My Blood Legacy: Reincarnated as a Vampire
Chapter 125: Aldria Luminus, the Three-Headed Crow

"It depends a lot on what you follow; until you understand your own path, you're just a cockroach," she said again.

"So, what's your path?" Ziriel asked with a smile, and Voralith replied: "Stop dreaming, kid. I won't tell you."

"Stop calling me a cockroach!" She got angry and huffed as she walked ahead. The two dragonesses fell silent and followed her without saying anything.

"Cultivation in... I thought this world was crazy enough already, but it seems like I live in a big crazy fantasy inside my head," Ziriel thought about how crazy this world was. Despite that, she loved this world more than her previous life. In fact, this world was perfect just the way it was, and with each discovery, a new excitement arose.

"Could you teach me how to cultivate properly?" Ziriel asked a little embarrassed.

Fortunately, Voralith was already expecting that. After all, when she was an ordinary mortal in her early years of life, she also had to learn to cultivate... although when she was mortal... she had a certain cheat for it.

"Alright, girl, let's do this," she said disdainfully. She seemed annoyed, and it was indeed the case. After all, she had expected her to try on her own first, but she went straight to her. It was a bit disappointing...

Two hours passed, Voralith was now sitting behind Ziriel as she channeled her mana and sky energy into her back, helping her cultivate for the first time.

"First, you will gather any energy you feel around you, even if it's not mana," Voralith said and injected small amounts of energy into specific points on Ziriel's back.

"Hm~" she moaned lightly as she felt a different kind of strength in her body than before. It was something quite pure, different from the usual "mana sensation" she normally had. It was like... nature itself.

"How come I didn't feel this before?" Ziriel questioned, it really seemed like something completely new.

"Your body is made for this, it's the body of a cultivator. Unlike the people who exist in this sector, who are still beginning to develop their bodies, you already have the best body for a high-level cultivator, a hybrid physique, and you have the best master anyone could have. Although I won't help you with everything, you need to replace your own way," Voralith explained.

Ziriel, however, didn't let herself be discouraged by her words and remained focused on what she was doing.

She didn't realize it, but hours began to pass as she started the first stage of core cultivation. For her, it was almost nothing, but for this world, it was really rare, as "cultivators" began to emerge less than four years ago. Except for the witches, who had an overwhelming advantage, the others were still learning about it.

After all, Alice's cultivation technique had not yet directly reached everyone, and her techniques were something that worked on witches, not on all types of people. In other words, they would have to modify and have their own techniques.

As she continued to cultivate, she felt something in her chest passing through her entire body, as if it was lightly rebuilding and purifying itself. She felt her bones becoming stronger, her perception of mana increased, her muscles solidified, and then, after three hours.

"You've taken the first step. Welcome to the world of cultivation," Voralith said to Ziriel, who sat in a Lotus position and gently opened her eyes. Her aura around her solidified more, even her killer aura she felt change slightly, something that wouldn't normally happen.

"So this is cultivation..." she murmured as she looked at her hands and clenched them. The feeling of strength was different than before.

"How do you feel?" Voralith asked with a mischievous smile. She wanted to be praised.

"I thought it would be harder. It was quite easy," Ziriel replied. Then, she received a slap on the face.

SMACK

"Hey! Why did you hit me?" She roared, holding her reddened cheeks with the handprint of the woman in front of her, who looked more like her mother.

"Stupid daughter! Didn't you hear what I said?! You have the body for this! Arrogant fool!" she roared. In reality... 'Can't even praise me, can you?

Idiot!' were Voralith's true feelings.

"Yes, yes, sorry. Ouch, that was heavy-handed!" Ziriel grumbled as she got up, ready to train again, but at the same time, she felt someone approaching the door.

KNOCK KNOCK

"You may enter," Ziriel responded, and from the door, Velryna appeared a bit... off, her face seemed slightly hurt.

"From your look, something happened," Ziriel said.

"Yes, my father ordered us to have a ball at the royal palace to entertain marriage proposals, my marriage proposals," Velryna said, and Ziriel's face darkened slightly.

