The First Vampire

Chapter 571: 569 Attempt_1
 

The deep night engulfs the earth.

The sporadic sounds of insects bring life to this serene courtyard.

Although the tail end of winter has not fully retreated, Oak Manor seems to have already entered the spring season.

The cold moonlight spills onto the enormous ancient oak tree that covers the entire manor, shimmering with an intoxicating, mysterious glow.

The dance ball has long ended, and the guests have returned to their residences and retired for the night.

Only Colin has quietly made his way to the ancient oak tree at the center of the manor, gazing at this lifeform that has weathered the passage of millennia with profound reverence in his heart.

Of course, besides reverence, the feelings in Colin’s heart at this moment are also ones of curiosity and an intent to explore.

He always feels as if an unseen force is calling him to this place.

However, once he truly stands beneath the ancient oak tree, he feels somewhat baffled.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

What should he do?

Colin scratches his head, hesitates for a moment, then places his hand on the trunk of the oak tree.

The rough, hard touch is no different from that of an ordinary oak tree.

Colin closes his eyes, calms his heart, and carefully experiences it, but gains nothing.

A gust of wind blows past, and the rubbing of the oak tree’s branches and leaves produces a faint rustling sound, as if attempting to tell this bewildered young man standing before it something.

Colin raises his head to stare at the tree’s sky-eclipsing canopy and decides to try again.

The next second, Colin’s black eyes turn red, and blood-red patterns spread across his face like a spiderweb, giving him the appearance of wearing a mask.

Billows of crimson smoke rise from his body and slowly envelop him.

The wind in the manor suddenly grows stronger, and the oak tree’s branches shake more violently, as if joyfully welcoming an old friend who has returned after a long absence.

Whoosh-

A pair of black bat wings extend from the blood-red smoke, then Colin’s body, which has more than doubled in size, slowly reveals itself.

At some unknown point, the silver moon in the sky has turned red and the originally cold and clear moonlight has taken on a hint of bloodiness.

The branches and leaves of the ancient oak tree tremble even more violently, stirring the surrounding air into ripples like water waves.

For a moment, the whole manor seems to “come alive”.

Colin, however, does not feel the slightest joy because the disturbance is too great!

The next moment, he shakes his bat wings vigorously.

Whoosh-

The stirred-up dust flies everywhere, and Colin, using the recoil of force, soars into the sky, quickly disappearing into the night.

Just after Colin leaves, an afterimage flashes in the air, and then Duke St. Gregorian appears at the spot where Colin was standing.

With a serious expression, she takes a light sniff, then focuses her gaze on the ancient oak tree.

By now, the ancient oak tree has already returned to a calm state, as if the great disturbance from before was simply an illusion.

“What happened?” Emperor Reinhardt soon rushed over.

“I don’t know.” Duke St. Gregorian shakes her head, her eyes scanning over the ancient oak tree. “It seems someone has touched this ancient tree.”

“How is that possible?” Emperor Reinhardt looks incredulous, but the disturbance from before can’t be fake. After some thought, he immediately orders the arriving guards to blockade the manor and conduct a thorough search.

However, even Emperor Reinhardt himself couldn’t clarity what exactly needed to be searched or who the person of interest might be.

The guards had no choice but to accept their orders in confusion and depart.

This stirred up another commotion at the Oak Manor, angering the nobles who were awakened by the noise. They cursed the one who had caused all this chaos.

Meanwhile, under the concealment of the night, Colin had sneaked back to his residence and changed into his pajamas. Just then, someone knocked on his door.

Colin opened the door to see a guard standing outside, who saluted and said:

“My apologies for disturbing your rest, Count. Did you notice anything unusual or encounter any suspicious characters recently?”

Colin feigned a look of just being awoken and replied in a low voice, “I heard some noises from the window just now and thought there was a storm. But it seems to have subsided, hasn’t it?”

Seeing Colin confounded, the guard assumed that he couldn’t provide any useful information, apologized again, and then turned to leave.

Just as Colin was about to close the door, a slender figure suddenly squeezed in through the gap.

His muscles tensed, but when he caught the familiar fragrance, he relaxed and said helplessly:

“Your Highness, at this late hour, is there something you need?”

Queen Midela walked into the room, closing the door behind her. She looked at Colin meaningfully and chuckled:

“Count Angler, I’ve finally caught onto your little secret, haven’t I?”

Colin’s heart skipped a beat, but he kept his composure and said, “Your Highness, I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

Queen Midela stepped forward, her green fingertips resting on Colin’s chest as she said:

“I’m talking about the Winged Knight. I saw him with my own eyes, sneaking into the room through the window.

So, Count Angler, is there another person hidden in your room, or are you the Winged Knight?”

Silent, Colin merely stared at Queen Midela with a frosty gaze as his mind raced with thoughts.

Queen Midela seemed to guess his inner thoughts and continued whimsically:

“Count Angler, you’re not contemplating silencing someone who knows too much, are you? That really sends a shiver down my spine!”

Though she was speaking of fear, not a trace of it showed on her face. Instead, she looked at Colin with a challenge in her eyes.

Colin gave a faint smile and said, “Your Highness, you jest. Would I resort to murder over something so trivial?

Yes, the Winged Knight is indeed a good friend of mine. However, it is currently not convenient for him to meet with you. Please accept my apologies.”

“Is that so?” Queen Midela was not about to let Colin off the hook easily. “But why didn’t I sense another person in the room?”

“He left just a moment ago.” Colin decided to play dumb; after all, without solid evidence, Queen Midela couldn’t possibly force him to reveal his true identity.

Upon hearing this, Queen Midela glared at Colin, seemingly dissatisfied with his casual lie. Yet, she didn’t lose heart and asked again:

“Count Angler, did you know?

Normally, Druid, an occupation exclusive to high elves, cannot be inherited by humans.

Unless, that person has an elven bloodline, and is a half-elf!”

Colin’s face paled, but he managed to maintain his composure, “Indeed, my friend is a half-elf, whom I met in Silver Moon City.”

“I see.” Queen Midela leaned forward, her face close to Colin’s. With a smile on her face and her eyes locked onto his, she said, “According to the ‘Glorious Code’, only pure-blooded humans can be lords of the Empire.

So, Count Angler, if you’re not the Winged Knight, would you dare to undergo a public bloodline test?”