Chapter 590: The Maids and their Beloved Master.
In an isolated location, on the outskirts of the mountain forest where the Youkai lived.
Victor's eyes were focused on a group of 'Battle Maids.'
"Master, I don't think wearing our armor is necessary..." Eve spoke in a neutral tone; she wasn't trying to disobey her Master's order or anything, but wasn't this an exaggeration? He was just going to meditate, right?
Victor displayed a small gentle smile, "My Eve..."
Eve's body trembled a little at Victor's melodious tone, and she felt her heart melt when she heard what he said.
"These armors are not for the enemies; they are to protect you from me."
"… Huh?" That was Eve's reaction which Bruna and Roberta shared.
"Master would never harm us," Maria spoke with finality.
Victor looked at the blonde Maid with the same gentle smile, "Indeed, Maria. I would never harm you purposefully, but... What's inside me now is something so dangerous that I could do so unintentionally ."
Roxanne walked over to Victor and stood beside him.
"What's going on, Master?" Kaguya looked at her Master with an emotionless face but with clear worries shining in her blood-red eyes.
"It's nothing you need be so concerned about, My Maid," Victor reassured his favorite Maid and added with a slightly shy face:
"What's happened is... I've overeaten, and now my Soul is overloaded."
"I need to sort this out a bit, and in the process, a bit of Miasma might leak out of my body and cause damage all around."
"The Souls of the Demons…" Kaguya was intelligent. With little snippets of information and the experiences of the days she'd spent with her Master, she immediately understood what he was talking about.
He nodded his head, "Hmm, as you know, a Progenitor has a 'very big' Soul. We can store the Souls of those we kill in our Souls; I don't know what we use those extra Souls for yet, but I have an instinct that they are significant. Because of that, I never 'cast out' these Souls and merely dealt with them."
Victor suspected that these Souls' uses stemmed from his Progenitor Form. He believed that maybe he could use some form of power to use these Souls that could prove beneficial to him.
'Tsk, there should be a book on how to use the Progenitor's Powers.' Victor was a bit bitter about this, but he wouldn't complain too much. He understood why that book didn't exist. After all, only a fool would divulge his weaknesses.
"Although Master doesn't know specifically what these Souls are used for, we can use these Souls as fuel to make me grow and strengthen both myself and my Master."
"So it's not a loss either." Roxanne finished with a small smile.
As a World Tree, she intuitively understood her most essential Powers. She knew she should bond with a planet so she could grow, but... That wasn't all; she also knew she could bond with a Being, and through this fusion, she and the Being would acquire new Powers.
In that case, The World Tree would not depend on a planet for its survival; it would depend on the Being to live.
'Of course, if the Being isn't special, I'd just be killing them...' Roxanne broke out in a cold sweat when she remembered that information. As a tree representing a planet's Negative Aspect, she knew only one subset of Beings she could bond with.
Beings of the same Negative Aspect.
These weren't just any ordinary Beings. They only included Beings such as The 'Progenitor of Vampires' and the God King Class Evil Gods, who had Souls strong enough to endure her existence in their Souls.
Even though she was young, she was still a World Tree, a Being that single-handedly sustained an entire planet... Ordinary Beings couldn't handle her and would die pointlessly when she tried to bond with them.
A healthy symbiosis needed to exist between the two beings for the Powers of both and the Souls of both to be united.
Just as a World Tree helped a planet to live, and the planet helped the World Tree to grow. Thus, so would its host.
The more Victor grew, the more the World Tree unlocked Powers to help him.
How did Roxanne know that?
The more Roxanne matured, the more she understood her duties. It was an instinctive understanding; she knew that as a World tree, she had a responsibility to keep the planet alive so that civilization grew and evolved, and through the planet's 'growth', she herself would evolve.
Without the World Tree on the planet, the planet would remain just a lifeless rock.
In a way, a World Tree was a fundamental aspect in the life of all living Beings, be they, Mortals or Gods. Without a World Tree, nothing could grow, and nothing could develop; it was the starting point of everything on a planet.
For more 'Conceptual' Gods that encompassed the 'rational' Aspects of a Mortal to be born, civilization needed to grow.
Gods with Concepts of Music, Art, Architecture, Civilization, etc., could only come into existence if a Mortal civilization had grown enough.
Mortals, Gods, and The World Tree are all deeply connected, and Roxanne didn't fully understand what that 'link' was; after all, she'd decided to bond with a Sentient Being, not a planet.
"What shall we do, Master?" Bruna asked with a serious face.
Victor looked at Bruna, and the Maid basked in her Master's gentle eyes.
