Chapter 64: A Truce, A Trio
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The people felt like they themselves were struck by lightning because of those words.
"W-What do you mean, Your Majesty? Of course, you want to be the king. That is why you claimed your birthright before us, isn't it?"
"No." Sangfroid shook his head. "People of Ilvedia, listen closely."
Dawn has come, and along with it came the howling of wolves in the distance. The people's guard heightened, feeling protective of their new reluctant monarch.
Sangfroid waved his hand. "I am happy to give all these blessings to you. Even I have not anticipated it. But I have no desire to rule over your land until my true goal has been fulfilled. Prince Leron is still infected by vampirism, and Prince Vladstin has now regained his former conscience and would not want to continue living as a vampire. I know that it is hard to forgive the both of them, but for the sake of peace, let us find the Hermit so vampires will be truly eliminated from existing in the future."
"The let them travel to the Hermit themselves." Verise argued. "Sangfroid, we need a king. Even with all these abundant fields and necessities, we need a leader to rebuld a new kingdom. Let them go by themselves and fix their own problems."
"I cannot. The woods are too dangerous to travel on their own."
"They are vampires!" Zenon argued. "They cannot die, or at least one can't and the other will become a corpse puppet."
"That's why I can't leave them behind. I need to ask the Hermit for an antidote to the vampirism infection as well." Sangfroid realized something, and look around. "Where is Asver?"
At the mention of the name, everyone bowed their heads. Sangfroid immediately knew the answer. Asvian isn't here either, and that child is always with the redhead inventor.
"It's too late look for an antidote, Your Majesty." Rothfir's face darkened. "I suggest you give up now. Everyone who deserved it died already, or sacrificed themselves so they would not infect others."
Sangfroid clenched his fist because he knows what he is implying with the word 'deserved'. The people don't care about Prince Leron anymore, but he does. Still, he can understand their cynicism. Yet it is never part of his character to just give up when he knows he can do something about it.
"If the infection still exists recently.... That just proves that finding the antidote is a must. And without me, no one will be able to identify what the Hermit looks like." Sangfroid's tone was as determined as ever. "I must join them. I will return."
Just as he said this, the unconscious vampire lord in his arms stirred.
"Sangfroid..... Sangfroid, kill me..... please..... Turn me into a mortal again and kill me.... I don't want to live." Vladstin said. "If I don't exist, the vampire corpses would cease to exist because there's no one to control them."
"Now that's an offer I can get by." Verise crossed her arms. "We will allow you to go to the Hermit if the purpose was to turn this unkillable monster into something we could kill, and give him a public execution afterwards. Right, people?"
"Yes! Turn Vladstin into a human so we could kill him!"
"That's what he wanted too, isn't it!?"
"We don't care about an antidote, just erase him from existence and we will be at peace!"
Suddenly, the odd doctor joined. "And while we're at it, why don't you ask the Hermit to make all of us immortal powerful beings as well?"
Everyone's eyes widened and this caused a hysterical cheering from the people.
"Yes! Make us immortal! Don't make us suffer the death that our loved ones had!"
"I want to live forever so I could be happy with my family in this new kingdom!"
"We will be a kingdom of immortals in the New Ilvedia! We will be like gods on Earth!"
Sangfroid had never felt this much disappointment and anger for the people he was loyal to serve, but it never showed on their faces. They merely assumed that he was deep in thought and considering it. Vladstin continue muttering weakly, adding on to the chaos that had ensued. Leron had reached by their side along with the large wolves, looking quite afraid by the psychopathic mob.
Luckily, Rothfir can sense the change in the morality of the masses. He wanted justice for everyone, including his friend Asver, but he also know there is something not right in the people's minds.
They could have just convinced Sangfroid to stay, but the moment the idea of killing Vladstin by making him human came, that same sadistic and foul hatred that the doctor had for the mere immortality of Vladstin and not his misdeeds came to them. It engulfed their minds and hearts.
They do not want justice or peace. They want to be equals with Vladstin, or above him by making him the weak mortal and themselves the strong immortals. That is their idea of 'retribution'.
