With Vanessa Crimson quiet, Arthur did not content with silence and, instead, shifted his attention to the Duke.

“Mister Sidus, I do admit that not everything I did in Blackcrest was ‘legal’. However, out of all the criminals snooping around in your yard, you chose me solely based on the fact that I’m a Parasite. You disregarded the Southern assassin after your neck and busied yourself with an Undead.”

“Are you telling me how to perform my duties?”

“Not at all. I’m stating facts. I expected the lord of a city to care more about its city than shady deals with a neighboring nation.”

Arthur’s words made it clear that he was somewhat aware of the deal between Terden and Marjory.

Unlike earlier, the Duke did not flare up in rage, nor did he showcase any violence. He broke into a smirk and retorted,

“I wonder what Sancha would do if she learnt that you’re here. I heard she’s looking for the missing family heirloom, which I assume is in your possession.”

“It’s not.”

“As if Sancha would believe that. She’s one nasty woman… and she’ll come for you.”

As the conversation was clearly going nowhere, Vanessa finally joined back and calmly said,

“I believe we should start with Mister Sidus’ terms.”

“I already said: I want him out of Blackcrest and to never come back. Also, I want the Blood Crystals back.”

Arthur frowned and solemnly shook his head, “Leaving the city, I can do. The Blood Crystals, on the other hand, are mine. To begin with, they never belonged to you, Mister Sidus.”

“They are illegal and non-certified materials found in my city. Of course I have the authority to reclaim them.”

Again, Vanessa stepped in as the mediator, attempting to make Arthur compromise.

“Mister Leonis, if you return the crystals, we will compensate you.”

“Only if you’re offering an intact body of a Dragon. Otherwise, the Blood Crystals stay with me.”

“Must you really behave like this?” Vanessa narrowed her eyes and looked at the Parasite then at Evelyn.

“I’m here to help both of you put an end to this conflict, not start another. In case you don’t know, Mister Leonis, the leverage we have is superior to yours.”

“Oh! Don’t be mistaken.” Corrected Arthur as he chuckled, “I basically have no leverage. I mean, I was brought here against my will. If you want, you can try taking the Blood Crystals from me by force, but don’t expect me to happily hand them over.”

Seeing Arthur’s vehement refusal and his uncooperative nature, Vanessa clicked her tongue and turned to the Duke.

“Mister Terden, how about you forget about the crystals? I will give you something of equal value.”-Vanessa

After pondering for a bit, the Duke let out a grunt of annoyance. He crossed his arms and nodded once.

“That settles it, then. As for you, Mister Leonis, I don’t think you’re in any position to propose any terms, yes?”

“I want the matter regarding my identity to remain a secret. Put simply, ‘Leonis’ has never sojourned in Blackcrest.”

While Vanessa stayed quiet, Terden, growling like an angry lion, did not display any objection.

“It would not be beneficial for someone in your position, Mister Sidus, to divulge the truth. Whether it’s the Consortium or the populace, both will be displeased that you let a Parasite and an Undead into your city, thus endangering the civilians.”

“You don’t have to tell me that. The last thing I want is negative public attention. Were it not for Vanessa, you would have been dead already, so consider yourself lucky, parasite.”

“Believe me, I’m eternally grateful. You can see it on my face!”

Arthur beamed at Vanessa, making her crease her brows and coldly harrumph.

‘He’s really pushing it. We’re definitely going to die….’’ Evelyn was like a statue behind her master, feeling mildly pressured by the suffocating pressure emanating from Vanessa and Terden. However, she was the only one affected by it as Arthur seemed calm and unperturbed.

Perhaps they were doing this on purpose to instill fear into the parasite, but it was a futile attempt.

“Ah! Before I forget… I want ensured safety when leaving the city. Hmm, it’s not like I don’t trust you, Mister Sidus, but I can’t simply trust your words.”

“I’m not a snake like you. The Sidus Family always keeps its word.”

“There will be a written contract overseen by Fleur Rouge. If any of the stated clauses are broken, I will personally see that the appropriate punishment is delivered.”

“That makes it easier, thank you.”

The amount of appreciation and positiveness Arthur was displaying turned the atmosphere tense instead of relaxed. Every word he uttered seemed disingenuous and lacking any sincerity, which did nothing to make him the least bit trustworthy.

“If that’s all, I’ll be leaving. Send the contract to me once it has been filled and signed.”

Terden Sidus stood up and with loud steps, left the room without sparing neither the parasite nor the maid another glance.

With the moody Duke gone, Arthur let out a sigh and unceremoniously grabbed the still-hot teapot, pouring himself some of the fragrant tea.

