Chapter 392: The Reason

Muria was now infuriated by the planar merchant who, for some unknown reason, had turned Remilia into a vampire. It seemed like a ridiculous problem to deal with, especially since Remilia was the sole heir to the kingdom's throne.

Indeed, as a vampire, Remilia's bloodline rank was exceptionally high within the vampire hierarchy, which was evident from her current demeanor and the power she possessed.

Transforming into a low-level vampire would not grant such a significant increase in power. The fact that she had the strength to pierce Indira with a spear and withstand a punch from Indira without dying was noteworthy. After all, Indira herself was capable of surviving a battle with a legendary Earth Elemental Lord.

Yet, despite this, Muria was displeased. If it was power she wanted, he could have transformed her into a high-ranking dragonkin using his own blood, which would certainly not be inferior to her current form.

After listening to Remilia's description of the planar merchant, Muria committed to memory the appearance of this individual and decided that he would "thank" her properly if he ever had the chance.

As Muria was preoccupied with thoughts of the planar merchant, in a bustling city within the kingdom of Lockman, a black-haired lady sitting quietly and pondering life suddenly shivered, breaking her daydreaming.

"Have you two chosen yet? Hurry up, buy if you're going to buy, otherwise get lost." Sensing that something unpleasant was about to happen to her, the black-haired lady, dressed as an apothecary, shouted irritably at the only two young customers in her shop.

"We're leaving now." Offended by the shopkeeper's rudeness, the young man quickly apologized and pulled his companion to leave.

In this inconspicuous little shop hidden in a corner of the city, the shelves were filled with various alchemical potions, each one a rare treasure—if their labels were to be believed. Any one of these potions could change his dire circumstances and transform his life.

Unfortunately, even if they were genuine, he couldn't afford them. Selling himself as a slave wouldn't even cover the cost of the potion bottles; he knew these items were beyond his reach, and he was lucky just to have seen them.

As for stealing or robbery, he didn't even consider it. Anyone capable of offering these potions for sale was definitely a major figure not to be trifled with; offending them would mean a miserable end.

But just as the young man and his visibly displeased companion were about to leave the soon-to-vanish shop, the lady shopkeeper, realizing she had scared off a potential fate-favored customer, quickly called out, "Young man, wouldn't you take one potion before you leave empty-handed?"

"Ma'am, I can't afford any of these potions. I have no money," the boy said, looking down at his patched robe, his face filled with bitterness.

"Ma'am?" The black-haired lady's forehead veined with irritation. Was she that old-looking? Didn't he know to call her 'sister'?

Just over a month ago, that noble little princess was chasing after her calling her 'sister' every day. In a moment of impulsiveness, she had fed all her painstakingly collected crystallized true ancestral vampire blood to the princess. Although it was a byproduct devoid of its original essence, it was still a rare treasure capable of profound transformation.

"Patience, the kid doesn't understand," the black-haired lady reminded herself. "Later, I'll make a fortune off this boy, a thousand times over, and let him learn the cost of getting the address wrong."

With that thought, the lady, smiling gently, stood up, "Young man, encountering me is a twist of fate, a sign of destiny's favor. Therefore, I'll give you a chance to buy on credit. You can pick one potion now, but in the future, you will need to repay me tenfold, a hundredfold."

Hearing such a tempting offer, the boy didn't hesitate. He stepped back into the shop and rushed towards a potion he had previously eyed...

After the young man left the shop joyously, clutching a crystal bottle filled with what looked like burning purple flames, his companion reminded him.

Only then did he realize that the unassuming shop behind him had, at some unknown point, turned into a mere wall. Or perhaps, it had always been a wall, and the mysterious shop had appeared just long enough for him to find it.

This magical experience made the boy feel as if he were in a dream, yet the crystal bottle in his hand, emitting intense heat and the faint sounds of a beast's roar from within, reminded him that all of this was very real.

...

In the palace, upon the ruins of the hall, after learning why Remilia had transformed, Muria's expression gradually calmed. What was done was done, and there was no point in staying angry; solving the problem was the real solution now.

Just then, Indira, with tears in her eyes and a look of grievance, approached Muria, glaring at him accusingly, "She's perfectly fine, yet you still blame me."

Muria awkwardly glanced at Remilia's delicate, pale, and unblemished abdomen. Indira's punch had only shattered the area of the princess dress around her stomach and had not actually harmed her.

"Muria, I'm angry. If you don't give me something tasty, I won't forgive you," Indira said, sounding almost like she was pouting.

Hearing Indira's childlike demand, Muria rubbed his temples in frustration, then resignedly pulled out a piece of fire-attribute Chi Steel and handed it to her. Wasn't this blatantly demanding food as compensation?

"Crunch! Crunch!" Under Remilia's curious gaze, Indira happily took the piece of high-grade supernatural metal emitting a red-hot glow from Muria's hand and started munching on it like it was a biscuit.

"Now, Remilia, why did you suddenly attack Indira?" After successfully pacifying Indira, Muria frowned and turned his attention to Remilia, who now had blue hair and crimson eyes, to question her.

"Big brother Muria, when she looked at me, her eyes made me so scared, so I couldn't help but hit her," Remilia replied timidly.

Muria sighed, his expression resigned. It seemed the problem stemmed from Indira's predatory gaze, which made everyone look like food to her.

This was yet another reminder of the complexities of dealing with beings who had extraordinary powers and instincts. Muria knew he had to find a way to manage these instincts, especially in Indira, to prevent further misunderstandings and conflicts among those close to him.

Reflecting on the day's events, he realized that the challenges of leadership and guardianship were not just about maintaining power and order, but also about understanding and mitigating the fears and tensions between those he cared for. 

Muria decided that perhaps it was time to have a more in-depth discussion with both Remilia and Indira about their abilities and how they perceive others, aiming to foster better understanding and cooperation among them. This could help prevent such incidents in the future and ensure a more harmonious coexistence within his realm.

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