Taming My Vampire Servant

Feeling some of his energy back, Sigmund carried his Master like a princess and turned to the opposite direction. He used his Earth magic to crack the boulders that blocked the way of the secret tunnel. After entering the large hole, he used Advanced Earth magic to rebuild the wall once again.

On a normal walking pace, going to the end of the tunnel would last about an hour at least. Sigmund walked at a faster pace using Air magic to push his body forward.

But as soon as he saw the end of the tunnel, he was surprised when he saw a familiar man.

He stopped his tracks and faced him.

"Rich boy..."

"I knew it, it was you," Lucius said. The truth was, he saw him in his peripheral vision when he lunged forward towards Ivory. After observing that the earthquake had subsided, he went into their secret passageway when no one's looking and waited for them. "I figured you'd use this as an escape route."

"You're always one step ahead. How could I trick you?" he furrowed his brows. The young man was already gesturing to hand over Ivory to him, but he was ignoring it.

The Vampire still wanted to embrace his beloved woman.

Planning to extend the time, Sigmund told Lucius about why he returned, "I have something to tell you."

Light shone at the small opening in the cave and the dust particles could be seen by the naked eyes. They all sat down on the stony ground. As Sigmund explained what happened, Ivory leaned on his shoulder, while Lucius sat in front of them.

Sigmund explained about the ring holding the special black gemstone with Dark Mana, which he stole from the marketplace in Rubia Town. 

"They're really spreading Dark Mana… We need to think of something to solve this," Lucius muttered. He then thought for a long while. What should they do so the castle men would stop mining the special black gemstone in the cave?

Sigmund then had an idea, "How about cleansing the whole mountain?"

"What?! Are you crazy?" the blonde young man said in a loud voice, "Ivory can't possibly cleanse that much!"

"Then just bring the other people from the Sanctuary to help her," he suggested.

Lucius paused to think for a while. What Sigmund said was crazy, but it was a good idea. The problem was, they did not know just how many of those powerful gemstones were in the cave, and how many people were needed to effectively cleanse the mountain.

There was an awkward silence, and Sigmund made Ivory lean on the cave's wall before he stood up. "I have to go before she wakes up," he gave the jeweled ring to Lucius, "Keep it safe."

"Where do you plan to go?"

"Anywhere, as long as she wouldn't see me," he said, then started walking away.

When nighttime came, Ivory finally opened her eyes. She was inside her room at Precious Inn.

"Master!" Lycus called, looking worried. "I am glad you have woken up."

Ivory gave a weak smile to reassure her Werewolf Servant. She reached for his har and patted it. "I dreamt about Sigmund again, Lycus," she shared as she slowly sat down. She leaned her back on the headboard, "I thought it was real. It was so… vivid."

"I hope he returns soon," he told her with a kind smile. He knew how his Master loved her first Servant like her lover. It was a different kind of love that the Werewolf Servant knew he would never understand.

Lycus liked it whenever his Master smiled. She could only smile whenever she had happy dreams with Sigmund. She would wake up with a bright expression and tell him what they did in her dream.

It was the opposite of when she went out of her room. Outside, especially whenever Lucius was around, she couldn't bring herself to smile. She was still disappointed in her friend.

What if he stopped Sigmund from leaving, instead of pushing him to leave? He might still be there with her.

But would she think differently at present? 

His disappearance made her become honest with herself. It made her realize just how important he was in her life, and how she cherished him.

Disappointed in herself, Ivory clenched her fists as they rested on her lap. She knew that her beloved Servant always did whatever he wanted, and if he truly wished to see her, he would do it on his own accord.

But seeing that until now, he was still not showing himself up, so he might not want to see her. She took him for granted, and now it might be too late. 

A knock at the door disturbed her deep thoughts. It was Fiora, who stood by the door while waiting for her response.

"Good to see you awake, Miss Ivory! I've prepared grilled chicken. Where would you like to eat?" she smiled.

"Uhm… Where's Lucius?" she asked first.

"Mister Lucius said that he would be eating dinner with the town guards today…" Fiora replied based on what Lucius told her, but the truth was, he went to the jewelry shop to ask Vernon for a favor. 

Vernon locked the store entrance before they proceeded inside the workshop. They sat in front of each other behind the long wooden workshop table.

"I'd like you to examine it, but please do not touch it."

"Huh? But why?" the jeweler asked with his brows furrowed. He was confused; how would he examine it if he would not touch it?

Lucius heaved a deep breath and tried to explain as simply as possible, "You might lose your sanity if you touch it."

He was still confused. Noticing that there was nothing happening to the young man in front of him, he commented, "But you're alright, though?"

"I am a Chosen One, and you're not. It is very dangerous for you," Lucius answered with seriousness in his voice.

"Alright. I will just use the custom made glass lens," Vernon set up the lens, "Please hold it under the lens."

Vernon quietly looked through the lens and examined the characteristics of the ring. It was a bezel set ring with a black gemstone in the middle. 

When he was done, he gestured to Lucius a thumbs up.

"So, did you find out anything about it?" Lucius asked with his arms crossed.

Vernon nodded, and a serious expression displayed on his face. "I know where it came from. This design is only made by one jeweler in the kingdom." It was familiar to him because he had already ordered some of her rings to be sold in his jewelry shop.

"Who is it?" asked Lucius.

"A woman named Feronia. She and her family reside in Prisma City."

"I'll look into it. Thank you, Ver."

Lucius thought about asking for help from his good friend Preston Bronzelain, who's the younger brother of the General of the Land of Rosaria. 

The problem would be when they would be able to focus in order to find the female jeweler.

They still have two seasons left before graduation. After that, they would participate in the Servant Competition.

Lucius knew he wouldn't need the prizes of the competition, but he still planned on winning because he wanted to give all the prizes to his sister. For sure she'd love the unlimited supply of pork for two years!

'No… I have to do something at least,' he thought, placing the ring in his pocket. He needed to plan every step they had to make starting from now, because as they say: time is gold.

Vernon told Lucius that he would just check the inventory, then he'd go home.

"I'll wait for you," Lucius uttered. He furrowed his eyebrows and stared at the floor.

Vernon noticed how his friend acted these past few days. He knows that for now, he's not on good terms with Ivory. Somehow, the two of them acted the same; they stayed in his store for a long while, but they never opened up to him.

Wanting to help Lucius to lessen his stress, he thought of inviting him for dinner. Besides, he was always the one who visited them at Precious Inn. "Lu, want to have dinner in my house?"

The blonde young man smiled and thanked Vernon. He then waited for him to finish his tasks while looking at the displayed cabinet of jewelry and even reading some  scrolls about jewel making. Vernon talked about other things related to jewelry and the town to ease Lucius' boredom.

Back to Precious Inn, Ivory took so long to eat. Because of the long sleep, she had not eaten properly, making her too hungry. Apart from grilled chicken, Fiona also served her mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables, but she ate more of the white meat.

As his Master ate in the kitchen area, Lycus used this time to go back to Ivory's room. He noticed beforehand a familiar scent, and he came there to check if his suspicion was true.