Vampire Princess Guide in Progress - Volume 1 Chapter 74

Chapter 74: Holy Sword Maiden, Susie

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One day ago, at the Iris Knights meeting hall.

The tactical meeting continued until past 2 AM. After five consecutive strategic plans were rejected, the newest plan was finally established. Each guild confirmed their assigned responsibilities and returned to prepare.

After the meeting ended and people gradually dispersed…

“Why must we rely on this Crimson Moon Princess! It caused so much hesitation during the final plan discussion. If I were to take the main DPS position to stop that World BOSS, wouldn’t that be completely fine!?”

“What exactly are you hesitating about, Guildmaster!”

The girl’s slender white hand slammed forcefully on the marble table, displeasure evident on her beautiful fair face.

At the same time, she had one hand on her hip, her clear bright eyes blinking as she gazed with questioning and challenging eyes at the solemn-faced person sitting at the head of the long table, who still had her hands crossed in front of her.

At this moment, in the empty meeting hall, only three people remained.

A young beautiful girl wearing a pure white short-skirted dress with purple iris patterns decorating the edges and a sword sheath at her waist. The Iris Knights guildmaster still deep in thought, weighing certain matters in his mind. And the blonde Chief Knight, Cavis, standing beside him.

Faced with the girl’s questioning, Guildmaster Calen pondered for a moment before slowly raising his head.

“Miss Susie, this is a strategic consideration for a higher success rate. During the closed beta, everyone witnessed the strength of the undefeated Crimson Moon Princess. If she’s still in this game, or perhaps on the third floor…”

“This battle concerns the fate of hundreds of players. With the current mechanical challenges of the World BOSS, it’s no longer a battle where one person determines life and death. Before raiding, uniting and incorporating all players’ abilities is undoubtedly the best approach.”

“As for the Crimson Moon Princess, if we can contact her, that power would undoubtedly give us more possibilities.”

“But the one who defeated the second floor BOSS alone was the Dark Night Swordsman Nolan!” The girl named Susie raised her voice, emphasizing, “Not the so-called Crimson Moon Princess, but the Dark Night Swordsman!”

Not to mention whether the Crimson Moon Princess had actually joined this game; the only source of information was someone claiming to have seen a girl with a similar appearance in town.

Moreover, the player who shouldered everyone’s hopes and broke through the impasse in desperate circumstances wasn’t the overhyped Crimson Moon Princess, but the previously unknown swordsman player Nolan.

This comparison alone was enough to show the stark difference.

If the Crimson Moon Princess was truly as strong as rumored and still in this game, why wasn’t she the first to defeat the second floor BOSS? Wasn’t she eager to participate in BOSS raids during the closed beta?

Was her power insufficient? Or did she lack courage?

Besides, Susie, known as the “Holy Sword Maiden,” had crossed swords with the Crimson Moon Princess during the closed beta, whether in the wilderness during map exploration or in PVP activities in the arena. She had battled her several times.

With her unique Holy Sword talent, she also possessed extraordinary sword abilities.

Susie’s sword techniques could create “sword energy” luminous sword waves. She was currently the only one-handed swordsman who mastered holy abilities, one of the top members in the Iris Knights, with strength almost rivaling Chief Knight Cavis.

In her sword strikes, each attack simultaneously carried dual attributes: physical + holy.

Coincidentally, her holy damage perfectly countered the Crimson Moon Princess’s dark magic. Although she ultimately lost in the arena PVP, it was a very close match, with the Crimson Moon Princess’s HP also nearly depleted.

She was among the few players who could fight Tilia and almost defeat her, and the only female swordsman to do so.

Because certain events occurred during the closed beta.

Susie and Tilia could be said to have a relationship that was both adversarial and like sworn enemies, often fighting on sight in the wilderness.

So when Guildmaster Calen was finalizing the strategic plan and made Susie a backup option for the main DPS role, preferring to consider the Crimson Moon Princess instead, the young and spirited Miss Susie immediately voiced her objection!

The raid time was already very tight, how could they possibly spend time and energy looking for someone else.

Besides, wasn’t she good enough?

Why was she the backup option, implying she was inferior to the Crimson Moon Princess? She had nearly defeated her in the arena, even suppressing her quite effectively with holy sword energy at one point. At most, they could be considered evenly matched.

“Miss Susie… this is due to my personal concern and consideration for your safety. The main DPS position requires facing the BOSS alone, which is extremely dangerous.”

Much later, in the empty hall after the meeting.

Taking advantage of the private setting, Guildmaster Calen let out a heavy sigh and finally spoke slowly.

“Concern for my safety?”

