When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist

The sky is filled with pale red clouds, pulled thin by the wind, resembling blood-stained wool, obscuring the azure sky.

Entering summer, yet Fat Cow Castle remains as cool as autumn.

Measured by the Holy Alliance's standards in Gallar degrees, the temperature is only eighteen or nineteen degrees.

Fat Cow Castle, as the Roaring Corridor and the most prosperous city in the entire northern Norn, shares its landscape with Leia and Falan without distinction.

In the past, the vampire invasion brought Gothic architecture to the empire.

The northern Norn region, however, was not disturbed by this trend, still blending classical Ayr architecture with Norn's own style.

Thus birthed these onion domes, colored tiles, white walls, and octagonal church buildings.

At the center of Fat Cow Castle is the renowned Bloomlind Holy Tree Great Cathedral.

The streets like rays extend outward from the Holy Tree Great Cathedral, constructing the inner city, outer city, and lower city with triple walls.

The height and luxury of the houses decrease from the inner city to the outer city down to the lower city.

By the time one reaches the lower city, only low wooden houses and vegetable gardens remain.

However, compared to the past when people worked diligently, now one can often see shadows of zombies and skeletons in the vegetable gardens.

They stand beside the lush cabbages among the laboring humans, uniformly wielding iron hoes procured from the Holy Alliance.

Even the skeleton next to a living farmer might be his son, and the zombie on the other side his wife.

Yet he feels nothing amiss, with madness, hatred, and longing in his eyes.

Madness over a family's blood sacrifice, hatred towards the vampire invasion, longing for the happiness potion after sunset.

Without it, he will suffer sleepless nights, which is the last method to escape nightmares.

Soon, he will seek eternal happiness from the vampire's Eternal Lord's priests, becoming one with the zombies and skeletons.

Unlike the Miseria teachings, within the Eternal teachings, one must die willingly to achieve ascension, living forever among mortals.

If one can blur the lines between death and life, achieving eternity is not difficult.

In vampire culture, undead creatures like ghouls, skeletons, blood knights are akin to Angels or Sacred Relics in Miseria teachings.

However, as one must be born to die, vampires must ensure a certain number of living contributions of blood.

A living person drained by vampires for too long will experience a sharp decline in vigor and lifespan, stuck in a state unable to die or fully live.

At such moments, only the happiness potion can relieve their pain.

So when Lakunio rode by with dozens of knights along the dry road, he saw farmers wandering alongside the route.

They jerk and giggle mindlessly, with ropes around their necks, obediently following the leader.

A Blood Servant (not a Blood Slave) wields a herding whip, leading them across the grassland.

Compared to the greasy fat man's blood or the bland thin man's, the blood of those not too fat nor too thin is most satisfying to drink.

Therefore, the blood meals cannot stay indoors all day and must be led out for a walk.

Lakunio even knows there are special fruit-flavored blood meals on the Xilan Islands, exclusively for the Vampire Prince.

Behind the human enclosures are Xilan natives who have eaten fruits their whole lives, their blood tasting refreshing and slightly sweet.

In the past, Lakunio would have sympathized with them, but not this time.

His tired face, unkempt attire with pajamas underneath, each crease hiding anger.

Who could have imagined it? Bacon Castle was captured by thousands of Norn Restoration Army!

Once Bacon Castle fell, the army from Shattered Stone Plain could invade, taking Salted Meat Castle, then further south to seize the lower Seniye River, connecting with Crow Roost County...

Holy Father, no, Eternal Lord above, the hard-won strategic advantage has been surrendered.

And Lakunio knows Horn too well, seems honest but full of cunning.

Once ceded, he will undoubtedly push further, then deploy familiar fatigue tactics.

He sits idle while maneuvering you around.

Using administrative efficiency and transport speed against you, until you've had enough, then he appears lazily to clean up the mess.

Why does Saint's Grandson keep winning?

Because he never fights battles he can't win.

