Chapter 29: Return

The remaining section of the journey back to Volmiir may have taken the same amount of time, if not more, as my temporary travel companion seems very unwilling to return. Currently, I've placed an animal collar from the dark guild's storage around his neck and enchanted it with <Obedience>. It sounds like a slavery collar, sure, but mine is a little different. From what I could tell, while a slavery collar usually requires some sort of special dark magic to use and disable, mine can be taken off at any time. If anything, I could probably sell these things to anyone who might want to spice up their sex life or the military to make transporting criminals easier.

[Demetri] "Please...I'll tell you everything, just please let me go."

[Kai] "Just do that with Verren and Seyird and you'll be fine, now keep moving."

His eyes darken as he's forced to follow my order. I'm going to lord this over Seyird for so long. I happened to catch the spy by chance while he wasn't able to do it in a few days.

[Demetri] "Please...they'll kill me."

[Kai] "No they won't."

My mind suddenly fills with the first memories I made in Volmiir. My hand cut off and blood drained, my jaw broken in an instant, being locked in a room and forced to churn out blood for the occupants.

[Kai] "At least, not immediately."

My captured quarry lets out a loud gulp as he continues walking against his will. Eventually, the two of us make it back to the castle, only to be greeted by the now bald Kristofer, along with a group of vampires that seem to be gearing up for some sort of hunting trip.

[Kai] "Hey!"

Kristofer and his companions seem to tense up at the sight of me.

[Kristofer] "Whoever you are, you need to leave. This area is owned by Lord Verren."

What is this idiot talking about now?

[Kai] "I know. I live here."

[Kristofer] "Ha! Don't think you can fool me!"

As my mind swims with thoughts of punishment for the bald incompetent, a sudden realisation occurs. I take of my mask to reveal my cold, crimson eyes and messy black hair. The moment Kristofer sees my face, his already pale complexion becomes a ghostly white. It's quite amusing.

[Kristofer] "S-Sire?"

[Kai] "Sire?"

The bald vampire nervously chuckles before his eyes shift towards the man wearing a collar next to me.

[Kai] "Oh, right. Do you know if Lord Verren or Seyird are here? I have a gift for them."

[Kristofer] "I-In his office."

After thanking the baldy for his quick reply, I shove Demetri towards the door and we make our way to Verren's office. With my mask off and my hood down, I get a few strange looks and greetings from the others, much to my surprise. I would probably think they liked me if I didn't know better. They've seen me spar with Valentina and know I'm the left hand man of their lord so they're doing the smart thing and trying not to piss me off.

A few minutes of listening to Demetri's whimpering goes by until we finally arrive at Verren's door. I knock twice on the dark wood entryway, receiving no response after a minute, I try knocking again. Once more with no response. I can feel my eyes narrowing with suspicious curiosity.

[Kai] "Apologies, but I'm coming in. <Unlock>"

The metal lock clicks and the door creaks open, revealing the figure of Verren with his head down over his desk, a pile of papers on one side and a collection of empty bottles and glasses on the other that exude a thick smell of alcohol.

[Kai] "Great."

I close the door behind us quickly, to avoid letting anyone else see their lords' current state and lock it.

[Kai] "Oi! Old man!"

No answer. Getting annoyed, I walk up to his body after commanding Demetri to stay put. Giving the mighty lord a quick shake, he seems to stir for a moment before beginning to snore. I unintentionally let out a sigh at the sight.

[Kai] "So this is what success looks like..."

After saying that to no one in particular, I place my hand on his shoulder and begin muttering words in an attempt to fix whatever situation he's drunken himself into.

[Kai] "<Detoxify> <Heal> <Sober> <Wake>...<Shock>"

After, I believe, successfully removing the alcohol from his system, I give him a short shock to stir him faster. It works, possibly too well, as a hand shoots up and slams into my chest, sending me flying back into a nearby bookshelf.

[Verren] "Hm? What's happening?"

He looks to his left, seeing me lying in a pile of splintered wood and dusty books.

[Verren] "Kai? What are you doing, lazing around in my office?"

