"Bring Marcus to me," Vlad said calmly as he walked up to Viktor.
Viktor nodded without hesitation.
"Verona," Vlad called.
As soon as he spoke, before the vampire lords could react—
A graceful figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
"So fast… Where did she come from?"
All they had seen was a brief blur, and the woman was already standing in the center of the hall.
What that meant was obvious.
"It means… if she wanted to kill us, she could do it effortlessly!" The vampire lords paled, exchanging uneasy glances.
"Master~," Verona greeted sweetly.
Vlad nodded with a smile. "Verona, accompany Viktor on this task."
Verona nodded and turned toward Viktor.
Viktor's expression stiffened with fear, but the moment he clearly saw her face, he blurted out in shock, "Princess Verona~!"
The other lords, who had been staring at the mysterious figure with confusion, immediately froze at his outburst.
"Princess?"
Only the neighboring kingdom of Transylvania had a princess—and that was Verona~!
As the vampire lords got a better look at her elegant figure, they turned their eyes back to Vlad. In that moment, a terrifying possibility crossed their minds—this man might be about to change the world.
As the idea took root, their breathing grew rapid.
Even Amelia, who had already submitted and stood silently behind Vlad, couldn't help but feel flushed as she looked at him.
Power, war, honor, ambition—such desires were not reserved for men alone.
As one of the rare noblewomen with real authority, Amelia was no stranger to this fire.
Vlad paid no attention to their thoughts. His gaze shifted slowly to the remaining three vampire lords.
"If you wish to submit to me, show your sincerity," Vlad said lightly, stopping before the table.
Sincerity?
The three exchanged glances. It was clear he was demanding more than just words—he wanted a full pledge of allegiance.
"Your Highness," said the burly, middle-aged vampire from earlier, "I'm willing to offer fifty percent of my territory's income for the past three years, and thirty percent of all income going forward. As long as Your Highness commands, the Veroan family will follow you~!"
His quick response showed he wasn't someone to be underestimated.
As Viscount Veroan finished, the other two lords quickly followed suit, understanding the situation.
Seeing that the three still had some sense, Vlad sneered.
"Do you think I care about such petty money, hmm~?"
The lords stiffened, their expressions fearful.
But Vlad suddenly changed the subject. "Just hand all of it over to… hmm, Amelia for now."
He turned slightly toward Amelia, whose eyes were filled with heated fear, then added:
"I have a task for you—tame as many werewolves as possible to serve me. And more than that…"
"Drive the wolf plague outward. Spread it into the territories ruled by the Holy See~!!"
At that moment, the entire hall seemed to be wrapped in an oppressive darkness.
With a chorus of quickened breathing, everyone dropped to their knees, eagerly accepting the command.
An overwhelming excitement surged in their hearts—gone was the instinctive fear they once felt when the name Holy See was mentioned.
Now, under Vlad's suffocating aura, his image grew larger and more divine. Though they had never seen a god, it didn't matter—because in this moment, Vlad was a god to them.
With such a powerful figure behind them, the vampire lords became emboldened.
In their minds, if anything went wrong, Vlad would handle it.
At worst, they could always rely on him for protection. That's why they were so thrilled, even as they trembled under his terrifying power.
Vlad looked at the scene before him with satisfaction. Having achieved the effect he wanted, he slowly withdrew the immense pressure he had unleashed.
He didn't even glance at the vampire lords who collapsed to the ground the moment the pressure was gone.
"Since you've received your orders," he said, "go carry them out immediately."
"Whoever performs well, I will not be stingy with rewards.
"Even~ the power of a high-ranking bloodline."
At these words, a spark of fiery ambition lit up the lords' eyes, and they became visibly more energized.
They thought back to Vlad's terrifying pressure—to how, with a single look, dozens of vampire warriors had dropped dead.
Then they remembered Princess Verona and the blinding speed she had shown just moments ago.
Even if they couldn't reach Vlad's level, perhaps they could reach Verona's.
Watching the excited vampire lords leave, a wicked smile tugged at the corner of Vlad's lips.
Now that he'd demonstrated his overwhelming power, it was time to offer them a taste of reward.
Carrot and stick—the eternal truth.
These time-tested strategies, passed down through the ages, were effective in every era and every world.
Suddenly, Amelia spoke up. "Master."
Vlad noticed the hesitation in her voice and frowned slightly. "What is it? Speak~"
"Master~ Though the werewolves still have the ability to infect humans, the infection rate has become very low."
"If we want the wolf plague to spread on a large scale again, we must release William. Let him expand their numbers first."
Amelia spoke carefully, her tone respectful and measured.
Vlad looked at her with some surprise, his eyes gleaming with appreciation.
"Not bad. Very good."
Hearing his praise, Amelia's eyes lit up with excitement.
"What reward would you like? I can give it to you," Vlad continued.
Amelia's breath quickened. She instinctively wanted to say, I want more power.
But just as she was about to speak, a different thought occurred to her. She changed her answer:
"I want to serve my master forever. Please grant Amelia this opportunity."
As she spoke, Amelia dropped to the floor, pressing her lips to his feet in the ancient gesture of loyalty and submission.
Looking at the proud, cold countess—once elegant and untouchable—now kneeling before him in obedience…
Vlad felt a surge of dark desire. A desire to conquer. To destroy.
Especially when he saw that no matter how submissive Amelia became, her naturally cold and aloof face remained the same.
That icy defiance only made his urge to break her even stronger.