After Alucard removed his hand from the red stone tablet, he asked Alessia, "Is there another exit here?"
Alessia stopped embracing the stone tablet and gently shook her head. "I think there should be, but I haven’t found it yet. Otherwise, it would be impossible to bring something this large in here."
Indeed, given the size of the stone tablet, it couldn’t have passed through the hidden door they just used.
"No, not necessarily," Alucard said, a golden glint reflecting off his sunglasses. "Perhaps your clan initially intended for this object to remain here permanently, so there’s only an entrance, no exit."
Alessia’s expression tightened upon hearing this. He was right; that was indeed a possibility. If the stone tablet had been placed at the bottom of the lake many years ago, and then the secret passage built around it, it was certainly possible to create a passage with only an entrance and no exit.
"In that case, how do you plan to take this thing away?" Alessia frowned. "Are you going to destroy this secret chamber? That’s very dangerous. If it’s damaged, the chamber will completely collapse, crushing people at the bottom of the lake. This is another means of protecting the stone tablet."
If Alucard really said he would use destructive methods, Alessia would have to stop him at all costs, regardless of the outcome.
"What’s this? There’s no need for such trouble." Alucard’s shadow stretched outward. The stone tablet, which had stood firmly in the center of the room, was swallowed as if submerged in water, disappearing into the pool of blood filled with red eyes.
When the stone tablet was completely engulfed and the shadow returned to Alucard’s feet, Alessia was slightly startled, frowning as she whispered, "Is that your ability?"
Truth be told, Alessia desperately wanted to flee this place. She feared that once Alucard had used her to achieve his goal, he would simply shoot her. Choosing to use someone far stronger than herself naturally came with unimaginable risks.
But to Alessia’s relief, after obtaining the stone tablet, Alucard turned and walked towards the entrance they had used. "Let’s go back. There’s nothing appealing about this place anymore."
Since there was nothing special left inside, Alucard used a relatively crude method when leaving. After destroying the hidden door in one go, he noticed that the bubble shield didn’t shatter with it.
"Quite a peculiar thing," Alucard said, glancing back at the unharmed bubble shield. He and Alessia then re-emerged onto the shore.
Upon returning to the surface, at Alessia’s strong insistence, Alucard removed the Vampire Mark he had placed on her. Afterward, Alucard left without looking back. His cooperation with Alessia was over; he had no further special thoughts about this woman.
"I... might betray you someday," Alessia suddenly called out to Alucard’s retreating back.
Alucard paused, said nothing, but after two seconds, he continued to stride away. Alessia only saw the slight curve of Alucard’s lips when he paused.
She had entrusted her most important secret to Alucard, but Alessia didn’t do so in vain. She would make new choices based on future shifts and changes in the era. Would she become Alucard’s ally... or his enemy? Was she using Alucard to uncover her enemies one by one, or were there other methods?
Soon after, by the coast of the Concordia Kingdom ruins, Alucard once again sat on his ship’s throne, gazing up at the sky. "I’ve obtained something more valuable than treasure. Now, how should I play with the Government?"
Two days later, after finishing a glass of red wine, Alucard reached for another but found only the last bottle left. He couldn’t help but shake his head as he opened the cap, muttering to himself, "I forgot to restock again. Where’s the nearest inhabited island?"
Meanwhile, several nautical miles from Alucard’s location, aboard a Marine patrol warship, a scout spotted Alucard’s battleship and reported to the highest-ranking officer on the ship, a Marine Rear Admiral.
After a moment of deliberation, the Rear Admiral decided not to foolishly confront him, opting instead to report Alucard’s location to Headquarters first.
On the other side, after separating from Alucard, Alessia, based on information from newspapers, knew she absolutely couldn’t return to Exeter. Furthermore, pledging allegiance to a king who had sold her body to a demon was entirely unworthy of her loyalty.
While Alessia rested in a hotel in an island town, a knock suddenly sounded at her door.
Initially, Alessia thought it was just room service, but when she opened the door, her eyes widened at the sight of the military uniform and cloak worn by the person outside.
Two words immediately flashed through her mind: "Marines."
After noticing the uniform, Alessia began to pay attention to the appearance of the person. There were more than five female Marine soldiers outside the door. Leading them was an elderly woman with graying hair, past fifty. From the medals on her shoulder, her rank was... Vice Admiral!
Had her involvement been exposed? Alessia worried.
Just then, Tsuru, who had knocked, slowly spoke. "We don’t mean to disturb you, and I understand the hardships you’ve faced recently." Tsuru offered a smile, then her expression turned serious. "However, due to the gravity of the situation, I can’t speak with you casually. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Vice Admiral Tsuru of Marine Headquarters. You can just call me Tsuru."
"Tsuru... Madam, please, come in." Seeing that the other party wasn’t speaking in the tone of an arresting officer, Alessia relaxed slightly and gestured for Tsuru to enter the room.
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