They asked, concerned, "Does it hurt? A nightmare?"
Felix shook his head quickly. "No, it's fine… something just got in my eyes."
felix smiled gently. "We should get ready. We depart soon."
A few hours later, everyone was prepared.
"It's time to leave," Arven announced.
Rose hugged Felix tightly. "Come back safely. Don't forget to eat and rest well."
Arven glanced around. "Where's my hug?"
Rose smacked his head lightly. "Not fair!"
The royal coach awaited them.
"Arven, get a horse," Lucien instructed.
Inside the coach, Lilith, Celestina, Cassandra, Felix, and Lucien settled themselves.
Lilith glanced at Lucien suspiciously. "Why are you here, old mage?"
Lucien puffed out his chest. "I am not old. I'm twenty-two!"
Felix interjected calmly, "Lilith, he's here to act quickly if anything happens. He can protect us."
Celestina leaned forward, curious. "We're moving now," she said softly.
"So, Felix… what do you like?" she asked.
"I like magic," Felix replied.
"But we saw you use a sword back then," Celestina pointed out.
"That's true," Felix said with a small smile. "I use both sword and magic."
Cassandra's voice was calm but inquisitive. "And which rank are you in?"
"For magic," Felix answered, "I'm an Apprentice Mage."
He paused before continuing, "For sword… I'm a Skilled Fighter. I can spar, use solid fundamentals, and fight on the battlefield."
Lilith's eyes widened slightly. "Impressive for someone your age."
Felix only nodded, his red velvet eyes calm and focused, ready for the journey ahead.
g whThey had been traveling for days without incident, yet unease crept in as the road to Elenador stretched on.
No monsters.
No bandits.
Not even the usual signs of danger.
Too quiet.
"Something feels off," Arven muttered.
Lucien suddenly leaned out of the carriage window, his expression tightening as he scanned the horizon. He looked down at Arven, who was riding alongside the royal coach.
"Something's coming. This way. Hurry—take positions."
Arven's grip tightened on the reins. "I knew it. I knew something was wrong."
He raised his voice. "Lucien—how many? And from where?"
Lucien's face paled. "Too many."
He lifted a finger and pointed upward. "Look at the sky."
Shadows moved against the clouds.
"…Vampire soldiers," one of the guards whispered in horror.
Arven drew his sword. "All units, take formation! We cannot let them reach the Queen or the Princesses! Formation B—twelve-degree spread!"
"Roger, sir!"
"Lucien," Arven barked, "barrier magic on the coach!"
"Tch. Fine."
The air trembled as the barrier formed.
"They're coming," Lucien said grimly.
A vampire at the front raised his hand.
Dark magic surged.
"Dark Matter: Creation—Decay."
Steel screamed.
"What—?!" a guard shouted as his sword began to melt in his hands. "Our weapons—they're dissolving!"
Inside the carriage, Lilith's eyes widened.
"…Did someone say dark matter?"
Felix turned sharply. "What's happening?"
Lilith's voice dropped. "It's him."
Felix stiffened. "…Are you sure?"
She nodded once. "Yes. It's him."
Queen Cassandra clenched her fists. "The barrier is soundproof. We can't communicate like this."
Before anyone could react—
Felix opened the carriage door.
"Felix—!" Arven shouted.
Lucien's blood ran cold. "No… it can't be."
Felix stepped out calmly.
In his hand—a knife.
In front of him—Lilith.
He pressed the blade gently against her throat.
Lilith froze.
"Felix…" she whispered. "What are you?"
He leaned close and whispered something only she could hear.
Her body stiffened—then she nodded.
"…If you say so."
The battlefield fell silent.
The vampires stopped mid-air.
One of them hissed, eyes widening. "It's her."
"…Damn brat."
Felix raised one hand.
"Divine Light."
The power that erupted was not holy.
It was beyond holy.
Pure. Absolute. Untainted.
Magic that did not belong to this world.
"STOP," Felix said coldly.
"Or you already know what happens to her."
He pressed the blade slightly closer to Lilith's skin.
"Are you insane?!" someone screamed.
Lucien stood frozen.
"No… that power… it can't be…"
Queen Cassandra trembled. "…This is—"
"This is divine magic," Lucien whispered. "The lost—"
The vampires descended.
They landed on the ground, wings folding behind their backs—then vanishing entirely.
Felix lowered his hand.
"Let's talk," he said calmly. "There's no need to fight, Second Prince of the Vampire Empire."
The leader stepped forward, crimson eyes narrowing.
"…How do you know who I am?"
Felix met his gaze. "Shall we talk?"
Queen Cassandra watched Felix in disbelief.
He stopped them.
A clever mind… and that power—divine light no mage should possess.
Just what is this boy?
The vampire straightened and spoke.
"I am Prince Vaelthar Noctyrr, Second Prince of the Vampire Empire."
Arven quickly introduced the others.
Felix's eyes never left the vampire prince.
"Put your weapons down," Felix said calmly, "and listen to what I have to say."
The road to Elenador remained silent—
But fate had already shifted.
