Chapter 178 Wedding Of The Century (2)

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to our wedding!"

The moment I made my grand entrance, I amplified my voice so that all the guests could hear me. Usually, I wouldn't care about theatrics and showmanship, but today was a special day. It was the most special day for my four most precious people. Naturally, I would go over the top for this occasion.

Forcing a solar eclipse to occur was one way of showing my dedication to making this day even more special. Irina and Rosa may not care, but Lilith and Ysabelle would marvel at the beautiful sight. I can imagine their faces in the bridal room right now, as their eyes glistened with joy before their final day as a single flower.

"I'm happy you have taken time out of your busy schedules to celebrate us joining in holy matrimony. Please, settle down, and enjoy the refreshments as we prepare for the auspicious hour."

There was still some time before the brides would make their way down the aisle. Thirty minutes to be exact. I didn't want the day to end too quickly and give the four girls an opportunity to soak in everything. This was going to be a day they'll remember for the rest of their lives, and I wanted it to be perfect.

And as I made my way down the aisle and onto the altar, a familiar voice broke my concentration.

"You made quite the entrance…"

"Innocence, I didn't think that you'd actually come."

"Why not? Can't I attend my beloved granddaughter's wedding?"

Matriarch Innocence frowned with furrowed brows as she bemoaned my words. Since I'd become a Progenitor, the heavy pressure she usually exuded was nowhere to be seen; therefore, I could fully admire her facial features. Dazzling white hair that shone brighter than Winter snow, ethereal grey eyes that sucked one's soul in like a temptress, a body that was tight yet astoundingly mature.

It's no wonder she could attract over a thousand consorts.

The more I looked at Matriarch Innocence, the more I could see Irina's future. While I quite liked Irina's current look and bubbly appearance, just imagining a more mature version of Irina really stimulated my mind.

"No, I'd thought you would be busy rebuilding the Everwinter Estate. Wasn't half of the place destroyed after Cthulhu's invasion?"

"Normally, I would stay there to supervise the reconstruction, but how could I miss such a grand event?" Matriarch Innocence smiled suggestively as she raised her head to the sky and gestured to the blackened Sun.

"Where else can I see an eclipse so clearly? I swear, I must be getting old. To think that I would get sentimental over something like this."

For the first time since I'd met the woman, I saw the age hidden within her eyes. She was an individual that saw the birth of the Vampire race. A relic of the past that fought side-by-side with the first Progenitor. A witness of aeons of change and a woman that has seen multiple generations come and go.

And for the first time ever, I could feel her despondence.

As the oldest living individual, she must have seen many of her comrades pass on to the afterlife. She was a survivor, but that was not necessarily a good thing. Matriarch Innocence has protected the Everwinter House since its inception, and she was the pillar that could never be replaced.

That's why she was so desperate to make Irina her heir. She wished to leave the Everwinter House in good hands, even to the point of causing a civil war within her ranks. Alas, with the end of Cthulhu and the destruction of the Northern Pole Gate, the ancient Vampire has lost her purpose in life.

"I must say, I didn't think much of you when we first met." Perhaps unhindered by her burdens anymore, Matriarch Innocence spoke to me with great candour. "But you've exceeded my expectations every single time. In the end, you've even become stronger than my wildest imagination. Irina made the right choice in marrying you."

"Innocence…"

I looked over at the elder and couldn't help but smile. We may have started our relationship on sour terms, but as I've grown throughout my year as a Vampire, I began to empathise with the woman.

"Lord Valter… Can I ask that you hear my request?"

Matriarch Innocence's tone turned sombre as she focused solely on me. Like a subordinate addressing her superior, the elderly woman's voice resonated within my ears.

"What is it?"

"Would you allow the Everwinter House to become your vassal?"

"Vassal?"

I was stunned. Besides the Bloodborne House, the Everwinter House was the oldest Vampire House in history. They had an endless amount of resources, and their combat power was beyond that of any regular Vampire House. And it was evident through how they dealt with the Outer Demon's invasion.

