Dorothea showed no great urgency over the Soul Eater. Bonecrusher was here, after all, so things would surely develop in a favorable direction.
"Doesn't Laem want to read? Hurry and send the books to him."
"Yes, Marquis."
Hailuot carried the books out of the main hall with Bulaishini and five Third-Rank Vampire Guards.
When they reached the Dungeon again, dampness and a putrid stench assaulted them.
In the dim light, strange and eerie sounds drifted from the Prison Cells. Mournful moans, clacking and grinding bones, furious roars, and laughter that numbed the eardrums all echoed through the Dungeon.
Hailuot did not hurry to find Laem. Instead, he paused outside each Prison Cell he passed and observed what it held.
The Vampire Guards performed their duties diligently. Whenever Hailuot stopped, they formed a Defense formation and surrounded their new Master. Their hands remained on the sword hilts at their waists, and their wary eyes scanned the surroundings, ready for battle at any moment.
Bulaishini stayed close by Hailuot's side, and while fulfilling her duties, she also kept sizing up her new master from behind.
She wondered why City Lord Dorothea had given her to such a weak human.
"Bulaishini!"
A call broke Bulaishini's wandering train of thought. She quickly bowed to Hailuot and asked, "Master, what do you require?"
Hailuot asked, "The Marquis said you were turned into a Vampire not long ago. What were you before that?"
Bulaishini answered, "I was a Blood Slave kept to provide Vampires with blood to drink. After my potential was discovered, Marquis Dorothea gave me her First Embrace, turning me into a Vampire."
After examining the Walking Corpse in one of the cells, Hailuot turned and continued forward. Bulaishini and the Vampire Guards marched behind him in formation, their steel boots echoing against the stone floor of the quiet Dungeon.
"So this is how Vampires are born! Scorched Earth City has so many Vampires, so it must also have many Blood Slaves, right?"
Bulaishini kept pace behind Hailuot as she answered, "Yes, there are many. The Blood Slaves all live in the Living District, west of Scorched Earth City. Each week, they offer a set amount of Blood Tax in exchange for daily necessities, but that only keeps them from starving. Those with skills that earn money can improve their quality of life somewhat."
"What do blood slaves eat?"
The Plane of the Land of Death had no true day. Although the moon that hung in the sky provided light, it could not give plants enough energy for photosynthesis.
Hailuot wondered how Scorched Earth City fed so many Blood Slaves.
Bulaishini continued to answer, "Bread Fungus can be cultivated in damp underground caves, and it's the staple food for living beings within the Land of Death. Some living beings also smuggle food and other goods from other planes through spatial rifts, though this kind of dangerous behavior has always been within range of the Undead's crackdown."
"Why is that?"
"Because the Undead dislike anything that carries the breath of life. Some Living Beings with ulterior motives also use smuggling to harm the Undead."
"Like the Azure Society?"
"Yes, the Azure Society included. They smuggle Contraband to lure Living Beings who have Faith in Death into their illegal activities."
"Do you think what the Azure Society does is right?"
The sharp question caught Bulaishini off guard, and she did not know how to answer. After considering it, she could only say, "I don't know."
Hailuot, however, seemed quite satisfied with Bulaishini's answer. He said, "That's an excellent topic in sociology. Perhaps some of my knowledge could be put to use there."
Bulaishini asked, her face full of confusion, "What is sociology?"
"A very boring subject." Hailuot didn't offer a detailed explanation, since he had already arrived outside the door of the cell holding Laem.
Hailuot took out the Token and opened the Prison Cell. He told Bulaishini and the Vampire Guards to wait outside, then entered alone with the books, paper, and pen.
Hailuot held great respect for those who dared to give up their lives for their ideals. He approached Laem's side and said in a low voice, "I've brought the books you wanted, along with the paper and pen you needed."
"Set them down!"
There were no chairs in the cell, so instead of placing the books on the floor, Hailuot sent a vampire guard to go find one.
Once a chair was brought, he finally set the things in his hands down on the table, then helped Laem up and settled him into the chair.
Laem, however, said, "You need not curry favor with me. Whoever stands behind you, I will never submit to Dorothea."
Hailuot said with a smile, "I'm not deliberately currying favor with you. I've simply always kept in mind something my teacher once said: 'Before knowledge, one must always hold a reverent heart.'"
Laem turned toward Hailuot, and his sharp eyes softened. He asked, "Your teacher must be a renowned sage. May I know his name?"
"He's called Ludelaine. Not particularly famous — he was my introductory mathematics teacher."
Laem thought for a moment but truly couldn't recall any sage by that name, so he said, "If the chance arises, I'd very much like to meet him. I'm quite fond of mathematics — it always gives me a great deal of inspiration in magic."
"I don't think he'd care much for necromancers."
"That's only because he doesn't understand death." Laem picked up the Logic of Death, flipped to the first page, and read aloud, "Death has never been the end of life — it is merely the continuation of life through another form. In this moment, the energy of life transforms into the energy of death, and it opens the main gate leading to the World of the Dead..."
Laem became absorbed in the book. He read aloud as if no one else were there, and whenever he gained an insight, he picked up his pen and recorded it on the paper. His devotion resembled that of a Missionary, making a basic work of Necromancy sound like a timeless classic.
Seeing Laem in this state, Hailuot prepared to leave, as there was still much else waiting for him to attend to.
But when Hailuot took a step, Laem stopped reading. "Stand beside me. Listen carefully and watch closely. I still have work for you."
Hailuot withdrew his step and stood properly at Laem's side. "As you wish."
Laem nodded and returned his attention to the book, continuing to read and write. He studied not only 《Logic of Death》 but also cross-referenced it with 《Introduction to the Soul》 and 《Fundamentals of Summoning》.
Hailuot noticed the notes Laem was writing. His records showed no sense of fragmentation despite weaving together content from all three books — instead, the content flowed together remarkably smoothly.
Hailuot then realized that even reading Laem's notes himself flowed remarkably smoothly, and he understood them with complete clarity.