Lennix, seemingly oblivious to their reactions, doubled down on his perspective. "Honestly, I think it's perfectly reasonable," he defended himself. The rest of the group exchanged glances, finding it difficult to comprehend his line of thinking.
"Well," Larkin chimed in after a moment, trying to keep the conversation moving, "at least we know why he wants to do this now."
Xain couldn't help but admit, "I was more motivated to fight before hearing his reasoning."
Zee, still baffled by Lennix's logic, could only sigh in disbelief.
Ercale couldn't resist the opportunity to tease Xain in his head, *Never would have thought I'd encounter someone even dumber than you,* he sighed mentally, *and then there he is.*
Xain, slightly offended by Ercale's comment, retorted with an annoyed mental *Hey!* but Ercale chose to ignore him.
Back in the physical world, Larkin raised a legitimate concern, "So I gotta ask, how do the enthralled work? She heard everything we talked about," he gestured toward the maid who had been silently present in the room the entire time, right beside Lennix.
Lennix jumped, startled. "Ah! I completely forgot you were here," he exclaimed, while the maid remained unmoved, her expression utterly devoid of emotion.
The maid, who had remained disturbingly silent and emotionless, became a subject of curiosity for the group. She was the same maid who had initially greeted Xain when he entered the house, with her black hair neatly tied and her dark colored eyes seemingly empty.
In an attempt to alleviate their concerns, Lennix explained, "Don't worry about her. She won't report anything to my sister. She's not under her control."
Larkin couldn't help but voice his confusion, "Wait, what?" Even Xain found himself perplexed. This maid appeared indistinguishable from the others who were clearly under Eirisse's influence.
The maid's monotone voice filled the room as she addressed the group, "Master Lennix speaks the truth, dear guests. I am not subject to Mistress Eirisse's control, so there is no need for concern."
Xain couldn't help but feel a sense of unease at Clarissa's emotionless demeanor. He turned to Lennix, his curiosity piqued. "Is she all right?" he asked, clearly taken aback by the maid's robotic tone.
Lennix, equally puzzled, gave a nonchalant shrug. "Don't worry too much about it. Clarissa's always been like this, and for the unlife of me, I can't figure out why," he replied. Clarissa interjected once more, her voice devoid of inflection. "As I've mentioned, Master Lennix, I do not possess emotions."
Lennix couldn't help but show his frustration. "Yeah, but that doesn't explain why, Clarissa!"
Xain couldn't help but connect the dots as he observed Clarissa's emotionless demeanor. *So that's why she looked like she was mind-controlled,* he thought, finally understanding the reason behind her peculiar behavior.
*I don't like her,* Ercale stated firmly, his disapproval evident in his words.
Caught off guard by this, Xain couldn't help but ask, *Why?* He was genuinely curious about Ercale's strong reaction.
Ercale didn't mince words in his response. *Beings who don't feel emotions are abominations, simple as that,* he declared.
Xain sensed that Ercale's strong opinion was likely rooted in a personal experience, but he wisely chose not to pry further.
While these thoughts swirled in Xain's mind, Zee voiced the question that had been on everyone's mind. "How many people are under your sister's control?" she asked Lennix, her tone tinged with concern.
Lennix, now turning his attention from Clarissa to Zee, provided a straightforward answer. "Around 80% of Moonveil's populace is under her control," he replied matter-of-factly.
Zee's eyes widened in shock, and she gulped audibly. "That's a lot," she said, realizing the scale of the problem they were facing.
Larkin, feeling the immense complexity of their situation, rubbed his temples in frustration. "We're dealing with a vampire trying to evolve, a device that bested Cain, and a town where most of the population is under the vampire's control," he muttered, summarizing the dire state of affairs.
After a moment of reflection, Lennix proposed a somewhat morally questionable idea. "You know, once they're free of the mind control, the townsfolk probably won't mind a few roughed-up bones, right?" he suggested, hinting at a drastic measure.
Zee, however, remained resolute in her principles. "We can't harm innocent people," she asserted firmly, emphasizing her commitment to a just approach.
As they pondered their next move, Clarissa, the typically emotionless maid, astutely chimed in with a practical suggestion. "Master Lennix, why not bring your guests to Mistress Eirisse, claiming you've captured them and want to share in the feeding?" she offered in her characteristic monotone voice.
The group exchanged intrigued glances, impressed by Clarissa's unexpected contribution. Lennix's eyes lit up as he realized the potential of the plan. "Why didn't I think of that?" he exclaimed, acknowledging the cleverness of Clarissa's idea.
Clarissa, unmoved by the attention, simply stated, "It's simple, Master Lennix, It's because you are an idiot." Her candidness left them all momentarily stunned, but it was hard to argue with the logic of her assessment.
Lennix, though visibly affected by Clarissa's comment, persevered and shifted the conversation toward the newly formed plan. "So, it seems like that's the plan. Any objections?" he asked, his energy levels taking a dip.
The group exchanged glances and, finding no objections among them, nodded in agreement. They knew they needed a solution, and this plan, though far from ideal, seemed like the best option at the moment.
Xain, attempting to rise from his bed, was immediately reminded of his injuries as his body protested with a sharp pain. "Ugh, I forgot how much this hurts," he groaned, his discomfort evident. Zee offered him a comforting touch, and they all settled on the plan, hoping it would work to their advantage.
Unbeknownst to the group inside Moonveil, their carefully crafted plan was about to face unforeseen challenges. Outside Moonveil, several individuals were converging on the town, each for their own distinct purposes.
A woman with blond hair stood alone, her gaze fixed on a flickering flame that danced at her fingertips.
A man, concealed by a featureless sleek metallic mask and armor, riding a bike with sparkling electricity.
Lastly, a man dressed in pitch-black helmet and armor, reminiscent of a knight's attire, approached the city gates with steady strides.