Looking at the backs of the two departing figures, Vlad remained silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke:
"Tell me—why is Sibyl involved in this?"
As soon as his voice fell, the entire hall darkened. A gloomy and oppressive atmosphere filled the air.
At some unknown point, a tall, voluptuous woman in a black dress had appeared silently within the council chamber.
It was the black witch—Muriel.
"This wasn't our doing, Your Highness," Muriel said calmly.
She slowly raised her head. When she saw that the icy glint in Vlad's eyes had faded, she cautiously let out a breath of relief.
Although Vlad's expression hadn't changed, just a moment ago, Muriel had felt as though she were stripped bare—naked in the middle of a frozen wasteland, her body assaulted by a bone-deep, ghostly chill.
But as soon as he finished speaking, the unnatural cold vanished in an instant.
Muriel, drenched in sweat from the fear, finally felt her heart settle.
"Alright, lift your head. I know this wasn't your doing. But do you know exactly what happened?"
Muriel straightened up, looked at Vlad, and nodded.
"Your Highness, our original plan was to start with the Earl of Grantham's eldest daughter and her husband. We intended to make them disappear for a few days—just long enough to plant suspicion in the Earl's mind against the Holy See.
When the time was right, we'd 'rescue' them and pin the blame on the Holy See. That way, a rift would grow between Grantham and the Church, and he'd have no grounds to oppose the founding of the Wizard Academy."
"But," she added, "this incident happened before we could make our move."
"So you decided to use the situation to your advantage—stirring up a scandal, making sure the whole city found out, leaving Grantham unable to suppress the news, and provoking the Holy See in the process?"
Before she could finish, Vlad cut in, his tone dark and sharp.
Muriel's lips parted, then closed again. Her eyes flickered with hesitation. At last, with a touch of unease, she nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."
For a moment, the council chamber fell into heavy silence.
After a long pause, Vlad said calmly, "Forget it. I won't hold you responsible."
Then his tone shifted. "Where is the priest—Solomon—the one who escaped? Any trace of him?"
Muriel replied immediately, "He's in the monastery at the mountain's summit."
"The Grand Monastery of Kosia?" Vlad closed his eyes in thought for a moment, then suddenly called out, "Dumitru."
The sound of clanking armor echoed through the hall as a man stepped inside, bowed like a knight, and saluted. "Your Highness, what are your orders?"
"Solomon has two daughters, if I recall correctly. Go to the Kosia Monastery and bring them back."
He turned to Muriel. "You know what to do next. Gain control of him and send him into the Vatican."
As Muriel and Dumitru—the royal guard captain newly turned into a vampire by Vlad—left the hall, Dumitru sighed and rubbed his brow helplessly.
Day Three – Council Hall
Vlad sat quietly as the Chief Minister, Gramsom, stood before him, seething with rage.
Without a word, Vlad turned to his uncle, the Minister of Finance, Earl Rand:
"Earl Rand, it's time to move forward with the Wizard Academy. Let's establish it at the Kosia Monastery. The summit is an ideal place for magical study."
"Kosia Monastery!?" Rand exclaimed in surprise.
"Don't worry. They'll agree," Vlad said with a mysterious smile.
He then turned to the commander of the royal guards. "Dumitru, issue an order to search the entire city for the escaped priest. Since Deacon Lucian from St. Ann's Cathedral refuses to give us a satisfactory explanation, we'll take matters into our own hands."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Viscount John, we cannot allow our duchy's military preparations to slacken. Although the old Sultan promised not to conscript our children again, we can't always rely on their goodwill.
Sooner or later, they'll come back—and when they do, I want us to have the power to say no."
Viscount John trembled slightly at those words. When he looked at Vlad, his eyes were blazing with conviction. "I understand, Your Highness. I won't let you down."
Vlad nodded, pleased. The minister of military affairs was clearly declaring his allegiance.
According to what Vlad knew, Viscount John's eldest son had died in battle—conscripted during the last recruitment.
John had every reason to make sure it never happened again. His full support was guaranteed.
As Vlad walked through the vast, labyrinthine castle corridors, a shadow appeared beside him.
"The priest has been eliminated," he said without turning around.
"Yes, Your Highness. He won't return to this world."
"Good. As long as it's confirmed that Lucian escaped, Grantham won't be a problem in the future."
"Grantham is a capable man, and his family is influential. It's a shame to take him down."
Vlad stopped walking and turned to look at Muriel, his expression serious.
"Keep deepening the divide between them. But be cautious. I don't want another incident like this. Understood?"
Muriel's eyes gleamed with fervor and respect as she nodded.
"Your Highness, Solomon has agreed to work for us. However, since our blood race would be too easily exposed within the Church, we only bound him with a magical contract.
In return, we promised to protect his daughters—and to turn him into a vampire afterward."
Vlad nodded. "Send his daughters to the Wizard Academy. You'll take a position there as well. Also, establish a Wizard Development Promotion Committee. You'll serve as its chair. Recruit every witch you can find."
Muriel's face lit up with excitement, and the fire in her eyes could no longer be concealed.
Seeing this, Vlad smirked with a trace of mockery and dark charm. "What now? Still planning to devour me? If you get everything done properly… maybe I'll give you a chance."
He gently lifted Muriel's rounded chin and spoke ambiguously.
Then he turned and walked toward the castle's bedchamber, leaving Muriel standing stunned, her heart pounding wildly.
"Hmph~"
"This Muriel is getting more and more shameless," Vlad muttered.
But there was no anger in his voice—after all, he was the one gaining the upper hand.
Of course, maybe Muriel thought she was the one taking advantage.