"It's like it, very much like it!"
Standing two ters away, Akatean from the Scales Hermitage stared intently at the bristling Wolf Woman.
As he stepped forward, Hilov imdiately shifted into Thorny Dragon form: "Ah Fu!"
The Old Blood Slave, pushing a wheelchair, rushed out quickly and tripped Akatean to the ground with a sweep kick.
From afar, Horn looked at the Old Blood Slave trampling Akatean underfoot, but did not interfere.
Beside him, Madlan, Bachelor Kerben, and René ford a circle, with Zhongsi patrolling on the periphery.
René, opposite him, reported new intelligence from the front lines.
"...During the retreat from Tinker's Crossing, out of Holy Father's rcy, Jeska Battle Commander took many fleeing citizens hidden in the reeds of Xia Lvcheng..."
"...Among these citizens, soone nad Giovanni, once a butcher in Xia Lvcheng, provided us this information..."
Horn stroked his bare chin: "What do you think this ans? All Red Knights are Blood Slaves like Ah Fu?"
"I don't think so." René had clearly researched this, "The creation of Blood Slaves harms vampires, only human elites are elevated to Blood Slaves.
We broadly call Royal Court humans Blood Slaves, but not everyone can truly beco a Blood Slave.
Such a number of Blood Slaves would drain several Vampire Dukes dry.
Besides, most Blood Slaves possess intelligence, but these Red Knights are, simply put, as dumb as pigs."
At this mont, Hilov wheeled over: "I dissected one in the afternoon, it's alive but the spine seems to be processed with blood magic.
Moreover, the blood magic advisor from Black Snake Bay told it's marked by not only blood magic but also alchemy."
Part of the spine processed with blood magic and alchemy? Horn's expression grew grave.
"What do you an?"
"I an, they seem very much like living zombies."
Unexpected, oh unexpected—King Jiji, with those thick eyebrows, has betrayed the Saint Master?
"The Royal Court is involved?" René's face turned stern instantly.
On the other side, Madlan was visibly pleased; at least four or five issues of "The Truth Newspaper" wouldn't lack topics now.
Bachelor Kerben scratched his head: "When did the Blood and Flesh Royal Court get this technology? If they had it, why wasn't it used on the Kush River Great Plains?"
"Well..." a hoarse voice called, and everyone turned, seeing Akatean stopped by Zhongsi.
"Let him co over, but don't get close." Horn gestured to Zhongsi to let him pass.
"You've t Hilov." Horn faced Akatean, as the Wolf Woman drifted to Horn's back, clasping his thigh.
"t her, satisfied my heart."
"Don't say it so disgustingly... Did you gain anything?" Horn didn't wish to discuss this before the Wolf Woman, but thought she had to gradually accept it.
Akatean scratched his head, dandruff fell like snowflakes: "She should be Serafe's foster daughter, but for so reason, she's so much like Serafe."
"How like?" René took out a notebook and quill.
"Hard to say, her face has no resemblance to Serafe's, yet being watched by her feels like being watched by Serafe..."
"Alright, stop that topic. You ca, seems you wanted to say sothing?" Feeling the tightening grip of the Wolf Woman on his leg, Horn quickly halted the conversation.
Akatean nodded: "Lady Hilov could give a bit of blood..."
"Enough, throw him out, no one is allowed within fifty ters of the chanical Palace without permission..."
"Wait, wait, I have intelligence on Xia Lvcheng's fever..." As four Zhongsi restrained his arms, Akatean shouted.
The Wolf Woman peeked out, pulling Horn's clothes: "Wait."
She looked at Akatean: "Why do you want my blood?"
"Research, I suspect you are… cough, cough, doing research related to witches..." Seeing Horn's fierce gaze, Akatean swallowed the latter half of his words, "I can accept supervision."
Hilov nodded toward Horn.
"Alright, you can have it, what intelligence do you have?"
"The Xia Lvcheng fever virus wasn't just designed recently." Akatean obsequiously pulled a moldy scroll of parchnt from his bosom.
Horn pinched it between two fingers and handed it to the grim-looking Boned beside him.
"Your Eminence, simply put, the original na of the Xia Lvcheng fever epidemic is the Living Dead Potion, created by the Royal Court." Akatean didn't mind, pulling a shiny apple from his dirty coat and taking a bite.
"Why did the Blood and Flesh Royal Court create this epidemic? Just to cause destruction?" Bachelor Kerben imdiately asked.
"After the Blood Race Holy Grail was smashed by Miseria, vampires have always faced the problem of progeny inheritance, diminishing power.
aning that high-ranking vampires can only produce lower-ranking vampires, unable to produce vampires of equal rank.
You know, the power of vampires is capped at birth.
The Living Dead epidemic was an attempt to purify the Blood and Flesh Royal Court postnatally, turning ordinary Blood Slaves into vampires, low-ranking vampires into high-ranking vampires."
The smashing of the Blood Race Holy Grail by Miseria is recorded in "The Gospel".
After settling the El people, Miseria returned to the Western Continent, slaughtered back to the then vampire court, and shattered the Holy Grail that nurtured high-ranking vampire offspring.
The narrative from the Scales Hermitage states Miseria subdued thirteen Blood Race Angel Envoys with bare fists, but carelessly allowed Lilith to escape as a bat.
In impotent rage, she then smashed the Blood Race's Holy Grail, leading to a shortage of high-ranking vampires with no new ones to replace them.
According to Horn's historiography and multilateral historical verification, he speculated:
During the Hundred Years' War, it wasn't the Empire defeating the Royal Court, but both the Royal Court and Empire failing.
The Empire couldn't withstand the economic and old societal structure, while the Royal Court, besides financial collapse, had many Vampire Dukes killed.
The Empire's Great Knights increased, Vampire Dukes decreased.
Ultimately, the Royal Court, being more frail, opted for negotiation.
Else, this wouldn't explain why, post-victory, the Empire didn't receive any reparations and fell into a chaotic civil war period.
"Your Eminence, look." Horn was still pondering when Boned quietly pointed to a segnt on the parchnt.
Returning from thoughts to reality, Horn curiously leaned over, seeing boldly written:
"...The specific thod of consumption is as follows: low-ranking vampires first consu the Living Dead poison, fast for three days before consuming the heart blood of a high-ranking vampire..."
First consu the Living Dead poison, then consu the heart blood of a high-ranking vampire...
Hiss, why does this process sound so familiar?
Horn glanced at the Wolf Woman, her eyes surprisingly contained suspicion and amazent, tail tucked beneath her body.
Seeing everyone deep in thought, Madlan couldn't resist asking: "Does this thing work?"
"Of course not, if it worked, wouldn't the Blood and Flesh Royal Court have used it long ago?" Akatean burped as he explained, "This Living Dead epidemic cost so much money, and ended up useless.
At the ti, the Blood Race Ancestors were infuriated, exiled the proposers, later even altered records as if nothing happened.
More poisons were later circulated among the public, becoming epidemics; it's rare in the Royal Court."
"How do you know this?" Horn's low voice ca.
Looking up at Horn's shining eyes, Akatean shivered: "Serafe attempted to improve it but failed."
"Then how did it appear here?" Madlan exclaid as soon as he spoke, "This, this is evidence of Ginijis colluding with the Blood and Flesh Royal Court."
"There's another possibility." Akatean shook his head and looked at Hilov.
Seemingly realizing sothing, the Wolf Woman's ears perked up high, her body involuntarily leaning forward.
"Perhaps, your mother is still alive, maybe she's currently within the Leia Army." In Akatean's eyes burned a fervor, "Other than her, no one possesses such advanced blood magic and alchemy to create works like the Red Knights!"
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