After a few days' journey, Ryo finally reached the venue where he was supposed to accept the invitation sent to him. They were to meet at a small palace lying between the Vampire and Dragon states, a neutral territory provided to make it easier for negotiations. The palace's splendor could be seen in its construction, combining both vampiric fineness and draconic grandeur. As he stepped inside, Ryo immediately sensed the presence of several nobles from both countries, their gazes full of suspicion and anticipation.
After being brought in, he was seated to the side of the Vampire Lord and the Dragon Emperor, which indicated his value in this assembly. The nobles murmured to each other, glancing at him with disdain, interest, and even hidden greed. It was not long before the real reason for the meeting became apparent. Two people emerged—one from the noble ranks of the Vampire nation and the other from the Dragon nation. Their faces had an arrogant look as they were about to make their demands.
The first of the nobles cleared his throat and spoke haughtily. "Lord Ryo, as this new country's ruler, naturally it makes sense that you bring taxes to those very countries whence your nation's soil hails. It is—"
Even before he was able to conclude his statement, Ryo broke in, glare sharp as any knife. "Why the fuck would I donate anything to you people?"
The nobles collectively recoiled at his words, some of them making strange faces, seemingly unable to comprehend such blatant defiance. Murmurs erupted among them, but Ryo was far from finished.
"What do you owe me to pay you something?" he went on, voice thick with incredulity and disdain. "You people assume that you're entitled to something from me. The land that I inherited was donated freely by the Vampire Lord and Dragon Emperor. I owe you nothing to your parasites who have done nothing but suck from your own nations!"
The hall broke into chaos as the nobles started to shout in anger. "That land was part of our peoples!" one of the nobles shouted. "You are merely a half-breed upstart!" another mocked.
Two nobles came forward, their chests inflated with unwarranted pride. One wore a sigil of the Shadow Dragon lineage, and the other wore the crest of a noble vampire clan. They regarded Ryo with disdain before one of them opened his mouth. "You might not know it, but we are the descendants of the great Shadow Dragon and the legendary vampire who once possessed the Blood Rampage ability."
The other noble nodded, smirking. "Our ancestors were mighty, and because of their legacy, we have the right to make demands of you."
Ryo stared at them for a moment before he burst into laughter. His sudden reaction startled the nobles, and the entire hall fell into silence.
"You take your ancestors' deeds as your own? Tell me, what have you done in your life, other than being born into privilege? Have you done anything worthy of your ancestors' names? Or have you merely grown fat and lazy, corrupting your own nations from within?"
The two nobles went pale at his words, but Ryo wasn't finished.
"Your forebears gained their honor through blood, sweat, and sacrifice. They battled for their nations, their homelands, and their people. And yet, you are here standing before me, doing the very opposite—betraying and undermining your own nations for your own interests."
The nobles scrunched up their fists, their pride hurt. One of them retorted sharply, "How dare you address us in such manner? We are of noble lineage, whereas you are a mongrel with defiled blood!"
Ryo's face went black. "You allege to be descendants of the Shadow Dragon and the vampire who possessed Blood Rampage. Then demonstrate. Do you possess proof?"
The nobles paused, but their pride wouldn't permit them to retreat. "Our lines have been maintained for centuries! How dare you doubt us?"
A smile appeared on Ryo's lips. "Then let's discover the truth."
Without hesitation, Ryo deactivated his Presence Nullification ability. A suffocating aura filled the hall, crushing everyone present under its sheer weight. The nobles fell to their knees, their bravado instantly shattered. Even the Vampire Lord and Dragon Emperor seemed affected, their eyes widening in shock.
But Ryo wasn't finished yet. Having spent time experimenting with his new powers before coming to this meeting, one of them, in especial, had grabbed his interest—a power to control the realm of death itself, a skill similar to necromancy but on a different scale. Picking this as the ideal time to try it out, Ryo turned on the ability.
Dark energy poured into the room as he lifted his hand. Shadows condensed in front of him, and in seconds, the figure of a gigantic beast materialized—the Shadow Dragon, a calamity-class monstrosity that had once terrorized the world. Gasps and screams of horror filled the hall as the nobles rushed backward, fear in their eyes.
The Dragon Emperor himself collapsed to the ground, his face ashen as he stuttered, "W-Why is the Shadow Dragon here?!"
Ryo directed his attention to the ghostly dragon. "Shadow Dragon, tell me. Did you ever have a descendant?"
The dragon's ghostly eyes shone as it replied in a low, thunderous voice. "No, I never sired any offspring."
Silence descended upon the hall. The truth was revealed for everyone to witness. The so-called descendants had been deceiving.
Ryo smiled, sending the Shadow Dragon back into nothingness. "There you have it. You people were lying all along."
The accused nobles were now shaking in their boots, their faces covered in sweat. The rest of the hall watched with a combination of shock and disgust.
Ryo faced the Vampire Lord and the Dragon Emperor. "Now that we know the truth, what do you plan to do with these pretenders?"
The Vampire Lord's face darkened. "They have shamed our nations. They will be deprived of their titles and rank forthwith."
The Dragon Emperor agreed. "Their fraud almost compromised the honor of our nations. Their noble prerogatives will be taken away."
The other nobles gulped, understanding that their corruption had finally hit its limit. Ryo rose to his feet, not caring about their fate. "Good. Then my work here is done."
With that, he departed the hall with the two rulers, who thanked him. Because of Ryo, they now had grounds to purge their ranks of corrupt nobles.
As Ryo came back to his new country, he could see the advancement of its construction. Smiling slightly, he knew that though challenges would keep coming, he was more than prepared to encounter them.