She is not an investigator.

"why?"

Faced with Igris's questioning, the caretaker suddenly paused in her speech.

Yes, why?

It was just a simple question, asking her why she should do it, but she seemed unable to answer.

Just because someone is a vampire, does that mean they lose their right to live freely? Should they be killed?

"You should know..."

“I know this might have some impact on my actions, but I also have many friends from other races. I won’t lay a hand on a vampire who shows me kindness. They might prey on humans because they have to survive, but once they gain intelligence, that option is no longer necessary.”

Igris rolled over and looked at the caretaker.

"Do you remember the first time I saw her? She stole a pig. Maybe it wasn't the first time she'd done it, but if I hadn't attacked her, she might have been able to live off that pig for a long time."

"Are you feeling guilty?"

"I guess so. I shouldn't hurt someone who lives in the cracks but still has hope, even if she's a vampire. Everyone who lives life seriously deserves respect."

"You are truly indescribable."

The administrator pursed her lips, still unable to accept Igris's idea.

In her view, Igris was just making excuses for her actions. She didn't want to kill the vampire not for any special reason, but simply because she couldn't bring herself to do it.

So she can always find a lot of reasons to explain why she does what she does.

"And, Miss Administrator."

"What?"

Igris looked at the figure in front of her that was almost exactly the same as herself and couldn't help but smile.

"Your concern still feels a bit awkward."

"...? How have I cared about you? I'm just afraid that if you die like this, the administrator's task will have to be handed over to the next person, and I don't know how long we'll have to wait."

"Mmm~ You're right."

"What?! Your attitude..."

The administrator looked at Igris's pleased expression and pursed her lips in exasperation.

"That's all for today. I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight, Ms. Administrator."

"Don't say goodnight to me, I didn't come here just to keep you company."

Seeing Igris with her eyes closed, truly asleep, the caretaker could only sigh and rush towards her.

The two figures quickly merged together, and the housekeeper disappeared from the room. In the dim and quiet room, only Igris's own breathing could be heard.

The night was still long.

…………

"Six eggs...why are they cooked? But even if they were raw, they wouldn't hatch into chicks..."

He huddled in his own little shabby house, counting the eggs in the basket on his fingers.

"I'll eat one every day at noon, that way it'll last a week... Won't it go bad? But it seems like vampires can eat spoiled stuff without any problems, so I'll decide on this. I won't eat it tonight, I'll save it for tomorrow."

Hugh solemnly hid the basket behind his back and pulled over the mattress with anticipation in his eyes.

She's probably the only vampire who can maintain an optimistic outlook in such an environment.

"I didn't expect that person to be so nice... I wonder if I'll be able to go get the eggs again tomorrow..."

Click.

"Ok?"

A crisp sound rang out on the street outside, accompanied by unusually heavy footsteps.

The sound lingered slowly around her residence, finally stopping in front of the tightly closed door.

"No way..."

boom--!

The fragile door panel shattered with a crash, and a pale, bloated figure slowly peeked out, looking at Xiu in the room.

"The meat... has been found..."

The bizarre stage play - The City of Bloodthirsty Gluttons: Chapter Nine, Going to work not for money, but because of passion?

"Igris! Good afternoon!"

As usual, Igris would come to church in the afternoon to work, dressed as a nun, and listen to other people's prayers and confessions.

Igris is not religious, but the people working here don't seem to care at all, which is probably one of the reasons why they choose to recruit outsiders.

And just like every day, her colleague, a nun who was always cheerful for some reason, would greet her warmly.

She really loved her job, so much so that she was nothing like Igris, who always came to work with a long face and looked unwilling.

After all, for Igris, the difference between people is probably that she can never understand the mentality of those who love their work. Work is like forcing others to do things they have to do. If someone really loves this process, then Igris has to consider whether that person has some strange quirks.

Of course, although she always complains and acts quite decadent and dejected, Igris is still a hard-working person, after all, everything she does is to achieve her goal.

Isn't the purpose of going to work to earn money?

Good afternoon. Do you still have eggs today?

