Chapter 283 - 279: Vampire Poison
High Duke Mila sat down as she kept her eye on Rale.
" High Duke Oris can Teleport, and he can take two people with him. We can't send more than one High Duke there since we need to protect the Demon Realm too. Three High Dukes need to stay behind, at least. As for Rale and me, don't worry. I'm sure they won't scheme against me. High Duke Oris is very strong. He can escape with us at the first sign of a scheme," Ryder suggested after everyone sat down.
"No. We are not letting you do that!" High Duke Mila, High Duke Eston, High Duke Oris and Rale, all said at the same time, refusing Ryder's suggestion.
"But listen to me first!" Ryder let out, trying to get them to listen, but they refused to listen at all.
"We are not letting you go there. Even though the chances of anything happening to you under High Duke Oris' watch are almost nonexistent, but we can't take the risk of sending you there," High Duke Eston said, refusing his suggestion.
" But..." Ryder tried speaking again, but they again cut him off.
"No, but! The relationship between the two Realms is unstable right now. If you go there openly and something happened to you there, do you know how much of a trouble we will be in? There will be instability in the entire Demon Realm. People will start getting restless at the news of your death. They'll lose morale, and they'll lose confidence in our ability to win. Whatever happens, we can't let anything happen to you, at least not in the Death Domain!" High Duke Mila said, refuting Ryder.
" I agree with them. It's not feasible for you to go there. I will go alone and do what you intended to do. I don't need anyone else to come with me. I can still escape under the assault of four Death Envoys, but with you around, it'll be tough to make sure of your protection!" High Duke Oris let out, shaking his head.
"Sigh, I can take care of my safety. I will talk to you about this later, but I don't have any danger even if I go there," Ryder let out, trying to convince them.
" What can you do to make sure of your safety?" High Duke Oris inquired as he looked at Ryder curiously.
" You can test that for yourself. After we're done with the interrogation, you can come with me alone to my room. I'll show you my abilities," Ryder told High Duke Oris.
"If it's a suitable ability to help me survive, you can let me go with you, and if you're not satisfied, then we can talk about that later. What do you say?" Ryder asked again.
"Interesting. Fine. I'll test myself if you have what it takes to survive in that place. As long as I'm satisfied, I'll take you with me," High Duke Oris let out, nodding his head.
" What are you saying? Have you lost your mind?" High Duke Devilia asked High Duke Oris with an incredulous look on her face.
" What I'm doing is right. As a Prince who will be our King, he can't always hide in the Palace. If he really has the ability to pass my test, then it would mean that he had no danger in the Death Domain. Then there would be no reason to stop him from coming," High Duke Oris said.
"Right. If their Prince Candidate was brave enough to come here, how can I fall back? How can I stay behind! I have full faith in my abilities. There's no way I'll die there," Ryder said, nodding his head.
High Duke Oris and High Duke Eston looked back and forth between High Duke Oris and Ryder.
"Sigh, Fine. If High Duke Oris believed in your ability, I'd believe as well. As long as you pass the test he decides to take, you'll be allowed to go," High Duke Mila said as she sighed.
" Hah, if two High Dukes agree to it, who am I to say no. You can go if High Duke Oris sees you fit," High Duke Eston let out as he agreed as well.
" High Duke Oris and Rale, it will be your responsibility to keep the Prince safe. Don't take your duties lightly and bring him back safe if he passes the test and go there," High Duke Mila said to Oris and Rale.
" It is my oath and my duty to keep His Highness safe. It doesn't matter if it's Death Domain or the Demon Realm. I will bring him back safe even if it means my death," Rale let out as he nodded his head.
As the plan was made, they continued eating in silence until someone broke the silence.
"It's good that you have decided what you're going to do but let me interrogate the prisoner before you leave. If I don't get satisfying answers from him, I will come with you as well," the Vampire King let out.
"I can only take two people with me," High Duke Oris let out, shaking his head.
' Yeah, we can't allow him to come. I still don't trust him completely. If he backstabs us there, it wouldn't be good. On the other hand, I can use that time to test his resolve. It's not like my life will be in danger,' Ryder thought as he glanced at the Vampire King.
"I don't need you to take me. I have ways of my own to come there," the Vampire King said casually.
Before the High Duke could say anything, Ryder agreed.
"But you'll come separately. I'm not leaving Rale behind to take you with us," he continued.
"But..." High Duke Eston said, worrying the same thing as Ryder. He also thought that Vampire King could betray them. He wanted to say something, but he knew that Ryder wouldn't listen.
"I'll come as well if he's coming." he continued.
" I know what you're thinking. Don't worry about anything. I know what I'm doing. Let the Vampire King see with his own eyes how the Death Domain schemed against his people. He needs to know the reality," Ryder let out, shaking his head.
After a lot of back and forth, Ryder managed to convince all Hugh Dukes. It was decided that Ryder, Rale, and High Duke Oris were going to go there, and the Vampire King was going to come alone, separately from them.
The dinner was completed, and everyone went back to the Great Hall for the interrogation.
Ryder and the others sat down on their thrones. High Duke Eston was the only one that was still standing in the center of the great hall.
He brought Master Mao out of his Spatial Prison and stood beside him to make sure that he doesn't kill himself or someone doesn't hurt him.
"Go ahead. You can ask your question first," Ryder let out, gesturing the Vampire King to ask his question.
The Vampire King nodded his head as he glanced towards Master Mao.
"Mao, tell me! What did you do to my General, Viden?" The Vampire King asked Mao.
" W-what your general? We did nothing to anyone related to you! In all my time staying in the Demon Realm, you're the first Vampire I saw!" Master Mao let out intently.
The Vampire King released some of his aura, only affecting Mao. The pressure was so powerful that Mao dropped down to the ground.
"Don't lie to me! Tell me why you attacked him in the Undead Region inside the Valley of Wandering Souls! What did you steal from there?" The Vampire King asked again as he narrowed his blood-red eyes.
"I never went inside the Undead Region!" Mao said as he struggled on the ground.
The Vampire King stood up as he started walking towards Mao.
High Duke Eston glanced towards Ryder, wondering if he should stop him, but he didn't do anything as he saw Ryder gesturing to him to let Vampire King do what he wanted.
Ryder knew that the Vampire King wouldn't kill Mao. He probably wanted to threaten him. Also, he knew that the prisoner was essential to them. He would not kill Mao. At Least not before they finished interrogating Mao as well.
The Vampire King sat in front of Mao as he looked into his eyes. He brought his hands near Mao's face. His long nails penetrated Mao's face, leaving a deep scrape on his face.
"You know about us Vampires, right? You know that's going to happen to your Body now, right? If you don't tell me what I'm asking for, you'll see that first game," the Vampire King told Mao as he smirked.
Mao's face started turning unusually green.
" So that's the Vampire Poison. He'll start speaking, or he'll suffer a lot," High Duke Oris muttered as he nodded his head.
"I-i will tell you everything! I never went to the Undead Region! I swear to my family name! Her Highness went there a few times, but I never accompanied her. I don't know if she did anything to your general! I don't know anything," Mao let out as he felt his veins bulging.