsuspecting, defenseless humans.

 

But Strigon, who led the vampires, was unlikely to move so easily.

 

Most likely, he’d remain atop the highest tower of the auction house—Noctiluca’s tallest building—and watch as the city plunged into ruin.

 

For now, the presence of survivors was probably masking Todd and the others’ presence.

 

But once those survivors and vampires were gone, it would only be a matter of time before Strigon sensed them.

 

They needed to escape before that happened.

 

‘Even if he’s not a proper Holy Knight, he’s been around them long enough to be useful. If we escape together, I could use him as bait if needed. And if we get separated, he’ll still be a good distraction. Not a bad deal.’

 

Having made up his mind, Todd signaled to Laurus.

 

Cunning as always, Laurus picked up on his intent immediately.

 

He answered Matteus’s question.

 

“…We were actually just about to leave as well. How about we move together?”

 

Matteus had asked out of courtesy, but he had no intention of actually bringing Laurus and Todd with him.

 

His expression tightened.

 

It was hard enough to evade vampires alone, let alone while escorting an old man and a child.

 

If he were a devout priest, he might have felt obligated to help out of compassion.

 

But Matteus had turned to religion because of Bernardo—not because of personal faith.

 

‘If the Young Master were here, he’d be yelling about what a disgrace I am… But he’s not, is he?’

 

There was no need to act like some selfless clergyman when Bernardo wasn’t even around.

 

‘I’m not a man of faith. I’m the Young Master’s attendant. As long as I serve him well, that’s enough.’

 

Hiding his displeasure as best he could, Matteus responded.

 

“It might actually be safer to stay here. Are you sure you want to come with me, Count? If I recall correctly, you never had much trust in the Church of Lamphas.”

 

Referring to the time Laurus had been turned away at the mansion gates, Matteus made a biting remark.

 

Laurus shot back instantly.

 

“I never said I didn’t believe in the Church of Lamphas. It’s just that the name alone makes my blood pressure spike. So please, do me a favor and refrain from using it in front of me. From now on, just call it ‘the religion that shall not be named.’”

 

Matteus was left speechless by Laurus’s shameless retort.

 

 

 

🍓; *Progenitor basically means an original ancestor or the very first form of something.