Ascendant Path of a Lustful Vampire Chapter 588: Great national pride

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When Zaila woke up, she felt more rested than she could ever remember feeling. She was awash with relief following the blissful hours-long exertion she had enjoyed. With a wide smile, Zaila rolled over on the bed, spreading her arms for a stretch, but it reminded her that she was alone.

She had expected it. The vampire asking her to record that message had let her know she was likely not going to find him when she woke up. Still, she had hoped she was wrong.

Zaila had never once wished to wake up with someone by her side in her bed. Maybe that was part of why she readily chose to dedicate herself so much to military service where the only ones normally authorized to be in the Garrison were her fellow militants. And in the women-exclusive North-Western Garrison, there was even less of a chance she’d share her bed with anyone.

The lack of commitment appealed to Zaila. But for the first time in years, she found herself doubting that appeal.

Oh well.

Shaking her head to knock out those thoughts because it didn’t do well to dwell on them. She checked the time and wasn’t particularly surprised to find that she had woken up later than she usually did.

She found that her clothes, which had been taken off in the Study and left on the floor, had been brought into her bedroom for her and she just knew it had been done by the vampire. The thought that he did some housekeeping amused her but it quickly made her wistful so she pushed the thought away.

"Pathetic," she mumbled to herself when shoving the thoughts aside was proving a bit difficult.

"You’re this way after one night?" She admonished herself in an angry tone while she bowed her head in front of her mirror. Then her eyes widened as she raised her head to look at her reflection.

The Vampire’s words came to mind and Zaila remembered how he had boasted of being unforgettable.

"Is this... it?" She asked in a mumble.

Zaila remembered how the vampire had been so reluctant to do it. How he had tried to dissuade her and for a split second, she wondered if she should have allowed herself to be dissuaded.

But almost as soon as the thought formed, it was squashed. Even now, the thought of what happened last night sent thrills of pleasure down her spine and made her lips curve like she was cursed with perpetual joy.

Somehow, that single night seemed like more pleasure than most people get to experience in their entire lifetime. How could she then, possibly regret it? No, she was glad it happened. She just would like to not look like she was glad it happened and would prefer it be a memory she kept and enjoyed for herself and didn’t share with the world whether by speaking of it or letting it show in her expressions or actions.

After a bath, Zaila got dressed in a new set of clothes. She stored the ones she had been wearing last night away because she could smell the vampire’s wonderful scent on them and wanted to preserve that.

She put on her armor and finally walked out of her living quarters and into her study, only to stop short when she found that it wasn’t empty.

"Captain," Adria said with a bow.

"Lieutenant," Zaila said after a momentary pause that Adria must not have caught.

Zaila closed her door and walked over to sit in the chair behind her desk, looking up almost wearily at Adria as she did.

"I slept in..." she said in the form of an apology.

"Yes, and I decided you were not to be disturbed unless absolutely necessary. It seemed like you needed your rest," Adria said with a little flush.

Zaila caught the blood rush.

"I assume you’ve seen the recording then," she said.

Adria held up the recording device and placed it on the desk.

"He left it with me after he... came out," she said, blushing even harder.

"Very well," Zaila said and swiped the device off the desk. One more thing to add to her collection as mementos of the encounter.

"When did they leave?" She asked after a few seconds.

"An hour or so after midnight," Adria answered.

"I see," Zaila said.

"We collected the fine before they left. It’s ready for your inspection along with the written Report," Adria said.

"Good," Zaila said with the gusto of ’life goes on’. It was time to get back to business proper in commanding the Garrison and keeping a lookout for threats in Northern-Star.

"Captain, there’s a development," Adria said then.

Zaila raised a brow.

"What is it?" She asked.

"A group came right at the crack of dawn, claiming they had questions regarding the vampires we had captive," Adria said.

"And?" Zaila promoted.

"I told them there was nothing to tell and ushered them away but they wouldn’t budge. And then, I... I—"

"Come on, Adria, out with it," Zaila snapped.

"Well, I let it slip that you had a meeting with the vampire leader and now the group insists on meeting with you," Adria said.

"Huh."

Looking admonished, Adria quickly perked up to right her mistake.

"I’ve been working hard on turning them away. If they stay any longer, I’ll authorize the gals at the Gate to use excessive force and—"

"There’ll be no need," Zaila cut in, "I’ll see them."

Adria stumbled on her words a bit like a horse whose reins had been suddenly yanked to a stop.

"Right away, Captain."

A few minutes later and the group entered Zaila’s Study. There were four of them; Three wore Combat robes and stood with their arms behind their backs in a visage of discipline. The fourth was dressed in more casual robes and was clearly the leader.

"Captain Zaila," said the group leader.

"And you are?" Zaila asked.

"Van Kroon," the man said before gesturing at the three behind him,

"And these are my associates. Forgive them if they don’t offer their names."

"So long as they won’t be speaking, I don’t mind," Zaila said calmly and then narrowed her eyes at Van,

"I hear you’re here for the vampires. They are gone."

"Straight to it, huh? Good," Van smiled, "Yes, we are aware that they are no longer at the Garrison. We saw them drive off, heading out of Northern Star and likely out of the Duchy entirely. We followed, of course—"

"You followed them?" Zaila said with a frown and then questioned why she reacted that way. After all, what did she care about the vampire’s dealings? Their time together was over and whatever he made of himself, she was to have no part of it.

"Yes, Captain," Van said, "These are dangerous beings. Bloodsucking vermin that they are. Seeking to either infest us with their disease or feed on us like livestock—"

"You sound very passionate about this," Zaila noted.

"Oh yes, I am," Van said with pride, "I am a citizen of Khione—"

"This is not a sovereign nation, so I think you mean denizen," Zaila said.

"No, I mean Citizen," Van said, and his eyes were serious as they bore into Zaila’s before he continued in a somber voice,

"My family has been here for centuries. In the days when Khione was its own Queendom, ruled by the wise and powerful Queens of the Khione Family. The ladies of Winter themselves.

Yes, Acheron might think they have completed their unification, eradicated our native tongue so we use their inferior one but—"

Without pausing to even take a breath, Van Kroon switched into a different language—an old one that used to be the official language of the Khione Queendom before the unification—and completed his speech.

"*—we who have lived for generations under the Khione sovereign rule remain filled with great national pride.*"

"You shouldn’t be speaking that language," Zaila said.

"But you understand it," Van said with a smile, now back to the common tongue.

"Yes. I am a Khione," she said as an explanation, and then her eyes became shrewd, "Though, I’m sure you expected that. All you’ve done so far is to soften me up so let’s cut the bullshit and get to why you’re really here."

"There is no bullshit, My Lady," Van said, using a deference as was befitting Zaila as she was essentially royalty,

"I merely sought to let you know the depths of my love for Khione. And how much I would never seek to harm it. And how ready I am to eliminate all who wish to do it any harm."

"And you believe this group means harm?" Zaila asked.

"It’s the way of their kind. Forgive me, My Lady, but while I love and respect Khione, the leniency toward vampires has long frustrated me.

It’s why I and many others have taken it upon ourselves to act when the law won’t. It’s why any vampire who steps foot in Northern-Star can be damned sure of a target on their back. Whether they stay or pass through, the threat they pose must be eliminated.

For the sake of Great Khione and her Citizens."