#Episode 80
There wasn’t a single trace of hesitation left in his demeanor.
Bernardo shouted at the butler’s back.
“…So, who is the owner of this villa?”
At Bernardo’s shout, the butler’s steps came to a halt. Turning back to look at Bernardo, the butler’s expression was stiff, as if nothing could penetrate it.
Then the butler suddenly broke into a wide smile. His face, which seemed as rigid as iron, softened as he spoke with an unmistakable tone of pride.
“The painter of light, Count Laurus Renfield.”
***
“How did it go?”
As soon as Oliver returned, Vasha immediately interrogated him. Hearing that the holy knights had come so close, Vasha had been overcome with nervousness and fear, which cast a shadow under her eyes.
“They have retreated. They won’t take a single step into the villa.”
Oliver answered calmly. His demeanor was so composed it inspired confidence. Only then did Vasha finally let out a sigh of relief.
Laurus laughed heartily.
“Didn’t I tell you everything would be fine?”
“Well, yes, but…”
It couldn’t be helped that the unease lingered. Even though they had managed to send them away for now, this event would surely have raised suspicion, and the knights would continue to hover around them.
Vasha wanted to relocate their hiding place immediately, but the trials posed a problem.
For now, the best course of action seemed to be to stall until the Festival of Lanterns, overcome the trials, become a high-ranking vampire, and then move their sanctuary.
‘Once I become a high-ranking vampire, it will be easier to throw the holy knights off my trail.’
Furthermore, unlike before, there wasn’t a lack of people willing to help.
With the steadfast support of Laurus, once Vasha became a high-ranking vampire, she could create a hiding place so perfect that even the holy knights wouldn’t be able to track them.
While Vasha was pondering over her plans, Oliver calmly continued speaking.
“Thanks to the news that they were coming, we were able to prepare in advance. It’s fortunate we treated the visitor who came a few days ago with proper hospitality.”
“Indeed.”
Vasha recalled the events from a few days ago—the person who had suddenly shown up, claiming to look for her.
It was none other than Lenny, someone Vasha had been acquainted with in the slums. Just the thought of those moments made Vasha’s heart tighten.
“I never thought Lenny would go to such lengths to help me.”
Lenny had traveled all the way to the villa in the distant countryside just to inform her that the holy knights were searching for her.
<It’s a good thing I knew about your situation beforehand…. Can you believe they accused you of being a kidnapper? Meanwhile, Todd is living so well, having become the heir to the Count’s family! I almost snapped and asked if they even knew what they were talking about.>
<Thank you for keeping it a secret, Lenny.>
<Don’t mention it. You told me your story too, didn’t you? You could’ve just ignored someone like me, someone you met a few times at a shabby inn in the slums. I’m just returning the favor.>
Lenny shrugged. After Albert had been exiled, Vasha had immediately sought out Lenny to reveal that she was a blood relative of Count Renfield.
Lenny, too, had suspected as much based on rumors.
‘No wonder… She had such a fine-looking necklace.’
However, Lenny had not expected Vasha to seek her out just to disclose this information. After all, their worlds were now entirely different.
A young lady poised to become the cherished jewel of the Count’s family and a woman from the slums working odd jobs at a theater.
There was no reason for their paths to cross. Even if there had been some connection in the past, most people would prefer not to face such past ties.
Yet Vasha had come to find Lenny, expressing gratitude, saying it was thanks to her pointing out someone looking for a companion that she had been able to find her family.
Naturally, Lenny felt obligated to reciprocate Vasha’s trust.
Even though Lenny’s face was streaked with dirt from her recent chores, her eyes shone as brightly as the stars in the sky. For a moment, Vasha was at a loss for words.
Contrary to her claim that she sought out Lenny purely out of loyalty, Vasha’s motives weren’t entirely innocent.
As a native of Noctiluca, Lenny had extensive connections. What if she subtly spread stories about her among the people at the theater where she worked?
Those stories could reach the actors and, eventually, the patrons supporting them.
Through that, it could be revealed how much of a scoundrel Albert was and why his expulsion was justified, thus swaying public opinion in Noctiluca’s social circles to believe that Todd’s succession was only natural.
And Vasha’s expectations were right on target.
The stories about his complete disregard for his heir lessons, drug use, gambling addiction, and even stealing Renfield family heirlooms to sell them off left people shaking their heads. They nodded in agreement that Albert deserved to be ousted from his position as heir.
