Perched upon the beautiful red throne, Adriana surveyed the few individuals who had gathered at her castle, each one kneeling before her.
"Where does Count Dracula wander now?" Adriana inquired, her voice devoid of emotion, the words echoing through the chamber.
"I called him but he claimed he was busy. Instead, his wife shall grace us shortly, Your Majesty" the maid behind her responded with a hint of anger.
"Hmm. Busy, was he?...Then Am I not?" Adriana questioned with a lethal undertone, the weight of her gaze pressing upon every soul present.
As her pressure leaked around the castle making the whole castle tremble for a second.
"Oh, come now, Adriana. Surely, these individuals cannot bear the burden of my husband's neglect" an ethereal voice echoed through the chamber.
A glossy white-haired figure with honey-coloured eyes entered, her top hourglass body clad in a tight black suit with a white trench coat featuring sleeves adorned with delicate flowers.
With a graceful stride, she moved forward.
Wearing crimson lips, she smiled and kneeled, "Greetings, Your Majesty" her gaze sweeping over those already genuflected.
"Greetings, Count Caddel" Adriana nodded at the yellow-haired lion, a middle-aged man with a single, lean tail.
"..."
"Greetings, Count Alpha" she acknowledged another figure, a dark grey-haired wolf-eared man with three long grey fur tails.
"..."
"Greetings, Countess Stoneforge" she greeted the dark brown, curly-haired woman with small, sharp ears and a stature seemingly unable to contain her generous bosom and buttocks.
"..."
Adriana gazed at the woman, "Seraphina Dracula".
Seraphina met Adriana's gaze, smiling as she said, "Your Majesty, my name remains unchanged...Seraphina Bloodthrone"
Adriana continued to stare, releasing an imposing pressure. Despite this, Seraphina bit her lip, meeting the challenge with a determined smile.
"…sigh, Unchanged in every aspect, it seems?" Adriana sighed, easing the pressure on Seraphina.
"Nope, not at all, Your Majesty" Seraphina responded, maintaining her cheerful demeanour.
Adriana's lips twitched but she decided to calm down since they were 'related'.
Adriana then turned her attention to the maid, who nodded and joined the counts' side, taking a respectful position.
"Greetings, Countess Veilstrike" Seraphina said with a smile.
"Tsk" The Maid just clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"A Monster escaped from the Door"
The words hung in the air, a palpable tension settling over the chamber. Shock etched across everyone's faces before they could inquire further.
"It might be a Monarch Realm"
These words plunged them into a deeper abyss, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads.
"Y-Your Majesty, Is-is it tr--"
"Do you think I am lying?" Adriana's stern voice cut through their hopefulness.
Adriana looked at everyone's grim faces, understanding the true danger at hand. It wasn't the fear of the Monster that gripped them; instead, it was the dark mana leaking from its body, different from what they were accustomed to.
Though both were dark mana, weaker dark mana always seemed to be devoured.
The term 'weaker' didn't imply power; instead, it related to the quality of Dark Mana. Furthermore, even a lower-level monster's dark Mana could affect the Domain Ranker.....similar to how Eli's Celestria devoured Dungeon Walker's dark mana or how Dungeon Walker devoured Overlord's Dark Mana.
'It is understandable' Adriana thought.
"Y-Your Majesty, is that related to... the King's sudden burst b-before?" The maid asked with a pale face.
Her question brought an added layer of tension to the already fraught atmosphere.
However,
"....." Adriana chose to remain silent just like always.
Seeing her silence, others understood.....it must be something precarious, an unspoken threat lingering in the air.
"Until we find it, whether dead or alive, I order you to stay on full alert and intensify patrols. If any of you encounter a fiend, do not hesitate to eliminate them and bring back their body to me" Adriana commanded with a solemn voice.
""""Understood"""" Everyone responded in unison, standing up with renewed resolve.
"Now, Leave"
Just as they were about to disperse, a voice interrupted,
"Your Majesty"
"...Bloodthorne?" Adriana frowned at the white-haired woman.
"I heard you are supporting the mortal individual?" Seraphina asked with curiosity, her honey-coloured eyes holding a glint of intrigue.
"...Yes"
"And he is the Master of that Mythical Beast, Right? Your Majesty?"
"Yes, what do you want, Bloodthorne?" Adriana asked with annoyance, a hint of impatience colouring her words, a reminder of unresolved 'Things' with Eli.
"I-Is h-he related to the 'King'?" Seraphina asked with hesitation, unsure if she should tread into delicate territory.
"..." Adriana, as always when it came to the 'King,' chose to stay silent, her expression nothing more than simple void.
"..." Seraphina pondered for a moment before saying with a smile, "Can I see h—"
"Absolutely not!" Adriana's loud voice echoed throughout the entire castle.
Everyone was taken aback by the sudden intensity of the Vampire Queen's response; her expression turned stern, unyielding and.....Possessive?
Seraphina shrugged off the rejection and directed her attention to the grey-haired wolf, who hesitated to speak.
