Knights and Magic Wand
Chapter 765: 358: Bones and Blood

Chapter 765: Chapter 358: Bones and Blood

Leon nodded upon hearing the words, keeping them in mind, and then looked at Count Eriv.

“So, my lord, are you now subjugated to Charlemagne because you fear that breaking free from his control might anger him?”

“It’s not just that. It’s not that I don’t dare betray him, but that I entirely ‘cannot’ betray him because it’s impossible…”

Eriv looked at the healed wound on his palm and let out a helpless, bitter smile.

“According to the spies I’ve sent out, people now call us ‘vampires’? That’s quite an apt term.” He leaned against the throne, casting a glance at everyone.

“Did you see those vampires who obeyed my commands just now? They are all ‘blood kin’ that I created, unable to defy any orders I give, just like I can control their thoughts deep within their minds. Charlemagne’s orders and will are just the same for me, Balfe, Agerion, Krosh, and others at this moment.”

David gritted his teeth, resenting his father’s plight of being enslaved by others: “… If you could be freed from this vampire existence?”

Eriv was somewhat surprised, but he immediately looked at Leon, knowing that only a spellcaster who understood mysterious witchcraft could handle such an issue beyond ordinary understanding.

“Do you have a way?”

Faced with Eriv’s gaze, Leon couldn’t help but feel troubled.

Previously, the worst-case scenario he had imagined was Count Eriv being completely reduced to a frenzied bloodthirsty undead.

If it came to that, attempting to transform him into a spirit of the Netti Card to restore his sanity and exist in the world as a spiritual body was indeed a relatively better choice, and there wasn’t much to hesitate over.

However, the current situation had exceeded Leon’s anticipations. Count Eriv had already regained his sanity; in such a situation, incorporating him into the Netti Card would merely shift the control over his freedom from Charlemagne to his own hands, in a sense.

Frankly speaking, without Charlemagne, Count Eriv could enjoy more freedom existing as a vampire, as he does now.

At least in terms of actions and choices, he would certainly be more at ease than being tied by Leon’s side. After all, his magic power could not maintain the presence of Netti Card Heroic Spirits in the world for an extended period.

“I do have a method to transform undead, but the price for adopting this method in your current state would be tremendously huge… even not worth the cost,” Leon said, contemplating with a slight frown, as it was inconvenient to discuss his secret in front of so many people.

Eriv gazed at Leon’s somewhat troubled expression, gently holding his chin, his eyes reflecting a thoughtful look.

A moment later, the insightful Eriv did not continue to inquire about what the so-called cost was, and instead asked another crucial question: “Is this method you mentioned able to free me and all others transformed into vampire undead from this curse, or can it only restore me alone?”

“Currently, with my abilities, transforming three people, including yourself, is my limit, and there’s still a possibility of failure,” Leon replied truthfully, glancing at Baron Balfe beside him.

Besides this now scarless Scar-faced Baron, according to Eriv, the several Thorny Flower vassals who fell that day, such as Agerion and others, seemed also transformed into vampires by Charlemagne, though they were not present here now.

This means the three empty cards remaining in Leon’s pocket were obviously far from sufficient.

“Then forget it.”

Eriv graciously relaxed his eyebrows, looked at his troubled son, and comforted him with a wave of his hand.

“Alright, David, don’t be so grim. As long as I’m here, I can at least indirectly redirect Charlemagne’s fury southward; otherwise, if that monster ever shifts its focus back northwards, it would unavoidably turn into a catastrophic disaster. Even the hundreds of thousands of Kantadar people that the family has in Glade County would not be spared by Charlemagne.

At present, Aviout’s immense corpse ghost army in the Southern Mountain Territory and on the Urian Prairie is enough to stalemate against Charlemagne’s fury for a very long time until one day the strongest among these creatures determines a victor.

Return now. Compared to worrying about me, there are more important things for you all to do. The crisis of the undead is far from over; there are numerous powerful corpse ghosts that, like me, have more or less regained consciousness. Most of them follow the former King Aviout but are currently suppressed further south by Charlemagne’s vampire army. Be prepared, as sooner or later you might face off against this long struggle’s ultimate victor, whether it’s Charlemagne, Aviout, or Kazak.”

Having finished, the Count stood up, and his gaze upon his son’s blood-red eyes softened: “Tell your mother, once you’re back, not to worry too much about me… You and your brother must take good care of her.”

…

……

Unlike the cautious manner during their infiltration of the Mountain City, everyone left almost swaggeringly, with Balfe accompanying them all the way to the city gate to avoid conflicts with the patrolling vampire clan.

Under the moonlight, Balfe looked at the lord’s young son’s face full of confusion and anxiety, sighed, and explained: “Don’t lose heart, David. Lord Eriv didn’t tell you everything. In truth, staying here is our best choice.”

“What do you mean?” David turned his head in confusion, looking at his former martial arts tutor.

The others walking ahead also paused.

Balfe, as strong as iron, revealed a pained expression and couldn’t help but disclose part of the darker truth.

“We have already stained our hands with too much innocent blood during past madness; even the vilest acts of villainy pale in comparison. The heinous crimes we committed long ago disqualify us from returning to our previous lives… and the sanity we display before you is merely a delicate balance.

I dare not imagine when this balance might snap like a string, as that madness and bloodthirsty desire, the craving for the living’s flesh and souls, continue to linger in our hearts. Only by periodically drinking blood and spreading this power through creating kin have we found ways to currently stave off insanity.

We are among the few amongst Charlemagne’s kin who can still maintain most of our sanity. As for those who, despite possessing intelligence, have completely succumbed to madness, the vampire monsters, you might have already encountered them elsewhere.

So even without Charlemagne, we dare not easily return to our families. After all, who knows when we might plunge back into madness,” Balfe sighed.