Chapter 336: The Count's Notes

"'…This is the third year since we settled in this desolate wilderness. The council's repeated attempts to ostracize me have worn my patience to nothing. Even if they begged me to return and take charge now, I wouldn't entertain the thought—to hell with that drunken lord who does nothing but attend banquets! The same goes for those ambitious fools from the Laine family. I can foresee that the Elves' rule over this land will likely come to an end because of them!'"

"Quite farsighted. It seems this fiefdom's history is even more ancient than the Hailan Empire's," Ron said with a shrug. He wasn't surprised.

"Before the Hailan Empire, the Elves did indeed have their glory days," Aive said. "But no one brings it up anymore. Otherwise, you'd inevitably get slapped with a label."

"'Nostalgic for the Hailan Empire? Want to go back to being their slaves?'" Quest chimed in. "In the early days of the City-State Alliance's founding, many Lords—mainly Elf Lords—were overthrown because of that very trap."

"'Although there is almost nothing here, I am not destitute. I still have my family that I love and who loves me, and my subjects who support me. I believe everything here will get better, and Mary will grow up in an environment no worse than our homeland. I have plenty of time to change everything here, and I will succeed. I swear on my family's honor.'"

"Family honor…" Yelena scoffed. This Shadow Spirit still followed her family's traditions, but she now looked down on her kin who were still grubbing in the dirt. 'Serving a Duke of Hell—an opportunity like that isn't for just anyone.'

"'Especially after my wife, Hecate, made a discovery on this land, I am more convinced than ever that our future is bright—Delusional Land. A vast empire once rose from this very place. If we can find their legacy, everything will change! I must support her research with everything I have!'"

"The entries here go up to the ninth year," Ron said, flipping through the following pages with a soft sigh. "This is where a reasonably sane Count met his end. Almost everything that follows is about his and Hecate's discoveries. His witch wife really did find some clues and warned him, but the paranoid fellow completely ignored her."

"So they had a falling out. He even thought Hecate was plotting to murder him and take everything for herself, so he decided to strike first... In the years that followed, the entries become exceptionally messy. It doesn't look like they were written with ink, but more like…"

"Blood," Delaford said, leaning in. He stood on his tiptoes to get a better look, then stated with certainty, "These are old bloodstains. The handwriting isn't even as good as mine."

"Of course the writing isn't as good as your drawing," Aive retorted, pursing her lips. "I've never seen anyone 'write' a whole house before!"

"So, is it as good-looking as my writing or not! You're just jealous of my talent!"

"For the next several years, he lived in endless regret—not just because he had accidentally killed his own daughter, but also because of the Magic Sword found in the ruins and the ritual to obtain its power. The Magic Sword devoured Mary's soul and Hecate's body, causing the ritual he had meticulously prepared to fail. Uncontrolled power raged within his body, and his life was put on a countdown, right up until that mysterious entity reappeared."

"The fellow from the black mist?"

Ron nodded. "It first met the Count and his wife in the ruins they were excavating. In its self-introduction to the Count, it claimed to be the soul of a generous ancient Mage who had once aided that ancient empire and was willing to offer the same help to the couple. This ultimately destroyed their family."

"During their second meeting, it gave the Count two choices: either he could meet his death then and there, and his subjects would continue to live and prosper in peace; or he could transform his very being to save himself, which would in turn transform all the inhabitants of his fiefdom into Undead Creatures."

"The Count, of course, chose the second option. He offered all living things in his fiefdom to the entity. In return, it offered the Count a deal—a ritual that would allow him to gain power as planned, even after becoming a Vampire. When the ritual succeeded, the entity would come to collect the other half of its payment."

"And I was the key to that ritual," Silvia sighed, holding up her hands. "I'll never again fall for one of those 'too good to be true' deals. I promise!"

"Then what about all these coffins in the bedroom?" Quest asked, glancing at the mummified corpses filling the room.

"They were a bonus," Ron said, having found the answer in the Count's journal. "To ensure the plan could be carried out smoothly without interference from outsiders, the entity forged a powerful honor guard of Gargoyles for the Count, using his own Knights and guards. These men were invited to the Count's home for a banquet. During the meal, the Count left under some pretext, and the entity took control of them all, extracted their souls, and wiped their memories, leaving only their boundless loyalty to the Count."

"To die for one's Lord isn't a complete tragedy," Victoria sighed. "It's just a shame they likely never even knew how they died in the end."

"Let's put these men back to rest in their coffins. Silvia, besides his bedroom, are there any other places of interest here?"

"There's the attic," the Vampire Descendant said with a shrug. "But I'm sure you've already been there. Other than that, I'm certain we were given a tour of every room. There's nowhere we missed."

"Are you sure?" Quest scrutinized Silvia with a suspicious gaze.

"Why would I lie to you!" Silvia said in exasperation. "I may have been foolish this time, but think about it, have I ever deceived you before? No matter what, we're on the same side!"

"That's not what I meant," the Spy said, waving his hand. His gaze traveled past Silvia to the wall behind her. "This room… has none of you noticed that something is wrong with it?"

"Lord Ron, what are your thoughts?"

"My thoughts?" Ron was taken aback by the sudden question. He immediately began Casting to check the entire room but found nothing. "Quest, I don't see anything unusual here."

"The Magic Radiance is normal?" Quest asked, twitching his horns. "Then it must be a purely physical mechanism."

"Has no one else noticed? This room seems spacious, but compared to the length of the hallway outside, the dimensions of the castle's outer walls, and the thickness of the stone walls, its interior is smaller than it should be!"

The Tiffling walked behind Silvia, stopping before the wall where the Count's personal coffin rested. He reached out and knocked on it twice. "I'll bet there's a secret room in here!"