"I greet the Master"
Alucard's voice rumbled everyone's ears and shook their souls, except for the Old Man and, surprisingly, Philip
Philip was incredibly confused by what the silver-white haired man but he understood one thing from his words, somehow, the man either mistaken him from a master or the man saw something within him that he doesn't know about
Ultimately, he took advantage of this to avoid the awkward situation
"Please stand up." Philip tried to command the man and remove him from his kneeling position. If he was truly his master, the man would follow it
Surprisingly, Alucard stood up the moment Philip commanded him. Philip stared one more time at Alucard's eyes and Alucard returned the gesture
"Who are you?" Philip asked
"My name is Alucard, the King of Vampires, the Holder of Pureblood, direct descendant of the first and ancient original vampire"
Alucard introduced himself and he did not leave any of his personal information. In fact, this was the first time that everyone in the room, except for the Old Man, heard about Alucard's titles and background. Mathilda was even in awe
As Alucard spoke, his voice ince again reverberated throughout the room and shook everyone's soul
Philip finally noticed this end prevented Alucard from speaking
"Let's return to the dining table and talk later after dinner. I won't allow you to talk unless I want to"
Alucard did not reply and just respectfully bowed in front of Philip. He then walked back to the table and sat down on his seat, to the right of the Old Man at the edge of the table, to the left of Vanessa, and opposite from Camille
Everyone that witnessed this couldn't believe what they saw. One of the most important and most powerful resident in the mansion almost looked like he pledged his loyalty and obedience to the guest
Mathilda then walked towards the wall, opposite from where Jude was stationed, to the back right of the Old Man, and stayed put to assist the Old Man whenever he needed to
She did not bother to guide Philip where to sit in the long table. It's not because she did not want to, well she did, but it was because...
"Please choose wherever you want to sit"
The Old Man said as he pointed his hand towards the empty seats
There are nine seats left with four empty seats from each side and one empty seat opposite from where the Old Man was seating, at the other end of table. From the empty seats, there were empty plates placed on the table. Philip was free to choose wherever he wanted to sit
All eyes were on Philip except for the stand by maids and butlers. Alucard had his eyes closed with his head straight
Camille looked at Philip at the corner of her eyes without turning her head. Vanessa also looked at him with sorrowful and tired eyes. Kyouko turned her head and looked at him
As Philip saw the diligent girl look at him, he couldn't help but feel a chill crawl under his spine and feel his hair on his skin stand up. His body and senses are telling him that the girl was very dangerous
His body and senses were right, he read her body language using Body Language Translator and her body tells him that she has a slim body, a decent size chest, slender arms, pretty face, and smooth silky hair
On the other hand, behind the positive aspects of her body is a living abomination. Her diligent aura was a facade for her true personality. Her body shows the tempered and hardened skin across her arms, legs, and torso. It also shows a sinister and horrific smile behind the gentle smile on her face
Philip couldn't believe what he is seeing. After reading a few manga and watching a few anime, this diligent girl was the worst of them all
An Ultimate Sadist
Philip was surprised that the diligent girl could hide her sadistic aura completely. Anyone that sees her will think that she really is a beautiful and diligent girl
Philip immediately avoided Kyouko's gaze and looked at the others in return. Kyouko had a confused look on her face as Philip avoided her
Natsuki looked at Philip with interest and wariness. Natsume also looked at Philip with interest, awe, and likeness. Mei'er looked at Philip calmly like she was asleep
Finally, Bea looked at Philip with a hidden piercing glare that Philip won't notice. She looked at him like he was some kind of threat or an unknown specimen or entity. It also seems like Bea was analyzing Philip's being
Philip only saw this as a child looking at a stranger and trying to gauge his personality. He found it cute since Bea looked like a six-year old but in actuality, she is nine years old
Although, Philip couldn't help but feel restless as the small child looked at him
Jude looked at Philip with a discerning and analyzing eyes while Mathilda looked at Philip with no interest
