The wind carries scents from afar, but it can also scatter them. Without extraordinary senses like those Molly possessed, it would be impossible to detect anything unusual. Even the keen senses of the vampires would fail in this situation. It was daytime, and most vampires were deep in sleep. The higher-ranking vampires had no idea that non-humans had infiltrated the line of human slaves boarding the airship.
Though vampires ruled the world, their vulnerability to sunlight was a glaring weakness. During the day, they avoided traveling unless absolutely necessary. Moving about during the day in vehicles was risky—non-humans could drag them out into the sunlight if the opportunity arose. Although vampires dominated the world, many non-humans still lurked in the shadows, waiting to strike. The vampires hadn't completely subdued them.
Traveling only at night and resting during the day was inefficient, doubling the length of any journey. For the highly efficient vampires, this was unacceptable. They funded a few humans to combine human inventions with vampire magic, thus creating the airships.
Flying high in the sky, the airships were beyond the reach of ground-bound non-humans, ensuring safety from most attacks.
However, there were occasional news reports of non-humans infiltrating airships and attacking vampires. In recent years, with the Elder Council tightening its grip on the airship companies, such incidents had become rare. The last time Molly had seen such news in a paper was three years ago.
Molly wasn't particularly interested in the conflict between non-humans and vampires, but if they targeted the airship she was on, that was a problem. She couldn't just stand by and watch them harm Adele. Other vampires were one thing, but Adele was different—a good girl who had never harmed humans. Well, except for that one time last semester when she drank Molly's blood.
But Adele hadn't hurt the weak.
Molly decided to wait and see. The airship wasn't a small space, but it wasn't huge either. If she dealt with the non-humans, it would be hard to clean up the mess without drawing attention from other non-humans. Eliminating them all and tossing them overboard wasn't an option either—high-altitude littering was frowned upon, and it would certainly alert the vampires.
If many people suddenly disappeared from the airship, even the dimmest vampire would realize something was wrong.
However, if they dared to bother Adele or herself, Molly wouldn't hesitate to act ruthlessly.
Yawning, Molly leaned against the balcony railing, soaking up the sun. The VIP suite's balcony on the airship was like a small veranda, with a gentle breeze and warm sunlight making it a perfect spot to relax. Just as she was enjoying herself, she noticed someone watching her. She looked down and locked eyes with a non-human.
The non-human was probably bewildered, maybe even questioning their own sight. After all, they were seeing a human sunbathing on a vampire's airship.
Soon, the boarding process was complete, and everyone had been ushered aboard by the staff. Since it was daytime, the staff handling this were all human. The vampire staff remained inside the airship, avoiding the sunlight. Even then, they were lethargic during the day.
Once the boarding was confirmed, the airship gently shook and ascended into the sky. To avoid suspicion, Molly returned to her room. After a while, she laid down and slept. Her internal clock was precise, waking her just as night fell.
Having just changed into her clothes, Molly heard a knock at the door. She stepped out to greet Adele, prepared her tea, and then joined her for dinner in the restaurant, as they had the past two nights. The journey was nearing its end, and tonight, around midnight, the airship would dock at the port near the Black family's castle, where their carriage would be waiting.
"Molly, you need to eat quickly tonight. After dinner, you'll need to pack your things."
"Understood, Miss."
Molly followed Adele into the restaurant, ordering a main dish and a side. The side was fried potato chips with tomato sauce, and the main dish was pork meatballs with roasted corn. The manager reluctantly took her order, even asking how to prepare the fried potato chips. The restaurant was quick, and soon Molly's meal was in front of her.
Molly ate at a rapid pace, surprising Adele. "You don't have to rush; there's still time."
There wasn't time—no time at all. Molly could sense the non-humans causing trouble below, with a few strong ones making their way upstairs. They'd be in the restaurant soon. If she didn't eat now, there'd be no chance later!
Nothing could stop a hungry person from eating, not even non-humans!
Molly quickly finished her meal and asked for a cup of tea, unsweetened. The restaurant's service was excellent, with the tea served at the perfect temperature, much better than what she could make herself. As a maid, Molly felt she could learn something from them.
As she sipped her tea, she sensed the non-humans approaching. Outside, there was some commotion, and the sharp-eared vampires noticed it too. They didn't seem too concerned, though. One of them even made a snide comment, "It seems the airship's service isn't up to par if there's a disturbance up here. How uncouth."
The manager frowned and stepped outside. Molly estimated that he wouldn't be able to handle the non-humans, and sure enough, it wasn't long before the manager was kicked back into the room by one of them. Some vampire ladies screamed, clinging to their husbands for protection.
Other vampire ladies frowned, extending their claws, ready to fight. As for the men, it was the same—though the weaker male vampires wouldn't have wives to protect them. In the vampire world, it was survival of the fittest.
There were also a few children present. One lady cried out, "My child! My child is still in the cabin!" It seemed this couple had left their child alone while they dined, and now, facing danger, they were understandably panicked.
Molly watched the scene unfold, finding it amusing. Despite their immense power, these vampires didn't seem much different from ordinary humans. In her past life, if high society gatherings encountered such danger, the reactions would likely be similar.
While she was lost in thought, Adele moved closer, pulling Molly behind her. "Molly, don't go anywhere. Stay behind me." Adele's nails had grown long and sharp, deadly enough to kill with a single scratch.
Adele's instinct to protect Molly in such a situation warmed her heart. But in reality, it would likely be Molly protecting Adele. Most importantly, Molly hoped Adele wouldn't act recklessly. The non-humans here were formidable, more than capable of overpowering Adele.
After the manager was sent flying back inside, several non-humans entered the restaurant. Molly assessed them—two werewolves, one rabbit-man, a robed figure with a strong snake-like scent, and a group of minotaurs.
This lineup was top-tier among non-humans, with the werewolves serving as both assassins and front-line fighters, while the minotaurs were the tanks. The rabbit-man was the scout, quick as lightning, and the robed figure, likely a mage, stood at the center. It would be tough for any group of vampires to take them on without a well-coordinated team.
The only odd thing was the robed figure's overpowering snake scent. Molly was sure her lower half was human, not serpentine, making it difficult to identify her.
One of the werewolves stepped forward, addressing the vampires, "We are, uh... the Resistance. That's what we're called, right?" His words stirred a buzz among the vampires.
They murmured to each other, "The human resistance? Why are there non-humans with them?"
"We've been tricked! I knew the human resistance couldn't have beaten the vampires sent to crush them—they must have had non-human help!"
"So that's it, humans are in league with these gutter-dwelling rats!"
Molly, hearing this nonsense, felt a wave of frustration. She wanted to jump up and explain, "It's not like that! Let me explain! The human resistance is pure human, no non-human involvement!"
She quickly realized the non-humans were exploiting the situation, using the resistance's name to cover up their own actions.
Technically, Molly should be grateful. By muddying the waters, the non-humans were giving the human resistance more room to maneuver. When vampires came to crush the humans, they'd prepare for non-human involvement, wasting time and resources. This was a good thing for the resistance.
But these non-humans were sullying the resistance's name with their vile deeds, and Molly wanted to wipe them out. The human resistance, while engaging in guerrilla warfare, was principled. They only attacked the strongholds of the thirteen clans and the Elder Council, never targeting those who couldn't fight back.
These scoundrels!
As Molly seethed, she heard Adele speak up, "They can't be the human resistance. He can't even remember his own name." Her voice was calm but loud enough for everyone, vampire and non-human alike, to hear. The other vampires quickly caught on.
Of course! He couldn't even remember the name.