《From Company Slave To The Prince Of Darkness》 -1 Prologue Vol.1 In a world inhabited with different races - Humans, Demihumans, Demons, Angels, Beast, Monsters, and many others, war always occurs. The Demon Lord, the Heroes, the Holy Empress, the king of elves, the Beast King - were the leading forces that lead and starts those wars. Killing each other, slavering the survivors, and eventually taking over the world. At first, revenge was everyone''s only reason for every war that happens, but soon, pride, greed, and hate took over. This is happening for thousands of years already... But as the time pasts, peace seemed to have dominated the world and the war between races started to cool down as they all have tried to recover and gather their forces; preparing for the next war to happen. All they needed was the trigger for it to start... Inside a large and well-designed, luxurious room, there gathers and assembles all the leaders and important soldiers of each country that are allied with each other to plan and prepare for their attack. From the countries of Humans, the countries of Elves, and the single country of the Dwarves. Their kings, princes, and heroes serve as their leaders, while the others are only there to listen and wait for anything that they would come up with. [ We need to immediately take him down! Sooner or later, he''ll enlarge his army of monsters and demons and invade our beloved country! We don''t have much time! ] The words came from Prince Harlot; one of the most respected and influential people of the country he''s representing. As the leader of his own army, he was able to survive and defeat many battles and accomplish many invasions of smaller countries, and so he was confident in his abilities. He was confident of his abilities and he never once thought of being defeated, hence he never rushes in a battle and he never panics. Yet right now, out of all the people inside, he was the most that are making rushed and unreasonable comments out of desperation. [ Harlot, you need to calm down. All that you''ve had said so far... are nothing but outrageous stupidity. ] a calm and gentle voice replied to Harlot. Looking at the direction to where the voice came from, he saw a silver-haired man with the same age as his. His name is Max. Out of all the heroes that are gathered, he stands out most because of all the rumors and stories that cover his identity. Said to be a man who can kill a high-level demon with just a swing of his silver sword, he''s considered as one of the strongest people in the world. [ We need a proper strategy if we want to do this. Our enemy... Is not something to be underestimated... ] [ Max... You''re said to be the strongest swordsman there is, why are you being a coward to an enemy who only has himself and his demons? We have our reunited forces and heroes from all countries gathered! We have no reason to fear that bastard! ] with his face twisted, he angrily shouted at Max. [ ... ] as though he felt he would not be able to reason with the prince who''s soon to become a king, he did not respond. [ I agree. ] The king of another country - raises his hand and turn side to Prince Harlot. He was King Darius. One of the few kings that came to this meeting. His kingdom was said to be the most feared out of all the human countries there is. In his peak, he invaded much smaller and weaker countries and added them to his reigns, enslaving then its people and selling them to other countries including countries that are non-human. Naturally, the king of a country is not allowed to have a meeting outside their castles, but the kings that are gathered here today were experienced fighters. It can be said that they stand equals to the heroes or even greater. But still, as a king, King Darius is only here to participate in this meeting to provide help and give tactical advice. [ Prince Harlot is right, we need to attack this devil as soon as possible. We already have everything we need; I say we attack head-on with our full power. ] In the past, he and Prince Harlot were enemies, but because of the circumstances, they are now allies who share the same opinion; he would not hesitate to side with him. [ Un. That''s right. We can attack with our full power. That''s our strategy. ] he declared with his voice resounding in the entirety of the room. [ Then what should we do about the dungeon...? If we can''t go past that hellish dungeon of his, we won''t even be able to arrive at his castle. What should we do about that? ] The question came from another person - another hero. The said dungeon - there are already many people who had tried to conquer it, but none of them came back. Unlike many dungeons, this particular one they need to accomplish is a tower-like structure that''s sticking out of the ground. There is an unknown number of floors in it, but one known fact about it is that the castle of the person they''re about to hunt down stands on top of this dungeon. Hence they need first to conquer it before they could stand in front of their enemy''s castle. [ Aren''t heroes accustomed to conquering dungeons? ] [ Tha-That''s right... But his dungeon is on a different level...! There''re even monsters there that even us heroes do not know! ] he added with fear itself forming in his eyes. [ Hmm...? Monsters that you do not know...? That would not be a problem, us Elves knows every single monster that exists. How about we share with you all our knowledge so that you become prepared and understand how to fight all monsters that might appear. ] one of the three representatives of the elves confidently offered to everyone in the room. His and his companions'' appearance was the most grandeur of all people inside the room, even the way he talks differentiates from the others. [ Elf... You won''t understand the horrors that exist in that dungeon! That dungeon is the incarnation of hell itself! Even if we know and understand the weakness of the monsters that exist there. ] Everyone turned silent from his words. And looking at him slowly turning insane as he tells his story, they gulped, imagining the horrors he must''ve experienced in that dungeon. [ Hmph! What are you afraid of!? Aren''t you ashamed of being a hero!? Prince Harlot, let us take on the dungeon by ourselves! ] The person with the most intimidating presence demanded to prince Harlot while also mortifying the disturbed hero. This tall and muscle-built person was Kaiba. He''s one of the most renowned adventurers in the world. He was most famous for the number of the dungeons he was able to conquer and the sheer amount of monsters he had slaughtered. [ Yo-You...! ] [ There is no dungeon in the world I can''t conquer. If you pay me enough gold coins, even the mightiest monsters, people, and dungeons, I would kill. What do you say, prince, if you pay me enough, I''ll lead the expedition inside this dungeon and I''ll take you to this person''s castle...! ] he said as he sneers at everyone inside the room, including prince Harlot who seems to be leading the meeting. [ Fine... Tell me how much we need to pay. ] without hesitation, he humored Kaiba. [ Hehe... I won''t hold back, okay? ] [ Don''t worry, there''s nothing in this world I won''t be able to give you. ] [ Huu-Huu~ Then... Give me ten thousand! no! a hundred thousand gold coins and a bunch of young ladies I can toy with! ] with his face twisted and dirtied, and his fingers moving in an odd manner, he demanded to the prince. He was waiting for the opportunity, for this chance, and now that he got it, he did not hold back. Kaiba is a greedy man, there was already a payment ready for him just for joining this subjugation as an ally and back-up, but if he could still push the amount of money he could get, he definitely would. [ Hu-Hundred thousand!? ] every person in the room exclaimed with their faces in shock. [ Hmn... Are you sure that you will be able to lead us past the dungeon? ] [ Of course! There is no dungeon me and my group won''t be able to handle! ] [ Fine... I will provide the payment. ] nodding his head to Kaiba, he accepted. [ Hehe... I''ll make sure to conquer that dungeon for you. ] Everyone again, for the second time, turned silent to the casual reply of Prince Harlot. They just couldn''t believe that he was able to accept the absurd amount of payment Kaiba had demanded just like that. [ Now... All we need is to prepare our soldiers and start our move. Since an army won''t be effective in conquering dungeons, we will only gather a total of 1000 foot soldiers on our side. But there''s no need to worry since we also have two hundred people that have the strength equivalent to a small army! ] with his fist lifted parallel to his chest, he gave his words of motivation. [ Are there any questions!? ] turning his head to every person in the room, he waited for someone that will disagree with his plan. But a while had passed and not even one of them said a word. [ Great. ] he nodded in satisfaction. [ The person we''re about to fight... No... The evil we need to kill... Might even be stronger than the demon king himself! He had already destroyed two human countries just by himself and his army... But with our strongest fighters! We will defeat and vanquish him! ] with the expression on his face like in anguish and hate, he declared his and the goal of every person in the room. And with his words, the hatred of all people that are gathered in the room took form in the twisted expression on their faces. It was easy to say that every single one of them wants the head of their enemy. [ Vlad Alucard! Soon, your reign of terror will end... ] *** [ That concludes my report, Master ] A small figure of a person can be seen kneeling, kneeling in front of a shadowy figure that casts shadows on his surroundings. The eyes of the person hidden in the darkness of the room glowed in red, giving the room a heavy atmosphere of pressure and menace. [ ... ] It took a while before he reacted to his words, but as soon as he did, a shiver was sent to his spine and cold sweat appeared on his forehead. [ Fine... ] as if he felt boresome, he sighed and laid his chin on his fist. [ Alice, go send this message to Shin... ] *Gulp... With those words, the kneeling person could only gulp... [ ... ] [ Leave none of them alive... ] It was a cruel order, but it came to the person who owns the throne. There would be no hesitation to accept it. [ Yes, Master. ] ~~~ With wings and horns of a devil, a face of an angel, and the fangs of a carnivore - His name is Vlad Alucard, formerly known as Shiro Kagayami. He stands in the middle of the war between humans, beasts, and demons. He was merciless, cruel, and ruthless - and a person only brave and insane people have the guts to fight and mess with... Or at least that''s what people think... [ Haah.... ] ( Just how did it come to this...? ) 1 Chapter 1 ~ The Company Slave, Kagayami Shiro Kagayami Shiro - They say that Christmas is a time for happiness, celebration, and joy. Families will gather together, lovers will take time alone with each other, and friends will enjoy drinks and will share problems with one another. The whole month people will celebrate the snowy weather. They will brighten up the streets with lights, and they will fill the hearts of the others with enjoyment. Christmas was surely fun - But for Shiro Kagayami - it was not. Christmas was just another one of those days where his workloads will increase and the time he will spend in his desk will lengthen. As one of the few people who will manage the many things that his company will need to accomplish in those particular events, he doesn''t get that match rests. But of course, many people in modern Japan were also having the same problem he has. In his heart, he always carves that he was not alone. Yes, he was not alone... With his darkened eyes, he looked at the place he''s currently at. As expected, he was still there, at the office, sitting in front of his desk. [ ...Ano...? Hello? ] With his tired voice, Shiro called out for someone. He called out for his co-workers: [ Yuto? Hina? Kohai? ] He called the names of the people he often works with. He was waiting for them to reply, as he was hoping that he was not alone inside the quiet room. Yet, no matter how long he waited, there was no voice that called back at him. Putting his large palm on his face, he asked himself: ( Why is this happening...? ) For all he knows he was just an ordinary Hikikomori; at least not until he turned 26 when his mother begged him to look for his own job. And as a former Hikikomori, he was not used to getting overworked, yet here he is today, killing himself for the sake of his company. [ Haah... ] breathing a sigh, he removed the hand that was on his face and looked at the poster in front of him. ( SOUL ADVENTURES!!! ( Merry Christmas! ) ~ Over 250 Million Players currently online! 12/24/56 ) The digital logo for the game he was currently working - or rather, \"updating\" by himself was in front of him. The number \"250\" was currently getting higher and higher as the time passes by. Perhaps it was because of the Christmas Giveaway they''re currently handing out to the players that the numbers are still rising up. He doesn''t know. [ Haah... I''m tired... ] muttering that to himself, he stood up and then he went to the bathroom just near the desk he was sitting at. [ The deadline''s still at the end of the month... I guess I should still have some time... ] That was right, it was not because his company was forcing him, but because he wants to finish the tasks as soon as possible the reason why he was like this. Shiro was that kind of person; he wants to finish any tasks as soon as possible so that in return, he would get a lot of free time instead, after the work is finished. Granted, because of this, almost half the work his colleagues should work at, he does it all by himself, and his colleagues will almost only work with the minor things that were left unfinished by him. For the four years, he was working for this company, he was the top, best worker. Many of his co-workers will abuse that fact and will leave most of their work at him. He was of course, aware of that, but he tries his best to make his and his co-worker''s environment as healthy as possible. At least in that way, he believes that the people of his company will get to know him, and gets close to him more. Inside the bathroom, he washed his face and looked at the mirror. He looked at himself. Dark-buggy eyes, black messy hair, cracked lips... Maybe because of his continuous days of getting not enough sleep made him look like this. [ I really should get some rest... ] Of course, days where he does not get enough sleep, or even not getting any sleep, was normal for him. In his days of being a Hikikomori, three days of not getting any sleep were normal; he just needs to sleep for a whole day afterward. But because right now, he was not doing the things he like that he was easy to get tired, unlike when he was doing the things he loved. After putting his face mask and jacket on, he exit the bathroom and took his bag sitting on top of his desk and immediately walk outside the room, and the moment he does, the light inside automatically turned off. Walking towards the elevator, a robotic voice came out of nowhere and asked the question: [ Which. floor. would. you. want. to. go? ] [ The ground floor. ] answering the robotic voice with those words as soon as he got inside, the door of the see-through elevator automatically closed. And then - Cheers came erupting from below the building, from behind him. He was shocked. ( A-Are they cheering at me...!? ) - he asked nervously inside his mind. Steeling himself, he decided to look behind through the see-through glass-elevator. [ ...Oh... ] with a sigh, he drops his shoulders. The view he saw was not the view he was expecting. Below the streets, was a parade of a certain boy band that was currently rising their fame to the world. It was a very rare chance, almost impossible to see them having a parade just where Shiro was working at. Surely because of their unbelievable fame that there were so many people cheering outside for them. Everyone has smiles on their faces, unlike that of the tired-empty look on Shiro''s face. Before he knew it, Shiro was already on the floor he requested the elevator to stop at. Shiro then stepped outside the elevator. [ Please. come. back. again. ] leaving those words behind, the door of the elevator closed; waiting for the next person to use it again. Looking around the floor, not a single sign of life was on it; not the receptionist, not the guards, not a single person was inside the large floor room. Realizing this, Shiro walked towards the door without any hesitation. He then took out his Employee Card and swipe it next to the slit beside the door. [ Kagayami. Shiro! Thank. you. for. your. hard. work! ] the door then opened, and again, just like the voice that came out of the elevator, the same robotic voice was heard from the large door. Exiting the door, the huge crowd of people came into his view. There were different kinds of people cheering for the parading band: there were the usual fangirls, the lovers, the families, and even foreigners. Shiro was jealous of all the attention they were able to get, not just by the people of their country, but also the people of the world. The only time he remembers that he got a lot of attention like the ones they''re currently having was the time he won a Championship Tournament in a game when he was still a NEET. But thinking about it, the ones they were cheering at that time was not him, but the character he made inside that game. [ SOUL ADVENTURERS, huh? ] The same game he was currently working at was the same game he won a championship at. That was also the reason he got introduced to the same company. Maybe if he was not able to win that championship, he will not be able to get a proper job at all. [ I miss those times... ] ( Those times where I only worry about getting those limited-time items, to win against a match-up, and to level up my already maxed out character... I miss those times... ) Having these thoughts inside his head, he decided to walk. As the snow falls, the crowd was getting louder and louder. Shiro can see all kinds of people outside, but the ones he was the most vexed at, was the people who are publicly showing their affections to each other: People who were kissing in the alleyways, people who were hugging in the middle of the busy streets, and the people who were flirting with not just one, but many girls at the same time. Seeing those kinds of people made his already pained head hurt even more. But all that matter aside, he just decided to ignore all of them. Continuing his walk, he saw a particular shop - An Arcade Shop to be exact. And a particular sign has caught his attention on it. It was a sign with his game character displayed on it. ( SOUL ADVENTURERS!!! 15 year anniversary! Congratulating all 15 people who made it all to the top! ) In the 15 characters that were drawn on the digital poster, his own character was displayed on it. ( 10. The Immortal Evil Dark Lords: Vlad The Immortal Vampire Prince of Darkness! ) Those words were written underneath the figure of his character. [ Can barely remember it... ] That''s right, in the long time that he hasn''t played the game, he can now only barely remember the figure of his deemed character. [ Well... The last train will arrive at least an hour soon so I might as well... ] whispering those words to himself, he decided to walk inside the building. It was said that in the past, computers were not a part of the arcade, but now, it was the most sold thing inside an arcade. Even if the generation now almost have there owned computers, there were still kids that were not allowed to have one, so in the end, they were left with no other choice but to go into one of these arcades. Going inside, Shiro immediately sees a sit and sat on it. [ I wonder if I can still remember it... ] But still he knows, there was no chance - that he can forget it. Putting a 10 yen coin inside the slit beside the PC, it immediately opened. Not another minute, Shiro has found what he was looking for: The software which will allow him to play the game he spent a lot of time on: SOUL ADVENTURERS!!!... ... ... ... Click* Click* Click* __ _Login: XXX___ __ _Password: XXX___ Type* Type* Type* ( WELCOME - VLAD!!! ) The instant he opened his account, the same old NPC girl had greeted him with a small on its face. ( Please put on your Headgear and lie comfortably on your seat. ) *** Inside the arcade, he was able to at least subjugate an Event Boss all by himself. It made the hour he has spent inside the arcade worth it. [ That was kind of... fun... ] he mutters to himself. And now that he was finish playing the game, in the dark of the night, Shiro continued his walk. He was now close to his apartment. The only thing he needs to do now is to walk for a little bit more. But - *Growl... His stomach started to hurt. It was a good thing that he knows a close Ramen shop nearby; so he decided to take a detour to fill his belly up. ... ... [ Irashaimase!!! ] The middle-aged man inside the shop which he knows since he was a kid gave him a smile as soon as he arrived inside. [ Shiro-kun... It seems you got your self overworked again today, huh? ] [ Un... Seems like it... ] Shiro replied in a casual manner. The middle-aged man inside was someone he can trust, someone he can share his problems with, that was why he was able to talk in such a manner. [ Your orders'' the usual? ] [ Un... ] [ Well, that recipe was the only one you''ve been eating out since you were a kid so I think I didn''t need to ask that one out, huh? ] [ Still as talkative as ever Ojii-san...? ] [ Well, that''s how a shop owner deals with his customers, ya know? ] [ Is that so? ] [ Well, anyway, wait for a while, okay? I''ll make you the ramen that will revive your lost energy! ] With his thumbs-up, he reassured Shiro. [ Is that so? ] [ At least reply in a positive way, ya know? ] *** Shiro was now able to fill his belly and is now currently looking at his apartment building. A day in Shiro''s life was now yet again complete. [ Haah... Finally... ] Muttering those words, the traffic lights turned red and he took a step in the pedestrian crossing which was the only thing that was between him and the apartment building. Only that... - Half-way in the crossway - Truck-kun appeared with a loud: Honk* Honk* Honk*!!! SFX: BAM!!! As the light of the vehicle lit up Shiro''s face, his life flashed before his eyes... ... ... SFX: BAM!!! SFX: SCREECH!!! ... ... - And that was the end - Of a day... In Shiro''s lonely life. 2 Chapter 2 ~ Vlad Alucard: The Vampire Prince of Darkness The night was dark and the moon was red. There were no stars that can be seen in the sky. Inside a dark forest, A-lone decayed tree stood in the middle where the crows were singing their cries at. On the ground below the wicked'' tree, there lying was a handsome man that can only be described as \"Beautiful\". His hair was gold while his skin was white; his face was that of an angel but the horn on his head and the wings on his back was that of a demon - The man - was Vlad Alucard, or perhaps, Shiro Kagayami. ... ... After a few minutes, until the cries of the crows dried out, his fingers twitched, and he slowly opened his eyes. [ ...Whe-Where am I...? ] with a weak but gentle voice, Shiro uttered. [ What the hell happened...? ] with that question, he started to recall what had happened. In his mind, he recalls all the things that had happened: the hours he worked in his office, the bugs in the games he fixed, the project he was about to present, and lastly, the things he did before he went back to his apartment. And a truck running over him - was probably just a bad nightmare. [ Haah... I should''ve already been home by now... ] muttering so, he stood up and put a single hand on his head, he tried to resist the pain that was coming out of it. [ ... ] ( What the hell is this...? ) As he caresses his hair, he noticed that something strange was sticking out of his head; it was hard, it was long, and it was rough. He tried to pull it out but it was sticking on his head so bad that he might''ve accidentally pulled out his scalp too. [ Just what the hell is this...? No-no-no! In the first place! Where the hell am I!? ] Noticing the place he was sitting at, he instantly felt afraid and confused. As fear swelled up inside of him, two warm blankets immediately tried to \"Probably\" calm him down by covering up his body. [ Uwah... So warm... ] As the blankets covered his body, he felt relaxed, and the confusion and fear started to slowly disappear... That was until - [ ... ] He saw that what was covering him was something like that of a bat-wings with sharp spikes on its many corners. ( ...Wha-What the hell is going on!? What the hell is this!? ) Looking around he saw that the sky was dark, the moon was red, and the tree behind him was decayed, and something might come out of it if he was in a horror movie. [ Wha-Wha-What is happening!? ] *** The Game \"SOUL ADVENTURERS\" was made in the year 2041. It was a game that can only be played by using a HeadGear-Set that was still expensive at that time. In those early times, Shiro Kagayami was still a high-school student at the age of 15. The day the game was released was the day he confessed to the girl he liked. He was excited, and he thought that once he confesses to her his feelings, she was sure to accept it - But just what anyone would''ve expected, he got rejected. The shocked he received that day has caused him to reject reality. He was clearly devastated. But in those times, his mother, together with her other kids ( Shiro''s Siblings ) decided to raise a large amount of money so that her son and their sibling would not stay in his room forever without doing anything. They just can''t accept the fact that one person from their family was not happy and would just continue to stay forever in his room only reminiscing of the sad thing that had happened. And so - his mother, together with his siblings, has gloriously gifted him the PC and Gears that he would need to play the new games of his generation, particularly, the game \"SOUL ADVENTURES!!!\". And in those times, they did not regret that decision. Just after a few years of spending all his time playing the game, Shiro became one of the most famous players inside the game. He was also able to gain RL money from online transactions, particularly, by selling off in-game items and winning online bets on tournaments. If anyone would have asked Shiro, he would say that those were the best days of his life. That part of his life was \"Exciting\". And the best thing he got from it, was that he was able to move on from the feelings he had with that particular girl he liked. ~~~ After another few years, his parents decided that it was enough; it was time for him to live properly, to get a real job and live his youthful life. And so they kicked him out of their house and asked him to get a job of his own. Luckily, not a month had passed since he had won the World Yearly Tournament in-game which made his name very famous, or at least the name of his character. Winning that tournament has granted him the privilege of working for the company that made the game itself, that is only if he has the skills. But of course, with his many years of experience with the game and the PC itself, he was worthy enough to get the job. He accepted and applied for it, and that was how he got stuck to the hell which was his company. *** After calming down for a bit, he was able to at least get the gist of what is currently happening. He was clearly not dreaming, he knows that. He can hear, smell, see, touch, and properly everything, so it can''t possibly be a dream. And the other thing he knows is that he''s currently stuck inside the body of his in-game character in the game \"SOUL ADVENTURES!!!