Felix's voice cut through the tension.
"We want to stop the war," he said.
The words struck harder than any spell.
Even the vampire soldiers stirred, murmurs rippling through their ranks.
Prince Vaelthar's crimson eyes narrowed. "You speak lightly of war, human. Do you even understand what those words mean?"
Felix did not flinch.
"So listen carefully," he continued, his grip steady, the knife still resting at Lilith's throat—not threatening, but unmistakably real. "We will return Lilith to the Vampire Empire."
A sharp intake of breath echoed from the carriage.
Queen Cassandra stiffened. "Felix—"
Lilith's eyes widened, but she did not move.
The vampires froze.
Vaelthar took a slow step forward. "And you believe we would simply accept such generosity?"
Felix's gaze hardened. "Not for free."
He tilted the blade just enough for everyone to notice.
"One condition."
The air grew heavy, as if the world itself leaned in to listen.
Vaelthar smiled faintly, though there was no warmth in it. "Speak. Let us hear the price a human places on a princess of our blood."
Felix finally removed the knife from Lilith's throat and stepped half a pace in front of her, placing himself between her and the vampires.
"No retaliation," Felix said. "No covert hunts. No shadow assassinations. The Vampire Empire will cease all hostile action against the human kingdoms."
Lucien's breath caught. That's not negotiation… that's coercion backed by divinity.
Felix continued, each word deliberate.
"In return, Lilith goes back alive, untouched, and unharmed. More than that—she returns as proof that peace is still possible."
Vaelthar's smile vanished.
"You ask us to abandon centuries of bloodshed," the prince said coldly. "For what?"
Felix met his eyes, divine light faintly shimmering beneath his skin.
"For survival," he replied. "And for a future where neither side needs to drown the world in corpses."
Silence followed.
Deep. Oppressive.
Then Vaelthar laughed softly—low and dangerous.
"…Interesting," the vampire prince said. "Very interesting indeed, Felix Roswal."
His gaze flicked briefly to Lilith—then back to Felix.
"But be warned," Vaelthar added, voice sharpening. "If your condition hides deceit, the war you fear will look merciful compared to what follows."
Felix did not look away.
"Then don't test me," he said quietly.
The road to Elenador no longer felt quiet.
It felt like the edge of a blade.
Prince Vaelthar's expression hardened.
"I am not the one who can decide this," he said coldly. "Such a matter falls to our father—the Lord of Vampires. Only he may judge."
There was a brief pause.
Then Felix spoke.
"Fine," he said calmly. "Bring him here."
The world seemed to stop.
Arven turned sharply. "Felix—"
Lucien's eyes widened in disbelief.
Queen Cassandra rose halfway from her seat. "Do you even realize what you just said?"
Even the vampire soldiers stirred uneasily.
Vaelthar stared at Felix as if he had misheard him.
"…What did you just say?"
Felix met his gaze without the slightest tremor. "I said bring him here. The Lord of Vampires. If he is the one who decides, then let him hear the terms directly."
The air grew vicious.
Vaelthar's killing intent surged, crushing the ground beneath his feet. Several guards staggered, barely keeping their balance.
"You insolent wretch," the prince snarled. "A puny human like you dares to command His Majesty to appear?"
His eyes burned crimson. "Do you have any idea what kind of being you are speaking of?"
Felix took a single step forward.
The divine presence beneath his skin stirred—subtle, restrained, yet terrifying.
"I know exactly who he is," Felix said quietly. "And that's why I'm asking."
Asking.
The word alone made Vaelthar's fists shake.
Lucien swallowed hard. He's not bluffing… He's treating the Lord of Vampires as an equal.
Felix continued, his voice steady, mercilessly calm.
"If he refuses to come," he said, "then this war continues—and I stop holding back."
A chill ran through every vampire present.
Lilith slowly looked up at Felix, her lips parted, eyes trembling—not with fear, but with something far deeper.
Vaelthar searched Felix's face for arrogance.
Found none.
Only certainty.
"…You are either a madman," Vaelthar said darkly, "or something far worse."
Felix answered without hesitation.
"Then go tell him," he said. "And let him decide which."
Silence fell again.
Heavier than before.
The road to Elenador no longer felt like a battlefield.
It felt like a summons.
Felix's gaze hardened.
"You have six hours," he said flatly. "Bring him here—or you lose your princess."
The words fell like a death sentence.
A violent pressure rippled through the air. Several vampire soldiers instinctively stepped back, hands tightening on their weapons.
Prince Vaelthar clicked his tongue, eyes burning with fury.
"Tch. Fine," he spat. "You play filthy games for a human. Using a princess as leverage… how cowardly."
Felix took a single step forward.
The divine presence beneath his skin surged—just enough.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
"Watch your tongue," Felix said calmly, each word sharp as a blade. "Your Highness."
Vaelthar stiffened.
For the first time, the vampire prince felt it clearly.
This was not intimidation.
Not bluff.
Not desperation.
It was authority.
Lilith felt her breath hitch. He's not threatening them… he's commanding them.
