As a "mutant" vampire, Yuri shared very few traits with typical vampires.
For instance, sunlight—which most vampires loathed—meant nothing to her.
Of course, it should be clarified: creatures of darkness disliked sunlight, but didn't truly fear it.
Just as humans instinctively shunned dark, damp places, races born of shadow naturally recoiled from light.
Lower-tier monsters could even suffer greatly under sunlight, their strength and vitality drastically weakened!
But compared to sunlight, the Holy See's holy and healing powers were far more detested by Monsters.
Like natural enemies, the forces flowing through their bodies seemed destined to clash!
The Holy See's power could directly purge corruption brought by darkness or dispel soul-deep fears.
Yet potent dark energy could equally taint that light, dragging it into the abyss!
During the Holy War, if not for the Holy See's sudden rise and the emergence of countless powerful figures, the continent might look entirely different today.
Naturally, this Holy See wasn't like those stepping stones in overpowered novels, existing solely to feed the protagonist experience.
Quite the opposite—if anything, they resembled a pack of fanatics!
Yes, fanatics who'd mercilessly slaughter anyone for their Divine Being!
Especially the core zealots; calling them brainwashed machines wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Countless examples proved one thing: never cross these people's faith.
Doing so could turn a smiling companion into a grinning executioner in the next breath.
Well, of course, that only applied to some extremists.
Mid- and outer-circle members of the Holy See held far weaker devotion.
As mentioned, many outer members merely held the title, secretly slandering the Divine Being behind closed doors.
Still, the Holy See's growing influence was unavoidable.
After all, who could fully control faith?
Yuri held no deep impression of the Holy See.
In her memories, she'd rarely interacted with them.
Though technically on the Monsters' side, she didn't consider herself part of them now.
Though...
She had once been a crucial piece among them.
But that had nothing to do with her current self.
The past was the past—not hers to carry. Why dwell on it? Only trouble awaited.
Yuri swiftly reined in her wandering thoughts. After a brief hesitation, she led Zuo Yuan and Maria into the hotel.
Though called a hotel, its decor carried a natural charm.
Tables, chairs, and cabinets were all polished wood, some wrapped with vines.
The ground floor wasn't what she recalled; it resembled a bar instead.
A circular counter stood nearby, stocked with various bottles of what looked like liquor.
Without a dance floor or flashy lights, the atmosphere still felt uncannily like a bar.
The hotel was packed to capacity—business here must be thriving.
Yuri scanned the room briefly, then headed toward the counter.
A hotel should have rooms for rest.
The lower floor was full, and she disliked noisy crowds.
"Miss, what can I do for you?"
A clean-cut young clerk greeted Yuri with a harmless smile as she approached.
Yuri frowned slightly at the counter, which reached her chest. She looked up. "Three rooms. And... can drinks be delivered to them?"
The clerk nodded cheerfully. With the hall full, room service was standard.
"Of course. How many nights? We offer several room types—which would you prefer?"
As he spoke, he slid an elegantly bound menu toward her.
Yuri skimmed it, then tossed it to Maria behind her.
"Hmm... just one night, I think?"
While Yuri spoke with the clerk, Maria swiftly finalized the order and handed the menu back.
The clerk examined it closely, surprise flashing in his eyes before understanding dawned.
Maria had chosen only the finest rooms, drinks, and meals—prices were anything but cheap.
Definitely some noble's daughter, he mused, watching Yuri survey the room.
"Right, miss. For one night, three rooms total six gold coins. Plus food and drinks—that'll be... huh!?"
He trailed off, locking eyes with Yuri the moment he looked up.
His gaze couldn't tear away!
"I've already paid everything."
The crimson-eyed girl spoke softly, yet her words seared into his mind like a brand.
His pupils widened uncontrollably, the dark centers now flecked with a trace of scarlet!
"Paid... paid already?"
"Correct," Yuri nodded. "All settled."
The clerk blinked dazedly, then nodded stiffly. His movements rigid, he pulled out a keyring from below.
"Here... your keys. Room numbers are marked. Food and drinks will arrive shortly—please wait."
Under Zuo Yuan's puzzled stare, Yuri took the keys, glanced at them, and pocketed them.
"Thanks."
She turned without hesitation, leading the other two toward the spiral staircase.
The clerk remained frozen after calling for service, that crimson glint in his pupils lingering stubbornly!
Minutes passed before a new customer jolted him awake. "What... was I just doing?"
By then, Yuri's trio had already reached their upstairs rooms.
"Hey," Zuo Yuan said, black lines appearing on his forehead as he watched the girl leisurely inspect the room. "Is this really okay? This is basically fraud!"
Yuri tilted her head at him, then huffed lightly.
"Don't worry. I'll set a small barrier later—no one will notice anything odd."
Was that the point?!
Sensing his thoughts, she flopped onto a plush armchair. "I earned this free meal with my own skills. Why pay?"
Zuo Yuan: "..."
