ATAPOW Chapter 214
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Chapter 214: The Vampire Diplomat
A season caught between the lingering grasp of winter and the arrival of spring.
Despite the unmelted snow that still blanketed the streets, the sound of children’s voices and joyful melodies echoing through the air were absent; A stark contrast to those of previous years.
The omnipresent moon in the sky had shifted from being a symbol of unity to one of solitude and desolation.
The strong winter breeze – once an urgent call for loved ones to get together – had transformed into a sharp blade, mercilessly inflicting fresh cuts on the still-healing wounds of the past.
Prosperity was, in nature, fleeting as passing clouds and ephemeral as a puff of smoke; Not once had it prevailed against the relentless march of time.
This land, once abundant and overflowing with milk and honey, had fallen under foreign oppression, causing its native population to shrink drastically.
Even the coldness in the streets had assumed a different meaning compared to the past.
One could only see feeble and gaunt figures residing in crumbling wooden houses which stood as a stark reminder of their former glory.
The moral character cultivated across generations was annihilated in an instant and the remnants of their civilization were left without a successor. All that remained was the arduous burden of ceaseless toiling to make ends meet, and eyes stripped of their light and hope.
In contrast to the ‘underprivileged district’, the inner region of Nolan City exhibited a completely different phenomenon.
Behind the sealed-off walls of the inner city, one could faintly smell the aroma of well-cooked meat in the air. It was accompanied by boisterous and cheerful voices spoken in a coarse tone, whose volume surpassed that of trumpets.
The current rulers exhibited no restraint or reservation as they indulged in non-stop festivities and banquets — They knew that the Asiatic Cat Race would provide them with food when their supplies ran out. If they ran out of fine alcohol, the Asiatic Cats would brew more. And when their desires for reproduction were at their peak, they would casually visit the ‘underprivileged district’ and grab a few attractive Asiatic Cat Girls.
Their lives could be described as unrestrained indulgence, as their comfortable experience here surpassed even the time spent in their hometown.
They were sleeping in the large beds of the Asiatic Cat Race’s royal palace while feasting on the fruits of labor they callously plundered from its citizens.
Their unwavering exploitation came at a cheap cost; They only needed to offer them the mere means to scrape by. Such was the victor’s mindset.
The cost of attaining freedom was exorbitant: A race that could only resign themselves to adversity and settling for less was unworthy of it.
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A girl walked barefoot on the street. Dressed in a similar style to most people in the ‘underprivileged district’, she did not attract too much attention.
Her body was covered in a thick coat adorned with patches of various colors, making it difficult for people to discern her appearance or hair color.
The dilapidated clothes and the dispirited vacant look in her eyes caused her to blend in with all the different natives on the street, making her appear like the beggars that populated every corner.
The girl wandered through this unfamiliar foreign country. Every now and then, she would pause and survey her surroundings while occasionally casting a glance to her side.
The severely damaged city resembled the lifeless soul of the Asiatic Cat Race; It would be a difficult task to restore to its former glory.
They were already bound by invisible chains, which they couldn’t escape or find redemption from. It was even more improbable that someone would rescue them.
She looked down at her hands, her mind lost in a daze. The harsh, icy wind penetrated through her ill-fitting, oversized clothing with ease as it came into contact with her small, empty tummy.
Despite the chilly weather, she remained oblivious to the cold.
‘I’m no different than them, right? It’s too late for me to get salvation now…’
‘Isn’t everything unfolding before me the indirect result of my own actions?’
‘Is there any difference between disrupting the peace in a foreign land and the actions carried out by these ruthless and savage invaders?’
‘How did things end up like this… Isn’t a knight’s duty simply to protect what they are assigned to protect? The lives and deaths of foreigners are completely beyond their jurisdiction, aren’t they?’
‘But…’
“Have you come to a decision, Your Excellency Radiant Knight?” A melodious voice, as gentle as flowing water, seemed to convey the profound emotions of a young girl. The expression on her face, as well as her words, caused the girl to fall into a momentary deep daze.
In the fierce cold wind, her knees grew weak, causing her to slowly kneel on the ground.
