The First Vampire - Chapter 293: Visit_1
The Governor’s mansion, located in the north district of Dragon City, occupied more than 300 acres, making it a top luxury mansion in the imperial capital’s nobility district where every inch of land was priceless.
This mansion, built along the street, has three floors and stands 15 meters high. Featuring sturdy granite as the main body with premium white glazed rock as the exterior wall, it looked like a jade castle from afar.
But such splendid construction was merely the façade of the Governor’s mansion. Behind it, there were beautiful courtyards and clusters of staggered buildings. This was the main construction area, and only distinguished guests had the privilege of being invited in.
As Colin helped Vera down from the carriage, there were already a dozen attendants waiting at the entrance.
“Miss Vera, Viscount Angler, welcome home!” A well-dressed old butler greeted them with a bow, and the other attendants also saluted Vera in unison.
Looking at the old butler’s face, Colin felt strangely familiar as if he had seen him somewhere before. Moreover, he noticed that although the other party had a good attitude, his smile was too professional and lacked sincerity.
“Long time no see, Butler Democ.” Vera gave a polite nod in response to the old butler’s greeting. Colin, too, set aside his suspicions and nodded in acknowledgment.
“Please come in, the master is waiting for you in the lounge.”
Butler Democ then led Vera and Colin to the inner garden.
As the butler turned to lead the way, Vera leaned closer to Colin and whispered, “Democ is Derrington’s brother.”
It then dawned on Colin.
Wasn’t Derrington the former butler of the St. Hilde family, whose head Colin had personally taken off?
Finally, he understood why the Butler Democ looked familiar, and why his smile was somewhat perfunctory.
Colin suddenly felt that this visit might not go as smoothly as planned.
The moment he stepped in, he was greeted by a swath of greenery. Colin was not sure what type of grass was growing there, but stepping upon it was soft and comfortable, like a natural carpet. Its fresh fragrance was invigorating and made his mind feel at ease.
As Colin and his party were nearing the main building, the crisp sound of horseshoes suddenly echoed from behind them. Subsequently, a rather frivolous voice reached their ears.
“Cousin Vera! Welcome to Dragon City!”
Colin turned around to see about a dozen people approaching them on horseback. The man leading the group was in his twenties, with a lean face, narrow eyes, and a smirk that seemed rather frivolous. It was his voice they had heard.
“Cousin Weber, it’s been a while!” Vera turned back and greeted with a smile.
She then whispered to Colin, informing him that Knight Weber was the governor’s firstborn grandson.
Weber, reaching Vera, did not dismount. He merely bowed slightly from his horse. Then, glancing at Colin, he said,
“So, this must be cousin-in-law, Viscount Angler?”
Weber’s attitude irked Colin.
As a member of the St. Hilde family’s collateral line, he did not dismount to greet their direct-line noblewoman?
Even more, Vera was about to inherit the title of the Northern Duke; Weber was exhibiting disrespectful behavior.
“Hello, Knight Weber.” Colin maintained a faint smile and nodded nonchalantly towards him.
He carried an official imperial nobility title; even if Weber’s grandfather was a senator, he still did not deserve a bow in greeting.
“Viscount Angler, I’ve heard so much about you in Dragon City!” Looking down on Colin, Weber said in a mocking tone, “the destruction of the Pegasus Army’s main force in Silver Moon City, killing the Troll Emperor in the Sky Ice Plain, and defeating the Dwarf Union Army outside Winterfell City… It makes one admire you!”
Colin modestly replied, “You overestimate me. These are victories won by the heroic struggle of the warriors in the North Territory, I can’t take all the credit.”
“You’re being too humble! Even my grandfather praises you as the deserved ‘Guardian of the North Territory’! He told me to learn more from you.” Weber suddenly changed his tune, “but I want to know whether you are qualified to be my teacher!”
Colin really wanted to say that he had no interest in becoming Weber’s teacher, but he had barely begun to dismiss him when he saw Weber dismounting and saying,
“Come on, Viscount Angler, let me see your true strength!”
“Weber, don’t be ridiculous.” Vera’s face hardened, and her goodwill toward her cousin instantly evaporated.
A flash of anger crossed Weber’s face. Being reprimanded by Vera in such a condescending tone had made him uncomfortable, but he dared not target Vera, so he continued to provoke Colin, saying,
“Viscount Angler, are you afraid? How about this, we don’t use weapons and just fight hand-to-hand.”
“Sure.” Colin became furious and decided to teach this arrogant young man a lesson.
Concerning whether he would offend Governor Sabast due to this, he was no longer willing to care. Moreover, he increasingly believed that it was unlikely that Sabast could be won over by Vera.
Seeing Colin accepting his challenge, Weber immediately beamed, stretched his body, and got into a combat stance. His eagerness seemed as though he was afraid Colin might change his mind.
Weber, who had become a fourth-rank knight before his thirties, was a recognized prodigy in Dragon City, where experts were in abundance.
In his previous spars with his peers, Weber had rarely tasted defeat, which explained his confident challenge to Colin.
“Viscount Angler, be careful!”
In an instant, Knight Weber roared, holy light pulsating from his entire body. His toes slammed into the ground, a terrifying power coursing through his body like an explosion, surging wave after wave towards his right fist.
All of his strength, faith and fanaticism seemed to all converge in this one punch.
Under the unspeakable malice replete with jealousy, resentment, and hostility, Weber’s punch achieved an unexpected sublimation of sorts.
He even felt that this was a punch where he was performing beyond his usual capabilities.
As he threw this punch, Weber seemed to have already foreseen Colin falling to the ground in pain.
Protector of the North Territory?
The tomb digger for the Troll Emperor?
An emerging bright star of the North Territory?
You all will still whine and beg before me!
Ha ha ha, I am the finest young knight of the North Territory…
Pu!
Suddenly, Weber felt a sharp pain in his body.
His fervent attention was forcefully jerked back to reality, the wonderful picture he imagined shattered into pieces like a mirror.
“What… is going on?”
Weber’s eye widened, he stared blankly ahead.
Just a few inches separated his fist from Colin’s head, yet this tiny distance seemed to transform into a formidable canyon that could never be crossed.
At the same time, there was a shooting pain in Weber’s chest.
He slowly looked down to see Colin’s right index finger lightly touching his chest.
“You…”
Bang!
An explosive force blasted from Weber’s chest, propelling him far into the distance.
Weber felt as though his body had been hit head-on by a raging rhinoceros. He was unable to move his limbs, his head spun, he struggled to stand up, but failed to do so after several attempts.
“Young Master Weber!”
A middle-aged knight immediately dismounted and tried to help Weber up.
“Don’t touch me!”
Weber roared, his face twitching with anger and humiliation.
One move.
He couldn’t receive even one of the opponent’s moves!
Anger and shame rushed into Weber’s head, almost driving him crazy.
“Norman! Take your turn!” Weber ordered the middle-aged knight who had tried to help him up.
Knight Norman hesitated for a moment, then advised, “Young Master, this isn’t the proper way to treat a guest.”
“When I say charge, you charge!” Weber seemed on the verge of losing his sanity, “Haven’t you always admired Viscount Angler? Now is a good opportunity for you, how can you not take hold of it! Go!”
With no other choice, Knight Norman turned and stood in front of Colin, offering knightly courtesy first, and then said:
“I apologize Viscount Angler, please allow me to experience your martial skill!”
With a faint smile, Colin returned the courtesy:
“Please.”
Just as the two of them were about to determine the winner, an elderly and robust voice suddenly rang out:
“Stop!”