Chapter 321: Since When

On Sol's way back to the palace, he practiced his new law technique, [Swift End], by slaying any vampires he encountered. By imbuing the Slayer Aura onto a stone sword created with [Terra Manipulation], he could take down B-Rank vampires with a single semi decent strike. If the initial attack didn't kill them outright, the deadly Slayer Aura finished the job.

Though he used these encounters for practice, he noticed there were few vampires left in the city. Most had either perished or fled by this point, and the few he encountered were unable to escape the battles they were caught in.

Despite these skirmishes, Sol maintained his pace and soon arrived at the palace.

He was breathing heavily, exhaustion evident in his every step, but he refused to let it slow him down.

'Once we deal with those three, this will all be over.' He thought, pushing himself onward.

But when he reached the palace, he realized it wasn't necessary. The two vampires, Nisha and Carmilla, and their thrall, Itaya, were kneeling on the ground, bound by dark blue chains. Though their mouths were unsealed, they remained silent, their eyes blazing with fury over their defeat.

Sol immediately recognized the bindings that restrained them, Suppressor Chains. They were used to seal magic and restrain powerful individuals.

The Royal Knights and other organizations used them frequently, so he was well acquainted with their capabilities. He even carried a few in his spatial ring for arrests. However, to restrain A-Rankers these chains were far beyond the ordinary.

[Suppressor Chains

Legendary

Durability: 7764/7800

Skills:

[Law Seal] Lv 2, [Energy Seal] Lv MAX, [Physical Seal] Lv MAX, [Restain] Lv MAX]

"L-legendary chains?" Sol muttered, astonished. He initially thought the trio might have surrendered willingly and that the chains were mostly for show, but now he doubted even he could escape if bound by such restraints.

Victor approached, noticing Sol's reaction, and nodded with traces of amazement as he eyed the chains. "Yeah, they are. I was surprised, too, when Diana pulled them out after we incapacitated them."

"They're Diana's?" Sol asked, struggling to understand how she could possess such high-tier equipment. Then it dawned on him, Diana held a significant position in the church. Unlike him, who stumbled upon powerful items like the Void Root by sheer luck, she likely had access to legendary items by virtue of her status.

While Sol considered how nice it would be to own multiple legendary items, Diana descended gracefully on magical winds, landing nearby.

She wasted no time. "Did you get the Harbinger?" she asked.

Sol shook his head. "No. He's dead."

"Good." Diana replied with a relieved smile. "The threat of the Harbinger is finally over."

Sol returned her smile, sharing the sentiment. While Diana was likely relieved to complete her months long mission, Sol was simply glad no one was actively hunting him anymore.

Turning his gaze to the three bound women, Sol asked, "Why did you capture them?"

While he could understand imprisoning them for questioning about the attack on the capital, it seemed unnecessary since Victor and the nobles were already cooperating.

"We can't kill them." Diana explained, her expression serious as she pointed to Nisha. "If that girl dies, the kingdom won't survive what happens next. The vampire Primogen will come for revenge. And while he isn't a god, he's the closest thing to one."

'Primogen? Almost a god?' Sol's mind raced. He hadn't known the vampires had a more powerful being backing them. If the Primogen was as strong as Diana suggested, the only comparable being Sol could think of was the Bliss Spider at its peak, a creature that single handedly destroyed the Azrem Dwarves' entire civilization.

Worried, Sol asked, "What's stopping him from coming here to save her?"

Diana shrugged. "I don't know. Caela didn't elaborate, but I trust her eternal wisdom."

Sol froze. "Wait… Caela? The Caela?"

"Yes. I'm her Chosen." Diana said matter of factly.

'Since when?!' Sol's expression betrayed his shock. He had no idea she was such an important figure.

Victor noticed his reaction and raised an eyebrow. "You didn't know?"

Victor had learned of her status while working with the rebel nobles. When they planned their attack on the capital, they accounted for every major player, including Diana. That's why the vampires had sent two A-Rankers after her. They knew they couldn't defeat her alone but hoped the Blood Moon's enhancement would give them an edge. Even without that knowledge, Diana was a well known figure in the Church of Caela, and most high-ranking individuals in the kingdom were aware of her.

"No! Of course I didn't!" Sol exclaimed. As a relative newcomer to the capital, he'd only met a few important figures like Princess Valerie and Saintess Wendy by chance. He was too busy with his duties to attend large events or network with prominent individuals.

Diana chuckled softly at his flustered state. "I apologize. I should have been clearer when we first met. Let me reintroduce myself, I'm Sky Touched Diana, Caela's Chosen."

'Sky Touched… I didn't know what it meant then, but now it makes sense.' He recalled his earlier visits to the Church of Caela, where he felt that the priests and priestesses' reactions to her name had been a bit exaggerated. Now he understood why.

'I knew she held a high position but not THAT high.' Ashamed for not realizing sooner, Sol turned back to the three women, looking to change the subject. "What should we do with them?"

Diana shrugged. "Caela didn't offer insight. I assume it doesn't matter as long as Nisha doesn't die. As for the other two I don't think it would matter but I captured them as well to be safe. I'll leave it to the royal family to decide."

While the Church of Caela held significant sway, the decision ultimately rested with the royal family as rulers of the kingdom.

Sol nodded. "Then we'll do that. I'll see if Commander Zaman has recovered enough to take command. Diana, can you keep an eye on them, and Victor, too? He's part of the reason this happened."

"He is?" Diana looked surprised, unaware of Victor's role in the events. Victor, however, twitched visibly, his hands briefly leaking yellow wisps of fire before he extinguished them.

"I told you already. I intend to make this right. I'm not some coward who runs from my mistakes!"

"I know." Sol replied, "but just in case." He acknowledged Victor's sincerity but preferred to err on the side of caution. After all, if Victor truly wanted to slip away he would have done so when Sol wasn't here and three women were already taken care of.

With one final glance at Diana and Victor, Sol walked away, activating his PAL to contact Amber and locate where she went with the Commander of the Royal Knights.