After realising that Mary herself had stepped into the auction, Victor formed a simple, almost predatory plan... let her outbid everyone, let her drown in her own pride, and quietly drain her wealth... like a silent black hole swallowing light.
The idea should have been clean, effortless.
Yet, what caught him off guard was Amaraâs sudden announcement, granting 2 million units freely to each Empire.
It only fueled Victor further, pushing him to toy with Mary even more.
And so he did... nudging her bids, disturbing her rhythm just enough to keep her climbing higher.
Strangely, she fell right into it, almost willingly, as if chasing something far beyond the auction itself.
Sniff... sniff...
The faint sound of suppressed sobbing broke through the heavy silence of the chamber. The grand hall, once filled with competitive tension, now stood nearly empty, leaving behind only Mary... and Amara, who stood poised, her composed smile unwavering as she awaited payment.
Maryâs fingers curled slightly, nails pressing into her palm as she bit her lower lip, her voice trembling despite her attempt to steady it.
"C-Can you... Perhaps give me a discount?"
Amara tilted her head ever so slightly, "Empress Bloody Mary, as you are well aware, this is an auction. The amount you bid is the amount you are required to pay for the product."
Maryâs lips quivered, "W-What about... some form of credit?"
Amaraâs smile remained, "Empress Bloody Mary... we do not operate on credit."
A quiet groan escaped Mary as she turned her face slightly, biting her lip harder.
âOne trillion Zenith... Thatâs insane... Morgana will kill me if she finds out I spent that kind of amount...â
Her gaze returned to Amara, softening into something almost pleading.
Yet Amara did not budge. She simply stood there, waiting for the full payment as if time itself answered to her.
Behind the podium, half-hidden in the dim lighting, a lone figure in a perfectly fitted black suit observed everything from beginning to end.
***
Outside the company building... Workers moved back and forth, carrying heavy containers, while Julian directed them, overseeing the separation of the 2,000,000 units allocated to each Empire.
Boxes were loaded one after another into waiting carriages, the wooden wheels creaking under the growing weight.
The group had received their share, yet they were still dissatisfied.
Mary had claimed the entire container.
"Maybe... we should have pushed harder for it..." Aqualina muttered.
Several others nodded in agreement, their gazes slowly drifting toward Victor.
There was an unspoken understanding among them... had he given a single word, a single signal, they would have poured their resources into the bid without hesitation, regardless of the cost it might bring later.
But he had remained silent.
Victor simply shrugged, his expression calm, almost indifferent.
"We received 2,000,000 units free of cost... That alone holds more value than anything we could have spent chasing the rest."
His tone was flat, but his eyes were elsewhere, fixed on Julian... and the young man assisting him.
The man carried himself with quiet confidence.
âWho is that...?â
Victor narrowed his gaze slightly, âAh... right. Rosavereâs fiancĂ©. But what is he doing here?â
As if on cue, Julian finished giving his instructions and began walking toward the group, the young man following closely behind him.
Both stopped a few steps away and bowed their heads respectfully.
"We have finished loading everything into your carriages," Julian said with a hint of pride.
Before he could continue, the young man lightly nudged him from the side. Julian flinched ever so slightly, then gave a small nod, as if reminded of something important.
Clearing his throat, the old man straightened.
"Also... if you donât mind, allow me to introduce someone important."
He gestured toward the young man beside him, his expression brightening.
"My future son-in-law... Henry Walt."
Everyoneâs brows lifted almost in unison.
"Oh? Then it seems heâll soon be handling the Rosavere Company," Aqualina remarked with mild surprise as her gaze settled on the young man.
Henry stepped forward, straightening his posture before giving a respectful nod, "Thank you for your gracious words, Princess Aqualina. I am still in the learning phase, so I have much to understand before I can take on such responsibility."
Everyone nodded acknowledgement, but then a short, sharp laugh cut through the air.
"Pfft! Is that why you tried to run away?"
Every head turned instantly toward... Thalia, her words landing without hesitation or restraint.
Of course, everyone noticed it when he tried to escape, but they werenât low enough to point it out.
Henryâs face flushed deep red.
His lips parted as he struggled to form a response, his hands tightening slightly at his sides.
