The Underground Prison

Arthur could not remember reading any novels that had mentioned a Royal Blood Ritual.

Ern realized his assessment was correct based on the boy's confused facial expression.

The boy truly did not understand what a Royal Blood Ritual meant.

Arthur at this point was recalling back to what had happened and presumed the act of drinking blood must be what a 'Royal Blood Ritual' was as for its meaning he still had no idea.

However, he was feeling a sinking feeling remembering what Scarlet and Violet had called him before he had fainted.

"D-d-darling"

"Hubby"

As Arthur started blushing with his head lowered, Ern, Lynn, and Elaine smiled, deciding it would be best to let Scarlet and Violet explain what a Royal Blood Ritual means for Royal Vampires once they have awoken.

After silently coming to a collective decision, Ern interrupted the furiously blushing Arthur from his thoughts.

"Arthur my boy, come let us eat. You must be quite hungry from everything you have experienced these few days." Ern said, gesturing toward the circular four person dining table.

"Darling is correct. Arthur dear, come eat, if there is anything you dislike please let us know."

"Is there something that you like in particular? We can have the chefs prepare it for you."

Still, with a slight blush, Arthur shook his head, "Uncle, Aunt Lynn, and Aunt Elaine, I am sure that the food would be unlike anything I have ever tasted."

How can a burger be comparable to food cooked for Royals?

Arthur had never even been to a one star Michelin Restaurant before.

As for the unknown foods he was currently dining on, it felt too good for his commoner mouth.

Luckily, he knew how to use a knife and fork or else he would have embarrassed himself.

The only problem was Arthur had forgotten Royal Etiquette was not as simple as being able to eat with a knife and fork.

Fortunately, Ern, Lynn, and Elaine saved him from further embarrassment knowing he would not be accustomed to Royal Etiquette due to his background.

Not that they cared, in all honesty, they preferred to eat without such tedious rules.

Ern in particular when not in a Royal setting, the same as his older brother, would eat with his hands not even using cutlery.

Lynn and Elaine, on the other hand, just like their daughters, would at least use a knife and fork, unlike their barbaric husbands.

After a few minutes of eating silently, Ern placed his knife and fork down.

"Arthur my boy, do you wish to come with me to see Jeffrey's interrogation?" bringing up the topic which he originally wished to speak about.

Despite still being embarrassed, Arthur nodded.

He didn't wish to see torture, but he also knew it was necessary otherwise Jeffrey would never speak or worse give false information.

And if not for Arthur, Scarlet would have been poisoned; therefore, a small part of him wished for Jeffrey to be tortured which he knew for a fact whether he speaks the truth or not his Uncle and Aunts would never let him die easily.

"Good, for now let us enjoy our meal."

"Uncle, where is Jeffrey?" Arthur asked because he had long ago deactivated Mana Sense due to being in a house.

"Jeffrey is currently in the cells in my estate's private underground prison being watched by Quan, Ren, Jiang, and Leo so there is nothing to worry about especially with your Mana Drain making it nigh impossible for him to gather any mana."

Arthur rubbed the back of his head feeling embarrassed this time for another reason. "Actually, Uncle, it was Scarlet's idea to use Haste and Boost to increase Mana Drain's effectiveness or else Mana Drain would have been useless since a mage can gather more mana than the spell can drain."

"I am truly glad Scarlet has already started to help you."

"It seems I taught her well."

Arthur felt there was a deeper meaning in what his uncle and aunt said.

But since he didn't understand he just agreed "Without Scarlet I don't know where I would have ended up after Grandfather teleported me" before he continued eating.

Arthur truly meant what he said, Scarlet was a huge help in helping him understand the world.

====================================

Dark

Putrid

Humid

Those were the three words that best describe the underground prison.

After Arthur had finished dinner alongside his Uncle Ern, Aunt Lynn, and Aunt Elaine; his aunts went to check up on Scarlet and Violet who were currently sleeping, according to them, and Yuki who had informed him through their connection.

Uncle Ern had instead taken him to a plain white unassuming room which had made him confused until his uncle lifted up a part of the carpet showing a latch on the floor making him realize it was a trapdoor.

Creeeeeak

And that was how he found himself in a dark, putrid, and humid spiral stairwell leading to the supposed underground prison with only a lantern in his uncle's hand.

They had been walking for a solid minute with no end in sight.

He estimated they had probably gone down ten flights of stairs.

…

Finally, after another minute or so of walking and another estimated ten flights of stairs with the aid of the lantern in his uncle's hands he could barely make out a rusty looking door.

Creeeeeak

With a familiar sounding noise, Uncle Ern opened the door and the putrid smell that had been present ever since the trap door was opened increased as if the smell had originated from this place.

It was so bad Arthur had to cover his nose.

Noticing Arthur's behavior, Ern chuckled, finally breaking their silence ever since dinner ended "Hohoho, sorry Arthur my boy, in all honesty, I never thought there would come a day that my underground prison would be in use again or else I would have had it cleaned decades ago." 

Decades?

No wonder it smells like a dumpster full of dirty diapers.

Just a whiff was too much for him.

If Jeffrey was subjected to such a stench for long periods of time, forget physical torture, the stench would be enough for him to confess everything.