“Can it not be strange?”
Eleanor gently raised her hand to signal Lil to step back.
Only after the maid’s footsteps faded away at the doorway did she slowly turn toward Julius.
Her voice was soft, yet carried a faint strain she couldn’t suppress.
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen…”
She paused, her deep blue eyes locked onto the young man’s, “a vampire healed by Holy Light Magic.”
The words dropped like ice onto a silent lake.
Julius’s pupils suddenly constricted, his shoulders tensing.
He instinctively looked down at the unconscious girl on the floor.
“Is she really a vampire?”
“Hm? Judging by your expression, you’re already suspicious?”
“Honestly, when I first saw her outside, I felt something was off.”
Julius nodded and took a deep breath before answering, “How could a normal human’s skin be so pale?”
“It’s just that she stood openly under the sunlight, so I didn’t suspect anything further.”
His voice tightened, “But logically, creatures like vampires, when exposed to Holy Light, should…”
“Burn? Rot? Turn to ash?”
Eleanor interrupted softly, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. “Normally, yes.”
“Otherwise, I wouldn’t find this so strange.”
He chose his words carefully. “So, what exactly is she?”
Eleanor didn’t answer immediately.
She walked slowly back to Selina’s side and crouched down, golden hair cascading onto the carpet.
Her fingertips hovered just above the girl’s forehead, but didn’t touch.
“She’s not an ordinary vampire,”
Eleanor’s voice was barely audible, “but I’m afraid she isn’t a pure demon either—hmm?”
Suddenly, Eleanor’s gaze froze; her blue pupils contracted slightly.
Her slender fingers darted to Selina’s waist and hooked a dark silver badge.
The badge gleamed coldly in the moonlight, engraved with the Church’s emblem, its edges entwined with thorn-like patterns.
Julius’s breath caught instantly—he recognized the badge as the insignia of the Church’s direct Demon Hunter organization.
Eleanor lifted her head, locking eyes with Julius.
A flicker of shock passed between them.
It was well known that creatures like vampires were the very prey of Demon Hunters.
Yet now, lying on the ground was not only a bona fide vampire who could endure the blessing of the Holy Light, but, unbelievably,
she was a Demon Hunter herself?
“What is this?”
Eleanor muttered, “Righteousness above kin?”
After a brief silence, she rested her chin on her hand, hesitating before speaking.
“In other words… are the three of us colleagues?”
“C-could we really be?”
Julius’s voice trembled, clearly shaken by this absurd thought.
Eleanor shrugged, her golden hair swaying gently in the moonlight.
“So what now?”
Her gaze fell back on the unconscious Selina. “Maybe… we wait for her to wake up before deciding.”
Selina’s consciousness floated in darkness, drifting like a leaf sinking and rising in the deep sea.
Her sense of smell returned first—a faint fragrance drifting into her nose.
Next came touch, the soft warmth of the bedding against her skin making her frown slightly.
Where… is this?
She slowly opened her eyes, pale gray pupils shrinking in the morning light.
A strange canopy came into view, pale gold gauze gently swaying in the breeze.
Selina suddenly propped herself up; her ash-white hair fell like a waterfall.
The movement made her vision blur, and she bit her lower lip with sharp canine teeth.
Looking down at herself—her original cloak was gone, replaced by a plain white nightgown.
“Yo, finally awake?”
Eleanor’s lazy voice came from a corner of the room.
Selina whipped her head around to see the blonde girl leaning casually against the window’s soft couch.
Bathed in morning light, her figure seemed edged in gold. Between her slender fingers, she toyed with the badge, blue eyes glinting with a scrutinizing smile.
Julius rose silently, walking to the bedside, his hand never leaving the unsheathed sword at his side, eyes fixed steadily on Selina.
“E-Eleanor?”
At the sight of the blonde girl, Selina instinctively blurted out.
Eleanor raised her brow slightly.
“You actually know me?”
“Mm.”
Selina clenched the blanket edge. “You’re the newly appointed Saint Candidate, right? There was a picture of you in the Church bulletin.”
“Ho~”
Eleanor suddenly laughed softly, flicking her wrist, sending the Demon Hunter Insignia to fall with a soft ‘pat’ onto the bedding before Selina.
In the morning light, the thorn pattern on the badge shimmered with a dark red glow.
Eleanor leaned forward, golden strands falling over her shoulder.
“So, why don’t you explain this?”
“Why is a Demon Hunter badge on you?”
Only then did Selina notice the badge was hers.
Her pale gray pupils trembled slightly.
She swallowed hard, seeming unsure how to begin. “I-I’m still just a trainee Demon Hunter…”
“Who asked about that?”
Eleanor sighed, locking eyes with Selina. “I’m asking why a vampire like you would become a Demon Hunter?”
“Er?”
Selina was clearly stunned, her ash-white hair swaying as she tilted her head.
She blinked with genuine confusion.
“Kyle said the Church provides food and lodging… so I came.”
The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment.
“?”
Both Eleanor and Julius stiffened, question marks almost visibly hovering above their heads.
The morning light streaming through the window illuminated the scene with stark clarity.
“T-That Kyle…?”
Julius’s mind conjured the image of the red-haired young man who always wore a cheerful smile.
“Retired Paladin of the Western Parish, and my guardian.”
Selina answered obediently, “He’s currently dragging me into adventuring.”
“You mean a Paladin recommended you to the Church to become a Demon Hunter, and you actually became one?!”
Shock was impossible to hide in Eleanor’s voice.
“Yeah.”
Selina twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “I’ve already completed several Demon Hunter missions.”
***
Suddenly recalling something, she added, “Last month, I even killed a Magic Wolfman trying to sneak past the blockade into Border Town.”
Hearing this, Eleanor and Julius fell into silence.
“So… you really are a Demon Hunter?”
Julius’s voice warped, sounding almost alien to himself.
“Yep.”
“No! Why would the Bishop of the Western Parish approve your appointment as a Demon Hunter?!”
Eleanor slammed her hand on the table, making the teacup jump on the tray.
“Oh, Lord Lairt’s actually pretty decent.”
A smile played at Selina’s lips as she raised a finger.
“He said something like ‘a vampire who can accept the Holy Light is just too cool,’ and then approved my application.”
“But to be safe, he kicked Kyle out of the Paladins and told him to focus on guiding me.”
“To avoid any misunderstandings while we delve deeper into the human world—uh, like what’s happening now.”
Ah yes the monster hunter who is a monster, classic.