A welcoming embrace

With Lacilet enveloping the entire throne room in the green miasma, he began to breathe out, calming himself and looking around himself, seeing this mist making the whole room veiled. He took a deep inhale, and the fog began being sucked inside his body.

Like a vacuum cleaning some dirt, Lacilet was doing the same with this green miasma.

After he was done, he stared at himself and nodded his head, saying to himself.

"Those guys already started reading me, when I get angry. No fool got killed this time. Good, I don't have to explain to their annoying families what happened."

Turning his focus on the throne door, he said in a high tone.

"Guys came back inside, I've calmed down. You are no longer in danger of getting killed by my power."

The nobles starting from Baron Tyrell, who seemed more servient to Lacilet, began walking out toward the room, staring around and only seeing Lacilet with a cold expression on his face looking down at them from the royal throne.

They gulped their saliva down and noticed that the situation seemed bad. Only after getting closer to the throne, the nobles heard Duke Lacilet open his mouth, saying to them.

"Guys we have to summon our armies and lead a campaign against the peasants of Forsaken District, and also on the rest of the nobles who haven't signed the Council treaty of the Kaysang Rule."

"Count Blois, Count Grailly, Viscount Andrasy, Baron Cornaro, Baron Tyrell. You are my most trustful retainers when it comes to the Council. You are the starting members of this council, you have been with me since the moment the old king no longer couldn't rule the kingdom."

"Indeed, Your Grace, no, Your Majesty. If you are to ask us bring our armies from our fiefs and march on the peasants trowing their revolt I will do it gladly. Washing in blood that muddy place, it's the best response we could do. Our Union stay strong's Your Majesty, it is unfortunate that only the 5 of us are here to council you, but the rest of members would for sure agree to the call to arms." said Count Blois, a man of average stature, who had shoulder-length black hair, while matching them with luxurious clothes.

The other 4 nobles also agreed to the Count, which made Lacilet look a bit calmer at them, and in a composed tone, he said to the square-faced baron.

"Tyrell, you make sure you call every single member of the council. I want them by the end of this week to be gathered at the Royal zone, with all their available men. Also, if they say they can't get their ass from their homelands, remind them of their pledge they made at the Cathedral in front of the High Priest."

Baron Tyrell could only nod his head and wait in place for further orders, yet Lacilet just waved his hand at the nobles saying to them dismissing.

"You can start moving to your fiefs and begin gathering your men. This time we are no longer playing guys. We don't have to be delusional into thinking that those peasants haven't made improvements. Striking them while the iron is still hot could make a dent in their morale and strength and easily slaughter and subjugate them.

Also, don't forget, I've received news that the rest of the nobles who haven't joined the Noble Council support the peasants. Better said they are placing their bets on that Blood guy to take us down."

"Your Majesty, but can our armies deal with that Blood guy? That even the assassin's haven't caught him?" asked one of the nobles while looking a bit at Lacilet, which had his face turn a bit angry.

"Don't worry Andrasy, I promise you guys that I will be right there next to you, fighting this person. You guys will only have to slaughter those peasants. Now, go. Stop wasting time, when it is unknown if those guys will strike us first."

"Yes, Your Majesty." responded the nobles, quickly taking their leave from the throne room, leaving Lacilet Vestios said to himself, thinking out loud.

"If every noble in the alliance responds to the call, my army should be about 35.000 strong. But I'm sure some will not send all their men into this fight, so I will probably have about 20.000 strong men to fight this civil war."

"It's plenty enough, since those peasants should have about 10.000 able men to fight my army. And if their allies join in the war, it should be about maybe 15.000 people."

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While Lacilet was thinking, on another part of Sagletius, Winchester, who dropped the dail of the snail down, released a maniacal laugh.

This laughter made a certain person who was holding a pendant in his hand that had the picture of a beautiful young lady that looked to be in her mid-twenties frown a bit.

He was Cranfon Oliver, the leader of the Dark Union branch in South Blue.

