Remon was a civilian on the border between the Nolan Empire and the Beastmen Empire. Unlike others, he owned a piece of his own land.
Though it wasn’t much, it was enough to support his family.
But bad news often comes unexpectedly.
This year’s Beastmen invasion came too early. The village hadn’t prepared yet when those damned filthy creatures entered.
No words could describe Remon’s feelings upon seeing the Beastmen.
Though he managed to escape in time and save his life, he lost everything—his wealth and food no longer belonged to him.
Remon was forced to flee with the other villagers who had escaped. Their ultimate goal was Green City, the ancient city with a history of over a thousand years.
Legend had it that during the Month of Deep Winter, noble lords in Green City would hand out bread and food. Across the entire southern border, only Green City offered him a sliver of hope.
But the long distance required walking, taking far too much time.
For ten full days, Remon encountered several groups of civilians fleeing from nearby villages. It was human nature to band together for warmth, and Remon generously accepted them.
As more people gathered around him, their food supplies dwindled.
The distant Green City seemed impossibly far away. The crowd didn’t know how much longer they had to go or if they would even survive until then.
Despair began to fill the entire group.
Even Remon, temporarily elected as the leader, started to waver.
Just then, giant bat-like demons appeared.
No one could forget at dusk, after the sun set behind the mountains, those enormous bats flapping their massive wings, their sharp teeth gleaming coldly.
By the gods, perhaps in that moment, everyone was filled with fear.
If there was an apocalypse, this scene would be the epitome of their worst nightmares.
When a vampire with flapping bat wings floated in mid-air, Remon even foresaw slaughter and death descending.
If there were any beings humans had always detested and feared, the notorious vampires would surely rank among the top three.
These demons, rumored to live off human blood, embodied everything humans feared:
Mystery, bloodshed, cruelty, bloodlust, strength.
Men protected their wives, women shielded their children. As everyone trembled, awaiting the judgment of fate. Something astonishing happened.
The other party claimed to be Saintlight Vampires, different from evil vampires. They wouldn’t harm humans.
Moreover, they intended to take them to a city without war, magical beasts, or nobles exploiting and oppressing them.
Goddess above, if he hadn’t pinched himself hard enough to feel pain, Remon would have thought he was dreaming.
Since when had the notoriously evil vampires changed?
Apprehension, unease, fear of the unknown, worry about the vampires—all negative emotions spread through the crowd.
But no one could oppose.
Because those giant bats covering the sky were still flying. Remon swore, these demons had wings spanning ten blades wide, their sharp barbs capable of piercing even warriors’ armor.
Hundreds of vampires still hovered, inspecting with their wings spread. Their formidable power could easily kill them all.
Remon chose to submit. He had no choice. He was only a Level 4 warrior, a result of relentless training by his cousin, who once worked as a mercenary.
No one could resist a group of powerful demons.
Thus, Remon, along with everyone else, boarded bats taller than houses and embarked on an unknown journey.
Even when Remon arrived at Dawn City, he still harbored fear and unease.
He even imagined what they would encounter in the vampires’ lair. Perhaps they would be imprisoned in dungeons without sunlight, with some being taken away daily to become the vampires’ food. They would be raised like livestock, dying one by one.
Just as legends described.
But what surprised Remon appeared.
The vampires’ lair was actually a vast city!!
Goddess above, not a dark, damp dungeon??
When Remon saw the surprise beneath the bats, he fell into deeper shock.
In the city center, there was a brightly lit square.
That wasn’t the key point. The key was that there were many humans on the square—yes, humans! In a city ruled by vampires, humans appeared!!
What shocked Remon most was that these humans seemed to have good relations with the vampires. After he got off the giant bat, he personally witnessed a human chatting amiably with a nearby vampire.
And that vampire seemed unconcerned, even chatting enthusiastically with the human.
Had he fallen into the abyss? Why was such a strange scene occurring?
Were these humans not afraid of these blood-sucking demons? How dare they chat with vampires? How dare they get so close to these evil beings?
Doubts and confusion weren’t just in Remon’s mind but filled everyone’s thoughts.
This scene was truly astonishing. No one would have expected that what they thought was a hellish vampire castle would house so many normal humans.
Moreover, they were completely free, without shackles, scars, or fear.
This scene, defying common sense, left the newly arrived civilians deeply puzzled while quietly alleviating a significant portion of their fear.
Seeing the new arrivals' anxious faces, Hedgehog chuckled, feeling an inexplicable sense of pride.
A bunch of rookies, never seen such a scene before!
Hedgehog, who arrived a few days earlier, felt a sense of superiority like an elder. He wanted to shout at these guys loudly.
Look at you panicking fools, what a sight! What’s there to worry about? It’s just the Saintlight Vampires’ castle!
However, as a member of the Security Squad, his responsibility today was to welcome these new residents. Giving speeches wasn’t his job, which he regretted slightly.
“Everyone, don’t panic. This is Dawn City. The Saintlight Vampires are our protectors; they won’t harm us.
See? We are the Security Squad of Dawn City, all humans. We haven’t been harmed, so please rest assured.”
“Everyone line up in order to register your identities. After registration, each person can receive a bowl of wheat porridge and a piece of bread.
Remember, queue jumping is not allowed in Dawn City. Anyone disrupting the order will lose today’s food allocation.
Everyone follow the sequence, register your identity, and then collect your food.”
Amidst the loud calls from the Security Squad members, the panicked crowd gradually calmed down. Their initial fear dissipated significantly as humans appeared and confidently reassured them.
After the Security Squad’s reminders, many noticed several large pots already set up at the edge of the spacious square, with tables beside them stacked with white bread.
Clearly specially prepared food.
Goddess above, was this really food for them? The exhausted crowd immediately felt a wave of hunger in their stomachs.
“Is, is this really a vampire castle? Why do I feel we couldn’t get this kind of treatment even in Green City?”
“Goddess above, am I dreaming? Why are there so many humans in a vampire’s lair? Could this really be the Saintlight Vampires’ castle instead of an evil vampire’s den?!”
“So much bread, and it’s white bread! Incredible, simply unimaginable.”
Even Remon was stunned by this scene.
Looking at the Security Squad maintaining order and the vampires nearby, his eyes held deep confusion.
Vampires were no longer evil bloodsuckers but became Saintlight Vampires providing shelter for humans?
What had happened to this world?