A Cynical Principle - Episode 1.2.1

Episode 1: Watchdog of the Dark City (Part 2.1)

Vampires were not a race. 

They were originally humans. 

A person who died an unnatural death, a person who was drowned by force, a person who committed a crime that could not be judged by law, and a person who died without permission from the church.

They wandered in this world and carried eternal time as a deformed person, a living corpse.

They hid themselves in dark cities and attacked people as they pleased. 

There was no way to reject it; no matter how much they resisted, they would always seek blood. No matter how much they cursed their fate, they would have to face their loved ones someday.

However, many of them were unanticipated visits── reported by their wives and lovers, the Vatican sent out a clandestine vampire hunter group, the Krusniks, which the Vatican kept secret.

And those who indulged in compassion would be obliterated. 

Of course, when vampires gathered, some of them simply hunted humans for their own entertainment. Likewise, there were some Krusniks who hunted demons for enthusiasm. 

Light and Shadow, the Vatican and the Dark City; as the light intensified, the shadow would darken, and the confrontation would only get worse. 

If Krusniks existed to protect the sacred ground of light, Charlo de Univale was dispatched to protect the dark cities. 

Among many of them, he leaped beyond wits and elbows and kicked death without fearing God. And only with a soft sneer, everything within his hands was crushed. 

It was not well known what kind of past he had because he rarely spoke about it. However, as a former Vampire Slayer, Krusnik was currently fulfilling the request of the Dark City. 

— Darkness obscures everything, but light cannot illuminate everything. 

That was his way of speaking. 

♢ ♦ ♢

“Ah, I still smell wine on my body.” 

“It’s my fault.” 

“How?”

The next day, the Lord woke up with the sound of the bell of the Last section. He wore a black cloak for some reason, and the sound of his shoes slowly became audible as he descended the stairs. 

At night, Partita arranged for breakfast rather than dinner at the table to match his seating. Such a meal was meaningless for vampires, since blood was the only source of their lives, but the Lord never missed this ritual. 

However…

“I’m late today, I have to clean up Lord Rothschild’s business.” Univale headed towards the door gracefully. She also followed him through a shallow lit corridor under the bellflower chandelier. 

“I have prepared a two-wheeled carriage.”

“Very well.” He pulled Partita’s hand and kissed the crown of her head.

“Where are you going?” 

“To the House of Savoa.” The man jumped into the wagon and parked at the front porch without even needing to momentarily stop the flow of his movements. 

“You have to be careful.” 

“You’re going too, Partita. You don’t have a coachman, do you?”