The Shepherds Are Dense – Chapter 315

Chapter 316
Flesh and Blood Dedication and Blood Healing

“Miss Beyad.”

Just then, a young man with black hair, who looked similarly young, walked over.

He raised his ceramic cup in a friendly gesture, filled with blood.

Following closely behind him was a beautiful girl with long golden hair—Eivass had seen her in the lounge earlier, she was number 15. Her deep blue pupils also held intoxication and attachment, making them appear vacant.

“Sir Linde.”

Beyad’s interest was interrupted, and she appeared displeased.

She pushed up her glasses with a finger and replied coldly, “What are your instructions?”

“Not at all, Miss Beyad. How could I dare to instruct you?”

The handsome black-haired young man smiled and personally poured Miss Beyad a glass of aperitif. Then, as Beyad picked up the porcelain cup with one hand, he lightly clinked it with hers, producing a clear sound.

“We don’t discuss business at the manor,” Beyad warned.

“Of course.”

Sir Linde nodded with a smile and patted the girl beside him, “I’ll trade this girl for number 14 for one night… is that okay? I haven’t drunk her blood tonight, and she’s been nurtured for a week, so her blood is abundant. Unlike this child… she only arrived recently, and you’ve summoned her three times. Her blood must be almost depleted.

“As you can see, I just want a slight taste—how delicious must blood be to make you so attached. I’m filled with curiosity, and I wish to share the same emotions and have common ground with you.”

Linde’s voice was polite and melodious, like a noble’s.

Hearing Linde’s words, the girl beside him looked at Sir Linde with a heartbreaking gaze. In her vacant eyes was a sense of wronged pain from being abandoned. But she did not offer any resistance.

“No.”

Beyad refused without hesitation, “She is mine, until death.”

“If you continue to drain her,” Linde looked at Eivass with a look of pity, “she might truly die.”

Beyad merely sneered and repeated her words, “Until death.”

A wave of sweetness and intoxication surged in Eivass’s heart—and deeper down, she watched it all with cold detachment. This made her feel a strange sense of separation, an irrational emotion swelling uncontrollably like overflowing wine. The deeper self merely held the wine glass, letting the liquid flow through her arms and seep back into her body.

Linde’s attempt was rebuffed, and his tone became less friendly, “You love her too much, Miss Beyad. This is not good for her.”

“This is the best.”

Beyad replied.

Sir Linde sighed and leaned down, biting the girl’s neck. Black smoke from the Path of Love instantly filled her pupils, her body trembled violently, and she let out passionate moans.

Her complexion turned pale at a visible rate, while Linde’s eyes flowed with near-out-of-control ecstasy.

His handsome, slightly wicked pale face formed a captivating smile, even revealing two dimples. The girl in his arms gradually quieted down—or rather, became almost unconscious.

As he released the girl, two men in black masks with animal masks came forward and supported—or rather, held her up. Linde, now satisfied, looked at the “aperitif” in his hand with disdain.

He casually handed the cup to the servant beside him, “Give this to Cody.”

“Yes.”

The man in black replied.

A doubtful thought flashed through Eivass’s mind—who was Cody?

Soon, she got her answer.

A jet-black, agile hound darted out from the shadows. Its pupils were crimson, and a circle of black tentacle-like smoke emanated from its body.

It seemed to understand human speech, wagging its tail as it rubbed against Sir Linde. It then glanced at the girl in his arms and circled him fawningly.

“You can’t have this, Cody. This is mine.”

Sir Linde smiled, his face flushed crimson from having just drunk blood, making him look full of life, as if he were still alive. “That is yours.”

The hound named Cody understood him and approached the servant, who then fed it the cup of blood.

Its lips were stained with blood, and it obediently returned to the edge of the field.

“What is this?”

Eivass felt puzzled.

She had never seen such a monster—not even in games.

But the Shadow Demon suddenly spoke, its voice as sweet as honey, like the Assassin Miss’s, “This is a Bloodhound, a synthetic beast popular during the Empire. It’s used to track targets designated by the Child of the Moon… They can find quality bloodlines in crowds; if they drink someone’s blood, they can track the owner by scent. Later, the technology was abandoned—mainly because the materials were too expensive and not very useful. The Child of the Moon then began using rituals to find people.”

“What Energy Level?” Eivass asked in her mind.

“Third.”