\". ( Just how did this happen...? ) Touching his face, he can only describe it as perfect; from its texture to structure, it was \"Perfect\". His body was very different too. He was now massively tall compared to his small height before, his body is also toned and it was standing rod-straight, unlike the curved back he has before. His clothes were the Legendary S-Class Items he was known for wearing all the time. It was a robe that was layered with gold while the base was deep-red. If it wasn''t for the added color of the gold in his clothes, one would definitely describe it as \"Sinister\". [ Whatever is currently happening right now... I need to immediately find a way to get out of this situation... ] muttering that to himself as he strokes his perfectly balanced chin, a thought came to his mind. ( I wonder if the game mechanics inside the game still works here... ) - Having these thoughts ran into his mind, he ought to try it. [ Stats! ] shouting that single word, a tiny transparent box appeared in front of him. ( Showing Stats! ( private ) ) Name: Vlad Alucard Race: Vampire Prince Job: Mage/Druid/Summoner Level: 150 - Maxed Current Buff: Red Moon Health:140958 +200000 +50% Stamina:150956 +200000+50% Strength: 150059 +150000 +50% Magic: 205968 + 250000 +50% Physical Defense: 60987 +100000 +50% Magic Resist: 213485 +100000 +50% Skills: Immortality/Regen-Up/Ultra-Regeneration/Perfect-Regeneration/Blood-Thirst/Night- Vision/Translocation/Teleportation/Echolocate/Invisibility/ShapeShift Racial Abilities: Immortality/ Night Vision/ High-Regeneration/ Regenerator/Red-Moon-Stats-Up [ Uwah... Now that I think about it... This character''s pretty bad-ass... ] Looking at the stats of his character, all that he can do was gaze on it with amazement. ( Almost all my stats are as high as possible. And now that the Red Moon is in effect, all my stats were even highen by 50%... This character is broken... ) The Red Moon buff. From what he can remember, it was the skill that led to his victory four years ago. If it wasn''t for it, he wouldn''t be able to win that tournament. [ But I guess... Maybe I should try using a skill... ] muttering so, he activated a skill in his mind. And it activated almost immediately. [ Echolocation! ] ( !!! ) He felt that he could see, felt, and sense everything within the radius of at least 10km. It was outrageously ridiculous. ( This can''t be happening... right? ) The unknown \"Feeling\" he''s having right now was out of this world, or rather, out of his knowledge. He has never experienced something like this before or even heard something like this happening from anyone. But having the die to be already cast, he had no other choice but to try it, and try to figure out how it works. [ ... ] ... ... With his skill activated, he saw all kinds of both dead, and living things just by closing his own two eyes - - And most of what he saw were figures of what appears to be human(s) in a large city. [ I guess... I should go there... ] Still not having the exact answer of why he was currently in this situation, he decided to head towards the city of humans by trying to use his wings. He thought that he might be able to find some answers. And so - The Prince of Vampire - Vlad Alucard flew into the night awkwardly with his bat-like wings. 3 Chapter 3 ~ Confusing Events Flying awkwardly into the night was the figure of Shiro, or rather - Vlad. Unlike in the game, he could truly feel his wings flapping together at the same time as he tries to descend up into the sky. The devices used in the so-called \"Advanced Generation\" were mostly ''Voice-Activated'' and ''Neuro-Activated''; where one can connect his mind to a computer, and by generating the correct Output, he will be able to command a PC. But even if the PC was connected to the brain itself, they won''t be able to feel anything as the Programs played/used inside were just \"Programs\", \"Numbers\"; you can only see them, but other than that, you won''t be able to. That''s why the sensation of the wings that were flapping behind the back of Shiro has confused him. He does not know how it works yet in his mind, there was the feeling that it was normal; like he had used it already before; like it was already a part of his body since the day he was born. He also has been flying for a lot of time now, in some manners, he had already figured out how his wings work. ( Now that I think about it... These wings were also a Legendary S-Class Item... If I remember correctly, its name was \"The Wings of the Immortal Dark Lord\"... ) \"The Wings of the Immortal Dark Lord\" that was currently behind his back, as he recalled, was a gift from the Local Server he has played a lot in before. In that server, he was called the \"Prince of Darkness\". It was the nickname they had given to him because of the appearance of his in-game character - Vlad Alucard. If he remembered correctly, after they had given him these wings, it was then the start of him becoming famous to not just that one server, but also to many others. That''s why for Shiro, the wings that were currently on his back were the symbol of his uprising inside the game \"SOUL ADVENTURES!!!\". As he tried to reminisce about the past, the outline of a large city came into his view. He was not able to see the city properly because of the mists that were covering it, but still, he can at least figure out that the city was big. [ Echolocation! Advance Appraisal! ] Using the same spell he had used just a while ago, and a spell that lets him appraise the people in his vision, he tried to analyze the entirety of the city. ( Advanced Appraisal: Result: ) ( Altair City - ) ( Population: 146095 - Humans96%/Anthropomorphs3%/Heteromorphs1% ) ( MaximumLv:76 MinimunLv:1 ) [ This is... ] Seeing the result of his magic, he realized many things: First was the level of the people inside the city - it was too low. If levels work the same as it was in the game, then there''s no chance that they could even penetrate the level of his armor. It also seems that the city mostly consists of humans. If he wants to blend in, he clearly needs to remove his wings, horns, and fangs. Vlad is in the race of Anthropomorphs which is only 6% of the city''s population. In his guess, there might be some kind of discrimination against them. If he wants to find out more about his current situation, Shiro needs to try to look for clues in the people of the city, and the city itself too. And so he needs to blend in - [ ShapeShift! ] ShapeShift - A Lv5 skill that lets a player remove or add changes to their character''s appearance. A higher level of ShapeShift can also change the entirety of the character: not just the appearance, but also its stats. Removing only the horns on his head, the wings on his back, and the sharp fangs in his mouth, he slowly descended into the ground. The moment his feet touched the ground, he saw the sun rose up. ( Buff Removed: Red Moon ) In the corner of his eyes, the words appeared. ( Debuff Activated: Burning Light -50% to all stats ) Then, the biggest weakness of his character appeared, replacing the earlier text in the corner of his eyes. Burning Light - While it only decreases his natural stats, not the stats of his equipment, it still weakens his overall stats for at least 35%. This debuff was the reason why there were only a few people who have characters with the Vampire race which possess the highest regenerative abilities of all races. But for Shiro - he knows a lot of possible countermeasures to advance his level without minding the debuff. ( Hmm... If the strength of the people here is the same as it was in the game, then I will have no reason to cast any countermeasures... It''s risky but I also want to know the difference myself.... ) [ Anyways... I should prepare myself... ] Expecting that the people won''t be able to see through his disguise, Shiro walked with confidence towards the city. *** Soon, Shiro finally arrived in front of the gate. [ Gulp* ] Raising his head to the appearance of the large, white gate, he gulps in amazement. The gate and the walls beside it were made with very fine details; it was not something that exists in the current generation of his world. Furthermore, unlike in the game, even though its graphics were very realistic, it won''t be able to hold a candle against the mighty walls and gate that were in front of Shiro. Lowering his gaze to the gate, he saw many people who were lining up in front of it. They were dressed like those in the western Medieval Era, which he was only able to see in western movies. Looking at them - there were people that have their heads down, there were others who were talking with each other, and there were those angry ones who were arguing with the guards inside; everyone and everything felt too real. ... ... ... [ This is... ] Surprised by the action and the expressions on the faces of the people he thought were NPCs, the words came out of his mouth unintentionally. The situation is so unreal that his brain just refuses to acknowledge that this is the reality yet. ( Haah... I guess I shouldn''t be surprised anymore... Everything I''ve seen so far is real and not in any means fake... For now, it''s easier to think that this is reality... ) [ ... ] Realizing that thinking about all these kinds of stuff only hurts his head even more, he chose to just ignore everything and decided to walk towards the back of the last person in the line. [ So this is the city, huh? Altair City... ] muttering those words with his gentle and appealing voice, the line of people that were lining up to the gate turned their heads at him. Even though it was said in a quiet voice, everyone has seemed to be able to hear it. ... ... ( ...Wha... What is this... Why are their stares so sharp...!? ) Everyone was looking at him with a sharp and intense focus in their eyes. The first thing that came out of Shiro''s mind was they were like Zombies ready to ingest their prey. ( Maybe it was my clothes... Now that I think about it... My clothes... They''re... Pretty well-made. ) - Shiro thought. Everyone was quiet. Shiro was too. Shiro then started to also fix his stare to everyone one after the other. Old men, women, grandpas, grannies, mothers, fathers, girls, and boys. Everyone was looking directly at him. It was then when he locked eyes with a certain girl. She seems to be fidgeting a lot so she was the first person that Shiro had to fix his stare for a long moment; figuring out why she was like that. The girl then turned her head down and then raising it up again to lock eyes with Shiro for another time. ... ... 3 seconds had passed before - The girl removed her gazed at Shiro with a huge blush on her face. Seeing this, he finally realized what was going on... It was his face. 4 Chapter 4 ~ The Thirst That Drives You Mad ( I know that I''ve spent a lot of time in designing the facial structure of Vlad Alucard so it was sure to look good... but... ) Looking at the people staring at him, he was nothing but stunned. The females were gazing at him in awe while the males were staring at him very intently; they must have gotten jealous of the reaction Shiro was getting from the females. There were many people that were placed on both sides of the gate: mainly people who were leaving the city, and people who were going inside; and it seems that every one of them was staring at Shiro. ( Uwah... I should''ve disguised my face too! ) he shouted those words only inside his mind. He then started to hear the people staring at him gossip, something about him being a noble, or an angel. It shocked Shiro first to the fact that he can understand the words they were saying. So he thought that they must be also Japanese, but of course, he knows that it was not the case. The fact that he somehow suddenly got transported to this world as his in-game character was more shocking than instantly understanding the language of a different world. After enduring the embarrassment for a long time, the long line of people earlier has finally shortened. He was now under ( inside ) the large gate he was gazing at earlier. The walls and the gate looks very sturdy; It can easily say that they were well-built and well-maintained. ~~~ After another short while of waiting, it was now Shiro''s turn to face the guard. It seems that the guards will inspect and will question the people who want to go inside the city first before they can go inside. This was to prevent any danger or threat that might come if they just casually let people inside the city without any proper inspections. Facing the guard in front of him, Shiro felt nervous - The guard in front of him was wearing metal armor on both his upper body and his lower. He also has a large helmet that covers the entirety of his face which prevented Shiro from seeing the expression the guard currently has. [ Wha-What is your purpose for visiting? ] with what seems to be a cracking nervous voice, the guard had asked him the question. [ Umm... I came to this city to visit a friend. ] Shiro answered with confidence in his voice. Everyone would believe that what he had said was the truth. - But the obvious truth was that his answer was a lie. While waiting earlier for the line of people to clear up, he had already prepared an answer to all possible questions that the guards might ask. That was how prepared he was. [ I-Is that so? Then, let me inspect yo-your clothes first...! ] the guard said, stuttering his words in the process. ( Why does he talks this...? I guess it''s either he''s suspicious of me... or he''s just really nervous. ) - Shiro uttered inside his head. That''s what he thought - And what Shiro had guessed was correct - The moment the guard saw Shiro standing in line earlier, he immediately put his helmet on. He does not normally do this but he thought that he will definitely get nervous in the face of such a \"Beautiful\" man, even if he was a man himself; he simply doesn''t want to show his nervous face in front of such a Man. And then finally, after he questioned him: \"What is your purpose for visiting?\", it was time to inspect the man''s clothes - The guard was nervous to death. He has never seen clothes so Luxurious and so Sumptuous in his life. He was afraid of touching Shiro''s clothes as he might accidentally put some dirt on it. Only pretending that he was actually touching and checking Shiro''s clothes, he gently caressed the air an inch away from the clothes. While doing this repeatedly, sweat ran from his head down to his chin. And finally, after a moment later, he had finished the act and he finally stood up. [ Whew~ I-I''ve finished my inspection! You are now free to go inside, Sir! We-Welcome to Altair City! ] forming his hand in a straight line against his forehead, he uttered those words. ( Wha-What the hell was that!? He did not even try to touch my clothes! ) Shiro perplexedly shouted inside his head. Shiro might''ve not been able to see the expression on his face, but with his tone and actions, he figured out that the guard must really be nervous more than what he had expected. [ Then... Thank you very much... ] Leaving those words behind, Shiro finally put his first step inside the city, outside the gate. [ Whew~ ] Somehow, he was still able to hear the sigh of relief of the guard inside. ( Really... I should''ve made a full-on disguise... ) Turning his back to the guard, he muttered those words regretfully inside his head. Now that he was finally inside the city, the first thing Shiro saw was the same \"Stares\" he got basked in back when he was still outside - but never minding and ignoring the stares of the people looking far away in front of him, he turned his head downwards and then upwards to look at the city in front of him instead. ( It seems that this world is really different from mine... ) The road below his feet was made of cobblestones. The well-built houses and buildings beside him were also made out of stones and bricks; there were also some others that were made of logs and wood. Having made out of different materials, there were almost no buildings that look the same; it was completely different from the houses of the new generation of his country - Japan - where almost all houses in the streets look the same. The people too also look completely different from the people he sees every day in his country. Their faces resemble more of that of a western person from his world. Furthermore, their clothes also almost look the same as the clothes in the Medieval Era of the same western part of his world. While still turning his head to all possible directions, Shiro started to walk; gazing at all things he has never before seen in his life. *** Now inside the city, Shiro was trying to figure out what he should do. He started walking since earlier, and now, he has spent a lot more time walking than the time he has waited outside the gate. Looking around, all the buildings and even the roads inside the city were something you would only be able to see in a European country; which in Shiro''s case, in western movies. Flipping a coin he took from his inventory with his fingers, he stopped walking and started to think. ( I wonder if I can trade these coins... ) Shiro was able to figure out how to take out the items from his inventory. He had no idea at first, but now that he''s able to, he can do many things with it. There are about a million of these gold coins in his inventory, if he will be able to trade them with the coins of this world, he will automatically become rich. While pondering this matter, a huge shout came out in the crowd in front of him. Not a moment later, people had already gathered to where the voice came. Interested, or perhaps curious, Shiro immediately came running towards the crowd. And the soon he got close, he heard the shouts of two individuals fighting against each other. [ What did you say about me!? ] the shout came from the left side corner of the crowd, a girl holding a sword is currently struggling to escape from the hold of two men trying to stop her in her rampage. [ Hold that woman down, that bitch has the guts to punch my face...! We''ll show her how we deal with bitches in this place. ] a large man with a large figure stood up from the ground. Caressing the red part of his face that had probably got hit by the girl, he stood straight in front of the girl and smiled mockingly. [ You bitch... If this is all that you can do, you might as well quit being an adventurer. You better off becoming a prostitute or something. ] leaning his head towards the girl''s face, he said those mocking words. [ You... You ugly basta - ] SFX: SMACK! SMACK! Before she could even finish her sentence, she was hit by two slaps from the big hands of the man. ... ... Not a moment later, blood came running down her forehead. At this moment, Shiro was stunned. His head turned black and his vision grew dim. It happened the moment the girl got hit in her face... No - It happened when the girl''s blood came running down her head. ( ...What is happening...? ) As she saw the blood of the girl, time seemed to have stopped. In his vision was only him, and the girl inside the crowd. His heart was beating fast, his body started to sweat, and his already keen senses became keener. One would say that the sensation he was having right now was the same kind of situation that happens when a boy has suddenly seen his crush - but for Shiro - that seemed not to be the case. He unconsciously licked his lips. He seems thirsty. Very thirsty. As if he hasn''t drink anything at all for a long - long time, he was very thirsty. ( I need to drink something... Something... Something... ) as that thought came into his mind, he focused his sight on the girl that is currently getting beaten up, more particularly, in her neck. SFX: DUN! Snap* As if he got suddenly woken up by the sound of the girl falling into the ground, he came back to normal. [ Hehe? We wouldn''t mind stripping you up right here, you know? But we need to beat you up first before we do that of course. ] Coming back to his senses, he finally figured out how grim the situation in front of him was. ( Why is no one helping her? ) As he looked around the crowd, there seem to be no one who has the guts to stop them. Everyone was either looking at the girl with pity, or with a smile on their faces. ( This is pretty messed up... ) [ Appraisal...! ] trying to not gather any attention, he casts the skill. ( Appraisal: Result ) Name: Gondo Race: Human Level: 27 Job Class: Swordsman Health: 34/112 ( Appraisal: Result ) Name: Cassandra Race: Human Level: 23 Job Class: Swordsman Health: 137/145 ( They''re pretty weak... ) that was the first thing that came into his mind. After analyzing their stats, Shiro figures that he immediately needs to help the girl. The girl''s Health Bar that only Shiro can see was slowly decreasing. If it reaches 0, the girl might faint, or worst, she might die. [ Hypnosis... ] Hypnosis - A Lv 7 spell that allows the user to temporarily paralyze the movements of people it was cast into. Players who''re level are 75% much lower than the caster, can be controlled for a short moment of time; this was the reason why many people use this spell to troll with rookie players. Shiro cast the spell to the two people who were holding the girl earlier. Almost instantly, the smiles on their faces disappeared and were replaced by blank looks. [ Beat that guy up till his HP drops to 10... ] whispering those words with a very quiet voice with no one can hear, he was able to give his command to his new Temporary underlings. SFX:BAM! A punch then came flying towards the man''s face. [ Wha-What the hell are yo - ! ] Shiro''s underlings cornered the man and he was left with no other choice but to lay to the ground. And just like that, the two men he was ordering earlier have turned against him; beating him up to a pulp inside the crowd. ( Well, he deserves it... I think. ) [ What the hell...? ] the girl lying on the ground sat up, and she was only able to whisper those words to herself with confusion. [ Heal. ] with those words, a dim light enveloped the girl''s body and the pain she felt earlier instantly disappeared. ( I guess that''s enough for now... ) After casting \"Heal\" on the girl, he finally turned his back to the crowd, uninterested. [ But... What the hell was that thing earlier... ] putting a hand on top of his head, he muttered those words. The thirst, no - lust - he felt earlier almost consumed him. He felt like something was about to come out inside him. It was like something was taking over his body. ( Is that one of Vlad''s racial abilities... I think rather than ability... It was more of a curse... ) Shiro still does not know what his current situation is, but he knows that this now might be his new reality. It was then this time that he accepted the fact that the dream about him getting hit by a truck might not be a dream at all, but reality. 5 Chapter 5 ~ The Crowded Thoughts of Trading As the sun shone greatly high up in the sky, Shiro continued to walk around the city without any clue where he might end up at. He was interested in the things he might accidentally find and so he didn''t mind his lack of knowledge of the city and just decided to continue his endless walk on the road. After a while, he stumbled upon a street where a lot of people seemed to have gathered. The street was crowded and just by looking at it, one would be afraid to go inside. Shiro took a closer look at the crowded and noisy street and noticed that there were a lot of stalls and shops lined up inside. ( This must be the market, right? ) Shiro jerked his chin - and after a while of thinking, he decided to go inside the busy street. ( I need to find out if my in-game money can be used in this world. ) His in-game money - There were many forms of currency used inside the game \"SOUL ADVENTURES\", but the most common and easily used out of all of them was the \"Coins\", specifically, \"Gold Coins\". Shiro has Millions of these Gold coins, which he gained and collected from his intense, endless grindings, and the many missions and side quests he has completed; additionally, once the player reached the top level of both his character and all his equipment, these coins will only then be useless and will get stockpiled; thus the reason why Shiro has so many of these coins. Putting a hand inside his robe, he secretly took out a hundred pieces of gold coins inside his inventory. The coins were stored up inside a small pouch which was also an item in Shiro''s inventory. Shiro then looked around the large area to see if there were any empty stalls he can try to trade his coins into. And while rotating his head from left to right, he immediately saw one. The stall was selling old-looking furniture carved and made from wooden materials; there were also some small statues, chairs, and even kitchen tools and utensils. He walked towards it and tried to ask the old man inside. The old man inside the stall was looking weak and has his eyes half-closed. But still, Shiro didn''t mind his appearance and still tried to ask him: [ Umm, Gramps... how much of the stuff you''re selling do you think I might be able to buy with this coin? ] taking out a single coin from the pouch he was holding, he put it on top of the desk and asked the old man. The old man then picked the coin in the desk up with his shaking finger. And just a moment later, after looking and analyzing the coin, he replied to Shiro''s question with a quiet, shaky voice: [ ohh... I''m sorry young man... But I have never seen anything like this coin ever before... ] [ Is that so...? ] Shiro has dropped his shoulders down, disappointed by the old man''s answer. [ But I think... this coin will worth a lot if you trade it with a proper merchant... ] ( oho~? ) Hearing those words, Shiro''s mood instantly lit up. [ There''s one famous merchant here that you might be able to trade these coins with. ] [ The-then can you please tell me where I can find him? ] With excitement in his voice, Shiro asked. [ I''ll tell you if you buy some of my stuff with this coin... I''ll let you pick anything you like, if you want, you can even take them all. ] [ Huh? I can''t take them all for my self...! But... I think that''s a good trade... ] Since Shiro has millions of these gold coins inside his inventory, he didn''t mind losing one. He also chose to just get along with the old man''s request rather than to try and ask another person again. Having decided that he will do what the old man had asked him, Shiro started to look around the old man''s products. ... ... The truth was, none of them had caught the eyes of Shiro. Every single piece of furniture and other stuff on the desk were simply too \"Plain\" for Shiro - But then after a while of browsing the items, Shiro has unexpectedly found something and picked it up with his hand. [ I''ll take this one. ] [ A-Are you sure!? ] [ Un. ] With that nod, Shiro looked at the item he''s holding with his hand. It was a small keychain-sized wood-carved cat-eared girl doing a Victory pose. Shiro didn''t expect to see something like that in this world. He thought it was MOE. The moment he saw it, it immediately reminded him of Japan. [ Are you really sure? You won''t take anything else...? ] [ Ahh, I think this one is enough. ] [ I-Is that so? ] [ Then, can you tell me where this merchant is at? ] *** ( This must be it... ) From the old man''s description of the place: \"Just walk straight and you''ll see a large building with a large sign hanging on top of its doors. That''s the merchant Carlo''s place.