"Don't let anyone onlookers near this place." The Maids nodded resolutely. The order was given, and they would comply with full vigor.
"Come here, Kaguya."
Kaguya's body trembled a little. She didn't expect this order just now, but she quickly pulled herself together and approached her Master, who was sitting on the ground.
"You too, Girls. Except for Eve."
Roberta, Eve, Bruna, and Maria looked at each other, nodded, and then carried out their orders.
Once the Maids were in front of Victor, he spoke in a neutral tone that contained respect, appreciation, and kindness:
"Do you want to be part of my Family?"
"..." Like deers caught in headlights, the Maids completely froze in shock.
As much as the sadistic side of Victor wanted to tease his beloved Maids with the easily misunderstandable words he spoke, he couldn't do that... For now.
"M-Master, you mean?" As expected, Kaguya was the first to compose herself, but the shocked expression was still on her face.
"Yes, like Eve and Roxanne, you will be part of my Family as Core Members. You will be part of my Clan, and you will carry my name, my lineage."
Even though they hadn't been raised as Vampires, Roberta, Bruna, and Maria knew how significant this action was. Joining a Family permanently, meaning that the Vampire would remain with the chosen Clan forever, was an important decision.
"Master, you don't even have to ask; you know my answer, right?" Maria, who recovered from her shock, spoke with a slight smile on her face, with a look that Victor knew well:
"Of course I accept it!"
"... Appearances matter, My Maid... And despite who I am, I value your free will."
Roberta chose that moment to wake up from her stupor and laughed with a seductive smile:
"Fufufu, if we refuse now, you would just convince us otherwise. You would never let us get away." Roberta's eyes gleamed and took on a reptilian tone, "Don't lie to us, Master. We know what kind of man the person we decided to trust is."
Victor's expression didn't change, as he replied with the same neutrality with a tone of pure honesty:
"I didn't lie, Medusa. You have a choice, and even if you don't decide to join my Clan, nothing will change; I will still keep the promise I made to you."
Maria laughed softly and approached Victor's right side; her decision was already made, and she didn't need to add anything.
Feeling a warm sensation when Victor started stroking her head, Maria looked at Roberta/Medusa as she reveled in the sense of belonging, delighted in her Master's caresses, and felt pure happiness when she felt the bonds she had with Victor becoming stronger.
A playful expression appeared on Roberta's face, "I know, Master… But that doesn't mean you're going to let us get away, right~?"
A gentle smile formed on Victor's face, "You are mine." A soft voice, like an adult praising a woman he loved, but with a weight and possession that was disconcerting.
Only Victor could express himself in such a paradoxical way.
"Only mine… And that will never change."
The Maids' bodies trembled visibly, and even though some of them [Kaguya and Eve] wanted to deny it, they completely melted at his statement.
"Fufufufu~" Roberta's ankle-length black hair began to float as if it had come to life, and her eyes glittered with a tinge of possession, lust, and love.
"This is the Master I know." She nodded, satisfied, "We accept your proposal, Master..." She approached Victor and sat down beside him, leaning against his chest.
"Please take care of us." The last part came out in such a vulnerable tone that she closed her eyes and tried calming her emotions.
"I will, Roberta... Roberta Alucard."
The moment Victor spoke the name, and she accepted it, Roberta felt something being created in her existence, further strengthening her strong bond with her 'Master'.
If before that bond was strong as a diamond, now it was unbreakable.
It felt the same as a child would feel when they came home after a long time and had gotten back what they wanted so much... She felt complete.
"...Mm."
Victor smiled gently and looked at Bruna.
"...Victor, you have no idea how much I've been waiting for this..." Bruna's voice shook; she even forgot to say 'Master' due to her turbulent emotions.
"I always thought that—."
"You weren't enough."
"..." Bruna nodded gently, but she couldn't hide her shocked expression.
"Bruna Francesca, even if I am busy, even if we are in a war, I will never forget what is most important."
He extended his hand. Bruna looked at this gesture for a few seconds and slowly took Victor's hand.
"My Wives, my Family, and my beloved Companions who remain in my shadow helping me through everything." Victor gently pulled Bruna onto his chest and held both hands to her face.
Bruna stared into the violet eyes that contained only affection, kindness, and love.
"You are important." It was as if her existence was being acknowledged, and she had no choice but to accept, "You are enough."
All the worries that she'd had disappeared like they hadn't existed in the first place, and not only that, her little fears and insecurities had also disappeared.
Only love and devotion remained. At this very moment, Bruna's eyes became utterly lifeless.
