It was terrifying what the kish could do, even fake ones.

After ‘convincing’ Pallian’s countrymen to accept a mass branding and serve him, Simon proceeded to enslave five more shifter tribes on his way to Beleth. Rabbits, cats, wolves, tigers, even centaurs… Their slaving campaign was so successful that they had to halt it when they ran out of collars to properly bind all of their captives.

The Brand of Envy forced its users to steal someone else’s appearances, so all of his bat shifters now resembled Eole when they transformed. Simon had the sneaking suspicion the original wouldn’t be too pleased when she returned to Telluria to learn her face had become synonymous with enslavement, but this would all be worth it in the end. In the end, Telluria would be free of Vouivre, Endymion, and maybe even from themselves.

In the end, all would be good and Simon could forget this ever happened.

“Rabbits, centaurs…” Casval muttered to himself as he read from a book. “We are still missing the molemen, the goats, and the hyenas…”

“What’s that?” Simon inquired upon checking the book’s cover, suppressing a scowl of disgust when he read the title: The Beastmen Bestiary.

“With our current catches, we have filled out half of it,” Casval replied proudly. “We must catch them all, Simon. Even the moles!”

“I managed to trade a moleman for a white werebear at a slave auction,” Redhand commented. “They live underground and run away quickly, so they’re rare encounters outside of specific regions.”

“Do you know ape shifters often come in a one-in-a-thousand rare white-furred yeti breed?” Casval asked Simon with childish curiosity. “I can’t wait to catch one!”

Enslaving an entire civilization was a mere collection game to dragons. Simon couldn’t wait to exterminate them.

The most shameful part was that while these slave runs gave Simon plenty of experience, they still weren’t enough to grant him a new level yet. The gulf between one level-up and the next was growing wider and wider.

At this rate, enslaving all of Telluria will be hardly worth a level or two, Simon thought grimly. How did the Overlord Class expect him to top that? By taking over the world?

At least this excursion gave Simon some time and practice to perfect his new levitation spell, thanks to the grimoires he had borrowed from the Academy’s library, Duchar’s expertise, and the bat shifters themselves.

“Vampires can trace back their existence to an Alchemist and Necromancer pair collaborating on a healing remedy for leukemia by using a concoction consisting of demonic and bat shifter blood,” Duchar explained on the way back to Beleth. “Instead of healing the test subject, the elixir—which has been since called Vitae—mutated them into the first vampire, with the creature escaping into the wild to spread the affliction. Though the potion’s original creators refused to transcribe their recipe for fear of another accident, it hasn’t stopped some foolhardy scholars from trying to replicate it, often successfully.”

“Is vampirism a disease then?” Simon inquired.

“No,” Duchar replied. “Vampirism is a unique undead mutation brought on by the presence of Vitae in the bloodstream. The substance settles in the subject’s brain and reshapes the body so it processes blood to produce more of itself, which is why vampires suffer from their thirst. The System does not consider it a disease because it is technically beneficial to the host and little different than a hormone, which allows vampirism to bypass ailment immunities.”

“So I could contract it,” Simon guessed.

“In theory,” Duchar replied with a curious look. “Would Your Majesty be interested in trying it out?”

“Would there be any advantages to spending my days cowering from the sun?” Simon scoffed… until he recalled that he could cast an entire region into darkness with Edict of Eternal Night. I guess I could share the shade with everyone else.

“Plenty,” Duchar replied calmly. “Vitae grants vampires enormous strength, speed, and resilience, suppresses diseases, sharpens their senses, and grants them eternal youth as a baseline. The more a vampire feeds, the more potent their Vitae becomes, which in turn unlocks abilities such as hypnotizing individuals through eye contact, shapeshifting into nocturnal animals they have fed on, draining the lifeforce of others with a touch, and even manipulate their own blood for spellcasting.”

“Their own blood?” Simon’s eyes widened slightly. “You think this power would synergize with my Darkblood?”

