*Splash. Splash.*
The sound of water breaking echoed softly against the obsidian walls of the bathroom.
'Haa...'
I leaned back against the edge of the massive tub, letting the hot water soak into my pale skin.
Steam rose in thick, lazy curls, obscuring the white filigree on the ceiling.
"That was... quite nice."
The training session had been brutal.
I had spent hours swinging that Miao Dao, turning the petrified trees of the clearing into nothing more than firewood.
My muscles ached, a dull, throbbing sensation that ran from my shoulders down to my fingertips.
But it wasn't painful. It was pleasurable.
It was the evidence that I was getting stronger after all.
I raised a wet hand, swiping through the air to summon the system interface.
[Legacy]: One Who Likes To Cut (C+)
"Tch."
No change.
It seemed that cutting down a few trees wasn't enough for the Tower anymore.
I needed something strong.
Something that would scream when I cut it.
However, as my eyes scrolled down, a faint smile touched my lips.
[Intermediate Swordsmanship ★★★★☆ -(Progress: 95%)-]
"95%..."
It had gone up by two percent.
It wasn't a huge leap, but considering I had only been swinging the sword for a few hours, it was a testament to the power of my trait.
At this rate, I would learn Advanced Swordsmanship before I even set foot in the Academy.
*Splash.*
I stood up, water cascading down my lean frame as I stepped out of the tub.
My movements were fluid, the exhaustion from earlier nearly completely washed away.
*Knock. Knock.*
A rhythmic, polite sound came from the heavy door.
"Y-Your Highness?"
It was the voice of a maid, slightly trembling.
"Enter," I commanded, grabbing a towel.
The door creaked open, and a young maid stepped in, keeping her head lowered so far that her chin practically touched her chest.
"H-His Majesty... The Emperor... requests your presence in his study... immediately."
My hand paused in the middle of drying my hair.
The Emperor.
Vlad Von Nevermore.
My father.
"I see."
The maid hesitated, her hands fidgeting with her apron.
She glanced up for a microsecond before looking back down at the floor.
"S-shall I... assist you in dressing, Your Highness?"
I looked at her.
Adam would have been flustered.
Now, I just found the idea of someone fumbling with my clothes annoying.
"No need," I replied coldly, walking past her toward the walk-in closet. "Just get out."
"Y-yes, Your Highness!"
She bowed hurriedly and practically fled the room, as if standing near me reduced her lifespan.
"Now then... How should I dress to see my dear father?"
...
I dressed quickly but meticulously.
A silk shirt as black as the abyss, trousers that fit perfectly, and a long, high-collared coat embroidered with silver thread.
'If I'm going to meet the boss, I'd better look the part.'
I adjusted the cuffs of my shirt and walked towards the door, my expression impassive, but inside, a storm was slowly brewing.
*Step. Step.. Step...*
'Now that I think about it... Why did he summon me?'
The question bounced around my skull.
Was it because of the training? No, that didn't make sense.
Was it the incident in the garden? Did he see me crush that flower?
Did he think I was bullying Radu too much?
'Or...'
My heart skipped a beat.
Did he know?
Did he realize that his son, Sethius, was gone?
That an impostor named Adam had taken over this body?
Vampires were quite sensitive to their qin.
And, the Emperor was the strongest of them all.
If anyone could notice the discrepancy in my soul, it would be him.
*Thump. Thump.*
A cold sweat began to form on my back beneath the expensive silk.
'If he knows... I'm dead.'
I wouldn't just die. I would be obliterated. erased.
'Calm down.'
I clenched my fist, digging my nails into my palm until I felt a sharp sting.
I am Sethius. I have all his memories after all.
Adam?
Adam is bye-bye.
Adam is dead.
'Haa...'
I took a deep breath, forcing my erratic heartbeat to slow down.
By the time I reached the massive double doors of the Emperor's study, my face was a mask of perfect indifference.
*Knock. Knock.*
"Enter."
The voice that came from inside wasn't loud, but it carried a weight that made the air vibrate.
It felt like the gravity just bowed in his mere presence.
I pushed the doors open and stepped inside.
The room was dark, illuminated only by the crimson light of the broken moon filtering through the massive window behind the desk.
And there he was.
Vlad Von Nevermore. The Sovereign of Blood. The Emperor of Eternal Night.
He sat on a throne-like chair, looking at a stack of documents.
He looked like an older, more terrifying version of myself.
Long white hair, pale skin, and features that were sharp enough to cut glass.
But his eyes...
They were a deep, abyssal red.
Looking into them felt like staring into an ocean of blood that had drowned millions.
He was a monster among monsters. The strongest of our kin alive.
"....."
He didn't speak. He didn't even look up from his papers.
Silence stretched in the room, heavy and suffocating.
'Is this a test?'
I stood my ground, refusing to fidget. Refusing to show weakness.
Sethius wouldn't panic. Sethius would just be annoyed.
"Father."
I broke the silence first.
"You... summoned me?"
Vlad finally stopped writing. He slowly placed his quill down and lifted his head.
Those abyssal eyes locked onto mine.
A heavy pressure washed over me, a wave of intent that made my knees want to buckle.
But thankfully, my trait, [Maniac of Slaughter], flared to life, converting that fear into a bit of twisted excitement.
I kept my chin up, meeting his gaze.
"...Hah."
Vlad let out a short sigh, shaking his head slightly.
"It would be nice if you could learn to rein in your emotions, Sethius."
"Excuse me?"
"Your killing intent. Your thirst for violence. It leaks out of you like water from a cracked vase."
Vlad leaned back in his chair, staring at me with a critical eye.
"Your brother has already learned to leash those chaotic emotions of our Bloodline. He is akin to an ancient glacier. But you? You are a wildfire."
My eyebrow twitched.
'My brother?'
He was comparing me to him? The Crown Prince was 117 years old already, for fuck sake!
I was 14. He had a century of experience on me.
It was an unfair comparison.
A stupid comparison.
"I am not... my brother," I replied coldly, the annoyance slightly bleeding into my voice.
[DING!]
[Soul Integration has progressed!]
[Current Progress: 43%]
'I hate losing.'
The thought wasn't Adam's. It was Sethius's indignation at being compared to anyone, even his own kin.
"Good."
Vlad watched my reaction, a faint flicker of amusement, or perhaps satisfaction, crossing his face.
"Sit."
He waved his hand, and a glass of dark red liquid materialized on the edge of the desk.
"Drink. It is a vintage from the Western Vineyards. It has a calming effect on the mind."
I sat down in the velvet chair opposite him, picking up the glass. It smelled of iron and berries.
"...Wine?"
"Consider it an early gift," Vlad continued, his voice monotone. "For becoming an adult."
I paused, the glass halfway to my lips.
"An adult?"
"You turn fifteen next month, Sethius."
Vlad clasped his hands together, his gaze intense.
"In the Empire, fifteen is the age of adulthood. It is the age you are recognized as a man, and more importantly..."
He pointed a finger upwards.
"...It is the age the Tower calls to you."
"The Tutorial," I whispered.
"Precisely. I summoned you to discuss the preparations for your Coming of Age ceremony. It will be held the night before your departure."
"..."
I stared at him, blinking once.
That was it?
No interrogation about my soul?
No accusation of being an impostor?
Just... planning a birthday party?
I took a long sip of the wine.
It was rich, thick, and instantly soothed the jagged edges of my nerves.
'Hah.'
I almost laughed out loud.
'So that's why he summoned me.'
'Thank God'