[Hello, my valuable readers. I’m writing this message to request a one-week break from writing this story. I’m sorry to do this, especially in the middle of a book, but I have a minor surgical operation and need to take some time off to recover. From 10th October to 16th October, there won’t be any releases for ‘My Vampire Little Sister.’ Chapters will continue on 17th October.

Once again, I apologise for doing this so suddenly, but I’ll see you soon! Hope you enjoy the chapter!]

Elven Sanctuary. The High Priestess’ Sanctum.

Although the Elven Forest had remained largely untouched, that didn’t mean there weren’t spots within that had enjoyed the effects of civilisation. Deep within the lush forest, there was a perfect sanctuary that measured over five hundred kilometres across. It was one of the few places the Elves had taken over to repurpose the land.

Within it, there were hundreds, if not thousands, of structures, all crafted with Elven majesty. Pillars of natural light emerged from the lacquered wooden floor as ivory towers ruled the land. Yet, even with such elaborate designs, the Elven architecture never once overshadowed the grandeur of the beautiful forest. Rather, it complements it perfectly.

And at the peak of everything, one superstructure dwarfed anything that stood by its side.

A shrine, no, a temple plated with emeralds and gold rose above all, standing heads and shoulders above anything else the Elves had built. It possessed massive halls and elaborately painted glass depicting past Elves and their exploits. Statues of Elven warriors lay at each corner, seemingly protecting evil from charging within. And at the very end of the palatial corridors was an open sanctum.

The sanctum was over a dozen metres in height, easily capable of fitting one or two giraffes stacked on top of each other. With butterfly-like glass covering the gaps in the pillars, one could see everything that occurred outside of the holy sanctum.

The massive trees that surrounded the Elven Sanctuary. The beautiful lakes provided the Elves with fresh, delicious water. And most importantly… The centrepiece of the Elves and the whole reason they existed in the first place…

The World Tree.

A behemoth of a natural wonder. Its resplendence was so great that it even outshines the Sun in the morning. Its canopy alone was already large enough to cover five mountains placed side-by-side, and its massive trunk was easily the largest natural structure on the planet, towering over most skyscrapers.

The World Tree was the object of worship for all Elves. It was the beacon that lit up their path, the God they all served, and the entity they all revered and lay their lives on the line to protect.

Which was why… The High Priestess’ Sanctum was located right where she could see the magnificent tree.

The High Priestess, Miriel.

An Elf that had lived for thousands of years. Her responsibilities in the Elven Forest covered a wide range of issues. From daily maintenance of the wildlife to managing the politics that emerge from having thousands of Elves bunched together.

However, there was one responsibility that trumped all else.

The protection of the World Tree.

Everything that the Elves stood for was for the World Tree. Everything that the Elves did was for the World Tree. Everything that the Elves lived for… Was for the World Tree.

Which was why…

“Veralyn… Could you please repeat that again?”

Seated on her ornate, ebony cathedra, the golden-haired Elf opened her eyes so wide that one might think they would pop out. Though, that didn’t matter to the other woman who sat in the chamber.

Folding her arms, the Shadowgarden head repeated her words:

“We have received credible intelligence that… The Bloodborne House is planning an attack on the Elven Forest.”

“The Bloodborne House… Those bastards once again!”

It took everything in the High Priestess’ power to stop herself from slamming the desk. She bit down on her lip and pressed for more answers.

“What do they want with us?”

“It’s not what they want with you… But the World Tree.”

“Are they attacking the World Tree?!”

At this point, the animated Elf leapt from her chair and was ready to call the banners. The World Tree was every Elf’s sore point. Anyone who dared to threaten its safety was going to face the full wrath of the Elven race.

“Well… That’s not completely accurate.”

“What do you mean?”

“You see, the Bloodborne House doesn’t want to destroy the World Tree. Far from it, in fact. They need the power of the World Tree.”

“What for?”

The Shadowgarden head stopped momentarily and thought about divulging the top-secret information. However, given that the Elves were the victims this time, the Vampire sighed and reluctantly said:

“… The revival of the Progenitor.”

“The… what?”

