— Our intelligence has found no confirmation of such a large detachment in the areas indicated by your subordinates, — the military man in the ornate uniform of the court guard interrupted the master. — We believe you are mistaken and that there is no threat.
— Your scouts wouldn't be able to find trees in a forest if needed, Your Highness. But after a day of their work, you claim that I am mistaken. May I inquire how many groups' reports you have managed to receive in such a short time? Because I have not been given copies of their reports obtained through mentalists or instant communication artifacts.
The king's uncle, who held the useless post of Marshal of the Guard, fell silent, unsure of what to answer. Not only had he not received the scouts' reports, but he had also not even ordered them to verify the information from the observers. His advisors had convinced him that it was all a big mistake and that vampires could not slip past a magical army. Rudolf waited for a moment and, seeing that there would be no response, continued his report.
— So, the vampire detachment is moving north, towards the borders with Tor. It looks very much like they want to leave the kingdom. If they invade the kingdom of Tor, it will be considered a declaration of war. You all know that the Torians do not acknowledge the vampire invasion and, considering them as creations of our magic, will place the blame on the Magical Council, which will undoubtedly lead to war between our countries.
No one in the hall uttered a word. Advisor Bor, who had already heard all this before, merely observed the reactions of the other attendees. Master Rudolf, giving everyone time to analyze what they had heard, continued.
— And finally, the most important point. In many cities, in the center of the kingdom and even in the west, corpses devoid of blood have started to appear. At present, most of these cases are being kept quiet and concealed by the forces of the Guard, the Magic Service, and the Control Service. But their number and distribution prove that the vampire hunters' teams and the road cordons have failed to prevent the entry of lone vampires into untouched provinces. That is why I began my report with words of an impending disaster. If nothing is done, we could lose the entire country.
As soon as Rudolf fell silent, an elderly man in a light mantle stood up. The head of the Control Service, upon hearing about the facts of vampires being concealed by his own people in other regions of the kingdom, matched his face to his clothing. He was now full of determination.
— I confirm Master Rudolf's words. Vampires have infiltrated many areas of the country. I ordered to keep this quiet to avoid causing panic. These lone vampires are clearly not intent on mass murder and act solely in the interest of their own survival. They are easier to find when there is no chaos around.
— And of course, you did not inform the Council of your plans. How lovely, — Advisor Bor said with a predatory smile.
— I...
— We will discuss your decisions later, Master. For now, I want to hear other reports.
The subsequent course of the meeting lost the triumphant atmosphere that had been present at the beginning. Many, even those with good news, were afraid to share it. The brief report of the head of the Observation Service threw everyone off balance.
Even the clergy, who had recently felt like victors due to the vampire hunter squads and were preparing to claim all the glory of the vanquishers of the monsters, fell silent and hesitated to ask clarifying questions. People accustomed to solving problems with force had realized for the first time that they might not be able to handle the situation.
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