Transmigrated as a Ghost

'Roxene, mind not causing an incident here? Fighting an entire castle filled with high-level vampires really isn't supposed to be on the agenda if we can help it.' Marcus said using telepathy.

"It's their fault for treating us disrespectfully. Anyone with eyes can see that the vampire sitting on the throne is trying to intimidate us. I don't like it. We're not her subjects or beneath her in any way except perhaps age. While her agent may have saved your life in the past, that doesn't mean that she can treat us however she likes.'

Roxene's reply was about what he expected.

She was not the type to sugarcoat things, and she did not bend her principles easily.

"Yes, you're right. Though this setup wasn't my idea. I'd have preferred a much calmer first meeting. So, how about we conclude things in the drawing room next door." The Empress suddenly said from seemingly out of nowhere.

It took Marcus a few moments to realize what was going on. His mind racing for an answer.

'Telepathy jack. And she must have it at a high level to have listened in on Roxene and my conversation without either of us noticing.'

He considered that she might have also had some mind reading racial or unique skill, although he figured that his initial assumption was most likely correct.

Leaving her retainers in a stunned silence, the empress got up from her throne and started heading towards a door to her left.

A few seconds later, the two vampires that had been standing closest to the empress scrambled around the throne and began speaking frantically.

"Your Majesty, please wait! This is too reckless!"

"We still haven't assessed yet whether they can truly be trusted. Two of them are capable of high-level light magic and pose a serious danger even to you. You're most protected here with all of the wards in place and all of us here to defend you."

The first of the two to speak up was a giant of a man who had charcoal black skin and long pointed ears.

Before the man had become a vampire, Marcus figured he must have been some sort of dark elf or something similar.

As for the second that had blurted out how she thought Marcus and Roxene were threats, she was a voluptuous red-haired woman who appeared to have been human at one point in her life.

'Those two must be her second and third in command. They're the only ones that spoke up against the empress, and their powers are clearly a step above the rest of her retainers.' Marcus thought, carefully watching to see how this situation developed.

He was hoping that things did not end up in violence, but there was a sort of tension in the air.

While the empress showed no signs of worry towards Marcus, Roxene, Lyra, and Quillon, the others were not all of the same opinion.

Their ruler had just invited several powerful individuals that could cause untold damage if they ran amok.

Just the possibility of something happening to their empress was enough to unnerve her loyal retainers.

"Rose, Barrigan, I accepted your counsel to meet with them here with all of you present to determine our guests' character with my own eyes. I have already done so and determined that they are not hostile towards me. Are you going to question my judgment?"

Her two closest retainers froze up when the empress turned a cold gaze towards them.

Nevertheless, they still both seemed determined to keep her from meeting with Marcus and his companions in a less protected setting.

"Relia, you spent the most time with their group. Do you believe that any one of them plans to cause me harm?"

"No, so long as we don't show them any hostility first, I do not foresee a single one of them attacking you." Relia answered immediately.

She did not, however, say that she had no idea about Roxene. This was her first time learning that Marcus had brought one of his beast companions along and she hardly knew of the wolf's existence, let alone her disposition.

Still, she understood her empress' intentions and was not going to make things more difficult.

"There you have it. Now, everyone other than Relia, go back to your duties. Surely all of you have more important things to attend to than acting as my bodyguards against guests that mean no harm. And it is not as if I am defenseless. I would never fall within my own castle."

With a finality in her words, the empress motioned for Marcus, Lyra, Quillon, and Roxene to follow her.

'Well, whatever. I'm not going to worry about this place's internal politics. And I'm not going to complain about getting out of this stuffy throne room.' Marcus thought as he led his group to where the empress was leading them.

Soon they were sitting at an ornate table with the empress sitting on one side with Relia standing behind her, and Marcus, Roxene now in her humanoid form, Lyra, and Quillon situated on the other side.

"Relia, would you mind?"

Knowing what her empress wanted, Relia flicked her wrist and a wave of shadow erupted across the table.

A few moments later, the previously empty piece of furniture had several luxurious looking drinks and snacks piled on top of it.

"Feel free to help yourselves and relax. I'm not actually a fan of formal gatherings like what just experienced. I prefer a more casual setting when possible. Unfortunately, I'd be a horrible ruler if I only pushed through my own opinions and trampled over everyone else's." The Empress said before taking a sip of amber colored tea.

"Not going to say that I understand the burdens of leading a nation." Marcus said with a shrug. "But there is something that has been on my mind ever since I got here. The first vampire that I met didn't come off as particularly civilized to me. So, how could you just let someone like that run around terrorizing and killing people?"