Susie’s beautiful young face showed obvious surprise, then she continued: “Should we be considering such things at a time like this? Aren’t all players participating in this death game, everyone heading to raid the World BOSS tomorrow night, risking their lives?”

“As the Iris Knights, as the strongest player guild leading others to clear this game, should we hide behind others, fearing death, letting other players risk their lives to fight for us? Wouldn’t that seem extremely cowardly!?”

The Holy Sword Maiden in their guild clearly had sufficient strength to intercept the World BOSS.

But having the Crimson Moon Princess, an outsider, complete the most arduous task and bear the most risk for them, if word got out, how could the Iris Knights maintain their prestige among players? What would others think of them?

Guildmaster Calen naturally understood this point.

Therefore, in the meeting, the final plan still chose Susie to take on the primary attack position to stop the BOSS.

So the girl’s current dissatisfaction and outburst weren’t because the plan hadn’t been finalized, but because she was confused by the guildmaster’s prolonged hesitation when considering this issue, and felt that she was being underestimated and hadn’t received enough trust.

“It was my fault. I’ll be more mindful in the future.”

Calen lowered his hands that had been raised before him, then showed a smile that was as peaceful as possible, hoping to be understood. “Well then, Miss Susie. It’s getting late, you should head back to rest and prepare.”

“Hmph. I understand!”

Susie snorted before straightening up and turning to walk toward the door.

As she crossed the threshold of the meeting hall, her pure white short skirt fluttered up and down quite dramatically, momentarily revealing her snow-white thighs and bottom, one could imagine how forcefully she was stomping in her anger and dissatisfaction.

Guildmaster Calen and Chief Knight Cavis watched as the proud girl’s figure gradually departed…

“Sigh… father-daughter relationships, not getting along.”

The guildmaster sitting in his chair muttered this with a sigh, leaning back against the chair.

Standing nearby, Cavis, who had been mindful of the situation and hadn’t spoken, finally said: “Please don’t worry too much, Chairman. Your daughter has grown up and is no longer the immature little girl from before. What she said just now wasn’t without reason.”

“Besides, the minor conflict between Miss Susie and the Crimson Moon Princess isn’t something new. And she is a girl with extremely strong self-esteem.”

Chairman — yes, this form of address.

This was because Cavis was also Calen’s assistant in the real world.

As the guildmaster of the strongest player guild in the game, Calen was also a chairman managing several large companies in reality. Cavis was his subordinate at the company, while the young, beautiful, but very spirited Miss Susie was his biological daughter.

Due to a series of events that occurred previously.

They were now trapped in this game world together, and only the three of them knew about their real-world connections. In the game, they still addressed each other by their usernames and never mentioned their relationship to anyone else.

“Sigh, seeing Susie now able to speak such words of responsibility makes me quite pleased. But my greatest regret is still letting her get involved with this game, and bringing her into it…” Calen shook his head and spoke with deep feeling.

It was all his fault, leading to the dangerous situation they were in now.

Calen took a long breath and asked: “Cavis, do you remember Lockias?”

“Yes.” Cavis nodded. “Silver Shield Knight Lockias, the vice-guildmaster of the Iris Knights, and also… your friend?”

“Indeed, he was my friend in reality too, we’d known each other for many years. On the first day in the game, when we confidently went to raid the second floor BOSS, he sacrificed himself in that battle,” Calen gazed into the distance.

Although more than a month had passed, he could still remember the scene.

To cover everyone’s retreat and allow more people to safely use escape skills, Lockias resolutely chose to raise his shield against the BOSS, buying more escape time for other guild members. As a result, he fell there forever.

As the last person to safely withdraw.

Calen still vividly remembered that scene — how Lockias, after taking the BOSS’s final blow, was thrown into the air, then fell before his eyes, scattering into fragments…

And in those final moments before dispersing, there was no terror on his face, but rather a sense of calm and acceptance.

His gaze turned to Calen, who was already in the casting animation for an escape skill. Calen’s trembling gaze met his, and in that moment when the eyes of two longtime friends connected, countless emotions swirled together.

“Lockias! — Xiao Chen!!!”

Lockias said nothing in the end, or perhaps had no time to speak.

He only raised his hand, giving a thumbs up.

Signifying that his mission, his path, might end here, whether as Lockias in the game or as Ye Nanchen in reality. Even at the last moment, he was still encouraging Calen to lead everyone forward, to survive and clear this game!

Therefore, tonight.

As both the leader of the Iris guild who needed to demonstrate leadership courage and bear the hopes and trust of everyone to clear the game, and simultaneously as a real-world father who, having experienced the pain of losing a close friend, now had to expose his daughter to the same risk.

Calen was caught in profound conflict and hesitation.