Half a month passed in a hurry.
The vampire hunt that once shook the entire city was gradually overshadowed by the increasingly chaotic situation within the city.
Yet, the federal city of Florenca, located in the east of the continent, seemed unable to escape the shadow of that fateful night…
Every night that followed was filled with terror.
It could even be said that the current state of conflict among the city’s various factions began on that very night.
At first, the people celebrated the successful hunt of the vampire.
They praised the Church’s Inquisitor Nuns for their strength, marveling that not a single one had perished while facing such a powerful vampire.
But soon, something felt off.
Murders caused by vampires began to occur frequently again in a short time.
After witnessing the gruesome, desiccated corpses, the people, however reluctant, realized that the vampire incidents were far from over.
As a result, public criticism of the Inquisition and the military grew louder.
People felt that the elites treated their lives as insignificant, accusing them of fabricating a scapegoat to cover up their failures.
After all, too many had seen the vampire standing under sunlight that day.
How could a vampire possibly survive in the sun?
The prevailing theory was that the authorities, unable to catch the real culprit, had framed an innocent girl to quell public panic.
This narrative recently gained widespread support among the populace.
According to an anonymous nurse from the hospital where the incident occurred, the captured girl, though not human, was definitely not a terrifying creature that fed on human lives.
Otherwise, how could the nurse have survived? How could the advance troops, defeated by the creature, have survived?
They had caught the wrong person.
Had the real culprit not struck again shortly after, that innocent non-human girl might have been sent to the stake by the incompetent authorities.
The nurse, tearful during the interview, evoked deep sympathy.
The interview sparked outrage among the city’s non-human communities, who took to the streets multiple times, protesting under the banner of racial discrimination and demanding the Church release the wrongfully captured girl.
In this world, there are many harmless non-human races, such as elves, dwarves, and other populous non-human groups, who make up a significant portion of society.
The protests by these non-human communities caused headaches for the nobles in the Upper City.
As a result, the Upper House turned its ire on the Church, demanding they hand over the girl, whose status as a vampire remained unclear.
But the Inquisition remained silent, showing no intention of releasing her.
Instead, they allied with the Lower City councilors in the Lower House and began criticizing the Upper City councilors for ordering the city’s defense forces to bombard the hospital during the capture, disregarding the safety of patients and innocent civilians.
This reignited the Lower City’s resentment toward the Upper City.
In recent days, Lower City newspaper headlines were filled with vitriol against the Upper City nobles.
The Upper City headlines fired back, accusing the “uncouth” Lower City masses of lacking manners.
They argued that the nobles were also targets of the vampire attacks, with victims already reported in the Upper City.
They claimed the bombardment was ordered to swiftly neutralize the vampire threat.
Why should they bear all the blame?
The real responsibility, they argued, lay with the Inquisition.
Had the Inquisitors not misdirected the hunt and targeted the wrong person, would things have escalated to this point?
The Inquisition, as usual, offered no response, but instead leaked compromising information about several Upper City nobles.
The entire city of Florenca descended into chaos, like a pot boiling over.
Amid the turmoil, the king was forced to step forward and deliver a speech, urging the people to remain restrained during this crisis.
The vampire threat was not over, and everyone needed to unite to face the real danger.
Florenca was placed under a citywide curfew, effective immediately.
Though His Majesty promised that the true vampire culprit would soon be apprehended, the indefinite curfew suggested that even the king was uncertain when the vampire would be caught.
A promise without a timeline was as good as no promise at all…
This drove the Upper City nobles nearly mad, prompting them to flood the king with petitions, accusing him of making remarks that undermined public confidence.
Their credibility had already suffered a severe blow.
If things continued this way, the next election cycle for city councilors would spell disaster.
And while the city was filled with the “civilized” language of fragrant flowers and singing birds…
The instigator of all this chaos was in a place no one could find.
Except for the Inquisition…
Saint Carona’s Monastery
Located in the heart of the federal city, this was a world-renowned theological academy and the stronghold of the Eastern Church’s Inquisition.
Protected by the deities of wind and water—the Fountain of Origin and the Sovereign of Boundless Winds—this was one of the rare sacred places in the world, nearly impervious to evil.
The monastery’s sprawling grounds covered much of the Upper City’s Royal Avenue, equivalent to cramming an enormous estate into the already crowded golden district of the city.
If the city had a mind of its own, it might complain about being stuffed to the brim, ready to burst with some wild metaphor.
Its extravagant size allowed for a small lake to be carved within the monastery’s grounds.
Every building, large and small, was adorned with intricate reliefs crafted by the most celebrated artisans and artists.
The undulating walls were covered in elaborate decorative sculptures, exuding an unparalleled sense of divinity even in the dimness of midnight.
The stories of the Creator God, the major deities, and the deeds of every legendary hero seemed etched into the monastery’s architecture, narrating tales from the dawn of creation to the present day.
In daylight, this vast monastery outshone even the king’s palace at the city’s center, drawing all eyes and carrying a faint whiff of overstepping authority.
Yet, despite this, the monastery had stood resolute for ages.
No faction, no matter how powerful, dared to challenge the Church’s global influence without showing at least a modicum of respect and restraint.
This was especially true here, where a Saint and a near-saintly Cardinal Bishop were permanently stationed.
The humility of the local nobility had helped cement this academy’s status as a world-famous institution.
The Saint Carona Monastery, formally known as Saint Carona Theological Academy, was named directly after the Great Elemental Lord. It welcomed the scions of global elites and students with exceptional spiritual talents from around the world.
Aqua-blue radiance flowed like ripples on a lake, shimmering between the monastery’s buildings.
Nuns in black habits and students studying here moved with refined grace, their every gesture brimming with intellect and elegance.
The lush vegetation within the grounds was meticulously trimmed by young ladies skilled in horticulture, creating a visually stunning display.
The academy hosted noble daughters from across the globe alongside extraordinarily gifted commoner girls.
The Saint stationed here was herself a graduate of this academy, and its prestige was widely recognized by authoritative institutions worldwide.
But behind the opulent facade of this grand theological academy lay the undeniable truth: this was the domain of the Heresy Inquisition.
A shadowy corner unknown to the sheltered young ladies within…
Lilith couldn’t speak.
Her mouth was gagged with a restraining ball, and her bare body was suspended in a pitch-black dungeon where no light reached.
If not for the occasional excited whimper escaping through the gaps in her gag, one might think she was genuinely suffering some injustice.
How thrilling! Which beautiful nun sister would come to discipline her today?
This little vampire princess seemed to have gotten a bit too carried away during her time here.
Sometimes, trying out the submissive role and being “bullied” by a lovely sister wasn’t half bad!
What an experience!
“Want to date, big sister? I can top or bottom, and I’m super sweet! Most importantly, I’m unbreakable.”
Writhing in the darkness, Lilith eagerly awaited the nun who would come to interrogate her today.
So exciting!
Surrendering back then was absolutely the right call!
Totally, totally right!
Just enjoying herself with no care.
No loyalty for the nurse
Well things went to crap while she was enjoying herself.