RISE OF EROS

Although they were somewhat eager to reach the Pixoy family mansion, they didn't take a carriage nor did they move at great speed. In fact, they walked as if they were on a leisurely stroll while talking.

Aki and Oliver wanted to interrogate Vaelyra since they knew nothing about her, except that she belonged to the dragon race and was accompanied by a powerful demigoddess. Aki, as an agent trained in gathering information, and even though she no longer does that, habits are hard to retain, so she felt the need to know more.

Oliver's reasoning is much simpler. He is the guardian of Andrew and his family, so he must know anyone who could potentially be an enemy. Although Vaelyra doesn't seem like one, they don't know her well enough to make that conclusion, so it is better to be cautious.

Unfortunately for them, they couldn't gather any important information because Andrew stood in their way. It wasn't that Andrew didn't understand their intentions, but he was against interrogating her.

This was because Andrew realized it wasn't the smartest move. While Aki and Oliver would have tried to be subtle, Andrew knew from one look that Vaelyra was not someone easily deceived, so they would only annoy her by trying to pry information out.

For this reason, he kept the conversation light, discussing trivial topics as if they were friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time. Not only were Aki and Oliver surprised by this, but Vaelyra herself was too.

She had expected Andrew to ask more serious questions. She had even thought of several possible scenarios and how to respond to them, but she hadn't anticipated this situation. It didn't bother her—in fact, she appreciated how casual Andrew was—but at the same time, it kept her on alert since the strange behavior could be a trap.

Just as Andrew had thought, Vaelyra was not an easy woman to deceive. She certainly was impatient when it came to acting, but that didn't mean she was stupid. In fact, she was very intelligent, and as a member of the dragon race, she also possessed great wisdom.

Previously, the elder Lugia had referred to her as "young" when speaking with Zaros, but that was from Lugia's perspective since she is the same age as Elidyr and Zaros—over a millennium old. From a human perspective, however, Vaelyra is not young.

She is around 150 years old, and although for long-lived races like vampires, elves, and dragons this is considered young, it doesn't mean they had the same mindset as a young human.

Dragons were young in the sense that they could live for thousands of years, they are the most longevity race, which reflected millennia of wisdom. Still, 150 years was decades more of experience than any ordinary human.

The point was that Andrew made a smart move by avoiding sensitive questions and maintaining a pleasant conversation until they reached the territories of the mansion the Pixoy family.

Since the guards had already been informed of their arrival, they didn't block their entry, and when they reached the mansion, they were greeted by the vampire butler who had served Andrew and the others during their last visit.

Damon and his family seemed to be out, as no one came to greet them, but that wasn't important. "Greetings, it's a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Andrew, Ms. Aki, Ms. Zany, and Mr. Oliver.

It's also a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Vaelyra. The master and Elder Lugia are expecting you. Please follow me," the butler said with a slight bow.

Andrew and the others weren't surprised by the greeting and simply responded with a slight nod, but Vaelyra reacted differently. "How do you know my name?" she asked with a hint of hostility.

Andrew and the others were surprised by the question, and attitude of Vaelyra but didn't intervene. They knew how powerful this butler was, and since they were in the Pixoy family mansion, there was no chance of a conflict breaking out.

Moreover, if a conflict did occur, Vaelyra would be at a disadvantage. Many might underestimate this butler because he seemed calm and didn't exude a powerful aura—especially Vaelyra, who was a master-level expert, one step away from becoming a demigod.

Even in the city, most believed that the most powerful beings were Damon and his wife, who were at a level similar to Vaelyra, as few knew of the existence of Zaros and this well-hidden butler.

Even Oliver, with his aura-sensing eyes, hadn't uncovered the butler's true power; it had been Andrew who warned them the last time they were here. This butler was on par with Elder Anka of the Amazons and Elder Douma of the Barbarians, making him anything but simple.

Nevertheless, Andrew and the others were curious about what would happen. Although they didn't understand the reason for Vaelyra's irritation, the reason was simple: she was sure that only Andrew's group knew her name—perhaps Zaros and Elder Lugia as well—and she was confident none of them had told the butler, so she was suspicious.

