The First Vampire

“Count Angler, the Morrison Family still has thirty-five knights and over thirty thousand soldiers. Do you really want to miss out on such a powerful military force?”

Colin was indeed very tempted.

As a count in the Empire, the strength of the Morrison Family was undeniable. If Colin did not accept their soldiers, they might disperse.

After all, once they lost their title and territory, the Morrison Family’s army could only disband on the spot. The family knights would become wandering knights, looking for lords willing to take them in.

With the imminent orc invasion, Colin does need to organize as much resistance as possible.

The Morrison Family could be an excellent choice. They had just lost their title and territory and were eager to prove themselves on the battlefield.

As for the loyalty of the Morrison Family… Colin wasn’t too worried.

After all, the ties of blood between the Morrison Family and the St. Hilde Family were quite deep. Looking at Lady Grace’s position and prestige in the Morrison Family, they were unlikely to betray the North Territory.

Perhaps some members of the Morrison Family may harbor resentment towards Colin, but unless they had lost their minds, they wouldn’t dare to assassinate Colin, as this wouldn’t benefit them and could even lead the Morrison Family to a dead end.

Also, thinking cynically, if these people really held grudges against Colin, he should accept their loyalty and send them all to the frontline against the orcs to consume them…

The more Colin thought, the more tempted he became.

He was reluctant to take the Blood Knight Army to Westland. After all, this was his trump card. If lost too much in the war against the orcs, it would significantly affect the position of the Angler Family.

Despite Colin’s rapid rise, the Angler Family had no other significant military forces.

Although Knight Lyle was continuously recruiting new troops to expand the Angler Family’s army, this new force was still too immature. If taken to Westland, the new soldiers would probably tremble at the sight of orcs. So, for now, the Angler Family could only rely on the Blood Knight Army to maintain its presence.

But what if the trolls in the Sky Ice Plain got any ideas while the Blood Knight Army was in Westland?

“Alright, I accept your loyalty!” Colin finally made up his mind.

He would take this army of the Morrison Family to the Westland. If they could pass his test and prove their loyalty, after the baptism of this war, a powerful army would be added to the Angler Family.

Lady Grace visibly relaxed, saying, “Count Angler, your magnanimity is as vast as the sky, as profound as the ocean! Please believe that the Morrison Family will not disappoint you!”

Looking at Lady Grace’s smiling face, Colin realized that this was probably part of her plan-

First, let Count Morrison voluntarily give up his title to atone for the sins committed by Horus, winning Colin’s forgiveness. Then, let the Morrison Family pledge loyalty to Colin, accompany him to Westland, and achieve merits with actual strength.

If successful, the Morrison Family could rise again.

Moreover, Lady Grace probably also recognized Colin’s potential. Even though the Morrison Family gave up the count title this time, following Colin may bring a more significant growth space in the future.

After all, although the Angler Family was famous in the Empire, it mainly relied on Colin’s dominance. The Angler Family lacked depth.

Thus, when the entire Morrison Family pledged allegiance at this time, as long as they could win Colin’s trust, they would surely occupy an important position in the vassal system of the Angler Family in the future.

Thinking of this, Colin couldn’t help but look at the old lady deeply but did not mind her calculations.

Because this would also be beneficial to him.

The Angler family needed powerful vassals to grow stronger.

Colin also gradually realized that he had relied too heavily on the Blood Knight Army. Although this troop was indeed invincible, cavalry had its limitations. At times, they needed the coordination of a strong infantry.

Furthermore, relying too heavily on the Blood Knight Army could disrupt the balance of the Angler Family’s vassal system. Although this imbalance may not be evident now, it would become a hidden danger in the future.

Therefore, Colin indeed needed to introduce another military force to balance the Blood Knight Army. That way, walking on two legs would be more stable.

During his contemplation, Colin tapped his sword on the shoulders of all the knights of the Morrison Family, accepting their pledge of loyalty.

Watching this scene, Count Howell couldn’t help feeling a bit pained.

After all, if Colin hadn’t accepted the loyalty of the Morrison Family, their elite troops would have become a great source of soldiers for the Howell Family after disbanding on the spot.

Regardless of his reluctance, Count Howell didn’t dare to interrupt and could only keep all his regrets at the bottom of his heart.

After a while, Colin noticed that only Saken Morrison, still holding Franco’s corpse, refused to pledge his loyalty.

Colin didn’t bother with the stubborn young man. After instructing the knights of the Morrison Family to get their troops ready to follow him to Winterfell City, he strode away.

After Colin left, the other members of the Morrison Family also gradually departed, leaving the room empty. Lady Grace looked at her stubborn grandson with a sigh, but didn’t say anything else.

Nina seemed to want to persuade her husband, but Lady Grace stopped her and said:

“Let’s go. Let him wallow in self-pity here.”

Helpless, Nina had to follow Lady Grace out.

After some unknown amount of time, Saken Morrison looked up again to find that only his father’s maid—Knight Cadina—remained in the room.

Though she was a maid, Saken knew that Cadina was also his father’s lover.

“Why aren’t you leaving?” Saken asked sarcastically, “What are you doing here? Go curry favor with your new master!”

Knight Cadina simply looked at the agitated Saken and asked:

“Do you want revenge?”

Saken was stunned, looked at Cadina suspiciously and asked, “What do you mean? Revenge on who?”

Cadina’s eyes flashed an icy cold light and she replied, “Of course, Colin Angler!”

Saken’s mouth opened wide, and after a moment, he managed to stammer out, “But… but didn’t you just swear your allegiance to Colin Angler?”

“That was just to win his trust,” Cadina said coldly.

Saken’s face fluctuated for a while before he finally clenched his teeth and said:

“What’s your plan?”