Nameless King

Vampires often lived in massive crypts or abandoned castles, but these places usually belonged to one vampire or more. Vampires, like other races, had cities, but they were underground, kept out of the sunlight they hated.

Instead of sunlight, city streets were lit with eternal lights, crystals, special plants, and lanterns. Only the sun was their greatest enemy, from which the vampires tried to hide if possible.

Wain followed Vlad and found himself on the road in front of the entrance to the huge estate. When Wain reached the heights in his world, he saw luxurious forks and multi-story mansions, but they did not have the same noble and aristocratic aura as the vampire manor.

"Ah, it's good to be home." Vlad uttered and opened the gate.

Wain followed him. The city's streets were very much like the aristocratic district of any kingdom. There was luxury and beauty everywhere.

Of course, it wasn't like that everywhere. Vlad was a nobleman and lived in much better conditions than most other vampires. They, like other races, had a hierarchy both socially and economically.

"Do you like my house?" Vlad asked.

"Not bad. Do you live here alone?"

"No, it's not my personal estate. It belongs to my family. Although considering I'm the eldest son, soon it will all be mine."

"Do you have brothers and sisters?"

"Yes, one brother and two sisters. I'm the strongest among them, of course, but sometimes I think in a fit of rage, my sisters can beat me in one punch, hahaha, they're so funny when they get angry."

Vampires valued kinship very much. They could quarrel with each other like everyone else, but members of the same family were always willing to help in any situation in the end. Because of the complicated nature of many vampires, it wasn't noticeable, but it was.

At the entrance to the manor, they were met by four maids. They were very similar to the humans but different in that they had several glowing crystals just below their eyes. They were one of the many races not part of the Pillars.

"Welcome home, master!" The girls said at the same time and bowed low.

Vlad walked past as if he wasn't paying attention to them. It was natural for him, and he had heard this greeting hundred of times before.

A tall girl was standing in the manor. She, too, was a maid but with more duties and responsibilities.

"Lia, hello!" Vlad said, approaching her.

"It is a pleasure to greet you." The girl said quietly. She wore glasses and looked rather stern.

"Young master, who is this?" Lia asked, looking at Wain. He still wore a mask, and a strange aura emanated from him. It confused Lia.

"Don't worry, this is my new friend and to celebrate I want to have a banquet, just the two of us. We're pretty tired, and we need to recuperate."

"Got it. Everything will be ready in an hour. Should I let someone in the family know?"

"No, I don't want anyone in our way."

"Good, but I'm afraid your father won't like it. He wanted to talk to you. The situation has been extraordinary lately, you must understand."

"Ah, I'm too tired now. Moreover, he's probably asleep in his coffin now, as he always is. That's it, no more questions." Vlad said and headed for the guest room.

Lia nodded silently and walked toward the kitchen.

Wain followed Vlad. He was wary. Vlad was no longer his enemy, but that did not extend to the other members of the Tran Family.

Vlad noticed this and said, "You are safe, I assure you. My father is not much stronger than me. I will hold him back in the worst case, and you can escape."

"Hmm? That sounds too suspicious. You're willing to fight your father to keep me out of trouble, but you met me now. What's more, you and I fought to the death."

"You answered your question. How can I be disrespectful to someone I had such a terrific fight with? Moreover, I gave you my word, and it would be a great shame if I broke it."

Wain nodded.

He knew this type of man well, and this situation only increased his confidence that Vlad wouldn't stick a dagger in his back. At least Vlad would have warned him that he would do it.

While they waited for the banquet, Vlad brought out the expensive whiskey.

"Help yourself." Vlad said, pouring the amber liquid into a glass.

"Huh, you want me to take my mask off that badly?" Wain smirked and lifted the mask slightly, exposing his mouth but hiding most of his face.

"Damn! Does it really matter that much? I already know you're a human, so what's the point of hiding your identity? Even if I find out your name, what good would it do me?"

Wain took a sip, "You have a point. Okay, that whiskey was good enough for me to go along with you."

He took off his mask, and for the first time in his life, Vlad saw what a human looked like. Vlad stared at Wain, trying to see if he was fooling him.

Vlad knew dozens of races, and Wain did not have a single distinguishing feature.

"You look so... pure..." Vlad muttered.

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"All races have something unusual in their appearance. Be it the fangs of vampires, the ears of Elves, or the flames of Ashens. But, you are like a blank sheet of paper. There's nothing unusual about your appearance, and yet that's what sets you apart from the rest. How strange..."

"Huh, looks aren't as important as personality."

"I agree, but not many people realize that. Unfortunately, we look at appearances first anyway, so it's important. If you don't like the person on the outside, how can you get to know him better if you don't want to communicate with him? It's a vicious circle that can't be broken."

"Not true. You just need to communicate with the person from a distance, and then when you meet them, you won't care about appearance because you already know that person's qualities."