Ten minutes later, in a secret room inside the women’s clothing store.
The struggling Ira sisters were escorted before Lorevil by two women dressed in black.
The way they were bound was exceptionally tricky, with rough hemp ropes coiled around their limbs. The binding forced the sisters’ curves to protrude; their hands were tied behind their backs with their wrists connected to their arches by thin cords, forcing their bodies into a tense posture with their thighs parted.
“Can you tell me your names and your purpose for following me now?”
Lorevil sat in a chair, looking at the disheveled pair before her as she shook her head helplessly. At the same time, she instantly released the unique pressure of a Rank 3 Vampire!
Elini, who was already weak-willed, felt the shift in the atmosphere. She began to tremble all over, her eyes turning red and her eyelashes fluttering incessantly. The look she directed at Lorevil was filled with terror.
“Master… Master Lorevil, I am Elini, and she is my older sister, Ira.”
Fearing she would provoke the Lorevil standing before her, Elini could not help but speak up.
“You!”
On the other side, Ira was much more stubborn. Her purple eyes surged with dissatisfaction and grievance as she turned to glare at her sister. Her expression was a tangled mess of emotions.
Ira was both annoyed by Elini’s cowardice and privately frustrated by the failure of their tailing mission. Her shapely body was further constricted by the layers of rope, which seemed to be wrapped even tighter around her than her sister’s. Her originally well-fitting short outfit was pulled taut against her curves, revealing a section of excessively long, tan thighs. Her skin was smooth, though faint red marks were beginning to surface from the restraints.
Ira had not expected that after the two sisters followed Lorevil into the fitting room, four Rank 3 Vampires would suddenly charge out and subdue them without a word. These four had struck with ruthlessness and precision; they were clearly professionally trained guards. The sisters hadn’t even had time to release their bloodline energy to resist before being pinned down. To be brought to a secret room bound in such a humiliating fashion was a total disgrace.
Seeing this, Lorevil suddenly felt a bit like a villain from a drama series, bullying a pair of weak twins. If they harbored no ill will, Lorevil naturally intended to let them go, as they did not look like wealthy people. However, if they were planning to assassinate her or endanger those around her, Lorevil would not be soft-hearted.
Standing to the side, her wife, Noxia, looked indignant, appearing as though she wanted to give them a kick. If not for these two assassins, she and Lorevil would still be enjoying their time alone. Her good mood for shopping had been completely ruined. Moreover, what Noxia cared about most was her time with Lorevil, and she worried constantly that someone might hurt her. Looking at these suspicious sisters now, Noxia naturally showed them no kindness.
“Continue. Why were you following me?” Lorevil asked softly after a moment’s thought.
The names sounded familiar, but since a few days had passed, Lorevil couldn’t recall them immediately.
As soon as she finished speaking, Ira tried to sit up. The hemp ropes tightened, and a stinging pain shot through her skin, causing her to hiss through her teeth.
“Thorns,” Ira said, her purple eyes looking at Lorevil with a complex gaze.
Thorns?
These two were members of Thorns?
Elini and Ira… weren’t those the names of the last pair of sisters on the list she was supposed to visit a few days ago? After all that trouble, they were her own people.
A strange expression appeared on Lorevil’s face. She froze for a moment before she couldn’t help but chuckle. Just as Madam Sharon had said, the impatient members would find their own way to her door.
The list had identified them as Rank 2 Vampires, but Lorevil’s bloodline perception told her they were Rank 3. What was that about? Lorevil reconsidered; a year had passed, so it was quite normal for them to have made some progress.
However, awakening talent was extremely difficult, let alone for twins. In the Vampire race, twins often signified ill omens, making it difficult for them to navigate society. It was no wonder they had stayed with Thorns, working their lives away for the organization.
“Release them,” Lorevil commanded the black-clad guards beside her.
The guards responded respectfully and stepped forward to quickly untie the hemp ropes from the sisters.
Once the ropes were removed, Ira immediately rolled her shoulders and rubbed her aching curves and waist. Even without looking, she knew there were plenty of red marks beneath her clothes, and she felt both sore and numb. Elini, as if drained of all strength, collapsed onto the floor looking utterly aggrieved.
Seeing this, Ira reached out to pull Elini up from her seated position, though she still maintained a hint of wariness.
“You want to reorganize Thorns, don’t you? But unfortunately, I don’t have the contact information for the other members.” Ira didn’t beat around the bush, her tone carrying a bit of a testing edge. “However, my sister and I are skilled in infiltration and tracking. We were responsible for that area back in the organization and often went out on missions. We can help you gather a lot of intelligence.”
