CHAPTER 134: ORDERS OF A NOBLE

The platform hit the surface after a few seconds of descent and Caius and Arlette were greeted by Vampires all with bright red eyes and glinting fangs.

They all had varying physical features and it was quickly clear why they were stuck with the duty to scout all who came in through the Staff Entrance; These Vampires had been Leopold family guards while alive and now, as immortals, they continued their tasks.

The Vampires eyed Caius and Arlette.

"Who are you?" One asked, ignoring Caius to look at Arlette especially as he pointed a finger at her and accused,

"You activated the Platform."

Arlette looked surprised.

The Vampire scoffed.

"Please. You think I can’t identify one of our own?"

Ordinarily, only a member of the organization would know the Oath required to activate the Platform but it still could have been either Caius or Arlette who did it, at least to the casual observer.

However, every Vampire of the Leopold Coven knew one another. They were all ordered by Kerwin not to create Spawns so whoever was turned was turned by him and was either a member of the Leopold Family while human or proved themselves through meritorious service. Either way, they were recognized.

So why Arlette and not Caius when they were both unknown?

Well, the interpretations of the Arcane Codex that every human member of ’Ophiuchus’ had been blessed with had a number of modifications made to it and they gave rise to unique Mana signatures that the Leopold Vampires could detect.

The Mana signatures made it easy to pick the human members out in a possible crowd as, unlike the Vampiric members of the Organization, the human members were numerous and far more spread out with Ninety-Nine Percent of them sure to never visit the Coven or even know of its existence for as long as they lived.

Arlette didn’t know of this unique signature. She was not important enough to have been told.

She shared a look with Caius and then cleared her throat as she took one step forward.

"I am Arlette Louvene. A member of ’Ophiuchus’," she said to introduce herself.

None of the Vampires looked impressed. Or even slightly less suspicious than they already were.

"And why are you here with one who is not a member," One of them asked Arlette, glancing once at Caius before returning his eyes to her to continue,

"Also, I don’t believe we were expecting a shipment so soon after the last."

"Oh, that’s because we’re not here to deliver anything. Not until you’ve proven yourselves worthy anyway," Caius said and the Vampires all frowned.

For one, they seemed to be pissed at his audacity to speak in their presence. For another, they were confused about what his words meant.

And then the one at the front of the group opened his mouth to say something more but Caius couldn’t be bothered to listen. Here, in the presence of all these Vampires, both seen and unseen, he felt the most comfortable. Because here, his Magic Circle was of the littlest of importance.

He cleared his throat and grabbed Arlette’s hand to take a few steps forward before his eyes turned Vampire Red and his canines became Fangs.

"Take us to meet Kerwin Leopold," he said, "I have urgent business to discuss with him."

The Vampires’ frowns got even deeper and a few of them made to speak before they found that they could not. Their blood seemed to have been roused by Caius’s words to obey his instructions.

Quickly, they resisted with all their might. Trying to break free of the strange hold Caius’s words had on them but the harder they struggled, the stronger the hold seemed to become.

The power of a Vampire comes from their Blood whether it be the quality of Mana or muscle strength. It’s why all they need to become stronger is to evolve their Blood.

Struggling means you’re trying to rouse your blood to grant you just a bit more strength but stronger blood only means the Vampire Noble gets to command something even stronger to keep a hold of your body.

Veins popped out of the heads of the Vampires as they turned around and led the way deeper into the Leopold Vampire Coven.

"Whoever we meet, you’re to tell them we’ve been allowed entry," Calus instructed and the Vampires all frowned at the additional set of instructions but remained powerless to disobey.

"Oh and walk better. More natural, please. Those strained steps are getting on my nerves," Caius added then.

’Oh, this little asshole!’ Was the Vampires’ general consensus but they couldn’t make their lips move to say the words and could only adjust their gait and move better through the streets.

The underground Vampiric domain was lit by illuminating Crystals that gave the entire place a somber look which was interesting because Caius only really felt joy from the Vampires roaming about. Excluding the ones he currently had under his control.

The members of the Coven were not unsatisfied with their Lot. They were very much satisfied. He even saw some sitting together sipping from blood canisters as they strolled the streets.

Now that they were in the Coven proper, there were more common features. Mostly among the Vampires who were allowed to be at leisure; They had the Leopold Family Platinum Blond hair and similarities in face shapes.

Some cast curious looks at Arlette but most were looking at Caius. His red eyes identified him as a Vampire but seeing as they didn’t recognize him, they were suspicious. The suspicions were always quelled by the Vampires leading Caius and Arlette. As per the order they had been given.

"How long will this last?" Arlette asked after probably the tenth suspicion-quelling of the day. Caius saw that she had cast her sound-blocking Dark Magic spell again.

"Long enough," Caius said with a smile, "Why? Are you worried?"

"I think I’d be insane not to be," Arlette said.

She had a feeling that whatever Caius had planned would not spare her if things went awry. The fact that she was a member of ’Ophiuchus’ would mean nothing at that point.

After all, long before this, she had known she was expendable. So many of her fellow members had lost their lives in various missions they had been ordered on and the Organization simply continued. They were all tools and they all knew it.

"We’ll be alright," Caius told her and squeezed her hand once, "Trust me."

Arlette managed a smile and then her expression darkened as the largest structure in the Coven loomed over them.

There were questions but all were brushed quickly aside with swift explanations by the Vampires leading them in.

And then they were at a pair of ornate double doors so clearly meant to be the way into somewhere important. If that hadn’t been clear by the doors’ design, then the Vampires standing Guard—in a location so danger-free that they’d only need to turn away people who were about to interrupt something important—made it incredibly obvious

"Lord Kerwin is behind these doors." One of the controlled Vampires said.

"Halt," one of the guards at the door said, thrusting a claw-tipped hand forward,

"The Lords are in council."

That made the Vampires who were leading Caius a bit uneasy. Caius knew why;

Although Kerwin was the head of the Coven and everyone else was his Spawn, he didn’t exactly rule alone. The first Leopolds to join him in Vampiric Immortality sat with him to discuss plans for the future. It was together that they had conceived the idea of turning ’Ophiuchus’ into a proper Organization with the reach it now had.

Caius didn’t doubt their councils were now all about their plans for their future rise which would cause turmoil all over the Acheron Empire.

But of course, it hardly mattered.

"Let us in and stand aside," Caius said to the guards by the ornate double doors, and, at first, they tried to share looks wondering why this strange Vampire was commanding them. And then veins popped out on their necks as they tried to resist the command.

They stepped aside, grabbing the large door knockers to pull them so the doors opened up.

"Well?" Caius prompted the Vampires that had led him and Arlette here thus far,

"We’ve not met Kerwin Leopold yet, have we?"

"He’ll have our necks," one of the Vampires said but even then, his and the legs of his fellows moved as their Blood drove them to obey the order they had been given.

And, still holding hands, Caius and Arlette followed closely behind.