Chapter 783: One Choice.
Three days later.
The Royal Palace.
Tasha was staring at her fireplace with a neutral expression. Several thoughts were running through her mind, including thoughts about the future and what she should do—these days had been quite stressful for Tasha. As a Monarch, she had to make decisions that would greatly help her people, but these decisions might not always be good for herself.
The current situation involving The Demon King, Victor Alucard, only added to her burden. His ultimatum, demanding the appointment of a competent Leader for The Werewolves or the negotiations would be terminated, was a political move, a way for Victor to exert pressure on The Werewolves.
Normally, this would be a problem that Tasha could easily resolve, but everything became much more complicated when the potential of invasion by a more advanced civilization, one completely subjugated by a single Emperor, came into play. The mere idea of the military power of such a formidable Nation made Tasha shudder.
The Werewolves may be numerous, but in the face of a civilization that could have billions of individuals, they seemed insignificant. Even with Fenrir leading the way, Tasha did not doubt that her people would suffer severe losses in this potential war.
That was why the cooperation of the Demon King was essential. He not only had great military power but also billions of Beings at his disposal. An alliance was entirely necessary, and she had to secure this alliance at all costs.
While reflecting on the consequences of an imminent invasion, Tasha felt an overwhelming mixture of emotions. Worry and fear intertwined in her heart. The weight of her crown felt more oppressive than ever, as her decisions could determine the fate of the entire Kingdom. She cared about the lives and safety of her subjects, knowing that every choice she made could have a devastating impact on them.
Furthermore, Tasha couldn't help but feel bitterness towards her husband's incompetence, who should've shared the burden of governance. Her frustration grew each day as he seemingly showed himself unable to understand the gravity of the situation or to take the necessary actions of a Leader to protect his people. This incompetence only worsened the pressure Tasha faced and forced her to make difficult decisions alone, all while her Kingdom was on the brink of imminent danger.
'What was that fool thinking? Has he completely lost his mind?' Tasha thought, irritated.
Her beautiful face contorted in disgust. Now, Tasha was no fool. She knew very well why Volk reacted that way. His behavior could only be described in one word... Masculinity.
It may seem strange, but that was the correct answer. Volk had never had someone defy his authority, and those who did either died or were someone he could fight against. But in Victor's case, that was impossible.
Volk was simply too weak to do anything to Victor. His very existence meant nothing in Victor's eyes, and that was what irritated him.
Of course, there was also a small feeling known as jealousy. Volk was jealous of how Victor succeeded in everything he did. Tasha believed that Volk was unaware of these feelings himself. After all, he had always been clueless when it came to his own complex emotions. She knew her husband well enough to know at least that.
"Haah..." Tasha sighed, placing her fingers on her forehead as she closed her eyes. Her head was throbbing, and she felt quite tired.
"Thinking for so long won't yield results. I need to do something." Tasha stood up from the couch, her eyes determined.
Tasha had always been a woman of action, and in the end, she would always make a choice that prioritized her own people. After all, before being a wife, she was a Goddess and a Queen.
The responsibility for her people outweighed her own feelings.
"Where is The Demon King currently?"
The silence lasted only 3 seconds before a woman appeared by Tasha's side and spoke, "The last time he was seen was at The Lykos Clan's mansion, but we don't know if this information is reliable."
"I see..."
'If the Queen were to go to one of the Alpha Clans' mansions, it would attract a lot of attention. This meeting should take place at my mansion, where I have control over everything.' She thought, but she also understood that such an action would be impossible. Asking the King of another Nation to come to her mansion while he had just made a deal that left her out would convey an image of an arrogant person demanding things from others.
In this delicate matter, appearances mattered a lot. Therefore, it was not Victor who had to come to her, but she who had to go to Victor.
'But where? Where can I find him?' Tasha started to think while keeping her subordinate kneeling in silence.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps were heard, interrupting Tasha's train of thought.
Tasha narrowed her eyes as she felt Volk's presence approaching. She looked at her subordinate and nodded. With just that nod, her subordinate understood her orders.
"Tasha, we need to talk."
"...Didn't I say we would talk later, Volk?" Tasha spoke.
Volk didn't say anything; he simply grabbed the door and smashed it out of his way.
Tasha's eyes narrowed even more with this display from Volk. Unconsciously, she raised her guard against him and prepared for anything.