\". And so, Shiro is now standing in front of a large - elegant building with a large sign that he can''t read on top of its doors. The place around Shiro was like a park; full of flowers and other decorations. The structure in front of him was very different from all the structures he has seen in the city so far. If Shiro were to describe the structure in front of him, he would say the words \"Very Classy\". As he stood in front of the large structure, Shiro decided to finally move his feet and take a step towards the door. Knocking the two large doors in front of him, he waited for an answer from the other side. ... ... ... A few minutes had passed and no one was still answering, and so Shiro has decided to try and knock again. But as soon as he raised his fist, an old man with a long mustache wearing a suit had opened the door. [ oho? It seems we have a visitor? What are you here for, Sir? ] [ Is the merchant Carlo''s here...? ] [ oh? Are you perhaps here to meet the master? We did not receive any letters that a noble was visiting... ] stroking his chin while looking at Shiro from his feet to the top of his head as if analyzing him, he asked. [ Oh, I''m not a noble... ] [ Wha-what...!? Are you really? ] [ Yea... In fact, I just arrived here in this city and I''m here to trade something with the merchant Carlo. ] [ This... this was the first time my eyes had betrayed me... ] putting a palm into his head, he turned his face down as if he got defeated in a fight. [ huh...? ] seeing the odd action of the old man, Shiro can only voice his bewilderment. [ Aa... Sorry about that... But from your appearance... You must be rich, right? ] [ Ah... yea... You can say that... ] ( Is being rich a requirement or something...? ) [ Then, I guess I will allow you to meet with my master. ] with a bow, he said with a gentle yet manly voice. [ In normal terms, you would not be allowed to meet with my master, but since he''s currently on a break, he allows new clients to stop by. ] [ Really? Then I guess I''m lucky. ] [ You are, sir. Hmm... one more thing, may I check your clothes? Weapons are not allowed inside the mansion. ] ( That would be logical... Since this Carlo merchant seems to be really famous... ) with that thought, Shiro nodded: [ Of course. ] as he did, the butler immediately caress her clothes from his shoulders to the bottom of his ankles. [ Un, it seems you''re good. I will allow you to meet with my master... He''s currently busy with some papers, but his priority are new clients. ] With those words, the old man stood up and opened both the doors behind him completely opened wide. He then bowed and introduced himself. [ My name is Gerald. I''m a butler of master Carlo. Please to meet your acquaintance. ] [ Is that so? I''m ple-pleased to meet you too. ] not being used in using such vocabulary, he stuttered his words in an awkward way. [ Then, please go and sit inside while I get master Carlo. ] [ Yes. Please excuse me... ] After getting permission to enter, Shiro went inside. Gerald then went to the stairs inside the room at a fast pace. Now that he was inside the house, Shiro took a look around. The inside of the house was as luxurious as the outside. It was filled with many expensive-looking furniture, and the walls were also decorated with lots of paintings. This was the most decorated place Shiro has ever seen in his life. There were no electrical and electronic devices inside, unlike the all the houses in his previous world, yet in his mind, Shiro thinks that the interior of this house was more beautiful than any of the houses he has visited in his country. Shiro then walked towards the middle of the room, looking for a sit. There, he saw a large white sofa and he immediately sat on it. ~~~ After waiting for a while, Shiro has finally able to hear the sound of footsteps coming from the stairs. He immediately saw Gerald, and then he saw a slender and tall figure of a man walking behind him. The slender and tall person then looked at Shiro with a piercing gaze. ( ... ) Shiro was stunned as it was the first time someone had looked at him with not awe or amazement - but with malice and hostility. And before Shiro had noticed it, Carlo was already sitting in front of him. Maybe because of the amazement and surprise he had received, he was not able to properly comprehend what had happened. [ Hmm... ] crossing his fingers against each other, Carlo leaned over and looked at Shiro straight in the eyes. Shiro felt a shock ran through his spine. But he tried to calm himself up and also look at Carlo straight. He immediately thought that Carlo was a very scary and intimidating man. His first reaction of Carlo was that he was like a CEO of a company who always acts serious and composed. But - As Shiro looked at the face of Carlo, he thought that... ( Why does it feel like something''s wrong here...? ) As he looked at Carlo''s face properly, he noticed that it was very well proportioned. It was the kind of face that girls in his world will die for. Yet - Shiro focused his stare at Carlo''s eyelashes, lips, and eyes. And his keen nose also picked something different from Carlo; something very - alluring. The scent of female. The appeal of a woman - Shiro picks up as he looks at Carlo. ... ... [ So... Gerald had said that you''re here to trade? or something? ] Snap* Losing himself to the mystery that he was picking up from Carlo, he snapped back to reality when he suddenly heard Carlo''s intimidating voice. [ Aaa... Yes...! Please wait a minute. ] Pushing aside the thoughts he was having, Shiro placed the pouch at the table in between him and Carlo. [ I want to trade these coins. ] 6 Chapter 6 ~ Trades And Recommendations [ By the way, my name is Vlad Alucard. ] [ Carlo Alexandria. It''s nice to meet you. ] After introducing themselves with a handshake, Shiro and Carlo sat on their respected sits. [ Again, I want to trade these coins. ] Saying those words for the second time now, Shiro placed the pouch on top of the desk between him and Carlo. [ What is this...? ] with a dubious look on his face, Carlo asked. Carlo''s fingers are crossed against each other while his head is leaning towards Shiro. He was still in the same position he was in since earlier - This form of him was actually making Shiro nervous. [ These coins were one of my family''s treasures, I came here to see if I could trade them with actual money. ] overcoming the nervousness on his mind, Shiro spoke. Of course, the coins that were left on the table was no treasure of his family, Shiro just tried to make up an immediate story. Needless to say, this was one the cause of his anxiousness. [ Please take a look. ] throwing a hand gently towards Carlo, Shiro has given him permission to open the pouch. [ ...! ] Opening the pouch, a surprised look immediately appeared on Carlo''s face. The now opened pouch showed coins that shines as it reflected the light inside the room - both Carlo and Gerald who''s standing behind him gasped in awe. ... ... Then, after a moment of just staring at the coins inside the pouch, Carlo looked back at Shiro and then immediately turning his gaze back at the pouch. He then took one individual coin inside the pouch and raised it the same height where his eyes were. [ You say that these coins are from your family''s treasures...? Is your family perhaps has a high position in your country...? ] [ A-Ahh... Yes, something like that. ] [ I just can''t believe it... I''ve never seen gold such pure before... ] Carlo muttered in a voice that Shiro could barely hear. [ Is that so? ] [ Yes, I can assure you right now that I will be able to buy these from you for a high price. ] [ Is that so? Then - ] [ But... I can''t offer you the amount you''re expecting to get. ] Raising a hand in front of him, Carlo had stopped his words before Shiro could even finish it. ( Huh...? The amount I''m expecting to get...? Well... Since my coin doesn''t have a value of its own... my expectation is that I will be at least be able to trade it for 1 = 1 value of the same gold coin of their country... Does he mean I will get a price lower than that...? Well, I guess that''s still okay... I only need money enough to be able to survive in this city for a while... ) While Shiro had already accepted the fact that he somehow got \"Revive\" to this world, he still doesn''t know if he will still be able to back at his previous one, so Shiro still doesn''t have any plans of staying in this city for a long time. [ Honestly... You just came barging in my home looking for a trade. If you have made proper arrangements for this trade, I could''ve prepared to give you a higher amount... Well, if you won''t like the trade I will offer you, you can always leave and have me prepared. ] [ Well, there''s a hundred of that coin inside that pouch, how much will you offer me for it? I really need money right now and I won''t be able to wait for one or two days to get a trade. ] [ Is that so? A hundred, huh...? Then I guess... I will buy these coins from you for 200 gold coins we use in this country. ] [ ... ] ... ... ( 200!? ) shouting that number inside his head, Shiro''s expression has turned from \"Calm\" to \"Perplex\". [ 2-200...? Why that amount...? ] [ Mm... Yes. The gold these coins were made with is the purest I''ve ever seen, so even if the coin itself has no value in this country, the material they were made with has a lot. ] saying those words along with a small nod, Carlo leaned his back at the sofa he was sitting at and crossed his arms. ( So the coin itself doesn''t have any amount, huh...? But still... 200 gold coins in exchange for coins that don''t even have any proper use... ) Being surprised by the amount Carlo had offered him for his gold coins, Shiro had looked at the pouch again with amazement this time. [ So... Are you okay with that amount...? ] with a serious look on his face, Carlo asked Shiro. [ Yea... I think I can deal with that... ] While trying to hide his real baffled feelings, Shiro tried to reply with a calm expression on his face. [ I must say, this is a rather fast negotiation... Gerald, get an exact amount of 200 sorted gold coins upstairs. ] [ Yes, Carlo-sama. ] with a bow, Gerald left and went up the stairs. [ Then, how about we talk about a different topic, Vlad... san... ] saying so, Carlo had now crossed his legs and leaned both of his arms at the back of the sofa. [ Is that so...? ] [ Un, Vlad-san, why exactly are you in this country? ] [ Well, I''m actually here to visit a friend. ] he said the same lie he told the guard at the gate. [ Visit a friend you say? ] [ That''s right. ] [ Is that so? Then your friend must be a rich person, right? Perhaps a noble? ] [ Well, you can say that. ] scratching his cheek, Shiro replied. Seeing this action of Shiro, Carlo knitted his brows. [ Well, I guess I won''t ask you any further than that. Anyway, I assume that you just arrived here in this city today, no? Tell me, do you already have a place to stay in? ] [ About that... I actually still don''t have any... Say, is there an inn you can recommend? ] ( An inn is just the same as an apartment, right? ) - Being used in living in apartments, this is the first thing that came into Shiro''s mind. Shiro just arrived in the city early this morning, he can''t possibly be able to immediately find a place to stay at if he doesn''t even have any money. And even now, the fact was, it was a miracle that he was able to meet with a very famous merchant to whom he can trade his coins with in such a short matter of time. [ An inn? I think there''s not an inn here in this city that can fit the class of a guy such as your self, Vlad-san. ] [ O-oh? Is that so? ] [ So then, I recommend you to buy your own residence. ] [ My own residence? ] [ That''s right, I''ll introduce you to a friend that''s currently selling his small residence for a very small price of 175 gold coins. ] [ A residence... But I think that the amount is too high for me... additionally, I will live alone, so a big house will only be a pain to live at. ] ( Well, the amount is not that high if I consider I will be able to trade my coins again... but living alone in a residence is something I won''t be able to accept. ) The fact was, Shiro, prefers to live alone in a small room rather than having one or more person that will annoy him under the same roof. But still, for Shiro, living in a residence with only yourself is not just lonely and dangerous, it was also scary. [ Oh~ come on, Vlad-san, I know you have your slaves living with you, why don''t you order them to maintain the place for you? ] [ Slaves...? ] ( By slaves, does she mean... that kind of slave...? ) Vlad was both shocked and confused. He has seen many things that do not resemble his world, but what he had heard just now had seemed to have completely separated this world and his previous one in two. Yes, there had been cases of slavery in the past era of his world, but in his time; his generation, slavering had been completely cut off from society, even the word itself was rarely being used. [ Yes, I''m sure with your wealth you have many. ] [ Well, no, I don''t have any slaves... ] [ Wha-What...? Is that true...? ] as if he was making sure he heard what Shiro had said correctly, Carlo had asked again just to be sure. - But without a glimpse of hesitation, Shiro answered: [ Yes. ] Shiro was very confused by the reaction Carlo has shown. He was asking him if he has slaved as if it was natural for him to have some. Vlad was the kind of worker who was always gets tossed around and dragged by his boss and his co-workers, he himself, he considers a slave of his work, but he never considered himself as the slave of anyone; the thought of slavering someone hasn''t even crossed his mind. [ Wait... Does that mean you do the house''s tasks yourself...? ] ( If she means I do the cooking, washing, and stuff, then - ) [ Yes, I do all the tasks at the house myself... ] [ But... With your appearance... ] muttering those words which only he can hear, he started to look at Shiro''s figure, starting from his head, to his toes. [ No... I can''t accept that... Shiro-san... How do you like the idea of having slaves...? ] [ Having a slave...? ] Buying a person, an individual - was something Shiro hadn''t consider in all his life. So the obvious answer for Carlo''s question was: [ Sorry... But I don''t think I have the right to own a slave. ] he answered honestly. [ Huh...? What are you saying Vlad-san? Everyone has the right to own a slave. It''s normal. ] ( Now that I think about it, Carlo has been talking about slaves since earlier like it was normal for him, or rather, anyone to own a slave. ) [ Just think about it, Vlad-san. You can make slaves do anything you asks them to do, wouldn''t it be a great thing if you can have someone who can do your tasks for you? ] ( Un... That might be a good idea, that way I can spend more time for myself... ) Since Shiro almost didn''t have good proper rests and vacations in his previous world, he thought that it might be a genius idea if this time, he can spend his time just doing absolutely nothing; like what he did back when he was still a Hikikomori. ( But still, slavering someone leaves a bitter taste in my mouth... ) [ Also, since you''re planning to buy your own residence, it would be a great idea to buy slaves. ] [ Wai-Wait! I still haven''t decided on that! ] [ Just think about it, once you buy your own residence, then you don''t need to worry about paying any fees and payment because you only need to pay it once. There are also many benefits to owning a residence. It''s a requirement for people who wants to join any kind of Royal and Noble balls in the city, your name might also become famous if you have a residence of your own. ] [ Well, I don''t want any of that... But still, owning a residence. You told me earlier that you will introduce me to your friend, right? How about I decide once I took a look at it? ] ( If I can own a residence, then I will be able to gain a lot more privacy, unlike the inns where I might accidentally become neighbors with troublesome people. I might also be able to do research and experiments in a private residence since I still don''t know many things about this world yet.) [ Oh~ Then, I can arrange that immediately. ] [ Really? ] [ Un, if you''d like to, we can go now. We might be able to get the chance to meet with my friend at his home if we go now - ] [ Carlo-sama, I have finished gathering the coins. ] while Carlo was still trying to finish his sentence, Gerald finally came downstairs and interrupted. [ Oho~ Great timing, Gerald. So how about it, Vlad-san? ] 7 Chapter 7 ~ Thoughts On Slavery SFX: Noises... *Clop Clop Clop* The sound of horses'' footsteps resounded in the city. There were many carriages that are currently running on city Altair''s main road. Merchants and visitors alike use this road to either go in or go out of the city. Carriages being pulled by either horses or people can be seen racing against each other. - This is a normal and everyday sight for everyone who lives near this road. But today, one carriage has caught the attention of everyone. A carriage being pulled by two equipped horses can be seen in the middle of the road. The carriage was large and luxurious, and the two horses that are pulling it are obviously healthy and well-bred, unlike the skinny horses the people normally see every day. The people that are looking from afar had guessed that there must be either a noble or a famous merchant inside the carriage. Not being able to resist their curiosity, a small number of youngsters; both girls and boys had tried to peak at the people inside the carriage''s windows. Taking a glimpse inside the carriage, the youngsters saw two handsome men talking with each other. One of the two people inside is wearing a black suit; his hair was black, long, and was tied in the back of his head, while the other person has the look of an angel that came down from heaven; his hair was blonde and he was wearing a red robe layered with gold. [ [ Wow... ] ] Seeing the figure of the two people that were inside the carriage, the youngsters could only gasp in awe. *** *Clop clop clop... After leaving Carlo''s residence near the market place, Carlo had ordered a carriage to come and pick them up. It was said that the carriage was a property of Carlo which he uses every time he visits someone for business. And now, Inside the carriage, Carlo and Shiro are silently waiting for one of them to start a conversation and talk. ... ... [ ... ] ( This is awkward... ) - muttering those words inside his head, he turned his eyes again towards the figure of Carlo who''s in front of him. Carlo is sitting at the couch with his legs crossed and his head leaning on top of his fist. Carlo''s eyes were closed and Shiro had guessed that he must be napping or just thinking deeply about something. Although he had only spent a small amount of time with Carlo, Shiro can now at least guess the meanings of some of the actions Carlo was making when in front of him. Shiro thinks that Carlo was a deep person who always thinks very deeply about things. He had reached this conclusion after observing Carlo''s actions since the moment he had met him. ~~~ After a moment of just staring at the slender-bodied Carlo - ( Hmm... ) Shiro turned into deep thought as he suddenly reminded of something stored in his mind. [ By the way, ...Umm... Carlo-kun? ] with those words, Shiro tried to get the attention of Carlo who has his eyes still closed. With Shiro''s call, Carlo''s eyeballs twitch and he slowly opened his eyes. [ Mn... What is it Vlad-san...? ] [ Really sorry for waking you up, but I was just thinking about what you said earlier - that if I choose to really buy the residence, I will need to have and buy slaves...? Is that right? ] [ That''s right... ] as he sweeps the wet part of his eyes with his arm gently, he replied. ( Hmm... So it really would be necessary, huh? Anyway, only if my test won''t work... ) [ So... Where can I exactly buy slaves...? How much would it cost me? And lastly, how exactly does slavery works here...? ] ( He never actually explained to me anything regarding the slaves earlier. The truth is, I really want to understand how the trade of slaves works in this world. I''m curious. ) with this thought, Shiro looked Carlo in his eyes and waited for his reply. And so a second later, Carlo replied with an explanation... [ Well, there are three different types of slaves: worker slaves, combat slaves... and of course... sex slaves... ] ... ... ( Sex slaves... ) hearing and then repeating that word inside his head, Shiro''s thought immediately started to run wild. ( Sex slaves, huh...? hehe... Wai-Wait no! I''m already 30! I''m not some kind of weird wild teen anymore! ) having an internal conflict inside his head, Shiro tried to come back to reality by shaking his head side to side. [ Well, the cheapest from the three would be the worker slaves. You can at least buy 50 of them with your remaining 25 gold... And I can also introduce you to many slave traders that sell them... but if you''re planning to buy some other types... Well... ] [ No-no! I don''t have any intention in doing so! ] as if trying to conceal his inner thoughts, Shiro replied with a simple smile on his face. [ A-anyway, how exactly one would turn into a slave...? ] This question was what Shiro wanted to ask the most. Just exactly how people turn into slaves? What are those reasons? He wanted to know what they are for self-satisfaction and also for him to prevent doing things that the country will try to make him a slave for. [ Hmm? Actually, I never thought that there will be a day when someone would ask me how slavery works... ] [ Is that so...? Well, just think of me as someone who lived in a country where slaves don''t exists. ] ( It is the truth though. Earth really just doesn''t tolerate slavery anymore. ) [ If you say so. Well anyway... There are many ways with how one person will turn into a slave: the most common would be their family selling them to a slave merchant or the slavery market themselves. The other reason would be when they accumulated too much debt and the only way they would be able to pay that debt is to sell themselves and become slaves, and of course, would be criminals turned into slaves. Well, those mostly are the case for almost all slave out there. ] [ Hmm... Is that so... ] ( I can understand those reasons of why and how they become slaves but... Is it really necessary selling themselves off...? Maybe because I have so much money right now that I can''t sympathize with them... Well, it''s none of my business... ) [ Hmm... But if I ever actually need a slave... Carlo-san, what kind of slave would you recommend me to buy? ] [ How about some combat slaves...? You need to protect your self too, right? ] [ Oh... About that... I''m confident that I can at least defend myself... ] That''s right. Shiro was nothing more than confident with his strength. Seeing the highest level of the person inside the city, he was sure that no one in the city would be able to hurt him. So there was no reason for him to buy people with the purpose of defending him if he can defend any kind of attack just by himself. [ Oho~? Aren''t you quite confident...? Perhaps you have some experience in fighting? ] putting a leg above the other, Carlo had said those words to Shiro with a mocking face. [ You can say that... ] [ How about a spar? I''ll let you know that I''m good with swords. ] [ Oh? ] ( Someone with a body so slender...? ) In Shiro''s mind, Carlo can''t be some kind of warrior if he has such a slender and skinny body. ... ... Then - curiosity swelled up inside Shiro. ( Well... Might as well check it out... ) jerking his chin, Shiro muttered inside his head. ( Appraise! ) he shouted the word inside his head. He''s been wanting to try and test Appraise at Carlo since he was curious about him. There was something about Carlo that had mystified Shiro since the moment he had met him. So now, he might discover that thing keeping his senses attracted to Carlo. ( Appraisal: Result ) Name: Carla Alexandria Race: Human Gender: Female Level: 56 Job Class: Merchant/Assassin Health: 1342/1342 ... ... [ This is... ] 8 Chapter 8 ~ Buying a Residence [ Here we are. ] After a while, Shiro and Carla had finally arrived at the residence. And now, standing in front of them was a large house - or rather, a large mansion with white walls and red-painted roofs. The mansion has a large base in the middle that extends two floors above the ground, and on both sides of it stood the left, and the right-wing that was at least 1/3 taller than the base in the middle. Shiro had already somehow expected that the residence that Carla had recommended would be at least look like the one in front of him right now; Carla wouldn''t recommend him to buy slaves if the residence she was planning to sell him can be managed by only one or two people. ( So this is it, huh...? For 175 gold coins... That almost worth nothing in the game yet in this world... ) As Shiro looked at the mansion in front of him, he felt a weird emotion swell up inside him. ( If I can buy something like this so easily... Imagine what things I can do with all the currency I have inside my inventory... ) If Shiro were to take out all kinds of currency stored inside his inventory, even the large mansion in front of him would not be able to fit all of it inside it. So Shiro thought that there might not be a single thing right now in this world that he might not be able to buy with money. And so he realized that: in this world, he was not only superior in power, he was also superior in money. ( That might be a little too exaggerated but... It might be true. ) [ Shiro-san, what do you think? ] In the middle of his thoughts, Carla had interrupted him. [ Yea... It does look good outside. ] he turned a look at Carla and answered. But the truth was, what the mansion looks outside doesn''t matter to Shiro. He was already used in living in his old dirty apartment room that a normal house with a single roof will already be enough for him. But there were many benefits a private building like this will be able to provide him, so he took the time to consider and accept Carla''s recommendation to him of considering buying a residence for himself. ( With something like this... I will be able to do some private research and experiments... I still don''t know how my current self and this world works, so I might as well study it for a little. ) The \"Research and experiments\" Shiro was talking about were first, for himself; he still does not exactly know how his current body works. For example, that time when he saw the blood of the girl that was getting beaten up in the streets earlier, his mind went black at that moment; that time, he lusted for blood. Shiro thought that this might be one of Vlad''s racial ability: Blood Thirst. Bloodthirst - In the game \"SOUL ADVENTURES!!!