Volume 2, Chapter 10 – The Pure-blooded Vampire Princess

By the time Fia finished her magic studies, the sky had completely darkened—though that being said, she had actually only learned three spells: [Food Creation], [Telekinesis], and [Flight].

It wasn’t that Fia’s learning speed was too slow, but rather that she adopted a “quality over quantity” strategy. After a rough study of the three spells, Fia settled down to research them seriously until she had completely mastered them and integrated them into practice.

As a result, [Food Creation] was no longer limited to producing salted fish cakes but could now create hard black bread and iron-disc-like flatbread. Compared to salted fish, which was classified as meat, the inedible black bread and flatbread were undoubtedly worse, but having a richer menu was always a good thing. The upper limit of [Food Creation] was cured salted fish; it was impossible to create anything more delicious. Both the black bread and flatbread were inferior versions of the salted fish.

As for [Telekinesis], Fia could now use it as an extension of her own will, reducing the error to the millimeter level. Threading a needle from thirty meters away was mere child’s play.

Finally, there was [Flight]. After being able to condense elemental light wings with her will, Fia was as happy as if she had found a new toy. She soon discovered that she could change the shape of the wings into various forms with her will, not just the initial six-petaled cicada wings, but also angelic feathered wings. Even sci-fi-style glowing mechanical wings were no problem at all.

As long as it had the appearance of wings and could fly, it could be formed into wings.

If [Telekinesis] had color, Fia could even turn herself into a mechanical angel. For example, she could first make the wings look sci-fi-style, and then use [Telekinesis] to create floating cannons hovering behind her—if she learned the Moon Dragon’s purple magic shield, she would have a matrix shield.

A mechanical elf sounded very cool.

Unfortunately, [Telekinesis] was not an extension of the body but a type of magic. This meant Fia couldn’t use [Ice Bullet] through “Telekinesis.” Otherwise, the floating cannons wouldn’t be just for decoration but weapons that could actually fire.

In terms of flight speed, although Claire’s [High-Speed Flight] was also very fast, it was possible that Claire had held back, as she hadn’t encountered a sound barrier at the time. Fia, on the other hand, could easily create a sonic boom, meaning she had exceeded the speed of sound. However, she wasn’t sure by how many times; in any case, it was to the point where she could easily reach the stratosphere.

Since the stratosphere made it difficult to breathe and caused the body to feel cold, Fia stayed for a while before returning.

Additionally, due to the lack of coordinates, Fia almost couldn’t find the carriage on her way back. In the end, it was the wildfire caused by the mountain of salted fish that helped her find her location. As for the wildfire, Fia used icebergs and [Torrent] alternately to quickly extinguish it—a full-power [Torrent] had a diameter of a full ten meters, and the column of water was as spectacular as a river breaking its banks. If Fia created a floating board under herself with [Telekinesis], [Torrent] could even launch her into the air.

Although she hadn’t learned any attack magic, the three auxiliary spells were very useful and could play a big role in daily life. The remaining attack magic could be looked at in the coming days.

“The number of refugees on the road is increasing.”

With a grave expression, Anastasia frowned.

As she said, ever since the carriage crossed the suspension bridge, more and more refugees had been coming from Count Oro’s territory. At first, there were only a few scattered ones, but now one could see groups of refugees supporting each other as they moved forward. Some of them limped, with bandages and the like on their bodies, clearly injured.

When Fia’s carriage approached, almost every refugee would show a look of astonishment and longing. Among them were some bold lower nobles who came forward to ask if they could get a ride to leave Count Oro’s territory. Fia refused them all. Not to mention she wasn’t short on money, first of all, she would never turn back under any circumstances.

But the increasing number of refugees signaled one thing: the three of them were getting closer and closer to the site of the disaster.

With a sharp glance at the refugees passing by on the side of the road, who were staring at the carriage, Anastasia gradually tightened the reins and turned to look at Fia in the passenger seat beside her.

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“Your Highness, should we make camp here, or go a little further to the settlement the refugees mentioned?”

