【You completed City Lord Dorothea of Scorched Earth City's quest: Gain Laem's Trust】
【You gained a large amount of experience: 12000】
【Your level has risen to level 2】
【Your level has risen to level 3】
……
【Your level has risen to level 10】
【You have 180 Free Attribute Points（Please allocate them reasonably according to your class direction）】
【City Lord Dorothea is satisfied with how efficiently you completed the quest and promotes you to Second-Level Guard of the Scorched Earth City Vampire Guard】
【The Vampire Guard is Scorched Earth City's elite military force under the City Lord's direct command, comprising 11,300 vampires in one battalion. The battalion contains ten squadrons and a City Lord's personal guard commanded directly by the Captain.】
【Each vampire squadron contains ten squads, each with one hundred vampires divided into First-Rank Vampire Guards, Second-Rank Vampire Guards, and Third-Rank Vampire Guards】
【A Second-Rank Vampire Guard can command five Third-Rank Vampire Guards】
The five Third-Rank Vampire Guards were recruited by Dorothea, who placed them under Hailuot's command.
The attributes of the Third-Rank Vampire Guards are visible.
Vampire Guard
Level: 30
Faction: Scorched Earth City（Within Scorched Earth City's sphere of influence, all attributes are increased by ten percent.）
Specialty: Beginner Dark Magic, Beginner Swordsmanship, Flight
Health: 2530
Attack: 360
Defense: 263
Magical Wisdom: 367
Combat Technique: Dash, Moonshadow Rending Slash, Raider's Strike
Magic: Death Wind Blade, Mental Intimidation, Dark Cloak
【Equipment: Vampire Battle Armor（Defense increases by ten percent. This standard-issue armor of the Scorched Earth City Vampire Guard balances mobility and protection and provides some mana recovery.）】
【Vampire Side Sword（Attack +50. This standard-issue weapon of the Scorched Earth City Vampire Guard has a sharpness Enchantment Effect.）】
Command Requirement: 150（Second-Level Guard - 150）
After examining the Third-Rank Vampire Guard's attributes, Hailuot marveled. If even the lowest-ranked vampire guards were this strong, how powerful were the Company Commanders and Captains at the top? No wonder players behaved so obediently whenever the Vampire Guard appeared.
Right now, Hailuot had five Third-Rank Vampire Guards, Butler Kote the Skeleton Mage, and the ability to summon two Corpseflower Poison Vines. If he brought in some Undead from the manor, he could easily assemble an army and sweep through the Skeleton Maze.
That would be quite a spectacle.
Hailuot imagined himself rampaging through the Skeleton Maze and looked forward to the reward that awaited him.
But after waiting for a long while……
Dorothea sat on her high seat and showed no sign of offering anything more.
Hailuot reminded her, "Marquis, you can give me my reward now."
Dorothea hadn't expected Hailuot to be dissatisfied with his reward. She said irritably, "Bonecrusher, based on your performance, I should promote you only to Third-Level Guard. Promoting you to Second-Level Guard was already an exception. Besides, your actual strength falls far short of what a Second-Level Guard should possess.
Don't be so greedy. You should be like Soul Eater, improving yourself step by step."
Father improved himself step by step only because grandfather died early.
Hailuot remembered his economics professor saying, "Only by maximizing your own value can you make others recognize it."
So Hailuot said bluntly to Dorothea, "It seems you still haven't figured out why Soul Eater left you and went to serve the Sorrow King instead, Marquis."
That was practically like tearing open one of Dorothea's old wounds to her face.
If anyone else had dared say that to her, this Vampire Marchioness would probably have flown into a rage.
But this was Bonecrusher, Soul Eater's Younger Brother. He surely knew the answer that had troubled her for so long.
Why had Soul Eater left?
Dorothea, feigning indifference on the surface, said, "It's surely because the Sorrow King is one of the Seven Governors of Death, while I'm merely a lord beneath the Sorrow King. Soul Eater betrayed the trust and cultivation I gave him. What a selfish creature."
Hailuot gently patted his horse and said, "So Soul Eater thought so little of you, Marquis. Yet he spoke highly of you. He said you were a lord who treated her subordinates with consideration and was full of ambition.
It's just……"
Hearing Soul Eater praise her so highly, Dorothea couldn't hide her emotions. Her eyes narrowed with a smile. When Hailuot stopped speaking, she asked, "Just what?"
At that moment, Hailuot noticed something odd about Dorothea.
Why was she smiling like a cat that got the cream? If vampires had tails, hers would be wagging right now.
Recalling the flashes of emotion Dorothea showed whenever Soul Eater came up, Hailuot formed a bold hypothesis.
Could it be that this Vampire Marchioness harbored improper feelings for his father?
"Extremely stingy." Realizing that this vampire wanted to become his stepmother, Hailuot stopped being polite and forgot about the reward as he said, "I worked hard to complete the task you assigned, yet you're willing to give me only such a paltry reward. I've never seen such a miserly Undead, especially a City Lord. What good are ambition and drive if your stinginess keeps you from accomplishing anything great?
My goal is to become the strongest. How could I follow a City Lord with no backbone at all……"
Dorothea's expression grew darker. Before Hailuot could finish his harsh words, she rose in anger and roared, "Aren't you afraid I'll kill you right now?!"
Hailuot bowed at his leisure. "Marquis, these aren't my words. They're all things my Older Brother Soul Eater said."
Dorothea demanded, "He truly said that about me?"
At this point Hailuot was already thrilled inside. Let's see if you'll keep pestering my father after this.
Hailuot said firmly, "If you don't believe me, call Soul Eater here and ask him yourself."
But when Hailuot thought he had enraged Dorothea completely, the Vampire Marchioness's anger began to subside.
She sank back into her chair, drained, and murmured, "So that's why he left me. He wanted to become the strongest, but I couldn't keep pace with him."
Hailuot was a bit stunned.
Why are you reflecting on yourself now? Shouldn't you be so angry you'd want to kill me out of spite?
To achieve his goal, Hailuot decided to press harder. "At first, I didn't believe what Soul Eater said about you, but now it seems……City Lord, you really are stingy.
I don't know what you want from Laem, City Lord, but I'm playing an important role in it. Yet you still see me as your subordinate and think making me a Second-Level Guard is a favor?
I'm a third party here, alright!
And these five Third-Rank Vampire Guards—I have command authority over them, but not ownership. You can take them back whenever you please.
I don't know how Soul Eater endured you for so long. I don't want to stay here any longer."
This slap rang out loud and clear—let's see if you can still hold it in!
But Dorothea said, "You're right……no, Soul Eater was right! I lack the drive to match my ambition. The price I offered you was too low."