A Little Prey

Although the sisters had not followed Angela for long and had learned no special skills, they still possessed the innate abilities of vampires. Following her gaze, they quickly spotted the woman too. She was wrapped from head to toe in a cloak, hiding her face, but they could just make out her slender figure. Besides, vampires had frighteningly good eyesight, and from the back, she really did look like a beautiful woman.

"But..."

"No buts."

Angela impatiently cut Mina off.

"If you can't catch her, I'll send both of you to Master's bed tonight. If the front won't work, there's always the back; if the bottom won't work, there's always the top... And just so you know, Master's is very big, and he's very good with it."

"..."

As the saying went, better a fellow Daoist die than this poor Daoist. Although this world had priests rather than Daoists, the principle apparently still applied. Now that they were vampires, if they refused to let go of the modesty they had held as humans, they would suffer for it.

Though they were reluctant, the sisters had no choice but to obey and follow the woman.

There were not many people in the town to begin with, and the woman kept to the alleys, so following her was not particularly difficult. Besides, the sisters were vampires, after all. Their footsteps made no sound, making them well suited to tracking someone. Angela was not with them. According to her, all they had to do was follow the woman until she was about to leave, and Angela would block her from the other side. Catching her would be easy.

But... Fina did not think it would be so simple. The girl held a golden staff, with three clear, sparkling crystals drifting slowly above it. It was very beautiful. Although Fina had not yet learned any profound magical knowledge in her time with Li Lin, she had a very solid grasp of the basics. That was clearly a staff used by mages. And if that was the case, the woman was very likely a mage, not someone they could handle.

But after hearing this, Angela did not hesitate. Instead, she grew even more excited.

"A mage? I've never seen what a mage looks like when she's pushed down..."

"But, Miss Angela, she's a mage..."

"So what if she is?"

Angela's crimson eyes narrowed slightly.

"Could she possibly be more powerful than Master?"

"..."

That was, of course, impossible.

Though their target continued slowly through the alleys and appeared unaware that anyone was following her, the sisters felt guilty. This was hardly a task they could boast about. So they only dared watch from a distance. They felt a little sorry for the woman, but they could not resist Angela's orders at all. As members of Angela's direct bloodline, even if she ordered them to die, they could not disobey.

Just then, the woman suddenly turned into a side passage. The sisters froze, for they could no longer hear her footsteps. It was as if she had vanished.

What happened?

Uneasy at the thought, the sisters quickened their pace and reached the junction. They looked down the passage and saw a tall wall, but there was no sign of anyone. The woman was clearly gone.

As the two were still wondering what had happened, a white light flashed, and Angela appeared before them.

"Where is she?"

She asked in a huff. Mina and Fina could only shake their heads; neither of them knew what had happened. Still, it seemed clear that the woman had discovered she was being followed and used some spell to escape. At that thought, the sisters breathed a sigh of relief, but Angela was clearly displeased. She was angry that the woman had slipped away right under her nose.

"Hmph, it seems mages really do have a trick or two... Forget it. Let's find another target."

Of course, that did not mean Angela's "hunt" was over.

As the sky gradually darkened, the quiet town came to life. Lights came on in every household, and the guards took up torches and began patrolling and maintaining order through the night. Unlike the daytime, the night was more dangerous. That did not merely mean the thieves and killers hiding in the darkness, or the drunken louts who refused to pay. The wild beasts outside posed a great threat to the town as well. Yinkalan lay on a transit route of no particular importance, so its lord rarely paid it much attention. He had not sent many soldiers to protect the trade route, and as a result, there were considerably more packs of wild beasts in the surrounding area than around major transport hubs. Fortunately, Yinkalan had high walls, and ordinary beasts could do little to its people.

