Noon the following day.
Sunlight poured unreservedly onto the central plaza of Moon Phase City.
Bell wore a solid black suit, his left arm secured against his chest with white bandages.
He stood upon a viewing platform constructed from obsidian.
This was the first time in a thousand years that the Blood Race had held a public gathering during the day.
Lilian, wearing the Crown of Thorns, stood on the foremost balcony.
Her dark red cape trailed all the way to the floor.
Grant stood half a step behind Bell, dressed in a crisp new gray suit.
His posture was impeccably formal, hands folded neatly in front of him.
To an outsider, this looked like the strictest form of surveillance.
But one only had to step slightly closer to hear Grant’s lowered voice.
“Mr. Lucas, does the wound from yesterday still hurt? I have some high-quality blood plaster that is very effective for bone healing.”
Bell did not turn his head, his gaze level as he looked out over the dense crowd below.
“No need. This level of injury is just enough to put certain people at ease.”
This was the price of the performance.
If he stood here perfectly intact, those eyes hidden in the shadows would become suspicious.
It defied common sense for a student to emerge unscathed from an ancestor's attack.
He had to display a posture of weakness and subjugation.
In the shadows at the edge of the plaza.
Margaret pulled her hood down, hiding half her face in the fabric.
Leon leaned against a wall, his right hand resting perpetually on his sword hilt.
Tia stood between the two of them.
Her silver-white hair shimmered under the sunlight.
She stared fixedly at Bell on the high platform.
The sight of that bandaged left arm stung her nerves.
Liquid Mithril flowed rapidly beneath her skin, producing an extremely faint hum.
“Calm down, Tia,” Margaret said, placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder.
“He is still alive, and he is standing in that position. That means he has value.”
Leon gave a cold snort.
“Displayed on a stage like some exhibit. Is this the plan he talked about?”
He was being treated like a caged canary.
The pride of the Lucas family would never permit such humiliation.
But Leon’s fingers merely rubbed the hilt of his sword a few times; ultimately, he did not draw it.
Charging in blindly would only lead to death.
Tia forcibly suppressed the mana agitation within her body.
She recognized the Vampire Queen standing at the very front.
Red hair, pale skin.
Though her aura was completely different, Tia could not possibly mistake that face.
Lilian.
The female slave who used to hide behind Bell, not even daring to speak aloud.
Now, she had actually become the Queen leading the entire Blood Race.
The magnitude of this identity shift was far too vast, completely transcending common sense.
“Let’s go,” Margaret said, releasing her hand.
“Now that we’ve confirmed he isn’t in immediate mortal danger, we must change our strategy.”
“To where?” Leon asked.
“To see this new Queen directly.”
Margaret turned and began walking toward the side gate of the palace.
As the headmaster of Ventus Branch, she possessed enough leverage to conduct a negotiation on equal terms.
Half an hour later.
The main hall of the Night Rose Palace.
Heavy metal doors were slowly pushed open by two werewolf guards.
The piercing screech of metal on metal echoed through the vast, empty hall.
Lilian sat regally upon the high crystal throne.
In her hand, she held the scepter that symbolized her power.
There were no other ancestors in the hall, only two rows of fully armed guards.
Margaret walked at the front, with Leon and Tia following closely behind.
The three of them stopped five meters from the base of the steps.
“Margaret, Headmaster of Ventus Branch.”
“Representing the Royal Magic Academy, I offer greetings to the new Queen.”
Margaret bowed slightly, performing a standard noble diplomatic salute.
Leon merely inclined his head, his spine remaining ramrod straight.
Tia did not move at all, her gaze crossing the steps to look directly at Lilian on the throne.
Lilian leaned back against the chair, her fingers lightly tapping the scepter.
“The headmaster of a magic academy, disguised as a Blood Race count to infiltrate my territory.”
“And now standing here so brazenly.”
“You are quite bold.”
Her voice echoed through the hall, carrying the oppressive weight of a superior.
Leon clenched his fists.
This high-and-mighty attitude made him extremely uncomfortable.
