Chapter 65: "He’s Married, You Perverted Woman!"

Chapter 65: Chapter 65: "He’s Married, You Perverted Woman!"

Lucien walked through the gates of the estate, the Grand Crimson Aegis Array humming invisibly at his back.

He glanced over his shoulder once.

Aurelia stood with arms folded, steady as always as she looked at him, Seraphina gave a small wave. Evelisse trudged toward the house already muttering about "cultivation" like it was a personal insult.

’It will take three or four days atmost,’ he thought. ’They’re protected with artifacts, array, resources and the Deathscape. For once I can actually leave without feeling like the house might collapse the second I turn my back.’

He turned toward the city.

’Alright, Let’s go see what this dungeon’s hiding.’

---

As he walked through the upper district where the estate was located, an old thought resurfaced.

’We still don’t have a surname.’

He turned a few options over in his mind as he walked.

’Sanguine. Crimson. Voss, maybe, since I’ve been using it already.’ But nothing landed right.

’I’ll choose it with them then,’ he decided. ’It’s not something I want to pick alone since it affects all of us.’

’Aethernis is the past and whatever comes next belongs to all of us.’

He let the thought go and hailed a carriage paaing by instead.

"Guild District, sir?" the driver asked.

"Yes."

"That would be Fifty copper."

---

The city rolled past the window, vampires in tailored coats, Oni haggling over prices, beastmen weaving through crowds with tails flicking, merchants of various races, most being demon, mana-lit storefronts glowing against gothic stonework.

Modern conveniences borrowed from the human continent sat comfortably beside centuries-old architecture of the vampires and demons, the whole city a strange and functional marriage of eras.

Then the carriage slowed near a wide plaza, and Lucien’s attention caught on something unusual.

A hundred or so young people stood assembled in loose formation, uniforms sharp white, deep violet, and black, silver trim catching the light, a nine-pointed star insignia stitched over the right chest.

’Nine Star Zenith Academy,’ he remembered the name from the incident at the Moonfire Emporium.

He studied the crowd idly. Humans. Vampires with pale skin and crimson eyes. Oni. Asura, some concealing extra arms beneath tailored sleeves.

Elves and Beastmen of every variety, a rabbit-eared girl mid-conversation, an elf boy standing with easy confidence, a fox-tailed student adjusting her uniform collar.

A handful of others stood apart from the beastmen, their features sharper, wilder and something distinctly different in how they carried themselves, almost completely human.

’Werewolves, maybe, I’ve never actually seen one before even though they are supposed to be rivals to vampires, well the Aethernis family lives on the demon continent so what can I expect.’

Most of the crowd radiated C to A-Rank presence, impressive for people his own age or younger, with a few standing apart and having a denser aura than the others, likely being of higher rank than the rest.

’That’s quite a lineup for a academy, though can’t be sure if they some super academy or something like in those webnovels I used to read back on Earth with nobels and commoners, maybe even a protagonist type character.’

Then his gaze shifted to the five figures standing at the front with them clearly being some sort of academy instructors.

A tall human man, dark-haired, stern, a sword at his hip. A massive red-skinned demon with goat horns curling back on his head. A lion beastman built like a small mountain.

An elegant cat-beastwoman with sharp, knowing eyes and quite the curves, a few male students looking at her. And a silver-haired vampire woman, striking even at a distance, with her somehow feeling different from the vampires he grew used to knowing.

’Huh, wonder what’s that about?’

Lucien tried Appraisal on instinct starting with the Vampire instructor as he was most curious about her.

[Name: ???]

[Race: Vampire ]

[Age: ???]

[Cultivation Rank: ???]

He scanned the rest of the instructor’s but the same came across every field for all of them except for their race, he tried the students too with most of them also bearing the same result and only a few with their ranks visible.

’I can’t read them at all, not even their ranks, must be concealed or they are beyond me, which is most likely since even some of their students are higher than me.’

The vampire instructor’s head turned slightly, as if she’d felt something, but the carriage kept moving, and whatever she’d sensed slid past unclaimed.

