Chapter 28 : The Twenty Second Night : The Transfer Student

Nothing happened last night.

After the instructions from the Saintess, transmitted from afar, spread throughout the various departments of the Tribunal, thousands of fully armed Tribunal sisters almost locked down all major thoroughfares in Florenca City during the night.

The armed sisters, who originally operated on a day and night shift system, were all directly reassigned to night patrol.

Furthermore, the central authority of the Eastern Church directly mobilized numerous combat-adept clerics from major churches in surrounding federal cities to converge on the capital, Florenca.

From the grand noble mansions in the upper city to the dark alleys of the lower city, even the main entrance of the Royal Palace…were all filled with the figures of those armed sisters.

Their black nun’s habits were like phantoms in the night.

Those who knew thought the Church had finally made up its mind not to rest until the perpetrator, the vampire, was caught… but those who didn’t might have thought the Church was going to settle scores with the forces they opposed…

Would a rebellion cause such a massive stir?

Could it be that the Church, relying on its power, intended to take over the Royal Palace under the pretext of catching a vampire?

The real power figures from various factions thought of the city-states completely controlled by the Church’s power, and then recalled their recent public attacks on the Church.

Watching those fully armed sisters, in groups of three, equipped with anomalous containment items as weapons, wandering around and keeping watch, many important figures couldn’t sit still…

So, the Royal Knights, the city defense army, the witches of the Witch Tower, the Night Watch, and other forces deployed all their available combat personnel.

Nominally, it was to help the Tribunal sisters hunt vampires, but in reality, it was to keep an eye on these sisters to see if they would do anything out of line.

And then…

Even though it was a curfewed city, the city’s main avenues were filled with wandering footsteps.

In this situation, let alone vampires, even stray cats and dogs wandering on the roadside at night would be questioned dozens of times.

So, nothing happened last night…

Even the anomalous urban legends that had not been previously cleared out and had newly emerged in the city were beaten up by the agitated combat personnel from all sides and then directly destroyed or contained and sealed away.

The vampire that had been causing trouble in the city and acting so arrogantly in recent days seemed to have been scared by this display and dared not show its face to commit further crimes.

However, although the combat personnel on night duty worked hard, the city’s residents could finally enjoy a night without fear.

There was nothing more reassuring than hearing the dense footsteps of the Night Watch outside the window.

Of course…

The cost…was that when everyone got up in the morning to go to work, they found that more than half of the city’s law enforcement personnel were missing, and most of them had dark circles under their eyes.

But compared to dangerous nights, the daytime, protected by the sun, was clearly incredibly safe.

Daytime mostly involved civil disputes.

And seeing such hard-working law enforcement officers, some of the troublemakers who used to like to cause problems quieted down considerably, praising the warriors who protected public safety.

This slightly reversed the public perception of the various factions that had been criticized for inaction by the public in recent days.

It could be considered a good thing.

The morning sun shone on the rows of pointed spires of the monastery, as if a golden glow enveloped the abbey.

By the artificial lake in the courtyard, students walked from the dormitory area along the lake towards the teaching building.

The cool morning breeze gently lifted the skirts of the girls; the essence of youth and health overflowed from the slender, fair calves revealed beneath the wide nun’s habits.

The young girls, combined with the meticulously crafted landscape within the monastery by artisans and artists, made this morning like a beautiful painting.

It could be called an unparalleled masterpiece.

It would be even better if the students’ expressions were a bit more pleasant…

The 8 AM class was about to begin…

Because no matter what storms raged outside the monastery, it didn’t affect the students continuing their 8 AM classes.

At most, some noticed that fewer sisters were on duty in the monastery today.

But this was St. Carona Monastery, protected by the Great Barrier.

There’s no way there could be vampires here, right?

So, classes continued.

The students’ resentment for early classes was almost palpable, extending all the way to the breakfast cafeteria.

But a rumor, from who knows where, was like a stone dropped into calm water, stirring up ripples.

“Hey, have you heard? It seems a transfer student is coming today.”

“Hmm? It’s already two months into the semester, why now?”

“Is it some noble’s daughter who used connections to get in through the back door? Which grade and class is she transferring into?”

“I’m not sure. I heard from others that she seems to be from the Central Church.”

“A family of clerics?”

“No, her background isn’t that simple. I heard from a distant relative who works at the seminary that the young lady is the sister of Saintess Isis!”

“The Saintess has a sister?”

“Yes, and I heard that although she’s enrolling as a student, she’s incredibly knowledgeable! All the courses previously taught by the Saintess will now be taken over by her.”

“Hiss—how terrifying! Then she must be entering the senior year level.”

“We must find a way to befriend her.”

The spacious dining hall was soon filled with discussions about the transfer student rumor.

Because the seminary was a purely girls’ school, the Church had many strict regulations for students.

For five days of the school week, students were not allowed to leave the campus, and even on weekend holidays, curfew times were very strict.

Students had to report their outings and carry a tracking device, and the areas where they could wander within the city were strictly regulated by the Church.

If students violated school rules, they would face severe punishment.

However, this was also for the protection of these students… after all, while many feared the Church’s power, there were still many ill-intentioned individuals who coveted the delicate female students.

Everything was a lesson the Church had learned from years of incidents.

