"What's wrong? Is a bag of gold not enough to buy some food from you?"
Joanna knew all too well that this damned vampire was trying to take advantage of the situation. She couldn't afford to give Fars even a hint of kindness; otherwise, he would cling to her like a leech. Beside her, Agno casually drew out his great sword and began to 'polish' it with an air of indifference.
Fars ignored Agno's subtle threat. After all, the food was in his hands, and there were no living creatures around. Only he could provide sustenance here. With the protection of their contract, he had no fear of them making a move against him. Even if he charged a bit more, so what?
"Your family is wealthy; surely, parting with this small amount of money isn't like giving alms to a beggar. Besides, I can't eat or drink this gold, and it just takes up space..." To provoke the already irate Joanna, Fars tossed the coin pouch back at her.
It seemed he had gone too far with his jest. Agno, who had been polishing his weapon, stood up, gripping his sword tightly, but Joanna quickly stopped him with a hand. The young lady bent down to pick up the fallen pouch, her graceful figure and ample bosom providing Fars with quite the view. She then offered a polite nod to Fars, performing a perfect curtsy, though she remained silent. This left Fars feeling somewhat anxious, unable to discern her true intentions.
After pondering for a moment, Fars realized that things had reached a standstill. He had plenty of food in his space, and his primary goal was to make Joanna and Agno squirm a bit. He relished the thought of irritating the noble lady, who seemed to look down on him. Little did she know, Fars had once held the same noble airs.
Joanna had been so polite, and as someone who also considered himself a noble, Fars decided it was time to show some elegance. He generously produced enough food to satisfy both Agno and Joanna, presenting it with a flourish.
Pretending to be aloof wouldn't fill their stomachs. With the goal achieved, Fars relented, and they all found a way to ease the tension. They shared a modest dinner together, amiably.
After dinner, just before bed, Joanna finally decided to lend Fars her star-shaped pendant. This pendant was one of her most treasured possessions, passed down from her mother. For Joanna, it held immense sentimental value, and its practical utility surpassed many high-level magical items. Since receiving the necklace, she had rarely parted with it. As an assassin, wearing an item that enhanced her mental acuity was quite beneficial; strength lay in precision rather than quantity. Joanna's exceptional control during battles with wolf packs was largely thanks to this necklace. With its enhancement, her mental strength surpassed that of a mid-tier mage, granting her remarkable perception and control.
Reluctantly, she removed the necklace and handed it to Fars. He reached out eagerly, but Joanna seemed entranced by the pendant, refusing to let go. He couldn't snatch it from her; that would be too awkward. Fortunately, Joanna soon snapped back to reality, offering an apologetic smile as she finally relinquished the necklace to him.
Since their relationship had soured, Fars hadn't seen Joanna smile in a long time. Although he wasn't sure if this somewhat spoiled lady's smile was genuine, it was certainly an improvement over her recent icy demeanor. When a beauty smiles, she can captivate the world. If it weren't for his diminished interests since becoming a vampire, he might have been utterly enchanted by her.
As Joanna stepped into the tent, Fars returned to examining the necklace in his hands. With his knowledge, he could tell it was a fine piece, but he couldn't discern much beyond that. The craftsmanship was exquisite, featuring a delicate chain of star silver and a star-shaped pendant set with a purple gem. The pendant was adorned with countless intricate runes, and the back bore a large, complete magical circle. While he couldn't understand it, he could certainly test whether it was as remarkable as Joanna claimed.
Fars focused a small thread of his mental energy and gently probed the necklace. Immediately, it drew in his mental force, and he offered no resistance, allowing the necklace to absorb his energy. Since he had only released a small amount, even if he lost some, it wouldn't be detrimental. The necklace didn't consume his mental energy; rather, it connected him to a strange vortex, refining his energy as it passed through.
After using the refined mental energy to cast a simple spell, Fars found his control had improved significantly. It seemed Joanna's claims were not exaggerated; with the necklace's enhancement, his mental strength was comparable to that of a high-tier mage, just a step away from a magical scholar. While the necklace didn't increase his mental capacity, it did amplify its intensity. Fars found himself enamored with it, wishing he could keep it for himself if not for the contract with Joanna.
He draped the necklace around his neck and summoned an ice mirror, chuckling at the absurdity of it all. He had almost forgotten that, despite its quality, the necklace was designed for women and didn't suit a man like him. Wearing such a feminine piece only accentuated his already exotic appearance. After a moment of amusement, he felt a wave of discomfort and quickly shattered the ice mirror. He had no interest in male beauty; looking any longer might drive him mad.
With this powerful tool, Fars felt he could easily break the mental imprint left by Master Perugino. Without the necklace, he could only slightly disturb the mark on his ring, like trying to break down a thick door with a brick. Now, it felt as if he wielded a sledgehammer, ready to smash through that closed door.
While he couldn't break through in one or two strikes, after a long night of effort, Fars finally erased the mental imprint that had kept him at bay. He also left his unique mark on the ring, bolstered by the necklace's enhanced mental power.
Erasing a mental imprint was no easy task. The toll of a night's work left Fars feeling drained, and he had no time to sort through the ring's contents before slipping into meditation to recover his mental energy.
When he awoke the next day and tested his mental strength, he found it had slightly increased. Though the growth was not significant, it was still faster than his usual daily meditations, which pleased him. If this trend continued, he could expect his mental strength to double within two years. Unfortunately, he had to return the necklace to Joanna, and he couldn't bear the thought of wearing a woman's necklace every day if he were to stop being a lone wolf. He would rather let his mental strength diminish than have others think he was a pervert.
Fortunately, he had told Joanna it would take three to five days. Although he had broken the ring's seal, he couldn't simply say, "I did it in one day; here's your ring back."
Ignoring the strange looks from Joanna and Agno, Fars understood their thoughts. They were likely bemused by how the necklace made him appear even more exotic.
Joanna indeed noticed that the already strikingly handsome vampire took on an even more intriguing aura with her necklace. Of course, she felt no romantic stirrings; she believed in judging a person by their character, not their appearance. Fars's true ruthlessness had left a deep impression on her. However, she had no idea that Fars could break the mental imprint left by Master Perugino in just one night. Given her understanding of Fars, she thought it would take him at least two or three days. After all, even at the peak, high-tier mages were still a far cry from magical scholars.
Though Joanna was disappointed not to find the blueprints, she didn't press the issue. Fortunately, they had acquired several magical crystal cannons and numerous intact firearms with significant research value, which would be enough to satisfy the higher-ups in her family.
Next came the new task. While Joanna had previously mentioned the arms factory, she had not mentioned the large laboratories behind the warehouses. Now that Fars knew more about the Gonsago ruins, he could analyze Joanna's intentions based on how much insider information she was willing to share.
To his surprise, the next item she sought was a corpse. Fars was even more puzzled, but Joanna said little, insisting they should act together this time.
The three of them exited the stone house, no longer paying attention to the open warehouses along the way, and strode toward the depths of the ruins. As they approached the laboratory area, Fars realized that while it was called a laboratory, it was actually a place for breeding demons. Joanna said nothing, leading Fars and Agno deeper into the ruins.
In the eerily silent Gonsago ruins, they had yet to see any living creatures or corpses. However, upon entering the laboratory, they were greeted by a scene filled with remains.
Perhaps due to the stagnant air underground, these bodies had not decayed over thousands of years. Strangely, the countless skeletons scattered about did not resemble those of humans. The various bones varied in size, and while the skulls had a human-like shape, they were grotesque. Fars couldn't help but think of a species that did not belong to this realm—demons.