Chapter 278: One Month Apart

Victor finished saying goodbye in the simplest way possible.

First, he pulled Scarlet by the waist and kissed her mouth for a long moment, ignoring the way her ears perked up at the same instant. When he pulled away, she still kept hold of the front of his shirt as if she were seriously considering the possibility of stopping that trip purely out of stubbornness.

"Don’t take too long." Scarlet murmured as she adjusted her posture and tried to pretend the kiss had not affected her as much as it actually had.

Victor only smiled before turning toward Carmilla.

She was already waiting.

Carmilla lifted her face when Victor approached and accepted the kiss without any resistance, placing one hand on his chest as she enjoyed those few seconds. When he pulled away, she still slowly ran her thumb over the corner of his mouth.

"Come back in one piece." Carmilla asked while keeping her red eyes fixed on his.

"I’ll try." Victor replied as he lightly touched her waist before stepping away.

Serafall came last.

Victor did not stand on ceremony. He held her face with one hand and kissed her mouth, drawing a small surprise from the Vampire, who had clearly been expecting only a hug before his departure. Even so, Serafall returned the kiss without complaint and, when Victor finally pulled away, she looked at him with a slightly suspicious expression.

"You’re being very affectionate." Serafall commented while crossing her arms, although the small smile on her face contradicted any real complaint.

"I’m going to be away for a while." Victor replied as he picked up the coat he had left on the sofa. "They approved my departure from the continent for a month, so I’m going to travel around until I reach the Eastern Realm."

Serafall blinked.

Then looked him up and down.

"Do you know how to get to the Eastern Realm?" Serafall asked while tilting her head slightly, already suspecting the answer.

Victor stopped with one arm inside the sleeve of his coat.

"More or less." He replied while averting his eyes for a moment.

Serafall narrowed her eyes.

"More or less how?" She insisted while uncrossing her arms.

Victor finished putting on the coat.

"I was going to figure that out later." He murmured as he adjusted the collar.

The silence that followed made Scarlet turn her face away to hide a laugh.

Carmilla also had to lower her eyes.

Serafall simply stared at her son.

"Victor." She called as she took a deep breath.

"Hm?" Victor replied as naturally as possible.

"You were about to leave the continent without knowing how to get to the place you’re going." Serafall said slowly while bringing one hand to her face.

Victor thought for two seconds.

"When you say it like that, it sounds irresponsible." He replied while placing his hands in his pockets.

"Because it is irresponsible." Serafall shot back as she walked to a small nearby table.

She opened one of the drawers and took out a map folded several times. Then she returned to Victor and pressed the paper against his chest.

"Take it." Serafall ordered while waiting until he held the map before letting go.

Victor partially opened it.

It was much more detailed than any simple map he had seen until then. There were land routes, ports, mountain ranges, regions marked as dangerous and even some handwritten notes along the margins.

"You already had this prepared?" Victor asked while examining a red line that headed east.

"I know you." Serafall replied while letting out a tired sigh. "I knew there was a huge chance you would simply start walking and assume you’d eventually get there."

Victor looked up.

"Eventually I would." He replied as he folded the map again.

Scarlet could not hold back her laughter.

Carmilla smiled too.

Serafall ignored both of them.

"First go to the border." Serafall explained while pointing to a region marked on the map. "There are several Wyverns living near the mountains. Tame one."

Victor raised an eyebrow.

"Tame a Wyvern?" He asked while looking at the map again.

"Yes." Serafall replied while pointing at him as if she were explaining something obvious. "It will be much easier to get around by flying than by using a horse."

Victor thought for a moment.

"I could run." He suggested while putting the map inside his coat.

Serafall stared at him.

"You could." She replied while slowly nodding. "If you want to spend approximately three weeks running to another continent."

Victor fell silent.

Scarlet started laughing for real.

Carmilla brought one hand to her mouth.

Serafall finally smiled.

"That’s what I thought." She commented as she walked back to the table.

Victor made a small grimace.

"I really need to start studying geography better." He murmured while looking down at his boots.

"That would be an excellent start." Serafall replied as she took something else from the drawer.

This time she returned with a small leather pouch and tossed it to him.

Victor caught it in the air.

The pouch made a metallic sound.

He opened it and found several coins inside.

"Money?" Victor asked while weighing the pouch in his hand.

"Coins accepted in most of the regions you’ll pass through." Serafall explained while crossing her arms again. "It’s your first time actually traveling alone outside of here. Use it responsibly."

Victor looked at her.

"You’re giving me travel money as if I were twelve." He commented while putting the pouch away.

"Because you were about to leave without a map, transportation or money." Serafall replied while raising an eyebrow.

Victor remained without an answer for a few seconds.

"Point taken." He admitted as he adjusted his coat again.

Serafall approached once more and quickly held his arm.

"And go already before I start thinking too much and decide you shouldn’t leave." Serafall said while lightly tightening her fingers.

Victor realized she was only half joking.

"I’ll come back." He replied as he placed his hand over hers.

