It did not even take them an entire day before Nightfall was able to seize the second mountain completely under their control.

Pier's outstanding display of his magic abilities did most of the parts in eliminating the monsters that roamed the second mountain.

Of course, the vampires still had their pride and they eliminated the weaker monsters that they could by themselves.

However, monsters like the ones they met at the entrance, one that had destructive power and an enormous body were all left to Pier's care.

Though it did some repercussions to the young master.

"Haah..." Pier sighed as he rested his back against the trunk of the tree.

Ciaran watched with worry as the young master took continuous deep breaths after using his ice magic on a very large scale.

"Let us rest for a moment. We will proceed to the third mountain after Pier had regained his magic power. Scouts, enter the third mountain and report anything that you can see!" Ciaran instructed all of the vampires that were waiting for their commands.

"Understood, chief," the group of vampires that was assigned to scout the instructed areas responded as black smoke surrounded their bodies before they turned into crows and flew towards the third mountain.

Ciaran looked at the person who had his head covered with the cloak's hood.

"Pier..." He called out as he crouched down beside Pier who was breathing hard.

"Hmmm?" The young master responded and Ciaran could not help but feel pain in his chest.

"I'm sorry," he apologized but Pier tilted his head slightly to the side in curiosity as to why the vampire prince was apologizing.

"For what?" He asked.

"Because I was not that big of a help," Ciaran spoke. He felt he was useless because all he did was stand beside Pier as they conquered the second mountain.

"I'm now starting to believe you are a complete idiot," Pier spoke as his breathing was starting to get better.

"Huh?"

"You said you'd protect me, you did your part, that's the important thing," He reassured as he adjusted his back from leaning on the tree.

There are many things surrounding him. From fruits, water, and other necessities that the vampires could offer to the stranger who allowed them to have the second mountain in a very short time.

"Can you get me that apple?" Pier asked as he stared at the delicious-looking apple placed on his left. Ciaran also looked at the apple.

He grabbed it and handed it to the young master who looked like he was starving.

Pier immediately bit into the apple and he felt the savory sweetness it gave him.

Ciaran observed the young master eat the apple.

"Please don't overexert yourself," He reprimanded Pier in a soft and gentle voice which made Pier stare at him.

"Ciaran, listen to me, dude..." He started to speak informally at the vampire prince.

"Do you think we would be able to get the second mountain if I don't put effort? Use your brain you huge ass vampire wolf!" He flicked Ciaran's forehead with his finger.

Ciaran had a frown on his face as he covered his forehead with his hands while staring at Pier.

"But look at the state you're in after!" Ciaran spoke in exasperation.

Sigh

He let out a breath after listening to Ciaran's rants.

Of course, he knew that the vampire was concerned after he had used so much magical powers but now was not the time to be worried about such things.

"Just continue protecting me, Ciaran. Until we reach the fifth mountain and break the stone you were talking about, just protect me," Pier had a smile on his face as he spoke to the green-eyed man and Ciaran could not explain the feeling he was having as he stared into Pier's icy blue eyes.

After confirming through his shadows that there was no one around them as all vampires were scattered throughout the second mountain after their victory, he grabbed Pier's hands.

He brought the back of the young master's hand in his lips as he whispered his vow.

"I promise. I promise I'll protect you whatever the cost is," He spoke with his eyes closed.

Pier watched the vampire with observant eyes.

Why was Ciaran so attached to him?

He did not know.

Scanning his memories throughout the time he and Ciaran had spent together, he could not find a single thing that he thinks is worthy of gaining the vampire prince's affections for him.

Yet right now, the person who was a half-vampire and half-Lycan was whispering his covenant for him.

"Just protect me enough that I'll survive, you don't have to risk your own life for me. Remember that you still have more than a thousand vampires to lead after this," Pier spoke as his striking blue eyes met with the green ones.

Ciaran inhaled as he felt he was being absorbed in those magical and alluring eyes.

"I understand," He spoke as he kissed the back of Pier's hands.

He repeated the action as it climbed on the young master's arms, right until it reached Pier's neck.

"I understand," He spoke once more as he bit Pier's neck and he moved his entire body to lean in properly and show his affections.

Pier had concluded one thing the entire time he stayed in the village and after the time Ciaran admitted his feelings towards the young master.

It was Ciaran's way of showing his own affections for Pier, by kissing and basically staying at the latter's neck, he was displaying his willingness to follow Pier's every word that came out of his throat.

