Chapter 17 - Blood Ball (I)

It wasn't the first time Alastor had visited London, or Lordran for that matter, but every time he saw the gothic city rising into the sky with its black towers piercing the sky, he still couldn't help but feel fascinated by the dark, gothic theme that predominated all around him.

No wonder Lordran was known as the City of Eternal Night. Light seemed to be repelled by this city, leaving the atmosphere dark and dimly lit. Alastor knew that it wasn't that light couldn't enter the city, but that the barrier protecting the entire city prevented light from entering.

It was a necessary barrier, because after a millennium of existence, this beautiful Gothic city was already polluted to the extreme, not the pollution of the Astral World, but the pollution leaked from the Witches, Knights and Mediums themselves.

Their mutation also caused mutation in the environment, albeit on a tiny scale compared to the Outer Gods, but after thousands of years, this land had completely rotted away, no life could grow in Lordran's soil.

To prevent the pollution from spreading elsewhere, the Golden Order ordered a barrier to be erected around the city a thousand years ago. A thousand years later, Lordran looked like a completely different world with its own ecosystem.

Even in the 21st century, Lordran seemed to stand still in time, its inhabitants seemed to dress as they did in the Victorian era, even the cars looked old, but with a beauty that fascinated lovers of vintage cars.

Curiously, ordinary people seemed to ignore the time-stagnant city, which Alastor was curious to know, although his father never answered why normal humans seemed to ignore all this bizarreness.

"The city still seems to be plunged into darkness, it looks like it's going to consume us at any moment. I prefer Nottingham a thousand times over this damp, dark city." Roxane commented, looking out of the window through a gap in the car's shutters.

The street seemed to narrow as they passed. The yellowish lights of the streetlamps flashed on and off countless times. The whole road seemed to circle around darkness like a huge mouth ready to swallow them up. The whole place looked like something out of a horror movie.

Roxane didn't like Lordran, she preferred Nottingham, at least there was sunshine in her home town.

Achille, who had his eyes closed, replied calmly, his voice completely inexpressive. "This city will really eat you up if you show any weakness. Don't underestimate people's greed, my child."

Although for some reason, Alastor and Roxane noticed a bit of coldness in the patriarch's tone, which left them confused.

It sounded like the man was heading for a war, not an anniversary ball.

"A truly lovely place." Alastor replied with an expressionless face similar to his father's. An expression he would only make around Achille, totally different from how he was around his twin sister.

Roxane didn't answer and rested her head on her hand, which was covered in a black lace glove in the shape of flower branches. Her snake-like red eyes narrowed with a cold stare.

"But we're the hunters, they're the prey." She replied with a smile playing on her lips. A butterfly landed gracefully on her shoulder.

Achille and Alastor glanced at Roxane and all three of them had cold looks on their faces in the darkness of the car.

If there was one thing the Agrece, at least those of the Main Branch, were, it was united. A cohesion almost impossible to achieve even in the most rigid and loyal of noble houses.

Gregory, who was driving the car, smiled just as coldly. Even at ninety, he liked to fight and kill, perhaps it had become a habit after seventy-seven years of assassination missions.

As the car drove on, a huge palace appeared on the dark horizon, majestic, noble and solemn. Two twin towers containing enormous clocks rose towards the sky, cutting through the night sky like two great swords.

Gregory slowed the car down, drove slowly through the silver gates, passed the path that snaked around a fountain and parked perfectly in front of the huge palace. In front of the palace, several cars, carriages and even horses could be seen around the circular entrance.

Turning to the side, where his granddaughter, Tereza, stood. Gregory spoke in a calm voice. "At all times you should be at your masters' side, don't let them be left holding an empty cup in their hands."

"Yes, Grandfather." Tereza, with her red hair and green eyes, replied with an extraordinarily serious tone. It was the first party she would be attending, she didn't want to embarrass House Agrece and especially not disappoint Alastor or Roxane.

Nodding his head, Gregory got out of the car and opened the back door.

The first to get out of the Achille, he was wearing a completely dark, elegant and discreetly luxurious suit. His tie was a white scarf, fastened by a brooch set with a ruby. A silver cane was in his hand.

Roxane was the second to get out, Gregory held out his hand to help, which Roxane accepted and got out of the car. She was wearing the dark red dress she had prepared earlier. If she was beautiful before, now she looked like a small version of a goddess. A silver ring with a ruby adorned one of her fingers. A delicate necklace with dozens of smaller rubies adorned her graceful, noble neck.

Alastor was the last to descend. He wore a red suit with silver lines that resembled thorns. His tie was a white scarf fastened with a brooch set with a ruby, similar to his father's. He also wore silk gloves and looked like a prince out of a fairy tale.

An evil prince, though, but still a prince.

Alastor held out his arm and Roxane slipped her arm through his and they walked together.

Looking at his children, Achille couldn't help but shake his head; they both looked like husband and wife even before they were married. He found it very cute, reminding him of how he behaved with his wife/sister.

Sometimes, even Achille himself found the family tree to be a chaotic amalgamation of confused relatives. But that was a small price to pay when compared to keeping the blood pure.

Taking one last look at the huge, gothic building, Achille walked ahead of his children with a cold, composed expression, entering the Regent's Palace.

Alastor and Roxane were behind him and Gregory and Tereza were behind the heirs of House Agrece. A cold and distant hierarchy, but they all seemed content to follow.

"Alastor, Roxane, when you enter the Palace, don't let your guard down for a moment." Before entering, Achille spoke, his voice extraordinarily serious.

This made both twins realize that this was not going to be a simple birthday ball. Both didn't ask why he had said what he had said and looked at each other, seeing the caution in each other's eyes.

The new Master of Ceremony of the Golden Order, hearing the footsteps of new guests approaching, looked at who he saw in front of him and automatically straightened his body, noticing the snake-like red eyes staring at him with a cold, emotionless gaze.

Swallowing dryly, the master of ceremonies felt that he was facing a murderous beast, ready to devour him at any moment. He finally understood when the Grand Butler said that the job of Master of Ceremonies was difficult if you didn't have the courage. None of the guests who could attend a party of this caliber were ordinary beings.

Taking a deep breath, the Master of Ceremonies opened the doors to the hall and announced loud and clear for everyone to hear. "Hear, hear! Let all those present turn their eyes and attention to the entrance of the illustrious!

His Grace, the Most Excellent Duke of Nottingham, Archduke of Nightmares, the noble Achille Agrece, approaches with honor and majesty!

Together with him, the valiant heirs of his lineage: Sir Alastor Agrece, and Lady Roxane Agrece, whose grace and wisdom illuminate this night!"

Silence prevailed in the room for an instant, all eyes turned to the three figures coming through the doors.

Alastor couldn't help wanting a hole to open up in the floor and swallow him whole, he hated these pompous and shameful presentations.

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