Vampires aren’t particularly dependent on sleep; even if they go without rest for several days, they can still maintain their energy.
The only thing that troubles this race is bloodlust—basically, they need to feed on fresh blood every two days, and if they aren’t satisfied, they’ll need to do it again the next day!
Still, vampires are gifted with the ability to fall asleep as soon as their head hits the pillow.
Unlike those nobles from high society, plagued by the “illness of affluence,” who toss and turn at night and find sleep elusive.
After a peaceful night, Hill woke up feeling refreshed.
She fetched a basin of cold water outside her apartment to wash up, then went back in to change into her school uniform.
Elio Public Academy of Magic was established with royal funding by the Kingdom of Lottis.
Many prosperous towns throughout the country had branches; the academy didn’t care about background, and specifically recruited students with magical talent.
The tuition wasn’t too high, but it still wasn’t something the lower classes could afford.
The school uniform was rather stylish.
After her original family’s downfall, the only decent thing Hill had left was this very uniform, which her predecessor had quite disliked.
The design was somewhat reminiscent of noble attire, but much simpler—there was no floor-length hem to drag around, nor sleeves so wide they’d dip into soup at dinner.
After putting on the uniform, Hill tidied her long brown hair, becoming the very picture of a youthful, beautiful girl; the air of a student practically spilled out from her.
She didn’t need to dress up extravagantly—the beauty passed down from her noble bloodline, combined with the natural physique of a vampire, made her the renowned unattainable flower of the academy.
The sky was only just beginning to lighten, but Hill had to set out early, as it took her more than half an hour to walk from the edge of the small town to its center, where the school was located.
That was the town’s most bustling area, also the place Hill never dared approach during her nighttime hunts.
After all, in such areas, the sheriff’s patrols were greatly intensified, and many powerful individuals with high Sequences were present.
For outsiders like her, these people showed no mercy; even if Hill appeared to be a pitiable beauty, discovery of her vampire identity meant certain death.
Hill hadn’t gone far when, in the distance, the bell tower rang out its special chime—it was already 6 a.m.
The first ray of dawn had completely illuminated the small town, and at this time, many families opened their doors to begin their daily labor.
The blessing of the Goddess of Holy Light was this first ray of dawn at 6 a.m. each morning, never blocked by cloud or darkness, always arriving as promised.
Though Hill was an outsider in the eyes of humans, she was also favored by the Goddess of the Night, so even when bathed in the dawn, she wouldn’t turn to ash.
She simply couldn’t withstand long hours of direct sunlight.
Furthermore, her skill [Night’s Blessing] would not work during the day; in truth, she wasn’t much different from an ordinary person under the sun.
This world held many dangers; even if not for wealth or pleasure, she had to become an extraordinary being.
Not for any other reason, but to ensure she had some means of self-preservation during the day, so she wouldn’t become cannon fodder in some dispute, or end up like one of those random characters in a novel who died in bizarre ways.
Whether this world was a novel or a game world, she had no idea.
She didn’t know if there was some so-called protagonist, either.
Hill only knew one thing: having lived again, she was determined to live brilliantly and make up for the regrets of her past life.
More than half an hour later, Hill finally entered the busiest part of town.
There was already a crowd, and the shops lining the street had all opened.
From the bakeries and patisseries, delicious aromas drifted out—evidently, half an hour was plenty of time to bake the first batch of bread and sweets.
Those who could afford it often enjoyed some at this hour, because according to the teachings of the Goddess of Plenty, all believers must eat only one meal a day, the holy meal at 1 p.m.
The holy meal had to include grain, made into porridge or bread, as a tribute to the goddess’s blessing.
Of course, not everyone in the world followed the Faith of Plenty.
One meal a day was a bit too much to ask, especially for those who did physical labor.
But since the Faith of Plenty held so much sway, outside of the holy meal at noon, eating at other times couldn’t be called a “meal.”
Thus, “snacks,” midnight suppers, afternoon tea… such customs had arisen in response to the need, and by now were popular in over a dozen kingdoms.
The Faith of Plenty didn’t strictly interfere with these “acts of desecration”; they only restricted their own followers.
If their clergy happened to catch you, they’d certainly say you were disrespectful to the divine.
Then they’d start nagging, chiding with heartfelt pain: “Have you all forgotten the hunger and suffering of the dark age, or the miracles the goddess bestowed?”
Now that Hill’s body was that of a vampire, those fragrant breads and sweets didn’t tempt her at all; her stomach wasn’t even stirred.
But as she walked a little further, her pace began to slow, for the simple reason that her classmates had started appearing on the street as well.
These were people from privileged backgrounds who lived nearby—no need to leave home before six in the morning—so now they happened to meet Hill along the way.
“Hey! Hill! Hill!”
“Hill!”
The melodious voices of the girls rang in Hill’s ears, making her heart flutter.
Soon, Hill turned to see two girls jogging toward her.
Both were bright, youthful, and from distinguished families.
One was Helena, the other Otis.
Helena was lively and cheerful, the daughter of a wealthy merchant—though not a noble, in this town, the boundaries among the upper class weren’t so strict.
With her family’s vast fortune, Helena was a catch coveted by countless promising young men in town.
As for Otis, her father was a war hero, a hereditary baron with a fief, and a vast manor outside town.
Otis had moved into town for school; her household had more than a dozen servants, including genuine extraordinary individuals.
Hill couldn’t say she wasn’t envious.
Still, to have a second chance at life was luck enough.
Her original self had been close friends with these two girls—after all, the Hamilton family had also been a renowned noble house in town, with a hereditary title.
As the family’s only daughter, Hill might have become a formidable Lady one day, with countless estates at her command…
But now, all of that was gone; apart from the name Hamilton, almost nothing remained.
Luckily, friendship between girls was always innocent and sincere.
Hill had been here for almost a month now, and hadn’t felt distanced when spending time with her two best friends.
In fact, these two pure-hearted girls rarely brought up her past, wanting to take care of her.
However, after becoming a vampire, Hill couldn’t help but have other thoughts about her two closest friends.
Though their blood couldn’t compare to that of the mysterious girl she’d met last night, Helena and Otis were both in the prime of youth, and both were virgins.
Moreover, since they were able to attend Elio Public Academy of Magic, they obviously possessed a certain amount of magical talent, which made them even more alluring to Hill.
At this moment, the aromas from the bakeries and patisseries on either side of the street were completely drowned out by a scent only vampires could perceive—the one emanating from the two girls beside her.
It was so fragrant…
Lively, adorable Helena’s blood was brimming with life, and she had the highest magical talent among the three, with a real chance of advancing to Sequence I before graduation.
As for the steadier Otis, though her magic talent was slightly less, her beauty was the finest Hill had seen to date; the innate grace of nobility had been perfectly inherited by this girl.
Her eyes were as clear and animated as a mountain spring, and when she looked at others, it was as if she were telling a beautiful story.
With Hill walking between these two girls toward the academy, two distinct fragrances twined around her nose.
Hill’s gaze kept drifting to their necks.
Those snow-white necks, delicate and tender, with fresh blood pulsing beneath the thin skin.
Hill felt she wouldn’t even need to bare her fangs; just a light press of her lips, and the skin would break, letting a rush of blood flow straight into her mouth!
That taste…
No, no, she couldn’t let herself think about it any further.
In broad daylight, she couldn’t very well bite two lovely girls out in the open!
Ah, for a vampire, nothing is more torturous than resisting one’s own bloodlust.