Volume 2, Chapter 44 – Prelude to a Fierce Battle

Parting ways with the dazed Auston at the slave merchant association, Yisi led Mary through the front courtyard to the guild’s entrance. As before, the place was bustling with well-dressed people coming and going.

“Mary, is there anything you’d like? As a reward for your level-up, I can buy you something you like.”

“Anything?”

“Mhm, as long as it’s within my power.”

“I want to sleep with Master!”

“Huh?!”

The bold declaration, delivered with such energy, made Yisi reflexively offer an apologetic smile to the passersby who turned to stare. She then focused her gaze back on Mary.

“I don’t mind. Mary is so small, you remind me of a child from my relatives’ family. But Camilla would probably eat you the next day…”

“Ehh…”

Understanding Yisi’s implication, Mary shrank back, gulped nervously, and looked up at Yisi with timid eyes.

“Then… Can we all sleep together? That way, Miss Camilla won’t get angry.”

“Together? Well, that would indeed keep Camilla from getting upset. Alright, let’s do that.”

Though sharing a bed with a beauty like Camilla might lead to all sorts of problems, having Mary sleep between them would prevent any inappropriate thoughts.

“But why do you suddenly want to sleep with me? My bed isn’t any different from yours.”

“Because it’s warmer when everyone sleeps together! It feels so cold sleeping alone.”

“Oh, that’s the reason? I see. But unlike Shinku or Camilla, I don’t radiate warmth. Even if you snuggle close, I won’t feel warm.”

Back in the Niru Parish, she hadn’t noticed, but after settling into the tavern, Yisi realized that a vampire’s body temperature was several degrees lower than a human’s. Most of the time, her hands and feet felt icy to the touch.

“That’s okay. If Master were as hot as Miss Shinku, I wouldn’t be able to sleep!”

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Though Yisi knew Mary often carried her pillow to other girls’ rooms at night, she hadn’t expected her to have already figured out such details in such a short time. Of course, Yisi found it utterly heartwarming—the sight of adorable girls getting along so well was always healing.

Completely unaware that her expression had taken on a rather lecherous look.

Thud.

Something bumped into her left side. Yisi snapped back to reality and turned to see who it was.

A girl with golden pupils, about her size, stood there. Her long pink hair was styled into shoulder-length twin tails, and she wore a black gown adorned with red ribbons, paired with a cape. Her delicate face, tinged with melancholy, exuded an air of fragile beauty.

Before Yisi could speak, the girl flinched, hastily stepped back, and bowed in apology.

“S-Sorry! I was lost in thought and didn’t see you.”

“No… it’s fine.”

Yisi’s gaze instinctively fell on the girl’s cape. The moment they collided, she had clearly glimpsed a pair of bat wings hidden beneath it—wings positioned at the waist. This girl was a pureblood vampire, just like her.

“May I ask your name?”

Yisi extended her hand toward the extravagantly dressed girl. The pink-haired girl froze for a second, then tentatively began to raise her hand. But just as their fingers were about to touch, a tall figure stepped between them.

A man clad in silver plate armor, radiating an aura of stern resolve.

“You have no need to know the lady’s name, nor do you have the right to stand in her presence,” he coldly warned Yisi. The man, around forty, turned to the girl. “Milady, there’s no need to apologize to such lowly creatures. Please proceed inside.”

“O-Okay…”

With a timid nod, the girl followed the man into the slave merchant association’s hall.

Mary quickly rushed to Yisi’s side.

“Master, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Just… there’s something I’m curious about.”

Gently stroking Mary’s chestnut hair, Yisi activated Omniscient Map. Though the encounter had been brief, she had sensed something indescribable from the girl—like a wanderer suddenly tasting a familiar flavor, or the feeling of returning to a mother’s embrace. She had instinctively wanted to get closer.

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More importantly, the girl carried a faint, elusive scent of blood. Far from repulsing Yisi, it entranced her. She even had a premonition—this girl’s blood might surpass Camilla’s in flavor.

Would it taste like champagne?

Yisi licked her lips subconsciously. Lately, she had been collecting blood under the guise of “Viel” at the tavern, but she hadn’t found anyone with high-quality blood. In other words, it had been a while since she’d had a truly delicious drink.

Worse, frequent blood draws from the fallen girls might lead to anemia for Shinku and the others, so she could no longer rely on them as donors. As a result, she hadn’t had any blood for two days.

Locking onto the girl as her target, Yisi zoomed in on her status information.

