vampire are vampire.

In the month of June, the restless beast, the uncontrollable magic, and the ominous red moon converged, creating a sense of profound fear among ordinary beings. Though the prominent figures, magicians, and officials referred to this month as the Crimson Moon or the Month of Magic, the common folk often called it the Month of Calamity.

On this day, Valered was preparing to take action, to embark on an adventure. It was both a means to enhance his power and to break the monotony of his somewhat dull existence. Although he was not a grand sorcerer, to speak frankly, this young master, born with an innate affinity for magic, had accumulated a formidable amount of magical power, reaching a level that even surpassed that of many great magicians, at least in terms of sheer strength.

After years of careful observation, he had come to grasp the secrets of this month and the mysteries of the red moon. As an exceptional psychic, or, according to this world's terminology, an outstanding battle mage, Valered knew how to navigate this storm with ease. Much like the most skilled sailors who understand the tides, monsoons, and ocean currents.

Although living in a society ruled by vampiric nobility, a tightly-knit community of mutual love and respect, this did not allow Valered to be idle, a mere parasite.

For he was a vampire noble, and the heir to a prestigious noble family. This status meant that at the age of sixteen, he would have to join the military and fight as a soldier, striving to expand the kingdom and protect the family's lands.

On the battlefield, swords and knives are blind, and the enemy does not care for one's title. Valered's biological father, the previous count of the Castane family, had fallen in battle six years ago, just two months before Valered was born. The young count was ultimately cleaved in two by the war chieftain of a green-skinned orc with his axe.

At that time, the count was fully focused on commanding his troops. The army of undead, requiring the guidance of necromancers to move, was vulnerable to sudden assaults. His attention, absorbed in directing the army, left him defenseless against the surprise appearance of the orc chieftain. Even the vampire warriors and elite undead guardians at his side were no match for the orc's might.

Thus, the former count of Castane perished, along with the 15,000 undead soldiers under his command, who were left as nothing more than inert bones. The battle, named the Battle of the Southern Wastes, ended in a devastating defeat for Sylvannia. The nation lost a tenth of its military strength, and a fifth of its land was lost, exposing vast plains that were now vulnerable to the marauding green-skinned orcs. The losses were catastrophic. Valered, due to his biological mother's profound grief, was born prematurely—perhaps the reason he retained the memories of his past life.

Though destined to be a vampire noble and the future lord of the Castane family, Valered was not inclined to honor his parents. Technically speaking, without them, there would be no Valered, yet from a certain perspective, his father's death had, in a way, brought him a sense of relief.

He addressed his sister, Isabella, by her name, seldom calling her "sister." As for his biological mother, the Countess Windsor, he referred to her merely as "Lady." Such a cold, distant form of address understandably upset both his sister and mother.

The Countess felt that her son seemed to harbor some resentment toward her, perhaps because she had been somewhat cold to him. But there was little she could do. After the count's death, it was up to her to manage the vast family estate. Though relatives and other families assisted, matters regarding the family's core interests still relied on her.

Another reason for her emotional distance was that Valered had inherited his father's handsome appearance. As he grew older, the resemblance became more pronounced, and with the Countess's subjective emotional state, seeing her son reminded her too much of her late husband. To avoid further grief, she consciously distanced herself from him, which, to Valered, was perhaps a blessing.

As for Isabella, she could not accept being overlooked and felt that her dignity as an elder sister had been trampled upon. As a result, she often devised childish pranks to try and force Valered to call her "sister."

Of course, such childish antics were nothing but a game to Valered. The traps, the bait, and the lies were so transparently false that he didn't even need to analyze them. Valered even thought that if he continued playing these trivial games with his younger sister, his intelligence might start to decline.

For Valered, the real challenge was not navigating his relationship with his sister but pretending to be oblivious or struggling greatly to decipher her schemes. He had to act as though he were a clever child, but not overly so, as if thinking hard to solve her petty tricks. This balancing act was maddening.

Fortunately, after some reflection, Valered devised a simple and effective method to counter Isabella. He decided to play along, pretending to have been harmed by a trap, perhaps even feigning injury. Sometimes, he would add a touch of drama and cry out, and Isabella, fooled by his performance, would show concern and rush to his side. From there, it was time for revenge and setting conditions.

It was rather amusing to toy with his younger sister in this way. To outsiders, it seemed like normal sibling play, and adults would only conclude, "Ah, these two siblings share a strong bond." This convenient, seemingly benign conclusion allowed Valered to act freely without feeling overly constrained.

Reflecting on this, the innocent and charming smile of Valered, appearing to be just a pure and adorable child, spread across his face. As his light laughter reached the ears of the servants outside the door, a subtle pain suddenly gripped their necks, ensuring that they would sleep more deeply. Most of the time, when Valered wished to leave, he would employ such a tactic to lull the servants into a deeper slumber.

It wasn't that Valered feared they might defy his orders, but rather that he simply didn't want his movements to be revealed to others, thus preventing unnecessary trouble.

Among the servants, there was one exception: Maya. This wasn't because Valered had any special regard for her, but because after serving him dinner, she would take a sleeping potion to ensure she could rest and recover her strength. Therefore, she didn't require any further assistance.

Within the vast Deckenhof Castle, aside from the few servants, only Valered and Isabella remained. The Countess was busy, as always, either attending to the family estate or working for the civic council. Other members of the Castane family either had their own castles, lived in the city, or worked within the civic council system. None were present.

This, however, did not imply that the grand castle lacked manpower or defenses. In fact, when compared to the scarce number of sentient beings, the castle's undead warriors outnumbered them many times over.

Unlike the common skeletons, which were poorly assembled and easily overpowered by even the most basic human farm soldiers, the undead warriors guarding the castle were elite among elites.

In their former lives, they had been the cream of the military crop—elite soldiers, renowned warriors, or knights who had undergone rigorous training. After their deaths, their bones were claimed by the vampire nobility, who, through a special rebirth ritual, transformed them into powerful undead beings.

Though reduced to mere skeletons, the dark power of necromancy enhanced these warriors to a level greater than when they were alive, stronger than even in their prime.

Faster, with greater strength. Their eyes glowed with eerie green phosphorescence, their black iron plate armor etched with magical runes, and they wielded black iron polearms or swords, shields—each one a formidable weapon. These elite warriors were the backbone of the vampire kingdom's military, the vampire guard, known as the Tomb Guardians.

These terrifying, numerous Tomb Guardians relentlessly patrolled the Deckenhof Castle, ever watchful, guarding their lord's fortress, driving off enemies, or waiting for their master's call to form ranks and march into battle.

They were resolute, well-equipped, tireless, and struck down any who dared to challenge the Castane family. Yet, when Valered passed by them, they merely continued their patrols, unseeing, as though he did not exist.

For Valered was no enemy.

Or rather, the opposite was true—Valered was a member of Deckenhof Castle, the future count of the Castane family, someone they were sworn to protect. The mechanical and rigid nature of the undead soldiers was evident here. They would never stop him and ask, "My young master, it's late. Why are you out here? What is your purpose?" before escorting him back to his room.

The undead soldiers were indeed very obedient. But at times, their obedience was a little too much. If an unstable necromancer commanded his undead warriors to, "Kill me," the soldiers would immediately obey without hesitation, striking down their master until either the order was rescinded, or the necromancer was slain.