"You cannot get married," she said, looking down. A side of Ziriel might emerge, and that wasn't what she wanted right now.

"No, really, I can't get married," Velryna said as she held her right arm and looked at a somewhat... helpless Ziriel? She didn't understand what was going on, but for Ziriel... Again... She was feeling that crappy feeling she always gets when she meets an interesting woman.

She had been thinking about it for a while under the table, ever since she met Velryna, actually, since the first moment.

"I'll be your companion, if anyone dares propose to you, I'll kill them as soon as the party ends," Ziriel said, imposing, and for a second, Velryna saw someone else, not a woman.

"N-no! You can't do that!" Velryna quickly said as she waved her hands. Her face turned slightly red with embarrassment just at the thought of someone doing that for her, just so she wouldn't get married.

"What do you mean no? You definitely cannot get married!" Ziriel exclaimed, and in front of Velryna, she held the woman's hands and looked deeply into her eyes. "I won't allow someone to take you away."

Their eyes met in such a way that Velryna became even more flushed and looked away like a frightened little girl. She couldn't stare into those amber eyes that exuded possessiveness at the mere thought of someone taking her away. Ziriel was... Or rather, the one who was there wasn't exactly Ziriel, but Dante's own complex, the possessiveness he carries for the things he wants, it's terrifying.

"I-I mean, alright, but no killing!" she said, relenting, making Ziriel's face slightly return to normal with a gentle smile.

"What do you have in mind, Adam? Marrying Velryna in the midst of Ethan's ascension?" The woman's voice echoed in the ears of the man seated upon the stars.

"Both you and I know Ethan cannot become the Emperor, Aldria, and I don't have much time," Adam said as he watched the skies.

"Then why did you pass on such a position to him? We all know Velryna would be the best representative currently," she questioned, pointing out his first mistake.

"The problem is, in the eyes of both nobles and commoners, he's the best choice, mainly because of the Yuruzen family. We can't oust him yet. I thought he could live peacefully after that incident, but that useless one managed to make everything worse. I thought he would live honorably, but he's a coward who hides with his tail between his legs," Adam said, looking deeply into Aldria's eyes.

His eyes were sad, and she realized that nothing was easy for him. So, she sat beside her husband and comforted him with her embrace.

"You're thinking of marrying Velryna off to gain power, aren't you?" She questioned and felt a slight confirmation.

"Ethan needs to be eliminated, even though I can't do it directly because of appearances. The move to distance Hellsing was the best option that could be made. If we had left Hellsing during the upcoming conflict, it could be said that we would worsen our relationship even further. Besides... when she comes out of the seal, I don't know what might happen," Adam voiced his concerns.

Honestly, Ethan was a ticking time bomb. Despite appearing as a good person, he was actually a complete chaos.

Not only with his subjects, but with others, he gave the impression of a hero, a peaceful and sensible man, but up close, knowing him, even his arrogant father doesn't feel comfortable. Aldria was the same. Although Ethan was the son of the former Empress, she didn't stop raising him with love, so his actions were... senseless.

A person who has everything, and yet feels like they have nothing, seeks everything with an endless greed that never ends.

"Did the woman with Velryna, Ziriel, manage to replace out anything?" Adam asked, and unfortunately, Aldria didn't have good answers for him.

"She's a ghost, someone who appeared out of nowhere, no records, no name, no identity, no nationality, no traces. Apart from Simon and Velryna, no one knows her," Aldria said with regret, as if her work had failed, of course, she would feel that way.

"It seems we'll have to see for ourselves," Adam said, and she nodded while biting her lips in frustration for failing for the first time.

Just as all rulers had their subordinates and right-hand men, Aldria was the supreme shadow of the Empire, she was the one in the shadow of all decisions, all information, and all contacts the emperor had.

Aldria Luminus, the Three-Headed Crow... That was her true name and title, even before being the Empress, she was the world's informant and had a shadowy guild that sold information to everyone and everything, but unfortunately, or fortunately, she fell in love with an arrogant man...