The tomb of the prince

　　Caesar returned to Stephen Castle, carrying the old count's lifeless body. 

　　As he gazed upon the ancient fortress steeped in history, a wave of emotion washed over him. 

　　Many stories had unfolded within these walls—James the old butler, the tax collection squad, Count Stephen… countless lives had left their marks here. 

　　But undoubtedly, all of these tales would come to an end today. 

　　… 

　　"Click—" 

　　The door to the room opened. 

　　Caesar placed Stephen's body into the coffin. 

　　Just as he was about to close the lid, he hesitated. After a moment's thought, he lifted the old count's body out again. 

　　"Life ends like a candle's flame… let me give you a new coat so you can leave in dignity." 

　　Caesar walked over to Stephen's wardrobe, opened it, and selected a deep purple robe, the count's favorite attire. 

　　Then he laid Stephen's body flat and began to unfasten the buttons of the formal wear. 

　　Suddenly, something fell out from the sleeve of the robe, landing on the floor with a clatter. 

　　Caesar paused, looking towards the sound, and was surprised to find a yellow envelope. 

　　"What? The old count had an undelivered letter on him… who was it for?" 

　　With a puzzled expression, he bent down to pick up the envelope. 

　　Upon seeing the signature, his eyes widened: *To Caesar, personally!* 

　　He was taken aback. "For me?" 

　　Moreover, judging by the ink, this letter had been written months ago and had been hidden on the old count all this time. 

　　Tearing open the envelope, Caesar pulled out a piece of parchment… 

　　The new content read: 

　　"Caesar, by the time you read this letter, it means I have arrived in the divine realm of the Caitlyn ancestor. I know you won't be heartbroken; at most, you'll feel a slight sense of loss, considering we only spent a few short years together, and I haven't been much of a benefactor to you." 

　　"Actually, I knew that drop of blood wasn't given to me by Marquis Joseph. It was only when I swallowed the blood that I realized my steward was, in fact, a terrifyingly powerful marquis!" 

　　…

　　Caesar's lips twitched as he turned to the next page to continue reading: 

　　"Ha ha ha, are you surprised? You might be wondering how I figured it out. It's actually not that strange; five hundred years ago, I once consumed a drop of Marquis Joseph's blood, which allowed me to ascend from viscount to count… Marquis Joseph is a peak-level 'Six-Winged Marquis.'" 

　　"I truly appreciate your willingness to save my dying life. Living with the toxins of the Medusa clan is incredibly painful; every minute and second is torment, a fate worse than death." 

　　"But I really wish I could see Stephanie one more time… I have always felt guilty towards her and her son for not being able to provide a happy life for Barbara and Stephanie. But that is the reality; everyone faces tough choices and tests of fate while alive." 

　　"Lastly, regardless of whether this wish can be fulfilled, I will repay you with an astonishing secret." 

　　An astonishing secret? 

　　Caesar raised his eyebrows, curious about what kind of secret could shock him, a two-winged marquis. 

　　He continued reading: 

　　"You must have heard about the legends of the nine great princes of the blood clan, as well as the secret tales of the 'Twelve-Winged Blood Ancestor.' But what you definitely don't know is why the so-called immortal nine princes met their demise and the reason our blood clan hasn't produced a new prince in hundreds of thousands of years." 

　　"I can point you to a path that should lead you to the answers you seek." 

　　…

　　"Two hundred years ago, during a war with the beastmen in the Transvag Mountains, my army was decimated, and I fled into a deep mountain. There, I discovered an underground palace. After some exploration, I was shocked to find that it was the tomb of a prince blood ancestor from our clan, dating back hundreds of thousands of years." 

　　"There was an indestructible massive stone door outside the palace, tightly shut, yet a key was inserted in the entrance, seemingly left there intentionally for someone to open and enter." 

　　"However, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't turn the key. That great door seemed to mock me, as if saying a count did not deserve to enter…" 

　　"I was very unwilling to accept this, trying again and again… until I finally gave up." 

　　"But I took the key with me, thinking that one day, when I became a marquis, I would return to try again. Now it seems I won't make it to that day, ha ha ha, life is indeed unpredictable." 

　　"This is the second biggest secret in my heart, one I've never revealed to anyone over the years… When I parted with Barbara, I gave her the key; it should be with Stephanie now." 

　　"This tomb of the prince blood ancestor is my gift to you, but please promise me one thing: when you go to retrieve the key, do not harm Stephanie…" 

　　"Finally, I wish you good luck, Caesar. I hope you don't end up like me, reduced to a pile of dust… dying in sorrow." 

　　As Caesar finished reading the letter, he felt a surge of emotions. 

　　In fact, with the system he possessed, he lacked for nothing in terms of cultivation resources. However, the old count had truly put in a heartfelt effort, using such a significant secret as a repayment to Caesar. 

　　"A prince's tomb is certainly worth visiting; who knows what unexpected discoveries might await," Caesar thought to himself. 

　　But he soon felt a bit exasperated. Just having parted ways with Stephanie, was he really going to run to her again for the key? 

　　Looking down at the old count's body, Caesar shook his head, casting aside his distractions. 

　　He crouched down to continue dressing him in his "funeral clothes." 

　　…

　　A quarter of an hour later, a grave had appeared in the garden behind the castle, where Count Stephen would lie in eternal rest. 

　　"Should I carve an epitaph?" 

　　Caesar looked at the tombstone, thought for a moment, then raised his hand, his long index finger gesturing in the air. 

　　With a series of *hiss, hiss, hiss* sounds, words began to form on the gravestone: 

　　*His life was full of hardships, but he had a daughter to be proud of, named Stephanie.* 

　　… 

　　Whoosh— 

　　A sound pierced the air. 

　　Billy flew onto Caesar's shoulder, affectionately nuzzling against his master's hair: "Chirp…" 

　　Caesar reached up to stroke its splendid feathers, smiling, "Don't worry, I'll take you with me wherever I go from now on. Let me tidy up a few things, and then we'll leave this place." 

　　"Chirp!" 

　　Suddenly, a hint of unease flickered across his face as he let out a resigned sigh. "But before we leave, let's deal with this annoying fly first." 

　　Caesar's mental energy had already sensed someone approaching with ill intent. 

　　The target was clearly him.