Monster Girl Development Master

Page 31

Or is there something wrong with his blood? Probably, since Mira is a bloodline scholar and it's impossible that she hasn't been exposed to other people's blood. If she really had the same blood-drinking urges as a vampire, she should have already experienced them and drunk blood long ago, and she wouldn't be in this state now.

If it's like this before awakening, what will it be like after awakening...?

As Zhuang Sen was lost in thought, Miss Mira slowly stood up, her cheeks flushed, partly from being pressed down on the table by Zhuang Sen, and partly from shame and guilt.

She had the memory of what had just happened, and even clearly remembered the reason she had done it—she wanted Zhuang Sen's blood.

She wanted to pounce on Zhuang Sen, bite open his throat with her teeth, and swallow his blood to satisfy her insatiable thirst.

Recalling her earlier outburst, the scholar, who was known for her calm, elegance, and intellectual quietness, broke down in tears, but this was clearly not the time to burst into tears.

“I’m so sorry, Lord Zhuang Sen, I lost control just now.” Mira bowed sincerely to Zhuang Sen at an almost ninety-degree angle. “I will pay compensation, and I hope you can accept my apology.”

Seeing Mira return to normal, Zhuang Sen breathed a sigh of relief: "That's unnecessary. Apart from being startled, I didn't suffer any other losses. So now I'm more curious about why you suddenly became like that. Was it because of my blood?"

Mira nodded, blushing, and said, "I think so. I originally just wanted to analyze why your blood was so attractive to me, but as soon as I tasted it, I felt an extreme pleasure, as if my soul had been liberated. Nothing else mattered; only your blood was everything in the world."

Mira briefly described her experience, but Zhuang Sen found it increasingly strange. What did she mean by feeling ecstatic and having his soul ascend to heaven the moment he tasted it?! Was my blood made of ice?!

"Miss Mira, are you sure it's because of my blood?"

“Of course, although I’ve never drunk any other blood before, I’ve studied quite a few types of blood, and none of them have ever given me the urge to drink them,” Mira answered confidently, then said hesitantly, “Besides, I know this is a presumptuous request, but I really need it… Could you give me a little more of your blood?”

Zhuang Sen originally wanted to bleed some blood for Dantalian and Nia to prove that ice didn't flow in his veins, but after hearing Mira's words, he changed his mind: "Miss Mira, even an Awakened One shouldn't bleed too much in a day."

Mira immediately replied, "It's okay, tomorrow is fine too."

"Aren't you leaving tomorrow morning?"

"I changed my mind."

"What about your fellow scholars?"

"It's alright, they are all experienced scholars and can act independently."

"So what you mean is..."

"Please let me stay by your side, Lord Zhuang Sen. I need your blood; I can't live without it!"

Seeing Mira on the verge of going crazy again, Zhuang Sen could only look up at the sky speechlessly: "Alright, we'll talk about it later."

The author says:

Author's note: Holy crap, ice—

Chapter 72: The Conspiracy of the Church of War

While Zhuang Sen was busy, the others were not idle either.

Starry Night City, the Red Horse Temple of the Church of War. Bishop Charles, travel-worn, entered the temple's council hall. The guards behind him slammed the doors shut and stood at attention. The other members of the Church of War, who had already received the message from the ravens, abandoned their laziness and speculation and all looked at the bishop.

Meeting the gazes of his subordinates, Charles took his seat at the head of the table: "Have you come to any conclusions?"

Inside the Red Horse Temple, Priest Wall, whose rank was second only to Bishop Charles, answered, "Yes, there are, but they are just old tricks like price wars, monopolizing channels, coercing cooperation, and cutting off raw materials. They probably won't be very effective against Johnson Leon, who has the backing of the Church of Vengeance."

Bishop Charles shook his head: "There's no way. That kid's mother is the head of the Falao Merchant Guild. What makes you think you can force the Falao Merchant Guild not to buy his weapons, especially since those weapons are actually better than ours?"

Although they knew that Bishop Charles couldn't possibly be unaware of the quality of the weaponry, some still couldn't help but ask, "Bishop Charles, Johnson Leon is only sixteen years old, and Nia Harper is only fifteen. How could they possibly create entirely new armor that is superior to the works of those masters?"

Charles glanced at the speaker and said calmly, "Whether they created it or not is not important, Niels. What is important is that they have already produced a finished product that can be used in batches, while we, with information provided by spies, have not yet forged a qualified product."

