The footsteps continued down the stairs until about halfway, and then everything went silent. Everyone in the chamber held their breath, unsure of what was to happen next. But just when the knight at the stairs turned to look at the chief, the multiple sounds of a dress ruffling was heard before the figure on the steps moved in the darkness and suddenly floats down to the center of the room, making Alucard tense at the sight of the figure before him, the chief of the Gateway, or as the knight called her, Lady Minerva.

Before Alucard stood a woman about his height, maybe a few inches taller. Her floor length hair was as silver as the light of a full moon while her eyes were hidden in the darkness. The little bit of light that was in the room showed that her skin was pale, like his own, but more the color of a grey-pink blush possibly symbolizing her being 3/4ths vampire. Her attire, from what Alucard could see, was a rather large red and gold dress with a white piece of fabric down the center from her waist to the floor with a gold trim connecting the red and the white together. Her arms were left bare but a transparent blood red sash graced her shoulders. As she approached Alucard more closely, he could see the shine of a golden circlet nestled in her hair and upon her forehead, symbolizing her royalty.

The Chief, Minerva, approached Alucard and looked him over closely, but he more he watched her look over him, the more her face scrunched in confusion, which made the young dhampir curious.

"Young man," the chief asked, her tone modulated yet also with a silvery grace to it, "have we met before?" she added, questioning the young dhampir.

The room then filled with quiet gasps and whispers through the room, as nothing like this has happened before.

Crina, surprised to hear that the chief, to her knowledge, never left the Gateway, except for visiting her mother and family. For her Aunt to know Alucard was news to the raven haired young woman.

Even the often strict emotionless face of Yohei had a look of surprise and shock.

But Alucard appeared to be confused, did he know her? She didn't seem familiar to him. And if they met, how? And when? He tried to get a better look at her, but sadly the lack of light didn't help much.

The room continued to be filled with shock and whispers before the chief raised her hand and gave a snap of her fingers. "That is enough idle chatter. His memories will surely reveal the truth" she said as she turned to Alucard. She raised her hand to the young dhampir's face, but it made him tense a bit. Sensing his tension, she moved her hand to his chin and placed her fingers under it, making him gently look at her. "It's alright young man, I promise, no harm will come to you. So please, relax for me" she said in a gentle tone as she moved her fingers away.

Alucard heard the honesty in her silvery tones and then took a deep breath and gave a quiet exhale, followed by a shorter and quieter but just as deep breath shortly after that. He then looked up at the chief and gave a nod, signaling that he was ready.

Once she was sure of his ease, the chief once again raised her hand and placed her pointer and middle fingers to his temple. The moment her fingers touched his own skin, a warm feeling began to fill Alucard from the temple and slowly around his entire head, giving a feeling of comfort but also one of curiosity. As he breathed slowly to stay calm, the chief raised her free hand and shot it out toward the center of the room. From her palm, a glow of gold began to light up the room as a sphere began to grow until it is the size and circumference of a wagon wheel. From within the sphere, sounds began emanating and visions started to come forward, all of which were in fact Alucard's memories. The memories flew by in small bits as the more important memories began to come forward for the counsel to see. However, at one point, during Alucard's childhood, one particular memory struck the audience in the room, a small scene.

The memory consisted of a young Alucard walking into the living room of his mother's old home in Lupu. When he should've been asleep, he instead visited a late night guest while his mother went to make a cure for the person in question. The figure, covered in a cloak of red with golden accents and a gold clasp that held the fabric in place. The figure removed her hood, showing a fishtail braid of silver hair and grey pink skin with honey golden eyes and a gaze that was both calm and kind, a face that made everyone in the room gasp in shock, with many staring in disbelief. The image then moves to where Alucard's mother, Lisa came into the picture, showing a face of slight scorn for her son, but yet was still gentle in the glow of the fireplace. This image made the once quiet whispers grow in volume slightly before the next scenes came about.