In the seminary, there was even a compulsory combat class that ran throughout the six-year curriculum.

So, for those noble young ladies of prominent background, academy life, with its lack of entertainment, was somewhat boring and tedious.

The commoner students were fine, but the noble young ladies, whenever something interesting happened in the academy, would gather together, chattering endlessly with gossip.

The noisy cafeteria, after the sister on duty raised the bronze bell in her hand and rang the crisp pre-class preparatory bell, the gossiping crowd quickly dispersed.

The seminary was divided into six grades.

Students generally entered at twelve years old and studied deeply in the academy until they graduated at eighteen.

However, there were also students who entered at fifteen and directly advanced to the higher grades.

After graduation, some students could return to their families and continue to fulfill the missions their families bestowed upon them.

Others could choose to stay in the monastery for further study, but those would no longer fall under the jurisdiction of the seminary; they would then officially become direct clerics under the Church.

Those with profound knowledge and outstanding abilities could even go to the Central Church for exchange studies.

As for the excellent commoner graduates, even if they chose not to become Church clerics after graduation, they were still sought-after talents by various forces once they left.

After all, no one would disdain a graduate from the world-renowned seminary.

Today, the academy was destined to be eventful.

Class 3-A.

In the fan-shaped tiered classroom, the aristocratic students sat in the front, while the commoner students sat in the back rows, forming a clear distinction.

However, at this moment, everyone was very excited, whispering and discussing something.

Because just now, the old nun standing on the podium told everyone that a transfer student would be coming today.

The legendary figure, discussed by everyone in the academy since early morning, had actually transferred to their class, which made it truly difficult not to be excited.

They had originally thought that a student of such status would directly transfer into a higher grade.

“Quiet, quiet, don’t scare the new student.”

The old nun, as the class teacher, shook her head helplessly, looking at the excited students in the class.

But she also understood these students, because the person transferring today…was indeed extraordinary…

When she first saw the girl this morning, she was also stunned by her astonishing aura.

But at this moment, in the back row of the classroom, there was an area completely different from the lively atmosphere.

Selunia, however, stared intently at the tightly closed classroom door, constantly guarding against any possible surprises.

She was also one of the students in this class.

And her deskmates were the half-breeds who had been severely beaten by Lilith that night.

Although they were nominally already working in the Tribunal, due to the Saintess’s strong request, they still had to attend classes like normal students.

At this moment, Selunia clenched her fists tightly, her palms sweating.

Yesterday, after her conversation with Lady Saintess, as soon as she left the chapel, she discovered that the vampire was gone.

She finally found the vampire…in a small warehouse next to the sports field.

And that vampire… at that time, her face was buried right between a student’s legs…

Selunia found it hard to imagine what her expression must have been like at that moment.

Although Lady Saintess had instructed her on some matters, Selunia could not convince herself…that that vulgar and shameless vampire could really be an envoy of the Holy See?

And what she worried about most now… was that the vampire might suddenly have a fit after coming in, strip herself naked, and rush wildly among the students.

Selunia was already prepared that if something really went wrong, she and her Tribunal comrades around her would go up and hold Lilith down…

At least cover her naked body.

She absolutely could not be allowed to tarnish Lady Saintess’s reputation.

After all, that vampire was now enrolling under the identity of Lady Saintess’s sister!

How enviable… no, how worrying…

“Lilith, you may come in now. Please introduce yourself to your classmates first.”

She’s coming!

Selunia’s body slightly lifted, assuming a sprinting posture.

Creak—

The old wooden door was pushed open, and silence instantly fell in the classroom.

Long silver-white hair, which even the large black hood couldn’t conceal, seemed to hang down like a galaxy from the night sky.

The girl, pure and flawless like the bright moon, had a gentle and serene smile on her face.

Her posture was dignified and graceful, and her steps were elegant and light, with not a single sound of footsteps.

Such perfect aristocratic etiquette, even noblewomen who frequently attended various social gatherings couldn’t guarantee to perform so flawlessly.

Her nun’s habit seemed to have been modified to a certain extent, but it wasn’t overly flashy; the academy allowed students to slightly alter the style of their nun’s habits.

A golden cross embroidery stood on the abdomen of her nun’s habit, and several thin cords hung from the emblem on her collar, outlining her petite and delicate body.

In her two pupils, more dazzling than rubies, shimmering starlight seemed to be visible.

Though still in the bud of youth, she could attract everyone’s gaze.

Everyone present… no matter how prominent their family background or appearance, felt a sense of inferiority.

She was a girl who could make one’s breath stop.

The only one who could rival her…seemed to be the Lady Saintess herself, who was currently far away…

“Good day.”

Lilith came to the podium, turned to face her classmates with various expressions, and slightly curtsied, lifting her skirt.

“I am Saint Carona Lilith.”

No need for excessive introduction; just from her unparalleled demeanor and aura, and the surname that only the Central Church could bestow.

Everyone understood what kind of important person this was.

As expected of Saintess Isis’s sister!

Elegant! Simply too elegant!

Selunia: “??????”

No… who is this?

Where’s that lewd, unrestrained vampire?

The sudden contrast made the little nun, who had been nervous for a long time, almost fall to the ground.