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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:

“Indeed, it’s the work of that bastard Ryuk Flywheel! I knew it, how could so many Computation Beads appear out of nowhere in Transia when the Shaldor halflings had already banned their export from the Genoa Peninsula?

Those naive little dwarves never want their creations to be used for war, but unfortunately, everything they make is a weapon capable of changing wars.”

“You know him too?”

Murphy became interested immediately.

From the item identification, he knew this batch of Computation Beads came from this guy called “Ryuk Flywheel.” Hearing Palanno mention him, he asked right away: “What’s the deal with this guy? Can he even get his hands on Halfling secret machinery? To be honest, we are in dire need of qualified weapons right now. If we can contact him…”

“Ryuk is a bastard Halfling. Some of the Blood Pact Knights’ handgun attendants occasionally deal with him. In the Dark Mountain region, he’s the only reliable machinery supplier, but the guy is a black-hearted arms dealer.

He wouldn’t dare try anything funny with the Blood Pact Knights, but anyone who approaches him voluntarily will definitely get ripped off.

You need to be careful when dealing with him.”

Palanno was quite frank as he took out the map and circled the location of “Hunger Mountain,” introducing it to Murphy:

“Ryuk entered the Dark Mountain range over forty years ago. Who knows what method he used to subdue the large group of Troll bandits lurking in Hunger Mountain and blatantly became a wild warlord there.

It’s said this guy’s arms business is booming, and he even has secret trade dealings with some progressive Gnoll tribes and a deep relationship with the redeemed Dwarves of Sin Fortress. He was also involved in the military reform that began in the Goldflower Kingdom thirty years ago.

He doesn’t refuse anyone who wants to do business with him, but you’d better prepare a generous reward. And Ryuk Flywheel is a guy with a strange personality, he’s an idealistic person, which doesn’t conflict with the truth that he’s a bad sort. He’s a contradictory amalgamation.

In any case, after your people are prepared, my attendants can guide you there.”

“Thank you for the information.”

Murphy noted down the location of Hunger Mountain and marked it on his map system.

That place wasn’t too far from the Foul Swamp, but it was still in the inner part of the outskirts of the Dark Mountain range. The small players clearly didn’t have the ability to approach there now.

However, at their pace of growth, if a team of 40 people who had completed the Black Iron Trial was formed, they might be able to try crossing the Foul Swamp and establish ties with this arms dealer.

After finishing their official business, Murphy and Lord Palanno’s conversation turned into a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

Although this First Lord seemed unreliable, and was an ultra-simp worshiping nearly a hundred goddesses, Murphy had to admit he left the best impression among all the vampires he had met so far.

Excluding Tris, of course.

Tris would never be mentioned in the same breath as other vampires in Murphy’s heart.

This Lord Palanno must hold a high position in the Blood Pact Knights, but he himself had none of the bad habits of those in power. Rather than a powerful leader, Murphy felt he was more like the classic protagonist from those romantic novels about knights.

Aside from his narcissism and overly flamboyant actions, this vampire bigwig really had no obvious flaws.

At least, that’s how Murphy saw it.

So he couldn’t help but ask:

“Are all the characters in the Blood Pact Knights like you? Although I’m only a fledgling vampire who has been practicing for a little over a year, I’ve also heard of the knights’ great reputation. No offense, but after Tris initially embraced me, I even thought of leaving the Blood Vultures to seek you out and join you.”

“Hahaha, every vampire with a bit of idealism and unwilling to fall into depravity thinks that way. However, the vast majority of them can’t even pass the first round of trials for new recruits in the knights.”

Palanno laughed heartily and said, “I’m an anomaly, Murphy. Don’t use me as the standard to imagine the whole picture of the Blood Pact Knights. After all, I was an anomaly even when I was human.”

At this point, Palanno shrugged and asked, “Do you know about the ruling family of the former Isa Kingdom, one of the predecessors of the Goldflower Kingdom?”

“Yes.”

Murphy nodded and recalled his meager historical knowledge, saying:

“In December 1080, under the command of the current King Louis, the army of the Kingdom of Silan invaded the Misty City with the pretext of avenging their fathers and brothers. For the long years before a despicable assassination led to the destruction of the Isa Kingdom, that island nation had been under the rule of the Essex-Flanders family.

Every King of Greenleaf came from one of these two intermarried families.

The current Queen Elizabeth Marion of the Goldflower Kingdom was the daughter of the last king of the Isa Kingdom before marrying King Louis, and she was also the legitimate heir of the last Essex-Flanders family line.”

“Not bad at history, no wonder you’re Tris’ descendant. Yes, little Elizabeth, I even held her when she was born.”

Lord Palanno drank some wine, and a nostalgic expression appeared on his handsome face.

He held the transparent wine glass in front of him, the amber liquid dotted with the refracted starlight, giving it a taste of history.

He raised the wine glass towards the starry sky and switched to the most orthodox Greenleaf royal accent, saying:

“Little Elizabeth’s father, the last king of the Isa Kingdom, should address me as great-grandfather, while my brother was the third king of the Isa Kingdom. His nickname was the ‘Oak King’, the most devout follower of the Avalon Church, and also the greatest ruler of the Isa Kingdom.

Greenleaf Island was unified under his reign, and the Avalon Church was established as the state religion during his time, which was already three hundred and twenty years ago.

I…I perished in the last war against the northern mountain folk during my brother’s unification of Greenleaf. He prayed to Avalon for my revival, but the deities refused him. So the ‘Oak King’ turned to the dark forces for help instead.

To this day, I do not know what conditions my brother met to move Lord Payne.

The fact is that three years after my death, I was revived and became a member of the Blood Pact Knights. Then, after the demise of the previous ‘Blade of Dignity’, Lady Lily Hugo Bartoli Cappadocia, in the Fourth Black Disaster, I inherited the position of First Lord.

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.”