The First Vampire

Colin woke up.

He surveyed his surroundings and realized that he was still in the tent where he had been before.

He couldn’t tell how many days he had been unconscious, but judging from the faint light sneaking into the tent, he could tell it was now night.

Aside from him, there was one other person in the tent—Vera.

She was quietly lying on the edge of the bed, seemingly asleep.

Colin gazed at Vera’s snowy white hair, a trace of warmth surfacing in his heart.

There was no denying that his previous antics relied heavily on his immortality, all for the sake of putting on a show.

But maybe… he somehow got carried away…

Thinking back, he realized he could control his condition when he first got injured.

But the second time, when he stepped in to shield Vera from a bullet, he was struggling to cope.

The excruciating pain and the severe wound prevented Colin from stopping the bleeding in time.

On top of that, he saw some images that were inappropriate for children to

see…

Colin concluded that the fainting spell was likely due to excessive blood loss.

From now on, he should prioritize stopping the blood flow whenever he got injured.

Colin mentally reminded himself of this.

Then, he recalled that he seemed to have woken up once before.

At that time, a priest was feeding him holy water…

However, the holy water seemed to have done no harm to him, instead it helped him recover from his injuries.

No, that’s not quite right.

It was more than just healing his injuries.

Upon paying closer attention to his bodily changes, Colin realized his body was subtly warming up, similar to when he drank Knight Carter’s fresh blood! Could it be that holy water also has the power to enhance his abilities?

That’s intriguing.

Despite his inner excitement, Colin decided to hold off his anticipation for a few more days to see if his abilities had indeed increased.

If the holy water really had the same effects as a knight’s fresh blood…

Then either the vampiric settings in this world were somewhat absurd…

Or…

The holy water from the Glorious Church had some issues…

Moreover, earlier when he was unconscious, he dreamt of a huge silver serpent.

It seemed to be more than just an inexplicable dream.

He had the distinct sensation that the snake’s blood was too realistically flavourful.

It was so realistic that it didn’t seem like a dream…

As Colin lay on the bed, he lost himself in thought.

Having just woken up from unconsciousness, he couldn’t sleep. So, he waited until the morning light with his eyes wide open.

“Good morning. Miss Vera.”

“Ah, Colin, you’re awake!”

Seeing the undisguised joy in Vera’s eyes, Colin felt a twinge of guilt. Was it right to deceive a naive girl like this?

But he quickly cast that thought aside.

After all, he did plan to play dead before, but he almost made it real.

Therefore, Vera’s affection is something he risked his life to gain.

Following the logic of melodramatic TV dramas, Vera should offer herself to him about now. “How long have I been out?”

“A full three days!”

“That long?”

“Yes. We are also incredibly indebted to Archbishop Raven’s holy water.”

Colin mentally noted the name ‘Raven’, while fishing for more information, “I have to thank him! How did Archbishop Raven come to be here?”

“He came here with my Uncle—Marquis Garcia. By the way, my Uncle brought the Dark Cavalry as reinforcements, so we’re safe now!”

“Marquis Garcia is here too! We are indeed safe then.”

“Yes. You must be hungry, right? I’ll fetch you some food.”

While saying this, Vera got up and walked towards the outside of the tent.

Watching the graceful figure of the girl, Colin suddenly felt that this injury was worth it.

“Meow-”

Little White also noticed that her “human slave” had woke up, ardently sniffing at Colin a few times, and then found a comfortable position on the bed and continued to nap.

Colin stroked the kitty’s soft fur and began searching for related information about Marquis Garcia in his mind.

Then, he found that his predecessor was a fan of Marquis Garcia, without any surprise.

Well, who among the youngsters of his age in North Territory wasn’t?

However, Colin also discovered some interesting things in his memory.

For example, Marquis Garcia, though the number one in the North Territory army, and his Dark Cavalry is an invincible troop.

But, he had stepped down from confronting the trolls at the frontline three years ago.

Even though it was Marquis Garcia’s own decision to step down from the frontline, propagating it as his wanting to take a break and letting the soldiers of the Dark Cavalry rest.

However, to the clear-sighted, this official statement is not the truth.

The real reason Marquis Garcia stepped down from the frontline was only one – suspicion!

Suspicion from the Northern Duke.

Although there is no equivalent phrase for rank prevailing over the lord in this world, the principle is the same.

People are no different.

Marquis Garcia’s prestige and the strength of the Dark Cavalry have made the Northern Duke restless.

Even if Marquis Garcia is the Northern Duke’s own younger brother, in the face of power, let alone brothers, even fathers and sons, can’t be trusted.

Such a formidable force as the Dark Cavalry can both deter trolls from setting foot in the North Territory and sweep through the North Territory, changing the ruler of Winterfell City.

So, Marquis Garcia was removed from the frontline.

The sharp blade of the Dark Cavalry was reluctantly sheathed.

The person succeeding him on the frontline was the eldest son of the Northern Duke – Marquis Charles.

The Northern Duke hoped that his son could take this responsibility and forge another strong troop for the North Territory at the frontline.

A direct army that truly belongs to the St. Hilde family.

In this way, Marquis Garcia’s influence could be balanced.

Unfortunately, Marquis Charles is a bit disappointing.

He held on the frontline for three years but ultimately couldn’t hold on.

The trolls broke in.

So, Marquis Garcia had to be re-employed again.

However, Colin was rather worried.

If Marquis Garcia lives up to expectations this time, going on with his record of repeatedly crushing the invading trolls, then how would Duke St. Hilde reward the meritorious vassal?

The title of nobility could not be promoted anymore.

Above Marquis is the Duke.

And in North Territory, there can only be one Duke.

As for territories.

Marquis Garcia’s territory has already far exceeded the standard size for a Marquis.

Moreover, more territory means more taxes and population, which also means greater military potential.

Although the Dark Cavalry is powerful, the expense to maintain it is also massive, hence, its number has never exceeded fifty thousand. But if it is given more supply, allowing it to continue to grow…

That might be even more difficult to manage.

At this point, Colin began to feel a bit sympathetic towards Vera’s foster father.

Inviting the Dark Cavalry for rescue indicated that the situation at the frontline was indeed dire, but it also felt a bit like drinking poison to quench a thirst.

Of course, if Colin knew that Marquis Garcia mobilized his troops this time without receiving the Duke’s orders, he would undoubtedly worry even more..