First POV (Juliet)

"W-wait, don't close your eyes! We've taken care of your wound, I—" I smiled frantically trying to strengthen one of Florence's knights who had fallen due to a sudden encounter with the elite knight Rasputin.

He was a knight that was making fun of me earlier. He teased me about my overly feminine self and had fun chasing after me. But it was all just a harmless prank. I didn't curse anyone and didn't expect the situation to take a drastic turn for the worse.

Two of them have died. Now one more person may be dying. We had done our own treatment. It wasn't easy, because we vampires used to heal our own wounds. We didn't have a healer. If there was anything that could be a medicine, it was human blood.

Edgar was already running to a nearby village to find a donor. But I doubt if we had time. The slightly round face knight coughed, blood flowing from his mouth. He wasn't a pure-blood vampire, so all of the Rasputins' attacks had been hard on him. They fought without restraint. The Jaguar team's core squad was still in good health, all of them were purebloods, which were seven people including Romeo and I. Those who died and were heavily injured were mostly ordinary vampires. But they were still part of us.

I could see that the Florences were still shaken. Including Romeo who was sitting on the ground with his head down. But I know he was still wary. The Rasputins could have corrected their words and attacked us again.

Edgar arrived. He brought a medium-sized ceramic jar. He was fast enough, hopefully he didn't carelessly harvest the blood of the humans in the village. He made the knight I care for drink it. I think his complexion got lighter and he's getting better.

I bit my lip and approached Sir Romeo in frustration.

"Sir, I feel useless..if only I had joined the fight. Maybe they don't have to die," I tried my best not to cry. I ended up making an impolite expression at him instead.

"You obeyed the commander's orders, that's good."

"I'm here as a member of the Jaguar team, sir! I am a knight!"

"But I also have a mission to protect you, Julian! You're not strong enough yet!" Romeo cut me off. I'm afraid. Then the commander asked me to come closer and he spoke in a small whisper to me.

"I suspect that Rasputin's vampires have kept Apollon for hundreds of years. They never knew who its true owner was. But now they know that one of Florence might have be the wielder. They found out that I was the raid leader in the Dungeon last month. They probably already know the names of the Jaguar team members," he explains. I nod to show I'm listening.

"Of all the Jaguar teams, there are only a few who come from pure-blood vampire families with a lineage that can be traced back thousands of years. Up to the first generation of vampires in this Northern continent," he continued, looking at me seriously.

"Dubois, is one of them..they probably already knew the names of the noble families who had inherited Apollon. So, I'm guessing when they find out it's you—they will invite you to join Rasputin."

"I won't join, sir!" I shook my head vigorously.

"I know, but if you don't want to— They'll kill you. They were going to bring Apollon again, but this time they knew who the heir was. That is the Dubois family."

"After you die, they will urge the members of the Dubois family to join Rasputin—making sure that Apollon will be owned by the knight who sided with them," Romeo continued.

"Duke Arthur Dubois couldn't possibly be willing to do that,"

"Julian, the Marquis D'Artagnan's family has experienced that kind of intimidation. That's why we need to be strong so they can't pressure us. But Dubois isn't like that, you guys aren't a family that breeds tough knights. You might be able to hire some mercenary knights..or seek protection from the knights of Florence. But it won't last forever," Romeo looked at me as if to make sure I understood.

"One day, Dubois will give up and move to Rasputin's side," Romeo put a slightly dramatic emphasis on his last sentence.

"So I-"

"There's no other way, if you want Dubois to stay with Florence—you have to be strong enough to face someone like Caesar,"

I nodded confirming my resolve. The thought of joining Rasputin made me shudder. But Romeo's theory was very logical.

"Now you will begin your serious training. Enough of playing and grieving. If you want to atone for your guilt—defeat as many of Rasputin's knights as possible, Julian!" Romeo cheered me on.

"All right," I unsheathed Apollon and gripped it.

"I don't think you know, cursed weapons can be transformed," said Romeo.

"Huh? Is that even possible?"

"They are weapons forged in hellfire by demons, of course they have magical powers. You just say his name and ask him to transform,"

I looked at Apollon in my hand.

"Apollon! Transform!" I exclaimed.

Then a bright yellow light enveloped it and it continued to shrink until it became like a short dagger. It kept its inscription on the leather hilt. Only it became smaller. Now I could keep it under my shirt easily.

"Why don't you do this to Demetria?"

"Of course because I look cooler with a big sword like this," said Romeo.

Did he joking? But he didn't smile. Was he serious? That was a little ridiculous. But I won't laugh. I just smiled a little in response. Romeo seems fine. Though I saw that his back was badly injured earlier but now I hardly see the scars.

I want to ask why he had emitted a dark aura and his nails were black and pointed when he faced Petroski earlier? It was as if he was no longer himself. But Romeo acted like it never happened. Maybe next time I will have a chance to talk about it.