The First Vampire

Viscount Fein ignored Colin’s rage, even going as far as to continue provoking him:

“Count Angler, you should recognize this sword, right? It was left behind in White Dew City after Marquis Garcia was captured last time, he forgot to take it with him.”

The knight Logh, who was sitting below Colin, abruptly stood up, his eyes red, ready to launch himself at Viscount Fein. But he was held back by a gesture from Colin.

He too wanted to kill this arrogant viscount with a single slash, but to do so in such a setting would be uncivilized.

Besides, what he wanted more was to understand the true motive behind this act of the East Territory.

So, Colin made a respectful nod towards Isa.

Queen Isa understood, smiled imperceptibly, and said, “Since East Territory is so generous and willing to provide extra rewards for the winner of this Martial Arts Competition, I should accept with gratitude.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Viscount Fein bowed and then gracefully sat down.

The Martial Arts Competition continued, although the atmosphere had subtly changed.

However, the mindset of the contestants did not change much. Defeating their opponent and earning the favor of the queen was still their ultimate goal.

As for the “reward” brought out by the East Territory, a matter somewhat sensitive, the contestants all thought that as long as they won it and then presented it to Count Angler, that would be fine.

Though the prospect of a half-elf helping to win back the sword of a Northern Marquis was a bit awkward, everyone knew this was the mischief of the East Territory. Count Angler would not blame the half-elves.

A few half-elf nobles, however, thought the situation couldn’t be so simple. Since the East Territory had provocatively displayed Marquis Garcia’s sword, it wouldn’t let this sword reach the North Territory so easily.

Nevertheless, regardless of what the crowd was guessing, the Martial Arts Competition continued.

…

As dusk approached, the Martial Arts Competition was gradually coming to an end.

The two finalists mounted their towering steeds and circled the field. This not only allowed the war horses to familiarize themselves with the territory but also allowed the contestants to show off their charm and win the cheers of their supporters.

One young, zealous knight was particularly well received by the crowd.

He was around 25 years old, wearing shining silver chain mail armor. His handsome face adorned with a confident smile, his curly hair fell carefree, gleaming like molten gold under the setting sun.

He rode a snow-white steed, with a golden Yuen Shield hanging on the left side of the horse. The shield bore the emblem of thorn – the badge of the half-elf royal Miller family.

This young half-elf knight, named Karl Miller, was the cousin of Queen Isa.

Being a royal family member, combined with his handsome appearance, made Karl the focus of the event. Every time he raised his eagle-winged helmet to salute the audience, it would result in a wave of praises.

Some bolder half-elf maiden even threw flowers at Karl, expressing their admiration for him.

The previous Duke Miller, guilty of conspiring to poison Queen Isa, had been personally killed by Colin. The position of the duke of the Miller family had been vacant since then, with no announced successor.

Although the line of succession was crystal clear, Queen Isa didn’t address it, seemingly disapproving of the current line.

This led to unrest amongst the Miller family. The family members were eager to prove their mettle in the Martial Arts Competition and catch the attention of Queen Isa. If they could catch her fancy, they might become the successor to the Duke.

But Colin knew that the reason why Queen Isa hadn’t announced Duke Miller’s successor was because she planned to cancel the Miller family’s dukedom.

In her view, since the Miller family had become the half-elf royal family, there was no need to retain a duke’s title. Furthermore, after the betrayal by her mother and brother, Queen Isa began to believe that retaining the title of duke could only lead to the Miller family’s division, giving rise to unnecessary thoughts in some people’s minds.

Of course, these thoughts were not yet revealed to the public.

So, at this time, Karl Miller could continue to dream and enjoy everyone’s cheers.

Compared to the successful and proud Knight Karl, the other knight who made it to the finals did not receive such treatment.

He was a knight in his forties, with grey short hair standing up on end. His bronze face showed traces of wind and sun, and his tightly purse lips and light brown eyes painted a picture of determination, just like the red bronze armor he wore.

His armor was old-fashioned and shined brightly. There was no noble badge on it, showing that he was a disadvantaged wandering knight.

His steed was an ordinary chestnut horse, strong and vital but not striking. It wasn’t given to flashy prancing but carried its master slowly and steadily.

Compared to the dazzling Karl Miller, this wandering knight seemed rather down on his luck.

And when he signed up for the martial arts competition, the name he filled in was Joseph.

Yes, only a first name, no surname.

But he was a knight, which suggested that he was most likely an illegitimate child from a family who had not been recognized by the family and dared not use the family surname.

After a lap around the field, the two knights came to the front of the grandstands, dismounted, raised their wooden lances, and bowed to Queen Isa.

Queen Isa stood up and announced, “This is a fair competition. I hope you uphold the chivalrous virtues of knights and aim to achieve a glorious victory without intending to harm your opponent.

The supreme Lord of Glory be with you!”

Indeed, knight duels are a very dangerous sport, and injuries and deaths were almost inevitable.

Even though the contestants were required to use lances made of hardwood as weapons, these “polite” weapons could still be deadly in the hands of a knight.

Therefore, the competition also specified that knights can only thrust lances at each other while on horseback.

In this one-on-one duel, the purpose is to unhorse the opponent with one’s lance while galloping, determining the outcome in one strike. This helps avoid undue entanglement and reduces the likelihood of casualties.

But even so, casualties could not be completely eliminated.

By the time this martial arts competition reached the final, seven unfortunate individuals had lost their lives, more than twenty were left disabled, and countless others injured.

One could say that the dueling field in front of the grandstand was soaked with the blood of the contestants.

But such casualties could not deter one half-elf after another from enthusiastically participating.

If knights can’t even face death bravely, how can they win the favor of the Queen, let alone a title?

Woo—

With the sound of the melodious horn, the two knights participating in the final came to the edge of the field, ready to make their charge.

The audience at the scene also waved their arms excitedly, shouting non-stop, pushing the atmosphere to the highest climax.