CH 123

Eugene took Calburn outside the room and exposed all of his crimes to his companions. However, he didn’t mention that Luke was indeed the hidden son of the previous Count Crawlmarine. After all, he still didn’t know why Lucas was motivated to murder his father, the previous count, and the finale of a show was best remembered when it ended in an ostentatious way.

“Even the word ‘dishonorable’ doesn’t do justice to this bastard.”

“What an insane shithead.”

Everyone was in shock after hearing the truth, but it couldn’t be compared to how Luke was feeling. Luke stared at his half-brother with quivering eyes, then finally pulled out his dagger like lightning.

“I will have your head!” Luke shouted. However, his effort was quickly nullified. There was no way he would succeed in the presence of three incredible knights.

“Hold on, Aide Number Two,” Galfredik said.

“Sir! Please let me go! I must kill that bastard! He’s no better than a dog! I will grind his blood and flesh, sprinkle it on the field, and let the pigs gnaw on his bones!” Luke shouted with bloodshot eyes. He struggled to break his arm free of Galfredik’s hold.

He jerked around and shouted at Calburn, “All the gods and spirits will curse you! Both your children and that bastard’s children! You will be cursed to have your own son stab you!”

Luke wasn’t a wizard. He was simply an aide who dreamt of becoming a knight. However, words containing desperate emotions sometimes exerted even more power than real magic and curses. It was evident from how Calburn’s eyes turned white and tears started to drop from his eyes.

“Heuk! Heuu…”

“You despicable creature! Do not attempt to cover up your evil deeds with those fake tears! Master! Let me kill that filthy creature! Please, let me kill him! Master!” Luke chanted with anger and desperation. His eyes were also filled with tears.

However, Eugene responded in a cold, apathetic voice, “Will it be over if you kill him?”

“What?” Luke was dumbfounded.

“Will you achieve true vengeance with just his death? Will you truly be satisfied with just that?” Eugene asked.

Luke flinched.

Galfredik stepped forward. “Master, do you have some sort of a plan?”

“I do,” Eugene responded in a cold voice before approaching Calburn. Calburn was bawling with a stunned expression.

“Lord Calburn Bosch,” Eugene called out.

“Heheuk! I-I’m sorry! It’s all my fault! I will hand over the land to Luke! So please spare my life…” Calburn wept. It was a pathetic sight to see him begging for his life even after the truth was revealed. Everyone was shaking their heads with contempt. The honor of a knight and the pride of a noble could not be found in him.

“This little demesne? Do you think that’s nearly enough?” Eugene muttered in a cold voice after turning towards Calburn.

“Your dirty life. There’s only one way to save it.”

***

“It’s the count’s procession! All residents of Cralmarine, pay your respects!” A knight carrying the flag of the Crawlmarine shouted, and all the residents in the street hurriedly took off their hats and bowed their heads. Lucas looked down at the people with a satisfied smile.

‘Hoho. This is perfect. Now all I have left is to thrive.’

His secret would be kept forever, and the rare, vampire nobleman would obviously come seeking his help. Moreover, someone who had a deep relationship with the port cities of the Caylor Kingdom and even possessed their own territory would obviously be a high roller.

‘Whoever wants to climb the throne in the future, they will have no choice but to seek Crawlmarine’s approval. Hahahaha!’

Lucas forgot to hide his joy and started chuckling, then quickly managed his expression. He would soon regain the glory of the past as a great count, so he needed to always pay attention to maintain his dignity in the future.

“The count has returned! Lower the drawbridge!”

The drawbridge came down, and Lucas started to cross with a proud expression.

However…

“Hmm?” Lucas frowned. It felt as if something was slightly off. The expressions of the servants who were rushing over were extremely stiff.

“What is it? Did something happen?” Lucas asked.

“Well, it’s…” The servants hesitated.

Lucas started to express his anger. “How dare you…”

However, the butler interrupted him while belatedly running towards him. “My lord! My lord!”

“What’s wrong? What’s going on?” Lucas asked. He wanted to flip out, but Lucas kept his temper in check to maintain his dignity.

“S-sir Jan Eugene is here. He has been waiting for your return, my lord,” the butler explained.

