CA - Chapter 100

Chapter 100

The space in the lighthouse wasn't large. Delia leaned against the railing, only two or three steps away from Tang Qiu.

For a werewolf, such a distance could be closed in an instant.

If Tang Qiu's situation had been dire just moments ago, now the tables had completely turned.

The Tzimisce Clan's combat prowess couldn't compare to the Brujah Clan's. Tang Qiu hadn't even feared Beverly back then, so she certainly wasn't afraid of a direct confrontation with Delia. After all, werewolves feared no close-quarters combat.

Moreover, the lighthouse was not within the range of Delia's Blood Domain, which meant she couldn't use it to suppress Tang Qiu.

The intensely aggressive aura of a werewolf was already pressing in on Delia. She could feel the air pressure around her grow heavy, and her body, as if sensing the danger, instinctively straightened. She narrowed her eyes and said with a smirk, "The strength of the Royal Wolf bloodline is truly different."

Even at a disadvantage, she remained composed and calm.

Tang Qiu glanced at her, pulling up the hood of her cloak as she repeated Delia's words. "Royal Wolf bloodline..." She paused, then smiled at Delia and said, "You know me?"

All of Delia's actions since arriving at the lighthouse and seeing her seemed to convey one message: she knew the original owner of this body, Grace Augustine.

Yet, Delia denied it. She shrugged, her tone tinged with a casual air. "I don't. Perhaps it's because I'm rather sensitive to the scent of you werewolves. I could tell with just one sniff."

Before transforming, not even other werewolves could detect her scent. How could a vampire possibly have such an ability?

The smile on Tang Qiu's lips deepened. She glanced down at the Church team still attacking the Blood Domain below, her tone nonchalant as she spoke to Delia. "Alright, but I don't really care if you know me or not."

"As the Bishop of the Gosse Church, I only care about one thing right now: how to drive you, along with the manor behind you, out of the Gosse Empire."

She truly didn't care. Even if this vampire really knew the original Grace, so what? After discovering she was a werewolf, Tang Qiu had remained steadfast in her decision to stay with the Church, partly to draw a clear line between herself and the Wolf Race.

She had no interest in returning to the Wolf Race to play the part of the real Grace. Besides, she didn't think she could pull off a flawless performance that would fool everyone.

She wasn't the real Grace; she would be exposed sooner or later.

Although werewolves like Eva and Jemma didn't know the original Grace, Tang Qiu didn't believe this meant no one in the entire Wolf Race did. Ophelia's murderous intent and the strange attitude of the Wolf Race's leader both indicated to her that the original Grace's identity was anything but simple.

However, Tang Qiu's current focus was entirely on the Church; she had no time to investigate matters concerning the werewolves. As for this vampire before her who seemed to know the original Grace... to be honest, Tang Qiu had no desire to learn anything about her predecessor from Delia's lips.

Firstly, it would be impossible to discern truth from lies. Secondly, Delia's act of deliberately revealing a flaw to arouse suspicion was like dangling bait, waiting for her to take the hook. It was ill-intentioned.

This vampire's attitude and actions were both inexplicably strange and eerie, so Tang Qiu simply chose to ignore the bait.

The smile on Delia's lips slowly faded. She hadn't expected the blonde bishop to react this way. Whether it was discovering her werewolf identity had been exposed, or... it shouldn't have been such a placid response. Delia fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "What if I told you I do know you?"

She lifted her chin slightly, her face devoid of expression, her eyes fixed intently on Tang Qiu's face.

Tang Qiu merely chuckled at her fickle attitude and said gently, "Then I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. Even if you do know me, I won't change my mind."

Delia stared at her for a while, then suddenly smiled and said, "You're very interesting." Much more interesting than the old Grace.

Tang Qiu nodded and replied politely, "You're quite interesting yourself."

The atmosphere of lighthearted banter between them seemed amicable, but in reality, both had already unleashed terrifying auras, creating a subtle standoff. The very space around the lighthouse began to distort.

Delia, whose Blood Domain was spread out below, was ultimately no match for a werewolf in her own territory. She dodged Tang Qiu's sudden attack, and a section of the lighthouse railing broke and fell. Standing on the edge, she looked at Tang Qiu with a half-smile. "You're not actually trying to kill me, are you?"

"I'm not that ambitious." Killing a fourth-generation vampire was no easy task. Without help, a moment of carelessness could get her killed instead. Tang Qiu continued her assault on Delia, saying, "I just told you, my goal is only to drive you and Rose Manor out."

A werewolf's speed was always their advantage. Although Delia dodged again, she hadn't expected to step directly into a patch of holy flames. The searing pain made her brow furrow tightly. She glanced at the claws glinting coldly as they neared her neck, a fierce look flashing across her face. Gritting her teeth, she broke through the flames and leaped from the lighthouse.

Tang Qiu frowned and jumped down right after her, intercepting Delia before she could enter her Blood Domain. However, the team of priests wasn't far away, which made Tang Qiu hesitate in her actions. After a moment's delay, she let Delia return to her Blood Domain and followed her in. The thick, blood-colored fog concealed their figures.

