Part 5 The Red Priests Chapter 23 The Duke
BECKLAND, West End, in the villa of the Audra family.
Emlyn White, who had come in response to the summons, removed his hat, took off his coat, and stepped into the sitting-room to wait.
Inside this room, besides him, there were several other Bloods that the big man had named to see, and Emlyn looked around before picking a seat next to a man with a nose so high that it was somewhat misshapen.
This man had brown hair and red eyes, his face was deeply lined, and he was holding a picture book in his hand, flipping through it aimlessly.
He was none other than the Blood Clan who had previously provided Emlyn with information about the abandoned ancient castle in the center of the Drell Forest, called Ernest Boyar, a Viscount.
Emlyn had originally planned to visit this Viscount in the last few days, but he didn’t expect to actually meet him here, so he thought carefully for a while and spoke with deliberation:
”Your Excellency the Viscount, I’m curious to know, where did you obtain the information about the abandoned old castle in the Delaire Forest?”
”What? Your customers told you that there are no ancient grudges there?” Ernest Boyar lifted his gaze from the picture book and glanced at Emlyn.
”No, it isn’t.” Without explanation, Emlyn very insistently emphasized the question he had just asked, “I’m just curious as to the source of that information, it doesn’t sound that simple.”
Ernest Boyar closed his picture book and nodded his head slightly:
”It’s no secret, I learned about it from Lord Nebais, and frankly, I’ve never heard anything about it in the past, it’s hard to imagine that an ancient fortress like that exists in the Drell Forest.”
Lord Nebais …… Emlyn intuitively had a thought in his mind:
Another temptation ……
But this kind of temptation is also too dangerous, right? It’s all going to trouble Mr. “Fool” to solve it …… Emlin frowned slightly, recalling some details that he had considered before, and asked tentatively:
”Your Excellency the Viscount, then why don’t you go explore that old castle yourself? As I recall, you are an archaeologist, and the process would also yield extraordinary materials corresponding to ancient grudges.”
Ones gave Emlyn a strange look and said:
”Lord Nibais told me that it’s dangerous there, and it’s best not to go near it until you’re at the Earl rank.”
”……” Emlyn’s mouth was half-open and his expression was actually slightly dumbfounded.
He whirled around and held back his anger, suppressing his voice:
”Why didn’t you remind me of this before?”
Ernest let out a laugh and said:
”Isn’t it a very obvious thing?
”How can extraordinary creatures whose specific location specifics have been grasped by our Blood Clan still exist without a special reason?”
Seeing that Emlyn was a bit bewildered, he added:
”Normal intelligence should be like this, there may be ancient grudge spirits somewhere in the Drell Forest that some people have encountered before, but they were unable to find the root cause of their creation.
”This means that finding those ancient grudges is a difficult and troublesome task, and the cost of time is most likely higher than their value, which is why they have survived until now.
”I would have thought that you would have found that intelligence problematic with ease, and the same is true of your patrons, who must have the appropriate level of certainty if they chose to act.”
In the first moment, Emlyn felt that Viscount Ernest had a point, and was unable to refute it, believing that it was the stupidity of himself and Miss Magician that had led him into danger, and that the other party had nothing to do with it.
In the second moment, Emlyn was ashamed and annoyed, full of indignation at himself.
In the third moment, Emlyn realized something else:
”Regardless of whether or not the intelligence itself had expressed danger, Ernest Boyar should have clearly communicated this, because figuring out the extent of the danger, the source of the danger, and the manifestation of the danger was of great significance to the subsequent exploration, and could not be missed!”
He did this on purpose! Emlyn made the final judgment in his mind, his scarlet eyes narrowing slightly as he lifted his chin slightly and said:
”Indeed, it’s easy to see, but I’m more interested in knowing what exactly is the danger lurking in that abandoned old castle.”
Ernest picked up the black tea next to him, which was nearly blood colored, and took a sip:
”I’m not sure, Lord Nebais didn’t speak of it.”
Emlyn’s expression sank, and he was about to sneer when he suddenly saw Casimir Audra walk into the sitting room and look over at himself and said:
”Emlyn, that big man wants you to meet k.”
”Okay.” Emlyn gathered his emotions and pressed the bottom half of his vest as he stood up unhurriedly.
After following the stairs to the underground area, he finally couldn’t hold back and inquired in a low voice:
”Baron Kasimi, just which great man is it? How should I address him?”
The middle-aged gentleman-like Cassimi didn’t hide it anymore, and replied with a tone full of respect:
”Lord Duke Olmer.”
Duke Olmer …… Emlyn subconsciously straightened his back and cast his gaze to the lamp stand on the wall next to him, as if trying to confirm his meter from the projection reflected on the metal surface.
This is one of the three dukes currently in charge of the Blood Clan, an ancient powerhouse that existed before the Great Catastrophe, with the title of “Full Moon”, aged more than 3,000 years, who once followed the Ancestor Lilith!
Undoubtedly, this was synonymous with the history and glory of the blood race!
