SSS Awakening: Rebirth of the Strongest Vampire God-Chapter 711: Just a small favor
At first, the old man felt a rush of joy. His daughter was no longer lying there like a corpse. She was awake, alive, sitting up on her own. For a brief second, relief washed over him.
Then he truly saw what was happening, and the image burned itself into his mind.
His daughter who was only just now at death’s door was straddling a bloodsucker and the man was groping her everywhere, his mouth violating his daughter’s mouth.
"Father!" Alzara was the first to react and she slammed the door shut on her father’s face. When she opened the door again, she stood fully dressed, like a perfect princess, all prim and poised. "Father, ahem... I am feeling better now. Blood God has managed to completely heal me."
The emperor stared at her in silence, his mind still struggling to catch up. The image from before hadn’t faded at all. If anything, it burned even clearer now, clashing violently with the calm, flawless princess standing in front of him.
"He healed you, did he?" His eyes twitched, the words coming out stiff and restrained.
"Yes," Alzara answered immediately. She didn’t hesitate or look away. "Completely. I can feel it myself. My body, my mana... everything is stable."
The emperor’s gaze swept over her again, slower this time. He sensed it too. The sickness was gone. The weakness and the poison that had haunted her relentlessly had vanished without a trace.
He then looked at the big beaming smile on Alzara’s face and the casual look on Damon’s face. He then again looked at his daughter and the man who had saved her not once but twice. He could clearly see everything written on their faces.
"You really are fine now?"
"Yes, father." Alzara smiled.
The emperor stood with the same constipated look on his face for a few more moments before he let out a tired breath and then another one.
A few minutes later...
A grand feast was laid out in the main celebratory hall of the royal palace. Golden chandeliers were lit, musicians quietly took their places, and long tables quickly filled with food and wine. Servants rushed around, moving faster than usual.
Usually the entire hall will be filled with people and various members of the court but today only three were seated in the dining area, the emperor at the head, Alzara beside him, and Damon across from them.
The emperor picked up his fork, stared at the food for a few seconds, then finally began to eat. His eyes kept drifting back to Alzara, as if he needed to confirm again and again that she was really there. Alive. Healthy. Smiling.
Alzara, on the other hand, ate with obvious enthusiasm. "This tastes amazing," she said cheerfully. "I didn’t realize how hungry I was."
The emperor paused, watching her closely. She looked vibrant, full of life, nothing like the fragile girl he had nearly lost.
After a while, he set his fork down and looked at Damon. "Blood God," he said quietly, "Thank you. I owe you my gratitude. You saved my daughter. Not once, but twice. There is no debt greater than that."
"After all my trusted healers and alchemists failed, I brought in countless people from the neighbouring kingdoms, even some ritualists of questionable behavior. I turned to witches, dark magicians, and even one of the hidden orders. I did everything I could, and yet none of them could do anything," he continued.
"They all took their payment, shook their heads, and told me to prepare for the worst." He let out a slow breath. "I watched my daughter fade day by day, powerless to stop it."
He looked straight at Damon. "And you fixed it as if it were nothing."
Damon simply nodded once. "I did what I could."
"That was more than anyone else ever managed," the emperor said firmly. "I knew you were a man who could make miracles happen. You obliterated three of the powerful hidden orders that have ruled these deserts for centuries, as if they were nothing more than sandcastles."
"Those orders terrified generations of rulers. Even I chose to tolerate them rather than challenge them openly." He shook his head. "And you erased them in a single sweep. When I saw you again, I had hope that a man who could achieve something like this could maybe save my daughter too."
"And just like I had hoped, you came through for me once again. I am eternally indebted to you, Blood God."
The emperor paused, then spoke again, "People say the Light Faction and Dark Faction must be enemies. That it is the natural order of things." He scoffed. "I’ve lived long enough to know that such thinking is outdated nonsense. Enemies are decided by actions, not by labels."
His gaze locked onto Damon’s. "No matter what anyone else says, from this moment forward, you are my ally. Not because of fear. Not because of politics. But because you saved my daughter when no one else could."
He placed a hand over his chest. "If you are ever in trouble, this empire will stand with you. I will stand with you. This is my promise, sworn on my honor."
Damon smiled calmly. Sure, the passionate speech was nice but he was the type who did not put much faith in words. So even though the words were pleasant to hear, he could only take them with a grain of salt.
While he remained silent, it looked like the princess had other plans. Alzara’s eyes sparkled. She put her cutlery down gently and leaned forward, her smile far too innocent to be trusted. "Then, Father," she said sweetly, "I’m going to need a small favor from you."
The emperor’s face twitched. He turned his head to look at his daughter. Years of ruling an empire had taught him how to read people, and right now every instinct he had was screaming danger.
That smile of his daughters, sweet, bright, and entirely too eager, was the same one she used whenever she was about to ask for something outrageous. "...A favor?" he repeated.
"Yes," Alzara nodded, with the sweet smile still on her face. "A very small one."
