The study once again regained its tranquility.
Colin stood alone in front of the fireplace, staring at the oil painting hanging on the wall, âKnight Slaughters the White Wolf,â completely absorbed.
Although Scholar Doanâs advice is reasonable, and Colin himself knows he should proceed with caution, the thought of missing an opportunity to hunt a Holy Warrior fills him with reluctance.
This failed journey to Dragon City had given Colin a clear understanding of his current status-
He is already a High Noble who plays a significant role, managing to secure a place for himself at the political core of the Empire of Glory. However, the problem lies in the fact that he is still unable to make it to the center of the stage, let alone possess a decisive influence.
Itâs as if Colinâs current power- formidable beneath the Holy Field, becomes powerless when facing the Holy Field itself.
If Colin could breakthrough his current power bottleneck, his position within the Empire of Glory would drastically change.
Unfortunately, Colinâs Blood Clan identity requires the consumption of a large quantity of high ranking knightâs fresh blood for advancement.
If not the sixth order, the only ones superior are the Holy Knights.
But Holy Knightsâ fresh blood isnât easy to acquire.
This is why Colin, although aware Doan Scholarâs advice is steadier, feels unsatisfied.
To him, the temptation of a Holy Warrior, is far greater than that of the White Wolf Witch King or even the Troll Empire.
The fresh blood of the Holy Warriors couldnât promote Colin to a higher realm, but it can be converted into blood slaves.
With a blood slave at the Holy Field level, obtaining the fresh blood of a Holy Knight wouldnât be too difficult, would it?
As Colin stared at the blood-stained sword in the painting, his eyes gradually became sharper, even to the point of madness.
Sending twenty thousand Blood Knight Army could potentially scare away Holy Warrior Otto, but what if we only sent the Blood Shadow Guard?
The Blood Shadow Guard only consists of over twelve hundred blood slaves, surely not enough to intimidate a Holy Warrior.
But each member of the Blood Shadow Guard is a professional, including three sixth-ranking blood slaves, making them a potentially terrifying Transcendent force.
Perhaps theyâre not as strong as the Temple Knight Regiment, but blood slaves are truly fearless of death, invincible unless beheaded.
If a real battle were to occur, Colin is confident that the current Blood Shadow Guard could stand up against the Temple Knight Regiment.
If the Temple Knight Regiment could besiege and kill a Holy Knight back then, the Blood Shadow Guard might stand a chance of making the Holy Warrior mourn on the Sky Ice Plain.
Therefore, despite telling Scholar Doan that he would be cautious just then, Colin has already decided to take a chance.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
If he wants a significant gain, he has to bear substantial risks.
If he successfully turns Holy Warrior Otto into a blood slave this time, Colin would even dare to storm the castle, launch a fierce attack on the Troll Royal City, dismember the Troll Empire, and completely eliminate the threat from the north.
Moreover, Colin would no longer have to worry about assassination by Mr. Ji or other Holy Knights, even plotting to assassinate a holy knight to get enough fresh blood for the successful advancement to Holy Field.
Once he reaches Holy Field, Colinâs status within the Empire of Glory will be incomparable.
One could say, as long as this venture is successful, Colinâs situation will completely improve.
As long as he takes this one riskâ¦
Konk, Konk!
A series of knocks interrupted Colinâs contemplation.
âCome in.â
Colin turned around, and Veraâs petite head peeked inside. Her beautiful, radiant face was gleaming with a smile. âDid I disturb you?â she asked.
âOf course not,â Colin smiled back, opening his arms in a welcoming gesture.
Accompanied by a gust of fragrance, a soft and warm body, like a swallow returning to its nest, threw itself into Colinâs arms.
Colin wrapped his arms around Veraâs waist, buried his nose in her soft hair to inhale her sweet scent, causing the prior worries and calculations in his head to evaporate in an instant.
The two remained silently and warmly in each otherâs arms for a while, lost in the sweet moment of their reunion.
After a while, Colin tightened his arms around Veraâs waist and jestingly said with a smile,
âYouâve been feigning sickness in bed for a while and it seems like youâve gained a little weight.â
Vera tilted her head and rolled her eyes playfully, retorting, âIâm not fat!â
Colin smiled slightly, lowered his head and captured Veraâs delicate lips, murmuring vaguely,
âRightâ¦shouldâ¦call⦠it⦠voluptuous.â
A moment later, they parted their lips.
Resting slightly out of breath on Colinâs chest, Veraâs face turned enticingly rosy. She shook her head and said, âNo, I didnât get fat, I just gained the weight of another person.â
âYes, yes, not fat, not fatâ¦â Colin nonchalantly pacified his wife, but at that moment, he got Veraâs meaning.
Suddenly, he stared at Vera, blinking in disbelief, stuttered, âYou⦠you meanâ¦â
Vera smiled sweetly, nodded, and said, âYes, Colin, Iâm pregnant!â
The delicate words were like a bolt of lightning exploding in Colinâs brain.
For a moment, Colin felt an electric current jolting from the soles of his feet straight up to his head, his entire body trembling with excitement.
âReallyâ¦Is it true?â Colin grinned like a fool, hugging Vera tightly but then instantly let go, worried that he might end up hurting the little life in her belly.
âOf course itâs true.â Vera extended her arm, that was as delicate as a lotus root, wrapped it around her husbandâs neck, and planted a soft kiss on his face. âIt was probably from the time you woke me up from my slumber about a month ago⦠that we succeeded in conceiving. I just confirmed it a few days ago. But knowing you were about to return, I have been keeping it a secret and wanted to give you a surprise when you came back.â
âIndeed a surprise!â Colin gently kissed Veraâs delicate nose and gently placed his hand on her still flat belly, asking, âWhen do you plan to make it public?â
Vera tilted her head and laughed, âWhy not announce it at tonightâs banquet?â
âSure.â Colin definitely could not refuse.
Right now, he could not wait to share this news with everyone.
âIâll go and have the butler prepare then.â With that, Vera effortlessly sprang out of Colinâs embrace and trotted out of the study.
Watching his wifeâs receding figure, Colin wore a smile of happiness on his face.
However, his gaze soon returned to the oil painting on the wall, and the decision he had made was once again wavering.
Should he continue his adventure?
Colin was torn.
If he failed, would he lose the chance to witness the birth of his child?
What about Vera?
What about Isa and Sylv of the Half-Elf Kingdom?
All of a sudden, Colin realized that he indeed had so much at stake.
A sense of responsibility labelled âresponsibilityâ pressed heavily on Colinâs heart, causing his originally enthusiastic mind to gradually cool down.
Does he really have to take such a risk?
Colin took a deep breath, and his mentality finally changed.
Even for a Holy Warrior, this risk is not worth taking.
He is of Blood Clan, thereâs no need to rush. Patience and steady development are the right way.
Wait until the day when the number of his Blood Slaves exceeds three thousand, then try to besiege a Holy Field, this will be a solid move.
As for this time, he should take the Blood Knight Army with him.
If they could scare a Holy Warrior away, that would be great, safety is the most important.
Colin nodded to himself, finally making the decision.