’Definitely not people I want paying attention to me,’ Lucien thought, filing the whole scene away. ’Not my business right now, anyway.’

He noticed, briefly, the holden-haired young man from the Emporium standing near the front of the group, and one of the girls beside him whispering something with a faint blush.

’Small world,’ he thought, and let the carriage carry him on.

---

The Guild District came into view a few minutes later, and Lucien paid the driver a silver coin.

"Sir, that’s—"

"Keep it, consider it a tip."

He stepped down as the driver thanked him before driving off.

"LUC!"

He closed his eyes. ’I knew I should’ve stayed home.’

Kael came barreling across the plaza. "You’re late!"

Lucien checked the time. "I’m twelve minutes early."

Kael froze mid-stride. "...That’s irrelevant, since we all are already here."

Rika smacked the back of Kael’s head without breaking stride.

SMACK!

"Stop embarrassing us, you oaf."

"Ow—"

Vex gave Lucien a simple nod. "Good to see you, Luc."

Then, from off to the side

"Yo, glad you made it, Luc."

Lucien turned. Zalor leaned against a support beam and grinning.

"You’re coming?" Lucien asked.

"You thought I’d let you clear an A-Rank dungeon without me?"

"Honestly? Yes."

"Rude, I might have been busy, but there’s no way in hell am I missing out on this new craze, luckily Kael told ne, otherwise I would have been left behind all alone." He said dramatically.

"What are you, some lovestruck maiden, can’t bare us leaving you alone?" Rika side eyed him and asked.

’Okay, five of us, then,’ Lucien thought. ’Better for something A-Rank.’

---

Rika studied him a moment longer than the others, eyes narrowing slightly as she noticed hi better physique.

"You’ve been training," she said.

"A little."

"You’re lying."

Lucien smiled. "A special kind of training."

"What kind?" Kael asked immediately.

"The painful and pleasurable kind."

Kael visibly decided not to pursue that further.

’Didn’t know Luc was some kind of masochist.’ He thought looking at Lucien oddly.

"What are you looking at me like that?"

"No reason!" He said while shaking his head like a rattle.

Vex, quieter, observed him with more precision. "Your movements changed."

"Have they?"

"They’re more efficient and balanced than last time."

Zalor nodded, examining Lucien’s shoulders like he was appraising livestock. "And broader, you look more stronger and intimidating. "

’They are more observant than I expected,’ Lucien thought, keeping his expression neutral.

’Good thing the concealment’s holding up, Beginner C-Rank, and nothing about that reading is going to change no matter how hard they stare, unless someone has a higher ranked scanning skill.’

---

Rika kept looking at him, considering what kind of training he went through and if she could go through it.

Kael suddenly noticed and stepped bodily between them, arms spread covering Lucien like some mother hen protecting its chick.

"HEY!"

"What?" Rika demanded.

"Stop staring at Lucien’s body like some kind of pervert!"

Her face went red instantly. "I was analyzing his physique for combat purposes!"

"He’s married!"

"I KNOW that, you idiot!"

Zalor burst out laughing. Vex sighed and rubbed his temple. "We haven’t even left the city yet."

Kael threw an arm around Lucien’s shoulders protectively. "Don’t worry, buddy. I’ll protect you."

"From Rika?"

"Yes."

Rika walked over.

Smack!!!

Kael clutched the back of his skull. "OW! What was that for?"

"You’re the pervert here," Rika said.

"I was protecting my married friend’s honor!"

"You," Rika said flatly, "who peeked into the women’s bathhouse last week as I bathed, lucky one of the girls spotted you and your stupid grin before it was too late."

Kael froze solid.

Zalor stopped laughing just long enough to start laughing significantly harder.

Vex closed his eyes. "Told you don’t do it,"

"THAT WAS AN ACCIDENT OKAY!" Kael bellowed.

"You tripped three times too when we came out." Rika said.

"...Three?" Lucien asked, genuinely curious now.

"It was impressive, honestly," Zalor said, wiping his eyes.