Although the Church team was focused on breaking the Blood Domain, and Tang Qiu and Delia hadn't been outside for long, their recent commotion had still attracted the attention of some, including Lisa.

Lisa and three other priests were stationed on the west side of Rose Manor, which happened to be in the direction of the lighthouse. She had seen the scene of Tang Qiu and Delia entering the Blood Domain one after the other. However, Tang Qiu was completely covered by a large cloak, so Lisa didn't recognize her. Still, she keenly sensed that the two were no ordinary individuals. Feeling puzzled, she continued to stare in that direction even after they had disappeared into the Blood Domain, lost in thought.

A cold, hard voice sounded by her ear, pulling Lisa back from her thoughts. "Focus, Priest Lisa."

Lisa subconsciously looked toward the source of the voice. Karen stood at the front of the priests' formation, holding a golden longsword, diligently guarding their safety. Whenever a vampire emerged from the Blood Domain attempting to infiltrate their ranks and wreak havoc, she would always spot them and proactively engage.

Each team of priests was assigned four or five Holy Knights for protection. Karen had wanted to follow Tang Qiu but was assigned here instead, to protect the team Lisa was in.

Although she felt a strong aversion to Lisa, she still carried out her duties conscientiously.

Lisa swapped places with the person next to her, trying to get closer to Karen. The Blood Domain had yet to be broken, and more vampires, having recovered, were emerging to launch sneak attacks. Watching Karen raise her longsword and charge forward again, Lisa couldn't help but call out, "Be careful."

By the time she finished speaking, Karen was already locked in combat with a vampire, and it was unclear if she had heard her.

Worried for Karen's safety, Lisa chanted spells and cast light magic toward the Blood Domain while keeping an eye on Karen's situation.

---

The standoff between the Church and the vampires continued, while night fell silently. In the capital city, a carriage stopped in the square before the Gosse Church. It was luxurious and ostentatious, adorned with vibrant roses on its sides that bloomed beautifully in the darkness.

Mario disembarked from the carriage and waited quietly for the person inside to get out.

However, after waiting for a while, the door remained closed. Instead, the sound of a hushed argument could be heard from within.

Monica sat in the far corner of the carriage, glaring unhappily at Reese, who was blocking the doorway. Suppressing her anger, she said coldly, "Move."

Reese held back her sleeve and poured water, heated to a boil by light magic, into a teapot. Monica's cold words didn't affect her. Humming a little tune in a good mood, she picked up a rose from the side and carefully selected tender petals to put into the pot.

The petals floated on the water's surface, their fragrance spreading with the steam throughout the small carriage.

Reese picked up the teapot, filled the cup in front of Monica, and said with a smile, "Have some tea before you go."

Monica pushed the cup away, her expression flat. "I'm not thirsty."

Reese held her own cup, lowered her head to inhale the aroma, and acted as if she hadn't heard Monica.

Monica repeated, her tone more forceful, "I'm not thirsty."

"Then wait until I've finished."

Monica: "..." This was ridiculous.

First, she had suppressed her and prevented her from going to the Central Church. Now, she had forcibly transferred her from the Bill Church against her will. This person had never once respected her choices.

It was the same even now... She didn't want any tea at all, even if it was the rose tea she had once loved most.

Monica angrily turned her face away and stared silently at the carriage wall.

Reese glanced up at her. Seeing the almost tangible chill emanating from Monica, she lowered her gaze, rubbing the side of her cup as she silently finished her tea.

The time it took to drink a cup of tea was neither long nor short. By the time the priests and clerics on duty at the Gosse Church heard the commotion outside and came to investigate, the carriage door had opened. Reese emerged, her scarlet cape exceptionally eye-catching in the night.

Seeing the cape behind Reese, the priest's expression turned to one of shock. He hastily bowed in salute, along with the clerics behind him.

Monica came out after Reese. As she stepped down from the carriage, she glanced at the clerics behind the priest and spotted a familiar face. She walked over and asked, "Where is Bishop Grace?"

The familiar person was a cleric who had come from the Bill Church with Jennifer. She was pleasantly surprised to see Monica and bowed. "Priest Monica."

"Bishop Grace is in Anersai City, driving out the vampires from Rose Manor."

Monica frowned and instinctively turned to look at Reese. Upon hearing the cleric's words, Reese's eyes darkened slightly. She clutched an envelope in her hand and said nothing.

Mario had already gone over to inquire about the situation in detail. The cleric's voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough for those nearby to hear.

When Monica heard that civilians had been infected with the Blackening Disease because of the vampires, a flash of anger crossed her eyes. She said coldly, "How audacious. They have no regard for the Church whatsoever."

Mario asked a few more detailed questions, then turned to look at Reese. Reese had already put away the envelope. She walked past Monica and said to the Gosse Church priest, "Take me to Grace's quarters."

Seeing her about to leave, Monica frowned. "Aren't you going to Anersai to help Grace?"

Reese didn't turn back, merely saying nonchalantly, "I'm too tired. I need to rest."

Monica bit her lip and muttered, "Cold-blooded."

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