Standing at the window and gazing at the bright lights outside, Jieka Hilton was filled with mixed feelings. His father had died young, and Jieka had inherited his position at eighteen, devoting himself wholeheartedly to running the town ever since. It was indeed a lovely place, with clear waters and beautiful hills. But for a young man like him, that was far from enough. He hoped that one day he could build Yinkalan into a magnificent, imposing city like Deep Dark City, or even the Holy City. That was not only for his father, but also for...

"I'm back."

A beautiful, elegant voice sounded behind him. Jieka's expression changed slightly. He clenched his hands and used all his strength to master his feelings before turning to look at the woman standing behind him, wrapped in a cloak from head to toe.

"Welcome back, miss."

He was perfectly courteous, displaying all the grace expected of a well-educated noble.

"I'm relieved you returned safely. Did you find anything on your trip?"

In response to Jieka's question, the woman shook her head and sat down in a nearby chair, looking somewhat tired.

"Please don't be too concerned. Your health is more important, after all, miss."

Jieka hurriedly poured a cup of warm tea himself and offered it to the woman before sitting down across from her.

"Please try it. I had the servants prepare this tea with honey and berries especially for you. It helps relieve fatigue. You've been away for so many days; you must be tired. Please get some rest."

"Thank you..."

The woman picked up the cup and was about to drink when she seemed to remember something and asked, "Have you made any progress here?"

Why is she asking about that again?!

Jieka seethed inwardly.

Doesn't she ever think about anything else?! I've waited here for her all day, and she can't even spare a thought for me? She's always been like this. All she sees is that damned Magic Empire, those damned legends! That damned past! Those damned bastards!

"I haven't made much progress here."

Though Jieka was furious inside, he showed none of it and answered as politely as ever. At his reply, the woman tilted her head slightly and thought for a moment before asking another question.

"By the way, when I came back, I heard from the gate guard that someone brought you something related to the Magic Empire today. Is that true?"

That stupid Kasute, that bastard farmer, he even let that slip!

"That's right."

Jieka answered quickly. He rose at once, went to his desk, and took out the ornament Li Lin had given him during the day. He handed it to her respectfully. The woman took it, examined it carefully for a moment, then tucked it inside her clothes.

"Where is the person who brought this ornament?"

"Well..."

Jieka frowned, unsure how to answer, but finally spoke.

"He said he was a traveler, only stopping here for a short rest. We chatted briefly, and then he turned and left. Of course, I gave him a hundred gold coins in return."

"I see..."

The woman's voice was hesitant.

"Then, Jieka, could you ask around tomorrow and see whether he's still in town? I'd like to speak with him in person. Would that be all right?"

"Of course, miss."

Jieka gave her an obedient smile.

"You must be tired. I've already told Linda to prepare hot water and a warm bed for you. Please rest well tonight. Everything else can wait until tomorrow."

"All right. Thank you, Jieka."

The cloaked woman stood, nodded to Jieka, and walked into the inner room. Jieka stared blankly in the direction she had gone, unable to recover his senses for quite some time.

She smiled at me, she smiled at me, heavens! She actually smiled at me!

Jieka shivered, then quickly came to his senses. After making sure the woman had left, he hurried out of the hall and went to his study, where his most loyal guards were waiting for him. When he arrived, the old man at their head bowed slightly in greeting.

"Lord Mayor, what can I do for you at this late hour?"

"Do you remember the man who came to me during the day, trying to sell a relic of the Magic Empire?"

He lowered his voice.

"It was a fake, and the lady is very angry. Take some men and look for him now. See if he's still in town. If he is, drive him out! If he refuses to leave, then..." As he spoke, he held his right hand flat and made a chopping motion. On hearing the order, the old man quickly nodded his understanding.

"Go on, and be quick. It would be bad if a little thing like this disturbed the lady. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Of course, Lord Mayor."

The old man stood at attention and saluted, then hurried out of the study. Only then did the young mayor take a deep breath and turn his eyes to the portrait in the study, his gaze gleaming with greed and longing.

"You're not allowed to go anywhere... You belong to me... You'll belong to me forever."