Roberta City Port's hidden docks

On a chilly night, a group of men stood guard. They were dressed in black military attire, each with a blue rose symbol on their backs and masks concealing their faces. Their attention was focused on a mysterious, cubic object covered by a cloth, and it was clear they were waiting for someone.

Before long, a man arrived on the scene. He had gray hair, dark brown eyes, and a forgettable yet handsome face. His attire consisted of an Egyptian blue tailcoat adorned with peacock feather patterns at the hem.

Approaching the group guarding the enigmatic object, the others shifted slightly behind one member, who, judging by his unique mask, appeared to be the leader. They all bowed respectfully as the leader initiated the conversation.

"Greetings, Third Thorn. We hope your journey was uneventful."

"No need for formality," replied the man, known as Peacock. "Just call me Peacock. Is this the merchandise?"

"Yes, Lord Xiame sent it from Byakuya."

Peacock approached the mysterious object and lifted the covering. What lay beneath was a cage, and inside that cage were...

"Children," Peacock sighed in exasperation. "Every time I think this guy can't sink any lower, he proves me wrong."

"Lord Xiame intends to use them as a gift to establish an alliance with the Rosarium rebel faction," explained one of the guards.

The continent of Lorimmer boasts a rich history, marked by numerous conflicts. However, none are as ancient as the war that unfolded between vampires and humans five centuries ago. During this time, magic was still in its nascent stages, limited to spells with only effects and costs, primarily elemental in nature. This predictability and mana-intensive nature meant that those with more mana held a distinct advantage in terms of power.

The vampires, however, discovered how to use different forms of magic and, more significantly, that they possessed an attribute. With these newfound abilities, they began hunting and enslaving humans. A century of suffering passed until the birth of a boy named Yustian. At the tender age of five, Yustian and his family found themselves pursued by a vampire. Amidst the ensuing confrontation, his mother managed to place him on a small boat. With no provisions or hope of crossing the ocean, his chances appeared null. However, fate intervened as a colossal wave engulfed the boat. When he awoke, he found himself in the land of dragons, where a dragon family took him under their wing. Growing up, Yustian absorbed the knowledge of the dragons, but he was no ordinary child. He possessed a unique attribute, that of lightning, which rendered his lightning magic more efficient and made him history's first elementalist. Additionally, Yustian possessed one of the largest mana pools ever recorded. At the age of 18, he left the dragon's land, intent on returning to his homeland.

Upon his return, Yustian embarked on a relentless mission to eradicate vampires. Swiftly establishing a kingdom, he bolstered humanity's strength. However, the vampires launched a devastating assault, marshaling an army of 100,000 vampires. In response, Yustian sent half of his people and his newfound family to the dragon lands, along with a letter and a promise. The letter explained the circumstances to the dragons, allowing the humans to establish their nation, known today as the Sol Empire. The promise was that if the need ever arose, the people from the new nation would come to humanity's aid against the vampires. Yustian then confronted the army alone, the battle lasted 5 days and 5 nights. In the end, only him and the Vampire's king, Dracula, stand up. Yustian died living only Dracula, known for his imortal regeneration, with a scar and in the verge of death. Scared after realise is own mortality for the first time, he locked himself away in a palace with the rest of the vampires.

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Nearly two centuries elapsed, new human kingdoms rose and fell, and conflicts persisted. The nature of magic evolved, and vampires resurfaced, establishing the New Rosarium Kingdom. This time, humanity's response was more composed. They dispatched the Helsing clan, experts in vampire hunting, to combat the vampire threat. The war continued, taking a toll on both sides. Eventually, the vampires proposed a truce: they wouldn't attack any other kingdom in exchange for the Helsing family and the humans that were already in their lands. Humanity agreed, and the Helsing family was handed over to the vampires.

As promised, the vampires ceased attacks on other kingdoms, although conflicts between human kingdoms endured. This state of affairs persisted until five years ago, with the emergence of the Mond Empire, and the augment of the number of monsters, a peace treaty was held in Alabardah by it's leader, Merlin. The resulting treaty aimed to quell all conflicts between nations and races, enacting rules to maintain peace. One crucial provision stipulated that vampires could no longer kill humans indiscriminately, only taking the blood they needed. Furthermore, they were restricted to full-grown humans, precluding the consumption of children's blood. Despite this, children's blood was deemed superior, and the thrill of killing humans remained enticing to some vampire nobility. As a result, a faction of vampires began to secretly rebel in the shadows, and this time, Blue Rose's objective was to form a an alliance with that faction, and for that, children from another nation were prepared as a gift. To move enslaved individuals from another nation to Vermillion wouldn't normaly be a problem, however this nation prohibits the enslaving of anyone younger then 16 years, and so I was called.

"You need me to cast a spell to change the cage's appearance until you reach Rosarium?" Peacock inquired.

"Yes, normally, a sound-canceling spell would suffice. However, given the circumstances, we need a more secure approach, and you're the only one capable of maintaining advanced camouflage spells for an extended duration," replied the guards leader.

Peacock glanced at the sleeping children. Although they appeared to be asleep, he cast a sleeping spell just in case one of them was pretending.

"Forgive me, one day I will make sure to avenge you,"he whispered.

Then, he retrieved a seal-like paper from his dimensional storage and applied a camouflage spell to it. Carefully, he affixed the paper to the cage's exterior ceiling.

"It's done. When you reach your destination, all you need to do is remove the seal from the cage. Until then, people outside will see the children as adults and won't hear a thing. However, this effect won't extend to anyone outside the cage," Peacock explained.

"Thank you, Sir," the guard expressed his gratitude.

"No problem. Good luck," Peacock responded. The group lined up once more, and Peacock departed. However, as he walked away, a piece of paper landed in his hands.

https://i.imgur.com/jF2OCzK.png [https://i.imgur.com/jF2OCzK.png]

"It appears that this has reached this location as well. I should be cautious," Peacock murmured to himself. He taked a hat from thin air, adjusting it to partially obscure his face, and continued on his way.