Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls-Chapter 489: Complicated night

Dawn hung silently over the Empire.

From atop the castle’s highest tower, the world seemed distant, almost unreal, as if all the grandeur of the walls, streets, and lights scattered throughout the capital were merely a carefully constructed stage set to be observed from afar. The wind blew steadily at that height, cold enough to pierce fabrics and touch the skin easily, carrying with it the scent of the sleeping city and distant echoes of a life that never truly ceased.

Kael stood on the edge of the tower.

His arms crossed, his body relaxed, but his eyes alert as he observed the vast territory below him. Small points of light were still lit across the city, isolated windows where someone remained awake, guards patrolling the walls, taverns resisting sleep. Everything seemed calm.

But he knew it wasn’t.

He let out a small sigh, shifting his gaze to the dark horizon where the sky met the earth in an indistinct blur.

"Vampire incidents are increasing."

His voice broke the silence of the early morning, low, almost as if he were talking to himself, but still carrying real weight.

"More frequent... bolder."

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing as he mentally analyzed recent events.

"And that’s a problem."

The wind blew again, stronger this time, making the fabric of his clothes move slightly.

For a few seconds, he remained silent.

Then he felt it.

A presence.

Behind him.

Kael didn’t turn around immediately.

He simply remained where he was, his eyes still fixed on the Empire as the presence approached with soft steps, almost too silent for an ordinary person to notice.

It stopped a few meters away.

And spoke.

"I’m sorry."

The voice was low.

Laden with something that wasn’t just guilt, but also frustration.

Kael closed his eyes for a brief moment before finally turning around.

Elizabeth was there.

Standing in the dim moonlight, her fair hair gently stirred by the wind, her eyes reflecting a complicated mix of emotions. She seemed more restrained than usual, as if trying to maintain a firm posture despite the evident weight she carried.

She took a small step forward.

"I wish things weren’t like this."

The way she said it wasn’t dramatic.

It was simple.

Direct.

And honest.

Kael observed her for a few seconds.

Then he let out a small sigh.

"It’s not your fault."

He replied naturally, turning his body partially back to the landscape, but keeping his attention on her.

Elizabeth frowned slightly.

"But—"

"It’s not."

Kael interrupted before she could continue, his tone firm enough to end that line of thought.

He rested his elbows on the stone parapet of the tower, gazing again at the city.

"Things are moving."

He spoke more casually now, as if merely commenting on the weather.

"And when big things move... there’s always a mess left in their wake."

Elizabeth was silent for a moment, absorbing it.

She knew he wasn’t just trying to comfort her.

It was his way of seeing the world.

Direct.

No beating around the bush.

No unnecessary blame game.

She walked until she stopped beside him, also looking at the Empire below.

"I still wish I could do more."

She murmured.

Kael gave a small, wry smile.

"You already are."

He turned his head slightly toward her.

"Just by being here."

Elizabeth didn’t answer immediately.

Her eyes remained fixed on the city, but her expression softened a little. After a few seconds, Kael spoke again.

"Have you heard any news from the Vampire Kingdom?"

The question was direct.

No beating around the bush.

Elizabeth blinked a few times, as if pulled back to the reality of the situation.

She shook her head slowly.

"No."

The answer came softly.

"Probably the vampires who still serve me are already here in the Empire."

She crossed her arms slightly, her gaze becoming more serious.

"I don’t have eyes inside the palace."

Kael made a small, thoughtful sound.

"I imagine."

He rested his chin on his hand for a moment, clearly organizing his thoughts.

Silence returned for a few seconds, broken only by the sound of the wind.

Then he sighed.

A different sigh.

More decisive.

"Then I’ll have to go."

Elizabeth turned her head immediately.

"...What?"

Her eyes widened slightly, surprise evident in her expression.

"What do you mean?"

Kael uncrossed his arms and stepped back a little from the parapet, now completely facing her.

"I’m going to the Vampire Realm."

He said it as if he were talking about something simple.

Almost trivial.

Elizabeth stared at him for a few seconds, clearly trying to understand if he was serious.

"You can’t just... go there."

She said, still a little incredulous.

"That place isn’t—"

"I know what it is."

Kael interrupted again, but this time the tone wasn’t harsh.

It was just... confident.

He took a few slow steps up the tower, as if he were thinking aloud now.

"But that doesn’t change much."

Elizabeth frowned.

"How does it not change anything?"

Kael stopped, looking at her with a small smile that carried something almost ironic.

"Because names have weight."

He said.

"And mine... has quite a bit."

Elizabeth remained silent.

Kael continued.

"When you carry a name the whole world knows, certain doors don’t stay closed for long."

He tilted his head slightly.

"And certain places... learn not to ignore you."

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes slightly.

"That’s not exactly comforting."

Kael shrugged.

"It doesn’t have to be."

He looked back at the horizon.

"It just has to work."

The wind blew again, stronger this time, passing between them and carrying away the silence that followed.

Elizabeth took a deep breath.

"Do you really think this will solve it?"

Kael didn’t answer immediately.

He stood for a few seconds observing the city.

Thinking.

Calculating.

Then he spoke.

"You’re going to give me answers."

He said simply.

"And now... that’s what I need."

Elizabeth lowered her gaze for a moment.

Then she looked back at him.

"What if it’s a trap?"

Kael smiled slightly.

A small smile.

But confident.

