Chapter 3781: Hiccups (Part 2) Lith was about to say it was nothing much, when Lark’s glare nailed him. “You’re welcome.” “Glad you’ve learned your lesson.” The Count chuckled. “And thank you, Solus. Thank you for all the help you’ve given my family for all these years.” Lark walked up to the flabbergasted Solus, took her hand in his, and kissed it. “Well, this is our goodbye, so goodbye.” Just like he had come, the consciousness of Trequill Lark disappeared from the soul of Varegrave, leaving a deep hole behind. As Lark’s host, Varegrave knew how much the old Count missed his children and how worried he was for them. Varegrave knew Lark’s many regrets for the too many things he had left unspoken, thinking he had lots of time left to live. ‘With all due respect, My Liege, I ask you to return to the Verhen Mansion immediately.’ Varegrave said. ‘I’ve been given a third chance tonight and I don’t want to waste it.’ *** Jiera continent, ruined city of Talgor, at the same time. Sylpha had kept her word, and when the Sealed Space spell had been lifted, nothing of Orpal’s real body remained but Night’s black and red crystal. He could heal from deadly wounds in a matter of seconds, but even several minutes after the massacre, he still looked like a giant mana crystal come to life. ‘Well, you got your ass kicked from top to bottom, but the mission was a resounding success.’ Night said. ‘You have gained priceless experience by fighting against the Madly Talented Queen and have weeded out all those who were going to pose a threat to our plan in the immediate future.’ ‘Thanks, but there have been a couple of minor hiccups.’ Orpal snarled, in part due to disappointment and mostly because of the pain from his injuries. ‘Kazam wasn’t supposed to die. ‘That arrogant prick was supposed to have his ass kicked by Leech, possibly after succeeding in his mission. Once he returned home with his scaly tail between his legs, he was supposed to understand the error of his ways. ‘To learn his place and realize he is nothing without our protection. He was supposed to teach us the secrets of Fire Soul and save us the countless hours of training we now need to discover how to trigger and then master my third bloodline ability.’ Orpal’s skin prickled so bad as it formed above the crystal spikes that he gritted his teeth to stop himself from scratching it. ‘I have no clue what could have gone wrong with the strike team at the Lark Household. Kazam was in charge. We gave him dozens of Upyrs to cover his back and ordered them to hold Leech back at all costs. ‘No one but him has the strength to kill someone as smart as Kazam, and the scouts reported to us that Leech never got inside the Mansion before Kazam’s communication rune disappeared. Any ideas?’ ‘None.’ Night couldn’t find any flaw in the plan, mostly because it was her creature as much as Orpal’s. ‘Still, it was a good plan and, as you said, it’s but a minor hiccup. Fire Soul is within you and all Upyrs. ‘One of you just needs to learn how to trigger it and share the knowledge with the others. Kazam’s death should have humbled everyone enough not to keep secrets from us. ‘Aside from that and the fiasco with the Distars, everything else went exactly as we wanted.’ Orpal and Night had played on their ill reputation for being stubborn to the point of stupidity to achieve their goals. They no longer cared for those who had received the fake Balkor cards years ago. Completing Orpal’s old scheme was just the pretext to deploy massive contingents of fully transformed Upyrs against powerful opponents. Killing Lith’s friends was just the icing on the cake, never the objective. The success or failure of the three missions was marked by who among the Upyrs died while carrying them out. Orpal hated Vastor, but after fighting with the old Professor, Orpal knew that Zogar Vastor was more than the short, fat man he pretended to be. More than even the fabled Highmaster who had defeated Night with her best weapon in front of many witnesses effortlessly. ‘If we couldn’t defeat Vastor, there is no way a bunch of ungrateful Upyrs still wet behind their ears can touch the old man.’ Orpal thought, his crystal face creasing and revealing his newly reformed teeth. ‘On top of that, I heard the reports of the Undead Courts about their failed attempts to kill him. I know that Tezka the Suneater stalks his children. I sent raiding the Vastor Household only those I couldn’t trust to keep them by my side anymore. ‘Those who were ready to betray or abandon me the moment they obtained what they wanted. I can’t be the one killing my so-called followers as soon as they complete their transformation into Upyrs. ‘If I did, no one would join my ranks after understanding that only eternal servitude or death awaits them. ‘Yet it’s not my fault if something bad happens to them while they are deployed on the battlefield. After all, everyone knows my goals and that if they don’t help me achieve them, I have no obligation to bestow my blood upon them. ‘I used those traitorous bastards to give the old fart a scare and the old fart to get rid of the traitorous bastards. He killed them all, just like I expected.’ The smile on his face only widened as he thought about the “assault” on the White Griffon. ‘What my enemy surely will dismiss as another stupid mistake on my part was actually a stroke of genius. I sent my favorites to the White Griffon Academy, those I wanted to make sure would return to me alive. ‘With the powerful arrays of the academy, my Upyrs had no way to get in, hence the forest offered them a perfect cover and so many escape routes that the Kingdom couldn’t cover them all. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮 ‘By battling against the Headmaster and the Professors of the White Griffon, my Upyrs have gained invaluable battle experience. They have put their new bodies and bloodline abilities to the test. They have stood their ground against arrays worthy of the Royal Palace. ‘They’ll come back to me stronger, more skilled, and, most importantly, humbler. Those Upyrs have realized how lacking they are and how desperately they need me to survive. That without my leadership, they are less than nothing.’ Orpal’s expression soured thinking at the second hiccup, and the only unexpected failure that had spoiled his otherwise perfect plan. ‘I wasn’t sure Kazam would kill the Larks, but I had considered the possibility he could die. Losing him didn’t affect my long-term plans. The real issue is my defeat at the hands of the old hag Sylpha. ‘I added the Distar sow to the attack because I needed an overwhelming victory. I’ve racked up too many defeats, and my reputation is in shambles. On the one hand, it’s good because it makes my enemies underestimate me, as it happened today. ‘On the Other hand, however, it impacts my recruitment process badly. Only the dregs of the four races come knocking at my door, and while they are still useful as cannon fodder, I can’t win a war with an army of dregs.