“Now that the minor annoyance is gone, do you mind telling me what you want, Miss Vanessa?”

“Straight to it, huh.”

“Why? Do you also have a problem with my presence and want a contract between us? Or do you want to chitchat? Very well.”

He sipped on the delicious tea and nonchalantly stretched his sore arms.

“A private conversation with the esteemed Head of Fleur Rouge is exceedingly rare. As a thanks for your unwarranted assistance, I see no reason not to indulge your whims.”

“I do not invite a parasite into my home just because of whims, but nevermind that. I want to know more about you. Your origins, for example.”

“I’m from the Sanguine Valleys.”

“Have you met any other parasites?”

“Can’t say that I have.”

“...”

“You don’t believe me, do you? There’s absolutely no reason for me to lie, though.”

“The only thing parasites can do is lie. It’s like an instinct that helps them integrate themselves into the lifestyle of their hosts. Additionally, parasites often meet and, in some cases, travel together. Their unique abilities and natures are more suited towards cooperation rather than opposition.”

“You know more about my Race than I do, Miss Vanessa. Still, I can also judge humans based only on the ones I have met. I’d say they are cruel and greedy, irrational and seldom helpful. And you, by extension, are the same. Does that sound like a fair assessment?”

“Humans and Parasites are not the same.”

Arthur chuckled as he emptied his cup of tea and poured another, finding this conversation more entertaining than the last.

“How about you shed your preconception and look beyond our intrinsic nature? Each human is different from the other, and it’s the same for parasites. We have feelings and dreams, and the extreme cases you read about were probably born out of desperation and the need to survive. Parasites are few in number, so grouping up is the better option.”

“You fail to understand my meaning, Mister Leonis. The very fact that you went after Bloated Murderer proves that, as a paraiste, your main goal is to gain power.”

“Excuse me, but I’m hearing blatant hypocrisy. It is not just parasites that want power. Everyone wants to become strong and achieve the epitome of power. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Humans, Demons, or even Parasites. Honestly, Miss Vanessa, what did you expect me to do? Ignore my abilities and be content with being weak and helpless? Do you want me to stick to one body and live in hiding, ever-worrying about the day I’m caught?”

“Acquisition of power differs. You kill people and possess their bodies, others train for years.”

“So what? Don’t play the morality card with me. I do what I do to survive and live freely. If I have to kill, then so be it. To protect myself, there is no method I will not use, no level I will not stoop to, no crime I will not do.”

“Yet here you are…” She replied with a triumphant smile. “In my abode, and at my mercy. You prioritise survival over everything yet you came here willingly, isn’t that ironic.”

“Correction; I came here unwillingly. Those penguins of yours are strong and I had no chance in escaping with Evelyn alive. The rational alternative was to be taken here and, rather than fight with swords or magic, fight with words and wit.”

“Very well, let us assume you are different. Pray, tell me in what way.”

“This is sounding more like an interrogation and less like a conversation between equals.”

“I never said we’re not equals. You are my esteemed guest, brought to the safest room in all of Blackcrest. I offered you Tea and did not attack you or force you to answer once.”

She leaned back and inhaled from her pipe, her azure eyes seemingly brighter than before. She too, seemed to be enjoying this, pleasantly surprised that he was more civilized and sophisticated than his fellow kin.

“Mind you, I’m not at liberty to leave. If what the Duke had said was true, then you did save me from an untimely death, therefore, we’ll gloss over my containment here.”

“I’m glad you think that. Let’s digress and return to the topic at hand.”

Arthur nodded and motioned for her to continue, which she did while plastering a sweet smile on her face.

“Putting aside your recent ‘activities’ in Blackcrest, I find what you did in Wilsden unconscionable and liable to be a threat.”

Before Arthur could respond, she waved her hand at him and added,

“Ah… do not tell me it was not you. That might work with Terden, but I have more connections and the regular reports are seldom faulty. I only abstained from contradicting your statement to avoid further complications, especially since I brought the Duke here to appease him, not to add to his worry.”

“Alright, lies aside, it was indeed my doing. However, before you jump to any conclusions, first look at the state of the nobility in Wilsden. It is sickening. What I did was a service, though it’s a shame some survived.”

“...”

“Come on, Miss Vanessa. As you so carefully said, your ‘connections’ are informative enough for you to know about the misdeeds of the nobles there. The massacre was a useful distraction that allowed me to depart without leaving any evidence… or so I thought. I did plan on eliminating the Baron as he would have been the most suspicious of Leonis, but, ultimately, that task fell to someone else.”

“Be that as it may, wanton killing isn’t the way. Plus, neither Sancha Sanguis nor Marjory Na Xivia will believe Leonis is dead.”

