The Fallen Vampire

Chapitre 219: Guess Who’s Back

Among the many beasts lounging about in the midday sun, there was one that clearly stood out from the rest.

A large nine-tailed fox, appearing more spirit-like than mortal, lounged about along the bountiful flowers and green grass.

It’s silver fur shone magnificently with it’s slight red undertones and incomparable luster.

The fox remained asleep, eyes closed and listening to the sound of the wind blow past his ears.

When standing up, the creature was an easy seventeen feet tall. And yet, the creature’s around it seemed to sense him to be a gentle giant, as they had no problem coming near him.

Although, the small red panda sitting atop his paws seemed to have issue with the amount of new faces crowding around, as she would often swat at any critters who came too close for her liking.

"Dai-Shi Taira!"

Taira slowly opened his eyes to find a small parade of outer disciples cupping their fists in cute little salutes.

"Can we play with Yukiko please??" The youngest, a girl named Genesis asked.

The fox-kin knew immediately that they had only put her forth to ask because she was the cutest and were hoping that her doe eyes would wear down any chances of refusal.

...They just so happened to be right this

one

time.

"Be gentle with her, kids. She’s been extra resistant to exercise lately." Taira handed Yukiko over on his paw.

The furry critter looked at him with a look of true betrayal as she was carried away by a parade of excited children.

A small amused smirk crossed Taira’s face as he watched her depart.

’I wonder if that’s how I look when the girls force me to socialize...’ he thought.

With the little one in good, but small hands, Taira closed his eyes once again and drifted off into an interrupted sleep. Not even the animals beginning to crowd around him could wake him.

-

"...Shit."

So in the meantime, Taira would soak up every bit of knowledge, every valuable resource that Fenris felt like sharing with him.

He would milk him of all of his secrets of martial arts and use it to better his cult before inevitably cutting off the beast god’s head when he ceased to be of use.

He was no one’s pawn, not now or ever. Some would have to learn that lesson in a harsher manner than others.

Fenris stared at Taira strangely for a moment, with his thoughts seemingly known only to him.

Eventually, he waived his hand dismissively as he looked away. "Never mind that... Just the last vestiges of an old fool who thought he could remain king forever... You didn’t find anything strange inside?"

"I found my pills and my kin. Nothing else was of any consequence to me."

Fenris knew about the asanbosam hiding in the secret realm already, so the mention of Taira’s kin didn’t inspire much reaction from him.

But he found the bit about Taira not being interested in anything else inside to be worthy of note.

’Does that mean that there were no artifacts or weapons inside..? Or is he lying...?’

Fenris was inclined to believe it might’e been the latter.

He had been having a hard time observing Taira ever since he’d entered the secret realm.

And even when he’d left it, the problem had still persisted.

Without the ability to accurately see any of Taira’s movements, he was stuck making guesses about what exactly he could have been doing in that time.

But one thing he knew for certain was that if Velreth still had as many rumored treasures in his vault as the entire upper realm theorized he did, then there was no way that Taira just overlooked them.

He would have to be stupid. Or remarkably altruistic.

And Fenris didn’t know if he believed Taira to be either of those things.

’Hmph. Keep your secrets if you need to, boy. It will serve me better in the end all the same.’

"Nevermind that for now." Fenris stood up. "It’s time for a new lesson from your patriarch. I hope you are prepared for my instruction."

Taira stood motionlessly as he tried hard to swallow the smile on his face.

"Whatever will help me stop seeing your face quicker."

"Ha! That’s the spirit! Let us see how long you can hold onto that tongue today!"