In just half a year, the atmosphere in Lino City had gradually begun to grow tense.
According to the information Karl had provided, something seemed to have gone terribly wrong in Holy Lord City, a thousand miles away from Lino City.
It was only natural for something to go terribly wrong in Holy Lord City. Given the way it was governed and the number of Werewolves there when Norton left, it would have been strange if nothing had gone wrong.
What Norton hadn't expected was for the Church in Holy Lord City to be so incompetent that it had allowed every single problem to grow completely out of control.
The atmosphere in Lino City seemed to be growing more tense by the day.
The trouble in Holy Lord City seemed to have nothing to do with Lino City. But according to the observations of the Church in Lino City, there seemed to be more and more Werewolves outside the city lately. There had even been quite a few incidents of Werewolves attacking villages beyond its walls.
This had put the Church in Lino City on high alert. Groups of Church knights patrolled back and forth outside the city several times every day, without stopping day or night.
The most immediate sign within the city was the skyrocketing price of food. The rates charged by some freight carriers had also risen sharply, and residents faced certain restrictions when leaving through the city gates. Groups of missionaries in white robes hurried back and forth through the city every day, seemingly busier than ever.
"Mr. Norton, hide at my house! My dad said the Werewolves might attack Lino City, and I'm afraid the whole city will be locked down when they do."
Norton squatted at the same familiar intersection, but it had been some time since the familiar sight of crowds gathering along the street had appeared.
At some point, word of the Werewolves had spread through Lino City, leaving everyone fearing for their own safety.
Even Karl hadn't shown up for two or three weeks.
But he had come today.
Karl was ten, almost eleven, and compared to three years ago, he had grown quite a bit taller. His thinking had matured considerably as well.
But Norton's influence on the way he thought had been profound. By now, he had five girlfriends, and he wanted every one of them!
Norton had originally thought that under his influence, the kid would grow into a complete and utter beast.
To his surprise, aside from being a little promiscuous, his character and thinking were unexpectedly quite good, very much in Norton's own style.
Why did talking about it always give him the feeling he was being NTR'd?
Norton hadn't expected Karl to make time to come looking for him at a moment like this, but he couldn't deny that Karl had brought a little warmth to his heart.
Karl was willing to let a beggar wrapped from head to toe in filthy rags, whose eyes he had never even seen, take shelter from danger in his home. That alone was enough to show that Karl really did feel some affection for him.
The wall of microorganisms Norton had built in repayment for Karl's kindness hadn't been for nothing.
"No, Karl. Trusting someone so easily isn't the way to survive. That goes for you, and it goes for me too." For once, Norton spoke a very long sentence.
"But the Werewolves might get in, Mr. Norton!"
"No, I believe the great Church will be our strongest shield!"
Norton's voice was full of devout conviction.
He planned to pack his things and set off again that very night.
Of course, this wasn't to escape the so-called Werewolves. It was because he, Norton, as an immortal and a born wanderer, was meant to roam the world.
Karl went home feeling a little sad.
Norton, meanwhile, jogged back to the top floor of his bell tower.
"What the fuck is wrong with these Werewolves? Why do they keep chasing after me?" Norton's head was about to explode.
He knew he had a strange attraction for Werewolves, but he hadn't expected it to be this strong.
They had followed him all the way from Holy Lord City to Lino City, and now they even wanted to gather their forces again and attack Lino City without fear of death, all to get at him.
What exactly did he have on him?
Norton felt that there was a huge mystery surrounding him!
Or rather, a huge mystery surrounding the species known as Vampires.
So should he leave or not?
Standing atop the towering bell tower, Norton gazed at the city walls in the distance. With his eyesight, he could clearly see the torches burning on the walls and the Church knights patrolling constantly.
Much as he hated to admit it, Norton really did feel that the Church gave him some sense of security at a time like this.
And if he left now, he would definitely draw all the Werewolves after him, plunging himself into a dangerous flight for his life.
So why should he leave?
The Church hadn't even sent out its Gold Saints. He could rely on the Church's strength and continue lying low in the city.
If the Werewolves really were badass enough to defeat the Church, so much the better. He, Norton, could take the opportunity to sneak into the church and look for books about himself as a Vampire.
So whether he was thinking about unraveling the mystery or saving his own skin, Norton felt that leaving Lino City while it was surrounded by Werewolves would be a mistake.
As for the many innocent poor people killed by the Werewolves he had attracted...
"Phew! If I don't look, it'll be fine." Norton was almost moved by his own kindness.
He decided that from now on, he wouldn't gaze into the distance, lest he see some cruel scene and disturb his peace of mind.
"Alas, I heave a long sigh and wipe away my tears, lamenting the many hardships of the people's lives..."
His sighs rang out without pause, prompting a few cries from the five bats in the room.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak..." Hanging upside down from the ceiling of the bell tower, the five bats watched Norton sighing dolefully below them in confusion, finding this member of their kind who never went out hunting somewhat unreasonable.
Norton had a little conscience, but not much.
Although he said he wouldn't be going against his conscience if he didn't look at the suffering of Lino City's people, he still stood at the edge of the bell tower every day to watch, or went out at night and tried to hunt Werewolves.
Staying in Lino City was for his own sake; hunting Werewolves was to ease the guilt in his heart.
Perhaps, given more time, Norton's heart would gradually harden like iron. But at the very least, he didn't want to lose his soul yet. (This thought stemmed from Norton's belief that he had lured these Werewolves here.)
By now, Norton had also roughly guessed why the Church, or rather those Gold Saints, had been able to locate him. It was most likely because he had been exposed to God's holiness (the light from the portrait), allowing the Gold Saints, who were clearly connected to God, to track his location through God's aura.
A so-called God clearly existed in this world, because the Church's books matched reality perfectly. Thus, the creation of those biological weapons was also very likely connected to the so-called God.
From this, it was clear that the Church's research into God had already gone quite deep, and that it had even developed a whole theoretical framework of its own. This was also why they were able to systematically train those Gold Saints.
This also confirmed why the Church knights had shown no reaction at all during the time he had lived in Lino City or when he had gone out these past few days.
Judging by the scents in the air, the number of Werewolves had indeed increased. However, the places where their scents lingered were extremely scattered.
The Werewolves didn't seem to be keeping watch on Lino City. Rather, they seemed to have merely passed through. Their scent was also extremely strong. Even though the wind had dispersed much of it, the doggy reek of the Werewolves still lingered stubbornly, so strong it was choking.
Moreover, these Werewolves hadn't come from the direction of Holy Lord City. They had come from other directions and were heading toward Holy Lord City, merely passing through Lino City along the way!
The discovery immediately relieved Norton of his guilt.
He stopped going up the bell tower to keep watch every night.
Fuck, if I didn't cause it, of course I'm not getting involved!