Dusk slowly washed over the port city, bringing along with it the silence of night. The street lamps dyed the streets of the city red and brought the city back to life, but a suburb lined with the mansions of various nobles and merchants were filled with silence unbefitting their splendor. Soon, the last light of the sunset completely disappeared, and people came flocking to the gates of a mansion where gargoyles stood tall like guardians.

There were dozens of vampires with pale faces and glimmering red eyes. Each of them were wearing clothes or holding weapons symbolizing their respective clans, and they appeared quite nervous at first glance. The lower-ranking vampires were lined up near the courtyard and the main gate, while the well-dressed, higher-ranking vampires entered the mansion one after another. The atmosphere became slightly heated on several occasions, but no one acted carelessly because it was a gathering of the high-ranking members of four clans.

Vampires from the Rivoles, Helmond, Samit, and Todor Clans were present. Although Noferos was missing, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that those gathered were representatives of all vampires in the world. The monarchs of the four clans were set to gather together. And the participants both felt excited and nervous, knowing that it had nearly been a hundred years since the last meeting of such scale. Moreover, they felt curious about the one responsible for the current situation.

‘Was the King of Maren truly on the level of the clan masters?’

‘Will they eliminate him? Or are they planning to treat him like a monarch?’

‘What are they going to do about their relationship with the Dukedom of Maren?’

‘If they really do take him back to the imperial castle, there will certainly be war…’

They were all members of the vampire clans that had been incorporated into the Roman Empire a long time ago. As such, their thought processes weren’t much different from human knights and nobles. The man in question wasn’t simply an ordinary nobleman with a little fame and power, but the Duke of Brantia and the King of Maren, not to mention he was a high-ranking vampire as well. In addition, the ones who would be deciding on his disposition were the clan masters, and they all possessed some status in the Roman Empire. Regardless of the outcome, it was clear that the aftermath would be huge. The vampires outside the residence could not tear their eyes off of the mansion, knowing that the meeting underway could possibly bring change to the entire world.

***

“From here on in, only the most prestigious of each clan can enter,” Delmondo said politely in front of a long hallway leading to the conference hall.

“Impudent…” a vampire high lord muttered while frowning. It was ridiculous that they were restricting entrance at a hallway leading to the actual conference hall. Moreover, the announcer was at best just a banneret. How was it that such a puny creature had actually dared to make announcements in the presence of the greatest monarchs of the clan?

“Keugh!”

However, at that moment, a powerful pressure caused the vampire high lord to desperately grab his neck. And that wasn’t the end of it either. An invisible force raised him off the ground and forced the high lord into the air.

“It seems that you are the impudent one…” A deep voice resonated.

“Keugh! Ugh!”

The vampire high lord wasn’t inferior to even intermediate-ranking monsters in terms of pure power. Even so, they could only continue to struggle in the air with their feet hanging. A middle-aged man in a purple robe lightly waved his hands while watching the scene play out with somber eyes.

Boom!

“Huagh! Huaah…”

The man in purple took a glance at the vampire high lord before turning his head.

“I apologize on my child’s behalf, Master Helmond,” the purple-robed man said.

“It should not be on their behalf. It is you who should apologize, Todor. Parents should take responsibility for the fault of their child, as it is your fault for not teaching them good manners.”

“…!”

Master Todor’s eyes turned crimson. He was the monarch of a powerful clan with nearly three hundred bannerets and knights, a vampire master, and a marquis of the Roman Empire. However, he could not retort the words of the young man with bright platinum blond hair and crimson armor.

The young man was none other than the master of the Helmond Clan, one of the oldest and most prestigious vampire clans in the Roman Empire along with Rivoles and Noferos. It was possible that he was the strongest vampire apart from the ‘ones’ residing somewhere in the imperial castle. Even though both of them were clan masters, Master Todor was not confident in beating Helmond.

“We haven’t seen each other in a long time, so there’s no need to start things off on the wrong foot. Why don’t we show some consideration for Master Rivoles’ honor and stop here? Let’s go in,” a beautiful female vampire who looked to be in her mid-20s interjected.

The two vampires turned their gazes toward her. She was an impressive beauty with clear, sparkling blue eyes and slightly tinted cheeks. It was rather difficult to see her as a vampire, but the two clan masters knew the reason behind her unorthodox appearance.

“It seems that you have still retained your rotten habit of sucking elf blood, Samit,” Master Helmond commented.

“I’ve taken in and helped poor children with nowhere to go, so a small price is only in order. The children are also extremely satisfied with the affection I give them.” Master Samit beamed while slowly following behind the two clan masters. She exuded a powerful charm, and her charm was so captivating even vampire high lords with powerful Fear and formidable mental defense felt their minds dim for a moment.

However, the two clan masters only frowned at the distinctive scent of blood exuding from her.

“If you keep sucking the blood of elves like that, your lineage is going to be severed someday.”

“I can’t believe you aren’t afraid of extinction. You’re completely out of your mind.”

The criticisms of the two clan masters were reasonable. The blood of elves contained greater power compared to humans, dwarves, and monsters. As such, many vampires coveted the blood of elves, which was why the elves once had the worst relationship with the vampires. However, consuming the blood of elves was accompanied by side effects proportional to the power it granted. Drinking an excessive amount of elf blood caused vampires to lose their ability to transform others into vampires. Lords, who were limited in the number of children they could have, would refrain from drinking the blood of elves, and even high lords tended to abstain from it as well. However, Master Samit turned elves into blood slaves regardless of the potential aftermath.

