Chapter 123 122 Money Power and the Future

Chapter 123: 122. Money, Power and the Future

The “Succession Ceremony” of the Archduchess Bloodwing was rushed and simple, but that was not a big problem.

The Blood Vulture Clan is now left with a total of only ten people in the miserable situation, really want to carry out a luxurious ceremony can not even get people together is really embarrassing. Not to mention the fact that there was still the external Golden Canary Flower Kingdom looking on, the Blood Vulture now had to hide in the darkness and act carefully.

But for the true loyalists, the usefulness of a simple ceremony can be very important.

Especially after the Blood Vulture Grand Duchess, Lady Tris, reset the family structure, placing the nominal two-thirds of the Transylvanian region’s rule in the hands of Murphy and Phineas, respectively, and juridically confirming Murphy’s rule over the region around Cadman City.

As for the Count Sike’s territory further north that occupied the last third of the Transylvania region, the situation there was a bit more complicated, and even when the Blood Vulture Clan was in its heyday, the relationship with the Blood Vultures over there was quite delicate, so Tris didn’t intend to deal with these troublesome matters right now, and she didn’t even intend to deal with them on her own at all.

She felt sure her little Murphy would be willing to do it for her.

And this thing called jurisprudence was not even as good as ass-wipe paper when it was useless, but it was as expensive as gold in certain situations.

Like right now, for example.

In the early morning hours, in the shadow of a rare intact building in the outer city of Cadman, Murphy was watching three Blood Vulture Knights escorting a carriage carrying the beloved walnut coffin of Miss Firmis.

This was obviously to escort her to the Dark Mountain Range region to meet with Venerable Lord Paying.

Knight-Lord Palanor had left Cadman City first after the ceremony last night, the warning mission he had been tasked with required him to circle the continent’s powers for a week within the next month, and considering some of the guy’s neurotic habits, it was definitely a very, very rushed journey for him.

“I thought you were going to follow Missy.”

Murphy said to Mrs. Adele at his side in the shadows:

“You know, I actually don’t resist you and Missy continuing to maintain a bosom friend-like, or even an allegiance relationship without the binding of a bloodline contract, you know, I’ve always been forgiving in this regard.”

“You say so.”

Adele withdrew her gaze and said softly:
“But my life with Missy has already crossed paths, and now I will fight for your will, and compared to Missy’s well-being, this ruin and your cause clearly need my strength more.”

Her tone was so natural that no resistance at all could be heard.

The expression on her face that was taken for granted made Murphy feel even more emotional, the subtle overbearing effect of this bloodline contract at the level of obedience, before Mrs. Adele’s resistance and resistance was still fresh in Murphy’s mind, but it was only less than fifteen days ago, and she had already been loyal to this point.

It was estimated that after some more time, Adele would no longer refuse any of Murphy’s orders.

If Murphy is really a dirty man, then with the exaggerated physical condition of “E sister”, Adele’s life is probably completely surrendered.
Fortunately, he is not.

At this moment, think about Tris asked him to cancel the contract with her think also represents Tris care and love for him, she obviously does not want Murphy in such a twisted road farther and farther.

However, for vampires, this kind of life dependent on others is the norm, just as the vampire’s civilization is now completely dependent on human civilization, really can’t think about it, vampires as a race in all aspects are full of all kinds of grooves.

“Take it.”

Murphy turned around and walked into the room behind him, slipping a small jar of pure source blood into Adele’s hand in passing, instructing:
“The first time every vampire drinks source blood, it will not only strengthen your power but also release you from your bloodline contract with me. Let bygones be bygones, now I give you back the power to choose your life, Adele.

Choose the monarch you truly want to serve, while your mind still maintains the last bit of clarity.

Consider it as a reward for your dedicated service to me during this time; you are a fine lady in every way, and should not have fallen into something worse.”

“I do not need such a thing! This is a disgrace!”

Lady Adele’s face changed, and she whispered:

“I am loyal! Master Murphy.”

“No, that doesn’t mean I doubt you, I just want to build a new family system that belongs to the vampires, this is just an experiment and a reward for loyalty. After all, I don’t need hounds but warriors, and a bound will cannot exert truly appalling power.

Keep it, or you can throw it away.

It’s all up to you.”

Murphy waved his hand back and then disappeared into the shadows of the house.

After he left, Mrs. Adele looked at the source blood vial in her hand.

Certain complex emotions danced in her scarlet eyes, and she eventually raised her head to look in the direction where Missy had disappeared, and in the end, she didn’t throw away this precious thing.

As Lady Adele silently turned around and prepared to go about her business, she suddenly felt a gaze coming from a short distance away, and when she looked back, she saw the ghostly Maxim standing at the edge of the shadows beyond the eaves of the house, carrying a box in one hand and holding the Grave Black Blade in the other.

At that moment it was watching her with a subtle gaze.

The look seemed to say, “If you dare to be unfaithful, I will dare to cut you down!
“Ch.”

The haughty half-elf tilted her head in a high and cool stance to ignore Maxim’s wordless threat, and then flew away in the direction of the Blood Wyvern Cloisters by quickly penetrating the sunlight in the curtain of shadows cast by the Spiritual Energy Spell.