Name : Andrea Alexia Fred Envi Alvier

Race : Pureblood Vampire

Level : 21

“Alvier? Sounds oddly familiar… I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere. I’ll mark her for now.”

Dragging a pin from the Omniscient Map’s interface to mark the girl, Yisi set the matter aside and left the slave merchant association with Mary.

……

But soon, a new problem arose.

A group of burly men, with bulging chests and thick arms, blocked the alleyway ahead and behind Yisi and Mary, sealing off their escape. The leader glared at Yisi menacingly.

“You’re Yisi, right?”

“Oh? I thought you were just street thugs looking for money, but you’re hired help, huh?”

If they were ordinary thugs, they wouldn’t have bothered confirming her identity.

The man grinned, confirming Yisi’s guess.

“Smart girl. We’re just doing a job. Cooperate, and we’ll let you go. Otherwise, with that tiny body of yours, you won’t last one hit from me.” He flexed his fist for emphasis. “Tell us about your witchcraft, and we’ll leave you alone.”

“Witchcraft?”

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Ignoring the threat, Yisi tilted her head in confusion. At first, she thought they were after the Margaret wine recipe, but it seemed rumors of something else had spread.

“That little girl beside you was a fallen on the verge of death, wasn’t she? The mark on her disappeared because of your witchcraft. Keep playing dumb, and you’ll regret it.”

So the secret about the fallen mark got out.

Yisi frowned. The one who hired these men was likely Baron Wells. So far, only Camilla and Mary knew about her ability to heal the fallen. The marks on the fallen girls had been erased by “Viel.” With such a clear target, the culprit could only be Baron Wells, who had personally witnessed Mary’s mark vanishing.

“What a pain.”

“Huh?”

The man’s voice rose in irritation as he stepped closer. Meanwhile, Mary drew the decorative rapier at her waist and positioned herself protectively in front of Yisi. The man might look strong, but his level was below 5. In a one-on-one fight, even Mary could defeat him.

But the man had no idea about the level gap. To ordinary people, Level 8 was an unattainable height.

“Stop!”

A young man’s voice interrupted the impending fight. Accompanied by cries of pain from behind, Auston—his blond hair slicked back—forced his way to Yisi’s side. With a confident flick of his bloodied sword, he turned to Yisi with a serious expression.

“Miss Yisi, leave this to me. Fighting is a man’s duty.”

No… this isn’t the time for grandstanding.

Unless Auston had powerful magic, he stood no chance against the remaining men alone.

If the men hadn’t mentioned the fallen healing secret earlier, Yisi might have suspected this was all a staged act by Auston.

Seeing Yisi hesitate, Baron Auston smiled and bowed gracefully.

“Miss Yisi, there’s no need to worry about me. Protecting a beautiful lady like you is an honor for—URK!”

Mid-sentence, Auston was punched square in the face with enough force to distort his features.

“Ugh… Miss Yisi… run…”

His voice strained, Auston leaned on his sword, urging Yisi to flee.

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Mary tugged at Yisi’s sleeve, her eyes filled with concern.

“Master…”

“Mary, let’s go.”

“But what about Mr. Auston?”

“We’ll only get in his way here.”

Pulling Mary along, Yisi knocked out two men blocking their path with her fists. This wasn’t out of cold-heartedness—rather, it was out of consideration for something else.

Something called male pride.

Having once been a man herself, Yisi understood Auston’s mindset perfectly. He simply wanted to show his brave side to the woman he admired. If she stepped in to resolve the situation, it would only humiliate him. While Yisi had no intention of deepening their relationship, crushing Auston’s dignity here would be too cruel.

Soon, Yisi and Mary shook off their pursuers and ducked into a deserted alley.

“Mary, wait here for a bit. I’m going to rescue Auston.”

“I want to help Mr. Auston too!”

“No. Auston cares deeply about his pride. If a child like you saved him, he’d never hear the end of it from his friends.”

Gently patting Mary’s back, Yisi dashed out of the alley and found another secluded spot.

I’ll help Auston as Viel. Even if I don’t have time for makeup, as long as I don’t linger, no one will recognize me.

Donning a silver mask that covered half her face and a black cloak that obscured her figure, she let down her twin tails and tied her hair into a side ponytail. Then, deactivating Second Form Awakening, she reverted to her vampire appearance and used Short-Range Teleportation to appear above Auston’s location.

With their original target gone, the furious men had turned Auston into their punching bag. All he could do was curl up on the ground like a bug, enduring their kicks and punches with pained groans.

If you don’t have the skills, you shouldn’t show off…

Sighing inwardly, Yisi—now Viel—plunged into the fray.