Her scarlet eyes flickered and instantly connected with a pair of luminous eyes.
They belonged to a cat-eared girl down the street who was dressed in a tattered black robe.
Her legs folded into a cross-legged position, wrapped in a tattered black gown that only served the purpose of preserving her modesty. Her lips and limbs had turned a bright red from the cold, but there was not the slightest trace of reaction from her. The only discernible feature on her face was her numb and vacant expression.
Their disheveled eyes filled with blankness remained locked onto each other, unyielding in their gaze for a long time.
Bai Ji subconsciously stood up and slowly walked towards her.
Despite sensing the arrival of the unfamiliar girl, the young girl remained unresponsive and only used her vacant eyes to stare at her, just like before.
At that moment, the two remained locked in a face-to-face stare on the corner of the desolate street — with one of them standing and the other sitting on the ground.
“Clank, clank, clank…” The gloomy atmosphere was shattered by the crisp sound of metal.
A faint ripple spread across the vacant eyes of the black-gowned girl who was begging for alms. Her gaze slowly shifted to the glimmering silver coins resting in the cracked porcelain bowl.
When she returned to her senses, the girl before her eyes had already walked off into the distance.
As she glanced at the girl’s back, the black-gowned girl closed her eyes and shook her head. She no longer paid any attention to the silver coins in the bowl, instead choosing to lean against the severely damaged wall, seemingly drifting off to sleep.
Bai Ji continued to wander aimlessly through the devastated landscape.
As she searched for directions, she came across the eatery, which was now completely deserted. The sight of the ‘Business Temporarily Closed’ sign hanging on the restaurant door stopped her in her tracks.
‘The condition of the elderly man isn’t really promising. It’s unlikely he will survive until spring arrives.’
Whether by accident or design, the gazes of the pedestrians she observed in the vicinity seemed to intentionally avoid the eatery.
For some reason, these hesitant gazes made Bai Ji extremely uncomfortable, or rather…
It was their insincere expression that stirred a strong sense of disgust in her…
However, she did not have any right to criticize them.
Perhaps due to the fatigue in her heart beginning to manifest itself on her body or her inherently frail constitution, Bai Ji leaned against the wooden wall of the eatery. Wrapped in a large coat, her consciousness gradually began to blur.
‘Do you know the difference between you and them?…’
A muffled voice echoed in her fading consciousness, which was on the brink of slipping into a deep slumber.
‘Their hesitation stems from their powerlessness to rectify the situation. It is completely different from your indecisiveness, which was born from cowardice.’
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“Ahahaha! …Come, come. Let’s have another toast. This time, let’s raise our glasses to our glorious and prosperous country!” Kamron, known as the ‘Corpse-Eater’ and serving as the Chief Administration Officer in Nolan City, sat in the Castle’s throne. His posture unbridled, he raised his beer mug high into the air.
“Hahaha! Cheers, cheers!”
“We wish you the best as well, Chief Administration Officer. May your success continue and your career reach new heights.”
“Hahaha! What a joyful occasion! Let’s get plastered tonight! No one is allowed to leave until we’re all thoroughly drunk!” The flattering words from his subordinates below elicited a series of boisterous laughter from Kamron. His face flushed with intoxication, he raised his beer mug, which was as large as a wooden barrel, and eagerly poured its contents down his belly.
“Hahaha… Hmm? Why is there no more alcohol in there?” Just as he was getting into the swing of drinking, the alcohol in his cup suddenly ran out. This displeased Kamron greatly.
“Yes, yes!” A young and beautiful Asiatic Cat girl, clad in a revealing outfit, paled in complexion. She hastily grabbed the beer mug and began refilling it, but was abruptly knocked to the ground with a slap across her face.
“Useless thing! What’s the point of keeping you around if you can’t even refill the beer when it runs out?!” The intoxicated Kamron rose from his seat and berated her with a fierce glare.
“Please spare me, milord! This humble slave acknowledges her mistake!” The Asiatic Cat girl trembled in fear as her beautiful complexion further drained of color.
“Worthless piece of trash… I’ll give this cat to you, Iron Dragon.” Kamron said indifferently after he kicked away the pleading Asiatic Cat Girl in front of him.
