Prince Cody glanced at Fred, who subtly shook his head, signaling him to stay calm.
In the end, Prince Cody abandoned the idea of challenging Leo.
Seeing no vampire object, Leo nodded in satisfaction and said, “Well then, from now on, I will lead The Thirteen Clans of vampires. Soon, you’ll be glad you made this choice.”
“Mr. Bloomer, please wait a moment,” Prince Fred suddenly spoke up.
Leo frowned slightly and asked, “What’s the matter?”
Prince Fred spoke directly, “Now that you are the leader of The Thirteen Clans, I hope you will fulfill a promise-to lead the dark world and defeat Ecclesia!”
“No problem,” Leo agreed without hesitation.
Prince Fred immediately knelt on one knee before Leo and declared resolutely, “In that case, I, Fred, on behalf of The Covenant, pledge allegiance to you!”
“The Neutral Ground also pledges allegiance to you!”
“The Devil’s Party likewise pledges allegiance to you!”
Thus, the vampires of The Thirteen Clans, divided for over a thousand years, were united under Leo!
The next day.
In a luxurious and comfortable room, Leo lay on a soft leather sofa, sipping fine wine and enjoying a massage from two vampire beauties.
This indulgence made Leo feel reluctant to leave.
At that moment, footsteps sounded outside the room, and Prince Fred walked in.
“Master, I have something to report,” Prince Fred bowed respectfully.
Leo signaled the two vampire beauties to leave and stretched comfortably before asking, “What’s the matter?”
Fred replied, “The vampire descendants have reported unidentified individuals near the castle.”
“Unidentified individuals?” Leo frowned slightly.
“They’re likely from Ecclesia,” Fred said coldly.
“Ecclesia? What are they planning?” Leo raised an eyebrow.
Prince Fred replied coldly, “The centennial Dark Alliance election is approaching. Vampires and other dark races will gather in Albion. For Ecclesia, it’s a rare opportunity to strike.”
Leo pondered for a moment and asked, “Prince Fred, how do you suggest we deal with these uninvited guests?”
“One word: kill!” Prince Fred said fiercely.
“Then let’s show them our strength,” Leo nodded.
“Yes, I will send people to deal with them immediately!” Prince Fred replied respectfully.
Leo stood up from the sofa. “I’ll go meet them personally.”
“Those scouts are likely not formidable. There’s no need for you to go personally,” Prince Fred said in surprise.
Leo smiled. “It’s not a bad idea to gather more information.”
Location: Black Mist Forest.
It was late at night. In the silent forest, occasional wolf howls could be heard.
Seven or eight young clerics walked through the Black Mist Forest under the lead of a young bishop.
Each of them looked tense, clutching silver crosses tightly in their hands.
The only sound in the quiet forest was the rustling of leaves under their feet, adding to the clerics’ sense of oppression.
“Bishop, there’s nothing here. Shouldn’t we turn back?” one cleric couldn’t bear it any longer.
“We’ve searched all day and night with no results. We should rest,” other clerics echoed tiredly.
The bishop turned around and reprimanded coldly, “As the Lord’s most loyal servants, how can you fear hardship? Don’t you know the Lord is always watching us?”
No one dared to speak further, but their faces still showed dissatisfaction, fatigue, and tension.
After walking a bit further, the bishop softened his tone and said, “I know this scouting mission is tough. Let’s search for another half hour. If we find nothing, we’ll return.”
Just as he finished speaking, eerie laughter echoed through the forest.
The bishop’s face tightened as he whispered urgently, “Be on guard. It could be vile dark creatures!”
The clerics clutched their crosses to their chests and stood still, nervously scanning their surroundings.
Rustling sounds came from the branches above them as if something was moving swiftly through the trees.
The bishop sensed the unique presence of vampires and raised his cross high, shouting, “Light, purify all!”
Holy light spread from the bishop’s cross, illuminating everything around them.
However, the light didn’t last long before being completely consumed by blood-red light.
The bishop’s face changed as if struck by an invisible force, causing him to stagger back two steps.
More rustling sounds followed as three vampires descended from the trees: Prince Fred, Duke Gizack, and Duke Joseph.
Leo was also present but remained standing on a branch above, quietly observing.
Noticing the rank insignias on Fred and the others’ chests, the bishop’s face turned pale.
My God, a prince and two dukes-was this good luck or bad?
After recovering from his shock, the bishop shouted urgently, “What are you waiting for? Send a distress signal!”
The bishop didn’t believe his group could survive against a prince and two dukes.
A cleric hurriedly pulled out a small signal gun and aimed it skyward.
Prince Fred flicked his right hand, sending a blood-red beam toward the signal gun.
But the beam was intercepted by an arrow of fire.
The signal gun fired successfully, sending a long trail of flames into the night sky before exploding into a cross pattern.
Prince Fred looked puzzled in Leo’s direction but quickly understood Leo’s intention.
Though surprised by someone helping him, the bishop couldn’t dwell on it. He gathered his men and reassured them loudly, “Don’t be afraid! Archbishop Douglas and his soldiers are nearby. They’ll come quickly when they see the signal!”
Prince Fred sneered upon hearing this. “Naive fools. Do you really think you can hold out until reinforcements arrive? I can kill you all in less than a minute!”
The bishop knew Prince Fred spoke the truth but could only make a desperate stand. He shouted, “Don’t listen to him! Form up!”
Prince Fred turned to Duke Joseph. “Duke Joseph, I’ll leave these poor souls to you.”