Chapter 15: The Windmill
Outside, the cries and screams rang out as they overshadowed the shouts of the Sigma priests, indicating a fierce battle. Jima also heard the sound of horse hooves approaching.
That must be the reinforcements from the imperial capital. Little did she know how many nobles would today kill their lovers and wives by their own hands.
However, Jima was not concerned at all with the joys and sorrows of others; she only found the noise annoying.
She remained invisible, cracking roasted melon seeds while keeping an eye on her remaining magic power. She noticed it drop to forty percent and complained internally about a summoned creature named George, who indeed consumed a lot of magic.
Clicking her tongue, it dropped another two percent. She guessed that George was facing off against Veilin, wondering why Veilin had not escaped yet.
Jima crossed her legs, gently biting on her front teeth as the roasted seeds fell onto her tongue.
All she hoped for now was that Veilin would quickly escape with Arcanis, and then she could make Arcanis forget his memories, in return for clues to promote her potion.
The shouting outside gradually faded, and Jima felt pleased: “It seems the plan is going smoothly.”
She believed her plan was flawless.
It was incredibly difficult to trick someone as cunning as Arcanis into willingly walking into a trap.
So she and Veilin had planned to leverage George’s whistleblowing as an excuse to connect with the imperial high-ups. They hinted that she could betray all the vampires, with the condition being Arcanis.
The imperial side couldn’t do anything about Veilin, but they certainly had many ways to deal with the exposed vampires.
The two sides reached a deal. On the surface, it was to exterminate all vampires, including Veilin. But both sides tacitly understood that Veilin was not that easy to kill. In essence, she was immortal; no matter how violently she died, it would only extend her resurrection time.
Jima then deceived Arcanis by saying that the empire wanted to exterminate Veilin, and it was only logical for Arcanis to emerge from his cell as bait.
With Veilin acting as her “double agent” insider, knowing the imperial side’s arrangements in advance, it shouldn’t be too difficult for her to grab Arcanis and break out.
So far, the plan had only encountered one small hiccup: the imperial side’s combat plan had leaked.
Veilin remained calm, but Jima was panicking.
If Veilin didn’t deal with her “traitor” status, anyone could see there was something amiss. Although the imperial side might turn a blind eye, George was not so easy to deal with.
The act had to be convincing.
At Jima’s request, Veilin had to accompany Jima in performing a scene of executing a traitor, and Jima got the reward of solving the unexpected problem herself.
This way, if there was a day that Arcanis escaped again and regained his memory, she could blame him outright:
“Who told you to be so lecherous? What did I say? It’s not like you didn’t hold back, you just couldn’t bear to let the Star of Hope spill into Veilin’s mouth. Otherwise, how could I be severely injured by Veilin and nearly die?”
“You almost caused my death, but I am magnanimous. Even though you almost killed me, I will only count it as you owe me three favors, help me with three things, and that will be fine.”
This way, she had an explanation for George, saying she infiltrated the vampires as an undercover agent for the righteous cause and was even knocked fifty or sixty meters away by Veilin, nearly losing her life.
George would definitely feel embarrassed and would have to do more for her.
The noise outside came to a stop.
Jima tossed her ponytail behind her, stood up, discarded the empty paper bag, and licked her flavorful fingertips. She pulled out the “branch axe spear” and used it as a cane, hobbling out.
As expected, the battlefield outside was approaching its end.
The ground was littered with human casualties and corpses, along with a thick layer of dust.
The bloodthirsty bodyguards nearly attacked Jima but paused upon recognizing her identity. She asked about George’s location and continued to pretend to hobble over.
Along the way, the injured and dying vampire ladies cursed: “Traitor!”
“Running dog!”
“Despicable!”
Jima turned around, smiling widely, and said, “Thank you for your compliments, thank you.”
“How enthusiastic you are, so very enthusiastic.”
“This isn’t just my credit; it’s also due to your efforts. Without your diligent infiltration into the empire, how could I sell you for such a high price?”
The vampire ladies gritted their teeth in anger, looking pained.
The suffering of others was Jima’s delight; she laughed even more joyfully.
Unfortunately, there weren’t many vampires left alive to hear Jima’s words, so the power of their suffering wasn’t plentiful.
Seeing Jima laughing so happily, a vampire lady with limbs severed, not yet doused in holy water or nailed to a cross, could no longer bear it. She opened her noseless face wide, soundlessly screaming, and instantly turned to dust.
She was actually so angered by Jima that she died.
Under the guidance of eager soldiers, an officer walked in front of Jima to vouch for her.
Soon, Jima saw George clad in gothic armor. He removed his helmet and hurried towards her, exclaiming:
“Jima! Are you alright?”
Jima displayed a face of tragic anger, hobbling dramatically: “Look at what I have sacrificed for your justice!”