"Remember what we are after, people." Rothfir raised his hand to stop them. "We are not after power or immortality, we are common folk who wants to live a peaceful life in a good kingdom under a good king. If we keep aggravating Sangfroid's beliefs and goals like this, how will we convince him to do the things that we desire?"
The people considered this, and it does make sense. It sounds so callous to say it out loud that they need to appeal to Sangfroid to get what they want when Sangfroid is just by their side. But it is needed, or else everyone would go into chaos and do something irrational.
"Rothfir is right. I do not want to make an immortal kingdom. Nor do I want to be immortal myself." Sangfroid said. "I simply want peace for all."
The people grumbled and whined, complaining all at once like a cacophony of angry chickens. But deep inside, they know they have to fully rely on Sangfroid now. Sangfroid can cause lush green fields to appear in a flash, to summon animals that they needed thanks to the Amulet of the Dracon.
If Sangfroid left them for good, they might never prosper and they would be back to fighting for their lives for food and shelter in the woods.
"Then let us make a truce, a compromise." Rothfir offered to silence the bickering crowd. "Sangfroid wants to go to the Hermit and heal Prince Leron. Let him go to find this Hermit. But at the same time, the moment they find him, Sangfroid must also return here and publicly kill Vladstin himself, and start the rebuilding of New Ilvedia. Would that suffice to all of you?"
Everyone thought about it and considered it for a while. The first to answer was unexpectedly the elephant in the room himself:
"Yes! Absolutely, yes! We will return and you can execute me!" The crazed and completely broken Vladstin said enthusiastically. "You have my word! You can see our travels from the Looking Glass upstairs! Just tell it what you desire to see and use my blood! That way you can monitor our travels!"
The people were slightly hesitant that the very person they would like to persecute also wanted it so badly, but they nodded their heads slowly.
Lillian offered. "Let's give them a time limit then. We can just lay here like sitting ducks waiting for them for 3 years, 4 years, or 10. We need a king in a matter of 6 months."
"Agreed. 6 months, and if the Hermit is still unfound, you return to us and we lock up Vladstin and all his corpse puppets. That includes your little sweetheart, Your Majesty." Verise added. It was obvious how much anger she have for the 'traitor' Prince Leron who caused all this.
"And when we lock them up, we, the academics, must be free to examine them as thoroughly as we can." The sadistic doctor grinned widely, now wearing Vladstin's fangs as a necklace on his neck.
"Please! No more! I don't want it anymore!" Vladstin hid his face on Sangfroid's chest and wept like a scared child. "Let us find the Hermit as fast as we can so I can die!"
Sangfroid was still unsatisfied with the truce, especially the new additional conditions. "Then I shall make conditions on my side. First, if I did find the Hermit within 6 months, Prince Leron must be able to live freely and serve in the royal court with the same amount of prestige and respect as me."
"Second, after Prince Vladstin's public execution, he must be given a proper burial at the pyre. "
"Third, you shall not look in the Looking Glass during the night where we sleep or when doing private matters such as bathing. I have a shard of the glass too, and can monitor your actions. I will have Vladstin's raven to break the Looking Glass if you shall break this condition."
"And lastly.... I shall not be forced to find a Queen or sire an heir. I will be passing the Amulet when old age had come to take me, and leave it up to the person on how he would continue the rulership of the kingdom."
The people were baffled by the last condition. They are used to having monarchs that pass the throne through lineage after all. But Sangfroid is a special monarch born from special circumstances, and he had also gained the birthright not from blood but from the adoptive claim of Prince Vinsen to him. So they agree to these conditions, (though they find the third one pretty silly if not for the graveness of his tone), albeit reluctantly.
A scribe raised his hand. "Let us write this truce in paper then so it would become an official agreement."
Both sides agreed and the proceedings have been done. The corpse puppets that live in the palace, both humans and turned animals, will also be joining. But other than that....
They were now a trio of a vampire lord who lost his mind, a close to becoming a mindless walking undead former prince, and a very reluctant king of a new kingdom that is the only one keeping everything together.