"You have a very funny way of showing your resolve, Fenrir," Pier called out to Ciaran.

He also liked calling Ciaran by his second name when they were alone.

"Resolve or not this is the place where I'd rather be the most" He murmured as he trailed his kisses on Pier's neck.

"You do so many things that leave me breathless, Pier," He spoke as his nose inhaled the sweet scent Pier has.

"Mhm," The young master retorted as he stared at a distance and bit at the apple Ciaran gave him.

He was pretty used to it now too. After all the clinginess Ciaran had shown him, Pier had come to develop an immunity against the awkwardness he feels.

'I just shared one kiss with this idiot and he fawns even more over me' He rolled his eyes as he thought about how Ciaran became like a puppy burying his face on his owner's neck.

"Get your face off of my neck, Fenrir. I want to sleep" Pier asked as he bit one last time into the apple until all that was left was the core.

Ciaran pressed his lips against the now swollen skin of Pier's neck and retracted his face right after.

He looked at the young master who was starting to close his eyes due to tiredness.

"Wake me up when the night comes and let's start the next move," He instructed and Ciaran eagerly nodded his head.

Pier fully closed his eyes as he leaned on the tree.

But Ciaran wasn't satisfied with it. He waited until the young master had fully drifted into sleep before he moved Pier's body from leaning on the tree.

He was instead the one who leaned on the tree and he placed Pier's head on his lap to give the young master comfort in his slumber.

He stroked Pier's hair inside the cloak. The young master let out a small groan as he was pleased with the large hands that stroked his white hair.

"Have a peaceful rest," the vampire whispered as he continued to lull Pier in his sleep.

---

The two watched from afar as their chief affectionately pamper the stranger.

"Do you still intend to compete with the guest?" Clone asked as they were perched on top of the tree.

Hex gritted his teeth as he bowed his head and he clenched his fist.

Could he even compete with the stranger that Ciaran was so protective of?

Could he display an immense magical ability like the stranger named Pier did?

No, he could not.

Can he kill an enormous monster that can ruin their village in just a short moment within seconds?

No, he could not.

He was very inferior compared to the stranger who kept his cloak up to his head.

"I suggest you just let go of that thing you have for the chief, Hex," Clone spoke as she got down from the tree and Hex felt his anger was about to burst as it reached the peak.

"You almost died the last time you made a scene in front of the guest. If I haven't intervened, you would be a vampire who lived just for a very short time. Imagine how embarrassing that would've been?" She snickered as she walked away from her brother.

Hex wanted to do so many things to the stranger. He wanted to end the stranger in his own hands but he was hesitant, especially with how their chief was sticking to the stranger every chance he could get.

That made him even angrier.

What did the stranger have that he does not?

He was one of the vampires present in the village with the best look.

Surely the stranger could not compare to him.

Vampires are creatures of the dark who still exuded elegance and beauty. They are creatures who are fond of representing their deadly yet alluring charm.

Hex stood at the top.

He tried to convince himself that at the very least he had something he can beat the stranger with.

"Hah! He probably covers his face all the time because of how ugly he is!" He bared his fangs at the thought of the ugly stranger that could not fit well with their beauty standards.

"I just need to reveal that face under the hood and I will surely gain the sympathy of the other vampires and kick him out of the village entirely!" He smirked as he thought about the brilliant plan he had.

Vampires detest unpleasant things.

He thought that his fellow vampires would not stand the stranger when they see his face.

"Just wait... just wait until I reveal to the entire village how bad you looked!" He breathed hard as he was excited from the plans he was storing.

---

"Chief, we have scouted the third mountain and we also found many things" The vampire group assigned to scout spoke and Ciaran nodded his head.

"Continue," He urged.

Sitting beside the Chief of Nightfall was the cloaked stranger who was chewing on another apple.

They all hesitated as they looked at the stranger who was covered with the cloak from top to bottom.

They were not hesitating because they do find the stranger unpleasant but they were having doubts of even being near him because of what he did when they took over the second mountain.

His magic which froze the monster in an instant and the large icicles that pierced the monsters while being completely frozen were etched into their minds.

If Ciaran, who had the blood of a royalty and a chief lycanthrope, got scared as he watched Pier's battle prowess, how about them?

They were terrified of the stranger. To the point that they do not want to act out and be noticed by the mysterious man.

But their chief's words were much more important than their own feelings so they proceeded with the report.

"We have found out that the monsters were grouped on the third mountain. It seemed like the more powerful monsters had intelligence and formed their own groups," They spoke and both of Pier's eyebrows raised in surprise.