Scenes from Adrian's adolescence came next, showing his training with his father as well as the many memories that Adrian had with his mother. All went by without trouble until the time when his mother was burned at the stake and he confronted his father. Then came the scenes that showed his connection with the last of the Belmonts as well as the speaker magician, showing how all three of them were able to pull off some impressive battle tactics and teamwork, followed by the battle between son and father, with the end being the stake in the heart to the king of the vampires himself, Dracula. Then came the memories that followed the fall of Dracula, being alone and then meeting the two vampire hunters. However, rather than show all the intimate details, the scene skips to where the two are staked and set out to the sun. Finally came the events that happened recently with Crina and Alucard's reunion with Edmund and meeting Alister and all the rest of the recent events.

The glow of the room began to fade as the memories came to a close and the chief lowered her hand from the center of the room and gently removed her fingers from Alucard's temple and allowing him to wake up from his trance.

The young dhampir slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the chief before him, waiting to see if he passed or if he failed.

The chief looked at the counsel, took four steps forward, and took in all of their gazes.

"Now then, my fellow counsel members, what say you? You have permission to speak" she said.

One of the counsel raised its hand, "Lady Minerva, it is clear that he is in connection with the Belmonts, who are strictly forbidden from entering this domain, how can we be sure that we can trust this young man to keep his word?" the hooded figure asked.

"Objection" said Alister as he stood with his hand up, "I believe I can vouch for his trustworthiness, as I recall, there was a time when my cousin, said Crina Lupo here before us, had a panic attack and he was in a panic himself trying to find a cure to ease her pain. If he was indeed someone of a selfish heart, he would've left her to die instead of helping her and in turn would not be worthy of keeping the Gateway's best interest in heart. Surely that will be enough to prove that he is worthy of trust" the second prince said as he turned to the figure.

Minerva nodded her head to her son, agreeing with what he has said before turning to her other son, "Prince Abadon, do you wish to add anything?" she asked.

Abadon was quiet for a bit, but then he raised his hand, "I am in agreement with my brother. We have seen how kindhearted he can be, as he took in the two traitors of the Lupo family, Sumi and Taka, without knowing their true intentions. That was not his fault, as he was open to letting them in. This does indeed show that he is of a kind heart, though that could be seen as a weakness as well as an eagerness to please. However, he is indeed a man of order and one who intends to keep to his word, as he kept to the wishes of his mother in destroying his father. Therefore, if he is indeed told to keep the Gateway a secret that he is to take with him to his grave, then I believe that he will follow through to the end" he said.

Minerva nodded to her firstborn son and then looked at the counsel again. "Anyone else?" she asked.

The counsel stayed silent for a few minutes before the chief raised her hand, "With no other obligations, I will now give my order" she said. She then turned to the group, giving both Crina and Yohei a nod. The two nod back and they go to Alucard's side to undo the restraints. Alucard was about to make a move to stand, but Crina put a hand on her shoulder, mouthing a 'not yet' to him, which made him stay still in the chair.

"Young Tepes, please stand" the chief ordered, kindly yet strict.

Alucard followed his order and stood slowly, standing before the chief, now seeing that he and her were of the same height.

"Hold your right arm out to me" she ordered, to which the young dhampir followed suit. She then raised her own right hand and her eyes began to glow and her hand did the same. Alucard tensed for a split second before relaxing and waiting for what was to come. The glow from her hand grew brighter until it finally fled her palm and attached itself to Alucard's own hand and arm, engulfing it in what appeared to be flames, yet nothing was burned. However, after a moment, the flames became concentrated and formed what appeared to be the side view of a Red Deer stag head in the middle of his arm.

"Now for the rite of oath" Minerva said as she looked at Alucard with a fierce gaze.

"Adrian Fahrenheit Tepes, as a member of the Gateway you must swear to honor the rules of the Gateway as well its inhabitants, for no will is forced upon those who dwell within these walls. Do you swear?" Minerva asked.

Alucard gave her a hardened gaze with a quiet but bright glow burning in his eyes, "I swear" he said. Just as he said that, a pair of antlers started to form on the stag's head with one point forming.

"As a member of the Gateway, should you break the creed that has been explained to you, you will accept the consequences without hesitation and will agree to follow a trial that will proceed over your actions and judgement will be granted upon you to which will be accepted without fail. Do you swear?" Minerva asked.

