"So …", Renny peered down at Milo with a fierce gaze, his hands placed firmly on his hips, "How in the hell have you managed to get the King to take you in?".
Milo sunk back into the chair when Marcos and Pavlor also towered over him, "I don't know. He just asked, couldn't tell you why exactly".
It didn't even make sense to Milo, he had assumed that he hadn't done enough to gain the kings recognition just yet, clearly he was wrong. Although, this new title meant that along with the King he was essentially a guardian of humanity … not that he cared about humanity, he just didn't have a choice anymore.
It was starting to infuriate Milo. He knew he wouldn't be able to reach his old level this early, but the constant problems he kept encountering stunted his growth more than he liked. If he had it his way, he would've reached this damn bottleneck as soon as he awakened, hell he probably would've blasted straight through it by now.
'I assume it won't be long before I'm called to order by the King'.
Renny clapped his hands, pulling Milo from his daze, "Anyway, it won't be long before the fighting starts again", he said, looking from Pavlor to Milo, "Do your best you two".
Pavlor rolled his shoulders letting out a confident scoff, "Of course, I feel like I can't lose right now".
This time it was Milo who scoffed, "You realise if you progress you'll have to fight against me at some point, right?".
Pavlor bounced on the tips of his toes and threw a jab, "Yep, and I don't plan to lose to you either".
Milo had no idea where the newfound confidence of Pavlor had came from. It was unusual seeing him this way, especially considering how weak and pathetic he was when they first met.
'Maybe gaining a better understanding of what his mother did helped'.
"Miloooo", The King sung, bursting through the door. His eyes landed on Milo and he scampered over like an excited child, "There you are, look at these!".
From behind his back, he pulled out the two daggers that had been sheathed in a black scabbard lined with silver. Coincidentally it had a dragon running down the middle.
Milo whistled taking them from the Kings grip, "Not too bad, I assume I don't owe you anything".
The King shook his head, "Not at all, your loyalty is all I need".
Renny, Marcos and Pavlor all dropped into a bow but were quickly ushered to stand upright by the King. Milo had only accidentally stumbled upon these daggers, but now he was seriously considering changing his fighting style to accommodate them. He felt they were too valuable to just let rot because of his own unique style.
Milo stood and allowed the mana to flood from his core. His black aura enveloped his body, and a shudder ran through his body. He slid the daggers from the sheath and flipped one around so the backside was pressed against his forearm. Lowering his body, he focused his mana into his feet creating the very same claws.
Milo dashed forward, the wind from his thrust so powerful it sent everything in the room into a frenzy. He sliced down at the curtains on the far wall.
*Boom*
"Um …", Milo mumbled in disbelief. He turned to the King with the crisp breeze washing over his back from the gaping hole in the wall, "I really didn't mean to do that".
"It's … MILO!", The King rushed to Milo's side, quickly grabbing him as Milo collapsed to the ground.
"WHATS WRONG!?", Marcos shouted, rushing towards Milo and pushing the King out of the way in his desperation.
He picked up the daggers that had fallen from his grasp, his eyes widened and he turned to the King. He bit his bottom lip and his face twisted in fury, "Who gave him these!?", he seethed.
The King anxiously swallowed but didn't call for a guard, instead he asked, "Why? Is there something wrong with the daggers?".
Milo sagged back upright, using Marcos' shoulder as a crutch, "Damn, what the hell was that?".
Marcos bit his bottom lip again, then let out a sigh of relief and pulled Milo close. Marcos took a deep breath, "Sorry …", he whispered.
Milo felt a cold touch run across his neck as Marcos sunk his fangs into him. It was a strange and squirmy sensation. Milo felt his entire body run cold as the blood rushed towards the two small wounds Marcos had opened up. Marcos took one final gulp before pulling away, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.
He slumped back onto his hands and looked back down at the daggers, "The Vampire sealed inside of these is extremely powerful and was thought to have been missing since the ancient war. He's one of the progenitors".
Even Marcos paled at his own words. Renny and the King both stopped what they were doing and their eyes flickered towards the daggers.
"You mean …", The King stammered out, "One of the great 4 bloodhounds?".
Marcos nodded, "Yes".
During the mythical age, the demon kindgom housed some of the most powerful beings to have ever walked the land. 4 of these figures were in direct servitude to the demon king, through their fierce pursuit of their foes they were given the name, bloodhounds.
They weren't hounds in the slightest, what they were, were Vampires, and extremely powerful ones at that. It is said in written record that their powers far exceeded some of the greatest elven warriors, and their knowledge far surpassed that of the dwarves.
What really made them fierce, was their relentless pursuit of humans.
To learn that one of these 4 was sealed inside of a dagger was nothing short of ground-breaking, but this wasn't all. For one of the creatures that once threatened to destroy the human kingdom for no more than their own enjoyment, to have been residing in the human kingdom and not just anywhere, but the Kings castle was an insult to everything the King stood for.
Marcos sheathed the daggers and tucked them behind himself, "Sorry Milo, I don't think I can let you use these".
"Come on …".
"NO", Marcos snapped, his lips visibly quivering and his eyes shaking, "I'm sorry, you don't understand just how frightening these vampires truly were. Honestly … even if I had all my strength, I don't think I would be able to control it".
