Chapter 45. Goodbye from Vespera

“Happy birthday Ken. What do you want as a present?” Alice asked as Ken opened his eyes with the sun peaking through the blinds.

“You know what I want.”Replied simply while hugging the vampire girl closely.

“Too bad. Get strong and break it yourself.”

“I was thinking about what you said a few days ago. Other than helping with your hands, I can only think of one other way.”

“I am not doing it, not even on your birthday. When you get home go ask Genesis to do it.”

“You are the one who brought it up and got me curious!”

“Well, get incurious and forget about it. Go focus on your studying and get stronger like you said you would instead of thinking about doing things with girls.”

“If you two lovebirds are already awake, can you stop flirting so we can head home and get back before it’s dark please.”

“Ava! Learn to knock and give us some privacy!”

Ignoring her sister, Ava wished Ken a happy birthday and the trio got ready and headed down to the dining hall so Ken could get breakfast before they took their journey back home.

“Good morning Ken! This is my friend Mia. Thank you for having us Ava!” Candace greeted the trio happily as they left the hotel.

“Those pups are so cute! I will give you one as a birthday present Ken.” Ava said happily while holding up the fluffy wolf puppies.

“Happy Birthday Ken! Did you just turn 17?”

“Thanks Candace. Yep, turned 17 today. But honestly, after 15 and the selection, it really doesn’t matter much.”

With two additional people and three cute wolf puppies in the carriage, the trip back to Vespera started much better for Ava than the journey here.

“So how did the two of you get permission to enter Darrumburgh? We barely got in thanks to a schoolmate and they only let us stay for five days!” Ken complained.

“Well, our village is still part of the Darrumburgh territory so we are citizens and my village elder requested permission for us to be here for the selection so we could have stayed for an entire month if we wanted to.”

“VINCENT!” Ken shouted as the carriage reached the gate and Ken spotted his new friend.

Hearing his name called once again but this time no longer from an unfamiliar voice, Vincent happily rushed over to say goodbye to the group.

“I hope you all have a safe trip home.”

“Thanks again Vincent. I hope you crack the code this year and make some headway towards holy level!” Ken replied happily.

After filling out some paperwork, the group of five plus the butler said their final goodbye to Vincent and to the capital city of Darrumburgh.

“I think he is a good fit for you Ava. Vincent is handsome, strong and sure, he isn’t a noble or royal but from the little interactions we have had, I think he is a great guy. Besides, he is so focused on getting stronger, he’s not wasting his time dealing with needless drama like I am.”

“I am a married woman, Ken. As much as my so-called husband is not in my life, I don’t think someone with a future as bright as Vincent would want to be in some sort of a secret relationship with someone like me.” Knowing Ava is in a tough situation, Ken decided to drop the subject but gathering from what she said, he could infer that she is at least slightly interested in Vincent.

“What sort of needless drama are you going through Ken?” Candace asked curiously.

“None of your business. Stop talking to him. You are only here to sell those dogs so stop trying to talk to my man.” Alice replied harshly.

“Your girlfriend is scary. Is that why you told me I’m beautiful and wanted to protect me yesterday? You want a different girlfriend?”

“Please don’t be making stuff up, I want to have a peaceful happy birthday with some good food and not having Alice staring at me like she is ready to murder me.”

“Did you say I was beautiful? Did you say you would make sure no one picks on me if I get selected?” Candace pushed forward not letting Ken off the hook.

“You are beautiful and there is no denying that. I said I will make sure no one picks on you but I never said anything about doing that myself. I said I will hook you up.” Ken replied defensively.

“Well, you shouldn’t be sending me mixed messages then. Here I was thinking you liked me and if I get selected to the academy, maybe something will happen between us.”

“Sorry to burst your bubble but you won’t get selected and nothing will happen between you and Ken.” Alice answered while giving Ken the side eyes.

“Anyways! How big can them pups grow to? Can Ava train one for me and I eventually take it back?”

“They can grow to anywhere between 150 to 500 pounds depending on the bloodline but since those are not captively bred, we won’t know their eventual size.

As far as training goes, they are extremely intelligent and get very attracted so once they are bonded, it would be unwise to separate them from the owner.”

Changing the subject so Ava and the rest would be able to join in for the long trip back, Ken made sure to cling onto Alice tightly the entire trip and stirred clear from any sensitive subject so the vampire girl would not get riled up.

“WOW! You girls live here?” Candance said in awe while staring at the gigantic palace lit up by hundreds of artifacts when the group finally reached Vespera after the sun was already beyond the horizon.

The moment they arrived, Alice wasted no time telling the kitchen to start preparing a feast for Ken’s birthday party and the quiet castle without any of its owners home suddenly got busy.

With way too much food for Ken and the two guests, Ken asked all of the servants and kitchen staff to join the fun and the party continued on late into the night before it eventually came to an end with Alice telling Ken that she is sleepy and they should go to sleep.

“Good night Ava! Everyone! Thank you for throwing such an awesome party for me!”

Lifting the sleepy vampire girl over his shoulder, Ken carried Alice as the two returned to her room.

