Chapter 5: Blood Tower (4)

“So this is the Magical Nation…”

I looked around, genuinely amazed.

‘Is this really part of the same world…?’

I’d heard on the airship that this nation’s advancements put the Empire to shame, but seeing it in person was beyond imagination.

The level of technology here would be unfathomable even in the modern world.

An airship that flies at insane speeds with barely any noise was already wild, and they called it outdated—that alone tipped me off.

‘This is unreal…’

I swallowed hard.

How should I put it… there were just too many things sparking my curiosity.

Caught up in my excitement, I was looking around like a kid when I suddenly noticed the self-proclaimed blood mages staring at me, and I jolted.

‘I need to watch how I act…’

Even if a thousand years have passed and everything’s fascinating, I’m supposed to be some mysterious big shot, so I can’t keep acting like an idiot.

“Ahem…”

I cleared my throat, trying to brush off the embarrassment.

Lingering on it would only make me look weirder.

Acting like nothing happened, I turned to the man guiding me and asked.

“What was it… the Crimson Tower? Hurry up and show me where it is.”

“No worries! We’re already here!”

“…Huh?”

Here?

I looked around again.

‘Isn’t this just a street?’

It was impressive, no doubt.

The streets were so advanced, they didn’t even resemble the medieval fantasy world of my past. People zipped around in personal vehicles.

Flying through the sky was standard, and the clothes locals wore looked like futuristic designs straight out of sci-fi stories from my old world.

But…

‘It’s just a normal street.’

No matter how I looked at it, it was just a street—where’s the tower? I was about to ask when—

• …Identity confirmed.

A loud mechanical voice echoed, and my vision warped.

‘What the…’

It felt like space itself twisted, and my body was pulled along with it.

How many times are they gonna shock me?

The street scenery vanished, and before I knew it, I was inside a building.

Countless mages rushed around with research materials, the place brimming with the vibe of a tower from my time.

“We’re here,” the blood mage beside me said, pointing with a proud grin.

“This is the Crimson Tower!”

A distant nation that would’ve taken months by carriage.

A tower that’s supposedly hard to even enter.

And I got here in just four hours since waking up.

‘Thank goodness…’

The man genuinely thought so.

The Crimson Tower was the least popular and lowest-performing tower in the Magical Nation.

Naturally, it was dirt poor compared to the others.

‘Other towers use mana pattern recognition systems, so why are we stuck with…’

The mana pattern recognition system! It’s basically the bare minimum for tower entry.

It scans your mana pattern, confirms you’re a tower mage, and whisks you inside instantly.

It’s so fast you’re basically in the moment you arrive.

For mages, every second of waiting is like losing blood, so it’s a must-have system.

But the Crimson Tower was different.

They didn’t have the funds for it, so they still relied on people to manage entry.

They’d spent what little money they had on a flashy feature to project the outside of the tower, probably to look less pathetic, but they’d have been better off saving for a permanent entry system.

‘Bunch of old geezers obsessed with appearances.’

They say style’s as important as skill in blood magic, but he couldn’t wrap his head around it.

Bunch of lunatics, if you ask him.

But…

“Hm.”

The man thought to himself.

She’s acting all calm, but you can tell the Tower Master’s intrigued by everything here, and it just makes you smile.

What mage wouldn’t be thrilled to see the Tower Master, a near-divine figure, taking an interest in their home?

She’s trying to hide it, but you can see she’s enjoying herself.

Unable to hold back, the man cautiously asked.

“Uh… Lord Tepes?”

“What is it?”

“What do you think of the Crimson Tower?”

Tepes paused, lost in thought.

The man, expecting a quick answer, broke into a cold sweat at the unexpected silence.

‘…Did I read her wrong?’

Just as he started to worry his guess was off, the girl, who’d been quietly rubbing her chin, answered casually.

“Scent.”

“Huh?”

“This place has a nice scent. It’s only natural, with so many who wield blood gathered here. I like it.”

Whoa, scent?

The man tilted his head.

The Crimson Tower might reek of blood at best, but fragrant? Not really.

Still, it didn’t matter.

‘If she likes it, that’s that…’

She says it smells nice.

Good enough.

With a pleased expression, the man started explaining the Crimson Tower.

Most of it was useless info, but Tepes listened intently as they walked through the streets.

Still…

‘Why do I feel so many eyes on me…?’

Sure, people might naturally stare at them chatting in the tower, but weren’t there a few too many eyes?

Tepes briefly considered it but decided to ignore the stares.

It’s not like she could threaten everyone to stop looking.

Better to just let it slide.

Besides…

‘I’m bound to draw attention.’

Tepes knew her appearance was striking.

Vampires, called nobles of the night, are unrivaled in looks.

And as a True Ancestor, the pinnacle of vampires, this girl’s beauty was bound to turn heads.

Nodding to herself, satisfied with her reasoning, Tepes didn’t notice a man rushing toward them from the elevator.

“Hey, Lazark! Big trouble! It’s huge!”

“Huh? What?”

Panting heavily, the man caught his breath, straightened up, and said.

“The elders want you to bring Lord Tepes to the Council!”

“What?”

The Council?

“Why?”

“Idiot, obviously to make Lord Tepes the Tower Master! What, your brain not working?”

Lazark tilted his head, confused.

“Wasn’t Lord Tepes already the Tower Master?”

Didn’t they agree to that already?

The man gave him a look like he was staring at a moron.

“Ugh, you dumbass.”

Lazark didn’t get why he was being insulted.

Not even as they headed up to deliver Tepes.

Suddenly, some elders wanted to see me urgently, and I wondered what was up.

Those kids probably told them about me… and they reacted so strongly to the mention of Count Vladimir.

Maybe someone remembers me and called me in suspecting something.

Since I was found deep under Bayern Cemetery, where my mansion used to be, they might think I’m tied to Count Vladimir.

If they asked about the Count, I was ready to admit I’m him.

It’s been a thousand years, so it should be fine.

But…

“Will you be our Tower Master?”

My expectations shattered.

The elders hit me with that question the moment they saw me.

‘Out of nowhere?’

I couldn’t wrap my head around it.

A tower this massive not having a master was hard enough to believe, but asking an outsider like me to take the role? It made no sense.

‘Do they even know who I am…?’

They’ve never seen me use my powers, let alone know my identity, and they’re asking me to be Tower Master. Of course it didn’t add up.

So, there was only one response I could give.

“No thanks.”

A flat refusal.

My bold declaration was met with dead silence in the Council chamber.