“Marjory?”

“Hm? You don’t know?”

Vanessa let out a soft laugh as she saw his confused face.

“My mistrust notwithstanding, let this be a display of my goodwill. Additionally, I will disregard any unverified rumors and tell only the confirmed info: For a few months now, Marjory has been sending her children, specifically Amare, in search of a rogue vampire by the name of Rodrick. The last time he was sighted was in Greenbell Forest.”

Arthur’s expression turned serious for a moment. He never thought much of his first host, Rodrick Donovan, and the revelation that he was a target of an Original Vampire was unexpected and astonishing.

“The nobility in Wilsden have turned into bloodthirsty half-vampires, which isn’t a coincidence as Rodrick was spotted near the town. I don’t think I have to tell you how Marjory will react or whom she will suspect. Your plan might fool the inattentive, but not the likes of the Masked Queen.”

“Any idea why they want Rodrick?”

“No clue for now, but they are hellbent on finding him no matter the cost. It is quite fortunate that you’re leaving Blackcrest. By lingering near Armen and Amare, the risk of them discovering your true identity is high. Thinking back on it, it was bold of you to confront them, even in another body.”

“Hah! Knowing the things I know now, what I did wasn’t bold but stupid. Anywho, thank you for telling me.”

“Hehehe, think nothing of it.”

The two sat in silence for a bit, Arthur pondering about the vampires while Vanessa was enjoying her pipe and sneaking glances at Evelyn.

“With that out of the way, It’s time I speak of the reason I invited you here.”

“...”

“It’s not so different from what you did with Terden, actually. I want a contract between you and me. Equally beneficial and devoid of any unfavorability.”

“It depends, Miss Vanessa. I want the details.”

Instead of responding, she abruptly stood up and walked to her desk, pulling a single piece of paper. As she handed it to him and he began thoroughly reading it, she explained,

“I’m looking for a parasite… a particularly distinguishable one. As a traveler and parasite both, I have no doubts that you’ll cross paths with him. I want you to ‘mark’ him. That’s it.”

“Is he your target? So go to such lengths to find him. How am I supposed to ‘mark’ him?”

“I will give you the necessary equipment, of course.”

Arthur stared at her intently, his lips shut and his smile gone. After an indeterminate amount of time, he shrugged his shoulders and said,

“I’ll have to check my reward first, but I see no problem with what you’re asking. I’m not obligated to fight him or provoke him, merely mark him.”

Vanessa was prepared to convince him to help, so when she saw his immediate agreement, she was half-perplexed and half-relieved.

She slowly raised her right hand and snapped her fingers, causing something to appear out of thin air and drop on the ground.

“Agent number 10 from Faceless Death. His body has been healed, thus making it possessable. His body will be a token of my gratitude and half the reward. The other half will be given once you mark the target.”

Arthur looked at the lifeless white-haired man, his body was unscathed and were it not for the pale face, one would think he was still alive.

“I know that money or ‘favors’ won’t be lucrative enough, hence, I procured this corpse. Your friend, Miss Evelyn, can attest that agent number 10 is strong and definitely worth possessing. Personally, I see it as a fitting reward.”

The parasite put down the paper and grinned at the crimson-haired woman.

“I’ll sign right now if you add one more thing.”

“Which is?”

“Ah! Even though I did not sleep, this is a refreshing morning!”

Arthur looked at the orange hue covering the sky, a bright smile on his face.

He and Evelyn stood at the side of a dirt road South of Blackcrest. A carriage driven by one of Vanessa’s penguins drove them all the way here.

They were, finally, out of Blackcrest and instead of suffering any mishaps, they were unscathed.

“Should we really be celebrating, Master? We got caught and, now, the Duke and Vanessa know about you.”

“It’s totally fine. I never expected to remain hidden forever.”

He turned to look at her, playfully trying to pull her cheeks but instinctively backed away.

“Moreover, you know more about me. Isn’t that what you want, my dear Evelyn?”

“I just know you’re a parasite. It doesn’t make any difference.”

“I suppose so. Nevertheless, I’m always glad to be in your company.”

The maid averted her eyes and busied herself with the rabbit, which seemed to like nestling in her arms.

“It has taken a liking to you. How surprising.”

“Why is it surprising? I can be caring too, Master.”

While strapping an exquisite golden pouch to his waist, Arthur felt Evelyn’s piercing gaze, which made him start walking with quickened steps.

“Master, don’t pretend like you didn’t hear me.”

“...”

“What were you insinuating, Master? As your maid, I will listen to your complaints and remarks. Please don’t shy away from honesty.”

“Hahaha just forget about it!”

“Master…”