Early morning.
The first rays of sunlight pierced through the colorful clouds, staining them purple.
The light passed through the open, crooked wooden window and shone into a simple thatched cottage on Black Rat Street, casting a purple glow.
*Clang!*
A strange noise echoed inside the small house.
Vivian abruptly threw open the coffin lid and poked her head out. Her messy hair was tangled in a ball, looking exceptionally fluffy.
She let out a sleepy yawn and scanned the room, but Nolan was nowhere to be found.
‘Did he leave early…?’
A hint of disappointment she hadn’t even noticed herself flickered in Vivian’s heart.
‘Hmph, he didn’t even say anything.’
She swayed as she walked toward the stove, pulling over a small stool to stand on. She took out the leftover thick porridge from the night before. After sitting out all night, the cold had turned the porridge into a frozen clump of mush.
Vivian picked out the carrot chunks. Then, she smeared a piece of pork lard into the pot and tossed the porridge clump inside. She intended to make herself a simple breakfast.
Before long, a sizzling sound filled the room. A pancake was ready.
Vivian took out a piece of congealed pork blood, mixed it with the pancake, and wolfed it down in a few bites.
After her meal, Vivian slumped lazily in her chair, enjoying a moment of morning peace.
‘I’ll just wash the dishes with Nolan tonight.’
She used this little scheme to indulge her laziness. After her short rest, Vivian stood up, feeling satisfied.
Time to work!
Before heading out, she changed into a black short skirt that was easy to move in and tied her hair into a side ponytail. Since there might be a fight today, she needed to wear something practical.
She planned to use her free time during work to ask around about that Blue Whale Chamber of Commerce. If she could take down those demons who liked to cause trouble, her peaceful life would return.
***
Vivian hung her small wooden plaque around her chest and walked out the door. Just as she opened her bat-headed parasol, a deep male voice came from beside her.
“Good morning, Ms. Vivian.”
Vivian turned her head at the sound. She saw Uncle Hawthorne lifting his heavy eyelids, greeting her with a weary smile.
“Good morning. Is Uncle Hawthorne going to the fur workshop to work today as well?” Vivian offered a friendly smile.
“Yeah. Although the working conditions there are a bit poor, the pay is decent.”
“Do you still have carrots at home? If you’re out, I’ll have Sero bring some more over.”
“Thank you so much, but we still have some left. There’s no need to trouble Aunt Sero,” Vivian replied, waving her hands in a hurried refusal.
The half-basket of carrots left at home was probably enough for Nolan to gnaw on for a week. If another basket came, Nolan might actually turn into a rabbit-man.
Thinking of Nolan hopping around the house with two giant front teeth, Vivian couldn’t help herself and let out a snicker.
‘So cute…’
“What’s wrong?” Hawthorne asked, looking at Vivian in confusion.
“It’s nothing. I just thought of something funny,” Vivian said, shaking her head gently.
Hawthorne didn’t press further. Finally, Vivian waved goodbye to Uncle Hawthorne and walked toward the market.
***
Inside the market of the Rust Hammer District.
As soon as Vivian stepped into the market, she felt that today’s atmosphere was a bit unusual. The usually bustling crowds and the vendors shouting from their stalls were nowhere to be seen.
‘Where did everyone go?’ Vivian muttered softly.
After walking down the street for a while, she finally spotted a passerby. She rushed forward to catch them and ask.
“Everyone is over there,” the passerby said, pointing toward the depths of the market.
After thanking them, Vivian followed the direction the person had pointed. Before she had gone very far, she saw a massive crowd gathered in front of the Blood-Boil Bakery.
People were packed in several layers deep, blocking the way entirely. A noisy clamor drifted toward her, though she couldn’t tell what was happening. She quickly broke into a trot to get the scoop as soon as possible.
Vivian loved joining in on the excitement. She didn’t want to miss out on any interesting possibilities; it was one of the simple pleasures of her life.
She spotted Ethan, the meat stall owner, on the outer edge of the crowd. She quickly approached him and asked in a low voice, “What’s happening up there, Uncle Ethan?”
