That's an exaggeration, isn't it? Ashrufat pondered this almost unbelievable piece of information in his stomach.

"Why is this happening?" asked Ashrufat in a low voice. "How could humans be willing to accept the rule of the vampires? Their rightful lord is not ......"

"Not our Earl yet...... He's just an upstart, and he doesn't know how to rule! Before the vampires appeared, he was taxed twenty years later......"

What is an upstart? In this regard, Ashrufat is also very clear that within the confines of the Central Seven Kingdoms, the control of the title is far less strict than that of the Stygian region. As long as there is money, it is easy for a person to "donate" a title of nobility from the royal family. But money can only buy titles, and it is impossible not to buy real estates and corresponding ruling power. In other words, a true lord can only be those who have built up enough merits.

"Haven't you heard?" explained the soldier in a low voice as he saw the confusion on Ashrufat......'s face. "It was because of luck that I gave the vampire queen the last blow that I got the title of this fief and the earl. Before that, he wasn't even a knight, just an ordinary soldier. ”

Eshurufat's heart was so shocked that he almost missed the cup in his hand.

"Everyone said that the vampire must have come to avenge the queen......" The soldier sat up straight, forked a large piece of roast goose with his fork, and put it in his mouth. At the same time, his other hand was once again filling the cup for himself.

Is that why Baron Pinold is here, to avenge Jean Heart?

At this time, Ashruphat inadvertently saw a man walk in from outside the tavern, and with his appearance, the people around him were in an uproar. Shouts such as "Come on!" and "Come on!" rang out from all over the table.

The man was dressed in white linen clothes that did not go well with the vulgar atmosphere of the tavern, and the clothes were very clean and tidy. And he carried a harp in his hand and a flute stuck in his belt. Judging by the way this man was dressed and the attitude of the drinkers around him, it was clear that he was a bard.

Having said that, it's common for bards to show up in taverns. There are a few of them in every tavern, and the tavern owner is very welcoming to those who bring in better business.

Moreover, how does this bard look a little familiar?

"Have you forgotten?" said Carrie in her head. "You've seen him in Oren...... His name is 'Goldfinger Neal'! You drank with him that day......"

Carrie's reminder made Ashruphat immediately remember. It's true that Neil's dress has changed a lot, and his hair has grown long, but it's true that this person is right. When Neil arrived at the counter, a waitress wearing heavy makeup graciously offered him a drink. Even the few soldiers around Ashrufat now showed a look of expectation.

"Hey, that's just a bard, isn't it?" Ashrufat asked a soldier. "Why is it so popular?"

"There are only two or three bards in our city. The soldier replied. "But it's no wonder. We are poor and insecure on our side, and how can the bard stay unless specially invited?"

At this time, the bard was starting to play and sing a cheerful song at the request of the customer. This is a song that has been circulated throughout the world, and it is about the love and affection of young men and women. The voices in the tavern had calmed down, and most of the people were listening to the song and drinking, as were the soldiers. This is really not a chance to speak, so Ashrufat can only put the problem in his stomach away and wait for the song to end.

It must be noted that in terms of pure playing technique, Neil is indeed very professional, far better than Thomas, but neither his songs nor his songs are lifeless. In other words, he simply repeats and doesn't put emotion into his songs.

This made Ashrufat shake his head unconsciously, and he withdrew his attention from the song and focused on his own thoughts.

If these soldiers weren't exaggerating, the vampires were far more powerful than they thought. The reason why the city was not occupied was probably not due to strength considerations.

"Oh, there's a vacant seat here!" a voice sounded from behind Ashrufat, who realized that someone had come to his side at some point.

However, Ashrufat immediately realized that the reason why the other party came behind him without him noticing was not because of the other party, but because he had just lost his mind. Behind him was an old man in his sixties, with gray and messy hair, a beard, and a somewhat disheveled shirt. This "messy" does not mean that his clothes are very tattered, but that his clothes are very messy, and at first glance, you can see that Lu Dao is the kind of person who doesn't care about the details of life.

The old man sat down with a big grin, his eyes fixed on the roast goose and fruit wine on the table. Ashrufat had just asked for a whole pot of fruit wine, so there was still a lot left.

"Hey, how are you so generous?, has our earl been paid?" asked the old man.

The expressions of the soldiers were a little embarrassed, and from this point of view, this old man was very familiar with them. But this old man's dress is too weird, and it has nothing to do with the status of "noble" and "officer". For a moment, Ashrufat could not tell who the old man was.

