When the meeting in the royal hall ended, all the ministers stood up one by one and bowed respectfully to the Dwarven King before leaving the hall. Just as they were about to depart, the king turned to the minister with the insightful opinion and said in a calm voice that allowed no refusal:
"Stay, minister… I wish to speak with you for a moment."
The other ministers paused briefly, looked at the king, then at the newly appointed minister, and exchanged faint smiles. They understood that the king had been impressed by this minister's wisdom and expected him to receive words of praise or special commendation. Nevertheless, none of them felt envy or resentment; the nature of the dwarves did not incline toward jealousy, and they knew that what the minister had said did not serve the king alone, but served the entire dwarven race and protected their interests at a highly sensitive time.
Once the doors of the hall were closed and only the king and the minister remained, the king's expression changed slightly, and some of his official sternness faded. He looked at the minister with a scrutinizing gaze, as if carefully weighing his next words, then said in a low tone:
"Who do you expect stole the necklace, minister?"
The minister was surprised by the king's question. He had expected words of praise or an inquiry about his political plan, not a direct question about the thief. Even so, hesitation did not show on his face; he quickly gathered his thoughts and answered sincerely:
"I expect it was the vampires of the Human Empire, my lord."
The king froze for a moment, clear astonishment appearing on his face. This answer had not crossed his mind at all. He had thought the minister would accuse humans directly, or the elves, or even the sea folk, but the mention of vampires had never occurred to him. He frowned and said in a doubtful tone:
"Vampires? And what made you suspect them in particular?"
The minister looked at his king and smiled faintly, then said:
"My lord, it seems that you—like many others—despise vampires because they have founded no state, not even a city, and live in the shadows like werewolves and low-level monsters."
The king replied quickly, doubt still filling his voice:
"Isn't that the truth? They have always hidden, weak before sunlight, and hunted by humans for centuries."
The minister shook his head calmly and said:
"My king, have you ever wondered why the vampire race has not gone extinct on the continent until now, despite humans hunting them for hundreds of years?"
The king paused briefly, then answered:
"Because they are immortal, and they can reproduce and spread their race by biting others and turning them."
The minister smiled more broadly and said:
"Exactly, my king. Immortality and reproduction are what kept them alive—and not only that… their numbers increase day after day."
Then the minister stepped one pace closer and lowered his voice, as if revealing a dangerous secret:
"Rumors say that the Vampire Queen has long been searching for an artifact or special magic—magic capable of protecting her from sunlight and the sacred energy used by the Church of the Human Empire."
The king's eyes widened slightly, and he felt the weight of those words. If this were true, then vampires would no longer be mere creatures hiding in the shadows, but a real power capable of appearing openly and participating in major wars.
The minister continued:
"And the stolen necklace, my lord, is made of a metal that absorbs energies and interacts with them. Such a metal could be the first step toward realizing their dream."
Silence filled the hall for several moments as the king thought deeply. Then he finally said in a low but cautious voice:
"If your suspicion is correct… then we are not facing a mere thief, but a spark that could ignite a new war on the continent of Mira."
The minister looked at his king steadily and said:
"That is why we must be prepared, my king… the coming days will not be peaceful."
The king looked at the minister with a deep gaze, the gaze of one accustomed to weighing men before decisions, and remained silent for a few moments, replaying every word the minister had spoken since the beginning of the conversation. The silence was heavy, broken only by the faint crackle of the torches in the hall. Then he finally spoke, in a low tone carrying clear danger:
"So… are you saying that the vampire race may be the one that stole the necklace?"
The minister lifted his head slightly and looked at his king firmly, answering with confident certainty:
"I believe so, my lord. Any major race or powerful organization on the continent, had it wanted the necklace or the new metal, would have negotiated with us or acted openly, as others always do. But vampires… are different."
He paused briefly, then continued:
"Vampires are viewed as being of lower status even than the demi-humans who live on the fringes of the continent. Demi-humans, at least, have established states or clear entities, whereas vampires live in the shadows within and around the Human Empire, with no official land and no recognized sovereignty."
The king slowly nodded and said:
"That is true… they have not even received the dragons' approval to obtain land of their own, and that alone makes them cautious in every move they make."
The minister smiled faintly, then fell silent, realizing that his king had begun connecting the threads on his own. After moments of deep thought, the king emerged from his reverie and looked at the minister again—this time with a different tone, one mixed with admiration and satisfaction:
"I did not expect to have such an intelligent young minister in my council."
The minister bowed respectfully and said:
"I hope my words have earned your approval, my king."
The king gave a short, rare laugh and said, gesturing with his hand:
"Enough of that. You have already earned my trust. And based on this conclusion… I appoint you as the direct overseer of the extraction of the new metal."
The minister's eyes widened in shock, and he raised his head quickly, saying hesitantly:
"But my king, I am newly appointed, and there are ministers far more experienced and qualified than I to take on this task."
The king waved his hand dismissively and said firmly:
"No. That is exactly what I want. The other ministers will carry out my orders literally, but you… I want you for something no one else can do."
The minister grew more attentive, focusing on every word the king spoke. Noticing this focus, the king's conviction deepened, and he said in an even more serious tone:
"I want you to personally oversee the extraction of the metal and monitor every movement within the capital."
The minister's expression changed, and he asked cautiously:
"Do you expect, my lord, that what happened will happen again? That someone will attempt to steal the metal once more?"
The king slowly nodded and said:
"Yes, exactly. That is why I chose you. If I placed a seasoned minister in this position, the thief would grow cautious and hide like a rat in its hole. But if you take charge, they will think we are at ease… and they will move."
The king stepped closer, his voice growing more dangerous:
"I want to set a great trap. A trap that draws in everyone spying on my land, and everyone who covets the treasures of the dwarves."
He smiled a cold smile and said:
"And I want you to be the one who closes the trap on them."
The minister swallowed and said with realization:
"So… you do not only want to protect the metal, but to expose everyone hiding in our capital."
The king replied decisively:
"Exactly. I want to know who dares to reach for my treasures… and who believes the dwarves are careless."