——Ask for a recommendation ticket on Monday~

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Under the warm sun near noon, a low-key and luxurious carriage was slowly driving towards the "withered vine" castle in the core of the aristocratic district in the southwest of the Urals.

Along the way, the passers-by who saw it, whether nobles or townspeople, all stepped aside and respectfully let it pass first, because it was a carriage belonging to Count Werther, lord of the city of Urals, and it was not an ordinary three-set carriage for transporting goods.

In the carriage, Lucien pretended to admire the exotic scenery of the street, looking at the specially collected maps of the Shahran Empire in the Soul Library, and concentrated near the city of Ural.

The Count's invitation came suddenly, and Lucien could not find a reason for a normal nobleman to refuse, so he had to agree to go. This made Lucien feel very emotional, and when he played a nobleman very well, he was also bound by this identity.

"This invitation should have been unexpected by Kaliliana and Ivanovsky, and it could not only disrupt their original arrangement, catch them off guard, make a big mistake, but also bring about drastic and dangerous changes, and I must prepare for it. ”

Lucien was certain that the invitation was not a plan of the way by Kaliliana and Ivanovsky, for they would not risk themselves in the presence of Count Witte until they had reined in themselves or other members of the Vladimir family who had no background. If Count Witte suddenly took a fancy to himself and appointed another Werther girl, their greed and desire would have been in vain.

This judgment is one of the reasons why Lucien accepted the invitation.

"But aren't Kariliana and Ivanovsky supposed to be strict about what Count Witte sees and hears, and how can there be an invitation they didn't expect?" Lucien thought to himself, since he was intent on stealing Count Werther's inheritance, and Count Witte was in a serious illness, with Ivanovsky's ability and the degree to which Kaliliana was favored by him, it should not be difficult to hide from his subordinate knights and knights, so that he could only know what they wanted him to know.

If you can't even do that. Lucian could only persuade Ivanovsky to hurry home and buy estates, land, and mines as a landowner, and stop working as a smuggler and stop thinking about taking the inheritance of a count. With its IQ, it can't play at all!

While looking at the map, Lucien casually asked Leo about the scenery around the city of Ural, especially if there were any eerie and often haunted places.

Prepare for the worst at the beginning.

"Mr. Peter, there is a church. Often haunted places exist only in stories that scare children, or are made by evil magicians who live in seclusion in the mountains. However, as far as I know, there are several ores to the west of the city of the Urals that are often collapsing. There are many dead people, and mining is stopped because it is called "the place where the devil curses" and "the cave that connects to hell". Nikita, the earl's chamberlain who had come to invite Lucian, listened to the conversation between Lucian and Leo, and as the host's representative, gave the guests a detailed introduction.

He was a powerful man of the official knighthood with the title of Lord, but was a subordinate of Count Witte when he fought against heretics in the South. And he has been saved many times, so he willingly does not enjoy the illustrious status and status, and serves as the earl's chamberlain.

In fact, whether it is around the great nobles, the grand dukes, kings, and emperors, there are similar figures, and they follow the knightly duty. Unlike the noble knights who joined the Order to take turns protecting their lords, they gave up their right to be fiefdom nobles for a variety of reasons to protect their lords:

Some of them cede their rights to their children and serve as their own guards to consolidate their rights or obtain family titles that exceed their own rank, some of them do so because of the grace of saving their lives, some of them make knightly promises when they accept the secret training and materials provided by the lord, promising to serve as a guard for many years after becoming a certain rank, and some are simply a precious and unique method of refining and improving the bloodline passed down from generation to generation of the lord family.

After listening to Nikita's words, Lucien smiled and said: "Mr. Nikita, in fact, there is a very gloomy place in the Northwest Province, which is often haunted, and the dead are not at peace. "This is an indirect proof of one's identity as a member of the Vladimir family.

"According to you, Mr. Peter, there may be one near the city of the Urals, but it is also controlled by the Church so that we have no way of knowing it. It's just that I don't know what to do, so what's the need to discuss?" Nikita, who has a typical military temperament, seems a little stiff and not soft enough even when trying to show his humor.

Lucien didn't mind, and continued to ask Nikita and Leo to improve his knowledge of the detailed terrain and environment nearby.

............

Half an hour later, the magnificent castle, covered with dead vines and smelling of sorrow, appeared in front of Lucian.

At the same time, a delicate and ornate carriage hurried from another direction.

As soon as Lucien stood firm, he saw the carriage stop with its front legs held high, and a beautiful woman in a beautiful woolen dress looked rather anxious to come down with the help of the maid. The snow-white of her body sets off herself to be beautiful and dignified.

"Mr. Peter......"

"Lady Cariliana......"

Neither Lucien nor Carilina expected to meet outside the castle gates, and greeted each other rather in surprise.

