The Original Vampire

stomping on...

Amidst the heavy footsteps, a team of heavily armed guards patrolled past.

The light of the torches gradually dissipated as they went away, and the courtyard was shrouded in darkness again.

In the shadow of the corner, Ke Lin slowly accelerated his pace, and following the faint smell of blood, he gradually came to the northwest corner of Phoenix Butterfly Castle.

A strong stench rushed towards his face, almost knocking Colin out.

It was the smell of horse manure.

Only then did Colin realize that he had come to the stable.

damn it!

Colin cursed inwardly, the smell of blood was covered up by the smell of horses, and it was a little difficult for him to distinguish the direction of the source.

But fortunately, this place was already on the edge of Phoenix Butterfly Fort, so Ke Lin searched the neighborhood one by one.

Soon, he found the source of the bloody smell again - the clock tower.

This is an old clock tower that has experienced hundreds of years of wind and rain.

clang!

It was exactly one o'clock in the morning, and the ancient clock tower made a dull hoarse sound.

Colin hid in the shadow not far away, but did not come forward immediately.

Because, just after such a cursory investigation, he had already found three secret posts around the clock tower.

There must be something wrong here!

However, Colin was not sure that he could enter the clock tower without disturbing the dark whistle.

Just as he was about to leave, the heavy door of the clock tower suddenly opened.

With a creak, a wheelchair was pushed out.

The man in the wheelchair could not see his face clearly, but Colin guessed the identity of the other party.

Earl Morrison's father - Franco Morrison.

After the death of the old earl, his son Franco was the first heir to the title.

But unfortunately, Franco was seriously injured in a battle many years ago and has been paralyzed to this day. Therefore, his son, the grandson of the old earl, Seiken Morrison, succeeded the earl.

Colin looked at Franco's retreating back, all kinds of thoughts flashing in his heart.

Finally, he quietly followed.

Franco's wheelchair was not fast, and he was walking towards the inner courtyard along the central axis of Phoenix Butterfly Castle.

Along the way, they encountered a wave of patrolling guards, who immediately stopped to greet Franco.

From their greetings, Colin also confirmed Franco's identity.

After another distance, seeing that Franco was about to enter the main castle, Colin deliberately increased his footsteps and walked out of the shadows.

Franco really stopped.

"Viscount Angele?" Through the quiet moonlight, Franco recognized Colin.

"Are you? Franco Knight?" Colin pretended to be a chance encounter.

However, this is indeed their first meeting, and Franco did not attend the previous silence ceremony and welcome banquet.

This Franco knight looked in his fifties, with a gloomy temperament, a thin face, long and narrow eyes, and thin lips that were bloodless, and looked weak.

Long years of paralysis have devastated the once-famous knight of the north.

"This is you?"

"Oh, I can't sleep in the middle of the night. I came out for a walk, I hope I didn't disturb you." Colin walked forward with a smile.

Sure enough, the smell of blood became stronger.

"Of course not. I couldn't sleep either, so I came out for a walk." Franco nodded, looking at his right hand.

While Colin was in doubt, the maid who pushed the wheelchair explained softly, "Master Viscount, Master Franco wants to shake hands with you."

Only then did Colin lean over slightly and hold the other's skinny right hand.

Cold and smooth, like holding a dead fish.

"Sorry, I'm inconvenient, so I didn't attend your welcome banquet." Franco smiled apologetically.

"You're welcome." Colin quickly released the opponent's hand and smiled, "You were injured to fight against trolls, and you are a respectable knight."

Franco laughed at himself: "I'm just a poor bastard defeated by trolls, but it is you who wiped out 100,000 trolls outside Windroar Castle, and cut off the head of the troll emperor with your own hands before Wangcheng!

Such a record is a well-deserved hero of the North, a role model for knights!

If it weren't for my inconvenience, I would certainly give you the most noble knightly etiquette! "

Ke Lin waved his hands again and again and said humbly: "It is also thanks to the soldiers who fought bravely to kill the enemy, I don't dare to take the credit alone."

Franco smiled, then changed the conversation: "Did Seiken tell you that he wants to marry Miss Nina?"

