The First Vampire - Chapter 377:
Chapter 377: 375 Undercurrents (Part 1)_1
A plainly adorned horse-drawn carriage slowly entered the commercial district of Silver Moon City and stopped in front of a lavish house.
The carriage door was opened, and a tall young man stepped out.
He was wearing a wide tricorn hat, his head low, concealing his face, but the smallest details in his casual demeanor could tell you that he was an extraordinary high noble.
“Apologies, sir, may I see your invitation?” an attendant politely stopped the young man.
But before the young man could present his invitation, a middle-aged man dressed in a printed robe, rather squat and stout, with a slightly balding appearance, briskly burst out of the house.
He pushed past the attendant and welcomed the young man into the house with an ingratiating smile.
The attendant, unceremoniously shoved aside, was left open-mouthed, taking time to comprehend what had just happened.
Of course, he didn’t dare to get angry, as the middle-aged man who rushed out from inside the house was none other than the legendary half-elf merchant renowned in Silver Moon City—Haver!
So, the attendant was just surprised, wondering what status the young man must hold to have Haver personally receiving him, and with such a humble attitude.
The young man removed his hat upon entering the house, revealing a resolute and handsome face, although somewhat cold.
If Colin were here, he would have recognized the young man as an old acquaintance—Marquis Vincent!
The heir to the Duke of the East had returned to Silver Moon City after many months.
His brow was tightly furrowed, perhaps recalling some less pleasant memories from his previous visit.
Haver laughed all the way, telling a few jokes, but to no avail—even these couldn’t seem to lighten the mood of Marquis Vincent, leaving Haver more anxious than ever.
As the centerpiece of Silver Moon City’s commercial district, the building’s interior was excessively lavish. A dazzling spectacle of gold paint stretched as far as the eye could see, even the cracks within the white glazed rock floor were filled with molten gold.
Unfortunately, this new-rich style didn’t appeal to Marquis Vincent.
Upon entering, Vincent immediately shielded his nose. The strong scent was overpowering, almost making him choke.
Of course, Marquis Vincent could understand why this was so.
A litany of half-elf female slaves wearing thin silk dresses stood before him, displaying their beautiful bodies before the guests, ready to engage in the pleasures of the flesh if one was so inclined.
Although Marquis Vincent looked down on these lowly female slaves, not everyone had his restraint, and the strong perfume scent in the room was unable to fully mask the pungent smell of hormones.
Haver, being quick-witted, noticed Marquis Vincent’s discomfort and promptly ordered the maids to open all the windows for ventilation.
“Marquis, today I have gathered the chairmen of the seventeen most influential half-elf merchant associations in Silver Moon City to receive your enlightenment!”
Marquis Vincent finally showed a trace of satisfaction, nodding his head, he followed Haver into the conference hall.
The conference hall was very spacious, the gold-plated oak round table was eye-catching, and the conference chairs made of striped tiger fur were exquisite, but the overall style of the conference hall was somewhat lacking in solemnity.
Upon Vincent’s arrival, the merchants sitting around the conference table stood up, bowed, and greeted him.
Marquis Vincent made a gesture with his hand, asking everyone to take their seats.
Haver settled Marquis Vincent at the head of the table and announced, “Gentlemen, today we are honored to have the presence of the first heir of the prestigious St. Prowse Family—Marquis Vincent!
Everyone should have an idea as to why we are gathered here today.
We, half-elf merchants, can no longer be taken advantage of!
We must stand up and fight for our rights!
Fortunately, we are not alone in this fight; today, Marquis Vincent brings the support of the Duke of the East to our half-elf merchant community.
Believe that as long as we stand together, we can certainly have our voices heard!”
Haver was skilled at stirring the atmosphere, and he understood that a group like merchants, rich as they were yet lacking in status, craved respect more than anyone else.
“Now, may I invite the esteemed Marquis Vincent to speak to us!”
Having said that, Haver took his seat on the lower left, and the conference room immediately burst into applause and cheers.
Marquis Vincent gave a restrained smile. As the esteemed Marquis of the East Territory, he had always looked down on these despicable, vulgar merchants who were only driven by profit. If not for his own plan, he would never choose to sit with them at the same round table.
