Chapter 123: The Flood Begins
Their goal was singular: to shatter the trust in the vampire banking system. Sooner or later, the amount of money in circulation would far exceed the Council of Elders’ plans, leading to currency devaluation and economic collapse.
The fact that the heads of the Thirteen Clans were hesitant to report this matter to the Council of Elders was a victory for Jasmine and Adele. Because… the clan heads also desired wealth. No one in this world acted solely for the benefit of others. Even the most loyal clan heads were motivated by their own ambitions, aiming to join the Council of Elders and gain more power. But this didn’t mean they would reject a windfall.
As Adele had mentioned at Miss Golden’s engagement party, money was becoming harder to earn these days. This wasn’t just true for Adele, but for the Thirteen Clans as well. They had to pay even more tribute to the Council of Elders than other nobles.
So, did they not desire wealth? Of course they did. And that meant they would accept Jasmine’s gift: money.
While Jasmine was gathering information in the Blake patriarch’s study, Adele was having dinner with her parents and sister. She was still drinking artificial blood, but with the increasing amount of money she contributed to the family each year, no one paid attention to what she was actually consuming.
The Blake patriarch had also gotten into the habit of discussing current events with Adele.
“Adele, have you read this month’s newspaper?”
In recent years, the Council of Elders’ institute had developed a newspaper, published monthly, costing ten silver coins per issue, with mandatory subscriptions. This was a negligible expense for wealthy families like the Blakes, but ten silver coins per month, 120 silver coins per year… that was a significant sum for minor nobles.
They could hire another human servant with that money, but they had to save it to buy this seemingly useless newspaper.
Although the newspaper was actually quite useful. It contained information about recent price fluctuations, major events, and decrees issued by the Council of Elders. For the Thirteen Clans and high-ranking nobles, it was an essential tool, allowing them to adjust their plans accordingly.
“Of course I’ve read it,” Adele replied, taking a sip of her black tea. The Second Miss was struggling with her steak. The Blake patriarch, hearing Adele’s answer, nodded approvingly. “What are your thoughts?”
Adele put down her cup. She didn’t elaborate, simply saying, “The will of the Elders is paramount.” It was a diplomatic answer. The Blake patriarch’s expression was unreadable. He simply said, “Come to my study later.”
“Yes, Father.”
Adele knew what her father wanted to discuss. It was probably about the recent decrease in the blood purchase price. Actually, it wasn’t a true decrease in price. The institute had suggested to the Council of Elders that they should implement a more refined blood grading system, preventing low-quality blood from being mixed with high-quality blood.
This was a good suggestion for the Council of Elders, so they had quickly implemented it. But for most vampires, it wasn’t good news. They had to add more steps to their blood extraction process, separating the blood into different grades, and the price of high-quality blood had decreased due to the new grading system.
This was partly due to Adele and Jasmine’s efforts. The blood produced at Adele’s farms was of exceptional quality. Although she wasn’t selling human blood, but animal blood, livestock matured much faster than humans. They didn’t have complex emotions, and all they needed was food, water, and sunlight to thrive. Humans, however, had their own thoughts and feelings. Being imprisoned and having their blood extracted… it was a miserable existence. And their negative emotions affected the quality of their blood.
But vampires couldn’t treat humans like livestock, providing them with a comfortable life, free from worries. Who would do the work then? Surely not the low-ranking vampires and nobles themselves.
So, the quality of human blood was naturally inferior to that of livestock. But human blood was irreplaceable. Even if the quality wasn’t as good, they still had to buy it, because it provided the most power. And most importantly, the best human blood was hoarded by the nobles. The blood of their pampered blood slaves was surely superior to that of livestock. Take Jasmine, for example. Adele believed that there was no better-tasting blood in the entire world.
But this high-quality human blood would never enter the market.
And vampires were arrogant. They would rather drink inferior human blood than high-quality animal blood. This resulted in a situation where they couldn’t afford to buy the best blood, and the price of what they could afford had decreased. It was a dilemma. In the long run, this new grading system would benefit vampires, but right now, it was the worst possible timing.