The Shadow Demon knew Eivass’s doubts and explained, “That’s not Shadow Stealth, it’s just normal ‘Blur’.”

‘Blur’ refers to an art where the silhouette becomes indistinct under strong light and invisible in dim or no light. Compared to true invisibility, blurring during movement distorts the surrounding air, making it easy to detect once it moves.

“Even the dog is Third Tier…”

Eivass murmured.

Her heart sank slightly.

If that were the case, it wouldn’t be surprising for some of the guests to be Fourth or even Fifth Tier.

While she calmly pondered in her mind, she didn’t neglect her role—

“Miss Beyad…”

The girl spoke in a soft, uneasy voice, “Why did you refuse him? Sir Linde seems a little angry…”

She had already fallen under Beyad’s charm. Thinking and caring for her was a normal line of reasoning—Eivass hadn’t intentionally distorted her thoughts or resisted. Instead, she pushed the impulse in her heart, adjusted it according to her understanding, and added a little embellishment.

In short, she added some “tea.”

At a cursory glance, the “tea” flavor was undeniable. But Eivass was currently affected by the Kiss of Charm, and her words were true. Miss Beyad knew this, so whatever she said now would only make the other party believe she was genuinely concerned. Thus, this wasn’t “tea” but rather something that elicited pity.

Beyad, of course, had no idea that the body of number 14, which she had summoned for three consecutive days, had quietly been replaced by someone else.

She only felt that the child was becoming more and more likable.

So she said gently, “I told you, call me Big Sister Beyad.”

As she spoke, she kissed Eivass’s earlobe, then licked behind her ear and down to her neck.

She whispered, “Linde doesn’t want to protect you, little darling… he just wants to use you as a topic to flatter me.

“Because his mining company has encountered trouble—a group of enraged mining spirits has appeared in his mining area. He needs my financing and my people to help him clear out those troublesome mining spirits.”

Beyad chuckled, “But I don’t need his janky company. So he has to raise the price, and raise it higher.”

“…Can’t he find someone else?”

Eivass suddenly asked.

She keenly perceived Beyad’s attitude—she wouldn’t say these things to a Blood Slave unless she wanted some appropriate feedback.

So, Eivass followed the drive of the “Charm” state, with the excuse of “making her happier” to try and extract more information.

Seeing that Eivass responded, Beyad became even happier instead of being suspicious, “I thought you weren’t interested in these things, my dear.

“Yes, of course, he could find others. But no one would accept it.”

Beyad said with a smile, “That would mean making an enemy of me. And we value mutual affection.”

As she spoke, a mocking smile appeared at the corners of her lips. She didn’t conceal her words from anyone—not only the black-clothed men but even her kin could hear her. But no one commented on her words; some even raised their cups in a toast from afar.

Beyad buried her head by Eivass’s neck, breathing in the fragrance of her blood, and let out an almost inaudible scoff.

Listening to her words, Eivass’s heart tightened slightly.

Beyad’s words and attitude… meant that Beyad’s identity and status might be higher than she imagined.

—Then what kind of Child of the Moon with what power was she?

Fourth Tier, or Fifth Tier? She currently didn’t have Lily as a turret to unleash the Shadow Demon’s full power, and with only Second Tier Shadow Affinity, she couldn’t fully utilize the Shadow Demon’s power…

“Then… can you take me with you?”

She proactively inverted her body, sat on Beyad’s lap, and looked directly into her eyes.

Her young body, extremely weak from excessive blood loss, opened its clear eyes and spoke in a pitiful voice, “If I stay here… I’ll die sooner or later.”

“Then please me, my dear.”

Beyad smiled gently, but there was a sense of aloofness in her smile.

She looked at Eivass equally, just as she looked down on her own kin.

“If I’m happy, I’ll consider it.”

She said so, and scrutinized number 14.

Eivass tilted her neck, embraced her, and closed her eyes.

She whispered, “I willingly offer my blood… to you.”

Seeing the girl’s clumsy reaction, Beyad couldn’t help but laugh and shake her head.

What was she thinking? Just a little girl…

Beyad leaned down and kissed the girl’s neck.

Her fangs pierced the flesh, and blood was sucked into her body through the hollow fangs.

The next moment, Beyad’s eyes widened abruptly.

