Chapter 103, Chapter 21: Blood Race Duke
Miss Verafia pulled Igat, her small body squeezed into the crowd, and also fell a distance from Verodia and the Bard.
As she looked up, she happened to see a pure silver sword blade directly decapitate the Blood Race Slave, the rapidly desiccated head rolling on the ground.
“The Blood Judgment has been sealed for many years. Today, by the will of the Duke and the Sacred Light, we reawaken it. We use this to warn those who bow to the evil spirits of the Blood Race.”
“Blood Judgment?”
Verafia uttered the words, then couldn’t help but furrow her delicate brows. She looked around at the crowd, shouting as if their great vengeance had been repaid, and let out a small sound, “What is this?”
“Miss, you don’t know?”
A middle-aged passerby dressed as a gentleman said. When he saw the girl turn her face, her exquisite and flawless features and a pair of beautiful, bright golden eyes, he couldn’t help but make a guess, and his attitude became respectful.
“You must be a noble young lady from out of town… Miss, perhaps you are unaware, but the Blood Judgment is a very long-standing tradition in Lansiat.”
“Tradition?”
Verafia let out a sound of slight confusion.
“That’s right. The tradition of the Blood Judgment originated fifty years ago with the suppression of the Blood Race rebellion. Although the ringleader of that year has long since been executed under His Majesty the King’s Sacred Sword, his remnants are still venomous on the land of Lansiat.”
Blood Race rebellion…
Verafia silently recited the term. She remembered hearing similar terms from Ronald: undoubtedly, this term, like the war Verodia mentioned earlier, represented the same meaning.
The middle-aged passerby naturally did not realize what the young lady was thinking and continued.
“The blood descendants built castles, attacked human villages and cities every deep night, and turned the abducted people into their blood-sucking slaves. Did you see that person just now? If I’m not mistaken, this person was turned into this half-dead blood slave by a vampire, as rumored.”
“To deal with these annoying and disgusting blood mosquitoes, Lord Dawn mobilized a large army to encircle and suppress them at the beginning of his tenure, but with little success. Finally, at His Majesty the King’s suggestion, the Duke established the Blood Judgment Court, specifically organizing vampire hunters, and giving the death penalty to anyone who dared to collude with vampires. Thus, the Blood Judgment gradually became a tradition in Lansiat.”
Verafia nodded, somewhat understanding but not entirely. The young girl then looked at Igat beside her.
“Young Lady, this uncle is not saying anything wrong. From what I know, the Blood Judgment in Lansiat is about the same.”
Igat stepped forward and said with a smile, “But I heard that since all those vampires were eliminated back then, such judgments have not been held for a long time. It seems that what Miss Verodia said is not just a rumor anymore.”
“Hmm… It’s probably like that.”
The young girl rested her chin on her hand, a thoughtful look on her porcelain-white, exquisite snowy cheeks.
“Moreover, I think everyone was so outraged during the judgment just now. I imagine the traces of these vampires this time will definitely not be easy to deal with, and they also caused a lot of panic.”
—
As the judgment concluded, the onlookers quickly dispersed. Verafia turned her head and saw Verodia and Dylan, who had been pushed aside by the crowd, walking towards her. She then blinked her eyes and turned to the young man beside her and asked.
“Igat, what do you think of the Blood Judgment just now?”
Igat was called by the young lady. Looking at her big eyes turning towards him, he thought for a moment and smiled:
“Miss, you ask about this? Actually, in my opinion, killing more still has some meaning. After all, vampires in history have indeed done quite a lot of evil deeds, massacring cities, destroying villages, enslaving humans, raising blood races, etc. It’s a good thing that Duke Dawn could eradicate them by this means!”
Igat paused for a moment, shook his head, and continued, “However, due to the Blood Judgment, many wrongful convictions and false accusations have occurred. I have heard of no less than a hundred cases. Nobles and rulers used this to suppress political opponents, or directly accused common merchants of being blood race spies, thereby seizing their land and wives and daughters.”
“Actually, to tell you the truth, Miss Verafia, regarding the person who was executed just now, I strongly feel that he was just a poor person abducted by the Blood Race.”
“An innocent, poor person… Of course, how could an ordinary farmer who couldn’t even defeat you, Igat, voluntarily collude with the Blood Race to destroy two villages? Not to mention, even after he became a blood slave, his blood was all sucked dry.”
Verafia raised her delicate face and smiled lightly. From the girl’s bright, spirited big eyes, Igat seemed to see a different color. The young man heard her soft, faint voice.
“Of course, it doesn’t really matter if it’s that person or not to everyone. The citizens want to vent their fears through this, and the lords and officials need to use him to appease the hearts of the people.”
“Moreover, Igat, did you see the expressions on people’s faces at that time? Those were sincere hatred. At least, the identity of a blood slave definitely meant he had to be executed… Well, it can be seen that the people of Lansiat truly fear and hate the Blood Race and its followers.”
“What people hate are the things they fear most. The stories of vampires are also those immortal poems, forever remaining in the history of Rubiel.”
Verafia raised her head slightly and heard the Bard’s melodious voice. Verodia’s face curved into a smile as she walked towards her, her azure blue eyes shining with light.
“Miss Verafia, it seems you have already understood the most characteristic aspect of Rubiel. As you can see, the Blood Judgment… rather than being an attack on the vampires, it’s better to consider it as appeasement of the citizens within the territory.”
Verafia did not respond. She thought for a moment and raised her scorching golden eyes.
“Verodia, the war you spoke of earlier, and that Vampire Duke… have they completely ended?”
“Naturally, yes. In the past, there were quite a few poems sung of it that have been passed down.”
Dylan said, “That dark, bloody era, which brought sin and the terror of death to the boundless creatures of the earth, finally bowed before the light of the Sacred Sword.”
Verafia’s eyelashes trembled slightly.
“Mr. Dylan, that’s not entirely accurate.”
Verodia, however, shook her head.
“Although that Grand Duke of the Blood Race has passed away, as a powerhouse close to a god, his power would not be so easily annihilated. His remnants are still hidden in the night, and his inheritance continues to attract covetous eyes. Those vampire thieves who ravaged Rubiel City have merely obtained a trivial gift from this great existence.”
Verodia’s eyes suddenly lifted to look at the young lady opposite her, and she suddenly smiled.
“As for you… Miss Verafia, if I’m not mistaken, you came to Rubiel City for this legendary Vampire Grand Duke, didn’t you?”
