Everybody can face confidence and success with ease. It's how we react to trouble and anxieties that define us

~ An excerpt from Dracule Rose's diary

"Alright, good job!" Natalie shouted, causing the troops to breathe a collective sigh of relief. With the emergence of a new threat on their heads, patrols and training had gone up by a magnitude afterward. Damien didn't miss his chance with the General of the Wisperium forces personally leading some of the training sessions.

The boy, much like the rest of the soldiers, had joined in and participated in their training and quickly taken his shirt off. Within a few days of being in the dwarven kingdom, the growth and transformation of his body had been accelerated. His breathing was barely labored, but his abs were already well-defined at such a young age. It was hard to underestimate the young vampire unless he was clothed in armor. He held up incredibly well during the rigorous drills, showing how his youth didn't hold him back against veterans in the field.

Many commented on his amazing talent coupled with his extreme work ethic, but he took it all in stride. He knew that his talent wasn't major enough to be relied upon, and constant training is what brought him to this level. Damien never admitted it, but seeing how he surpassed Chester in fighting ability was cathartic. But he humbled himself, knowing that the man was a regular human who didn't have the pedigree of a noble vampire but came so far regardless.

Putting back his armor and clothing, he marveled at the improved quality of the Juggernaut Armor that Elric gifted him. Many of the dwarves had taken a special interest in his and Chester's uniquely designed armor, improving upon the framing of the equipment that allowed them to withstand greater and stronger attacks. Gannon, the master blacksmith who recommended some upgrades to his armor, had done an amazing job.

ELRIC'S IMPROVED JUGGERNAUT ARMOR SUIT

- Made from an orichalcum-adamantium alloy, it boasts absurd hardiness and durability along with a resistance to magic. Created by a talented artificer, it allows for one enchantment to be added to the equipment. Refined by a master blacksmith, it can absorb kinetic energy at a higher level than before.

- Vastly reduces slashing and cutting damage.

- All status ailments which restrain or inhibit movement are resisted more easily or nullified completely.

- Size Adjusting I: The equipment will shape to match the user's size from 50% of its initial size.

- Weight: 35kg (17.5~53.7kg)

Taking a practice sword from one of the displays by the training grounds, he continued to work on his stances. With the added weight of the armor and built-up fatigue, maintaining perfect form was a difficult task that he wanted to achieve. General Drake looked on proudly and watched as a few of the soldiers were emboldened by the young prince's actions and continued to train even more. His presence had served to improve army morale.

"Major General Brigatin, you're in charge for now. I'll be headed off to the outside. Contact either me or Jensen through the bloodhounds."

Wearing standard but high-quality white armor, Major General Brigatin nodded his head. As part of the Church, the paladins worked in collaboration with the Wisperium forces as they prepared for any incoming threats. Even though they had some autonomy as a separate branch, the paladins frequently worked under General Drake and Lieutenant General Jensen. Only the Archibishop superseded their commands.

"Archie!"

The earth shook lightly as the six-legged panther lumbered towards her. Damien's eyes went up, and even though the mammal wasn't even a third as big as the Ankheg Queen, its rippling muscles which threatened to burst out of its skin made it look far denser and heavier. Without delay, she effortlessly hopped on his saddled back and began the trek to the kingdom's fortified walls. Archie bent down slightly before leaping upward, landing with dull thudding noise and clearing the entire training ground in a split second. It was incredibly light on its feet when it wanted to, as the impact of its landing was minor in comparison to its mighty stature.

Damien watched as they left, before continuing his training for a longer period. Although his mind was focused on the task at hand, he couldn't help but worry about the situation in the kingdom. He had a bad feeling about the spies they caught, and he couldn't place his finger as to why. The boy was beginning to think that Chester's claim of one of them being bad luck was true.

'I have to stay vigilant. On the off-chance they take me hostage, it will make Aunt Nat's job even harder. Nor do I want to die. What should I do? Fight, or stay behind the enemy lines and avoid risk to myself?'

You have pushed your stamina to the limit. +1 to END.

People whistled at the sight of him breezing through his stances, making a small breeze occur with every strike. Despite the armor weighing him down, his swordsmanship was still very mobile. It was simple and efficient. They couldn't tell that the talented boy was troubled by his thoughts, focusing his anxieties on his training as fuel.

With the sun going down overhead, he decided to call it a day. His teachers had warned him about skill plateau, as the days of training grew longer, the level-ups became infrequent. Despite this, he continued. The vampire knew the value of maintaining and improving through any means necessary, and never wanted to rest on his laurels for any reason. There was value in things that the system couldn't catch, a lesson his great-grandfather had tried to impress upon him from a young age.

'Skills grow most during times of conflict and danger. The ones who respond well to real-life experiences determine those who make a breakthrough and those who don't. Between people with perfectly equal stats, the one thing which determines victory is not quantified at all.'

He kept that in mind as he left to grab some food. The barracks were well-funded and had delicious and hearty meals for soldiers, grabbing a large bowl of potato and meat stew and taking one of the many vials of blood that were available for Wisperium forces. Damien sat quietly by himself in the outdoor mess hall, wondering what he should do for the rest of the day.