Just like the War Church mole that Nia and Dantalian had previously exposed, the War Church had long been targeting Johnson and had taken corresponding measures, but unfortunately, they had not been very effective. Neil Leon, on whom they had placed high hopes, was captured that very day and even ended up providing Johnson with a large sum of cash. The other scattered spies were caught off guard by the land redistribution and tax cuts, which failed to rouse the peasants at all—farmers might not know whether the church or the nobles were truly on their side, but they certainly knew who gave them land and who gave them tax cuts.

In the end, the only one who succeeded was a foolish, illiterate blacksmith. Although he provided some information, it's easy to imagine the quality of the information provided by an illiterate country blacksmith. It was barely better than nothing, and it was wishful thinking to think that he could immediately develop a method for forging plate armor from it.

The war church priest named Nils shook his head: "Your Excellency, what I mean is, could this actually be the work of the Falao Merchant Guild? If so, can we report it to Count Cross? Doesn't he forbid outsiders from interfering in this so-called Heir Trial?"

Niels's proposal was met with agreement; it was clearly a solution they had discussed before Charles's return.

But while this argument sounded reasonable and effective, Bishop Charles disagreed: "Do you think Earl Cross wouldn't know what the Falau Merchant Guild is doing in the Territory of Leon? If he wants to get involved, we don't need to report him; if he doesn't want to get involved..."

Bishop Charles didn't say everything, but his meaning was very clear.

Niels's expression darkened slightly, but he did not continue to be forceful.

Another priest exclaimed excitedly, "Then, Your Excellency, let me go and demolish that Thorn Manor! They've only been awakened for a few months; they can't possibly be a match for me!"

Niels roared, "Nott! That's Earl Cross's territory! What do you think you're doing?!"

Nott wasn't backing down either, immediately retorting, "That place is now just the territory of a child who doesn't belong to Count Kloss! Besides, we are the Church of War! Even the Count should consider our position!"

Bishop Charles watched the two priests' confrontation with a cold eye, unsurprised. Niels was a level three bloodline user who had just awakened for the second time, and he was only thinking about conservatively waiting for the third awakening. If he did that, he would at least be the second-in-command of the temple. Nott, on the other hand, was a level two bloodline user who had already awakened for a year. If he didn't seize the opportunity to make contributions, he would never have any chance of advancement in his life.

Therefore, the two's ideas and plans were bound to clash, and this wasn't the first time.

After the two argued for a while, Bishop Charles tapped the table and said, "That's enough."

The meeting room immediately fell silent, with only the sound of breathing remaining. Although Niels and Nott were still glaring at each other, neither dared to utter another word.

Charles closed his eyes briefly and looked at his trusted aide: "Wall, do you have any suggestions?"

Wall shrugged: "Go ask the Patriarch to borrow a high-level blacksmith?"

This is impossible. There is competition within the Church of War. Not to mention how shameful it would be to do this, the Patriarch would never agree to such a request. High-level blacksmiths are not cabbages that can be easily created. They are all bloodline users, and they are all relatively "rare" types. Each one is a treasure. So why would a newly awakened level three bloodline user have such an ability?

Charles unsurprisingly rejected the suggestion: "No, even if the Patriarch agrees, we'll at best draw, which is basically the same as losing."

Priest Vol's eyes flickered, understanding his old friend and former superior's meaning. He then said seriously, "Then the only solution is to prevent him from selling it. Aren't the other boys in the Leon family already doing that? Can we join forces with them?"

Bishop Charles shook his head again: "This is one way, but it's not enough. Those merchants have already been persuaded by Zhuang Sen. It's impossible to stop them by normal means. After all, they can sell to other territories, especially the Falau Merchant Guild."

Priest Wol understood: "So you want to talk to the Falao Merchant Guild? But those stingy misers are not easy to deal with, especially if you want them to cross the line and turn against their own people."

The head of the Farau Merchant Guild in Leon Territory is Lia Farau. Priest Vol certainly wouldn't expect Lady Lia to deal with his own son, so he planned to contact the rest of the Farau family to suppress Lia Farau in reverse.

“So, we need to try a different approach, Wall.” Bishop Charles’s eyes flickered as he abruptly changed the subject. “Before that, we can talk to the ‘Anti-Jonsson Alliance’.”

The meaningful words echoed in the conference hall. Some of the bloodline members of the Church of War understood something, while others did not. But they all knew that Bishop Charles already had a plan, so all they had to do was follow it.

