Chapter 24: Welcome back to Dragon’s castle

Words : 1044 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 24: Welcome back to Dragon’s castle"I hope we meet again, Vacuse Vorrakyn. It would be a shame if you are not the one I would be speaking to in the coming future as heir to heir." Vacuse was dropped off at the Dragon’s castle. He watched as the carriage followed the Vorrakyn’s knights that were waiting, and then he turned to face the castle. The Dragon’s castle was the seat of the Vorrakyn family. It was made with brown stones that glistened as if it was wet. On some of its surface, runes were etched, and they thrummed silently with power. Towers jutted up like dragon horns, their tips flying the flag of the Vorrakyn—a red background with a dark dragon coiled on itself, its mouth opened in a roar. The symbol of the Vorrakyn. "You are late," a voice said. Vacuse turned. "Lyra Vorrakyn." The girl before him wasn’t the timid, desperate girl he knew when they were six. Now, her red eyes were steady as she looked at him. She was dressed in a combination of light armor and court dressing. "Vacuse Vorrakyn. You are back." Vacuse nodded. "The second rite isn’t started yet, right?" She shook her head. "Not yet, but it’ll be today. I have been waiting to see you for the past days, but to think you would come together with the Warbines heir." Vacuse gestured for her to follow as he walked around the castle. The castle had many entrances for different wings and rooms in it. "Tell me, Lyra. Who do you think has the most likely reason to see me dead and actually carried it out?" Lyra stumbled a little, and then she studied him—his torn robe and the way he looked so unkempt. "Assassination attempt?" "Yes," he replied flatly. "It was why I came late." Lyra shook her head. "The first people would be the heirs, but none of us have the connection to pull off an assassination... yet." She flashed a bitter smile. "The Dragon Lord isn’t one to overlook such, especially since all of us have the potential, until we try the pathway, to bound powerful beasts. He absolutely forbade any type of undue power rise among us." Vacuse raised his brows. "Undue?" She shrugged. "He did give some of us chances to get power." She hesitated. "Like your opponent... Amon Vorrakyn." Vacuse went very still. Amon, a bastard like him, was Zephyr’s right-hand man in the previous life. He had the same power as Zephyr, and he was a cold and calculating man. "My opponent?" Lyra nodded as they went into the castle, passing the different rooms. "Yes. Amon... Drenvar took him under his wing after the blood rite." Vacuse snorted coldly. "He wasn’t there when I shared the fruits." "No. He was wounded. Actually, he nearly died because he was the one that fought and killed the most powerful monster during the blood rites. Drenvar rewarded him with a blood fruit later. "And, since I already stepped down from the competition, it seems only the two of you are the real deal. Besides, you were in the faraway land while Amon was here. I’m afraid he already had the popular public opinion." Vacuse shrugged. He understood the game that Drenvar was playing. It was like sending two dogs against each other. He already knew that Vacuse was a vicious one when he killed Zephyr, but still, he wasn’t someone he could just throw away. But in order to counter him, he raised another opponent. Just like he first set Zephyr and Lyra against him. Vacuse put an end to that by chopping off one of the twins’ heads. Lyra continued, her eyes sharp. "The other people that would like to kill you? Well, there are the four Dukes of the West, who should be under the Vorrakyn’s rule. They don’t want the rise of the family, and it’s not the first time they would secretly kill off a talent." Vacuse’s eyes narrowed. ’...ah yes... the four Dukes that have been swallowing our land but now want all of it.....’ Lyra sighed. "The thing is, there are lots of people that might want any of us dead. Even the Emperor won’t mind. After all, he wants the West to get their shit together, even if it meant wiping out the family of one of its founders." They remained in silence as Vacuse led the way. Behind him, Lyra frowned slightly, wondering how he knew where he was going. Finally, Vacuse stopped at a door. It was one of the guest rooms in the wing where almost all of the returning bastards were staying. He turned to her. "I don’t think Drenvar would like this. Some of the children of his vassals were caught in it, and they’re dead." Lyra froze, and her eyes widened. "Well..." Vacuse waved his hand. "Don’t worry. I’m sure Drenvar will take care of it. He must have already learned of it. Tell me, is there anything important in this castle I should know about?" Lyra frowned slightly. "We have an unexpected guest who has come to witness the rite and the welcoming of the new Soulbearer of the Vorrakyn family." "Who?" "Duke Frexon Sevrix." Vacuse nodded. "You can go now. I wish you the best of luck in your second rite." Then he opened the door and went in. He had barely closed the door when the barely noticeable sound of metal in the air reached him. Vacuse calmly stretched his hand forward and caught the dagger out of the air as easily as plucking a fruit. "Is this how you welcome the heir to the Dragon family?" A cold snort followed. "You are a bastard like me, Vacuse Vorrakyn. The kin killer." Vacuse watched the person in front of him. "Seems you haven’t been idle these past years, Kagerou." "I thought you were dead. The brat that told me to serve him." He wore a dark cloak, and he stood in the deep corner as if he didn’t want the light to touch him. Vacuse smiled. "I am back now, Kagerou. You don’t forget, do you? My subordinate. I think I’ll be needing your skills soon. Especially after the second rite."

Chapter 24: Welcome back to Dragon’s castle

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