The First Vampire

The night was deep, and the stars were dim.

Colin stood beside the burning bonfire, his view filled with the brightly lit military camp.

“What are you thinking about?”

Colin turned around and saw Duke St. Gregorian approaching with a captivating smile.

“Nothing much,” Colin exhaled, looking towards the deep night sky in the west and said, “I was just thinking that given the speed of the Orc army’s advance, they should almost be reaching the Luwal Valley by now…”

“Is that so? That’s great! The moment for revenge is finally arriving!” Duke St. Gregorian’s eyes shone as he excitedly looked towards the west and exclaimed.

Colin didn’t share Duke St. Gregorian’s confidence.

In fact, as the Orc army drew closer, Colin had begun to feel increasingly nervous.

Of course, he had no objections to the combat strategies devised by Marquis Garcia.

The actual battlefield was exceedingly complex, with situations changing in the blink of an eye. Even the most skilled generals couldn’t claim to have everything under control.

Colin couldn’t help but worry that if he botched this campaign, would the Empire crumble, and would the fate of the humans plunge into prolonged darkness…

If that were the case, it might be better to let Mr. Ji sacrifice the Storm Fortress, at least that could be used to kill the Orc emperor.

Thinking this way, wouldn’t all his previous efforts have inadvertently turned him into a criminal of the Empire?

As these thoughts churned in his mind, Colin suddenly noticed a wine pot being handed to him.

Turning his head, he saw Duke St. Gregorian smiling and tilting his chin towards him, saying, “Want a drink?”

Colin smiled faintly and took the wine pot, taking a swig.

The spicy wine mixed with the taste of fresh blood invigorated Colin’s spirits.

“Deer Blood Wine?”

“Yes. I heard before that you liked Deer Blood Wine, now I understand why.”

While speaking, Duke St. Gregorian took the wine pot back from Colin’s hand and poured it into his own mouth.

The gentle evening breeze blew by, carrying with it the subtle scent of rose Perfume to Colin’s nose.

Only then did Colin notice that Duke St. Gregorian wasn’t wearing her usual silver armor tonight but had uncharacteristically dressed in a long purple palace gown. ⱤÁNΟʙƐș

Her figure was tall and slender, and the form-fitting gown nicely accentuated her graceful curves and astonishingly long, straight legs, displaying an elegant yet seductive charm.

“Do you like it?” Noticing Colin’s gaze, Duke St. Gregorian didn’t pose coyly but proudly raised her chin and asked with a smile.

Colin, feeling slightly embarrassed, averted his gaze and casually took the wine pot handed by Duke St. Gregorian, using the act of drinking as an excuse to dodge the rather bold question.

However, after swallowing the Fine Wine, Colin tasted something slightly different.

That was when he realized that Duke St. Gregorian had just drunk from the pot…

So, was this considered an indirect kiss?

A faint ripple arose in his heart, and Colin suddenly felt somewhat tipsy.

In the blurred night, an ambiguous atmosphere began to circulate between them.

Duke St. Gregorian’s beautiful eyes intently watched Colin, seemingly expecting something.

But Colin was merely busy pouring wine into his mouth, quickly finishing the entire pot of Deer Blood Wine.

“You didn’t even leave some for me,” Duke St. Gregorian glanced at Colin reproachfully and complained.

“Cough, sorry,” Colin scratched the back of his head and casually handed back the wine pot.

Duke St. Gregorian took the wine pot and suddenly said:

“Duke St. Rands sought me out privately.”

“Oh?” Colin’s gaze sharpened, his previously somewhat blurred eyes instantly cleared, “What did he want with you?”

Duke St. Gregorian smiled slightly, saying,

“What else? He also noticed something off about Emperor Reinhardt, and was probing me in a roundabout way.”

Colin also smiled, asking, “How did you handle him?”

“Played dumb,” Duke St. Gregorian shrugged casually. Unintentionally, the strap on his right shoulder slipped down, revealing fair, gleaming skin.

At this moment, Colin was no longer in the mood to admire the beauty beside him. A sharp look flashed in his eyes as he asked,

“Do you think it’s necessary for me to resolve this internal issue before the war begins?”

Duke St. Gregorian pursed his lips a bit, deflated, lifted the fallen strap with his hand, and shook his head saying,

“I don’t think it’s necessary. Judging from the information revealed in Duke St. Rands’s words, although he sensed something abnormal about the Emperor, he has no intention of causing trouble with it.

He’s a smart man. He understands that at this critical time, no matter what the Emperor is up to, he must cooperate to fight this war first.

I suspect even if he were to reveal this matter, he would wait until after the battle.

Thus, you can be wary of him or prepare in advance, but there’s no need to cause any disturbance before the big battle.”

Colin nodded silently.

Actually, that was his plan too, but under the pressure of the imminent war, he couldn’t help feeling nervous and hesitant.

Having heard Duke St. Gregorian’s advice, he forced himself to calm down.

“It turns out you get nervous too.” Duke St. Gregorian tilted his head as he looked at Colin, his gaze filled with scrutiny.

Colin shrugged, replying, “I’m only God’s Favored, not a god. Of course, I get nervous, worried, and even scared…”

“Don’t worry, my lord will not favor someone who is destined to fail,” Duke St. Gregorian moved closer, whispering in Colin’s ear with a breath as soft as an orchid, “I also believe that you will surely lead humans to defeat the formidable enemies and recover our lost territories!”

Colin silently scoffed.

The reason Duke St. Gregorian had swept away his previous despair and hysteria was because he firmly believed that Colin, the God’s Favored, could lead humanity to victory.

But Colin knew better; he was no God’s Favored—it was all just a web of lies he had spun…

Of course, such thoughts could only be kept to himself.

In front of Duke St. Gregorian, Colin had to maintain an appearance of holding the winning cards.

Suddenly feeling a soft warmth on his arm, Colin turned his head and saw that Duke St. Gregorian had already moved closer, his face flushed as if he couldn’t handle his liquor.

Colin’s heart stirred, suddenly feeling that venting some pressure before the battle might not be a bad choice…

But just as Colin was preparing to make his move, he saw Duke St. Gregorian instead shifting away.

Huh?

Backing out?

Puzzled, he then heard footsteps behind him.

Colin turned around and saw an orderly quickly approaching.

“Commander, the scout cavalry ahead has spotted the vanguard of the orc army!”

“Good, I’m aware,” Colin nodded, then issued an order, “Inform the entire army, prepare for battle!”

“Yes, sir!”

Turning back, he saw Duke St. Gregorian’s eyes already ablaze with a brimming will to fight.

Ah, it seemed like venting his stress was not an option anymore.

Colin took a deep breath, resolving to channel all that energy against those damned orcs!

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