I let out an annoyed sigh, before blowing a few strands of hair out of my face. That casual smack of his felt about as powerful as the time he snapped my jaw, though I don't plan on showing that in front of Demetri. Getting up and dusting myself off, I walk back over to the front of his desk.

[Kai] "I have a few gifts for you."

His face seems to light up and it's as though years have been added the immortal's life, which I suppose isn't saying much. He looks happy, is what I'm getting at.

[Verren] "Does it have anything to do with the incontinent one behind you?"

Looking back, I see that Demetri has indeed, soiled himself. I sigh again, though a chuckle follows soon after when I remember that Seyird failed to capture this guy.

[Kai] "He's the rat."

Verren's eyes widen for a moment before looking past me and at the shaking spy.

[Verren] "Come here."

The Royal's words seem to register in Demetri's mind but he doesn't move. His nervous shaking reaches a level I hadn't thought possible.

[Verren] "Are you deaf? Come here, boy."

[Kai] "Come here."

At my words, the rat walks over to us with what I think may be his full speed.

[Verren] "Is that..."

Verren's eyes appear to hone in on the spy's collar.

[Kai] "It's an Obedience Collar. I made it myself."

[Verren] "Please, take it off. It will be annoying if I have to go through you to ask him anything."

I smirk, placing my hand in my cloak and pulling a set of parchments from my storage and placing them on his desk. Verren's expression seems to remain calm if one only glance at him but a closer look and one could see that his eyes are darting between the parchment and myself with a worried glaze in them.

[Verren] "Dear Gods, why have you done this to me?"

He reaches for another bottle of the alcoholic blood but soon realises, as he's taking a swig, that all of his bottles have been emptied during his last binge.

[Kai] "Would your mood lighten if I told you that these pages include everything the dark guild has on both Volmiir and Dreyfus?"

The first smile I've seen on him since arriving appears at the sound of those words. He stands up, with his smirk growing wider with each passing second.

[Verren] "Seyird!"

A few moments pass and the servant doesn't appear.

[Seyird] "You called, Milord?"

My heart almost leapt out of my chest when his voice rang out from right beside me. Looking at him with an expression of pure surprise and a tinge of anger, his only response to me is a smug smirk that makes me want to punch him in the face.

[Verren] "This paperwork. I'd like you to go over it and find any information pertaining to our current situation."

Seyird looks to the stack of parchment, then back to his lord.

[Seyird] "of course, Milord."

Oh, you shouldn't have done that. It's payback time for scaring me you ass.

[Kai] "Ah, there's more where that came from."

For the next 90 or so seconds, I continuously pull out more parchment for the thrall to search through.

[Seyird] "Is that everything?"

No. No, you don't get to stare at me with that bored expression after I just got back at you.

Verren chuckles for a moment before walking towards the door and motioning for me to follow him.

[Kai] "And him?"

I point back towards Demetri, honestly wondering what the plan was with him.

[Verren] "Leave him to Seyird. I'm sure he would like to speak to the one who evaded him for so long."

I'll admit, this brought a smile to my face. Especially when it seems to have caused Seyird to drop some of the parchment on the floor, whether out of embarrassment or seething rage. Disabling the Obedience Collar, I leave the room with Verren, wishing the rat "good luck" with a smile. After closing the door, I was greeted by a powerful hand landing on my shoulder.

[Verren] "So, would you mind regaling me with how you managed to obtain those records? Not to mention, I don't believe that's the same cloak I gave you when you left for Solben. And that ring..."

I'm afraid to look up at the figure who could crush me with ease, currently emitting an aura of terrifying nobility.

[Kai] "You see..."

I explain the entirety of my trip to him, including the fight with the dark guild, Ilima the Gravekeeper and that the reason for my new cloak is because I ruined it trying to enchant it, though I simply said that it got ruined and left out the part about me now being able to enchant things. Seemingly satisfied with my explanation, he finally lets go of my shoulder.

[Verren] "You should go and tell Lucile that you've returned. Then come find me later, I have something important to speak with you about."

I wonder what he wants to talk about? It can't be something like running out of blood since he could just tell me outright so perhaps he's sending me out on another hunt? Well, I can think about that later. For now, I'll see how Lucile is doing. Hopefully she hasn't gone back to being a recluse.