Igris waved and greeted the nun who liked to strike up a conversation with her.

The nun was probably a local. Although she didn't seem particularly devout, she certainly loved life more than most of the people Igris had met.

"No, not today. Besides, the old priest needs to see you, so you don't need to work in the confessional today."

"Oh... okay, I'll be there."

The nun nodded and quickly ran off. She probably hadn't finished her work yet; she was only there to let Igris know that she would come here around this time every day so she could inform her of the news as soon as possible.

It could be said that a large part of the reason Igris came to work here was because of this old priest.

It is said that he has worked in the church for nearly fifty years and is almost seventy years old this year. He is the longest-lived person Igris has ever seen. He is also very healthy. Even at such an old age, he still often runs around inside and outside the church.

My biggest interest is probably playing games with the choir children or singing together.

Igris didn't really have any issues with him, and he didn't seem like a bad person, but he was in charge of distributing most of the work here, including Igris's work.

He was the one who recruited Igris in the first place. Just as she once mentioned, he made up his mind almost at a glance, without even giving Igris a chance to consider or refuse.

In the blink of an eye, Igris had been in the city for about ten days, and this was the first time he had taken the initiative to discuss something with Igris.

Is it because they're preparing to assign her some new work? Or is it because her recent performance hasn't been good enough, and they're planning to fire her?

Igris didn't care what the specifics were, since even if she were to be fired, she could easily find another, easier job.

Igris even considered on many occasions whether she should simply quit her job and find another one.

She certainly doesn't lack money, so going to work is largely just about keeping herself occupied and taking the opportunity to connect with the local residents.

Lost in thought, Igris arrived at the church's inner courtyard. It was still very large, like a huge square, with beautiful scenery, plenty of greenery, and flowers blooming on both sides of the road.

The old priest sat on a bench in the courtyard, holding his cane, but he didn't notice Igris. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the small fountain behind him.

"Did you need something from me?"

"Ah, Igris."

The old priest then came to his senses, turned around, and looked at Igris with a smile.

"Sorry I didn't notice you. The kids have some fish in the fountain... I was watching to see if they'd get sprayed out."

Just like the impression his appearance gives others, this old man with gray hair and a gray beard has a childlike heart, which is the biggest reason why he can play with a group of children.

"It's alright, so what did you want to see me about?"

"Well...it's not really anything important."

The old priest stroked his beard, looked at Igris, and noticed her somewhat impatient expression.

How have you been feeling about work these past few days?

"I don't feel anything special, I'm just working."

"Oh... Listening to others' words of atonement is no easy task. You must have met quite a few people. Don't you feel anything?"

Igris didn't understand what he meant. In fact, Igris rarely remembered what the other person had said, and even during confessions, she rarely paid attention to it.

The reason is simple: she is not a real nun. She is not religious and does not believe in God. So everything she says is just for work.

"If you're just asking for my opinion, I don't really have much to say. Everyone has their own troubles, and my job is to listen to them and give the answers that people would prefer to hear, that's all."

"Oh...I see."

The old priest nodded, his emotions hard to discern, and his face showed no particular expression.

"If you were given the opportunity to become a real clergyman, would you consider it?"

"You mean, you want me to become a full member?"

Igris frowned, shook her head without thinking, and refused.

“I’m just here for a temporary job. You should have known that when you recruited me. I have no devout faith. The only thing that drives me to keep working is the cold silver dollar.”

“Don’t be so quick to refuse, Igris. Of course I know you have no faith, but that doesn’t matter.”

The old priest stood up, holding a cane in his hand, but he didn't use it; he simply held it in his hand.

What are your thoughts on this city?

"Rich, desolate, lacking in warmth and life."

Igris crossed her arms and answered without thinking.

She had actually thought about this question a long time ago. That was the feeling this city gave her, even with a hint of eeriness.

"It seems you know this city quite well."

The old priest smiled, and even his beard stood up.

"I guess you've seen those poor children too."

A bizarre stage play – The City of Gluttonous Bloodthirsty Vampires: Chapter Ten, The So-Called Vampire