On the way, Anastasia had stopped many refugees to ask for information—the reward being the salted fish Fia had created. Before “Firestorm” burned all the fish mountains, Anastasia had salvaged some. According to the accounts of more and more refugees, they had all passed a refugee camp led by a noble, who was now preparing to counterattack. Because the refugees felt it was more important to escape Count Oro’s territory sooner, they did not stay there and thus did not know who the noble leading the refugees was.

For Fia’s group of three, since it was a refugee camp led by a noble, it meant that it wouldn’t be particularly chaotic and would have order. The Bart Duchy was on good terms with the Elf Kingdom. Camping there would be convenient in many aspects. Not to mention, they could also pay their respects to the other party and find out what had happened.

Fia naturally understood what Anastasia was trying to say. After a moment of thought, she nodded.

“Let’s keep going to that refugee camp. Since we have to pass through there anyway, going a little earlier will save us the trouble of setting up our own camp. However,” Fia’s tone changed. Her previously calm expression now became uncertain, and her voice was filled with hesitation, “Before meeting the nobles, should I dress up a bit to show them respect? Is this dress appropriate?”

Previously, Fia’s attention had been focused on learning magic and experiencing the customs of this other world. She had no time to learn noble etiquette, not to mention Anastasia was also out all day. Even if Fia wanted to learn, there was no one to teach her. In terms of etiquette, Fia was a blank slate.

Anastasia was stunned at first. After understanding what Fia meant, her expression relaxed, and a playful smile appeared on her lips, like an older sister seeing her cute younger sister.

“Your Highness, you don’t need any embellishment to make other women feel out of reach. As for the dress, you just need to tidy it up a bit along with your hair. They got messy when you were testing magic earlier.”

“Let me teach you, sister! I’ll put some light makeup on you, and it will definitely make all those nobles stare! Even among us elves, who are known for our beauty, you are the most beautiful, sister!”

Her charming face filled with confidence and pride, Liti poked her head out of the carriage, her whole body burning with fighting spirit.

Liti did indeed look like a proper princess who was good at dressing up.

Although makeup was embarrassing… This was also part of a princess’s training.

Comforting herself with this thought, Fia took a deep breath, like someone about to go into battle.

“Then… I’ll leave it to you, Liti.”

“Leave it to me!”

◇

After the carriage crossed a small hill, the three of them saw the settlement the refugees had mentioned.

Looking down from the hill, the settlement on the plain looked much like a military camp. Torches were lit everywhere. Besides the soldiers standing guard every ten meters or so, there were also patrol teams in light armor moving back and forth.

Inside the settlement, tents of various colors and sizes were set up. One could see raggedly dressed people coming in and out of the tents. Most of them had pale faces and were in poor health. Due to the dense arrangement of the tents, the paths were very narrow, making it difficult for people to even find a place to stand.

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Furthermore, the tents were clearly packed with people. Some refugees, not having been assigned a tent, could only lie on the ground outside, guarding what looked like pots and bowls. Occasionally, smoke from cooking fires would rise from the camp. It seemed the noble was unable to provide food, and the refugees had to fend for themselves.

The most eye-catching part was the center of the camp. There stood a tent much larger and more exquisite than the ordinary ones. Outside this tent, soldiers were building a wooden platform under the command of an extremely lavishly dressed man. It was clear that a speech or some similar activity was about to take place.

The passing refugees had not deceived Anastasia; the refugee settlement maintained good order.

“Sister, you should lower the carriage curtain now. You can’t peek. Otherwise, people will think you’re a country noble who has never seen the world.”

“Ah, I know.”

Liti’s reminder made Fia lower the curtain.

While Fia was observing the camp through the carriage window, Anastasia had already driven the carriage to the camp entrance. One could see the expressions of the soldiers guarding the camp—muscles tense, overly nervous, like frightened birds, reminiscent of soldiers who had just lost a battle. Probably any slight movement, even a rabbit running past, would make them shout and treat it as an enemy attack.

The nobles here, like the refugees, had also fled from the city.

The soldiers’ expressions told Fia the answer.

At this time, the carriage stopped. The sound of Anastasia talking with the soldiers at the entrance could be heard. According to the soldiers, the carriage could not enter the camp. It had to be handed over to them for feeding and safekeeping. The soldiers would take them to see the noble managing the camp.

Upon hearing that noble’s name, Fia’s heart skipped a beat.