George reached Jima, feeling somewhat at a loss, and asked, “Do you need my healing now?”
Jima stood on one leg, tapped on his armor with the “branch axe spear,” and began to cry:
“It’s no big deal that I almost got killed by Veilin.”
“Do you know? During my time undercover these past few days, I met so many girlfriends. They’re all beautiful and sweet-talking. I really enjoy being friends with them.” The kind of inappropriate female relationships.
“A moment ago, I even saw a female bloodsucker I danced with, cursing me as a traitor and despicable.”
George, feeling distressed, embraced Jima, momentarily speechless.
Jima sighed and said, “You should go back now, great hero of justice; I just want to be alone for a while.”
“Alright,” he replied, noting Jima’s injured face and added, “There’s some news: your friend Arcanis—”
Jima pretended to be saddened as she looked away: “Was captured, right? He brought this on himself. At the last moment, he couldn’t bear to hurt Veilin. After all, what man would plot against the woman he loves while kissing her?”
“It’s good news,” George said. “He managed to sneak back the Star of Hope. By that time, Veilin thought she had the upper hand and accepted Arcanis’s kiss request, successfully getting the Star of Hope into her mouth.”
Jima suddenly turned her head and asked anxiously: “What about him?”
“He escaped.” George thought Jima was surprised. “Veilin was also captured. Though she’s wicked, she’s truly obsessed with love, crazily trying to take Arcanis back. Now Walker is studying how to seal her properly.”
Jima staggered, her complexion pale. George quickly steadied her, asking, “Are you okay?”
“Fine, very fine.” Jima forced a smile at George: “It’s really good that things have come to this point.”
“Yes.”
“Go back now.” Jima maintained her smile, “I will take care of myself.”
George’s figure gradually faded from before her.
The moment George vanished, Jima’s smile instantly disappeared.
She felt dejected and furious, grinding her teeth.
That pig teammate Veilin! All the advantages she had painstakingly earned were squandered by that idiot!
It felt just like in a previous life, playing a video game with a pig teammate: risking her life to interrupt the enemy’s return to town to buy time for her, and she danced right in front of the enemy’s almost dead base! Just as she was revived at the crystal, the enemy base became invincible, and everything was overturned.
In a fit of anger, Jima stopped pretending to hobble, grabbing the “branch axe spear” and asking around where Veilin was sealed. She intended to pay back blood with blood and tooth for tooth, and she needed to give her a few good axe blows to the face.
Before long, Jima was taken to the Sigma Cathedral, where she saw a ragged Veilin.
She looked terrible; her clothes were tattered. She had lost her beauty, resembling a half-rotten corpse, yet with sharp fangs and claws. Her wounds were oozing continuously, the blood rising and entering her own wounds.
She was locked on an altar, being burned by intense white light, and Veilin—or the monster that was Veilin—had already lost her sanity, roaring incessantly.
Standing before the altar was the bald Walker, who spread his arms wide. In an instant, intense white flames descended from the ceiling onto Veilin, burning her and drowning her screams.
On the pristine altar, only a charred corpse still crawling forward remained; Jima thought she could still hear her calling Arcanis’s name.
“You’re finally here, succubus.” The merciless Walker looked at Jima surrounded by two fighting priests, his gaze fierce, as if he were a competitive rooster.
Jima immediately thought of Gregory; they were all of the same kind.
“I came to bring her two axe blows to avenge myself,” Jima said. “Is she dead now?”
“Not dead.”
The sound of chains being pulled resonated.
Everyone looked at the altar where the charred corpse beneath the holy light was visibly regenerating, revealing pale skin.
Veilin roared and lowered her head to bite through a golden chain.
“Quick!”
Walker and several battle priests charged forward again, knocking Veilin down; one of the battle priests sustained injuries.
“This might keep her stable for a few minutes,” Walker said. “I’ve tried several sealing methods, none of which worked; we might have to kill her.”
What a big trouble.
Even with Walker right there, ready to take Veilin down, it wouldn’t be enough. Humans could always slack off and make mistakes, and he was no exception. Merciless Walker couldn’t spend his whole life here.
Jima suddenly understood his implication and said, “I have a way.”
“Speak, succubus. But don’t think you can deceive anyone,” said the merciless Walker. “Sigma is watching you.”
“I can take away her memories; as long as I erase all memories from this period and make her think she is still that weak vampire beside Van Helsing.” Jima whispered, “Even if she senses something is wrong, out of her distorted love for Van Helsing, she’ll likely fool herself. However, this would require the sacrifice of a loyal witch hunter.”
This human, whose chest hair grew in the fight against the demon race, said loudly: “Sacrifice is the foundation of the empire! Van Helsing would gladly dedicate himself for Sigma.”
Twenty minutes later.
Poor Arcanis was seized by two bald battle priests, holding onto his arms.
