The midday sun fell upon the cobbled streets as Ras, Vaelis, and the newly acquired slave, Violeta, made their way back to the castle. Silence reigned between them, broken only by the sound of footsteps and the distant chatter of the market.
Vaelis walked with a slight frown on his face. His eyes kept drifting toward Ras, who—as always—wore that gentle smile that unsettled everyone around him.
"Behind that smile…" the elf thought, "…there's something darker. Cunning. Calculating. He's not like the other humans."
Suddenly, Vaelis stopped in his tracks, forcing Ras to stop as well.
—"I haven't killed you yet," he said in a low but firm voice, "because the king ordered me to protect you… and I can't disobey him. But when we return to the castle, I'll report everything I saw about you. Most likely, they'll execute you. Don't try to run. We'll catch you."
Ras looked at him… still smiling. But his eyes were so eerily calm that they sent chills down anyone's spine.
—"You don't need to tell the king anything," he said as if talking about the weather. "I won't reveal your secret. Like I said, it benefits me to keep it to myself."
He stepped closer to the elf.
—"Besides, I already have a slave. Maybe one day she'll serve as a shield while I make my escape, don't you think?"
Vaelis clenched his fists, but Ras raised a friendly hand.
—"But let's not talk about that now. Let's finish the day in peace… the king doesn't have to find out about the things we both prefer to keep quiet."
The elf stared at him.
—"Do you hate the king too?"
Ras chuckled softly.
—"Hate him? No…" He looked up at the sky. "But he lied to me. And you know what I said the first night—I don't like being lied to. So I hope he redeems himself. But if he doesn't… I can't promise what will happen in the future. For now… I'll be his hero."
Vaelis remained silent.
"What kind of human can talk like that with such coldness? How can he fake so much? Smile so much… without feeling anything?"
He gave no answer. But something deep inside him whispered that Ras was no ordinary man.
A few minutes later, Ras's stomach growled so loudly it was clearly audible. He brought both hands to his abdomen and bent slightly, faking weakness, hiding the fangs beginning to protrude from his mouth.
—"Ugh… Sorry…" he said, breathing deeply. "I didn't eat this morning. I think I need something before we continue. I'm feeling a bit dizzy."
Vaelis eyed him warily, not fully trusting him, but nodded.
—"Fine… I'll go get you something quick. Don't move."
As the elf walked away, Ras straightened and looked at Violeta, who followed him silently, head down. Her gaze remained empty, fixed on the ground. She hadn't reacted once since leaving the market.
—"Hello…?" he said, waving a hand in front of her face.
Nothing. Not even a blink.
Ras sighed.
—"You're not even good enough to react."
He turned, took Violeta by the arm, and discreetly dragged her behind a nearby stone column, hidden from the passersby. There, without wasting time, his fangs fully extended, and he sank them into her neck—precise and silent.
Violeta let out a faint moan, barely audible, and her body shivered. Ras drank quickly, desperately… until he finally pulled away, panting. But his face twisted in disgust.
—"Ugh… what a disgusting taste," he coughed, wiping his lips. "Filthy blood. Suffering, resentment, humiliation… I'm swallowing hatred. It's not like feeding from someone strong or emotionally stable."
But despite the foul taste, he could feel the power flowing within him. A dark heat ignited in his chest.
—"Dark magic… and dimensional magic…" he whispered with satisfaction. "Now I just need to train to use them properly."
He put Violeta back in place, as if nothing had happened. Her expression remained vacant, but a small drop of blood on her neck revealed what had occurred.
Just then, Vaelis returned with a bag of warm bread and a piece of salted meat wrapped in cloth.
—"Eat, quickly," he said curtly.
—"Thanks…" Ras replied, faking a grateful smile as he chewed on the bread he no longer needed.
When they finally arrived at the castle, the great iron gates opened slowly… and there, standing with arms crossed, was Eron, the son of the Supreme Mage.
Vaelis frowned at him.
—"What are you doing here?"
Eron smiled, but his grin was as arrogant as it was venomous.
—"I was sent. Princess Ariane asked me to escort Ras to the forest. She says it would be good to observe his magical potential in a controlled environment."
Vaelis narrowed his eyes.
—"Princess Ariane? Since when is she interested in training?"
—"I don't know," Eron replied with a shrug. "But she told me not to worry—you can leave him to me."
Ras listened in silence, but an internal alarm began to ring.
"Ariane… Ariane of all people. The confident, and egocentric princesas. And now suddenly she wants me trained outside the castle?"
Ras smiled, but his mind worked like clockwork.
"This isn't kindness… this sounds like a trap. And Eron? I've never even heard of him. Maybe they really do want to kill me discreetly… I don't know… I may be wrong."
But he couldn't refuse. Not without raising suspicion.
—"Very well," he finally said. "I'll go with Mr. Eron. I'm sure I'll learn something useful." His smile turned more sinister.
Vaelis looked at him for a second, as if wanting to warn him… but said nothing.
After parting ways with Vaelis, Ras walked calmly along the outer path of the castle, accompanied by his new slave, Violeta, who followed behind him with a vacant expression, her gaze lost, her body barely holding itself upright.
Ahead of them, Eron walked with his arms crossed and a forced smile.
—"Hero Ras," he said with a warmly artificial tone as they walked. "A pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Eron, son of the Supreme Mage, one of the Three Greats of the kingdom."
Ras responded politely, as usual.
—"Pleasure to meet you, Eron. Thank you for receiving me." Then, he made a soft gesture toward his slave. "This is Violeta, my silent companion."
