Chapter 376: The Wolf and the Vampire
As the months passed, the problems gradually began to dissipate. Who would have thought that calm would come so quickly after the storm of recent events?
Initially, Dante had planned to take control of all the smaller continents and aim for global domination.
Of course, Dante had no intentions of becoming the supreme dictator or any of that nonsense; he simply wanted the opportunity to be the voice of these continents, not rule them with an iron fist.
Dante might be crazy, but he's not unjust.
Recently, he decided it was a good time to reestablish his bases, especially after the turmoil involving memories of his past life.
Some of those memories were subtly unsettling, so he took some time to reflect on what he was doing, what he would do next, and with whom he'd do it.
Killing Alexander was essentially meaningless in his life. The man was just a pile of garbage with legs, so his death didn't matter; honestly, ever since he died in Kryoris, it was inconsequential.
His death meant nothing, and frankly? Good riddance.
"Where are you going, darling?" Sara asked, seeing Dante walking by wearing a red coat and with his white hair loose—a look he usually adopted when he wanted to go out and think about something.
"I'm going to see Siren," Dante replied as he looked at the mythical landscape of the Kingdom of Albion.
"I see… she's still not thinking straight, is she? I thought she wanted the kingdom to prosper…" Sara murmured, and Dante just smiled, stroking her head affectionately.
"I'm not doing this for some idiotic kingdom, just for her. But it seems she still doesn't understand who I am," Dante chuckled.
"Hm… knowing you, you must have already done incredible things; she just hasn't noticed yet, pfft…" Sara laughed with him before hugging him.
"Huh? Out of the blue like that?" He asked, smiling as he returned the hug. "Stop lying. Where are you
really
going?" she questioned.
"Haha, nothing gets past you, does it?" Dante said. "I'm going to see Siren, and after that… I'm going after the Sin of Gluttony. Seems our friend the blacksmith found a very gluttonous dwarf causing trouble in Steel Mountain."
Sara raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "A gluttonous dwarf? I bet there's more than simple gluttony behind her causing this mess."
Dante nodded. "She's not only hungry for food but for iron as well. Her presence seems to be creating tension among the mountain clans, and the Dwarf King is far from pleased. I believe Steel Mountain is on the brink of conflict if I don't step in. As Clovis asked, I'll just take a look at the girl."
He sighed, knowing the task wouldn't be easy. While his role often led him to confront powerful figures and balance tensions among different peoples, he knew a delicate approach would be needed to deal with the Sins and their influence.
"Do you think she'll surrender so easily?" Sara asked, watching him with a calculating look.
"That dwarf is stubborn as a rock," he replied with a mischievous smile. "But I know a few ways to convince a dwarf to listen."
Then he gently released himself from Sara's embrace, holding her chin tenderly. "Don't worry. I'll handle this and be back soon."
Sara smiled back affectionately, watching him disappear into the horizon.
"Did he go after another woman?" Elizabeth Tepes suddenly appeared beside Sara.
"Who knows... that man is such a handful…" she muttered, almost revealing her real thoughts…
'He's starting to worry me...'
"Wait," Sara said, turning to look at Elizabeth, "H-how did you get in here?!" she asked, as Albion wasn't open to the world. No one beyond the wives and close followers knew about it, and although Elizabeth had been a long-time friend of Sara's...
"Hm? Dante asked me to come. He said you were bored, so I asked my father, and he allowed it. Not that he knows about Albion, of course, but he just told me to maintain a good friendship with Dante, though he warned me Dante is a complete lunatic and mustn't get his claws on me…" she muttered with a smile.
"Your father told you that?" Sara asked, trying to understand the intentions behind Vlad's request.
Elizabeth shrugged, her ever-mischievous smile in place. "Yes, he has... genuine concerns about Dante. And at the same time, he admires his influence. But I have no doubt he'd be furious if he knew I came here specifically because I wanted to see Dante, not you." She spoke with a light laugh, though Sara couldn't help but notice a hint of caution in her eyes.
"Elizabeth," Sara called, grabbing her arm with a firm look. "You understand that not just anyone can enter Albion, right? That this is a refuge for all of us?"
Elizabeth turned to face Sara, meeting her gaze just as directly. "I know that, and that's why I took care not to leave any trace. I come as a friend, not as Vlad's spy, in case you're worried." She sighed and continued, "You know, Sara, I have my own reasons to align with Dante, separate from my father's interests."
Sara relaxed a bit, still uncertain but willing to trust her old friend. "Well, if Dante truly asked you to come, it's because he sees value in your presence."
