Following Carmilla, Bacchus and Niki also knelt before Zeke.
When he saw them suddenly kneel in submission to him, Zeke was taken aback.
"What is this?"
At that moment, Zeke recalled that the Blood King Caligula possessed the power to subjugate three races.
"Vampires were part of the White-Face Clan. Could it be that by absorbing Caligulaʼs power, they had come to recognize me as their master?"
Zeke looked at Carmilla and said,
"Stand up. I have no intention of becoming the king of the vampires."
Carmilla bowed her head even deeper and replied,
"That cannot be. Your Majesty must lead us."
At her resolute words, Zeke turned to Bacchus behind her and asked,
"Bacchus, do you feel the same?"
Bacchus slowly lifted his head and spoke.
"As a half-blood vampire, the binding force affected me less strongly than it did my mother. But even so, a boiling desire to pledge my loyalty to Your Majesty surged within me."
"So itʼs the instinct of vampires, unrelated to your own will."
"All vampires likely felt this way."
Zeke then turned his gaze to Niki.
Unlike before, Niki bowed deeply in a tense posture.
"...This is hard to get used to."
Bacchus spoke on behalf of Niki, who couldnʼt even raise her head.
"Niki was a powerful vampire who had received the blood of the progenitor. The power of subjugation acted directly on her, it seemed."
The vampire factors embedded in Nikiʼs body reacted to the majesty of Zeke, who had inherited the title of Blood King.
Zeke looked at Niki and said,
"Niki, this is an order. Treat me as casually as before."
At Zekeʼs words, Niki finally raised her head and said,
"Your Majesty, that is an order too burdensome for me. Please withdraw it." Zeke shook his head as he watched Niki defy his command.
"This is a headache."
It was then, as Zeke pondered how to resolve this unexpected situation,
"Your Majesty!"
From behind, Icaros, who had been bound in chains, suddenly crawled forward toward Zeke.
Icarosʼs expression as he looked at him was one of great confusion.
"Ah, Your Majesty! No! Why am I doing this! Ah, Your Majesty! St-stop!"
Icaros was a high-rank Nightmare Demon summoned from the Demon Realm, not one native to the Phenomenal World.
Yet Caligulaʼs power influenced not only the Nightmare Demons of the Phenomenal World but also those of the Demon Realm, leaving Icaros no choice but to submit to Zeke.
Nevertheless, as a high-rank Nightmare Demon with strong mental fortitude, Icaros struggled to regain his senses against Zekeʼs majesty.
Zeke watched Icaros claw at his head and finally said with an exasperated expression,
"Either submit or donʼt. Pick one."
Though his tone was light, the natural majesty emanating from Zeke proved too much for Icaros, who had been desperately resisting.
He bowed his head and adopted a posture of submission to Zeke.
"This lowly servant Icaros comes to pay his respects to his master."
When he saw even the high-rank Nightmare Demon Icaros submit, Zeke could once again feel the might of Caligulaʼs power.
"If he was the master of Shambhala, he must have wielded even greater strength. Just how powerful was the Godslayer that could intimidate such a Blood King?"
Zeke pondered as he looked at the vampires and Nightmare Demon who had submitted to him, then spoke.
"For now, we need to check Carmillaʼs condition, so letʼs leave this place." Zeke led his unintended new vassals out of Caligulaʼs tomb.
*
Upon arriving at the vampiresʼ hideout near Himonas, Zeke pondered what to do with the vampires and Nightmare Demon who had pledged their loyalty to him.
"The vampires shouldnʼt be much of a problem since we had already agreed to an alliance."
With the irresistible power of subjugation, even the Vampire Queen Carmilla had sworn submission of her own accord, so there was no risk of betrayal, at least.
Moreover, vampires were innate assassins and necromancers, so there were many ways to make use of them.
"That aside, the problem is over there..."
Zeke glanced at Icaros, who had been released from his chains and was now kneeling in the corner.
Icaros, who originally had an androgynous beauty, had transformed into a fully feminine body after submitting to Zeke and now emitted pheromones that seduced the mind.
Zeke, with his indomitable will, would not fall to a Nightmare Demonʼs temptations, but the pheromones of a high-rank Nightmare Demon held power stronger than any aphrodisiac in the Phenomenal World.