Volk ignored the door he just broke and looked into Tasha's green eyes.
"I'm done, Tasha."
Seeing how serious he was, she realized this wasn't his usual attitude, so she demanded, almost as an order:
"...Explain."
"From now on, the Werewolves will ally with Vlad's Noble Vampires."
"...Huh?..."
"We will not ally with The Demon King."
Tasha felt an intense headache now. 'What has this fool done?'
Tasha knew Volk very well. She knew that when he spoke with that tone, it meant only one thing: he had already done something.
"What have you done, Volk?" Tasha growled.
"What was necessary," he said in a neutral tone.
"Necessary for what? Your ego or your people?"
"My people."
Tasha rolled her eyes; it was obvious she didn't believe Volk's words in the slightest.
Suddenly, Tasha felt immense weakness in her body as she felt her Betas fading with each passing moment.
"...Volk... What have you done?" she dangerously demanded as a golden glow covered her body.
"I activated the contingency plan. You must be feeling it now—the loss of your Betas, who are now pledging their loyalty to me, and only me."
Volk feared Tasha. He feared her cunning and intelligence; he feared her influence. He hated how she never submitted to him. Because of that, he always prepared various contingency plans in case Tasha betrayed him. All he did was activate that contingency plan.
As a paranoid man, he wouldn't accept anything that wasn't under his control, even if it was his own wife.
"The time of power-sharing between light and darkness is over... I no longer need you. I am the sole Leader of Samar."
Tasha's eyes widened; she couldn't even believe what she had just heard. For a few seconds, she looked at Volk, thinking he was joking or something, but when she saw how serious he was... Anger took hold of her being.
"How dare you!? Volk, you piece of shit!" Pure Power emanated from Tasha's body and exploded around her, even though she was weakened because her Betas betrayed her.
"This country, the people are more mine than yours. You were just a muscle-headed fool who existed to deal with enemies! I built this Kingdom. I negotiated with the Witches. I negotiated with the Gods. I brought opportunity to The Werewolves!"
"That's true... And I thank you for it. You were useful. You gave me two children with great potential and various connections that I can use. Thank you very much for your work."
"But you are no longer needed."
Tasha's face contorted into different forms of pure anger, hatred, and disbelief. Her animalistic features became more prominent, and even her tail and ears appeared.
"...You can't just tell me I am unnecessary as if I were your damn subordinate, Volk. I am the Queen!"
"Not anymore." Volk took a scroll from his pocket and showed it to Tasha.
"This is our divorce."
Tasha's eyes widened when she saw her own signature. "...How did you...?"
"On our first night together, before I ascended as The King of The Werewolves, I asked you to sign a document... At that time, you didn't even read the document, and that was your mistake. The document you signed was the divorce papers, Tasha."
The scroll in Volk's hands wasn't just a simple marriage document. In Samar's society, it didn't work like that; it was a contract between two 'Clans' joining together.
Despite everything, Tasha was still a Goddess with considerable support.
Volk came from an ancient Alpha Family that was extinct. This was the marriage contract between them.
"...Y-You... From the beginning..." Tasha was simply incredulous at this moment.
"Unlike all the women I had before, you are a Goddess. You wouldn't submit so easily. That's why I made preparations in case you betrayed me and decided to keep everything I built."
"You betrayed my trust, Volk?! From the beginning?!"
"Wrong. It's simply having a plan B. After all, you always told me, right? Have a second or third option for a plan."
"This was my second option, Tasha."
"From today onwards, you are no longer The Queen; you are just an Exiled Goddess from the Egyptian Pantheon."
Tasha simply stared at him in pure shock, various emotions crossing her face. It was clear she hadn't expected this risky move from Volk.
'What led him to make such a decision?' Even though her emotions were shaken, she managed to keep her head somewhat cool to think about the possible possibilities that Volk had.
Until a possibility appeared in Tasha's mind, and that possibility darkened her heart with revenge.
Having said everything he wanted to say, Volk turned around and left, but would Tasha let him leave?
Of course not. Women were very vengeful Beings, and they would never let the man come out on top.
"I understand... Hahahaha... I understand now, Volk."
Volk stopped walking and looked back. "...Understand what?"
"Victor Alucard."
Volk's eyes narrowed slightly, and that was enough of a reaction for Tasha to know she was correct.
