"Father..." Caius called for a third ti and then he realized it wasn’t because he was interrupted that he didn’t speak—because this ti Lucian waited to listen to what he had to say—Caius just didn’t know what to say.
’Roxanne—’ he said in his head with a bit of a ntal groan. She had set this into motion and pushed him into a hole he wasn’t at all sure how to get out of.
Lucian laughed once while shaking his head.
"I don’t know if I should be impressed or horrified that you’ve taken advantage of the periods when the Hellsingers are not watching you to find a Coven and form a Vampiric alliance," he said and it was clear from his expression that he was indeed conflicted.
"Impressed?" Caius asked because he hadn’t thought that would at all be an option here.
"Well, it still is an incredible feat to have found the Leopold Coven," Lucian said,
"Tell how you did it, son. Or better still, tell where it is."
Caius paused here. He considered just complete denial but decided that while that could push the matter aside and maybe stop his father from questioning him about it, he’d just be under constant surveillance. He might even lose the opportunity to follow up on the matters of the Leopold Coven— His Coven.
Denial would do him no good here. He might as well reveal things on his own terms.
"What are you planning to do if I tell you?" He asked.
"Raid them, of course," Lucian said in a resolute voice as he stood to his feet and began to pace a bit before he continued in a tone that seed grand with purpose while his back was turned to Caius,
"We must rid the Acheron Empire of the Leopold Vampiric infestation that grows right under our noses."
"That would be a bad idea," Caius said standing to his feet as well, "The Leopolds are a necessary evil, I’m afraid."
"What?" Lucian said turning to face Caius.
"It’s true," Caius said, "Rember the Vampire who ca for a couple of weeks ago? He’s a Vampire Noble. One of a small group of extrely powerful Vampires who can command other Vampires regardless of their level of Evolution.
Vampire Nobles are at the top of the Hierarchical ladder of Vampires and are only just barely keeping each other in check. The balance will eventually break and human nations and Empires like ours—like the Acheron Empire, I an—will suffer from it."
"Vampire Nobles— You an titles they held while human or titles they ascribe to themselves during their perverse immortal life.
Sorry son," Lucian said, adding the apology when he realized his hatred for Vampires had seeped into his words without regard that his son was one as well.
As much as Lucian had spoken of the nuance involved in his attacks on Vampires and stopping their rampage, he did possess a deep and true hatred for them. One that started even before Athenodora turned his son. Though that probably heightened it.
"It’s fine," Caius said, waving that away, "And no, Vampiric Nobility is not just a title. It’s an Authority to bend the others to the Noble’s will.
As I said, there are only a few of them, and eventually, the balance and peace will be shattered and they will wage war that will span the entirety of the world."
"Caius—" Lucian started as he felt this was getting ludicrous.
"Father, listen to ," Caius said seriously and earnestly,
"I’m afraid you have no idea how terrible this would be. How massive an army the Nobles have. You have no idea how much dominance they will desire to have over the entire world when the ti cos. When things are unfortunately set in motion.
Every Vampire you’ve killed, every rampage you’ve put an end to, is rely a symptom of a coming calamity.
It will happen.
I know because... I’ll be a part of it."
"What are you—?" Lucian started.
"I’m a Vampire Noble, Father," Caius said, "I took it from Anton Orlock... The Vampire who took those weeks ago."
"How—?" Lucian started, his face stark with disbelief, "I’ve sensed nothing different from you..."
Caius smiled a bit in lancholy,
"To be honest, you’re not supposed to. The authority is for Vampires to feel and not for humans. Also, I’ve done my best to hide it."
"How do the Leopolds factor into all this?" Lucian asked, "How are they a necessary evil?"
"Every Vampire Noble should have an army. They are mine. They have reach and resources that can help mitigate the coming disaster.
To raid and get rid of them, Father, is to get rid of my chance to not be washed away by the terrible current brewing."
"Caius—" Lucian started.
"Father, rember all the nuances you talked about earlier. Rember how you recognized that Vampires are not just savage monsters seeking to feed with impunity. How they have goals. How they experience a wild range of emotions..."
"Yes, I rember, Caius," Lucian said, "And I also rember telling you I must hunt them down still. My hypocrisy doesn’t extend past you, Son."
"And I’m not asking that it does," Caius said, "I’ve only told you all that I have to help you understand why I’ve done the things I’ve done. And why I would do the things I will do in the future.
I didn’t tell you so you’ll turn a blind eye to any Rampaging Vampires that are unfortunate enough to catch your attention due to their indiscriminate hunting. If you catch a Leopold Vampire, kill them as you would any other."
Lucian frowned at Caius for saying that because he understood the undertone of ’if’ and how Caius was just being fairly confident that Lucian wouldn’t catch any Leopold Vampire in the act. After all, he hadn’t thus far.
"So I’m supposed to accept that my son is colluding with a Vampiric infestation."
"Rember earlier when I said your promise to never hunt down is a dangerous one? This is what I ant," Caius said.
"Caius—" Lucian but Caius cut in while shaking his head.
"I’m sorry Father, but I have to do this. And it hurts that I must ask you to turn a blind eye to it, to abandon your principles and just watch continue to ’stray’, but it has to happen."
"Because of a coming calamity," Lucian and he sounded doubtful, "Will you tell what it even is?"
Caius shrugged.
"Nothing I can say exactly. Think of it like a feeling an elder gets in their joints that heralds a coming rain. I can tell a storm is brewing and I need to be prepared for it. The Leopolds are how I prepare."
There was a coming problem. An arc in the original story had the Vampire Nobles waging war against each other for a precious artifact and it had indeed impacted the human empires. That part of all Caius had said was true. But the Leopolds being a necessary evil wasn’t entirely honest.
The Leopolds had died in the original story by the ti that arc actually ca around and considering how Vampiric Noble ranks worked with Caius being just a Count, having an Army would not help him if he faced a Noble who ranked higher than he did and there were a bunch of them who did.
Anyway, Caius did need the Leopolds though. Their resources and reach were essential to move so pieces in place and secure his survival for the coming eventuality as well as his actual goal in this world; Surviving the final battle against the Demon Lord.
He only said all he said—a mixture of truths and half-truths—to reduce how many lies he would have to tell his father at the mont and possibly stop a possible raid of the Leopold Estate.
After a minute of silence, he bowed to Lucian,
"Excuse , Father."
Caius had just turned around when Lucian asked,
"Where are you going?"
"To my room," Caius answered.
"Why?" Lucian asked.
Caius turned around and shrugged lightly.
"I didn’t think you’d want to see around right now."
"Nonsense," Lucian said with a nonchalant wave,
"You’ve given so much to think about and I will be doing so thinking and decision making. But training is not over. Arm yourself..."
Lucian summoned his Bo-staff and after a second or so of confusion, Caius retrieved the sword he had sent into his storage ring a while earlier and held it out.
"I want you to Shift," Lucian said.
"What?"
"Shift," Lucian said, "Let your feral nature take over. You’ve suppressed it long enough. If you’re so accepting of what you have beco as you claim to be then you have no reason to turn away from it.
Shift and face to the best of your ability."
Caius paused and then he nodded before shifting. His claws made his grip on his sword weird but he managed without too much poking into his palm and glared at his father with his Vampire Red eyes.
"Alright," he said and red tinged his vision right before he charged.
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