In the first place, she had little interest in increasing her influence, and she was unusual in that she preferred a small group of elites. Therefore, the Samit Clan had the smallest number of vampires, but their bannerets were evaluated to have power and mystery close to that of the high lords of other clans. However, even she did not act rashly toward the masters of Helmond and Rivoles. In the vampire world, strength was proportionate to age. Master Samit was confident in her own powers and mysteries, but she was still in the dark about the secrets of the clan masters older than her. In other words, her opponents knew her to a certain extent, while she had no information regarding them. As such, she was obedient toward the masters of the two clans while biding her time.

“I will take care of my own problems, so there’s no need to worry about it. Anyway, this child, the King of Maren. Is he in the conference room?” Master Samit asked.

Delmondo responded while desperately holding back a frown, “This humble one does not know. I was simply ordered to guide all of you by the great one.”

Surely the ‘great one’ was referring to Master Rivoles. However, it was a rather rude expression to use in front of three other vampire masters.

Master Samit said while raising her eyebrows, “You’re quite bold, aren’t you?”

“…” Delmondo remained silent in the face of Samit’s lazy, but cruel smile. He bowed before walking to the large stone door. Once he opened the doors, the three vampire masters entered the room side by side. Inside, there was only a long stone table measuring more than ten meters and hundreds of golden candlesticks. Two people were already present in the room.

“Hmm?”

“…?!”

The three masters were rather surprised. They had been expecting Master Rivoles, the host, to be sitting in the seat of honor.

Boom!

The stone doors closed with a loud noise.

“Hnng…”

“Rivoles. What is this?”

“Master Rivoles. What is going on?”

Samit frowned while snorting, while Helmond and Todor expressed their displeasure. The eyes of the three clan masters were fixated on Master Rivoles. They paid no attention to the beautiful young man with black hair. Although he was sitting on the seat of honor, he had neither Fear nor presence. To the noble vampire masters, the young man was simply an insect they could trample to death at any moment.

Disregarding the reactions of the three, Master Rivoles walked toward them. After he stood in front of the three masters, Rivoles spoke while looking them over.

“It has been a long time since I saw all of you. However, we’ll have to exchange our pleasantries later.”

“What? What do you mean?” Master Helmond asked with a frown. He was the only one here in the same ‘class’ as Master Rivoles. However, he never heard an answer to his question, as Master Rivoles had turned around without speaking.

“Ha! Rivoles. The laws of our tribe—” Master Helmond could not finish his words. He had to stop when he saw Master Rivoles slowly kneeling after walking toward the far end of the stone table.

“…!!!”

The youngest of them, Master Samit, was well over 100 years old, and Master Helmond had been reborn as a member of the Tribe of Darkness more than 200 years ago. During their long lives, they had never seen Master Rivoles—or rather any clan master for that matter—kneel in front of anyone. This applied to them as well. Even when they had to face the emperor or the pope, they had shown respect, but they had never kneeled. However, the master of the most powerful clan in the Roman Empire was currently kneeling on one knee toward the figure sitting at the end of the long stone table with a relaxed expression.

“Enlighten the foolish servants to your presence,” Master Rivoles said.

“…?!” The eyes of the three clan masters filled with surprise at the mystifying words. But all of a sudden, the space surrounding the four vampire masters began to ‘transform’.

Paaaaaaa…

The air started to vibrate subtly, then grew into a heavy tremor. A crimson energy started to spread like a spider’s web from the end of the stone table, and then it soon eroded the entire room. The mysterious energy harbored a mystery that threatened to burn the world, and it wasn’t unfamiliar to the three vampire masters.

Vampire Fear—it was the basis of the vampires’ power and their symbol. However, the Fear currently occupying the space was something that the three masters had never experienced before. It was more fundamental—more primordial. An overwhelming Fear was weighing down on them, a Fear irresistible to any mortal creature, not even those nightmares that lived off of other’s fear could resist it.

“Keugh!”

“Ugh!”

“Hmm!”

The three simultaneously groaned. However, as if to showcase the difference between their levels, the three masters reacted differently. Todor clenched his teeth and was forced to his knees. The red in Samit’s face quickly faded away, and her eyes returned to their original red. And Helmond took three steps back while swaying from side to side.

Although they reacted differently, they shared the same expression. They were shocked and afraid. The rulers of darkness and fear had just been dominated by fear.

Shhh.

Eugene quietly stood up from his seat after expressing all of his Fear.

Fwoosh!

His Fear flickered and rose over his figure. Then, although unintended, the Fear transformed into the original shape of its owner according to the Origin’s will.

Fwoooosh! Fwoosh!

“Huh?!”

The vampire masters were appalled to see the shape of the Fear, which was floating behind Eugene as if it was protecting him.

It was a crimson dragon with the wings of a bat. Upon manifesting the symbol of the King of Darkness, Eugene parted his red lips.

“Kneel.”

The Origin’s voice became a command that pierced the souls of the masters. He was the king of all vampires, the progenitor of all vampires, the first vampire, and the Origin.