If there is someone in control of their fate, writing it down in a tome made of glass...... That someone may be having fun playing with these three lives while drunk to the point that it had turned into a chaotic soup of misery a little bit of hope.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
The people felt like they themselves were struck by lightning because of those words.
"W-What do you mean, Your Majesty? Of course, you want to be the king. That is why you claimed your birthright before us, isn't it?"
"No." Sangfroid shook his head. "People of Ilvedia, listen closely."
Dawn has come, and along with it came the howling of wolves in the distance. The people's guard heightened, feeling protective of their new reluctant monarch.
Sangfroid waved his hand. "I am happy to give all these blessings to you. Even I have not anticipated it. But I have no desire to rule over your land until my true goal has been fulfilled. Prince Leron is still infected by vampirism, and Prince Vladstin has now regained his former conscience and would not want to continue living as a vampire. I know that it is hard to forgive the both of them, but for the sake of peace, let us find the Hermit so vampires will be truly eliminated from existing in the future."
"The let them travel to the Hermit themselves." Verise argued. "Sangfroid, we need a king. Even with all these abundant fields and necessities, we need a leader to rebuld a new kingdom. Let them go by themselves and fix their own problems."
"I cannot. The woods are too dangerous to travel on their own."
"They are vampires!" Zenon argued. "They cannot die, or at least one can't and the other will become a corpse puppet."
"That's why I can't leave them behind. I need to ask the Hermit for an antidote to the vampirism infection as well." Sangfroid realized something, and look around. "Where is Asver?"
At the mention of the name, everyone bowed their heads. Sangfroid immediately knew the answer. Asvian isn't here either, and that child is always with the redhead inventor.
"It's too late look for an antidote, Your Majesty." Rothfir's face darkened. "I suggest you give up now. Everyone who deserved it died already, or sacrificed themselves so they would not infect others."
Sangfroid clenched his fist because he knows what he is implying with the word 'deserved'. The people don't care about Prince Leron anymore, but he does. Still, he can understand their cynicism. Yet it is never part of his character to just give up when he knows he can do something about it.
"If the infection still exists recently.... That just proves that finding the antidote is a must. And without me, no one will be able to identify what the Hermit looks like." Sangfroid's tone was as determined as ever. "I must join them. I will return."
Just as he said this, the unconscious vampire lord in his arms stirred.
"Sangfroid..... Sangfroid, kill me..... please..... Turn me into a mortal again and kill me.... I don't want to live." Vladstin said. "If I don't exist, the vampire corpses would cease to exist because there's no one to control them."
"Now that's an offer I can get by." Verise crossed her arms. "We will allow you to go to the Hermit if the purpose was to turn this unkillable monster into something we could kill, and give him a public execution afterwards. Right, people?"
"Yes! Turn Vladstin into a human so we could kill him!"
"That's what he wanted too, isn't it!?"
"We don't care about an antidote, just erase him from existence and we will be at peace!"
Suddenly, the odd doctor joined. "And while we're at it, why don't you ask the Hermit to make all of us immortal powerful beings as well?"
Everyone's eyes widened and this caused a hysterical cheering from the people.
"Yes! Make us immortal! Don't make us suffer the death that our loved ones had!"
"I want to live forever so I could be happy with my family in this new kingdom!"
"We will be a kingdom of immortals in the New Ilvedia! We will be like gods on Earth!"
Sangfroid had never felt this much disappointment and anger for the people he was loyal to serve, but it never showed on their faces. They merely assumed that he was deep in thought and considering it. Vladstin continue muttering weakly, adding on to the chaos that had ensued. Leron had reached by their side along with the large wolves, looking quite afraid by the psychopathic mob.
Luckily, Rothfir can sense the change in the morality of the masses. He wanted justice for everyone, including his friend Asver, but he also know there is something not right in the people's minds.
They could have just convinced Sangfroid to stay, but the moment the idea of killing Vladstin by making him human came, that same sadistic and foul hatred that the doctor had for the mere immortality of Vladstin and not his misdeeds came to them. It engulfed their minds and hearts.
They do not want justice or peace. They want to be equals with Vladstin, or above him by making him the weak mortal and themselves the strong immortals. That is their idea of 'retribution'.
