Chapter 411: The Secret Faction's Kingdom: Transylvania

The Transylvania Kingdom was indeed more prosperous than the Grand Kingdom.

Since the Blood Race were nobles themselves, the aristocracy had been abolished here, ushering in an era of democracy.

Taking the stage was nascent capitalism.

And the monopolists, naturally, were the Blood Race from the Secret Faction.

The status of nobility now only circulated within the Blood Race of the Transylvania Kingdom.

The Blood Bath Queen wasn't publicly known by that name. Instead, she was called the Pearl Queen, and she had single-handedly orchestrated the kingdom's entire reformation.

This made the kingdom far more prosperous and powerful, so her approval rating among the populace was astronomically high.

As for her true title, the Blood Bath Queen, the people of the Transylvania Kingdom dismissed it as slander from enemy nations.

However, due to the tight control and restriction of public information, intelligence related to the Blood Race did not circulate widely among the middle and lower classes. Even if some did, it was merely rumors akin to tabloid gossip or urban legends.

There was no need to worry about the upper echelons, as they were all members of the Blood Race.

Although this group of Secret Faction Blood Race wasn't as unrestrained as the Demon Faction, their lives were far more comfortable.

The Demon Faction resembled a primitive slave society, while the Secret Faction lived a near-modern lifestyle.

There were huge disparities in their food, clothing, and general expenses, not to mention other differences.

The signs of an industrial revolution were already beginning to show in this kingdom. With capitalism in place, it was estimated that it wouldn't be long before it took center stage.

The Transylvania Kingdom was rather unique. The Secret Faction's rule wasn't as brutal as the Demon Faction's, nor was it as restrictive as the blockades imposed by the Church and the nobility.

Thus, unconventional ways of thinking like science and capitalism were able to sprout.

But as for its progress, Qi Suian wasn't overly optimistic. After all, the Blood Race existed.

Ultimately, the entire Transylvania Kingdom was just a food source for the Blood Race. The moment humanity showed any signs of advancing, they would be stamped out.

Unless, of course, the Blood Race capitalists were greedy enough.

But as the ruler, the Blood Bath Queen could probably suppress them.

All it would take was a trigger. Once she sensed the trend, she would likely crush both industry and capitalism.

The area Qi Suian was currently in was a place in the kingdom called Brasov City, the industrial jewel of the entire Transylvania Kingdom.

It was one of the kingdom's economic lifelines.

Even the Queen would come to inspect it from time to time to ensure the kingdom's tax revenue.

A kingdom's most crucial elements were none other than tax revenue, food, and military strength, and this city provided the entire kingdom with high tax revenues and various elite armaments.

'The Church already has firearms as ranged weapons, but this place is still stuck with cold steel.'

'Then again, it makes sense. Gunpowder might not be as damaging to the Blood Race as mercury, but with enough of it, you could still inflict heavy casualties.' Qi Suian understood that the Blood Race had always suppressed human technological development.

The Blood Race of this world wasn't like the kind from fantasy novels that leveled up. They possessed powers on par with those fantasy vampires but couldn't fully control them, and they also had fatal weaknesses.

Their weaknesses didn't diminish with increased power. If that Son of the Dragon took a Mercury Bullet to a vital spot or a wooden stake through the heart, he would die too.

The only trouble was, how were you supposed to hit him? That was the tricky part.

He was incredibly powerful, and his speed was, at the very least, faster than spatial teleportation.

The weaknesses of third-generation Blood Race were definitely still there, but it was unclear for the second generation.

This was because the Blood Bath Queen, Elizabeth Bathory, wasn't restricted to moving only at night due to the sun.

On the contrary, she could move about in the daytime, just like a normal person.

From her behavior and demeanor, it was clear she wasn't using a body double.

As for the dark powers of the Blood Race? They didn't work under the sun, so Qi Suian was certain that the Blood Bath Queen, who could move in the daylight, was indeed a member of the Blood Race.

Most likely, her second-generation bloodline compensated for that deficiency.

None of this had much to do with Qi Suian, however. He hadn't gone to the capital of the Transylvania Kingdom, so he didn't have to worry about running into the Blood Bath Queen.

Her daily schedule was packed with official duties; it was impossible for her to just casually pop over to Brasov City. What kind of national leader would run over here every other day?

Qi Suian's target was the Chief Governor of Brasov City. He was also a high-ranking member of the Blood Race, a third-generation vampire whose bloodline was on par with the leader of the neighboring Demon Faction.

Furthermore, his title was Blood Prince, making him one of the most powerful figures in the Secret Faction.

It was only natural for him to be stationed here. After all, if anything happened to Brasov City, it would affect every industry in the kingdom and could even trigger massive negative repercussions.

The Queen's position would remain stable, but her quality of life would be affected.

As long as Qi Suian captured this Chief Governor, he was confident he could torture the information he wanted out of him.

As for how this might affect a lot of people? What did that have to do with him? He wasn't a member of the Blood Race, nor was he a human from this world.

Given the Governor's identity and status, there was a high probability he knew why the Son of the Dragon had suddenly made a move.