"Iʼm worried it might have a bad influence on the other knights."
When Icaros noticed Zekeʼs gaze on him, his face flushed, and he released even stronger pheromones.
Zeke frowned at Icaros and said,
"Youʼre blatantly pumping out aphrodisiac scent. Maybe I should just seal you away
after all..."
Icaros shook his head vigorously at Zekeʼs words.
"Th-thatʼs just a trait of Nightmare Demons! Itʼs not my will, Your Majesty!"
Nightmare Demons were a race that survived by entering othersʼ dreams and absorbing their emotions.
Since seduction was an innate racial trait, the instinct to tempt those stronger than themselves was unavoidable.
"Maybe I should just seal him in the ring."
As Zeke seriously considered this, he clicked his tongue and said to Icaros,
"Iʼll think more about your disposition, so stay put obediently." At Zekeʼs cold words, Icaros paled and nodded.
Leaving Icaros behind, Zeke entered the room where Carmilla was.
Carmilla, who had been lying in her coffin, tried to rise and greet Zeke as he entered.
"No need. Stay lying down. Thatʼs an order."
At Zekeʼs words of command, Carmilla lay back in the coffin.
Having decided to accept their loyalty, Zeke endured the discomfort of addressing her casually and asked Bacchus, who had been tending to her beside the coffin,
"How is Carmillaʼs condition?"
"She has recovered a great deal, but her power as a progenitor has not fully returned, so her state remains unstable in many ways."
Zeke approached the coffin and examined Carmilla.
Her already pale vampire face had grown even whiter.
Zeke carefully placed his hand on her forehead.
"Ah..."
As his hand touched her forehead, Carmillaʼs lips trembled in surprise.
Ignoring her reaction, Zeke invoked the Authority of the Third Eye to assess her physical condition.
Tssst—
The red energy extending from his body flowed into Carmilla.
Through the power of the Third Eye, Zeke gained a clear understanding of Carmillaʼs state.
Having absorbed the power, authority, and knowledge of the Blood King Caligula, Zekeʼs comprehension of souls had deepened.
And as Caligula had ruled over the vampire race, his understanding of the species had greatly increased as well.
"The imbalance between body and mind caused ongoing issues."
Normally, she should have remained dormant in the hideout until her body matured.
But due to the circumstances, she had been forcibly awakened, and breaking Caligulaʼs seal in that state had caused a backlash, widening the rift even further.
Zeke used the Third Eye to put Carmilla back to sleep, then looked up at Bacchus and said,
"If left as is, the disparity between body and mind would cause the crack in Carmillaʼs soul to widen further."
Bacchus panicked at his words.
"A-a crack in the soul...? Is there no way to fix it? Please save my mother!" Bacchus immediately dropped to his knees and bowed his head.
Zeke said to him,
"Stand up. The Blood King Caligula was also called the White-Face King as the ruler of the White-Face Clan. With his knowledge and power, healing Carmilla should be possible."
Bacchusʼs head snapped up at Zekeʼs words.
"Th-thank you. I will do anything I can. Just say the word!"
"Then step out for a moment. I need to perform the ritual to treat Carmilla."
At the order to leave, Bacchus flinched but soon closed the door and exited.
"To heal her, Iʼll need certain things."
Zeke first summoned Richmond and Bane.
Soon, Richmond and Bane emerged from the shadows.
"You called for us, Master!"
"We have come at your summons, Master."
Zeke first looked at Richmond and said,
"Richmond, give me back Garinʼs Dagger that I gave you before." Richmond flinched at Zekeʼs words.
"W-wasnʼt that a gift from you?"
"I entrusted it to you. Bring it quickly."
Richmond grumbled inwardly about Zeke taking back what he had given but moved slowly.
"I can hear you cursing me."
"Eep!"
Richmond often forgot that he was a summon.
The startled Richmond quickly fetched the dagger, which Zeke received. He then took out the Ancient Bloodline Grimoire from his inventory.
"I kept it because I didnʼt know what it would be used for, but now itʼs coming in handy."
Holding the dagger and the bloodline grimoire in each hand, Zeke said to Richmond and Bane,
"Iʼm going to mend the crack in Carmillaʼs soul as the progenitor and accelerate her bodyʼs growth. Block any external interference during the ritual."
