Chapter 820: Expectations Versus Reality [Part 1]
After returning to his Manor, Godfrey sat on his balcony and contemplated everything that had happened in the past few hours.
He had been living his life following the same monotonous routine over and over again, and frankly, this sudden change caught him completely by surprise.
'How long has it been since I last left the city?' Godfrey thought as he stared at the sprawling city from his balcony. 'A decade or two perhaps.'
He had traveled to a lot of places hundreds of years ago. Back then, his instincts were sharp, and getting even sharper as he continuously experienced life-and-death battles.
Well, technically, although those battles had been difficult, there wasn't really any chance of him dying.
Aside from his regeneration ability, his father had given the Demigod a special artifact that would immediately teleport him to his son's side in the case that the latter was about to receive a killing blow or was about to die.
Because of this, Godfrey moved unhindered in Midgard, fearlessly facing off against humans, monsters, and other powerful beings that would make any mortal tremble the moment they laid their eyes on them.
One of such beings was the Progenitor of Magic, Hecate.
When he saw her, he wasn't only mesmerized by her beauty, but he also felt true death.
He knew then and there that he was staring at someone who could really kill him if she wished to do it.
So when he left World's End after his long search for the whereabouts of Princess Ramona, he thought that he would never return to such a place again.
But it seemed that Fate had other plans for him.
"Hah… this is quite a dilemma," Godfrey muttered. "Why are all the good women making things difficult for me?"
During his long life, he had once thought of finding a few girls to marry and form a family with.
Princess Ramona was one of the candidates he had chosen to become his First Wife, so he traveled to the Magdar Kingdom only to see her.
But her fate left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth.
So he tossed the idea of looking for a wife and simply partook in the pleasures of blood and flesh without committing to anything.
And now, hundreds of years later, he saw another young lady whom he found an incredible attraction to.
It was as if he was a moth being lured to a flame, and because of it, he got burned pretty badly.
The pain on his face was slowly getting duller, and he could tell that his regeneration ability was slowly but surely coming back to him.
But despite the injuries he received healing, they were healing at a snail's pace, a stark contrast with how it used to be.
'But this might also be a blessing in disguise,' Godfrey mused. 'Leaving the city and going off on an adventure with a beautiful lady is a good change of pace. Although I don't know why she wanted to see Hecate, I am confident that I can get closer to her during the journey.'
Of course, there was one more thing that Godfrey was dying to try, and that was to drink Ethel's blood.
The fragrance her body exuded was intoxicating, which meant that her bloodline was powerful.
Incredibly powerful.
'Oh, how much I would pay for a taste.' Godfrey subconsciously licked his lips in anticipation of the opportunity to sink his fangs into the young lady's delicate neck as his hands groped her tender breast while he made love to her.
He was certain that the feeling of conquest would leave him breathless. In the end, Godfrey had decided to make Ethel his, whether through seduction, temptation, or the allure of immortality.
The Vampire Lord's desire to search for a partner was rekindled as the injuries on his handsome face were finally healed.
Glancing at the city one last time, Godfrey stood up from his favorite chair and walked back inside his manor.
He still had to pack his clothes, bid his acquaintances goodbye, and meet the young beauty in the morning to set off on a journey towards World's End.
'A brand new adventure awaits,' Godfrey thought with a smile. 'I can't wait.'
***
The next day…
Godfrey went to see the King of the Milesians to tell him that he would be leaving the city for an indefinite period of time.
It had been a tradition among the Milesians to pass any information about Godfrey to the King who would inherit the throne.
Simply put, the current king, Eugene Kane Miles, knew that the man standing before him was a Vampire Lord who had been alive for hundreds of years.
In the eyes of the Kings of the Milesians, Godfrey was similar to a Guardian Protector living in their kingdom as a Duke who got along well with the Royal Family.
Godfrey had never intervened with court politics and was content in flirting with the women in the capital city of Cashel.
The only times when there had been a conflict of interest was when the Princes of the Kingdom fancied a lady that Godfrey also fancied.
This was similar to Prince Isaac's case, where he found Lady Ethel very charming but had to contend with Godfrey for her attention.
"I heard from my son that you are going to accompany a young lady on her journey," King Eugene said with a smile. "Although I haven't seen her personally, she must be an exceptional lady to have both your and Isaac's attention."
"That, she is, but more," Godfrey replied. "She is truly a fascinating individual."
"Since you have already decided to go, feel free to take whatever you need from the warehouse," King Eugene said. "Wine and food, as well as anything else you need. It's the least I can do for the past hundreds of year's you kept the city safe."
The Vampire Lord smiled faintly because he knew that the King was just teasing him.
While he did keep the city "safe," there were things that the Royal Family had decided to turn a blind eye to, including the activities of the Blood Fangs.