Chapter 59 The Arrival of the Second Batch of Humans

Raymond was a commoner on the border between the Nolan Empire and the Beastman Empire, but unlike others, he owned a piece of land.

Though small, it was enough to sustain his family.

But bad news often comes unexpectedly.

This year's Beastman invasion came too early; the village wasn't prepared when those damn dirty creatures entered.

Fear, despair.

No words could describe how Raymond felt when he saw the Beastmen.

Though he escaped and saved his life in time, he lost everything—wealth and food no longer belonged to him.

Raymond was forced to flee with others from the village; their final destination was Green City, a thousand-year-old metropolis.

Legend had it that every Frost Month, nobles in Green City would distribute bread and food, and it was the only place across the southern border that offered a glimmer of hope.

But the long distance on foot took too much time.

Over ten days, Raymond encountered several groups of refugees from nearby villages. Banding together was human nature, and Raymond generously accepted them.

Thus, more and more people gathered around him, but at the same time, their food supply dwindled.

Green City seemed so distant; the crowd didn't know how much longer it would take to reach it, or if they could survive until then.

Despair began to fill the crowd.

Even Raymond, who was temporarily elected as the leader, started to waver.

It was then that a giant bat, like a demon, appeared.

No one could forget the sight of that enormous bat flapping its fleshy wings, full of sharp teeth glinting coldly in the dusk after the sun had set.

By the gods above, everyone was filled with fear at that moment.

If there was an apocalypse, this scene would be its extreme.

When a Vampire with bat wings hovered in midair, Raymond even foresaw the arrival of slaughter and death.

If humans had something they always hated and feared, it was definitely the notorious Vampires.

These legendary demons who lived on human blood embodied everything humans feared:

Mystery, bloodthirstiness, cruelty, murderousness, and power.

Men protected their wives, women shielded their children. While everyone trembled, awaiting their fate...

Something unexpected happened to Raymond.

The other side claimed to be the Holy Light Bloodline, different from the evil Vampires, and that they wouldn't harm humans.

They also claimed they would take them to a city without war, without Demon Beasts, without noble exploitation.

By the goddess, if he hadn't pinched himself hard to feel the pain, he would have thought he was dreaming.

When did the supposedly extremely evil Vampires change?

Anxiety, unease, fear of the unknown, and worries about the Bloodline—negative emotions spread among the crowd.

But no one could oppose.

No one.

Because those giant bats still flew above, Raymond swore those demons' wings spanned ten blades wide, and their sharp barbs could penetrate a warrior's armor.

Hundreds of Vampires with open wings patrolled, their power enough to easily kill all of them.

Raymond chose to surrender. He had no choice; he was just a level-4 warrior, and that was only due to his cousin, who had been a mercenary and trained him tirelessly.

No one could resist a group of powerful demons.

So, Raymond and everyone else boarded the house-sized bats and embarked on an unknown journey.

Until Raymond arrived at Dawn City, he remained anxious and uneasy.

He even imagined what they would encounter in the Vampire's lair—perhaps they'd be imprisoned in dungeons where the sun never shone, taken away daily by Vampires as food, and kept alive only to die one by one.

Just like the legends.

But something unexpected happened to Raymond.

The Vampire lair turned out to be a vast city!!

By the goddess, it wasn't a dark, damp dungeon??

As Raymond saw the scene below the bat, he sank into deeper shock.

There was a brightly lit plaza in the city's center.

That wasn't the main point—the main point was that there were many humans on the plaza. Yes, humans, appearing in a city ruled by Vampires!!

What surprised Raymond most was that these humans seemed to get along well with the Vampires. After getting off the giant bat, he saw a human happily chatting with a nearby Vampire.

And the Vampire didn't mind at all, instead engaging in lively conversation with the human.

Hell!

Had he arrived in the abyss? Why was there such a strange scene?

Did these humans not fear these blood-sucking demons? How dared they chat with Vampires? How dared they get so close to these evil beings?

Confusion and puzzlement filled not only Raymond's mind but also everyone else's.

This scene was too surprising; no one could imagine that the Vampire Castle, which they thought was hell, would have so many ordinary humans.

Moreover, these humans were completely free—no shackles, no scars, no fear.

This scene, which defied common sense, released a large part of the fear among the newly arrived populace of Dawn City.

Porcupine saw the anxious newcomers and chuckled, feeling a strange sense of pride.

A bunch of kids, never seen such a scene, have you!

Having arrived a few days earlier, Porcupine felt a senior's superiority. He wanted to loudly scold these guys right now.

Look at you panicked fools, what's there to worry about? It's just the Holy Light Bloodline's castle!

But as a member of the Security Team, his duty today was to welcome these new residents. Scolding wasn't his job, and he felt a bit regretful about that.

"You don't have to panic. This is Dawn City. The Holy Light Bloodline are our protectors, and they won't harm us.

Do you see? We are the Security Team of Dawn City, all humans. We haven't been harmed; please rest assured."

"Everyone, line up and register your identities in order. After registration, each of you can receive some wheat and a piece of bread.

Remember, cutting the line is not allowed in Dawn City. Anyone causing disruption by cutting in line will lose their food allocation for today.

Follow the order. Only after registration can you receive food."

With the loud shouts of the Security Team members, the panicked crowd slowly calmed down. The initial fear faded significantly with the appearance of fellow humans providing firm assurances.

Upon the Security Team's reminder, many people finally noticed that large pots had been set up at the edge of the plaza, and tables nearby were filled with white bread.

Clearly, the food was specially prepared.

By the goddess, is this really food for them? The group, weary from a day's journey, suddenly felt their stomachs growl with hunger.

"This, this really is a Vampire's castle? Why do I feel even Green City couldn't provide such treatment?"

"By the goddess, am I dreaming? Why are there so many humans in the Vampire's lair? Is this really the Holy Light Bloodline's castle and not an evil Vampire's lair?!"

"So much bread, and it's white bread! This is unbelievable—utterly unimaginable!"

Even Raymond was stunned by the scene.

He looked at the Security Team maintaining order around him, then at the Bloodline nearby, his eyes filled with deep confusion.

Vampires were no longer the evil beings, but rather the Holy Light Bloodline who could offer humans protection?

What had happened to this world?