“Sorry Ken, I am too tired from the long trip today. Let’s take a quick shower and go to sleep.”

Exhausted from the trip as well, Ken nodded in agreement as the two took a quick shower and snuggled up in bed before quickly falling asleep.

“Do you really have to leave tomorrow? Why can’t you just stay until we go back to the academy?” Alice complained as the two got ready for the last day of Ken’s stay in Vespera.

“I have to at least be home for a while to spend some time with my siblings and check up on them to make sure everything is well. Besides, Genesis would be mad if I wasn’t there for her birthday.”

Not happy at all that Ken is leaving but having no way to stop him. The two greeted Ava, Mia and Candace as they joined them in the dining hall for breakfast.

Three days have passed since the group returned from Darrumburgh and Ken’s two week stay with Alice is coming to an end.

“I have sent Albert to grab Ryo and the boys. They will probably arrive around noon.”

“Ughhhh! I don’t want to see those thieving kids again!” Alice complained.

“Thanks Ava for letting them come!”

“Just remember how awesome of a big sister I have been to you so when you two get married, get Alice to respect and treat me properly!” Ava replied while looking at her sister.

“I think you are expecting too much from me, Ava. I don’t think Alice will change and I guess part of her charm is how open she is about her feelings. I don’t have to guess what Alice wants, and that's something I definitely appreciate about her.”

The day after they returned, Ava was able to get her breeder friend to come and they were both excited for the wolf puppies. Since she was pretty much home all day every day without much to do, getting a magical wolf pet was a welcome distraction for the bored noble.

Because of their unknown origin, the pups didn’t fetch the skyhigh numbers that Candace had hoped but it was much more than the original ten gold coins that she was prepared to take.

The two single element ones ended up selling for a hundred gold coins each while the duo elemental one that Ava ended up keeping for herself sold for five hundred.

With seven hundred gold coins in hand, Candace and Mia were more than elated but Ken wasn’t shy when it came down to getting his share. Stating the fact that they were willing to take 25 gold for the pups and if it wasn’t for him, they mind not have even sold one, Ken demanded two hundred gold coins as his share and the girls ended up handing it over willingly.

Even with the disapproval and constant intervention from Alice, Ken spent quite a bit of time chatting with Candace and Mia and learned a great deal about the fairy race over the past three days.

“So are fairies like beastmen and the most dominant will show or is it like a mixed race sort of deal?” Ken asked as the group sat around the dining hall relaxing and waiting for the boys to show up.

“My village only has all pure fire fairies so I have never seen a mix but my village elder said we would work like the animals and like this duo wolf puppy with a flaming tail and airy hair behind the paws. I do believe a mixed Fairy will have traits of each element displayed.”

While the group chatted more about fairies and school and everything else in between. A rowdy group of kids could be heard from far away.

“KEN! This place is crazy! I never had the chance to be this upclose before and WOW! It’s even more awesome up close! WOAH! Those two have cool looking hair!” Ryo shouted as the boys entered the room.

“Boys! Follow the servants and go take a shower and get dressed in the new clothes we got you all. We will have food for you after. Stef! Burn their clothes the moment they get in the bath.” Ava ordered as the rowdy kids followed her order without question.

“KEN! Why do they have such a huge bath! I bet even a hundred people would easily fit” Ryo shouted excitedly as the boys got back out dressed in brand new clothes Ava bought for them.

While not fancy at all per Ken’s requests, the clothes were of high quality and most importantly, able to keep the kids warm during the cold winter nights.

“Yea, I shower in Alice’s room but I did go see that bath once, Ava told me some people like to discuss serious business naked in a bath but I won’t know anything about rich people or what they enjoy doing.”

“I heard you are super famous Ken! I talked to a bunch of people that watch the tournaments and they all knew who you were.” One of the boys eagerly added.

“Yea, not really famous for my skills but I will be strong enough to win for my year soon.”

“I heard the strongest two in your year are the nephew of the Darrumburgh king and a princess of the elves. Do you know either of them?” Another of the boys wondered.

“Yea, I'd rather not talk about it.” Ken answered with a chuckle.

“I heard both hate Ken with a passion.” Candace added, with knowledge she had gathered over the past three days.

“Well, that Darrumburgh guy doesn't like us common folks so it’s a hassle having to deal with him daily.”

“What about the elf princess? Does she hate commoners too?” Another of the boys asked as the group listened curiously about Ken’s school life.

“No, she is actually the reason that Darrumburgh guy only tries to bully me since she is nice enough to protect the rest.”

“Why doesn’t she protect you?” Ryo asked.

“It’s complicated and kids probably shouldn’t hear about it.”

“He was invited to Clare’s birthday and as a birthday present for her, he decided to sleep with her sister.” Alice decided to interject at the worst possible moment.

“Alice! The whole world doesn’t need to know about my private life! Especially not when it’s lies you just made up!”

After getting bombarded by the boys and Candace, Ken eventually gave in and told the truth while leaving most of the details out.

