The First Vampire

Chapter 558: 556 Handshake_1
 

“Count Angler, are you really sure?”

The indifferent voice of Duke St. Gregorian came to Colin’s ears, and he immediately felt the oppressive terror surrounding him vanish, finally providing him with a brief moment of respite.

Having calmed the tension within himself, Colin lifted his head, met the gaze of Duke St. Gregorian, and said in a firm tone:

“I’ve made up my mind. I’ll stick with my previous two conditions!”

The face of Duke St. Gregorian darkened immediately.

Just like an overwhelming heavenly might, the tremendous pressure came again, along with the icy voice of Duke St. Gregorian:

“Colin Angler, do you truly believe I would not dare to kill you?”

Veins throbbed on Colin’s forehead as he gritted out, “Duke St. Gregorian, you could certainly kill me, but if you do, don’t think of escaping this castle unscathed.”

Duke St. Gregorian smirked disdainfully, “What, you think those three guards hidden in this room can stop me?”

Seeing that their presence had been detected, Colin had his three Blood Slaves who were hiding in the shadows step forward. Together, they assumed a battle ready stance, encircling Duke St. Gregorian.

Feeling the fluctuation of the three Blood Slaves’ power, Duke St. Gregorian’s expression changed slightly. She scanned the three Blood Slaves encased in armor with a surprised look and asked:

“Since when did the North Territory harbor so many eighth-tier combatants? And you even assigned three to be your personal guards?”

Colin replied with a slight smile, “Now, my lord Duke, can we have a proper discussion?”

Duke St. Gregorian laughed lightly, “Count Angler, do you actually think you can stop me like this? Perhaps you’re underestimating the power of a Holy Knight!”

Just as she finished speaking, Duke St. Gregorian’s pupils constricted, and a platinum halo of Holy Light burst forth from her body. It was as though she had transformed into the sun, radiating light so bright it couldn’t be looked at directly.

Colin shut his eyes immediately, but his vision was still flooded with an overwhelming brightness. It felt as though he was in an endless wilderness, however, the next moment, the whole space seemed to collapse, pressing down on him.

With a furious roar, Colin circulated his blood at an extreme speed, finally breaking free from Duke St. Gregorian’s aura. Then, drawing his sword at his waist, he transformed into a streak of bloody light and lunged at the position where Duke St. Gregorian had been in his memory.

All he could see was white.

Clang!

It felt like his sword had hit a steel wall. The enormous recoil rendered him barely able to hold onto his sword, the taste of blood welled up in his mouth, but he managed to suppress it and swallow it back down.

In the next moment, a more fierce power surged up his sword. Like a relentless tide, it sent Colin flying.

“Count Angler, I didn’t expect you to have become an eighth-tier knight. Such a talent shouldn’t be wasted on meaningless infighting. If you back down now, I can negotiate a favorable condition with the Church for you… Huh? This technique… White Heavenly Steed? You’re a knight of the St. Prowse Family?”

Under the four eighth-tiers surrounding her, Duke St. Gregorian seemed unperturbed and even had the leisure to identify one of the Blood Slaves’ identities.

Colin licked the fresh blood from the corner of his mouth, steadied himself, and didn’t give in to Duke St. Gregorian.

Because he was very clear, this Holy Knight did not want to kill him, and definitely would not dare to kill him.

At this time, the Westland needed the full support of the whole Empire; Duke St. Gregorian had to unite all the forces she could, and naturally, she wouldn’t do anything to completely provoke the North Territory.

Her actions now were simply negotiation tactics, trying to force Colin into submission by demonstrating her martial prowess, all to press him into changing the terms of their agreement.

But Colin wouldn’t easily give in.

Furthermore, he wanted to take this opportunity to test the gap between the power he currently commanded and that of a true Holy Knight.

Ever since Mr. Ji crushed his heart in White Dew City, Colin had been determined to hunt a Holy Knight to absorb their fresh blood for his advancement.

Now that Duke St. Gregorian had come to him, it was a perfect opportunity for him to rehearse in advance.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The fierce collision sound came from the front, which seemed to be the three blood slaves also engaged with Duke St. Gregorian.

The afterwave of the shock made the entire castle shake, and countless spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the ground paved with white glazed rock.

Colin felt the pressure on him suddenly lessen, and it was obvious that Duke St. Gregorian’s attention had shifted elsewhere.

Just as he was about to launch another attack, the white light filling his vision gradually dissipated, allowing him to see clearly in front of him again.

“So it really is you, Anna St. Prowse!”

Colin looked in the direction of the voice and saw Duke St. Gregorian had vacated his former seat, and come to Anna’s side, shattering her helmet with one hand.

“Why would you serve Colin Angler?” Duke St. Gregorian asked doubtfully.

Of course he knew about the dramatic changes that had taken place in the Eastland, so he couldn’t understand how this female knight, who had the best chance of advancing to the Holy Field among the St. Prowse Family, would pledge his loyalty to a man who had just disarranged Eastland and killed her biological father.

Of course, Anna wouldn’t answer Duke St. Gregorian’s question. Instead, she just stared at him, her entire body surging with holy light, straining to break free from Duke St. Gregorian’s control.

Seeing this, Colin, in order to avoid being discovered by Duke St. Gregorian about Anna’s unusual behavior, immediately began to explain:

“Duke, Miss Anna and I have the same ideals, so naturally, she is willing to fight side by side with me!”

“Shared ideals?” Surely enough, Duke St. Gregorian’s attention was drawn by Colin. He turned his head, his beautiful eyes fixated on Colin, awaiting his further explanation.

“Yes.” Colin affirmed with a serious look on his face, then went on to fool, “Miss Anna is extremely disappointed with the decadent and degenerated church, and believes that they have tarnished the glory of the Supreme Lord. Thus, she willingly joins me in the fight for maintaining the glory of our Lord!”

“Even though you just killed her father?” Duke St. Gregorian still didn’t quite believe in Colin’s explanation.

“I met Duke St. Prowse on the front lines of battle, it’s only natural that I did not hold back, and it does not mean that it has provoked any personal grudges.” Colin said with an open and candid look on his face.

Seeing that Duke St. Gregorian was remaining skeptical, Colin had to put on an evasive act and added, “Of course, henceforth, I will double my compensation to Anna, using a lifetime of protection to atone for the damage I’ve caused her…”

Duke St. Gregorian blinked her eyes, appearing to finally understand, and a cunning smile surfaced at the corners of her mouth.

Although these explanations were somewhat far-fetched, in practice, Anna’s desperate defense of Colin was clearly not staged.

Besides the shared ideology and the secret romance, Duke St. Gregorian could find no other explanation.

The doubt gradually faded from Duke St. Gregorian’s face, replaced by another much more complex expression.

The terrifying pressure in the room slowly disappeared, and Duke St. Gregorian’s murderous intent also began to recede.

She just stared blankly at Anna St. Prowse, as though deep in thought.

Now it was Colin’s turn to be confused. After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke tentatively:

“Duke, are you ready to have a serious discussion now?”

Unexpectedly, Duke St. Gregorian nodded and said,

“Alright.”