Eron raised an eyebrow, visibly disgusted upon seeing her, though he masked it with a smile.
—"Well… what an… interesting choice."
—"Everyone has their tastes," Ras replied with a neutral tone, still smiling.
—"Of course, of course," Eron said, faking friendliness. "Well, let's keep walking. I'll explain the details along the way."
They began down a forest path, away from the castle. The sound of wind moving the branches and birds singing was the only thing breaking the silence.
—"You see, Ras," Eron began, "Princess Ariane always worries about the kingdom. And although it might not seem like it, she cares about your well-being. That's why she asked for this small practical training session in the forest."
—"Training…?"
—"Yes. It's a very safe area, with only low-rank monsters. Just a few wild goblins. Anyone with level 1 magic can handle them."
—"I see…" Ras replied, though his mind remained suspicious.
—"There's a peaceful lake ahead. I want you to go there, explore a bit, look for any goblins, take them out if needed, and return. You have two hours. I'll wait here."
Ras nodded. Inside, he thought:
"Maybe I was wrong. Maybe Eron isn't as bad as I thought. Maybe… Ariane actually does care. Maybe I'm being too distrustful."
So, with that doubt growing in his mind, Ras headed toward the lake, followed closely by Violeta.
Meanwhile, Eron smiled darkly and thought, "Fools. They'll meet their end… at the hands of the centaur."
Meanwhile, inside the castle, Vaelis met with the king in a private room filled with maps, documents, and silent guards.
—"How did things go with Ras?" the king asked while pouring himself a glass of wine.
—"Everything went well," Vaelis replied in his usual flat tone. "He already bought his first slave. A level 3 demon—succubus race."
The king raised his eyebrows in surprise.
—"A succubus? Level 3?" He chuckled softly. "I never thought that boy, with his angelic smile, would want something like that. Did he buy her for sex?"
Vaelis hesitated for a second.
—"I don't know. I didn't ask. Maybe he just wanted to experience owning a slave… perhaps in his world, that wasn't possible."
The king took a sip of wine and muttered with ironic tone:
—"Perhaps… or maybe he's just beginning to show his true face."
Back in the forest, Ras walked at a relaxed pace. Violeta followed him in silence, like a broken shadow. Eventually, Ras stopped, spun on his heels, and looked at her.
—"Enough, Stop making that face already! I don't want to keep seeing you like you're dead inside."
He approached her and pinched her cheeks with one hand, trying to provoke some kind of reaction.
But before he could continue, the sound of snapping branches alerted him. Ras turned his head quickly. Something was moving in the bushes.
Without hesitation, he looked at Violeta seriously.
—"Listen, slave. I'm giving you your first order: protect me, no matter what."
He knew he didn't need protection—his immortality made him invincible… but he wanted to see if she could still fight.
A second later, a goblin jumped from the bushes, wielding a rusty dagger.
—"Now!" Ras commanded.
Violeta raised her arm, almost reflexively, without even looking at the goblin, and cast a dark fireball with indifference. The spell struck the goblin, reducing it to ashes instantly, leaving behind a faint crackling echo in the air.
Ras smiled in awe.
—"Wow… so this is the power I gained when I bit you. Dark magic, level 3… interesting."
He looked at Violeta again.
—"Now teach me… I have dark and dimensional magic too. I want to learn."
But she didn't respond. Her gaze dropped back into emptiness. It was as if she hadn't even noticed the fight.
"That can't be… she didn't cast that spell because I ordered her to. It was instinct, a reflex. She's so broken she can't even register what's happening… I need to find a way to bring her back to herself."
Then he had an idea: affection.
He slowly approached, placing one hand on her waist and the other on the back of her neck. Then, he gently pulled her close and kissed her forehead softly.
He rested his forehead against hers and spoke in a low voice:
—"It's okay… I'll take care of you. No matter what… I'll protect you. You're not alone."
And in that moment, something inside Violeta broke.
A childhood memory surfaced from the depths of her soul: her father, shortly before dying, saying those exact words to her with tears in his eyes.
Her gaze trembled, she blinked… and as if awakening from a long dream, she pushed Ras back, trembling.
—"W-What… what's happening?" she asked, frightened, looking around like she was seeing the world for the first time.
Ras tried to calm her, but she took two steps back, dropped to her knees, and bowed her head, shaking.
She had realized he was her master.
—"Master… forgive me. I apologize for my reaction."
Then she brought a hand to her neck and noticed the two small puncture marks. She remembered the moment Ras had bitten her. She recoiled in horror and screamed desperately:
—"P-Please… don't kill me! Don't torture me! I'll do anything! Please don't hurt me!" she cried, tears in her eyes.
Ras approached gently, caressed her cheek with the palm of his hand, and smiled warmly.
—"It's okay… I'm not going to hurt you. I just want you to trust me. But tonight, we're going to have a serious talk, understood?"
She lowered her head again, her gaze drifting off once more, but her thoughts were spinning: "Of course… he's going to rape me. Torture me. Break me…"
She returned to silence—but for the first time, she had reacted to her surroundings.
Two hours later, Ras and Violeta returned to the meeting point. Eron was there, leaning against a tree, looking bored. When he saw them, he stood upright.
—"Already back?" he asked with a crooked smile.
—"Yes," Ras replied. "There were only goblins. Nothing more. I have some proofs."
Eron raised an eyebrow, thoughtful. "Nothing? Ras didn't find the centaur?"
A dark smile crossed his face. "Well then… I'll have to take care of it myself."