If Seline had misunderstood Craven and was willing to become a slave, to be controlled and manipulated by Craven for life, such a price would have been enough for Craven to undergo Blood Recollection.
However, even with such a massive temptation, Craven still couldn't accept something like Blood Recollection. After all, he truly had a guilty conscience. How could he accept Blood Recollection so easily? If all his illicit affairs were exposed, his life would be completely ruined!
Therefore...
"Impossible—!!!"
"Seline, what nonsense are you, you crazy woman, spouting? How could I betray the Vampires to side with the Werewolves? What's so good about Werewolves? What part of those beasts would I be attracted to, to side with them? This is completely illogical and baseless."
"Furthermore, I strictly refuse Blood Recollection. This is an insult to my character. Blood Recollection would reveal all my private memories. How could I live with any dignity in front of you all afterwards? Blood Recollection is an ability only used by Vampires on slaves. Do you want to turn me into a slave too?"
Craven's rebuttal and resistance were extremely strong.
He immediately began to hysterically curse Seline, even though he had previously yearned for her, the female Vampire, so much.
But now, it seems men truly are big jerks; once they encounter danger, they immediately choose to protect themselves.
Of course, Craven's defense wasn't entirely unreasonable.
After all, just as he said, the Vampires' living conditions were far better than the Werewolves'. They enjoyed noble status, rights, and abundant wealth.
They were much stronger than the Werewolves who lived in the sewers. A Vampire would only turn to a Werewolf if their brain was truly fried, as there was nothing of value or attraction among the Werewolves that could tempt a Vampire.
These words were very true.
In an instant, the elders and high-ranking officials at the council table, including Viktor and Amelia, also turned their gazes towards Seline, wanting to see what further explanations or rebuttals Seline had.
It should be known that a Vampire betraying the Vampires to side with the Werewolves was a very serious and unforgivable crime, but false accusations among Vampires were also very serious.
Seline might truly become Craven's slave unless she could produce more evidence or more convincing words.
"…"
And seeing all the elders and high-ranking officials at the council table looking at her, Seline herself seemed a bit flustered.
She immediately pinched the soft flesh at Javier's waist beside her, a woman's consistently effective damage technique!
Impossible to guard against.
Javier quickly trembled slightly from the pinch. Oh, the pain…
Seline, meanwhile, gave Javier a resentful glance, as if to say, 'You scoundrel, you made me start this, and now I've been outmaneuvered. How am I supposed to fix this?'
No choice.
Because Seline's sudden attack, targeting Craven just now, was orchestrated by Javier himself.
Javier had said he was 100% sure that Craven was a Vampire traitor, and thus told Seline to accuse him.
But now… the backlash has come. The attack has turned back on her, making Seline herself very flustered. She didn't want to become a slave to Craven, that hypocrite.
Just thinking about spending every day under Craven's thumb, she'd rather slap Craven to death and then turn around and die fighting the Werewolves. At least that would be a little more glorious.
"There's nothing to explain."
"The reason is very simple. The reason Craven wanted to betray the Vampires and join the Werewolves wasn't because the Werewolves offered him any benefits, but because Craven himself craved more power."
"Hundreds of years ago, Craven pretended to slay Werewolf Leader Lucien, gaining immense prestige and fame. But as time passed, these things gradually faded away."
"No one remembers Craven as the Werewolf Slayer anymore. In fact, his current status is merely that of a castle manager. Therefore, Craven is very dissatisfied. He yearns for more and higher power and status!"
"And coincidentally, the only ones who can help him are the Werewolves. Although Werewolves don't have vast wealth or power, they possess incredibly strong might, especially the currently desperate Werewolves. They crave Vampire blood; they are extremely hungry and ferocious."
"So… what Craven truly values is the Werewolves' combat strength. He can continue to put on a show for the Vampires, a play where he once again becomes the Werewolf Slayer."
"He would once again collude with Werewolf Leader Lucien, leaking intelligence about the whereabouts of the Vampire ruling elders, allowing Lucien to bring a large number of Werewolves to surround the Going Out Vampire ruling elders."