Especially since those who couldn’t previously afford high-quality blood had suddenly acquired a lot of money. How could they resist the temptation to indulge in something they had always craved? Soon, the banks would be flooded with vampires eager to purchase the best blood.
This suggestion had come from Barbara.
She had used her methods, working with Jasmine and her team, to further their plans.
But the Blake patriarch was still unaware of what was to come. He was simply frustrated by the decrease in the blood purchase price. After dinner, Adele went to her father’s study.
He offered her a seat, and she sat down on the guest sofa. The Blake patriarch sat opposite her. After exchanging pleasantries, he brought up the topic of the newspaper and the rising cost of living. They were alone in the room, the current head of the family and the future head. To the Blake patriarch, Adele was trustworthy, so he didn’t bother hiding his frustration.
As a proud noble, he tugged at his high collar, as if it were constricting his breathing. Then he sighed. “The amount of money and blood we have to offer as tribute is increasing, but the bank’s purchase price is decreasing. Adele, can you still manage?”
He sounded like a concerned father, but Adele knew that he was simply hoping to get more money from her. She smiled. “I’m doing alright, Father. Are the family’s finances not looking good this year?”
Even the Blake patriarch found it difficult to admit this in front of his daughter, but Adele was right. She had built a highly profitable territory. If she decided to leave the family and develop her territory independently, she might even become the founder of a fourteenth clan.
The thought angered him. If it weren’t for the Council of Elders’ damned banking system, how could his daughter have achieved such success? In the past, power and lineage had been paramount. Money hadn’t mattered.
But in recent years, the concept of money had become increasingly important among nobles. They competed in everything: clothes, jewelry, and even cosmetics. Even men who had married into other families were comparing their cosmetics.
The Blake patriarch couldn’t comprehend this obsession.
But regardless of his personal feelings, facing the increasing tribute demands and the declining family income, he had to swallow his pride. He was an old-fashioned, thousand-year-old vampire, completely out of touch with the younger generation’s preferences. And vampires, in general, were clueless about such things. It was easy for them to be swayed by trends.
His daughter, on the other hand, was thriving.
He finally admitted, “Yes, our income this year isn’t ideal.” Seeing Adele’s feigned surprise, he quickly added, “It’s all the Council of Elders’ fault. They adjusted the prices. Otherwise…”
He stopped, realizing that he had said too much. But his resentment towards the Council of Elders was evident, and Adele was pleased. “It’s alright, Father. We’re family. We’re in this together. No matter how much you need, I’ll cover it.”
Hearing this, the Blake patriarch was touched. “Adele, my dear daughter, I knew you were destined for greatness.”
Adele accepted his praise. When she returned to her room, Jasmine was waiting for her. They exchanged information, and Adele was delighted.
“I never thought my father would thank me.”
They were the masterminds behind this scheme, and yet the Blake patriarch was thanking her. It was quite ironic. Jasmine chuckled. “Adele, do you think your father will turn over that suitcase of money to the Council of Elders?”
Adele shook her head. “No way.”
He was already resentful towards the Council of Elders, and the Blake family was currently facing financial difficulties. Faced with a sudden windfall, how could he possibly hand it over to the Council? He would definitely keep it for himself.
The Blake patriarch’s actions were a reflection of what the other clan heads would do. They wouldn’t turn over the money either. After all, vampires were selfish creatures, even the heads of the Thirteen Clans.
Of course, once they joined the Council of Elders, their perspective might change. They might believe that all money should be given to them. But they weren’t elders yet, were they? And what difference did it make? Everyone was ultimately motivated by self-interest.
After Blessing Day, Adele and Jasmine returned to their territory. They didn’t relax their efforts, continuing to produce counterfeit banknotes and monitoring the situation at the banks. As expected, when the first snow fell in the north, the latest issue of the White family’s newspaper arrived, containing a bombshell revelation.
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