Inside the hallowed halls of Heracles Noble Academy, a neatly dressed youth meandered by the lake. His clothes weren't of staggering value, but his poised manner allowed him to blend seamlessly into this cradle of future nobility.

"Who would've thunk I'd see the day I'd be back in school..." Murphy mused as he admired the scenic beauty, a wry smile on his lips. "It's quite the sight. Fitting for a place grooming the kingdom's elite, right?"

Traditionally, if a noble scion is to complete all required courses, it would take ten years without skipping grades or dropping out—a preposterous notion for most bluebloods. However, this provided the perfect cover for Murphy, now posing as an upperclass student noble.

One of Murphy's motives for this visit was reconnaissance for his apprentice’s future educational domain. Upon discovering such an institute on the outskirts of the royal capital, he entertained the thought.

Of course, it wasn't for the sake of improved education—jokes aside, teachers better than Murphy in this world could be counted on one hand. As a king among demons, he felt compelled to plant a silent stake in the heart of the kingdom, the capital.

And human Pepe was an ideal candidate for such a task. Identities? For someone like Murphy, that was hardly a concern.

After soaking up some campus atmosphere, Murphy intended to covertly pay a visit to Duke Walling's brother and son to gauge if they were ripe for the picking.

But at that moment, a signal pinged inside Murphy's head—a pre-set message from the crystal Tyre and Neil had given Pepe:

“Master, save me~”

“Master, save me~”

“Master, save me~”

"Is the young one in trouble?" Murphy frowned. "That doesn't seem right. With her health pool, she shouldn’t be close to death..."

With no one around to notice, Murphy cloaked himself in shadow at the lakeside cabin and pinpointed Pepe's coordinates, activating a personal teleportation spell.

Emerging from a beam of light, Murphy appeared before Pepe. "Are you alright?"

Pepe, head down like a child who'd blundered, pointed to two "corpses" on the ground. "Messed up... Our target seems close to death..."

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Murphy's gaze fell upon Anne, the prone maid, and Eschell, face down. His eyebrow twitched. "Is the maid okay?"

"She's fine; before the target passed out, some initial bleeding was stopped, draining her magic. I don't know any healing spells, so I had to summon you with the crystal..." Pepe trailed off, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sensing her guilt, Murphy quickly reassured her, "No worries, these things happen. We never said we had to save them, did we? If it was a must, I would've been on the scene myself. So cheer up."

Pepe looked up at Murphy. "So, what do we do now?"

Feeling for a pulse on Eschell's neck, Murphy replied casually, “Well, since they’re not dead, we might as well save them, eh?”

But things were trickier than they appeared. The scene lacked life forces to harvest, and Eschell was still breathing—a notch better than Pepe had been when she was practically one foot in the afterlife.

Different circumstances called for tailored analysis. Murphy considered the situation, looking at Eschell's back marred by the cruel blade.

Then, an idea sparked to life in Murphy's mind.

“Stay here with them. I'm gonna bring someone back—a demon who can lend a hand,” he instructed Pepe.

“Okay,” she nodded earnestly.

Murphy began incanting a long-distance teleportation spell, and seconds later, he vanished in a flash of light.

---

Demon Realm, Crimson Mountains, Vampire Castle.

“Knock, knock, knock.” Murphy drummed on the castle door and called out, "Patrick, you in there? Coming in~"

Patrick Capadosia, reigning vampire lord, ancient and level ninety-five. A maestro of close combat and a sorcerer rich in blood magic. Also one of the leading potion masterminds, though years of poor diet had taken a toll on his strength, memory—even reasoning...

Light footsteps approached, and Murphy stepped back, straightening his collar, poised as a guest.

"Creeeak..."

The old wooden door cracked open, and a small head peeked out around three feet high, peering up at Murphy.

"Who are you?!" The pair enquired simultaneously.

After a moment frozen in time, Murphy crouched down to meet the eyes of the girl behind the door.

Similar in height to Pepe, she looked innocent and gullible. Those crimson eyes gleamed like flawless rubies, and her face bore a slight resemblance to Patrick's handsome features. Her long silver-white hair cascaded down to her waist, with her pure white nightgown and bare feet at the threshold giving her an ethereal feel.

"Patrick?" Murphy ventured. "What's going on? Are you too starved or was it a potion experiment gone awry? Why the... dramatic change?"

The girl spoke up timidly, "Are you here to see my father?"

"Your father?" Murphy uttered in surprise. "Patrick’s your father?"

"Yes, I'm Lily, Lily Capadosia," she answered with a serious tone.

A child for Patrick? Since when? Murphy wondered. She looked legitimate, not turned... But then again, I'm hardly chummy enough with the bloke to know...

Murphy, well-versed in dealing with kids, switched to friendly mode. "How old are you, little miss? I'm a friend of Patrick's, here to see him. If he's not available, your mother will do."

"I'm one hundred and twenty-two," Lily replied with her soft, endearing voice. "Father and mother went to gather herbs; they'll be back in a few days."

A few days? Eschell would be stone-cold by then. Murphy's hopeful eyes sought Lily. Despite being just over a century-old child, she should suffice for the undertaking.

"How about joining big brother for a buffet?" Murphy's eyes curled into crescents as he smiled invitingly.