Thud!
Due to the horse's sudden, violent stop, the blonde, curly-haired man was sent flying face-first into the ground, tumbling several times before finally coming to a halt.
"Ah—my beautiful face!!"
The first thing the man did upon getting up wasn't looking back to see what happened. Instead, he produced a mirror from nowhere and began frantically applying cosmetic lotions to his face, muttering under his breath: "Dammit, if a reporter saw this, it would become the darkest stain on my future star career. I, Cavendish, will never allow such a thing to happen."
After a flurry of chaotic grooming, Cavendish looked into the mirror again, stroking his cheek with an intoxicated expression. "Mmm, perfect once more."
That settled, he turned around and realized his beloved horse, Farul, was nowhere to be found. He scrambled back toward the palace gates where Farul had stopped, looking around desperately. "Farul? Farul?!"
With no sign of his horse, Cavendish clutched his head in a total breakdown. "Ahhhh!!! My Farul!!"
"Um..."
At that moment, a young girl, clearly smitten by Cavendish's looks, blushed and pointed toward the palace steps. "Just now... that horse went into the palace with a girl in white."
Seeing her starry-eyed expression, Cavendish slipped back into his narcissism. "As expected, my charm is peerless. My days as a superstar are just around the corner, Ahahaha!"
After a brief fit of madness, Cavendish finally ran into the palace. He noticed that the soldiers nearby had vacant eyes, appearing to be under some form of control. They stared straight ahead, completely ignoring his intrusion.
As he walked through the corridors, Cavendish saw that every guard was in the same state. He muttered in confusion, "What's going on? This is..."
In the inner sanctum of the palace, the white horse Farul followed closely behind "Loli A." Alucard didn't bother to shoo the animal away, walking straight down the red carpet toward the main hall.
Inside, King Thalassa Lucas was in the middle of a heated discussion regarding the succession. Both of his sons now held military power; a single misstep would plunge them into a civil war for the throne.
"Hey! Who are you?"
Suddenly, an elder statesman with a gray beard spotted the white-clad girl walking down the center of the hall with a horse in tow. He shouted in shock, "Guards! What are the palace guards doing?!"
But the soldiers stood like statues, unresponsive to the minister's cries.
"After obtaining the True Ancestor's power, my abilities have heightened across the board. Even Charm can now be applied as an area-of-effect..."
Alucard finally spoke. Though he appeared as a young girl, the voice that emerged was the deep, resonant tone of a man, sending a shiver through everyone present.
Alucard stepped past the carpet and up the dais, stopping directly in front of King Thalassa Lucas. For some reason, even though he looked like a fourteen-year-old girl, the monarch of the nation was so terrified he couldn't move a muscle.
"Order your two sons to begin the war immediately, King."
Alucard pulled a hand from his pocket and pointed a finger directly between the King's eyes.
"Impudence!"
The ministers and generals of the Ilisia Kingdom erupted in outrage at Alucard's disrespect. Several armed officers unsheathed their sabers, preparing to rush the dais and cut down this insolent girl.
Neigh!
Farul let out a piercing cry, rearing up on its hind legs in a threatening display that forced the charging officers back.
But what happened next truly horrified the court.
King Lucas began to mumble, "Yes... yes... war should be waged..."
Loli A kept her hands in her pockets, a sinister smirk playing on her lips as she stepped down from the throne. Behind her, King Lucas commanded: "Pass the order. Rockefeller and Casemiro are to fight for the throne. Whoever emerges victorious shall be the new King."
Hearing such an absurd command, even a fool could see the girl was responsible. Two military officials lunged forward, intent on seizing Alucard.
"Heh... hehe..."
Alucard chuckled softly, extending his hands as he glanced around. "Why aren't you following your King's orders?"
The officials froze. Their expressions turned vacant, mirroring the guards outside. They began to drone in unison, "Yes... executing His Majesty's orders... immediately."
"Heh... hehehe..."
Loli A laughed while walking out of the royal hall. "How exciting. Hurry up and jump into the trap, Dragon..."
Alucard's Charm skill had indeed evolved. Previously, it was mostly effective against ordinary people, but now, anyone with a weak or wavering will found it impossible to escape his control.
"Farul!!"
Just as Alucard exited the hall, the curly-haired man from earlier came running over, eyes streaming with tears. His face lit up when he saw the white horse behind Alucard, and he lunged for it. "Why did you run away like that?!"
Whinny!
Farul looked at him with pure disdain. As Cavendish approached, the horse spun around and delivered a powerful double-kick to his chest, sending the "Prince Charming" flying backward once again.
Cavendish hit the wall with a dull thud. He struggled to open his eyes, only to see Farul looking at him with utter contempt. Cavendish looked like he had lost his will to live. "Why... Farul..."
Snort.
Farul tossed its head with human-like sass and nuzzled against Alucard's white fur hat. It was as if the horse was saying to Cavendish: I don't want you anymore. I have a new master.
Seeing this, Cavendish flew into a rage. This time, he didn't care about his makeup. "You brat! You've bewitched my Farul! Dammit! I'll kill you!"
"Huh?"
Loli A's eyes narrowed slightly, one wider than the other. However, Alucard didn't pull his guns immediately, as he didn't sense any genuine murderous intent from the man.
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