Pleading golden eyes and the reason for victory

Mortis and Merlin were called into the arena along with other qualifiers, while those who had to leave the tournament used the underground exit, the "Corridor of Shame". After the battles, everyone slowly left the Colosseum while the two made their way to pick up Melissa from the Nobles' Lounge. On the way, they chatted and Mortis asked about the spell Merlin had used against the vampire in the last round.

"That spell is called '101 Arcane Needles', but I toned it down and only wanted to sink 99 into him. The 100th would have robbed his manhood. The 101st needle would have gone so deep into his brain that he would probably have gone insane from the pain. But I'm not that cruel - or let's put it this way - it wasn't necessary yet," Merlin grinned. Mortis fell silent, while others who had overheard held their own or wondered whether the two humans were actually monsters.

In the lounge, Melissa immediately threw her arms around Merlin's neck, while some of the nobles tried to strike up a conversation with Mortis. Mortis didn't feel like it, but the buffet was still laid out. So he took a plate and tried to memorize the names and faces of those who introduced themselves.

Mortis and Merlin were just about to sit down to eat when the lounge suddenly went quiet. The organizer came in with his son and daughter Xenovia, the main prize, to thank them for coming. "There will probably be more tomorrow," said the Count as he looked around. However, when he saw Mortis, who wanted to sit down but did not do so in order to greet his host, the count said: "Sit down, sir. You have fought excellently today. I don't want to disturb your meal. After all, the night is still long and I would like to talk to you. You are welcome to be our guest of honor."

Mortis nodded and sat down. His stomach growled with hunger and now he could finally devote himself to his meal. But Xenovia unexpectedly moved and took a seat at Mortis' table. She seemed to want to say something, but when Mortis looked up from his plate and into her eyes, she didn't make a sound. She was astonished at the sight of Mortis. Mortis wondered what the count's daughter wanted from him. But as she said nothing, he continued to eat, although he was also captivated by her golden eyes. With her turquoise hair, she looked like a ray of sunshine in the dark forest. Mortis wondered if she really was a vampire, because apart from the pale skin, there was hardly anything to suggest it. Now he could understand the many suitors vying for her.

When Mortis had finished eating, he started talking to Xenovia, who was still just staring at him without making a sound. "Young lady, it seems you had something to say when you came to this table. Now that I am receptive, what is it that you want?"

"I... I want you to win the tournament so I can be by your side. I don't know why, but I feel like I can just be myself without making any big changes. After all, you have a lot of women, and if there's a rotten egg in there, you can handle it better than other men who have to do a lot of chores."

"So you're telling me that you're lazy and don't mind being considered more of a trophy, standing at the back and watching everything go by?"

"That's right, King Mortis. But it's also for a reason. If you win, I will gladly tell you that I only bring advantages. So fight to the last for me, because it's a win that only benefits you." Xenovia stood up, winked at him and left the lounge at her own pace to laze around in her room before she had to go through the hell tour again tomorrow. Even if it doesn't matter so much now to make herself pretty when she achieves what she wants, she is happy to make the sacrifice of having her make-up done.

Merlin laughed and said, "It looks like you've got a knack for finding the women who aren't normal - whether quirky or workaholic. You always find something that's not normal, but there have been worse deals than a countess who just wants to be pampered."

"Hmm, I wanted to fight either way, and losing doesn't suit me. But whether she can really only lie if I send her to the others, I hardly think so. All my women are hardworking, although I'm curious about her secret. Well, we'll see. Maybe I'll get knocked out in the first round and then the little mouse will pick one. But it was too late, as she has to wear someone else's ring."

"I have skills that the others don't know about and can't handle. And you are a hero. Even if the stats are the same, they can't beat us at all," Merlin whispered with a sinister smile.

"I just didn't want to state the obvious," Mortis replied, smiling darkly back.

Melissa was thrilled to see her husband and her friend laughing so confidently in the lounge as if they were already celebrating victory. Some noble vampires were eager to hear what the humans were discussing, while others could barely stand the arrogance of the two. The count and the organizer then approached the table to invite Mortis to stay with them, as it would be a disgrace if a king had to spend the night in an inn. Besides, the count had nothing against werewolves and also offered Melissa and Merlin a room. Mortis gladly accepted the invitation and followed the count to his castle.

Merlin explained a few rules to Melissa that she would now have to follow. He also told her that when she was with him, she would be assigned a teacher of etiquette. Although he liked her clinging to his arm, this behavior was frowned upon in public. He didn't want to put on a circus and kept giving little tips on how she could do better.

Mortis said, "You see, Melissa, Lia has training in etiquette too, like all my women. That's normal, so don't worry. Everyone can do it. My daughters and my son are learning it too. So, take it one step at a time. Don't get nervous. When we're out in the wild, you can be whatever you want. But there are special rules at court."

"Who is Lina?" asked Melissa. "That's the only thing you're interested in from the conversation? It's Merlin's third wife."

"Oh, a sister! That's nice. I'd like to meet the others soon too," said Melissa happily.

"Unconcerned, it seems, but they'll all love to meet you, I'm sure," Merlin said. He wasn't looking forward to it, thinking about going to Bamberg with Melissa. If Opera was nice to others and never let them see through her mask, Merlin knew he was in for a rough time.

The Count could roughly understand what the situation was like. Merlin's face spoke volumes as he was glad that his wives were all truly lovely. Even his son already had a second wife, but the first didn't mind. However, there were women and men who wanted to have a partner just for themselves. In the count's eyes, however, having a woman for just one man was for those who didn't have the means to feed several through winters and hard times. But as an earl, he had no problems and wondered why this wizard would take such a woman who wore a mask. Powerful ones should, in his opinion, procreate as often as possible, which he was unfortunately denied, as vampires already had difficulty fathering children and he was apparently down on his luck.

However, when he thought of Xenovia and how much energy it cost him and the women, including the birth mother, he was no longer quite so sad and eagerly showed the guests to their room.