The third daughter of the House of Oro. A noble who had met the elf princess a few times and maintained correspondence with her.

Estelle Oro.

She hadn’t intended to meet her, yet they were about to meet unexpectedly. Fia couldn’t help but feel nervous. She had no impression of this vampire girl whatsoever. Hopefully, she could accept the fact that she had lost her memory.

Soon, Fia and Liti jumped down from the carriage with Anastasia’s help—this was also part of noble etiquette; a lady jumping directly from a carriage would be considered uneducated. The soldiers led the two eight-legged horses aside, while Fia, Liti, and Anastasia were guided into the camp by a soldier.

Clearly, the refugees and soldiers in the camp did not expect visitors at this time. When the three of them passed by, almost every refugee on the road would stop what they were doing and look at them, especially at Fia. Just as Liti had described, their eyes were wide, staring straight at her, making Fia feel embarrassed.

“Is only Miss Estelle here? Where is Lord Count Oro?”

As they walked, Anastasia posed this question to the leading soldier.

“Not only the Third Miss, but also Young Master Norton. As for the Lord Count… I don’t know his whereabouts either. That day, there was a sudden explosion in the city, followed by a tide of black monsters. Everyone who touched those monsters died. It was Young Master Norton who led the family servants to fight a bloody path out and brought the Third Miss to safety. What you see now, Your Excellency, is all of us.”

At the end, the soldier lowered his head, his voice becoming smaller, clearly lacking morale.

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“We don’t know how many people are still in the city. We can only learn from passing refugees that the city was not completely destroyed, and that there are still people there waiting for us to rescue them. This is why the Third Miss is stationed here. Who knows how long it will take for troops from the surrounding territories to arrive. We must return to the city ourselves. Not to defeat those black monsters, but at least to bring out those who are still alive. The Third Miss said this is our duty.”

Oh~

Fia inwardly praised the vampire princess named Estelle.

Her first thought after encountering a disaster was not to flee, but to return to save people. This resolve surpassed that of most people of her time. As Anastasia had said, the nobles of the Bart Duchy cherished their noble status and were thus very responsible for their people.

“Young Master Norton is the fourth son of the House of Oro. Since Count Oro is not with the group, I fear he is likely dead. When you see Miss Estelle later, Your Highness can transfer some of the spoils of war seized from the temple to her. This will not only represent your sincerity but also make Miss Estelle indebted to you. Miss Estelle always repays her debts, and she will surely repay you several times over in the future.”

Anastasia explained in a low voice to Fia.

Hey, hey, that’s too utilitarian. Seeking a return from the very beginning. Are all nobles like this?

Fia complained inwardly.

Just as the thought ended, Fia stopped because the guiding soldier had stopped. The latter turned around, a wry smile on his gloomy face, and pointed to the crowd in front.

“It seems the Third Miss will have to entertain you all a little later.”

Following the soldier’s direction, Fia looked ahead. The platform she had seen from the hill was now built. Countless refugees were crowded under the platform, all looking up at the stage with expectant eyes. And on the stage, besides some soldiers, there was a young girl in a red dress.

Bat-like wings extended from her waist. Her vibrant red eyes seemed as if they could drip blood, and the sharp fangs occasionally revealed from under her lips when she spoke all declared to the world the girl’s identity as a vampire.

Fia had learned from the “Secret History of the Witches” that vampires were divided into two major categories: pure-blooded and non-pure-blooded. The pure-bloods were the branch with the purest bloodline and the greatest power among vampires. They were not afraid of sunlight and had super-strong regenerative abilities. If not for holy magic or light magic, as long as they were not completely crushed, even if only a finger remained, they could recover to their original state after a period of time, no different from resurrection.

The characteristic of a pure-blood was that their wings grew from their lower back, not their back. The young girl before her was of the type whose wings extended from her lower back.

This must be Miss Estelle.

Fia had a premonition.

She did indeed have a noble air—rational, elegant, and dignified. Although the elf princess also possessed these qualities, the princess’s appearance gave off a cold, lifeless feeling, while Estelle had the intelligent, approachable, yet distant noble temperament.