'Jensen and Aunt Nat are busy. Who else could I go to for advice?' His mind wandered to any reliable figures in the kingdom. For a split second, he considered going to Chester for advice but discarded it as soon as he thought of the idea. Damien knew that the curly-headed idiot would use that chance to either make fun of him or give completely unreliable advice. 'The Archibishop, perhaps? I am curious to see what he looks like. I have only heard rumors.'

"You look like you have something on your mind. A bronze piece for your thoughts?"

The vampire looked up to see Major General Brigatin with a bowl of stew sliding into the seat in front of him. Seemingly of a half-elf and human origins, his face was attractive and defined by his pointed ears and sharp jawline. Blue eyes glanced over his obsidian ones with no ulterior motives, and Damien decided to take advantage of this opportunity.

"I would like to have a conversation with the Archibishop. Is that a reasonable request?"

Brigatin pursed his lips and looked up, thinking to himself. The request was absurd, as the Archibishop's time was not something to be taken lightly. But for an ally with prominent ties to Dracule Rose, it was far from unreasonable.

"Well, it is not impossible. May I hear a reason for your request?"

"I...am having personal troubles and would like to consult with him."

The half-human hummed in response. He guessed that those of higher status usually had things far beyond that of the average military commander to think about, and decided not to pry about the noble's issues. He nodded and told the boy to wait for a few minutes before they departed.

As they walked away from the training grounds, Damien decided to ask the military commander more about the Archibishop, only knowing him by name and his introverted nature.

"Archbishop Romero, he is a man of few words. Even amongst the twenty of the same rank, he is the least likely to go out of his way to do anything. But he never questioned his duty. This is my first time being assigned to his cohort, but he gives us the freedom to do whatever we want so long as we follow his commands."

"I see. Have you ever seen him in battle? Although I know not all Archbishops are specialized in combat, I would assume he has experience considering he is stationed here."

"It has been a very long time since an invasion of such scale occurred where Archibishop Romero has had to intervene. It was before General Drake came, as our change of stations isn't synced together to avoid total disruption. But about eight or so years ago, An Ego Beast had attacked. A Minotaur had escaped the local dungeon and was headed to Welton."

A dungeon existing over a decade ago in this area was news to Damien. He figured that there would at least be one along with Welton, as the value of them was immense. The vampire knew Minotaurs were a significant threat to an under-equipped city, but one that became an Ego Beast must've been a terrifying sight.

"With an army of minotaurs, the forces struggled. The Ego Beast had endless stamina and immense strength. Archbishop Romero, along with the commander of the Wisperium forces at the time, worked in tandem to bring it down. His protective barriers were more than capable of handling whatever strikes it could come up with, and he single-handedly mitigated most of our casualties with his presence."

"May I ask who was the commander at the time?"

"It was a man from the Valentine clan if I recall. I didn't get to interact with him much, but I-oh, we're here."

The walk wasn't very long, as the Church of Pernatia was located close to the most important section of Welton, likely so that their responses could be fast and immediate. This location was far grander than the one in Stillwater, almost triple in size. Fitting with the gothic theme of artitcheture in Welton, it was clear that the design was due to the collaboration of the Church and the dwarves. It spoke volumes of the organization's wealth, as the sheer luxury in the premises surpassed that of his own home in Wisperium. Damien had to squint upon entering the cathedral.

Entering the cathedral, they were greeted by the sight of a decent-sized courtyard. Almost a hundred feet in length and width, priests and dwarves milled about and talked quietly amongst themselves. The center of the green courtyard had another statue of a golden skeleton, posing dramatically with a book clutched in its hands as it pointed to the sky. Red rubies shined from its eyes, making for an incredible and slightly intimidating sight. The hallways had open windows designed in arches which allowed him to admire the courtyard.

Brigatin led the boy past the atrium, walking through the well-kept grass and into the actual building. Warm, yellow lights and affluent red carpets were present everywhere. The marble pillars had more statues laid strategically along with the corners of various people that the vampire couldn't identify properly. The interior wasn't crowded, but many priests and civilians were present and listening to a sermon.

As they passed through, Damien looked up at one of the statues and saw a familiar face; stern, handsome, and carved from the finest white marble. With a cloak similar to his, slightly longer hair, and a ring on his left index finger, the younger vampire looked down and confirmed that the details were almost identical, only differing slightly in size.

"This is...my father?"

"Ah, the statues? Yes. For all the figures through the centuries that worked to defend Welton, a statue was created to honor them. I believe your father served about two decades ago. They are in the process of creating General Drake's but it does take quite some time."

The boy stared for a moment longer and inspected the statue. It had some differences from his paternal figure, but there was no mistaking it. This statue was based on Gideon Rose.

'Priest Engel did say he worked with my father about two or three decades ago. By then, he was definitely at his second class evolution like Aunt Nat.' It made him wonder just how old the kind priest in Stillwater was, considering that he had been around for decades.

With that in mind, they continued towards the Archibishop. In a more reserved hallway, Major General Brigatin bent over slightly and rapped his knuckles along the fine oak doors. A voice came from the inside after a few seconds; sounding both articulate and monotone.

"You may come in."