For them to willingly become a servant House of another… Matriarch Innocence had to swallow her pride to make that request.

"May I ask why?"

"I'm not blind, Lord Valter." The elderly woman briefly cracked a smile on her stern porcelain face and said: "The world is shifting under our feet. The Outer Demon threat is soon to be non-existent, and it was the only thing holding humanity and the Holy Church back. You've planted the seeds through Valter Inc and your charitable causes, but I can tell. In time, a new war would emerge. Once the planet has recovered from the embers of the last war, we'll wage a new one. This time, however, us Vampires won't be their allies, but their enemies."

"..."

As expected of a woman who had lived thousands of years. She saw through my intentions with just one cursory look and could roughly guess what the future had in store.

"It may be one year or ten years from now. Eventually, we'll be forced to choose a side. The peace shared between humanity, and Vampires has been artificially created by the Outer Demons. Now that they've been removed, our war will continue. And this time, there can only be one winner."

"HAHA!!! Excellent! You've seen through it all!"

I nodded my head and proudly raised my chin.

Peace between humans and Vampires was just an illusion. Vampires were superior beings, the evolved form of humans. We had eternal youth, magic that humans could only dream of, transcendent regeneration, and most importantly, we were the predators of humans.

And even though I had every intention to maintain the peace, humans always feared what they didn't understand. And I was their greatest enigma.

Is Jin Valter going to rule the planet like a tyrant? Is Jin Valter going to start a war to kill millions? Is Jin Valter going to conquer humanity?

Questions like these have already started to float around. While I didn't have any ideas about becoming a conqueror or a ruler, people still feared my power. And to a certain extent, it was understandable. Imagine having a walking nuke that you had no power over. It may have remained silent and showed no intentions of destroying your way of life. However, the fear still remains.

What if… the nuke decides to go on a rampage and destroy a country or two?

That fear alone would drive humans insane.

Adding to the fact that Vampires were superior beings and no one was keeping them in check… The fear humanity had for Vampires would soon turn into hatred and anger. They would declare that all Vampires shouldn't exist and seek to exterminate us.

That's why I attempted to change public perception through Valter Inc and my charitable causes. I knew it was wrapping a bandaid on a severed limb, but if I could at least stem the bleeding for a few more years, perhaps I could delay the inevitable war.

And Matriarch Innocence had seen right through my ploy.

"When the time comes, the Everwinter House wouldn't be able to defend against the joint forces of humanity and the Holy Church. And the only way to protect ourselves from the oncoming storm is to seek shelter under a sturdy umbrella."

"And I'm that umbrella?"

"... I saw how you defeated the two Demon Lords." Matriarch Innocence muttered. "I saw… How powerful you really were. Even Dracula in his prime can't be compared to you, and the scary thing is… You're still growing."

At this point, the elderly Vampire turned towards the numerous emotionless women surrounding the cathedral. Most of them acted as servants, indistinguishable from regular humans. However, those with keener eyes would be able to sense the difference.

"Making Angels… I never thought I would see a day when a Vampire would create Angels."

"..."

"In the future, once you've fully grown, you wouldn't need the Everwinter House's help. No, you wouldn't need anyone's help. Your strength alone is enough to defeat anyone who stands in your way. So, before you've reached that point, I'm offering you the Everwinter House."

"So you're going to place all your bets on the Valter House and me?"

"That's the only way to win big," Matriarch Innocence smiled and declared: "I'm all in."

"..."

Wow… I'd never thought that Matriarch Innocence would be such a person. Still, that didn't deter me in the slightest. Quite the contrary. I felt my body chortling aloud as I raised my hand to meet hers.

"Since it's my wedding day, I shall be magnanimous and agree to your terms."

"Thank you, Lord Valter."

I held back the ancient Vampire before she could give me a hearty bow. I may become her superior in the future, but her keen insight and boundless years of experience would prove helpful to me if she served as my advisor.

"We'll discuss the details of the contract later. For now, please enjoy the wedding reception."

"With pleasure, my lord."