Chapter 595: The Black Knight Family

The commotion in the room, though brief, alerted the guards stationed outside, who quickly came to inquire.

"My lord!"

"It's nothing. Return to your posts." Liszt had no intention of alarming others. He first needed to identify this vampire before deciding his next move.

After the guards withdrew, he glanced at the bat, which had stopped struggling, and gently loosened his grip.

The bat burst into a crimson glow the moment it hit the floor, transforming back into the female vampire clad in tight leather. She no longer attempted to flee. Her face was pale but calm, though her eyes gave away shock and fear. However, she quickly regained composure, masking her emotions with a smile.

"As expected of the Sapphire Duchy’s youngest sky knight... Your strength is impressive."

She spoke Serpent Tongue, but haltingly, riddled with grammatical and syntactical errors—clearly not a native of the Sapphire Duchy... or a vampire from there.

"Naturally, I’m strong. But let’s talk about you—who are you?" Liszt smiled faintly. Even after an assassination attempt, he kept his cool like a true gentleman. "To be honest, I’ve always believed in the existence of vampires, but this is my first time seeing one in person."

"Passing... Believe me, lord?"

"Of course not. From before you stepped in till now, every move you made was within my sight. So cut the crap. Tell me in detail about your identity and intentions. Then I’ll decide whether to kill you or let you go."

"But I truly was passing... I caught the scent of sweet blood... followed it to you, lord..."

Before she could finish, Liszt reached out and seized her throat again. His expression remained calm, but the force in his grip intensified. "Normally, I’m a very patient man. But tonight, I’m uncomfortable from not bathing, so my patience is thin. If you don’t speak, I’ll lose patience and simply crush your neck."

"Gack... gack..." The female vampire tried to speak, but her constricted throat rendered her words inaudible.

Liszt showed no intention of releasing her. "I am indeed very interested in your origins, but sometimes I can’t control myself—I get a kick out of killing. If you want to run, go ahead. If you can escape this room, I’ll admit defeat."

Only after delivering this speech did he finally loosen his grip.

"Cough... cough..." The female vampire coughed violently, her chest rising and falling sharply. "Lord... so cruel... to woman..."

Liszt replied coolly, "Keep talking, and see what happens."

She hesitated, her expression torn between defiance and fear. She remained silent for a long while. Liszt didn’t press her, merely watching as his thoughts drifted elsewhere—he summoned the Smoke Task, checking for any hints.

Strangely, however, the Smoke Task showed no changes, indicating it remained incomplete.

"Hmm? Didn’t I take down that bat?" Liszt frowned slightly, his gaze shifting to the female vampire behind the smoke. Was the task hinting he had to kill her?

This frown, along with the killing intent in his eyes, forced the conflicted female vampire to make a swift decision.

"Lord... Elizabeth Black Knight... of the Black Knight family... from the Kingdom of the Eagle..."

"You can speak in Wind Tongue. I understand it."

"Heh... My name is Elizabeth Black Knight. I’m a hybrid vampire of the Black Knight family. As for the Black Knight family... we serve as vampire retainers under His Highness Alonso Cyclamen."

"Alonso Cyclamen?" Liszt had heard this name before. The book about dragons authored by Marquis Ox had its title page inscribed with "To the Esteemed His Highness Alonso Cyclamen."

He asked, "Who is Alonso?"

"A Marquis of the Kingdom of the Eagle, with the last name Cyclamen. But he is also one of the kingdom’s dragon knights. I know little about him—I’ve never even met him. Heh... I’m just a half-blood, after all. Bottom-tier in the Black Knight family."

"Tell me about the Black Knight family, about vampires, and your purpose for coming here."

"Of course I can tell you, Viscount, but I have one condition."

"Sorry, I don’t like negotiating with prisoners."

"Wait, Viscount, listen to me... I’m a Hybrid Vampire. My heart is controlled by a Pureblood Vampire. The heart is the greatest weakness of a vampire—without it, there's no difference between living and dead… Help me retrieve my heart, and I will pledge my complete loyalty to you!"

As she spoke, Elizabeth traced her red lips with her tongue: "Then, whatever you desire, I will obey."

Under the lamplight, the female vampire radiated dangerous allure.

Though Liszt’s soul was no longer that of a young man in his prime, his body still reacted instinctively, flushing with heat. Fortunately, he immediately channeled his Dragon Aura to suppress the sensation.

His expression remained indifferent: "A vampire who only dares to lurk in the shadows—such loyalty means nothing to me. However, I am quite interested in Pureblood Vampires and Hybrid Vampires. Tell me, how are they different? From your words, it seems there are more vampires nearby besides you?"

"Pureblood Vampires are those whose blood has been intensely purified and fully integrated with blood magic, a unique branch of dark magic that can be passed down through generations within a family, though their fertility is very low. Hybrid Vampires are those whose blood has not yet merged with blood magic—we are all vampires transformed from humans."

"So, earlier, with that syringe, you were trying to turn me into a Hybrid Vampire?"

"It was Black Knight Tubote’s order. He wanted to transform you, Viscount, into a Hybrid Vampire to serve as his subordinate." Elizabeth then coaxed, "Viscount, your strength is formidable. If you kill him, I will pledge my loyalty to you and reveal all my secrets!"

"Why should I trust you? In fact, I have more than enough means to make you beg for mercy and cough up every secret. Now, I’ll give you a choice: first, refuse to cooperate and be killed by me; or second, cooperate actively, and if you prove your worth, I might even help you kill this Tubote."

He could see a flash of hatred in Elizabeth’s eyes when she mentioned Tubote.

Of course, it was also possible she was merely acting.

After a moment of consideration, Elizabeth decisively chose the second option: "Tubote was sent by Prince Alonso to find the great magician of the Goat Assembly. After the dragon-slaying incident, several great magicians of the Goat Assembly lost contact. Only they know the truth about the Sapphire Duchy and that sapphire dragon."