Chapter 506 - 398: Tragic News from the Silver Moon Territory
Chapter 506: Chapter 398: Tragic News from the Silver Moon Territory
"Ed!"
Raylo commanded.
"Present, my lord!"
"Summon the Moonlight Knight Order and the Griffin Knights! Also, have Kado assemble twenty Giants in the square!"
...
Silver Moon Territory was located to the east of Black Stone Territory, not too far away.
By dusk, they had already entered the borders of Silver Moon Territory.
The roadsides were filled with fleeing subjects, uprooted from their homes with their families in tow.
Their eyes were filled with fear and confusion.
Upon seeing Raylo’s well-equipped and imposing army, they felt no sense of security. Instead, like startled rabbits, they scattered to the side of the road, not daring to approach.
Raylo looked at these pitiable subjects and sighed inwardly.
’In war, it’s always the common folk at the bottom who suffer the most.’
He didn’t stop to comfort them.
Now was not the time for that.
Only by bringing the culprits who caused this disaster to justice with the utmost speed could he truly soothe the wounded hearts of the people.
The army pressed on.
Soon, a solitary castle appeared on the distant horizon.
It was Silver Moon Castle.
But at this moment, Silver Moon Castle was completely devoid of its former vitality.
A flock of carrion crows circled above the castle, letting out irritating, "CAW CAW" cries.
A thick, almost tangible stench of blood, mixed with the nauseating odor of rotting corpses, wafted over on the wind, foul enough to make one gag.
Even these battle-hardened Knights couldn’t help but furrow their brows at the smell.
When they finally drew near Silver Moon Castle, the scene before them made everyone suck in a sharp breath.
It was too gruesome.
A living hell.
The castle gates had been violently smashed open, and the drawbridge hung crookedly over the moat.
Bodies were strewn everywhere, both inside and outside the castle.
There were Knights in Armor, Mercenaries brandishing Weapons, and unarmed servants and maids.
They had died in a myriad of grotesque ways. Some were disemboweled by sharp weapons, while others had two distinct fang marks on their necks, their bodies drained of all blood and turned into desiccated husks.
The entire castle was stained a dark crimson with blood.
"Beasts!"
Ed cursed through gritted teeth as he stared at the inhumanly tragic scene.
Behind him, the Knights all clenched their fists, a blazing fire of rage igniting in their eyes.
Raylo’s expression was so grim it looked as if it might storm.
He leaped down from Baofeng’s back and slowly walked into the silent castle.
With every step, his boots squelched in the viscous blood. SQUELCH, SQUELCH.
The air was thick with the stench of death.
"Alex, have the Griffin Knights check the surrounding area for any survivors."
"Yes, my lord."
Alex immediately took his orders and led the Griffin Knights toward the villages surrounding the castle.
Raylo entered the castle’s main keep.
The situation inside the keep was even more horrific than outside.
In the banquet hall, tables and chairs were overturned, with food and wine spilled all over the floor.
Dozens of bodies lay scattered about.
Judging by their fine attire, they must have been Baron Kailan’s family and guests.
The Baron Kailan himself was dead in the seat of honor.
A Long Sword had pierced his chest, pinning him firmly to his chair.
His eyes were wide open, his face frozen in an expression of terror.
Perhaps, even in death, he couldn’t understand why his so-called preparations had been so utterly useless.
Raylo’s gaze swept across the banquet hall, finally landing on a crimson symbol on the wall.
It was a blood-red bat, painted with fresh blood.
"The Crimson Bloodline."
Raylo’s tone was bone-chillingly cold.
Just then, Alex strode in quickly from outside.
"My lord!"
His expression was grim.
"We found a few survivors in the stables behind the castle."
"They’re Knights from Silver Moon Castle. They hid in the stables last night and miraculously survived."
"Bring them here,"
Raylo said.
Soon, a few Knights, scared out of their wits and reeking of horse manure, were brought before Raylo.
When they saw Raylo, it was as if they had seen their savior. One by one, they dropped to their knees with a thud and wept bitterly.
"Tell me everything you know."
Raylo waited for them to compose themselves slightly before speaking.
One of them, who appeared to be slightly older, recounted the events of last night in a trembling voice.
Their description was more or less the same as what the fleeing subjects had said earlier.
On the night of the full moon, Vampires descended from the sky like phantoms.
From the very beginning, the battle was a one-sided slaughter.
The "Iron Shield" Mercenary Corps was routed before they could even mount a decent resistance.
Their commander and Vice Commander, both Earth Knights, didn’t even last a single exchange with the Vampire leader before their necks were easily snapped.
"The Vampire leader?"
Raylo seized on the key detail.
"What did he look like? How strong was he?"
"We... we couldn’t see clearly."
The Knight shook his head, his eyes filled with terror.
"He was always shrouded in a black mist. We only know that he was a man, and incredibly powerful."
"We only heard the people in the castle call him... Lord Earl."
’A Count?’
In the Vampire Level system, a Count corresponds to a human Domain Level Powerhouse.
"I think I heard them mention something about a... Silver Mine."
"It seemed like they came for a Silver Mine."
’A Silver Mine?’
’It seems the Vampires’ target was indeed the Secret Silver Ore mine.’
"Where is that Silver Mine?"
Raylo asked.
"I... I don’t know."
The Knight shook his head.
"That Silver Mine was Lord Baron’s greatest secret. Only his most trusted confidants knew its exact location."
"However..."
The Knight seemed to recall something.
"We all guessed that the Silver Mine was probably near a lumber mill to the west of the territory."
"A lumber mill?"
"Yes, my lord. That lumber mill is strange. There are no dense forests around it, yet large quantities of lumber are transported out every day. We all secretly suspected that the mill was just a front, and there must be some secret hidden beneath it."
Raylo nodded, understanding the situation.
’The disaster at Silver Moon Castle was brought on by Baron Silver Moon himself.’
’Such a confidential matter was as porous as a sieve, known to practically everyone.’
’Even an ordinary Knight could guess the gist of it.’
He had Ed arrange for the surviving Knights to be taken away and settled comfortably.
Raylo did not linger at Silver Moon Castle.
「Soon, the Knights from Black Stone Territory reached a remote, mountainous area in the western part of Silver Moon Territory.」
A solitary lumber mill was situated in an unremarkable valley.
The mill wasn’t large—just a few dozen simple wooden huts and a yard piled high with lumber. It looked no different from any ordinary lumber mill.
But upon closer inspection, many things seemed out of place.
For example, the trees on the surrounding mountains were sparse, hardly enough to sustain a lumber mill’s daily operations.
Furthermore, the entire mill was unnervingly quiet. Not a sound of logging could be heard, nor was a single worker in sight.
Raylo halted on a slope overlooking the lumber mill.
"My lord, it seems this is the place," Ed said to Raylo after observing the area.
Raylo nodded.
’Looks like those fiends occupied this place right after slaughtering everyone at Silver Moon Castle. They’re preparing to move on the Secret Silver Ore mine.’
"Alex,"
Raylo commanded.
"Present, my lord!"
"You will take ten Earth Dragon Knights and approach from the front. Probe their strength,"
Raylo instructed.
"Remember, do not get bogged down in a fight. If the situation turns against you, retreat immediately."