"For example, our beautiful Lady Amelia here. Believe me, once you leave the castle, your whereabouts will be leaked by Craven, and then you'll be besieged and slaughtered by Werewolves. When the position of Vampire ruling elder becomes vacant, Craven, as the castle manager, can seize the opportunity to rise to power—!"
"Of course, Craven's ambition isn't that small. He also wants to become the new King of the Vampires. Everyone knows that Werewolf Leader Lucien has a grudge against the second Vampire ruling elder, Viktor."
"If Seline hadn't awakened Elder Viktor in advance, he might have been killed by Lucien while still in his slumber!"
"With two elders dead, Craven would completely reign supreme. This is his plan. Of course… I have no evidence, but obtaining evidence is not difficult. Since Craven refuses to use Blood Recollection, then thoroughly investigate his room and recent contact records. You're sure to find some clues."
"Of course, the simplest and most direct method is still Blood Recollection, which is directly effective. What's more, Seline has already agreed to be a slave. This price is heavy enough, but Mr. Craven still refuses, and his emotions are so agitated. I suspect he's the one with a guilty conscience."
"Blood Recollection is indeed inhumane and undignified, but what if Elders Viktor and Amelia conducted the Blood Recollection?"
"I think that would be perfectly appropriate. The two elders are authoritative enough and would not leak the memories of you, a low-ranking castle manager. I think this is the most reasonable way to handle it."
"However, if Elders Viktor and Amelia truly aren't afraid of being ambushed by Werewolves, then Blood Recollection doesn't have to be used. This depends on the two elders' wishes."
At this moment, Javier, urged by Seline, immediately began to explain. His words directly overturned Craven's claims.
And his idea of uniting with the Werewolves to weaken the Vampire clan's power and seize power himself did indeed seem plausible.
Of course, these weren't the most crucial points.
The crucial point was that Viktor's face immediately changed when he heard the possibility of being killed by Lucien while in slumber, and Amelia's own whereabouts being leaked and being besieged by Werewolves.
Other Vampires didn't matter, but if their own lives were in danger, then nothing else mattered.
Moreover, Blood Recollection being performed by their two elders was indeed reasonable and appropriate; it wouldn't be leaked and would ensure the preservation of Craven's memories if he were truly misunderstood.
And so, "Craven, come here…"
"We need to perform Blood Recollection. If we truly misunderstood you, then as elders, Amelia and I can guarantee to compensate you."
"Not only will Seline become your slave, but we will also bestow upon you additional rights and status, second only to the elders. This is compensation for the sacrifice of your memories!"
With a deep gaze towards Craven in the distance, Viktor spoke earnestly, trying to persuade him.
As an old fox, Viktor had to ensure his own life was not threatened, not even by a single iota.
So he was determined to see Craven's memories today, and he would provide some compensation. This was a rare opportunity for him to be so agreeable, and he hoped Craven wouldn't refuse his goodwill.
However… faced with such compensation, Craven still refused, even recoiling a few steps in fear, subtly indicating his unwillingness to cooperate.
But this guilty appearance only further aroused Viktor's displeasure. If he wasn't willing to cooperate, then he could only take action himself!
"Come here—!"
With an angry roar, Viktor directly commanded Craven in the distance. A powerful deterrent and killing intent were immediately released, and the strong oppressive force directly enveloped Craven, making him unable to move an inch.
Although he was known as the Werewolf Slayer who had killed Lucien, his actual strength was very weak, and he couldn't resist the oppressive power of Viktor, the old Vampire.
"Stubborn…!"
And at this, Viktor didn't hesitate at all.
His figure vanished, and like a phantom, he rushed in front of Craven, immediately reaching out and grabbing Craven's shoulder.
Viktor's eyes turned blood-red, and his sharp fangs were exposed. He bit down on Craven's neck without hesitation!
"Hiss…"
"Ah—!!!"
A scream echoed.
Craven's face immediately showed an expression of pain, and as blood was drawn, fragments of memory rapidly surged into the mind of Viktor, the Vampire warlord.
Among them were the centuries-old deal where Craven helped Lucien fake his death and escape, as well as Craven's recent intelligence exchanges and schemes with Werewolf Leader Lucien.