And at this time in this house in the ruins, Miriam had already prepared a report summarizing various information from the survivor camp into a report, ready to report to Murphy about her work during this period of time.

However, before she started her report, Murphy raised his hand and interrupted her, turning to another matter.

“Miriam, I promised you before the battle in the Smuggler’s Woodland that you are absolutely free, and as long as we get through the danger, I will immediately send you out of Transylvania as you wished and gift you a fortune that will allow you to live a lifetime without worry.”

The vampire sat down at the lavish log table that had been found in the ruins by the small group of players and smiled as he addressed the redhead sitting across from him.

Miriam froze for a moment.

There was indeed such a thing.

It was exactly what Murphy had said when he compelled himself to risk his own life to rescue those four witch hunters, and she’d thought that was just a vampire cop-out, but she hadn’t expected Murphy to actually take the initiative to talk about it at this point.

Ah, that would have been nearly twenty days ago.

But it was as distant in her own perceptions and memories as if it had been some afternoon a dozen years ago.

Still, what was the meaning of this?
Miriam couldn’t help but ponder in the little theater of her mind, could it be that Murphy was testing her loyalty?

If she asked Murphy to fulfill his promise at this time, would this “Count Cadman”, who had just been appointed last night, give the order and then perform the classic story of the five hundred axemen and the ravioli noodles?

She thought a lot.

However, Murphy had no other intention at all.

He called out to the door, and Maxim in scarlet heavy armor walked in carrying the case, the family’s personal captain’s armor found from the Blood Wyvern’s secret storehouse was super protective, as well as the suit’s composition of psychic protection effects and also had a very heavy and robust appearance.

Especially the two shoulder armor made in the shape of night bats, making the already tall Maxim look like a humanoid beast.

That barrel helmet with its own vulture face armor even wrapped his entire face, filling it with an oppressive force from the obscure midnight.

“Bang.”

The loyal servant placed the box in his hand in front of Miriam’s eyes and opened it again under Murphy’s smiling gaze.

In an instant, golden streams of light illuminated Miriam’s eyes.

Inside the not so large chest were forty gold bars and an equal number of gold coins and jewels neatly piled up, just one of the inconspicuous ninety cents in the Blood Vulture’s Secret Treasure Vault, and even though Miriam was not an accounting or appraisal major, she was able to vaguely estimate the value of these belongings in an instant.

Calculating with the current prices of Port Chardonnay, this money was not enough to make herself among the upper class of the society overnight, but if calculating with the standard of living of an ordinary person, Murphy was indeed not exaggerating when he said that it could allow her to live a lifetime without any worries.

With this amount of money, she could not only finish her studies safely, but could even buy a store in Chardonnay Harbor and start a comfortable new life there that far exceeded the standard of living of ordinary people!

“You deserve it, Miriam.”

It wasn’t Murphy who spoke first, but Maxim. The loyal servant reached up and pushed his vulture-like faceplate up, and instead of the previous hostility and scrutiny on that otherworldly face, he addressed Miriam with a gentle expression:

“I apologize to you for my earlier suspicions; even by the harshest standards, your work in the ruins of Cadman City and the survivor camps has aided Master Murphy’s cause far beyond my role.

These riches are not only a promise from the Master, but a reward you deserve.

But I will say this.
Perhaps you should not accept these.”

“Hmm?”

Miriam, who by now was busy calculating the value of all these golden cuties in front of her and trying to conceptualize in her mind how she should enjoy life after she became so rich, tilted her head in surprise when she heard Maxim’s exhortation:

“Why? Mark, although you still seem to me to be a foolishly loyal and irredeemable fellow, I also have to admit that by the standards of a friend, you do qualify. But you shouldn’t interfere with my choices either, should you?

Just as I’ve never ridiculed you with your vampire ideals again in all this time.”

“No, I’m not trying to interfere in your life.”

Maxim glanced at Lord Murphy, who with a smile on his face was playing down with the core jewel, and he turned his head to whisper to Miriam:

“You taking this money means that your work in Cadman City is over, you will be able to gain the power to leave and run to your new life, however what about the survivor camp? What about the 1,800 people we rescued from the Blood Vulture Cloisters?
You built this camp of almost 3,000 people, can you bear to abandon them to this ruin and wilderness?”

“This.”

Miriam didn’t know how to answer for a moment, and Maxim leaned down again, picking up a gold bar and playing with it in his hand as he whispered:

“I’m a rough man, so I might as well ask more directly! Which do you choose, future power or present money?”

Don’t look at Maxim, but from his occasional conversations with Murphy, it can be seen that this big man actually has his own “art of speaking” that will occasionally go to the heart of the matter, at least this sentence is quite subtle.

But the redhead was amused by the question.

She was tempted to ask Maxim outright which of her eyes saw her enjoying power in the survivor camp? What power was there to enjoy when this was a large refugee camp by Chardonnay Harbor’s standards?
But then her expression changed subtly.

