“You’ve given her some strength, and she’s already…” Lavias was astonished but found it understandable. If he were to provide Via with his full strength, he could achieve a similar enhancement, so he subconsciously believed I could do it, even more easily than him.
He was blind to the obvious; in reality, I knew Lavias had also been hunting monsters and drinking blood nearby while there was a chance to do so. Moreover, his hunting efficiency surpassed Older Brother Jayad’s. Countless flies would scout ahead, allowing Lavias to teleport directly to any fly’s location. With his strength, a single strike was all it took to kill.
However, Lavias had a large household. Not only did he have over a hundred vampires and hundreds of other undead under his command, but his harem also included more than a dozen female vampire demon hunters. Therefore, Lavias couldn’t monopolize all the blood for himself. He also had other matters to attend to, preventing him from focusing solely on hunting monsters. Blood was not just for drinking but also an important resource reserve, unlike in our household where we could consume it all. Finally, Lavias’s rank was higher and stronger than Via’s, meaning his blood requirements and consumption were also greater. He didn’t feel that the blood from one monster offered much, like pouring a cup of water into a bowl versus pouring it into a bucket; the change would be more significant in the former.
“I understand. Thank you, Saintess, for cultivating my daughter. I’ll leave her in your care. Furthermore, since such an incident has occurred again, to prevent potential retaliation from the Lich, I suggest the Saintess come to the cemetery. We can research together how to deal with future attacks. This will put the General’s mind at ease as well,” Lavias said.
“Hmm, I have no objections. Recently, I’ve found reasons to bury fallen soldiers in Falbedy Cemetery. That gives me a legitimate reason to go there,” the General also chimed in.
It seemed they wouldn’t be at ease unless they met. I could only agree, “Okay, you two find a time, and we can meet before our next meeting.”
With that, Lavias and the General received their satisfactory answers, and our call ended. I continued to familiarize myself with the ice-based spells I had just learned, and so it went until dinner.
Lorna, for the first time in a while, could join us for dinner. She looked well, having recovered nicely. I asked, “How was your rest? Are you ready to fight?”
“Yes, but Parul (Sister), who are we fighting?” Lorna asked curiously. Via also looked at me; yesterday, I only mentioned needing their help, but not with what.
“Via should be quite familiar with them, werewolves,” I said.
Via’s face immediately showed a look of disgust. “Werewolves? Parul (Sister), how did you get involved with those barbaric beasts?”
As the legends foretold, vampires and werewolves were mortal enemies historically. However, I recall reading that some vampires prefer to capture werewolves as servants because their undead nature provides an infinite supply of blood. “It’s nothing. Giselle’s curiosity got the better of her, and she dragged me into the underground of a palace in Darmstadt. We were attacked by a very strong werewolf there. But afterwards, we couldn’t find it anymore.”
“Couldn’t find it? Why? Did it escape?” Older Brother Jayad asked.
“I don’t know. I’m not sure if it escaped or is hidden nearby. That’s why I need Via’s help. Doesn’t the Blood Race have some sort of sense for werewolves?” I inquired.
“Leave it to me. I can smell the stench of those beastly werewolves from dozens of meters away,” Via said confidently, patting her chest.
“But you might not be able to defeat it. Anyway, I don’t want to fight it again. Things that cannot be killed are truly disgusting,” Sherris said, relieved that she didn’t have to return.
Sherris effortlessly cut her bone-in steak into several pieces with her knife, even separating the bones. However, such sharp knife skills would not even be a tickle to a werewolf’s healing ability. “That’s why we need to bring Lorna. I think for werewolves that lack intelligence and only possess brute strength, spirits might be the best way to counter them,” I added.
Spirit bodies aren’t afraid of physical attacks, and ghosts aren’t afraid of the cold. Moreover, Lorna has other methods to subdue that werewolf without necessarily killing it.
“If needed, I can also help, Parul,” Older Brother Jayad offered. Sherris quickly added, “Me too! I’m willing to go!”
“Older Brother Jayad and Sherris, please stay here. It wouldn’t be appropriate for our whole family to go to someone else’s palace. I can’t teleport so many people at once. If we can’t defeat it this time, then I’ll consider everyone going together.” I refused, and they had no choice but to comply.
After we had eaten and drunk our fill, it was late, and time to depart. I used my Devour spell to summon the Steel Golem from the large opening on the ground. Although the Steel Golem’s internal space was small, only accommodating one person, I planned for Lorna to possess Via, and then Via would enter it. This way, both of them could be sent to Darmstadt.
“Just a reminder, that Steel Golem is used to capture witches. It’s very uncomfortable to be locked inside, so you’ll have to bear with it,” Giselle said playfully to Via, not wanting to be the only one to experience the witch containment device.
“Of course, I know. The Blood Race is one of its capture targets too. I’m actually quite looking forward to experiencing what it’s like to be locked up inside,” Via chuckled.
When the Princess lent me the Steel Golem, I saw its historical introduction nearby. It did indeed have a function for capturing vampires. By replacing the weapon with a handheld silver sword, it could even be modified for vampire-specific attacks. Once those vampire noblewomen were captured, the silver telescoping rods inscribed with crosses would drive them to the brink of ecstasy. After the capture was complete, the Steel Golem would automatically operate on-site. Given the weakened resistance of vampires, it would facilitate their master’s retrieval. If the master didn’t intend to retrieve the captured vampires, the Steel Golem would automatically open its hatch facing the sun during the day, allowing the vampires to ascend in all meanings of the word.
This equipment could theoretically be used against werewolves as well, but I remembered the three-meter-tall white wolf and realized it wouldn’t fit. Thus, that idea had to be abandoned. Via, however, seemed unconcerned and even actively entered the Golem with some anticipation, allowing the restraints to lock her in, much like fastening a seatbelt. With everything prepared, I closed the hatch and sent them both off.
In Darmstadt, inside the Princess’s study, the Princess asked while reading a book, “Saintess, you mentioned you were bringing a friend yesterday, didn’t you?”
“Yes, that’s right. One of them is even a Church member of the Church of Gluttony. I think you two will become friends,” I said with a smile.
