Dromos 21, Imperial Year 1644
The Secondary Workshop, Hills Above Velathri
The workshop was silent save for the soft hum of the steam engine. Vlad stood before the seven Black Knights, the Zero mask gleaming under the alchemical lights. His black cape hung perfectly still. The Geass crest on the wall behind him seemed to pulse with its own authority.
"We have a new mission," Vlad said. His voice was not loud, but it filled the room. "An alliance."
Hound frowned. "With whom?"
"With the fools who have been asking about lesser earth dragons." Vlad turned, his cape swirling. "They are in Velathri. They are desperate. They do not know it yet, but they need us."
Sparrow raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?"
"Because I know everything that happens in this city." Vlad placed a gloved hand on the map table. "I watched them. I listened. I followed their whispers to a girl named Vesper Nightshade – dying of a curse in a village called Ashford. The only cure: the heart of a lesser earth dragon, harvested within an hour of death."
Titan cracked his knuckles. "A dragon. Even a lesser one – that's a fight."
"It is. Which is why they will fail without us." Vlad's mask turned toward each knight in turn. "They have numbers. They have a healer. They have courage. But courage does not pierce dragon hide. My rifle does."
Phantom spoke from the shadows. "So we help them."
"We offer them a deal. One mission. Their fighters draw the dragon's attention. I take the shot. We all walk away with what we need." Vlad raised a hand, palm up, as if presenting an invisible gift. "They get the heart. We get their gratitude – and the knowledge that we are not monsters."
"And if they refuse?" Rook asked.
Vlad's hand closed into a fist. "Then they die fighting the dragon. And we retrieve the heart from their corpses. But I would prefer the former."
He walked to the cabinet and opened it. The 20mm rifle glinted.
"Tomorrow at dusk. The old watchtower at the crossroads. I will speak. You will stand behind me. You will not speak unless I command it."
"And your face?" Lynx asked.
"They will see the mask. That is all they need to see."
Dromos 22, Imperial Year 1644
The Old Watchtower – Dusk
The watchtower was a ruin, but Vlad had chosen it for its stage. The setting sun painted the sky in shades of orange and blood. He stood before the entrance, arms folded, cape draped perfectly. Behind him, the seven knights stood in a silent arc – Hound, Sparrow, Rook, Lynx, Titan, Phantom, Eagle. Masks on. Weapons visible but not drawn.
The class approached from the south. They stopped fifty paces away. Vlad could see their hesitation, their fear, their poorly concealed weapons.
"You are late," Vlad called. His voice carried, amplified by the mask's acoustics. "I do not appreciate being kept waiting."
Elara stepped forward. "You're the one they call Zero."
"I am." He tilted his head. "And you are the ones who have been asking foolish questions about dragons. Questions that would have gotten you killed."
Roderick's hand moved to his sword. Vlad did not react.
"Lower your hand," Vlad said. "If I wanted you dead, you would not have seen me coming."
The class exchanged glances. Reinhard stepped beside Elara.
"You said you wanted to talk."
"I said I wanted to offer you a deal." Vlad spread his arms wide. "You seek the heart of a lesser earth dragon. I know where it lairs. I have a weapon that can kill it. You have the numbers to keep it still long enough for me to take the shot."
"And what do you get out of it?" Elara asked.
"The satisfaction of watching you succeed. And the knowledge that I am not without mercy." Vlad lowered his arms. "Make no mistake – I am not your ally. I am not your friend. I am a means to an end. Accept my offer, and you live. Refuse, and you die in the Cinder Peaks, alone and forgotten."
Grom growled. "You talk like a king."
"I talk like someone who has seen what you are too foolish to see." Vlad stepped forward, his cape trailing. "The girl – Vesper. She has weeks, perhaps days. Every moment you waste in hesitation is a moment her heart weakens. So decide. Now."
The class huddled. Whispers. Glances. Then Elara turned back.
"We accept."
Vlad nodded. "Good. We leave at dawn. The Cinder Peaks are one day's ride from Ashford. You will follow my orders. You will not argue. You will not play hero. And when the dragon falls, you will take the heart and go."
"And you?" Reinhard asked.
"I will vanish. As I always do."
Vlad turned, his cape swirling, and walked into the tower. The Black Knights followed.
The class stood in the dusk, watching the shadows swallow them.
"That was…" Rosalind started.
"Terrifying," Miku finished.
Elara nodded. "But he's right. We need him."
End of Chapter Thirty‑Six