Chapter 95: An Uncontrollable, Changing Era (II)

Watching Scott leave and close the door behind him, the old count sighed in relief. He glanced at the bandages on his chest, which were gradually turning red from the dark blood, and could faintly smell a nauseating stench.
“What a disgrace!” Shaking his head slightly, the old count sat down at his desk and carefully reviewed documents, occasionally writing something with a quill pen.
After dinner, he continued to handle affairs when suddenly, there was a knocking at the door.
The old count paused mid-writing and called out firmly, “Enter!”
The door creaked open, and Old Black rushed in, saying, “My lord, Archmage Keynes, along with Father Andrew, one of the twelve cardinal archbishops of the Church, have arrived! They heard about you from Ikabod Weiss, the head of the Magic Association’s branch, and are waiting in the hall. They wish to meet with you…”
“Oh?” The old count was slightly surprised. He stood up and nodded, saying, “Please let them in. As the master, I must not be rude!”
“Yes!”
A few minutes later, the old dean and Father Andrew arrived in this room under Old Black’s guidance.
Touching the brim of his hat, the old dean smiled and said, “It’s an honor to meet you, Lord Galleck, Count O’Gil! I’ve often heard of your fame!”
“You’re too kind,” the old count replied with a smile, performing a noble courtesy. “As one of the two most renowned archmages in the empire, I should be the one feeling honored!” He then glanced at Father Andrew beside the old dean, raised his hand politely, and said, “This must be Archbishop Andrew… Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you!” At the old count’s gesture, the old dean sat down on the sofa in the room. “Well, we heard from Head Ikabod Weiss about the assassination attempt on you, and learned that the arrow contained some unknown deadly poison. So… if you don’t mind, could we take a look?” He pointed at Father Andrew and said earnestly, “The Church’s holy magic has effects in healing that black magic cannot match…”
“I can’t say I’m completely confident, but I can remove ordinary poisons,” Father Andrew replied honestly.
“I see…” The old count pondered for a moment before nodding and saying something puzzling.

“Well then, please forgive my rudeness!” With that, he untied the bandages one by one with Old Black’s help.
“Huh!” The old dean had not understood the old count’s words at first, but upon seeing his wounds, he couldn’t help but gasp. The arrow wound on the old count’s body had already begun to fester—black blood, pale green pus, nearly rotting flesh, along with an unbearable stench. What kind of toxin could cause such severe decay in just two or three days?
“Has the toxin spread?” Father Andrew frowned deeply and stood up to examine the old count’s wounds, but he staggered and fell back onto the sofa.
“Hm?” Noticing Father Andrew’s strange behavior, the old count asked in surprise, “Are you injured?”
“Ah,” Father Andrew shook his head with a wry smile, mocking himself. “An old bone can’t compare to a young person; there’s nothing I can do!” He struggled to stand up and carefully examined the old count’s wounds. After several minutes, he frowned and said, “Indeed, this is a very rare toxin… Well, rather than a toxin, it’s more like a curse—similar to an epidemic, but much worse…”
“Can’t it be eliminated?” the old dean asked with a frown.
“Well… I’ll give it a try!” Father Andrew placed his hand on the old count’s wound. He closed his eyes slightly, and a calm, milky-white energy emanated from his hand.
Unfortunately, even holy light seemed unable to eliminate this toxin. After trying for a few minutes, Father Andrew shook his head apologetically, filled with regret. “As I thought… this isn’t a toxin but an irreversible spell—a spell different from magic…”
“What does that mean?” Old Black asked in surprise.
“It’s like this,” the old dean said, sighing as he looked at the severely festering wound. “As magicians, the magic we wield relies on what we call [magical energy]. This power originated from demons; humans themselves don’t possess it. Some living beings are born with such power, and compared to us human magicians, their power is purer, closer to the primal force. We call it [primordial energy], referring to the fundamental force—demons, elves, and demon gods…” He paused and sighed. “From what I can tell, the one who attacked the count must be one of the ancient demon gods—[the Arrowman of Misfortune—Lerajin]!”

