Ascendant Path of a Lustful Vampire

Chapter 428: Not a Witch Hunt

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-Von Helsing Estate-

As she walked by Alexia’s side, Arlette couldn’t help but be a bit nervous.

While Caius was still convinced he had done well to keep his identity secret from his cousin, Arlette couldn’t shake the feeling that Alexia was not so easily fooled. What if that was what the Von Helsing Monster Hunter was trying to pick her brain about?

What if she was about to be tricked into revealing what Caius was?

At some point, Arlette stopped short in her thoughts and chuckled a bit.

’Silly me,” she said to herself.

She had spent decades as a part of a secret organization and had honed not just her abilities in secrecy but combat as well. As powerful and famed as the Von Helsings might be, Arlette felt it was ridiculous of her to feel at all worried that she might let something slip or be unable to survive should things go awry.

”Do I get to hear the joke?” Alexia asked from Arlette’s side at the sound of the chuckle.

”It’s a silly one,” Arlette said, ”You won’t like it.”

”Hmm,” Alexia hummed.

A minute or so later and Arlette realized that she recognized the path they were taking and not just because she had spent some time in the Estate so far but because she had spent the most time here than anyone else— except Caius, of course.

”The Alchemy Hall,” she said in a low voice.

”I need your skills,” Alexia smiled at Arlette, ”Will you let me have them?”

”Of course,” Arlette said, ”I only hope my skills are good enough.”

”You teach at Lochxen,” Alexia said in a tone that made it sound like high praise,

”You’re more than qualified.”

Inside the Alchemy Hall, with the most high-end equipment money can buy (on Caius’s request) properly arranged all over, Arlette stood in place, waiting for what Alexia would present to her. Though, with the conversations she had with Caius last night following his outing with Alexia, Arlette could already start to form a guess.

And sure enough, with a wave of her hand, Alexia dropped an arm, with the bloody detached end wrapped in bandages, onto a desk top with her eyes never leaving Arlette’s.

”This is the arm of a Vampire whom I battled last night. I need to synthesize a serum from the blood in it before tossing it in the sun to burn.”

”A serum?” Arlette asked, hearing of such for the first time.

”For creatures with a known weakness, Vampires are quite hard to kill. They are imbued with strength always at the peak of their Magic Circle and then some. Their tainted Mana is ridiculously abundant, drawn from the rich resource of their blood.

In other words, they are very powerful. Or can be when given the chance to grow. To catch a vampire off-guard is nigh impossible if it knows what it’s doing. And so, hunting them, even with traps and precautions often ends up being an all-out battle with victory skewed in their favor.”

As she spoke, Alexia ran a hand across Brogan’s detached arm, frowning like she saw it react to her touch. There was clear revulsion in her eyes but also a fascination.

”Anyway, vampires are often their own worst enemies. Their strengths turned against them are their greatest bane. It’s what I have hinged my strongest techniques upon.

Also, their blood, when reverse-engineered can be quite terrible when reintroduced into their system. Just another one of the many tools I hope to have at my disposal when I again, face off against that ’Brogan Kraxia’.

My blade won’t miss his neck again.”

Arlette felt the intensity in Alexia’s words, felt like the eyes that were on her face were trying to bore through her head. Still, she remained calm and casually directed her eyes to the arm.

”That sounds like a very effective serum. The kind you should already have on you,” she said.

Alexia shook her head.

”It doesn’t work that way.

Blood is a unique thing with Vampires. Even though they have greater blood ties than normal people can hope to have, and are bound by the vampire whose blood turned them, a serum of this kind will only truly be effective against the Vampire whose blood was used to make it.

Otherwise, like anything that enters their bloodstream, it’s quickly rejected.

If the blood used for the serum is theirs, however, before their nefarious antibodies catch wind of it, the deed is already done. This serum, in a way, is to punish the Vampire that dared harm the innocent and not have the fortitude to succeed without leaving a part of itself behind.”

Alexia produced a sheet of rolled-up paper.

”The recipe,” she said.

Arlette eyed it.

Alexia smiled at her imploringly.

”Please, help me,” she pleaded while batting her eyes, ”If I were home, I might have asked one of the many Alchemists we have on retainer. Alas...”

”Alright,” Arlette said with a smile, ”Since you’re being so nice and sweet about it.”

”Thank you,” Alexia said with a bow.

A second later, Arlette realized Alexia didn’t just have the recipe sheet, she also had every one of the ingredients required. That roused her suspicions because for Alexia to come all this way with the ingredients meant she at least was ready for a situation where she’d need the serum and at the time, had no idea she’d be meeting an Alchemist at the Com Helsing Estate.

The thought that Alexia might have simply been banking on the possibility of finding an Alchemist to help her make the serum eased Arlette’s suspicions a bit.

That was until she looked at the recipe and realized it was a Blood Alchemy serum. Arlette was a bit annoyed with herself that the fact that the serum involved blood, and not just any blood but Vampire blood, hadn’t tipped her off but she focused more on the return of her suspicions.

Sure, Alexia might have been banking on the odd few Alchemists to help but Blood Alchemists are much rarer.

”This is Blood Alchemy,” Arlette said.

”I’m aware,” Alexia said.

”What makes you think I’d know anything about it?” Arlette asked.

”Just a feeling,” Alexia said with her smile unchanged and a shrug of her shoulders, ”Why? Was I wrong?”

”Blood Alchemy isn’t a requirement for becoming a Lochxen Professor,” Arlette said in a deadpan tone.

”Never said it was,” Alexia replied calmly.

”Then why...?” Arlette started.

Alexia let out a breath,

”Arlette, Blood Alchemy is not a forbidden act. In fact, I’m sure the kingdom will welcome more people capable of it. How else would we combat creatures whose very existence is tied to blood if we are unable to manipulate it ourselves?

This is not a witch hunt. It’s not some insidious investigation. I simply have a hunch that you have the skills I need. Do you?”

For a full minute, the two ladies just stared at each other and then Arlette let out a sigh.

”Rudimentary skills are all I have. I’m likely to waste the limited ingredients you have,” she said.

”The only ingredient here that’s limited is the blood in that arm and if you ’waste’ it all, I’ll simply do without the serum.

But I’m sure you won’t do that. I’m sure you have more skills than you give yourself credit for.

So... will you help me?”

Arlette let out a sigh.

”Fine,” she eventually said,

”I’ll try my best.”