Chapter 64: Chapter 064: The Earl Takes Poison
Count Vick’s body shook, and the next moment, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he knew his identity had been exposed. Without further hesitation, he tore off his disguised facade. With a clang, he drew his sword and fiercely hacked towards Lansite, who blocked his path, planning to cut down Lansite and flee.
But Lansite was faster than him. A flash of cold light passed by, and he already had his sword in hand. With a forceful parry, he sent Count Vick’s longsword flying, then swung his own sword and placed it across Count Vick’s neck.
In just two moves, Lansite had subdued Count Vick.
This was the strength of Lansite, and it was precisely because of this that Richard had chosen him to maintain order and prepare to intercept. Otherwise, if he had chosen Bill Caesar, the outcome might have been the reverse.
Count Vick was clearly surprised; he hadn’t expected Lansite, a small noble from a remote area, to have such superior swordsmanship. Subdued, his face turned ashen. He opened his mouth wanting to say something, but in the end, he closed it and fell silent.
However, Prince Gelo in the tent did not want to let it go so easily.
By now, he had completely recalled the events before he fell unconscious: Right after Richard had left, Count Vick suddenly entered his tent, claiming he had something to report. As he approached, without any warning, Count Vick suddenly attacked. Prince Gelo hurriedly drew his sword, but it was already too late, and he was viciously stabbed in the stomach with a dagger.
After the dagger entered his body, he felt a sudden lightness all over, as if all his strength was drained in an instant, and his head spun, causing him to collapse to the ground.
Afterward, Count Vick seemed surprised as well, and quickly ran out of the tent. Not long after, Richard returned and saw him.
He called out to Richard for help, but after a few shouts, he fainted.
To be honest, Prince Gelo was truly perplexed and unclear about the reason for the assassination attempt before he lost consciousness. But that was insignificant. Although the reason was unclear, the process was clear: Count Vick had almost killed him, and Richard had saved him.
“Bring Vick to me!” Prince Gelo shouted through gritted teeth from inside the tent, so angry he didn’t bother with Count Vick’s title.
Outside the tent, Lansite looked at Count Vick’s distressed face and gave a faint, enigmatic smile.
Count Vick was taken aback. Before he could react, Lansite’s heavy kick sent him to his knees as if an arrow had struck his leg.
Crowds of nobles rushed over, too impatient for ropes, and manhandled him into the tent. They pressed him to the ground, preventing any chance he might have to strike out and cause harm.
Prince Gelo stared intensely at Count Vick, flames seeming to burn in his eyes as he questioned, “Vick, why did you try to kill me? Who instructed you to do so?”
“…” Count Vick said nothing, closing his eyes and remaining motionless.
On the side, Richard watched with interest and suddenly remembered something. He picked up a silver fork with a sharp end to pass to Pandora. Pandora’s eyes widened in anger, glaring at Richard. There were still traces of blood from a stitched wound on the fork’s tip!
Richard shrugged and had no choice but to drop it. Pandora’s eyes instantly grew even wider, her face puffing up in indignation.
Prince Gelo was also infuriated, angered by Count Vick. Staring at the silent Count Vick, his voice squeezed out from between his teeth as he asked again, “Vick, I ask you once more, why did you attempt to kill me? Was someone directing you?”
Silence continued on.
“Speak!” Prince Gelo shouted, the whole tent seeming to tremble, his emotions clearly out of control. After all, it had not been long since Richard had analyzed the concerns of safety and danger with him, and to think, just after Richard left, he encountered an assassination attempt. Due to the concern for his own safety, Prince Gelo couldn’t help but be agitated.
At that moment, Count Vick finally spoke. Slowly opening his eyes and struggling fiercely, he shrugged off several hands pressing down on him and laboriously lifted his head to look at Prince Gelo, “Prince Gelo, I know what you fear. You’re afraid that I was sent by the new king, aren’t you? Hmm, in truth, whether or not it was His Majesty who sent me, since I have tried to assassinate you once, there will be others who will try a second time, a third time, countless times! As long as you’re alive, you will forever live in fear!
Whether you are a prince, a duke, or even if one day you’re lucky enough to become the king, it will be the same. This is politics! Even if you don’t want to make enemies, there will always be a great number of people who wish for your death, because that is the rule of politics, the price of your noble status.
Do you think that as a prince, as a noble, you need not pay anything? I tell you, the more lives and deaths you control, the more people and reasons there are to kill you! It might be just for pure gain, or it could be hatred, envy, or other absurd reasons. My reason is just one among the many reasons, and you need not bother to understand it clearly, because there is no need.
All you need to know is that I will kill you, and after me, many more will come to kill you. The most important thing is, eventually, you will be killed!”
Prince Gelo’s face turned ugly.
Count Vick’s voice, however, grew louder, as if he feared nothing anymore, “You don’t need to threaten me. When I made my move earlier, I had considered all the consequences, including the current situation. Although, at the time, due to a moment of soft-heartedness, I didn’t kill you completely, and then that damned wizard brought you back to life by chance, but no matter, I have made other arrangements. Just wait, tonight won’t be peaceful, Prince Gelo, you are destined to die tonight. And I, will be waiting for you in hell!”
With those words, Count Vick suddenly pulled a red poison pill from his chest, and before those around him could react, he shoved it into his mouth and swallowed it with a “gulping” sound. His body jerked violently for a moment and then he lay motionless on the ground.
This sudden change stunned everyone. The furious Prince Gelo’s body stiffened, rage burning in his heart. After all, with his target of fury gone, what was he to do now?
Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!
“Your Highness?” A noble spoke up, gesturing toward Count Vick’s body and then toward the tent exit, questioning whether to take it out, as a corpse was indeed bad omen.
Prince Gelo, too lazy to bother with these issues, waved his hand to let the speaking noble deal with it as he saw fit.
The noble immediately signaled for soldiers to drag Count Vick’s body away.
But just then, Richard suddenly spoke up, “Wait!”
“Don’t touch the body just yet,” Richard said.
The soldiers, summoned in, immediately stood still as the previously speaking noble blinked in surprise, asking, “Why?” He instinctively took a step back upon seeing Richard approaching, visibly wary of him.
Richard squinted at Count Vick’s body on the ground and spoke softly, “I believe he hasn’t completely died yet, hmm, there’s still a chance to save him.”
Everyone’s eyes flashed with the thought, then remembered how Richard had treated Prince Gelo earlier, and their gazes lit up. Since Prince Gelo could be brought back even after his stomach was slit open, perhaps Count Vick, who had swallowed poison pills, could indeed be revived. The question was, whose blood would be used this time?