Upon hearing the news, injured and just recovering at Blue Pattern Castle, Lakunio had to rush overnight to Fat Cow Castle to take command.

Even now, he can't fathom how the Norn Restoration Army managed to swiftly attack Bacon Castle behind Salted Meat Castle.

Galloping into Fat Cow Castle, entering the inner city, in the Holy Tree Great Cathedral with the inverted cruciform, several Servant Army Great Monarchs and Vampire Dukes responsible for the western mountain areas were present.

They nervously looked at Lakunio, even the previously disrespectful vampire nobles stood up.

"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?" Lakunio pulled open a chair, wasting no words.

"Uh, here's the thing..."

"Say it within thirty words!"

"They dug a canal from the Saf River in Thick Bull Castle to enter the Seniye River, sir."

Lakunio recalled the map for half a second, coldly staring at the Bacon Castle Great Monarch who spoke: "Do you take me for a farmer who hasn't seen a map? Or a princess with no common sense? Excavating a canal from the Saf River, do you know how many years that would take?"

"No, no, sir, there was already a waterway there; they just dredged it."

Lakunio was taken aback, clearly this information wasn't on the map.

He fell silent for a moment before continuing, "Even so, four months, dredging can't be that fast, can it? And how did Bacon Castle fall to just a few thousand men?"

"Uh, you know..." a Vampire Duke said with a smirk.

"Know what exactly?"

"Ah, you know."

"Speak plainly, am I guessing riddles with you?"

Having no choice, the Duke leaned in to whisper a while in Lakunio's ear.

Finished, he spread his hands: "You see, we still have to do business with the Holy Alliance.

The empire hasn't been seized yet. If no one does business, just pillage, who will sell goods and produce, right?"

"Fine, fine." Lakunio fell silent for a few seconds, finally repressing his emotions.

This is the time to stay calm and not lose composure.

"At least Salted Meat Castle still stands; we should quickly assemble the army, use whatever is available immediately before they settle in..."

Halfway through speaking, Lakunio sensed an odd atmosphere in the room.

Several Great Monarchs were shifting uncomfortably, as if fleas were biting them.

The vampire Counts and Dukes pursed their lips, lowered their heads, even their courteous nods were absent.

"Uh, Lord Lakunio, actually we wanted to discuss this..."

"Oh, oh—you wouldn't dare tell me..." Initially dazed, then on the brink of fury, Lakunio thundered forward, eyes widened, "No, no way, you can't, you wouldn't tell me..."

"The Salted Meat Castle has already fallen."

"Fuck, fuck fuck fuck!"

After capturing Bacon Castle, Alexei decided on an all-in move, leaving hundreds to guard Thick Bull Castle, two thousand to guard Bacon Castle, then launched a night assault on Salted Meat Castle.

Undoubtedly, Alexei's initial capture of Salted Meat Castle gave him considerable advantage.

The local farmers didn't know the name of the Bacon Castle Grand Duke but knew Alexei's.

Not merely due to frequent Norn Restoration Army activity around the border, but because the sorcerers actively promoted him.

Moreover, Alexei had killed a batch of nobles, relieving them of many feudal obligations.

Although it led to a massacre, aside from a few unreasonable ones, most Salted Meat Castle believers didn't blame Alexei.

Due to the Restoration Army's swift actions, with Salted Meat Castle believers unprepared, aided by local informants and opened gates, Alexei swiftly recaptured Salted Meat Castle.

André decisively, quickly assembled troops, taking command of Salted Meat Castle's defenses.

The Restoration Army then swiftly returned to Thick Bull Castle and Bacon Castle, preparing for the Royal Court's counterattack.

"This way, even Cheese Castle might need to retreat, or risk being cut into two," Lakunio's voice, after the roar, sounded weary.

Human and vampire nobles in the room exchanged glances but could only sigh silently.

"Not necessarily."

A voice came from the doorway, everyone looked up, seeing Pokins walk in, leaning on a cane.

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