Over the next few days, a guard stood every ten steps along the royal capital’s walls, and the patrol teams in the streets were a constant, flowing stream. Anyone found acting suspiciously was immediately taken away for interrogation.
Under the command of Elder Selina, the entire state of martial law operated with perfect order, leaving no room for any gaps.
Furthermore, the troops from the City of Shadows and the City of Blood Spirits had secretly taken their positions. They were hidden in the mountain forests outside the city, ready to provide support at any moment.
As for Lisa and Vian, the two Princes, they stayed inside the castle for the time being.
In the evening, the guards caught a suspicious-looking fellow.
Although the man claimed to be a merchant, he carried a blood-stained dagger and a secret letter. The letter didn’t contain a single word. Instead, it bore a symbol that caused Elia’s gaze to turn instantly cold—a Wolf Head.
Below the Wolf Head was a drawing clearly depicting the Vampire Castle, with a blood-red full moon hanging in the sky above it.
“Where is he?” Elia asked a guard, her voice cold.
“To the Saint, he is in the dungeon,” the guard answered respectfully.
In the dungeon, the member of the Blood Clan was tied to an execution rack, his body covered in wounds that refused to heal.
Elia stood before him, tilting her head as she looked at him. However, before she could even speak, the man spoke first in a trembling voice. “Please… I’m begging you… I really don’t know anything… I’m just a messenger…”
“Do you think I believe that? I will ask you one last time: who sent you?”
‘Still nothing, huh…’
Elia sighed and said, “Why do you all always act like this? You wouldn’t have to suffer if you just honestly confessed.”
She reached out, condensing Holy Light into a flame and pressing it against the man’s chest.
“Aaaaaaaagh!”
A heart-wrenching scream echoed through the dungeon. The flames scorched his skin and flesh, digging deeper bit by bit.
“Are you going to talk, or not?” Elia asked, her voice remaining calm.
“I… I won’t… I won’t talk!”
The fellow’s mouth remained stubborn.
“Heh…” Elia used her Holy Light to manifest a small knife, slowly plunging it into the man’s chest.
Then, she forced his mouth open and shoved another small knife of Holy Light into it… She wasn’t finished. She used new knives to slice the meat off the man, piece by piece.
Beyond that, she tried many other cruel punishments on him. Elia even used healing magic to sustain his life, refusing to let him die.
In truth, she could have used magic to probe his memories, but her inner self didn’t want to do that. She simply wanted to enjoy the sensation of the interrogation.
Honestly, for some reason, Elia now found great pleasure in seeing the look of pain on others; it made her feel incredibly satisfied.
Minute by minute, second by second passed until there wasn’t a single intact spot left on the man’s body. Only after the ground was covered in dried blood did he finally break completely, screaming, “I’ll talk! I’ll talk! I… I’ll talk!”
Only then did Elia withdraw the Holy Light she was about to shove into his internal organs.
“It’s… the ‘Wolf’… They… they told me to… to kill an aristocrat… they said it was to create chaos… and they told me to deliver the letter…”
“Where was the letter to be delivered?”
“The… the Old Mill to the west of the capital… there… there is a contact point there…”
“What does the contact person look like?”
“I… I don’t know… every… every time it’s a different person… but they all wear Wolf Head masks…”
Elia narrowed her eyes and continued, “That letter, what does it mean?”
“It’s… it’s our code for ‘Wolf’… It means… ‘The night of the full moon is when the Blood Moon rises’…”
“Oh. Fine, you’re useless now.”
Immediately, golden flames swallowed the man’s body. Within a few seconds, he was reduced to a pile of ash.
As Elia walked out of the dungeon, she saw the Little Princess leaning against the wall, watching her. She wasn’t sure when the girl had arrived.
“Did you see?” Elia asked.
“Yes, I saw it all,” Kiz answered honestly.
“Are you scared?”
“No… I think you looked quite cool like that.”
“Really?” Elia suddenly smiled.
“Re… Really…” Kiz turned her face away. “Even though… even though it was cruel, it was also… very charming.”
A surge of warmth rose in Elia’s heart. She couldn’t quite say where the warmth came from; perhaps it was the feeling of being accepted.
“You really are a strange little princess,” she said softly.
“You’re the strange one…” Kiz muttered.
—
On the way back, Elia told Kiz about the information she had obtained.
“But tonight is the night of the full moon…” Kiz said, frowning after hearing the report.
“Yes. It seems they plan to act tonight.”
—
At 10:00 PM, everyone had gathered in the castle’s Council Chamber.
Kiz stood at the head of the room and briefly summarized the intel.
“Your Highness, I suggest strengthening the defenses in the West District while also stationing personnel in the other areas,” Selina proposed.
“Understood. Selina, continue to command the army. Lisa and Vian, have your troops ready to provide support at a moment’s notice.”
“Understood,” Lisa said.
“Leave it to us!” Vian said, patting her chest.
Kiz then looked toward several generals and said, “Each of you take a squad and lie in ambush in the four directions of the capital… If the enemy attacks from any side, signal immediately.”
“Yes!” Everyone took their orders and quickly dispersed.
Soon, only Kiz, Elia, Lisa, and Vian remained in the Council Chamber.
Vian leaned over with a grin and said, “Hey, Kiz, you actually look like a proper leader when you’re giving orders~”
Kiz glared at her. “This is not the time for jokes.”
“Fine, fine, I’ll be serious, okay?” Vian said, raising her hands in surrender.
Elia came to Kiz’s side and took her hand, which helped ease the Little Princess’s tension a bit.
—
At midnight, the moon rose to its highest point.
Inside the castle, everyone awaited the coming storm.
Suddenly, a massive explosion erupted from the direction of the West District, and flames soared into the sky.
“It’s started,” Kiz said coldly.
Just as she was about to give an order, several more explosions sounded from other directions. The royal capital was being attacked from all four directions simultaneously.
“Hmm… I assume they want to scatter our forces,” Lisa analyzed.
Kiz gritted her teeth and used magic to transmit a message. “Elder Selina! What is the situation on your end? Report immediately!”
“Your Highness! There are enemies in all four directions! However, the enemy forces in those areas aren’t strong. Their true point of attack is… the castle!”
Just as she finished speaking, the ground of the castle suddenly shook violently. A massive crack split open from the castle gates, extending all the way to the entrance of the Council Chamber.
Countless dark figures wearing Wolf Head masks swarmed out from the crack.
The tall figure leading them looked at Kiz and said in a low voice, “Princess of the Blood Clan, we finally meet…”
Kiz looked at him with cold eyes. “Who are you?”
“Me? I am the leader of ‘Wolf’… You may call me—the Wolf King. Tonight, the Blood Clan will welcome a new era.”
Kiz gripped the Blood Abyss tightly. “We’ll see if you have the ability to make that happen.”
“Kiz, after this battle is over, I’m going to bite you ten times.”
Suddenly, in the middle of this serious moment, Elia spoke those words.
“Not you… I… I…” The Little Princess, who had been about to charge out and slaughter everyone, was instantly stunned by those words.
However, Elia ignored the now confused and embarrassed Little Princess. She raised her hand, and a golden light illuminated the entire area.
“Come… you little wolf cubs… Let me show you what a real monster looks like.” Elia revealed her sweetest, yet most cruel smile.
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