"The reason you talked to Vlad in secret and made a deal with him is simple. You see Vlad as your equal, not as a superior, which is the case with Victor."
"You fear The Demon King. You fear his influence, his charisma, a charisma so great that within a few weeks, it started causing several changes in Samar."
"You feel like you're losing control of everything, and because of that, you rushed."
Tasha's tail waved around in a seductive manner, and she smiled, showing all her sharp teeth.
"Not only that." Tasha began to walk back and forth as she observed Volk with narrowed eyes.
"You're jealous of how a Being went from a nobody to one of the most powerful and influential Beings in the Supernatural Community."
Volk's eyes narrowed even more, as did his expression.
"You're envious of how he managed to get along so well with everyone since he arrived in Samar."
Tasha seemed more like a Demon attacking all of Volk's weak points than a Goddess. As someone who had been by Volk's side for a long time, she knew very well how to hit all of his weak points.
"You're afraid that I'll fall into the hands of The Demon King."
"What a fool you are, Volk... You don't know, do you?"
"...Stop playing games, Woman. Explain what you want."
"I've been meeting The Demon King in secret for weeks." She smiled seductively.
Although, they only conversed with each other. Tasha didn't betray Volk. Yes, she enjoyed every encounter with Victor, and at some point, she began to desire him, but she didn't betray Volk. If he were to leave, she would surely return to normal at some point in the future.
Victor's presence was simply too significant to be ignored. When he was in a room, everyone was forced to look at him. His overwhelming presence, his beautiful face, his interactions with his Wives,
He was like a seductive Demon and a gentle Angel at the same time. And the best part of it all was that he was genuine. Each of these sides were his true side; he didn't wear masks like other Supernatural Beings or even Gods. This was a combination Tasha had never seen before in her life.
Yes, Tasha probably would never be able to forget about him, but even so, she didn't betray Volk... But Volk didn't need to know that, not when he betrayed her first, a betrayal that happened from the beginning.
"...Whore!" Volk snarled.
"What? You betrayed me from the beginning, but you don't want to be betrayed either? What a child you are, Volk. It seems like you never grew up. You're still a Wolf scared of everything, pretending to be a strong man."
"Heh, poor little thing."
Veins bulged on Volk's head; the veins in his arm tensed. He was about to attack Tasha, but when he was about to do so, he swallowed his anger and turned around.
"...I understand. You have no balls..." Tasha's venomous words were heard again.
Volk stopped walking.
"You know that if you attack me, a terrifying Demon will pursue you and kill you in the worst possible way. After all, unlike you, he's a true man who doesn't--" Tasha couldn't continue when she saw his fist coming toward her.
The woman dodged his attack and punched his stomach, sending him flying backward.
"Humph, so easy to provoke. That is why you had me as your Queen for negotiations, Volk. You never managed to control your temper."
Tasha tossed her hair back and spoke.
"Shadows."
"Yes, Our God." Understanding what had happened in front of them, the shadows didn't call her Queen.
"Go fetch my youngest son, Thomas, and all our people. Take everyone to shelter 597269." Through her bond, she could sense that the Betas who had slipped from her control were only those who weren't descendants of her people, namely the Alpha Werewolf families she had influence over.
Although she had lost Power with this, it wasn't as significant as losing the support of her own people. Fortunately, she always made sure to maintain control over her own people to avoid falling into Volk's machinations.
Hiding her feelings in her heart, Tasha's expression grew cold.
"Those who are available gather the important documents from my mansion, such as trade agreements and conversations with Factions. I don't want anything to be left for Volk. Don't forget my Artifacts as well. Take everything to shelter 157956."
"Yes!" As the shadows left, a furious Volk appeared.
"Tasha!!"
Tasha turned to Volk, her gaze cold and indifferent, a look Volk remembered clearly. It was the same look she had when he first met her.
"You made a big mistake, Volk... Only foolish Kings execute allies with the greatest potential out of fear of betrayal. A wise King would try to win them over to his side and, if that was not possible, try to profit from any situation involving that ally... Unfortunately, you are not a wise King. Throughout the years I've spent observing you, I've confirmed just how incompetent you are."
A golden Power tinged with green covered Tasha's body.
"Incompetent?" Volk scoffed with a laugh. "Who was the whore who left her country seeking shelter? Who gave shelter to a whore who didn't even have a place to call home? It was me! I did that! When no one wanted to accept you, I did!"