"IT WAS ONE CONTINUOUS ACCIDENT AFTER HAVING MY HEAD BASHED BY YOU."

"Three separate falls right under me and the other girls is not one accident, Kael."

---

Vex finally cut through the noise. "Can we leave before we’re actually late?"

Rika exhaled. "He’s right, let’s get a move on."

They headed toward the Guild’s expedition lot, where Kael proudly gestured at a reinforced vehicle waiting near the gate.

"Behold," Kael announced. "Our fresh ride."

The Mana Expedition Carriage sat low and sturdy, reinforced plating along its sides, a faint barrier shimmering across its surface, a monster-deterrent array humming quietly at the corners. It was mainly black in color with hints of silver.

"It’s a carriage," Lucien said.

"A beautiful carriage."

"Ignore him," Vex said.

---

They ran final checks before departure, Rika confirming potions, food, rope, lighting crystals, maps, and communication crystals. Vex inspected weapons. Zalor checked armor seals. Kael, predictably, checked his snack supply.

Lucien quietly ran through his own gear one more time, just in case.

Rika noticed. "You’re surprisingly thorough."

"I’ve learned preparation is cheaper than funerals," he said.

Everyone went quiet for a beat.

"...That’s actually a really good point," Kael admitted before starting to check his own stuff.

---

Before boarding, Rika projected the official Guild report from her phone, of the latest model and an updated report at that.

[Bloodmoon Ruins]

[Classification: A-Rank]

[Recommended Entry: C-Rank Party or higher]

[Location: Bloodmoon Wilds Outer Ring — ~10 hours by Mana Expedition Carriage.]

[Structure: Multi-floor descent, estimated 20 floors, each floor having stronger monsters, starts at C Rank.]

"Each floor’s got its own ecosystem," Rika explained. "Difficulty scales with depth and one dominant species per floor."

[Boss Floors: 5, 10, 15, 20 (Guaranteed Treasure Chest per Boss)]

Kael grinned. "Four guaranteed treasure chests. Four!"

"That’s why the whole Guild’s excited," Rika said. "New dungeon, undiscovered loot, and multiple boss fights instead of just one, each giving treasure chests."

[Known Monsters: Blood Bats, Crimson Wolves, Blood Slimes, Blood Golems, Crimson Wraiths, Bloodhorn Beasts, Assorted Mutated Blood-Type Creatures.]

[Resources: Blood Mana Crystals, Blood Crystals, Blood-Type Materials, Rare Medicinal Ingredients, etc]

Zalor whistled. "Sounds really profitable."

"That’s exactly why everyone wants in," Rika said.

"And why we shouldn’t underestimate it," Vex added, more serious.

---

Lucien barely registered the rest of the briefing.

’Blood-based monsters and an entire dungeon of them.’

His mind raced through the implications, Crimson Wolves, Blood Golems, Bloodhorn Beasts, dozens of species nobody had even properly catalogued yet.

’Every single one is a potential new trait, and Blood Mana Crystals on top of that, they’re probably useful for cultivation too like normal mana crystals.’

His fingers curled slightly at his side.

’This might genuinely be the best possible environment for my Talent, I’ll gain a ridiculous amount of blood related traits, which will synergize well with my fighting style since bloods my main weapon.’ He thought smiling and excited.

Rika glanced over, catching his expression. "What’s so funny?"

"Nothing," Lucien said, smiling.

"Just looking forward to this one."

---

The carriage lurched into motion, the city gradually shrinking behind them.

Lucien settled into his seat, one hand resting against the arm rests.

’Cultivation hidden, blood reserves full, the Wives protected and our enemies likely watching me.’

’And somewhere ahead, a dungeon full of blood I’ve never tasted, from monsters I’ve never fought, all waiting to be eaten.’

His smile widened slightly as he licked his lips, making Kael look at him weirdly even more.

’Let’s see what an A-Rank dungeon actually has to offer.’

The carriage rolled on, the city vanishing, as its walls grew smaller and smaller in the distance.