The "succession ceremony" of the Blood Vulture Grand Duke was hasty and crude, but this was not a big problem.
Considering that there are only ten members of the Blood Vulture Clan left, it would be really embarrassing if they couldn't even get together for a luxurious ceremony. What's more, there is also the Plantagenet Kingdom from outside, which is watching eagerly.
Now the blood vulture must hide in the darkness and move carefully.
But for true loyalists, the usefulness that a simple ceremony can play is very important.
Especially after Lady Tracey, the Grand Duke of the Blood Vulture, reset the family structure and handed over two-thirds of the nominal governance of the Transia region to Murphy and Femis respectively, it was legally confirmed that Mo
Fei's rule over the area near Cadman City.
As for the Earl of Xico, which occupies the last third of the Transia region further north, the situation there is more complicated. Even when the Blood Vulture clan was in its heyday, the relationship with the Blood Vulture there was quite subtle, so Tris did not
She planned to deal with these troubles now, and she didn't even plan to deal with them herself.
She felt that her little Murphy would definitely be willing to do it for her.
Legal principles are worth as much as wipes when not in use, but in some cases they are as valuable as gold.
Such as right now.
In the early morning, in the shadow of a rare intact building outside Cadman City, Murphy was watching three blood vulture knights guarding a carriage carrying Miss Femis' beloved walnut coffin.
leave.
This is obviously to escort her to the Dark Mountain area to meet Lord Paying.
Knight Lord Palano left Cadman City after the ceremony last night. The warning mission he shouldered required him to circle around the various forces on the mainland in the next month. Considering some of this guy's neurotic habits, this is not a good idea for him.
It was definitely a very, very time-consuming journey for him.
"I thought you would go with the eldest lady."
Murphy said to Mrs. Adele in the shadow:
"You know, I actually don't object to you and the eldest lady continuing to maintain a relationship of allegiance like best friends or even without the constraints of a blood contract. You know, I have always been tolerant in this regard."
"That's what you said."
Adele withdrew her gaze and said softly:
"But my life and that of the eldest lady have been intertwined. Now I will fight for your will. Compared with the safety of the eldest lady, this ruins and your career obviously need my strength more."
Her tone was very natural and there was no resistance at all.
The matter-of-fact expression on his face made Murphy even more emotional. The subtly overbearing effect of this blood contract on the level of obedience. Mrs. Adele's previous resistance and resistance were still vivid in Murphy's mind, but it had only been less than fifteen days.
She has been loyal to this point.
It is estimated that after some time, Adele will no longer refuse any instructions from Murphy.
If Murphy is really a dirty person, then with the exaggerated physical condition of "E-girl", Adele will probably be fully confessed in this life.
Fortunately he is not.
At this time, thinking about Tris' request for him to terminate the contract with her, it probably represents Tris' care and love for him. She obviously does not want Murphy to go further and further on such a twisted path.
However, for vampires, this kind of life of dependence on others is the norm. Just like the civilization of vampires is now completely dependent on human civilization. It is really hard to think about it. The vampire race is full of shortcomings in every aspect.
.
"Take it."
Murphy turned around and walked into the room behind him, thrust a small jar of pure source blood into Adele's hand, and warned:
"When every vampire drinks source blood for the first time, it will not only strengthen your power, but also cancel the blood contract between you and me. Let the past be in the past. Now, I give you the power to choose life,
Adele.
While you still have the last bit of clarity in your mind, choose the monarch you really want to be loyal to.
Just think of it as a reward for your dedicated service to me during this period. You are an excellent lady in all aspects and should not be reduced to a worse situation."
"I don't need this! This is so humiliating!"
Mrs. Adele's expression changed and she whispered:
"I am loyal! Master Murphy."
"No, this does not mean that I doubt you. I just want to build a new family system belonging to the vampires. This is just an attempt and a reward for loyalty. After all, what I need is not a hound but a warrior.
It is impossible for a bound will to exert truly terrifying power.
Keep it, or you can throw it away.
It’s all up to you.”
Murphy waved his hand and replied, then disappeared into the shadow of the house.
After he left, Mrs. Adele looked at the bottle of blood in her hand.
Her scarlet eyes were dancing with some complex emotions, and she finally raised her head to look in the direction where the eldest lady disappeared. In the end, she still did not throw away this precious thing.
When Mrs. Adele silently turned around to do her own thing, she suddenly felt a gaze coming from not far away. When she looked back, she saw the ghost-like Maxim standing in the shadow outside the eaves.
On the edge, he is holding a box in his hand and the Tomb Black Blade in his other hand.
At this moment, he was looking at her with a subtle look.
That look seems to say, if you dare to be disloyal, I will kill you!
"whispering sound"
The arrogant half-elf raised his head with a cold attitude and ignored Maxim's silent threat, then quickly walked through the sunlight through the shadow curtain cast by the psychic spell, and flew away in the direction of the Blood Vulture Corridor.
