My Vampire Harem Will Dominate Everything - Chapter 381

Chapter 381: Caretaker Royce
On the other side of the Crossroads was the Vampire’s society’s mansion. Or at least, that was what it looked like to outside observers. Just like the Monarchy’s mansion, it was a veritable fortress hidden in plain sight.

Others might look and dismiss it as the dwelling of a rich family but it was crawling with guards and security had been increased with what had happened at the barricade.

Luckily, they’d been able to clean everything up and return it to what it was before the explosion.

But just because the damage had been cleaned up doesn’t mean everything was okay. The population of the fortress was on edge.

This hadn’t happened before.

The Vampire Society’s caretaker, a tall man with a gaunt face that made him look like he was healthy and on the verge of death at the same time, paced behind his desk.

Darkness swirled around him like liquid shadows, mirroring his mood.

The room was tastefully decorated with the walls covered with red tapestries, each one holding a portrait of the seven members of the council.

Fixed to the high ceiling was a chandelier, casting its lights down on the tapestries and making blood-red hues shimmer around the room.

Behind him was a massive window from which one could see the bridge that connected their side of the Crossroads to the Monarchy’s territory in the distance.

Standing before him was his direct subordinate, a young-looking woman dressed in the familiar military urban camouflage uniform of the Society’s Warmongers.

She stood still like a statue, her shoulders drawn taut, as if bracing for the full force of her superior’s wrath.

Her head was slightly bowed, but not from respect. No, it was from hiding the fear she was trying to suppress.

She knew what the caretaker was like. She was too young a vampire to have this job but as the caretaker had killed her predecessors in a fit of rage, the job had fallen to her.

She kept herself rigid as the caretaker’s voice lashed through the air like a whip, sharp and unforgiving.

“Explain to me,” he snarled, his cold eyes narrowing into icy slits, “how Ezra Matten slipped through our fingers. Explain how he destroyed our soldiers at the barricade and turned our own weapons against us.”

The woman flinched but held her ground. As she spoke, her voice was steady but she still couldn’t hide the note of nervousness in it.

“Caretaker Royce, the barricade team reported nothing unusual until it was too late. The explosions… they were not from a tattoo ability or anything conventional. It’s as all our payloads activated on their own, but–”

“No excuses!” Royce’s hand slammed onto the desk, and it cracked, the sound like a gunshot in the enclosed room. His claw-like fingers curled against the surface of the desk, tearing faint scratches into the wood.

“We cannot allow this to happen again. No matter how powerful Ezra Matten may be, there are limits to his abilities. Find out how he did it. Deconstruct every detail of that encounter and bring me answers. Am I clear?”

“Yes, Caretaker,” the subordinate replied, hiding her sigh of relief. It seems like she wouldn’t be dying just yet. Or at least, not today.

She saluted and turned to leave, trying to be quick but not looking like she was running away as she left the room.

Royce’s eyes followed her until the door finally clicked closed behind her.

He exhaled slowly, his expression shifting from raw fury to something colder.

The Matten Coven, especially Ezra Matten himself, was quite likely the biggest threat the Society had faced in years.

He had somehow caused the changes in the world and was responsible for the new wave of enhanced humans. Not only that but he had gotten another vampire pregnant.

Who knew what else he could do? He was an asset the Society couldn’t afford to lose and he had somehow slipped by on his watch.

Luckily, there was still a chance to save things.

A faint click drew his attention and he turned to see one of the room’s bookshelves slide aside, revealing a hidden passage.

Stepping out of the shadows was Duke, the commander in charge of security on the Monarchy’s side.

His uniform had nothing out of place and his posture was confident, but he couldn’t stop the sense of unease he felt from showing in his eyes as he entered the room and bowed his head.

“Duke.” Royce said coldly, the name slipping from his lips like a blade. “Report.”

“Caretaker.” Duke said with a low voice, as if he was carefully considering and picking each word before he spoke, “Ezra Matten and his coven have been granted temporary sanctuary in the Monarchy’s fortress.”

“Lady Sariel has placed them under heavy guard. She doesn’t like him, probably because if he’s right about being a prince, it means her hopes of finding the last relic of the progenitor are dead.”

“So she’s been testing and provoking him, but he always keeps his cool. His actions so far suggest he’s more focused on securing his position as prince than any immediate retaliation, either on Sariel or on the Society.”

“So far, I’ve been able to secure a position in charge of the Matten’s security.”

Royce’s lips curled into a sneer, staring at Duke in disdainful amusement. “And what of Sariel? Does she suspect anything about you?”

Duke hesitated for the briefest of moments before shaking his head. “No, Caretaker. She believes my loyalty lies with her and the Monarchy. I’ve taken every precaution to make sure my actions remain beyond suspicion.”

“Good.” Royce said before moving to the chair behind the desk and taking his seat. He finally calmed, steepling his fingers under his chin.

After a few seconds, he spoke.

“Duke?”

“Yes, Caretaker?”

“Here’s your next task. We cannot afford to let Ezra Matten settle into the Monarchy. We must bring him back to the Society, whether dead or alive.”

Duke swallowed unconsciously at Royce’s words.

“I want you to find a way to capture one of them. Any of them. But if you have a choice, bring me the pregnant one.”

“Olivia, sir?” Duke asked.

“Yes.” Royce confirmed, his voice dripping with malice as a cruel smile morphed into existence on his lips. “The child she carries is an anomaly. If we can control her, we can control Ezra.”

He looked up at Duke. “Do whatever it takes, but make sure it’s clean. I don’t care if it ends up breaking your cover and makes you an unusable asset. It’s worth it.”

“If you succeed, I’ll make sure you’re rewarded sufficiently.”

“Yes, Caretaker.” Duke nodded sharply, excitement slowly permeating through every inch of his body. This was his big break. If he succeeds, he’ll finally have the cushy life he’d been dreaming of.

“Do not fail me, Duke.” Royce growled and Duke was quickly reminded of the consequences of failure. “Ezra Matten may think he’s untouchable, but we will remind him why the Vampire Society has ruled for centuries.”

“Understood, Caretaker.”

“Good.” Royce nodded. “Now go.”

Without another word, Duke turned and disappeared back through the hidden passage, the bookshelf sliding into place behind him with a soft thud.

Vael remained seated, staring out the window at the bridge in the distance.

His fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk, each tap gouging a little bit of wood from the desk.

“Ezra Matten.” He growled under his breath. “Dead or alive.”