Chapter 178: A Sudden Visit!

[What will you do, Nikolai?]

After his conversation with the previous patriarch, Alucard, Nikolai left Nikita and Selene. He told them there was something he needed to take care of.

Thankfully, they believed his words and let him leave without issue.

'What am I supposed to do, those people can't be trusted.'

[I know, but that's not the only thought you have, right?]

Elizabeth knew that her son's goal was to bring her back. However, she also believed his plan wasn't just to give her any old body.

He studied the spirit engineering book and borrowed several alchemy books from the auction house in the Arena. When he wasn't training or flirting with the three girls, Nikolai spent his time studying and improving his usage of Soul Force.

There wasn't much else he could do right now because he lacked clues.

'Mother...'

Nikolai understood what she meant—this was a good clue. It could help him with his current struggle, yet if it became a trap and caused her to be in danger. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself, and right now, he lacked the strength to protect her.

[Don't become backed into a corner. I won't vanish, and you will have a long life.]

[Do not rush and think carefully.]

"Haa..." With a heavy sigh, he couldn't help but feel cornered.

Alucard arranged a meeting with his agent two days from now.

So Nikolai still had time to prepare and think about how he could respond. If he went and it was a trap, then it might become troublesome.

However, what if he had gained some much-needed information?

"I should visit the company and take a visit the gym."

Nikolai's voice lacked the same strength he usually had, but that didn't stop him from pushing on.

An hour later, he found himself at the door of the company.

***

They fixed the damage caused by the old man the other day, and the faces of the girls working the front desk were back to normal.

However, when they saw Nikolai, they greeted him enthusiastically. It seemed increasing their pay and letting them drink blood directly boosted their morale.

"Boss!"

"Ah~ it's Nikolai!"

Whispers and quiet voices echoed in his ears.

They seemed to be settled into their lives as non-humans now. All the women looked filled with purpose while completing their tasks.

'Well, it's good that they are also getting stronger.'

[Well, you paid for them to visit Alexie's gym and have Sarah and Risa visit the first floor of the Tower twice a week.]

'True... they're not extremely powerful but it seems the black ichor and potions are slowly increasing their strength.'

At first, their powers barely surpassed the human level.

Now, their strength was equal to a squire who served their lord for a year.

Though nothing special, because he let Sarah and Risa handle the ichor, and only those who performed well would receive it. He found it quite interesting that most of his thralls were at the same level of strength.

'Do the other clans not send their thralls into the tower?'

[They might, but a mere thrall would NEVER receive the ichor and other potions!] Sёarch* The Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

[My father used to give one vial if they helped the family for months!]

'Hmmm...' Nikolai thought this information quite interesting while sitting on the sofa in Sarah's office.

"Miss Sarah will be a little late, Boss! She's currently out with Laura to seal a contract." A rather lovely Asian woman with a black bob told Nikolai with a slight bow.

"I see—thanks for letting me know. You don't have to stop what you're doing. Good work. Yun."

"Ah?!"

"Please excuse me, Boss! I... I have to finish some work!"

The pretty worker suddenly blushed and bowed twice before leaving the room. "The boss knows my name~ how does he know my name?"

As expected, his words caused Yun's mind to search for an answer, but he didn't mind. Almost all his employees were important, so he tried to remember their features and names.

[Do you have to be like this? What are you going to do if she misunderstands?

'Nothing, it's not like she can harm me, and it's harmless fun.'

Nikolai didn't see the problem—while lying back on Sarah's sofa, he closed his eyes and relaxed.

[Hmmm... then what if Nikita or Selene heard this?]

'Shush.'

After a few moments, Nikolai fell into a light sleep, the thoughts and stress fading into darkness.

***

Two hours later, the door handle lowered and opened with a clack. Sarah stepped in wearing high heels, which caused a loud tapping sound with each step, following the jingle of her keys.

Yet Nikolai remained sleeping.

"Who's there? Oh... it's Nikolai." Her voice sounded cautious at first before she saw his face.

"Why did he come here like this? There is a bed on the next floor."

Because the two-seater sofa could only fit two people, his legs hung off the edge while his arm dangled against the soft carpet.