Since Thorns had fractured, the members had scattered like rats from a sinking ship, each hiding away. Aside from a few close friends who kept occasional contact, everyone else had long since gone silent. Only Ira and her sister had persisted until now.
Thinking of the hardships over the years, Ira added, “We don’t need a high salary. We just need stable missions so the two of us can live a peaceful life.”
They couldn’t leave the organization, and rather than living aimlessly, they preferred to take a gamble on the rumored “new” master standing before them.
Lorevil felt a slight pang of disappointment as she listened to the explanation. She had originally hoped to use the sisters to contact more core members of Thorns — especially those special members above Rank 2 — but she hadn’t expected them to lack the contact info as well.
Still, it was within expectations. Thorns had been fractured for over a year; it was only natural for members to be suspicious of one another and cut ties. Lorevil needed talent skilled in intelligence missions, and since these two sisters had delivered themselves to her, she might as well put them to good use.
“I do intend to reorganize Thorns. If you are willing to return, you are naturally welcome.”
Lorevil nodded slightly, instantly dispelling the sisters’ final concerns.
“Ira, you have plenty of experience. From now on, you will be responsible for rounding up the ordinary members within Holy Blood City based on the list. We need to build the organization’s basic foundation first.”
Then, Lorevil turned to look at Elini, who was calming her emotions.
“Elini, you have a timid personality, but your skills aren’t bad. In the future, you will stay at the mansion to help me… help Noxia train her body.”
Lorevil knew Noxia had always wanted to become a ranked Vampire but lacked guidance. Elini’s performance earlier made her a perfect fit to be Noxia’s instructor. It would allow Noxia to improve while giving Elini a stable job.
Noxia’s eyes lit up upon hearing this, and her previous anger mostly vanished. She turned to look at Elini. Although she still felt a small grudge, she was mostly filled with anticipation. With Elini’s professional guidance… perhaps she could achieve a breakthrough soon and keep up with Lorevil’s footsteps.
“I… I will do my best!”
Elini was stunned, clearly not expecting to be assigned such a task. A joyful expression soon appeared on her face as she nodded vigorously.
Ira also breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they could stay in the organization and had clear missions, it was the best possible outcome for them. Ira bowed to Lorevil and spoke firmly.
“Thank you for your trust, Master Lorevil. I will definitely gather the ordinary members as quickly as possible.”
“In that case, from today on, you are the first batch of members of the reorganized Thorns,” Lorevil said solemnly. “I promise you that as long as you work loyally, I will never mistreat you like the previous leadership. Salaries and resources will be distributed on time.”
Although Lorevil felt the road to reorganizing Thorns would be difficult, it was at least a good start. She had taken the first step.
Ira had other thoughts as well. By having Elini stay by Lorevil’s side, her sister would at least never go hungry; she was essentially a personal guard now. And as the person in charge of gathering ordinary members, Ira’s own status would be that of a founding veteran. Even if the organization grew larger in the future, she and her sister would not lose their voice.
At this thought, Ira was filled with motivation, wishing she could perform a great service for Lorevil immediately. As for the 80,000 blood crystal coins Lorevil technically owed them, Ira didn’t mention it again. After all, while Lorevil hadn’t paid them for a year, the former leader had fled and no missions had been assigned. Still, they would need startup funds eventually; Ira was tactful enough not to bring it up now, planning to find Lorevil privately later.
After resolving the issue with Elini and her sister, Lorevil no longer felt like shopping. Thus, she took Noxia and headed back to the mansion. Of course, the timid Elini followed behind them.
“Noxia, you heard what I said earlier, right?”
Lorevil brought up the matter of Elini providing guidance. It was better for Noxia to have something to do at home; exercising and improving her strength was a good choice. However, her wife suffered from slight social anxiety, a trauma from her childhood. Although Noxia had expressed a desire to go out more often, it was always on the premise that Lorevil would accompany her. If she had a personal guard, Lorevil wouldn’t have to worry about her safety when she went out.
Noxia panicked a little now. She suddenly realized she would have to interact with a strange Vampire. She immediately gave Lorevil a pitiful look.
“Looking at me won’t help. When I said it earlier, your silence was taken as agreement,” Lorevil said, squinting her eyes.
“Then I’ll try… but you can’t force me if it doesn’t work out,” Noxia compromised for the time being. After all, it was for her own good.
“I’ll have Elini create a detailed plan. We start tomorrow.”
Lorevil wasn’t going to give her wife any chance to procrastinate, speaking without a hint of hesitation.