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『I’m finished.』
Lilya’s voice echoed through my mind like a whisper across still water, bringing a wave of relief that cut through the static of battle.

Without delay, I sent a mental command, my authority as the Progenitor of the bloodline to communicate to Lilya and the Blood Attendants at once lacing each word like steel.

[On my signal, strike. Each of you—choose one Peerage Knight. Destroy their hearts. Leave the True Vampire to me and Lilya.]

A chorus of silent affirmations returned with eagerness and determination. I reached out again, this time only to Lilya.

『When I give the signal, go for the True Vampire. He is not an enemy that is easy to defeat, so just distract him long enough. If you can remove a limb or take his head, do it, that's even

better.』

『Got it.』Her response was firm, but I felt the tension behind it—controlled, focused.

[Everyone, do you have your targets?]
Again, another chorus of affirmations.

[Good, then begin!]

The girls launched their assault immediately, swiftly taking out three of the Peerage Knights as planned. The last knight, who tried to evade the initial strike, was quickly surrounded.

At the same time, Lilya rushed toward the True Vampire,Her presence was like a flash of lightning in the gloom—sudden, disruptive and divine. The True vampire snarled, turning his attention away from me to parry her assault.

That momentary distraction was all I needed.

I surged forward, blurring past the chaos, and pierced his chest with my clawed hand.The heart I seized thudded once in protest before I crushed it to pulp. The body seized, then turned to ash before it hit the ground.

The last Knight turned to flee.

“Too late.”

I was already on him, fist tearing through plate and bone like parchment. Another heart silenced. Another body reduced to nothing.

As the last enemy fell, I addressed the girls.
[Well done, all of you. Is that all the vampires who came with you, or are there others?]

Lilya responded.
[There were about a dozen more on the surface in an encampment.]

[Very well. Then I shall go clear them.]

With a thought, I dissolved into the leyline of my Birth Cities, teleporting to the surface. Using Lilya’s memories as a compass, I moved swiftly through the warped nightscape. 

The camp soon came into view—fifteen Elder Vampires clustered like scavengers, unaware of their fate. I tore through them like a storm. Bones cracked, fangs shattered, and blood ignited mid-air. When it was over, silence returned to the forest.

Wanting to be thorough, I decided to scout the surrounding area for further threats. I rose into the sky, flying above the landscape, and after about ten minutes, I spotted the outline of a human city. People moved within its walls, unaware of what lurked beyond.

I returned to my domain to check on the others. My senses located the Spawn Mothers—10 in total—confirming the creation of 10 new vampire spawn.

Returning to the heart of my domain, I recalled something important. The Birth Cities had a name, one buried beneath layers of recent memory. I cleared my mind, focusing solely on that question.
The name rose in my mind unbidden.

Mortishaven.

A cradle of ancient blood. My sanctuary. My throne.

That was the name. However, it referred to the whole; the five individual cities would later be designated as Mortishaven Districts.

With that thought settled, I returned to the girls.
[I found a human city while scouting. Once you're settled, we’ll visit.]

My voice reverberated through the chamber, the first spoken words since my awakening.

The girls froze, eyes wide.

Lilya stepped forward hesitantly. [Until an hour ago... we were human. The idea of harming them still feels…] Her voice trailed off, thick with uncertainty.

Her words trailed off, her discomfort plain. I realized then that they had misunderstood me.
[I don’t plan to attack them—not yet, at least. I simply want to look around. Taking control of the city could be convenient in the future. They could serve as a sustainable blood source and be molded into higher-ranking vampires.]

My explanation eased their concern somewhat, though doubt lingered in their eyes. Still, more words would change little. I shifted focus.

[All of you, follow me. I’ll show you to your new rooms.]

I walked to my coffin and dematerialized it, drawing surprise from the girls.
[This room will eventually become a chamber for important discussions among my bloodline. Keeping my coffin here would be unsafe and in the way.]

We left the throne room, traveling through the halls of Mortishaven Palace. One by one, I assigned each girl a room, giving them access to use their mana to create furnishings and personalize the space. The magic they infused would slightly increase my overall strength—though the gains would diminish as I grew more powerful.

The same principle would eventually apply to plots of land I could assign to True Vampires for development, but that would be far into the future. Right now, I didn’t even have any Greater Vampires.

With the rooms settled, Lilya and I headed toward the Master Bedroom. It was a grand suite, divided into four side chambers connected to a common area that led to a vast bedroom. At its center stood a massive bed, large enough to fit a dozen side by side.

I approached and merged my coffin into the frame of the bed. Then I turned to Lilya.
『Place your hand on the bed and will your coffin to bind with it.』

She obeyed, and once it was done, I turned my thoughts back to the human city.

『Lilya, are you ready for a trip to the human city?』

『Um, I guess… though it hasn’t been long since we awakened you, and it was midnight then. Not that night means much here.』

『All the better,』 I replied. 『Less activity makes for easier scouting.』

『Ok, then let’s go.』

With her agreement, I teleported us to the entrance of Mortishaven, and from there, we emerged onto the surface. I lifted into the air, expecting Lilya to follow—only to turn and see her still on the ground.

『Um… I don’t know how to fly,』 she admitted, clearly embarrassed.

I smiled gently.
『Like all our abilities, flight is triggered by will. Once activated, it becomes instinctual. Later, I’ll teach you to enter a meditative state and access your deeper powers.』

Lilya went silent for a moment, then slowly rose into the air.
『Good job.』Pride swelled in me—pride I had never known I could feel.

Her memories had changed me. I felt an unshakable bond to her—protective, possessive, even tender.

We flew side by side, heading toward the city. After about fifteen minutes, its outline emerged in the distance.

『Lilya, let’s land here and go the rest of the way on foot.』

We descended and approached the city gates, only to find them closed. With no other choice, I instructed Lilya to activate her invisibility. Together, we flew over the wall undetected.

The city was far more active than expected. People bustled through the streets, seemingly unaware of our presence.

We moved through the alleys until we came to a large central square. At its center stood a towering waystone. An idea sparked in my mind.

『Lilya, I’m going to destroy that waystone. Once I do, my invisibility will drop. Stay hidden until I finish.』

『Are you breaking it to keep the people here?』she asked, a bit unsettled.

『Yes. Like I said, I won’t harm the humans. But keeping them contained will serve our future needs. I also want to meet the one who governs this city.』

Lilya exhaled with visible relief. I smiled faintly.

『Well, I’ll be going now. See you in a bit.』

I approached the waystone, noting the four guards stationed nearby. They posed no threat, but I wondered how to incapacitate them without causing harm. I decided to focus on the stone first.

Closing in, I struck it with a powerful punch. My invisibility dropped immediately. The guards reacted with surprise, but before they could move, I struck again, this time it exploded into shards and glowing dust.

I had just turned to leave when I instinctively dodged to the side. A blade hissed through the air, missing me by inches.

Before I could respond, a sharp female voice rang out.

“Who are you? And why did you destroy the city’s waystone?”