Eventually, they reached the manor. As they entered through the gate, Renlo collapsed to the floor, panting like a dying beast.
"That wasn't even far," Malakai said dryly.
"Don't compare me to you, Ninth Vein," Renlo muttered between gasps.
Malakai shook his head and gestured toward the building. "Well, this is it. It isn't anything special, but it should serve."
Renlo stood up, staring at the manor with wide eyes, then turned to Malakai, frowning in disbelief.
"What?" Malakai asked.
"You're teasing me, right?"
"I was literally living in a tree for two years, Ninth Vein. This is heaven to me!"
Malakai stared at Renlo, holding back another smile. He shook his head slightly and said, "Come with me."
Renlo lifted himself off the ground and followed Malakai into the manor. He couldn't stop gawking at everything he saw. His eyes were wide and shining like a child at a festival.
Every single thing amazed him, like he was seeing the world for the first time.
When they got to the living room, Renlo walked straight to the center, spun in place, and exclaimed, "Whoa, Ninth Vein! This place is hugeee!"
Malakai gave him a look. Huge?
He had seen the manors of the other veins, and he could say with absolute certainty that his own was the farthest thing from "huge." In fact, by comparison, it could easily be considered small.
'I guess it's understandable,' Valentine said. 'He's been sleeping in a two-meter cabin for years.'
Malakai couldn't argue with that.
"I'll show you to your room," he said, turning to head down the hall.
But before he could take a step, Renlo called out, "N-Ninth Vein?"
Renlo lowered his gaze like he was pleading. "Can I see the kitchen first?"
"The kitchen?" Malakai stared at him, utterly speechless. 'Did he hit his head as a kid?' he wondered.
'Maybe…' Valentine agreed without hesitation.
After everything that had happened today, the very first thing Renlo wanted to see was the kitchen?
Eventually, Malakai gave up on trying to be surprised. With Renlo, he'd learned to just take everything as it came.
He turned and led him toward the kitchen, which was through a door at the end of the hall just after the living room.
The moment they entered, it was as though twin suns lit up in Renlo's eyes.
"Whoaaaa! It has everything!"
He darted across the kitchen in a frenzy, stopping at the stove and shouting, "This one's for precision heat control!"
Then he turned to a cold storage unit, "Temperature locked? That's amazing!" Next was the sink system, which he nearly hugged. "It even has a water purifier!"
He went from one piece of equipment to the next like he was in some holy temple of bread-making.
'He'll probably be better off becoming a chef,' Malakai remarked in his head, watching him speechlessly.
After shooting Renlo a sharp look to calm him down, Malakai finally pulled him away from the kitchen and led him toward his room, a simple chamber just a hallway away from his own.
Of course, Renlo gawped the entire way, then entered the room and immediately began pacing through it like a tour guide, praising every single thing he saw.
Satisfied, or at least out of energy, Renlo was finally left to his devices. Before leaving, Malakai made one thing clear.
With that, Malakai didn't return to his room. Instead, he walked back down the hallway, returning to the living room and lowering himself onto the couch.
His voice was cold. "Bring them."
Nyx stepped out from her hiding spot, bowing once before vanishing.
Seconds later, two figures appeared in front of Malakai, both dropping to their knees, trembling.
The servants he'd been forced to choose… and now, his double agents.
Karla and Unoa gazed at the demon that was the Ninth Vein, trembling. They already knew what was coming.
After Malakai had fed them the parasite and forced them into his service, he hadn't stopped there. He had taken extra steps, precautions to ensure everything went exactly the way he wanted.
Because in a relationship like theirs, betrayal was a possibility.
Yes, they needed his blood to survive. But how could Malakai ever be certain they were telling him the full truth?
The parasites weren't invincible. With enough control over blood, they could be removed from their bodies. It would require vast quantities of Malakai's blood and someone with the skill level of a Bloom, but it wasn't impossible.
And Malakai knew that they knew this too. Which meant betrayal could come at any time.
That was why he had set his countermeasures.
First, whenever he was away training, Nyx would return to watch over them, ensuring they didn't try to run or contact anyone.
Second, every single day, upon returning, Malakai would ask them the same series of questions. With Nyx beside him acting as a lie detector, they couldn't afford to lie.
"Did you betray me in any way today?" Malakai said calmly, eyes fixed on them.
Both of them shook their heads.
"Did you speak to your masters today?"
Unoa shook his head immediately.
Karla hesitated, then reluctantly nodded.
Malakai's gaze turned to her. "Tell me everything he said."
"I—" Karla started, faltering.
Karla clenched her fists and bowed her head low. "I'm sorry, Ninth Vein. But before I speak… I want you to promise me something."
Malakai's eyes flashed with frost. "You seem to have forgotten your place."
He raised his arm slightly, and Nyx's aura immediately pressed down on her like a storm crashing over fragile glass.
"Please, Ninth Vein!" Karla cried. "If he finds out I told you, or if it fails, he'll kill her! My only sister! She's just fifteen! Please…"
She bowed deeply, her forehead touching the floor as tears ran freely down her cheeks.
Malakai narrowed his eyes. "I'll decide after hearing your report."
Karla clenched her fists even tighter. She could tell by his expression, this was the best she was going to get.
She nodded shakily, then began to speak, detailing every word, every command, every subtle threat her master had given her.
By the time she was done, Malakai's expression had sharpened to its limits.
'Make everything seem like an accident, huh?' he thought.
'I told you so,' Valentine muttered.