\", this ability only works when there were Wounded or Bleeding enemies near the player. It heightens up a few of the player''s stats, specifically, his speed, strength, and regeneration speed; additionally, with this ability on, the player can suck out the blood of his enemies while making them immobile for a few seconds. This ability was one of the abilities Shiro always uses in a 1 v 1 PVP as it was not only perfect for immobilizing a single enemy, but it was also perfect for damaging his enemy while he recovers his own health. Shiro thought that this Racial ability might be the reason for that occurrence. For all he knows, all his abilities and Racial abilities had worked so far; from his Night Vision, to his debuff - Burning Light. And other than those abilities, Shiro still has many others that might require a large amount of space and privacy. [ So, Vlad-san... We''re not only here to stare at it, right? How about we go inside? ] [ Ahh... Yes... ] Shiro answered with a small pause. Hearing Shiro answered in a positive way, Carla took the lead and started to walk towards the large structure in front of them. Shiro then followed her from the back. ( I was lost in thought at the sight of this mansion but now that I take a proper look at it... Carlo do have the body of a woman... ) Shiro thought as he stared at Carla''s figure from the back. Although Carla does not have a voluptuous body of a woman, she still has a pale and white dotless skin that almost reflects the light of the sun and a fierce but womanly face. With Carla''s appearance, one would not think of her as a girl from their first sight of her, but if everyone would take a proper and serious look, they would be able to figure out the truth; that Carla was a not a very handsome man, but a very beautiful woman. ( But still... If she''s this beautiful why is she trying to hide it? Well, there must be some kind of reason for it... In any case, it''s none of my business. ) Continuing to follow Carla, they''re now in front of the mansion, looking straight at its doors. Carla then continued to move forward and knocked on the door in front of her. [ Baron Baldo! It''s me, Carlo Alexandria. ] Carla stated her name. ... ... Waiting for a short moment, the door opened and a fat guy wearing luxurious clothes came out. [ Ca-Carlo-sama... What brings you to my humble place? ] the fat guy, Baldo, asked, with his face worried and his hands holding each other, shaking. [ I found someone who might be interested in buying your residence. Could he perhaps take a little of your time to investigate your place? ] [ Oh! Is that so? I will gladly do so! Please take all the time you need. ] saying that with enthusiasm on his face, he turned his eyes on Shiro. Seeing the luxurious figure of Shiro, greed swelled up inside Baldo. [ Is he perhaps th-the buyer!? Ca-Carlo-sama, how much did he offer!? ] [ Oh, please don''t get too excited Baldo-san, he was not the person who decides the price, I am... ] with an angry expression on her face, Carla whispered those words to Baldo. [ Your mansion does not worth anything more than 175 pieces of gold coins, please don''t expect to get a price any higher than that... ] Almost immediately, Baldo''s enthusiasm died, turning his head downward after. While Shiro was able to hear those words too with his heightens hearing, he just decided to ignore it. [ Anyway, Baldo-san, can you please welcome us inside? ] [ O-Of course! ] *** The mansion consists of many rooms - a large bathroom and a large number of toilets, long hallways, a library, a huge kitchen, two guest rooms, a beautiful living room, and of course, an elegant and luxurious Master''s Bedroom. Touring the mansion inside, Shiro was perplexed to the idea that he will live in such a place if he buys it now. ( I''ve never dreamed of living in such a place but... It has so many benefits... ) Shiro muttered in his head as he sips the tea on a glass cup he''s holding with his hand. [ So-So? What do you think noble-sama? Does my humble home suits your taste? ] Baldo said while caressing his hands with each other. [ Un, I think it''s great. ] Shiro answered with a smile on his face. ( The yard and backyard were big too... Maybe I could try experimenting with my summons in those... ) Summons - One of Shiro''s greatest fighting power. While his race was a Vampire Prince, he has three job class that focuses on summoning monsters. Of course, he won''t be able to summon his monsters in a closed space, so he can only either summon them outside the city or in a private place where no one would be able to see. Shiro''s Summons mostly consist of large monsters that he can fight with. If he summons them outside where someone would see, he does not know how the people of this world might react to them. While there was no reason for him to summon his monsters yet, Shiro wanted to at least test them out just in case he might meet with someone who would be able to hurt him. ( Well, in any case, all I need is a place where I can stay at. ) [ Un, it might be a good idea for me to buy it... No, I will buy it. ] [ I-is that so!? ] [ You would definitely not regret that decision Shiro-san. ] Carla, who''s sitting at the other side of the table said while holding another glass cup on his hand. [ For the slaves, how about tomorrow? ] [ Let me think about that matter first Carla-san. ] [ As I said earlier, Vlad-san, slaves here are normal, or do you think you will be able to manage this mansion by yourself? ] [ No, it''s not about that. I would like to test something first. ] [ Oh~? What would that be? ] ( Summoning Vampire Brides... If I would be able to summon them, I would like to test their capabilities first. If they''re incompetent... Then I will consider buying slaves. ) he muttered only in his head. [ Well, It''s a secret. ] [ ... ] Hearing those words from Shiro, Carla was left with a weird expression on her face. [ Anyway, Baron Baldo had now sold his Residence to Vlad Alucard. Both of you, Please sign here. ] Shiro signed the paper with a calm expression, while Baldo signed his with a worried face. With that, the negotiation was finished at a quick pace. *** [ Well, anyway, thank you for helping me Carlo-san. ] Outside the mansion, Carlo and Shiro are now saying their goodbyes, while Baldo had already went away with the sack of gold coins. [ Don''t worry about it. Anyway, if you ever have any problems regarding anything, you can ask me for help. ] [ Is that so? Then I will do so. ] [ In return, if you still have more of the coins you traded with me or any other stuff you have, please let me be the person you trade them with. If you want, I will even increase my offer for them. ] [ Hmm... I will if I ever need money again. ] [ Is that so... Then, let''s end it here. ] saying those words, Carla raised a hand in front of Shiro. Carla was asking for a handshake. Of course, Shiro immediately took and shook it. [ Just make sure that what you said earlier that you can protect your self was true. It''s a regret if I lose a potential big-time client. ] [ Eh~? Is that so? Please don''t worry about it. I assure you that I can protect myself. ] *** Back at her home... [ How was it, Carla-sama? ] ... ... [ He was definitely - ] 9 Chapter 9 ~ Carla Alexandria - CharacterPOV#1 Carla Alexandria - was a daughter of a very famous noble house that had served the Kingdom of Artemis since the day of its foundation. She was a very smart person who also has talents for knives, swords, and magic; she was revered as a genius person since she was little. In her teens, she studied in a very famous Knights School where she was able to improve not just her already very high knowledge, but also her combat abilities. After she graduated, she was immediately able to serve the knights because of her immense talent. But after just a year of experience in the knights, her parents had already decided a partner for her, and they requested an immediate marriage. Of course, Carla wasn''t able to accept it and decided to run away from her house. Using her talent for business and with the help of the few coins she was left with, she was able to make a name for herself in the Merchant Association. And at the age of 24, under the name \"Carlo Alexandria\", she was able to become one of the richest and most known individuals in the Kingdom. And now, Carla Alexandria sat on her sofa in the living room of her own mansion. She was sipping her tea and eating her strawberry-flavored cake that was placed on top of her favorite glass table. [ How did it turned out, Carla-sama? ] asked her butler, Gerald. Since the day Carla was born, Gerald was already a servant of their house. He took care of her since she was just a little kid in the place of her parents; for Carla, her relationship with Gerald was not that of a master and servant, but that of a parent and child. [ Un, the business turned out fine. I was able to make a connection with what might be a very great client in the future while also eliminating another corrupt noble. That money Noble Baldo had receive will not be of any use for him... He would only use those coins to pay for his depts. I''m sure he would be kicked out and his Baron position would be taken from him. You do know that the Royal family hates people who betrayed their expectations, right? ] [ Still as cruel as ever Carla-sama... ] That was right. Carla Alexandria was a very \"Cruel\" person. Carla hated the corrupt since she was just a kid, and so she had kicked out many of them from their positions and took them to the lowest place possible. This was one of the reasons why she became a very famous person in the higher hierarchy of society. [ It''s business, Gerald. If a client doesn''t have any money left anymore, might as well kick them out and replace them with another, right? ] What she said was a bluff, the truth was, the business was not the reason why she had kicked out those nobles, only because she had hated them. [ If you say so, Carla-sama... ] Gerald replied with a bow. [ Anyway, what do you think of that guy, Carla-sama...? ] Hearing those words had made the positive expression on Carla''s face disappear. ( That guy, huh...? Vlad-san... ) Spinning the small empty cup on her hand, she answered: [ Well... At first, I thought he was seducing me... It was very hard to stare at his eyes... ] [ Wha...? I know he has a very handsome face, but I did not expect even you would say something like that Carla-sama... ] Hearing those words from his master, Gerald''s expression turned baffled. [ Un... Even I was surprised... It might not be an exaggeration to say that he was the most good-looking man in the Kingdom. ] [ Carla-sama... This was the first time you had complimented a man. I must say. ] [ O-Oh...? Is that so... We-Well, there''s no lying that he was very good-looking, I will not be even surprised if someone says he''s more gorgeous than Prince Kaigo himself. ] [ Hmm... I did not yet to meet with Prince Kaigo, but if you''re comparing this man with royalty, you really must have been taken by him, aren''t you Carla-sama? The truth is Carla-sama... You''re already 24, you need to look for a partner... Every day I pray to the Goddesses that they will give you a man, and now, there''s Vlad-kun, whose looks resemble that of an angel. Don''t say that this is just a coincidence, Carla-sama! ] Gerald shouted with great enthusiasm on his face. [ S-Stop kidding around, Gerald! You know that the face of a person does not attract me. There''s no chance that I would take a liking to that man. ] with a blush on her face, Carla shouted. [ If the face does not work on you, Carla-sama, then how about his personality? You know I let him in to meet you not only because he looks rich, but also because I did not feel any sense of malice coming from him... ] [ I know... But his personality...? Actually, there''s not much to say about his personality... He was like a commoner meeting an Aristocrat for the first time... ] ( In short, he was very weird. ) [ But... There''s something about him that perplexes me... Staring at his eyes, I felt two emotions swell inside me... ] [ Oh~? And what are those, Carla-sama? ] With a pause, Carla answered: [ Mainly, Charm... and Fear... ] Carla muttered with a very serious expression on her face. [ Shiro... was unlike any other people I have met so far. Why was he so timid? Maybe he''s just really good at hiding his true personality... I don''t know but whenever I stare at his eyes, I feel excitement... but also fear... ] [ ... That was a very vague and hard to understand answer, Carla-sama... ] [ Anyway, not minding what his true personality is, he might turn out to be a great client for the future. ] The gold coins Shiro had sold her can be very expensive if she melts it and turns it into carvings and gold bars. If she could get any more items like that from Shiro, she would immediately grab that opportunity without a second thought. [ Haah... On with the business again, Carla-sama? Isn''t it about time that you look for a partner? ] [ I''ll think about that in the future, Gerald. Right now, that doesn''t matter a little. ] ( A partner is unnecessary... It would only get in the way of my business... ) Of course, Carla prioritizes her trading business than any kind of relationship. She wouldn''t let a single person ruin all of her hard work. [ Carla-sama, you wouldn''t know when you might get called a hag, you know? ] [ Well... I think men could be also attracted by money too, aren''t they? ] ( If I want, I could buy hundreds of men to serve me. ) [ Haah... You wouldn''t want your partner to be only attracted by your money, right? Carla-sama... ] with a long sigh, Gerald muttered. [ Well... Anyway, I''ll think about that for the future. Let''s change the topic. ] Carla-said to brush off Gerald. [ Gerald, can you grab me some slave merchants? I would like to introduce them to Shiro-san. I would like to deepen our relationship as Client and seller. ] ( If I can, I would like to monopolize Shiro-san as I possibly can... ) 10 Chapter10 ~ Master and Servants In the game SOUL ADVENTURES!!!, the summoner job class consists of many different varieties - Druid, Necromancer, Priest, Beast Master, Evil Monarch, the classic Lv1 - Lv5 Summoner Class, and many others that were not often used. As a race of Vampire Prince, Vlad Alucard was able to not only maxed out one, but three of those summoner classes, namely: Lv20 - Druid, Lv20 - Necromancer, and Lv30 - Evil Monarch. Having three different classes in one job was an exception a few races were able to level-up once they''re able to get the specific level required, one of which is the race of Vlad Alucard. Druid - the first Summoner class that Shiro had maxed out. MP consumption of Druid''s summons is a lot lower than any other summoner class as it only summons monsters that a player already owns. Types of monsters that can be summoned are Pets, Beasts, and low - mid-tier monsters. Necromancer - the Summoner class that focuses on summoning the undead. Monsters from this class were the monsters Shiro always uses. In MP consumption rate, they''re in the middle. This class also has the highest number and varieties of monsters that can be summoned, from mid - high-tier monsters. Evil Monarch - This class was considered the hardest and most troublesome class the Summoner job has to offer. MP consumption rate is as high as possible, even a full level mage would only be able to summon up to 4 of the high-class monsters from this class per full bars of MP. This class was not recommended to be used in a Multi-Player Battle Royale and Last Stand game tournaments. But as troublesome as it might sound, this was the class that had helped Shiro to become one of the game''s strongest 1 v 1 players. ~~~ [ Haah... ] a long sigh escaped from Shiro. The room was very silent that his sigh resounded throughout the whole mansion. He was now alone inside the empty living room of the mansion. Looking at the window, it was already dark outside. He sat and laid his arms on the sofa that was left in the room. He then looked around the room and took a long sigh for a second time. The room is now empty. The only things that were left inside were the sofa he was sitting at and the lights on the ceilings and on the walls, all because of the reason Baldo had taken almost every furniture that might worth a penny back with him. ( Maybe I need to at least decorate the rooms a little too. ) with that thought in his head, he stood up and walked in the middle of the room. Shiro then turned his head down and jerk his chin. ( But I need to get helpers first. Hmm... Maybe... Un, Vampire Brides it is. ) Back at Carla and Shiro''s first meeting, when Shiro had heard the word \"Slaves\", his summons, Vampire Brides was the first thing that came into his mind, not the literal human slaves. Back in the game, \"SOUL ADVENTURES, when players hear the words \"Servants, or maybe \"Slaves\", the first thing that will come out of their minds were the necromancer class summon - Vampire Brides. And the reason for that was because, in their in-game lore, Vampire Brides are the servant of one of the most famous bosses in the game, Demon Lord Kerthus. It was said that their only purpose was to become slaves to the Demon lord. And so - with that thought in mind, Shiro shouted: [ Summon: Vampire Brides! ] Immediately, dark particles of light appeared in front of Shiro. They moved inconsistently into the air as if they have lives of their own. Then, after just a few seconds, two figures of female humans kneeling in front of Shiro appeared in place of the dark particles. The two female figures in front of Shiro were pale. The color of their skins has a mix of blue and white; it resembled the color of a dead, lifeless body, in their eyes are snake-like pupils, and the hair on their heads was long and black. Seeing that the summon was successful, a feeling of excitement swell up inside Shiro. ( So it''s still the same as it was in the game, huh? ) Shiro muttered inside his head. What Shiro was referring to, was the number of Vampire Brides he was able to summon. In the game, the summons of Vampire Brides always consists of a pair, and that fact also seems to be working in this world. [ [ You have summoned us, our lord. ] ] the two Vampire Brides in front of him said at the same time. Their voice was quiet yet it was sweet at the same time. Their tone also has gratitude and respect on it, only their faces were expressionless and they weren''t able to show it properly. [ [ Please order us without any restrains. ] ] ( Base on their response, everything seems to be okay... ) [ Un... If that is so, then come with me. ] Shiro said in a rather very calm manner. [ [ Yes! ] ] With that, Shiro started to walk, and soon later, the Vampire Brides behind him stood up and followed. Shiro thought that ordering humans was very different from ordering NPCs. In his mind, NPCs don''t have any will of their own, unlike a human being. Shiro had reached this conclusion by looking at the expressionless looks on the Vampire Brides'' faces. [ Hmm... ] with Shiro crossing his arms as he walks, he started to think again. He then stopped when he reached a rather large empty space of the room. Looking around the large space, he raised one of his arms to the front and a black transparent wall appeared where it was pointing at. And there, large quantity of furnitures spat out - SFX:BAM! BAM! BAM! Chairs, tables, lights, chandeliers, kitchen utensils, doormats, musical instruments, mats, and every other kind of possible furniture escaped from the black transparent wall in front of Shiro. The items that suddenly appeared were items Shiro had chose from his inventory. They were items he had bought with his in-game coins from the game. They were supposed to be decorations to be put in his very first guild, but at the time he was invited by an elite group of roleplaying players, he had abandoned them and started to buy furniture that resembles the fashion of Vlad more. [ I want you to decorate all of the rooms of this mansion with all of this... things. Well, you two are undead so I''m sure you don''t have the need to sleep, right...? ] ( Wait... can they even understand words that were not recognized by their commands now they''re alive in this world...? ) In the game, NPCs have a very advanced A.I used in them so that they will be able to recognize commands by words. But still, no matter how advanced the A.I was, it was still not able to recognize words that were not starting or ending with a command. ( If that is so, then - ) [ [ Un, if that is what you wish, we will fulfill it as fast and effectively as possible. ] ] interrupting his thoughts, the two Vampire Brides nodded and replied those words with great enthusiasm at the exact same time as the other. [ ... ] ( ...They surely do not reply to players like this at the game... ) Shiro was baffled as it was the first time he had felt any emotions coming from the voice of the NPCs. When he had summoned them, the words they had replied with were the same scripted words they would say in the game. But now, they had replied to him with great emotions in their words. ( It seems, they too work differently in this world... ) [ It seems you have understood, then, I will leave you two here. I''m going to rests for the night. You two can rest as well if you feel like it. ] [ [ Rest is a very disgraceful thing us, Vampire Brides can do if the tasks given to us by our lord are not yet finished. Please don''t mind us, master! We will accompany you when we finish our task. ] ] ( Are the two of them just one person in two bodies...? All the movements and the words they say are in perfect sync... ) he thought with a perplexed look on his face. [ Is that so? Then, please do and finish it as soon as possible. ] [ Yes! We will grind ourselves! ] [ Please don''t do that... ] Shiro muttered in a voice that was impossible for anyone to hear. And so, leaving those words behind, Shiro walked towards the large stairs and went to the 2nd floor of the mansion. There, he saw the largest doors in the mansion yet. Shiro walked towards it and immediately opened it with both of his arms. The room Shiro went inside was the Master''s Bedroom. The inside of the room was very luxurious that it almost doesn''t need any kind of furniture to even further its elegance. The walls were white and it almost seems as if it was shining. In the middle of the room laid a large, also, luxurious bed that somehow Baldo did not take with him. ( I wonder why he left it... ) [ Appraisal! ] ( Item: Bed ) Endurance: 200 Hit Points: 2000 Item Tier: 3 Effects: none [ Nothing special, huh? He must''ve forgotten to take it with him too. ] ( Anyway, It''s mine now. ) With those words inside his head, he immediately jumped at the bed and laid his body to rest. This action reminded him of the last time he was able to properly get some rest at his apartment room. [ Now that I think about it... Only a day had passed since I somehow got here... But really... It feels like a lot had already happened... Haah... It was very hard to talk with strangers too...! It''s been a long time since I was able to talk with someone other than my co-workers and my old friends... ] muttering those words, Shiro closed his eyes. Although Shiro''s new body was that of an Undead which never tires, Shiro still got mentally exhausted by all the things that had happened, so his mind sought to rest. [ Well, maybe this is really all just a long dream... ] And so - Shiro''s mind went to a deep slumber. 11 Chapter 11 ~ The Start of a New Day The dim light of the sun entered the room. Inside the room was a single but large bed. The metallic materials the bed was made off reflected the light to the face of the person who was sleeping on it. As the dim light of the sun got reflected on his face, the eyeballs inside his closed eyes moved and his brows twitch. [ Uoooooooooo~n...! ] the person sleeping on the bed then made a rather long stretch of his body. [ Uooooaaa~n...! ] then, with his eyes still closed, he sat up from the bed and stretched his arms with another morning yawn. With his face now directly being hit by the light of the sun, it was finally clear who he was - With the face of an angel, blonde hair of gold, and clothes of luxury and elegance, it was clear that the person who just woke up was Vlad Alucard. Slowly, he opened his eyes. His eyes then blinked a few times before it finally settled. [ Oh... ] the sound escaped his mouth as his eyes settled on the dim light outside. ( Debuff Activated: Burning Light - 50% to all stats ) the words appeared in the corner of his eyes. ( I guess it was not a dream, huh? ) - muttered the person inside the body of Vlad Alucard - Kagayami Shiro. ~~~ Shiro Kagayami recalled all the things that had happened to the past day - He somehow suddenly got into this world with the body of his in-game character. He then went inside an unknown city as his in-game character. And finally, he looked for a place to stay and he ended up buying a mansion. Realizing that everything that had happened was real, and by no means imagination, he raised both of his hands and took a rather long look at them. [ Yea... These are not the hands of Kagayami Shiro... ] The hands he remembers seeing every single day were two oddly shaped hands with large veins almost popping out. But instead, the hands in front of him now were very beautiful, and it doesn''t have a single sign that it was exposed to hard work. [ These are Vlad''s... ] with those words, he decided to take a sigh. [ Haah... ] He took the sigh as if he finally gave up on the idea that this was all just a big dream. With an odd feeling of loneliness swelling up inside him, Shiro brought his hands down to the bed. ( ...! ) The moment Shiro had placed his hands down on the bed, a surprised expression appeared on his face. The texture of the bed he placed both of his hands on was completely different from what he had imagined; it was round, soft, and bouncy. ... ... [ Hmm... ] Feeling the rather comforting sensation on his hands, he unconsciously caress them more. That was until - [ Uhn~! ] ( ...! ) A moan resounded through the entirety of the room. Surprised, Shiro turned his head around. There he saw two large bulges that were covered by a large blanket on the bed. Curious, Shiro placed a hand on the blanket. *Gulp... And with a gulp, he pulled the blanket out. ... ... ... [ [ Our lord... The light hurts... ] ] What came out of the blanket were the weak figures of his two summoned Vampire Brides bucked naked. Seeing their figures, Shiro almost immediately turned hard. ( Note: Please, I want to make this write as \"friendly\" as possible ) [ What the hell are you two doing here!? And why are you two naked!? ] Shiro shouted with a huge blush on his face. And while rubbing their eyes, the two figures answered: [ [ Our lord... We came here to service you after we finished our tasks last night... ] ] [ Wha-What...!? ] hearing those words from the two figures of beauty in front of him, Shiro was nothing more than stunned. ( But that can''t be possible...! I can''t remember anything like that happening last night! ) [ [ Un... We came here to service you last night, but it turns out you were sleeping. And so we waited for you to wake up so that we can service you... We''re sorry, our lord, but we''re afraid that we won''t be able to service you anymore as the sun has already risen up. ] ] ( Haah... If that is so... Then I guess nothing happened, huh...? Phew~! But still... ) [ I don''t remember ordering you two to come here and service me! ] Hearing those words, the Vampire Brides turned their heads to each other, looking at each other''s eyes. After a few seconds, they then turned their heads towards Shiro again. [ [ But we''re your brides, our lord. Servicing you at night is the most natural thing we have to do. ] ] [ ... ] ( I can''t possibly have this much libido at my age right...? Maybe it''s Vlad''s...? ) [ You two don''t have to do that...! Please... at least let me prepare myself! ] Shiro shouted again with a blush on his face. [ [ But... As your brides... ] ] the two Vampire Brides voiced their complaints. [ That''s an order. Also, put your clothes on immediately...! ] saying those words, he put a palm on his forehead. [ If that is what you wish... ] the Vampire Brides nodded in disappointment. [ Yes. ] [ [ Umm... Anyway, our lord... This might be a very rude request... But can you please close the curtains... We''re so weak that we can only barely speak... ] ] [ Oh... ] *** At the now fully decorated living room ~ [ Un, I decided to give you two names. ] Shiro''s words echoed through the room. Shiro was talking with the two Vampire Brides he had summoned the last night. Their heights, waists, and faces were almost the same. Their light dresses too don''t differentiate from each other. They''re simply like clones of one another. [ We don''t deserve to be given a name, our lord. ] [ We''re unworthy, our lord. ] The two Vampire brides stated their answers. ( Oh? That was the first time their reply differentiate from each other! Still, it was pretty much the same, I guess...? ) Since last night, all the reply the Vampire Brides at Shiro were always sync and the same. Maybe because of the shock they received, their words differentiate from each other for the very first time. [ No, I''m having trouble addressing you two. Also, I''m planning to give you two different tasks from now on so a name will be necessary for me to differentiate you from another. ] [ Logical... ] [ Such a smart idea, our lord... ] ( What''s with those replies...? ) [ Anyway. ] muttering that word, Shiro put a hand inside his robe. This action now became a habit when he''s taking out small items from his inventory. Shiro took out what seems to be two necklaces with different designs. He then moved towards the two of them and put the items on their necks. [ [ These are... ] ] [ Those necklaces are Rank-E items that will prevent the effects of the sun from decreasing your health to half, but it still won''t be able to remove the other affects the sun will apply to you. Keep that in mind. ] Basically, the necklace will only prevent them from accidentally getting killed by the sun. [ [ To be given such an item... ] ] the two of them whispered in a voice Shiro could barely hear. [ Un, also, those necklaces have pendants that differentiate from each other. That way, I will be able to at least know who is who. ] Hearing the words of their master the two Vampire Brides held their necklaces and turned their heads down to look at it. [ Now, I will give you your names. Okay, the one with the sun pendant, your name will be... Stella... and the other with the moon will be... Ayla. ] Shiro had put their necklaces on them at random, so he doesn''t know who got the sun and the moon pendant. [ Stella... ] the Vampire Bride on the left muttered her new name. [ Ayla... ] the Vampire Bride on the right muttered hers. Looking at them, a strange feeling swelled up inside Shiro. He felt like the two people in front of him were very much alive, Shiro also felt that they were grateful for the names he had given them. It was like he could feel their emotions swelling up inside his chest. ( Hmm... I just hope my naming sense is not weird... ) rubbing his cheek, he muttered those words inside his head. Then, while having these thoughts, the two vampire brides turned a look at him. [ [ Our lord... ] ] [ Thank you very much. ] [ Thank you for your humble gifts, our lord. ] The two Vampire Brides thanked him with smiles and blushes on their faces. It was the first time he saw them change the expression on their faces. [ Un... ] Shiro was only able to nod in surprise. 