For a moment there, the Elf froze. Her pointed ears twitched like a pair of wings that were ready to take flight. She dropped her jaw, and her complexion slowly turned ashen.

“The Bloodborne House is plotting to revive the Vampire Progenitor, Dracula Bloodborne.”

“T-That’s terrible news, isn’t it?!” The High Priestess yelped, completely unbecoming of someone her stature. “If the Vampire Progenitor resurrects, wouldn’t the entire Vampire race become slaves once again?”

No one, not even the Elves, wished to see the Progenitor being revived. While his power and contributions to the Outer Demon war were great, his tyranny over the Vampires and those who stood in his way had been heavily documented.

Should the Progenitor return, it could literally trigger a planetary war, one of the likes the world had never seen before.

“Calm down, Miriel… Think about it for a second.” Contrary to the Elven lady’s lively reaction, the Shadowgarden House’s Eminence replied calmly. “Resurrection is a myth. There hasn’t been a single person who has ever revived from the dead.”

“Yes, that’s true! But it’s the Vampire Progenitor we’re talking about! He was the person who created an entire race to gain eternal life! What if he’d really figured out a method of resurrecting himself?!”

“Miriel… Do you even remember what family I come from?”

“Ah…”

“I’m from the Shadowgarden House! Obtaining information is my bread and butter. We’ve naturally been monitoring everything that the Bloodborne House has been doing. From the moment they conjured up a plan to resurrect the Progenitor, we’ve been interfering with their plans.”

The Shadowgarden House wasn’t called the intelligence juggernaut of the world for nothing. They knew every step the Bloodborne House took, starting from the sacrifices they accumulated to the invasion of the Moonreaver Dimension.

Every step of the way, the Shadowgarden House had collected information about the Bloodborne House’s supposed plan to resurrect their Ancestor. And well…

“We’ve studied the ritual they’re planning to use and even secretly employed scholars from the Aracanasong House to reverse-engineer their formulas. And while the Bloodborne House has put together a spectacular method, it is missing the most important ingredient.”

“What’s that?”

“The Progenitor’s soul.”

Eminence Veralyn crossed her legs and stared out of the glass window, holding her gaze at the massive World Tree that stood beyond her reach.

“Even with the power of the World Tree, they cannot recreate something that has been lost forever. No one knows what happens after death, especially if that person had his soul disintegrated. The Bloodborne House might have the physical body, the necessary sacrifices, and even if they somehow manage to commune with the World Tree… A destroyed soul can never return.”

“I see… So that’s why you’re so calm…”

“We’ve been studying this for centuries, Miriel.” Eminence Veralyn scoffed. “The Shadowgarden House had even placed our hands in modifying the ritual. So even if they complete it, it’ll be yet another failure.”

“That’s good… But wait, why is the Bloodborne House coming to the Elven Forest then?”

“They wish to use the World Tree as a way to guide the Progenitor’s soul back to the vessel they created. But, as I said, a lost soul can never return. Even the mighty World Tree cannot disrupt that law of nature.”

The Shadowgarden House’s leader lazily retorted as if everything had been part of her master plan.

“That being said, we can’t be relaxed about this either.”

“Why?”

“They believe that by placing that dastardly coffin on the World Tree, they could revive the Progenitor. But that coffin is cancer. It absorbs all forms of magic, blood and essences, so much so, that even the World Tree might be affected. While they might not succeed in resurrecting the Progenitor, they will cause irreparable damage to the World Tree.”

The High Priestess started to think about her friend’s words. She was right; the Elves couldn’t allow anything to harm the World Tree. That was why they agreed to the Shadowgarden House’s crazy plan with Rosalyn in the first place.

“… Hold on, is that why you’ve brought Rosalyn here? To protect the World Tree?”

“Rosalyn is the Shadowgarden House’s final product. We would never do something so selfless. But of course, if we could protect the World Tree at the same time… It’s a win-win situation for all of us, no?”

“Tsk… How stingy.”

The High Priestess rolled her eyes and cursed under her breath.

Unfortunately, neither the High Priestess nor the leader of the Shadowgarden House was aware of another possibility.

The possibility of the Progenitor’s soul actually being reincarnated.

Reincarnated into a specific individual who was actually present at the Elven Forest.