“Ancient demons?” Both the old count and Old Black were shocked by the old dean’s words.
“Yes,” nodded the old dean, frowning. “Perhaps in a time long ago, seventy-two demons with incredible powers emerged in this world. They were sealed away for various reasons. Legends say they were servants of some deity, but the records don’t specify…” As he spoke, the old dean took out an ancient-looking magical text from his belongings, flipped to a certain page, and pointed at the illustration. “…Lerajin’s arrows always hit their target. Once Lerajin sees someone’s face, no matter where they flee, they cannot avoid his deadly arrows… His arrows carry an incurable poison that causes the wounds to fester…”
“Hah!” The old count smiled faintly, rewrapped his bandage, and said with a hint of amusement, “I remember hearing similar rumors. But I’m surprised that you, a respected great mage, would believe such absurd tales…”
“Absurd?” The old dean stared at the old count deeply and said solemnly, “I don’t mean to offend you, but I must say—what seems absurd to you, we have already encountered that demon, on our way here to Alikok!”
“Hm?”
Meanwhile, the children who had finished dinner were chatting in Allen’s resting room. Scott was not among them; he seemed puzzled by something and had gone back to his room early to rest.
Seeing his listless appearance, Lelira’s eyes filled with sympathy. A year ago, during the school anniversary event, the three girls met the Sos brothers, and since then, Lelira had developed a fondness for this serious and polite boy.
As the old count said, Scott was excellent in every aspect—whether as a mage or as a noble. His natural grace and polite demeanor particularly attracted Lelira.
Compared to his two roommates, Scott didn’t possess extraordinary talent or great strength. His strength came from his extensive knowledge and hard work. Of course, his innate memory ability was also noteworthy.
“Sigh!” Lelira sighed softly, worriedly. “I hope nothing happens to the count. Otherwise, Scott…”

“Don’t worry!” Ravia, sitting next to Lelira, gently patted her companion’s hand and reassured her, “Everything will get better!”
“I hope so…” Lelira sighed inwardly.
“But…” Lisa glanced at Ravia, then at Lelira, and muttered, “Is there no problem with Thos? The headmaster said Thos should have arrived in Alikok a long time ago…”
“That guy…” At the mention of that person, anger flashed in Ravia’s eyes as she said coldly, “If he doesn’t want to come back, then never come back! Bastard!”
“Avi,” Lelira said, patting Ravia’s hand in turn to comfort her, “Maybe it’s not as you think. Perhaps Thos and Sister Dia are just trapped somewhere. You know, with such a severe snowstorm, it’s impossible to see even the road. Once the snow stops, they’ll surely return…”
“Hmph! Better if he never comes back!”
Looking at the angry Ravia, Lelira and Lisa exchanged a glance and shook their heads helplessly.
As Lelira said, Thos and Dia were indeed trapped in that small cabin. After all, the snowstorm came so suddenly and violently that they had no choice but to take shelter there for now.
Besides them, there was also a young vampire named Ulric Vlad in the cabin…
Unlike other vampires, this young vampire didn’t show the slightest sign of displeasure when threatened by Thos. Instead, he stood up very cooperatively, ready to leave the cabin, which certainly surprised Thos and Dia…
Seeing the worried expressions on their faces, Dia couldn’t bear to say, “Wait, with such a heavy snowstorm outside, if you go out now—You can stay here, but I hope you…”
Seeming to understand Dia’s concerns, the young man named Ulric shook his head with a bitter smile and said politely, “I’m very grateful for your kindness, but staying here would cause you unnecessary trouble…” He glanced at Thos, making his intentions clear.
“Thos…” Dia looked at Thos with a questioning gaze and whispered, “He doesn’t seem malicious…”
Indeed, not only Dia but even Thos could tell that this young vampire named Ulric was special. He seemed to have no intention of harming anyone. Even after being burned by the holy light on Thos’s hand earlier, he didn’t show the slightest fierce look. He seemed to be a very gentle person… well, a very gentle vampire.

