Council's failure

An hour passed, then second and then third, but the doctor didn't come outside of the room. Everyone was upset.

Rune was extremely quiet to the point that he looked scary. Resel's eyes swelled due to intense crying. She was very sad meanwhile Vladis… He was not here.

Arthur was aware that he might need some time to cope up with it, but there was something that he needed to know. Arthur turned around and started walking towards an empty corridor. There he found, Vladis leaning on the hinge of the large window. He was sad. Arthur could see the sadness in his eyes. His heart was torn into bits and pieces today. Arthur slowed down his pace and tapped on Vladis shoulder.

"Vladis, if I were your enemy, then you would have been assassinated till now," Arthur teased him.

Vladis was so engrossed in his sorrow that he didn't feel anyone's presence. He was startled by Arthur's touch.

"Oh, you are here."

"Yes, I am. What exactly happened there?" Arthur asked him.

Vladis eyes dimmed.

"I am not sure. After receiving your message to come back instantly, we were attacked by the local thugs, well, at least we thought they were. I don't know, but there was something different about them. No matter how I slashed them or kicked them, they just wouldn't die. They were weak and malnourished to the point that one would take them as beggars on the street, but they were not. I fought with them, one and one. I know that they were weak, but even after getting kicked in their guts, they would struggle to stand up the next second. It was bizarre. You just can't categorize them as human," Vladis said.

Vladis was frustrated. He ran his hand on his hair to sooth out his frustration, but it didn't work. "I know I am talking crap, and this is not making sense, but this is the truth."

The light inside Arthur's eyes dimmed. He knew about the gravity of the situation, but he didn't want to say anything without any solid evidence. A long time passed, but both of them remained silent in their thoughts.

Tak Tak Tak… Sound of footsteps rang.

"What shady dish are you both cooking?" he asked.

Arthur chuckled. "Nothing. I was just wondering what the hell in the world happened to make my dear Commander and the son of Taylor lose their cool. To be honest, I am quite shocked that someone got hurt in the presence of both of you. I doubt your blades have become rusty in due years," Arthur taunted.

Rune's face turned glum while Vladis felt more defeated. Rune knew Arthur was teasing him purposely but still, the fact that he failed at protecting his sister could not be changed. It was a shame for him.

"So what happened?" Arthur asked softly.

"Vampires attacked us."

Arthur's pupil dilated when he heard it. "Vampires? Weren't they all slaughtered decades ago? As far as I know, the Council was the one who actively participated in the mass murder of that species since it was harmful to the human race. Several wizards died in the process too. Are you saying that the Council has failed to do its job?" Arthur narrowed his eyes as he cut the chase. When Vladis heard about vampires, he was shocked too. This news was simply lethal.

If the word got out, then the level of chaos that will spread everywhere is something that he can't imagine. He still remembers those books he read as a child about the great war between humanity and vampires.

It was a bloodbath then.

"Are you for sure?" Vladis confirmed. He just couldn't believe his ears.

"Unfortunately, yes, Sir Vladis. Resel, the girl with me told that they all are vampires and to kill them I need to stab their cores which lie inside their heart. I did as he said, and they were dead in no time. However, I am highly suspicious of how she got to know about them in the first place since all the news about the vampires had been swiped away. Humanity has fear rooted deep inside their hearts, so for the well being of mankind, every single piece of information was burned, and only a few books that recorded their testament and records of the war remained hidden inside the central library."

Something clicked inside Rune's mind as he explained the situation.

"Central library? Isn't that the same place where that girl hails from? You told me that there was a hidden room inside the central library that stored all the crucial information about Reinstle. How come she knows about something that she has no idea of?" Arthur hits the nail on the wall.

How come?

Was Resel lying?

Rune finds it hard to believe.

"I don't know, but I will investigate the girl myself, Lord," Rune replied.

"Okay, do as you please," Arthur replied as he turned his face to face the window.

Vladis, who was quiet the entire time, opened his mouth, "Since someone foiled our plan, we need to make changes in our strategy. The enemy is making it evident that he doesn't fear us. I don't know what their primary goal is. Even the ambush today. I am highly suspicious that there is a spy among us. How can the news about our plan leak so quickly? Something doesn't feel right. I will ask the head butler to check the background of the working staff once more. That old man might have pulled some string to bring some of his shady relatives inside the palace.