"I-I did not run away... I... I... wasâ"
While Henry struggled to maintain his dignity before the rulers,
âAether...â
A voice, soft yet clear, echoed within Victorâs mind.
âIs this alright? Hiding from the others?â
Celestiaâs voice carried a quiet concern as her attention lingered on the ongoing transaction between the pitiful Mary and the visibly pleased Amara.
Victor exhaled slowly, his expression remaining unchanged as he responded inwardly.
âYes.â
There was a brief pause before his thoughts continued.
âI know Iâm hiding it from everyone... but thereâs a reason.â
His gaze lifted, settling on the elegant name board above the building entrance.
âWe still donât understand her abilities, Celes. Rosavere... that company has endured through changing rulers, shifting powers, empires... yet it continues to thrive.â
His eyes narrowed slightly.
âAnd according to your report, it didnât just survive. It flourished the moment Amara Rosavere took control.â
âWe donât have the luxury of being careless. Thatâs why Lackey must remain separate.â
Celestiaâs voice turned curious,
âWhat do you mean?â
as she caught sight of Amara, who approached with an expression glowing with satisfaction after receiving the massive transaction.
He folded his arms slowly,
âThereâs something about her that doesnât sit right with me. She managed to establish connections with the Terra Empire... and even Mary is dancing in her palm.â
âIt feels less like a coincidence and more like control. As if everything is unfolding exactly how she wants... or worse... how she already foresaw.â
Celestiaâs tone dipped,
âYou think she might have an ability like Delphine? To see the future?â
Victor let out a quiet breath.
âNot exactly. I wonât jump to that conclusion... but I canât rule it out either.â
His fingers curled slightly against his arm.
âMost rely on Arcane energy to manifest their weapons. But there are exceptions... weapons that donât require Arcane energy at all. or even bloodline ability that still could be usedâ
His eyes darkened faintly.
âWhat if hers is one of those?â
A flicker of memory surfaced... The encounter with Vesperine, who escaped through the portal.
That mistake cost so many lives!!
Victorâs expression hardened before he shook the thought away.
âItâs too dangerous to gamble blindly.â
Celestia processed his words,
âSo youâre saying we isolate Lackey completely... present him as nothing more than a mysterious partner who only deals with Amara and the Rosavere Company?â
Victorâs response came without hesitation,
âExactly. Lackey exists for that purpose alone. Thereâs no need for the world to know anything beyond that.â
There was a brief pause before Celestia spoke again, her tone shifting toward curiosity.
âThen what about the container we lost to Mary? Doesnât that count as our loss?â
Even as she spoke, she continued her external conversation with Amara, discussing payment details and the share allocated to Mr. Lackey.
Inside, Victorâs lips curved into a faint, knowing smile.
âAbout that...â
A quiet confidence slipped into his voice, almost playful beneath the strategy.
âDonât worry. Iâve already thought of something... interesting.â
âIn fact... weâre going to have very cheap.â
Celestia paused
â...Cheap?â
***
Soon, everything was over.
Mary, her face drained of pride and hardened into quiet defeat, returned to the Empire only to be met with fury. Her sister did not hold back.
Words lashed sharper than bloody blades, followed by blows that left no room for dignity, punishing her relentlessly for wasting one trillion.
As the night crept closer, stretching shadows across the land like slow-spreading ink.
Victor stepped through the palace gates and made his way down the dim corridors.
Once inside his room, he removed his mask, then peeled away the illusion layered over his presence.
The air seemed to shift as his true self settled back into place.
He lowered himself onto the edge of the bed, exhaled slowly, and closed his eyes, his fingers pressing briefly against his temple.
Now to deal with that thing inside his blood.
His consciousness drifted slowly.
In the Twin Domains:
Aether stood far from the vast blood ocean, its surface writhing and folding as if alive, restrained by chains that stretched and compressed the blood ocean to hold it together.
He turned his head toward Grace, who remained seated within the cage.
"I was in a tight situation before. I had to leave urgently..."
"There is no need to explain... I am nothing more than a prisoner here," Grace replied, her tone flat and indifferent, her eyes never shifting toward him.
Aether watched her in silence for a few seconds.
