Chapter 50: A Dangerous Proposition

Villages akin to Savini typically hosted only one organization. However, a town like Cariso City would be guarded by the strongholds of three distinct organizations.

Yet, on this occasion, only the Church had sought reinforcements from the Royal City.

The trio swiftly cleared the city gate guards’ inspection, then hastened directly to Cariso City’s abbey.

“Esteemed ones, please follow me. The Priestess awaits within the church.”

Outside the abbey, two nuns stood waiting by the entrance. One led the coachwoman to stable the horses, while the other escorted Lovelenica and Lucia toward the church.

“Lovelenica, Saintess, you’ve finally arrived.”

As they stepped into the church, they saw a woman in a flowing white robe, staff in hand, pacing the nave. This was Cariso City’s Priestess, and upon seeing their arrival, she immediately came forward to greet them.

“We received word of your departure the day before yesterday. We feared something had befallen you on the journey; you gave me quite a fright.”

“Ah, yes, there was a minor mishap… nothing serious, thankfully.”

Lovelenica scratched her cheek awkwardly, her gaze unconsciously drifting to the side.

Had it not been for her motion sickness, they would have indeed arrived far sooner.

“That’s not important right now. Please, first enlighten us on the situation. What exactly has transpired in Cariso City?”

Most town defenses operated similarly: areas were sectioned off, with each of the three organizations dispatching personnel to guard their assigned sectors. The Night Watchmen were typically the first to detect any trace of a Phantom Species.

However, Cariso City’s defensive personnel were clearly far less numerous and capable than those stationed in the Royal City.

The Priestess before them possessed only Fourth-tier strength. Most of the Night Watchmen were also Fourth-tier, with some even ranking as low as Third-tier.

“It’s the Blood Clan.”

Without further preamble, the Priestess immediately got straight to the heart of the matter with Lovelenica.

“Just a few days ago, our Night Watchmen detected a member of the Blood Clan within the city.”

“By the time we found her, she had already slaughtered an entire family, not even sparing the children.”

Upon hearing this, Lucia involuntarily clenched her fists.

‘These Phantom Species again… It’s all your fault, you monstrous Phantom Species, for inflicting so many tragedies!’

Though the Priestess omitted the grim details, Lucia had experienced such horrors firsthand. She knew that despair intimately; had it not been for Lovelenica, she, too, would now be a lifeless corpse.

Despite her surging anger, Lucia refrained from interjecting, choosing instead to listen in silence.

“Two of our Night Watchmen engaged her: a Third-tier nun and a Fourth-tier knight. It was nighttime, and after consuming blood, the Blood Clan member’s strength surged dramatically. She killed the nun and then escaped from the knight’s grasp.”

“The knight attempted to pursue, but the Blood Clan member proved too swift. The chase was futile; he could only watch her vanish.”

“The following night, the Blood Clan member reappeared, claiming the life of another passerby who had been lingering outside after midnight. Though the Night Watchmen arrived swiftly, she once again evaded capture, even injuring one of our Fourth-tier nuns in the process.”

“Judging by her demonstrated power, this Blood Clan member has clearly attained the Unclean Tier, and is perhaps even nearing the Blasphemous Tier.”

“Our city’s Night Watchmen typically operate in groups of two or three. While three Fourth-tier individuals might be able to defeat her, if she decides to flee, it could take as many as five Fourth-tiers to successfully apprehend her.”

“However, the Blood Clan member remains hidden in the shadows. We have no idea when she might strike next, and maintaining constant vigilance would only deplete our energy, offering her further opportunities. That is why we chose to request assistance from the Church.”

“I see. I understand the situation now.”

Lovelenica nodded, her comprehension of the situation now complete after the Priestess’s detailed explanation.

“Has she made any further appearances in the past two days?”

“She has. However, this time our detection was more timely; we managed to repel her shortly after she manifested.”

‘Is this creature truly settling down in the city, refusing to leave…’

Lovelenica pondered for a moment before turning to question the Priestess.

“Priestess, what do you propose we do? Do you have any effective strategies in mind?”

“I do.”

The Priestess nodded, indicating she had already formulated a countermeasure. Her only impediment had been the lack of suitable individuals to execute it.

“Her range of activity is quite extensive, yet she consistently appears in areas where the Night Watchmen’s strength is weakest. It’s possible she has scouted the city’s defenses. Therefore, I predict her next appearance will be in Cariso City’s North Outer District, where only two Third-tier guards are stationed.”

“Furthermore, her targets are almost exclusively beautiful young women who are out late.”

At this point, Lovelenica could already anticipate the Priestess’s next suggestion: she undoubtedly intended to use them both as bait.

“The first victim was the eldest daughter of that family, a woman in her twenties, whose blood had been almost entirely drained.”

“The second victim was also a teenage girl.”

“Though she failed to claim a life the third time, her target was once again a young girl.”

“Therefore, I hope you two might serve as bait to draw her out.”

‘Just as I suspected,’ Lovelenica thought. Acting as bait was indeed perilous, for it meant risking a surprise attack from the Blood Clan.

The physical prowess of a Blood Clan member far surpassed that of a human. A careless individual, caught off guard by such an ambush, might not live to tell the tale.

“Very well, I’ll do it. When shall we proceed?”

Despite the inherent danger, Lovelenica readily accepted the Priestess’s proposal.

The danger, she knew, was relative. While a Blood Clan ambush posed a genuine threat to Third and Fourth-tier individuals, it was hardly a concern for Lovelenica, who was rapidly approaching Sixth-tier strength.

However, no sooner had Lovelenica agreed than Lucia interjected with a dissenting opinion.

“Wait, Teacher, allow me to serve as the bait.”

“Saintess…”

“Absolutely not.”

Following Lucia’s self-sacrificing offer, both Lovelenica and the Priestess voiced their strong objections.

Lovelenica was adamantly against Lucia undertaking such a perilous act. Whether driven by a sense of responsibility or a desire to compensate Lucia, she believed it was wrong to allow her to face such danger.

“Teacher, please, at least hear my reasoning first.”

Despite Lovelenica’s initial refusal, Lucia persisted, her gaze burning with resolve. Seeing this, Lovelenica reluctantly relented, agreeing to hear Lucia’s perspective.

“Teacher, while your strength is formidable, we are still dealing with the Blood Clan. Should one ambush you from the shadows, even with your Fifth-tier power, you would still sustain injuries.”

“If you were to be injured, the rest of us might not possess sufficient strength to capture the Blood Clan member on our own.”

“If I act as bait, however, any injuries I sustain would be inconsequential, as I can heal most wounds myself. This would preserve your strength, Teacher, allowing you to focus entirely on slaying the Blood Clan member.”

Lucia’s reasoning certainly held merit. Should their plan to use bait fail, allowing the Blood Clan member to escape, the creature would undoubtedly become far warier. Capturing her afterward would then prove exceedingly difficult.

Thus, the success of this operation was paramount, and preserving Lovelenica’s full combat strength was an absolute necessity.