Knights and Magic Wand
Chapter 764: 358: Bones and Blood

Chapter 764: Chapter 358: Bones and Blood

“Lord Eriv.” Looking at the much younger familiar face, Leon slightly breathed a sigh of relief.

Whether it was Balfe or Count Eriv, although both had been turned into vampire undead, they at least seemed to maintain the sanity they had in life.

This result was far better than their souls being imprisoned in the hands of some high-level undead.

“Could you turn off the Guardian Spirit Holy Lamp in your hands first?” Eriv raised his hand with a smile and said, “When I was alive, I quite enjoyed the warmth from that magic lamp, but now for us, getting close to it feels like being near a flame.”

Kovis cautiously looked towards his lord.

Leon nodded and tapped the tail blade of Garner with his right hand.

Sparks of hot elements flew out from the magic rune unfolding at the wand’s tip, with a bang, landing in the hall’s braziers and chandeliers.

Once the firelight illuminated the surroundings, he and Acro successively extinguished the lanterns.

Count Eriv nodded, propping himself up with his scepter, and looked at the trembling city residents in the hall: “You may leave. Tonight’s blood tax is postponed; come back when it’s your turn next month.”

With the vampire count’s permission, the crowd showered thanks, panicked, and hurriedly turned around to flee the hall, quickly escaping this place of trouble.

“Father!” As the Kantadar residents in the city left completely, David finally couldn’t hold back and walked forward with excitement.

Eriv’s blood-red gaze showed a flash of warm gratification as he looked at his son.

“How is your mother and eldest brother?”

“They are well, father. It’s such a relief that you’re okay. Let’s go back. We even came to find you and Lord Balfe!” David beamed with joy, the accumulated frustration of vain searching for more than a year finally swept away.

Count Eriv helplessly raised his eyebrows.

“Foolish child, look at us, not quite human or ghost, do we look like we’re okay? Besides, if we could return, there would be no need for you to come from afar to find us. I can neither depart now nor leave.”

David was stunned, greatly puzzled: “Why?”

He recalled the previous scene and couldn’t help spreading his arms in excitement, “Do you need blood for sustenance? But seeing your actions here, it seems you don’t have to harm people’s lives. Fresh blood for the family isn’t difficult to acquire; with enough money, plenty willing subjects can be found to provide you with blood!”

Eriv watched his anxious son, his handsome pale face broke into a smile, raising his hand to pat David’s arm calming him down.

Seeing the surrounding vampires drop their threatening stance, Leon, acknowledging Eriv’s genuine condition rather than a pretense, lowered his weapon and approached the Count with Olivia.

“Count, since your minds are undisturbed, why do you remain in this land of the undead? Are you under threat from more powerful undead?”

Eriv turned his head to look at his once most powerful vassal.

He helplessly waved at the surrounding vampire kin.

“Everyone except Balfe, retreat.”

The vampires flitting in the shadows of the hall bowed and vanished instantly as the eerie wind howled.

“…You’re right, Leon.”

Addressing their doubts, Eriv turned and walked up the steps, sitting on the throne as he began narrating the situation in which he and the few vassals, currently in an undead state, were subjected:

“As ‘kin’ personally created by Charlemagne, we are crucial tools and weapons in his hands. He won’t let us leave, at least not before succeeding in his revenge. Charlemagne will not grant us freedom.”

“Charlemagne? The vampire undead leader who attacked Kilmerton Fortress back then?”

Upon hearing Azeryan’s father’s name, Leon’s expression grew solemn.

He hadn’t seen the “Blood Baron” himself, but had heard much of his overwhelming terror and power from Lady Agatha and Mage Harvey.

Eriv nodded, his long fingers extending into sharp claws as he stroked the armrest, speaking in a low voice: “Exactly him. In that battle, Charlemagne killed us and transformed us into these ghostly beings.”

He furrowed his brows, recalling the bloody memories he’d rather forget, slowly saying, “The feeling of death was like being submerged in an ice cellar. Upon awakening in this undead form, I was far from possessing the ability to conversate as rationally with you like a normal living being now.”

Back then, I was gripped by endless thirst and an insurmountable hatred. We hunted down any living beings we could find, drank their blood, devoured their flesh… Even from a war standpoint, we accrued too much sin; it was pure slaughter.”

Eriv lifted his scarlet gaze, looking toward David: “Just like those vampire monsters we saw during the Kilmerton battle.”

Standing by the throne’s steps, Balfe listened to his lord’s description, closed his eyes solemnly, and his face twitched slightly.

“Under Charlemagne’s leadership, we destroyed one village and town after another, slaughtering our way from the Southern Mountain Territory into Roslava Territory until just over a year ago. Only when the sunlight dispelled the eternal night’s clouds did a semblance of consciousness return to us.” Eriv unconsciously clenched his fingers, the long tips digging into his flesh, but seemed not to feel pain, the blood seeping from his hand wound slowly flowing onto the carved stone of the armrest.

“But what returned was only some consciousness; freedom remains absent from us. Charlemagne, in life, was a Seryan noble killed in Rolannar City. I don’t know what made him so wrathful. Even with sunlight returning to the land now, his hatred remains unquenched; he commands us to continue killing, until the day all Kantadar people, Urians, and Athiasians are annihilated, regardless of age or gender….”

Eriv paused his words, once more looking at Leon.

Though the younger vassal Leon had been bestowed by Selva was not here, Eriv still remembered Azeryan’s father, also known as the Baron of the Council in Holy Land City, shared the same name.

He didn’t see it as mere coincidence, but nor was he quick to verify or blame.

“Charlemagne aimed to lead the undead army north and westward, to exterminate all Kantadar people and utterly destroy this kingdom. I expended great effort to persuade him to temporarily direct his forces towards ‘Aviout’ and ‘Kazak,’ as they were the primary culprits inciting the eastward invasion of his homeland.”

“Aviout… the former King of Kantadar? And who is Kazak?” Leon couldn’t help but ask.

Leaning back on the chair, Eriv said, “Aviout is indeed the former ruler of Kantadar, though now he has become an exceedingly powerful monster, leading an undead army far surpassing Charlemagne’s army in size.

As for Kazak, I know little, only that Charlemagne mentioned him as one of the Athiasians inciting the Kantadar eastward invasion.”

Kovis’s eyes sparkled, immediately leaning over to Leon’s side.

“My lord, I have seen Kazak, he was among those who came to the Western Continent along with Salodia, Lavina, and Pilireno, as one of the few Empire Official Positions. But Kazak is much stronger than other Official Position Mages, he nearly became the seventh Magic Governor of Athiasians.”