"I swear" Alucard repeated, and with that another point forms on the antler.

"As a member of the Gateway, you will do what you must to help the Gateway become strong and prosperous during these troublesome times. Regardless of what it may be, you must provide the Gateway with some form of profit, as no member is allowed to live for free within these walls. You will be given one month to discover what you can provide and once you do, you must provide the Gateway with all that you must. Do you swear?" Minerva asked again.

"I swear" Alucard repeated again, now the head has three points.

"As a member of the Gateway, should you choose to travel out of the Gateway to search for new recruits or outcasts of society to seek shelter, you must receive permission from the counsel and the chief before you are to speak of any form of information about the Gateway to said individuals, as such information is sacred and dangerous to many religious inquisitions throughout the world. Do you swear?" Minerva asked again.

"I swear" Alucard said, his voice a bit more firm this time to show his loyalty as well as to symbolize the annoyance for the repeated questions though the latter was less obvious. The stag's head grew another point, bringing the total to four points.

"And finally, as a member of the Gateway, regardless of your loyalties to various clans and clanfolk, when the Gateway comes under attack, you must swear all fealty to the citizens of the Gateway and defend it with your life. For if the Gateway falls, then the symbol of freedom for all falls and its burden of loss will be placed upon those who did not serve their community. All loyalties from now on are to the Gateway and to the Gateway alone. Do you swear?" Minerva asked, her voice more firm than before, as this was the most crucial of the terms of the oath.

Alucard returned her gaze and gave a firm nod, "I swear, with my life" he confirmed. The stag head now gained a total of five points on its antler and its eyes flickered with a bright light as it made its attachment to Alucard through the cloth of his coat and on to his skin, burning a bit into it. Alucard struggled a bit as the burn began to seep into his skin and his vampiric abilities were able to heal the burn, but the symbol was carved deep into his flesh and bone. He panted a bit before looking at his arm, to which the red stag head glowed brightly before disappearing once again.

"The symbol of the Gateway's crest, the five point Red Stag, has now attached itself to you, symbolizing your agreement to this oath. Should you break the contract that comes with this oath, then I will be notified as I gave you a piece of my own soul" Minerva said. She then turned to Crina. "Now, Crina, attend" she said.

Crina straightened her back and nodded, "Yes, Lady Minerva" she said. She then moved herself to stand beside Alucard.

"As the one who brought this young man to the Gateway, you swore to bear all responsibility of any misdeeds that young Adrian here commits. Therefore, all that he swore to follow is also yours to follow as well. Therefore, I must ask you the same" Minerva said.

Crina nodded and raised her right arm to Minerva, to which she did the same. Once again the process was done but instead of a Red Stag appear upon her arm, a laurel that wrapped around the circumference of her right wrist appeared. Alucard raised an eyebrow at the symbol, but he stayed silent.

"Now, the contracts had been made, therefore this brings the end of the ceremony, and the official certification of your citizenship to the Gateway itself. Now, I would like to speak to you in private, young Tepes. To the members of the counsel present here are free to go. As for the new members before me, come with me" Minerva said. She then lead the group of Alucard, Crina, Yohei and two of the soldiers that were behind the three before the chief down the halls.

Alucard took in the sights, as the castle appeared to be made completely of carved stone. There were statues of warriors of various cultures decorated the halls as well as fine arts and both stalagmites and stalactites laid the halls as well. Some were broken off to fit in a few doorways and hallways to access the castle within. However, the castle was dim, possibly due to the fact that the chief was 3/4ths vampire, so any form of light would possibly cause her problems. However, despite the darkness, the light started to slowly grow brighter and brighter through the halls, possibly showing that the darker the room, the better to limit exposure to the Gateway to outsiders, or at least Alucard could assume. Yet despite the trouble, the cavern walls where the light was shown appeared to be dressed with moss, as green could be seen in some of the elaborate carvings in the designs. Soon the group came to a wall that was designed to look like a family tree and the large metallic door had writing in a language that Alucard couldn't make out in the darkness. Once they got to the door and the room opened, showing a light that was brighter than the lights in the halls, with walls that were made of a white flowstone but were smoothed out to make it look more like an actual room with walls. Adorning the walls were many textiles and carvings. Within the room itself were many different pieces of ornate furniture, mostly crafted from oak and coniferous all again with ornate designs with these being more simple.