While alone in his own world, he seemed to be a refined man. He had shoulder-length brown hair, a sharp beard along with a goatee while also wearing a pair of glasses that gave him a scholarly feeling.

He looked pleasant to the eye, not even giving him a second thought that he could be one of the most dangerous assassins of Dark Union, a golden ranked one.

Stroking the young lady's picture with a melancholic and sad expression, he said to himself as if he targeted this picture.

"Cassandra. My waiting, and yours will be soon over. I will gift you that monster's head, just so you can rest easier in heaven where you are watching over me as I continue my walk in this cursed land."

"They think of themselves as rulers and can do whatever they want? Not under the Union's watch. No. They will soon find that even their blood has red in them, just anyone else, if they think theirs is blue."

His thoughts run deep, but the annoying sound of laughter made him case thinking about his sole target, and he placed back the pendant in his shirt, staring forward and listening with his keen senses to the newcomer.

"Haha, Oliver, I bring important news. Do you want to hear them?" asked Wincester, who came inside the room, barely holding his chuckle.

"Let me guess, have you found Opheltius?"

"No, that old man has hidden himself too deep and the boys still couldn't find him, I think he is dead if you ask me, I don't even know why we are still here. But this isn't the news. Vestios is in trouble and ask us for help."

"That bastard wants help? How come he wants our help? The last time I talked with him, he seemed so certain that everything was in control." asked Oliver while looking sharply at Wincester behind his glasses lenses.

"I haven't told you, but I've lent him two boys that came from the HQ to eliminate a target, the Marine Commodore Kirin. Yet I received a call from Lacilet about this situation, I did some checks and indeed their dials no longer respond to my calls, meaning they are dead."

"Tsk, you once again kill good people over no bodies. So who killed those two because I doubt the marine guy with only some of those lousy arts lent by our masters to the marines could kill those two who left to get experience before trying to awaken their haki."

"The only speculation I have is the guy called Blood, or better let's call him little Zagreus, the boy the fat retard wanted us to eliminate."

"Him? The boy who left you in that state while fighting you without even having his haki awakened?" asked Oliver, a bit surprised by this news coming from Wincester.

"Indeed, I think it's him. But let me give you another one of my crazy thoughts, since you know I like to spew out my random thoughts."

"Sure, go ahead, it's not like we are hurrying anywhere."

Getting Oliver's confirmation, Winchester, who got to the luxurious chair facing Oliver, moved his long silver hair bothering his face and began telling Oliver with a confident tone.

"Do you still remember how Vestios with a panicked face came to us 17 years ago when we came to do the mission sent by the high master? It was with the picture of a woman around 22 years old, around the same age as your wife that he told us to target before escaping the kingdom."

"I remember, you went for her. What about it?" said Oliver, a bit colder, especially with a changed atmosphere when Wincester mentioned his late wife.

"I indeed went for her, but that whore was sneaky and managed to evade me searching for her. By the time I could see her, she was already on a ship moving out of the kingdom. However, don't think I've let her off just like this, using my [Shadow Steps] and [Sky Gaze] I could get to a decent altitude and distance to throw a needle that contained a poison worm egg."

Oliver listened to Wincester's story and looked at him as if asking with his expression, so what? Yet, he didn't ask this. Instead, he followed with an assumption.

"If you target her vital points, she should be dead in her first years since the egg incubation. However, if she is lucky, and you missed her vital points, the worm would take longer to make its effect on the host body. Still, she should be dead by now."

"That's what I was also thinking, but here comes my thought spewing. Why would Vestios be so panicked for this woman escaping. What does he desire the most and can't let anyone have it. That's right, that bastard wants to be king, but what if that woman held inside her the unborn child of the Vermilion Prince? Heh, here comes the fun Oliver, what if that boy is his son and comes for revenge?" ended Wincester with a big question after running down his theory to Oliver.

Hearing everything that Wincester had to say, Oliver's face remained cold and collected and responded in a detached manner.

"Still I don't see the problem. It doesn't concern me, I haven't killed his father or his grandfather. I only killed those annoying guards in passing."