Philip then walked towards the table, where the empty seats are, and thought of where to sit. He thought that this could be a test from the Old Man and everyone in here were the judges
He could sit next to the girl that was looking at him so much to the point that he could feel it, Natsume, or next to little girl that was looking at him with a piercing glare, Bea
Even now, Bea looked at Philip with her head fully turned straight towards him, unlike the others, who had their heads slightly turned. It was like a camera is directly pointed straight at him and follows his every move with or without him knowing
In the end, Philip chose to sit at the far end adjacent to the Old Man, where he won't have someone to sit on either his sides
He was alone on one end of the ling table with no people to either of his sides, unlike the Old Man that has four people to his left and right
Everyone looked at Philip with confusion. They did not understand why he would sit alone on the other end of the table where he could sit beside either Bea or Natsume which would be more respectful
The seat that is opposite to the Old Man is the second most important seat on the table. The people that sits on each end of the table are considered as an important personality or head of the house
Of course, Philip knew this. But not only he intentionally sat there, he just wanted to sit there. He doesn't want to get too close to other people and he was an introvert originally. Plus, he also has a habit of observing people from afar since he has Body Language Translator and a secret ability that he hasn't realized that was powered up by Mana
At this moment, the Old Man curved the corner of his mouth. He was glad that he discovered and met Philip
The maids and butlers then opened the cloche from the dishes and revealed all kinds of food in the platters. There was a roasted ham, giant lobster, grilled vegetables, soup, and many more
The maids and butlers then took a step back and slightly bowed to the residents and walked away out of the dining room, leaving a few maids and butlers
Even though the food is in front of everyone, no one dared to reach out towards the food and take some of them. Meanwhile, the Old Man is using hisn aura to get food from afar and placed it on his plate. On the other hand, Philip stares at the food and utensils on the table
Even though Philip has an idea on how to eat like someone in the higher ranks of society, he did not know how to act in front of everyone. How can he get the food from afar? Can he stand and get the food for himself like an Asian dinner? But there are maids and butlers. Why doesn't everyone else grab their own food so he could copy them? How would he use the utensils properly?
These questions swirled in his mind as he began to get dizzy from the first time he experienced this kind of dinner
Eventually, the Old Man broke the silence as he read the atmosphere very well
"Looks like no one wants to eat first without knowing why we have a guest. Shall we go for introductions first?"
Jude and Mathilda closed their eyes as everyone else was quiet. The Old Man scratched his temple upon the awkwardness of the atmosphere
"Well, I guess our guest is the only one who needs to the introduction, huh? You may start whenever you want, Philip"
The Old Man placed his utensils down and urged Philip to start introducing himself so that they could start eating and satiate everyone's curiosity
Philip couldn't believe the situation that he was in. He was reluctant to introduce himself and thought twice if he should do it
He then looked forward and saw everyone looking at him, except for Alucard. The pressure is on him and he feels as if he was forced to introduce himself
He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head and he decided to get this over with
He stood up to at least show courtesy and respect to the others and began introducing himself
"My name is Philip, just Philip..." Philip paused for a second and thought of what else to say. He was never good at introductions. "Uhhh... I'm 24 years of age, my home country is the Philippines, and... I think that's about it"
All the girls quickly turned their heads from surprise when Philip revealed his age. Despite his appearance, he looked younger than what he usually is. He looked like around 18 to 20 years old because of the reformation of his body when he fell on the chasm beneath tge Mystical Academy
"Oh yeah! My abilities are Pain Denial and Emotion Manipulation"
Considering the current development state of the world, Philip remembered to at least share and reveal his abilities. He revealed his abilities the same as when he revealed it in the Mystical Academy, except for Fate Control and Future Vision
