VRMMORPG: Rise Of The Blood Paragon

The lady was dressed in an orange gown with black stripes and a belt dividing it in the middle, just like the ladies he had encountered the first time he entered this world.

Lionel's heart thumped in his chest as he saw the maid entering. His head quickly snapped back to look at Allison, but surprisingly, she was nowhere to be found.

"Ah… that's great…" he muttered, and then the maid stopped in front of him.

She knelt on the floor and said,

"Your Highness, the king requests for you."

"The king requests for me? Is that why you entered without knocking? What if I was changing?" Lionel shouted, feigning anger masked with surprise.

The maid's next action caught him off guard.

"I… I… I didn't think before opening the door. I'm very sorry, Your Highness," the maid stuttered, bowing her head deeply.

'Strange,' Lionel thought. 'The maids in the palace seem to have respect for him, so how was he treated before? Is it only the king who has the right to treat him the way he pleases?'

Initially, he had assumed the maid's lack of decorum stemmed from disdain for the prince, but her submissive reaction after being reprimanded contradicted that suspicion.

The maid remained kneeling, with no intention of leaving. Lionel asked, "Aren't you going to leave?"

"After you, Your Highness," she replied.

"Is it urgent?" he pressed.

"Yes, Your Highness. The king requests to see you immediately."

"Oh… okay, let's go then," Lionel said and turned to look behind him, where Allison was supposed to be, but wasn't.

'Go ahead. I'll follow behind you,' Allison's voice sounded in Lionel's ears.

'Telepathy?' he questioned in his mind.

'Yes,' she responded.

'I thought you said your powers were exhausted and you couldn't use them.'

'Not all. Simple skills like this are still manageable. The king wanted me to use my Arcane Eyes on you, but I can't because I used one of my higher abilities earlier.'

'The one you used to lock my powers, right?' Lionel asked.

'Yes.'

'Why did you lock them?'

'Face forward. The direction is changing; the maid isn't taking you to meet the king,' Allison said.

'Where is she taking me, then?' Lionel asked.

'I don't know.'

"Huh?" he muttered out loud, his face contorted with confusion.

Lionel continued following the maid as she turned the hall. Finally, she stood in front of a door. The door opened, and the maid entered, with Lionel following behind.

The room was bright. On the floor, atop a short table, was a feast of food. Lionel looked around the room and, turning to the far end, saw the man he had seen at the king's right hand.

"Cedric?" he muttered.

'What does this guy want from me?' Lionel thought.

"You must be wondering why I've called. It's nothing serious," Cedric said, standing up from his chair and moving closer to the short table on the floor. He sat in front of it, legs crossed, as he looked at Lionel.

"It's something serious, I suppose, with how you used the king's name to get me to come. Do we have a previous feud?" Lionel asked, scratching his head.

'What the hell are you asking him that for? Do you want him to notice something odd about you?' Allison's scream rang in his ears.

Lionel's head snapped to the side as he listened to Cedric's response.

"I suppose not, Your Highness. We have no feud, I believe, unless you say so?"

"No, I was just being cautious. So, what have you called me for, then?" Lionel asked, still standing.

"Why don't you sit first? Then we'll discuss," Cedric said.

"Ah… yes, that's true," Lionel said, then sat cross-legged on the floor. The table only reached his stomach.

He looked over the feast before him—chicken barbecue, rice, soup, fish, and other dishes he could ask for.

'Why has he prepared such a spread?' Lionel thought, staring at the food and keeping his eyes away from Cedric.

"I prepared this for you because I know it's hard to get such things in the palace," Cedric said. "You're limited to blood from slaves—stale at that—because your fangs have been removed. I thought this might satisfy your human cravings."

"Oh… how considerate," Lionel muttered, his eyes glinting with suspicion.

'He seems polite, but something's off. What do you think, Allison? Could this be dangerous?' Lionel asked telepathically.

'No, Cedric can't kill you yet. If anything, I believe he's only showing how good he can be.'

'What do you mean?' Lionel asked, picking up the chicken barbecue and tearing off a piece with his teeth before dropping it into his mouth.

The chicken melted on his tongue, his mouth salivating as its flavor spread across his palate.

"I knew you'd pick this one," Cedric said.

"Huh?" Lionel muttered, munching on the chicken, his lips glistening with oil.

"Your vampiric instincts draw you toward what was once alive. It's fascinating." Cedric leaned forward slightly. "Although, I may have added something extra to the seasoning—something to help you speak more freely."

Lionel froze, mid-chew. "What do you mean?"

He dropped the chicken on the plate and looked wearily at Cedric.

"A concoction known as Veritas Bloom. It compels honesty in its consumer. Nothing harmful, I assure you," Cedric said with a calm smile.

"What?!" Lionel exclaimed, his hand reaching into his mouth as he tried to retrieve the chicken he had already eaten and likely digested.

'What the fuck?!' Lionel exclaimed in his mind. 'Why didn't you warn me about this? I thought you said nothing was in the food?'

'Ah… yes, nothing harmful,' Allison said.

'What the fuck?! Are you working with him?'

"Why are you so worried? I only added a truth pill, not wolfsbane. You won't die. Be at ease," Cedric said.

"Huh?" Lionel muttered, then asked, "Why did you add a truth pill? What are you trying to find out that you couldn't simply ask me?"

"That is disrespectful!" Lionel flared.

"Sorry, Your Highness, if this came off as disrespectful. I only wish to hear the truth from you and nothing but the truth," Cedric said. "Now, instead of worrying about this, just answer my question and be done with it."

"What…" Lionel muttered, staring at Cedric with contempt in his eyes.

But Cedric didn't bother with Lionel temper as he asked, "So, how about you narrate the events that happened in the forest before you returned to the palace?"

"..." Lionel was...