Vaelthar slowly exhaled, forcing his fury down.
"…Six hours," the prince said coldly. "If you deceive us—"
"You won't get the chance," Felix interrupted. "Go."
For a long moment, Vaelthar stared at him, then turned sharply.
"Withdraw," he ordered.
The vampire soldiers leapt into the air, wings unfurling in unison. One by one, they vanished into the crimson clouds, their presence fading like a receding nightmare.
Silence returned to the road.
Only then did Arven release the breath he'd been holding.
Lucien wiped cold sweat from his brow. "Felix… do you realize what you've just done?"
Felix didn't answer.
He was staring at the sky.
Six hours.
Arven grabbed Felix by the collar and slammed him back against the carriage.
"Are you insane?" Arven roared. "Do you have any idea what you just did? You threatened the Vampire Empire itself! You gave them an ultimatum!"
Felix did not resist. He simply looked at Arven—calm, unshaken.
Before Arven could continue, Lucien stepped between them.
"Enough," Lucien said sharply, then turned to Felix, his voice lowering, trembling despite himself. "Tell me something first. That power—just now. That wasn't holy magic. It wasn't arcane either."
His eyes narrowed, sharp and searching.
"How did you use Divine Light?"
The road was silent.
Even the guards were pretending not to listen.
Felix exhaled slowly, but before he could answer—
Celestine spoke.
She had been quiet the entire time, watching everything with unnerving composure. Her voice was soft, but it cut deeper than Arven's shouting.
"So," she said, looking directly at Felix, "were you really going to kill her if they didn't come back?"
Lilith stiffened.
The words hung in the air like a drawn blade.
Felix turned his head and met Celestine's gaze.
For the first time—
He hesitated.
"…No," he said quietly.
Everyone froze.
Felix continued, his voice low, stripped of bravado.
"I wasn't going to kill her," he said. "But they didn't know that."
Arven's grip loosened slightly.
Lucien's eyes widened. "…You were bluffing?"
Felix shook his head.
"No," he said. "I was gambling."
He finally looked at Lilith.
"They care about her," Felix said. "Enough to hesitate. Enough to listen. That's all I needed."
Lilith swallowed hard. "And if you were wrong?"
Felix's jaw tightened.
"Then I would've found another way," he said. "Even if it cost me everything."
Silence followed.
Not the tense silence of before—but something heavier.
Lucien ran a hand through his hair, laughing weakly. "You realize what you just did, don't you? You forced a prince of vampires to act like a messenger."
Queen Cassandra stepped forward at last, her gaze unreadable.
"You leveraged power, psychology, and fear," she said slowly. "Not magic alone."
She looked at Felix as if seeing him for the first time.
"…That wasn't the act of a child."
Arven released Felix completely.
"…You're reckless," Arven muttered. "But damn it… it worked."
Celestine looked away, fingers clenched in her dress.
Lilith stared at Felix, her eyes trembling—not with fear.
With certainty.
Felix looked up at the sky once more.
Six hours.
"If the Lord of Vampires comes," he said quietly, "then we talk peace."
"And if he doesn't?" Lucien asked.
Felix's eyes darkened.
"Then," he said, "the war begins with me."
Felix exhaled slowly.
"Just kidding," he said calmly. "I'll send her to the border of the Vampire Empire."
The tension that had been coiled tight finally loosened—if only slightly.
Queen Cassandra turned sharply toward him. "Then why," she asked, voice controlled but sharp, "did you demand the Lord of Vampires himself to come?"
Felix's expression did not change.
"Because I don't trust them," he replied.
Everyone went quiet.
Felix continued, his voice steady, deliberate.
"Lilith told me a few days ago," he said, "that someone in her own family sold her to bandits."
Lilith lowered her eyes. Her fingers clenched tightly in her dress.
A chill passed through the carriage.
"We don't know who did it," Felix went on. "That's why I can't trust the prince either. Titles don't mean loyalty. Blood doesn't mean innocence."
Lucien's brows furrowed. "You think it was an internal betrayal."
"Yes," Felix answered immediately. "And if that's true, then sending her back blindly would be the same as handing her over again."
Queen Cassandra's gaze sharpened. "And the Lord of Vampires?"
Felix finally looked at her.
"If he truly loves his daughter as much as they claim," Felix said, "then it's simple."
He paused.
"It wasn't him."
The words carried weight—cold, logical, merciless.
"And if he comes personally," Felix continued, "I can confirm it. His reaction. His presence. His anger. Or his silence."
Arven crossed his arms slowly. "…You wanted to see the source, not the messenger."
Felix nodded. "Exactly."
Lilith looked up at him, eyes trembling. "So… you're protecting me?"
Felix didn't answer right away.
"I'm making sure," he said finally, "that whoever sold you doesn't get to hide behind a crown."
Lucien let out a slow breath. "That's not negotiation. That's an investigation."
Felix's eyes darkened slightly.
"War or peace doesn't matter," he said. "If someone betrayed her, I'll drag them into the light first."