When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist

Spring is in full bloom, birds are chirping, flowers are fragrant; it’s once again the season for the animals’ grand contest.

A winter has passed in a blink, and it’s already the beginning of February 1460.

Fishing City, the capital of the Immortal Stone Field.

Located in a river bay along a tributary of the Nao’an River, Fishing City is surrounded by riverbanks and shrubs, almost like a peninsula.

Three hundred years ago, the peninsula’s Fishing City was still a fishing village.

But now, it’s transformed into a large city with 6,000 houses, 12 palaces, and over a dozen roads.

Although its population is just over fifty thousand, not as large as the one hundred thousand of the ry Court Barracks, it is still the most prosperous place in the region.

Like most cities in Leia, early spring Fishing City remains covered in thick smoke from burning straw.

Shrubbery streams and passing carriages are all enveloped in a pungent smoky scent.

The palace complex in the east of Fishing City is the residence of all Immortal Stone Field’s high officials and nobility.

The most famous among them is the Dresken Gallery, built thirty years ago.

The long street in front of the gallery is paved with ancient bluestones, slicing through patches of lawn and leaving marble fountain pools.

Within the embrace of iron fences lies the Dresken Gallery.

On a quiet street in front of the gallery, a gilded carriage slowly stopped, and a man stepped out.

He bore distinct Xilanian features, with wheat-colored skin and short curly brown hair.

But his eyes, which should have been black, were now bright red.

A telltale sign of a Blood Servant.

The man looked around, and soon, Dotos V, Duke Sotoya of Immortal Stone Field himself, came to greet him.

"Your Excellency Kakulkan, I did not expect you to arrive early; it truly brings honor to my humble abode."

"Hahaha, I’m just a mere servant; such honors for this humble abode are overstated."

"Not at all, not at all."

Standing on the mottled black rock-patterned steps in front of the gallery, Kakulkan glanced around, hands behind his back, looking cheerfully at the bowing Dotos.

"I’ll have to trouble Duke Dotos to take us in for a view."

Although a Xilanian Blood Servant, Kakulkan’s Leia language was exceptionally clear and fluent.

"Please." Dotos immediately made a gesture of invitation.

As soon as they entered the gallery, even though Kakulkan had traveled far and wide, he was still startled.

The short pathway from the doorway vestibule to the gallery was all gleaming gold.

Those were gold bricks!

"Gold bricks?"

"No, just gilded."

"My master’s palace has authentic gold bricks."

Although Kakulkan had never entered his master’s house, it didn’t stop him from hearing about it.

"Who dares compare with the Bladeer clan’s Blood Lords?" Dotos V, having something to ask, naturally couldn’t allow Kakulkan to lose face.

Treading the golden path, Kakulkan couldn’t help but sigh, "Fishing City sounds plain, but inside it’s a mini Celestial Kingdom, no wonder it dares call itself Huaqiu City on the Nao’an River."

"Those are all compliments from the servants, nothing more, nothing more."

Indeed, Fishing City has the title of Huaqiu City on the Nao’an River, and the reason is simple: it has mines.

Immortal Stone Field is named for its abundance of gemstones and special metal ores.

Many metal ores are essential for the Holy Alliance’s smelting of special steels.

Although the Red Iron Mountain Range and several counties in Mande have mines, they primarily consist of iron and copper ores, lacking other metal resources.

Previously, Horn had long been troubled by this, but now, it’s no longer an issue.

Because the Redsand County, rich in other metal deposits, is now in the hands of the Holy Alliance.

The gemstone region of the Immortal Stone Field was preserved, but before long, Black Snake Bay gems appeared on the market.

Gem prices dropped several times, only recently recovering somewhat thanks to the vampires’ lavish spending.

These factors collectively made Dotos V harbor immense hatred for King Jiji and Horn.

Dotos V was angry for a moment, but just for a moment; was he really going to fight the Holy Alliance?

Besides, when his ancestors entered Fishing City, they had already earned all the money they’d need for this lifetime.

Who toilingly earns for anyone for no reason?

Relying on these gems, metals, and trade, long before Dotos V was born, the family had amassed almost limitless wealth.

With wealth came the pursuit of higher ideals.

Duke Omes, having gained money, wanted revenge, aiming to become King of Falan.

But the Dresken family evidently had no such lofty goals; instead, they invested all their wealth in building wonders and entertainment facilities.

From Fishing City Gallery to the Red Velvet Theater and the Grand St. Langeland Cathedral, they constructed a series and amassed a massive collection of artworks and rarities.

Bear in mind that Dotos V’s residence, the Gwentzgold Palace, boasts a golden dome and four treasure pillars inlaid with 600 multi-colored gems.

Such a magnificent scene; how could Kakulkan return to his master with nothing to report if he didn’t come to visit?

Vampires have a deep fascination with art, and many of them are artists or sculptors themselves.

Yet, they seldom create excellent works of art.

According to researchers from the Empire, vampires’ degenerated senses make them less sensitive to colors and imagery.

Coupled with demonic illness, which changes the shape of their brains, their creativity and ability to learn new knowledge diminish significantly.

No matter how they paint, they can never surpass the emotionally rich and infinitely creative humans.

This is also known as the curse of the god of art.

Yet, because of this, vampires love art even more; after all, what they cannot have always stirs desire.

Standing before these gilded-framed paintings, as a Xilanian, Kakulkan didn’t see much beauty in them.

"How much gold pounds for this one? I’ve seen something similar at my master’s."

"This piece is by the late Master Zitenfinger, worth 400 gold pounds."

"Hmm."

No need to say more; Dotos knew to package these artworks and ship them to the windmill lands.

Though he was reluctant, the thought of the wolf-like Holy Alliance soldiers made him grit his teeth: "Come, pack them, and deliver them to the windmill land for exhibition."

Kakulkan smiled slightly but said nothing.

The soft pigskin shoes made no sound as they fell on the marble corridor.

In contrast, Dotos’s accompanying wooden-soled shoes clicked crisply on the ground.

Previously, when he toured the gallery alone, this clicking was his favorite sound.

But now, he found it extremely embarrassing that a Great Lord of the Miseria Church should have to bow before a mere Xilanian heretic!

Truly, this is turning the heavens upside down!

But the fact is, the Miseria world has declined, and neither the heterodox Holy Alliance nor the vampires from the west can preserve the fine traditions of the Empire’s Miseria Church.

No use resisting; he had to face reality.

The Holy Alliance offered no opportunity for alliance, so the only choice was to convert to the Eternal Lord’s teachings.

This wasn’t his betrayal of the Miseria Church; it was the Miseria Church that betrayed him.

How did the Miseria epithet cast the Saint’s Grandson from the Celestial Kingdom?

They even propose equal property distribution, aiming to strip away more than ninety percent of the nobles’ properties and abolish their privileges.

Further labeling them as demons!

May the Lord be merciful; outside the city, he had opened countless charitable shops.

If the Saint’s Grandson declared the nobles demons, then fine, why not be that demon? He’d stop being human.

Having come to terms with it, he cautiously asked, "Your Excellency Kakulkan, did you come alone?"

"Hm?" Dotos was shocked, "And your army?"