The First Vampire

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Count Evan spread his hands, seeming to think that the question did not require an explanation.

“Duke Miller has been slaughtered and his corpse was left as a prop to frame us. Doesn’t this indicate that the Miller family have been completely forsaken?

Why were they forsaken?

Obviously, because someone from their family killed Vera.”

Anna finally nodded, but her confusion resurfaced, “Why would the Miller family kill Vera? Was it because they were bought off by Duke St. Hilde?”

“This is exactly why I admire Duke St. Hilde!” Count Evan’s eyes gleamed with a bizarre light, “Let’s not forget, the murderer from the Miller family, is risking the total annihilation of their family line by helping Duke St. Hilde!”

“So, you also can’t guess why the people of the Miller family would assist Duke St. Hilde in such a matter?”

“How could I guess?” Count Evan shook his head, speaking helplessly, “I am not a god.”

“What does this have to do with us? You still haven’t mentioned why the king wants to arrest us.”

Count Evan chuckled, “Think about it. Since Vera is already dead in Silver Moon City, the North Territory army now has an excuse to march in.

At this point, what can the Modewen family do?”

After contemplating for a while, Anna finally caught on, “They certainly can’t prevent the North Territory army from entering Silver Moon City, so, they can only scapegoat us to bear Duke St. Hilde’s fury.”

“Exactly!” Count Evan snapped his fingers in agreement, “Firstly, the Miller family is certainly doomed. Regardless of who the murderer is, this family must be destroyed. The blood of the St. Hilde family is not something that can be spilled so easily.

But, just the Miller family probably won’t be able to quell all of Duke St. Hilde’s rage.

Especially the Modewen family, since Vera died within the Half-Elf Palace, they would definitely have to take some responsibility.

If I were Duke St. Hilde, I would seize this opportunity to strip the Modewen family of their royal status and replace them with a new half-elf noble to rule Silver Moon City.

This way, the newly instated royal family with insufficient reputation would need the support of the St. Hilde family to maintain control over the Half-Elf

Kingdom, instead of wavering between the East and North Territories like the Modewen family, trying to appease both sides.”

So, to prevent this situation from happening, the Modewen family must find a way to save themselves.

And the best way of saving themselves is to clarify their firm stance to Duke St. Hilde – breaking away from the East Territory!

In that case, Duke St. Hilde would no longer need to look for a new puppet to help him rule the Half-Elf Kingdom.”

“I see now!” Anna finally came to a realization, “So that means, we both are the chips that the Modewen family is using to break away from the East Territory.”

“Right, as long as they arrest us and hand us over to Duke St. Hilde, the Modewen family would have completely offended the St. Prowse family, and they would have no choice but to go down the North Territory road.”

Anna nodded, but soon after she seemed to have thought of something, her face transformed drastically, and she spoke anxiously, “Then, could the

Modewen family, in order to prove their loyalty to Duke St. Hilde, kill us!”

Count Evan was startled for a moment, then he burst into laughter, “My silly sister! Does the Modewen family have the guts to do that?

Once they stain their hands with the blood of a member of the St. Prowse family, that would be seen as declaring irreconcilable hatred.

Heh, he, a mere Half-Elf royal family, would he dare irk the empire’s Holy Knight Family to such an extent?

If he truly dares to do so, the Modewen family would immediately become the enemy of the Radiant Empire!

Even Duke St. Hilde wouldn’t protect them.”

Only at this point did Anna breathe a sigh of relief, she sat down at the round table and took a sip of water from the cup.

“So, we’re just going to sit here and wait?”

“Right, just wait. As I told you before, our trip to Silver Moon City was bound to be futile. Alas, there’s no decent wine here!”

Saying this, Count Evan stood up forcefully, knocking at the thick iron door, hollering, “Hey! Can someone out there send in some wine!”

Anna rolled her eyes quietly, looking at her unreliable brother.

Outside Silver Moon City, an army of around a thousand soldiers was moving quickly.

“Hurry up, hurry up, all of you, run! If we don’t reach Silver Moon City before the sun sets, I’ll have to camp outside with you all again!”

Knight Lyle’s loud voice kept ringing out, seemingly in a bad mood.

After saying goodbye to Winterfell City, he had followed Colin’s orders, returned to Ice Rock City, and led a team of a thousand to meet with Colin in Silver Moon City.

However, on his way back to Ice Rock City, he was harassed by various bandit groups for a long time, which led to his delay.

Normally, as long as they showed the “Roaring White Bear” banner, most bandit groups would never dare to attack a noble’s army.

But this time, for some reason, those bandit groups seemed collectively crazy, making Lyle’s journey back to Ice Rock City extremely difficult.

What Lyle didn’t know was that these bandit groups were driven to desperation by hunger.

The troll invasion in the spring had caused large areas of good farmland in the North Territory to be abandoned. The delay in spring ploughing naturally affected the autumn harvest.

So, this year, the North Territory was bound to endure a harsh winter.

Therefore, the bandit groups were even more desperate, daring to provoke the noble guard troops that they had always avoided in the past.

In short, after a difficult journey back to Ice Rock City, Knight Lyle realized that the delay had been too long, and he might not make it to Silver Moon City in time for Vera’s wedding.

In his anxiety, he naturally sought out Knight Shar, hoping to take the cavalry.

Colin’s order was simply for him to bring a thousand men to Silver Moon City, without specifying whether they had to be infantry or cavalry.

However, Knight Shar refused, insisting that the cavalry had not yet completed their training and that sending them into battle at this point would be tantamount to sending them to their deaths.

With no other choice, Knight Lyle had to take a thousand infantrymen, moving at a crazy pace and nearly exhausting his soldiers, but they finally arrived at Silver Moon City just before the date of the wedding.

Gazing at the city walls of Silver Moon City bathed in the glow of the setting sun, Knight Lyle finally heaved a sigh of relief.

Without sparing any time to admire the beautiful scenery of this garden city at sunset, Knight Lyle immediately prepared to enter the city.

But before he could approach the city gate, a sharp arrow was shot at his feet.

“Hold on! Who are you?” A voice interrogated him from atop the city wall.

Knight Lyle took the Angler family banner from the flag bearer’s hand, waved it vigorously, and yelled out,

“I am Knight Lyle Mormon of the Angler family, ordered by Viscount Angler, to attend the wedding of Miss Vera and Prince Topaz!”

Knight Lyle initially assumed that as long as he showed the banner, the half-elves would naturally open the city gates and warmly welcome him inside.

However, things did not go as he had imagined.

“I’m sorry, Sir Knight, but by order of His Majesty the King, to ensure the security of the wedding, no one is allowed to enter or exit Silver Moon City during this period!”

“Huh?” Knight Lyle widened his eyes, a thought instantly flashing through his mind

Something’s gone wrong!