At this time, in this house in the ruins, Miriam had prepared a report compiled from various materials from the survivor camp, and was ready to report to Murphy on her work during this period.
But before she started to report, Murphy raised his hand to interrupt her and turned to another matter.
"Miriam, I promised you before the battle in Smuggler's Wood that you are absolutely free. As long as we survive the danger, I will immediately send you away from Transia and give you gifts as you wish.
A piece of wealth that can make you worry-free throughout your life."
The vampire sat at the luxurious log table that the young players found in the ruins, and said something to the red-haired girl sitting opposite with a smile.
Miriam was stunned for a moment.
This is indeed the case.
It was what Murphy had said when he bewitched her to take the risk to rescue the four witch hunters. She thought it was just an excuse for the vampire, but she didn't expect that Murphy would take the initiative to talk about it at this time.
Ah, that must have been nearly twenty days ago.
But in my own perception and memory, it feels as far away as a certain afternoon more than ten years ago.
But what does this mean?
Miriam couldn't help but wonder in the little theater of her mind, could it be that Murphy was testing her loyalty?
If I ask Murphy to fulfill his promise at this time, will the "Count Cadman" who was just canonized last night give the order and then stage the classic story of five hundred swordsmen and wonton noodles?
She thinks a lot.
However, Murphy had no other meaning at all.
He called to the door, and Maxim, wearing heavy scarlet armor, walked in carrying a box. The armor of the captain of the family guard found in the blood vulture secret vault was extremely protective, and it also had a psychic protective effect composed of the suit.
And the appearance is also very heavy and stable.
Especially the two shoulder armors made in the shape of night bats, making the already tall Maxim look like a humanoid beast.
The bucket helmet with its own vulture visor even covered his entire face, filled with a kind of oppressive force coming from the dark midnight.
"boom"
The loyal servant placed the box in front of Miriam's eyes, and opened it under Murphy's smiling gaze.
In an instant, a golden stream of light illuminated Miriam's eyes.
The small box was neatly stacked with forty gold bars and an equal number of gold coins and jewelry, which were just an inconspicuous drop in the Blood Vulture's secret treasure house, and Miriam was not a student majoring in accounting or appraisal.
, she is also able to vaguely estimate the value of these properties in an instant.
Calculated based on the current prices in Port Chardeau, this amount of money is not enough to make her rise to the upper class of society overnight, but if calculated based on the living standards of ordinary people, it is indeed no exaggeration to say that Murphy can make her live a life without worries.
With this money, not only can I finish my studies safely, but I can even buy a shop in Port Chardeau and start a new and comfortable life there that far exceeds the living standards of ordinary people!
"You deserve it, Miriam."
It was not Murphy who spoke first, but Maxim.
The loyal servant stretched out his hand to push up the vulture-shaped visor. The unusual face no longer had the hostility and scrutiny before, but said to Miriam with a gentle expression:
"I apologize for my previous doubts. Even by the harshest standards, your work in the ruins of Cadman City and the survivor camp has provided far more help to Master Murphy's cause than I can.
These wealth are not only the master's promise, but also the reward you deserve.
But what I want to say is
Maybe you shouldn't accept this."
"Um?"
Miriam was currently busy calculating the value of these golden little cuties in front of her, and trying to figure out how to enjoy life after becoming rich. After hearing Maxim's advice, she raised her head and said in surprise:
"Why? Mark, although in my opinion you are still a hopelessly loyal guy, I have to admit that by the standards of a friend, you are indeed qualified. But you should not interfere with my choice.
, isn’t it?
Just like during this period of time, I have never ridiculed you with your vampire ideals."
"No, I don't want to interfere in your life."
Maxim glanced at the smiling Lord Murphy who was playing with the core orb with his head lowered. He turned his head and whispered to Miriam:
"When you take this money, it means that your work in Cadman City is over. You will have the power to leave and run towards your new life. But what about the survivor camp? We rescued it from the Blood Vulture Corridor
What to do with the 1,800 people?
You built this camp of nearly 3,000 people with your own hands. Do you have the heart to abandon them and abandon them in this ruins and wilderness?"
"this"
Miriam didn't know how to answer for a while. Maxim leaned down again, picked up a gold bar, put it in his hand and played with it. He whispered:
"I'm a rough guy, so I might as well ask more directly! Which one do you choose, future power or present money?"
Even though Maxim is tall and thick, it can be seen from the occasional conversations between him and Murphy that this big man actually has his own "speaking art" that occasionally gets to the core of the problem. At least this sentence is quite clever at the moment.
.
But the red-haired girl was amused by this question.
She wanted to directly ask Maxim, which eye saw him enjoying the power in the survivor camp? According to the standards of Port Chardeau, this was a large refugee camp, so what rights could he enjoy?
But then, her expression changed subtly.
