CHAPTER 135: THE LORD’S PREROGATIVE

The council hall was grand.

There was a large U-shaped desk, as ornately designed as the doors that led into the hall. Multiple platinum blonde-haired Vampires—male and female—were behind sections of it, all seated in high-backed chairs to show off their status.

They all turned their surprised eyes at the interruption into what had clearly been an important meeting. Powerful auras flared and the Vampires of Leopold Vampire Coven council all flashed their fangs as they let out angry growls when none of the intruders even paused or cowered at the magnitude of their status and presence.

The Vampires leading Caius and Arlette wanted to bow and fidget in a show of respect but that action seemed to compromise the order they had been given by Caius to walk straight and normally.

’Bowing IS normal!’ The Vampires yelled in their heads but they couldn’t possibly argue with the order they had been given.

Soon, they had walked as close as they could without stepping into the space between the U-shaped Desk and then stepped aside so Caius’s view was not obstructed from the subject of the order they had been given.

Seated at the central position of the large deck and given a wide berth of space to show his supreme position at the council, was Kerwin Leopold.

He looked as he had been described in [To Kill A Demon Lord...]: Like a Hundred and Fifty-year-old man who had been injected with an elixir of youth that got rid of all the wrinkles that should have shown his age.

Kerwin had had less than six months left to live and at that point, he had started to show signs of aging. His bones were still strong—as they would continue to be until he breathed his last—but somehow he had still looked weary.

It was partly because that is simply the nature of a Mage nearing the end of his lifespan. But it was also mostly because he let himself be bogged down with worry about what he had failed to achieve and how he could cheat his end to still be able to achieve it.

Thanks to Vampirism, his skin had gotten smoother. His eyes regained their light and zest for life. His bones straightened with greater strength than when he had been a human. All in all, he looked somewhat youthful but also artificial. You look at him and you can immediately tell he’s old even if his skin is trying not to look it. Even the miracle of Vampiric immortality isn’t flawless and leaves a mark.

Kerwin’s Platinum-blond hair was bleached white. It had also been stringy when he was a human but his Vampirism cured that so now he had long elegant locks even if the color remained the same.

Kerwin was the only one not snarling at Caius and Arlette. As the head of the council and father of all Vampires in the Coven (some in more ways than one as he had birthed their generations before turning them), he had to remain aloof. He had his forearms crossed over each other as he leaned forward in his chair which had the highest back of all.

He was the only one Caius had eyes for as he walked past the Vampires that had led him here, holding Arlette’s hand as he stepped into the middle of the large U-shaped desk.

Now that they had fulfilled his order completely, the Vampires were free of his control. At least until he gave them another. Alas, the pressures that were starting to rise locked them in place.

"Kerwin Leopold," Caius greeted with a smile, "We finally meet. I am Caius Von Helsing."

"How dare you interrupt us?" One of the Leopold Vampire Council members said, ignoring Caius and Arlette to glare at the Vampires who led them here.

"I will have your heads for this disrespect!" Said another. A female this time.

"Please be quiet,". Caius told her in a silky voice and the woman’s eyes bugged as her jaw snapped shut. Her eyes that had been bugging in anger were now mellowed as she was mystified and confused.

"The same goes for the rest of you by the way," Caius added, "All you council members, stay right where you are and be silent. Only Kerwin may speak. Only his words hold any meaning here, anyway."

It was true.

The council existed because Kerwin enjoyed differing opinions and saw them all, regardless of his position as the head of the coven, as Family whose thoughts mattered. That said, if it came down to it, as they were all his spawns, only his will mattered.

Vampiric Hierarchy was that iron-clad. That was the whole reason Caius could walk in here to exert his greater status at will, after all.

Despite Kerwin’s appreciation for discourse though, the fact that he forbade the creation of spawns showed he still liked to have control. A creator can’t directly control the creation of his/her spawns. Control can be done by Proxy of course, but why bother when you can just make sure it never happens?

All the snarls were shut off. Anger mellowed out in general to be replaced with wonder as the council members all glanced at Kerwin who looked like he was trying his best not to crack his perfectly composed visage.

And it was the hardest thing he had ever done.

Kerwin could tell already that Caius was dangerous and he had to act quickly. Either take his head right that second or restrain him so he couldn’t speak any more words seeing as his words had compelled his Spawns to be silent.

Alas, whenever the thought of taking adverse action came to Kerwin’s mind, it was quickly quelled by the Aura emanating from Caius’ body.

The Lord’s Prerogative!

It was the terms used to describe certain special rights that a Vampire Noble possessed. When they enact their authority, even without giving an order, thoughts to attack them are never able to come to fruition.

As a tool the first Vampire Nobles had pleaded with the Goddess Nyx to grant them, the title of Nobility had to come with Failsafes to protect in lieu of a direct order. Had that not been the case, Noble succession would have been far more common. It would have only required quick thinking and a prompt gagging to subdue a Noble and maybe even compel them to perform the ’Rite of Noble Ascension’.

Even more, with Caius holding Arlette’s hand, the Prerogative applied to her as well. As long as she was in contact with his body, she couldn’t be armed by anyone besides another Vampire Noble. And it would have to be one who held a greater rank than Caius did.

"What are you?" Kerwin asked slowly.

"A Noble," Caius said easily.

Kerwin’s brows twitched but he remained relaxed.

"So am I," he said and gestured at the other members of his council as he added,

"So are they."

Caius shook his head.

"No," he said and laughed a little, "Believe me, it’s not the same. And I’m sure you can tell."

Kerwin could tell. And it only confused him all the more. In his centuries of existence, he had never met a Vampire Noble and he never should have met one till death.

In [To Kill A Demon Lord...], the only Vampire Noble with a territory in the Acheron Empire was Anton Orlock and he was only introduced after the ’Rise of Ophiuchus’ arc where he was shown to care very little about Vampires that were not his own Spawns and members of his secluded clan.

Even putting aside the fact that Anton Orlock was a bit of an odd one among Nobles due to his delight in blood experimentation, Vampire Nobles generally don’t go about making themselves known to the peasants of their kind. Vampiric Authority might grant you momentary control over Vampires who aren’t your spawns but besides being a source of temporary amusement, you don’t command them long term.

As such, Vampire Lords ignore and keep to themselves. Do their own thing. Create their own clans, if you will. Unless of course, you’re Athenodora who prefers to be alone.

Or you’re Caius Von Helsing who was here to assimilate this bunch rather than do the work and build from the ground up.

He was lazy like that.