Jake watched through his sphere as Irin stumbled in the hallway and had to lean on the wall for support. She was breathing heavily and didn’t look good at all, making Jake a bit worried.
It was evident that the Viper’s aura was overwhelming for her, making Jake look at the snake god with narrowed eyes. “Rein it in a bit.”
Villy looked at Jake for a moment before sighing. “Fine. Just saying it’s so much more relaxing to just let it out.”
Jake just continued looking at the god, who continued smiling as his aura weakened and was suppressed. It wasn’t really something Jake usually paid attention to, but the Viper hadn’t bothered to restrain his aura in the slightest ever since he appeared. That had probably contributed to Sylphie not being a fan of sticking around and was definitely the reason why Irin looked on the brink of collapse.
Usually, when Villy or any other god visited, they actively suppressed their own auras so as not to make mortals keel over. Of course, this time around, the only mortals present had been Jake and Sylphie, meaning Villy hadn’t bothered as neither was significantly affected by his presence.
Villy, while still slowly lowering the intensity of his aura, finished the beer he’d been sitting with before he sighed. “You know, I don’t think we have anything overly urgent to discuss anymore. At least not anything we can’t talk about at any other time. So, I think I’m just gonna leave you two alone for now.”
The god stood up and stretched a bit before yawning. “I’ll stop by again with some things for you to bring along when you go to the Pantheon of Life. Gifts and stuff. I expect you’ll be leaving within the week, correct?”
“Probably,” Jake nodded. “I will need to stock up on alchemy ingredients before going, as I’m not confident they will have many death affinity herbs in the Pantheon of Life.”
“I think you’ll be surprised, but stocking up here is still a good idea,” the god nodded. “Anyway, have fun. Oh, and one final thing... just so you know, a certain swordsman just paid a visit to some very interested vampires. So he may be stuck there for a while unless you go fetch him yourself when it’s time for you to leave.”
“Thanks for the heads-up,” Jake said before the god did an exaggerated bow, still looking Jake in the eyes. “With that, I say my goodbyes...”He teleported away, and right after, a voice echoed in Jake’s mind through their bond as Chosen and Patron. “For now, anyway. You can always just reach out if anything pops up. I won’t bother you anymore... just remind you that your mansion does have a privacy feature if you don’t want anyone entering unwanted. To make it even better, I’ll even be nice and respect it, so you just go ahead and do what one does when in private.”
With those words, the Viper instantly cut off the connection again, making Jake sigh as he slowly headed for the hallway outside the living room. Irin was still working on getting her bearings, and Jake purposefully gave her some extra time to do so. While Villy had reduced his aura, the succubus had still suffered under it for longer than most could comfortably handle.
While the aura of a god could never be lethal unless they actively infused energy into it with the intent to kill, it wasn’t an outlier for mortals to be knocked out when in the presence of one. If Irin had seen the Viper directly and didn’t have a wall and closed door between them, he had a strong feeling she would be part of that statistic.
Or maybe not. Irin had been affected by Jake’s own presence for at least some time, which should have passively helped her better resist auras. Evidently far from enough, but hopefully, that was something they would fix with time.
Thinking he’d waited enough, Jake finally opened the door and went out to the hallway where Irin was waiting. By now, she no longer looked like she was about to faint but had managed to stand up straight. Jake had gone there with the intent of comforting her as she had to be feeling like shit... but to his surprise, she seemed in an excellent mood despite her state.
“Are you okay?” Jake asked, a bit concerned. People didn’t usually smile while looking as haggard as she currently was.
“I’m perfectly fine,” Irin kept smiling. “I just need a moment.”
“Alright,” Jake said, still concerned. Seeing as Irin still looked a bit wobbly on her legs, he motioned for her to maybe come and take a seat in the living room, something she gladly agreed to as Jake allowed her to lean on him as he helped her in there.
In fact, she leaned on him perhaps a bit too much, and from the way she walked, she clearly wasn’t as affected as she let on. Still, Jake let it go as he soon sat down on the couch with her, the succubus still leaning against him.
They were both silent for a few seconds before Jake spoke. “So... did the shopping go well?”
“It did,” she answered briefly.
“That’s good,” Jake nodded.
Irin kept leaning further into Jake, and at this point, it was very clear she was doing it entirely on purpose.
“We should go give Sylphie the snacks you brought,” Jake said after a little while.
“Can you do it? I’m still feeling a little woozy and may need to lie down a bit. Preferably in the bedroom,” she said, looking up at him.
“Sounds like a good idea,” Jake nodded, not dense enough to fail to understand what she was hinting at. “I’ll come check on you after I’ve fed the hawk.”
Irin just smiled as she summoned a few trays of what looked a lot like sushi. Jake stood up and grabbed them as he headed outside, and through his sphere, he saw Irin get up and walk toward the bedroom.