According to intelligence, the Demon Faction was already fighting the Church. The Demon Faction currently had the upper hand, but they were unable to secure a decisive victory.

The Church was enduring backstabs from various nations, but relying on its deep reserves and vast foundation of faith, it had managed to hold the Demon Faction at the border of the human kingdoms.

What was unfolding now was a scene where the front lines were strained, while those in the rear indulged themselves.

However, the Ascetics within the human kingdoms had also taken action. If the nations' actions weren't too disruptive, the Ascetics would turn a blind eye.

Those who were bold and reckless were now all dead beyond a doubt. The Ascetics hadn't killed them before out of consideration for their shared humanity, but now, anyone who dared to make a move was courting death.

The reason they didn't eliminate everyone was that there were simply too many. They lacked the energy and manpower to deal with them all, so they could only pick off the major players.

After a few waves of killings, the rear finally stabilized. However, many hidden dangers remained. The nobles who held real power all craved eternal life.

The Church was standing in their way, and since they couldn't win a direct fight, they could only endure. But the moment the Church showed any sign of weakness, these nobles would strike without hesitation.

Qi Suian found this novel. It was the first time he'd ever seen the Church actually on the side of justice for humanity.

But it was precisely because of the Church's steadfastness that humanity hadn't been completely reduced to a food source for the Blood Race, even though they were weaker and knew their chances of victory were slim.

Yet, they had resolutely chosen to throw themselves into this endless struggle.

This time, however, things were truly hanging by a thread.

'According to my intel, the Governor comes to this tavern every night at nine for a drink.' Qi Suian looked at the tavern in the distance.

From the outside, it looked like a tavern, and during the day, it did indeed operate as one, serving all sorts of alcohol and open to humans.

But at night, its core would be swapped out, and it would transform into a gathering place for the Blood Race.

What was served then wasn't wine, but thralls of all kinds—men, women, old, and young—for the Blood Race to feed on.

Qi Suian didn't know about the tastes of the Blood Race from other worlds, but the ones in this world had widely varying palates.

They didn't just prefer beautiful virgins in the prime of their youth; each had their own particular preferences.

Take the Governor, for example. He enjoyed the flavor of an elderly person's blood infused into high-proof liquor, which was said to have an exceptionally rich mouthfeel.

Qi Suian had never tried it, but he was sure it must have a strong, coppery taste.

Alcohol could indeed remove that coppery tang, but it had to be cooked. And boiling blood in alcohol... well, you might as well call it blood soup.

Qi Suian nonchalantly headed into the tavern, wearing the appearance he had pieced together for his arrival.

It was already 8:30 PM. The sun had long set, and the tavern had already transformed into a Blood Race gathering spot.

The humans inside had long been cleared out, leaving them no way to enter.

The thralls, meant as food, had already been transported to the back kitchen to become part of the "vintages."

As he arrived, Qi Suian let his tongue dart out to lick his lips, revealing a pair of slender fangs.

The two doormen who were about to stop him saw this and immediately stood down.

Qi Suian was indeed an unfamiliar face, but so what? The tavern was open for business; there was no rule saying they only served regulars.

With so many Blood Race clans throughout the kingdom, they couldn't possibly know everyone.

Many traveled far and wide, and every day, numerous unfamiliar Blood Race members came here to amuse themselves. Qi Suian was hardly the only one.

As long as you were of the Blood Race, there were no barriers to entry.

And as for deliberately targeting Qi Suian? They'd have to be crazy to go after a customer, especially when there was no grudge between them.

Once inside, Qi Suian found a random spot and sat down.

A female human thrall approached, offered Qi Suian a menu, and asked, "My lord, what kind of 'wine' would you like?"

Qi Suian glanced at it, casually pointed to the first item, and then tossed out three Transylvania Kingdom Gold Coins.

The nightly patrons were all Blood Race, capitalists to one degree or another, so the minimum charge was in Gold Coins.

The 'wine' Qi Suian ordered was moderately priced and wouldn't attract any attention.

"Please wait a moment, your 'wine' will be right out." After speaking, she hurriedly walked away.

Qi Suian's eyes swept the area, and he noticed something was off.

'Her thigh muscles are well-developed, and also...' Qi Suian quickly identified what was different about this female thrall.

However, that wasn't the main point. After all, it was normal to be a bit sturdy if you did manual labor.

But the Secret Silver Dagger tucked into the small of her back was a huge problem.

His reconnaissance network then swept across the entire room, and Qi Suian instantly understood why.

'The protagonist's halo must be acting up again.'

'All the thrall servers here have been replaced.'

'But judging by their appearances, they don't seem to be from the Church. They look more like independent School Demon Hunters.'

At this stage, the Church was tied down by the Demon Faction and could barely fend for itself, so it had no mind to cause trouble for the Secret Faction.

Besides, they didn't have the aura of holy faith about them. They were just a group of ordinary people.

The good thing was, with proper planning, it was indeed possible to kill the Chief Governor of Brasov City. It's just that the success rate was better left unmentioned.

You could say there was a chance, but you couldn't say how high.