"No, it was this generous friend who had a treat. The leading soldier said. "Introduction, this is Ashrufat, and he has traveled from the north to us...... Ashrufat, whose name was Oliveira, was a native scholar who had been a historian and cartographer of the Church......"

"Hey, call me Dr. Oliveira!" called Oliveira. "In fact, the 'scholars' have wronged me, because I am now the authority on the geography and history of Sylvania!

As he said this, the venerable doctor unceremoniously poured himself a glass of fruit wine, and drank it all. "Good wine, really cool and thirst-quenching!" he smacked his mouth and commented.

"Hey, you're just a bad old man who can't even pay the rent!" said a guest at the next table who had been listening to the song was upset by the Doctor's loud yelling. "I've heard that if you can't get the money in three days, you'll be kicked out of the house by the landlord and spent the night on the street with your pile of garbage. ”

"Trash, that's the priceless treasure of knowledge!, the result of a full decade of research in Sivania......" Dr. Oliveira tried to stand up, but the soldier pressed on the doctor's shoulder.

"Don't reason with this kind of person, doctor, we all know that your research is not easy. ”

The doctor indignantly picked up the cup and poured himself another full one. After drinking it all again, he picked up a piece of roast goose meat with a fork and put it in his mouth.

"Doctor, what are you studying?" asked Ashrufat casually.

"A lot," Oliveira said casually, glancing at Ashrufat. "One of them is the origin of ghouls. ”

"Ghoul?" Ashruphat was a little interested.

"Well, according to the ruins and ancient documents I have found, West Vania has been inhabited by humans since very ancient times. Think about it, there were several powerful countries, vast populations, and developed civilizations here...... Unfortunately, for some reason, these ancient human kingdoms eventually disappeared, leaving only a small number of ruins...... And the ghouls are the descendants of the remnants of these ancient kingdoms!"

"Wouldn't it be, ghouls were once humans?" This time it was a soldier who spoke, a surprised expression on his face.

"Yes, a race formed after the degradation of humanity. Dr. Oliveira replied proudly.

"...... No wonder you don't even have a patron now......" The soldier sneered and said to Ashrufat. "Originally, his research here was supported by the Ryan Kingdom. It's a pity that he always uses these inexplicable nonsense results to come out, and as a result, no one pays attention to him later. ”

"I said it was a political issue, not my fault!" the doctor's face turned red, but he couldn't tell if it was the anger or the effect of two full glasses of fruit wine just now. "They had a falling out with the church, but they made me give up the research that I had been doing for three whole years...... I had to rely on my own strength to support ......

"Dr. Oliveira put all his money into his research. The soldier sitting next to Ashruphat whispered to him. "He's pretty rich......"

As he spoke, Neil had finished playing. Following the rules of the business, he began to circle around the tavern, begging for tips. But Ashrufat noticed that although the guests welcomed him, they didn't really tip much. Truth be told, if he had only tipped this level for every performance, Neil would have left the stingy city a long time ago.

"Another roast goose. Ashruphat shouted at the counter. There is still a lot of fruit wine, but the roast goose has been almost eaten.

"So, what do humans do to become ghouls?" Ashruphat asked the Doctor who was eating.

"This ...... It's hard to say the specifics, but there must be a credit to the Dimensionstone. According to my research, this means that there is an unimaginably large dimensional stone mine somewhere in West Vania. The doctor said as he ate. Looking at the other party's gray hair, Ashruphat suddenly remembered something else.

"Doctor, you've been here for a long time, haven't you?"

"Long enough...... Much longer than the several of them combined. Dr. Oliveira pointed his hand at the soldiers, who did not object, but acquiesced to the doctor's words.

"Do you know everything about here? Like...... Geography ......"

"Hah...... Young man, I can tell you. I know everything here! The whole land of Sivania, there is nothing I haven't visited! If you have any questions about history, humanities, anecdotes, etc., you have come to the right place! As for geography...... In Sylvania, if I call myself second, no one dares to call myself first!"

As he spoke, Dr. Oliveira's eyes lit up. "Young man, are you interested in my research?"

"A little bit. Ashrufat replied. He could already see that this doctor was the kind of real researcher. In other words, he's the kind of guy who doesn't shy away from anything at all, and who undoubtedly knows a lot about it.

Ashrufat's biggest goal at the moment is to find the hiding place of Baron Pinod and his army (judging by the few words, Baron Pinold has gathered a sizable force). It's hard to get a direct answer, but if you can get enough geographic information from the doctor, you might be able to deduce where the vampire is hiding.