As Philip revealed his abilities, he felt a chill on his spine again. He shifted his gaze towards Kyouko and saw that she was gazing at him. Her diligent aura disappeared from Philip's vision and her diligent smile seems to turned into a sadistic smile. Her eyes seemed to also be glowing sinisterly around the rim of her pupils
Kyouko's sadistic personality came out for a split second after Philip mentioned his abilities. If Philip had Pain Denial, then Kyouko would play with him all she wants since he won't feel pain
Sadists might find pleasure from hurting people and seeing and hearing their painful cries, but an Ultimate Sadist wants to see someone get hurt without them reacting to their own pain. This is because the person itself might feel pleasure over them getting hurt, thus them not reacting to their pain, and that is the pure ecstasy that an Ultimate Sadist could have. That what an Ultimate Sadist mindset have
An Ultimate Sadist is also a Hardcore Masochist, one level below an Ultimate Masochist
Philip's body subconsciously shook and cringed from Kyouko's sadistic gaze. It felt like he was being tortured just by looking. He immediately avoided her gaze
Meanwhile, Alucard half-opened his right eye and slightly turned his head to the right to look at Philip. He was slightly confused as to why Philip only revealed two of his many abilities
Nonetheless, he wasn't allowed to speak and closed his eyes once again and turned his head straight
Camille watched Alucard's behavior and Alucard felt this. However, he ignored it so that Camille won't bother him about it
"Are you sure you're 24 years old?!" Natsume openly asked Philip
Philip shifted his gaze towards Natsume and answered, "Yes, I am"
"Really?! You look like you're 19!" Natsume tried to compliment Philip and earn his good side. Philip only slightly smiled to show consideration
"So, why were you invited to this mansion by the Old Man?" Vanessa tried to probe for more information and she saved Philip and Natsume from a developing awkwardness
Philip did not answer immediately and looked at the Old Man. He was asking with his eyes if he should tell them why, since it was the Old Man's decision all along
At that point, the Old Man took over the conversation and started speakinh
"I took Philip from the Mystical Academy, four days after they took him. Unfortunately, I can't disclose as to why I took him in..." The Old Man said with seriousness. Everyone listened to him with open ears
"But let me tell you this..."
The Old Man's face turned incredibly serious and the atmosphere dropped. The maids and butlers did not feel anything but everyone else felt their bodies become heavy, of course except for Alucard. Even Jude and Mathilda had sweat dripping from their forehead
"I'll be giving the mansion to him. You all know what that entails, right?"
Everyone was shocked beyond believe. The question that was running through their minds right now is "who is this person?"
How did this person obtained the Old Man's trust and made him gave his own mansion?
However, Alucard became surprised at first but he immediately smiled while covering his mouth with the tip of his fist
Meanwhile, Mathilda is the most shocked person inside the room. He couldn't believe that he would serve Philip in the future
"But why?!!" Mathilda loudly exclaimed and demanded an explanation from the Old Man
Knowing Mathilda's past and personality, the Old Man decided to at least explain his reasoning. The Old Man looked at Philip first to asked for his persmission with his eyes. Philip only shrugged his shoulders. The heavy atmosphere then disappeared
"It's because he is fated to be so." The Old Man said with wariness while looking at Philip with wary eyes
Philip's eyes widened then narrowed because of what the Old Man said and his face became serious
This confirmed that the Old Man had an inkling of an idea, or more, about his Fate Control. He also became wary of the Old Man and glared back at him
The Old Man's body shook from Philip glare. He took the gamble to at least give a hint to Philip that he knows his true ability and it looks like Philip did not like that
Philip unconsciously release a menacing aura that is only directed to the Old Man. However, Alucard himself can see and feel it while Kyouko's eyes widened upon seeing the aura
The Old Man could only close his eyes from the blunder that he has done and waited for whatever's to come. At the very least, he could count on Jude and Mathilda to buy time and Alucard to make the sacrifice that he always wanted while he saves the residents of the mansion, along with the numerous maids, butlers, and security
Fortunately, Mathilda could never read an atmosphere and spoke loudly
"What does that even mean?! Are you going to leave us and let a complete stranger to own the mansion, our home?!"
