Chapter 23: Duke

Chapter 23: Duke

Backlund, West Borough, inside the Odra family’s villa.

Summoned there, Emlyn White removed his hat, took off his coat, and entered the sitting room to wait.

Inside the room, besides him, were several other Sanguine whom the great figure had named and asked to meet. Emlyn swept his gaze around, then chose a seat beside a man whose nose bridge was so high that it appeared somewhat deformed.

This man had brown hair and red eyes. His facial lines were deeply carved, and he held a picture album in his hands, flipping through it aimlessly.

He was none other than the Sanguine who had previously provided Emlyn with information regarding the abandoned castle at the center of Delaire Forest. His name was Ernest Boyar, and he was a viscount.

Emlyn had already planned to visit this viscount sometime in the next few days. He had not expected to run into him here. After thinking carefully for a while, he weighed his words and said,

“Your Excellency Viscount, I would very much like to know where you obtained the information about the abandoned castle in Delaire Forest.”

“What? Did your customer tell you there were no ancient wraiths there?” Ernest Boyar moved his gaze away from the picture album and glanced at Emlyn.

“No, that’s not it.” Emlyn offered no explanation and very persistently emphasized his earlier question. “I am merely curious about the source of that information. It does not sound so simple.”

Ernest Boyar closed the album and nodded slightly.

“This is not some secret. I learned of it from Lord Nibais. To be frank, I had never heard of anything in that regard before. It was difficult for me to imagine that such a castle existed in Delaire Forest.”

Lord Nibais… Emlyn instinctively formed a thought in his heart:

Another test…

But this test is far too dangerous, isn’t it? It even required troubling Mr. Fool to resolve… Emlyn frowned slightly. Recalling certain details he had previously considered, he probed,

“Your Excellency Viscount, then why did you not explore that castle yourself? I remember that you are an archaeologist, and you could have obtained Beyonder materials corresponding to ancient wraiths in the process.”

Ernest looked at Emlyn strangely.

“Lord Nibais told me that place is very dangerous. Unless one has reached the rank of count, it is best not to approach.”

“…” Emlyn’s mouth half opened, and his expression actually became somewhat blank.

Immediately after, he suppressed his anger, lowered his voice, and said,

“Why did you not remind me of that before?”

Ernest laughed.

“Isn’t that obvious?

“For Beyonder creatures whose precise location and circumstances are in the hands of us Sanguine, how could they still exist without some special reason?”

Seeing Emlyn appear somewhat dazed, he added,

“Normal intelligence should be like this: ancient wraiths might exist somewhere in Delaire Forest; someone once encountered them but was unable to find the root of their emergence.

“That would mean finding those ancient wraiths was a very difficult and troublesome matter, and that the time cost would most likely exceed their value. Only then would they have survived until now.

“I thought you would easily notice the problem with that intelligence, and that your customer would as well. If they chose to take action, they surely had the corresponding confidence.”

In the first instant, Emlyn felt that Viscount Ernest made a great deal of sense, to the point that there was no way to refute him. He believed that it was he and Miss Magician who had been too foolish and had stubbornly collided with danger, and that it had nothing to do with the other party.

In the second instant, Emlyn felt both ashamed and annoyed, filled with resentment toward himself.

In the third instant, Emlyn tasted another problem in the matter:

“Regardless of whether the intelligence itself revealed signs of danger, Ernest Boyar should have clearly told me about that point. Clarifying the degree, source, and manifestation of the danger is tremendously meaningful for any subsequent exploration. It cannot be omitted!”

He did it on purpose! Emlyn made the final judgment inwardly. His scarlet eyes narrowed slightly, and his chin rose a little.

“Indeed, that was easy to see. But I would still like to know exactly what danger is hidden inside that abandoned castle.”

Ernest picked up the blood-colored black tea beside him and took a sip.

“I’m not clear on that either. Lord Nibais did not say.”

Emlyn’s expression darkened, and he was just about to throw out a sarcastic remark when he suddenly saw Kasimi Odra enter the sitting room and look toward him.

“Emlyn, that great figure asks to see you.”

“All right.” Emlyn restrained his emotions, pressed one hand to the lower part of his waistcoat, and stood unhurriedly.

After following the stairs down into the underground area, he finally could not hold back and asked in a low voice,

“Baron Kasimi, which great figure is it? How should I address Him?”

Looking like a middle-aged gentleman, Kasimi no longer hid the answer. His tone was filled with reverence as he said,

“His Grace, Duke Olmer.”

Duke Olmer… Emlyn unconsciously straightened his back and cast his gaze toward the wall-mounted lampstand beside him, as if wanting to use the reflection on its metal surface to confirm his own appearance.

This was one of the three dukes currently presiding over the Sanguine. He was an ancient powerhouse who had existed before the Cataclysm. His title was Full Moon, his age exceeded three thousand years, and he had once followed the Ancestor, Lilith!

Without a doubt, this was a name synonymous with the history and glory of the Sanguine!

