In the morning, Jack came to the tavern and found Sidney and Ephiltes were already waiting. The tavern was closed so they stood outside.
The two didn’t give Jack any friendly greetings so Jack also wasn’t courteous. He gave them a silent gesture to follow him. The two trailed behind Jack. Jonathan and Harper walked between Jack and the two in case the two tried anything funny.
They arrived in front of the Count’s mansion soon. Much earlier than the time limit the hooded stranger asked for. The stranger only said before noon, so Jack assumed the earlier it was, the better.
Jack knocked on the door, which was soon opened. It was no longer the butler this time. It was an old maid. The maid studied the group.
Jack was just about to introduce himself when the old maid said, “Come, young master is expecting you.”
So, the hooded stranger is truly the Count’s son, or at least its pretender. Jack knew Aubelard brought no relative when he fled Sangrod.
The maid took the group to a large study room. A lean man with long black hair and extravagant clothing was standing overlooking a large window. Jack felt like he was seeing Horatio’s back again the first time he met that Vampire prince, except this one had black hair instead of silver.
The long-haired man turned around, revealing a face that was different from Horatio, but the same youthful look. Jack thought his face was very handsome despite the paleness of his skin, but there was an aura of sadness from his expression. Jack used Inspect on him.
Arlcard Maxius (Special Elite Vampire, Mature), level 40
HP: 180,000
‘He is also a vampire?’ Jack thought within. Outward, Jack said, “I thought Aubelard fled his country without bringing any relative?”
Arlcard smiled, “So, you already know my father’s identity?”
Sidney and Ephiltes didn’t utter any sound, but their eyes went lively. This was the confirmation they were looking for. They could leave already now if they wanted to complete Horatio’s task.
“You didn’t bother to use a human disguise. So, I assume you are planning to come clean?” Jack asked.
Arlcard took a seat behind a large work desk. “Please sit,” he said to his guest.
There were plenty of sofas around. After everyone sat, there was a clear indication of four parties in this room for they all sat away from each other. Arlcard, Sidney, Ephiltes, and Jack’s group. The young vampire was amused by this.
“So, why did you invite us here?” Jack asked. “You should know that us looking for your father is not for the best intention.”
“I do. He will know about you three as well, soon,” Arlcard answered.
“The two of you aren’t exactly communicating well then, I presume?”
Arlcard smiled. “To answer your earlier question, you are right. Aubelard fled Sangrod Empire alone. He then came to this town almost a hundred years ago. I, however, was the original inhabitant of this town. This mansion is my house, my original family’s house before my current father slaughtered everyone and turned me. Making this house and myself as his properties. He spared and turned me because he saw a promising blood lineage within me. Wanted to make me his weapon.”
Arlcard stood up as he gazed at the view of the town outside. “You might think, why did I bear myself living with the slaughterer of my family for so long?”
Jack indeed thought so, but Peniel gave her answer to everyone, “Not really. After humans are turned into vampires, they had a strong feeling and connection to their maker. It is as if they are truly reborn. Their old self no more. They are a new person, a newborn who depended upon their vampire maker.”
Arlcard turned back and smiled hearing Peniel’s words. “You are a rather knowledgable fairy, miss…”
“Peniel,” Peniel answered.
“Miss Peniel. Thank you for explaining,” Arlcard made a short bow. “It is indeed as you said. My father, my vampire father, also believes so. What he doesn’t know, is that my human’s hatred carried on despite my new life.”
Jack saw Peniel’s eyes go wide, there was disbelief in her eyes. Jack didn’t understand what’s the big deal? If someone butchered your family, of course, you will feel hatred for the person responsible.
“This feeling is of course repressed by the psychic hold my vampire father has on me. After I went past the Fledgling state and became a mature vampire, that bond has become weaker. I can do more as I will. But of course, I still act obediently in his presence.”
Peniel spoke out at this time, “even when a vampire matures, the bond shared between you and your maker should not diminish.”
“Is it? Then perhaps my hatred and rage against him are so great that it won over whatever vampiric bond that holds me.”
“Or you can be lying and all this is just a ploy to trick us,” Peniel said.