Staring deeply at Ulrich, Thors scratched his head and threatened in a lazy tone, “I hope nothing unfriendly happens, otherwise…”
“Of course!” Ulrich smiled slightly and said respectfully, “I’m very grateful for your kindness. As soon as the snow stops, I’ll leave immediately and definitely won’t cause you any trouble. Believe me…” He glanced at Dia and added earnestly, “Of course, please don’t be afraid, kind lady. I won’t hurt you. On the contrary, I often struggle with being a vampire myself…”
“Huh?” Dia looked puzzled.
Sitting back by the campfire, Ulrich glanced at Thors and Dia and said with a wry smile, “Believe me, no one is proud of being a vampire, at least not except for me—I used to be an ordinary person just like you all…”
“Speaking of which…” Dia stared at Ulrich in surprise and asked, “Pardon my boldness, but is your surname Vlad?”
Shaking his head with a wry smile, Ulrich said with deep self-mockery, “Even children know my father’s infamous name? Yes, my surname is Vlad…”
“Father?” Dia looked at Ulrich in shock and said incredulously, “Are you the son of Count Vlad from history?”
“Hm?” Ulrich raised his head in surprise and said, “Yes, I’m my father’s youngest son. Is there something wrong with that? History?”
“Of course,” Dia couldn’t help but find it incredible. Suppressing her shock, she covered her mouth and said, “We have indeed heard of Count Vlad, but only in historical records—several hundred years ago at least…”
“Several hundred years?” Ulrich was stunned. He glanced at Thors, then at Dia, and said in astonishment, “Are you saying it’s already several hundred years later? Not 172 years?”
“It’s 404 now,” Thors said calmly after glancing at Ulrich. “The new calendar!”
“So, in other words,” Dia rushed to finish Thors’ sentence, “at least about six hundred years…”
“Six hundred years…” Ulrich sighed deeply and said wryly, “So I’ve been asleep for so long…” He glanced at Thors and sighed, “I was wondering about what just happened. It turns out it’s no longer our era…”
Watching Ulrich sigh repeatedly, Dia said carefully, “If you don’t mind, could you satisfy our curiosity? Over these hundreds of years, what have you been doing…”

“Ah,” seemingly noticing Dia’s confusion, Ulrich explained in a low voice, “I’m not exactly sure about the details. All I know is that when I opened my eyes, the castle where I lived had been destroyed. The cold weather in Vordrob forced me to find a place to stay temporarily. You know, cold is just as deadly to vampires as fire…”
“Vampires can also freeze to death…?” Dia murmured to herself, then seemed to remember something and apologized, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
“Please don’t worry, kind lady,” Ulrich said with a smile, shaking his head nonchalantly. “Believe me, I’m troubled by this identity too…”
“Huh? Didn’t you become a vampire voluntarily? Were you not tempted by demons?”
“Demons? What are those?” Ulrich smiled faintly and shook his head. “It wasn’t any demons. It was my father who ordered those alchemists to turn me into a vampire…” He glanced at Dia’s astonished expression and added with a wry smile, “I was born with a disease that supposedly wouldn’t allow me to live past twenty-eight. So… it could be considered semi-voluntary. After all, life is precious—especially for me. Because of that disease, I could only stay in the castle for long periods. Being a bard was far beyond my reach…”
“A bard?”
“Oh, my apologies. I haven’t mentioned it yet. My ambition is to become a bard, to travel around the world and leave my mark in every corner… Hehe, it’s ridiculous, right? I’ve always wanted to see the world, but…”
“Giggle, a bard…” Dia couldn’t help but smile, and her wariness toward this young vampire also diminished.
To be honest, this guy looked like an extremely ordinary noble youth, one with a very gentle personality. Glancing at Ulrich, Thos frowned and asked, “Without the power of demons, how did you become a vampire?”
“I’m not sure about that either,” Ulrich said, unfazed by being called a vampire, shaking his head as he recalled, “I only remember that my father had been secretly researching vampires…”
“Vampires existed hundreds of years ago?” Dia exclaimed in surprise.

