As expected, a stubborn temperament is a perfect match for this kind of old-fashioned NPC.
[ The Retreat Drum Player ] sighed inwardly, unable to help but worry about the other person.
But then he noticed another word in the old knight's words— the Knight of Conquest.
This wasn't the first time he'd seen this term. If "Knight of Conquest" was a description of a profession, then the knight before him might be...
Thinking of this, he tentatively asked:
"Old... no, Sir Silvis, do you know the Knight of Conquest, Xilǐ'er?"
" Xilǐ'er?"
The old knight recalled the name, and a faint smile quickly appeared on his face:
"Do you know Knight Xilǐ'er?"
[ The Retreat Drum Player ] has just received unanimous support from other players in the chat group and has become the diplomat role in the twelve-person team.
He thought for a moment and nodded:
"Yes, we know Xilǐ'er. Xilǐ'er visited our Second Holy See a few months ago and returned to the Eternal Domain after a period of rest, carrying with him the goodwill of His Holiness the Son of God."
A hint of surprise appeared in the old man's cloudy eyes:
"He didn't die, and he even crossed the Wilderness of Chaos? This is unbelievable..."
Seeing the old man's barely concealed surprise, the [ Retreat Drum Player ] countered with a question:
Is traversing the Wilderness of Chaos a difficult thing?
No wonder he had such doubts. In the eyes of [ The Retreat Drum Player ], Gray, a mere Low Tier merchant, could visit Dragonborn Village every two months over the past few years, then crossing the Wilderness of Chaos didn't seem so difficult.
The old man, with the air of someone who had been through it all, said:
"Of course it's difficult. No one knows exactly how many dangerous areas there are in the Wilderness of Chaos. Many areas are so dangerous that once you enter, you never come out again."
The [ Retreat Drum Player ] also had the idea of gathering information, so he feigned doubt and asked in return:
"But we also saw merchants from the Graycast Corridor; they seemed to be able to cross the Wilderness of Chaos with ease."
"Snort."
Upon hearing the name Graycast Corridor, the old knight snorted dismissively.
"They certainly have the ability, but it's by no means easy."
After learning that the young men before him knew Xilǐ'er, the old knight's attitude towards them seemed to soften a little:
"Although Xilǐ'er disappeared during a small battle with the Graycast Corridor, even we knights of the Eternal Domain have to admit that the Graycast Corridor's exploration of the Wilderness of Chaos far surpasses ours."
" The Graycast Corridor possesses several relatively safe routes through the Wilderness of Chaos, the result of decades of painstaking effort and loss of life. They are unwilling to share this information with us, and we do not insist."
Yes, if you're fighting each other, how can you expect the other side to share classified information?
[ The Retreat Drum Player ] muttered a couple of curses to himself, then continued to ask:
"Since the Eternal Domain doesn't focus on matters in the Wilderness of Chaos, were you referring to the battles fought by nobles and Graycast Corridor outside, as you mentioned earlier?"
A flicker of surprise crossed the old knight's face. He looked at the [ Retreat Drum Player ] with a hint of anger, seemingly admiring his courage.
" The Demon Realm! It's the Demon Realm! There are still four vampire dukes who haven't been killed yet, along with their countless retinues!"
"For decades, the Eternal Domain has focused more on the exploration and development of the Demon Realm. In this respect, we are far superior to the Graycast Corridor. Even if the Grand Foundry Master himself were here today, I would have no objections."
Okay, okay, it's just a difference in the focus of exploration, why are you acting like a cat whose tail has been stepped on?
[ The Retreat Drum Player ] thought for a moment and steered the conversation in another direction:
"Thank you for informing me, Sir Silvis, but we still do not know why you are here."
The old knight leaned against his longsword, still not answering but asking in return:
Why are you here?
"As I mentioned earlier, I have an important mission to undertake with the Tree Worship Church."
"Yes, I also have an important mission to complete."
Silvis responded nonchalantly, and only then did [ the Retreat Drum Player ] understand the old knight's meaning—
How many questions have you asked already? You expect to get something for nothing? That's not fair.
[ The Retreat Drum Player ] hesitated for a moment and asked in the group:
Can we talk about our mission?
"Of course you can talk about it. What can't you say? They're probably all here to cause trouble for the Vampire Grand Duke..."
"Mr. Silvis, we are here to..."
The [ Retreat Drum Player ]'s tone became very serious:
"It's to locate the seal on the Grand Duke of Vampires."
He explained to Silvis earnestly:
"Our recent intelligence indicates that at least one vampire grand duke is sealed beneath the Klaf City. As part of the order, we too yearn to eradicate these calamities of the world."
"Identify the location?"
Silvis glanced at everyone and nodded to himself, saying:
"Indeed, with your strength, even against any Grand Duke who hasn't yet broken through his seal, killing you would be a matter of a single glance."
"Just confirming the location is understandable."
Once again mocking the players' weakness, Silvis continued:
"Now that you've made your intentions clear, there's no need for me to beat around the bush."
As he spoke, he stood up and gave a knightly salute to the crowd:
" The Knight of Conquest, Silvis, joined the Eternal Domain Expeditionary Force in the autumn of Royal Calendar 908, heading to Klaf City to subdue Grand Duke Antos, the vampire."
The players were all shocked to see the emaciated old knight. [ Elderly and Children Fly First ] couldn't help but ask:
"If I may ask, since the expedition you joined is here to defeat Grand Duke Antos, does that mean... you know the location of Grand Duke Antos?"
"Of course, the conquest of the Eternal Domain always begins with sending out an advance team to confirm the enemy's location, followed by sending out an expeditionary force to strike and defeat the enemy."
Silvis's tone was full of pride.
"Then... is Grand Duke Antos still alive?"
[ Howling Pothos ] finally asked the first question after meeting Silvis.
The reason was simple: he felt the timeline didn't quite add up.
If others were unaware of Grand Duke Antos's condition, how could he not know?
As the only player who ever hired this pro to boost his account, [ Howling Pothos ] was deeply impressed by Grand Duke Antos's " Blood, Bone, and Flesh " power.
Even a temporary body, if trapped in an inescapable predicament, can be quickly reborn by sacrificing a part of it.
In the words of a typical online game, it means that you can use a purification skill after losing just a tiny bit of your maximum health.
This ability was so sinister that it left a very deep impression.