12 Chapter 12 ~ The Start of a Date All the rooms in the mansion were now completely decorated with all kinds of furniture. In the living room ~ A white soft sofa and a luxurious table were placed in the middle. Storage and cabinets were placed beside the walls, along with a great number of smaller furniture and decorations, every single piece of which was glittering with their shining textures. In the bathroom ~ The bathroom was large but only a few details were added to it. Almost only a few showers, a large gold plated mirror, and a bathtub were the only things that were placed inside. In the kitchen ~ Everything that was in the kitchen before Shiro had bought the mansion was taken, and so now, Shiro had replaced all of them and added a few more tools and utensils. In the hallways ~ The empty hallways before were now filled with short pillars with small statues on top of them. The Master''s Bedroom and Guest rooms were now also filled with furniture and decorations. ~~~ Surely, Alya and Stella had taken their first task very seriously. [ Good work... It turned out more than I expected... ] still sitting at the sofa in the middle of the living room, shiro voiced his praise. Seeing the now newly decorated rooms, Shiro was only able to praise the two of them. He was completely amazed by how great their sense of fashion in decorating rooms was. [ [ Un. ] ] Hearing Shiro''s praise, the two Vampire Brides bowed at the same time, still with their expressionless faces. [ Please, give us more tasks so that we can serve you more. ] ( Stella ) [ Please, give us orders without minding us. ] ( Alya ) [ Of course. ] Shiro answered with a very calm expression on his face. Of course, if the people who told him those words were not his summons, he would startle and will not be able to properly answer. But for Shiro, his summons were his properties; he would not hesitate to order them around as he was the one who had created them in the first place. Added, there was a feeling inside Shiro that made him feel very close with Alya and Stella; as if they had lived with each other for many years already. ( If only I have some maid outfits in my inventory... Everything would be perfect. ) with that thought inside his head, he sipped at the coffee one of the two Vampire Brides had made. It was the very first time he had drink coffee in his house with someone actually accompanying him. Since Shiro left his parent''s house, he had always lived alone by himself. The existence of Alya and Stella beside him had somehow filled his chest with warmth. [ But for now, give yourselves some rest. I''m planning to go outside. ] [ [ !!! ] ] Hearing those words, the ears of the two Vampire Brides instantly stood up. [ [ We can''t do that, our lord! If you want to go outside, please let us accompany you! ] ] with a shout, Alya and Stella protested at Shiro. [ No, you two are still not completely resistant to the sun, right? Once you go outside, not only your strength will drop in half, but your health also will. It would be very dangerous. ] The level of the two Vampire Brides beside him are both only level-40, knowing that the highest level of the people outside was 76, Shiro thought that it would be very dangerous for his two Vampire Brides to go outside since their stats will also be decreased by half in daylight. With their stats halved, even a level 30 warrior would be able to dominate them in battle. Also, his two very attractive Vampire Brides will easily attract the attention of people, especially men. He would not be surprised if the scene he saw yesterday might also happen to his Vampire Brides. [ [ Bu-But... ] ] [ As I said, it''s dangerous. ] Shiro said, unfaltering. Hearing the unchanging answer of their master, they dropped their shoulders in defeat. But still, the two of them gripped one of their fists hard while they put the other to their chests and said - [ Our lord, it doesn''t matter if we die, if we''re able to service you, then we wouldn''t mind dying. ] ( Stella ) [ Un, we can become your shield if an unexpected event happens! ] ( Alya ) [ [ So please! Let us accompany you! ] ] The two of them voiced with worried and unwavering expressions on their faces. [ ... ] Seeing the change on their expressionless faces, Shiro thought that they must be really serious. ( Haah... I know that the two of them are very loyal... But I did not expect them to go that far... ) Offering their lives for the assurance of his safety made his unfaltering self reconsider. [ Haah... Fine. But I will only take one of you, the other will wait here for any visitors. You two will decide who will accompany me. ] he said with a sigh. *** Shiro and Stella were now in front of the mansion''s gate. After Ayla and Stella did a rock-paper-scissors battle to decide who will accompany Shiro, Stella won with only a point higher. And so, Stella is now accompanying Shiro while Ayla was left inside the mansion. [ Summon: Giant Earth Moles! ] shouting those words, the ground below Shiro shone. Then, after a few seconds, giant moles appeared from the ground, making huge holes in the process. [ Protect Ayla and the mansion. Apprehend only those with bad intentions. ] Hearing their task, the giant moles all nodded and buried themselves again to the ground, covering the holes they have left earlier perfectly as if the holes never existed in the first place. Giant Earth Moles - they were level 70 mid-tier summons that can help the summoner apprehend stronger enemies. They are also able to bury enemies with stats and levels lower than them in the ground. Shiro did not like the idea of summoning them because of their appearance, but because almost all of his undead have their stats lowered in daylight, he settled in summoning them. [ My lord, we''re undeserving of your concerns, you did not need to worry about Ayla''s safety. ] Stella voiced, still with her unchanging expression. [ Hmm? You two are my first summons, you know? In a way, you two are important to me. ] Shiro turned his head to Stella and said with a smile on his face. [ I-Is that so? I-If that is what you say, my lord. ] Stella replied, fidgeting and with a blush on her face. [ That''s right. It would be troublesome if Ayla disappears. You two are a pair. ] For Shiro, it was hard to see Stella and Ayla being separated from each other. Since last night they had stuck with each other as if they were one person inside two bodies, because of this, Shiro had started to think of them as a single individual. [ Un... ] Stella nodded, still with a pink face. ( Isn''t it unusual for them to blush...? Aren''t they undead...? ) - Shiro thought as he saw the blush on Stella''s face. ( Still, I''m starting to understand the two of them... ) After spending a little time with his two Vampire Brides, Shiro was somehow able to understand their behaviours and attitudes. Shiro thought that maybe because of their undead state, they''re not able to properly express the emotions on their faces, but he realized that they were still able to show it if their emotions are strong enough that it will appear on their faces. Getting them to show the emotions on their faces somehow became a pleasurable task for Shiro. Having these thoughts inside his head, Shiro unconsciously smiled and put a hand on top of Stella''s head, patting it. [ M-My lord! ] Stella shouted, panicking. But ignoring Stella''s shout and actions, Shiro continued to caress her head with a smile. Stella''s head turned red and her body started fidgeting. Her current state was far from her usual calm expressionless self. ( They''re like a relative''s kid you haven''t seen in a long time. ) Shiro thought. His previous thoughts about his NPCs not having wills of their own was shattered after just a day of spending together with them. After a moment, Shiro finally removed his hand, and Stella was also finally able to calm down. Shiro then put his hand inside his robe, taking out a single straw-hat and then putting it on top of Stella''s head. [ Yosh! ] with a feeling of satisfaction, Shiro shouted. [ My lord...? ] Stella held the edge of the hat and muttered the word with a confuse look on her face. Stella''s usually expressionless face was now showing waves of different expressions because of the extreme emotions that Shiro had caused to swell up inside her. [ Stella, do you know where we''re going? ] [ My lord...? I do not know... You''ve yet to tell me, my lord. ] [ Stella, We''re going on a date! ] Shiro shouted with enthusiasm showing on his face. [ De-Deto!? ] Stella shoutingly repeated the word with a perplex expression on her blushing face. ( That''s right, I haven''t been able to go outside on a date before... A pretty girl like Stella would be the perfect partner! ) While Shiro''s actual plan was to go by himself to learn more about this current world, now that he has a pretty girl going together with him, Shiro thought that he might as well call it a date for self-satisfaction [ My-My lord!? That would be unfair to Ayla! ] Stella shouted with worry. [ Don''t worry, I will take Ayla with me another time. ] Shiro said as if he was trying to reassure Stella. [ For now, I want you to change the way you addresses me. Hmm... How about Vlad-sama? ] The reason why Shiro wanted them to change the way they addressess him was because \"My lord\" and \"Our lord\" sounded very distant to Shiro. Shiro chose \"Vlad-sama\" because he knows that they won''t accept calling him just by his name, even if for Shiro and the Vampire Brides, they were close enough to be called family. Stella and Ayla just won''t be able to address him without any honorifics, and so, he gave the order for Stella, and soon, Ayla, to call him Vlad-sama. That way, she will be able to call him by his name, but with honorifics. [ M-My lo... Va-Vlad-sama...? ] Stella stuttered, as she was not yet used in calling her master that way. [ Un, that''s better. ] Shiro nodded in satisfaction. [ Then, let''s go? ] Shiro turned around and said. [ U-Un! M-My Lo... Vlad-sama! ] And with her trying to pronounce the name with a stutter, she followed the back of her master. 13 Chapter 13 ~ Culture Shock The sky was blue, and the sun was high. The noisy voices of people shouting and the sound of birds chipping resounded in every corner of the streets. Children, mothers, fathers, and old people can be seen walking on the streets, many of which are wearing casual Middle-Age-like clothes; there are also some that wear odd-looking clothes which consist of armors and some kind of weapons hanging on their waist. If these streets were to be seen by a Japanese person for the very first time, they would think that they''re in the old era of the west, but clearly, that was not the case. Many bright and colorful shops and stalls stood beside the walls of the rowdy streets, where loaves of bread, vegetables, meat, fishes, weapons, armors, toys, and many others are being sold to the people who walk past them. Mostly, the stalls are being managed by old people, there were only a few being managed by younger ones. In the sea of people, two people were sticking out like a sore thumb. Almost every eye on the streets were focused on them. [ Vlad-sama, I must say, I''m overwhelmed by the number of people that had gathered here. ] Amidst the noisy chatterings and shoutings of the people, one quiet but sweet voice dominated the ears of every person present. Looking at where the voice came from, they saw a short, yet a very beautiful girl with skin pale as snow. Her hair was black as the sky, and her eyes were deep and blue as the sea - one would wonder if she would ever melt under the heat of the brightest sun. [ Yea, it can even compete with Japan''s market places... ] Hearing and seeing where the next voice came from, the people were only able to grasp in both shock and amazement. ~~~ The two people who had gathered everyone''s attention were Vlad Alucard, and his servant Stella. Shiro calmly took his walk without minding the stares and noise of the people around him. In his mind, he decided to just think of them as NPCs which functions the same way in the game. With that kind of thinking, he was able to get used to it in a short matter of time, and now, even if all of the people will look at him because of his appearance, he would not even blink an eye in shame. ( Hmm... I might be looking for blanks here... ) Shiro thought as he did his hobby of jerking his chin. Shiro had decided to take a walk in the city to learn and look for any kind of information about why he was sent in this new world. For all he knows, he might already be dead and he''s now only looking for a single ray of hope that might not even exist. He was sent in this world without any kind of explanation, of course, his instinct will tell him to try and look at the city for any information that might explain his current situation. [ Vlad-sama...? ] his servant, Stella, turned her head upward towards him and muttered. Shiro met with her eyes, and he was instantly able to figure out what she was thinking - Stella was worried about him. Knowing this, Shiro thought that maybe because of his silence that made Stella worried. [ I''m fine. ] he said, forming a smile on his face. [ Un... ] Stella only nodded, returning then her gaze in front. ( Now, that I think about it... ) muttered Shiro inside his head. Shiro was mystified to the fact that not only Stella was able to read his emotion, but he was also able to read hers. ( It sounds weird, but... it feels like there''s a cable between the two of us that connects our emotions... ) He was able to feel it when he first gave them their pendants back at his mansion. He felt their gratitude and respect for him at that moment. Then, when he and Stella were still back at the gate, he was somehow able to sense the shame and embarrassment of Stella - Shiro had reached that conclusion based on those two facts. Realizing this, Shiro thought that maybe the reason for it was because of the fact that they have the relationship of Summoner and the summoned, same as that of a creator and the created. With this thought inside his mind, Shiro continued to walk and Stella followed beside him. Then, after a few minutes of walking, Shiro reached a large circular place with even more people than they have ever witnessed earlier. [ This seems to be the City Square, Vlad-sama... ] muttered Stella to her master. [ Un, I wasn''t able to reach this place yesterday but... I did not expect it to be like this... ] Shiro whispered in a quiet voice. What revealed in front of Shiro that made him surprised was the fact that the City Square was a lot more lively and colorful than any place in the city he was able to visit from his walk yesterday - Houses with second-third floors filled the sky with hanging colorful paper flowers, the circular road was as bright as the sun, while troubadours and magicians entertained both the kids and the old people. It was not what he was expecting to see from a world where monsters and demons appear. ... ... [ Well, how about it, Stella? I mentioned we''re going on a date, right? ] [ U-Un... Yes... You did, Vlad-sama. ] Stella answered with a fidget. [ That''s right. Well, Isn''t this a good place to have our date? ] Shiro said, smiling towards his servant, Stella. And so - At the Plaza, the people saw two gorgeous people innocently buying and eating the things they themselves were buying and feasting on every day. The two also enjoyed their culture and entertainment as if it was the first time they have saw and experienced it. This scene made their faces smile, as they have never seen someone that might be a noble trying to enjoy the things they enjoy. *** Shiro was able to learn some of the city''s cultures while also having fun and interests to the new things he found. There were things and kinds of entertainment that didn''t exist in his previous world that he saw and experienced at the Plaza. But still, the fact that he wasn''t able to find any kind of resemblance to the culture of this world to Japan made him a little lonely and rejected. [ Well... I haven''t found a single clue but... At least it was fun. ] Shiro muttered. [ Un... ] Stella nodded to his words. Shiro and Stella are now resting, sitting on a single bench. After they have finished visiting almost every single shops they were able to go to, Shiro decided to rest first as he was already mentally exhausted. Despite not finding any single clue to how he got in this world, Shiro was able to buy books he thought he could use to learn more about this world itself. ( Haah... Maybe I should not think much about it... But still, people say that there''s a reason for everything. Maybe I got transported here in this world because I have some kind of purpose... ) he thought, like a philosopher that was looking for reasons to live. ( Maybe I should just give up and continue to live my life here without any worries... ) With that ending thought, Shiro fixed his stare in the middle of the crowd. ... ... [ Hey, have you heard? They say the party of the Hero is visiting at the guild to help them subjugate a vampire. I even heard they have arrived just this morning. ] ( !!! ) Hearing those words from the people that were chatting behind him, Shiro''s ears twitched. ... ... ( To subjugate a vampire, you say? It''s just a coincidence... right? ) [ Echolocation...! Advance Appraisal...! ] With those spells, Shiro tried to appraise the city again. ( Advanced Appraisal: Result: ) ( Altair City - ) ( Population: 146104 - Humans96%/Anthropomorphs3%/Heteromorphs1% ) ( MaximumLv:97 MinimunLv:1 ) [ 97... There''s no doubt... ] ( That''s the Hero. ) 14 Chapter 14 ~ A Certain Receptionist - CharacterPOV#2 My name is Diana. A receptionist at the guild. I have worked as a guild receptionist for almost a year now. If I were to ask if I like my job, I would say I do, no, I would say that love it. As a kid, I wasn''t able to meet and become friends with many people. Now that I work as a receptionist here at the guild, I was now able to meet with all kinds of people. But these days, my work as a receptionist is getting a lot harder. Monsters subjugations, mercenaries hirings, rescue missions, herbs and ingredients search, and every possible task the adventurers could take has been increasing, that us receptionists needed to take overtimes from our work almost every day. I heard from my senpais'' that the reason for the sudden increase of request from villages, towns, and the knights were because of the now increasing attacks from both the side the demons and the monsters alike. The human countries have always been in a constant war against the demon country and it''s always been a huge problem for the side of the humans, and as if it could get any worse, an announcement has been sent to all countries, humans and demons alike, that the beasts/monster country has changed its ruler, hence the reason why their attacks also increased. Really... Humans are suffering enough with our wars with the demon country... Now the beasts country now also wants to join in... [ Haah... ] a big sigh escaped from my mouth. Laying my head on the desk, I looked at the noisy room of the guild and looked at the people inside. Humans really are weak... It''s a good thing that the Goddesses had favored us with heroes, knights, adventurers, and other talented people. If it weren''t for them, humans may have already been extinct. [ Already tired Diana? Aren''t your shift''s about to end? ] While having such thoughts, a co-worker came to my side and asked. Shina-senpai came out from the guild master''s room. She probably had some business with the guild master. [ Un, but I still have a lot of things to do... It''s really tiring... ] I reply with a tired voice. [ Well, I have some good news for you! Well... it may be a piece of bad news for you... ] [ Hmm? What is it Shina-senpai? ] The second I asked that question, Shina-senpai took out a piece of paper from her clothes. [ Well, the truth is... ] Shina-senpai muttered. She then closed her distance with me and whispered - [ Diana, you see, the guild master received a message just now. ] [ A message? What is it Shina-senpai? ] [ Well, It seems like the... The Hero''s party just arrived at the city gates without any notice from the capital... ] ... ... [ Huh!? ] [ Psshh!!! Don''t shout...! ] she desperately stopped my shout of shock and surprise by putting a finger on my lips. ... She probably tried to stop me from accidentally spreading the news. Realizing this, I calmed down and asked in a quiet voice - [ I-Is that true...!? ] [ Apparently... ] [ Wow... ] For the Hero to leave the capital... I can''t believe it... I wonder what they came here for? [ Shina-senpai, did the guild master mentioned why they''re here? ] [ Yes. Apparently, they''re here to subjugate one of our guild''s oldest tasks. You remember that ancient ruins were almost all adventurers that the old guild has sent never came back, right? ] [ Un, we''ve stopped sending adventurers there because the rumored vampire never actually harmed everyone who does not go to that ruins, am I right? ] [ Yea, the guild master said that the party of heroes were here because they like to test their strength to this rumored vampire. ] To test their strengths...? [ Is that so... I don''t know why but hearing that makes me think of the Hero''s party as an arrogant bunch... ] [ Why''d you say so...? ] [ I mean... That rumored vampire has been staying in that ruins for almost three years without actually hurting anyone, right? I''m not on the side of the demons but I think if that vampire wants peace, then we should give him peace. ] That was like interrupting me in the middle of my sleep. I would definitely get angry if someone does that to me... [ Well... You''re right about that. But what if the Hero''s party also wants to improve? Or see how their strength now compares to demons...? I mean, they''re been training in the capital for quite some time now. ] Hmm... I also heard that they''ve been training hard since that last battle with the Demon country... I guess they still need to improve too, huh? [ I guess so... ] [ You know, Diana. I actually thought you''re a hardcore fan of the Hero''s party, but it turns out, you still chose what you think is right, huh? ] Shina-senpai turned her face towards me and smiled. [ You could say that. I will always choose to side to where I think is right. ] Since I was a kid, I had always followed my intuition, and when I do, I always end up on the correct side of things. It''s like some kind of power only I have. [ Hmm... By the way, there''s seem to be some kind of commotion at the Plaza. You''ve heard anything about it...? ] Shina-senpai asked. [ Well, yes. There''s seem to be some kind of two noble couple... trying to do commoner''s stuff there... People also said that the two of them looked very cute while doing it. That''s all I heard. Well, I too would be surprised to see a noble enjoying our stuff. There''s always been a large line separating the nobles to us, I can see why people would react like that. ] I actually heard of it from an adventurer friend just earlier. I don''t actually get how she described those two people... only that they look like they just came down from heaven... Maybe that''s why too they were able to gather the attention of the people. [ Is it really that normal for people to react like that? I agree that I''ve never seen a noble get along with a commoner before but... ] [ Well... it''s none of our business, Shina-senpai... Should''ve we talk about what we''re going to do with the Hero''s arrival? ] This is why I''m avoiding trying to have a conversation with Shina-senpai... She always gets sidetracked... [ Ah, right! The guild master had ordered me to make a proper official announcement to the guild for their arrivals so that we and the adventurers can properly greet them! ] she quietly shouted with a shocked expression on her face. [ Oh!? Why did you not say earlier, Shina-senpai!? ] [ A-Anyway... Ca-Can you help me get everyone''s attention? ] [ Haah... Okay, Shina-senpai... ] I tiredly replied. 15 Chapter 15 ~ Meeting The Heros Party - P1 Getting curious about the existence of the Hero, Shiro turned around to the person behind him from whom he had heard about the \"arrival\" of the Hero''s party and asked him where the location of the guild is. And now, after a few minutes of walking, they have arrived. *** The existence of a so-called \"Hero\" did not exist in the game \"SOUL ADVENTURERS!!!\". Hearing the word \"Hero\", the closest thing that came out of Shiro''s mind was the warrior class - \"Divine Paladin\" which specializes in both close-combat and healing, but in Shiro''s guess, that might not be the Hero''s job class at all. The job class, Divine Paladin, was one of the highest and hardest class to reach in the game, a level of 97 would not be enough to level-up in that class. Shiro thought that the Hero''s job class was something that might not even existed in the game at all. One more thing Shiro was curious about, was the fact that the hero was said to visit this city to subjugate a vampire. After thinking for a while, Shiro decided to think that the vampire they were talking about was a completely different existence and was not him. The fact that he just arrived at this world the day before, there was no chance that he was the vampire they were talking about. But the existence of the vampire itself made Shiro curious. In the game, vampires are just NPCs following their A.Is'' orders, but in this world, there was no need to guess that they also have minds of their own. Now that Shiro is in the body of Vlad Alucard which is a vampire, he thought that it might be a good idea to communicate with them. ~~~ [ So that''s the hero''s party, huh? ] jerking his chin, Shiro muttered. Outside of the large structure of the guild, a total of five figures of people stood in the middle of a stage made of logs and wooden planks. Countless people were standing and watching below them, all noisy and in a disorderly fashion. Close to the stage were people wearing odd kinds of armors and weapons, while the people far from the stage were wearing normal clothes. Shiro and Stella were standing far away from them that they could only barely able to see their figures. After a while of waiting, a figure of a girl from the people at the stage took a step to the front and faced the crowd. Seeing this, all the people went silent and waited for the girl to start to talk. [ Everyone! As you may have already heard it, I am the hero, Hana! And the people behind my back are my supporters, my party! We thank you for welcoming us to your great city. ] The hero''s shout that came from the stage resounded throughout the large space outside the guild. Her voice dominated the chatterings and cheerings of the people. Shiro was not able to properly see her face, but he was able to clearly hear what she was saying because of her loud and powerful voice. ( So the hero was a girl, huh...? ) Shiro thought. [ After our last battle with the demon country, we came to the capital to train ourselves again. And now, we would like to see how far we''ve improved ourselves by subjugating one of the most feared monsters in the entire kingdom! The vampire that lives in the ancient ruins near this city! ] Almost instantly, the faces of the adventurers in front tensed up and made excited faces. The words, \"So that vampire will finally get beaten\", \"And here I thought the heroes were just ignoring that vampire''s existence\", I wonder if we could come along too\" can be heard from all over the place, even where Shiro was. [ It was said that the vampire in that unexplored ruins was able to defeat all adventurers that the guild sent to subjugate it, there''s no doubt that it''s strong! ] Hearing those words, the adventurers watching in front of them all nodded at the same time, agreeing to what she just said. [ It was also said that the vampire has his own underlings! So that is why we would like to recruit adventurers that have confidence in themselves! ] [ [ Ooohhh!!! ] ] every single adventurer shouted in excitement. [ Please, anyone who would want to join us, raise your arms! ] In an instant, almost all of the adventurers raised their arms up. [ Everyone who had raised their arms, we will allow you all to join u- ] [ Wait! ] Before the hero could finish her sentence, a large voice with an arrogant tone interrupted her. The guy then stepped forward from behind the hero and crossed his arms. ( Hmm...? What''s with this guy...? ) Shiro was still not able to properly see what the five people look like, but he was still able to see the color of their hair and the structures of their bodies. And this guy has red hair and a well-built body. [ We can''t simply take all of them with us. We need to test their strengths first... ] he faced and muttered to the hero, Hana. And after a pause, Hana nodded. [ It is what he said. We cannot simply take you all with us, we will limit the number of people we would allow to join us. Caiden. ] she said and stepped back after. [ My name is Caiden Lionheart! I''m the son of this country''s war general, Cristov Lionheart! If you want to join us, I would like to test your strengths first! ] he shouted with a voice that''s louder than the hero. Hearing his words, many adventurers placed their hands down as fear swells up inside them. [ We can''t beat that guy! Just looking at him makes me shiver! ] [ I-I''ve heard about that guy before! I heard he took down a higher demon in the war with just one hit of his axe! ] [ I-I guess we should''ve expected this... ] [ This is a once in a lifetime chance to fight together with the heroes of the country... I might as well try... ] And so as some of the adventurers say. [ Oho~ It seems there are still some of you who are brave enough to accept my challenge! I am proud! Now, the guild will provide us the arena! ] *** An hour later, almost a hundred fight was already fought. Almost 2/3 of the people who accepted the challenge were knocked down by Caiden. Those who were able to survive were recruited while those who lost were healed by healers. And now, on top of the large arena was Caiden and a laying body of an adventurer. [ So? Is there anyone left!? ] Caiden shouted without any signs of exhaustion. ... ... Only no one responded to him. Everyone was now quiet and not a single hand was raised. ... ... ( Well, I might as well try. ) And so - Seeing the pitiful state of the adventurers and the dissapointed look on Caiden''s face. Vlad Alucard raised his hand. *** Caiden Lionheart came from a family of well-known knights. Since he was just a kid, he was already well-trained by his father, a war general. He thought that maybe his father was the reason he was now the kind of person he is now. Caiden knows for himself that he was a battle maniac. He had always searched for someone who would be able to match his strength in combat, he was constantly searching for rivals. Joining the knights was just an excuse to fight with strong people that he can match his strength with. After just a short period of time, he was able to make a name for himself, and after two years of serving the knights, he got hand-picked by the king to support the growth of the prophesized hero of the church. He was arrogant because he knows that he''s a strong individual. Yes, he was a strong individual who has never felt fear. ... ... Yet - He was now the opposite of the person he thinks he was. He was scared... And he felt that he was weak... As he looked at the figure of the person walking towards him, all kinds of emotions swelled up inside his large body. In his long time of fighting all kinds of individuals, he was able to develop something that lets him measure a person''s strength just by looking at them. But now, all he felt was pressure crashing his very instincts. This person... Was nothing like he has ever seen before. ... ... ( Well... There''s no going back now... ) he whispered to himself. And so - Caiden became the challenger in the game he had created himself. 