"Remember what we are after, people." Rothfir raised his hand to stop them. "We are not after power or immortality, we are common folk who wants to live a peaceful life in a good kingdom under a good king. If we keep aggravating Sangfroid's beliefs and goals like this, how will we convince him to do the things that we desire?"
The people considered this, and it does make sense. It sounds so callous to say it out loud that they need to appeal to Sangfroid to get what they want when Sangfroid is just by their side. But it is needed, or else everyone would go into chaos and do something irrational.
"Rothfir is right. I do not want to make an immortal kingdom. Nor do I want to be immortal myself." Sangfroid said. "I simply want peace for all."
The people grumbled and whined, complaining all at once like a cacophony of angry chickens. But deep inside, they know they have to fully rely on Sangfroid now. Sangfroid can cause lush green fields to appear in a flash, to summon animals that they needed thanks to the Amulet of the Dracon.
If Sangfroid left them for good, they might never prosper and they would be back to fighting for their lives for food and shelter in the woods.
"Then let us make a truce, a compromise." Rothfir offered to silence the bickering crowd. "Sangfroid wants to go to the Hermit and heal Prince Leron. Let him go to find this Hermit. But at the same time, the moment they find him, Sangfroid must also return here and publicly kill Vladstin himself, and start the rebuilding of New Ilvedia. Would that suffice to all of you?"
Everyone thought about it and considered it for a while. The first to answer was unexpectedly the elephant in the room himself:
"Yes! Absolutely, yes! We will return and you can execute me!" The crazed and completely broken Vladstin said enthusiastically. "You have my word! You can see our travels from the Looking Glass upstairs! Just tell it what you desire to see and use my blood! That way you can monitor our travels!"
The people were slightly hesitant that the very person they would like to persecute also wanted it so badly, but they nodded their heads slowly.
Lillian offered. "Let's give them a time limit then. We can just lay here like sitting ducks waiting for them for 3 years, 4 years, or 10. We need a king in a matter of 6 months."
"Agreed. 6 months, and if the Hermit is still unfound, you return to us and we lock up Vladstin and all his corpse puppets. That includes your little sweetheart, Your Majesty." Verise added. It was obvious how much anger she have for the 'traitor' Prince Leron who caused all this.
"And when we lock them up, we, the academics, must be free to examine them as thoroughly as we can." The sadistic doctor grinned widely, now wearing Vladstin's fangs as a necklace on his neck.
"Please! No more! I don't want it anymore!" Vladstin hid his face on Sangfroid's chest and wept like a scared child. "Let us find the Hermit as fast as we can so I can die!"
Sangfroid was still unsatisfied with the truce, especially the new additional conditions. "Then I shall make conditions on my side. First, if I did find the Hermit within 6 months, Prince Leron must be able to live freely and serve in the royal court with the same amount of prestige and respect as me."
"Second, after Prince Vladstin's public execution, he must be given a proper burial at the pyre. "
"Third, you shall not look in the Looking Glass during the night where we sleep or when doing private matters such as bathing. I have a shard of the glass too, and can monitor your actions. I will have Vladstin's raven to break the Looking Glass if you shall break this condition."
"And lastly.... I shall not be forced to find a Queen or sire an heir. I will be passing the Amulet when old age had come to take me, and leave it up to the person on how he would continue the rulership of the kingdom."
The people were baffled by the last condition. They are used to having monarchs that pass the throne through lineage after all. But Sangfroid is a special monarch born from special circumstances, and he had also gained the birthright not from blood but from the adoptive claim of Prince Vinsen to him. So they agree to these conditions, (though they find the third one pretty silly if not for the graveness of his tone), albeit reluctantly.
A scribe raised his hand. "Let us write this truce in paper then so it would become an official agreement."
Both sides agreed and the proceedings have been done. The corpse puppets that live in the palace, both humans and turned animals, will also be joining. But other than that....
They were now a trio of a vampire lord who lost his mind, a close to becoming a mindless walking undead former prince, and a very reluctant king of a new kingdom that is the only one keeping everything together.
