Beneath the night sky, a bright full moon scattered its silvery light from the heavens, and the entire city looked as though it were draped in a pale silver gown worn by a maiden.
All around were silent streets.
The clicking sound of the clocktower's gears at the street corner echoed across three blocks, like the tolling of a fate-bell that had rung from ancient times to the present.
On the blank wall across the street, hollow-carved reliefs and colorful murals were etched, most of them related to the gods.
But Li De wasn't paying attention to any of the surroundings. His gaze was entirely drawn to the figure before him wrapped in crimson.
Red, such a vivid red.
Like the color dyed into cloth from countless battles, using both the enemy's blood and the wearer's. It looked as though blood still dripped from it.
Risel family's treasured artifact, the Blood Cloak.
Crafted from the hides of three species of dragons, and then soaked in dragon blood and the blood of a Legendary-rank demon, it produced a crimson color that would never fade.
This cloak once served as the banner of the Risel Empire, flying high above the capital. It was the faith of countless people.
After the fall of the Risel Empire, the royal descendants refashioned the old banner into a wearable cloak, symbolizing that the Risel spirit would never die.
The Blood Cloak billowed in the night wind, and Li De couldn't help but find this moment striking.
It was the weight of history and legacy, giving him a strange sense of transcendence through time.
Blood Cloak
Grade: Legendary ★
???
???
After staring deeply at it for another moment, Li De finally withdrew his gaze and shifted his attention to the one wearing the cloak.
Against the dark-toned background, the figure cloaked in red was especially eye-catching.
Long silver hair fell gently behind her head, slightly tousled in the night wind, yet enhancing her noble elegance.
A form-fitting black suit of armor accentuated the tall girl's figure. Her pale hands tightly gripped the hilt of a cross-shaped longsword adorned with dragon carvings at her waist. Her pale silver eyes carried a hint of vigilance.
What struck Li De the most was that, despite such a martial outfit, the girl exuded a strong scholarly air. She didn't resemble a female warrior clad in armor, but more like a noble schoolgirl fresh out of class.
"How dare you! In the presence of City Lord Andabella, remove your mask and bow!"
Two burly guards stepped forward and shouted angrily at Li De. With their shout, over fifty soldiers appeared from the corner nearby. Clearly, he had quite unluckily run into a patrol unit.
City Lord Andabella?
Li De wasn't surprised by the title. Who else but the master of this city could be qualified to wear a Legendary grade cloak?
His intelligence network wasn't lacking. Before coming here, he had thoroughly researched Risel City.
Li De looked at Andabella and gave a slight nod. As expected of someone often compared to Winnie Alex of the Alex family, the eldest daughter of the Alex family and disciple of the Tempest Duke. Her appearance was indeed outstanding.
"Sir, please remove your mask and state your true identity. Otherwise, the City Guard won't hesitate to take you in."
A middle-aged captain with a hooked nose stepped forward and fixed Li De with a stern look.
Li De ignored these small fries and instead looked at Andabella with interest. A bold idea suddenly arose in his heart.
An extremely risky, yet potentially extremely rewarding plan.
After weighing it for a moment, Li De made a decisive choice. Hesitation and indecisiveness were flaws no proper decision-maker should ever have.
"My beautiful lady, I am but a wanderer walking this world, a martyr in pursuit of magic. I bear no ill will toward Risel City."
With his internal plan now changed, Li De immediately began his subtle performance.
"The mask is merely to avoid causing unnecessary alarm for Risel City's military during this critical time."
Andabella stared directly into Li De's eyes through the black mask, raising her chin slightly. Although her face showed some fatigue from long hours without rest, her spirit remained high.
"Then, I ask you to remove your mask, sir."
Her tone was gentle, like a nightingale's song, yet carried an irrepressible pride.
It was the pride of Risel City's ruler, the pride of a scholar.
And this woman was certainly qualified to be proud.
A playful glint flickered in Li De's eyes, and the corners of his lips curved into a bright smile. Then, he really did raise his hand and remove the mask.
Hiss~
Several of the surrounding guards gasped sharply the moment they saw the face beneath the mask.
Too damn handsome.
This dog of a wanderer was obscenely, outrageously good-looking!! Thank the gods he wasn't from Risel City, otherwise, the noblewomen in town might have gone mad!
The face that now appeared before them was noticeably different from Li De's original one. As a precaution, he had made subtle muscular adjustments to his facial features.
For a vampire, that was child's play. So his current appearance was significantly different from his true one, only close companions like Vina or Isha might recognize who he really was.
Still, though the appearance had changed, one trait remained the same, unreasonably handsome.
Even Andabella, the jewel of Risel City whose suitors could fill the moat, was momentarily stunned.
His dazzling looks were secondary. What truly captivated her was the brilliant, magnetic aura radiating from Li De, that was his real charm.
It was also what made Andabella's eyes light up.
"City Lord Andabella, Ezreal greets you."
A mischievous glint flickered in Li De's gaze as he introduced himself with a hint of mischief.
Ezreal was a character from an old game called League of Legends, and that character had a famous line, 'With looks like mine, it's hard to be humble, you know I'm the main character!'
"Lord Ezreal, may I ask what your purpose in coming to Risel City is? I've never heard of someone like you residing here."
Andabella's expression remained guarded. Her chin lifted slightly, and her silver eyes fixed sharply on Li De, as if trying to discern something from that impossibly handsome face.
Wearing high-tier mage robes and possessing such striking looks and presence, if someone like this existed in Risel City, there was no way she wouldn't have heard of him.
Li De shook his head, a hint of regret in his expression.
"I came here to fulfill a friend's final wish."