Mathilda cried out, not minding her position in the house and dared to raise her voice against the owner of the house
The Old Man couldn't be angry to Mathilda since he is aware of her circumstances. He could only be glad since she might have distracted Philip with her whining
The Old Man opened one of his eyes and looked at Philip. He could see that he is still glaring at him. Philip then rolled his eyes and his aura shrunk down
The Old Man took a deep breath and turned to Mathilda
"I will be not leaving... Trust me, he is very important to all of us and he will be changing the world..." The Old Man directly said Philip's worth when he needed to keep it a secret. It is more important to get the residents' approval for Philip to stay rather than incite his anger
Mathilda seemed to calm down and understood the meaning behind the Old Man's words. Meanwhile the Old Man felt a chill and looked at Philip. He felt that Philip's anger was rising
Alucard also felt Philip's anger rising and opened both of his eyes to look at the Old Man. He then pieced together the clues and Philip did not want for his true ability to be carelessly revealed nor talked about
Alucard slightly shook his head and closed his eyes. He let the Old Man handle this himself
Meanwhile, Kyouko began to huff lightly. Her cheeks began to get flushed with red. She also began to fidget and her knees were scraping each other. Mei'er saw this and she was confused. She didn't dare to ask her though because she doesn't want to talk
"He will be changing the world through his research that is!! Hahaha!" The Old Man tried to indirectly come up with an excuse and avoid making Philip mad. He also nervously laughed to lift up the atmosphere
"Anyways, does that answer your questions, everyone?" The Old Man asked the others
The residents of the house turned their heads straight and contemplated for questions. Alucard and Jude did not bother to think of questions to ask while Mathilda could only stand by while deeply thinking of the future of the mansion
"Why is he so handsome?!"
Natsume stood up and slammed the table lightly while agressively pointing her right hand at Philip as she asked the Old Man directly
Natsuki elbowed her little sister on her left waist. The Old Man smiled from the sisters' playful banter
"Why won't you ask him yourself?"
The Old Man said with a gentle tone and smiling eyes
Natsume was flustered and slowly looked at Philip. Philip's anger has subsided recently and he looked at Natsume with a serious look and no emotions
To Natsume's eyes, Philip's appearance looked like an ikemen and his face was glowing and glittering in her vision. It was like the world became a shoujo manga
Natsume quickly sat down and became embarrassed as her cheeks became red. Natsuki noticed Natsume's behavior and also looked at Philip
She found Philip as an incredibly handsome person, more handsome than Alucard even though he is a vampire which makes him very handsome, and her cheeks was tinged with slight red
Not to mention, Natsuki's age was the same as Philip's and it wouldn't be strange if Natsuki would develop feelings for him, would it?
Philip also finally sat down and he was ready to eat. Before everyone could finally eat, the Old Man added a crucial information
"By the way, I will give full permission to grant anything that Philip wants and provide him the best equipment and resources that he needs. Plus, he will be staying here, like I said, as long as he wants and do his research. It is also up to him if he would try to make contact with you. The important thing is just don't try to get on his bad side, understood?"
The Old Man directed his warning to everyone, although he did not emphasize it towards Mathilda as it might agitate her further
Everyone nodded and understood what the Old Man said. Alucard already knew about it without the Old Man telling him, Jude tries to change his perspective on Philip since the Old Man recognizes him this much, while Mathilda was still reluctant on accepting Philip
"Very well, now, let's enjoy the food!!"