Then he spoke again,
" Alucard Xalâthren... isnât he the one killed by Mary Scarlet? Hundreds of years ago... if I remember correctly?"
Grace paused, her lashes lowering slightly as if searching through fragments of memory. Then she gave a small nod.
"Indeed... she killed him."
"Then how is he alive? In my blood?" Aether stepped closer to the cage.
Graceâs fingers brushed lightly against the cold bars of the cage as she spoke, her voice quieter now.
"Thatâs something even I donât know... All this time, I believed he was truly dead." Her gaze shifted toward the violent crimson ocean, where waves rose and collapsed.
"Yet here he is... resting within blood itself... a clever bastard, no different from the rest of the assholes," she muttered, a flicker of something old and bitter passing through her expression.
Aether exhaled sharply and shook his head, "I donât get it... How does someone even exist in blood? I mean... I took blood from Liaâ"
"Wait." Graceâs head snapped toward him, her composure cracking for the first time. "Lia? You mean Aurelia Scarlet?" Her voice carried clear shock now, eyes widened in disbelief.
Aether gave a short nod, "Yes. She offered me her blood."
Grace blinked, once, then again, as if trying to process what she had just heard.
"What? You drank a vampireâs blood? Just like that?"
"Letâs... leave that part for later. I know itâs my fault. But right now, that doesnât matter. What matters is this... how the fuck is he alive inside my blood, and how do I get rid of him?"
Grace let out a slow, frustrated breath, dragging a hand across her face before speaking again.
"I canât believe this... You willingly drank the blood of a primordial vampire." She shook her head, "Wait... donât tell me you were trying to become a vampire. Is that why you drank it?"
"...I told you, it wasnât planned." Aetherâs voice lowered, "It happened in the moment. I lost control and... I fucked up. I know that. But I need answers."
Grace studied him for a second, then sighed, "I wish I had those answers," she admitted.
"This is the first time Iâve ever seen primordial blood being devoured by another primordial. And even that alone shouldnât have been possible. Yet it happened... right in front of me." Her gaze drifted again to the restless ocean.
"It has never happened before. So tell me... what exactly do you expect me to say? Because even I donât understand how he survived all this time."
Aether clicked his tongue softly, âShould I remove the chains and let Log run the diagnosis?â he thought, but... hesitated.
What if that Primordial had taken hold of the blood itself... and through it, controlled his body?
That vampire had been ancient, far beyond ordinary comprehension. Who knew what kind of hidden methods it possessed, what kind of contingencies it had buried within its own essence?
âLog told me it devoured the blood... and Grace said the demonic essence still remains in my blood as a characteristic of what I absorbed...â Aetherâs thoughts moved quickly, threading fragments together.
"Come to think of it... Thalia told me she acquired the Primordial Phoenix Bloodline. But it was always there, dormant within her blood, never activated until the day I forced her to fight for her life." His voice slowed and was thoughtful,
"She even said she spoke with blood itself... like it had a will of its own. Like everyone lying through the blood?"
Aetherâs eyes drifted toward the chains binding the restless ocean below. The crimson waves reflected faintly against his pupils,
"Huh..." he murmured, quieter now, as if testing the idea before fully accepting it.
"So the Primordial progenitor of a species... doesnât just pass down power. Its essence... its soul... lingers within the blood itself?"
Grace raised her eyebrows slightly, considering his words before giving a slow nod.
"Itâs plausible," she said with a careful tone,
"But not in the way youâre thinking." She paused, her fingers lightly gripping the cage rod, "Maybe fragments... impressions... core memories etched into the bloodline." She shook her head faintly.
"But one thing is certain... Itâs not the soul."
Aetherâs brows drew together, scepticism surfacing immediately.
"How can you be so sure about that?" he asked, "You just said you didnât fully understand this yourself. Now youâre certain itâs not the soul?"
Grace didnât answer.
Aether let out a quiet breath, "Iâ"
"I was the one who destroyed his soul with my own hands."
"Huh?"
Aetherâs eyes widened as he turned toward her fully.
Grace met his gaze without hesitation, her eyes cold.
There was no pride in her voice, no regret either, only a quiet finality.
"Thatâs the deal I made with... Mary Scarlet in exchange for Aurelia Scarletâs soul."