The moment that the doors closed behind the group and the guards left the room with Prince Alister entering the room before the doors closed, both Minerva and Crina gave a groan.

"I don't think I've ever felt so tense before….I can't imagine going through that more than once a day" Crina said as she looked at her Aunt.

"Oh believe me, try doing that 10 times a day. It can be so exhausting" Minerva said as she turned to Crina, "But on the bright side, I got to see you in a dress again, my precious little blackbird" she said as she went to Crina, doting on her niece, to which Crina blushed and tried to stop her from acting that way in front of Alucard.

The young dhampir felt a little awkward at seeing the chief of the Gateway acting like a doting Aunt. But that was when Alister gave a sigh beside him.

"Sorry about my Mother, Alucard, this is a common thing between her and Crina" he said, turning to the new member of the Gateway.

"It's fine…I just wasn't expecting it…" Alucard said, he then looked at his arm for a moment, recalling the sight of the red stag head forming its antlers on his arm and embedding itself into his skin. After a few moments of recalling that memory, Alucard turned to Alister, who had just cleared his throat.

"Mother, I believe that we still have a guest in the room, please act accordingly" Alister said in a matter-of-fact sort of manner.

Minerva turned to look at her son and then moved her gaze to Alucard. She then straightened her back and cleared her throat. "Of course, forgive my actions, young Tepes" she said. She then made her way to Alucard, the outlines of her face now easily seen compared to before where he only saw small fractions of her face along with her eyes, the same golden honey color as that of Alister's, a clear sign that the prince got his looks from his mother. Her silver white hair shaped her downward triangle shaped face which appeared to be that of a woman in her late 20's. Once she was close enough to the young dhampir, she gave a curtsy bow before standing back up.

"It's wonderful to see you again after all these years. You certainly have the look of your mother" she said with a gentle smile.

Alucard was a bit taken aback by this, "Forgive me, your highness, but how exactly do you know my mother?" he asked, "I do recall the memory that was shown before, but I'm afraid I don't see the connection…" he trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Minerva gave a nod, "I can understand, after all, you were just a young child back then. In that case, perhaps it is best that I show you the memory myself, and maybe it will spark a memory within you" she suggested.

Alucard thought about the offer and then nodded, "Very well, if you insist" he said simply.

Minerva then had a servant who was in the room bring two chairs into the center of the room while Crina, Yohei and Alister stayed off to the side, close to the door along with the servants.

Once both Minerva and Alucard were well settled into the chairs, the former held out a hand for the latter to lay his on, which he complied and then Minerva covered his hand with her own.

"Please close your eyes" she asked, to which he did. Once both of their eyes were closed, Minerva's hands started to glow a faint gold color and soon magic surrounded the both of them. As Alucard felt the warmth of the magic caress his body, he felt a short but noticeable pang of pain before he felt himself fall into a slumber-like state.

_*v*v*v*v*v*_

Lupu village, 20 years ago

The roar of thunder towers over the sound of the ferociously falling rain during this dark night. Yet in the mists of the sound of the rain, the sound of footsteps can briefly over power the sound of the rain for a moment as heavy breathing is also heard while a hooded figure finally slumps against a nearby tree, her breathing quick and deep as the figure clutches her side in slight pain.

"Blasted fucking church blaggers" the figure cursed under her breath as she examined her wound. But just as she did, a lantern appeared near her and a voice called out.

"Are you alright?" called the voice, one that was clearly female.

The figure tensed as she heard the voice, but she figured it was better to reply than do nothing, "Not really, I have been shot at with a few arrows…" she said.

The light started to come closer with a few footsteps being heard. The figure turned and raised a grey pink hand.

"Don't come any closer, please…" the figure pleaded.

The light did stop, but the shadow of a head peaked out a little at the figure.

"Are you…a vampire?" it asked, sounding more concerned than scared.

