CA - Chapter 90

Chapter 90

The security at Rose Manor wasn't particularly tight. Lucille, who was already very familiar with the place, easily slipped in with Tang Qiu.

The path was filled with masked nobles. Lucille placed a prepared mask on Tang Qiu's face. Tang Qiu had deliberately changed into a pure white cloak for the occasion. Combined with the snow-white hair from her werewolf transformation, even an acquaintance wouldn't guess her identity once she was masked.

She reached out and took Lucille's arm. The two walked along a path flanked by blooming flowers, blending perfectly into the crowd.

As she walked, Tang Qiu observed the passing nobles. Seeing them either arm-in-arm with a vampire or leading a dark elf or a priest by a chain, she furrowed her brow imperceptibly and whispered to Lucille, "Aren't these nobles afraid of becoming food for the vampires?"

The dark elves and priests were bound by special chains, unable to resist, so it was understandable that the nobles weren't afraid of being harmed by them. But the vampires were not restrained.

Lucille explained in a low voice, "The nobles all carry protective gear. If a vampire were to suddenly attack someone, other vampires would come and deal with it."

"There is a fourth-generation vampire here, and these vampires are all her descendants. So, no one dares to lash out and harm anyone."

Tang Qiu thoughtfully withdrew her gaze and began to examine the architecture.

Rose Manor was even more magnificent than she had imagined. She had just visited the royal palace a few days ago, and if she were to compare the two, she felt Rose Manor was the more luxurious.

For vampires, who were immortal and had numerous descendants, the wealth accumulated by any single one who had lived for hundreds or thousands of years far surpassed that of a noble with a long-standing heritage.

So, what did the vampires hope to gain from the nobles by building this Rose Manor to please them?

A few blood slaves? Tang Qiu found that answer somewhat laughable.

As if knowing what Tang Qiu was thinking, Lucille lowered her voice and shared the suspicions she had formed from her investigations at Rose Manor. "The nobles use slaves to bid on the elves and priests."

"Rose Manor has four entrances, and every day, a steady stream of nobles' carriages transports slaves in."

The nobles controlled hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of slaves. They dictated the fates of these people. In the past, they were simply sent to various places as laborers, but now, it was more profitable for the nobles to trade them here for beautiful priests and elves.

These slaves belonged to the nobles themselves. Unlike the commoners outside, no one would notice if they went missing.

If the vampires themselves were capturing humans on a large scale across the continent, the Holy See would certainly have to take action to maintain its prestige and reputation.

But since these were slaves provided by the nobles, there was no need to worry about attracting attention. The life of a slave was like that of an ant; no one would care.

The number of slaves transported to Rose Manor daily was countless. It was impossible that they were all intended to be mere blood slaves.

Tang Qiu frowned. "What are the vampires using these slaves for?"

Lucille shook her head. "It's not clear yet. The security in some areas is very tight. Unless you force your way in, it's impossible to enter."

The two of them followed the crowd to the liveliest hall in Rose Manor. It was as if day and night didn't exist here; even though it was now deep into the night, the nobles coming and going were still full of vigor.

Because it wasn't the scheduled auction time yet, the number of nobles in the hall wasn't very large. Tang Qiu took a turn around the room but didn't see anyone resembling the Prince of Gosse, so she and Lucille left through another exit.

Tang Qiu had never seen the Prince of Gosse in person; she only had a portrait that Maggie had given her. To be honest, with everyone wearing masks, finding the prince was going to be quite difficult.

"It's said the vampires have prepared three dark elves for tonight. Later on, all the nobles in the manor should gather here," Lucille said in a calm tone as she sat down on a bench next to the hall with Tang Qiu.

Tang Qiu, who was observing the passing nobles, raised an eyebrow at her words. Just then, a noble walked by, leading a dark elf. She glanced over and asked curiously, "Do dark elves also live among the Elf Race?"

The appearance and figure of elves were impeccable, and the same was true for dark elves. However, unlike the beautiful and elegant regular elves, the dark skin of the dark elves made them seem perpetually shrouded in darkness.

Compared to the approachable and gentle elves, most dark elves were colder and more world-weary.

Other than the elves themselves, no one knew how dark elves were propagated. Some said it was because the Tree of Life had been tainted by darkness, but this claim had never been addressed by the elves.

Unlike ordinary elves, dark elves detested the light. From birth, they could manipulate dark elements, giving them an innate advantage over black witches.

However, just like the inherent weakness of werewolves and elves, the number of dark elves was even rarer.

Tang Qiu had already seen three dark elves on her way here. Adding the three Lucille had just mentioned, there were at least six dark elves in Rose Manor.

Where did the vampires capture so many dark elves? Tang Qiu was puzzled and had a faint feeling that things were not as simple as they appeared on the surface.

Lucille didn't know much about elves either, so she just shook her head in response to Tang Qiu's question.

