CHAPTER 256: WHISPERS

"What about Devour Bandit? What’s he up to these days?" Vacuse asked. But in truth, the question he asked wasn’t what he expected them to answer.

Captain Amros caught on to what he meant and answered. "He hasn’t displayed anything strange. The only thing we noticed was that his power could interfere with necromancers and their undead. Apart from that, there’s nothing suspicious."

Vacuse frowned slightly as he heard that. He used the moment when the servant brought food for the four of them to think about it.

"I don’t know what Blood Spike is playing at. She calls herself a Dragon and yet... I don’t know what she is. What did she want here in this place? Or is she truly trying to help me?"

Vacuse didn’t think so. There was nothing like free help. And yet, it was she who taught him how to use his draconic Initiate powers and then sent Devour Bandit his way.

Although she did say she didn’t want him to die because she wanted to get his seed. But for what? Just for childbirth?

Necromancers, Dragons that shouldn’t be... what exactly is the connection between all of these things?

"Keep an eye on him at all times. I don’t know what... is in him. Blood Spike is known for creating human puppets," Vacuse warned.

"Devour Bandit can create puppets as well," Kagerou pointed out.

Vacuse shook his head. "There’s a lot of difference. Devour Bandit takes the soul and uses it, but Blood Spike can only use possession. I believe she used pieces of her soul to cause possession.

"My lord," Harkon began hesitantly, "maybe that’s what Blood Spike wanted you to see? Maybe both Devour Bandit and Blood Spike are one and the same.

"If she could use possession, then maybe she’s been in Devour Bandit for so long that she was able to use a variant of her powers."

Vacuse raised his head from his food and looked at Harkon for a long time, a small smile on his lips. "You’ve changed the most, Harkon. I like it."

Harkon grimaced and remained silent. Even though he might have become a little outspoken, his face was still always in that hard and solemn state.

Kagerou snorted and slapped him on the back. "He’s indeed changed. Looking for you made him start involving himself in things. He doesn’t have to hide behind you!"

Harkon scowled.

Vacuse laughed, and Amros smiled.

"We will have a spar later. I want to see how strong you’ve all become. Including you, Amros. I want to know what you can and cannot handle."

☆☆▪︎▪︎☆☆

"Wow. He’s actually a lord," Yukata whispered to Lady Slave.

The two of them had been told to make their decisions... Yukata had been told to decide what he wanted to do going forward, and his options were laid out for him. But Yukata didn’t need to think long or hard to choose to remain.

And he was promptly assigned to the logistics team of the Dragon Hunters.

As for Lady Maraget, there were no specific instructions on what she should do, but with the number of eyes on her, she knew she was being told to stay put and not cause trouble. Fortunately, she had no intention of causing trouble either.

The two of them had been wandering the mansion, not doing anything in particular, studying the Dragon Hunters. But unfortunately, they were disappointed, as they thought they would witness powers as different from Magus as Red Marchant—Vacuse—had been.

The majority of the Dragon Hunters were Magus, and to Lady Maraget, not the impressive type either. Although nobody had been more shocked than her when she saw Magus Sylrissa. What in the rotting undead was she doing with the Dragon Hunters?

Either way, they’d eaten and rested, but now a commotion drew them to the back of the building, where a large training ground lay. Magus Sylrissa and other members of the Dragon Hunters stood at the edge, whispering as Vacuse appeared, all of them bowing to him.

"I suppose he’s that," Lady Maraget said dismissively, her eyes only focused on the three men who stood behind Vacuse—it still felt strange to her to call him Vacuse, for him to actually have a name instead of something made up like hers—as he made his way into the training ground.

The three men had the same energy aura as Vacuse, and now that Lady Slave focused, she could detect others with the same type in the crowd. "About eight of them in total."

"Eh? What are you talking about?" Yukata asked.

Lady Maraget ignored him as she forced her way to the front, watching as her secret guards followed behind. A spar was about to happen, and she wasn’t about to miss any of it, even though she knew how strong Vacuse was.

The whispers around her increased.

"This is our so-called leader? The one we’ve been searching for?"

"But... he looks just like a child just going into his new adult age! And he’s going to lead us? We follow Amros because he’s strong. I’ve never seen a circle three Magus beat him. How are we supposed to follow this... circle two?"

The old veteran hunters began to complain. Indeed, most of the hunters had been mostly independent before Amros convinced them to join him, showing his power as well as potential and wealth. And since they joined, he’d never let them down. They’d crushed lots of hunting grounds and cleared entire sections of tunnels, wiping out monsters and humans alike.

For a circle three hunter team, they were incredibly strong.

"Hush. He might as well be a prodigy. Don’t you hear the rumors that he killed a circle three Magus without even lifting a hand?"

"Hahaha! Such jokes! I tell you, Amros has sold our Dragon Hunters to that young lord. They’re just spreading rumors to try and pass him off as competent."

"I don’t like this! We can’t let this happen!"

More and more people added their voices, and although it wasn’t loud, the aura that now surrounded the training ground was unmistakable.