Elizabeth smiled, a touch of irony in her expression. "Or he wants me to keep him informed. He has... that way about him, doesn't he? Always wanting to know everything." She paused, her gaze drifting over Albion's landscape. "By the way, do you know why there are three succubi fighting? They seem quite agitated back there."
"Oh... they've resumed their training," Sara said as she turned, looking in a specific direction, where she spotted Lyrianna, Lilith, and Vex locked in a chaotic brawl.
Meanwhile...
Location: Werewolf Kingdom, restructured under the rule of Siren Sirius Stella.
"Well, there's no way I could walk around with my usual appearance anyway," Dante said, hiding his hands in his pockets as he strolled casually through the streets of Lycan.
The streets of Lycan were quieter than usual, though the discomfort in the air was palpable. Dante walked with his usual calm, hands in the pockets of his red overcoat, while the werewolves around him shot him hard, hostile glares. The distinct scent of vampire blood emanating from Dante seemed to waft through the city, drawing poorly concealed looks of disgust and revulsion from the locals.
"Look who we have here, a vampire," grumbled one of the werewolves, a hulking figure nearly two meters tall, his face twisted in a scowl that reflected the deep-seated disdain between the two races. Others quickly gathered, eyeing Dante with a mix of distrust and dangerous curiosity.
Dante ignored them at first, but a faint sneer formed at the corner of his mouth as he sensed the growing discomfort around him. The tension was almost visible in the air, like a rope ready to snap.
"So, you think you're better than us, bloodsucker?" taunted the werewolf, clenching his fist and stepping forward. "I can smell you from miles away. You shouldn't be here."
Dante let out a short, cold laugh, turning to face the werewolf and meeting his gaze with eyes that revealed nothing but an abyss of indifference. "Better than you? Indeed, that's exactly what I think. You're nothing more than... rabid dogs." His voice was thick with disdain, each word a challenge.
The other werewolves growled, their eyes blazing with fury, but Dante kept his tone calm, a silent provocation in his gaze. "You're far too predictable. Every growl, every step... a waste of effort."
In a burst of rage, the first werewolf lunged at him, claws extended, but Dante dodged effortlessly, moving aside with a slight tilt of his head. "Really? This is the strength of the proud warriors of Lycan?" he murmured, raising an eyebrow and provoking them further.
More werewolves, unable to contain their impulse, joined in the attempt to attack. One of the larger ones, his eyes red with hatred, charged forward. "I'll show you we're not mere rabid dogs, vampire!" he snarled before delivering a blow with all his might.
Dante dodged again, not even taking his hands out of his pockets. "How interesting," he muttered, sounding bored as he looked at the werewolves around him, now enraged. "I thought the Werewolf Kingdom was led by creatures of strength."
"What do I see? A collection of pathetic weaknesses, a group of fools incapable of realizing how insignificant they are."
Dante's provocation was the last straw. The werewolves around him, furious and without a second thought, charged at him, creating a chaotic scene.
But then…
"Stop." A woman's voice echoed as she landed in front of Dante, creating a crater in front of him.
"Y-Your Majesty!" They all shouted, dropping to their knees.
"Could you stop showing up in my Kingdom this way? You could just appear in my palace. And what's with this look?" she questioned as the werewolves trembled at her words.
"And as for you," she said, turning to her pack, "you should know that regular vampires don't come here, so why pick a fight?"
"Well, it's not as if they'd know, right, dear?" Dante replied with a grin as his hair shifted, lengthening and returning to its usual vivid red.
"It's always you stirring up trouble, isn't it, Dante?" she said, crossing her arms while regarding the vampire with a mixture of exasperation and curiosity.
"Well, my dear Siren, I was merely walking and reflecting on the beauty of your kingdom when a few... disturbances decided to remind me that the prejudice between werewolves and vampires remains strong." He shrugged as if it were nothing more than an insignificant misunderstanding. His eyes, however, gleamed with slight provocation.
The werewolves on the ground finally felt it… They realized just who was standing before them.
"D-d-d-d-Dante Scarlet!!" they stammered in unison.
"Oh yes, hello? Not sure how to react here; I just wanted to see my future wife. Thank you for calling her so quickly—it shows how competent my Siren is and how well she observes her kingdom."
Dante's nonchalant comment made the werewolves shiver, while Siren only sighed, exasperated. He seemed to revel in the discomfort around him, enjoying every moment as the werewolves absorbed the impact of his presence, standing calmly in enemy territory with an almost disrespectful ease.
Siren, still with her arms crossed, shot a piercing look at the vampire. "Future wife, is it? I don't recall us reaching that point, Dante," she said in a controlled tone, though a spark of irritation flashed in her eyes.
"You know, you're cute," he teased.