Explore more at m,v l'e-NovelFire.net

Sarah stepped closer, bending her leg and pulling off her heels to remove the noise. She tossed them under her desk and let out a sigh.

"He looks really relaxed right now... haa... why is my Boss so handsome? Because of that, the creeps that hit on me during business only make me feel sick."

[My son, you are really a scourge to women...]

The ghostly figure of Elizabeth watched from the corner as Sarah knelt beside her so and began brushing his messy hair back with her fingertips. It didn't seem like anything dangerous, so Elizabeth just watched quietly with her hands on her cheeks.

[This is the woman who makes him money and settles business issues?]

[She's quite beautiful for a human.]

Sarah smiled gently at Nikolai before wrapping his silver hair around her finger. "Did you know that since you let me take this position, I've had so much fun? The dream I always had. But thought would never happen... now feels at the tip of my fingers."

Her eyes narrowed in the orange sunlight as her lips curled upwards, forming a wide smile.

"I don't know how to repay you—even my mother became better with the expensive treatment. When you offered to make her a thrall... my heart almost stopped." Her fingers began to pick the fluff from his shirt before she sat comfortably on the edge of the sofa.

"I couldn't do that, my mother is quite religious and might never forgive me, hehe."

[This girl isn't so bad... at first I doubted her motives.]

The afternoon slowly passed—after an hour, Sarah's phone vibrated, and she let out a sigh while shrugging. "It's not like I can rest peacefully like you, rest well." With one fine stroke of his hair, she quietly moved to her desk and sat down on her chair with a creak.

Tap-Tap-Tap!

Elizabeth sat on the edge of Sarah's desk, watching her typing and replying to various people, a speed that would make many professional writers jealous.

Thanks to becoming a hybrid, Sarah's body improved further than the thralls, and now she was at the same level as Risa before she evolved.

"It seems these bastards really want to compete with us for that property... damn old bastard. Is it because I refused to be his mistress? Tsk!"

Sarah spat to the side, speaking with a rough tone. It seemed she dealt with the most annoying people during her daily work, yet when she looked at the sofa. "Haa... we've all been poisoned by this handsome owner. Imagine those squid men thinking they have a chance."

[Fufu... this girl is quite pleasant. I wonder how she grew up this way!]

Elizabeth wanted to meet her mother and have a chat. Because for her, a woman of that age was wise enough to be a great conversational partner.

[This reminds me how difficult it was to fit in with those young wives in the past...]

She struggled when first moving away from her family mansion and getting married to Ivan in secret. Though they lacked money at first, it was a comfy and wonderful time in her life.

Yet...

[Why are they all so concerned with other men and the sex lives of other wives?!]

[Is it because humans live short lives?]

Elizabeth didn't understand because most monsters would have a single partner for a long time, and the thought of betrayal and cheating was a grave crime.

Maybe because of the large number of racial features and rituals, they found infidelity unfavourable because breaking many of these old oaths would lower one's power and prestige.

[Well, it's not like it never happened... It's just not like humans and their amusing daytime television talk show level]

"Nnn...."

[Ah?]

Nikolai finally began to stir; his eyes flickered with a slight groan and cough as he rubbed his heavy eyelids.

"I fell asleep...?"

He didn't intend to stay too long because of his appointment at the gym.

However, since he had already slept, he didn't rush himself. Instead, he turned to see Sarah wearing glasses and focused on the screen with her fingers, rapidly typing.

'Oh? She's really busy.'

Since she started the company, he couldn't believe how hard she worked to improve the situation on her own. In the space of a month, it wasn't a large-sized company, but the money she earned and how she found profitable venues shocked him.

'I really made the right choice, choosing Sarah.'

[Yes, you did! But she deals with so many disgusting pigs!]

'Mother?'

The voice of Elizabeth sounded upset and mad; for some reason, he couldn't help but smile wryly.

'Do you think I should help her a little?' He asked, while watching with a smirk on his lips, crossing his legs while his mother's figure sat on the desk, pointing at various emails and frowning.

[See, look at this dirty old man!]

[Who wants our Sarah to become your mistress? Look at your toad face!]

Somehow, Nikolai felt a sense of peace seeing this image.

Maybe his mother would enjoy working here if she were to get a new body—that thought crossed his mind for a moment.