Chapter 542: A Man, A Ruler, A Progenitor.
Going through the portal,
Jeanne was graced with the sight of;
Agnes Snow and her heir Violet Snow.
Annasthashia Fulger and her heir Sasha Fulger.
Scathach Scarlett and her four daughters, Siena, Lacus, Pepper, and the Clan Scarlet heiress Ruby Scarlett.
Eleanor Adrasteia and her commander Rose Adrasteia.
Two white-haired, blue-eyed siblings who she could tell were Werewolves.
And a Japanese woman who was sitting in a chair while elegantly drinking tea.
Most of the women in the room turned their attention to Victor, specifically Morgana, and raised their eyebrows.
Jeanne almost laughed when she saw everyone's reaction.
Victor ignored all of this and opened his mouth:
"Where is Ophis?"
"Resting with Nero." Violet was the one who spoke.
"I want Clan Blank assassins watching my daughters 24/7."
"... It's okay for Nero, but... Ophis, she's the King's daughter, you know?"
"I've lost the confidence I had in his abilities when he let someone invade his Castle and harm my daughter."
"The King's famous 'eyes and ears are just rubbish," Victor spoke in disdain as he placed Morgana on the couch.
"And probably, he won't mind me taking care of her while he fixes the country's mess. I refuse to leave Ophis in that place."
Violet, Agnes, Natashia, and Ruby twitched their legs a little when they saw Victor's look. They weren't going to lie and say they didn't like that look.
Placing Morgana on the couch, Victor turned around.
"Adam, Elizabeth, and Ophis will stay here temporarily, and they won't leave my sight."
"...Adam is already 500 years old, so he doesn't need to be watched," Jeanne commented shyly.
Victor looked at Jeanne, and his gaze made the woman twitch a little; she was still weak from recent events:
"Despite being 500 years old and an 'adult', I have more trust in Pepper and Tatsuya than I do in him, and they are Baby Vampires."
"Ugh… I've failed as a mother…."
"It's not your fault. You spent most of your time in a coma, and Vlad did a crap job of taking care of those close to him. He's a great King that I won't deny. But for such an old Vampire, he's so stupidly bad at even being a decent parent that it isn't even funny anymore. This is just ridiculous." Victor had totally lost his inhibitions.
"..." Several shocked expressions appeared around them.
Agnes, Scathach, and Natashia were just laughing.
"Thanks for that, Vic."
"..." Victor smiled gently at Jeanne. He didn't need to say anything since the woman completely understood his intentions just with that smile.
'I can understand you with just a smile….' She felt as if butterflies were flying in her stomach, and it was such an intoxicating sensation.
Soon Victor's face became serious again.
"Mizuki."
The woman flinched when the man suddenly called her name.
"W-What?" She looked at Victor, and when those unnaturally serious violet eyes met her eyes, she couldn't help but feel shy.
'H-He's going to punish me…? Like Scathach…?' Mizuki clearly remembered that when Victor made this face last time, she was practically verbally abused.
Her heart was beating faster now.
"...." The girls around just raise their eyebrows at this. Seeing a woman like Mizuki, who was previously sitting confidently, lose confidence with just one look from Victor and become shy was quite an…interesting sight.
"Did you think about what I said?"
Mizuki's eyes became serious:
"Yes."
"And?"
"...I will fight the Demons."
'As expected.'
"Continue."
"I can't stand to see atrocities..." Then, her tone started to get more confident, "Mostly senseless atrocities. The innocent have nothing to do with the Supernatural World. I won't fight for a useless sense of justice as I had thought."
"I will fight for myself, for my self-satisfaction. I won't be able to sleep at night if I do nothing in this current situation."
"I'd rather die in my bed with a clear conscience than feel useless that even though I had the power to do something, I just watched."
"...." Victor stared at Mizuki for a few minutes looking for any sign of falsehood, and with his Supernatural senses, it was easy.
Victor flashed a small, gentle smile that carried a little pride.
"Good."
Mizuki felt her chest pounding hard when she saw that smile, and even though her cheeks were slightly flushed, she didn't take her eyes off him.
She didn't want him to think that her decision was not based on what 'she needed to do', and yes, she wanted him to believe and understand that her decision was based on what she wanted to do.
Mizuki's mind was clear for the first time in a long time. She had a clear goal in mind, and she wasn't wandering around and just doing what 'she needed to do'.
"Fufufu, a selfish reason saves more lives than a bogus sense of heroism."
Mizuki's attention went to Scathach.
"Fuck heroism. It won't save you when you're backed against the wall, and that feeling can't get you through difficult challenges."
"Remember that lesson, Mizuki." Scathach's face turned serious, "Always do your bidding. Don't be fooled by others' sense of justice, and don't get caught in those chains that many heroes of the past had."
"Good and bad, it all depends on perspective."
"Rules were made by the strongest beings, and in the same way they were made, they can be broken by another more powerful being. Just because someone says something is 'correct', doesn't mean that something is always 'correct.'"
"Think, observe, evaluate, form a critical thought, and finally… exercise your will."
"You're your own being. Only you can dictate your will, and only you can fulfill your will. Be selfish."
"You who wield power should not get caught up in the mob mentality because, in the end, that mentality will be the cause of your death."
"Everyone can point out which is best for you, don't listen to these shits. Only you, with your will, know how to say what is best for you."
"...." Eleanor, Ruby, Lacus, Pepper, and Siena only displayed a small smile when they heard this; after all, this was also one of the lessons they had received.
Mizuki just looked at Scathach in shock, not realizing that the lesson Scathach had given had entered deep into her being.
"Yes... Master!"
"Fufufufu, it's too early to call me Master. I haven't taught you anything yet."