16 Chapter 16 ~ Meeting With the Heros Party - P2 SFX: SWOOSH!!! BANG! With a swing of Caiden''s axe, the adventurer''s sword was cut in half and he was thrown into the sky. With this win, Caiden was now able to swiftly defeat all the challengers who accepted the challenge earlier without a single sweat running down his forehead. There at the stage, he stood with his back rod-straight despite the apparent heavy axe that he was carrying. Cheers came from all over the place, cheering at him and shouting his name, Caiden Lionheart. Even though the current \"Challenge\" Caiden and the adventurers were doing were not meant to entertain the people, they were still weren''t able to resist the temptation to cheer for both the adventurers and Caiden. Because of this, the people felt like there was now some kind of festival taking place in this large space in front of the guild. Hearing the cheers of the people, Caiden showed a satisfied smile on his face. Even though he was disappointed that he wasn''t able to fight someone that he can consider \"Strong\", the cheers of the people watching his mighty figure still left him with the feeling of satisfaction. [ It looks like he already defeated everyone, huh? ] Shiro muttered. Shiro is now currently watching far from the stage in front of the guild. With Shiro''s heighten senses, he was still able to clearly hear what the people and the group of the hero were saying despite the distance and the noise that''s coming from the crowd. [ What are you planning to do, Vlad-sama? ] asked Stella, his servant. [ I actually want to try and fight them. They''re the strongest people I met in this world so far, just to make sure, I want to test out my strength on them. ] [ The strongest in the world...? Vlad-sama? ] That question made his head turn towards Stella. ( Now that I think about it, they only know my identity as Vlad Alucard, not the real one. Should I tell them about the truth...? ) If Stella knew the fact that he was just got transported to this world just two days ago, she would not ask that question. Realizing this, Shiro thought that it might be a good idea if he tells him about the truth now. ( But... Will their opinions of me change if I tell them the truth? ) Worry and concern swelled up inside Shiro. The person the Vampire Brides believes they serve was the Vampire Prince, Vlad Alucard; not the 30-year-old worker Shiro Kagayami. Shiro thought that they might change their loyalty and thoughts about him. With this thought inside his head, Shiro decided to just keep his past a secret. [ What I meant was in the city. They''re the strongest people I met in this city so far. ] [ Is that so? Then, are you also going to fight, Vlad-sama? ] [ Do you feel I want to? ] Shiro asked with a smile on his face. [ Un... ] Stella nodded. Shiro was already expecting her to agree since he knows that his two Vampire Brides were able to feel his emotions. [ Well then, if the strength of his level is still the same from the game, then there''s no way he could deal a heavy blow to me. This might be a good test to see how my current body works. ] Shiro still does not entirely know how his body works. If he wants to see if all of his spells are working normally like in the game, then he will need some people to test them to. Shiro thought that the hero''s party would be the best choice since their the strongest and the most unlikely to die from fighting him. ( In any case, I will eventually need to test my strength in this world... This might be the best chance, considering I might get the opportunity to fight a level 90 hero... ) ~~~ [ So? Is there anyone left!? ] The loud voice of Caiden resounded throughout the whole place. Everyone who was cheering earlier was now quiet, and none was responding to his question. No one was raising a hand or even saying a word. ( Well, I guess it''s my turn now. ) muttering that word, Shiro raised a hand. ~~~ Everyone was silent and none was saying a word, but the expression on their faces awed at the sight of Shiro. Shiro then put down his hand and started to walk towards the stage. When Shiro started to move, the noises started again. The shouts and baffled words: \"A noble!?\", \"Can he seriously fight?\", \"Is he trying to put up a show?\". Shiro tried to ignore all their chattings and continued to walk together with Stella, looking at Caiden who''s in the middle of the stage. [ Appraise. ] ( Appraisal: Result ) Name: Caiden Lionheart Race: Human Level: 63 Job class: Berserker Health: 2694/2694 ( A level 63 berserker, huh...? Even if I''m weak against his class, he still won''t be a threat. ) The berserker class has many skills and spells that can make them immune to debuffs, which mages specialize at, but with the level of 63, they can hardly have any skills or spells that will make them immune to debuffs. ( Also, his level doesn''t even come close to the hero. ) Shiro muttered. Shiro was now close to the stage and he can now see both the face of Caiden and the faces of the four people standing beside the stage, watching. Caiden Lionheart - The structure of his body is large. He was tall, the tallest of all Shiro has seen in the city so far. His hair was fiery red and his well-bred face has a fierce look on it. After looking at the figure of Caiden, Shiro finally turned his head to the four people behind him. [ Appraisal. ] he muttered the word as he continued to walk. ( Appraisal: Result ) Name: Alicia Silverstone Level: 54 Job Class: Mage/ Summoner Health: 1239/1239 ( A mage and a summoner, huh? We have two same job classes. ) Shiro thought as he looked at the girl holding a large staff plated with gold and emerald. The girl was also looking at him with awe and amazement. ( Appraise: Result ) Name: Arthur Alexander Level: 67 Job Class: Swordsman Health: 1674/1674 ( An Ikemen, huh? ) Looking at the other male at the hero''s party, the word ''Ikemen\" is the first thing that came into Shiro''s mind. His hair was long and blonde. He was probably the most good-looking guy he has seen in the city so far, aside from Carla. ( But what''s with that look...? ) Shiro muttered as he looked at his face. The expression on the guy''s face was full of anger and hatred towards Shiro. This look on his face made Shiro feel very uncomfortable. And so he decided to remove his eyes on him. ( Appraise: Result ) Name: Anna Level: 43 Job Class: Priest/Healer Health: 894/894 ( The weakest, huh? And probably the youngest... And her name is also the shortest... ) Shiro was exchanging eyes with the fidgeting girl that has a very short structure. Like the Arthur guy, she has long blonde hair and a very well-bred face. Shiro removed his eyes, uninterested. Seeing this, the girl dropped her head and stopped fidgeting. ( Finally... ) He muttered as he looked at the structure of the girl that has the only black hair in the group. [ Appraise. ] ( Appraise: Result ) Name: Tachibana Hana Level: 97 ( ...!? ) Shiro showed a surprised look. The only stats he was shown was her name and her level. This has never happened in the game or in this world before, this was the first time his appraisal did not work properly, this made Shiro surprised, but not as surprised as when he looked at the name of the hero. ( Tachibana Hana... She''s definitely a Japanese. ) muttering the words inside his head, Shiro was already on top of the stage before he knew it. Stella did not follow on top of the stage and just stood still below, together with the crowd of people. Shiro then removed his gaze on the hero and looked at the person in front of him and bowed. Looking at his movement, Caiden was only but surprised. [ For such a man to bow in front of his enemy... I''m surprised... ] ( Huh...? Everyone before me bowed before their matches, right? ) [ Again, my name is Caiden Lionheart. Can you also please tell me your name? ] These words from Caiden made Shiro surprised. He was now showing respect towards Shiro which he has never shown to his enemies before. He also asked what was Shiro''s name which he also did not do before with any of the enemies he fought. Shiro thought that he definitely change his attitude, different from the arrogant attitude he showed to the others he fought. [ My name is Vlad Alucard. I just arrived in this city the day before. It might just be a coincidence that you''ve all arrived in this city just after I was able to settle down, but nevertheless, it would be a great opportunity to fight and test my strength. ] Shiro introduces himself in such way. [ Oho~? Then, you''re confident about your strength, huh? If you''re able to fight with us, you''ll just fight us because you want to test your strength...? ] ( That''s not what I meant... ) [ Say, how about we make a bet? ] [ A bet? ] [ Yes. ] Caiden nodded with his large head. [ Okay, then, what will we bet at? ] [ Hmm... How about this: If I''m able to defeat you, you''ll join our party and serve the kingdom? ] ( ... ) [ [ [ ... ] ] ] Hearing the words of Caiden, everyone in the large space turned silent. [ How about it? In return, if I lose, I will do and give you anything you ask. ] ( ... ) Shiro was still silent as he was surprised by the sudden request of his enemy. [ Well? ] ( Well, it''s not like I''m gonna lose so - ) [ Caiden! ] Before Shiro could give his answer, the voice of a man interrupted his timing. [ What do you think you''re doing!? ] The voice came from the swordsman of the party, Arthur. With those words, he walked towards Caiden with an angry face. [ You bastard Caiden! I know you were dumb, but inviting a stupid weak-looking noble in our party which the king himself had gathered is out of the question! ] He shouted the words to Caiden. He then grabbed Caiden''s spiked collar and stared at him with blood-red eyes. Of course, Caiden did not falter and also turned a gaze at Arthur''s eyes. ( What''s with this guy... If I remember correctly, he was the guy who was looking at me with killing intent just earlier... His attitude is ruining his Ikemen face... ) Shiro thought. And then after a pause, Caiden opened his mouth. [ Will you accept him if he was a beautiful woman...? ] he mockingly said. Hearing those mocking words, Arthur''s eyes swelled up and his face made a twisted expression of hatred that completely destroyed his Ikemen looks. [ You! ] Shouting that word, Arthur readied a fist. [ Stop that, Arthur! ] The words came from Hana, the hero. [ Arthur, Caiden''s instincts and intuition are greater than anyone. I trust that he has a reason why he did that. Caiden? ] [ Of course. ] Caiden nodded. ( Wha...!? Is that why he changed his attitude towards me...? Did he sense my level...? ) Shiro muttered inside his head in surprise. [ Bu-But! We can''t invite a weak house-stayed noble to our party! Look at that guy, he doesn''t even look like he can fight! ] ( What an arrogant guy... He''s getting in my nerves... At least the Caiden guy can show respect towards me and a little glimpse of it to the others he fought... ) Shiro muttered. As Arthur''s words entered Caiden''s ears, his eyes twitched in anger. [ He''s yet to show his abilities. ] Caiden muttered. [ His yet to show his abilities!? How about I show it to you! I''ll fight him in your place! ] He now completely ignored everyone, turning and walking towards Shiro. He took out his glittering and shining sword on his waist and pointed it towards Shiro. [ Stop this, Arthur! ] Caiden shouted. Caiden then took a step but his shoulder was held tight by the hero. [ Caiden, who do you think will win? ] The hero asked. [ Who I honestly think will win...? ] [ Yes... ] [ Then it''s that Vlad guy, without a doubt... If Arthur angers him... He might even get killed. ] [ He''s that strong, huh...? ] Hana muttered with a serious look on her face. [ That''s right. That''s why we need to stop Arthur. ] [ No, let him fight. ] [ ... ] looking at the very serious face of the hero, Caiden was not able to answer. [ We''ll try to stop their fight if it gets serious. ] ~~~ Shiro and Arthur were now in close range with each other. [ Ah...! That''s right... How about we two make a bet. I think I saw a very pretty girl with you earlier... How about you give her to me if you lose? ] He whispered in a very quiet voice that only Shiro was able to hear. [ Do you know what you''re saying...? ] [ Of course. ] he answered with a mocking face. ( Haah... I think I finally get this guy... A perverted arrogant show-off, huh? ) [ Don''t worry, I promise I will satisfy her in your place every night. ] he mockingly whispered in Shiro''s ears. [ I''ll murder you, you know? ] ( I can just think of him as an NPC... right...? ) [ Hahaha! What an arrogant guy! ] he said with a laugh. [ I will definitely break all of your bones till you could barely walk. ] he whispered to Shiro with a twisted look on his face. [ Haah... No, I will break yours, and not in a nice way. ] Shiro said with a sigh. ( I hope I''m allowed to do that... ) With their exchange of words finished, Arthur took a step back and pointed his swords towards Shiro. While Shiro just stood still in his place. 17 Chapter 17: A One Sided Figh Shiro''s weakness - Burning Light is currently in effect. With this, his current stat is close to his level 120 self which is still twice as high as his opponent''s level. If the strength of his enemy''s level is the same as in the game, he could probably kill him with only one damaging spell. ( I guess I need to be careful not to kill him. ) Shiro thought as he prepared himself. [ Say, you said that we''re on a bet, right? ] [ Of course. ] Arthur answered with a large smile on his face. [ Then, how about if I win, I get to fight with the hero? ] Shiro said in a voice that his companion and the hero could hear too. [ Hmm... I don''t like betting Hana, but if that will satisfy you, then it''s okay. It''s not like you have the chance to win anyway. ] he answered with confidence. [ I-Is tha-that really okay...? Be-Betting the hero...? ] [ That Arthur...! Doing all these things without our permission...! ] While the priest girl and the mage girl were not concerned about their companion, but rather to the fact that he had selfishly bet the hero without any permission from them and the hero herself, Caiden, on the other hand, was angry to Arthur himself. Caiden was the only person in the arena who was very cautious of Shiro. He was the only one that understands what position his companion is currently in. [ I don''t know but if that guy gets angered... I don''t think even the hero will be able to stop him from killing Arthur...! ] he only muttered to himself. Of course, Shiro was able to hear their voices with his keen ears. But he ignored all of them and looked at the hero. He looked at him as if he was asking for permission. [ ... ] the hero, Hana, nodded without saying a single word. [ Then, I guess everything''s settled now. How about we start now? ] [ Hmph! I should be the one to say that. But are you really sure you''re not going to use any weapons? ] [ I''m a mage, I don''t need any. ] [ A mage, huh? Then I guess this would be easy. ] And so, the battle finally started - Looking at each other''s eyes, Arthur made the first move. He ran towards Shiro, holding his sword with both of his hands. SFX: SWOOSH!!! Smoke of dust came out from Arthur''s feet as he dashed towards Shiro. His speed was so fast that the normal inspectors were not able to comprehend what just happened. But of course, to Shiro''s eyes, his movements were nothing but slow. His movement is as slow as it could be. As if his senses multiplied to a hundred times; Shiro could now hear all the voices of the people, he was now able to feel the air putting pressure on his skin, and finally, his vision was now able turn all the movements of his surroundings very slow. ( So this is a level 150 body is able to do when faced with a threat, huh...? ) Faced with a threat, his senses were now heightened to a hundred times; and they''re telling him to either dodge or attack the person running in front of him. ( What a cheat... ) Everything in his vision right now was slow. If Shiro wanted it, he could even finish the fight right now without suffering or wasting any time. But of course, Shiro wouldn''t do that. He wants to experiment and learn all the secrets and functions of his current body. Just a second in this fight, he was able to learn and experience one of them, he thought that if he prolongs the fight, he might learn even more things about his body. *** ( I hate this guy... I bet the reason why he wanted to join us was to attract the females in my party... I''m the only one that''s allowed to do that...! I also hate that Caiden guy! If it wasn''t for him, I might''ve already got a taste with one of them...! Tsk! I really hate that guy! Maybe I''ll go report him to the king for what he just did... Yes, the king might consider removing him to our party if he hears that! ) with this thought inside his head, Arthur recklessly swung his sword at Shiro. Every single slash has enough force to slice a man in half and its speed was also faster than the blink of an eye. But no matter how many strikes he makes, Shiro was able to dodge them all swiftly. [ Tsk...! ] Arthur clicked his tongue. ( So he can dodge this level of attacks, huh? ) Realizing this, Arthur stopped his attacks and change his stance. He threw an arm backward while he used his other to support it. Then, Arthur took a deep breath and a dim light suddenly appeared, covering the entirety of his body. [ Oho~? So you can also use different abilities, huh? A power-up maybe...? ] Shiro muttered without getting concern about the ability his enemy would use. ( I guess he''s not at least as stupid as he looks, huh? ) What Shiro had said was spot-on. Arthur now is powering up his body so that he will be able to use more powerful and faster attacks. ( But still... He clearly has an idea of what I''m doing... Yet he''s not doing anything stop me. Is he really that arrogant or is he just dumb? ) Power-up spells are supposed to take a small amount of time to work. Doing a power-up can leave him vulnerable to attacks and he also could easily be interrupted. That was why, the fact that Shiro wasn''t doing anything at all left him baffled. ( He''s mocking me. I will definitely show this guy who''s superior...! ) reaching this conclusion, Arthur''s face made a twisted and angry expression. Soon later, the dim light on Arthur''s body disappeared. With his power-up now finished, he started to swing his sword in the air. The speed of his slash is now much great than it was earlier. The power of his strikes was also now much heavier, that it was now able to leave physical manifestations of the wind in the air. This act was to show and to scare Shiro off with the current power of his strikes. He wants Shiro to fear him and know that he was superior. ... ... But Shiro was still unmoved by this act and was still quiet. ( Huh...? Why is he still just standing there without showing any kinds of expression!?) Getting angered by this fact, Arthur dashed towards Shiro. Closing the gap between them, he started to swing his sword endlessly again towards Shiro. ( Hehe! I bet he''s having trouble dodging my attacks now! ) Arthur''s strikes are now much stronger and faster than earlier. But still, he''s yet to land a hit on Shiro. ( ...! ) Arthur continued to repeatedly attack Shiro with different combos he developed himself, yet Shiro was able to dodge them all without even raising an arm. ( Why...!? ) the word came into Arthur''s mind. ( Why is it not working!? Why can''t I hit him at all? He''s a mage, right!? Aren''t they supposed to be slow!? ) Arthur''s face was now getting redder and more stressed as the time pasts. He started to lose his total confidence of winning the fight. He realized that Shiro was definitely not just an ordinary noble which if he was, he could definitely defeat without passing a minute. He looked at Shiro''s face again and saw that he made a smile as if he was mocking him for not being able to hit him once. ( He! He''s toying with me! ) Getting angered, Arthur used the same attacks over and over again, throwing his sword in every direction he possibly could to hit Shiro. But all of them wasn''t even able to get close to him, Shiro continued to swiftly invade his attacks. ( Tsk! Why is it not working! I guess I have no other choice! I need to get serious! ) Realizing that he was still not able to land a hit on Shiro, Arthur decided to use one of his special attacks. [ Haa!!! ] Arthur jumped into the air in front of Shiro and raised his sword above his head. [ Sword Strike! ] With that chant, Arthur''s swords glowed, and he swings it down towards Shiro''s head. ( I''ll definitely crush his head with this! ) SFX: BANG!!! [ ... ] A crack appeared on the floor. Shiro again, as always, had dodged it like what he did to all of his attacks. [ A Sword Strike, huh? ] Shiro muttered, uninterested. [ Wh-Why you! ] Arthur''s blood started to gather in his head and he wasn''t able to control himself anymore in anger. He started to use the same attack, throwing it recklessly towards Shiro. [ Haah!!! Sword Strike! Sword Strike! Sword Strike! ] Arthur shouted the words repeatedly. Continuously using a very difficult attack, Arthur''s arms started to weaken, and pain gradually started to prickle his muscles. It did not take long before he finally gave up in swinging his sword and decided to back up and take a rest. [ Wha... What is this guy!? ] he muttered angrily in a very quiet voice as he started to breathe heavily to fill up the empty air on his lungs. He then took a look at the figure of his teammates. Everyone was looking at him with the expression he was not expecting to get when he decided to fight Shiro. They were not looking at him with amazement, but instead, with pity and fear. The audiences that were watching were quiet and has the same expression as his teammates too. ( This... This is a nightmare! ) shouting those words inside his head, he took a look at Shiro. Shiro was only smiling with his well-bred face. Seeing the smile Shiro was making, the negative emotions that shivering his inside grew stronger. This was the most shameful moment Arthur has ever experienced. [ Well, I guess it''s my turn now? ] Shiro muttered as he calmly walked towards Arthur. [ Power-up! ] hearing those words from Shiro, Arthur Instinctively shouted as fear swelled up inside him. Arthur was yet to handle a double power-up but his body told him to do it again even if it will make his already pained body suffer even more pain. ( I-I hate to admit it, but I won''t be able to defeat this guy by simply repeating all my attacks... I guess I have no other choice but to use it! ) Not having any more choice, Arthur decided to use his most powerful attack. He prepared himself and used a different swords stand. His next attack was an attack he had practice to master in a very long time. It was a very powerful attack that was said to be able to slice a higher demon in half. Knowing this, Arthur leaped high into the sky and shouted - [ Lighting Fall!!! ] His most powerful attack - Lighting Fall. He''s still yet to master it and it might cause him after-effects after using it, but Arthur decided to ignore that fact and continued to use it. As his sword was raised up high in the sky, it started to manifest electricity. [ You''ll die for shaming me! ] he shouted as he looked down at Shiro below him. And so, he closed his eyes and swung down his heavy sword to Shiro. SFX: BANG!!! A flash was made from the strike and everyone was not able to resist themselves from closing their eyes. ... ... Everyone was quiet. Everyone was able to see that Shiro was got hit by that attack. Everyone who was watching will say that no one will be able to survive that attack; a normal person would turn into crisp, they would say. And yet - [ Wha... What is this...? N-No... What are you? ] Arthur murmured in a very quiet voice that only he and Shiro could hear. [ And here I thought that giving you the chance to show off your abilities to me would at least be entertaining... it was not. It was boring. And here you say you will break all of my bones... All you did was threw reckless attacks, you know? ] Shiro mockingly said as he held the edge of Arthur''s sword with only his fingers. [ It''s my turn now, you pissed me off so I won''t hold back against you. ] ( ...! ) It took a moment for Arthur to realize what he meant, but now that he does, his face showed the expression of fear. [ Wai-Wait!!! ] Arthur shouted to the top of his lungs. [ S-Stop him, everyone!!! ] ordered the hero, Hana, with a desperate look on her face to all of her companion on top of the stage, and as ordered, all of them ran towards the two, in the middle of the stage. [ It''s too late now... Crippling Darkness. ] as Shiro uttered those words, Arthur''s vision turned black. 