"Then it’ll be an interesting trap."

Elizabeth let out a small sigh, shaking her head.

"You talk like this is fun."

Kael shrugged again.

"It’s not fun."

He replied.

"But it’s not something I can ignore either."

He turned his head towards her once more.

"You know that."

Elizabeth held his gaze for a few seconds.

Then she looked away, glancing back at the city.

"...I know."

She murmured.

Silence returned. But this time it was different.

Less heavy.

More... accepted.

Kael stepped back from the parapet again, stretching his shoulders slightly as he looked at the sky.

"Besides..."

He began, in a more casual tone.

"Being a Scarlet has its privileges."

Elizabeth looked at him again.

"Does that include trespassing on vampire territory?"

Kael chuckled softly.

"Not exactly trespassing."

He replied.

"More... entering unhindered."

She raised an eyebrow.

"And you’re sure about that?"

Kael tilted his head, his gaze now carrying a quiet confidence.

"When your name carries power..."

He paused briefly.

"...that’s how things work."

Elizabeth was silent for a few seconds.

Watching him.

Thinking.

And, deep down...

Worried. But also...

Trusting.

Because, like it or not...

Kael wasn’t the type of person to say something like that without some kind of basis to support it.

And that, in itself...

Made everything much more serious.

The night was already far advanced when Kael finally returned.

The way back to the mansion was silent, marked only by the rhythmic sound of his footsteps and the distant echo of the city still alive under the dark cloak of dawn. The conversation in the tower continued to swirl in his mind, each detail being revisited with that almost automatic care of someone already accustomed to dealing with problems too big to ignore. Vampires moving more frequently, lack of reliable information, and now the decision he himself had made to go directly to the heart of that territory.

None of it was simple.

None of it was easy.

And yet, Kael walked with the same calm posture as always, as if carrying that kind of decision was just another natural part of his routine.

When he finally crossed the mansion’s corridors, the atmosphere was already shrouded in silence. The lights were dimmed, the servants probably already retired, and only the occasional sound of the wind against the windows broke the quiet of the place.

He climbed the stairs without haste.

Each step echoing softly in the vast space.

And, for a moment, he thought that perhaps he could finally have a few hours of rest without absurd interruptions, dimensional portals, or uncomfortably intense conversations.

An optimistic thought.

Naive.

He reached the door of his own room, pausing for a moment before opening it.

There was no specific reason to hesitate.

But still, he did.

Perhaps instinct.

Perhaps experience.

Kael then turned the doorknob and opened the door.

And immediately stopped.

The room was illuminated by a soft light, unlike the dimness he expected to find. The curtains were partially closed, letting in just enough outside light to create a more intimate, more... prepared atmosphere.

And then he saw.

The bed.

And who was on it.

Amelia, Irelia, Inari, and Umbra.

The four were positioned on the enormous mattress, occupying the space with an almost surreal naturalness, as if this were simply the most logical state of things. Their arrangement wasn’t disorganized or too casual, nor did it seem artificial. It was... intentional.

And the detail that made everything even more impossible to ignore...

Was the way they were dressed.

Lingerie.

Each with a different style, perfectly reflecting their personalities.

Amelia leaned slightly on one arm, her body relaxed, wearing a delicate outfit that combined elegance with subtle provocation—the kind of choice that clearly wasn’t accidental. Her eyes had been fixed on Kael since the moment he opened the door, and the small smile that appeared on her lips made it clear that this reaction was exactly what she had expected.

Irelia sat more upright, her posture impeccable even in that situation, as if even that were treated with a certain controlled dignity. The outfit she wore was more refined, almost aristocratic, but still impossible to ignore. Her eyes calmly observed Kael, but there was something there... something calculated.

Inari, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease, as if she were simply enjoying the situation without any worries. She lay on her side, resting her head on her hand, a playful smile on her lips as she analyzed Kael’s expression as if she were watching something extremely interesting.

And Umbra...

Umbra seemed curious.

More than anything else.

She sat closer to the center of the bed, looking at Kael with that same analytical gaze she used to have, but now mixed with something new, something she was still learning to interpret within that newly acquired physical body.

The silence that followed was... dense.

Kael stood in the doorway for a few seconds.

Observing.

Processing.

Trying to understand if this was just another one of those absurd situations that simply happened to him... or if there was some kind of logic behind it.

Eventually, he let out a sigh.

Slow.

Controlled.

"...I’m not even going to ask."

His voice came out with an almost resigned weariness.

Amelia was the first to answer, her smile widening slightly.

"You should."

She said softly.

"But I think you already understand."

Kael calmly closed the door behind him, still observing the scene before him.

"I have some ideas." He answered, walking a few steps into the room.

Inari chuckled softly.

"Great."

She commented.

"This saves time."

Irelia tilted her head slightly, her eyes still fixed on him.

"We thought it would be... appropriate."

Kael raised an eyebrow.

"Appropriate?"

Amelia answered this time.

"After today’s conversation."

She made a small gesture with her hand.

"After the explanations."

Another gesture.

"After everything you were clearly trying to process on your own."

She crossed her legs slightly.

"We thought it best to make a few things... clear."

Kael stopped a few feet from the bed, crossing his arms as he watched the four of them.

"Clear how?"

Umbra answered.

Directly.

"That we’re here."

She tilted her head slightly.

"And that’s not a problem."