The two sat on the bench and waited patiently for a while. The auction time had not yet arrived, but Lola suddenly appeared from somewhere and sat down opposite them. She eyed Tang Qiu suspiciously for a few moments before saying to Lucille with a mysterious expression, "I've found a strange place."

Lucille glanced at her and asked, "What place?"

Lola narrowed her eyes. "Remember the place in the ruins of the Rose Manor in Bill where we found those rotten fruit husks?"

"There's a similar place here."

Lucille's expression shifted slightly, and she stood up along with Lola. Tang Qiu frowned, her gaze shifting between Lucille and Lola before finally settling on Lucille. "What are you two talking about?"

It sounded like they had discovered something at a Rose Manor before, but Lucille had never told her about it.

Lucille reached out and pulled Tang Qiu to her feet, reminding her in a low voice, "Remember the little green sprout I planted in the manor? It's the place where I found it."

The little sprout hadn't changed at all since it was planted, so when they left Bill, they hadn't transplanted it. It was still growing in her manor.

Tang Qiu nodded in understanding. Only after hearing her speak did Lola confirm her identity. She looked her up and down, pursed her lips, and muttered under her breath, "So it really is a werewolf. What was a werewolf thinking, running off to the Holy See."

Tang Qiu blinked, silently staring at Lola's back. The hand hidden under her cloak began to itch. She stroked her sharp nails and chose to ignore the complaint as if she hadn't heard it.

Lola had been at Rose Manor for much longer than Lucille. Combined with her clan's characteristics, she was already familiar with the entire manor, except for the places so heavily guarded that she truly couldn't sneak in.

Avoiding the crowds, the three of them arrived at the location Lola had mentioned. It was the northernmost part of the manor, desolate and remote. Occasionally, a few seventh or eighth-generation vampires would patrol the area, but most of the time, it was unguarded.

Entering without alerting the patrolling vampires outside was no difficult task for the three of them. Lola bent down, opened the cellar lid, and gestured for Tang Qiu and Lucille to follow her inside.

The space was dark, the air murky. Tang Qiu counted the steps as she descended one by one. A werewolf's vision was unaffected by darkness. As soon as her feet touched the soft earth, she began to look around.

The space under the cellar was vast, more like a storage area. But the waves of putrid stench in the air made Tang Qiu suspect that this might be where the vampires disposed of bodies.

Lola walked to a corner and kicked at a pile of green husks, gesturing for Lucille to come and see. "Look at this."

Lucille walked over and took a look, her brow slightly furrowed. She bent down and picked one up. Because the husk hadn't fully decayed, she could smell a faint, fresh fragrance from it.

"I also found some strange things." When Lola said "strange," her expression was a bit odd. She walked over to Tang Qiu's side and picked up a partially dissolved skeleton from a patch of dark soil. The skeleton was very small, somewhat like a small animal's.

Tang Qiu went over for a look and frowned. "It has a dark aura."

Lola tossed the object away and shrugged. "That's why I said it was a strange thing."

Lucille walked over, holding the husk, and looked down at the skeleton on the ground. Tang Qiu glanced at the object in her hand and smelled a familiar fresh scent. She took the husk in puzzlement, lowered her eyes to observe it carefully for a moment, and then said slowly, "I know what this is."

Lola and Lucille looked up at her at the same time, surprised.

Tang Qiu took out the Elf Fruit she had brought from Eden from her Space Gem. As soon as the greenish fruit appeared in her palm, the murky air in the cellar was purified, and a fresh fragrance enveloped them.

Lucille expressionlessly took the greenish fruit and compared it with the husk. Seeing Lola looking at her in confusion, Tang Qiu explained the fruit's origin, "This was picked from the Tree of Life."

The Tree of Life... A thought struck Lola. "Is this the fruit the elves use to bear offspring?"

Tang Qiu nodded, then revealed another shocking fact to Lola. "The elves' Tree of Life is now in the Holy See's territory."

Tang Qiu had mentioned seeing the Tree of Life in Eden to Lucille, but she hadn't shown her the Elf Fruit.

Lola no longer knew whether to be more shocked that the husk came from an Elf Fruit or that the elves' Tree of Life was located within the Holy See. In any case, both revelations were stunning and unexpected.

Tang Qiu glanced at Lucille and voiced the suspicion she had held back then. "I suspect the Elf Fruit also works on other races, for example..." She glanced at Lola. "...you vampires."

"Vampires only need to give humans the Embrace to reproduce," Lola said, completely baffled. "What's the point of using Elf Fruits for procreation?"

Lucille handed the Elf Fruit back to Tang Qiu. Her dark red eyes were already coated with a layer of frost. Her expression was hard, her voice icy. "That depends on the purpose of the person trying to create a hybrid."

This Elf Fruit made her even more certain: her and Lola's births had been entirely engineered.

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