The New-Type Vampire in Lino City were wiped out in an instant.
Norton's casual act ironically became a terrifying unsolved mystery for Father Abraham and other Vampire.
There were over a hundred New-Type Vampire in the slums of Lino City after all! For them to vanish without a sound or a peep was more terrifying than the arrival of God!
Father Abraham and his ilk are also New-Type Vampire; they are the same species. If the more than one hundred Vampire in the slums could all disappear silently, then Father Abraham and the Vampire in the Church could also disappear silently!
Anyone would be scared in this situation.
So, after all the New-Type Vampire in the slums disappeared, the entire Lino City fell into a strange period of calm.
Time passed slowly, and today's first snow arrived before the leaves had all fallen.
Karl, whom we hadn't seen for a long time, returned on a snowy day.
" Old Norton, put these clothes on. I don't want to come back to find only a rotting corpse!"
Now twelve years old, Karl is a completely different person from the kind Little Boy he used to be.
Having been influenced by Norton for a long time, he has successfully transformed from a rich kid who had never seen the wickedness of human nature into a rich kid with a wicked heart.
His way of speaking has changed; he's gone from the soft, gentle 'Mr. Norton ' to the ' Old Norton ' of today.
This made Norton realize how fickle people's hearts can be.
Although Karl's tongue has become a bit sharper, his affection for Norton is still quite good.
When the first snow of the year fell, he even skipped his studies to bring Norton a winter coat.
Karl, dressed in a luxurious and exquisite leather coat, handed the thick cotton coat he was carrying to Norton.
"What brings you here today?" Norton had always had a good impression of Karl. Although Karl wasn't as polite as he used to be, Norton had watched him grow up, and he was responsible for about 70% of Karl's current state. This made Norton's impression of Karl even better.
The hoarse voice came from Norton's mouth, but after so many years, Karl had long been used to it.
"Sigh." Upon hearing Norton's question, Karl sighed deeply, looking at Norton, who had put on a cotton coat and squatted back down in front of him, with a complicated expression.
After much hesitation, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to invite Norton to his home to escape the famine and cold of the year.
As he grew older, his knowledge and thinking matured. When he was a child, he had invited Norton to his home for refuge, but now, with many thoughts and concerns, he found it difficult to bring himself to ask again.
A complex birth signifies a person's true maturity.
He has indeed grown up.
"What's with the sigh?" Norton squatted back in his usual spot. Although he was no longer afraid of the cold, Karl's concern still pleased him.
Throughout all these years in this Papal State, Karl has always been the one who cares about him the most.
Norton thought that perhaps they could wait until Karl got old and have Coal Ball turn him into Vampire so that he could gain immortality.
As for feeding him my own flesh and blood?
That won't do. Human nature is extremely complex, and Norton understands this very well, so he doesn't want to take any risks and create something that he himself can't control.
The changes in Coal Ball had already revealed a problem to Norton: the first-generation species he cultivated with his flesh and blood needed a long period of feeding to completely mutate and gain control over it. Norton couldn't guarantee that the boy's mind wouldn't change before he could feed Karl to the point of complete control.
Therefore, he would only choose bats and dogs, creatures without complex human nature, as his first generation of trainees.
" Lino City... may soon become dangerous, Old Norton. I advise you to find a place to hide, lest you encounter any danger." After a moment's thought, Karl finally spoke to Norton.
Now that he's thought things through more, he knows what he should and shouldn't tell Norton, so he's started to keep some things to Norton.
Two days ago, he overheard a conversation between Bishop Good and his father, in which the bishop claimed to have discovered that Archbishop Duoxia was secretly in contact with spies from the Boya Empire. Although he did not know Archbishop Duoxia's specific plans, it was clear that he was now capable of betraying the country.
Besides, Bishop Good had undergone some changes. Karl wasn't quite sure what the details were, and their conversation was very cryptic, but he knew that he couldn't reveal even the few words he overheard.
Karl couldn't reveal such a secret to Norton; he could only subtly remind Norton to ensure his safety.
"Ha, you've matured! Karl. You wouldn't have hidden it like this before."
"Everyone matures, Old Norton. It's an inevitable part of growing up."
Actually, if it weren't for our long-standing relationship, I would have had you arrested and thrown in jail long ago. Asking about Church secrets without reason is a grave offense of disrespect! Hahaha..."
Before he could finish speaking, Karl burst out laughing.
"Hahaha... you've really grown up, Karl." Norton laughed heartily, deeply moved.
Time flies. The Karl who used to bother him by asking why the girl didn't like him has now developed his own thoughts.
Norton originally thought that even if he had eternal life, it would take at least several decades or even a hundred years before he felt that things had changed, but he never expected that he would have reached this point in just a few years.
"I must thank you for your guidance these past few years; you've raised a beast like me." Karl laughed heartily, then took a silver ring off his finger and handed it to Norton.
"I'm leaving, Old Norton."
Where to?
Norton accepted the ring with his hand, which was completely covered in cloth. He knew what it was.
Central Europe nobles typically used unique patterns to embellish rings, clothing, carriages, and other items to signify their status. This exquisite silver ring with its pattern undoubtedly served as a token of identity for the Karl family.
As relatives of Bishop Good, Karl's family was among the most powerful and influential in Lino City.
With this thing around, Norton wouldn't be bothered by the Church's missionaries at all.
Karl handed over all of this, so it seems he really is about to embark on a long journey.
"My father had a detailed discussion with Bishop Good, and they planned to split the family into branches. My brother would stay in Lino City with my father and live under Bishop Good, while I would be sent to the Holy See for training."
Perhaps I will become a priest someday.
Karl gritted his teeth, feeling somewhat aggrieved.
He still hadn't finished speaking; Bishop Good seemed to have promised significant benefits, otherwise his father wouldn't have been so happy.
However, such benefits are always accompanied by some risks, so in order to ensure that not all the eggs are spoiled, Karl's father decided to divide the family. His brother stayed in Lino City to continue to live and multiply with Bishop Good and the family, while he would be sent to the Holy See to become the family's second way out.
However, it is clear that his path was undoubtedly the most arduous, and essentially equivalent to being exiled by his family.
Become a priest?
"Damn it! Karl, you have to promise me you'll never like Little Boy again!" Norton said to Karl with a serious expression.
Norton dislikes priests the most!
Karl grinned, a sly look creeping onto his young face. "Remember what you taught me, Old Norton?"
"What?" Norton suddenly had a bad feeling.
"Boys or girls, I want them all!" Karl clenched his fist tightly, his young face already showing signs of becoming a priest.
"I'm leaving, Old Norton. The tavern next door belongs to our family. You can stay there and eat and drink for free with this ring that represents me. If any Church personnel try to make things difficult for you, you can also take out this ring, and they will naturally let you go."
I've known you for seven or eight years, and to this day, I've never seen your face. I wonder if I'll be able to see you one last time before we part.
After all, we might never see each other again." Karl's gaze was fixed on Norton.
He wanted a response from Norton, but for some reason, he also didn't want one.
Fortunately, Norton, as always, politely declined his request. "I think you're wrong. We'll meet again, Karl. But next time we meet, I hope you won't want to poke my ass."