Ethan, dressed in his hunter’s gear, whipped his head around. He saw only a parasol with bat ears but no person. Lowering his gaze, he saw Vivian’s dark red eyes beneath the umbrella.
He had to crouch down to answer her. “The Lord’s steward came to our market to post a demon hunting bounty. He said the reward is ten whole gold coins!”
“Ten gold coins!” Vivian gasped, covering her mouth.
The moment she heard that, a fire ignited in her heart. This was absolutely the largest sum of money Vivian had ever heard of. If she could claim it, that bounty would be enough to last her for several years.
Vivian quickly bid Ethan farewell. Then, relying on her petite body, she slipped through the crowded, jostling people like a loach. She made her way to the innermost layer of the circle.
***
The doors of the Blood-Boil Bakery were tightly shut. Two figures stood in the open space in front of the shop, surrounded by several guards holding spears.
One was a middle-aged man dressed as a steward, wearing clean, ink-colored robes. Beside the steward stood a tall orc clad in deep green armor.
It was Black, the owner of the Blood-Boil Bakery. At this moment, he had taken off his snow-white chef’s uniform and replaced it with heavy armor covered in nicks and blade scars.
The steward raised his hand, holding a piece of parchment stamped with the Lord’s seal, and shouted loudly, “I will repeat this one last time! As long as someone is willing to join Mr. Black in subjugating the demons that are ambushing caravans outside the city, they will be rewarded with ten gold coins upon success! The selection will be decided by Mr. Black.”
Once he finished speaking, the steward took a step back, making way for the orc, Black.
The crowd erupted into a noisy commotion.
“Ten gold coins! My god, I haven’t seen that much money in my life.”
“Me? Fight a demon? Are you serious? Will anyone even be around to collect our bodies?”
“Why is an orc making the decision!”
The clearing was like a boiling pot of porridge as everyone began to argue and discuss.
Black let out a cold snort and took a heavy step forward. An invisible aura of murderous intent radiated from him. The crowd was intimidated by his presence, and the noise gradually died down.
“Now, those who wish to subjugate the demons, stay in front of the shop. Everyone else, please disperse for your own safety.”
The orc’s voice was low and steady. He wasn’t loud, yet his voice reached the ears of everyone present clearly.
The dense crowd dispersed instantly. Under the guidance of the guards, they slowly left the clearing. Most of them were just ordinary people who had come to watch the excitement; they possessed no strength, let alone the ability to fight demons. Of course, there were adventurers among them, but they knew their own limits. While they wanted the rich reward, they weren’t willing to go to their deaths.
A moment later, only a few people remained in the clearing.
There was a man as burly as Black, and a magician wearing a hood and long black robes. And then there was the vampire, Vivian…
She trotted along right behind the person dressed as a magician. That person’s wide robes almost completely hid Vivian’s figure.
Vivian didn’t want to miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She felt that the demon this bounty aimed to kill was likely the same one Nolan mentioned had attacked the caravan last night.
This had already been Vivian’s goal for the day. Now, if she accepted the bounty, her victory over the demon… would not only bring down the price of bread but also earn her a massive sum of money.
‘It’s a total win-win!’ Vivian felt a wave of secret joy in her heart.
***
“You are brave warriors.”
Black walked up to the remaining few and nodded at them in praise. Whether it was for the bounty or some other purpose, those willing to stand up to hunt demons were people of supreme courage. He admired them from the bottom of his heart.
But then, Black’s tone shifted. “Courage alone is not enough to face a demon…”
His gaze sharpened, scanning the few of them back and forth. The moment he finished speaking, he suddenly drew the curved blade from his waist.
*Schwing!*
A sharp ring sliced through the air, drawing a flash of ice-cold light in front of them.
“Without sufficient strength, you are merely throwing your lives away…”
With that, he casually tossed the blade to the burly man at the front. Then, he slowly balled his hands into fists and lowered his center of gravity.
“Come, trade a few blows with me.”
Black took a stance and nodded at the burly man. “Let me see your strength.”