After six grueling days of non-stop physical and mana training, the day of Owen's arrival had finally arrived. Despite feeling like my limbs were about to fall off, the training had paid off thus far. My mana flowed more abundantly across my body, and I was now able to use teleportation a few times without completely draining my mana. The scanning ability was the biggest gain from the training so far, and I could now scan within a 20-meter diameter, which was a good start.
I changed into a hooded robe and turned to Andrew. "Is he in the inn?" I asked.
"Yes, he is waiting for our arrival," replied Andrew, who was also dressed in casual light clothing with a robe. It was likely that they might be watching, so to limit their information, we needed to conceal our identity.
We sneaked out and made our way towards the town, passing through the busy market. Looking around, I saw only smiles, and no one seemed to take any particular notice of us. We arrived at the inn, which had a bar, and sat down. Owen quickly joined us, taking a seat next to us.
I asked Owen how he was feeling in a sympathetic tone as he ordered a small drink. "I could be doing worse," he replied before continuing, "I'm sorry I failed Master Lucas," his voice filled with disappointment.
"Don't worry, you will have a chance to fix your failure," I said in a monotone voice.
"Was there anything particular about the attackers?" I asked, trying to gather as much information as possible.
"A stylized eye with a prominent iris and pupil in deep shades of red in the back of their hand," Owen responded before the temperature in the room suddenly changed and shock spread to his eyes.
I instantly knew who was behind it – the Chancellor. I gripped my hand into a ball and struggled to stop the leak of my mana, accidentally freezing a chunk of the wooden chair before recomposing myself.
I let out a sigh, feeling annoyed by the Chancellor's actions. It seemed like he was already against me, which only confirmed my suspicions that the royal family was keeping tabs on my movements.
Turning to Andrew, I instructed him to hand Owen an envelope I had prepared for him.
"The instructions inside that envelope are crucial. Make sure to follow them to the letter and be careful while doing so. After you're done, burn the paper," I warned Owen as he took the envelope from Andrew and nodded in understanding.
"Take care, Owen," I bid him farewell before standing up from my chair and leaving the inn.
After leaving the inn, we sneaked back into Lady Calliope's estate. Prior to this, I had already informed her that I would need to leave for a 'business' trip.
I quickly grabbed my belongings and turned to Andrew, asking if the carriage was ready to depart. I was eager to leave as soon as possible and resolve this issue.
Andrew replied, "Yes, we're ready to leave at a moment's notice."
"Alright, let's go," I said, the trip would be a long one at least a month.
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It had been a week since our departure, and we had been riding non-stop. So far, I had sensed no one watching us or near us, so it seemed that we weren't being chased.
"Master Lucas, we will need to make a stop in the village," Andrew shouted from outside the carriage, while I was writing all the events that had occurred in this life in a small book.
"That's fine," I shouted back and continued writing. Eventually, I heard a whisper outside. Since this was a village with no nobles, it was to be expected that they would be either scared or curious of me.
We made a stop, and I heard a voice from outside. "I am the Village Head. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, oh great sire?"
"We just came to let the horses rest and stay somewhere to rest for a day," Andrew responded in a monotone voice.
"Ahh, if that's the case, then we can provide you with a place in the inn, and we can get some of our people to take care of your horses," the Village Head offered, his voice shaking a bit.
"That would work," Andrew responded, but the Village Head wasn't finished.
"We would be willing to offer the service free of charge if you could help us with a problem, oh great sire," the Village Head's voice trembled even more. Hearing the conversation, I stopped writing and opened the carriage door.
As I stepped out of the carriage, I could feel the curious stares of the villagers fixated on me. Some looked at me with desire, while others appeared to be intimidated. I made my way toward the Village Head who immediately bowed in respect.
"Please, rise," I said, placing my hand on his shoulder and offering a warm smile. "I am Lucas de Clare, son of Count George and a disciple of Calliope the Great."
The Village Head looked surprised, and I could see a glimmer of hope in his eyes. The news of my lineage and affiliation with Lady Calliope seemed to spread quickly, and the rest of the villagers began to show their awe.
"Great Master Lucas, we humbly beseech you to aid us with a problem that plagues our village," the Village Head implored with urgency in his voice.
"Calm down. Just tell me what your problem is," I said, trying to assess if this was even a problem I could handle before extending a helping hand.
"There is a vampire who comes every night and takes one of us as food, whether it is children, women, or men," the Village Head said, his voice calming down a bit.
'A vampire,' I thought. Vampires' strength came with age, but usually, only the young ones would feast on people. As they get older, their body becomes more self-reliant, eliminating the need for food.
"Of course, I will help you and your people. After all, it must be God's will that led me here to free you from such terrors," I smiled, and I noticed the smiles that spread through the villagers.
And just like that, I decided to take on the vampire tonight.