“What?!” Lucas shouted with a shocked expression.

Then, he immediately took on a sympathetic look before continuing. “Oh my…! Was he gravely injured by the lycanthropes of Marine Forest? Is he all right? What about the others that accompanied him? Ah! Don’t tell me that Sir Jan Eugene returned alone…?”

“Well, t-that’s…” the butler hesitated.

Lucas became convinced by the butler’s reaction. “Huh! How come such an unfortunate event happened?! Although Sir Eugene is young and brave, it must have been insufficient to deal with the demons of Marine Forest. Let us go. I will console the knight who fought bravely and honorably. To comfort such a hero is also a responsibility of a lord. For his sake, I will…”

The butler interrupted him, “T-that’s not it, my lord.”

“…What?” Lucas had been slowly walking forward with an expression of deep regret, but then he paused at the butler’s words.

“Sir Eugene killed the monster king of Marine Forest. He had almost annihilated the lycanthropes and the roamers in the forest as well.” The butler explained.

“What did you say?!” Lucas shouted with disbelief.

“A-and…” The butler hesitated before continuing with a flustered expression. “H-he is saying that he brought proof that the late count was actually murdered, instead of dying of natural causes.”

Thump!

It felt as if a huge weight had descended on Lucas’ heart.

He stuttered a response, “W-what do you mean by that? F-father was murdered? Has he gone insane? Father consumed an unpurified mana stone and…”

The butler interjected. “Sir Bosch is here with Sir Eugene. Apparently, he has proof that the late count was murdered.”

“....!”

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Lucas’s chest began to beat hard. He felt as if something sharp was skewering his head through to his spine. The two of them had renewed their oath of secrecy just two days ago, so why was this happening?

No, more importantly, how did the two of them reach the castle before he could?

‘S-something is wrong.’

“My lord? Are you not going to enter?” the butler asked.

“Heuk?!” Lucas jumped up in shock. He had been standing unmoving like a stone statue. His eyes slowly crept toward the castle’s manor house. If he entered through the wide-open door, he would come face-to-face with a high-ranking member of the vampire nobility. They were known to be unrivaled in their craftiness and intelligence. Moreover, the vampire possessed an incredible force capable of eradicating the monsters of Marine Forest despite the countless knights and mercenaries who had already met their ends inside the forest.

Such a figure was waiting for his return alongside Calburn Bosch and talking about his father’s death. It could only mean one thing…

Lucas quickly came to a decision.

“C-come to think of it, I don’t think that we have properly patrolled the village,” Lucas muttered.

“What?” the butler asked.

“Ah! And I was thinking of holding a feast for the villagers in commemoration of eradicating the monsters of Marine Forest. Now! Go to my quarters and bring everything from my safe.” Lucas continued before taking off the key necklace and handing it to the butler. The key was an object that was only given to the master of the Crawlmarine family.

“M-my lord, but…” the butler muttered.

“Quick! Hurry up!” Lucas shouted.

“Ah, yes!” the butler responded before hurriedly taking the key and running into the castle. Lucas looked at the butler’s back with nervous eyes, then turned his head.

“Sirs. I must go and inspect the village, so prepare to depart!” Lucas shouted.

The knights had been about to disarm themselves after dismounting their horses. They became confused at Lucas’s sudden order.

“Let’s hurry! Now, now!” Lucas rushed them.

“Ah, yes, Your Excellency,” The knights answered. Although they could not comprehend Lucas’s thoughts, they obeyed his orders. Lucas had always been a good employer to them. Moreover, there were very few nobles who would call mercenaries like themselves ‘sirs,’ and take care of their housing, food, and horses.

Soon, the butler returned with a few servants carrying a few boxes and bags filled with wealth. Lucas distributed the wealth among his own steed and the knights’ horses before quickly leaving through the gate.

“Why is he acting like that when he has a visitor? That’s discourteous.”

“I wonder…”

The butler and the other servants muttered with confusion as Lucas disappeared into the distance.

“You wonder? What’s there to wonder about? Kieeee. He’s been scared off by Sir Eugene. Just as I always expect, Sir Eugene always has a plan. Kekekekeke!” A spying spirit was sprawled on the castle wall by their side. She buzzed before quickly flying away.