“Yes,” Ulric nodded, recalling, “It was someone who gained power from demons. I heard he killed quite a few people; he was a crazy guy who bit many innocent soldiers, turning them into despised werewolves…”
“Wait,” Sos interrupted, frowning. “Are you sure you mean a vampire?”
Ulric smiled slightly and said politely, “Please don’t rush. Let me finish… You’re right. At first, my father wanted to study that werewolf, because their vitality was extremely strong. But somehow, a year later, the blood drawn from that werewolf lost its ability to turn people into werewolves and instead became that even more evil vampire. Before that, vampires were just an ancient legend even to us. But after that, vampires appeared in large numbers. For research, those alchemists turned many people into vampires until they were sure they had mastered the technique…”
“Studying vampires?” Dia glanced at Sos inadvertently, thinking to herself that the vampires she encountered in the castle must be the ones he was talking about…
Staring deeply at Ulric, Sos said in a low voice, “The werewolf you mentioned… is he named Jean Connel?”
“Hmm… I think so. Have you heard of that crazy guy?”
Glancing at Ulric with exasperation, Sos stirred the logs in the fire and said gravely, “What about your father? That legendary tyrannical Count Vlad…”
Seemingly sensing Sos’s thoughts, Ulric shook his head sadly and said, “Unfortunately, I haven’t found my father’s wooden coffin…”
“A wooden coffin?” Dia asked in surprise.
“Yes,” Ulric nodded, lowering his head slightly in embarrassment and saying self-mockingly, “When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying in a wooden coffin. I only remember that a few alchemists brought me to a room at that time. My father was there too, and he told me about vampires… After inner struggle, I chose to become a vampire representing evil, because I really wanted to leave that castle and see every corner of the world…”
“Oh my god, that’s incredible…” Dia murmured. She was clearly referring to Ulric’s reason for voluntarily becoming a vampire—a desire that seemed simple for ordinary people.

“A foolish choice, isn’t it?” Ulric shook his head with a bitter smile, then said melancholically, “There are things one can’t understand unless they’ve experienced them… My brief life as a human was spent lying in bed, with a view of the garden behind the castle through the window by my bed—that was the world I knew…”
“What unfortunate past,” Dia sighed sympathetically, then seemed to remember something and asked in surprise, “Are you the only one? I mean, the one who woke up from the wooden coffin…”
“No,” Ulric shook his head. “I was the last to wake up. When I opened my eyes, those wooden coffins were all empty…”
“The wooden coffins?”
“Empty?” Dia and Thos couldn’t help but ask.
“Yes,” Ulric shrugged. “There were at least a hundred or two hundred of them…”
Glancing at the flames dancing in the bonfire, Thos said coldly,
“So, at least a hundred or two hundred vampires escaped that abandoned castle ruins and are wandering around here, right?”
“That’s likely…” Ulric nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, in a strange and unknown place, five people dressed in loose black cloaks were sitting around a round table, talking…
“Gentlemen,” one of them said in a low voice beside the round table, holding a letter, “We’ve just received a magical letter from Pur…”
“Oh? What’s that man, Argus, up to now?” Another sneered. “That man is untrustworthy. You should warn that boy, Pur, not to get too close to him!”
“Hehe, Pur is an excellent boy. He knows what to do. He doesn’t need us old folks to say much,” said the man with the aged voice, lifting the letter and smiling. “Argus has successfully caused chaos in the northeast region. After Jacobsenbu and Brownhill, Gallek is inevitably falling into chaos too…”
“Hm? Did Argus even kill that old fellow, Every O’Gill?” The other four were shocked.
“Hm!” The man with the aged voice nodded and said gravely, “Not only that, but Argus also seriously injured Great Kaines…”
“Great Mage Great Kaines?” One of them’s breathing quickened instantly.

“Well, Puhl has no reason to deceive us,” said the owner of the aged voice, glancing at those present. “It’s time, my compatriots. The empire’s two most renowned archmages—one missing, the other severely injured. It’s time for us to leave this dark corner and reclaim everything that belongs to us from the empire and those dark mages! That guy, Argus, has already gotten Prince Gran’s promise. Prince Gran promised that as long as we choose to support him in ascending to the throne, he will give us everything we desire…”
“Is it finally starting…”
“The moment we’ve waited for generations…”
“What’s the first step then?”
Glancing at everyone present, the owner of the aged voice slammed the table and said firmly, “In ten days, Prince Theo will return to Sassen from Fort Lorn. By then, all eyes will be on the Imperial City of Sassen. And what we need to do is take this opportunity to destroy Heliriox! Level Vandor to the ground!”
“Heliriox?”
“Yes! Things are different now from before. Heliriox doesn’t have many outstanding dark mages. By destroying it, we can take control of the Imperial City of Sassen… I heard that Prince Gran has won the trust of the vice president of the Royal Magic Association. Jerry Belford will approve of our actions… Compatriots, the time for revenge has come! The era of dark mages is over. We will return to this world and reclaim everything that belongs to us! So… everyone, let’s vote!”
“I support it!”
“Support!”
“Support!”
“Support!”