#Episode 91
When they were dispatched after receiving reports of vampire sightings, most of the time, it turned out to be a false alarm.
However, if it happens ten, twenty, or even thirty times, eventually, they will come face to face with a real vampire.
Being well-versed in doctrine and possessing an abundance of divine power did not automatically make one a Lapis Ignarius.
That was merely a prerequisite to being tested.
A Lapis Ignarius was the Church’s sharpest sword and the torch that led the charge in battle.
To truly earn the title, one also needed achievements in vampire hunting. And Bernardo was the finest vampire hunter of the Lamphas Church.
Having been by Bernardo’s side all this time, Matteus had also experienced his fair share of vampire hunts. Feeling proud, Matteus added.
“Besides, it’s not like I was trembling in fear back then. You remember, right? If I hadn’t thrown you that stake, you wouldn’t be standing here now. Just watch—this time, too, I’ll make a big contribution and—”
“No, this time, you will act separately.”
“Huh?”
Matteus’s eyes widened in surprise. Bernardo continued with a serious expression.
“Rescuing the boy is important, but we also need to assess Laurus’s condition. If necessary… we may have to take care of him.”
Even if Laurus truly was a follower of the vampires, that fact must not become widely known. What greater disgrace could there be for Lamphas than bestowing a title of light upon a servant of darkness?
If the truth about Laurus were to come out, it would further erode the already declining faith in Lamphas.
The light of Lamphas was the flame of faith. The more people believed in Lamphas, the brighter the light shone.
It would be better if Laurus died without leaving behind any evidence…
Although it was unsettling not to put someone who had allied with vampires on trial through the Inquisition, preserving faith in Lamphas took precedence over the investigator’s duty.
“So, one of us needs to go to the auction house and make contact with Laurus.”
“But you just said that the knights were ordered not to attend?”
“Exactly. The knights aren’t allowed.”
Bernardo smirked mischievously and added,
“But my original identity should be fine.”
Bernardo’s family, the House of Gydo, was a prestigious noble lineage. Flashing the Gydo crest would allow him to enter the auction house without any trouble.
“That’s true. No one would dare stop someone from the House of Gydo… Wait a minute. Are you asking me to impersonate you?”
“You can handle it. It wouldn’t be the first time. Remember when we were kids—”
“Stop bringing up our childhood! Every time I mention it, you say I’m clinging to worldly affairs, but when you do it, it’s fine?”
“Haha.”
Bernardo simply laughed off the complaint, which only made Matteus sigh.
Sneaking into the auction house wasn’t particularly dangerous.
Certainly not compared to infiltrating a mansion crawling with vampires alone.
It wasn’t that he doubted Bernardo’s skills. But fighting vampires was always unpredictable. Even a low-ranking vampire wasn’t something to be taken lightly.
Matteus looked at Bernardo with a worried expression, his gaze serious.
“Be careful. I won’t be able to help you this time.”
“Don’t worry.”
Even with Bernardo’s confident response, Matteus’s face remained tense.
He was frustrated. Not only could they not expect any support from the Church, but they were likely to be hindered by it.
‘Under normal circumstances, even bringing several knights wouldn’t be enough…’
Yet, while the Church had dispatched knights in force to hunt down the last of the Van Drake bloodline, they were neglecting the pursuit of actual vampires.
Since when had politics become more important than eradicating vampires?
Such negligence would have been unthinkable in the past.
Disillusioned with everything the Church was doing lately, Matteus scoffed.
“They were too hasty in exterminating the Van Drake family when vampires still exist. The Holy Kingdom and the royal court acted recklessly.”
“I know, right…”
Bernardo let out a deep sigh, nodding in agreement. Beyond the small guestroom window, the moonlight shone brilliantly, as if mocking their frustration.
***
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
A carriage from the House of Renfield rolled through the dense forest.
As the sun set, the remote villa near Noctiluca was quickly swallowed by darkness.
But as they pressed on, rows of lanterns came into view. The dazzling lights seemed to defy the night itself, as if trying to summon daylight.
Todd, who was leaning against the carriage window, furrowed his brow at the overwhelming brightness.
“No matter how many lanterns they hang, they won’t actually stop vampires. It’s pointless.”
“They don’t know any better,”
Laurus replied from across the carriage.
“People fear the unknown. In the darkness, nothing is certain. Just illuminating it brings a sense of relief.”
“Even if it’s meaningless?”
“Even if it’s meaningless,”
Laurus affirmed.
But Todd still didn’t understand.
They were just lanterns. No matter how many lights they lit, they would never completely drive out the darkness.
All it would do was make the shadows grow deeper.
When one considers vampires lurking in the shadows, moving unseen, it becomes evident how foolish humans are for relying on light for comfort.
‘It’s nothing more than an irrational superstition.’
Laurus glanced at the young Van Drake with a bitter smile. Todd’s face showed clear confusion—he struggled to understand the psychology of humans who, out of fear of the unknown, made foolish choices.
Laurus patiently began to explain.
“If you think about it, more humans have been killed by other humans than by the Night’s Bloodline. And yet, why do people fear vampires more than their own kind?”
“Because vampires are far stronger. If you come face to face with a vampire, your chances of survival are far lower than if you were facing another human enemy.”
“Then what about you?”
Todd had barely finished his sentence when Laurus immediately followed up with another question.
“You are a Van Drake, but you’re still young. Just as even a lion cub can be killed by hyenas, no matter how much you are a natural enemy of their kind, you wouldn’t be able to handle even the weakest vampire properly right now. And yet, you show no fear of them.”
It wasn’t just because of his contractor, Vasha.
Todd feared no vampire—none at all. Even if the opponent were Menorah itself.
At first, Laurus thought it was just empty bravado, a pride stemming from his Van Drake lineage. But it didn’t take long to realize that wasn’t the case. Todd’s words and actions consistently proved otherwise.
Hearing such a comment, however, seemed like an insult to Todd. His expression twisted into a scowl.
“Obviously. I know exactly how those bastards operate.”
“Exactly.”
Laurus cut him off, fixing him with a sharp gaze, emphasizing every word.
“You know them well.”
Clip-clop. Clip-clop.
The silence between them was filled only with the rhythmic sound of hooves against the road and the creaking of the carriage wheels.
For a long while, Todd and Laurus simply stared at each other. The first to look away was Laurus.
Turning his head slightly to the side, gazing out the window, he spoke in a murmuring tone.
“Isn’t it strange? The only way to reduce fear of vampires is to educate people about them. But the Church of Lamphas strictly controls all information about the Night’s Bloodline, as if they want to cultivate fear instead….”
Laurus’s aging eyelids blinked slowly as he observed the rows of lanterns dangling along the roadside. The scattered glow of the lights reflected in his weary eyes.
Todd clicked his tongue at Laurus, who seemed lost in deep thought.
‘Hah. He’s old—always overthinking things.’
People fear because they don’t know.
But Todd believed there was more to it than just that.
