Jack calmly examined Simon and Urien’s situation through the computer screen. He had sat at his desk the moment he returned from work.
"A vampire, huh?" Jack murmured with interest. Gaining a vampire believer would be intriguing. So far, he had gathered followers from druids and humans.
As for Urien’s statements, Jack had no issue with them. In his logic, the anti-non-human ideology was a profitable one.
At this point, the fact that humans made up a tremendous amount of the population was advantageous. While the human population stood at 700 million, elves or dwarves barely had 30 million in total.
Even if Jack wasn’t an enemy of other races, that didn’t mean his ideology wasn’t racist. After all, many modern-day politicians did the same thing.
By blaming a specific nation, name, or race, they gained the support of others who saw themselves as victims. Even though Jack didn’t view himself as either a racist or a politician, he understood certain things.
For now, he planned to emphasize the hatred towards the Holy Mary Kingdom, as it had the potential to attract as many followers as possible. This way, he would gain more support.
Jack smiled faintly. He really did see himself as a master of manipulation. A satisfied smile spread across his face as his eyes turned to Veronica.
His Miracle Points had reached nearly 800, meaning he could now perform a blessing. Jack selected Veronica with the mouse and chose the type of blessing from the dropdown menu.
Four options appeared in the new window: Healing, Strengthening, Mana Increase, and lastly, Curse Weakening.
Healing simply meant treating wounds, while Strengthening provided temporary power. Mana Increase gave a person extra mana for a short time. Curse Weakening could reduce, or at least temporarily suppress, the curse on vampires like Veronica.
For 50 Miracle Points, the curse could be weakened for at least two weeks. Jack could use all his Miracle Points to help Veronica for months.
As Jack waited for Urien to begin his prayer, he kept a smile on his face, wanting to make a grand entrance. He waited patiently.
Urien bowed slightly and began praying. Even though his words were lies, he prayed as sincerely as possible.
"The God of Creation is as merciful as He is helpful to the oppressed, Lady Veronica," he said, then continued, "Pray earnestly, and He will answer your prayers."
Nodding, Veronica clasped her hands together to pray. Lord Wilfried, despite his doubts, trusted Urien based on a slim chance.
As expected, shadows gathered around the praying Veronica, causing Lord Wilfried to frown. He turned to Simon. "What’s happening?"
Simon, calmly observing Veronica, replied, "This darkness is a sign from our God. Do not worry."
"Alright."
Relaxing, Lord Wilfried sighed and stepped back to watch what would unfold next.
As the darkness gathered around Veronica, strange marks began appearing all over her body. These marks were white.
The light emanating from Veronica’s body collided with the darkness, creating an ethereal display. It was as if the darkness was trying to consume the light, while the light constantly flickered in its struggle to protect itself.
"This hurts..."
Veronica opened her eyes, glowing crimson, and her gaze fell on Urien, the closest person to her. Her eyes scanned Urien’s body, and her mouth watered.
"Veronica," Lord Wilfried said in a firm but gentle voice. Veronica snapped out of it momentarily and turned to her father. As Simon tensed, the darkness intensified, moving in a way that even forced the Lord to step back.
"Urien, step back!" Simon yelled in concern as Veronica suddenly lunged forward. Lord Wilfried activated his mana, trying to stop her, but Urien did nothing, allowing Veronica to bite into his shoulder.
"Stay back," Urien said calmly. Though his face twisted in pain, he did nothing to stop Veronica from drinking his blood.
The darkness expanded further, enveloping both Veronica and Urien. Though Urien’s face had paled, the shadows healed him as they encircled him.
As sunlight flooded the room, Lord Wilfried, despite his deep concern, held himself steady. Once he saw that Veronica was not in pain, he began to relax.
Lord Wilfried’s heart raced with joy. He was about to touch Veronica’s shoulder when he noticed her suddenly bending forward, clutching her stomach tightly.
"Lady Veronica? Lady Veronica, are you alright?"
Simon’s tone mixed curiosity and relief as he asked the question, while Veronica raised one hand toward her face. Lord Wilfried’s eyes narrowed, and he touched her shoulder.
"Veronica, what are you doing?" Find your next read on мѵʟ
When no response came, Lord Wilfried frowned in confusion. "Veronica? Answer me."
"Ha—" Veronica’s sudden burst of laughter caused everyone to freeze for a moment. As the laughter continued, strange expressions appeared on everyone’s faces.
"Finally—" Veronica’s face twisted into a crazed smile, and her voice took on a sinister tone. As Lord Wilfried’s mana flared, both Urien and Simon tensed and looked at Veronica.
Simon’s hand moved to his sword hilt, his eyes tense as he tried to understand what was happening.
"I’ve finally conquered the sun!" Veronica collapsed to the ground, laughing, her laughter echoing through the house. "I truly—"
Cutting her laughter short, Veronica began crying, reaching out toward the sun as if trying to grasp its rays.
Feeling relieved, Lord Wilfried calmly patted Veronica on the shoulder and offered her a rare smile. "Yes, you’ve finally conquered the sun, my daughter..."
Veronica immediately stood up and hugged her father. After sharing a moment of joy, Lord and Young Lady parted a minute later.
"Thank you," Veronica said, turning to Urien and Simon with a sincere expression of gratitude, her face glowing with pure happiness. "Without you, I might still be a monster."
"There’s no need to thank us," Urien shrugged, smiling as he replied. "After all, it was our God who did everything."
"Yes, our God."
Veronica glanced down thoughtfully, then closed her eyes, savoring the sunlight.
"What are you thinking, my daughter?" Lord Wilfried asked curiously. Veronica opened her eyes and looked excitedly at Urien. "I want to believe in your faith as well."
Seeing her glance at him, Lord Wilfried sighed once again, then shrugged his shoulders. "Do whatever you want. After all, you’re already 25."
"I really love you, Father!"
As the warmth of her kiss lingered on his cheek, Lord Wilfried allowed a faint smile to cross his face, though he didn’t show it much. Veronica clapped her hands happily. "Now that I have a cult, we’re a team!"
"Yes, we’re a team."
Urien gently called out to Veronica. At that moment, he felt a chilling stare from Lord Wilfried, but he easily ignored the sensation.
"Alright, let’s get down to business," Lord Wilfried interrupted after a minute of conversation, speaking calmly. His eyes were on Urien and Simon. "My daughter is healed. Now, tell me, what is it you wish from me? I swear on my honor and the legacy of my ancestors that I will do everything in my power to fulfill your request."
Lord Wilfried’s eyes were more serious than ever before.
Unconsciously, Simon straightened his back and looked thoughtfully at the ground. After making up his mind, he looked up at Lord Wilfried.
"We seek your support for the Church of Creation, my Lord," Simon said seriously. "We wish to spread the existence of the Creator God to the entire world."
Simon’s expression was earnest, and his eyes shone calmly as he awaited Lord Wilfried’s decision.
Lord Wilfried waited calmly. Then he made his decision.