Victor stopped his smile from growing when he saw this and continued:
"Never forget those words."
"Mm..." She could just accept it and didn't care about anything else.
This man in front of her was her God, her Savior, her family, her Master, and... The man she loved.
"Take care of me, Master."
"Always, Bruna Alucard, always."
Bruna smiled gently when she felt the same sensation that Roberta and Maria felt.
Eve did pout when she saw she was being excluded from that group hug, but she wouldn't complain; after all, the Master ordered it.
Victor laughed gently, "Come, my beloved daughter."
Eve opened her eyes wide and unconsciously started walking toward him.
Roberta opened her eyes and looked at Eve. She flashed a small sneaky smile, got off Victor's lap, and sat around him.
"Don't be afraid, don't be insecure." Victor's hand intertwined with Eve's.
"Remember, my beloved daughter."
"You are no longer that child trapped in a cage in a dark room."
Eve's body shook visibly, and small tears spilled from her eyes.
Victor gently picked up the woman and placed her in his lap while hugging her. It was as if his body was protecting her from all the evils in the world.
Eve felt so comfortable, so protected. It was the same feeling she had when she first met Victor.
She didn't know how much she'd already thanked her Master for finding her and giving her everything she'd ever wanted. She sometimes scolded herself for not being honest with her feelings. She wanted to get closer to other people, but... She couldn't. Only her Master was worthy enough to see that side of her.
And that was his privilege alone. Eve knew she depended greatly on the man, but she didn't care. She longed for his love, for his affection, and for his attention, something that her Master never failed to show her even if he was always busy.
"You don't have to fear the dark anymore, Eve..." He lifted the woman's face and cupped it with both of his hands:
"After all, you are the one who walks in the darkness; you are the one who is part of the darkness." He wiped the tears from her eyes.
"… Remember, Eve."
"I am your Family."
The girl's body trembled again, and silent tears began to fall from her eyes once more:
"We all are. You can always trust me with everything, and if I'm not there, trust your sisters. The Maids present here at this time are your Family, and my Wives are as well."
"We will always support you in everything."
"Eve, don't hide your desire from me... What do you desire?"
"…I-…I just want to be with you forever, Father…"
"I hate it when you leave and don't take me with you. I always want to be by your side; I always want to feel your presence."
"So be it."
"... Huh?"
"If you so wish. From today, you will never leave my side. Exercise your will, Eve. Exercise your free will. You are free to do whatever you want… As long as you always come back to me in the end."
"Mm." She nodded her head gently.
Slowly, a small gentle smile appeared on Eve's face. It was as if she had gained a good deal of sudden courage, "I will always come back... You are my home... Wrong; you are our home, Victor."
"Our…?" he asked with amusement.
"I have something inside of me like Roberta has inside of her. She calls herself Alter Eve; she is someone who always talked to me when I was in that room."
Roberta, Maria, Kaguya, and Bruna just looked at Eve with a faint look of shock.
'Does she have a Heroic Spirit too?' They didn't know it! The woman never spoke of it.
When the Maids looked at Victor and saw that his expression didn't change, they realized that Victor and Roxanne already knew this, something that Eve understood too.
Reading Eve's expressions, he said:
"Progenitor of Vampires, remember? I knew from the beginning... And no, I didn't take you with me because of that..."
"What kind of person would I be if I ignored you in that situation? I may be a monster, I may be inhuman, but even I have a line I will never cross."
"A line that separates a true monster without honor or heart, a line called children."
"... I know, Master... I wasn't thinking about that-."
Victor pinched Eve's cheek, "Don't lie to me, I'm a Master at reading body language, and I'm an empath too."
"Ughhyu, I'm shoory." [I'm sorry.]
"Hmph." Victor snorted and released her.
"Ugh…" She touched her cheek with a downcast expression, and she muttered something about Masters being so overpowered that they couldn't be fooled, but at the moment, a happy smile never left her face.
The Maids watched this with a warm gaze. Despite what people think, they knew that their Master was not a complete monster; the best example of this would be the 'genocide' of Supernatural Beings in Japan.
Yes, he killed and tortured several Beings in that event... But only the guilty Beings who tried to exploit the situation to gain something.
And this was much more kindness than one could expect from a Supernatural Being. The Maids understand that if Vlad intervened that day, Japan would not even exist anymore, and the old monster would kill everything and everyone.
"Master... How long have you been thinking about this?" Kaguya asked.
Victor turned his gaze toward Kaguya, and his gaze softened so much. He could still remember the first time he saw the woman before him.
Victor opened his mouth to speak...
.....