"It doesn't matter, you're a wise person, and that's a fact."
"...Oh...Thanks." Scathach scratched her cheek a little. It had been a while since anyone had looked at her with such respect, especially someone who was an enemy.
"Oya, Oya? The mighty Scathach is getting embarrassed, fufufufu~."
Scathach turned to Natashia, and her eyes glowed blood red, and with a speed that no one could react to, she grabbed Natashia and started squeezing.
"Gaah! My head, my head!"
"Haah, Mother. Why do you never learn?" Sasha sighed heavily.
"If she learned anything, the world would surely end tomorrow," Agnes commented.
"Look who's talking, the dirty talking about the poorly washed." Violet huffed.
"…What's that supposed to mean, my daughter?" Agnes' smile wasn't pretty,
"It means you're just like her, doesn't it? SISTER." Violet was brutal, and she wasn't afraid of her mother anymore. After all, her mother became her sister!
She was demoted from her status!
"This little piece of shit!"
Several silent laughs escaped everyone present. Even Edward and Leona were not exempt from it.
[...] Abe-No-Seimei, who was watching all this from Mizuki's body, couldn't help but think to himself.
'She hasn't lived 2000 years for nothing... Did I teach my disciple wrong?' Thinking about his teachings, Abe-No-Seimei realized that he never directed his disciple properly. He was just making her stronger so that his wish, and his disciple's wish, would be fulfilled.
'Haah... She's definitely the greatest teacher.'
Victor let the mood lighten up a bit, and soon he took control of everything with just a few words:
"Some guests are missing, like Liena, Aphrodite, my mom, my dad, Esther, etc."
"Whatever happens at this meeting, transmit them to the parties that are not present."
'...Aphrodite...?' People who didn't know about the Goddess just gulped when they heard the woman's name.
As if reading the thoughts of several people present, like Leona and Edward, Victor clarified:
"Yes, she is that Goddess of Beauty."
"...." Shock wasn't enough to describe how they were feeling, but what the fuck!?
The Goddess of Beauty!? Since when!?
They were very confused.
"Before I start explaining why, me, Ruby, Scathach, Sasha, Natashia, Agnes, and Violet are calling you,"
"First, I must clarify something."
Victor looked specifically at a blonde-haired woman, the only human in the room.
"I will no longer be a Vampire Count."
"....." This news caught everyone off guard, and only Victor's wives and the Maids in his shadow were unaffected.
Natalia's heart pounded like crazy, and she understood why he was saying this as he looked at her.
"I will probably be expelled from office when I execute my plan."
Natalia wasn't stupid, she knew how much Victor valued her abilities, but that was not all...
He was also a good teacher/friend to her.
"... Why... For what reason won't you be one anymore?" Eleanor's voice was heard, and Victor looked at Eleanor.
"Vlad will accept not to intervene in the Demon War, but I will. As I said before, when I execute the plan, I will probably be expelled from my position of Count."
"...." Eleanor narrowed her eyes, her territory not invaded by Demons.
While the entire Nightingale was invaded, the 'Shield' of The King was living their life peacefully as if nothing had happened, but... She noticed something strange that day.
No means of communication were working, and some Supernatural force had isolated Clan Adrastea.
And for this to happen in her territory, it was a strong attack on Eleanor's pride.
Because of this, when the invasion was over and she learned of what had happened, she, along with Rose, and some Valkyries, quickly returned to Nightingale.
"I don't understand. If it were the King I know, he would retaliate."
"Indeed." Victor didn't deny it.
"Only this is not like the other times. This time, it's a very orchestrated plan that involves various Factions and Dimensions of Hell."
"Vlad has Diablo's promise in a Magical Contract that he won't do anything to Lilith and the Demons—."
"Contracts are absolute." Morgana's voice was heard.
The woman got up from the couch and walked to the center of the group.
"Are you okay?" Jeanne asked.
"Yes." She smiled gently and looked at Victor, several emotions welling up in her heart.
She swallowed those emotions for now and continued,
"But even with this contract, that doesn't mean other Demons can't take advantage of her."
"Only Diablo is exempt from this. Honestly, I have yet to read the contract, but knowing the Demons, it wouldn't be surprising if multiple loopholes existed. I know Vlad won't fall for that, but I don't want to trust that man on this issue."
"...." Victor nodded since he had the same thoughts.
Morgana looked at Victor, "Are you sure?" It was a simple question but one with infinite emotions.
The main one being... Expectation.
"They hurt my wife." Victor's voice came out as a growl while everyone clearly saw his emotions. His eyes were like a black hole.
Sasha flinched slightly and unconsciously touched her arm.
"...." Natashia patted her daughter's head.
"He and I are proud of you, Sasha. Victor is just being…Victor."
Sasha smiled slightly, "...I know, he's very overprotective."
"Mm. And it's that part of him that I love the most too."
"Same." Sasha laughed a little.
'There it is... That Victor, he hasn't changed at all. In fact, he's just gotten worse.' Leona smiled widely as her insides contracted.
"...." Edward looked at his sister with troubled eyes.
Violet and Agnes' eyes gleamed slightly, but they didn't say anything. It wasn't the time now.
"They dared to try to kidnap my daughter."
"And they harmed someone very dear to me and kidnapped her daughter." Morgana's body visibly shuddered.
"...Do you really think I'm going to stand by passively?"
"They didn't want to get involved or cause enmity; they wanted to keep Nightingale in check." Victor heard the information straight from Duke Dantalian's head, and now, where was the supposed Demon?
He became dog food.
"Not to mention, I have non-concrete but visual evidence that the Witches may have helped the Demons before all this shit happened."
"...." People squirmed when they heard the mention of 'Witches'. It was quite a sore subject, after all.
.....