It was no secret that the world had undergone a period of recession after the war, however Milo hadn't expected it to be this severe. To hear that the strongest person he knew wouldn't be able to hold a candle to a mere general was … well, a terrifying thought even for Milo.
It was an undeniable truth that he was different, but even if he was a reincarnate would he truly be able to break through the bounds of the world and reach the apex that these creatures once stood upon. A flicker of doubt was starting to creep into his mind.
This wasn't the only thing tugging at Milo's mind. If these 4 terrifying Vampires were only generals, just how strong was the demon capable of controlling them.
And that only gave birth to more questions that remained unanswered.
Milo thought for a moment, "How did the war end?".
The King nestled down on a chair in the corner, "Written history suggests that the alliance formed by the remaining races was enough to push the demons back".
Milo rubbed his chin, 'No … that doesn't make sense'.
It only made sense to assume that if the Vampires were that strong back in the day, every other combatant such as knights would have their own power increased by a level. That still didn't provide enough firepower to push back demons of their calibre.
'Dark'.
That demon flashed into Milo's mind. He couldn't even imagine anyone he currently knew being able to land a scratch on him. If that was the case, in ancient times his level would have also increased and even then, he would likely be beneath the level of these Vampires.
It didn't make sense; they couldn't have lost just because they were outnumbered.
'Something is going on … maybe …'.
Milo reached behind Marcos and snatched back the daggers. He unsheathed them without hesitation and probed the soul.
'Oi, you shitty Vampire, I know you can hear me. I've got a quick question for you'.
'Ohhh … didn't I put you on your ass a moment ago?', The voice tauntingly responded.
'You know …', It continued to speak before Milo could respond, 'I had wondered why the interaction with that Vampire you have by your side was so … familiar. Seems my descendants certainly continued to make a name for themselves'.
Milo's jaw went slack and he looked towards Marcos, "Hey, Marcos?".
He didn't know what to say, or even how to approach the matter. If what the soul said is true then Marcos would immediately be treated as a threat not only by the King, but by the entire kingdom and potentially the entire world.
What was odd for Milo was how Marcos was still keeping quiet about it. Milo could only assume that Marcos either didn't know or was already aware of the consequences it would have if word got out about it. Even if he was Milo's aide, that wasn't enough reason to justify have the descendent of such a Vampire in his possession.
Marcos showed a solemn smile to Milo before bowing his head to the King, "Forgive me! I am a descendent of the progenitor known as Noctis, the very same progenitor that is current trapped inside of the daggers. I have no intention of harming the human kingdom and my only wish is to remain by Milo's side".
'No, that won't be enough!'.
Milo attempted to rush forward but was prevented when the King shot upright.
"That's fine", The King said without any hint of worry. He placed his hand on Marcos' shoulder, "Besides, your master has already sworn himself to me so that also means you fall under my command. What a lucky break that is for me!".
Milo felt his blood run cold when he locked eyes with the King. He couldn't tell whether the King was a genius or just someone with an incredible amount of luck. From the way he acted, he seemed to already know that Milo was in possession of Marcos, and also what Marcos' true identity was. But that didn't make sense, even Milo was unaware of Marcos' identity up until now.
The King stretched and walked towards the door, "Besides, the tournament begins tomorrow so you and Pavlor should get some rest. I look forward to your performance".
The door creaked to a close behind him. The King pressed his back against the cold door and rubbed his face using his hands, his eyes welling with tears and the veins in his forehead popping.
"I'm sorry Milo … I'm so sorry", he choked back tears as a figure strolled silently through the hall towards him.
"So, Edmund, how did you find the little one?", Dark asked, coming to a sudden stop and allowing his mana to flare.
The Kings eyes widened as he felt his own core get blocked, "Mana isolation!", he gasped, falling to his knees before Dark.
"Don't worry, Milo won't be able to hear us out here. Go ahead and talk", Dark said.
The King's sweat trickled down his check. He swallowed before responding, "Well it's a unique combination, a human and vampire. Giving him those weapons was a risk that doesn't seem to have paid off either …".
The King's speech was halted as a violent wave of mana escaped from Dark's body.
"Are you suggesting I was wrong!?", Dark bellowed, his potent mana choking the King.
"Not … at … all", The King choked out, causing Dark to withdraw his mana. Dark dropped his isolation technique and walked towards a window, swinging it open he leapt out leaving the King alone to regain his breath.
Dark landed in an empty courtyard, he looked back towards the window and mumbled to himself, "Don't disappoint me, Milo".
With a swift gust of wind, Darks figure disappeared into the mist leaving the King, who was watching him from the window, gobsmacked.
The King couldn't wrap his head around why Dark was so intrigued by Milo. All he knew was that if Dark chose to cause havoc, then humanity wouldn't be able to fight back.
Milo having more power than he needed was an uncomfortable idea even for the King, but it was a sacrifice that he needed to make. Not only for his own sake, but also for the people that he had sworn to protect. Even if that meant dancing to Darks tune, if it meant ensuring the prosperity of the Kingdom then the King was willing to take that risk.