Everything, everything, proved that… Craven was indeed a traitor who had betrayed the Vampires and planned to join the Werewolves, just as Seline and Javier had said!
Seeing this, Viktor, the Vampire warlord, became enraged. What he hated most was not only Werewolves but also his mortal enemy, Lucien.
And now… Craven dared to betray the Vampires and even planned to unite with Lucien to kill him? How could Viktor not be furious!
"Damn it, damn it, damn it—!!!!"
"You damned traitor, you ungrateful wretch, you are simply a disgrace to the Vampires! How dare you betray the Vampires and side with our mortal enemy, the Werewolves? Being dismembered, pierced by a thousand arrows, and burned alive is not enough punishment for you! That's Lucien, the Werewolf Leader, my mortal enemy! How dare you try to unite with Lucien to kill me?!"
Almost hysterically, the moment he learned the truth, Viktor flew into a rage, his face contorted. His sharp nails directly pierced Craven's collarbone, violently tearing it out, splattering blood everywhere.
Craven let out a shrill scream of pain, but Viktor was still not appeased and began to repeatedly break Craven's limbs.
Bones pierced through flesh and were exposed to the air. At this moment, Craven seemed like a cripple, completely unable to move, his body covered in blood.
His mouth was also smashed, so he couldn't even beg for mercy, only whimpering continuously.
And looking at Viktor's furious appearance, the elders and high-ranking officials at the council table, including Amelia and the other Vampires, could basically confirm that Craven's betrayal of the Vampires was true.
After all, Viktor, the Vampire warlord, had never been so angry and enraged by anyone other than his mortal enemy, Werewolf Leader Lucien.
"See for yourselves, this damned wretch is the culprit behind the betrayal of the Vampires. He must be given the punishment he deserves. The price for being a traitor is not so simple…!"
And after his anger subsided, Viktor, uncharacteristically, did not directly kill Craven, the Vampire traitor, but instead threw him onto the council table.
He planned to have every Vampire taste Craven's blood using Blood Recollection to confirm that he was indeed a traitor.
And now that the traitor had been caught, Viktor was eager to seek revenge on that damned bastard Lucien—!
Tens of minutes later—
The traitor Craven's corpse was dismembered on the council table, with blood flowing everywhere and severed limbs and broken bones scattered about. His parts were almost completely disassembled, and various bones lay scattered on the floor. Craven's unseeing head still lay quietly on top.
Facing such a horrifying scene, not a single Vampire present showed any change in their eyes; they watched everything with great composure.
Every Vampire's mouth was stained with blood, as if it were some kind of bloody feast, but they were not gnawing on the traitor Craven's corpse.
Instead, without exception, they had all performed Blood Recollection. Each person had examined Craven's memories and learned of his betrayal of the Vampires.
And a betrayer… was not qualified to retain memories.
Craven's secrets were laid bare, and at the same time, everyone's gaze towards Craven was filled with contempt.
A former Werewolf Slayer turned out to be a hypocritical, pathetic coward. To what extent had the Vampires been blind to allow such a useless person to sneak in? It was simply a disgrace.
"Craven's betrayal is a fact."
"Since that's the case, then Werewolf Leader Lucien's survival and their plan to find a special human to fuse with the serum must also be true. Our primary task is to prevent the Werewolves from finding that human."
"At the same time, the great war between the Werewolves and Vampires can now begin. The Werewolves want to overthrow the Vampires' rule; how can we allow those beasts to have their way?"
"At dawn tomorrow, begin to gather the Vampire Warriors outside the castle. I will personally lead the troops to eradicate the Werewolves and trap that beast Lucien like a turtle in a jar!" (TN: Think Author forgot dawn is not a good time for vampires...)
"Elder Amelia, in these extraordinary times, I will temporarily take command of the military. You will manage internal affairs. You have no objections, do you?"
At this moment, Viktor wiped the bloodstains from the corners of his mouth, his deep eyes gazing at the numerous Vampire elders and high-ranking officials at the council table, and he spoke calmly, asking.
And when he mentioned military command… he also turned his gaze to the elegant court lady, Amelia, although she was his former lover.