The butler looked at Vaelyra with a smile, unfazed by the dragon's hostility, and responded, "There's no need to get upset, Ms. Vaelyra," without saying anything more. Vaelyra then felt a chill run down her spine as if she were standing naked in a snowstorm, which made her realize this butler was far more powerful than she was.

At that moment, a voice echoed in her mind, "Girl, stop acting recklessly if you don't want to die."

It was clearly Elder Lugia, who had sensed what was happening and stopped Vaelyra from doing something foolish. Lugia was an acquaintance of Zaros, as they had fought together in the war against the Fallen God, but that didn't make them friends. She didn't want to cause trouble because she knew it would be difficult to confront them.

As mentioned before, Vaelyra wasn't stupid—just too impatient. However, upon hearing Elder Lugia's reminder, she immediately abandoned her hostility and bowed, saying, "Forgive my behavior." Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire

The butler didn't scold her and merely nodded, saying, "Don't worry, Ms. Vaelyra. The elders are waiting for you. Follow me." He then began guiding them to the study where Zaros and Andrew had spoken last time.

In front of the door, the butler didn't announce their arrival; he simply opened the door and bowed slightly, saying, "Elders, the young ones are here". While Oliver wouldn't be considered "Young" from a human perspective, and Vaelyra was over 150 years old, to the butler, Zaros, and Lugia, they were.

"Thank you, Lucían," Zaros replied, and the butler left. Andrew and the others looked at the two elders with seriousness, not knowing what to expect, but it seemed important.

Zaros smiled, noticing how tense they were, and said, "Don't worry. Come and sit." The first to move was Andrew, who, as if he were on the same level as the elders, walked calmly and took a seat.

Both Elder Lugia and Vaelyra were surprised by his behavior but said nothing. Oliver, Aki, and Zany followed, sitting beside him, and the last to move was Vaelyra, who seemed a bit nervous about sitting next to Elder Lugia.

Seeing that everyone had seated themselves, Zaros began the introductions: "Well, these are Lugia and Vaelyra, two noble ladies of the dragon race. And these are Andrew, his two wives Aki and Zany, and his guard Oliver."

Upon hearing the introduction, Elder Lugia frowned and, with a hint of annoyance, asked, "Zaros, don't play dumb with me. Who is this boy really?", but before Zaros could respond, Andrew interrupted, "You know I'm standing right here, don't you?"

Lugia and Vaelyra looked at Andrew in surprise, not expecting him to speak to Lugia in such a disrespectful manner—or at least, disrespectful in their minds. Zaros, for his part, chuckled at the situation. Elder Lugia glared at him and then turned back to Andrew, saying, "Brat, didn't anyone teach you to respect your elders?".

"Respect is something that is earned, it has nothing to do with age," Andrew replied without flinching, which made Zaros burst into laughter, but Elder Lugia's expression was far from pleasant, even showing some hostility.

Andrew knew it wasn't wise to make enemies with someone like this elder, but he didn't like her. It wasn't that she had bad intentions toward them, but she hadn't acknowledged them from the moment they met. To Lugia, they were invisible, like air.

Normally, this wouldn't have bothered Andrew since he didn't want to get involved with these powerful figures, but this time, Lugia was seeking information about him right in front of his face, which didn't sit well with him.

Sensing Elder Lugia's hostile gaze, Zaros stopped laughing and, in a calm but serious tone, said, "It's best not to do anything foolish, or I'll be forced to intervene, Elder Lugia."

The elder looked at Zaros in disbelief and couldn't help but ask, "Is this boy so important that you would intervene for him?". Zaros looked at her smiling, and replied, "He is, and he may be important to you too."

This answer only created more doubts for Elder Lugia, but before she could ask further, Zaros continued, "In any case, we're not here to talk about Andrew but about you. What are you doing in my territory?".

"Is the boy's presence necessary for that?", Elder Lugia asked instead of answering, and Zaros replied, "It is." This only confused Lugia and Vaelyra further, and now they looked at Andrew with curiosity, wondering, "Who is this boy?"