'Wow, really?' He wanted to ask but he wanted to continue eating the apple so he allowed Ciaran to talk.

"Do you have any conclusion as to why the monsters were forming groups?" He asked them.

'Ooh, I have a thought' He spoke in his mind but did not bother raising his hand or voicing out.

Crunch~

He bit on the apple again and the vampires all looked at him as they heard the sound of the apple being eaten.

"I... I think that they are having territorial disputes, Chief" One vampire spoke.

He had brown hair just like Ciaran and Pier watched as the short hair swayed as the vampire spoke.

'It's so fluffy, I wanna touch it,'

He was having another childish thought.

He was thinking that the hair would be soft like cotton so he wanted to touch and feel it with his hands.

"I see. Pier, what do you think?" Ciaran asked as he turned his head to look at the young master.

Pier was facing the leader of the scouts who had similar hair to him.

"You," He called to the vampire and the latter flinched when he heard the hooded stranger call him.

He looked terrified and his hands slightly trembled when the hooded stranger pointed his hands at him.

"Come closer," the stranger instructed.

He gulped many times as he once more hesitated with his actions.

On the other hand, Ciaran was eyeing Pier with curiosity.

'What is he doing?' He asked himself as he watched the leader of the scouting team slowly get closer to Pier.

"Could you kneel?" Pier asked when the vampire was right in front of him.

The vampire's eyes widened as he heard the request.

'Why... why does he want me to kneel?' He shook in fear. Is his head going to get chopped off because of his incompetence in assessing the situation of why the monsters were grouped?

However, he did not retaliate and simply kneeled in front of Pier.

He accepted his fate as he closed his eyes and bowed his head under the stranger's gaze.

But instead of the sudden pain of his head being separated from his body, it was another feeling that he did not expect.

Pat

Pat

Pat

The powerful hooded stranger was patting his head many times.

His eyes widened as he felt the soft taps on his hair.

Under the cloak, Pier had a cat-like expression on his face that resembled those of a cat's expression when they were pleased.

It was just as he expected, the hair of the vampire was very smooth and he liked the feeling.

He wished that the vampire's hair would grow long so much that he would be able to form a bed from it and sleep at the cotton-like hair.

"Pier... what are you doing?" Ciaran asked as he watched the young master pat the leader of the scouting team's hair many times.

"Oh... it looks soft so I wanted to pat it," The young master spoke in a child-like voice and both Ciaran and the leader of the scouting team's eyes widened at the tone.

They were surprised when Pier's voice turned childish when they were used to the cold tone he was always used when he talked to them.

Ciaran's eyes darkened as he watched the pale hands pat the other vampire's hair.

"Get out," He spoke one time, and the vampires who were quietly watching the three flinched.

They saw their chief's cold gaze and they immediately scrammed outside the temporary house they built for the stranger and their chief.

"That goes for you too" he instructed the vampire that was kneeling in front of Pier.

"P-Pardon... but I have to follow my chief's commands," The vampire spoke to Pier and the two heard an audible "aww" coming from the young master.

Pier nodded his head and allowed the vampire to leave.

He bit into the apple on his other hand again as he looked at Ciaran who had a frown on his face.

munch~ munch~ munch~

Only his chewing could be heard between the two.

"What's wong?" He could not even pronounce the letter "r" when his mouth was full with the apple.

But instead of replying to Pier's question, Ciaran inched closer to the young master.

They were sitting on a long chair so the only thing Ciaran needed to do was move his huge body towards Pier.

When he was close enough, Ciaran grabbed the hand that Pier used in patting the vampire's head.

He placed it on his own head and rubbed Pier's hands on his hair.

"My hair is softer," He spoke as he bowed his head in shame but his jealousy from the vampire being pat by Pier's hands consumed him.

"You don't need to pat their heads. You can always pat mine whenever you want to," He stated as he continued to rub Pier's hands on his hair.

Pier stopped chewing on the apple as he silently watched Ciaran move his hand on the vampire's own brown hair.

"Pft" He chuckled as he moved his hands just like Ciaran was doing to it.

"There there now little vampy, your hair is the softest!" He said and Ciaran grinned in satisfaction.

"It is?" He asked

"Yup!"

"That's good," He spoke as he laid his head down on Pier's chest.

"You're heavy," the young master complained.

"Just pat my hair, please," he requested.

Their supposed meeting for their plans on the third mountain was turned into a short session of Pier patting Ciaran's hair.