"So what if I am? Do you plan to kill me too?" the figure spat, not sure if she could trust the voice.

"Why would I want to kill a member of my husband's race?" asked the voice behind the light.

The figure made a small gasp as she slowly turned her face to the light, hiding a little due to the brightness. "Your….husband's race?" she repeated, sounding confused.

"Yes, my husband is a vampire. Vlad Dracula Tepes. I am his wife, Lisa, and I'm a doctor" the light said, which then moved a bit to show the face of a woman in her early 40's with gold blonde hair and kind water blue eyes, all while her face showed nothing but concern.

"Dracula?! I never knew he married…but…I doubt that he would take me being here too kindly. He may see me as a threat…though I swear I will not harm you nor any of those he cares about" the figure said, clearly showing respect.

"He's not home right now, he's actually away. But just because he is away doesn't mean I'm not prepared to defend if necessary. He has taught me how to defend myself against other vampires, so do not take this lightly. But for now, I will treat you with respect, as I do all my patients" she said as she came to kneel near the figure, "Now, may I see your face?" she asked.

The figure moved her face a little to show the graze of an arrow upon her cheek with boils and blood being shown in the shadow of her hood while her golden honey eyes connected with the blues of Lisa's eyes.

Lisa gasped a bit at the sight of the wound. "Are there any other wounds like the one on your cheek?" she asked. The figure nodded and showed all the different arrow grazes that cut into both her dress and her blouse, each opening stained with a bit of blood.

"I believe I have ingredients that work to help with those burns, some pig fat, resin and bitumen should work. I may be a bit low on resin, but I should have enough to treat your wounds. Please, come inside" Lisa said as she offered a hand to the figure before her. "Also, what is your name?" she asked.

The figure took Lisa's hand and stood up, all while removing her hood to show her silver fishtail braided hair and pale grey pink skin. "Just…call me Minnie" the figure said as she was lead into the house.

"Very well then, Minnie. Lets at least get you inside to dry off from the rain" Lisa said as she lead the vampire into the house before them.

After a few moments of entering the home, removing the soaked heavy cloak and settling near the fire, Lisa gave a quick look-over her new unexpected patient.

"These wounds definitely seem to be that of arrows, but I can't imagine what would make burns…" the doctor said as she examined Minnie's face.

"These were arrows from the church followers. I believe they dipped the tips in holy water as a way to deal damage from within" the visiting vampire said as she recalled the encounter.

"I see. That would make sense. But tell me, what brings a vampire to Lupu?" Lisa asked as she continued to look over the burns.

"Well….I was visiting someone….a close friend to my husband who had saved me a few times in the past. He had fallen ill, but by the time I had gotten there, he had already passed, so I stayed with the family to help them with what they needed before trying to make my way back home. But as I was leaving, I was spotted by members of the nearby church. You can probably figure out the rest of the story" Minnie explained.

"I see. Well it was good that you went to pay your respects" Lisa said. She then finished cleaning up a few of the wounds that were on Minnie's skin. "Now that the wounds are cleaned up, I'll go and make the burn mixture. Please warm yourself by the fire while you wait" she said.

Minnie nodded and stayed near the fire, which she was grateful to feel some warmth after being in the cold of the rain. As she waited, she felt eyes on her. She turned her gaze behind her and then looked around and sure enough she spotted a figure in the darkness, one of a young child with blonde hair like his mother, albeit a bit curlier. Seeing the young lad, Minnie gave a gentle smile to the young lad.

"Isn't it a bit late for you to be up, little one?" she asked the child with a slightly cheeky tone.

The child came out from the shadows and came forward, showing his face, one of a boy of around 6-7 years of age with curly blonde hair and bright golden eyes. His pale skin was showing in the glow of the fireplace while he wore his knee length child nightgown.

"Who are you?" the child asked, curious at the stranger.

Minnie smiled, as the child reminded her of her own son. "My name is Minnie. And what is your name?" she asked.

"Adrian…" the child said sleepily as he rubbed his eye.

Just in that moment, Lisa came into the room. When she looked up and saw her son, she gave a gasp.

