Wood was tied to the Wooden Rack, shivering in the cold wind.
Annan, Francois, and the others lay in wait behind the windows of the Official Residence, hoping the Vampires would walk into their trap. But Wood reached his limit without drawing any of them out.
They took the half-frozen Wood down, and Annan handed him a bowl of warm, half-congealed blood to restore him. Beside them, Francois said, "Either the Vampires aren't here, or they don't care about one of their own."
Next came the Succubus. This time, Annan was the bait, with Claudia as an added temptation. The plan was for each of them to wait in their own room, barely dressed and striking an inviting pose.
But even Annan's enormous sacrifice failed to bring out the Succubus.
The Succubus and Vampires weren't fools. Even if they had once coveted Annan, they should have known better than to cross the King of the North once his true identity came to light.
Annan's first encounter with a Succubus ended in disappointment.
But Betar's Redemption was about to premiere.
After days of publicity, people in Breeze City and Betar City alike knew that the King of the North had completed his second Magic Film, following The Mage Tower's Fall.
Of the only two Eternal Recording Magic Stones, one was at the Benny Benitez Grand Theater in Breeze City, and the other at the Rose Garden in Betar City.
In the garden's front hall, a banquet was underway under the pretext of a preview of Betar's Redemption. Nobles could always find an excuse to hold a banquet.
Many nobles Annan had never met were there, including some said to have come from the Southlands and other countries. They didn't dare approach Lady Deepwinter, but they were eager to speak with Annan.