“Hm… I admit you might see it that way. But if it is so, my father could just be outside of this room, ready to slaughter all of you to cover his tracks.”
Everyone turned to the door instinctively upon Arlcard’s words. Arlcard laughed at his guests’ wariness.
“You are welcome to look outside to check. The reason I ask you to come before noon is because, at this time, he was sleeping inside his coffin in the catacomb under this mansion.”
“The one that linked to the graveyard where I first met you?” Jack asked.
“Yes. The same catacomb where you escaped from yesterday. That Deathless Draugr you faced is the protector of my father’s lair. It was made to eliminate any intruder that dares to step foot inside the catacomb.”
“Okay. Let’s say you are telling the truth. What is your purpose for luring us here?”
“Ain’t it obvious? I want you all to help me enact vengeance,” Arlcard said.
“Hmph, we are not your helper,” Ephiltes said. “Why do we want to take the risk? Our task is simply to find out about your father’s whereabouts. If you want revenge, the authority in Sangrod will gladly send someone powerful to take care of your father. All you need to do is just make sure that your father doesn’t leave this town.”
Uh-oh, Jack thought. He didn’t expect this guy to be so cunning. There was indeed that way. If Arlcard agreed to this suggestion, the current missing child was as good as gone.
“We can’t let Sangrod people come here. I know the reason they are looking for him. They will do more than simply capture or kill Aubelard,” Arlcard said. “Furthermore, we don’t have the time anymore. If my father proceeds with the ceremony tonight. His wound will heal enough that he no longer needs to continue staying at one place.”
“Ceremony? Does this have anything to do with the missing children from the town?” Jack asked.
Arlcard eyed Jack for a while before answering, “yes.”
With the confirmation, Jack didn’t find the swift disappearance of the children to be so strange anymore. A vampire could use his mesmerizing stare to hypnotize the children before speedily taking them away without any struggle. And the fact that Count Dante was an inhabitant of this town made it not strange if he was seen walking around, observing the townsfolk. People would just think he was making a round to make sure that everyone was safe.
“So that means the children are still alive?” Jack asked.
“Child. The last girl that is kidnapped is still alive, for now. The rest… are not,” Arlcard answered.
Jack stood up in anger. “You monster! You know all about this and you just let those children get taken? Is your father using their blood to help heal his wound?”
Horatio mentioned before about Aubelard needing blood sustenance to ease his wounded condition. That’s why Jack had suspected that Aubelard was in this town when he heard that the missing cases had happened even before five years ago. The count might have given this information to throw Jack off focus by widening the clues he had to search. The count didn’t know that Jack was actually looking for Aubelard and this information had instead caused Jack to link it with his existence. Of course, at the time, Jack had not yet suspected the Count as Aubelard.
“Spare me your judgment. I have seen him commit many atrocities since he turned me. There is nothing I can do about it anyway. Not until now,” Arlcard replied.
“What is this ceremony that can heal him?” Sidney asked. “Horatio mentioned Aubelard’s wound is not something curable.”
“Let’s just say that a fool came into this town less than two months ago, bringing with him something incredible that ends up falling into my father’s hand. That something has enabled my father to perform a ceremony to speed up his recovery process.”
“That’s why the kidnapping had increased in these last two months,” Jack said.
“Yes,” Arlcard confirmed. Arlcard could see that Jack’s interest was in freeing the children. He didn’t need to give Jack any incentive to go against Aubelard.
He then looked over to Sidney and Ephiltes. These two, on the other hand, needed persuasion. He said to them, “The reason that the Maxius family chased after my father was because he had taken something powerful from them. They want it back. If you kill my father for me. I will let you people take that item. You can give it to the Maxius family, or keep it for yourself. It matters to me not. Do you want in? Or do you want to leave?”
Sidney and Ephiltes were silent from the question. Sidney finally spoke first, “I can send words to have the army send someone powerful enough to take Aubelard on.”
“As I said. No time for that anymore. By tomorrow, Aubelard will be in a state where he is no longer bogged down by his wound.. You will not find him again if you leave this town today.”
