[You have discovered a part of the past. Follow in your mother's footsteps to learn more about >Scarlet Vermillion<.]
The message was clear about moving forward, but... Strax was thinking about something, and his response...
"I don't want to." He suddenly said, making not only Scarlet freeze but also Albert, who looked at him with an expression Strax had never seen in his entire life.
"W-What?" Scarlet stammered for a second.
"You heard me. I couldn't care less," Strax said, pointing at her. "Despite you being a hell of a beauty that I'd love to make my wife for the rest of my life, you're more dangerous than my father—and mind you, my father's supposedly the strongest in the Human Realm," he said rationally and... quite honestly.
'Well, I tried to keep him alive, but it's your fault for wanting Scarlet to train him. Sorry, dear,' Albert thought.
"Honestly, I really am interested in you. You seem stronger than that idiot I have to call 'Dad,' so I'd have no reason to say no. But I still have my wives, and even though I'm interested, I wouldn't just leave them to 'train' with you, Miss Primordial Vampire and blah blah blah." Strax said casually, even mocking the woman, who fell silent... How could she even respond to something like that? She'd never encountered someone so honest before...
Naturally, she would kill those who desired her body. In fact, she always killed anyone who looked at her with lust. But this man? He wasn't being lecherous despite calling her a "hell of a beauty I'd love to make my wife."
"How many wives do you have?" she asked directly, curious.
"Officially, four." Strax said, "Unofficially, add four more," he added. "Including spirits, another four." He finished.
"You're obsessed with the number four, aren't you?" Scarlet questioned. "Yes, four's a good number," he replied.
"Well, I'm going to kidnap him. Is that fine with you?" Scarlet asked, looking at Albert. "Do as you like. He asked for it," Albert replied, and Strax froze. "W-What do you—"
"I've already decided, boy." Suddenly, Scarlet vanished and reappeared in front of him, and with a simple gesture, she struck Strax's stomach with immense force.
"Cough!" He lost his breath from the attack, and another blow to his neck quickly knocked him unconscious. It all happened so fast.
"Oh...~ He just had to accept..." Albert muttered, rubbing his temple. "That boy really loves to dance on the edge of life and death..." he said, watching the red-haired woman sling him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"What about this idiot's women?" Albert asked, noticing Scarlet's face looked... odd.
"I'm taking him to Nightingale. I'd already warned that idiot king I'd be bringing someone. So just give them this." Scarlet tossed him a red seal. "The Vermillion Clan grants permission to humans carrying this," she said, turning around.
"Our business is done, White Tiger," she said, heading for the exit. "Don't kill him," Albert said, and she glanced back at him.
Beatrice, despite her frustration, lowered her head, accepting what Diana had said. "Damn it..." she murmured nervously.
Cristine, who had been watching silently, stepped forward and looked at Diana. "So, that's it," she said firmly. "If we want Strax back, we have to go to the Vampire Kingdom or wait for him to return to go to the capital? What a fantastic situation!" she added, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Oh... what a huge problem..." Monica muttered, putting her hand on her forehead. "Seriously, we only ever get in trouble because of this man. Why is love so hard?" she questioned aloud, and all the women in the room let out a small sigh.
"Diana, do you have any idea where exactly he might be there? The Vampire Kingdom isn't exactly... welcoming to humans or hybrids," Monica asked.
Diana sighed, placing her hand on her chin as she pondered. "Scarlet Vermillion is a very reclusive woman, but her reputation precedes her. She built her clan alone with her three adopted daughters, so she likely took Strax to her own territory. It's a dangerous place, but you'll have access with the seal she left. However..." She paused, looking each of them in the eyes. "...being in a Supreme Emperor's territory is serious. She won't show mercy if she feels challenged."
"Maybe it's best if only the four of us go..." Samira murmured, referring to herself, Monica, Beatrice, and Cristine.
The four exchanged looks and nodded in agreement. "Can you take care of things here?" Cristine asked Yennifer. "Leave it to me, sister," she replied.
Monica let out a tired sigh. "He just got back, and he's already gone again... damn husband."
Samira laughed with a hint of sarcasm. "That idiot never knows when to stop."
Beatrice looked up and commented, "At least there's no risk of another woman trying to catch his eye... the look he gave that ice woman made me a little nervous, I won't lie."
"Well, you'd better get ready to go after him... Now, I'm off, I have some things to take care of." .net
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"Ugh, my head is hurting... Where am I?" he murmured, his gaze scanning the surroundings, though his vision was still blurry.
"Heh, finally awake, stranger. You like to sleep, don't you?" A woman's voice echoed in his ears. He tried to locate the voice, but all he heard was more silence.
"Up here, strange human." Strax looked up at the ceiling and saw a girl with long, wild red hair standing on the ceiling, as if gravity had been reversed.
[You have encountered a 'Common' Vampire for the first time.]