Volume 1, Chapter 39 – The Homeless and the Recognized Vampire Sage

As the central city of the entire Niru Diocese, Niru City was not the heavily fortified town its reputation might suggest. On the contrary, due to the long absence of war with the vampires, an atmosphere of peace pervaded both Niru City and the Niru Diocese. Even the city defense forces were rather lax—patrols mostly spent their time on routine training, occasionally clearing out nearby monsters, making it a remarkably comfortable job.

As a sprawling metropolis with a population of fifty thousand, Niru City was divided into four quadrants by two intersecting main roads. These thoroughfares, connecting the four city gates, were further linked by roughly circular roads. From a bird’s-eye view, the city’s streets formed a spiderweb-like pattern, with each district neatly segmented.

“Though it’s sunny, the sun feels nonexistent—I can’t sense any warmth at all.”

“We are in the northern part of the continent, after all. If this were the south, summer would be approaching by now.”

“It’s quite similar to Earth.”

“Earth?”

“No, never mind.”

Yisi shook her head. Explaining such a thing to Camilla would be futile—she likely wouldn’t understand.

Perhaps because of the clear weather, the streets were bustling with passersby. Yisi spotted many people airing out their bedsheets and quilts, and combined with the lively flow of traffic on the main roads, the entire city brimmed with vitality.

“A lively place really is better. The mansion is comfortable, but too quiet—though it’d be even better if we weren’t drawing so much attention.”

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Yisi sighed helplessly. Both she and Camilla were strikingly beautiful, and even after changing into commoner’s clothing before heading out, they still attracted countless gazes in the crowd.

Noticing the stares, Camilla whispered,

“Shall I drive them away?”

“That would expose us, wouldn’t it? If Owen mobilizes the entire city defense force for another search, it’ll be troublesome.” The “trouble” referred to the hassle of dealing with the mansion’s guarding paladins. “Next time, we should wear masks when going out.”

“Onee-sama, masks might draw even more attention.”

“…You’re right.”

Outside of festivals, masked individuals usually aroused suspicion.

As they admired the city’s scenery, Yisi and Camilla made their way toward the western district. Of the over three hundred demons in the city, nearly half were concentrated in the eastern district. Since Yisi’s goal was to investigate the demons rather than exterminate them, she chose the less densely populated western district.

The further they traveled from the bustling streets, the fewer pedestrians they encountered. The buildings along the road grew sparse, replaced by clusters of people sitting or lying on the streets. Most were thinly dressed, exuding the peculiar odor of long-unwashed bodies, their gaunt faces radiating a lifeless aura. Worse still, as Yisi passed by, every one of them fixed greedy stares on her and Camilla—

As if they wanted to devour them alive.

Seeing such a scene for the first time, Yisi couldn’t help but glance at them a few more times before leaning slightly toward Camilla and whispering,

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“Who are they…?”

“Most are homeless and poor, and some are slaves abandoned by their masters.”

In other words, something like a slum.

In the quasi-utopian society where Yisi had once lived, she had only heard of slums through news reports.

“The homeless poor are understandable, but why would abandoned slaves end up here? If they’re abandoned, doesn’t that make them free?”

“Unless the slave contract is dissolved, a slave can never become free. Moreover, no one dares to take in abandoned slaves. If someone shelters them, the slave’s owner can accuse them of property theft and demand compensation. In the past, some slave owners made a living by exploiting this very loophole.”

“Tch, how harsh… Even though they’re already discarded like trash.”

A hint of sympathy flickered in Yisi’s eyes as she looked at the people by the roadside.

“There’s no need for you to concern yourself, Onee-sama. Most of these people have criminal histories and refuse to seek work. If you show them sympathy, they’ll only exploit your kindness to demand food and gold.”

“I’d rather not deal with that.”

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Yisi averted her gaze. Even God only helped those who helped themselves, and she was no deity. Though she now possessed immense power, at most, she’d only rescue a drowning puppy on the roadside.

After walking a while longer, the lifeless streets suddenly grew lively again.

A crowd of ragged, short-statured people had gathered around a man in his forties, who stood at the center with several soldiers behind him, loudly proclaiming something. The most striking feature was the man’s race—he had a pair of black bat wings on his back.

“A vampire?”

Just to be safe, Yisi glanced at the Omniscient Map. The man, wearing a monocle and looking quite shrewd, was named Assef—a Level 6 lesser vampire. If Yisi remembered correctly, this Assef was the same one who had initially misled her into entering Anno Town. He was also the only vampire permitted by the Church to openly walk the city streets.

Assef’s impassioned speech soon concluded, after which the soldiers brought out steaming pots of white porridge, along with black bread and some unidentifiable side dishes. At the sight of food, the crowd immediately stirred, surging forward in a scramble.

This must be what they called “alms-giving.” Yisi finally understood why the Church allowed Assef into the city. Despite being a vampire, he indiscriminately aided other species.

“There are good people like this too, huh.”

As Yisi marveled, Camilla cast a disdainful look at Assef.

“He just enjoys being thanked by those beneath him.”

“Is there some backstory to this?”

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Camilla’s voice remained flat.

“Onee-sama, this noble named Assef frequently travels between the Pescia Territory and the Niru Diocese, so I know a little about him. The reason he gives alms isn’t to improve the lives of the poor—he simply relishes their gratitude. The more tearfully they thank him, the more it feeds his sense of accomplishment.”

“Well, even so, for those in need, he’s still a kind person, isn’t he? Though his motives aren’t exactly praiseworthy.”

“True. Regardless of his intentions, the result is that he does alleviate some of the tensions between the slums and the regular city districts. That’s why both the Church and Count Pescia turn a blind eye to his free movement between the two regions.”

Yisi gave Assef another glance. As a lesser vampire, he couldn’t move under sunlight, so he had his attendants hold umbrellas to shield him. Whenever someone thanked him, he responded with a delighted smile.

A rather peculiar existence.

“He’s not our target. Let’s go.”

“Yes, Onee-sama.”

However, just as Yisi and Camilla were passing behind the crowd, Assef suddenly called out loudly—

“You two ladies over there—please wait!”