Ascendant Path of a Lustful Vampire

Chapter 481: Hypocrisy as a defaut

To continue the trend of Caius needing supervision, Lucian handed Alexia the invitation on which she read that the representatives of the family didn’t have to be a specific number.

"Hey, Arlette," she called as she looked up from the invitation, "Want to come with?"

Caius had noticed that the friendship Arlette and Alexia had forged in his absence on the day of the attack on Brogan Kraxia had continued in the two weeks since. Busy as the two had become in very separate matters, they still found time to spend together.

That along with Caius’s frequent visits to the Leopold Coven made nighttime really the most time Caius and Arlette had to spend together now. Especially when at the Manor.

"Sorry, I can’t," Arlette answered and she did look apologetic, "I’ve got... a previous engagement."

She actually did mean that and once the meeting ended and she could leave the Von Helsing Estate, she was going to be launching herself into work.

’Yay,’ she said in her head with hardly any enthusiasm. Really, who would choose work over a nice leisurely night? Certainly not her. Alas, responsibilities are responsibilities.

"Oh," Alexia said and she seemed let down and it was with that expression that she looked over at Gareth to say,

"We’ll need a security detail."

"Already have one in mind," Gareth bowed to her, "And if you wish, I will also join the detail."

"Sure, why not?" Alexia said.

Of the lowest-tier Hellsingers, Gareth was the most capable. The incident with Caius’s kidnapping months ago had derailed his advancements through the tiers somewhat but he was back on track.

"I will assign a few Mid-tiers to you, My Lady," Divon piped with a bow of his own.

Arlette frowned. She just did not like him. Still, it seemed dumb to reject more capable Hellsingers. She wasn’t expecting conflict but it didn’t hurt to at least be prepared.

Of course, from the description of the event on the invitation, every Noble house in the Capital would be attending the Function so security would be at its height. So this was really her being extra about caution.

The Meeting drew to a close now after more topics on securing the Territory and working on their own tasks of ridding the Capital of monsters—separate from the Task Force—as they had always done. It seemed pretty routine overall.

After offering bows, the Hellsingers made their way out of the room first. Alexia gave Lucian a bow and afforded Caius the most passing of glances before she then hooked an arm around Arlette’s neck to pull her with her out of the room.

Caius tried to follow when he heard his father’s voice from behind.

"Caius," Lucian called, "A moment."

Arlette offered Caius a look before she and Alexia were completely out of the room and the door shut behind them.

"Father," Caius greeted after a minute or so of silence.

"Tell me what happened, son," Lucian said.

"Everything?" Caius asked.

"To the last detail," Lucian said.

Caius let out a breath.

"Well, then..."

It was only after Caius launched into his part of the events two weeks ago that Lucian understood just how little of it all he had learned until then. What had seemed like half of the picture from Alexia and the Hellsingers’ accounts now seemed negligible.

"Another Vampire Noble," Lucian said with a frown.

It had been barely a month since he had learned of the Noble class system among vampires. Caius had been the one to tell him and also really explain how much power a Noble commanded over ’normal’ vampires.

"Yep," Caius answered.

"And you say, Kerwin Leopold is now one, as well," Lucian said with a deep frown.

"It made sense to give it to him," Caius said cautiously.

He would have liked to keep these details away from his father but things had steamrolled for a while and now it wasn’t clear how much he should/shouldn’t know. Not telling him about the Leopolds could risk Lucian waging a war against the Coven.

Lucian was still a monster hunter. His expeditions away from home were always about hunting down one powerful coven or the other and, by his own admission, he had always suspected the Leopolds of shady dealings involving vampirism.

In the original story, Lucian didn’t expose the Leopolds because they revealed themselves and tried to take over the Empire. But that timeline had been altered due to Caius taking control of the Coven and pacifying their ambitions for the meantime.

And so, since in that regard, things were not following the canon, it’s anyone’s guess what would have happened between Lucian and the Leopolds if Caius hadn’t revealed some things and prompted his father to hold off on going after them.

"And you think you can keep them in line?" Lucian asked, "Now that they’ve acquired this... power."

"So long as I live, they will listen to me," Caius said confidently.

That didn’t make Lucian relax. If anything, the worry lines on his forehead got even darker because the fact that the Leopolds not becoming a problem hinged on his young son’s mortality seemed somewhat grim.

"And their feeding?" Lucian asked.

"Same as any other vampire," Caius answered in a heavy tone.

"So they’re not..." Lucian indicated.

"Like me? No. No, they’re not," Caius answered, his tone still heavy and his voice cautious.

Lucian closed his eyes. The thought of how many needed to die to sustain those monsters... It went so much against what he should have stood for. And yet, Lucian, while understanding the gravity of the situation, found himself less disgusted with himself than he should have been. He felt as though he had been a hypocrite for so long that it was now practically his default.

His mind was rationalizing it all as a necessary evil. Necessary as a part of the path Caius had now decided to walk. And one he would support, to the death of his soul if need be.

Lucian let out a sigh as he quelled the storm brewing in his mind somewhat.

"A matter for another time," he said, "You know the investigations will become more stringent?"

"Yeah," Caius said with a frown, "That has been worrying."

"That’s why I’m sending you to that Function. If you want to survive whatever they have planned, it’s smart to be a part of it," Lucian said.

"I understand," Caius said.

He actually did. Would he have preferred to spend his time doing something else? Absolutely. Especially since he was confident that he would learn of whatever was discussed at the function anyway.

But, he could understand the potential merits of attending the function himself. It hadn’t happened in the original canon after all. Not like this and certainly not so soon anyway.

In fact, the name attached to it was so new to him that he could have sworn it just randomly popped up out of nowhere. An addition to the story that was never there before.

And honestly, with the Editors potentially messing with canon themselves, that wasn’t too much of an impossibility.

"Father, this Leonce Duval," Caius said,

"What do you know of him?"

"Leonce?" Lucian said with a contemplative kook, "He seems like a bright young man. Well, young relative to me, of course. To you, he’s very much grown.

Has no remarkable background really. One of the few commoners so talented that they are invited to study at Lochxen."

"I know one of those," Caius said thinking of Doran Langston. On a tangent, he wondered how the boy was faring with his budding love and back home for the holidays.

"Everyone probably does," Lucian said with a nod,

"Anyway, Leonce seems a very capable young man, as evidenced by his being placed in charge of something as high profile as a Task Force in the Capital."

"That’s all you know of him?" Caius asked.

Lucian shrugged.

"There are very many gifted people in Lochxen, Son. Thousands in every generation really. It’s difficult to keep track. Really, I only know this much about Leonce Duval because the invitation includes a bit of a biography. Likely to inspire confidence in the guests of his Function."

"Oh," Caius let out.

Lucian laughed.

"Well, if you’re so curious, the Function is your chance to learn all about him, isn’t it?

I’m sure he’ll give you an audience."

"But I’m but a boy, remember?" Caius said with a smirk and a bite back at his father’s earlier remark.

Lucian was unabashed.

"A boy you indeed are," the Count said,

"But you’re also my one and only heir. That matters most, Caius. Remember that."