"Yes. Mrs. Grace indeed asked Vera to help connect the earl." Colin thought that the other party also wanted to intercede for her son.

But unexpectedly, Franco slowly shook his head: "Can you tell Miss Vera that she should not agree to this marriage?"

"Oh? Why?" Colin was puzzled now. Isn't this Morrison family a "Saint Hilde noblewoman"? Why doesn't this one want his son to marry Nina?

The expression on Franco's face was a little gloomy. After hesitating for a moment, he asked aloud, "Your Excellency Viscount, do you know why the Morrison family insists on marrying the daughter of the Saint Hilde family?"

"Why?" Colin asked with interest.

"You should have heard of the theory of 'purification of bloodlines'?" Franco asked rhetorically.

Colin nodded.

This is actually what the Master of Dawn told him. In short, people in this world firmly believe that blood is an important determinant of the upper limit of the strength of family descendants.

The reason why the paladin family can continue to give birth to paladins is because of their noble and sacred blood.

Therefore, the nobles of the Radiance Empire had frantically pursued noble girls from the Paladin family for a period of time, and tried every means to marry them back home in an attempt to purify their bloodlines.

However, the reality is cruel.

Since the founding of the Glorious Empire, the number of paladin families has not increased at all. Those nobles who have married daughters of several generations of paladin families have found that their descendants have not improved in strength at all.

Instead, the power of the Paladin family spread through marriage. Their attempts to purify the bloodline only helped the Paladin family to consolidate their rule.

So, gradually, the nobles stopped seeking the daughter of the Paladin family, and the marriage became more pragmatic.

But only this Morrison family is an exception. They still seem to have not given up on the theory of blood purification, and they are still insisting on pursuing the daughter of the Saint Hilde family.

Franco said solemnly: "The Morrison family has been deeply poisoned by this theory. The clansmen have been unable to see reality due to their ancestors' training and long-standing traditions. Therefore, I hope you can help. I stop this tragedy from continuing."

"Tragedy?" Colin was stunned for a while, "Why isn't this a tragedy, right?"

A look of pain appeared on Franco's face: "You may not know that I originally had two brothers, but one of them died at an early age, and the other... was born deformed, and it is estimated that he will not live for a few years. I have to endure inhuman pain before being killed by my father...

And my children, Seiken is not the only one, but his brothers and sisters... hehe, they are either dementia or disabled!

Therefore, the bloodline of the Saint Hilde family is no longer a gift for us, but a curse! "

Only then did Colin understand what Franco meant by tragedy.

It seems that the long-term marriage has caused the Morrison family's genes to be gradually assimilated by the St. Hilde family, making them obviously not close relatives, but they are better than close relatives.

Therefore, the consequences of inbreeding have gradually emerged in the descendants of the Morrison family.

And this kind of evil, in the eyes of Franco, who doesn't understand genetics, has become a blood curse.

"Okay. I'll pass on your request to Vera, but I want to remind you that your mother takes this marriage very seriously, so..."

"Thank you so much! From my mother, I will persuade myself."

Colin sighed inwardly, this Morrison family is really entangled.

It's no wonder that the three-generation single line of their direct line, the population is not prosperous, it turns out that they are asking for hardships.

After that, the two chatted casually for a while, and Colin found that this Franco was quite optimistic about the current situation in the North, believing that the current chaos was only temporary, and it would not take long for it to calm down.

Colin didn't know that Franco was just being polite on purpose, or that he was a little slow to the changes in the outside world because he had been locked in the castle for a long time.

However, he didn't intend to dig too deep.

He was more interested in why the other party entered the clock tower late at night.

And why is there a lingering smell of blood?

Of course, Colin also knew that it was impossible to ask Franco such a question directly, so he accompanied him for a while and then left.

Watching Colin's back gradually disappearing into the darkness, Franco suddenly asked, "How long has he been with us?"

The maid pushing the wheelchair shook her head: "I'm not sure either."

Franco narrowed his eyes, with a cold light flashing in his eyes, and ordered in a low voice:

"Add more people over at the clock tower."

"Yes, my lord."