The sweet and smooth blood filled her mouth, giving her an unprecedented sense of stimulation—it had a light wine aroma but wasn’t sharp; it had the rich sweetness of excellent crème brûlée but wasn’t cloying; and it also had a fruity fragrance mixed with pineapple and pear.

And, faintly, there was a sacredness she couldn’t identify…

Beyad’s pupils were instantly filled with crimson. She suddenly lost control, violently pushed Eivass onto the table, and focused on draining her blood.

Eivass, who was in her embrace, did not close her eyes.

She stared blankly at the ceiling, her vacant pupils gradually becoming clear.

Blood willingly offered, and blood drained… To ordinary people, there was no difference, but to her, it was different.

—Yes, this is the Shepherd’s Method.

But this was not a successful Shepherd’s Method, because Eivass’s Path was still unbalanced.

However, even a failed Shepherd’s Method was fine.

[Flesh and Blood Dedication (Purple): You have mastered the art of self-sacrifice. And now you will master it even more.]

This was a Path Trait Eivass obtained during her last Ascension—the ability to make her flesh and blood sweeter.

Even the Shadow Demon, whose tastes had been refined by a true Shepherd, wanted to try it. For a Vampire who had never tasted the blood of a Shepherd, this was considered supreme deliciousness.

This was the first time Eivass had used this Path Trait since obtaining it…

The only risk was perhaps being drained to death by the out-of-control Beyad.

But Eivass had even considered this risk.

She had already agreed with the Shadow Demon—after she broke the Chains of Charm and removed the ban on harming her Master, if Beyad still didn’t stop, the Shadow Demon would directly intervene.

That was the worst-case scenario, but there was no other way.

And the Shadow Demon readily agreed.

So, upon feeling the Chains of Charm on her being broken, she lifted the Shepherd’s Method.

The method of lifting it was simple.

When Eivass was no longer willing, it could no longer be called “dedication,” and the enhancement of the Path Trait faded simultaneously.

When the sacred demonic nature in the blood subsided, Beyad only froze for a moment before regaining her senses and realizing what she had done.

She was stunned in disbelief for a moment. Then, looking at number 14, whose face was pale and weak, seemingly on the verge of death, as if she would fall asleep at any moment, her expression changed drastically.

For a moment, she seemed to think of many things. But after a moment of hesitation, she bit her finger and placed it in Eivass’s mouth. As the girl instinctively sucked like an infant, her complexion visibly began to recover.

—This is Blood Healing.

The mysterious art called “Blood Healing” was an Extraordinary Ability of the Path of Love—the power to directly heal the weak with the power of higher blood, regardless of the cause. It was also a racial ability of the Child of the Moon.

For number 14, who was only First Tier, a drop or two of Beyad’s blood was enough to restore her health.

At a visible rate, Eivass’s skin, which had been somewhat dry and cracked, pale and bluish, became smooth and fair again. Even her hair, which had lost some of its luster, regained its shine. This made her appearance even more refined.

Seeing that Eivass had regained some vitality, she directly picked her up.

“Open a lounge.”

She said to the black-clothed men wearing animal masks around her.

“Room No. 1.”

The man in black immediately took a key from the wall beside them and handed it to Beyad.

Eivass closed her eyes, curled up in Beyad’s embrace, pretending to sleep, and mentally asked the Shadow Demon, “Aren’t you worried about me at all?”

“Nothing will happen, my Master.”

The Shadow Demon simply replied, “Beyad is not that kind of person. Although she is a Child of the Moon of the Path of Love, she has unusually strong reason and humanity. She only needs one slip-up… and she will break free from all control.”

“You know her?”

Eivass suddenly became somewhat interested.

The Shadow Demon had always been unwilling to reveal its True Name.

Now, it finally revealed a little of its true information.

“…Yes.”

The Shadow Demon was silent for a moment before replying, “I once lived in this era.

“I also died in this era.”

Over four thousand three hundred words! Requesting votes at the end of the month, reaching the top fifty should be stable!
Another seven thousand word update today!
The fever has subsided for two days, and my spirit is slowly recovering. Azithromycin is still effective.
So, working backward, it’s possible I had mycoplasma pneumonia… The only problem now is severe coughing. Besides that, the fever, sore throat, nasal congestion, headache, chills, and weakness have all been resolved.
Once the cat is completely better, I’ll update more and try to do better next month! Let’s go!