"Adrian, what are you doing up at this hour? I thought you were asleep?" she asked, giving a slight scorn to her son as she figured that he was up causing mischief.

The child rushed over to his mother and clutched her dress. "I can't sleep. The thunder scares me…" he said tiredly.

Lisa's face softened at that. She then kneeled to her son and gently petted his head while holding the burn medicine in her other hand, "Don't worry sweetie, no thunder is going to come in after you" she said with a kind tone. "Mama's gotta take care of her patient and then I promise to help you, alright?" she said.

"Mrs. Lisa, I can wait if you want to see the little one to bed. I don't mind. The fire feels really good anyway" Minnie said as she rubbed her warmed hands on her arms.

Lisa hesitated but then she nodded, "Very well, I won't be long" she said as she set the remedy down and then gently picked up her son before carrying him to his room. Before they turned the corner, little Adrian gave a wave to Minnie as he was carried away. Minnie smiled and returned his wave before he disappeared into the dark room nearby.

After a few minutes, Lisa returned to the room. "I'm sorry about that. I wasn't expecting my son to be up at this late hour" she said with an apology.

Minnie shook her head, "It's fine, I understand. My own son does that sometimes, so I understand the feeling" she said.

"You have a son as well?" Lisa asked as she came over with the remedy.

Minnie nodded, "Yes, two of them, actually. Both boys. Their father is currently taking care of them while I went on my journey" she said.

The two of them then went on about their families and shared stories about motherhood and the trials that come with it as Lisa tended to Minnie's wounds. After about an hour, Minnie's burns were covered and on the mend.

"There, I believe that if left alone for a good few hours, you should be good to remove them by tomorrow afternoon" Lisa said as she finished her diagnosis.

Minnie looked over her burns and Lisa's work, finding it very impressive. "You're quite the professional" she said, satisfied with the result before her.

Lisa smiled, "I'm glad you think so, but I still have much to learn about medicine before I can consider myself a professional" she said.

Minnie nodded, but then she gave a gasp. "Oh no…forgive me, Mrs. Lisa, but I'm afraid I have no money to pay for your services…" she said as she wondered what to do. Such good service should not go unpaid, but how was she going to pay if she had none on her.

"If you prefer, I can put this on a tab that you can pay back later when you have the time…" Lisa offered.

Minnie frowned, "I'm sorry but it won't be easy for me to remember if I have a tab…hmmmm….oh!" she said as an idea popped into her head, "I might have an idea" she said. After a moment, she then pulled out from her cloak a sword in a black and gold scabbard. The sword was the length of her entire body and ornately decorated on both the hilt and the handle. On the blade itself was a pattern that was of crosses and vines, simple yet ornate. Overall, it was a very lovely dress sword, albeit a bit long for a woman of her height.

"This was a gift from my husband on our tenth wedding anniversary. I rarely ever use this, more of carrying it as a memento as it is too heavy for me to use. When I leave my home I often carry it with me just to scare any robbers, but it really has been nothing but a burden on my back. However, if it is kept with you, I will remember to pay you back, as I never leave home without it. This will serve as my reminder. Will this work with you?" Minnie asked.

Lisa thought about it, but she then recalled times where people gave her trinkets and items only to return to her home with the proper amount of money for her services to regain the item back. So, seeing this as a fair trade, she nodded, "Very well. I will make sure to keep this well guarded until you come back to reclaim it" she said as she gently took the sword, almost dropping it from the weight it carried. "Take care, Minnie" she said with a smile.

Minnie smiled back and gently shut the door behind her. Now that the rain had stopped and she was warmed from sitting near the fire for so long, she then transformed herself into a flock of bats and made her way back home under the light of the now showing full moon, making a strict note in her mind to not forget to repay her debt to Lisa.

_*v*v*v*v*v*_

Just as the memory ended, the warm feeling left Alucard's body as he woke from his trance. Though the memory between himself and Minerva was brief, it was one that was worth remembering. However, the more he thought about the memory, the more he thought about his own sword. As his mother gifted him his sword, but was never told of where it came from. He then turned his gaze to Minerva.

