As night fell, according to Jasper, there was still some time before the mercenary group's night raid on the village, so Maggie needed to hurry and meet with Ulysses.
In the still of the night, rustling sounds came from the woods. Maggie, who took a shortcut to avoid the crowds, found the location of Thorn Castle with ease.
I don't know if it's because of the curse on me, but every time I get close to the Thorn Castle, I feel a strange sensation in my heart, which becomes more and more obvious the closer I get.
It can't be called uncomfortable, but it's definitely not comfortable either.
It's like... being called upon.
Maggie closed her eyes. In the dark forest, the route before her became clearer. As long as she followed her instincts, she could reach the center of Thorn Castle directly.
As Maggie ventured deeper, the signs of life around her diminished, until finally only the cawing of crows remained.
One of them was standing on a branch, and as Maggie moved, it would fly up and follow her.
Suddenly, Maggie looked up at the crow, her eyes filled with a chill.
“I’m just here to see you, there’s no need to send crows to keep an eye on me.”
Maggie's expression was blank, and her tone wasn't very friendly; after all, nobody likes being watched.
But there's nothing we can do; she's now on someone else's turf.
Sometimes Maggie was also curious, as other vampires seemed to prefer bats, but only Ulysses was very fond of crows and even kept a large flock of them near Thorn Castle.
That's right, this crow is alive, or rather, the only living creature that can move freely within the entire area surrounding Thorn Castle is the crow.
They lived carefree lives, without mutations, ghosts, or anything strange about them; they were just ordinary crows.
However, occasionally when Ulysses needs it, he will manipulate some crows to provide him with intelligence.
"quack."
The only response Maggie received was the hoarse, unpleasant cawing of crows. The surroundings were eerily quiet. The crows spread their wings and flew directly into the dense forest, like birds startled into flight by her. It was as if they had just spoken to themselves.
Maggie secretly pursed her lips. It seemed the old monster wasn't going to talk to her properly. To ensure the information was delivered properly, she decided to go into the castle.
I really don't know why we have to put her through this. Crows can deliver messages too.
The night road was pitch black, with no light around. Maggie was guided only by the curse, and every now and then she would step on an unknown object, making a breaking sound.
Maggie wasn't going to look down to see what it was, whether it was a corpse or something else; she didn't want to scare herself unnecessarily.
After an unknown amount of time, the moon gradually rose to the middle of the sky, and Maggie finally stood in front of the castle gate. Perhaps because Ulysses already knew of her arrival, the gate was already open for her.
Maggie didn't stop and walked straight inside. The light on the niche flickered slightly, causing her shadow to sway as well.
She came to see the progenitor of vampires, alone, without bringing anyone with her.
In the empty hall, Ulysses lay asleep in the crystal coffin, just as Maggie had seen him last time, like an incomparably handsome doll, or like a monster in a handsome human skin sealed within.
Maggie took two steps forward, but this time she didn't choose to get close to the coffin. The lesson from last time was still fresh in her mind, and she didn't want to suffer the same loss a second time.
He was almost dragged into a coffin by the old monster last time, and anyone who sees him again will feel a chill run down their spine.
"It seems that Miss Saintess has something else she wants to discuss with me this time."
Ulysses' voice echoed in the hall, with a faint echo, deep and mellow like the black tea Maggie often drank.
Ulysses only needed to sense whether Maggie carried the 'Blood of the Night' to know, so it was perfectly normal for him to conclude that Maggie had something else going on.
Maggie wasn't angry at all, even though she could hear the teasing in Ulysses's tone; instead, she smiled.
"That's right, dear Ancestor, as a collaborator, I've come here specifically to offer you a friendly reminder."
I vaguely remember that when she came last time, she was soaking wet and extremely disheveled. This time, she gracefully lifted her skirt and gave a ladylike bow to the sleeping 'corpse', her manners were impeccable.
Unfortunately, this was just Maggie's quirky sense of humor; being sarcastic and sarcastic was an instinct ingrained in her very being.
Vampires are a group of self-proclaimed noble beings, and for them to adopt such a posture in front of the immobile Ulysses is no different from mockery.
Ulysses wasn't stupid; of course he could understand it.
An undercurrent of tension simmered within the hall. Maggie and the vampire faced off in silence for a long while before Ulysses finally spoke.
"Oh? Miss Saintess, you may tell me more."
Ulysses knew that she possessed a terrifying amount of information, most of which was of great importance, so whether he was provoked or not, he would eventually yield to her.
Even when Maggie was provoking him.
"The traitor who betrayed you, Lothorn, is now in a castle similar to Thorn Castle, in the outskirts of Dapata, the capital of the Kingdom of Arnold."
Maggie, considering that Ulysses had slept for too long and might not be able to find the place, gave a fairly precise location.
If latitude and longitude weren't currently unavailable, Maggie could even pinpoint the exact coordinates.
If the first thing Ulysses does upon waking is not to kill her, he would rather she lead the way.
After Maggie finished speaking, Ulysses seemed to fall into deep thought and remained silent for a long time.
She wasn't in a hurry, so she waited quietly.
Unexpectedly, the man in the coffin slowly sat up. His formal attire was simple and elegant, not in line with current mainstream aesthetics, but on him, it gave him a mysterious and graceful air.
Ulysses' features were extremely three-dimensional, which was further accentuated by the dim lights of the castle, making his facial contours even more profound. A heavy shadow was formed under his eyebrows and eyes, and his eyelashes were also very long, like small fans.
His eyelids trembled slightly, and then he slowly opened his eyes, his bloodshot eyes meeting Maggie's, who was still waiting.
The overwhelming sense of danger and oppression caused Maggie's pupils to shrink sharply.
"!"
Every hair on his body stood on end uncontrollably, and his mind was filled with thoughts like, "He's awake! Run!" and "If I don't run, I'll die!"
The sudden awakening caught her off guard, and fear rooted her to the spot, leaving her without the courage to even lift her leg.
The pressure from the progenitor of vampires was too strong; with her current strength, the probability of her escaping successfully was almost zero.
Maggie used almost all her strength to barely keep her body from trembling.
It's okay, Maggie. You've been in this situation many times. You absolutely cannot give up. You can't show weakness in front of this old monster, or you'll be eaten alive.
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