Draconic Vampire: Curse of the Blood

Keith couldn't understand what was happening. It came out of nowhere. Did this mean so much to him that he chose to go under him?

'No, that's not it. His eyes show clear determination and a will to improve. He wants to gain more by following me. Maybe this is not a bad idea. I can use him to deal with things that I don't have time to do.' 

All sorts of plans were being formulated inside his head, but he didn't show this on the outside. With a conflicting expression, he stroked his chin.

"I get what you are saying but why would I need you? I am more powerful than you and I don't need dead weight." Keith said with an annoyed voice. 

"You don't need to worry about that. I won't hinder your actions. I just need to repay your kindness and hope you see me as a trustworthy man." Garion replied with a smile.

"Fine… Looks like I can't convince you otherwise." 

Looking at the scene, Sen was dumbstruck. He couldn't believe what had just transpired. Garion was a proud man who didn't like to follow others. This was what made him admirable in his eyes and why he chose to follow him.

"Brother Garion, how can you do this? How could you go under someone like him? We could just pay him." Sena with a cracked voice.

Hearing him say that, Garion shook his head and walked closer to him. He put his hands on Sen's shoulders and stared into his eyes.

"You know what? I was blinded by my pride and thought I don't need anyone to get stronger. That may be somewhat true, there are times in life, better things show a glimpse of the future. If you don't decide at the moment whether to follow it or not, you will regret it for the rest of your life.

"I know you are young and impulsive. I know why you act this way, but we don't have to be weak anymore. We can show those descendant families that we could reach a higher level than them. Don't you want to see their faces when we beat them?" Garion whispered into Sen's ear.

Sen's eyes opened wide as he stared at Keith who was immersed in his own thoughts.

"Can we surpass the main family?" 

Sen turned his head towards Garion and asked with determination. A hope glistened inside his skeptical mind.

"If you don't believe me, let him analyze your warrior frame as well. You will change your mind when he gives you the formula to implement the revised technique." Garion said while taking a glance at Keith.

"If this could really improve my strength to the point I can rival the main family's heir I am willing to follow him to the end of this continent," Sen replied with a determined voice.

"Hah! Look at you. One moment you were hating on him, now you are licking his boots." 

Hitting Sen's back Garion started mocking him.

"Didn't you do that as well? And who was the one who said, I WOULD NEVER FOLLOW ANYONE IN MY LI…" 

Mhppp! Mhpph!

Garion closed Sen's mouth immediately.

"What are you two on about?" Keith found their behavior odd.

"Nothing… we were discussing the technique and he wanted to follow you as well," Garion said with an awkward smile.

"Hmmm… not a problem. But he's your responsibility. If he does something to tarnish my name, I am kicking both of you out."

"It won't happen. He's a little resentful, but once he makes up his mind on something, he follows it like a blood oath." Garion said.

Keith walked to the duo and put his hands on Sen. He analyzed his warrior frame and it was very similar to Garion.

"Are you two related or something?" Keith asked.

"No, we are from two branch families that come under the Lennar family.  The Lennar family head is a duke and many territories come under his influence. My family is only count level, same for him as well." Garion looked at Sen.

"But you have a marquis grade blood-qi technique," Keith said slowly.

"How did you know?" Garion said with a hushed voice.

"I analyzed your warrior frame, did you forget? How could I fix the faults if I can't even determine this." Keith said while shaking his head.

"Yes... It's a marquis grade warrior frame, but for generations, nobody from my family could perfectly implement it. So our family fell from the marquis level to the count level. Normally our fief would've stayed the same."

Sen's eyes glowed with hatred hearing Garion's next words.

"The Lennar family pressured us to submit them and two generations ago, the head of our families agreed to integrate into the Lennar family." Garion clenched his fist with indignation.

"So, that's how you were able to get here. This academy is for the descendant families. So by going under them you get a pass to enter the academy as a branch family. So that's why there are way more students than I originally imagined." Keith said after the sudden enlightenment.

"The main families take in weaker families and send them to the academy to make stronger soldiers and potentially a genius which could enter the main family. This would increase the manpower significantly.

So all of the top main families use this loophole to send students to this academy," Garion said.

"That is very smart of them, but not so pleasant for the branch families under them. Basically, they use any means necessary to force them into the family. It goes to the point in which they block off all the supplies for blood condensing." 

At this point, both Garion and Sen's face was red with anger. Their pale faces looked like swollen tomatoes. Somebody would have mistaken them for a blush, but their eyes gave it away.

"That is indeed very extreme. I think if the council didn't ban killing vampires they would've resorted to even more extreme methods." Keith said thoughtfully.

"So where are these Lennar family heirs? Are they in the academy?" Keith asked the duo.

" He is in the count class, and joined the academy four years ago," Sen replied.

"Count, huh! I wonder how powerful his blood core is." Keith pondered.

"He advanced to the count stage this year, so I think he would be at the early stage. His blood core must've consolidated by now." 

The students joined the Crimson academy at the baron level, so getting to the count level in four years was rather impressive. Sure, it was nowhere close to Keith's speed, but for vampires like Garion and Sen who could only reach the final stage baron in three years, it was on a whole another level.

"Don't worry about him for now. He is beyond you at the moment. But if you follow me, I can make you way stronger, strong enough to rival him." 

Smiling with a sinister gaze, Keith looked at the duo.

"There must be a catch." Garion picked up the cue.

"Indeed. You are going to help me get his blood-qi technique. Oh, I forgot, which department he's from?" Keith asked as he remembered he didn't know anything about this count.

"He is a blood warrior as well. His blood-qi technique is bound to be duke level as he is the heir to the Lennar family. Are you saying you are going to steal the Lennar family's technique?" Garion whispered in the faintest audible voice.

They were quite a distance away from the rest of the vampires, so they couldn't hear them but he still chose to say it in a hushed voice. Lower level vampires couldn't hear clearly after fifty meters of range and they were at the other end of the chamber, hundreds of meters away.

"How else are you two going to beat him? I don't have a higher level blood-qi technique to give you. I can only improve the implementation of the technique, not the technique itself." 

"I'm in. Tell us what we need to do in order to get his blood-qi technique. He's not going to just hand over his blood-qi technique." Sen immediately agreed.

"Look at you! You are braver than I thought. At least braver than this musclehead." Keith looked funnily towards Garion.

"I… Don't you worry about retaliation from the Lennar family?" Garion gulped.

"Nothing will happen, because they couldn't tell if it's their technique. I will change the structure so it doesn't match with him. You just have to wait till you reach the duke stage. Then the leader couldn't even stop you.

"Can we really reach that stage?" Sen looked at Keith with yearning.

"If you follow me earnestly, I promise you you will reach that stage in no time," Keith said confidently.

Sen clenched his fist and looked more determined than ever.

It was his lifelong goal to surpass the Lennar family. So when fate presented him with an offer, he grabbed it after some reluctance. But as he heard Keith more, his confidence in him increased even further.

He steeled his heart and looked straight at Keith.

"Tell me. Tell me what I need to do to reach the count stage?"