Late at night, in the secluded palace where Tenraku and the others rested:
"Wū Wū, delicious... so delicious..."
"Tenraku Sama... Tenraku Sama..."
Ile and Nel snuggled as they embraced Tenraku. The two sisters seemed to be murmuring in their dreams, occasionally laughing foolishly.
Apart from Ile and Nel, Xuelan and Isabela, along with other girls, slept near Tenraku. Gasper, on the other hand, was in a separate room.
At a certain moment, Tenraku suddenly opened his eyes. Deep in thought, he gently untangled himself from Ile and Nel, not wanting to wake the other girls, and left the bedroom.
"Tenraku Sama."
"Master, where are you going so late?"
Yubelluna and Raynare's voices echoed as they seemed to sense Tenraku's unusual behavior and followed him.
"Come with me."
Tenraku ordered and didn't elaborate further. Yubelluna and Raynare didn't press for details and followed him out of the side palace.
Before long, the three arrived at a courtyard outside the palace. A chilly wind blew, devoid of any radiance, and the air around was filled with a cold sensation.
Tenraku scanned the surroundings and spoke:
"You've come here so why not reveal yourselves?"
The cold sensation intensified suddenly, and under the gaze of Tenraku and the two women, a tall figure appeared before them in a peculiar manner.
Yubelluna's expression changed slightly, Raynare flashed a wicked smile, and Tenraku showed a somewhat expectant look.
"It's indeed you, Red Dragon Emperor. I thought I concealed my aura well. Did you discover me?"
With flowing emerald-green hair, the woman who appeared spoke coldly.
"Anpusha San has a very distinctive aura. So, Anpusha San, are you still eager to have a showdown with me late at night?" Tenraku already knew who it was upon sensing her aura and asked with a light laugh.
"While having a showdown with you isn't a bad idea, this time, I have more important matters to deal with."
"More important matters?"
Tenraku furrowed his brows, not sure what this blood-sucking woman was plotting.
A cold arc appeared on Anpusha's face as she spoke again:
"Red Dragon Emperor, let's make a deal!"
---
The next day, at dawn:
After finishing breakfast, Tenraku and the girls were resting in their rooms. As agreed, Elmenhilde appeared again.
"Let's go, Red Dragon Emperor. The Queen has granted you permission to cross our territory, and now I'll escort you to the Tepes side." Without much ado, Elmenhilde stated directly.
"Thank you, Elmen San."
Summoning Gasper and the girls, Tenraku followed Elmenhilde and quickly arrived at the border between Carmilla and Tepes.
Vampires were once a unified kingdom, but they split over the issue of whether the female True Ancestor or the male True Ancestor should be revered. This division led to the creation of the Carmilla and Tepes factions, each occupying half of the territory and constructing towering walls at the borders.
The walls were guarded by Pawns, and multiple barriers were set up. In the middle of the buffer zone, the area of contention, signs of recent battles were evident. Some limbs and wreckage were still not cleaned up.
"When you board this pod, it will take you to the Tepes side. This pod is specially designed to pass through the multiple barriers of the Tepes Faction. We've also sent a message to them, so someone on the other side should be there to welcome you."
Elmenhilde pointed to a large pod in front, capable of accommodating dozens of people.
"Thank you for your assistance, Elmen San." Tenraku smiled as he spoke.
"Hmph, I'm just following Queen's orders."
"By the way, let me tell you one more thing. According to our latest intelligence, it seems there's been a coup in Tepes. The original Tepes king is missing and has fled, and now there's someone else leading the Tepes faction."
Tenraku was somewhat surprised by Elmenhilde's information but didn't pay much attention.
"Who cares who their leader is? We just need to rescue our comrade Valerie."
"What if I told you that Valerie is now the Queen of the Tepes Faction?"
Elmenhilde had a playful expression on her face as she spoke, and finally, Tenraku's expression changed.
"V-Valerie has become the Queen?"
"Amazing, Tenraku Sama! Valerie is amazing!"
Gasper, standing nearby, couldn't contain his excitement.
"Has this guy always been like this?"
"Pretty much. This silly kid probably needs a few more years to mature."
Tenraku sighed and patted Gasper's head. Seeing everyone looking at him with pity, Gasper seemed bewildered.
"Valerie became the Queen! Shouldn't we be happy for her? What's going on with all of you? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Elmen San, thank you for sharing this information. We'll be on our way."
Realizing they needed to expedite Valerie's rescue, Tenraku bid farewell to Elmenhilde. He, along with Gasper and the others, boarded the pod.
Elmenhilde nodded and instructed several Vampire Pawns to open the door. The massive pod shot out like a shuttle.
Inside the pod, Gasper kept asking about Valerie. Unable to bear it any longer, Tosca finally explained.
Valerie, being a half-blood, was considered insignificant in the Vampire world, akin to livestock, without power or status. Yet, she had become the Queen of the Tepes faction, which revered the male True Ancestor. Anyone with common sense could see she was a puppet being manipulated!
Gasper, who had been slow to catch on, turned pale.
"Tenraku Sama, let's hurry and save Valerie! Let's go save her!"
Gasper grabbed Tenraku's hand, his expression filled with urgency.
"Calm down. Aren't we on our way to save her already?"
Tenraku said with little patience. Despite the complications, their plan to rescue Valerie remained unchanged.
The pod's speed was swift. Before long, they entered the territory of Tepes. When the pod stopped and Tenraku's group disembarked, a group of fully armed Vampires surrounded them...
To be continued...