The Old Man raised his hand in a grandiose manner. The food on the table then started to float and got separated and cut equally for nine people including Philip
A few seconds later, everyone's plates were filled with a balanced meal that are arranged aesthetically. Everyone then started to eat and Philip looked at them first
Seeing what looks like a family eating together during a meal, left a bitter taste on his mouth. Even though he doesn't have a heart, he could feel the pain on his chest
He wanted to eat alone by himself if possible and bring the food to his room, but that would be extremely rude to everyone present here
'Well, food is food... I appreciate food'
Philip thought to himself as he looked down on his large plate. There was a decent sized medium-rare steak with roasted asparagus and creamy mashed potatoes. On the other side of the plate, there was a juicy and shiny piece of lobster meat and unshelled shrimps. There was also a little bit of rice, chicken tenders, porkchop, and bacon. There are even assorted vegetables on the side that are pan seared on olive oil and peppers
The meal that is in front of him seems like breakfast, lunch, and dinner combined into one. Seeing every food on his plate left a smile on his face
At this point, he could not lift his head and look at the expressions on the faces of everyone who is eating with him. He was glad that he chose the seat where he would be the farthest to everyone so that no one would be able to notice his overflowing emotions
He sliced a part of the steak and ate it along with some vegetables and asparagus. He was happy that he could taste the savoriness of the steak and the crunchiness of the vegetables
He appreciated the taste but he doesn't feel happy at all. He could only feel that satiated since he haven't eaten yet for almost a day since the time he woke up after the Mystical Test
Later on, the pace of his eating has slowed down and he didn't realize it. But his daze was broken after he heard a voice to his left
"Are you okay?"
It was Natsume, who transferred four seats over from where she was originally seated
Philip looked at her with emotionless eyes. What Philip hated the most is when he is being disturbed while eating so he was initially irritated at Natsume. However, he still had his patience and entertained Natsume
"Yeah"
"Really? You don't look like it, well anyways..."
Natsume stood up and returned to her seat to grab her plate of food and a fork. She then went back near Philip to his left
Natsume then took her fork and stabbed a piece of meat. She then brought the meat towards Philip's mouth
"You look like you're sad... Here, open wide!"
Natsume had a smile on her face while opening her mouth like she was treating Philip like a baby
Philip narrowed his eyes at Natsume, confused at what she was trying to do. But one thing was clear, she was trying to feed him like they were a couple or something. Well, Philip didn't want to assume things quickly, but that's what his Body Language Translator is telling him about Natsume
He also noticed that everyone else was watching them. Philip rolled his eyes and took the meat on the fork with his mouth and chewed on it aggressively
This earned the giggles of some people. Alucard has his eyes opened while watching and smiling, Jude has a longing smile, Vanessa and Mei'er has a longing look on her eyes, Natsuki was slightly jealous, Kyouko still can't get over the feeling of Philip's rising anger, Mathilda had a sad look on her eyes, while Bea was unfazed
The Old Man was glad that one of the residents of his mansion took the initiative to engage with Philip
Everyone was enjoying their food while smiling and laughing as the tense atmosphere from earlier has disappeared completely. The maids and butlers that was stationed near the walls left one by one to leave the residents to their enjoyment and not disturb them
A few minutes later, a few maids and butlers came in bearing alcoholic drinks, suited to everyone present. Juice are served to Mei'er and Bea
Century-Aged Whiskey for Alucard, Blood Wine for Camille, 190 Proof Spirit for Vanessa, Grapefruit Vodka for Kyouko, 40% Alcohol content Gin for Natsuki, Extra-Strong Sweet Beer for Natsume, Sweet Nectar Juice for Mei'er, and Iced Tea for Bea
Philip was given a one liter of Emperor Brandy that originated from his home country. He didn't know why this mansion had this kind of brandy in storage, but he won't complain since he hasn't tasted this particular alcohol for over four years
Even Jude got his own personal alcohol of a Sharp Cut Tequila and Caramelized Cherry Vermouth for Mathilda
Meanwhile, the Old Man had his special rum that he fermented and cultivated himself for a couple of millions of years. As soon as the Old Man opened the cork, the aroma itself made a few people get drunk. The Old Man himself shielded Mei'er and Bea with his energy from the alcoholic aroma