Priest Vol broke the silence first: "I understand. I'll contact Ange Leon right away. Should I have her come over?"

“Let her choose for herself,” Bishop Charles replied. “We don’t necessarily have to talk to her.”

Chapter 73: Klose's Raise (3019 words)

In the dimly lit room, a raven, as black as night, landed beside Count Kross and cawed a few times. In the shadows, Count Kross opened his hard beak: "Oh? High-grade magic iron equipment. Harper's daughter actually has this kind of talent… How strange, how did Zhuang Sen know? And that so-called Chosen One, how did he discover that Flor's daughter has that strange fire-attribute bloodline?"

Because of the intense sunlight, most people believe that Hana has a fire-attribute bloodline.

A few more ravens flew in, cawing around Earl Cross, which made him even more surprised: "Even the Church of War thinks it can't compete? It can only consider joining forces with Ange's small alliance? But that's not enough. At most, it's just delaying the inevitable. Once Farau joins, Charles won't be able to control it."

"So, what should we do?"

Count Cross muttered to himself, raising his hand to stroke the ravens that hopped over. The ravens cawed as if expressing their opinions. Count Cross listened intently for a moment, then nodded seriously: "Indeed, we still need to continue testing and pressuring. That kid Zhuang Sen has far too many secrets. Does the Church of Vengeance really have the ability to do so?"

He pondered for a long time, then picked up a pen and paper and began to write. The content was short and simple, merely a little encouragement to Bishop Charles, along with a few requests, but that was enough.

Since the French Chamber of Commerce is now Zhuang Sen's most important source of confidence, then let's just make sure it can no longer support Zhuang Sen for the time being.

This is just as well, letting the Church of War and Johnson draw attention to themselves, allowing him to carry out his plans more discreetly.

Who's next...?

……

The Church of War.

The priests, who had just finished their meeting, filed back in and sat down at the long table in the conference room.

Bishop Charles, who had arrived long before, twirled the gold ring on his index finger, the magnificent ruby ​​gleaming, making the black raven beside him seem even more inconspicuous. Once everyone was seated, Bishop Charles spoke in a cheerful tone: "Wall, what is Miss Ange's answer?"

“She has already agreed to our request; in fact, her allies agreed even before her, so I don’t think there will be any problems,” Priest Vol, who had already visited Ange, said with equal ease. “They are becoming increasingly jealous and dissatisfied with Johnson.”

“Very good.” Bishop Charles nodded and smiled, then changed the subject, “But that’s not enough. Our real obstacle is the Falao Chamber of Commerce. Without them, Johnson cannot expand production or quickly organize enough sales channels. So we still have to find a way to get rid of the Falao Chamber of Commerce.”

Niels couldn't help but smile; this was something he had strongly advocated for, although it seemed a little different.

Bishop Charles saw this, but continued, "So, Nott, you and Nils, along with Jack and John, prepare to take action against Thorn Manor. It would be best if you could bring Nia Harper back—but don't touch Johnson or Dantalian."

Nott, who had been somewhat disappointed, stood up in surprise: "Yes, Your Excellency."

In contrast, Nils looked astonished, but he dared not oppose Bishop Charles and could only look at Nott with dissatisfaction.

But before Bishop Charles could finish speaking, he turned to the last available bloodline member of the Church of War: "Kate, after Nott and Nils set off, go to Radiant Manor and kill Leah Farau."

Bishop Charles's voice was calm, but those who heard it reacted as if to a thunderclap, their faces filled with shock. Kate, whose name was called, was especially astonished, pointing at herself and stammering, "Me? Me?"

“There are no bloodline members in Glorious Manor, so what are you worried about?”

Of course she's worried about Count Cross's revenge! Could she be worried about a bunch of mortals defeating her?

Kate, a first-level bloodline user, roared inwardly, but outwardly dared not show it in the slightest.

However, Bishop Charles knew what Kate was thinking, and he said slowly, "Don't worry, Kate, as long as you act quickly and don't leave any evidence, I'll take care of everything."

What else could Kate say?

"Your will, Your Excellency."

“Go, child,” Bishop Charles smiled. “Prepare yourself, and wait for the opportune moment, which will come soon.”

……

Glorious Manor.

"Ledya, what do you think of Johnson's armor?"

Lady Lia sat on a round stool, her thick buttocks slightly protruding, her upper body leaning forward, looking impatient and overjoyed.