“Indeed, the idea crossed my mind.” Duchar smiled with excitement. “Extremely old and ravenous vampires eventually gain such potent mastery over their Vitae that they unlock powerful, innate blood sorceries. They can use their Vitae to enhance their spells, create weapons, and even manipulate the blood of others to move them like puppets. The potential interactions with Your Majesty’s demonic bloodline are… fascinating.”

Simon couldn’t lie, the idea of unlocking unique blood magic appealed to him, especially if it somehow granted him more insight into his own Dark Visionary gifts… but being forced to hide from the sun and drink blood for the rest of his life sounded too crippling, even with Edict of Eternal Night partly mitigating the risks.

Perhaps he could look into it in a future reign, if only to see what latent powers he could awaken within himself and hopefully reverse-engineer them. He didn’t think vampirism would travel back in time with him since it was a physical mutation, and it might provide him with much needed experience.

“Let us just concern ourselves with vampiric flight for now,” Simon said. “From what I understand, they can lift themselves up with miasma-powered telekinesis?”

“Yes, like all undead, vampires use miasma rather than mana,” Duchar confirmed. He sounded a little disappointed by Simon’s refusal to try out vampirism. “Vitae strengthens a vampire’s brain and helps them develop psychic abilities like telepathy with their spawn and telekinesis. They can instinctually float by manipulating their own bloodstream and miasma, a process Your Majesty could emulate.”

Simon put that theory to the test, tuning his flight spell into a Darkness-aligned one focusing on manipulating the Darkblood coursing through his veins. It took him a few tries, but his Darkflight eventually allowed him to begin floating in the air by the mere strength of his will, his cloak of miasma fluttering behind him like ebon wings.

Simon immediately identified two issues with the spell: first of all, it didn’t grant him innate maneuverability in the air, so it would take him intense training to learn how to fly straight with the same grace as any shifter; and second, it burned through his miasma reserves at all times, even with Mageling halving the cost. Simon wouldn’t be able to keep it active at all times with his current power.

Still, he would have time to train with it.

Simon’s group split from Casval, the scalefolk, and their slaves to return to Beleth as if they had simply gone on a short hunt. His retainers had had time to consider their positions, and while Duchar unsurprisingly didn’t care all that much about relocating his laboratory eastward now that Simon had transferred his son’s soul into a better container, Meredith and Leonard had come to the opposite decision.

“You wish to leave my employ?” Simon asked with slight disappointment.

“We have discussed the matter between us, and reached the same conclusion,” Leonard admitted, picking his words well. “While we have sworn an oath to serve… Your Majesty’s decision to ally with Gargauth’s heirs to take arms against Endymion does not sit well with us.”

“I told you this was a temporary arrangement until I can deal with them,” Simon countered. “And Louis murdered my father on top of that.”

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“I have no desire to align with the War Party, and this talk of a second Doom worries me,” Leonard replied calmly. “However, I believe Your Majesty should ally with more sensible heads like Lord Paimon rather than this Vouivre. Letting her acquire power is… unwise.”

“Everyone who remembers Gargauth’s time considers His Majesty Balzam’s rule a golden age by comparison,” Meredith added. “Slavery and brutality are all that await our people should they return to power.”

She was right, of course, at least within the framework of a single history. Allying with Vouivre would lead Endymion to ruin… yet in the long run, infiltrating the dragons’ organization and learning how to dismantle it would save their nation.

“I swear we shall not reveal Your Majesty’s secrets,” Meredith insisted. “We are grateful for the opportunities you gave us, but…” A scowl formed on her face. “We fear your chosen path leads to ruin.”

Simon remained silent for a moment as he pondered their words. They were clearly afraid of his reaction, yet brave and loyal enough to speak their minds. He appreciated that about them, and he didn’t fault them for their choice. They had died for him before and constantly followed him into very dangerous situations, but even the patience of saints could run out.

“I understand,” Simon replied, much to their immense relief. “Truthfully, I was considering assigning you to Anna’s and Tiella’s protection either way, so you could watch over them in my absence.”

“This would be an acceptable assignment, yes,” Leonard concurred. “I am deeply sorry, Your Majesty.”