Natsume, Natsuki, and Vanessa started wilding the moment the Old Man's rum aroma entered their noses. The two of them started to drink their alcohol the most that they can while Vanessa paced herself but still drink too much with one gulp
Alucard was unfazed, his alcohol is one of the most powerful among the alcoholic drinks that are present. He would take a sip every now and then like a true noble
On the other hand, Camille swirls her wine glass as the Blood Wine sloshed around the glass. The viscosity of the Blood Wine matches that of a real blood and Camille doesn't seem to be drunk at all
Meanwhile, Kyouko returned back to her diligent aura. It was too diligent that it became suspicious. Every now and then, she hiccups and her eyes are dilated because she was drunk from the rum aroma and the Grapefruit Vodka that he finished in one gulp. Her face was red and her body was fidgeting
Natsuki drank almost finished her Gin and started to shed tear to the point that it's dripping down on the table. She also took occasional peaks at Philip whenever she can. There was an apparent blush on her face everytime she looked at him
Natsume, on the other hand, kept on pestering Philip and poking his cheeks. She tries to start a conversation with him but Philip ignores her
Mei'er and Bea only watched the adults drink their alcoholic beverages on the side. They take a sip of their juice everytime someone went wild or became weird
Jude hid the bottle of tequila behind his back and refused to drink it because he needed to tend to the wasted people when the dinner ends. It's also his duty as the head butler
During all of this happening, Philip reminisced about the time when he drank this Emperor Brandy with his friends back in his home country. It was a very fun experience considering that drinking with friends is one of his ways to escape from his suffering that was caused by his family
Now, Philip was about to drink the same alcohol, but with strangers. Philip was unaffected by the rum aroma, but he could feel as if he was getting drunk just by the atmosphere
Perhaps these people are going to be his new family and new friends. He found it wonderful but he didn't liked that. He always wanted to be alone, so that he won't always check everyone behind him if they are alright. This is one of his habits since he is always the front of the pack and everyone whenever there are groups or teams
He popped open the brandy and drank straight from it. He didn't pour it on a shot glass and he consumed almost a quarter of it
The sharp pain lined up against his throat and his mouth and chest began to burn. He also felt dizziness and nausea
At this point, his Extreme Self-awareness ability automatically activated and he could drink how much that he can and never get drunk. It is also a form of Alcohol Tolerance or Alcohol Resistance as a sub-ability of Mind or Body Resistance
He then felt a presence behind him and it was Mathilda. Mathilda looked down on him with menacing eyes. She then raised her hand in a form of fist and slams it down on Philip
Jude was about to move if not for Mathilda not actually hitting Philip
Mathilda was definitely punching Philip, albeit her punches were like feathers dropping on his cheeks, arm, head, and back. She may be intentionally doing this or it's the influence of alcohol on her
She was definitely angry and rejects Philip, but she could not express it. She is only holding herself back because the Old Man's words are absolute to her
Philip found it annoying that fists were landing across his body while a finger pokes his cheeks and a girl's face flies by across his vision with occasional waves of her hand
Nonetheless, he ignored this as he was enjoying the company while drinking. He smiled as he panned his eyes across the drunk people
As he looked at Mei'er and Bea, they also looked at him as they halted their movements when they were sipping on their cups. It was a cute scene in Philip's opinion
He then quickly panned his eyes and saw the Old Man, knocked out unconscious while his alcoholic drink spilled across the table
Vanessa had her head resting on the backrest of the chair as she stared at ceiling. It was clear that she was out of it
Camille was frozen in place with her wine glass half empty. Alucard was looking straight at him with his red eyes as his alcoholic drink is finished
Kyouko was calm and serene, but somehow she was sweating bullets from her forehead
Natsuki was staring this entire time at Philip and the blush on her cheeks became more and more recognizable
Finally, he looked at Jude. Jude also looked back at him. Somehow, they communicated with their eyes
It was about to wrap up the night and send the drunken bastards to their room
Jude was surprised that Philip managed to become sober after drinking all of the brandy and being in affected by the rum aroma
Jude then started to move with the tequila on his pocket and Philip stood up from his seat while taking a last bite from the lobster meat to quench the bitterness around his mouth