"I wasn't able to return to the surface to retrieve the sword as my duties as a chief that year forced me to stay underground. I don't know if the sword was still in your father's possession or not or even if you mother kept the sword near her…" Minerva said as she looked down.

Alucard thought about it but then turned to the trio near the door, "Yohei, did you bring my sword with you?" he asked.

Yohei nodded and retrieved the sword from the supplies he brought with him for both Alucard and Crina, figuring that the man wanted his trusty blade with him. Alucard then stood up and went to gently take the sword from Yohei once the latter retrieved it. He then walked back to Minerva, showing the Crissaegrim to the undergrown chief.

"This sword was gifted to me by my mother, but she never told me how she got it. She told me that my Father had it forged to make it less of a decoration and more of a weapon for battle so that I could use it. However, now I realize that she received this sword from you, but you are the rightful owner of this blade" he said, a sad tone lacing his features.

Minerva sensed his sadness and gave him a warm smile, "No Alucard, I never retrieved it after that fateful night, therefore I lost the right of ownership to it. Besides, I'd rather see it being used for a good purpose, rather than to have it be returned only to collect dust on a shelf" she said as she gently pushed the sword back toward Alucard. "Make sure to keep taking good care of it" she added.

Alucard was surprised by the gesture but he smiled in return, "Thank you, Lady Minerva. And I will. It is my most precious sword, so I will see that it continues to be used for 'good purposes', as you request" he said.

Minerva gave a smile and a nod, "Thank you. Now, as a member of the Gateway, it is only fitting that you are given a tour of the kingdom that we have in our underground city. I believe that Crina and Alister are to be your guides. Meanwhile, Yohei I do believe that you have a meeting with the head of the knights, do you not?" Minerva asked.

Yohei gave a nod as he bid the group a goodbye before turning to the chief and bowing before her and then leaving the room.

"Before you set out, I do believe it would be better for you to change out of those clothes. If you did not bring clothes, I am certain that we can provide you with clothes" Minerva said.

"Thank you, but I actually have clothes packed already, thanks to Crina" he said. He then turned to look at Crina but saw that she was missing. "Oh, she's gone…" he said.

"Yeah, she went to change in a different room. She'll be back soon though. Meanwhile, I'm going to change out of this formal attire myself. I'll be back in few minutes" he said as he then left the room.

Minerva nodded as her son left. She then turned to Alucard, "You're free to change in here, as I will inform the guards. I do hope you enjoy your time, but if you should have any trouble, please do not hesitate to inform myself, Crina or Alister, as we want you to feel welcomed here, Alucard" she said with a smile.

Alucard nodded and then gave a formal bow, "Thank you, Lady Minerva. You're kindness is without bounds" he said.

Minerva smiled at that before giving a curtsy herself and then seeing herself out of the room so that Alucard could change. The young dhampir watched her go before looking back at his arm, wondering if the crest from earlier left a mark on his skin.

Author's Notes:

Holy crap, no update since September? I'm really sorry for the delay. A lot has happened with me during these hard times but I finally got back into this story and have decided to continue it. I just hope you can forgive me for the long delay, but I will do my best to update this as soon as possible. Thank you for all the kind words, favorites and follows that you have given me all through 2020, but now that it's 2021, I hope to go on with this story until I can't anymore. I hope you'll join me on the journey and be patient for updates.

Now then, we finally got through the process of acceptance. There will be more to explain later on in the story that has to do with the ritual, but for now, I will let you imagination fly.

Now for the facts:
Not too many here but I will give what I can remember.
-From what I understand, Alucard's sword was a gift from his mother, but I have not found out where she got the sword from. So I figured that this would be a nice play on that idea. I just hope it makes sense.
-The castle itself is made out of stone, mostly consisting of those that are found in deep caves. A cavern system that is a few hours away from my home served as inspiration for the cave, I just hope that I wrote it out well, writing might be a little rusty for me so let me know if it doesn't make any sense. ^^;

And I think that's it for the chapter. If I miss anything, let me know and I will update this. Thank you again for your patience and I hope you'll continue to follow me. Stay safe everyone!