The Pleasure Town

"Pat, are you sure we want to go there?" Valerie prevented her best friend Patricia from entering the gate with warning signs everywhere. Lapella was a neutral area. The Avalons were free to visit there as long as they didn't hunt humans.

But there was one area in Lapella where Avalons could drink directly from human skin. The town of Kirogar was the name, located on the south side of the Dubois mansion. There were lots of vampire bars and restaurants. It reminded Valerie of when she was on a mission in Rutherford's lab and her first murder.

Kirogar was a liveable, where the vampires both Florentia and Avalon mingle and respect each other's way of life. Duke Dubois enforced more lax rules there but remained under strict scrutiny.

Knights—with the Dubois family crest imprinted on their shields and red robes—seemed to be guarding every corner. Duke Dubois seemed to make sure that all visitors to Kirogar could see that there were trained vampire knights there. So they were reluctant to break the law.

Kirogar is a city where bachelor vampires have fun. They could find top quality blood, boutiques selling famous designer clothes and the best craftsmen of shoes and jewelry among vampires. Duke Dubois fulfilled his ideal of equality in this city. There were also shops run by humans.

There was a cigar shop that sold the famous human-owned tobacco and pipes. Vampires love their tobacco and they've been in business there for more than two generations without any major distractions.

"We haven't seen each other in almost a year. I'm still mad at you, Val. I'm getting married next month, I don't know if I have a chance to come here again," Patricia Rowan, was the third daughter of a Marquess. She was Valerie's best friend and attended the same academy. She had short brown hair, a sweet face with beautiful big eyes. Her body was slightly petite and at first glance she looked like a thirteen year old boy. She was a smart and sociable girl.

"But I told my brother that I wanted to accompany you to the book club," Valerie hesitated. This was the second week she was back in Lapella and she was starting to get adapted with her old lifestyle.

As a noble girl, she got along with fellow noble girls. They chatted, discussed new things, visited each other's homes and drank together. Valerie chooses to temporarily obey her parents so they could reduce their supervision.

Valerie had insisted on returning to Taverin and that made her family watch her more closely. Feeling uncomfortable, Valerie finally decided to make peace and no longer discuss her intentions.

Her hands and feet itching for physical activity. But she couldn't approach the barracks of the knights in the Dubois mansion even if it was just for training. Jasper always suspected that Valerie would return to sword practice and ended up with her whimpering to return to war.

Her family tried to make her comfortable. They wanted to make amends and brainwash Valerie. Her room was now filled with books she had not read, dozens of beautiful dresses and jewels. It used to make Valerie happy. But now her mind was not that simple anymore.

She knew that she was strong enough and could contribute greatly to Florentia's victory. But she couldn't use her skill. It frustrated her and she felt useless.

Valerie wanted to remain a lady, but she also wanted to serve in the military. Her parents said she had to choose one. Was that really impossible? She knew there were some noble ladies who joined the military. They also did not lose their elegance.

Despite her hesitation, Valerie finally followed Patricia into the city gates. There they were greeted with smiles by the knights. They probably didn't know the identity of the girls because they were riding in a horse carriage that didn't have any family crest on it.

The streets of the city were congested and crowded, so horse-drawn carriages or animals of any kind were not allowed in. Valerie continued her trip on foot. Today certainly wasn't the first time she visited there. But this was the first time she had come without her parents. Besides, Patricia had said she wanted to visit the Vampire Bar which was popular with noble girls recently.

The bar provided human maids who were willing to have their blood harvested right before their eyes. They were all reportedly also very attractive. It made the vampires curious. Because as handsome and as beautiful as humans were, they usually still lose to vampires.

The bar was full of people. It seems that not all could immediately enter. But Patricia brought a special invitation letter, a sacred parchment with her family's stamp on it. Marquis Rowan was also a businessman and it turned out that he and the bar owner were business partners. Valerie could enter without having to make a reservation.

Valerie instantly felt hungry as she sat down at her desk. Handsome human youths showing skin shuffled around their desks. The scent of their blood was so delicious it stimulated her fangs to appear.

There were also beautiful maidservants. They were the dish at this bar.

"All the humans here have had their health checked, there's a healer on duty and they all get paid handsomely. You can harvest their blood straight into a glass for a maximum of two shots per person. we don't want our waiters to be anemic," the female vampire bartender explained to Valerie and Patricia.

The two girls were excited. It feels a little naughty, but harmless. Both Avalon and Florentia enjoyed visiting this kind of bar. Valerie remembers Bar selling humans as slaves to be rotated from one Vampire to another to death. This bar didn't allow it.

Vampires didn't usually drink much. A few glasses of blood was enough for the whole day. But that only applies to Florentia. The Avalon usually only wanted to drink blood straight from human skin. They also drink more. It was because their bodies had gotten used to it. Avalons were stronger, more youthful and their brains also function more optimally.

The maids were friendly and used to interacting with the vampires. They smiled as they stretched out their hands for the blood to be harvested. Several maids offered their help to harvest. But Valerie did it herself. She was once the best harvester in the military. It was easy for her.

"You did very well, my lady. Some vampires have stabbed me wrongly or injured me out of nervousness," the dark haired human boy with charming brown eyes commented on Valerie's harvest.

Patricia and Valerie laughed and joked. Valerie has been dishonest as to why she disappeared. Her parents had announced that Valerie was studying painting abroad. The girl couldn't draw at all. She made up so many things that she thought she should buy some canvases and really learn to paint at home.

Valerie asked the maid to bring her the newspaper. She always wanted to know the news about Taverin. It had been almost two Weeks since she had withdrawn from the Taverin war. The latest news says that Florentia managed to seize the Taverin.

Valerie widened her eyes at the news in the latest newspaper she was reading at the moment. Raphael's troops managed to take Ithadurna. The reporter said it was a brilliant guerrilla strategy, Raphael took advantage of the lack of military resources in Ithadurna because it was diverted to Taverin.

Other news says that currently Florentia and Avalon were in a truce. No more wars and territorial struggles to an indefinite extent.

There was some relief mixed with regret on Valerie's day today. In her past life, at least in this war Florentia captured three territories. Why now only two? Even though Valerie had dismantled Avalon's secret lab and killed a general.

But the truce had never happened in her past life either. Did that mean the course of history was changing? Did Valerie's intervention not mean that it would give better results?

"I'm going to find out and kill that person," Valerie suddenly heard someone talking at the table behind her. She glanced and saw a group of men chatting while smoking cigars.

"There's been a truce agreement, we can't move without permission or Florentia will hit back. Come on, admit it's been a tiring war. You've just come back from Taverin too, haven't you? Relax. We're here to have some fun, right?" His partner commented.

"He killed General Gunther, I want to know who it was," said the man again furiously.

Valerie gasped. Were those people Avalon's soldiers? And they're looking for Valerie? The girl felt anxious for a moment. She got up from her desk nervously to get out of the way. However she accidentally bumps into her desk and drops the glass.

Prak!

Valerie covered her mouth nervously. Patricia looked worried.

"Val? Are you okay?"

Blood splattered the hem of her dress. The man came up to her and used his handkerchief to clean it.

"Oh," Valerie exclaimed in confusion.

"My lady, are you okay? Did any broken glass hurt you?" The man said to her.

"I—I'm fine, sir. But your handkerchief—" Valerie lowered her head.

"It's okay, I'm more worried if you get hurt. So what's your name my lady?" The young man asked while looking at her closely, he smiled at her as if captivated then kissed the back of her right hand politely. Valerie was amazed. She had mixed feelings because she knew who he was.

He was Caesar Petrovsky, one of Avalon's commanders and the owner of a cursed weapon.