The ship carrying the Phantom Troupe sailed upriver, and the journey remained peaceful and uneventful.
Inside the cabin, Victor wanted to make the most of his time and focus on alchemy. After all, every bit of preparation now meant another bit of confidence for what lay ahead.
Unfortunately, there was no stopping Angoulême's curiosity.
Squatting pitifully beside the cauldron, she adopted an expression that made it clear she would not give up until she got an answer.
"Vic, it's just the two of us now, so tell me quietly. How exactly are you planning to deal with Dettlaff?
"You told Leo before that I'm the key to dealing with a higher vampire, but I don't have the slightest idea what I can do! If you don't explain it clearly today, I won't be able to sleep tonight!
"Back at Corion Manor, you didn't see how he butchered that mage. His right claw just went stab, splurt, and suddenly there was a hole this big in the guy! Blood was pouring out everywhere!"
Amused by Angoulême, Victor laughed and released the stirring rod.
Being able to describe something horrifying in such a comical way was a talent in itself.
"What are you panicking about? After following me for this long, haven't you learned anything? Your leader always has a plan!"
The member nodded repeatedly, showing not even the slightest hint of doubt in her leader's plan.
"In my plan, dealing with one higher vampire requires another higher vampire, and you're the key connecting us to the past.
"I'm sure you haven't forgotten the name Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff-Godefroy."
"Who's that?" Angoulême asked blankly.
Victor, who had been preparing to show off, nearly choked at her reaction. He could only pat his chest and introduce the man again.
"Regis. The one who joined Geralt's search for Ciri with you..."
"Oh, the barber-surgeon!"
Angoulême immediately understood.
"You should've just said Regis! There's no way I could remember that ridiculously long name...
"He really was a higher vampire, and he had all kinds of strange abilities. But Regis died at Stygga Castle. Geralt told me that bastard sorcerer grabbed him and burned him alive.
"That day, only four of us made it out of the castle. Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri, and me... If I hadn't had the potion you gave me, I probably would've stayed behind too. By now, there'd be nothing left of me but rotting bones..."
As she spoke, the girl gradually sank into her memories.
That battle had not been particularly large in scale, but the sacrifices made there had clearly left a lasting impression on her.
Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff-Godefroy.
Geralt had once described him as "a friend, the embodiment of humanity."
On the surface, he was a barber-surgeon who carried a herbal satchel and possessed a distinctive scent.
Back then, Regis had played the role of the wise man in Geralt's company searching for Ciri. Whenever disagreements arose among them, he would use his wisdom to smooth things over.
Unfortunately, during the final battle at Stygga Castle, while rescuing Yennefer and Ciri, he had been reduced to ashes by the evil sorcerer's magic.
"Dear, sorry to interrupt your reminiscing," Victor said calmly, "but there's something I need to tell you. A true higher vampire is effectively immortal. Their regenerative ability is extraordinary. Even cutting off their head won't kill them.
"If their body suffers catastrophic damage, such as being reduced to ashes, restoration takes an extremely long time. It can potentially take centuries."
Angoulême froze.
"Vic, you mean... But he only died a few years ago!?"
"If another higher vampire willingly shares their essence of blood with him, a recovery period that would normally require centuries can be shortened to only a few months."
Facing the girl's astonished expression, the prophet calmly revealed the answer.
"It was Dettlaff. Dettlaff van der Eretein brought Regis back."
Angoulême sprang up from the floor in delight.
"You're serious?
"Ah, I get it! So you know where Regis is hiding. You need me to introduce you two, and then we'll get him to help us deal with Dettlaff?"
"It's not that simple."
Victor shook his head.
"Sharing one's essence of blood comes at tremendous cost. Among their kind, it's considered a noble sacrifice, not some moral obligation. Because of that, a bond closer than brotherhood forms between Regis and Dettlaff.
"We need Regis to intervene. His presence should at least guarantee that we can speak peacefully with Dettlaff. But if negotiations break down, I can't guarantee Regis will help us against him. So if possible, I'd still prefer to resolve this through negotiation."
"It's all that wicked woman Rhenawedd's fault anyway. What if we just secretly get rid of her?" Angoulême suddenly suggested.
Victor rolled his eyes at her.
"If we kill her before sorting everything out, do you really think Dettlaff won't see Rhenawedd's corpse, turn around, and come straight for our throats? Besides, Miss Rhenawedd's identity is far from ordinary. In a way, she's a pitiful woman herself..."
"Then where is Regis hiding right now? Are we going to pass him along the way? Do we need to make a detour?"
After learning that her old friend was still alive, Angoulême was in excellent spirits. She walked over to the liquor cabinet, pulled out two bottles, opened them, then returned and handed one to Victor.
Victor clinked his bottle against hers before leisurely explaining.
"Because of their blood bond, Regis will sense the rage of Dettlaff, who's being forced into this situation. There's no way he'll simply stand aside. If my foresight isn't wrong, he should currently be somewhere near Beauclair, probably in a crypt, looking for an opportunity to contact Dettlaff."
Satisfied, Angoulême pumped her fist triumphantly, hummed a tune, and sat back down in the reclining chair.
She picked up a book and began reading. It was A Study of the History and Origins of the Northern Kingdoms, a reference book the leader had bought to improve his member's general knowledge.
Victor had originally intended to explain Rhenawedd's identity as well, but when he saw that she had already lost interest in listening, he simply picked up his stirring rod and resumed his work.
...
My Evening with a Vampire
Once you have heard this tale, you will surely call me a liar, a fraud, or a madman. Perhaps you will shake your head in pity or sneer at me.
Yet I assure you, and swear before the gods, everything you are about to read in the following pages is absolutely true and contains not a shred of fabrication.
I met the vampire of whom I speak in Beauclair several years ago. He introduced himself as Regis and claimed to be a barber-surgeon and healer.
Because he appeared in every way to be an ordinary mortal, I would never have suspected anything unusual about him, until the inn where we were staying caught fire.
This Regis, if that was truly his name, stood amid the flames completely unharmed, while my own clothes rapidly caught fire.
The vampire carried me out of the burning inn, saving my life, and afterward treated my numerous wounds.
At first, Regis refused to tell me how he had survived the horrifying heat inside the inn without suffering so much as a scratch.
Later, however, he must have realized that I was a well-traveled man who would not judge another based merely on appearance or race, and so he revealed his true identity to me and explained several extremely interesting matters.
According to Regis, not all vampires are alike.
The vampire family is vast. It includes mindless fleders, katakans, and ekimmaras, creatures that resemble enormous bats far more than humans. There are also alps and bruxae, who resemble beautiful women.
Beyond them exist the far more powerful higher vampires, and my unexpected friend was one of their number.
Not even a witcher can distinguish a higher vampire from an ordinary mortal.
Contrary to popular belief, driving a wooden stake through their heart will not kill them. Decapitation cannot kill them either. And judging from my own experience, even a sorcerer's infernal flames cannot truly destroy them.
Those foolish country superstitions can likewise be discarded. They do not fear running water, garlic, or sacred symbols of any kind.
Fortunately, being bitten by a vampire does not transform a mortal into one, nor do vampires need to drink human blood in order to survive.
For their kind, blood is merely an occasional delicacy, much as fine wine is to mortals.
Regis asked me never to reveal what he had told me.
But now that I am approaching death, I believe these secrets must be shared, even if doing so means breaking the promise I made to that noble man...
//Check out my P@tre0n for 30 extra chapters //[email protected]/Razeil0810