"Understood, Master! Leave it to us."
"Tch, got it."
While Bane replied faithfully, Richmond, deprived of his dagger, grumbled in response.
Though their attitudes differed, both Richmond and Bane diligently erected barriers around Zeke to prevent any disturbances from outside.
Confirming this, Zeke approached Carmilla lying in the coffin. Having absorbed Caligula, he instinctively knew how to perform the ritual.
He first drew Garinʼs Dagger and pricked the tip of Carmillaʼs sleeping finger.
Dropping a few drops of the blood flowing from Carmillaʼs finger onto the surface of the Ancient Bloodline Grimoire caused it to absorb the blood and begin emanating a dark crimson energy.
Zeke invoked the Authority of the Third Eye while holding the bloodline grimoire and Garinʼs Dagger in his hands.
Tssst—
Using the Third Eyeʼs power, Zeke extracted the energy of the Royal Vampire embedded in the bloodline grimoire and the dagger.
He immediately infused that energy into Carmillaʼs body.
Kwaaakwaa—
As the Royal Vampireʼs power permeated Carmillaʼs body, changes soon occurred.
Carmillaʼs body began to grow gradually.
"Ugh..."
Due to the forced growth, Carmilla writhed in pain and tried to wake from her sleep.
Zeke used the Third Eye to keep her consciousness suppressed.
Since this was a process of forcibly bridging the gap between body and mind, it seemed less painful if her mind remained asleep.
With the Royal Vampireʼs power infused, Carmilla soon grew into the body of an adult woman.
He had skipped the time of natural growth, forcing her body to mature to its prerevival state.
"Good, no issues so far."
What remained was to seal the crack in Carmillaʼs soul and ensure her mind fully adapted to the grown body.
Zeke peered into Carmillaʼs soul using the Third Eye.
He discovered the crack on the surface of her soul and reached out toward it. Tssst—
The Authority of the Third Eye was powerful enough to mend the soulʼs crack.
Zeke repaired Carmillaʼs soul and meticulously adjusted it until there were no distortions, ensuring her mind could fully adapt to the body.
Having fully absorbed Caligulaʼs power, and with the Third Eye itself being an extension of the Blood Eye, handling this authority felt as natural as breathing.
Having repaired Carmillaʼs soul more easily than expected, Zeke gave it a final check and slowly opened his eyes.
"It seems to have worked."
The dagger and Ancient Bloodline Grimoire, infused with the Royal Vampireʼs power, turned to ash and crumbled away.
Zeke flinched for a moment but set that aside for later confirmation. Using the Third Eye, he awakened Carmillaʼs consciousness.
"Mm..."
Carmilla, returned to her original body, opened her eyes.
Her gem-like eyes, characteristic of vampires, shone beautifully.
After regaining her senses, Carmilla looked at her grown body in surprise.
"M-my body is back to normal?"
Jumping out of the coffin, she could only be astonished at the greater strength she now possessed.
"How could this be..."
In her surprise and fluster, she noticed Zeke standing beside her and immediately bowed her head.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I showed an irreverent sight in my confusion."
"Itʼs fine. More importantly, how is your body?"
Carmilla raised her head and circulated her energy.
Like Garin before her, the power of a Royal Vampire emanated from her.
Carmillaʼs eyes widened in shock.
"Power overflows within my body. And... ancient knowledge I never knew before fills my mind. Lost ancient bloodline magic and the summoning rite for Blood Golems... forgotten knowledge usable only by Royal Vampires."
Zeke realized that the power from the dagger and Ancient Bloodline Grimoire had not simply vanished but had been transferred to Carmilla.
"With this, you should be able to wield strength beyond that of a progenitor. If you master all the bloodline magic, you might even surpass a Royal Vampire." At Zekeʼs words, Carmilla immediately knelt before him.
"I am grateful for the grace Your Majesty has bestowed upon me." Pausing briefly, she looked at Zeke with a voice full of resolve.
"I am Your Majestyʼs faithful servant and the sharpest, closest sword to protect you. No matter what command Your Majesty gives, I will carry it out with joy. Command me in anything."
Zeke gazed at Carmilla steadily and said,
"Very well, I shall give a command." He slowly opened his mouth.
"Laura Agamemnon. Tell me everything you know about my mother."