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The next day, Mikael woke up with a smile on his lips, feeling refreshed after a night of pleasant dreams. He got up from the bunk bed and stretched.

Then he opened the door of his room and came across his two subordinates Lara and Drake, who were waiting for him in the hallway. They seemed worried about him, as they were very sensitive to his emotions.

Good morning, Mikael! Are you okay? - asked Lara, with a sweet and melodious voice. She was a skilled healer, who after all that training, was able to feel the pains of others and heal them with her hands.

Her red eyes reflected affection and concern. She had started to be less formal with Mikael after he asked for less formality between him and the generals.

Mikael liked Lara, because she was kind and gentle. He looked directly into her eyes and answered with a kind smile:

Yes, I'm great. Why do you ask? It's because you seemed a bit sad and disturbed yesterday, after the meeting with the generals and the vampires. We were worried about you - said Drake, with a serious expression. He was Mikael's right-hand man and best friend.

Oh, don't worry about that. I was just a little nostalgic, thinking about the past. But I had a very good dream today, that made me feel better - explained Mikael, without going into details. He didn't want to tell them that he had dreamed of sweet memories of his previous world.

I'm glad you're happy, Mikael. We want your well-being - said Lara, hugging him affectionately. Yes, we do. But we also want you to prepare for the difficulties that will come on our journey. Let's go train - said Drake, changing the subject.

Mikael spent the next few days dedicating himself to his training along with all the generals and the rest of the vampires who started their training with the generals. He knew that the training would be a unique opportunity to strengthen his empire and avoid future tragedies.

He practiced his fighting and magic skills daily. He started to use a part of Alfred's laboratory to learn alchemy, where he mixed ingredients and created basic potions. He relied on Alfred's help, who had a basic knowledge in this area.

He also used the underground arena of the palace as a training field, where he tested his powers and his weapons.

He relied on Lara and Drake's help. Lara took care of his wounds and his well-being, using her healing abilities. She also taught him about the medicinal properties of plants and herbs that she had learned from Alfred. Drake trained with him and challenged him, using his combat skills.

Mikael felt stronger and more confident every day. He was determined to lead his empire to prosperity and protect those he loved.

When there were only four days left for the tournament, on a clear moonlit night, Mikael gathered his generals and instructed them to capture animal species with high reproduction rate and docile temperament.

He explained that these animals would be used as a source of blood in case of emergency, as Alfred's guinea pigs could not occupy that place. The blood of common animals was the most inferior, but in times of emergencies everything served. The blood of magical beasts was a good substitute after the elves. Human blood was the only one that could satisfy the vampiric thirst.

The hierarchy of blood quality for vampires is:

High quality: Humans

Medium quality: Elves

Poor quality: Magical beasts

Inferior quality: Common animals

Leaving the castle to explore the environment along the lands of the palace territory, which covered a good amount of land, Mikael looked at the beautiful starry sky of the night and observed the surrounding vegetation, capturing the sounds of nocturnal beasts. Satisfied, he and his companions spread out, each going in one direction.

Today is hunting day. I hope nothing unexpected happens - thought Mikael.