Book 2 Chapter 18: Unexpected Reaction

Eliza

July 2nd, Earth Time, Palermo, Sicily

With a bit of effort, Eliza managed to carry Saint Georges to the car and drive back to the hotel herself. The knight was lucid when they arrived, but she had to support him to his room. He was not light, but his height made the feat easier: her shoulder arrived exactly under his arm. The knight cried all the way up.

"L-leave it open," he stuttered when she opened the door. "It's n-not proper to c-close the d-door with no chaperone present."

"We're not on the Realm," she said abruptly, slamming the door, and would have continued with some nasty remarks, but remembered she had turned him, and the man was in shock.

"I'm s—"

"Thank you!" he yelled, falling at her feet and wrapping his arms around her legs, his forehead touching her knees. "I cannot express in words the happiness you bestowed upon me."

What? Oh well... he got powers, after all... Maybe he's happy about that... Makes sense, in a way...

"You're not... err... mad about the turning?" she asked. "I think you can get rid of the bond and the class at the first tier, if you wish so."

"Why would I do that?" the knight gasped.

He crawled on all fours to the minibar and drank a beer in one go, looking into nothingness, then downed another one.

"I apologize for my behavior... This is a dream come true," Saint Georges began sobbing, taking his head between his hands.

Eliza went to sit on the bed, patting his shoulder. "Happy I found a fan. Tristan hated it when I turned him. He became a Dark Knight on the first occasion."

"Am I your second thrall, mademoiselle?" Saint Georges asked, looking up at her with tearful eyes.

"Actually, the third. The second died... never mind. It's not a big deal," she decided not to tell Saint Georges how he had turned a man just to kill him moments later.

"I will never betray you, my liege, and will make you proud of me," Saint Georges said, taking her hands into his.

"Please, get up. Go sit on a chair or something; this is weird," Eliza said. "We're big on personal space, on Earth."

"As you command, my liege," the man said, sitting on the closest chair and looking at her with adoring puppy eyes.

"I guess it's time to explain the System to you," she said. "Are you seeing those blue texts?"

"I do, my liege. This is... so easy to understand. Amazing! One couldn't expect less from a Vampire. May I ask what covenant you are from?"

"Sorry?"

"Your ancestry, my liege. The House, as many say. Is it one of the majors? I bet it is," the man said with conviction. "The turning was instantaneous."

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Eliza confessed, convinced the man was hallucinating, still under the shock of becoming a Vampire. "Let me look at your stats; this conversation can wait. I'll send you a message; say you accept to give me Admin rights."

"Your wish is my command," the Knight said.

"Let's see..."

Name: Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint Georges

Age: 40

Class: Vampire Bard and Fencer (multiclass)

Level: 0

Body

Strength: 40

Dexterity: 45

Constitution: 50

Agility: 45

Endurance: 40

Speed: 40

Mind

Intelligence: 35

Wisdom: 18

Perception: 40

Knowledge: 40

Focus: 40

Willpower: 30

Spirit

*Arcane Power: 1

Music Potency: 50

*Mana Affinity: 1

*Mana Capacity: 1

Soul Strength: 10

**Humanity: 41

*Unidentified curse residue detected. The curse had been lifted by the Interface installation.

This story originates from NovelPhoenix. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

*This stat is an insurance against abusing your powers. It will inflict various debuffs if it goes below 20, increasing the debuffs exponentially if you go lower than 10.

Skills:

Passives:

System Interface, Universal Translator, Night Vision

Combat:

Vampire Duelist's Mark: Any sword attack that lands on your opponent's neck will make a second wound, inflicting severe bleeding and life force siphoning.

Nocturnal: Your stats receive a 5% bonus at Night if you're in combat.

Bard's Cheer: Buff your and your friend's performance and stats by 10% when you do music, or in the presence of it. Debuff any enemies present with the same amount.

"Your physical stats are really good for a level zero," Eliza said. "You must've trained a lot."

"And I still do. About two hours of sword practice, and as much on violin or harpsichord."

"Every day?"

"Yes, mademoiselle."

"Strong will. However, your magical... spirit stats are severely lacking. We'll have to put a lot of points in those. Or maybe train them until they grow, and only then invest points."

"I'll grow them by myself," Saint Georges growled. "Then, I'll have my revenge. Please, excuse me, my liege," he shook his head a moment later. "I spoke out of order. My first priority will be to serve you and your house. May I ask which one of the great clans you are a part of?"

"I come from no clan. My name is Eliza de Lavalois, and I come from a normal family. Sorry to disappoint," Eliza shrugged.

"Do you want to share with your humble servant who the Vampire was who turned you, my liege?"

"Who what? Ah! You think I'm a... err... normal Vampire. No one turned me, Joseph."

"I beg your pardon, my liege?"

Here we go again.

"Bear with me, Joseph. I'll tell you a story."

Maybe because she already had the experience with Tristan, or because Saint George was more mature and let her talk without interruption, Eliza succeeded in telling him everything about the Interface in about fifteen minutes.

"This is extraordinary," Saint George said. "What are the chances that an awakening produces a true Vampire?"

"Are you asking me?"

"No, mademoiselle, it was a rhetorical question. The chances are slim. Providence helped both of us. It was fate."

"I guess... It's a neat class."

"Mademoiselle... if I may... We have to register you as quickly as possible. Us... I mean register us. If not, they might think you're a renegade."

"They?"

"The great clans, mademoiselle. The Scottish or the Transylvanian vampires."

"Sorry?"

"You know of them, right?"

"There are other Vampires? I thought the class was a fluke. I never met a Vampire before. Have you?"

"Many, mademoiselle... Many..." Saint Georges sighed.