Looking around, Marquis Vincent began, “I do not wish to waste words on small talk, so let me get straight to the point.”
Pausing momentarily, Marquis Vincent took a delicate sip from the silver teacup he held. The faint and elegant fragrant wafted through his mouth, relaxing his mood slightly before he went on,
“The reason you are all here is that you do not wish to let Count Angler of North Territory snatch away your painstakingly-accumulated food at low prices. However, faced with the strong forces of the North Territory and Queen Isa’s favoritism, you do not dare to oppose them openly.
Nevertheless, there is no need to worry. The Half-Elf Kingdom is not a territory of the North, nor is it a garden that Queen Isa can meddle with recklessly!”
On hearing this, the Half-Elf merchants sitting around the table immediately perked up, looking at Marquis Vincent with hopeful eyes.
“I can tell you explicitly, Silver Moon City is about to witness a significant upheaval! From then on, this place will no longer be a place where Queen Isa or Count Angler can dominate singlehandedly!
So, gentlemen, are you willing to lend me a hand?”
Upon his request, the Half-Elf merchants voiced their willingness to support Marquis Vincent’s plan one by one.
They had long realized that Queen Isa was just a puppet propped up by Count Angler. Even the unborn child in her belly might very likely be Angler’s.
A queen like her could never protect the interests of the Half-Elf Kingdom, let alone gain the support of these Half-Elf merchants.
Marquis Vincent nodded in satisfaction and said, “Good. Since you all are so enthusiastic, I am relieved. Dealing with conspiracies, even struggles and fights; I’ve arranged for people to handle all of it. As for you, I only ask you to do one thing within your means.”
“Marquis, whatever you need us to do, just command us!” Haver immediately got up and asked on behalf of all the Half-Elf merchants.
Marquis Vincent also rose from his seat. His somber gaze slowly swept over each Half-Elf merchant, then said decisively,
“I want you to burn all your food inventory!”
“What?”
Upon hearing this, all the Half-Elf merchants’ faces drained of color. They could never anticipate that the Marquis of the East Territory would ask them to do such a thing.
“What? You won’t do it?” Marquis Vincent asked coldly.
Faced with such blatant confrontation, the Half-Elf merchants immediately lowered their heads in silence, not daring to speak up.
After a period of silence, one of the Half-Elf merchants finally stood up and said, “Marquis, what you’re asking us to do is even more egregious than what Count Angler is doing!
Even though he was offering a low price, at least it wouldn’t incur losses for us. But if we do as you ask, it will cause us severe damage!
We might as well cooperate with Count Angler instead.”
Marquis Vincent gave a light laugh and said, “Do you know? This is the first opposition I’ve faced since I arrived in Silver Moon City.”
The Half-Elf merchant stiffened his neck and argued defiantly, “Marquis, if you continue to disregard the interests of your allies, you will only be met with more resistance in the future!”
“Are you teaching me a lesson?”
“No! I am merely advising you.”
“Advice?” Marquis Vincent slowly stood up without a trace of emotion on his face. He walked over to the Half-Elf merchant and put his hands on his shoulders with a smile, “Do you know who has the privilege to advise me in this tone? Only my father—the Duke of the East Territory.”
The Half-Elf merchant was about to defend himself when he noticed the horrified and incredulous looks on the others’ faces.
Before he could make of what was happening, Marquis Vincent, who was standing behind him, chuckled maliciously. He picked up a dessert knife from the table, gripped the merchant’s hair tightly, and viciously stabbed his eyeball!
The by no means sharp knife, propelled by strong force, plunged unimpeded into the Half-Elf merchant’s eyeball, piercing deep into his brain. Splatters of blood and brain matter on the pristine tablecloth bloomed like fresh flowers.
A ghastly wail like that of a pig being butchered filled the air, gradually growing weaker until it fell completely silent.
As if having done something trivial, Marquis Vincent calmly took out a pristine silk handkerchief, wiped the blood stains off his hand, then casually covered the corpse in front of him with it.
Only after doing this did he reveal a satisfied smile on his face, as if the violence he had harbored since his arrival in Silver Moon City had finally found release.
“Now, is there still anyone opposed to it?”
