Chapter 116:

“Hey, don’t look so gloomy. Come, have a drink.” On the edge of the great chasm between the outer city ruins and the inner city of Kadman City, Palanno the knight squinted his eyes as he looked up at the peculiar, mysterious, and exquisite “Astral Realm Creation” overhead. His tone was relaxed and pleasant as he handed a cup of wine to Murphy beside him. Although Palanno was smiling, Murphy still felt like the guy was mocking him. Of course, it’s also possible that Murphy was just being too sensitive. After a discussion about the Black Disaster, the two men left Tris, who said she wanted to rest, and came here to enjoy the “night view.” Murphy was not in a relaxed mood at all right now. He looked up at the strange scar piercing the starry river overhead and took the wine cup handed to him by Palanno. As expected, there were a few rose petals floating on the surface of the wine. “You bastard!” The vampire glanced at the handsome knight lord beside him and cursed inwardly: “You must be a rose spirit that became a vampire!” “You don’t need to worry too much about the Black Disaster. Putting aside the fact that it still needs several months to brew, it will take some time to make exploratory attacks even after it fully forms. Due to the huge impact of the Fourth Black Disaster, all forces will go all-out from the very beginning this time. In the best-case scenario, the gnolls won’t even make it past the Foul Swamp before being crushed by the cavalry scouts of various races outside the Dark Mountain range.” Palanno comforted him in a gentle tone: “Due to the painful lesson from last time, Lord Payne has also decided to move the Blood Pact Knights’ camp to the line from the desolate Shando Mountains to the Foul Swamp outside the Dark Mountain range. We will be at the forefront, and with the military support of the Goldflower Kingdom and the Kingdom of Nordtov, the defensive pressure on you in Transia will also be much less. The situation is not as dire as you think. In Lord Payne’s most optimistic thoughts, the Fifth Black Disaster may well be just a lingering echo of a great Black Disaster from a century ago, similar to the Second Black Disaster. Of course, if your territory still looks as bad as this six months from now, just pretend I didn’t say anything. You don’t even need the black tide of gnolls to sweep through. If the gnoll bandits roaming the Transia region are rallied, this place will turn to dust. But I think you, as the lord, shouldn’t let that happen, right?” “Of course not.” Murphy rolled his eyes and said, “To be honest, I was planning to run away with Tris. After you leave, I’ll take her and my current subjects and flee in any direction. Six months is enough time for us to escape to the legendary new continent. Whoever wants this damned place can have it.” “Ha, you really know how to joke. So different from other gloomy and cunning vampires. I like you, kid.” Palanno laughed and patted Murphy’s shoulder. He said, “But you don’t have a chance anymore. Lord Payne has noticed you, beautiful Murphy. If you try to run now, you’ll be executed as a deserter.” “I was just saying that.” Murphy sighed and brought the wine to his lips for a light sip. The sweet fruit wine was mixed with a faint trace of blood, which satisfied his vampire’s thirst to some degree. He turned to look at the still ruined city behind him and said, “This territory is what my warriors and I obtained through our utmost efforts. Even if it costs my life, I will die here. But I need help, Lord Palanno. I need a lot of help, not just resources.” He thought for a moment and said to Lord Palanno, “Could you send some instructors to my territory? I can pay them a salary. I just need them to help train the warriors I’ve gathered in the war against Salrokdar. You’ve seen it too. My warriors are brave enough, but they severely lack tactical and strength training.” “Hmm, their willingness to face death and heartbreaking loyalty is rarely seen in my life!” The knight lord nodded and said, “Their ferocity reminds me of the human heroes who defended their homes during the Fourth Black Disaster. I will select my attendants to come and teach them. But I have one question. I’ve been to Transia many times, but I can’t understand their language at all.” Palanno looked at Murphy in puzzlement and said, “Where did you find these strange people?” “They are mountain folk!” Murphy explained earnestly, “They are inhabitants of the barbaric mountain forests at the junction of Saxony and the Ice Bay region. The locals call them ‘wild people.’ During the three Saxony campaigns of the Ten Years’ War, their homelands were mercilessly burned and destroyed. The surviving tribesmen could only migrate southward, and luckily, I encountered them. There are many more people like them. I also put in a lot of effort to learn their language, and they promised me that they would gather more of their tribesmen to join my forces.” “Oh, ancient mountain folk, I see. That explains it.” Lord Palanno nodded and said, “There are still many such mountain folk scattered across the continent. I have personally seen their traces in the northern mountain ranges of Greenleaf Island. These mountain folk truly inherit the ferocious blood of ancient humans, daring to hunt cunning and powerful flying lions with just wooden spears. Their customs and way of life are completely different from those of the so-called civilized humans today. But communication is indeed a major problem.” “Use this.” Murphy took out a Computation Bead and handed it to Lord Palanno, then recounted the story of how he intercepted this item in Smuggler’s Woods. With Tris’ presence, this playboy lord probably wouldn’t speak nonsense about these matters. However, Palanno’s interest was not in how the Computation Bead was obtained, but in the item itself. He had clearly seen similar things before. He took it in his hand and examined it repeatedly, his expression becoming odd. Afterwards, under Murphy’s puzzled gaze, he opened the rear connector of the bead and pointed to a mark-like pattern inside, saying: Murphy, I do not say these things to proclaim my noble birth to you. I only want to tell you that the Blood Pact Knights are not as perfect as you imagine. If you wish to join us, you must abandon your past! Not just your identity, but also your surname. There are very few true descendants of Lord Payne and us three knight lords in the knights. Most of the 300 Silver Knights that form the core of the knights are recruited from other clans. The original sin of the Cappadocians is pride, we are lifelong penitents! Until the Eternal Silence comes, we cannot have our own territories, our own wealth, our own families or even lovers. We can only patrol endlessly around the Dark Mountain range, viewing all the chaotic barbarian tribes there as enemies, unable to leave that accursed place for our entire lives. We are bound yet also protected. This is the ancient and sacred tradition.” “Wait!” Murphy suddenly noticed a problem in Palanno’s words. He raised his hand to interrupt the lord’s narration and asked: “If you cannot have family or lovers, then what about your peculiar list of goddesses...” “Ah, you were also deceived by me, weren’t you?” Bringing up this topic, Lord Palanno immediately showed an exaggerated romantic expression. He flicked his golden long hair flirtatiously and said with a sigh: “Yes, as a member of the Cappadocia, I cannot have my own love. But this does not prevent me from fervently pursuing all beautiful things and establishing a pure connection with those lovely ladies in the spiritual realm. Unpolluted by dirty desires, achieving the most perfect union in the spiritual world. That is pure love! It is the most precious thing among all existing things in this world! It always manages to give me a little warmth and solace under the night of the vampires, letting me know that my struggle in the darkness is not meaningless. It is precisely because there are people like me patrolling the night that others are able to have that wonderful love. I do not have a lover of my own. But in the crystallization of every pure love that I protect, I have a share as well. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? Actually, at first, I just wanted to find a sense of participation in others’ pure love, nothing more.” A fresh black-red rose still beaded with dew magically appeared at Palanno’s fingertips and was handed to Murphy. The knight lord looked at him and said softly: “Just as I have also detected the wonderful scent of love amidst these ruins, I wish your destined, difficult love a smooth journey, beautiful Murphy. Additionally, as a vampire senior, I feel I have a duty to impart some life experience from the perspective of an elder. As a new member of the midnight clan who has only experienced one year of night, you naturally cannot comprehend the fondness and torment that midnight brings to us. Perhaps you should start finding a hobby for yourself now. A heartfelt passion for something can always help you find the crux of life and destiny amid the increasingly monotonous eternity of night life. Once you become more familiar with our clan, you will find that those renowned midnight nobles are often masters in a particular field. For example, Lord Payne is an artist recognized by all race leaders, and his paintings are even collected in the Nature Palace of the Elf King. The recently executed Salrokdar was a famous gourmet across the continent who tirelessly participated in all kinds of food tastings under the alias ‘Duke Fochs’. Edward, the Patriarch of the Wolfsbane Clan, is the top leatherworker, even the most fastidious dwarven hill lords take pride in owning a set of protective leather armor handmade by Edward. Your elder, Lady Tris, is the most outstanding theologist on the entire continent. Probably no one understands the mysteries of the deities better than her.” At this point, Palanno showed a slight smile and placed the rose in Murphy’s hand. He patted Murphy’s shoulder and said in a low voice: “To gain that beautiful thing’s sincere passion from the heart, you are still far from ready, Murphy. But I believe in you... hmm, brave rose picker. Keep it up, I will bless your pure love from afar. But if one day you betray this love that I have blessed...” The knight lord’s tone suddenly turned cold. He said softly: “Then my beloved rose garden, the ‘Unfaithful Paradise’, will have another batch of excellent fertilizer. Hmm, those lusciously seductive midnight roses that I personally cultivate always need the fresh blood of traitors to nourish their growth and blossoming. Do you understand what I mean? Either pure love or death, there is no third choice.”