"Sir, I've heard the tales of wandering knights," Jack replied respectfully. "It's said that wandering knights are the most powerful of their kind, capable of surviving and fighting alone on the Blood Plain."

The vampire nodded slightly.

"Didn't expect you to be quite informed. In that case, you shall answer my questions."

With that, he seated himself opposite Ron. He casually grabbed an empty cup on the table and, with a glance, signaled Jack to pour him some wine. However, the wine bottle on the table was Ron's.

The boy looked at him, at a loss.

Ron reached out directly, picked up the bottle, and poured a glass of wine for the vampire.

"May I know your name, sir?"

The vampire regarded Ron with keen interest.

"Prince."

The vampire's reason for sitting down wasn't Jack. Instead, it was Ron, whose appearance alone was already striking enough. But he hadn't anticipated Ron taking the initiative to greet him.

Prince didn't respond to Ron further. Instead, he turned to Jack.

"Seems there are some interesting happenings in your town."

Jack felt a twinge of distaste for the word "interesting" but held his tongue.

"A werewolf has infiltrated Innocent Town and brutally murdered the Lawrence..."

Prince interrupted.

"That's not what I'm referring to. I'm talking about this business of becoming a semi - noble. Is it true?"

His eyes bore intently into Jack.

Jack answered, "Yes."

Prince, of course, didn't care about the semi - noble title. He was a genuine noble. Aside from the children of the two marquises and Count Charles, nearly all those who'd come here were direct descendants of other lords, and most were viscounts.

In his territory, although there were still a few viscounts, their status and standing were nothing compared to his. This was why he'd been able to come here.

Prince's true target was another noble on this trip - Julia, the marquis's daughter. One of her and her brother was a blood - energy user, and which one exactly had always remained a mystery.

The story of Innocent Town was gradually unfolding. The most significant parts of this drama were the werewolf's slayings and the pursuits by these "wandering knights".

If he wanted to "coincidentally" meet Julia, he had to closely follow this lead.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

But he suddenly realized that this feeling wasn't half - bad. When Jack and Ron spoke to him, they both showed a hint of deference, which was quite different from how commoners had behaved towards him in the past. Those cowards had only fear and pleas for mercy in their eyes and couldn't even utter a complete sentence.

"Who are you?" Prince abruptly turned to Ron and asked.

Ron replied, "I'm Ron, the cemetery keeper in this town, Sir Wandering Knight."

The other's question was rather brusque and sudden. But given his status, it was understandable. The vampire didn't view Ron and Jack as sentient beings with emotions. Instead, they were merely things that could answer questions and required only minimal interaction.

He was neither a count nor one of the two individuals who might possess blood - energy. So, he was likely one of the other ten vampires, and thus of no use to Ron.

Prince pointed at him.

"You'll be my guide."

As he spoke, he casually tossed down several glittering gold coins. Although Ron wasn't sure about the prices elsewhere, this amount could cover his salary for several years.

Ron declined.

"Sorry, I'm new here and not very familiar with the town. I'm afraid I can't take on this role."

Jack's eyes lit up as he stared at the gold coins on the table.

However, Ron's refusal piqued Prince's curiosity.

He couldn't believe Ron had turned him down. Could this be one of the secrets Elizabeth claimed were hidden in Innocent Town?

If he could uncover something substantial, perhaps he could use it as an excuse to strike up a conversation with Julia.

Prince picked up a coin.

"Do you think it's too little?"

Ron shook his head.

"No..."

Prince interrupted again.

"Name your price. As long as I can afford it."

Ron wore a puzzled expression as he sized up the "wandering knight" before him.

Prince suddenly realized that his approach might be flawed. After all, if rewards could be obtained merely by spending money, what was the difference between here and anywhere else?

"Fine, then I'll find someone else." Prince nodded slightly to Ron and rose to leave.

Of course, he had no intention of finding someone else. In his judgment, Ron was surely a key figure in this town, but this approach wasn't yielding results.

He planned to change his method of interacting with Ron, such as following him, eavesdropping, or if all else failed... interrogation.

"You didn't take your gold coins," Ron called out to his back.

Prince didn't turn around.

"They're yours."

Jack blinked at the gold coins.

The boy felt a pang of regret and disappointment, but mostly a sense of relief. If he'd offered to be the guide just now, would these gold coins have been his?

Jack didn't know the answer because he hadn't asked.

Ron didn't feign modesty. Instead, in character, he pocketed the gold coins and gave Jack a sidelong glance.

"You seem eager for money."

The boy smiled awkwardly.

"No, I've just never seen so much money before."

With this money, he could renovate the tombstones, hire a trustworthy townsman to look after his mother, and then leave Innocent Town with ease to search for his father, whom he'd never met.

It didn't matter.

He'd already saved quite a bit. In another two years, he'd have enough to renovate the cemetery.

"You deserve a share," Ron quietly slipped a gold coin into the boy's hand. "Shh, don't let others see."

He specifically warned Jack to keep quiet to prevent him from protesting. Ron wasn't sure what the consequences of his actions would be, nor did he fully understand the boy's circumstances.

Ron had simply seen the glint in his eyes.

Jack looked up at Ron in surprise. His first instinct was to decline, but he opened and closed his mouth several times, yet no sound emerged from his throat...

Because he needed this money.

The boy gritted his teeth, stuffed the gold coin into his pocket, and then looked at Ron.

"If you need any help, whether it's gathering information, delivering messages, or anything else, just let me know."

If he could get Jack, a local, to assist Helen, the speed of gathering information would surely increase significantly. Plus, he didn't seem like the type to betray easily.

Ron lowered his head slightly, wearing a gentle expression.

"If I need help, I'll definitely come to you. Maybe in a few years, I might run into some trouble, but not at the moment."

Jack lowered his head, saying with some difficulty, "Thank you..."

Despite being born in Innocent Town, the boy, having experienced his mother's early passing and his father's disappearance, knew all too well that kindness was a rare commodity across the Blood Wasteland.

He silently turned and walked towards the back of the bar, tucking this act of kindness away in his heart for now.

Ron watched his retreating back.

Was this how it was?

He didn't find this cause for celebration.

A few gold coins casually tossed by a noble could reduce a commoner to choking back emotions and being unable to speak. And this was happening in Innocent Town, the place that appeared the most peaceful on the entire Blood Plain.

In other places, no vampire would toss money to a commoner.

Prince hadn't actually gone far.

His bracelet, which could transform into a sword, informed him of that.