Once outside, Sylphie quickly flew over to him, giving him a questioning look.
“The Viper left, but not before Irin returned,” Jake explained why he had her snacks. “She was blasted by his aura for a while and is resting right now... I’ll go check on her, but I think it’s best you stay outside to give her some peace and quiet.”
Was it a good excuse?
No.
Did Sylphie buy the excuse?
Also no.
“Ree?” the bird asked.
As for if Jake answered her...
“Just go enjoy your snacks, okay?” Jake said after placing them all down on a table before heading into the manor again. After doing so, he activated a formation he hadn’t really ever used before.
It was the magical version of a home security system, and once he turned it on, all of the windows blacked out, the doors locked, and powerful defensive and isolation barriers activated all over the mansion, effectively locking it down. Even if Sylphie wanted to break in now, she couldn’t.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
Right as he activated it, Villy also stopped observing him, but not before sending one final teasing message that Jake promptly ignored.
Heading upstairs to the bedroom, he found a few pieces of clothing on the way, making him speed up a bit. The door to the bedroom was already open, and Irin was lying there, leaning against the headboard in her underwear.
“You seem to be feeling better already?” Jake couldn’t help but joke a bit.
Irin just smiled and looked at him, not in a joking mood. “You know, I heard what the Malefic One said...”
“Yeah, he can be a bit much and likes messing around,” Jake sighed. He assumed that having others talk about you like that wasn’t the most comfortable feeling, so he could understand if Irin wasn’t very pleased with-
“That means there’s no reason to hold back, now, is there?” Irin kept smiling flirtatiously. “You know... my biggest worry was what the Malefic One thought about me. A low-level succubus hired to work for the Order, daring to even try and get close to his Chosen... I halfway expected to get smote from existence one day if I went too far. However, knowing that he doesn’t outright disapprove...”
Lifting her finger, she tapped her underwear once as it slowly began fading away, and at that point, Jake had to agree with her earlier statement that there really wasn’t any reason to hold back.
--
The Sword Saint stored away the last of the painting supplies he’d purchased, hoping they would tide him over for now. He had to admit that the Order of the Malefic Viper had quite an excellent selection, and having a personal guide to help him find what he needed was very useful.
“Where does My Lord wish to go next?” the succubus who’d been assigned to him asked.
Miyamoto considered for a while before deciding. “Would you be a dear and show me where I may get in touch with the vampires belonging to the Order of the Malefic Viper? I believe it’s high time we have a discussion.”
“Most certainly,” the demon bowed, clearly trying to show off her assets while doing so. Sadly for her, the Sword Saint wasn’t interested in the slightest. Getting too close to a member of the Order of the Malefic Viper in such a fashion seemed unwise.
Following the demon, they went to another teleportation gate. Miyamoto really did need a guide to get anywhere, as while he’d been given a guest token allowing him to use the gateways himself, that didn’t mean he had any idea how they really worked. He’d tried, and while he could intellectually recognize the entire setup was relatively intuitive, it still reminded him of the first time he had to use one of those computers.
After going through yet another gate, the Sword Saint and the succubus found themselves in an entirely new environment. The sky was dark, and the affinities in the atmosphere barely held any light affinity at all. If the Sword Saint had ever imagined what a district vampires lived in would look like, this would definitely fit the bill.
“Which of the vampire clans do you wish to get in contact with?” the succubus asked.
“I’m uncertain if it matters, but If I could speak with either the ones holding the most authority or the ones the Chosen of the Malefic Viper worked with before, that would be preferable,” Miyamoto answered.
He saw no reason not to leverage his relationship with Jake in a situation like this. Everyone already knew he was close to the Chosen of the Malefic Viper, the fact they’d been in a Nevermore party known to most people. He reckoned that speaking to people who already knew of Jake would make matters easier.
“The Nalkar vampires it shall be, then,” the demon nodded, showing her competence once more by clearly knowing which vampires Jake had been in contact with before.
It didn’t take long before they arrived at a large residence, and right outside of it, a male vampire wearing a suit was already waiting.
“I greet Lord Noboru,” the vampire bowed politely. “The Patriarch has expected your arrival and is waiting for you inside.”
“Oh?” the Sword Saint exclaimed surprised. He looked at the succubus, but she looked equally confused, making him believe she hadn’t been the one to tip them off he was visiting.
“We are aware of your clan, including the presence of vampires within it,” the man explained. “The Patriarch has looked forward to your visit for a long time, and I hope you will accept his invitation.”
“I did come here to speak with someone of high rank, so the Patriarch seems fitting,” Miyamoto nodded.
“I shall wait out here till you’re done,” the succubus said.
