Mystery: The Stranger

Chapter 42 We, the Vampires

Xalatas subtly guided Thranla's emotions. The moment he heard the name, a look of understanding flashed in his eyes, and he immediately became even more engrossed in the performance.

Prior to this, neither Snow nor she knew much about this otherworldly queen—after all, unlike the widely known "Goddess of Beauty" Olnia, no supernatural power with any foundation was unaware of her name.

The otherworldly queen had already extracted the characteristics of the Gate Path during her fall, and now only the power of the Moon Path remained. Her strength was no longer at the level of a powerful god in the Second Era, and now she was not much different from ordinary vampire angels and dukes.

...

The crimson moonlight spread across the terrace like solidified cream. The red glow that had lingered after her ascension still lingered on Thranla's fingertips. Her body, now a demigod, was exceptionally excited under the full moon. She lowered her head slightly, her silver hair falling over her shoulders, suppressing her joy, excitement, trepidation, and awe, and humbly expressed her doubts.

"Lady Sermia, there is something I do not understand..." Her voice was as soft as moonlight, as if afraid of disturbing the legendary otherworldly queen, "When I ascended just now, I prayed fervently to the goddess of beauty, Olnia, and I chanted her name. Why was it you who ultimately responded to me?"

While it was a wonderful thing that the "Queen of Another World" had responded to her, Thranla was indeed puzzled by the question.

"Olnia is still sleeping."

Thranla's laughter remained soft, and Xalatas's tone was incredibly casual, dismissing the matter with a light, indifferent remark. He casually offered an excuse, showing no intention of giving a serious explanation whatsoever, displaying the complete attitude of a superior: "I have no need to explain myself to you."

"I see, Lady Sermia, please forgive my rudeness."

Upon hearing this, Seranra accepted it without the slightest doubt. It was quite normal for most vampires who didn't want to rise in rank to prefer slumber. She had never suspected the otherworldly queen. The other woman's casual tone and the skillful, level manner she used when communicating with Olnia were exactly what a superior should be like. It was this kind of temperament that made it impossible for anyone to have any other thoughts.

As a young vampire who had just been promoted to Sequence 4, she had no arrogant thoughts about questioning the angels in her clan.

After calming down, Thranla respectfully raised her head, her tone becoming even more humble: "I wonder if Lady Sermia has any other instructions or arrangements for appearing today? I will certainly do my utmost and will never fail to live up to your grace."

"Heh," Xalatas's laughter carried a deeper meaning, "There is indeed something I need you to do."

Before Thranla could ask any further questions, her voice suddenly became more serious, her command clear and unyielding, reaching Thranla's ears through the moonlight: "Spread the faith of the Red Moon. The First Ones have not completely perished; occasionally, we angels can still receive some inspiration."

What?!

Thranla shuddered, her pupils contracting sharply. The progenitor hadn't completely perished? This news struck her like a thunderbolt, leaving her almost breathless.

Is this kind of secret something she, a mere demigod, is qualified to know?

Salatas did not pause, and continued slowly, "Now that you have become a demigod, you should understand the importance of faith as a spiritual anchor. We cannot allow the Church of the Night to completely monopolize the faith and interpretation of the Crimson Moon, as that would be extremely detrimental to the restoration of the Progenitor. However, we also cannot confront other churches head-on, such as the Church of the Earth Mother—their attitude towards our vampires has always been ambiguous, and they have always harbored covetousness. Their current activity will only put us on the defensive."

Her voice carried a seductive power, each word clear and penetrating Thranla's heart: "The Dark Ages have long passed, the era of the Ancient Gods has ended. Spreading faith in the name of the Red Moon is the only thing you need to do for the vampires. Compared to the vampire progenitor who has long since fallen (she emphasized her words, yet left a hint of ambiguity), I believe that humans today are more likely to have faith in the Red Moon that hangs in the sky every night. As for the Red Moon being equivalent to the progenitor, humans don't need to know; we will understand in our hearts."

Throughout the entire conversation, Xalatas did not give Thranla a chance to interrupt. His tone was calm but carried an absolute sense of authority, as if he were merely instructing her on a trivial matter. Yet, Thranla felt the weight of the matter and inexplicably developed a heavy sense of mission.

As soon as she finished speaking, Thranla knelt down on one knee without hesitation, her right hand pressed against her heart, her crimson eyes filled with determination and fervor, her voice strong and clear: "Your subordinate understands, Lady Sermia! I swear to you with my life that I will never reveal a single word about the Progenitor, not even to other members of my race! I will discreetly spread the Red Moon faith in all the areas I can influence, never directly mentioning the Progenitor's name, and never attracting the attention of other churches!"

There was no need for Salatas to perform any sophisticated mental manipulation; just a few words of half-truth and half-lie were enough to get the newly crowned vampire count on the right track. The news that the vampire progenitor had not completely perished had already occupied her entire mind. In her view, the otherworldly queen was far too noble to joke about such a matter concerning the survival of the vampire race.

Moreover, if the progenitor is indeed still recovering, then she will definitely need more faith. This mission is both an honor and her inescapable responsibility. How could she possibly refuse?

She instantly understood why, back in the Third Era, Lady Sermia had stopped using the original title of Queen of Another World and instead adopted the title of Duke of Red Moon as her new title. She hadn't thought much about it before, only assuming that Lady Sermia, for the sake of unity within her race, no longer openly referred to herself as Queen and acknowledged the leadership of "Goddess of Beauty" Olnia. Now she realized how superficial she had been.

It turns out that the two queens who rule the vampire clan knew long ago that the progenitor had not completely perished. Lady Sermia's use of the new title "Red Moon Duke" suggests that she has already been actively collecting faith for the progenitor!

The "Red Moon" does not refer to Lady Sermia, but to the progenitor!

"Young people are full of energy." Salatas's voice softened again, tinged with approval. "Then go for it. Whether it takes a hundred years or a thousand, it doesn't matter—we vampires don't care about the passage of time. Besides, this is the only and necessary path for you to rise to the rank of Marquis."

She paused, then added, her tone carrying a barely perceptible hint of taming: "From now on, there's no need to pray to Olnia anymore. She has many more things to attend to, and she has no shortage of earls or marquises at her disposal. As for me, I don't mind nurturing some newcomers who I find pleasing."

As soon as he finished speaking, a tiny crimson rune quietly appeared, following the moonlight into Thranla's brow, and firmly took root in her spiritual world. "This symbol points to me," Xalatas's voice gradually became distant, "I have a premonition that a new empire is about to be established. You can choose to join it, just as your father did. But this time, you must be clear about your purpose in joining—your father's destruction along with the previous empire is a profound enough lesson; do not repeat the same mistake."

"We vampires only believe in the Red Moon and are loyal only to our progenitor."