Looking at Caliliana's appearance and thinking back to her previous actions, Lucien smiled: "Lady Cariliana, have you come to visit Count Werther?"

"Yes, I heard that Uncle Werther had invited a guest, and I was worried that he would not follow the advice of Doctor Shantang, so I came over to remind him not to be too tired and to get some rest. Carileina's smile became as charming and bright as she had at a banquet.

Lucien bowed slightly like a gentleman and stretched out his hand: "Lady Carliliana, I will follow your reminder and will not delay the rest of Lord Earl, please." ”

"Mr. Peter, your manners are the best of any Shahran nobles I have ever seen, and I like it very much. After Kaliliana complimented, she walked in front with the maid swaying.

She was telling the truth, the vast majority of the nobles of the Shahran Empire only observed the most important ones in terms of etiquette, preferring fighting and strong drinks, so they were often called simple and rude "barbarians" by the nobles of the countries to which the Southern Church belonged.

Sure enough, it was an invitation that they didn't expect. What happened inside the castle? Lucien calmly followed Kaliliana into the Withered Vine Castle.

............

In a small living room of the Withered Vine Castle, the fireplace is blazing, creating the warmth of spring.

Lucien took off his ordinary coat that he had deliberately worn outside. He handed it to the waiter to hang on a coat rack, and he saluted an old man with the formal etiquette of a nobleman: "It is an honor to meet you, Lord Count Witt. ”

The old man sat on the sofa in the living room by the fireplace, wearing a thick black coat. Wrapped tightly as if he was very afraid of the cold. His face was gray and haggard, but he could vaguely make out the stern and rigid lines of his face, and his light blue eyes were as dull and cloudy as those of other old men. On his head, he wears a black floppy hat that covers his hair that seems to have become thin. The whole person is like a dry plant without water.

This is a fierce and powerful seventh-level heavenly knight back then.

Seeing the appearance of Count Werther, Lucien felt the horror of the passage of time from the bottom of his heart, and spontaneously feared aging and death.

"The good thing is that magic has many ways to extend life. This fear made Lucien thirsty.

The fear of death, the yearning for immortality and eternal life are the tireless pursuit of intelligent beings like human beings, whose lives are short.

Count Witte squirmed his lips, which seemed to be smeared with a layer of gray, and said in a weak and old voice, "Peter." I'm glad to meet you too. It is rare for me to see such a young and distinguished member of the Vladimir family in the southwest of the empire. ”

After saying a few words, he took a few breaths: "This is my niece Kaliliana, you should know each other." This is my butler, Semyon, who has followed me for many years and is a wonderful housekeeper. ”

Carliliana sat to the left of Count Witte and served him. The gray-haired Semyon stood to the right of Count Werther, his blue eyes looking at Lucien, nodding in salute with a faint smile, and there were not many wrinkles on his face, but each one was so deep that it was difficult to judge his age.

It is said that he is a strong man of the rank of a great knight, and he is not as old-fashioned and serious as other butlers.

"Yes, Lord Count, I have been warmly received by Madame Carolina, who is a rare and good person. Lucien said "heartily" and sat down on the couch next to him.

Kaliliana always felt that something was wrong, but Lucian's words were impeccable, and she could only curse him for being a good person for the rest of her life.

Count Witte laughed and said, "Caroliana is a good girl. Actually, I have been looking for a young man from the Vladimir family all this time, and it turns out that Peter you happened to come to the city of the Urals......"

Before he finished speaking, he began to gasp again, and his physical condition was really poor.

And Carilyina, who was next to her, suddenly became nervous, and the two hands holding Count Witte were slightly stiff, and the back of the hand seemed to have green tendons protruding.

Lucien did not interject, and politely waited for Count Werther to gasp.

Count Witte said in a slow voice: "I am very old, I am no longer as firm and rigid as before, I am never weak, and I have begun to like to remember the things of the past. I still remember when I was a child, I followed my mother to the Northwest Province, and I wonder if there are still so many prey, so many strange trees and flowers in the forest of Tula?"

"Lord Count, though I haven't been back for years, everything in the Tula Forest is still fresh in my mind, such as the Crimson Devil Tree, which moves like an animal and pounces on its prey......" Lucien replied without any jerkiness.

Calyliana next to her relaxed.

The rest of the day until lunchtime was carried out in the memories of Count Witte and Lucian's additions, and the atmosphere was harmonious, and then Count Witte invited Lucien to lunch, and invited him to be a guest here for a day, and then return to the departing caravan tomorrow.

Considering that there were many great knights and knightly guards in Count Werther's castle, Lucien agreed. Now that things have changed, they can no longer proceed according to the previous train of thought.

............

The night began to thicken, and there was a room in the withered vine castle.

"How did Count Witte know about Peter's existence?" Ivanovsky, who didn't know when he had slipped into the castle, asked Kaliliana in front of him with some anger. (To be continued.) )