“No need,” the Sword Saint shook his head. “I plan on heading straight to meet the Chosen of the Malefic Viper after this, and I believe I can find my own way. If not, I’m certain the Nalkar would gladly assist me.”
The demon didn’t look happy at the rejection, but the Sword Saint wanted to draw a line in the sand right away. She seemed to quickly realize that he wasn’t prey she could use to advance her Path as she bowed.
“Very well. I wish my Lord success in his endeavors, and please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you ever need anything. My contact information is within your token,” she said, still leaving the door open should Miyamoto change his mind.
“I will,” he said with a nod before turning to the vampire. “Please lead the way.”
“Most certainly,” the young male vampire answered as he escorted the Sword Saint into the residence. Walking through the hallways, the Sword Saint admired the architecture that took him back to some of the older residences he’d visited in foreign countries during his youth.
Soon enough, they arrived at a large banquet hall where the young vampire stopped outside. “Please enter. The Patriarch is waiting within.”
The Sword Saint simply nodded, seeing no need to be overly courteous as he entered the hall. Inside, he saw a single older-looking vampire standing at a side table, admiring an old goblet.
He immediately noticed Miyamoto as he turned his head and smiled. “Finally, we meet. As one Patriarch of a family to another, I greet you and humbly welcome you to the abode of the Nalkar Family.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” the Sword Saint nodded politely in greeting. “I have heard much of Sir Fairleigh from the Chosen of the Malefic One, and I’ve been looking forward to finally meeting you.”
When the Sword Saint said he’d heard much about him from Jake, he wasn’t entirely lying... Jake had ranted about the time he visited a bunch of hoarder vampires on quite a few occasions. To be fair to Jake, he had also given some actually useful information about the vampires.
“I hope the Chosen is doing well,” Fairleigh said with a smile. “But let us focus on why you are here and what we can do for one another.”
“Of course,” the Sword Saint nodded, and after the two of them comfortably sat down and had some tea served, the real discussion could begin.
“As you know, the Noboru clan has explored the Path of vampirism for a while, but we have done so in a mostly isolated fashion,” the Sword Saint began to explain. “I visit today with the hope that perhaps an exchange of knowledge can take place, and with the universe beginning to open up, I see no better time. I hope that such an exchange can benefit the many vampires of my clan, allowing them to learn more about what they have become... and perhaps even the history of their heritage.”
He added the final part, knowing just how much Fairleigh loved talking about and exploring history. From how the vampire smiled, it had clearly worked. “I would be more than happy to make that happen, and I’m sure there are many C-grade vampires who would love to visit your planet. However, before that, I do have some questions of my own.”
“Of course,” the Sword Saint nodded, already having a very good idea of what the vampire wanted to ask about.
“I have seen some of the vampires from your clan, and quite a few of my family members have also interacted with them in and around Nevermore, and from that, I noticed something. I cannot place my finger on how they came to be. What’s more, many of them possess powerful variants rarely seen since the first generations of vampires. I hope it will be possible for you to share with me how the Noboru clan managed to become vampires in the first place, as the origin of the transformation isn’t one I recognize,” Fairleigh asked the big question they both knew would be coming.
The Sword Saint had considered for a long time if he would risk exposing the item he’d gained during the Treasure Hunt and had decided that the benefits now outweighed the risk.
“I do hope this can stay between you and me, as very few people know this,” the Sword Saint began. “During a system event, the Chosen of the Malefic Viper, myself, and many other elites of Earth entered something known as the Treasure Hunt, which happened to take place in the ancient world of Yalsten...”
Miyamoto proceeded to explain what had happened, naturally leaving out quite a few details here and there but still touching on the essential parts. Fairleigh had clearly known a lot of what the Sword Saint said, but he still listened with great interest as the tale was soon over.
“In the end, I obtained a reward directly from the Monarch of Blood,” the Sword Saint said in a serious tone. “Something left behind by Sanguine himself.”
At hearing the mention of the first vampire, Fairleigh perked up with great interest... and he nearly fell over when the Sword Saint took out the actual item.
The necklace appeared and floated in the air, looking rather inconspicuous, but a quick Identify confirmed this artifact was far from normal. Having had it in his possession for a while, the Sword Saint could now see more information related to it, even if he was certain some of its features remained obscured to him.
[Sanguine’s Blood Legacy (Divine)] – A Legacy item left behind by the first-ever vampire and the creator of the vampiric race, Sanguine. Within resides the soul of the vampire known as Iskar, which can be manifested in a limited fashion. Using Sanguine’s Blood Legacy, Sanguine’s Gift can be granted to any consenting and compatible creature, allowing them to evolve into vampires.
There were several seconds of silence before Fairleigh spoke in a serious tone. “I... we... might need to consider bringing one of the True Ancestors into this.”