#Episode 98
Vasha’s sword moved ahead, as if anticipating Bernardo’s swordplay, blocking his path at every turn.
At first, Bernardo thought it was just a coincidence. But when it happened twice, then three times, he had no choice but to acknowledge it.
“…You’ve completely mastered my family’s swordsmanship.”
‘Family swordsmanship?’
Vasha frowned, as if faced with a puzzle piece that didn’t quite fit.
‘But this is the sword technique Hudel used in the future…’
The reason Vasha was so familiar with this technique was simple—it was the swordplay she had repeatedly witnessed in her dreams.
‘If he calls it a family sword technique, then not just anyone would know it… Did this knight teach Hudel?’
Hudel, at least publicly, was known as an illegitimate child of the royal family—an outcast sent to live with a distant branch of the royal line.
The art of creating life artificially—homunculus alchemy—was strictly forbidden by the Church of Lamphas, considered a grave sin.
To make matters worse, Hudel himself was a homunculus created using the bloodline of Van Drake, a lineage the Church of Lamphas sought to eradicate. If they discovered the truth, they would never let it slide.
The royal family had done everything possible to keep Hudel hidden from the Church’s eyes, but they couldn’t prevent a passing Holy Knight from noticing him.
Though the knight failed to see Hudel’s true nature, he recognized his exceptional talent and chose to teach him swordsmanship.
Thanks to that, even at the young age of fifteen, Hudel had been thrust into the world of monster hunting—and somehow managed to survive each time.
Could this knight before him be the same one who had trained Hudel?
‘If I kill this knight now… what will happen to Hudel in the future?’
But Vasha didn’t have the luxury of holding back for Hudel’s sake.
With no way of knowing when Bernardo might use his divine power, Vasha’s entire body remained tense, prepared for any sudden attack.
Blocking Bernardo’s assault perfectly, Vasha let out a deep breath. Then, standing tall, she pointed her sword straight at her opponent.
Now, it was Vasha’s turn.
***
The auction for the liquor set had been the easiest win yet.
Todd continued purchasing a few more flashy items—ones that could easily be dismissed as impulsive buys from a first-time visitor to the auction house. No one suspected otherwise.
A few whispered that Laurus was spoiling Todd too much.
But those of Laurus’ generation simply nodded in understanding.
“A father may be strict with his son, but a grandfather always dotes on his grandchild. Especially when that child is born so late in life—imagine how precious he must seem.”
Having bought a substantial number of items, Todd decided the smokescreen was sufficient and rose from his seat.
“Well, that’s that. Let’s claim our winnings and head back.”
Todd urged Laurus to leave, but Laurus shook his head.
“Just a little longer. Let’s stay a bit more.”
“What? Did you have something else you wanted to buy? You should’ve told me in advance.”
Todd grumbled but sat back down. Laurus neither confirmed nor denied his assumption.
Todd, however, wasn’t particularly curious about what Laurus wanted to buy. They had already acquired everything worthwhile. With nothing else to do, he slumped back into his chair, swinging his legs absentmindedly.
The next auction item was brought onto the stage—a tall object draped in white cloth.
The auctioneer’s voice rose with excitement.
“Now, ladies and gentlemen, this next item is making its debut in our auction house for the very first time! I bet none of you can guess what it is!”
“Ooooh, finally!”
Some attendees speculated whether it might be one of Laurus’ creations.
The auctioneer chuckled awkwardly.
“Oh no, you truly won’t be able to guess this one. That item—the one many of you came here for—you already know about. Some of our distinguished guests have been eagerly awaiting its appearance. But please, don’t lean too far forward! You might fall!”
“Hahaha!”
The audience laughed at the auctioneer’s playful warning.
Encouraged by their reaction, he raised his voice.
“This is not that item, but don’t be disappointed just yet! Because what I’m about to reveal will shock and astound you—a truly terrifying and bone-chilling auction item. This is a piece unlike anything else in the history of the Lantern Festival auctions!”
He deliberately paused for dramatic effect.
The entire crowd held their breath, eyes fixed on him.
The room was so silent that the sound of people swallowing their anticipation could be heard.
Then, with a flourish, the auctioneer grabbed the white cloth and pulled it away, shouting—
“This is the remains of Van Drake—a vampire’s mortal enemy, one who bore the blood of dragons! However, over time, he became corrupted, a hypocrite, a heretic, and a traitor!”
Gasp!
Inside the glass case lay a set of pure white bones.
Everyone inhaled sharply.
Todd’s eyes widened in disbelief. Even in his shock, his golden gaze carefully examined the remains.
‘Judging by the pelvic structure, it belonged to a woman about 180 centimeters tall. Early thirties. A ring finger as long as the middle finger…’
He knew exactly whose bones these were.
They belonged to his aunt, Wilhelmina.
“Though she may have fallen from grace, the mystical power she once possessed has not completely vanished! Of course, the Church of Lamphas forbade the removal of their enchanted eyes and blood, so the only part we could obtain was this skeleton! But who knows? Perhaps these bones still hold some mysterious power! Look at them! Don’t they almost seem to glow?”
At the auctioneer’s words, murmurs spread through the crowd.
“That’s right. Van Drake was known for their immense strength, strong enough to fight vampires, and their wounds healed instantly… Even if the bones themselves hold no magic, they might still have unique properties.”
“A cure-all remedy? Or perhaps an ingredient for an elixir of immortality? It’s worth testing.”
As the planted bidders exchanged remarks, the atmosphere in the room shifted.
Van Drake’s remains were being treated as nothing more than ingredients for an apothecary.
The sheer humiliation of it made Todd grit his teeth.
‘This was their plan all along.’
There was no real reason to remove Van Drake’s remains from the Church of Lamphas.
And yet, they had put them up for auction.
The Church’s intentions were obvious.
‘They want to utterly destroy Van Drake’s legacy…’
Even now, some questioned whether Van Drake had truly died. Some believed there had never been a need to kill them at all.
And of all people, Todd had escaped their grasp.
The Church of Lamphas feared that one day, someone might rally behind Todd and attempt to revive Van Drake’s legacy.
The best option for them would have been to capture and kill Todd.
But that was uncertain.
So their second-best option was to tarnish the very name of Van Drake—the vampire slayer, the mortal enemy of vampires—by twisting their image entirely.
Erasing a thousand years of fear was no easy feat.
But desire?
Human greed had a way of overpowering fear.
With Laurus’ famous painting set to be unveiled, the entire kingdom’s eyes were on the Noctiluca Lantern Festival’s pre-auction event.
It was the perfect moment to drag Van Drake’s name through the mud.
By the time this auction was over, people wouldn’t remember Van Drake as a fearless, unstoppable vampire hunter.
Instead, they would associate the name with an ingredient for an elixir of immortality or a cure-all potion.
The savior of humanity, reduced to a mere commodity.
Todd’s rage burned.
He wanted to rush onto that stage and retrieve the remains himself.
He wanted to silence those mocking his aunt’s memory, to cut out their wagging tongues.
But he couldn’t.
If he acted rashly and revealed his identity now, everything would be ruined.
With bloodshot eyes, Todd gripped the armrests of his chair, glaring at the auction platform.
CRACK.
Under the pressure of his grip, the armrest shattered.
And while he sat there, seething, Van Drake’s bones were placed for bidding.
that’s absolutely horrid. they’re desecrating the dead!!