"Bow before me mortal, and bring me to the voice of freedom!" A lost sassy child asked of me.

"Young lady, I have some business here, go and play with your friends over there," I pointed at a group of teenagers.

She looked at me as if I said something deeply offending to her.

"Ouch!" she kicked my shins.

"Look here mortal, hear me and obey! My name is Maria Alucardia, the granddaughter of the great hero Alucard! How is it? Are you scared yet?" she said smugly while posing animatedly.

Alucard, a name I haven't heard for a while. I don't know where he went after he leaked some insider information to us, one that we disregarded, about the attack which took our lives. Alas, the folly of my youth.

"Ouch!" the lost child kicked me in my shins again.

"Don't ignore me, you oaf!!" she shouted, stomping her feet in rage.

"Alright, alright. I have to ask you first, how did you find me?"

She looked at me as if I said something stupid, and replied, "I've seen you pass by every two or three days here, and change your disguise in that, that, that, and that alleyways." she pointed to a bunch of safe spots I used to change my cover.

"Strange, my companion would certainly notify me if there was a child nearby."

Her mouth twitched, calming down her anger, she finally said, "Of course she wouldn't see me! I'm following you guys from the rooftops."

She seemed to misunderstand how Ciel sensed the vampires. Still, it's safe to say she was also a part of the other side. However, I don't know if she'll bring boon or harm to our operation. I asked, just to be sure.

"How can you follow us from the rooftops? It's not a safe place for a kid."

"Look here. I don't know if you're pretending or something, but I really need to talk to the voice of freedom."

Observing her desperate eyes, and hearing her voice, full of doubt and hope, I decided to bring her to the Sewerhall.

=======

"So you just bring her here?!" Ciel lectured me.

"I'm sorry."

"Really? you're always like this even from back then. Always on your own pace, disregarding everything."

"I'm very sorry, and I promise to do better, but she looked like she was going to cry, you know?"

"Fine. Since she was a friend's granddaughter, we'll have to treat her well."

I nodded, opening the mechanism from within the Sewerhall, to let the petite lady in. We treat her to snacks and tea we've got from the detective today, since both he and my elder sister went out to look for more information. Eating the sweets we presented to her heartily, her countenance finally changed for the better. However, halfway through eating them, she seemed to have caught herself. She put down the fork and spoon she was using, and cleared her throat.

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"Ahem, such a fine reception you've given me. Truly, I must say my thanks."

"It's okay, you're welcome here. Come and finish the sweets, you looked very happy eating them!" Ciel teased our guest, while acting pure and innocent.

Her face reddening a bit, Maria finally asked her purpose in coming here, "I'm here to look for the voice of freedom, the one who firmly divided the vampires."

"What for?" I asked.

"To lead one side to victory," she requested.

"Impossible."

"Why? Why is it impossible? You're just the voice's servants!"

"There's only one voice here, and that is mine. It's impossible to be done because the vampires were going to attack Rivellon on the day of the Harvest Festival, and that is something we are all preventing against."

"Not all vampires!" she shouted, agitated.

She added, "There are also those who loved this place, and are willing to defend it to death."

Hearing there were vampires who are willing to defend Rivellon, I was ruffled, angry. I asked her, "Then where were they when those bunch of blood sucking parasites made plans to bring the age of chaos back; here in Rivellon?! What were they doing?! Who do they serve, and what are their objectives?!""

She gritted her teeth, before finally saying, "They're like headless chickens, leaderless. I am just a figurehead appointed by the Council of Elders, to be a plaything for the nobles who succumbed to their rule. But I can promise you one thing, our objective is to bring back the golden age of vampires who dutifully served their community, seeking Lifeblood!"

Surprised by the term she uttered, I immediately asked, "There are still vampires who remembered the Lifeblood?"

"Lots and lots and lots, but all of them lost their leader when grandfather died."

"Alucard died?" Ciel questioned in disbelief.

"That's Sir Alucard to you."

"How?" I inquired.

"After the great war in the Plains of White concluded, he was called by the Council for a meeting. The next thing I knew, he was sent back inside his coffin, already passed on."

"I am very sorry," I expressed my guilt and bowed, full of regrets.

"Oh, don't be. It was a long time ago, far from the reaches of human lifespans. I'm already okay now," she grinned.

"But then, where are they? The ones who remembered the Lifeblood?" Ciel asked.

"Here, in the Dairy Lodge district. At least what's left of us." Maria replied.

She added, "At first we were quite a sizeable bunch. However, new trains of thought started pouring in, especially those from the age of chaos. The ones who renounced their beliefs in the Lifeblood, and managed to return to the Lifeblood, reported they were entranced by a voice capable of bending a vampire to their will. Sadly, those who can't return followed the orders of the Council down to a tee."

Dracul. I thought. So that's why you're here in Rivellon. To not let the vampires return to the Lifeblood; and by cutting their morals apart, he also cuts my potential supporters.

"You've already met the voice of freedom," I decided to come clean.

"I have?! Where? When? Why did you only tell me now, after I went on about the state of the vampires?"

"Since you've met me. I only told you just now because I deem you to be on the safe-to-know scale."

"You're the voice of freedom?!"

"That's what you guys named me. My name is Layne Karlott, nice to meet you."

"Oh, we're introducing ourselves now? I'm Ciel Bhan, that guy's fiancee. Pleased to meet you, little Maria."

"L-little Maria? Anyway, since you said you're the voice of freedom, it makes things easier. Be our leader, O, voice of freedom."

"Impossible."

"Even after all that?!"

"I can't be a leader for the vampires, but I can help you become one. But, the first thing we need to do is to annihilate our opposition. You can gather your fellow kins while your opposition was busy with in-fighting."

"Then? What should we do after we've gathered?"

"Wait for the attack to happen, then help Rivellon tide over this crisis. This will accomplish two things. First, you'll be seen as the leader of the vampires, second, you'll be considered an asset by the ruling body, the Carters. You're in luck, one of the Carters will be here shortly, and you can discuss whatever you want with her later."