Brought up and educated by knowledge, she knew how to make associations, and the scene of Lord Murphy being given the Earl of Cadman last night was still fresh in her mind.

He had been given the rightful right to rule!

So, this refugee camp at the moment could hardly be said not to grow into a gathering point of the size of Cadman City in the future, and it would be difficult for Murphy’s status and character to actually come down to rule, so as the current administrator he relied on the most himself
The future lord of the city?
Or even further?
Thinking of this, Miriam’s breathing suddenly shortened and after a second of holding her breath to look at those luxurious things in front of her again, suddenly feeling that these golden things don’t seem to be so tempting anymore.

Murphy at this time did not pay special attention to Miriam’s changes, he will be surfing on the Internet is high.

In the game group and a group of waiting for the resurrection of the small players idle egg pain Kan Dashan Kan fly up, from the most popular music has been chatting to some of the rubbing edge of the vulgar, but also to find sand sculpture netizens to the group to share a few popular songs intend to do nothing to listen to a listen.

As a result, this took the time to look up and saw Miriam across the table looking at herself with straight eyes.

The eyes danced with three points of anticipation, four points of joy, two points of hesitation, and the last point is rapidly increasing decisiveness, hissing this fan chart eyes you do not say is also quite oozing ghosts.

“So, are you still satisfied with the payment I gave you?”

Murphy inquired maintaining his usual elegant and decent tone:
“If this isn’t enough, we can still discuss it, my warriors found some artifacts from the ruins of the city that are hard to value, perhaps you can take them and bring them to Chardonnay Harbor to sell?
We’ll split the money we get 70-30.”

“You want money for food right?”

Miriam asked suddenly:
“Have you finally noticed that it’s almost October now about to enter late fall? It’s too late to try to plow with Transylvania’s climate and the manpower we have now.

You’ll have to buy enough food from outside this coming winter, and impose stricter rationing to keep up with the population of stragglers that may be soaring now and in your territory, not to mention the expense if the two countries do release the Bloodservants captured in the war.

This is very dangerous!

My instructor emphasized in my first class in the administration department that sitting on your hands is the worst case scenario for any regime.

Not only do you have to cut back on expenses, but you also have to find a way to increase your income.”

“Hmm?”

Murphy blinked as he asked with considerable interest:
“So, do you have any good ideas?”

“Mines!”

Miriam took out her notebook and flipped through it as she said:
“There are several abandoned mines in southern Transylvania near the Tainted Swamps, which used to be an important source of ore for the local area, but during the Ten Years’ War the miners there were drafted by the vampires to the front lines.

With our current manpower there is no way to get the place operational for at least half a year, and when I was studying in Port Chardonnay, I often saw advertisements in the newspapers there for prospecting mines run by prospecting teams of Brass Dwarves.

The dwarves’ demand for minerals is endless, we can hand over those mines to the dwarves to take care of and exchange food directly from them.

Those Dwarf Dunes will definitely take advantage of the opportunity to suppress the price, they’re very cunning and careful, but those unused minerals can definitely be exchanged for at least enough food for the survivor camps.”

“Good idea!”

Murphy exclaimed and asked again:
“But how should we contact them?”

“With this!”

Miriam pointed to the arithmetic pearl on her wrist as she said:
“With the distance between the Filthy Swamp and Fort Brass, all we need to do is set up a message relay station near the Smuggler’s Woodland to contact the Dwarves’ mines near the Dark Mountains. Do you think they built Fort Brass just to ward off the monsters in the Dark Mountains?
Not at all!

Our economics professor told us in detail that the Dwarves originally did it to get the rare minerals in the Dark Mountains, and that the defense against the Black Plague and all that was a mistake later on.

If you’re not worried, I can take care of this.”

“Of course I’m relieved, just let it go.”

Murphy graciously delegated his authority, and Miriam also stood up, picked up the documents she had organized, nodded her head in a very ladylike manner to say goodbye and turned around, then walked towards the outside of the house.

“Hey, you forgot something.”

Murphy reminded from behind her:
“Your gold.”

“The territory needs that gold more than ever right now.”

Miriam said waving her hand without looking back:

“As a lord you should also be more careful with your wealth, I’ll come to you for it when I need the money, and then it won’t be such a small amount of gold to get rid of.”

With that said, her figure disappeared into the doorway.

Maxim went forward and closed the golden chest, and he said to Murphy:

“It turns out that changing a wise man’s mind is also so simple, my lord, so simple that even just a reminder is needed.”

“This is because the more wisdom there is, the more one thinks, and the more one thinks, the more temptation there is, and once there is too much temptation, the brain can hold less wisdom, so it concludes that the more wisdom there is, the less wisdom there is.

This also proclaims to us that smart people are not really scary.

What’s scary are the smart people who can resist temptation without getting ahead of themselves.”

Murphy got up in the dimly lit room and joked to his loyal servant about the possibility of causing his CPU to burn out, explaining again:

“Miriam’s mind never really changed, she just used her present as collateral to complete an investment betting on the future, and I may have found what she really wants. I should also give her a chance to really make her mark, don’t you think?”

(End of chapter)