Valred was baffled and wanted Headmaster Asta to provide more details, but the headmaster simply told him to go home and find out or ask his mother, Lady Winsa. No matter how much Valred pressed, Asta remained tight-lipped, leaving Valred frustrated and distracted for the rest of his classes.
By 5 p.m., the academy's lessons had ended. Valred declined invitations from classmates and teachers to stay and review the day's material, as he usually did. Instead, he boarded his carriage and headed straight for Drachenhof Castle.
He wanted to get home early to figure out what was going on. The situation didn't sit right with him. If new students were transferring due to their families' circumstances, that would make sense. But even if the Castaigne County was struggling financially, it could surely afford housing for three vampire nobles. There was no need for them to stay at Drachenhof Castle.
Moreover, from Asta's tone, it seemed their stay at the castle was directly related to Valred himself.
"What on earth is happening?" Valred rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He had been pondering this since Asta's cryptic message but still had no answers.
Just as he decided to put the matter aside for now, he felt a slight jolt, causing him to lurch forward and nearly fall. Looking up, he realized the spectral carriage had been halted by a surge of magical energy.
"What's going on?" Valred wondered. This was the Castaigne County, and he was the Count. Who would dare cause trouble here?
The mindless spectral coachman couldn't answer, and Valred had no attendants with him. He had no choice but to step out and investigate.
Valred's mood darkened, and he almost welcomed the idea of someone causing trouble, giving him a chance to stretch his limbs. He gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist and, with a quick motion, drew a concealed adamantine dagger from his boot, slipping it into his sleeve. Then he jumped out of the carriage to see what was happening.
The carriage had stopped at the head of a grand stone bridge, four meters wide, spanning a river. Blocking the way was a figure.
She appeared to be around Valred's age, with a similarly slender build, but her attire was strikingly different.
Instead of the enchanted evening wear favored by most vampires, she was clad in full plate armor dyed a deep crimson, adorned with blood-dripping bats. The chest plate featured a roaring, dying red dragon, and the shoulder guards bore golden beast motifs. Her open-faced helmet was crowned with bat-shaped ornaments.
Her sword was larger than the typical ceremonial blade, clearly functional, and she carried a blood-red metal lance and a composite kite shield. She sat astride a nightmare steed, fully armored, her eyes narrowed as she stared at Valred like he was already dead.
Her appearance was unforgettable, as if screaming, "I'm a battle-crazed Abhorashin—stay away!"
Valred had heard of these Abhorashin vampire knights who honed their skills by challenging travelers at bridges and crossroads. They'd let ordinary folk pass but demand duels from warriors, often to the death. He never expected to encounter one himself.
But this vampire knight's age… Wasn't she a bit young? She looked about his age. Was it really appropriate for someone so young to be out picking fights?
Regardless, Valred had no interest in getting involved. He shrugged and said, "I'm a mage. I'm no use to your martial training. Besides, it's getting late, and I need to get home."
With that, he turned to leave.
But as he did, the young vampire knight spoke up: "Count of Castaigne, do you seek to evade my challenge?"
"She knows who I am? Is she here specifically to cause trouble?" Valred thought, followed by a flicker of pride. "It seems my reputation has spread beyond our borders." Feeling slightly smug, he paused to hear her out.
Her speech was a mix of archaic and modern language, making it a bit hard to follow, but Valred's classical studies allowed him to understand.
"I was born into the Abhorashin family, a direct descendant. I began training in martial arts at four and have dedicated nearly a decade to it. My dream is to become a true Blood Dragon Knight, charging into battle, slaying enemies, and bringing glory to my family. But now, my family commands me to abandon the path of the knight and serve another. I cannot accept this, so I have come here."
Her eyes blazed with killing intent. "Fight me, Count of Castaigne! I will defeat you and prove my worth to the world, to my family. Or, show me that you have the capacity to command me, to wield me. Only then will I bow to you."
"…Lunatic," Valred muttered, then shrugged and walked past her. The spectral carriage began to move, crossing the bridge.
Seeing herself ignored, the vampire knight grew flustered. She tugged the reins, turning her mount, and pointed her lance at Valred, repeating her challenge: "I-I said, accept my challenge! Prove to me that you have the capacity to command me!" This time, her voice faltered, lacking the earlier bravado.
But Valred continued to ignore her, walking on. With a snap of his fingers, the carriage sped to the middle of the bridge and stopped beside him. He turned, winked at her mockingly, then climbed into the carriage. Leaning out the window, he stuck out his tongue.
"You—you have no sense of chivalry!" she shouted, her voice rising in pitch as she watched the carriage drive away. Her family had taught her how to issue challenges but not what to do if someone refused and walked away. She was left bewildered.
Then, Valred's voice came from behind her. "Tell me, are all Abhorashin vampires this dense? Why didn't you chase after me?!" The vampire knight felt someone leap onto her mount, startling her. She instinctively dropped her lance, drew her sword, and turned to strike.
"Idiot!" Valred hissed, grabbing her wrist with an iron grip. She froze, shocked by his strength, as he whispered, "If you want to live, stay still. Haven't you noticed? We're surrounded!"
As Valred spoke, a harsh, grating laugh echoed from the bushes. From both sides of the bridge and even the river below, grotesque, flesh-rending ghouls emerged, clawing their way forward. Among them were towering, muscle-bound monstrosities with spiked backs, guarding a hulking, gray-skinned humanoid figure. The laughter had come from him.
"A direct descendant of the Abhorashin and the future Count of Castaigne… Heh heh ha ha ha, what a bountiful catch," the creature rasped in broken Old World Southern Common.
"A Strigoi Ghoul King?!" the vampire knight exclaimed.
"Took you long enough," Valred muttered. "He was planning to let us fight and then pick us off. I noticed and played along, trying to leave. But you just stood there, ruining my act."
The knight blushed and mumbled, "How was I supposed to know you Castaignes were so sneaky?"
In that moment, Valred slapped the horse's back, leaped into the air, and thrust his sword into a charging ghoul, piercing it from mouth to abdomen. But with a sharp crack, the decorative blade snapped at the hilt under the ghoul's weight.