The carriage showed no intention of stopping.
Bell looked out the window.
The sky was completely dark.
"Do you need to rest?" Bell retracted his gaze and looked at Ed opposite him.
Ed shook his head elegantly, a constant smile on his lips.
"Lord Bell, we do not require rest."
"A vampire's body rarely feels fatigue."
Bell said no more.
He closed his eyes and began to deduce the possibilities in his mind.
Lilian had become the Queen.
This was by no means a small matter.
It meant that the power structure of the entire vampire race had undergone a world-shaking change.
And the source of all this seemed to point toward his own blood.
The carriage door was suddenly pulled open.
The petite vampire named Betty hopped in like a rabbit.
She didn't sit down, instead standing right in front of Bell.
A pair of red eyes stared at Bell without blinking.
From his hair to his forehead, to his nose, to his lips.
It was as if she were admiring a rare treasure.
"Um... Lord Bell." Betty's voice was small, carrying a hint of timidness.
Bell opened his eyes.
"Is something the matter?"
"I... can I have a taste of you?"
Betty's fingers twisted together nervously.
Bell frowned.
Before he could speak, Betty's mouth seemed to have its switch flipped.
"Just one bite! I promise, just one bite!"
"I've never smelled anything so fragrant! It's even more fragrant than the aged plasma my father has kept for hundreds of years!"
"Please! If you let me have a taste, I'll do anything!"
"I can help you clean your room! I can even warm your bed! I can tell stories, too!"
"If you don't agree, I won't leave! I'll just keep watching you! I'll watch you until you agree!"
Bell's temples began to throb.
He felt as if hundreds of flies were buzzing in his ears.
"Lord Bell, just one tiny bite. My fangs are very sharp, it won't hurt at all!"
Seeing that Bell remained silent, Betty's eyes instantly turned red.
Tears began to fall like golden beads.
"Waaaah... just let me have a taste..."
"In all my life, I've never begged anyone before..."
"Please, just have some pity on me..."
Bell took a deep breath.
He didn't want to continue dealing with this little lunatic.
He extended his left arm and held it out in front of Betty.
The crying stopped abruptly.
Betty looked up, staring at the fair arm with teary eyes.
...
Black Stone Tower.
Top floor.
Tia Astane told Leovet Victor every detail of what had happened.
Antinoia Milia and Horn Montfoss had already returned to the club with the souls.
Leovet Victor held his teacup, his finger lightly tracing the rim.
There was no expression of surprise on his face.
"Ed von Chris."
Leovet Victor set down the teacup, his voice very soft.
"A very troublesome fellow."
He stood up and walked to the window.
"Regarding this matter, go find the Dean of the Ventus Branch, Margaret."
Tia Astane was taken aback.
"What about Headmaster Griffin..."
"I will go speak with him," Leovet Victor said, turning his head slightly. "You only need to tell Margaret that Ed has returned."
"She will handle the rest."
...
The Dean's office of the Ventus Branch was filled with a faint floral scent.
A woman who looked to be in her thirties, with a gentle temperament, was holding a pair of small scissors and pruning the potted plants on the windowsill.
Margaret.
"Your Excellency, Dean."
Tia Astane bowed slightly.
Margaret turned around, a soft smile on her face.
"It's Tia. Is something the matter?"
"Bell was taken away by a vampire named Ed," Tia Astane said directly.
The smile on Margaret's face froze instantly.
The scissors in her hand fell to the floor.
They made a crisp clattering sound.
"Who... did you say?"
"Ed von Chris."
Margaret's face turned pale at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"I would like to ask you to take action and rescue Bell," Tia Astane said, her tone firm.
Margaret bent down and picked up the scissors.
Her fingers were trembling slightly.
"I will not go."
She turned around, her back to Tia Astane.
Her voice was as cold as ice.
"I do not wish to see that man ever again."
Tia Astane frowned.
"Why?"
"Because he abandoned me," Margaret said, her voice tinged with a hint of irrepressible hatred.
Tia Astane was silent for a moment.
She stepped forward.
"That is your past."
"But Bell is my present."
"If you will not take action."
Tia Astane looked up, her deep blue eyes showing no sign of backing down.
"If you will not take action, then I will go myself."
Margaret's shoulders trembled slightly as she faced away from Tia Astane.
After a long while.
She finally let out a barely audible sigh.
"It is useless."
"You are no match for him."
"It was Instructor Leovet Victor who told me to find you."
Tia Astane's voice rang out again, devoid of any emotion.
Margaret's figure stiffened abruptly.
She slowly turned around.
On her originally pale face, a complex and unreadable expression appeared.
There was shock, realization, and finally, it all turned into a bitter smile.
She pressed her free hand to her forehead and began to laugh softly.
The laughter was full of self-deprecation and exhaustion.
"So that's how it is."
"That fellow... he still loves to plot against people."
She looked up at Tia Astane.
"He wants to use this matter to force me to settle that old grievance."
Tia Astane did not respond, only watching her quietly.
"Is that man named Ed very strong?"
"Very strong."
Margaret nodded, a flicker of wariness in her eyes.
"But compared to Leovet Victor, he is far from it."
"Then why doesn't he go himself?"
Tia Astane asked the greatest question in her heart.
The bitter smile on Margaret's face deepened.
"Silly child."
"Who do you think Leovet Victor is?"
She walked to the window, looking at the lush forest outside.
"That man is not permitted to leave the Royal Capital."
"Because he is too strong."
"So strong that among all the humanoid races, he cannot find a single opponent."
"If I had to say..."
Margaret's voice paused, as if she were searching for a suitable reference.
"Only the legendary Star Dragon King can stand beside him."
Tia Astane's pupils contracted slightly.
"Since he has said so."
Margaret turned around and gently placed the scissors on the desk.
"Then I shall make the trip."
...
The Dean's office of the Aqua Branch.
Headmaster Griffin sat behind his massive desk, fingers interlaced, his expression solemn.
"Leovet Victor has already told me everything."
He looked at Margaret and Tia Astane before him and spoke in a deep voice.
"Let that boy Leon Wolfgang go along as well."
"That child needs more experience."
Margaret nodded.
She turned to leave.
"Margaret."
Headmaster Griffin called out to her.
Margaret stopped and looked back at him.
"Whatever needs to be done, do it without hesitation."
"The academy is behind you."
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