Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint

The vampires of the duchy possess a unique ability—to sense blood. It is a skill inherent to predators searching for prey, and for beings whose senses are otherwise dulled, it remains their one heightened instinct.

Thus, writing in blood could serve as an urgent summons, a distress signal calling a vampire immediately.

Vladimir had received such a signal.

More importantly, this was a specific signal—the mark he had shared only with his own thralls, a symbol meant solely to summon him. It pulsed from afar.

In times of rapid upheaval, information was precious. Vladimir moved swiftly to retrieve whatever knowledge his subordinate had uncovered.

It was a considerable distance away.

Moving discreetly, avoiding the attention of other vampires, Vladimir replayed the trial in his mind.

To a vampire, ten years was but an instant. His thoughts quickly drifted back—not just to the trial, but to its very cause.

Back to the moment when he had slain an Elder.

Back, just a little further—to the moment when Ruskinia had come to him, blood trailing from his lips.

Something had wounded him. His hemocraft wavered erratically.

Even Vladimir could sense the rampaging blood coursing wildly through Ruskinia’s body. Losing control meant one thing—another Elder could seize that control.

Right now, Ruskinia was in extreme danger.

And yet—

"Hahaha! Vladimir! I found it—I finally found it!"

Even as he laughed madly, he was still the same.

Vladimir turned to face him.

Ruskinia. The problem child of the duchy.

Trace back half the troubles in the duchy, and they would inevitably lead to him.

Killing too many humans and drawing public complaints from other Elders.
Instigating such fear among his thralls that they staged a mass escape.
Being executed under law, only to return a few days later and cause chaos again.

It was always Vladimir who had to clean up his messes, which meant they often crossed paths.

Elders rarely took interest in one another.

These two were an exception.

If they ignored each other, the entire duchy might collapse.

So, with absolute certainty that Ruskinia had caused another disaster, Vladimir spoke.

"What trouble have you caused this time? Say it quickly so I can deal with it."

"I don’t recall causing any trouble! Well, I have caused trouble this time—if you consider revolution to be trouble!"

If all his past incidents weren’t even trouble in his mind, then what had he done this time?

As Vladimir prepared countermeasures in his head, Ruskinia collapsed into a chair, arms thrown wide, and declared—

"I’ve discovered how to break free from the shackles of blood! As expected, I am a genius!"

That was trouble.

No, that was a catastrophe.

If Vladimir were still alive, he would have felt a chill run down his spine.

"So, you finally succeeded."

"And you—you knew, and yet you kept silent! You’re even more insidious than I am!"