Passing through a number of secret doors, Emlyn and Casimir arrived at an iron-gray hall.
The floor and walls here were covered with grass, flowers and grains, and many bugs and insects crawled among the dense plants, making Emlyn feel as if he had left the city and come to the outskirts of the countryside, feeling the exuberance of life.
Such a scene at first glance is nothing too strange, but if you look closely, many places are extremely strange:
Above the grass has a mouth like a crack, inside a fiber flying out, capturing the insects; flowers with branches and leaves as a hand, picking their own nectar; wheat and other grain particles are heavy, occasionally wow wow cries from the inside; insects and creatures are divided into multiple categories, are different from normal, some long with a snake’s head, and some top with the face of a bird ……
These things grew thicker and thicker the farther they went into the center of the hall, where they twined out into a vigorous grave.
Casimir faced that grave and saluted respectfully:
”My Lord Duke, Emlyn White is here.”
”Good afternoon, Lord Duke.” Emlyn was not as condescending as usual, and even a bit of a handful.
From the grave, a mellow voice that couldn’t hear his age laughed:
”Very brilliant young blood.
”Cassimi, you will exit here first.”
”Yes, Lord Duke.” Cassimi bowed in response and left the iron-gray, yet fresh and inviting hall.
Emlyn stood and heard the mellow voice from within the tomb ask:
”During the morning, Nibais spoke of your acquisition of the extraordinary trait of artificial vampirism that corresponds to the rank of Viscount?”
”Yes, but it has contamination and needs to be purified first.” The reason Emlyn didn’t mention removing the mental contamination within the extraordinary trait before was because he believed it was an easy thing for the Bloods to do, at least Baron Casimir had confirmed that it was possible.
Duke Olmo of the Blood Clan let out a “hmm”:
”Very well, I will personally purify for that trait.”
K added after a pause:
”Although the Blood Race is a race with a long lifespan, there will still be growth and old age, there will be newborns and deaths, no matter what, it is a must for a race to cultivate its young members, and as you have recently shown exceptional talent and excellent abilities, you’ve become the most important object for us, so I’ve come to meet you in person, to give you some tests, so that you can grow as quickly as possible.”
Excellent talent and excellent ability …… Emlyn’s chin quietly raised a little more.
He whirled around and sighed in his heart:
Sure enough, just as Mr. “Hanging Man” judged, there will be tests, tasks, and face-to-face scrutiny. ……
In the midst of his emotions, Emlyn responded respectfully:
”I am always ready.”
”Good.” Olmer’s mellow voice came out from the grave, “Your next task is to find out the important members of the Rose School who are lurking in Berkland; in this regard, there are very few clues, and much of the situation requires you to investigate on your own.”
”The Rose School? Do they have a grudge against us Bloods? They seem to have admitted some followers of the ‘Primal Moon’?” Emlyn had actually learned quite a few things related to the Rose School at the tarot meeting, but deliberately made a cover-up and didn’t show that much.
”In addition to accepting the ‘Primordial Moon’ believers, they are also occupying a holy relic of our Blood Race, which was the legacy of the Patriarchs in the first place, and we must retrieve it.” There were a few more points of seriousness in Olmo’s tone.
The legacy of the Patriarch …… blood race’s holy relic …… Emlin spoke without hesitation:
”Lord Duke, I will endeavor to search for important members of the Rose School in Berkland.”
Olmer’s voice turned soft and said:
”Very well, you wait and go to Cassimi’s to get some information and find out the entry point.”
Emlyn was already a bit impatient, but restrained himself and asked with deliberation:
”Lord Duke, do you know about the abandoned old castle in the center of Delaire Forest?”
”You want to go there? That’s dangerous.” Olmo, the Blood Duke in the grave, gave an answer.
Emlyn didn’t bother explaining and directly asked for advice:
”What kind of danger?”
Olmer laughed:
”That old castle is perhaps older than I am, older than the Drell Forest.
”I don’t know who built it, only that it is clear that something is sealed beneath its floor, hiding a great secret.
”Any creature that gets near there is in danger of being corrupted by the power of the Fall, we used to think it had something to do with the Abyss, but a demon that was thrown into the old fortress also suffered an erosion, going from cold and cruel to insane and chaotic.”
Then why don’t you try to open the seal and figure out the situation? Emlyn mumbled in his mind, but didn’t open his mouth.
Duke Olmo of the Blood Clan, who was called the “Full Moon”, didn’t say anything else, ended the conversation, and let Emlyn leave the hall.
……
In the evening, the dark clouds of Birkeland overlapped and a light rain fell.
Emlyn wore a bowler hat as he walked under the sheltered riding floor, his scarlet eyes locked on Viscount Ernest Boyar, who was strolling through an antique store ahead of him.
Annoyed that the other party was deliberately providing incomplete information, he subconsciously made a stalking behavior after leaving Audra’s house.
But after walking for a while, he became confused again, because he hadn’t figured out what to do with Ones, and how far to go.