If there is someone in control of their fate, writing it down in a tome made of glass...... That someone may be having fun playing with these three lives while drunk to the point that it had turned into a chaotic soup of misery a little bit of hope.
The people felt like they themselves were struck by lightning because of those words."W-What do you mean, Your Majesty? Of course, you want to be the king. That is why you claimed your birthright before us, isn't it?""No." Sangfroid shook his head. "People of Ilvedia, listen closely."Dawn has come, and along with it came the howling of wolves in the distance. The people's guard heightened, feeling protective of their new reluctant monarch.Sangfroid waved his hand. "I am happy to give all these blessings to you. Even I have not anticipated it. But I have no desire to rule over your land until my true goal has been fulfilled. Prince Leron is still infected by vampirism, and Prince Vladstin has now regained his former conscience and would not want to continue living as a vampire. I know that it is hard to forgive the both of them, but for the sake of peace, let us find the Hermit so vampires will be truly eliminated from existing in the future.""The let them travel to the Hermit themselves." Verise argued. "Sangfroid, we need a king. Even with all these abundant fields and necessities, we need a leader to rebuld a new kingdom. Let them go by themselves and fix their own problems.""I cannot. The woods are too dangerous to travel on their own.""They are vampires!" Zenon argued. "They cannot die, or at least one can't and the other will become a corpse puppet.""That's why I can't leave them behind. I need to ask the Hermit for an antidote to the vampirism infection as well." Sangfroid realized something, and look around. "Where is Asver?"At the mention of the name, everyone bowed their heads. Sangfroid immediately knew the answer. Asvian isn't here either, and that child is always with the redhead inventor."It's too late look for an antidote, Your Majesty." Rothfir's face darkened. "I suggest you give up now. Everyone who deserved it died already, or sacrificed themselves so they would not infect others."Sangfroid clenched his fist because he knows what he is implying with the word 'deserved'. The people don't care about Prince Leron anymore, but he does. Still, he can understand their cynicism. Yet it is never part of his character to just give up when he knows he can do something about it."If the infection still exists recently.... That just proves that finding the antidote is a must. And without me, no one will be able to identify what the Hermit looks like." Sangfroid's tone was as determined as ever. "I must join them. I will return."Just as he said this, the unconscious vampire lord in his arms stirred."Sangfroid..... Sangfroid, kill me..... please..... Turn me into a mortal again and kill me.... I don't want to live." Vladstin said. "If I don't exist, the vampire corpses would cease to exist because there's no one to control them.""Now that's an offer I can get by." Verise crossed her arms. "We will allow you to go to the Hermit if the purpose was to turn this unkillable monster into something we could kill, and give him a public execution afterwards. Right, people?""Yes! Turn Vladstin into a human so we could kill him!""That's what he wanted too, isn't it!?""We don't care about an antidote, just erase him from existence and we will be at peace!"Suddenly, the odd doctor joined. "And while we're at it, why don't you ask the Hermit to make all of us immortal powerful beings as well?"Everyone's eyes widened and this caused a hysterical cheering from the people."Yes! Make us immortal! Don't make us suffer the death that our loved ones had!""I want to live forever so I could be happy with my family in this new kingdom!""We will be a kingdom of immortals in the New Ilvedia! We will be like gods on Earth!"Sangfroid had never felt this much disappointment and anger for the people he was loyal to serve, but it never showed on their faces. They merely assumed that he was deep in thought and considering it. Vladstin continue muttering weakly, adding on to the chaos that had ensued. Leron had reached by their side along with the large wolves, looking quite afraid by the psychopathic mob.Luckily, Rothfir can sense the change in the morality of the masses. He wanted justice for everyone, including his friend Asver, but he also know there is something not right in the people's minds.They could have just convinced Sangfroid to stay, but the moment the idea of killing Vladstin by making him human came, that same sadistic and foul hatred that the doctor had for the mere immortality of Vladstin and not his misdeeds came to them. It engulfed their minds and hearts.They do not want justice or peace. They want to be equals with Vladstin, or above him by making him the weak mortal and themselves the strong immortals. That is their idea of 'retribution'."Remember what we are