Margaret maintained a polite smile.
“Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures.”
“Your Majesty should be well aware of our purpose here.”
“Hand over Bell Lucas.”
Lilian’s tapping fingers stopped.
The temperature in the hall dropped several degrees instantly.
The guards gripped their weapons tightly.
“Hand him over?”
Lilian stood up and slowly walked down the steps.
Her red skirt made a faint rustling sound against the obsidian floor.
“He is my Chief Advisor, a noble personally appointed by me.”
“What right do you have to demand I hand him over?”
She stopped two meters in front of Margaret.
The pressure belonging to a high-ranking vampire was released without reservation.
Margaret felt her breath hitch.
The flow of the mana circuits within her body became extremely sluggish.
She had to stay steady.
If she showed weakness here, the negotiation would completely collapse.
Margaret channeled the wood element mana within her, forcibly resisting the pressure.
“He is a human, and a student of the academy.”
“Imprisoning him here is equivalent to declaring war on the entire kingdom.”
Lilian let out a soft chuckle.
The laughter was filled with mockery.
“Declaring war?”
“Does that riddled kingdom of yours even have the energy to start a war right now?”
“Don’t use such laughable threats on me.”
Lilian turned her head, her gaze sweeping past Leon and finally landing on Tia.
In the moment their eyes met.
The pressure Lilian was releasing vanished abruptly.
The suffocating tension in the hall disappeared instantly.
Lilian’s body froze in place.
She stared intently at the silver-haired girl before her.
That face, those clear eyes.
Even if the hair color had changed, even if the material of her body had become cold metal.
She could never forget that familiar aura for as long as she lived.
Tia.
The girl who had been brutally killed.
The person who had given her a glimmer of warmth during her most painful and desperate moments.
The floodgates of memory were forced open.
The agony of broken teeth.
A mouth full of blood.
And the image of Tia holding gauze, carefully bandaging her wounds.
“Does it still hurt? Just bear with it for a moment, it’ll be better soon.”
The girl’s gentle voice echoed in her mind.
Then came that horrific massacre.
Out of fear, she had abandoned Tia and fled alone.
This was the deepest nightmare of her life.
It was also a sin she could never wash away.
Lilian’s fingers began to tremble uncontrollably.
With a sharp clang, the scepter fell to the floor.
It made a crisp, echoing sound in the hollow hall.
The guards on both sides immediately drew their weapons, preparing to step forward.
“Stand down!”
Lilian whipped her head around, letting out an incredibly sharp shriek.
The guards were startled by this sudden outburst of rage and retreated several steps, returning to their original positions.
Margaret and Leon exchanged a glance.
Both saw the bewilderment in each other's eyes.
Why had this Queen, who was so arrogant just a moment ago, suddenly lost control?
Lilian turned back, looking at Tia once more.
She took a step forward.
The muscles in her legs were stiff.
Tia stood her ground, making no defensive movement.
She simply watched her quietly.
Lilian walked up to Tia, stopping less than half a meter away.
She raised a hand, wanting to touch Tia’s cheek.
But as her fingertips were about to touch that cold Mithril skin, she jerked them back.
She was afraid.
Afraid that this was merely an illusion.
Afraid that what resided within this body was resentment toward her.
“You... you’re still alive?”
Lilian’s voice was hoarse, carrying a distinct tremor.
Tia shook her head.
“I died once. Bell used Mithril to reconstruct my body.”
The statement was flat.
But every word stabbed deeply into Lilian’s heart.
She had died.
Because of Lilian’s flight, Tia really had died once.
Lilian’s legs gave way, and she knelt directly on the floor.
Her magnificent red skirt spread out around her.
This unprompted kneeling left Margaret and Leon completely stunned.
The dignified Vampire Queen was actually kneeling to a human girl?
This completely overturned their understanding of the world.
Leon’s fingers slipped from his sword hilt.
This absurd development was more shocking to him than any magic.
Tia looked down at Lilian kneeling before her.
