The raven had three eyes, all of which were fixed on Leo as if it had found its prey.
“Three-eyed raven…” Leo was initially stunned. After a quick scan with his Divine Awareness, he demanded, “Who are you!?”
The raven leaped from the windowsill and transformed into a black mist before it hit the ground.
The black mist then coalesced into a tall man in a black cloak with a pale face.
“Vampire!” Leo recognized the figure instantly.
The man raised his hand and bowed gracefully to Leo, introducing himself, “My name is Tassick, a guest from the East. May I know your name?”
“I’m Leo. What do you want?” Leo remained vigilant.
Tassick spoke gently, “Mr. Bloomer, there’s no need to be afraid. I am here to take you to a safe place.”
“A safe place?” Leo frowned.
“The Blood Clan member was killed by Ecclesia, and I was there when you seized the Holy Scarab,” Tassick said with a smile that seemed both eerie and sinister.
“You’ve been watching me?” Leo felt a chill down his spine. It was unbelievable that he hadn’t noticed a vampire despite his current level of cultivation.
Tassick nodded, “You could say that. I observed you obtaining the Holy Scarab at Westminster Abbey and fighting the Royal Faith’s Order of Knights.”
“What exactly do you want?” Leo’s tone grew serious.
Tassick shrugged, “As I said, I’m here to take you to a safe place. The Royal Faith’s Order of Knights will be here soon; you need to hurry.”
“Why?” Leo stared directly into Tassick’s eyes.
“You have a saying in Atraria: ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ Don’t you agree?”
Leo pondered for a moment. Unfamiliar with London, he decided it might be best to follow the vampire and avoid the knights for now.
As they left the room, Tassick courteously helped Leo with his luggage.
At the front desk, Leo checked out of the hotel.
Outside the hotel, a Rolls-Royce was parked by the curb.
After placing the luggage in the car, Tassick opened the door for Leo with great courtesy.
Once both were inside, the Rolls-Royce sped away.
About ten minutes later, Berger arrived at the Szott Hotel with four members of the knights’ order.
They had hoped to catch the Atrarian man but found they were too late.
The receptionist informed Berger that their target had checked out about ten minutes earlier and was picked up by someone in a black high-collared cloak.
“A man in a black high-collared cloak…” Berger muttered to himself, his expression growing serious. The situation seemed increasingly complicated.
Around six or seven in the morning, the Rolls-Royce drove into a medieval-style castle in the western suburbs.
Everything in the castle appeared old and stood in stark contrast to the modern and technologically advanced buildings of the city. Entering it felt like stepping back several centuries.
After the car stopped, servants naturally came to help Leo with his luggage, and Tassick led him into the castle’s grand hall.
The hall was decorated in a traditional medieval style, giving off an impression of stability and grandeur.
“Mr. Bloomer, please wait here for a moment while I fetch the esteemed Duke,” Tassick said politely.
Hearing the word “Duke,” Leo was quite surprised.
In Western medieval hierarchy, apart from princes, ranks from highest to lowest were Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, and Baron.
A Duke’s status was second only to that of a prince, meaning he was about to meet a high-ranking vampire.
In Western society, Blood Clan and vampires were two distinct entities.
The main difference was that Blood Clan members grew their numbers by infecting and converting ordinary people without drinking human blood.
Vampires needed to drink human blood but did not infect their victims because they considered themselves a noble race not meant for everyone.
Although both had Ecclesia as their enemy, Blood Clan and vampires never allied with each other due to mutual disdain. Vampires saw Blood Clan as filthy lowlifes, while Blood Clan despised vampires’ pretentious nobility.
Because of this animosity, neither group ever joined forces against Ecclesia, often ending up as victims in their conflicts.
While Leo pondered these matters, he heard footsteps on the grand staircase. Looking up, he saw four people descending.
Leading them was Tassick, followed by three men dressed in black high-collared ducal attire. Their faces were not pale but unusually rosy, almost as if they had just fed on fresh blood…
Leo stood up from the sofa and walked towards them.
Seeing Leo approach, Tassick extended his hand with a smile and introduced him, “Dukes, this is our guest from the East, Leo.”
“Mr. Bloomer, this is Duke Deane, Duke Gawain, and Duke Joseph.”
Leo smiled and shook hands with each Duke. Their hands were cold and devoid of warmth.
“Esteemed guest from the East, welcome to Vitre Castle. Here, you should feel at home,” Duke Deane said with a smile.
At home? Leo thought to himself; he was no vampire.
Their hospitality felt overly courteous and somewhat unsettling to Leo, especially with three Dukes present for his reception.
Duke Gawain elegantly gestured towards some seats and said, “Let’s not just stand here; let’s sit down and talk.”
Once seated on the sofas, servants brought drinks for everyone.
Seeing the crimson liquid before him made Leo wonder if it was blood.
Duke Joseph seemed to read his mind and laughed heartily, “This is Muntuphe from our estate. Mr. Bloomer, please try it.”
Taking his word for it, Leo lifted his glass and took a cautious sip.
Though not an expert in wine tasting, he found it quite pleasant.
“Your Graces, may I ask why you are helping me?” Leo finally voiced the question he had asked Tassick earlier.
The so-called “enemy of my enemy is my friend” didn’t seem that simple.
Duke Joseph laughed heartily and replied, “The reason is simple: because you gave those detestable knights of the Royal Faith’s Order a good thrashing!”
Leo was taken aback. Was that really their reason?