"Tell me!" Eliza ordered, suddenly interested.

The knight scratched his head. "It's a long story."

"Are you in a hurry? 'Cause I'm not."

"Very well, mademoiselle," Saint Georges bowed his head. "First, do you know about the Freemasons?"

"A bit. Sam is one... sort of. Secret society, stuff."

"The Vampires are something like that, only many times more secretive."

"And they want to control the world?"

"On the contrary, they come mainly from small countries and want their lands to survive the onslaught brought by bigger empires. Take the Transylvanian Vampires, for instance. When the Turks were too powerful, they fought the Turks; when the Austrians became too strong, they fought the Austrians."

"You mean they helped us?"

"That fight was a long time ago. There are two main clans of Vampires: the Scottish and the Transylvanians. The first are more vulnerable, but also more aggressive, and the latter can survive almost anything. Based on the skills I have, we are in the second category. It's for the best; I don't like the Scots."

"Why?

"Scottish Vampires don't siphon health; they siphon skills and Mana, often by beheading their opponent. Often, they fight each other for that, albeit it's forbidden."

"Really? What are they: Highlander?"

"Yes, mademoiselle. Because they are Scottish," the knight said, emphasizing the last word.

"I know my geography, thank you very much. It was a pun about a movie. Never mind. And the others?"

"The most powerful Transylvanian Vampires can leave a fingernail behind, and if they're killed, they regenerate from that nail, or a hair strand, or whatever. They live longer and are wiser."

"And how do you know all this?"

"Allow me to tell you about my past. Although born of a slave, my father encouraged me to study. I did six years as an apprentice to a famous fencer and learned music with a famous composer."

"Mozart?"

"When he first came to Paris, Amadeus was a child. We met again ten years ago, played a bit together, but there was no time for lessons; his mother had just died. Now, I would give a hand to study with him, but he's too famous."

"I know a friend of his; I could put a word in for you?"

"Then my happiness would be doubled. But I digressed. The composer I studied with was Gossec."

"Sorry, never heard of him."

"Good skills, but no genius. Nevertheless, studying with him allowed me to reach a good level. Five years ago, a man hired me as his secretary and bodyguard for a summer. His name was Count Saint Germain. He was one of them."

"A Vampire?"

"Yes. He was turned by Francis Rackozi, the last prince of Transylvania, before the Austrians took over."

"Hm... so... they didn't win, huh?"

"No, but sometimes, putting up a good fight is enough to keep your country going. The count was both a good fencer and a musician, which was the reason he specifically hired me. We became friends very soon. He was a great conversationalist."

"I'll take your word for it. Did Saint Germain tell you that he was a vampire, or did you find out yourself?"

"Both... One night, while we were returning from the Opera, we were ambushed by a renegade vampire, the Chevalier d'Eon." The knight stopped, shivering, a deep frown and grimace of disgust on his face. "He was a double... thing."

"A double... thing?" Eliza asked, refraining from laughing.

"Twins, I guess, who lived in the same body, emerging in turns. The ambush didn't go well for Eon, and the woman replaced the man. She crawled from under his skin, and emerged to the surface, while he sank back."

Saint Georges made a wriggling gesture with his fingers, enough for Eliza to feel a bit frightened. There were too many things she didn't know.

"So, it was one guy with two... personalities, against you two, right?" she asked.

"Yes, and when the woman came out, we were losing. She was the best fencer I ever crossed a blade with."

"You're good, right? I read the wiki... never mind."

"Yes, I'm one of the best fencers in Europe. But that lady, even plump and with a heavy dress, was devilishly good. She was winning over us both."

"How are you still around to tell the tale?"

"She underestimated me and focused on the count. When she went for a killing blow, I jumped in the way, blocking the hit with my body. My left arm was cut to the bone, but I pierced her heart."

"Did she die?"

"Yes, but her twin detached from the body and ran away. The count didn't pursue. I was about to succumb to blood loss, and he decided to save my life. He took me to his hotel and fed me a health potion—"

"Are those for real?" Eliza gasped.

"Saint Germain is one of the few able to make them. After I healed, he told me everything. I was flabbergasted. I found out not only about vampires but also that Eon was a Robespierrian, while Saint Germain was one of the most trusted advisers to the First Consul, Lafayette. It was Saint Germain who introduced me to him, as a reward.

"Because you saved his life, right?"

"Yes. He would have turned me, if possible, but had no more turnings left. But during the few months left before he left for undisclosed business, I was introduced to other Transylvanian Vampires and agreed to take on jobs for them from time to time as an intermediary. They have a private mansion in the middle of Paris, all for themselves."

"Just like that? You said they're secretive."

"I was sworn to secrecy, mademoiselle, and I'm a man of honor. Regardless, if one breaks their trust..."

"They come after him?"

Saint Georges nodded, swallowing a lump. "There's a chain of command and power, and the worse the breach of confidence, the more powerful the Vampire they send. For me, I guess they'll send Rackozi. I'm small fry. Rackozi is Vladislav the Third Dracula's henchman—"

"Dracula? Wow..."

"Many Outworlders say that, but he's not as terrible a Vampire as he was as a prince. However, he was turned by Corvinus, whose progenitor I don't know, and Corvinus also turned Black John Haugwitz. Now that's a scary guy. Their bounty hunter and executioner. He's the main reason we should go and register officially, or we risk being considered rogues."

"Not necessarily," Eliza shrugged. "We're on Earth now. I'm planning on staying here."

"The thing is..." the knight paused, "after the Outworlders came, the Vampires made a portal to Earth for themselves. They don't have only great fighters; they also have great scientists. They use the same mansion and the same city. "

"Figures... Very well. Then, I'll join your road trip, and we'll go to this Paris together."