“You have Alice and two of the Yelwraek princesses in love with you?” Ryo asked in amazement.

“He got me, the two princesses, a wolf girl, a human girl, a girl he grew up with, a dragoon girl, a merman girl and supposedly the daughter of the fourth ranked Hero and I just remembered I was never told the details on that like he said he would.” Alice suddenly realized about Rose and got into a tangent.

Amazed that a commoner could get this many girls to fall in love with him, all of the boys started asking him for his secrets while Ken could only tell them it was pure luck and he did nothing to deserve their attention.

“Enough about me! Listen boys. I got some serious business I have to discuss with you all before I leave. From now on, for the next five years, come by every month to collect one silver coin each. Work it out with Ava how you want to collect it but I want her to give each of you one silver coin a month for food.

School is expensive even near your slums but I was able to get Albert to register the 7 of you to start next semester. I am giving Alice 50 gold coins so the 7 of you could get fed and go to school for the next 5 years.

Please don’t waste this opportunity, I have a feeling that Ryo is talented enough that he will make it to dragonspire but even if he doesn’t, go to school, learn and study and make something with your life. You boys got it?” Ken said in a serious tone.

“Why are you doing this for us?” The boys wondered as a group.

“Because I was lucky enough to have a family. We were poor but I had an adoptive mother and family who were there for me and I guess you all are just lucky that I just happened to like you all and got myself some extra money.” Ken replied as the boys looked at him in awe.

“Save the chatting for later boys. I got some blood for you all, so drink up!” Ava added after seeing the boys were all lost for words and not sure how to express their gratitude for what they just learned.

“Is this human blood? It’s so good!” Ryo screamed having tasted the blood Ava offered them after getting the blood type each needed.

“It’s just fresh animal blood, better than what you all get at the slum that’s for sure but I won’t let any of you have human blood. You would get addicted and it’s way too expensive for you to be able to afford.” Ava replied.

After drinking such delicious blood for the first time, the boys were able to regain their excitement and started chatting again happily with Ken and the rest well into the afternoon.

“Albert, time to take the boys back home. It’s a long ride and we want you back for Ken’s farewell party.” Ava said to the butler.

“You boys be good, alright? Go study up, learn some skills and you will eventually have the ability to earn enough money to have the good blood, maybe even human blood. I am sure with a connection like Ava here, you won’t have any issue getting a job in the future if you study properly.” Ken said as he wished the boys goodbye.

“Thanks KEN! Treat Alice well and stop getting any more girlfriends!” The boys shouted as they waved goodbye and ran out the door.

“I think I like those kids slightly more than I thought I would.” Alice commented happily after hearing their comment.

Wanting to keep Alice in her happy mood, Ken just smiled and agreed as the afternoon moved along into the night where the staff made another extravagant meal for Ken and the two guests to enjoy.

“Are you two heading back home after the selection?” Ken asked in between large bites of food.

“If we don’t get selected then we would be going home but our hometown is too far for us to go back if we get selected.” Candace answered.

“Good luck with that!” Ken said happily while chowing down on some good.

“Ken. She won’t make it! She will be going home with her pocket full of gold and you won’t ever see her again so don’t even think about it.” Alice snapped, glaring at Candace as she had done for the entire time the two guests had stayed with them.

“Why are you only targeting me Alice? You haven’t been hostile towards Mia at all! This is so not fair.” Candace complained.

“Candace! Why are you trying to throw me under the bus!” Mia protested after hearing her own name.

“I don’t care about Mia, I actually wish her the best of luck getting selected.” Alice said calmly to Mia.

“Ken! Why is she targeting me?” Candace asked coyly.

“Because she thinks I have no interest in Mia but thinks I am into you, so Alice is just being extra hostile.”

“Are you into me?” Candace asked playfully.

“You are definitely attractive but since I am leaving tomorrow morning and might never see you ever again, I will just stay quiet for the rest of the evening, enjoy some great food and go to sleep with a happy Alice in my arms.” Ken replied while avoiding Alice’s glaze.

Keeping his words, Ken spent the rest of the night simply enjoying the party while eating the great food and stayed quite by Alice’s side to keep her happy and went to sleep with the vampire girl in a good mood.

“It was great meeting you Ava, thank you so much for being such a wonderful older sister to me! I hope your relationship gets better with your husband or you find your true love and enjoy your wolf pup!

Candace and Mia, I hope you two have the best of luck on the selection and maybe we'll meet again but best of luck if our paths never cross!” Ken said the next morning as he greeted the group one final time before his departure.

“Do I not get any wishes or goodbye?” Alice asked.

“Alice! I will see you in like two weeks. All I wish is that you treat your sister better! And be nice to those two especially if they end up not getting selected.”

“Hmph, I will miss you even if it’s only a day! Don’t get too naughty with Genesis. Enjoy your time with your family and I will see you in school.” Alice replied while giving Ken a kiss.

Waving goodbye to the new friends he had made and people he had met, Ken’s necklace started glowing at exactly 9am and with his eyes closed, the young man disappeared from the kingdom of Vespera and was once again, back to his quaint little village.