Lord Leo opened his eyes. Two attendants silently retrieved a water flask, placed three pieces of blood bait into it, shook it vigorously, and poured the mixture into a tin cup before handing it to their master.
After drinking the blood-infused water, Lord Leo felt slightly revitalized. He muttered a brief incantation under his breath, and more than a dozen palm-sized bats flew out of his body, soaring into the sky.
For the past ten days, he had been performing this secret art daily to scout distant areas. Among the thirty-seven vampire clans, each had its own unique secret arts. As one of the three royal clans, the Shanlens-Arthur Family specialized in the core secret art known as Blood Clan Verbal Spellcasting, a technique widely mastered within their family. This blood bat technique could be used to attack enemies, transform into countless bats to evade capture, or, most importantly, conduct reconnaissance.
Lord Leo didn’t fully trust Charlot Mecklenburg.
More than a dozen bats took to the skies for two or three hours, but only two returned. They re-entered Lord Leo’s body, causing the vampire lord to suddenly perk up. He murmured, “As expected, Ferdinand will be passing through nearby.”
“Kainan wasn’t lying. He remains reliable.”
Charlot’s statement that Archduke Ferdinand would pass through Machubi hadn’t been mere idle talk. While helping Miss Menielman organize her files, Charlot had come across a document about a recently detained South Seraph restorationist. The prisoner, captured for plotting an uprising, had revealed Ferdinand’s route to Strasbourg.
When Charlot later prepared to head to Machubi, he had casually mentioned Ferdinand’s impending passage. Unexpectedly, this tidbit earned him deeper trust from Lord Leo.
As Lord Leo deployed his blood bats to survey the surrounding area, Charlot prudently avoided interfering. Instead, he continued to study the Vampiric Scroll〢〨.
When the blood bats returned, Charlot immediately put the scroll away and approached respectfully. “Shall I send someone to scout further?” he asked.
Lord Leo shook his head. “The South Seraph restorationists have already set up their ambush. If your men approach, they’ll only alert the enemy.”
“It’ll suffice for just the two of us to go.”
Initially relieved to hear that he didn’t need to send anyone, Charlot was caught off guard when Lord Leo indicated that he should accompany him. Surprised, Charlot stammered, “Me?”
Lord Leo smiled faintly. “The South Seraph restorationists lack anyone of significant ability. Their assassination attempt may not succeed. Our task is merely to provide a finishing shot if needed.”
“How’s your marksmanship?”
Charlot hesitated before replying, “It’s decent. I can extinguish a candle at twenty paces.”
Lord Leo reached into his collar and pulled out a massive firearm.
Measuring 1.5 pimi in length—approximately 1.8 meters in Old Continent metric units—the rifle’s barrel was slightly narrower than an arm but intimidatingly thick for a firearm. More than ninety percent of its components gleamed with metallic sheen, exuding a raw, rugged, solid design. Not only was it built for shooting, but its weight and sturdiness made it formidable as a melee weapon.
The Old Continent had yet to develop the sniper rifle category, though rifles were already in use.
The design of this rifle was entirely distinct from typical vampire weaponry, clearly originating from one of the Fars Empire’s advanced alchemical workshops. Moreover, it was a specialized model.
Lord Leo chuckled. “Lucky you! This is a signature product from Firequell, one of the six major alchemical workshops in the Fars Empire—the Anti-Space Long-Range Rifle!”
“Spatial equipment is about storage, but anti-space is about concealment. You can hide it inside any mundane item, making it extremely convenient to carry.”
“This rifle comes with a spatial magazine. When you retrieve it from the concealed item, its anti-space property converts to the spatial magazine function. However, since space and anti-space properties are incompatible, hiding the rifle will revert the magazine to its anti-space form, expelling the ammunition. So, you’ll need to carry the bullets separately.”
“In addition to this, it can convert combat energy, blood energy, magical power, and other extraordinary abilities into bullets. However, lower-tier Transcendents can’t fire many shots, so it’s only for emergencies.”
“Its effective range is 3,700 pimi!”
“Of course, only an extraordinary marksman can shoot accurately at such distances.”
“This time, I’ve brought two Anti-Space Long-Range Rifles. This one is yours.”
“When the time comes, you can take a few shots. After all, opportunities to openly fire upon an archduke—without risk of facing the gallows—don’t come often.”
Charlot swallowed hard. Initially, he had assumed that Lord Leo carried spatial equipment. How else could an ordinary piece of clothing conceal such a massive rifle? Upon hearing the term "anti-space," his astonishment grew. Anti-space extraordinary items were peculiar wonders unique to this world.
Magical equipment with anti-space properties could be concealed within any object, temporarily transforming ordinary items into specialized storage tools. This feature was astonishingly innovative.
Magical equipment on the Old Continent wasn’t limited to cold weapons; firearms were rarer and even more expensive.
This Anti-Space Long-Range Rifle was not only magical equipment but also imbued with the anti-space property. Its price would undoubtedly rival Louis Simy’s Shanlens’ Spear.
From Lord Leo’s tone, it seemed this rifle wouldn’t be reclaimed!
What an unexpected windfall!
However, as a transmigrator, Charlot quickly calmed down. He realized, "If Ferdinand is assassinated with an Anti-Space Long-Range Rifle, suspicion will naturally fall on whoever possesses such a weapon. This is a setup for me to take the blame!"
“Vampires really are despicable!”
“No, they aren’t even human!”
Feigning ignorance, Charlot plastered on an excited expression and accepted the rifle eagerly. He tapped it against his ever-present alchemical staff, and, true to its reputation, the Anti-Space Long-Range Rifle merged seamlessly with the staff, adding only a slight increase in weight.
Lord Leo handed him a pack of bullets, saying, “These are specially crafted anti-magic armor-piercing rounds. Each one can take down a titan ogre. Ferdinand may be a high-tier Transcendent, but he won’t survive a single shot.”
Charlot took the pack, opened it, and inspected the bullets. The anti-magic armor-piercing rounds were seven or eight times larger than regular bullets. There were only twenty in the pack, but their weight made them impractical to carry around.
He gestured to a nearby adventurer. “You have an empty backpack, don’t you?”
The adventurer produced a leather shoulder bag, removed its contents, and offered it. “I switched to a new pack but couldn’t bear to throw this one out. It’s a bit worn, but still sturdy.”
Charlot placed the bullets inside and said, “Lord, let’s set out.”
Lord Leo smiled faintly and strode out of the Machubi fortress. He moved as if guided by an invisible force, his pace quickening until he broke into a run.