"Yet would the boy care, Oliver? Listen, since we will also be targeted by the boy, let's take some of Vestios money before our mission here is finished. Lacilet offers 1.000.000.000 𝔅 to assist him and take care of the peasants run by the little prince."

Cranfon Oliver tapped with his finger a bit on his desk, and a small sharp incision began taking form in the shape of his fingernail.

"You know what Wincester, it is your choice. I give you this privilege, I'm no longer concerned about what is happening with the base. You are also a gold ranked member of the Union, just like me. Command them as you wish."

Wincester maintained a fake expression that seemed to be collected, but deep down, his thoughts run deep while looking at Oliver's face that remained a frigid cold.

'Did he started figuring out? No, it's been 17 years and he kept his act together, still hopping to get back to the high master side and learn the art.'

"If this is what you wish Oliver. Then I will go back to my office and confirm to Vestios the implication of Dark Union."

"Do as you wish Wincester, just don't kill our guys in a stupid way."

-

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This conversation went by fast, just like how fast Vlad's lightship moved toward Sagletius, respectively Sol's district Harbor.

Seeing the harbor in his sight, he canceled out the blood turbine that was spinning at fast speed, without bothering about Sofiya being unbalanced since she was inside the cabin.

Steering the ship manually until reaching the wooden platform, he used his blood powers to activate the anchor mechanism that dropped it just in time before the ship could touch the wooden platform.

Moving toward the cabin, he noticed that it was closed from inside. The curiosity began running in him and activating his blood powers. He looked at a small gap in the wooden door to see Sofiya holding something in her arms while also panicking about Vlad, who tried the door to enter inside.

"Immediately. Just some seconds and I'm out." said the young lady from the cabin.

"We have arrived home, my lady. We will go straight home and check on Robert and the others, after that I will hold a meeting with all leaders of the city and also the ones from Dawn."

Ending saying that Vlad got away from the door and waited a brief moment for Sofiya to open the door and say to him.

"Help me out with the bags. Huh, who would think that buying too many dresses would make me look so pathetic. Help me out, don't just stare at me like this, aren't you my gentleman?" asked Sofiya while her hands were occupied with the bags of dresses and especially the box she received from the old lady.

"We'll not move by foot. Here let me help you."

Just after saying that, he extended his hand, and blood began being released from his arms and making a rope of sorts that began capturing all the clothes bags, in Sofiya's panicked look that was constantly saying to him, reminding.

"Don't let your blood drip on my clothes!? You know is hard to clean those fancy dresses."

"Hmm, as long it is my blood, I don't see any problem, weren't you the one wearing my [Crimson Armor] like some dress?"

"Hey, cut it off, this was me being curious at your abilities and what you could do. Okay?"

Vlad just smiled and gathered all the bags in one go. Moving out of the cabin, he began sprouting out some crimson wings from his back and taking Sofiya in his embrace, also securing well her grasp on the box he lifted off.

The citizens of Sol noticed that something was moving in the sky while its shadow looked a bit confusing, yet they continued their daily activity without minding too much this weird flying creature.

"Slower, dear. I assure you nothing went wrong with little Robert, Aerius and the rest."

"Better safe, then sorry."

Said Vlad while his wings propelled him forward toward the Forbidden Forest, and in only some minutes, he slowly began dropping in altitude while his forehead was sweating a lot.

"Tsk, my back muscles hurt so much. It's simply to hard for us humans to fly like birds. We weren't build for that, even after simulating something similar, it is simply to hard. Sigh, I even overdid this ability. My limit usually is 2 times. This is my 3rd time activating [Blood Wings]." explained Vlad while holding Sofiya close to him as he dropped in altitude.

"Don't worry love, after you come back, I will take care of your back. How does it sound?" asked Sofiya while she was feeling Vlad's sweat drops flowing from his face.

"I can't wait for my reward. Ahh, but thinking of how much work I have ahead of me, makes me even sadder."

Landing on the ground in close proximity to where the settlement he choose for his house, he only had to walk 2 minutes to get back home.

