The First Vampire

The flames in the fireplace leaped, making crackling noises from time to time.

Franco sat in his wheelchair, staring blankly at the pitch-black night sky outside the window.

This was the darkest moment before dawn. The night shrouded the land, quietly concealing the killings, sins, and bloodshed.

Footsteps came from behind him, but Franco didn’t turn around.

“Father, all the fires have been put out. The chaos at Phoenix Butterfly Fort has also been completely quelled,” reported Count Morrison, coming up behind the wheelchair.

Franco still looked out of the window, emotionless, and said, “Have you found out anything about the enemy yet?”

Count Morrison shook his head, his expression solemn, “No. These invaders were fearless, we couldn’t capture any of them alive.

However, all the invaders we killed were professionals. There were troll samurais, human knights, and of course warriors. Some even recognized a knight from the Eastern Region.”

“The Eastern Region?” Franco’s brow furrowed deeply, suddenly feeling as though everything before him had become jumbled and elusive, beyond his reach.

At this moment, heavy footsteps echoed once more.

Soon, a knight from the Morrison family appeared in the conference hall, loudly reporting:

“Count, the invaders we killed have come back to life and all escaped!”

“What?” Count Morrison could hardly believe his own ears. “Say it again.”

The knight reluctantly repeated what he had said.

Only then did Franco slowly shift his gaze from outside the window, his piercing eyes fixed on the knight in front of him as he said coldly, “What do you mean, they came back to life? Tell me more.”

At this moment, the knight was also sweating profusely. He knew how wild his claim sounded and had no choice but to stand his ground in explaining:

“Sir, I swear on the name of my ancestors that there is no falsehood in what I just said!

We had initially gathered the corpses of the invaders, intending to handle them collectively. But in the blink of an eye, these corpses suddenly rose, killing the surrounding guards.

This bizarre incident had terrified the guards so much they didn’t dare to stop them… so these invaders escaped from Phoenix Butterfly Fort.”

“Are you sure that those invaders were dead?”

“This…” Faced with Franco’s soul-probing question, the knight was momentarily dumbstruck.

He couldn’t just say that the bodies lying on the ground riddled with several swords were anything other than corpses, could he?

Franco narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment before commanding the maid behind him, “Cadina, interrogate the guards personally and find out what exactly happened.”

“Yes, sir.” The maid nodded and walked to the knight’s side, beckoned him and signaled him to follow her out.

The knight gratefully bowed hurriedly to Count Morrison and Franco, then followed Cadina out of the conference hall.

“Father, what… what’s going on?” The succession of events tonight had left the young Count Morrison panicked, his voice trembling.

Franco looked at his son’s frightened and uneasy face and rebuked bitterly, “What’s there to panic about?”

Count Morrison quickly lowered his head, forcing his wandering eyes to focus on the tips of his toes, unable to face his father’s sharp gaze.

The atmosphere in the hall immediately solidified, so quiet that one could probably hear Count Morrison’s rapid heartbeat.

After a while, when Count Morrison’s heartbeat had finally subsided, Franco’s low voice echoed again:

“Do you know about the ‘Winged Knight’?”

“The Winged Knight?” Count Morrison was stunned for a moment before he could compose himself, “You mean the knight who flew over Silver Moon City, killed the previous Half-Elf King?”

Franco nodded, “Yes, according to the information I received, the monster that flew out of the clock tower tonight, should be the ‘Winged Knight’.”

Count Morrison pondered it for a moment and hesitated, “Father, which party’s force does this Winged Knight belong to? And how did he end up at Phoenix Butterfly Fort?”

After lingering for a moment, Franco carefully put out, “I suspect that this Winged Knight is a killer secretly trained by the Angler family!”

“The Angler family?” Count Morrison exclaimed.

“Hmm, Viscount Angler had just left Phoenix Butterfly Fort, then this Winged Knight closely followed, isn’t it too much of a coincidence? Moreover, Viscount Angler was also present when the coup in Silver Moon City had occurred.

A single occurrence could perhaps be a coincidence, but if it occurs twice, it must be connected somehow.”

Upon hearing Franco’s explanation, Count Morrison was deeply in agreement, though his face turned pale soon after:

“Father, if this is truly arranged by Viscount Angler, then he must have known about the situation beneath the clock tower! What… what should we do?”

Franco didn’t say a word, he just watched his son coldly until he had calmed down again before continuing:

“So what if he knows about the situation beneath the clock tower? Does he know what it is?

Furthermore, does the Angler family not have secrets of its own? The Winged Knight, and those seemingly immortal professionals, hmph, I’d wager that the Angler family has just as much, if not more, concealed in the darkness as we do.

More importantly, their primary target at the moment is the St. Sean Family, they wouldn’t provoke us at a time like this.”

Count Morrison calmed down considerably at this, breathing a sigh of relief. After thinking for a moment, he asked again:

“Father, are we still going to send an envoy to Ice Rock City to negotiate provisions and the dispatch of troops?”

“Why wouldn’t we?” Franco said flatly, “Don’t panic just because someone has seen your secret. Whether the Angler family is our foe or friend, can’t be ascertained yet.

You should know that sometimes showing your secrets to others can actually make it easier to gain their trust.”

“Understood, I’ll send an envoy to Ice Rock City tomorrow.”

What Count Morrison just finished speaking, another figure appeared at the entrance to the hall.

When Franco saw the figure was Lady Grace’s maid, he asked, “Did mother also wake up?”

“Yes, the lady wants to know what exactly happened?”

Franco turned to Count Morrison, ordering, “Saken, go explain the situation to mother.”

“Yes, Father.” Count Morrison immediately complied.

Not long after they left, Franco’s maid, Cadina, reappeared.

“Sir, I personally asked, not all the invaders actually resurrected, three corpses were left at the scene. So, I suspect that those invaders who escaped were just playing dead.”

“A bunch of idiots! They don’t even know how to finish a dying adversary off?” Franco cursed softly before dismissing the matter, “Order a gag order in the name of the Count. Everything that happened tonight cannot leak out!”

“Yes, sir.”

“Come, push me to the clock tower to see.”

Cadina, the maid, complied and went behind Franco, pushing his wheelchair out.

At this time, the castle had gradually regained its calmness, although the patrolling guards still had a slight panic and tension on their faces.

The fire had been completely extinguished early, and the loss of property was still being calculated.

Amid the quiet night, occasional subdued cries echoed, probably from those who had lost their companions or family members in this battle.

With the creaking sound of wooden wheels, Franco arrived at the clock tower.

The tower’s doors had been completely damaged and a huge hole had been smashed into the floor within, as though it was a terrifying abyss wanting to engulf every living thing nearby.

Maid Cadina pushed the wheelchair to the pit. When she saw Franco nod, she grabbed the wheelchair and leapt in.