Arriving at the Ancient Castle, Undercurrents Stir

The day had finally arrived to set off for Thornflower Castle. After dressing neatly, Luo Wei and the other two left the city lord's residence, where a convoy of escort carriages was already waiting outside.

"Miss Evelyn, Steward Annie has many duties to attend to, so I will be your host for now," said a beautiful vampire maid in charge of receiving them. Evelyn gave her a slight nod and headed toward the carriage.

Luo Wei glanced around. The small northern city had become bustling and lively, filled with numerous distinguished guests.

Among the crowd, he spotted a familiar face—Principal Danton, who was chatting with two elegantly dressed middle-aged men.

The moment Luo Wei's gaze swept over them, several wary looks shot back—belonging to the bodyguards of the two men.

Principal Danton also noticed Luo Wei on the street and greeted him with a smile, causing the guards to finally lower their guard.

"Those two are the sons of Duke Philip and Duke George," Evelyn explained, noticing Luo Wei's curiosity. "Their ancestors once fought alongside my father's uncle, the former family head, General Abraham. So, the three families have always maintained close ties."

Luo Wei nodded in understanding. "Then those two must be..."

Evelyn smiled. "Exactly—the Sword and the Shield."

Luo Wei recalled the emblem of the Wegener royal family, which also served as the empire's symbol—a complex crest composed of a black dragon, a sword and shield, and thornflowers. The thornflowers represented the Abraham family, while the sword and shield naturally corresponded to the two men's respective families.

"The old duke's influence is truly vast," Luo Wei mused as he continued observing. Among the attendees were not just those two nobles—on the other side, in a position of prominence, he also spotted the emperor's trusted envoy, an elderly court attendant.

From the presence of such high-profile guests, it was clear that even though the Abraham family had long withdrawn from court politics and appeared to outsiders as a fading noble house overshadowed by the nouveau riche, they still wielded significant power within the empire.

However, Luo Wei didn’t see Bishop Lawrence among the mingling guests, nor that priestess. It seemed they had already made their way to Thornflower Castle ahead of time.

The escort convoy began transporting the guests toward the castle. Luo Wei pulled open the carriage window, watching as the towering snow-capped mountain drew closer.

By the afternoon, the convoy arrived at the mountain’s base, and the guests disembarked one after another.

Luo Wei raised his head. Before him stood an imposing black castle complex perched atop the entire mountain peak, its Gothic-style architecture adorned with countless towering spires piercing the sky. Perhaps due to its dark color palette, it exuded an air of grandeur tinged with an inexplicable eeriness—fitting his stereotypical image of a vampire’s castle, aside from its absurdly massive scale.

But beyond that, Luo Wei noticed something peculiar as he studied the castle.

"How do you usually... get back home?" Luo Wei asked Evelyn in confusion.

His bewilderment stemmed from the sheer cliffs surrounding the castle. Thornflower Castle stood vertically atop the precipice, and the main gates of each fortress seemed almost pointless—there were no roads or descending staircases in front of them.

Did they all just fly up? But only higher-ranking vampires could do that, right?

"There used to be paths," Evelyn explained. "But they were destroyed during the war when this place served as one of the northern border’s strongholds."

Many guests were also visiting such a bizarre castle for the first time, and murmurs of discussion arose. However, Steward Annie soon appeared at the mountain’s base.

With a smile, she guided them. "The method of entering Thornflower Castle is rather special. Please follow me."

Curious, the guests trailed behind her and soon saw several temporary stone gates erected at the foot of the mountain, emanating a dense magical aura.

"Since the war era, to prevent enemy forces from invading, Thornflower Castle has been sealed with powerful magical barriers. The entry conditions are quite strict—my apologies, but everyone must pass through these dedicated teleportation gates to reach the reception hall."

The stringent entry requirements sparked some murmurs of discontent.

However, the two middle-aged nobles with close ties to the Abraham family showed no concern. Following the vampire servants’ guidance, they vanished one after another. Seeing this, the rest of the guests swallowed their complaints and followed suit.

A chilly wind swept past as Luo Wei gazed up at the towering castle on the mountaintop, suddenly feeling a shiver run down his spine.

At the same time, his imagination ran wild.

An isolated castle, an extremely secluded location, a mysterious family with a thousand-year legacy, various factions making their grand entrance...

Wasn’t this the textbook "locked-room mystery" scenario? With such perfect conditions for a murder, it would be a shame if nothing happened...

Helena, noticing her brother’s unusually excited expression, tilted her head. "Brother, what’s wrong? Why do you look so thrilled?"

Luo Wei suddenly realized he was grinning like a deranged killer and quickly composed himself. "Nothing, just my professional instincts acting up."

"Oh..." Helena had long grown accustomed to her eccentric brother.

After finally stepping inside the castle, the glow of the teleportation gates gradually faded, and Thornflower Castle returned to its original sealed state.

Luo Wei surveyed his surroundings—the lavishly decorated hall stretched before him. Steward Annie efficiently directed the proceedings as numerous maids attended to the esteemed guests, guiding them to their respective rooms.

Once the busy arrangements were complete, Annie approached apologetically. "Miss, I’m afraid I’m too occupied to attend to you properly. Please rest in your room with Mr. Luo Wei for now. The master is currently discussing important matters with guests, and you’ll likely see the mistress soon."

"Don’t worry about me, focus on your duties," Evelyn replied with a smile.

Just as Annie turned to leave, Luo Wei suddenly spoke up.

"The guest the duke is receiving now—it’s Bishop Lawrence, isn’t it?"

Annie’s expression froze for a split second before she shook her head. "The master’s affairs are not to be disclosed casually."

"My apologies for the intrusion," Luo Wei said with a faint smile. That brief reaction had already given him the answer.

After Annie left, Evelyn looked at Luo Wei in confusion. "Why did you ask that? Is there something wrong with Bishop Lawrence?"

Luo Wei raised a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture.

Evelyn immediately fell silent. After glancing around, she led Luo Wei and Helena through the winding corridors of the vast castle until they reached her private quarters.

Once the door was securely shut, Evelyn whispered, "Alright, we’re safe here. Speak."

Luo Wei took in the surroundings—Evelyn’s bedroom was surprisingly cute, resembling a human girl’s room rather than a vampire’s lair. There was no cold coffin-like bed; instead, a large, plush pink bed took center stage, adorned with adorable stuffed toys...

"So our teacher used to like pink and cute things when she was little..." Luo Wei teased. "But it seems there's only one bed here."

Yet there were three of them.

"I'll sleep with my brother!" Helena declared matter-of-factly.

Evelyn frowned. "If the two of you take my bed, where am I supposed to sleep?"

Luo Wei sat on the large bed and patted it. "The three of us can share."

Evelyn gave him an exasperated look. "Was all that mysterious buildup just to tell me we’d be sharing a bed tonight?"

Luo Wei laughed, deciding not to tease Evelyn any further. Instead, he raised his right hand and called out to Tilis through the ring.

Tilis’s drowsy face, propped up by her hand, appeared before the three of them.

She wasn’t at the old mansion—the towering, endless rows of bookshelves behind her suggested she had returned to the Grand Library of the Arcane Order.

"I’m guessing the witch pulled another all-nighter," Evelyn remarked with a smile.

"Correct, but no reward," Tilis replied, covering a yawn.