Lord: Starting from a Goblin Nest

Perhaps the emotional outburst had been too much for her. After spitting everything out at a frantic pace, the witch’s eyes rolled back into her head and she began foaming at the mouth, giving Ron and the others no chance for follow-up questions. Victoria once again tried to heal her with Magic, but to no avail.

”It’s no use. This can’t be healed with Magic,” Victoria said, shaking her head regretfully at Ron. ”She’s... very strange. Are all witches’ souls such a chaotic mess?”

”We should probably get out of here fast. There’s no telling if she’ll be this willing to talk the next time she wakes up.”

Ron reached out, touching Victoria and the others one by one. In the murky air, hazy wisps of mist, seemingly with minds of their own, floated toward a pipe that led outside the castle. After everyone else was gone, Ron glanced back at the still-unconscious witch, tore open a Gaseous Form Scroll he had prepared in advance, and departed.

The Vampire Count had no external enemies—at least, not for the moment—so his defenses were limited to routine patrols. The group flew from the pipe all the way back to Ron’s room without encountering a single creature larger than a pigeon, let alone a massive Gargoyle.

Peeking through the half-open window of his room, Ron saw Delaford and Yelena were already there, waiting for their return.

To Ron’s surprise, however, their swift infiltration had not gone completely unnoticed, even if Alfred and the Count hadn’t discovered it. As Ron and the others landed in the room and materialized, they were embarrassed to find that besides the goblin and the Shadow Spirit, someone else was in the room.

Upon seeing Ron among them, the woman—dressed in magnificent aristocratic robes—saw her stormy expression soften. A faint smile touched her lips as her red eyes scanned Ron from head to toe.

”Benefactor, I hope you found something in that attic worth all the trouble.”

”Silvia?!” Aive stared, dumbfounded, at the Vampire Descendant she hadn’t seen in what felt like ages. ”What gives you so much free time today?!”

”You’ll have to ask him,” Silvia said with a pout, smacking the back of the goblin’s head. ”If I hadn’t stepped in, he would’ve torn down the whole castle just to keep Alfred occupied!”

”That Vampire Count has to sleep during the day anyway, so what’s the big deal!” Delaford protested, rubbing his head. ”If Yelena hadn’t come to get you, your meddling would’ve gotten Ron exposed!”

”I only went to find you *because* I saw Yelena leave!” Silvia shot back, glaring at the defiant Goblin Hunter. ”If you’re going to draw that much attention, you might as well let me handle it next time!”

”I was going to ask for your help,” Ron said with an embarrassed laugh, ”but you’re busy preparing for the ceremony. And in a few days, you’re about to...”

”So you decided to keep me in the dark?” Silvia sighed. ”If this castle, and indeed this entire domain, will soon belong to me, then what is mine is naturally yours. Whatever you want to see, whatever you want to take, I can give it to you. Without question.”

”I’m one of your own people—one of us. So can you please tell me now? Why go to all this trouble? What did you hope to find in that locked attic?”

”That’s the problem, Silvia,” Ron said, looking the Vampire Descendant straight in the eye to show he wasn’t lying. ”We might not gain anything. In fact, we have to leave, quickly, before we lose everything we already have.”

Before Silvia could ask, Ron told her everything he had seen and heard in the attic. ”You have to understand, right?”

”Yes, of course I understand.”

”Don’t be so quick to argue. I know this is completely different from what the Count told you, but... what did you just say?” Ron’s eyes widened as he stared at Silvia, who was calm, even faintly smiling. ”You... understand?”

”Of course,” Silvia nodded. ”You, Aive, Victoria, even Delaford... you can’t bear to let me go. You’re afraid I’ll be tempted by wealth and glory and part ways with all of you, so you concocted this story. Isn’t that right?”

”I understand perfectly. A land of the Undead might mean little to the living, but for me, who is about to become a true member of the Blood Race, it’s a different story.”

”Have you lost your mind?!” Aive pressed a hand to her forehead. ”Has that Vampire put you under some kind of spell? This many of us saw and heard it with our own eyes and ears, and you think we’re joking?”

”What else am I to think? That I should believe the noble-born Count, the protector of his people, is a complete liar, and that the real truth comes from some madwoman locked in an attic?” Silvia shot back. ”She even claims to be the dead Countess? Benefactor, we went to see the graves of her and their daughter! Could those have been fake?”

”A grave doesn’t guarantee a body is in it,” Ron persisted. ”Silvia, do you remember Farama’s memorial? It was guarded by a Death Knight, but was her body actually inside?”

”You can’t just dig up a man’s wife and daughter’s graves while he’s still ’alive’!” Silvia shot to her feet, waving her hands in exasperation. ”Benefactor, I... just give me a moment. I want to believe you, I do, but I can’t bring myself to trust some random madwoman.”

”I won’t tell the Count or Alfred about this. We’ll just pretend it never happened, all right?”

”Ron! Let’s stop wasting our breath on her. If she’s so determined to walk into her own doom, we have no obligation to save her again!” Aive’s voice called out just as Silvia reached for the door.

”She’s still lost in her pipe dream of going from slave to countess!”

”We’ll see if you remember those words when I’m hosting banquets in this castle and you’re not invited!” Silvia stormed out of the room, leaving the Half-Elf’s sneer behind her.

After the unpleasant conversation, Ron and his companions made the excuse that they were too weak to continue helping with the ritual preparations. Aive and Silvia went out of their way to avoid each other. Yelena and Quest were away from the castle for several days straight. The only one in the group who remained carefree was Delaford. Ever since discovering Alfred’s detachable parts, the Goblin Hunter had found himself a new toy and now spent his days chasing the butler all around the castle.

Several more days passed in a flash. Silvia’s succession ceremony was fully prepared. All that remained was for the full moon to rise tonight. The Count would then abdicate, and she would inherit all his wealth and power. After dinner, the Vampire Descendant knocked on Ron’s door.

”Benefactor, the ceremony begins in about three or four hours. You and the others should start getting ready.”

There was no response from inside the room.

’Don’t tell me they actually left...’ the Vampire Descendant sighed, muttering to herself. She knocked a few more times. When there was still no answer, she turned to leave, only to hear a CREAK from behind her. The door had opened. Ron was standing in the doorway, breathing heavily.

”Please inform the Lord Count that we are grateful for his generous hospitality these past two weeks, and we will be sure to arrive on time.”

”Silvia, you should change your clothes,” Ron added cryptically after accepting the invitation. ”Wear something underneath that’s easy to move in.”

Silvia glanced past her benefactor. Ron didn’t seem to mind the cool night air of the Ghost Realm; the windows were thrown wide open, allowing a cold draft to WHOOSH through the room.