***

”My lord, where are we heading? DIdn’t you say that we were going to inspect the village?” One of the knights asked after bringing his horse closer to Lucas. He had noticed Lucas pushing his horse and heading for the castletown’s gate.

But Lucas acted as if he didn’t hear the knight’s question. He was too busy worrying and thinking.

‘W-what should I do? Where should I go? That’s right! The Riwad barony! Let’s head there. Surely my mother’s family will welcome me.’

Lucas had been adored by his mother’s family since he was young because of his resemblance to her. Considering this, his expression brightened with hope.

If he told them that his castle had been invaded by a devious knight from the continent, they would be happy to help him.

Truth? Such a thing didn’t matter. His greedy uncle would support him wholly as long as he was promised to be given a little bit of territory.

‘It doesn’t matter as long as the truth is revealed in my absence. The whole world knows that vampires are deceitful and crafty. He has simply charmed and possessed the people of the castle. I can fix this after I take over the castle again. The spirits of the lake are protecting me!’

Lucas dreamt of a rosy future. His ability to think rationally had been long compromised by these series of self-justifications. It was pitiful that he himself could no longer recognize his thoughts as being abnormal.

However, Lucas wasn’t solely to blame. He wasn’t thinking irrationally just because he was an idiot. Brantia lagged significantly behind the continent in terms of technology as well as overall education. As such, most nobles were quite ignorant and believed in superstitions.

‘Spirits of the lake! Protect me! Grant me the power to defeat the evil vampire and his minions…’

“Hmm?” Lucas squinted while praying in his heart. He couldn’t see any of the usual guards protecting the castletown’s gate. Instead, there was a knight and a group of about ten men and women standing in line, blocking the gate.

‘Huh?’

Lucas’s eyes filled with shock when he saw the face of the knight. The young, handsome knight was one of the high-ranking vampire's companions. He was the one who was fluent in Brantian.

Neiiiiigh!

The group of horses came to a halt.

“Where are you heading so busily, Your Excellency Crawlmarine?” Lanslo asked.

“Um, well... I-I have some urgent matters to attend to. Anyway, what are you doing here, sir? Sir Eugene is in the castle,” Lucas responded.

“I was waiting for someone,” Lanslo replied.

“Oh, really? Ehem! I’m not sure what’s going on, but I am very busy, so please step aside,” Lucas said.

No matter what anyone said, this was his territory and his village. Therefore, Lucas had no doubt that the knight would obey his words and move out of the way.

“That might be a little difficult. I was actually waiting for you, Your Excellency,” Lanslo said with a gentle smile.

“W-what?” Lucas felt a chilling sensation on his spine. Nevertheless, he attempted to raise his voice with dignity.

“I have nothing to say to you, sir! Get out of my way! How dare you order me around in the land of Crawlmarine? Sir! Which family do you belong to? I must raise this issue with your family!”

Most knights were weak against authority. Even if he was Eugene’s subordinate, he could never disobey Lucas’s words now that Lucas had brought up his family. Or at least, that was what Lucas believed.

“Are you talking about… my family?” Lanslo asked.

“That’s right! From the looks of it, you were born in Brantia. I will definitely bring this matter up with your family in a formal complaint! Sir! Who are you, and which family are you from!?” As the knight’s expression underwent a slight change, Lucas believed that his tactic was working and raised his voice with even more dignity.

“Drak. My name is Lanslo Drak.”

“Hmph! I will immediately head to the Drak family and…” Lucas started to shout, then trailed off. He belatedly realized that he had indirectly spoken about his intentions to run away. Moreover…

“Drak?! Did you say Drak?!”

“I’ve never heard of any other families with that name in Brantia. So, will you go and file a formal complaint with my family?” Lanslo asked.

“...!”

It was only ‘natural’ for Lucas to know about the Drak family. They were one of the most famous families in Brantia. The Drak family continued the blood of the one known as the ‘Knight of the Lake,’ a legendary knight of the Aiden Dynasty, the first family to unify Brantia. The Drak family was a family of elven nobility.