after, people." Rothfir raised his hand to stop them. "We are not after power or immortality, we are common folk who wants to live a peaceful life in a good kingdom under a good king. If we keep aggravating Sangfroid's beliefs and goals like this, how will we convince him to do the things that we desire?"The people considered this, and it does make sense. It sounds so callous to say it out loud that they need to appeal to Sangfroid to get what they want when Sangfroid is just by their side. But it is needed, or else everyone would go into chaos and do something irrational."Rothfir is right. I do not want to make an immortal kingdom. Nor do I want to be immortal myself." Sangfroid said. "I simply want peace for all."The people grumbled and whined, complaining all at once like a cacophony of angry chickens. But deep inside, they know they have to fully rely on Sangfroid now. Sangfroid can cause lush green fields to appear in a flash, to summon animals that they needed thanks to the Amulet of the Dracon.If Sangfroid left them for good, they might never prosper and they would be back to fighting for their lives for food and shelter in the woods."Then let us make a truce, a compromise." Rothfir offered to silence the bickering crowd. "Sangfroid wants to go to the Hermit and heal Prince Leron. Let him go to find this Hermit. But at the same time, the moment they find him, Sangfroid must also return here and publicly kill Vladstin himself, and start the rebuilding of New Ilvedia. Would that suffice to all of you?"Everyone thought about it and considered it for a while. The first to answer was unexpectedly the elephant in the room himself:"Yes! Absolutely, yes! We will return and you can execute me!" The crazed and completely broken Vladstin said enthusiastically. "You have my word! You can see our travels from the Looking Glass upstairs! Just tell it what you desire to see and use my blood! That way you can monitor our travels!"The people were slightly hesitant that the very person they would like to persecute also wanted it so badly, but they nodded their heads slowly.Lillian offered. "Let's give them a time limit then. We can just lay here like sitting ducks waiting for them for 3 years, 4 years, or 10. We need a king in a matter of 6 months.""Agreed. 6 months, and if the Hermit is still unfound, you return to us and we lock up Vladstin and all his corpse puppets. That includes your little sweetheart, Your Majesty." Verise added. It was obvious how much anger she have for the 'traitor' Prince Leron who caused all this."And when we lock them up, we, the academics, must be free to examine them as thoroughly as we can." The sadistic doctor grinned widely, now wearing Vladstin's fangs as a necklace on his neck."Please! No more! I don't want it anymore!" Vladstin hid his face on Sangfroid's chest and wept like a scared child. "Let us find the Hermit as fast as we can so I can die!"Sangfroid was still unsatisfied with the truce, especially the new additional conditions. "Then I shall make conditions on my side. First, if I did find the Hermit within 6 months, Prince Leron must be able to live freely and serve in the royal court with the same amount of prestige and respect as me.""Second, after Prince Vladstin's public execution, he must be given a proper burial at the pyre. ""Third, you shall not look in the Looking Glass during the night where we sleep or when doing private matters such as bathing. I have a shard of the glass too, and can monitor your actions. I will have Vladstin's raven to break the Looking Glass if you shall break this condition.""And lastly.... I shall not be forced to find a Queen or sire an heir. I will be passing the Amulet when old age had come to take me, and leave it up to the person on how he would continue the rulership of the kingdom."The people were baffled by the last condition. They are used to having monarchs that pass the throne through lineage after all. But Sangfroid is a special monarch born from special circumstances, and he had also gained the birthright not from blood but from the adoptive claim of Prince Vinsen to him. So they agree to these conditions, though they find the third one pretty silly if not for the graveness of his tone, albeit reluctantly.A scribe raised his hand. "Let us write this truce in paper then so it would become an official agreement."Both sides agreed and the proceedings have been done. The corpse puppets that live in the palace, both humans and turned animals, will also be joining. But other than that....They were now a trio of a vampire lord who lost his mind, a close to becoming a mindless walking undead former prince, and a very reluctant king of a new kingdom that is the only one keeping everything together.If there is someone in control of their fate, writing it down in a tome made of glass...... That someone may be having fun playing with these three lives while drunk to the point that it had turned into a chaotic soup of misery a little bit of hope.