Lydia answered with a smile, even though she had answered this question several times before: "Excellent, madam. The new armor called plate armor has a much better defensive performance than scale armor. Although scale armor can be reinforced with additional armor plates, that would increase its weight, which is not worthwhile for ordinary soldiers, not to mention its aesthetic appeal."

Lady Leah smiled and straightened her back: "Don't praise that child too much, he's only achieved a little bit."

Hearing Lady Lia's words, Lydia was worried that she would revert to her overly strict ways and quickly advised, "Madam, please don't be so harsh. The young master has grown so much; he's practically a completely different person."

Lady Lydia's smile froze for a moment, her previously high spirits suddenly deflated like a punctured balloon, leaving Lydia quite puzzled. However, she simply assumed that perhaps Lady Lydia was recalling past events, and thus fell silent as well.

After a long pause, Lady Lydia spoke again: "Ledya, go and get that set of magic iron armor. See if you can use it."

Lydia was puzzled, but quickly began to carry it out.

After Lydia left the room, Lady Lia lowered her head and looked at the cooled red tea in front of her. A blurry face was reflected in the tea, and it was hard to tell whether it was smiling or crying.

Yes, Zhuang Sen has completely changed; no one knows him better than her.

A short while later, Lydia brought over the armor.

Lady Leah had also composed herself and smiled, saying before Lydia could, "Come, let me help you change."

Lydia reluctantly removed her weapons and began to remove her armor. Since it was just her and Lady Lydia in the room, she had no qualms about it. As the heavy scale armor was removed, the female knight's athletic and tall figure was gradually revealed. Her strong, muscular abs, even under the linen lining, were undeniable. Her slightly rough skin bore prominent scars, which only added to her imposing presence. The linen lining, being a shirt and trousers style, made her full, firm breasts extremely eye-catching. The moment they were freed from the armor, they even bounced slightly, like two mountains trembling, creating a powerful sense of pressure.

Lady Lydia patted Snow Peak familiarly and pinched Peach: "Ledya, have you grown up again?"

"Madam..." The female knight helplessly dodged to the side, thinking to herself that the madam was clearly older than her, so why was she talking about her?

Lady Lydia withdrew her hand and smiled, "Next time you go to see Johnson, Lydia, take off your armor first. I guarantee he'll think you're a completely different person."

Lydia felt helpless, understanding that Lady Lydia meant she still wanted to match her with Zhuang Sen, but she could only smile bitterly: "Madam, the young master already has Lady Nia and Priestess Dantalian, and he doesn't think much of me."

Lydia felt she was not qualified to compare herself to those with bloodlines. As an ordinary person, she insisted on training, which made her skin rough and her palms calloused. Even if those with bloodlines trained just as hard as her, their skin remained smooth and fair, and their hands remained soft and slender. Not to mention the gap in strength and the difference in status.

Lady Lydia snorted and pinched Lydia's waist: "Johnson even likes a woman as old as Dantalian, how could he possibly look down on you? Look at you, you're not much worse than her~"

"Madam~" The female knight cried out in a low voice, caught off guard by the sudden attack, but she didn't notice the real meaning behind Madam Liya's words. She was only concerned with defending herself, "Maybe the young master just likes older women! It's not like there aren't any like that!"

Lady Leah paused for a moment, then said somewhat flusteredly, "Nonsense! Nia is a year younger than Johnson."

"Wasn't that because the Harper family forced it on the young master?" Lydia said, quickly putting on her armor while trying to prevent Lady Lydia from causing further trouble. "Besides, apart from her height, does Miss Nia look like a normal girl her age in any other way?"

Lady Leah's heart skipped a beat again, but she didn't react on the surface. Instead, she said stubbornly, "Isn't that perfect? ​​You're older than Nia, and older than Zhuang Sen—you're 22 this year, aren't you?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Lydia tightened the straps on her leg armor, feeling the armor plates clinging to her muscles, and finally breathed a sigh of relief: "My birthday is coming soon."

Lady Leah smiled mischievously: "So, isn't it just right?"

"Madam~"

Lydia was both ashamed and angry, but she couldn't be disrespectful to Lady Lydia, so she could only sulk.

"Alright, fine, let's not talk about it anymore. How about it, how does it look on you?"

Lady Lydia changed the subject, and Lydia breathed a sigh of relief. She also moved around a bit, trying out the new armor, and then a look of surprise appeared on her face: "It seems to fit perfectly?"