Then, as the couple began walking toward their house moving right in the direction of the door, a black cat was sent flying, opening the house door and moving, crashing straight with Vlad's face.

"Fucking old man!? He dares to sent me flying with only a flick? Isn't this humiliating me? The mighty gryphon king, Aerius. Ahh, wait. This feeling, it isn't a tree, it got a flesh feeling."

*Sniff* *Sniff*

Aerius moved his head a bit back and noticed a cold staring Vlad and Sofiya, who was only looking with a slight smile.

"Fuck. Sorry for this welcoming boss. It is the old man's fault. Right, also welcome back from your working trip? Did you have fun with, big sister? You did that again right?"

"Good to see you having fun Aerius. You seem so active that I want to believe you haven't trained at all."

"No, no. You are wrong boss. I've trained all day yesterday. I even had to test my new ability [Sky Domination] on someone."

"Ohh, mind sharing more details, little guy? Ahh, wait, what old man are you referring?"

Asking that what followed was hearing the voice of a familiar person.

His voice resounded in his ears, with a hearty laugh that still would haunt his memories once in a while.

"Lad, so you are finally back? These little guys didn't lie, I almost thought of teaching them a lesson for bullshiting with me."

Sofiya, who heard this voice for the first time, looked skeptical and also with a hand on her pistol holder.

Then after some seconds since hearing that old voice, she saw an old man with shoulder-length white hair who also had a peculiar face, beside his long white beard.

'Who is this old man? Could it be the old man that marked Vlad's youth? Nius?'

Vlad took Aerius from his face with his free hand and dropped him on the ground, and staring with a fake cold expression at the old man, he said as his expression turned to a smiling one.

"Old Nius, you've decided to go for a walk? Look at you, still looking the same, like a fossil. How come you've found me so fast?"

Nius also did a cold stare like Vlad before smiling warmly at him and moving closer to the couple.

"How couldn't I come meet you faster after hearing about all your deeds from the mine? Your legends runs deep even in the mine if you can believe it little Vlad."

Getting face to face with Sofiya and Vlad, Nius turned his attention to Sofiya, and with a well-knowing smile, he said to her.

"So you should be little Vlad's girlfriend? I've heard many things from old Tius. You are Philip's granddaughter, and also the new Duchess of Selentes. I'm pleased to meet you and also knowing you've taken care of my grandchild for about 3 years. I am Nius Galleot, young lady."

Sofiya, who had her hands full, placed the box on Vlad's hands, and took Nius old calloused hands and give him a hug.

"Nice to meet you grandfather. I've heard many things about you from Vlad and how much you mean to him. I've always wanted to meet you but Vlad said you are busy and that he doesn't want to disturb you."

Nius, who got embraced by this young girl, gave a warm smile and returned the embrace before breaking it and saying to Sofiya while looking at Vlad.

"So, this cold brat can hold emotions inside of him? Would you look at that. Come little Vlad, let this old man give you an hug."

Before Vlad could even agree, the old man already was giving him a firm hug, that he later used his armament to enforce it, making Vlad return the favor and coat the parts of his body affected by the hug in haki.

"Haha, I was right. You sneaky brat. You actually did it. You awakened your Haki. That experience with the Dark Union assassins must have been an waking call, correct?"

"Did that talkative bird told you this, or was it Robert?"

"No, it was your old man, Opheltius who told me about this experience you had with those bastards."

Vlad could only sigh while agreeing with what Nius said.

"Indeed old man, those guys are to dangerous for normal people. At that time I could only escape from being killed. But let's not talk about those things outside. Let me get those bags inside and we'll talk as we move since I have a busy day ahead of me."

......

A/N: Hectic schedule.

Good sides of the story managed to write the project and even send it on time. On another good side, I managed to write this chapter and also rework the first chapter of Vlad's introduction (Chapter 1) - if you are history nerds and are curious about some interactions between Vlad and John Hunyadi, along with his battle for the throne of Wallachia with Vladislav check it out.

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Hope you liked this chapter, even though it might not be so polished or long as I usually do them.

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