血王:夜王朝

Chapter 2：开个摊位赚钱

As the evening approached, just past seven o'clock, the sun had set, and a few stars were faintly visible in the high sky. For some, the night is a time for rest and relaxation, with people either staying at home, going for a walk, shopping, or dating, each with their own diverse activities.

Where there are customers, there are merchants. The bustling commercial district of the imperial capital is a specially designated area for trade, covering an area of over twenty square kilometers. It is the only place in the capital where business transactions are allowed. Engaging in commerce in other areas without permission can result in fines or even imprisonment. The capital's zoning is strictly enforced, with each area designated for specific activities, and transgressors are met with sanctions and punishment.

After dinner, Rachel carefully packed the anime dolls into a prepared box and neatly arranged them on a three-wheeled cart. The large cart was filled with dolls, leaving no place to sit. Rachel carried her sister Belial, who was unable to walk, and secured her with a thick rope around her waist, the other end tied to the front of the cart, and set off for the commercial district.

In this world, there exists mystery, warriors, and magic. Thanks to these, Rachel's physical strength is quite good, and yesterday, for some inexplicable reason, she awakened as a vampire ancestor, her stamina now seemingly endless.

"Rachel, it seems a bit different from before," Belial, who was peacefully resting on Rachel's back, couldn't help but voice her strange feeling. Unlike in the past, when Rachel would be sweating profusely from the exertion of carrying her and pulling so many items over a distance of more than five kilometers, now Rachel's face was as usual, and her breathing remained steady all the way to the commercial district, with no signs of discomfort.

"Uh," Rachel's face froze as she was about to put Belial down, hearing her sister's words. The fact that she was a vampire ancestor was something she was hesitant to share with her sister. The name "vampire" alone evokes a negative impression, not to mention the frightening true nature of vampires. Rachel was not prepared to tell her sister, at least not now.

"Well, I've been secretly practicing some martial arts, and I just happened to break through last night, so..."

"Is that so?" Belial replied, not quite understanding, as she had never been exposed to such things and could not discern the truth. Moreover, she trusted Rachel's words unconditionally, as Rachel was the closest and only family she had left in this world.

After settling her sister, Rachel began to set up her stall, using the three-wheeled cart to unload the boxes of dolls and display the cute, Q-version dolls on the cart.

These were all creations that Rachel had conceptualized and Belial had perfectly realized. They were truly masterpieces. Despite Belial's noticeable disability, she possessed an extraordinary talent in other areas, such as tailoring, design, crafts, and even cooking, as long as she was taught the method, she could reproduce it flawlessly.

Gradually, customers who had been waiting began to gather around. The location was a spacious triangular area, directly opposite the magnificent building that ranked among the top in the commercial district. To the left and right were the main thoroughfares leading to the accessories and food districts. It could be said that seventy percent of the people entering the commercial district would pass by here. Securing such a prime spot was understandably difficult. Rachel had pulled some strings through the school and spent a considerable amount of money to rent this location, with a time limit of one and a half hours from seven to eight-thirty in the evening.

"Little Rachel, what do you have for us tonight?"

"Can you perform the same show as the night before yesterday? I really liked it."

"Thank you, I have prepared something special. Please wait a moment, it will be ready soon." With that, Rachel quickened her pace, arranging everything methodically. The crowd around her gradually increased. Rachel had been running this stall for a week, and thanks to the good location, she had accumulated a considerable amount of popularity in such a short time.

"Phew, it's so much more fun outside. Staying at home is so boring," a girl wearing an animal mask that covered the upper half of her face and a simple dress skipped and laughed.

"Miss, your master said you could only play for an hour, and now it's already past the scheduled time. Shall we go back?" An older woman followed closely behind the girl, speaking in a low voice. Upon closer inspection, five tall men could be seen discreetly surrounding the two women, keeping anyone from approaching the girl. These were just the visible guards; there were more than a dozen others in the shadows, ready to act if any suspicious targets were detected.

Tris Von Svaniya was very happy today. Not only had she mastered a new magic and received praise from her teacher, but she had also been granted permission to go out and play for a while. Due to her status, her outings were usually hard to approve, so she was understandably delighted.

"Ah, there are so many people over there. What are they doing?" Suddenly, Svaniya noticed the crowd at the intersection ahead, which was quite eye-catching.

Upon hearing this, Otozuki quickly located the source of the commotion. With a subtle hand movement to her right ear, which was concealed by her hair, she listened for a brief minute. "Miss, that is a stall set up by a student from Moonglow Academy a week ago. The main attractions are street performances and the sale of handmade dolls."

"A student from Moonglow, may I go see?" Svaniya tilted her head and mumbled.

"Miss, it's too crowded there. For safety reasons, it's best to avoid places with large gatherings. Moreover, a mere student's stall is not worth your time. There are several other activities ahead that have been confirmed to be safe; let's go there instead." Mid-sentence, she stopped, looking helplessly at Svaniya, who was pouting and looking away, almost explicitly expressing her displeasure. "I understand."

Seeing Otozuki agree, Svaniya immediately brightened up, running towards the stall. The five tall men around her quickly took positions around her, pushing aside anyone in front of her. Otozuki whispered something, and the hidden guards all closed in, ready to prevent any accidents.

With the help of the five men clearing the way, Svaniya effortlessly reached the front, securing the best spot, just as Rachel had finished setting up the stage and was making her final preparations.