[Vol. 7] Chapter 125: The Factions of Sainz
Seventh District, Academy City Sainz.
Towering magic towers pierced the sky, radiating a constant glow day and night. At their center, an array of magnificent buildings spread outward like stars orbiting a moon, forming a breathtaking architectural masterpiece, truly a sacred site of artistry and knowledge.
The Seventh District was the last to be built, yet it had already stood for over three centuries. Its magic tower symbolized Mystery, representing the countless secrets of the world that remained unexplored. This district also served as the stronghold of the progressive school of thought, led by none other than the academy’s current Headmaster, Lucine.
Through casual conversation with Yulia along the way, Violet learned something that genuinely surprised her.
"Factions, huh? Guess you really can’t escape these things anywhere..."
Within the vampire race, Lucine Constantius represented the conservative and stabilizing faction. Yet, paradoxically, as the Headmaster of Sainz, she was at the forefront of developing modern magical technology. In fact, the magical railway they had seen earlier was reportedly created by a group under her strong support.
Lucine wasn’t the type to cling stubbornly to the past. Though her faction was called "conservative," it didn’t mean they rejected progress, rather, they opposed violent struggles and radical movements. They sought a peaceful and stable way to coexist with other races, aiming to elevate vampires through means different from the ruling systems of the past.
Ironically, to be precise, the faction that is called the radicals, who try to reproduce the glorious era of the blood clan by any means, are actually the conservatives. Meanwhile, the conservatives, who seem to be just muddling along and waiting to die, are more accepting of new things and the changes of the times.
Incidentally, despite the fact that a certain prince with the appearance of a little girl had lived for well over a thousand years, she wasn’t the original founder of Sainz Academy. She only assumed the role of Headmaster about three hundred years ago, when the [Tower of Mystery] and the Seventh District were established, inheriting the position from her predecessor.
As expected, an incomplete transfer of power inevitably led to the emergence of factional conflicts.
Compared to some of the elders who had been on the academy’s governing council for over eight hundred years, since Sainz’s very foundation, Lucine’s tenure was relatively short. Her authority wasn’t yet absolute, and she hadn’t won everyone’s full support. As a result, the council had gradually split into three competing factions:
Lucine's faction, consisting of the Headmaster herself and some of the first-generation senior professors.
The old-timer people, made up of the long-established council members who had been around since the academy’s founding.
The Austre Imperial faction, representing the interests of the Austre Empire, which had embedded itself into the academy’s affairs.
Each faction had its own vision and strategy, making the academy's political landscape more complicated than it first appeared.
Although these three factions had different beliefs, they generally coexisted peacefully, with their differences mainly limited to research directions and foreign relations.
However, in recent years, as global events became more unpredictable, the Austre Empire started tightening its grip on dispersed forces within its territory. It began interfering more aggressively in independent entities like Sainz Academy, causing tensions within the academy’s council to rise and eventually escalate.
The conflict intensified when the pro-Empire faction teamed up with the progressive faction to push through a controversial decision: hosting the first-ever World Academy Joint Exchange Conference in Sainz. This move deeply upset the traditional scholars, who still held nearly half of the academy’s influence and had no interest in getting involved in international disputes.
Violet could tell that Yulia was bringing this up as a warning.
While the decision to invite the priestess to become an Honorary Professor at Sainz and participate in the conference was officially approved by the council, the proposal had come from Lucine, the leader of the progressive faction. Some members, especially those who disliked Lucine, might not openly oppose it, but that didn’t mean they were happy about it.
They wouldn’t dare target someone as renowned and powerful as either the Headmaster or the priestess directly, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t try to stir up trouble in other ways. They might go after the people around them instead as a form of silent resistance.
Before Yulia could even finish her thought, the golden-haired little dragon girl walking beside the priestess responded with a calm, indifferent tone.
"Doesn’t matter. If they have the guts to try, let them come. As long as they don’t go too far, I’ll let them live."
She was holding Violet’s hand as they walked, her attitude completely relaxed. Meanwhile, Lenka still looked utterly confused. Her black-and-white gemstone-like pupils sparkled with pure, clueless curiosity as she tilted her head.
"Huh? Wait, what? But Mom said Sainz Academy was one of the safest places in the world! Why are there bad guys here too?"
"Pfft—yeah, I doubt you’d understand something this complicated with your intelligence. Just remember, if anything feels off, just scream for help."
Watching the two little ones argue across their guardian, Yulia couldn’t help but smile.
"That said, you don’t need to worry too much. Sainz is a well-governed city, and the Headmaster has already put plenty of measures in place to protect the two of you. No one would be foolish enough to make a move in broad daylight. Just be wary of underhanded tricks and petty schemes."
"Besides, you two managed to get out of a place as dangerous as the Church of Truth’s headquarters without a scratch. I have no doubt your intelligence and courage will be more than enough to handle a few small challenges here. At the end of the day... this is just an academy, after all."
The priestess nodded slightly.
"Thank you for the reminder. I’ll stay vigilant, it's always better to be safe than sorry."
Hmm… Maybe it would be best to have Mia and the others take turns escorting the children to and from school. Right now, there weren’t many trustworthy individuals in Sainz, but a Marquis-rank vampire was roughly equivalent to an Earth-rank adventurer, which should be enough to handle any minor threats.
As they chatted, the group crossed the vast front courtyard and arrived at a massive building, second only in height to the [Tower of Mystery] at the heart of the campus. The secretary raised her hand, gesturing toward it as she introduced the place.
"This is the main teaching building of the Seventh District. Normally, the entrance exam for Sainz Academy is a long and complicated process. However, since this isn't the usual enrollment season and given that the Headmaster herself has vouched for you, all we need is a basic aptitude assessment to help determine course placement."
Leading the three ladies, Yulia entered the building and guided them straight to an underground training arena.
Inside, various professional-looking instruments and equipment had been set up, forming a fully integrated system. The staff adjusting the equipment, however, were not the same suited security personnel from yesterday. Instead, every single one of them was a beautiful young woman dressed in a maid outfit, bustling about in an oddly synchronized manner.
The scene was… a little strange.
Sensing the potential misunderstanding, Yulia quickly explained.
"Considering your identities, Lady Lucine specifically ordered that all test data must be kept strictly confidential. So, I arranged for a trustworthy team from Blood Rose to handle everything in a completely sealed environment. Oh, and Blood Rose is—"
Before she could finish, Violet lifted her hand slightly, cutting her off.
"I already know, Lucine’s personal maid corps, correct? No problem, just get this done quickly."
She sounded indifferent, but deep down, the priestess was a little surprised.
If all ten or so maids present were official members of Blood Rose, that meant they were real vampires and more importantly, they lived right here in Sainz. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so easy to gather them on such short notice.
This suggested that the number of vampires in this Academy City was likely far higher than she had originally estimated. And Lucine wasn’t even trying to hide it.
In fact, she seemed to be deliberately showing her hand…
A subtle but clear signal, an offer for cooperation.