Passing through one hidden door after another, Emlyn and Kasimi arrived inside an iron-gray hall.

The ground and walls here were covered with green grass, fresh flowers, and grain. Countless insects crawled among the densely packed plants, making Emlyn feel as though he had left the city and arrived in the suburbs, sensing the flourishing vitality of life.

At first glance, there seemed to be nothing too extraordinary about this scene. Yet upon closer inspection, many places were extremely strange.

On the grass were mouth-like splits, from which thread after thread flew out to catch insects. The flowers used branches and leaves as hands, harvesting nectar on their own. The grains of wheat and other crops were heavy, and from time to time, wailing cries came from within them. The insects were divided into many categories, none of them normal: some had the heads of snakes, while others bore the faces of birds.

The closer these things were to the center of the hall, the more flourishing they became. There, they entwined into a vibrant, life-filled grave.

Facing that grave, Kasimi bowed with utmost respect.

“Your Grace, Emlyn White has arrived.”

“Good afternoon, Your Grace,” Emlyn said. He was nothing like his usual proud self, and even seemed somewhat at a loss.

From within the grave, a rich voice whose age was impossible to determine chuckled.

“A very outstanding young Sanguine.

“Kasimi, leave us.”

“Yes, Your Grace.” Kasimi bowed and left this iron-gray yet fresh and verdant hall.

Emlyn stood there and heard the mellow voice within the grave ask,

“This morning, Nibais said you obtained an artificial vampire Beyonder characteristic corresponding to the rank of viscount?”

“Yes, but it has suffered contamination and must first be purified.” Emlyn had previously not mentioned removing the mental corruption within the Beyonder characteristic because he believed this was an easy matter for the Sanguine. At least, Baron Kasimi had confirmed it could be done.

Duke Olmer of the Sanguine gave a soft “mm.”

“Very good. I will personally purify that characteristic.”

He paused, then added,

“Although the Sanguine are a race with long lifespans, there is still growth and aging, birth and death. No matter what, for a race, nurturing young members is something that must be done. Recently, you have displayed excellent talent and outstanding ability, becoming one of the targets we value most. That is why I came to meet you personally, to give you certain tests and allow you to grow as quickly as possible.”

Excellent talent and outstanding ability… Emlyn’s chin quietly lifted a little again.

Then he sighed inwardly:

As expected, just as Mr. Hanged Man judged, there will be tests, missions, and direct observation…

Amid his surging emotions, Emlyn respectfully answered,

“I am prepared at all times.”

“Not bad,” Olmer’s mellow voice sounded from within the grave. “Your next mission is to find the important members of the Rose School of Thought hidden in Backlund. In this regard, there are very few clues. Many situations will require your own investigation.”

“The Rose School of Thought? Do they have enmity with us Sanguine? They seem to have accepted some believers of the Primordial Moon?” Emlyn had in fact already learned quite a bit about matters connected to the Rose School of Thought at the Tarot Gathering, but he deliberately concealed that and did not reveal too much.

“Besides accepting believers of the Primordial Moon, they also occupy a sacred object of us Sanguine. It is something left behind by the Ancestor. We must retrieve it.” Olmer’s tone turned somewhat solemn.

Something left by the Ancestor… A sacred object of the Sanguine… Emlyn immediately said without hesitation,

“Your Grace, I will work hard to find the important members of the Rose School of Thought in Backlund.”

Olmer’s voice softened.

“Very good. Go to Kasimi afterward and collect some intelligence. Find an entry point.”

Emlyn already felt somewhat impatient, but he still restrained himself and, after choosing his words, asked,

“Your Grace, do you know about the abandoned castle at the center of Delaire Forest?”

“You want to go there? It is very dangerous.” Duke Olmer answered from within the grave.

Emlyn did not explain, directly asking for guidance instead.

“What sort of danger is it?”

Olmer chuckled.

“That castle may be older than I am, older even than Delaire Forest.

“I do not know who built it. I only know that something is sealed underground there, hiding a great secret.

“As long as any living creature approaches that place, it risks being corroded by a fallen power. We once believed it was connected to the Abyss. However, after a devil was thrown into the castle, it was also corroded, changing from cold and cruel to mad and chaotic.”

Then why did You not attempt to open the seal and clarify the situation? Emlyn muttered inwardly but did not say it aloud.

Duke Olmer, whose title was Full Moon, said no more. He ended the topic and had Emlyn leave the hall.

…

At dusk, layers of clouds piled above Backlund, and a fine, drizzling rain began to fall.

Wearing a top hat, Emlyn walked beneath the covered arcade. His scarlet eyes were locked onto Viscount Ernest Boyar, who was browsing antique shops ahead.

He was furious that the other party had deliberately provided incomplete intelligence. After leaving the Odra residence, he had instinctively begun following him.

However, after walking for a while, he gradually became confused, because he had not yet decided how to deal with Ernest, nor how far he should go.