John Bennett and Baker were both deep in thought for a long time before Baker finally said, “Your Excellency Chief Justice, I believe such an important decision really shouldn’t be made by just the two of us. We should follow the proper procedure: have the local princes nominate candidates, and we can help you decide on the final choice. What do you think?” Baker’s suggestion was approved by John Bennett; after all, that was how both of them had become enforcers. Sometimes, local princes would deal with some rule-breaking members themselves, ordering some of their own kindred to take action. After a few such incidents, there would inevitably be some kindred who stood out during these hunts, and they were usually the ones recommended by the princes to become enforcers—both John Bennett and Baker had been recommended by their own princes. Of course, their current status was now much higher than that of the princes who had once recommended them. Caroline had no other choice; this was a matter of great importance, and she herself found it hard to decide. “Alright then, let’s do it this way for now! From now on, the two of you must monitor every move Piati makes. Also, Baker, you need to pay extra attention to any activity from the ‘Hand of Darkness’ lately!” Baker said, “Let John Bennett go instead; I’ll keep an eye on Piati. He already has strong resistance to sunlight, while I’m still lacking in that area!” The Chief Justice nodded. Baker’s strength was no less than John Bennett’s, but unfortunately, since he was Black, his resistance to sunlight was somewhat weaker.

Carnivores gained the right to feed on the blood of their own kind through mysterious rituals, and at the same time, they gained great power. With every companion’s blood they drank, their resistance to sunlight increased a little!

The Camarilla was made up of seven clans from the thirteen vampire lineages, known to outsiders as the Hidden Alliance, or more commonly, the “Secret Party.” They followed the six great commandments set by their ancestors, as well as the developed and perfected Camarilla code. Their opposition was the Sabbat—the “Demon Party”—also called the Hand of Darkness by the Camarilla. The Sabbat did not follow the six commandments; it was made up of two major clans and ruled through fear, force, and threats, treating humans as inferior animals to be driven and slaughtered at will. Their frequent transgressions caused the Camarilla endless headaches, but there was little they could do. There were also four neutral clans, who kept to themselves and stayed out of conflicts.

John Bennett sat quietly in a street-side café, the rich aroma of hot coffee making the people hurrying by outside, hunched against the cold, look in with envy. This was a country in the far north, bitterly cold, and compared to those outside bundled up in thick winter coats, John Bennett in his wool overcoat looked rather out of place. His eyes occasionally glanced from the foamy coffee to an old building across the street. Inside the gray, high-eaved house was the headquarters of the Lesombra clan, an important Sabbat lineage. On the brass wind chime at the door, the Lesombra crown emblem was engraved.

Heavy snow began to fall outside. John Bennett enjoyed his hot coffee—this was a drink even vampires could tolerate. The door of the old house across the street opened silently. Someone rushed out, quickly opened a large black umbrella, and then a man in a black suit stepped out of the house. The first person hurried to hold the umbrella over the man in the black suit’s head. John Bennett narrowed his eyes and turned away; he didn’t recognize the man in the black suit, but he did recognize the one holding the umbrella: he was Tessa, a well-known hunter from the Kiasyd clan, another Sabbat family. Hunters in the Sabbat played a role similar to that of carnivores in the Camarilla. For someone like him to be holding an umbrella for someone else, this man in the black suit must be quite important! The leaders of the Sabbat were as mysterious as the elders of the Camarilla; ordinary people would never see their true faces.

No one noticed John Bennett watching from the side. He quickly shifted his gaze and wasn’t discovered. A black sedan pulled up; Tessa, holding the umbrella in one hand, opened the car door for the man in the black suit with the other. John Bennett considered whether or not to follow them. Clearly, this would be very dangerous—Tessa was not easy to deal with, and among this group, he was just the one holding the umbrella. As John Bennett hesitated, a pleasant ringtone sounded. He opened his flip phone—it was a call from Baker.

“John Bennett, come back. The local princes’ candidates have arrived, and the Chief Justice needs our opinions as reference,” Baker said concisely over the phone. John Bennett looked up; the gray-black sedan had already disappeared into the wind and snow. He sighed and said, “Alright, I’ll come back right away.”