My Horny Stepmom Turns Me into Her Vampire Slave

Chapter 195: Rules over what’s right

Kingdom of Mildelar (Elyndra), 28 years earlier.

The long chime of ringing bells marks the end of the morning training and the start of the lunch break at the Care and Vocational Training Center.

More than a hundred orphans scatter across the massive training grounds in small groups.

Everyone except a fifteen-year-old vampire named Costantine Serev.

He sits alone on top of a rock, quietly eating his lunch.

That day’s lunch is a simple savory snack made from dried lycan tongues seasoned with spices.

It tastes awful, but it’s packed with nutrients. More importantly, it’s cheap thanks to the huge number of lycan packs roaming in and out of the Kingdom of Mildelar.

Hunting lycans is part of the Scarlet Army’s daily routine.

Hundreds of them are killed every single day, and not just to keep people safe.

Once it’s properly prepared, lycan meat is safe to eat, and their thick fur is turned into warm clothing for Scarlet Army soldiers marching through Elyndra’s coldest regions.

The brown- and silver-furred lycans are reserved for regular soldiers.

The pelts of the powerful black-furred lycans, however, are reserved for high-ranking officers — but only if they’re the ones who killed the beast.

And since black-furred lycans are far stronger than the average vampire, wearing one of their pelts is a symbol of strength and authority within the Scarlet Army.

Costantine is busy tearing at the tough, rubbery piece of meat with his teeth when a group of three boys walks over to him.

Velkas Mordane.

He’s the same age as Costantine, but he looks much older thanks to the thick beard already growing on his face and his full blond hair, already streaked with a hint of gray.

Malik Drasken.

He’s fourteen, short and lean, with a slim but well-defined build and long midnight-blue hair tied into a braid.

Finally there’s Damien Varcosh.

He’s only sixteen, yet already completely bald.

Normally that would’ve made him an easy target, but nobody dares make fun of him because of his tall, heavily built frame that commands both strength and fear.

"Costantine Serev, I’m still hungry. Hand over your piece of lycan tongue. Don’t make me take it," Damien Varcosh says.

His massive frame looms over Costantine as he plays the leader of the little bully gang, while the other two — Malik Drasken and Velkas Mordane — back him up by mocking and taunting Costantine.

"If you’re still hungry, go ask the headmaster for another serving. I’m sure they’ve got so many lycan tongues in storage they don’t even know what to do with them," Costantine replies calmly, without even looking up at them.

"Maybe. But I don’t want just any lycan tongue. I want yours. Don’t make me say it again unless you want this to end like last time."

The exact same thing had happened two days earlier.

The three of them had interrupted Costantine during lunch, demanded his food, and when he refused, they beat him without him putting up the slightest fight.

For a bunch of bullies, having a victim who can fully regenerate in seconds is a dream come true.

His regeneration wipes away every trace of what they did, and they never have to worry about getting in serious trouble for causing permanent injuries.

After the beating, Costantine reported everything to the staff.

In the end, though, Damien, Malik, and Velkas got nothing more than a warning.

Judging by their attitude, it clearly hadn’t changed a thing.

At that, Damien cracks his knuckles with a threatening grin.

"Your loss, Costantine. We’ve still got half an hour before lunch break is over. That’s more than enough time to beat it into that empty head of yours who’s in charge around here."

Then he suddenly reaches for Costantine.

He’s just about to grab him by the throat when... BAM!

A powerful blow slams into Damien’s side, sending him crashing to the ground.

"What the fuck do you want, you little brat?!" Malik snaps at the person who just hit Damien.

It’s a thirteen-year-old tomboy with platinum-blond hair cut so short that, if it weren’t for her breasts and hips already starting to develop, anyone would’ve mistaken her for a boy.

Her name is Isabelle Valakys.

"What do I want from you? No. The real question is what the hell do you want from Costantine, you pathetic fucking bullies?!"

"None of your business, Isabelle! Get the hell out of here unless you want us to beat your ass too!" Velkas threatens.

"Oh yeah? The three of you want to jump me? Then come on! All three at once! I’m not scared of a bunch of pathetic losers like you!"

"’All three at once.’ That’s exactly what your whore of a mother used to say before she dropped dead, wasn’t it?" Malik sneers.

He doesn’t even have time to finish laughing.

Isabelle closes the distance in an instant and drives a brutal kick straight into his balls.

The pain is so overwhelming that his scream dies in his throat as he collapses to the ground, writhing in agony.

Velkas instinctively pulls his fist back, ready to swing at Isabelle.

But the cold, threatening look in her eyes is enough to make him think twice.

Damien slowly gets back to his feet while Velkas helps Malik stand.

The three of them finally back off, hurling insults and threats at Isabelle as they leave, but she doesn’t even acknowledge them.

Her attention is completely on Costantine now.

"Thanks," he says simply, still eating like nothing ever happened.

"I’ve always hated those three assholes. I was just waiting for an excuse to put my hands on them, that’s all."

Then she gives him a puzzled look.

"More importantly, why the hell do you always let them push you around? You’re just as strong as they are. Why don’t you ever fight back?"

"Because fighting outside the designated times and training areas is against the rules. And you just broke them."

"Do you even have a brain? That’s not fighting. That’s called defending yourself! In case you didn’t notice, those three assholes were about to jump you, and I just saved your ass!"

"Yeah, I know. And I already thanked you."

"You do realize they’ll come after you again, right? What are you gonna do then? It’s not like I can play your bodyguard all day!"

"I never asked you to. The rules say we’re supposed to report that kind of behavior to the staff, and that’s exactly what I’ll do."

"So if the rules told you to get fucked in the ass, would you actually do it?"

Costantine lets out a long, exasperated sigh and shoots her an annoyed look.

"That kind of language doesn’t suit a girl, especially one your age. Anyway, rules exist for a reason, and I’m just following them. If everyone did whatever they wanted, we’d end up living in chaos. That’s all."

"So you’re saying the rules matter more than your own sense of right and wrong?"

"Yes. That’s exactly what I said."

"What a boring guy..."