Chapter 184-2: Betty’s Wonderful Journey in Dawn City (Part 2)

She followed the street forward.

Because it was still early, most of the shops along the street had yet to open; only a few breakfast vendors were already operating.

The street was paved with bluestone, and on both sides stood mostly three-story buildings, their exterior walls carved with various reliefs praising the gods.

Betty's eyes couldn't take it all in at once. Holding her greatsword, she looked around excitedly.

Seeing Betty roaming around the streets so early with a greatsword in hand piqued the curiosity of the early risers. A few aunties even came over to greet her.

"I'm Aunt Mary from the bakery. Miss, are you going out hunting this early with your weapon?" Aunt Mary from the bakery wore a look of concern—such a young girl already having to rise early to hunt, life must be hard for her.

Her own niece, after all, still wouldn't get out of bed even at noon.

Looking at Betty's slender waist, she grew even more sympathetic. "So skinny already... poor girl."

"Would you like to come try a couple of freshly baked honey buns from my bakery?"

Betty's expression turned quite strange at Aunt Mary's words.

She was a Northern Valkyrie! Even if these common folk didn't know her true identity, she was clearly carrying a greatsword.

Weren't ordinary civilians afraid?

Glory was not a world where everyone was equal. Ordinary civilians and those with power—professionals—belonged to entirely different social strata.

"No, I—I don't need any, thank you," Betty replied, suddenly realizing she barely knew how to respond anymore.

"Hahaha, no need to be shy! Aunt Mary's honey buns are the best in all of Dawn City! Don't worry, I won't charge you any Copper Pucks today."

"If you're willing, I can even introduce you to a good job. That way, you wouldn't have to wake up so early every day to go hunting."

With a wide smile, Aunt Mary stepped forward and took Betty by the hand, leading her ahead.

Betty, who wouldn't even flinch at fighting dragons, found herself at a loss in the face of Aunt Mary's enthusiasm.

But strangely, she didn't feel any aversion toward Aunt Mary—instead, she found herself enjoying the warmth of being treated with kindness.

Just then, a patrol team clad in armor and marked with red armbands on their shoulders came walking toward them.

What shocked Betty was that the leader of the group was a vampire, with bat wings spread out behind him and fangs visible in his mouth.

What—vampires didn't even try to hide themselves here??

What stunned her even more was that the nearby residents, upon seeing the vampire leading the patrol, not only didn't show fear but greeted him with smiles.

And the vampire didn't seem at all offended by the civilians' familiarity—he nodded back occasionally, even as children watched the scene without crying or panic.

This unexpected scene shattered Betty's worldview.

First, civilians dared to ignore the status of professionals, and now, a creature said to be more terrifying than demons in human tales—a vampire—was getting along harmoniously with humans?

Was this city truly governed by vampires?

Betty felt a bit lost.

"Miss, may I see your identity proof?"

As the patrol team passed by, one sharp-eyed member noticed that Betty looked distinctly different from the other residents and came over immediately to investigate.

"Identity proof? What's that? I don't have one."

Betty shrugged, and the greatsword in her hand sank lightly into the ground—clang! The sound of metal striking stone echoed out.

The implied threat in this scene was obvious.

Aunt Mary quickly stepped forward to intervene.

"Jayke, this young lady is my guest. She's so young and already has to get up early every day to go hunting—no need to trouble her."

The young man called Jayke looked momentarily confused.

"Hunting...?"

Betty looked at Aunt Mary standing in front of her, her eyes growing complicated. As a Northern Valkyrie, it was the first time in her life she'd ever been protected by a civilian.

"You're Lady Betty??" A vampire nearby, who hadn't been paying attention at first, was drawn over by the conversation. Seeing Betty, he immediately stepped forward in delight.

"Good morning, esteemed Lady Betty. Thank you for your contributions to Dawn City—Dawn City welcomes your arrival!"

After speaking, the vampire captain turned and raised his voice to address both his patrol team and the surrounding crowd.

"This lady is a hero of Dawn City! Last night, Lord Kachar personally led the Saintlight Vampires in a righteous battle for the sake of Dawn City.

This Lady Betty helped the Saintlight Vampires defeat a powerful enemy!! Her bravery earned praise from Lord Kachar himself!

Lord Kachar has specifically instructed the Security Squad that all areas of Dawn City are open to Lady Betty."

With those words, the graceful vampire bowed deeply to Betty with a hand over his chest.

"Dawn City welcomes your arrival, esteemed Lady Betty."

The crowd around them immediately erupted in cheers and applause.

Aunt Mary looked at Betty with delighted surprise.

"So it was you who helped us win the battle!!

That's wonderful, Miss Betty. From now on, you'll never have to pay a single Copper Puck for bread at Aunt Mary's bakery! I'll cover the cost myself!"

Betty's face flushed from all the praise.

Over the past two days, news that the great Lord Kachar had mobilized the Saintlight Vampire nobles to participate in a battle had been spread to all residents by the Propaganda Department.

According to their messages, a powerful enemy had sought to destroy the forces Dawn City had built in the outside human world.

To protect the city's interests and the future of all its residents, the great Lord Kachar had chosen to take the initiative.

This was a war launched for the future of Dawn City.

So when the vampire captain explained Betty's role, the crowd quickly grew fond of this greatsword-wielding lady.

"Lady Betty, thank you!"

"Welcome to our city!"

"You are a truly admirable person!"

"To have earned Lord Kachar's praise—how incredible!"

What had seemed destined to become a confrontation now turned into heartfelt cheers and praise from the crowd, leaving Betty feeling shy.

Though she had heard countless praises as a Northern Valkyrie, this was the first time she'd ever received such pure, warm admiration without any ulterior motives.

A bright smile spread across her face.

She suddenly realized—she was starting to like this city.