"And you can oppose me as much as you want and try to find fault in my actions, but you can never kill me, Cyphrus," Ramses continued. "No one can do it in this crowd. So how about you shut up and let me end my speech."

Clenching his hand, the head of Hemsworth couldn't retaliate. But he didn't hide the anger on his face while remaining silent.

Ramses ran the council fairly, and he recognized the freedom of speech for everyone. He listened to each clan's opinion, even if their words were against him. But the final decision still lies on his shoulders when it comes to their laws and principles. There's no one among the immortals who's above the king who lived for thousands of years. 

"I want to congratulate Zito, and I also want to use this opportunity to announce the official membership of the Fortuna clan to the council. I'm giving Liberio the position of an elder. He will have the right to condemn and punish those immortals who will commit crimes in this country."

The whispers rang among the crowd with Ramses' announcement. But Ramses was already expecting that kind of reaction from the members. There's no question that the other clans would raise their eyebrows because the three official elders of Royal Reverent came from the oldest and biggest clans. Giving that kind of authority to a newly registered clan is ridiculous for them.

"If some of us are going to stay in this land for the time being, the council needs to give a bit of power and authority to the true citizens of this nation," Ramses explained, and just ignored the frowning expressions among the crowd. 

"Remember that we are not on our own territory. The Fortuna clan agreed to let us stay here with a certain condition. We are not allowed to kill any citizens in this country. You also raised that condition in your own hometown, so I see nothing wrong with it. All of you were once humans, so I hope you understand this kind of sentiment. I don't really like discrimination. And I hate pointless killings. The rules are the same no matter where we are. You can never take a human life or create an immortal without the council's approval. Those things must be abated to avoid the suspicion of the public. I'm doing this not just for humans, but for all of us, so keep that in mind. I'm trying my best to prevent a breakout war between humans and immortals that will surely happen if humans become aware of our existence. Humans are perceptive nowadays. Crimes are being solved in more sophisticated ways. And it's possible that one of those crimes will make us liable. Immortals are strong, but humans are smart. Humans were aware of their weakness. That's why they made amazing things to compensate for the power they lacked. They survived for thousands of years because they knew how to adapt and how to use their resources. We should do the same thing. Let's use our minds for a change. Not our instincts."

Ramses raised his glass again. "Let's toast to a peaceful and long life, friends."
Everyone answered the king of immortals by raising their glasses as well. Raven did the same thing. Some of the eyes in the crowd have reverence for the supreme king.

Ramses was worshiped because of what he had accomplished in the previous years. He knew the limitations of any living thing on earth because he was the only one who didn't have any.

After he passed his glass to Lorien, Ramses clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "And for everyone who's here, a little gift was prepared by the Fortuna clan. Enjoy yourselves, friends."

A group of men and women suddenly entered the lounge. There are noticeable etiquettes attached to their wrists. Women are called Eve. And men are called Troy. They are consented humans who sell their own blood for a price. There are different price tags based on the type and quality of blood.

These donors were paid to work and usually related to the clans, like relatives or friends. They volunteered willingly in exchange for money. That system was started in America by the Wilson clan. At first, there was no compensation for these volunteers. But Ramses created a law for these humans to receive proper payment and treatment. 

Money would never be an issue for the Immortals because of their vast wealth from the old treasures they obtained. In addition to that, money is a big factor in sealing humans' mouths. For now, money is a foundation to build trust between these donors and their clients. Ramses hoped that immortals and humans could co-exist together someday and that they would not be treated as a catalyst of horror and terror. He believed that if both races learned to compromise, they could have a harmonious relationship and learn to accept each other.

Each immortal walked towards the Eve and Troy they had set their sights on. After some time, there were no humans left on the podium. And most of the immortals leave the lounge too. There were four people who remained inside: Ramses, Raven, Zito, and Lorien.

"Zito, are you sure you're not going to tell her what you are before you marry her?" Ramses asked out of the blue. He's the only one who sat on a chair beside the big window.

"Pheobe has a hunch that I'm different, King. But I can't directly tell her what I really am or what we really are. I can't even tell the exact word of our existence even if I live my life forever," Zito said. "I've lived for hundreds of years, but I can't really define myself and find the reason of what the heck I'm living for. I can't consider myself an immortal since we're really not that invincible. We are the creatures that live for human blood. In the eyes of a human, what could we be?"

"Vampires," Lorien answered with his carefree tone. "This new era is calling you vampires. The books about you are selling like hotcakes. But who would believe that you're not just some fiction from the books? Someone witnessed something. Something started because of someone. Some believed, but most weren't convinced. Until you just became a tale from horror movies. A monster, a demon, or even a homonculus. Those craps were born because of those nomads who couldn't clean up their mess." 

- to be continued -