With a sly smile, she probed, "Oh? Count Alpha, I've heard your brother, Adolphus, is distraught over his son's affliction with trauma".
Count Alpha's lips twitched, recognizing that this woman was attempting to provoke him in the presence of the Vampire Queen, aiming to sow discord.
"Trauma?" Adriana's brow furrowed.
"Yes, his brother's son, Jayden, is suffering from a deep trauma, someone broke his spirit, his body and he wouldn't be able to heal his 'Future' " Seraphina replied, her smile carrying an insinuation that wasn't lost on the observant crowd. Just as Count Alpha was about to intervene,
"J-Jayden?....Who is responsible?" Adriana inquired as she glanced at Maid who lowered her head.
"It is none other than... Asher Eli" Seraphina declared, dropping a bombshell that turned the atmosphere deadly.
Count Alpha, feeling the weight of the revelation, kneeled with a face dampened by sweat, pleading desperately,
"P-Please, Y-Your Majesty, forgive m-my brother and his son.....T-that guy doesn't know who he was fighting against....I-It was merely a misundersta--"
"A simple misunderstanding?" Adriana's indifferent eyes bore into the grey-haired wolf. The pressure she exerted caused him to bleed from his orifices, a physical manifestation of her displeasure.
"arrhh-cou-cough-I-a..cough-forg--"
"Do you take me for a fool?... ah?" Adriana's emotionless voice cut through the air, intensifying the pressure on Count Alpha's body.
"P-p-pp.." As his consciousness teetered on the edge, the oppressive force abruptly lifted.
"When is Adolphus's time?" Adriana asked.
"N-Next 'cough, cough' Mo--nth, Your Majesty" Alpha managed to respond.
"I'll address that fool later..." Adriana stated with irritation, and then added, "I am well aware that you people have collected the information about that man, even so, you like to test the waters...'snort'.....Just like one among you who sent an assassin to eliminate him....."
'gulp'
The chamber collectively swallowed, the dry sound echoing in the tension-filled air as they exchanged apprehensive glances.
Adriana keenly observed their reactions and continued,
"But the moment should anything befall him. It doesn't matter who did it.....each and every one of your families will be obliterated by my own hands" she warned, a chilling glint passing through her eyes.
"!!!" The assembly flinched, a wave of palpable danger washing over them.
"Get out" Adriana commanded, waving her hand to signal their exit.
However,
"Good Bye, Ardiana~" Seraphina bid farewell with an impish smile before gracefully walking away.
"..." Adriana's lips twitched.
The maid shot a glare at Seraphina's departing figure, displeasure simmering in her gaze.
....
...
..
As the night unfolded without much incident, the next morning dawned on Asher Eli's house in a soft glow.
Eli awoke with groggy eyes.....greeted by the sight of a bluish-haired woman with ocean-blue eyes looking down at him.
Without hesitation, Eli pulled her close, and their lips met in a spontaneous kiss.
"~Hmm~"
Scylla's eyes widened, a momentary struggle flickering before the strength in her body relented, allowing Eli to deepen the kiss.
'Slurp'
"~MM~"
After a fleeting second, he separated, a teasing smile playing on his lips as he observed her blushing face.
"You're turning me hard, my maid~" Eli winked, humour lacing his words, suggesting she look lower.
"Y-Y-You bastard..." Scylla exclaimed, swiftly leaving the room, and leaving Eli alone in the chair.
"Hehe..." Eli chuckled, shaking his head at her bashfulness, even though they did much worse than before.
Standing from the chair, Eli stretched his body. Due to the cocoon occupying the bed, he had slept in the chair while experimenting with something.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH"
'Crack, Crack'
Eli stretched, groaning, and a few satisfying cracks echoed from his joints.
Surveying the room, he retrieved a bottle from his storage.
Looking deeply, he mused, "Still not working... ah" before returning the crimson liquid, its evaporation leaving a faint pink mist in the air.
Looking down, his little brother still vigour, 'Something happening to my body...?' Eli pondered, he felt he was being horny 24/7 just like four years ago.
Turning his attention to the cocoon, Eli touched it softly and muttered, "I wondered what you will become now...." with an intriguing face Eli headed to the bathroom to freshen up.
After preparing himself, Eli decided it was time to speak with Alysia, contemplating seeking some 'help.'
As he descended the stairs, snippets of conversation reached his ears.
"So, this dorm? It belongs to him?"
"Yes, it belongs to only Master~Nya"
"I see..."
"Does that mean Nex is impartial here?"
"Tsk, shut your mouth, Mother"
"AA? Why are you so mean to me?"
".....Because someone pushed their work onto me and ran away to see my brother"
"W-What? I didn't run away. It's just that Aadya asked to be a guest, nothing more..."
"Big Sis, You should throw that thing out"
"Do you think I don't want to?"
"....."
Caught in this uncomfortable banter, Eli gradually realized who was involved.
"But, I only asked her to come?" Eli pondered, sensing a thread of intrigue weaving through the unfolding situation.