Serafall nodded and finally let go.

Victor looked at Scarlet and Carmilla.

The two were still near the sofa, watching the preparations.

He opened the map again just enough to confirm the first direction.

"Well, I’ll be back in a month." Victor said as he folded the paper and put it away again. "Please, miss me."

Scarlet huffed.

Carmilla smiled.

Serafall shook her head.

Victor turned around before any of them could come up with a proper response and began walking toward the exit.

"Victor." Scarlet called while watching his back.

He raised one hand without turning around.

"I know." Victor replied while continuing to walk, even though he had no idea what she was going to say.

"You don’t even know what I was going to say!" Scarlet complained while her tails moved behind her.

Victor let out a laugh.

"Love you too." He replied before walking through the door.

Scarlet stood still.

Carmilla looked at her.

Serafall tried to hide her smile.

"Bastard." Scarlet murmured while crossing her arms and watching the door close.

Silence remained for a few seconds after Victor left.

Carmilla continued looking at the entrance for a little longer before lowering her eyes to her own hand.

"It’s good for him to stay away for some time." Carmilla commented as she slowly opened and closed her fingers.

Scarlet immediately turned.

"What do you mean?" She asked while her ears perked up.

Carmilla did not answer immediately.

Her skin looked different.

It was still pale, as was natural for a Vampire, but it no longer had that overly pale appearance she had carried since Victor found her. Her presence was also denser. Not explosive, but stable, as if an enormous amount of strength were finally beginning to return to where it belonged.

"I’ve recovered approximately ninety percent of my power." Carmilla explained while closing her fist. "All thanks to his blood."

Serafall immediately became more attentive.

"Ninety percent?" Serafall asked while analyzing her aura more carefully.

Carmilla nodded.

"My body is practically restored." She replied as a small layer of red energy appeared around her fingers. "There are still some limitations, but I’ve already returned to the Genesis level."

Scarlet observed Carmilla with obvious surprise.

Serafall, on the other hand, looked satisfied.

"That’s very fast." Serafall commented while taking a few steps closer. "It’s good to know you’ve already reached Genesis again, but don’t force your recovery."

Carmilla looked up.

"I know." She replied as she made the energy disappear. "I’m not going to destroy my body trying to recover everything in a few days."

Serafall nodded.

"Especially because your power is returning through a source different from the original one." She explained while observing Carmilla’s blood flow. "Victor’s blood may be accelerating your recovery, but your body still needs to adapt."

Carmilla agreed without arguing.

Scarlet then raised one hand.

"Mine has already returned completely." Scarlet commented while looking at her own fingers.

Carmilla turned toward her.

"Completely?" She asked while observing the fox more carefully.

Scarlet nodded.

"Everything I had before." She replied as a small amount of energy began circulating around her tails. "Now I want to focus on training."

Serafall looked interested.

"Genesis?" She asked while her eyes followed the energy.

"That’s the goal." Scarlet replied while closing her hand. "I’m already tired of depending only on what I’ve recovered. I want to actually become stronger."

Carmilla smiled faintly.

"Looks like we’re thinking the same thing." She commented as she stood from the armchair.

Scarlet looked at her.

Carmilla walked over to the window and looked at the path where Victor had disappeared.

"I want to surpass Genesis before he comes back." Carmilla said while keeping her arms crossed.

Serafall raised an eyebrow.

"In one month?" She asked while evaluating the idea.

Carmilla turned her face slightly.

"I’m going to try." She replied as her expression became more serious. "I’m tired of being trapped in this house like a prisoner just because I can’t allow Vlad to discover that I’m alive."

Serafall remained quiet.

Carmilla continued looking outside.

"I spent too long sealed away." She explained while lightly tightening her fingers against her own arm. "Now that I finally have my body back, I don’t want to keep hiding because I still don’t have enough strength to deal with the consequences."

Scarlet understood that very well.

Serafall did too.

"Then get stronger." Serafall replied while crossing her arms again. "Because now, more than ever, we need truly powerful people on our side."

Carmilla turned toward her.

"Because of the werewolves?" She asked while immediately realizing the reason.

Serafall nodded.

"Because of them, the witches and whatever else is happening behind all this shit." Serafall replied as her face lost some of its previous lightness. "Too many people are moving pieces and we still don’t know who’s controlling the board."

Scarlet clenched her fists.

Carmilla remained silent for a few seconds.

"Then we have one month." Carmilla commented while looking at the door again.

Serafall nodded.

"One month." She replied as a small smile appeared. "Let’s see how much you two can grow before he comes back."

Scarlet smiled.

"Then let’s start today." She replied as her tails rose behind her body.

Carmilla looked at her.

"After lunch." She corrected as she headed toward the kitchen.

Scarlet stared at her.

"Are you serious?" She asked while following Carmilla.

"I just recovered ninety percent of my power." Carmilla replied without slowing down. "That doesn’t mean I’m going to train hungry."

Serafall started laughing as she followed the two of them.

For a few hours, at least, the house would be without Victor.