18 Chapter 18 ~ Interaction and Exchange With the Hero Everyone was silent. No one was moving or even opening their mouths. It felt like time suddenly froze. A moment later, a strong breeze came, forcing the people to close their eyes. ... ... Opening their eyes, the scene in their view changed. Shiro is still standing in the middle of the stage, but Arthur, on the other hand, is being carried on the back of Caiden, and the hero and his companions were now standing in front of Shiro with their magic and weapons ready. Their eyes are staring at Shiro with fear, but with deadly intent. [ Isn''t the battle supposed to be 1 v 1? Don''t interrupt. ] Shiro muttered in a very intimidating voice. To Shiro, even if the situation was totally different from the game he played, even if his enemy can''t even compare to his level, he still has the soul of a gamer who fights a battle to the end. The action of the hero and her companions had forced Shiro to show an angry expression on his face. [ Wha... What did you do to him...!? ] steeling herself, the hero, in the middle of the group, asked. Arthur has the look of death on his face. His eyes were white and rolled back, and his mouth is forming bubbles, looking at his figure, Hana was only able to feel fear and worry. [ ... ] [ Do I really need to say? ] with a pause, Shiro calmly uttered. [ Tell me. ] [ Haah... It''s a spell. ] [ A spell...? What kind? ] [ A paralyzing spell. Still, I only tested it, which means I don''t exactly know how will it affect him. ] [ You tested a spell on him...? Ca-Can you cure him? ] she asked with a stuttering voice. [ Cure him? But we''re still in the middle of a battle. There''s no way I will heal an enemy I''m still in a fight with. ] [ Can''t you see that he''s already dying!? ] the mage girl, holding the large stuff, shouted at Shiro. But Shiro remained unmoved and only voiced - [ Earlier, he had attacked me with the intent of killing me. Isn''t it only natural for me to also do the same? ] [ Bu-But! ] the mage girl uttered. [ No, your battle''s already over. Vlad... no, Vlad-san, I ask you if you can cure him. I know that he had offended you earlier, but he''s still one of our important companions. ] Hana interrupted. Hearing this, Shiro turned his eyes to the healer of the group, the priest girl. [ Eiihh! ] the priest girl shrieked in fear. [ You have your own healer, right? Ask her to cure him. ] [ She already tried, but she said she wasn''t able to do anything about his current condition... ] [ Is that so...? I guess my level is just too high, huh...? ] Shiro whispered to himself. Hana was able to hear those words but she decided to ignore it and continued to ask Shiro to treat his companion. [ Please, he''s an important figure of the kingdom. We can''t let him die on us now. ] As if Shiro was uninterested, he jerked his chin and looked away from Hana. [ Treat him... huh? Tell me, what will I gain from treating him? ] he murmured as he returned his eyes on Hana. [ Gain...? ] [ That''s right. A reward. What can you give me in exchange for treating him? ] Work needs to be paid, that what Shiro thought. Shiro then waited for an answer but Hana wasn''t able to give one immediately. Hana cracked her brain, thinking of things that might be able to please the man in front of her. [ The-Then! How about we ask the king to give you a high position at the kingdom? ] the one who shouted those words was not Hana, but Caiden, with sweat flowing down his forehead. His attitude completely turned around. Both his arrogance and confidence disappeared and he was only now left with the expression of fear. [ A high position at the kingdom? That doesn''t interest me at all. ] Shiro calmly muttered. [ I-Is that so? Then, what would it be that you want? ] [ Well, I actually can''t think of one right now... That was why I asked you guys to think for me. ] ... ... [ Then, how about women? ] the person who voiced the thought was the hero, Hana. [ [ ... ] ] everyone, again, turned silent. The truth was, all of her companions were thinking the same. They thought that a beautiful man such as Shiro would want the affection of women. But they refrain from voicing that idea as they were afraid that he might ask for either them or the princesses. Yet, Hana, the last person they weren''t expecting to say those words was the one who voiced it. [ Women, huh...? I don''t know about that... How about we just forget about it... If you can''t think of anything that will please me, then I won''t treat your companion. ] Shiro brushed off the idea almost instantly and said. [ Tha-That''s! ] the mage girl shouted again at Shiro. Everyone was surprised by the fact that he refused their offer, but they''re even more surprised that he flatly said that he won''t treat their dying companion without a single hesitation. And so, the mage girl, Alicia, continued to gaze at him with deadly eyes. [ Stop it, Alicia! Vlad-san, I''ll accept that condition, we will look ourselves for anything that might cure Arthur... But first, please tell me... Why did you fight? Is it because you wanted to join us in our subjugation...? Or perhaps, because you only wanted to show-off...? ] [ To show-off? I don''t do that. Of course, at first, I wanted to join you in your subjugation, I also wanted to try something out, but of course, what I wanted the most was to see your abilities without hurting any of you. You guys are one of the strongest guys in this country, right? Of course, I will get curious to see how really strong you guys are. ] [ Then, why did you do this...? ] Hana asked with a perplexed and angered look on her face. Hana was referring to the state of her companion, Arthur. [ Well, I honestly don''t know myself... I didn''t have any intention of hurting that Caiden guy when we were about to fight. But that Arthur guy interrupted and has pissed me off. Maybe my emotions were the reason for it. ] [ Is that so...? Vlad Alucard... I never heard of your name before... One last thing I want to ask... Are you willing to serve and become a weapon of this country? ] To Hana and his companions, that was the question they wanted to ask the most. Such a strong individual helping them to fight the demon country, their victory was might as well certain. But just as they expected, Shiro refused and answered - [ No. ] A flat no. That was the only word that escaped Shiro''s mouth as he looked at the group of people in front of him. Everyone went silent again from his answer. [ If that''s all you want to say, then I guess it''s my turn. How about the deal I and that guy Arthur made? I won, right? That means I get the chance to fight with you, Hero. ] [ W-We can''t accept that! ] the mage girl shouted at Shiro again. Her face is written with fear, but it still showed courage on it. [ We can''t let the hero fight with such a dangerous guy! ] holding her large staff tight, she shouted. [ Is that so...? You guys don''t keep promises, huh? ] Shiro said in a mocking way. [ Tha-That''s! ] [ Well, it''s okay. I''ll settle with a talk. How about that hero? I request you to spend some time with me. ] Shiro shrugged. [ Tha-That''s... That''s a pretty bold request... But... I guess I have no other choice but to accept it. ] she answered in defeat with her head down. [ [ Hana! ] ] the two other females at her party shouted. [ I trust you won''t do anything stupid? ] Hana asked Shiro. [ Don''t worry, I will just ask you a few things... ] [ Then... I guess... Everything''s now settled... We will postpone our plan to subjugate the vampire. It a shame, but I guess we''re still able to find someone more interesting. ] she muttered, looking at Shiro. Shiro understood what she meant, but he decided to brush it off and finish the conversation. [ Hana, I''m supposed to ask you this later, but... Are you a Japanese? ] Shiro asked. [ What''s that...? ] Hana only answered with a tilted head. [ No, don''t worry about it. ] *** ( Wha... What happened to me... ) During the fight, Shiro lost control over his emotion and he ended up almost killing his enemy, Arthur. If the hero and her companions did not stop him, he could''ve killed Arthur. In the middle of the fight, he was able to feel the despairing and agonizing emotions of Arthur, and it left him with the feeling of satisfaction and joy. It was safe to say that he enjoyed mentally torturing Arthur. This was not something he would be able to do or feel in his previous world, or rather, with his previous body. Shiro Kagayami would not prey on the weak. He did not enjoy hurting people. ( That time with the heroes too... That was not how I talk with people... Is Vlad''s body is slowly affecting the way I act...? ) In his fight with Arthur, Shiro was unconsciously enjoying every moment of it, and when he was about to kill him, he got interrupted by the hero and the others, his mood instantly dropped and he said cruel and unnecessary words at them. That time, Shiro acted with logic, not with morals. If he acted with his morals, he would''ve treated Arthur, but he deemed that he will gain no benefit from it. When the hero also asked him to treat him, he asked for payment. In his previous world, Shiro did many tasks that were supposed to be taken by his co-workers just because they had asked him and without any payment, but then, he was asked to heal a person, a human, who was supposed to be a priority, but he did not treat him because he will gain nothing from it. It was like his morals are slowly disappearing. [ It''s okay to kill people. ] he muttered. Saying this sentence will normally leave Shiro with an unsettling feeling. Yet - It felt normal. It felt nothing. Shiro could now kill someone and feel nothing about it. Just like how he decided to try and kill Arthur on their fight. [ It''s okay, right? ] he asked himself again. And his answer was - [ Yes... ] it was an answer that came from the back of his mind. 19 Chapter 19 ~ Shared Emotions - CharacterPOV#3 A very colorful and lively view was revealed to Stella and her master, Vlad Alucard. Stella was surprised by the number of people that were in the colorful plaza, but she wasn''t able to show it on her face. Curious, she turned her head and took a look at her master''s face to see what expression he was showing. And as she was expecting, her master has the look of surprise in his face too. [ This seems to be the City Square, Vlad-sama. ] Stella muttered to her master. Even if it was obvious, she wanted to start a conversation as she was longing for the affection and attention of his master. [ Un, I wasn''t able to reach this place earlier but... I did not expect it to be like this... ] her master replied with a nod. Knowing that she wasn''t ignored, a feeling of warmth and satisfaction swelled up inside her chest. That was enough for her to be satisfied, but still, she needs to immediately think up of a follow-up to his master''s words. She worked her brain to its limits but before she could think of something, her master suddenly turned at her and looked at her in the eyes, and then said - [ Well, how about it Stella? I mentioned we''re going on a date, right? ] Staring at her master''s eyes, she felt that he was serious, yet also excited. Back at the mansion, she thought that her master was not serious and was just joking around, but now that she was able to feel his emotions just by looking at his eyes, it seems that it was not the case at all, her master was definitely looking forward for a date. [ U-Un... Yes... You did, Vlad-sama. ] she answered, stuttering and fidgeting. Finally, her emotions were finally able to show on her face. *** In the middle of the plaza, there stood a small stage where a stage play was about to start. Many people were gathering in front of it, and only a few more sits were left. Stella''s master enthusiastically sat on one of the empty sits far from the stage, Stella also immediately followed and stood on the left side of her master. This was a normal act she was supposed to do as her master''s follower and guard. [ Stella, you sit too. ] her master said with a rather perplexed voice. Stella felt that her master felt annoyed by her actions. This left Stella baffled, as she thought that what she did was only normal. ( Ahh! ) But then she remembered her master''s words; the two of them are supposed to be on a date right now. She thought that this might be the reason why his master wanted her to sit beside him. Realizing this, a blush appeared on Stella''s face again. [ Un... ] she nodded to her master. And with a blush on her face, she sat on the chair beside her master. [ La-Ladies and gentlemen! We-Welcome...! Wha... What you are about to-to see is a true story that happened 300 years ago! Thi-This is the story of a country''s prince becoming a hero who saved our kingdom from the late demon king! ] the speaker explained to the audience, stuttering as he was constantly looking at the figure of Stella and Shiro sitting far at the back. Stella frowned as she watched the speaker stumble his words, she thought that this kind of person is not befitting to entertain her master. And so, she turned her head to her master to suggest that they leave and look for other entertainment they might find. But when she turned her eyes to her master, she saw that he was more than serious, he was listening to the speaker with interest. Seeing this, Stella decided to back out and sat comfortably on her sit. [ Ple-Please! Wa-Watch till the end! ] with those words, the speaker left the stage and the curtains were raised. ~~~ [ No matter what! I will save you, my princess! ] holding his golden sword, the prince shouted towards the large castle of stones in front of him. [ Hehehe... You won''t be able to save her now, weakling! You don''t have what it takes to defeat us! And even if you do defeat us, our boss, won''t let you get past him! ] with a laugh, the leader of the demons in front of him said. Hearing those words, the hero turned his head forward and readied his sword. [ I will defeat the demon king and save both this country, and my princess. There''s nothing you can do to stop me! ] With those words, the hero dashed towards the enemy with the speed that''s faster than the blink of an eye. ~~~ [ My princess... Even if the battle was difficult... I was still able to turn victorious because of my dedication to rescue you. ] with his body now covered with wounds and his clothes now wet with blood, the hero prince said, staring passionately at the eyes of the princess she''s currently holding the hands of. [ Oh, my hero, my prince, you did not need to push your self this hard for my sake... ] the princess replied with tears forming in her eyes. And together, the hero prince and the princess looked at each other''s eyes, and slowly, they''ve brought their faces to each other... And shared a passionate kiss... ~~~ As Stella witnessed the passionate moment of the prince and the princess as they touched the hands of each other, Stella''s chest burned inside. At first, she was not interested in the performance, but she was now very invested in it. As she continued to watch their passionate talk, she turned her head to her master. A tight, burning sensation swelled up inside her and she went completely red. ( Will my master also do something like that for me...? ) she muttered inside her head. Stella felt jealous of the love the prince has shown to the princess. The prince was able to do the impossible because of his love for her. But Stella knows, that her master would not do the same thing as the hero did just for her sake. She was just not that important enough for her master. Realizing this to herself, she cast her shoulders downward and turned her head towards the stage. The prince and the princess are now looking at the eyes of each other. And a few seconds later, they brought their faces close to each other. ... ( A very passionate kiss... I''m ready to give everything to my master... I will service master in bed without any rests if he wanted to... But then... Vlad-sama said that he does not want us to go inside his room again... Then how...? ) Stella put a hand on her chest as a very tight sensation of sadness swell up inside her chest. She then continued to watch the scene that was about to be revealed in front of her. ... ... The curtain then finally closed just was when the lips of the actors were about to touch each other. *** [ Did you like it, Stella? ] Stella''s master, Vlad Alucard asked. [ Un. ] Stella nodded. After watching the play, Stella was now filled with different emotions. She was now also filled with the dedication of making her master accept her feelings and make love with her. ( If Vlad-sama won''t look at my way, then I force him to! ) she shouted inside her head as she then raises a fist close to her chest and closed it. After thinking for a while, this was the answer she came up with. As a Vampire Bride, she won''t be able to accept it if she won''t be able to service her master at night. So if her master doesn''t want her to service him, then she will just have to make him want it. [ Stella... What are you thinking about...? ] her master asked her with a baffled look on his face. [ No-Nothing, Vlad-sama... ] Stella answered, stuttering. [ Is that so? Anyway, we will go to the book store next. If you find any interesting books, tell me about it, okay? ] [ Un. ] And with that, Stella and her master continued to roam around the large plaza. 20 Chapter 20 ~ A Very Dangerous Individual - CharacterPOV#4 Alicia walked inside the huge hall filled with paintings and decorations. As she walks, she showed a very displeased expression on her face. It was safe to say that she was having a bad day. She continued to walk and soon stopped at the end of the hallway, where a large, single - white door with a gold plated sign on the top stood still. This room was the most expensive room they could possibly rent in out of all the inns in the city of Altair. This room was their base; the hero''s party''s base. Without hesitation, Alicia put her slender hand on the knob and opened it. An elegant interior was revealed to Alicia. White glittering furniture filled the room. There were no candles or any source of light that was lit up inside, the only thing that strayed the room from complete darkness was the natural ray of the sun that was coming from the large human size window at the end of the room. [ I''ve already sent someone to report to the capital. ] Alicia said the soon as she entered the room. [ Is that so? Thank you, Alicia. ] the voice of her companion answered her. She can immediately guess from the sound and the tone of the voice that it came from Hana, their leader. [ ... ] Alicia turned to the corner of the room where Hana''s voice came from, and there, she saw three of her teammates, sitting across a large table. Without any hesitation, Alicia walked towards them and sat on an empty seat. Seeing her doing this, her companion, Anna, Caiden, and the hero, Hana - nodded at her. After that silent exchange, Hana, their leader, looked at all of them and started to talk. [ Now that''s Alicia''s here, we can finally start our meeting. ] she said. [ Caiden, tell us anything you found about that guy... Vlad. ] Hana asked Caiden with a serious look on her face. [ I hope I don''t disappoint you... But the only thing I found out about him was that he just arrive in this city before... I wasn''t able to find out anything about his history or where he lives at. ] Caiden answered. [ Is that so... Well, we still have a lot of time to investigate him. Let''s talk about everything we need to do for now. ] Hearing these words, a frown appeared on Alicia''s fine face. She started to recall what had happened - Recruiting for people that might help them subjugate a demon, they have encountered a very large disaster instead. Thinking about it, Alicia felt a very displeasing feeling in her stomach. [ First, we will need to postpone the subjugation. We will need first Arthur to recover. ] They have sent Arthur to the church, but they said they''re weren''t, and won''t be able to do anything about Arthur''s condition, and so the group has decided to send him back to the capital where the highest level of healers exists. [ So, what do you plan us to do now...? ] Caiden asked. [ Hmm... Of course, our priority would get in close touch with Vlad Alucard... He said that he would want to meet with me alone, but he did not say any specific date when... ] [ Umm... I really just can''t understand it... Hana-san... Why do you want us to get close to that guy...!? He''s very arrogant and dangerous...! He almost killed Arthur, you know! ] Alicia asked in a loud, angry voice. [ Alicia... I understand why you feel that way towards him... Since Arthur was your childhood friend, I know you''ll get angry about him. But you need to first calm down. ] That was right. Alicia and Arthur have long since become friends. In their time at their academies, they have parted ways and Arthur''s attitude suddenly changed. But still, to Alicia, he was a very dear friend, hence the reason why she was the angriest. [ Why...!? If we didn''t stop him then, he was sure to kill Arthur! Are you really going to allow such a dangerous guy to walk freely in this city like that!? ] [ Alicia... Hana also... ] Caiden interrupted and suddenly muttered. He then crossed his fingers and lean his elbows to the table. [ I know that this might get you angry, but... I honestly think that Vlad... is a good guy. ] [ Hah!? ] Alicia exclaimed in anger. While Hana remained calm and has a blank expression. [ What makes you say that... Caiden? ] Hana asked. [ Un. When we were about to fight, he was not like any of the powerful and strong people I ever fought before. Even though the gap of our strengths was obvious, he still showed me respect and did not look down on me. He was the ideal fighter. ] he answered with a nod. [ Ho-How could you say that!? He didn''t even show any hint of mercy towards Arthur! He toyed with him in their match. ] [ I know... But I also overheard their conversation... Arthur had said some really bad things to him. I can understand why he would get angry at Arthur... No, even I would beat the crap out of Arthur if he says those words at me. ] Caiden muttered with a complexed look on his face. [ Caiden... Are you really going to side with the bad guy!? ] Alicia muttered at Caiden with deadly looks on her eyes. [ Stop that, Alicia. ] Hana voiced to Alicia to calm her down. [ Alicia, the reason why I wanted us to get closer to Vlad, is to know his true personality... I personally think that he''s neutral... when I asked him why he did that to Arthur, he said maybe it was because of his emotions getting over him. That matches with what Caiden has said just now. So maybe he doesn''t really do bad things unless he was driven by his emotions. ] [ Why are you both at his side? Anna! ] Alicia complained, she then turned her head over Anna, who was just watching the three argue from the side. [ I-I don''t know...! But... If I would honestly state my opinion... Then I''ll say Arthur-san is... a lot creepier than the Vlad guy... ] [ What...!? ] Alicia whispered the word, baffled by what Anna had just said. [ Anyway, there''re many reasons why we should stick ourselves close to Vlad. Alicia, as you said, he''s a very dangerous guy... I honestly think that even if we fight him alone with the five of us, we still won''t be able to stand a chance against him... ] [ That''s... ] [ Just think of what might happen if he turns to this country... ] Hearing those words, Alicia was only able to turn her head down. [ It might be a good idea to tie him down to this country... that was why... with that power, I think we should get him somehow tied with the nobles... or even with the royalties of this country themselves... ] [ I agree. ] Caiden nodded without a glint of disagreement or hesitation on his face. While the other two women, Alicia and Anna, just continued to stay quiet [ I hope you will not get angry with me saying this, but, I wouldn''t mind if he marries one of my sisters... Like I said earlier... He''s the ideal fighter... No, he''s the ideal man. I would gladly accept him to my family. ] [ Caiden... really... I never heard you compliment another man before... Not even your father... ] Hana muttered with a laugh. With those words, the atmosphere of the room turned a little lighter. [ Okay... I get what you''re saying... I''ll join your plan of investigating that Vlad guy, but I won''t get friendly with him. ] [ That''s fine enough. ] Hana nodded to Alicia. [ Anyways, we will stay in this city for a few days while we wait for the instructions of the palace. ] [ [ Un. ] ] everyone nodded at Hana''s words. [ Then, while we have some free time on our hands, we will use them to investigate Vlad Alucard. We will judge if he''s really a good person or a bad one. If he turns out a threat to the kingdom... Then we will need to stop him with all we can... ] [ Of course... ] Alicia was the only one who responded. Silence now filled the room and it marked the end of their conversation. ... ... With there meeting now finish, they were able to gain a new mission - To investigate the threat of an individual - Vlad Alucard. ~~~ This happened two days after Arthur''s and Vlad Alucard''s battle. 21 Chapter 21 ~ Welcome Home, Vlad-sama! The Complete Disappearance of Morals [ Welcome back, my lord, Stella. ] entering the mansion, Ayla bowed and greeted both of them with her usual expressionless face. Seeing that he went home with someone actually greeting him, Shiro felt contented. In his previous world, there was no one who would welcome him back to his apartment room except his doormat, where the word \"Okaeri!