Tasha closed her eyes slightly; Volk's words hurt much more than she thought they would. After all, she cherished the encounter they had in her heart... Unfortunately, she was the only one who did.
From Volk's tone, it was clear he accepted her only to use her.
Love may have existed between them; she didn't doubt that it was true. But that love died a long time ago, and she didn't realize it.
"We'll meet again, Volk. And when that day comes, it will be the last time I see your useless face."
Tasha disappeared from the room, heading to an unknown place.
Volk stared at the spot where Tasha had been for a few seconds, then turned his face and walked towards the exit. His face was completely stone-like, devoid of emotion, only indifference... But only he knew how turbulent his heart was.
When Volk left, two pairs of blood-red eyes opened on the wall. These two pairs of blood-red eyes looked around, searching for any activity from Beings. When they sensed that there was no one, two Maids with long black hair emerged from the wall.
"Hmm... Master, what are you planning?" Kaguya muttered in disbelief. She didn't expect to witness all this chaos. Initially, she didn't understand why Victor had instructed her to observe Tasha, but upon seeing this scene, she was 100% certain that it was connected to Victor.
"Forget it, Kaguya. We will simply do what we were ordered to do." Eve walked to the table where Tasha worked and began rifling through the documents. "Eventually, everything will make sense."
"You're right." Kaguya nodded.
"I will write my report; continue searching. If it's not here, it must be in Volk's room."
"Yes." Eve nodded.
...
In a hotel near The Lykos Clan's Mansion.
"[Master, Volk and Tasha had a major disagreement...]" Kaguya began explaining what she had seen to Victor.
And with every word from Kaguya, Victor's smile grew wider and wider.
"You seem happy, Demon King." A playful voice echoed around.
Victor looked at the hologram, and the image of a blond man appeared.
"Of course, Vampire King." Victor laughed. "It's very satisfying when things go according to plan, isn't it?"
"I can understand your feelings." Vlad smiled.
"But I'm surprised, Demon King. I never thought you would want to work with me when I proposed this plan three days ago... Don't you hate me?"
"I don't hate you, Vlad." Victor rested his face on his hand.
"I just think you're stupid."
A vein bulged on Vlad's head. "And I think you're annoying. You seem to have a talent for irritating people."
"Thank you."
"It's not a compliment."
"I know."
The two Progenitors smiled slightly, and a moment of silence fell around them.
"So, I'll take Volk and The Werewolves," Vlad said.
"And I'll take Tasha and The Lykos Clan." Victor nodded. He had no interest in the other Wolves; he only saw potential in Tasha's people and in the Clan led by Maya. The rest were just rubbish in his view.
Of course, that was far from the truth, but it was a fact that Victor's standards were very high, and only the mentioned groups met those standards.
Victor wanted Elites; after all, he had more than enough cannon fodder in Hell.
"Anyway, the Noble Vampires will have a significant influence over the Werewolves from now on," Victor said. "Even though they're useless to me, they may be useful to you and your war."
"About that..."
"Yes, I will help you. This is revenge for Ophis as well, so I won't stay out of it."
"...Thank you."
"Oh?" Victor's eyes gleamed with amusement. "You've learned to say thank you now?"
"Don't get used to it."
"Humph." Victor snorted.
"As for the Emperors... What do you plan to do?" Vlad asked.
He was surprised that Victor shared this information with him, but given the magnitude of the potential threat, even he would do the same. After all, it was not something that should be kept a secret.
Victor's smile grew twisted as his face slowly began to peel away, revealing only black smoke with shades of red, blood-red eyes, and sharp teeth.
"The Vampire Progenitors shine on a battlefield where Blood is infinite... Our strength grows with every kill, our influence grows with every drop of Blood consumed, and at the end of the day, the crimson Souls will be willing to serve us... Remember, when the enemy attacks..."
Slowly, Vlad's face started to resemble Victor's, with the only difference being that his smile wasn't as twisted as Victor's.
"Only a sea of crimson Blood should be left behind."
"I see... It seems you have fully Awakened as a Progenitor. Even these memories have been unlocked."
"Are you surprised it happened so quickly?" Victor asked.
"Yes, I am... But I stopped expecting common sense when it comes to you. You're a chaotic bastard who makes no sense."
"Thank you." Victor accepted the compliment.
"It wasn't a compliment."
"I know."
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