The First Vampire

“Viscount Angler, it has been a while, you look even more impressive than before!”

When Colin saw the once Marquis of the North Territory again, he almost didn’t recognize him.

In less than a year, Charles seemed to have completely changed.

Gone were the days of pride and cunning, the Charles of now resembled a hard-bitten frontline knight.

Cold and serious.

His attitude towards Colin had completely changed.

He no longer deliberately tried to be approachable as before, but instead seemed somewhat distant.

As if he were really just an ordinary knight paying respects to the Lord of Ice Rock City.

But, honestly, it wasn’t all that strange for Charles to have changed.

The dramatic change he had gone through was enough to completely alter a person’s character.

“Sir Charles! I’m so delighted to see you in Ice Rock City!” Colin said, with a smile, extending his hand to shake Charles’.

The other’s hand was somewhat cold.

“Please take a seat.”

“Thank you, Viscount Angler!”

Charles’s overly formal behavior made Colin feel a bit uneasy.

Even though Charles was no longer the Marquis of North Territory, Colin still dared not treat him as an ordinary knight because of his surname.

“It must be tough in the Sky Ice Plain at this time, come, have a drink of strong liquor to warm up,” said Colin, pouring a cup of rum for Charles.

Charles thanked him again, then drank it all at once.

Putting down his wine cup, Charles looked serious, his voice grave, “Viscount Angler, I must confess, I’ve secretly returned to the North Territory in defiance of my father’s orders. I hope this will not cause you too much trouble.”

“Of course not.” Colin said as he waved his hand, laughing, intrigued by what could have led the Duke’s eldest son to sneak back and find him.

If it had been the old Marquis Charles, he might have had a lengthy chat with Colin to rekindle their relationship, before finally revealing his purpose. But this completely changed Charles didn’t beat around the bush with Colin, he simply said:

“I’ve come to Ice Rock City to warn you, the Troll Empire is gearing up to send troops southward! Once they march south again, the few soldiers that the Golden Lion Legion has deployed at the front will not be enough to stop them.”

Colin’s gaze instantly hardened, his expression turned serious.

However, he was not overly surprised.

It would have been odd if the Troll Empire hadn’t made any move with the North Territory on the brink of chaos.

Although last time the main force of the Troll Empire was wiped out by the Dark Cavalry, yet given such an opportunity, the Troll Emperor would surely muster an army even if it means going broke to create chaos in the North Territory.

“Why are you specifically telling me this information? Shouldn’t you be informing your father?” Colin asked, his curiosity piqued.

“An envoy from the Golden Lion Legion will set off for Winterfell City tomorrow to inform my father of this news. However…” A streak of agony flashed across Charles’s eyes, “However, considering the current situation in the North Territory, even if my father learns of this, it would be hard for him to dispatch troops to the Sky Ice Plain.”

Colin silently nodded, agreeing with Charles’s judgment.

The St. Hilde family was currently very weak, whether they could resist the upcoming rebellion from Marquis Dawson and Count Uman was uncertain, let alone suppress the slave revolts caused by the famine. They simply wouldn’t have forces to deal with the impending Trolls.

“Sir Charles, I understand your concerns, but I’m afraid I can’t offer much help ”

“The Dark Cavalry of Uncle Garcia is in your hands, right?”

“Yes. But after the Shadow Gorge battle and the battle in Silver Moon City, the Dark Cavalry is now only a little over 6,000 strong, its peak strength long gone.”

“Enough!” Charles said decisively, his sharp eyes fixed on Colin, he continued, “Don’t you want to hear my suggestions?”

Colin hesitated for a moment, but eventually nodded, “Go ahead.”

Charles leaned forward slightly, an eager look on his face, as he said:

“To gain sufficient benefits from the upcoming civil unrest in North Territory, this time the Troll Emperor has mobilized almost all the remaining viable troops in the empire, probably numbering a hundred thousand.”

“And their first stop when they head south could very well be your Ice Rock City!”

At this, Colin’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

However, he did not refute it.

Because the geographical location of Ice Rock City indeed made it extremely likely to be the first major city in North Territory targeted by the Troll Army.

Upon seeing the change in Colin’s complexion, Charles hurriedly sped up his speech: “Thus, my lord viscount, you may not be able to keep out of this!

My advice to you is, instead of being passive in defense, why not take the initiative to attack!”

Colin raised his eyebrows and finally spoke, “How should we take the initiative?”

“Of course, it would be by using the Dark Cavalry in your hands!” Charles persuasively said, “This time the Troll Empire has deployed almost all its available troops, making the interior of the empire extremely empty!”

So, if you deploy the Dark Cavalry with their superior mobility, they can fully take a sweep at the heart of the Troll Empire before the Troll Army arrives at North Territory!

You could even seize the opportunity to attack the Troll Royal City and take the Troll Emperor’s head!

Then, you can return in triumph to Ice Rock City before the trolls reach the North Territory.

By that time, all you need to do is hang the Troll Emperor’s head on the city wall, and the Troll Army will naturally disperse on its own!”

After hearing Charles’ proposal, Colin fell into a long silence.

A surprise attack behind enemy lines, a daring plan that seems brilliant, but it also carries great risks.

Moreover, Colin realized that the real intention of Charles’ move would be to use the force of the Dark Cavalry to capture Troll Royal City.

By doing so, he would be able to erase his disgrace and return to North Territory with his head held high.

Seeing Colin’s silence, Charles spoke again, his tone returning to its earlier warmth: “Colin, think carefully, how glorious it would be to break through the Troll Royal City! Even Marquis Garcia, leading the Dark Cavalry at its peak, was not able to achieve such a feat!”

Such an opportunity, such a merit, is within your grasp!

Think about it, if you can seize the Troll Royal City, you will become a hero in North Territory, no, even in the entire Glorious Empire!

Being granted a title of count would be more than warranted, and even obtaining the position of a marquis is not impossible.”

Looking at the eager Charles, Colin seemed tempted, but he still said cautiously, “Charles, your plan is of great importance, I still need to think about it properly.”

“Of course. Then I’ll await your good news.” Charles seemed somewhat disappointed, but still forced a smile, “However, I estimate the time for the trolls to march will be within the next one or two months, it would be best for you to make a decision as soon as possible.”

“Okay.”

After seeing Charles off, Colin paced around his room with a serious expression.

Truthfully, he was not particularly keen on Charles’ strategy.

If they succeeded, both would share the glory, but if they failed, Colin would have to swallow the bitter pill alone.

Only a fool would venture such a loss-making deal.

Moreover, Colin had some doubts. He wondered if this scheme was concocted by Duke St. Hilde with the purpose of using Colin to eliminate the threat of the trolls.

If this was the case, then Colin was not willing to be easily made a pawn in someone else’s game.