Anxiousness filled the room as Albrecht was brought before the village elders. In total, there were five of them, and they all had the same dignified aura surrounding them.
They also look old, and since vampires have a long lifespan (or so that's what's generally believed), Albrecht assumed they were way over two hundred years old.
Despite the rising tension, Albrecht remained calm. The commotion brought about by the high-ranking vampires caused a crowd to form outside. They had no idea what was happening, but based on the rumors, it was mentioned that Anastasia took the risk of bringing a human inside their territory.
Efvin stood by the entrance to the house of the village elders, blocking the forming crowd and going inside.
Even Hunter who had just arrived by the entrance was blocked by the high-ranking vampires. They were orders from the village elders and there shouldn't be any compromise.
'What's the meaning of this... Anastasia?'Efvin asked as he rigidly stood by the entrance.
— — —
"My name is... Albrecht Whitelock." Albrecht declared to the village elders as he puffed his chest. He said it with so much conviction that for a moment, the village elders half-believed that he was really a Whitelock.
However, it was clear that he was of human descent, and that's why the village elders found his declaration preposterous.
"How dare you sully the name of Whitelock!" Prima Whitelock, the oldest village elder amongst the group, shakily pointed a finger at Albrecht. Simultaneously, he released enough pressure to kill a regular human so he could get rid of Albrecht before Anastasia could stop him.
[Choosing a new owner]
[The Sariel Death Scythe has found its new owner]
[You have obtained the Sariel Death Scythe]
The notification suddenly popped up in front of Albrecht, and it almost caused him to flinch. Meanwhile, the pressure from Prima Whitelock didn't faze him at all.
After all, he had obtained certain skills from Claude before he was killed, and those skills helped with canceling out the pressure.
"I came here upon the request of Anastasia Whitelock and Claude Whitelock," Albrecht explained, standing firm.
This surprised Prima to the point where he attacked Albrecht with even more pressure. But Albrecht held his ground.
"I know how to cure the chieftess of her sleeping sickness. Usually, I don't care about the affairs of the Whitelock Tribe... but after hearing what you village elders are doing behind the scenes, I couldn't help but step up." Albrecht glared at Prima who had been exerting so much Zecian Aura.
His pressure could easily kill a weak vampire at this point, but he didn't care. He wanted to get rid of Albrecht no matter what.
Suddenly, Albrecht felt a wave of Zecian Aura enveloping him. It had the same essence as Claude's, and it protected him from the pressure that Prima released at him.
"Instead of looking for a cure... instead of taking care of the chieftess... all you did was sit around here and talk about how many wives you have. Do you think I don't know about your infidelity? Should I name every single woman? Matilda, Agnes, Margaret, Joan—"
"STOP!" Prima gritted his teeth as he stomped his fist on the armrest of his chair.
"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO STOP! THE CHIEFTESS IS STILL ALIVE AND YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT REPLACING HER? HOW RIDICULOUS!" Albrecht screamed back.
At first, he was unsure whether he would continue with the act or not... but now, he was too into character and there was no turning back.
"I stand here before you, knowing the cure for the chieftess's sleeping sickness. If anyone dares to kill me, or try to kick me out of here, then..." Albrecht trailed off as an intense aura filled the entire room. Prima's aura didn't stand a chance against this swirling mass of energy gathering before Albrecht.
"... be prepared to die."
Albrecht's eyes turned scarlet red as fangs appeared on his mouth. His aura had changed from that of a human to that of a vampire.
[Activating one of the skills recorded in the Akashic Records]
[Activating 'Vampire Metamorphosis' Skill]
[Skill: Vampire Metamorphosis (Exclusive, B-Rank) — A transformation skill that further enhances the aura of a vampire, giving them a 20% boost to all their stats. Boosts regeneration and sustainability heal. Enhances senses and movement speed by 10%. It is a skill exclusive only to the vampire race.]
[Activating 'Saddim's Touch' Skill]
A familiar weapon appeared in front of Albrecht, and he didn't hesitate to grab it in the air. Its timing was heaven-sent, and now he could finally establish his position as a powerful 'vampire', even though he wasn't really a vampire.
Everyone else in the room also recognized the weapon that Albrecht wielded. "T-t-that's... the Sariel Death Scythe. How do you have it?!" The village elders murmured amongst themselves.
"Claude is dead. He was killed by someone powerful. Someone unknown." Albrecht continued. "With his death, the direct heir to the position of chief automatically falls on Anastasia's hands."
"If you have any objection... then step forward. We'll deal with it the old-fashion way." Albrecht pointed the Sariel Death Scythe at Prima Whitelock.
The four village elders gasped in shock. Even Anastasia who remained silent all throughout the entire exchange approached Albrecht and pulled at his arm. "What are you doing?!" She hissed.
'Too close,' Albrecht flinched before he forced a smile on his face. "I know what I'm doing. Just watch."
"No, you don't know what you're doing, you just challenged a village elder to a match! Are you crazy? Even my mother can't defeat the village elder in a match."
"When she was younger, she could. It's just that your mother was plagued by the sleeping sickness that her health deteriorated." Albrecht returned.
Prima was enraged. Even though Albrecht's presence was for the benefit of the entire tribe, he was so pissed that he wanted to kill Albrecht on the spot. If one could read his thoughts, one would immediately dismiss the fact that he was a village elder.
After a good minute, Prima regained his composure and he eased his back on his seat. A calm exhale came out of his mouth. "Very well... if you really wanted to die, then I'll indulge in your death wish." Prima continued. "PREPARE THE RITE OF EXECUTION!"
"What?! Prima, are you crazy?!" The four village elders exclaimed in unison.