Everyone around was silent, not knowing where to begin speaking. Finally, after so many years searching for the body of the first, they were close to achieving their plans. Sanguis took a step forward, wanting to know immediately.
"Young Sylas, where is he?"
"Before anything else, Master Belthar would like to ask one more thing..."
"Lord Belthar may ask for anything, so there is no need to be timid."
It was clear how much Sanguis wanted to know where the body was—not just him, but the others as well. These vampires wanted that body because they had found a legendary item that transferred all of someone's power into oneself, only once. Depending on the difference in level, the gain could be small. For example, from Circle One to Nine, you would only receive up to your own level.
Since all the council were Circle Eight, they could advance to Nine, potentially creating a third most powerful being. At first, the one who made this plan was the Circle Nine, Draven Morcant, who would use it to evolve, being the most important councilor and the one giving orders to the others. The only problem with this plan was that he trusted too much that they would obey his orders to deliver it to him.
'It's quite possible they'll betray each other to ascend. That will anger Draven, but they don't fear him much anymore since they could reach the same level.'
"He wants you to eliminate some Circle Eight humans with high potential."
"We will gladly do so, young Sylas."
"Good. I will tell my master that the negotiations went well..."
Taking out a letter, he handed it to the four councilors. Inside were the names and magic of their opponents. These people were dangerous and could cause great trouble. There weren't many—only three.
"At the bottom is the location of the body. It is where the body of our Lord is being prepared as a vessel for some disgusting being."
"What? Who dares do this to our first vampire?"
"This is an offense!"
'As if you truly cared about that...'
These vampires only wanted nothing to happen to the body. They didn't care at all about the disrespect shown to Zerathis, since they themselves didn't respect him—thinking his emotions made him weak, even feeling contempt for him.
[Bunch of idiots]
"The master also asks that you eliminate everyone from that cult, leaving no survivors."
"Very well, we shall go immediately once the blood hunters return."
"Excellent. Now I will meet with my master and leave everything in your hands."
Waving to them, Sylas noticed Malakar's fists tightening so hard that blood dripped out. He smiled faintly, for it must have been terrible for someone so arrogant toward the weak, someone who sought approval, to be overshadowed by a Rank E vampire—someone he considered beneath him.
'Besides, he must have realized that I'm a "follower" of one of the first vampires. Knowing him well, when he returns home, he'll destroy everything in sight.'
"Let's go, Corvina."
"Yes, master."
Sylas glanced at the vampire who seemed to be Malakar's brother, for some reason feeling he knew him—but not from the original story, since that one never really appeared.
When the two left, the four councilors turned to see their grandsons. Some were dead, which disappointed a few of them. Others, who expected nothing, simply ignored it.
"Mortalis, clear out all this trash."
"Yes, sir."
The guard who had been saved by Sylas bowed and summoned the other guards to help. Sanguis passed by his grandson with a look of disappointment.
"I left that girl in your care, even when I saw you playing with her. But it seems you were a disappointment. Luckily young Sylas came with the message of our Lord."
He walked past his grandson without even a flicker of emotion, while Malakar clenched his fists, bleeding. He had worked so hard for that one chance given by his grandfather, and yet that "trash" managed to become the servant of one of the firsts? He could not believe his plan to become a councilor was slipping away.
'All of this is because of that damned girl who escaped. Thanks to her, that trash appeared. I can't let this pass.'
Stepping away, he left for another part of the city, unnoticed by the other vampires. He would eliminate the two, but first he would accept his younger brother's proposal. Arriving home, he kicked everything in his path, heading for a room. It was his brother's, who had left as soon as their grandfather arrived.
"Vladimir, open the door. I accept your proposal."
The door opened immediately, and that young vampire stepped out. Looking at his furious brother, he raised an eyebrow, wondering what had happened. Seeing the doubt, Malakar explained everything.
"Hehehehe... is that serious? You actually got scolded by the old man?"
Entering the room, he found everything in disarray and smelled rotting corpses. Covering his nose, he saw a pile of drained bodies near the open window.
"If you're done eating, give them to the servants to take out."
"I'll throw them later. You know I like watching corpses rot."
Vladimir lay down and yawned. His plan was simple—steal the sacred item and use it on his older brother, so they could then escape and live as they pleased in another continent. Of course, they would be executed if caught, but he wanted to feast as much as he desired.
'I wish I could see his body rot too, but we'd both die before anything else.'
As his brother kicked the corpses out the window in disgust, a memory surfaced in his mind. On the ground, he had once seen his own blood, clutching his throat while looking at a man leaning against the wall, laughing while crying.
"What a bad ending."
"Your judgment is not over."
Remembering those final words spoken by that man before both of them died, and the words he heard before closing his eyes, he stood up, recalling the boy his brother always called "trash."
"What's the name of the boy who troubled you?"
"Don't tell me you're interested in him too. I'm warning you now—I'll kill you if you take one step back."
He already knew his brother's plan—he must have accepted it to become stronger, flee, and then return to seize everything by force once he felt strong enough.
"I won't take a step back... it's just that I feel like I know him from somewhere."
"Well, you're both at the same level, so maybe you're just recognizing someone equal."
Choosing to ignore his brother's contempt for his level, Vladimir looked out the window, thinking of that bond he had in his past life.
'Don't worry... it's been 15 years since your death. There's no way Saul is here...'