“No need to apologize, you two. You do what you think is right.” Simon sighed. “And so will I.”

Simon sent Duchar to gather his family and their belongings, ordered Belzemine—who had returned from the capital—to rendezvous with them for swift teleportation, and then returned to the Academy to bid goodbye to Anna, pack his things, and return the vampire book to the library.

No need to depart like a thief.

He didn’t have to look for Anna for long, since he found her waiting for him in his room, sitting with her arms crossed and a grave look on her face. Two cups of tea were steaming on his table.

“You’re late, Simon,” Anna chided him with a frown. “Where were you?”

A strange feeling immediately seized Simon, and a subtle chill traveled down his spine. He looked around the room, searching for the source of his unease.

Anna frowned. “What is it?”

“I… I don’t know,” Simon admitted. He had the feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn’t put his finger on what. The lights were sharper somehow. “The room looks… brighter than usual, somehow?”

“Yes, because I’m in it,” Anna quipped. “You’ve entered a no-brooding zone. It’s time to lighten up as you explain yourself.”

Simon let out a sigh and sat at the table. “You won’t like it.”

“I’d already gathered that on my own, thank you.” Anna bit her lip. “What’s going on, Simon? I can hardly recognize you anymore.”

“It’s still me.”

“Is it? I don’t recall the Simon I knew threatening to shove someone’s heart down his girlfriend’s throat, or looking at me like you do.” Anna shifted in her seat. “It’s like… it’s like you expect me to say something, and get disappointed when the wrong words come out of my mouth. It’s unsettling.”

You’ve always been too insightful for your own good, Anna, Simon thought. Or perhaps she simply knew him too well. “It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it?” Anna pushed. “You’re not doing well, Simon.”

“I just… I just need time to finish something,” Simon replied evasively. He couldn’t exactly tell her the truth. “Then everything will return to normal.”

“Finish what?” Anna’s scowl deepened. “And ‘return to normal’? Do you hear yourself? You smashed Thalas—a trueborn prince—against a table, in public. There's going to be consequences to that. You’re lucky he was too spooked to bring the inquisition down on you.”

Simon recalled that Anna had saved his hide once in a past reign, when he had been the one needing help rather than Thalas. Now such threats hardly phased him, and Anna appeared to notice.

“I don’t think you understand the seriousness of your situation, Simon,” Anna said with concern, “If Euphemia learns what happened–” 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

“Don’t worry about that, Anna,” Simon said as he grabbed his cup of tea. “It doesn’t matter as much as you think.”

“Of course I worry.” Anna shifted in her seat. “See, that’s what has been bothering me since you arrived here. You feel so… so disconnected from everything. Like you’re walking on a stage and going through the motions. You’re acting rather than being.”

Simon scowled in annoyance. Why were they even having this conversation? He had come here to warn her about the dangers threatening her in a way that wouldn’t spook her, and yet here he was, seething in his seat.

Why did this reign anger him so much in particular? Why couldn’t things just unfold as they were supposed to? All he had hoped for was to enjoy his time here with his friends, and yet he only found frustration.

Is it stress from the Dark Visionary ritual messing with my mind and patience? Simon wondered as he brought the tea to his lips. It’s like I can’t relax anymore nowada–

The tea burned his tongue and throat like acid.

Supereffective damage!

The surge of pain was sharp and immediate, causing him to throw the teacup against the nearest wall. He rose from his seat in surprise and incomprehension, breathing steam.

“What the–” Simon covered his mouth, the taste still acrid in his mouth. “Poison?!”

“It’s holy water,” Anna replied, frowning with anger as she bolted out of her seat. “Oh Lightstone of the ancients, exorcize this wicked thing!”

The ground beneath Simon’s feet brightened and holy light immolated him. Divine energies surged, entered his body, and then set his very soul ablaze.

Supereffective damage!

Simon had suffered far, far worse across the reigns, but it still itched all over. He growled and tried to move, only to hit a near-imperceptible wall keeping him trapped in place. A ring-shaped barrier of mana and swirling runes had risen around him.