She did not dodge, nor did she reach out to help her up.
“I’m sorry.”
Lilian pressed her hands against the floor, her forehead nearly touching the ground.
“That day... I was too afraid.”
“I ran. I left you there all alone.”
“I’m sorry... I’m so sorry.”
Tears slid down her pale cheeks, dripping onto the obsidian tiles.
A majestic Daywalker, the Queen who commanded ten ancestors.
At this moment, she was weeping without any shred of decorum.
Tia crouched down, her gaze level with Lilian’s.
She reached out with fingers made of liquid Mithril and gently wiped the tears from Lilian’s face.
The metal felt cool, but the movement was incredibly tender.
“I don’t blame you, Lilian.”
“In that situation, anyone would have been afraid.”
“Besides, aren’t I doing fine now?”
Tia’s voice was as gentle as always.
There wasn't a hint of resentment.
This unreserved forgiveness only made Lilian cry harder.
She suddenly threw herself into Tia’s arms, her hands clutching Tia’s waist tightly.
Tia lightly patted her back, soothing the frightened former slave.
Margaret stood to the side, her brain still struggling to process the information before her.
“What exactly... is going on here?”
She murmured to herself.
All the negotiation chips she had prepared, all the threats and inducements.
They had all turned into scrap paper.
This confrontation, which should have been fraught with tension, had turned into a bizarre reunion.
Several minutes passed.
Lilian’s emotions finally began to stabilize.
She released her hold and stood up from the floor.
Though her eyes were still red, she forcibly tucked away her weak state.
She regained her queenly majesty.
However, when facing Tia, her tone remained cautious.
“You came for him.”
Lilian turned and walked toward the steps.
She did not pick up the scepter on the floor.
“He is safe. No one can harm him.”
“Yesterday’s battle was merely a show for the other ancestors.”
“Grant didn't even use half his strength in that strike.”
Lilian turned around, looking at Margaret.
“He is now my collaborator. The master-slave contract between us has already been dissolved.”
Margaret frowned.
“Collaborator? Why would he stay here to help you?”
“Because he needs my power.”
Lilian lifted her chin.
“Furthermore, he is currently giving a lecture to the First Ancestor, Leila.”
“Even if you tried to call him away now, he wouldn't leave.”
There was a hint of bitterness in her voice that she hadn't even noticed herself.
Leon gave a cold laugh.
“A lecture? Giving a lecture to an ancestor who has lived for a thousand years?”
“Do you really think we’ll believe such a lie?”
Lilian did not argue; she simply snapped her fingers.
A hidden door on the side of the hall was pushed open.
Bell walked out from within.
He was still wearing the black suit, his left arm in the sling.
In his hand, he held a stack of parchment covered in physics formulas.
Leila followed behind him, carrying a thick pile of books with an extremely respectful attitude.
She looked entirely like a dedicated student.
Leon’s cold laugh froze on his face.
Margaret sucked in a breath of cold air.
The First Ancestor was actually following behind Bell like a lackey.
Seeing Bell, Tia immediately ran over to him.
“Bell!”
She stopped in front of him, looking him up and down, inspecting the bandages.
Liquid Mithril condensed at her fingertips, ready at any moment to cut through the fabric to check his wounds.
Bell used his right hand to press down on Tia’s head, gently ruffling her hair.
“I’m fine, it was just an act.”
He turned to look at Margaret and Leon.
“You’ve come at a good time.”
“Regarding the next phase of the plan, we need to redeploy.”
Bell gestured with the parchment in his hand.
“I have essentially mastered the core logic of Blood Source Magic.”
Lilian stood on the steps, watching Bell as he was surrounded by Tia and Margaret.
That invisible thread tightened around her heart once more.
Bell turned, his gaze crossing the hall to look directly at Lilian.
“Your Majesty, we need to talk privately about the details of the guard deployment.”
His voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable authority.
Lilian straightened her back.
“Very well.”
She turned and walked toward the reception hall in the back.
The heavy metal doors of the hall slowly swung shut.
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