Estelle looked only a little older than the elf princess, about fifteen years old. Pure-blooded vampires, like elves, were long-lived species, but their growth patterns were different. A vampire’s development speed before the age of twenty was the same as a human’s. After that, they would maintain a youthful appearance until they were three or four hundred years old, after which they would age extremely slowly. In short, Estelle’s appearance of fifteen meant she really was only fifteen.

She was a beauty.

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Fia evaluated inwardly.

Her golden hair, extending to her hips, was tied with a large black ribbon. Although she was only a little older than the elf princess, her chest was developed to an aesthetically pleasing shape. Most of her skin was hidden under a red dress with numerous folds and lace, and even her hands were covered with black lace gloves with a floral pattern. From the front, she gave off a conservative feeling, but from Fia’s side view, one could glimpse that the skin at the base of the girl’s wings was exposed to the air. The design of the dress, with a slit at the waist, had a subtle hint of sensuality.

Although her features had a trace of childishness, the elegant temperament of a noble lady concealed the flaw of immaturity. Especially standing on the stage, her gaze like a torch, the sense of authority surrounding her body—if an ordinary person stood before her, they would probably bow their head involuntarily, not daring to look at her directly. This was an aura that only someone who had long been in a dominant position could possess.

The speech had been going on for some time. The girl’s gaze swept over the refugees below. Seeing that they were all listening intently to her, a look of satisfaction appeared on her face.

“The Darkborn are by no means an invincible enemy. We have already sent out messengers, and His Majesty the King will soon send troops to annihilate the Darkborn. And before that, we who have escaped have one thing we must do—rescue your relatives and friends from the destroyed city. They are now trapped inside, awaiting our rescue. We cannot watch them die in despair! Tomorrow will be the day I, Estelle Oro, third daughter of Count Oro, lead the soldiers to rescue them. I will fulfill my duty as a noble!”

After her resonant and powerful voice fell, Estelle’s majestic gaze swept to the right side of the platform, where a team of soldiers was escorting people dressed as missionaries.

“But before that, we have one thing we must do. The reason the Darkborn appeared in the city is because the despicable believers of God led them into the city. The Milcandis Holy Kingdom has long coveted the riches of the Oro territory. They want the Darkborn to drive us away so they can occupy this land for themselves! As children born in the Oro territory, we will never allow our sacred land to be taken by others! Now, I will represent all of you, all the refugees displaced by the church, and bring down heavenly punishment on the filthy believers of God!”

Hmm?

Estelle’s words made Fia tilt her head slightly.

This speech reminded Fia of the scene she had witnessed in Aurora City, where the church executed Darkborn Plague patients.

The difference was that the Darkborn Plague patients were indeed innocent, while Fia had no way of verifying Estelle’s claim that “the believers of God led the Darkborn into the city.”

Thinking about it carefully, although the church was merciless towards Darkborn Plague patients, they were indeed sworn enemies of the Darkborn. Objectively speaking, the church’s starting point was always for the good of humanity. They were not bad to their own people and strictly followed the church’s doctrines. In the church’s doctrines, the Darkborn were the absolute arch-enemy, and other races were meant to serve humanity. So it was hard to imagine that the church would cooperate with their true arch-enemy, the Darkborn, to deal with a race created by the Goddess of Life.

This wasn’t a matter of interest, but a practice that would violate the goddess’s will and shake the very foundation of their faith. If the church really cooperated with the Darkborn, they would no longer be able to use faith magic.

Therefore, Fia was very skeptical that Estelle actually had evidence.

Of course, even if Estelle didn’t have evidence, Fia had nothing to say.

The various forces in this world had their own interests and grievances. They needed to execute heretics to unite their people. Just as the church executed Darkborn Plague patients, other forces would do similar things. If Estelle, a noble of the Bart Duchy, fell into the hands of the church, the situation would definitely not be good. Estelle’s actions were also for the good of her own people. From a noble’s standpoint, she had to inspire morale so that it would be easier to return to the city tomorrow to save more of her subjects.

The cycle of revenge between the two sides had long become a dead knot. Only an outsider like herself would ponder whether the executed were truly innocent.

What a pain.

Feeling impatient, Fia clicked her tongue. The favorable impression she had of Estelle just now quickly changed back.