Moreover, the door burst open to reveal Isabelle Barbatos and Thalas rushing into the room. The latter had put on his Berserker garb, and the former wore black feather-adorned mantle and robes that reminded Simon of Remedia’s Mage outfit, if less detailed. As for Anna, she had triggered her Lord Class, her hands shining with the Light Megalith’s holy power.

Anna…

Anna had betrayed him?

“The glyph is reacting,” Isabelle noted, scowling. “He’s a demon.”

“I knew it!” Anna glared at Simon with a mix of concern and fury. “Whoever you are, whatever you are, get out of my cousin’s body!”

“You…” Simon’s eyes widened in shock as he put two and two together. “You think I’m possessed?”

“I knew something was wrong with you from the moment you arrived in Beleth!” Anna glared at him. “Simon, you must fight it! That thing inside your heart is twisting your mind!”

“Just go along,” Thalas said, with far less relish than Simon would have expected in this scenario. He sounded almost grim.

“This is nonsen–” Simon grunted in pain as the light intensified from the exorcism.

He still couldn’t believe his lie had turned against him. Simon had blamed his soul wound on a failed attempt at demonic possession, so Anna must have assumed his outburst at Thalas was a sign Belzemine hadn’t done a good enough job at curing him.

No demon possessed him, but his Class caused magical effects to treat him as a fiend. The exorcism was chipping away at his life.

“Your exorcism isn’t powerful enough to expel the fiend, Anna,” Isabelle said, magic swirling in her hand. “Light Ham–”

Mindflayer!

Simon had spent enough time binding demons to learn the limits of binding circles, including the great danger mind-affecting spells represented during those cases. His psychic energies crossed the ring and struck Isabelle before she could complete her spell, breaking her concentration and sending her reeling back. It said a lot about her expertise and mental strength that she didn’t fall to her knees in pain at the sudden attack.

Activating Nightveil to shroud himself in impermeable darkness and hide his true Class outfit, Simon put on his Overlord armor and basked in its power. “Anna, step back now!” he warned her before smashing the ground with his fist. “Chaos Wave!”

Exorcism circles were near unbreakable to demons, but the ground on which they were drawn was another matter entirely.

His spell shattered the floor beneath him, causing much of it to collapse and break the ring along with it. Thalas quickly grabbed and pulled Isabelle back before she could slip into the growing hole in the middle of the room, while Anna barely managed to leap back to a safe corner. The ground collapsed into the bedroom below, burying a couple of screaming students who had the misfortune of copulating right beneath the falling debris.

As for Simon?

Simon floated in the air with Darkflight, like a shadowy ghost hovering in the void. Although his Class outfit was shrouded in darkness, his cover was ruined. His blood boiled with anger and his hands crackled with lightning.

“You…” Simon glared at Thalas, who had pulled Isabelle behind him. “This is all your fault again, isn’t it? You can't help but ruin things for me!”

“Anna, take cover–” Thalas barely managed to raise his axe to intercept the torrent of Hellthunder lightning Simon threw his way. The bolts set the carpets and nearest wallpaper on fire while throwing the Berserker back.

“It’s always your fault!” Simon snapped angrily. “Even when I try to help you, you find a way to–”

A Starshot spell hit him in the back.

The spell was too weak to harm him more than a slap would, but it still shocked Simon. He turned to look at Anna, who was now pointing her mana rapier at him. Her stance was uncertain, torn between fear and resolve, her expression one of concern and dread.

Was she… afraid of him? Of Simon?

“Why can’t you see me as I am, Anna?” Simon asked in disbelief.

“I am seeing you as you are, demon!” Anna replied, clenching her jaw. “Release Simon, now!”

What… What’s going on? Simon couldn’t help but look at his hands shrouded in darkness, then back at the look of fear in Anna’s eyes. What’s happening to me?

But he had no time to think. Isabelle had recovered from her Stun ailment enough to incantate and Thalas was preparing to leap at Simon, weapon first. The Overlord acted on instinct, calling upon his limited control of Darkflight to fly past Anna in a flash.

Simon crashed through the window and fled into the night.