DMS Chapter 189
DMS Chapter 189
Flinx thoroughly enjoyed his walk, accompanied by the ethereal music from The Lord of the Rings films and Skyrim. For a brief moment, he imagined himself as a game character being controlled through a computer by his former self on Earth, and the thought amused him.
He kept the volume low enough that he could still hear his surroundings. Nor was he concerned that listening to music would dull his awareness. Pip was still scouting ahead and would immediately warn him of any hostile creatures, while his invisible wind elemental flew high above as an additional guardian.
Flinx never stopped walking, even when noon arrived. He remained committed to his plan of eating only after stopping for the night.
Late that afternoon, he finally spotted the village of Harpsidol in the distance. Rather than passing through it, he bypassed the village and continued toward Count Menard's manor.
Since Pip had already visited the estate, Flinx knew exactly where to go.
By the time he arrived, the sun had long since set. Fortunately, the night was illuminated by a bright moon, and the storm clouds had completely dispersed earlier that day. There was no need to cast a light spell or use one of his magical gadgets.
Soon, the manor came into view, and Flinx shivered with excitement.
It looked exactly like the castle of a noble vampire.
He knew the darkness of night contributed to the atmosphere, yet he found himself delighted rather than uneasy.
He had always hated horror films and expected to feel apprehensive about visiting the home of a vampire. Instead, standing before the manor in real life somehow felt far less frightening.
The realization puzzled him.
Was it because horror movies reminded him of childhood fears, while real monsters had become little more than enemies that rewarded experience points?
Unable to answer his own question, Flinx simply shrugged and continued toward the front gate.
Waiting for him were two men. One wore a suit of full plate armor and looked every bit the seasoned knight. The other was an elderly gentleman dressed exactly like a traditional English butler.
For one ridiculous moment, Flinx imagined that the vampire lord would turn out to be a child and that he had somehow wandered into an anime.
"Mr. Flinx?" the elderly man asked with a polite bow. "I am Butler Remas. Master Menard is waiting for you inside the manor."
The butler then led him toward the entrance.
As they walked, Flinx recalled the vampire legends from Earth. To guard against hypnosis or other forms of mental manipulation, he quietly cast Mind Blank and Protection from Evil and Good upon himself.
Since he also possessed the Cleric class, he had prepared several divine spells that were particularly effective against the undead.
Even while they were still outside, Flinx could tell that Count Menard appreciated fine craftsmanship. The architecture and sculptures surrounding the manor were elegant, expensive, and refined.
The moment he stepped inside, his admiration only deepened.
The manor was lavishly decorated, yet nothing appeared gaudy or excessive. Instead of resembling the haunted mansion he had half expected, it felt like the residence of a wealthy, cultured, and dignified noble.
Count Menard was already waiting for him in the foyer.
The vampire possessed blond hair, blue eyes, and strikingly handsome features. He looked exactly as Flinx imagined a noble vampire should.
Lestat immediately came to mind.
Flinx even found himself thinking that if the author of The Vampire Chronicles had met Count Menard, she might have used him as the model for Lestat himself.
"Sir Flinx?" the count greeted with a slight bow. "My name is Count Menard."
"Please, just call me Flinx," he replied. "I'm not a noble."
"Perhaps not by birth," Menard said with a smile, "but you are a Diamond Rank Wizard. In most kingdoms, that alone is enough to earn a noble title."
The count then invited him to dinner.
The meal was excellent, and Flinx enjoyed every dish.
Afterward, Menard escorted him to his office for a private conversation.
"May I ask why you have honored a lowly noble such as myself with your visit?" the count asked. "Surely it isn't solely because of what that hunter claimed his wife witnessed?"
Flinx smiled and decided to speak frankly.
"Are you really a vampire?"
Menard smiled in return.
"And if I am, are you here to destroy me?"
"Of course not. I'm simply curious. Even though Conrad—the hunter I met—was afraid, he still told me everything he knew about you and your family. He said your family has lived here for generations and has protected the surrounding villages from monsters and bandits."
Count Menard chuckled.
"And what sparked your curiosity?"
Flinx explained that he had extensively explored one of Ilioven's Gold-rank dungeons, where he had encountered numerous undead monsters. Although he understood that dungeon creatures were merely mana constructs, he also knew they had real counterparts in the outside world.
"So," Menard said, "you wish to know whether I am a monster?"
"I want to know whether you consider yourself one."
The count leaned back in his chair before answering.
"I am a noble vampire, which means I am a sentient being. The bloodsucking creatures adventurers commonly destroy are merely degenerate monsters carrying traces of vampire blood."
He paused before offering a comparison.
"Imagine humans. True vampires are to those monsters what civilized humans are to rabid monkeys. We share ancestry, but not identity."
The explanation caught Flinx completely off guard.
"Among what we call the Dark Species," Menard continued, "we define ourselves by our conduct. A vampire, lich, or any other member of the Dark Species who behaves rationally and contributes to the prosperity of a kingdom is generally accepted in certain nations. Unfortunately, some kingdoms seek to exterminate all undead, even those who belong to the recognized Dark Species governed by the Undead Circle."
The revelation was far more complicated than Flinx had expected.
It meant that from now on, he could no longer assume every undead creature he encountered deserved immediate destruction. He would first have to determine whether they were merely monsters or intelligent beings who had committed no crimes.
At the same time, Flinx knew the issue was unlikely to be as simple as Count Menard presented it.
He suspected that members of the Dark Species were just as capable of committing atrocities as humans were. If they preyed upon innocent people, they would naturally do everything possible to conceal it.
After all, humans themselves could become monsters.
The Torbal slavers had proven that beyond any doubt.
If ordinary humans could descend to such depths, there was no reason to believe vampires, liches, and other undead races would be inherently more virtuous.
Flinx suspected that many intelligent undead simply exercised greater caution. Some probably already viewed humans as livestock or a food source.
It was difficult to imagine predators ever truly regarding their prey as equals.
Even so, he refused to become prejudiced.
From that point onward, he decided he would judge the undead exactly as he judged humans.
If they were peaceful, they would not be his enemies.
If they threatened innocent lives, he would destroy them without hesitation.
Flinx learned a great deal during his conversation with Count Menard and genuinely appreciated the vampire's willingness to answer his questions.
Eventually, he asked why Menard had been so forthcoming.
The count smiled.
"I simply want a powerful foreign wizard to understand that neither I nor many of the intelligent undead should automatically be considered your enemies."
Their discussion lasted for several hours.
Menard confirmed many of the legends Flinx already knew about the undead. Some were indeed weakened by sunlight, while others would perish if exposed to it for too long.
He also admitted that vampires required blood to survive.
However, Menard emphasized that feeding did not require murder.
"We can control how much blood we take," he explained. "A willing volunteer can safely provide what we need without suffering any lasting harm."