Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 664 - 615: Please Slap Him with Your Follower

"What’s the matter with your sister?" Lyle had suffered from insomnia last night, unable to rest well due to either the message left by Kevin or the ominous stare within Hamlet Castle. The excessive tension had shifted all his attention to this question, turning it into an eager desire to know the answer. So, early the next morning, after meeting with Kevin, Lyle asked him this question.

"The bloodline of the Hamlet Family, the illegitimate daughter of the previous duke ostracized by the other children due to her lineage, left Hamlet County at an early age. However, this stroke of misfortune proved to be a blessing in disguise, as she escaped the destruction of the Hamlet Family by Serio. It seems this place became her nightmare until we killed the duke. Likely, she heard there is a new heir to Hamlet and wants to claim some benefits," Kevin explained.

Lyle noticed Kevin’s unfathomable expression, meeting this composed and graceful young master for the first time, a part of his growth after becoming a lord, perhaps.

"Meglu Hamlet, that’s the Countess’s name. In fact, we’ve already been in contact, had some discussions about the inheritance and the allocation of Hamlet, though there were some minor disputes in the end. I plan to put an end to our disagreements once and for all at this meeting."

"A negotiation? A compromise?" Mr. Kevin Borey is a generous nobleman, Lyle had never seen him scramble for anything...

"Of course not! Hamlet has now become the City of Rogues, a lawless place. As its lord, I intend to persuade with reason. I’m now heading to the town to find some capable fighters. If you want to come along, Lyle, follow me," Kevin said.

No sooner had they stepped out the door than Kevin slung his walking stick over his shoulder. The attire, prepared by the evil spirit butler to showcase noble status, seemed somewhat inappropriate given its ruffian-like overlay. Kevin now resembled a degenerate scholar.

Baron Borey, the son you carefully raised has grown so approachable that he blends in with everyone. You must be deeply gratified.

Uncle Ralf, your judgment of people is still spot on.

"If you need my help, just say the word; my power is much greater than before," Lyle offered his support.

Kevin was pleased but dismissed the offer with a wave of his hand.

"The current forces of Hamlet are surely sufficient in combat, and since you are my guest, Lyle, it would be indelicate to ask you to lift a finger. Just stay by my side and watch," he said.

Lyle did not argue with Kevin’s thinking but resolved to lend a hand should any trouble arise later.

The two made their way back to the town via the stone staircase. Dawn had not yet broken, but there were already a few bloodied villains lying scattered around the town. While Lord Kevin rested, it was the time for the various forces of Hamlet to indulge in their cannibalistic frenzy, slaughtering each other outside the town and trading blood and death for wealth and power. Some lucky ones managed to drag themselves back into town, so injured they couldn’t lift a hand, yet even then, their pursuers could only curse as they watched their foes bleed out and die from poison. The hospital doors wouldn’t open for another thirty minutes. If they could just hold on for a little while, they would save their own lives and start a new day of indulgence.

Kevin navigated through the town with ease, occasionally greeting a dying acquaintance he came across. It wasn’t that Kevin was cold-hearted; rather, these fellows were like candles flickering in the wind, and the slightest mishap could end their lives. Kevin had tried many times before.

First, he headed to the cemetery, where there was no Tomb Guardian position. That strange old man on night patrol would occasionally pass by. Because the cemetery was teeming with evil spirits and creatures, it was eerily quiet. Here lay those who, once down, could not stand again, but there were exceptions...

"Collector!"

Kevin’s call summoned a tall evil spirit. His grotesque appearance featured a soul form with a head encased in an iron cage, draped in a blood-stained leather coat, his hands naturally dangling. Through the gaps in the coat, Lyle thought he saw something. His body was stuffed with souls, other people’s souls, growing on the Collector like tumors. This was Kevin’s enforcer, the first one they met.

Afterward, the two went to the church, dragging out the huge, delirious old man from the center of a gathering of fanatics and lunatics.

"Father!"

The priest’s head and hands were fixed to a cross-shaped stock, and he was blind, for he had gouged his own eyes out, cradling them in his hands like treasures, the priest kept laughing crazily, his frail and gaunt body miraculously supporting the cumbersome cross. Lyle had indeed heard about the rumors of clergy falling into corruption, and it seemed this one had also gained power from his betrayal of the Holy Light.

After that, Kevin led Lyle to the large red building whose sign and stones were painted in red. This was Hamlet’s place of joy, the brothel where scoundrels vented their desires.

"Ladies!" Kevin bellowed from outside the entrance, and the cursing patrons fell silent upon seeing Kevin, with the Collector and priest standing behind him.

In this period, Lyle discovered that the Collector’s coat was made of human skin, and the cross that bound the priest seemed to be a living entity, parasitically attached to the priest, sucking his blood. A curious life form indeed.

The "lady" squeezed through the door gap, and this epitome of elegance and beauty was wholly beyond Lyle’s expectations. She weighed at least two hundred pounds, stout like a barrel full of fat, her skin riddled with boils like a lazy toad, her hefty head wrapped in a strip of Voodoo Skill headband. She was a witch, an ugly one to the extreme.

All the men present shared Lyle’s shock. Everything here was part of Kevin’s property, and it was baffling how Kevin had managed this.

Kevin flashed a sunny smile.

"Hamlet has a Siren."

Ugh! Someone vomited on the spot. The song of a Siren could bewitch the hearts of men, causing a discrepancy in their perceptions.

"It’s just business, a mutual exchange of needs," Kevin smiled, showing everyone the true stance of Lord Kevin of Hamlet, a devil with ill-intentions.

The Collector, the priest, the witch—each of them possessed formidable power, and they were now Kevin’s enforcers. Lyle was no longer surprised by Kevin’s composure; he indeed wielded great energy. Lyle began to worry about the Countess whose face he had yet to see; what mistake had she made to provoke Kevin into summoning these boss-like entities?

"What outrageous demands did Meglu Hamlet make? Of course, she made them! She wants to be my lawful wife and share Hamlet with me, rightfully so!"

Lyle fell silent for a moment.

"Which part are you angry about, the former or the latter?"

"Both! Why should I marry her? Why should I share my territory with her!" Kevin saw hesitation on Lyle’s face and immediately enlightened him.

"Lyle! Meglu is a Hamlet, you haven’t forgotten what the Hamlet Family is, have you?"

"They are all deformed vampires!"

"Meglu Hamlet is a monstrous mosquito of a bloodsucker!!!"