“Haha, is Big Brother serious about this?!” As he observed the pale body of the Asiatic Cat girl, a bronze-skinned troll below him licked his lips.
“Words, once spoken, are like arrows shot from a quiver. Have you seen your big brother deceive you before?” Kamron harrumphed and resumed his seat on the throne, after pointing at the troll named Iron Dragon.
“From this moment forward, this person here will be your new owner. Do you understand?!”
“T-This humble slave understands…” The Asiatic Cat girl replied with a bitter tone.
She had gritted her teeth and made her decision during the toughest period of her life in the ‘underprivileged district’, where food was scarce and basic necessities were uncertain.
She would rather die facing the torment of trolls than succumb to starvation.
She had willingly taken on this job, and this outcome was a direct consequence of her own choices.
However, what alternatives did she have? After paying the monthly tribute, the meager amount of food left was simply insufficient to sustain her and her little sister.
In order to prevent her young sister from suffering from malnutrition, she had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure: abandoning her fellow clansmen in the underprivileged district and entering a gilded cage.
In hindsight, she could only blame herself for this situation…
Although her body and mind felt almost numb at this point, her attachment gave her the determination to keep on living.
“Come, come! Let’s continue drinking!”
“Reporting, milord! There’s an envoy outside who is requesting an audience with you!”
Kamron, who had just regained his enthusiasm for drinking, was forced to lower the beer mug he had been raising in the air.
“Damn it! What sort of god-damned diplomat is interrupting my sacred drinking time! I don’t care which country they are from, just get her out of my sight! I’ll break their legs if they disturb me again!” Kamron impatiently waved his hands at the guard who had come to deliver the report.
Before his words had completely faded, a young girl stepped into the castle hall with small, measured steps. She was dressed in sleek and refined ceremonial attire, with a long sword at her waist and her hair tied back in a ponytail.
Her exquisite appearance, sharp ears, and eyes as deep as an old well were complemented by the dark-blue vampire uniform she wore, a clear indication of her elevated status.
“May I know who you are…?” Instantly, the eyes of everyone in the hall turned towards the young girl.
Instantly, the rambunctious atmosphere in the hall was replaced by a still silence.
The girl remained silent, her calm eyes sweeping over Kamron who sat on the throne. Then, she respectfully lowered her head as if welcoming the arrival of someone important.
“Ah, Xun, have we arrived? Awoo~ (Yawn)” A young and tender voice caught the attention of everyone at the scene.
At the entrance, a petite figure dressed in an elegant long skirt walked with small steps, cradling a plush doll in her arms. Her drowsy demeanor made her appear as if she had just woken up from a nap.
The girl had two long purple twintails that cascaded down to the ground like flowing rivers. Her small, delicate and pointed ears, combined with her fair and exquisite face, gave her a doll-like appearance that invoked feelings of tenderness from everyone who laid eyes on her. The ethereal allure she exuded seemed like something out of a dream.
“Mhm.” The pony-tailed girl nodded respectfully before bowing slightly, showing her respect to her superior.
“Oh, is that so? Hmm, what a strange smell.” The strong scent of alcohol in the air, combined with an indescribable odor of decay, made the girl pinch her nose slightly.
Wherever she went, her extraordinary appearance had never failed to catch people’s attention.
After Kamron’s gaze slowly moved beyond the girl’s face, the first thing he noticed was her attire — It was a delicate and luxurious purple-striped long dress made up of ice silk…
This caused him to instantly sober up.
Alternating black and white stripes on a dress were reserved exclusively for members of the vampire royal family. Below them, the dress hierarchy followed a specific order: purple, red, yellow…
Purple signified that this individual held the title of vampire duchess or possibly even princess.
Even the most dim-witted troll would understand that he could not afford to mess with someone like her. He dared not show her any disrespect and quickly stood up.
“Honorable lady, it’s a great honor to meet you. May I ask who you are…”
“Mhm~ The person whose legs you were going to break.” The purple-haired girl listlessly cradled the doll in her arms, as she conveyed something with a drowsy expression, causing Kamron’s face to pale.