Arcanis twisted his body, shouting: “No! I don’t want to! I’ve shed blood for the empire, given my life for Sigma. I want to see the emperor, see the emperor.”
“You must work seriously on this difficult sealing task!” said the merciless Walker sternly. “This is Sigma’s will.”
Jima consoled beside him: “At least you have a beautiful lady who loves you; today really is your lucky day.”
“Lucky my ass!” Arcanis said. “I was perfectly fine in the basement, but I was forced out to be bait. After being bloodied by Veilin, your husband hit me a few times when he heard you were in trouble. I swear I’m done; it’s not like I was the one who snitched. Why hit me?”
But no matter how dissatisfied Arcanis was, with the emperor’s urgent decree, he was to offer his youth to seal the wicked vampire.
“Since even the emperor said so.” Arcanis reluctantly put on the witch hunter’s leather hat. “I’ll try to deceive her and keep it going; if she finds out she’s been deceived, I’ll run away immediately.”
“Don’t worry; I used a vast amount of lie power to weave this deception,” Jima said. “Sealing her memories went very smoothly. Anyway, you have no choice. You might as well confidently take the ancient blood ancestor of the bloodsuckers and hunt vampires everywhere.”
“Also, I should remind you, Adolf, you can’t stay any longer. So many people have lost their wives and lovers because of you today. They dare not face merciless Walker, nor dare they face the emperor.”
Arcanis retorted: “Aren’t you the same?”
Jima smiled slightly but did not respond.
In today’s military action, the empire used every means to try and cover up the truth. It was quite successful; it had only been two days.
Even the workers outside the city knew that merciless Walker was leading the army to encircle the vampires in the city, a large number of noblewomen and lovers had turned to ashes, and among them, the succubus and an unknown witch hunter played crucial roles.
People discussed the legendary “blood princess” and her twisted love for the witch hunters; they lamented that the witch hunters, indeed, were so heartless. Also, they shared news of which noble had lost their wife or woman.
As night fell, darkness enveloped the noisy city.
Arcanis drove the horse-drawn carriage alone, carrying a metal coffin inside, quietly leaving the city. This time, no one bid him farewell.
Inside the metal coffin, Veilin lay with her hands crossed over her chest. Her exterior had returned to normal, with no sign of life, like a finely crafted doll.
In her dreams, she encountered the succubus Jima.
The succubus Jima spoke a lot and took a sip of water:
“The situation is just like this. I used a vast amount of lie power, nearly exhausting all my reserves, to make them believe I bottled up your memories and inserted new ones. Not only did I compensate for your mistake, but I also created a better outcome for you.”
Veilin said, “I must continue to pretend I have amnesia, pretend everything is in the past; otherwise, between us, it will be like a bubble that pops and disappears, and he will leave me.”
“Whatever.” Jima said, “You can also imprison him in a cage.”
Veilin closed the script Jima had given her: “No thank you.”
“As a return, you must promise me that once I summon you, you must come to fight for me.”
Veilin replied, “Unless he discovers it.”
Jima fixed her gaze into Veilin’s eyes and said, “No, absolutely not.”
Veilin conceded, nodding. She handed Jima a piece of paper and said, “This is an ancient ritual. Invoke my name and use my blood, and someone will answer your questions.”
Jima looked at it carefully, feeling a bit angry: “Isn’t this ritual directed towards the Lord of Deception?”
The Lord of Deception is one of the dark four gods, known for his vast knowledge concerning transformation.
Veilin countered, “Can ancient obscure and precious knowledge bypass him?”
Jima wanted to refuse but remembered the pain in her chest, the shards of the Demon King’s crown, and the recent drop in her status while in bed.
Gaining strength was an urgent matter.
“If I’m being watched, then so be it.” Jima put away the paper and said, “Goodbye.”
Veilin vanished from her dream palace.
The long night went on.
Finally, at dawn, a golden ray of light pierced the horizon, as Arcanis, sleeping in the driver’s seat, yawned and adjusted the high witch hunter’s leather hat.
A sound came from inside the coffin, causing the muscles in Arcanis’s back to tense.
The drowsy Veilin, dressed in a plain white dress, walked up, sitting next to him, leaned against his shoulder, and asked, “It seems like I’ve been asleep for a long time, dear husband.”
“It has been quite a while,” Arcanis said. “The shameless vampires attacked you; I begged the bishop and barely saved you—though you have some memory loss. Do you remember the relatives you were going to seek refuge with?”
“I don’t remember. I only remember when I was getting married, the vows you spoke to me.”
Veilin leaned her head on Arcanis’s shoulder, her cold cheek against his neck.
The rising sun peeked over the horizon, and the golden dawn shone down on them. Veilin tightened her grip on Arcanis’s hand, their fingers intertwined as they gazed at the sun rising.
The colorful windmill turned in the morning breeze.