Having been nurtured and educated by knowledge, she knows how to associate. The scene when Sir Murphy was given Count Cadman last night is still vivid in her mind.
He has obtained the legal right to rule!
Therefore, it is difficult to say that this refugee camp will not develop into a gathering point on the scale of Cadman City in the future. With Murphy's identity and character, it is difficult to truly rule. As the manager he currently relies on most, he
Future city lord?
Even further?
Thinking of this, Miriam's breathing suddenly became rapid and she held her breath for a second and looked at the luxurious things in front of her again. Suddenly, she felt that these golden things did not seem so attractive anymore.
Murphy was not particularly paying attention to Miriam's changes at this time. He was currently surfing the Internet and was enjoying himself.
In the game group, I chatted endlessly with a group of young players who were waiting to be resurrected. From the most popular music recently to some trivial customs, I also asked some netizens to share a few things in the group.
I’m going to listen to this pop song for free.
As a result, when he took the time to look up, he saw Miriam across the table looking at him with straight eyes.
There are three points of anticipation, four points of joy, two points of hesitation, and the last point of determination that is rapidly increasing in his eyes. Don't tell me, the fan-shaped look in his eyes is quite ghostly.
"So, are you satisfied with the reward I gave you?"
Murphy maintained his usual elegant and appropriate tone and asked:
"If these are not enough, we can also discuss. My warriors found some inestimable works of art from the ruins of the city. Perhaps you can accept them and take them to Port Chardeau to sell them?
We get 70/70 of the money we get.”
"You want money to buy food, right?"
Miriam suddenly asked:
"Have you finally noticed that it's almost October and about to enter late autumn? With the climate in Transia and the current manpower, it's already too late to farm.
You must purchase enough food from outside this coming winter, and you must implement a stricter rationing system to ensure that the refugee population is now and may skyrocket in your territory, let alone if the two countries really want to release the war.
The return of the captured blood servants will be a huge expense.
This is very dangerous!
In my first class in the Department of Administration, my instructor emphasized that for any regime, sitting on the ground and having nothing but nothing is the worst situation.
Not only must we reduce expenditures, but we must also find ways to increase revenue.”
"Um?"
Murphy blinked and asked with interest:
"So, do you have any good ideas?"
"mine!"
Miriam took out her notebook and flipped through it, she said:
"There are several abandoned mines in southern Transia near the Filthy Swamp. They were once an important local source of ore, but during the Ten Years' War the miners there were recruited by the vampires to go to the front line.
With our current manpower, we won't be able to put it into operation for at least half a year. When I was studying in Port Chardeau, I often saw ore prospecting advertisements published by the Brass Dwarf prospecting team in the newspapers there.
The dwarves' demand for minerals is endless. We can leave those mines to the dwarves and exchange them for food directly.
Those short guys will definitely take the opportunity to lower the price, they are very cunning and very cautious, but those unused mineral deposits can definitely be exchanged for at least enough food for the survivor camp."
"good idea!"
Murphy praised and asked again:
"But how do we contact them?"
"use this!"
Miriam pointed to the calculation orb on her wrist and said:
"With the distance between the Filthy Swamp and the Brass Castle, just setting up an information transfer station near the Smuggler's Wood will be able to contact the dwarves' mines near the Dark Mountains. Do you think they built the Brass Castle just to ward off the Dark Mountains?"
Monster?
Not at all!
Our economics professor told us in detail that the dwarves originally did this to obtain the rare minerals in the dark mountains, and resisting the black disaster was something that happened by mistake later.
If you don't worry, I can take charge of this matter."
"Of course I'm relieved, just go ahead and do it."
Murphy delegated power very generously, and Miriam also stood up, picked up the documents she had sorted, nodded in a ladylike way, said goodbye, turned around and walked out of the room.
"Hey, you forgot something."
Murphy reminded behind her:
"Your gold."
"The territory needs this gold even more now."
Miriam waved her hands and said without looking back:
"As a lord, you should also use your wealth more carefully. When I need money, I will ask you for it. By then, I won't be able to spend it with such a small amount of gold."
After saying that, her figure disappeared from the door.
Maxim stepped forward and closed the gold box. He said to Murphy:
"It turns out that changing the minds of smart people is so simple, sir. It's so simple that it only requires a reminder."
"This is because the more wisdom you have, the more you think, and the more you think, the more temptations you have. Once there are too many temptations, there will be less wisdom in your mind. Therefore, it is concluded that the more wisdom you have, the more wisdom you will have.
The less.
This also declares to us that smart people are not terrible.
The scary thing is those smart people who can resist temptation without being self-righteous."
Murphy got up in the dark room, made a joke to his loyal servant that might cause his CPU to burn out, and explained:
"In fact, Miriam's mind has never changed. She just used her present as a mortgage to complete an investment that bets on the future. I may have found what she really wants. I should also give her a real big deal.
An opportunity to show off your skills, what do you think?"