For Vasha, it felt like she owed Lenny yet another favor. Vasha still found it awkward to receive such unexpected acts of kindness.
Whether Vasha felt awkward or not, Lenny stood up cheerfully, as if her work was done. Vasha managed to grab her before she left and urged her.
<If you ever need help, don’t hesitate to mention my name and find me. Okay?>
<Of course, we’re friends, after all.>
Thanks to Lenny providing information about the holy knights, Vasha had been able to face them without panic.
“If we hadn’t known anything, we would have been completely caught off guard, unable to understand the true intentions of the Lamphas Church headquarters.”
Oliver’s face darkened. Even with all the challenges Oliver had faced, the appearance of holy knights at a vampire’s dwelling was enough to make him break out in a cold sweat.
“Thanks to this, we learned that the Lamphas Church has not officially dispatched investigators to track the bloodline of the night. Knowing that their actions are unauthorized meant there was nothing to worry about.”
If the knights weren’t officially dispatched by the Church and were instead acting on a private investigation, they couldn’t enter Laurus’ domain.
This was because Laurus had secured an access denial agreement from the previous Pope.
Todd muttered in disbelief.
“Are you saying that ridiculous excuse actually worked…?”
“It’s not an excuse, it’s a formal agreement,”
“So you’re telling me that ridiculous agreement was actually real,”
Todd retorted, glaring at Laurus, who remained unperturbed.
For the holy knights to investigate Laurus’ mansion, they would need to present evidence that Laurus was a heretic. However, without entering the mansion, they couldn’t obtain any evidence, leaving the knights completely stuck.
“How on earth did you manage to get an access denial agreement from the Pope?”
At Vasha’s question, Laurus recalled the past with a bitter smile.
“Pope Julius, the predecessor, persistently begged me to paint the walls of the chapel. I agreed to do it just once, and I worked on the project. However, after the wall paintings were completed, he decided he wanted ceiling paintings as well. When I asked him if this wasn’t supposed to end with the wall paintings, he argued that there was no clause in the agreement explicitly saying he couldn’t request ceiling paintings.”
Vasha, flustered by the Pope’s unreasonable behavior, asked Laurus.
“But, still, he’s the Pope… Can a Pope really lie so blatantly, like flipping the palm of his hand?”
“Of course not. But if it’s the former Pope, I suppose it’s possible….”
Todd clicked his tongue.
The former Pope was infamous for his habit of changing his words like flipping the palm of his hand. Even over ten years after he ascended the Stairway of Light, stories of his lack of integrity still circulated frequently.
“After working on the wall paintings, my shoulders and back felt like they were burning and about to fall off from the pain. And painting the ceiling? That would mean constantly craning my neck upwards for years. Just imagining the struggle made me feel utterly hopeless.”
Just recalling the time he had sat precariously on a high chair, glaring at the ceiling, made Laurus shudder. He could still feel the sting in his eyes from the paint that had dripped down from above. He gave a slight shiver and continued.
“So I made excuses, claiming I was too affected by the aftereffects of working on the wall paintings to take on any more work. But Julius wouldn’t give up so easily. That’s when he offered me immunity and the right to avoid investigations by the Lamphas Church as compensation to convince me.”
Upon hearing this, Vasha sighed in sympathy.
“You said just the sight of anyone from the Lamphas Church made your blood pressure rise—so it’s all because of the Pope, huh?”
“Well, looking back now, it was something I couldn’t avoid anyway, so I’m just glad I at least received satisfactory compensation. But at the time, I really couldn’t stand anything associated with Lamphas.”
Laurus shook his head. Immunity and the right to refuse heresy trials offered to a vampire’s follower? It was an irresistibly sweet deal to turn down.
🍓; The ‘Stairway of Light’ in this context likely refers to a symbolic or literal ascent, possibly to a higher realm or afterlife, in this case, marking the former Pope’s death. It could represent a spiritual journey or a metaphorical passage to a place of enlightenment or peace, often seen in religious or fantasy contexts. The phrase suggests that the former Pope’s death is seen as his transition to a higher or more divine state, and the use of ‘Stairway of Light’ emphasizes this transition as significant and possibly sacred.
In short, it seems to describe the Pope’s ascension after death, with the phrase invoking a sense of sanctity or an important passage.