\" was written. [ Un. ] Shiro nodded, forming a small smile on his face, he then continued to walk inside the living room after; Stella, on the other hand, went beside Ayla and bowed to him too. [ Ayla, from now on, I want you to call me - Vlad-sama. I prefer it more. ] Shiro faced her direction and said. [ If that is what you wish, my lo... Vlad... sama. ] she answered with a stutter. [ Vlad... sama... May I ask what you want to do now? ] Hearing her question, Shiro started to look at the empty space, he started thinking. ( Hmm... That''s right... If I was still in Japan, going home from work like this, I will immediately get at least two ramen cups in my refrigerator... But I don''t feel hungry at all... I could get to sleep but my body is still active too... I guess having a body that never needs the consumption of food and rests has its downsides too, huh... ) With these thoughts, he looked at his two summons. Their eyes were glittering bright, expecting to serve their master. [ Hmm... Then, I guess I would like to eat. ] [ I have already prepared, Vlad-sama. ] ( Oh... I guess it was right for me to say that. I could''ve have wasted her work if I decided to immediately go upstairs... ) [ Then, Vlad-sama, could I ask you to please sit on the table. ] *** Shiro is now sitting on the large rectangular table where all kinds of dishes were laid before him: meat, vegetables, and all kinds of seafood were sitting on top of the table. [ Did you make all of these, Ayla? ] with a baffled expression on his face, Shiro asked Ayla who''s standing beside him with Stella. [ Of course. I''ve also gathered all the recipes myself. ] [ Did... you...? ] Shiro could only mumble the words. He was surprised by how she was able to cook such dishes, but he was more surprised by the fact that she gathered all the recipes all by herself. Furthermore, the aroma and the delicate textures of the dishes were enough to make his never hungry stomach grumble, his servant''s skills was truly out of his expectations. Shiro realized that. [ Please, eat to your heart''s content, Vlad-sama. ] Shiro took those words as his signal and permission that he was now able to eat all the dishes laid in front of him, and so he took a single knife and fork and started to eat. ( So...So tasty... ) As the meat entered his mouth, he immediately tastes its sweetness and feels its juicy texture. Surely, this was the best meat Shiro had tasted in his life; even better than all the renowned restaurants he went into with his company back in Japan. And so, even though he was not hungry, Shiro continued to eat until all the dishes on the table were gone. He was surprised that he was able to eat all of it, but he just decided to think that maybe it was because his body is now special. [ Haah... ] ( This is the best... ) laying his back on the chair, he sighed in satisfaction. [ I''m glad you liked it, Vlad-sama. ] Ayla said, proud and satisfied with her work. [ Yes. Thank you, Ayla. ] Shiro stood up and thank Ayla, patting her head. [ I''m undeserving, Vlad-sama... ] [ No, really, thank you. You too, Stella, thank you for accompanying me today. ] Shiro thanked Stella too as he doesn''t want to treat the two of them unequally. He had summoned the two of them just two days ago, but Shiro now felt like he had been living with them for years. Maybe it was because of the fact that they have the relationship of master and servants that he instantly felt an intimate relationship with the two of them, but he just ignore that thought and just continued to think of the two of them as an important part of his mansion, of his new life in this world. The two of them immediately became an important part of his in this new world. Shiro didn''t think that he would want to summon another Vampire Brides to replace them, the two of them are now irreplaceable, and they have proven themselves. [ [ Thank you, Vlad-sama. ] ] feeling the seriousness in his voice, and his appreciation for the two of them, the two Vampire Brides was only able to thank him. And so - Shiro felt satisfied. [ Then, I guess I''ll go to my room now. ] saying those words, Shiro turned to his back and started to walk. But then he was interrupted - [ [ E-Excuse us, Vlad-sama! ] ] the two of them shouted to the back of Shiro. Surprised, Shiro immediately turned his body again and faced his two Vampire Brides. Seeing that he now faced their direction, the two of them faced each other as if they were communicating with each other''s minds. The two of them then nodded at the same time, and Ayla looked up to Shiro and said - [ Vlad-sama, wouldn''t it be better if you take a bath first? ] ( Ahh...! ) Having a new, perfect body, he almost forgot that he still needs to take baths. Realizing this, Shiro immediately nodded to Ayla''s words. [ I would love to, Ayla. Did you already prepare it? ] He had already guessed that she must have already prepared the bath, like was when he said he would want to eat. And just as Shiro was expecting, Ayla answered with - [ Yes! ] she answered with enthusiasm. She then turned her head to Stella and the two of them smiled with a cunning and enthusiastic face. ( Hmm... They must be onto something... ) seeing the expression on their faces, Shiro could only mutter inside his head. *** Inside the large bathroom, the naked figure of Shiro could be seen, relaxing on the large circular bath filled with smoking water. [ Haah... ] feeling the refreshing warm water surrounding his body, Shiro let out a sigh of satisfaction. Then, with his head looking upwards, Shiro started to think ~ ( No work... No Oyaa-san to asked me for monthly rent... No worries for the next company events... ) he nodded his head. ( Furthermore... a mansion... almost unlimited salary without work... and especially... two hot babes cuddling to me in the bath... What a life... ) Shiro muttered inside his head... But then he realized - ... ... ( No, no, no... Wait...! That last one was! ) He now remembered the reason why he turned his head upwards in the first place; it was not because of the feeling of satisfaction or because he wanted to think about something very deeply - he turned his head up because - ... ... [ Vlad-sama... So warm... ] [ Vlad-sama... so manly... ] ... ... [ Again... what are you two doing here...? ] Calming himself down, he asked his two Vampire Brides who''re leaning their heads to his shoulders and their hands on his chest... Naked. [ [ We thought we should help you clean your body, Vlad-sama. ] ] they both said at the same time, in a very sweet ~ erotic voice. [ I don''t need any help cleaning my body, though... ] Shiro muttered. He could now only able to keep his composure. His blood is already rushing through \"both\" of his head. ( Keeping this s*** family-friendly ) Hearing those words from their master, they started to put their naked - bare bodies close to his even more. Their cold breaths started to breeze through Shiro''s neck. Feeling their cold breaths rushed through his skin, an instant sensation of coolness and pleasure swelled into Shiro. ( They''re surely trying to seduce me... ) [ [ We could clean the parts you can''t, Vlad-sama. ] ] ... ( What''s wrong with these two!? Are they broken or something!? I''m a 30-year-old man...! I shouldn''t be able to get aroused by something like this...! ) forgetting that his body was now that of a young adult, he shouted those words inside his head. Seeing the baffled expression on their master''s face, the Vampire Brides turned their expression serious. [ [ Vlad-sama... We''re yours. Just order us anything and we will do it. No matter what kind of order it is. No matter what kind ~ ] ] putting their mouths close to Shiro''s ears, they muttered in a very sweet, arousing voice. Though it was seducing, Shiro felt the seriousness on their voice, and it made him finally turn his eyes to them. ... ... Though Shiro already knows about it, he was still stunned by the sight of his Vampire Brides. They were extremely beautiful. Their bodies also resemble that of the models of his previous world. He would definitely immediately attack them if it wasn''t for the fact that he still acts with the morals he received from his previous world. ... But looking eye to eye with them... Those morals started to slowly disappear from his mind. [ Vlad-sama... Please don''t hold back. ] [ We also want it too. ] ... ... As he heard their sweet voice, Shiro was suddenly struck with a void of emotions. ( What was it again...? What was it, the reason why I''m holding back from touching them...? ) Shiro muttered inside his head. Like devils that steal the very soul and minds of their targets, both Stella and Ayla looked Shiro in his eyes with passion and love. And, looking at their eyes, Shiro felt, like what had happened back with his encounter with the hero''s party, he felt like something was being taken away from him. ( It''s okay right...? They''re mine, right? I can do whatever I want to them... ) inside his head, he muttered, filled with great emotions. ~~~ That night, Shiro finally learned - how to not hold back with his true desires. 22 Chapter 22 ~ Business Exchange Three days had already past since Shiro''s encounter with the hero''s party. Knowing that he had caused a ruckus at the whole city, he decided to stay low and remain in his mansion until things at the city settle down. Of course, Shiro didn''t spend those three days doing absolutely nothing; he decided to try more of his spells and adjust their powers. For some reason, unlike in the game, he was able to properly adjust and control the power of his spells. He had spent all the past days memorizing again all the possible spells and magic he was able mastered back when he was still playing the game. There were some easy ones that Shiro was easily able to control and adjust, but there were also difficult and dangerous ones that could either destroy a whole city or massacre an army - which he decided to study and use until they''re necessary. The things he learned was totally worth the time he had spent. But there is one thing that he was really eager to learn and understand, namely - The history and the state of the world he''s currently in. Back at the plaza, together with Stella, they have bought all the books the shop keeper said was about the history, countries, and different species and races that exist in this world. From what Shiro had witnessed until now, this world clearly resembles the game he played before. From the levels, job classes, magic, everything was identical to the mechanics of that game. But still, the city itself, Altair city, doesn''t exist in the game. It also seems that Shiro is the only one who can see job classes and the levels of the people around him. He had heard that one can see what their level is in the guild, while they can see their job class at the church, that means the people of this world are not like him, who can even see their names and health percentage of people. Realizing that there were definitely much difference between his world and the game from this world, Shiro thought that he would need to at least understand this world''s background and history - What is the norm? How does this world''s technology compare to his previous world? If magic exists here, how powerful are the people who mastered them? Are they more powerful than him, or he could crash them too with his eyes closed like the hero and her party? And what kind of monsters and races lives here? Is this world even at peace? All these questions went inside his head when he finally accepted and realized that he was now a citizen of this world. Hence the reason why he had bought books from the bookshop at the plaza. Only... He wasn''t able to read a single word from the books he bought. ~~~ [ How am I supposed to read this...? ] Shiro silently whispered to himself, and then placing the book he had opened back to the large bookshelf on the side of the wall. [ Haah... ] The sound of his sigh resounded throughout the entire room of the spacious library, where only books and tall bookshelves exists. ( For some reason, I can understand their words, but not their writings... ) Shiro thought as he looked at all the books that were surrounding himself. He was confused. Arriving in this world, he was immediately able to understand the words the people were saying; but not their writings. To Shiro, it doesn''t make any sense. What had caused him to understand their words in the first place, shouldn''t the ability to read their language should also come together with the ability to understand and speak? He doesn''t know. But he knows that he needs to conquer the ability to write and understand this world''s writings. Having these thoughts, the sound of horses'' neighs and footsteps started to resound from behind the room''s window. Shiro peaked his eyes from the glass window and saw a large and luxurious carriage outside, together with three large wagons that are being pulled by one horse each. The vehicles then closed their distance to his mansion until it reaches its front. ( If I remember correctly... That''s Carla''s carriage... But what''s with the wagons behind...? ) SFX: Knock. Knock. A knock then came from the door of the room. He already knows that the knock came from only either, Stella, or Ayla, as they''re the only people living in the mansion other than him. [ Enter. ] Shiro answered. A second later, one of his Vampire Brides entered. Looking at the sun-shaped pendant on her chest, she was Stella. [ Thank you, Vlad-sama. ] Stella bowed the soon as she saw Shiro''s figure. [ Vlad-sama. A visitor came. She said her name is Carlo Alexandria and is expecting to meet with you. Should we let her enter? ] [ It''s her, huh? ] ( She''s definitely here to trade coins with me again... But still, this timing is great. I''m actually almost running out of coins... ) Shiro thought and said. [ It''s okay, let her in. I''ll come down soon too. ] *** Inside the living room, Carla and Shiro sat on the same table. Carla is turning her head to all directions, looking at the room, surprised and bewildered. Soon, she had faced Shiro and started to talk. [ You were able to replace all the furniture immediately, huh? ] [ That is so. ] Shiro only answered in a calm manner. [ Is that so...? The room is now much greater than it was when it was still managed by Baldo... ] Saying so, Carla started to look around the room, but soon again returned her eyes back to Shiro. [ Anyway... I heard that you had a fight with the hero''s party and won victoriously... I wasn''t able to believe in the person who told me that, but can you confirm that yourself? ] [ Ah... Yes, I was able to beat one of them. ] [ Oh... I really can''t believe it... I guess I was belittling you, Vlad-san... defeating one of the kingdom''s top warrior... You must be very strong. ] Carla only muttered; the last part, in particular, she only whispered in a barely audible voice. [ As I said the last time we met: I''m confident with my strength. ] Shiro answered with confidence in his voice. With that answer, Stella, and Ayla who are standing beside Shiro, nodded in unison. [ Is that so...? ] Still with the expression that says she still does not believe what Shiro had said, she muttered. She then turned her eyes to the two people that are standing to both sides of Shiro. [ Umm... By the way... Who are they...? ] muttering so, she pointed at the two figures that are standing beside Shiro. [ Ah, right... They''re my maids. ] [ Maids...? Surely I thought they were your mistresses... ] [ Ah... right, you could also say that. ] Hearing those words, both Stella and Ayla twitched their faces, and their ears started to turn red. On the other hand, Carla made a surprised expression on her face. [ I-Is that so...? ] she muttered again, stuttering. [ Right. Anyway, what business do you have with me, Carlo? ] Leaning his hands on the table, Shiro asked. [ Ah... ri-right...! I came here to trade coins with you again. I remember you said you still have many of them, are you still willing to trade some with me? ] [ Is that so? Yes, I still have many of those coins. ] Shiro nodded. ( So many in fact that I will be able to make mountains of them... ) Shiro muttered in the back of his head. [ I actually also wanted to trade with you immediately. The truth is, my coins have almost already run out. ] [ Ohh! Then that''s great. Vlad-san, if you''d like, I can trade those coins now with you for four gold coins each. It actually turns out that those gold coins were purer than I first thought. ] [ Oh? ] [ Un, because of that, I was able to sell them with much higher prices at both the market, and the black market. ] [ Oh...? So black markets exist here too, huh? ] Shiro muttered as he recalled something back at his world. [ That''s right, I was able to sell them the gold coins for almost ten times its original amount which I sold you. That''s why I want to share some of the coins I was able to get from you. I felt guilty that I was able to gain this much from the coins I bought from you with a cheap amount. ] Carla said with much enthusiasm. [ Is that so...? Then, I wouldn''t mind accepting it. ] [ Un, so, how about it? I''m willing to increase the price I will buy them next with four coins each. ] [ Four coins, huh? Then I guess I will accept that offer. ] Shiro was surprised by her offer, but he still remained calm and accepted it. Although he doesn''t need to raise the price he will sell the coins with, Shiro thought that it was necessary, as he doesn''t want Carla to abuse the fact that she may be able to buy them from Shiro with such cheap amount of price. [ Then, how about another hundred for now? Can you give me that amount of your gold coins? ] [ I can give you 300 if you will be able to pay them now. ] [ 3-300...!? You''re willing to trade that many...!? ] she uttered with a baffled and surprised expression on her face. She was not expecting that Shiro would offer her that amount. Coming here in his mansion, she was only expecting to trade at least a hundred coins with Shiro. [ Of course. I wouldn''t offer you that many if I''m not willing. ] [ I-Is that so...? ] Carla muttered with a stutter. [ Anyway... for now, I was only able to bring with me at least a thousand coins... That''s not enough for me to pay for 300 of your coins. ] [ Really? Then, 200 coins it is. ] saying so, Shiro put a hand inside his robe and took out a large sack filled to the brim with heavy coins. He then put the sack on top of the table and it made a *Chink and *Rattling sounds. This act made Carla stare at him with a surprised face. He was not able to believe was she just saw. She asked herself: ''How was he able to take that sack full of coins from his robe?'' [ Here''s an exact 200 pieces of my gold coins. ] [ Ye-Yes...! I will pay you now...! I''ll get the coins outside. ] Carla replied in a hurry. Carla then stood up and faced the other direction. But before she could start walking towards the door, Shiro called her again. [ Umm... By the way, Carlo-san... What are inside those wagons outside? ] Shiro asked in curiosity. Hearing that question, Carla turned around to match eyes with him again and - [ Oh...? I''m glad you asked, Vlad-san... ] 23 Chapter 23 ~ High Class Slaves [ These ones are the slaves with the highest class at the slave market. ] said, Carla. Inside the room, standing in front of Shiro, are ladies with extremely beautiful faces. Different looks on their faces and different colors of hairs; slender and voluptuous bodies, their looks will definitely catch the eyes of any man that ever looks at them; they were like angels currently gathered in one place. But there were two things that differentiate them from others and completely decreases their beauty: the collars in their necks, and their dirty and torn dresses. Looking at them, Shiro only felt sympathy. Such beauties will definitely be able to catch his eyes instantly in his previous world, yet here, in front of him; they were wasted. He would definitely want to buy them, but to Shiro - he doesn''t need any slaves anymore. [ Carlo-san... I thought I mentioned in our last meeting that I don''t want to keep slaves yet. ] Although they were beautiful, and Shiro definitely likes them, he thought that he already have Stella and Ayla who''re capable enough by themselves to serve him; he doesn''t need any slaves or another pair of Vampire Brides anymore. Additionally, he also thinks that he might not be able to properly order people that are not his summons. [ I understand, Vlad-san, but don''t you think they''re quite beautiful? They will also be able to serve you and maintain your large mansion. ] [ Yes, but that... I already have Stella and Ayla. The two of them are capable enough to serve me. ] said Shiro with confidence. [ I know that you have confidence in your two maids, but I don''t think they''ll be able to manage and keep your mansion clean by themselves. ] [ That''s... ] That was right - only if his two Vampire Brides were ordinary people. But they''re undead; they never tire, never hunger, and will never need to sleep; they''re the most capable workers Shiro could possibly summon. A normal person pales in comparison to the things his two Vampire Brides can do. [ Let me think about it first... ] Shiro muttered and started to think. What it is that these slaves will be able to do to him that his Vampire Brides won''t be able to? Shiro started to think. But before he could reach a conclusion, Carla had interrupted him. [ Then, how about you ask them yourself, Vlad-san? ] Hearing her words, Shiro turned and faced his two Vampire Brides beside him. ( Yea... It might be a good idea to get their opinions on this... But I guess I already know their answers. ) with these thoughts inside Shiro''s head, he asked Stella and Ayla. [ How about it; Stella, Ayla, do you think you need help? ] Despite knowing that they will answer in a negative way, he still did the act to convince Carla that he doesn''t have any plans of buying slaves yet. And so, Shiro waited for them to answer and - [ I think hiring slaves will be a good thing, Vlad-sama. ] ( Ayla ) [ We agree, Vlad-sama. Maintaining the mansion takes a long amount of time that we''re left with only a few amounts for serving you. ] ( Stella ) Their answers only left Shiro surprised. Every night, he always hears from them that they want to be alone with him as possible as they can, yet here they are; wanting someone that might disturb their peace with him. ( Even though we do it since then - all night... That''s still not enough for them...? ) [ See? I''m sure that buying slaves will not disappoint you. ] Carla said with the face of victory. Shiro turned his head to the slaves in front of him after hearing Carla''s words. He looked at them as if he''s analyzing their whole being. There are a total of 8 high-class slaves currently lined up in front of Shiro. They all have different faces and different appeals. They still might not be as beautiful as his two Vampire Brides, but they''re definitely one of the prettiest girls he has seen in this world so far, except, of course, the hero - Hana, and her other two girl members. As he looked at them, Shiro''s mind went to the idea of putting them into his bed. But of course, he immediately distinguished the thought and continued to look at them one-by-one. ( Appraise. ) Shiro muttered at the back of his head. Gazed by the eyes of the impossibly good-looking Vlad alucard, the slaves were only able to turn their heads downwards; not wanting to show the expression they are currently making on their faces. [ Carlo-san... How many of them can read and write? ] After a few seconds, Shiro muttered to Carla. Now that Shiro knows how this world process, the idea of owning a slave now slowly became pretty normal to him. But now, he doesn''t need just ordinary slaves; he needs slaves that might be able to teach him the things and the language of this world. Since he became aware that he wasn''t able to read and write this world''s language, Shiro wanted to have a tutor. The idea of making slaves tutor him just came into his mind after Carla had introduced them. [ Read and write... Well... Half of them can... ] ( That few...? Does that mean education is still not that developed in this world...? ) Shiro thought. [ Vlad-san, are you planning of only buying slaves who can read and write? ] [ No, I want to buy all of them. But I want to know all of them first. ] 24 Chapter 24 ~ Tears of Happiness Shiro bought a total of 16 slaves from Carla: eight high-class and eight common worker slaves. And here they are now, currently lined up in front of Shiro, from the left is the highest price and the last part is the lowest. Among the 16 slaves that are currently lined up in front of Shiro, three have higher levels than his two Vampire Brides: Nina - Tanned and has black hair. Her face immediately caught the attention of Shiro as it doesn''t resemble any of the people he had met in this world so far. He thought that maybe because it was said that she came from a barbaric tribe far to the north of this city. But nevertheless, seeing her face, Shiro thought that she was cute. Lumi - A demihuman that resembles snow wolves. She has two unique animal ears growing out of his head and a tail that is swinging from her backside. Of course, Shiro didn''t get much surprised by her appearance; he already knows that all kinds of races exist in this world that Shiro had already expected to see one of her kind in this world. Sarah - A tall girl with long blonde hair. Introducing herself earlier, she said that she came from a noble family who had sold her after they have committed a heavy crime that removed the entirety of their fortune. But nevertheless, she was a knight and has a lot of experience in combat. The three of them are stronger than his two Vampire Brides when they''re on their debuffs, and they might also come close to the hero''s party. Shiro has plans for the three of them. [ Hmm... Right... From now own, I will become your master. My name is Vlad Alucard, call me Vlad-sama. ] Shiro had introduced himself as simple as possible. [ [ Yes... ] ] the girls all nodded and answered. Their eyes are looking at him with admiration but yet mixed with fear. As slaves, they are expecting that their master will treat them badly and might even do things to them that might destroy their entire being. Slaves often tend to be treated as mere toys or possessions by their masters, it has been the norm of this world and it always will be. The thought of serving someone against their will is unbearable, but they need to obey their master, or they will get killed. The collars on their necks are imbued with magic that will kill them once they willingly disobeyed their master''s wills. Disobeying their master is as close to committing suicide. [ Now... ] ( They really looked they''ve been treated really badly... ) Looking at their pale faces, dirty bodies, and torn clothes, Shiro could only think that might be the case. [ I think that you all already know that now that I''m your master, you will need to follow my instructions. You will obey all of my commands and will accept everything that I''ll do to you. ] [ [ Y-Yes...! ] ] [ Then, that''s all I want to say. All you need is to follow everything that I''ll say and I promise that I will treat you all well. ] Hearing his words, the slaves were only surprised. They looked at each other and then directed their eyes again to Shiro. They weren''t able to believe that their master had said that he will treat them well. They thought that he must be lying. But they felt he was serious. [ Stella, help them clean themselves up. Ayla, you prepare the dishes. ] *** After Stella had assisted them to clean themselves up in the large bathroom, the slaves came back again in the living room with their appearances completely different from what it was before. They''re now clean and the dresses their wearing are clean and spotless. And now, all 16 of them sat beside the large rectangular table. Their eyes are almost about to pop out, looking at the dishes that are served before them. But for some reason, none of them are moving or even picking up their spoons; they were silent. Instead, they''re all staring at Shiro who''s sitting at the other end of the table. [ Please eat. You didn''t need to wait for my permission, you know? ] Shiro said to them in assurance. But despite his words, the slaves only looked at their meals with eyes that are unbelieving. ... .. None were saying a word... Until - [ Vla-Vlad... sama...! Wha-what is this...!? ] A girl''s voice resounded through the entire room; disturbing the silence it was earlier. The voice came from Lumi. One of the demihumans in the group. Unlike the other slaves who are just staring at their meals - Lumi was already eating hers and is now close to being finished. [ ...! ] Seeing her actions, the other slaves looked at her with pale faces. They''re scared that she might''ve offended their master, and so they looked at her with dead expressions on their faces. [ Ahh... ] Shiro sighed. Even Shiro was surprised by her guts to eat in this situation. Her face is exited and drool is coming out of her mouth. Additionally, she was using her bare hands to eat the food, which made Shiro even more weirded by her. [ Anyway, what are you all waiting for; go eat. ] ignoring Lumi, Shiro voiced to the group. Hearing Shiro''s permission, and seeing Lumi''s action, the other slaves found the courage to start eating too. ( Phew~ I guess that Lumi helped me with the situation... even a little... ) If it wasn''t for the action Lumi had made, Shiro thought that he might have had a very hard time convincing the other slaves to eat. And so - the other slaves started to eat their meals too. [ [ ... ] ] On their first taste, time seemed to have stopped. They kept the spoon on their mouths and for some reason, all of them started to tear up and started sobbing. ( ... ) surprised, Shiro was only able to stare at them with a blank poker expression. To them, it was the first time they have tasted a proper meal for a very long time. The hot meal and soup they have put on their stomachs created a feeling of warmth on their chests. Eating their meals, the slaves thought: \" This must be a dream, right?\" This was the only thing that they have on their minds as they eat their food. And thinking that what is currently happening might be a dream, they continued to gobble their meals up, removing the shame and fear they have towards Shiro earlier. The sound of people sobbing with joy and happiness of eating a delicious meal dominated the silence of the room. ... ... But after a while, an even louder voice interrupted. [ Ca-can I have seconds! ] Finishing her meal, Lumi stood up and raised a hand to Shiro. ( What''s with this girl...!? Can''t she at least read the situation a little! ) Seeing her action, the slaves have stopped eating their meals again and turned pale. They stopped daydreaming and realized again that they''re in front of their master. [ Do-Don''t worry about it. ] Shiro muttered to the slaves, wanting them to continue eating. After, he turned his eyes to the standing Lumi who has her ears twitching and her tail swaying. [ Yes, you can have seconds. Ayla? ] [ Of course, Vlad-sama. ] Ayla nodded to his words and served Lumi with another plate. ( Well... it''s not bad to have one weird person in every group... ) Shiro thought as he looked at the figure of the excited demihuman. 25 Chapter 25 ~ Combat Slaves ( Appraisal: Result ) Name: Nina Race: Human Level: 37 Job Class: Monk/Fighter Health: 574 ~~~ Name: Lumi Race: Demihuman ( Snow Wolf ) Level: 35 Job Class: Archer/Hunter Health: 437 ~~~ ( Appraisal: Result ) Name: Sarah Race: Human Level: 41 Job Class: Warrior Health: 623 It was the first time this screen had shown itself to him. Judging from what it says, he can freely manipulate their skills and stats. Of course, Vlad was thrilled to see such a thing. [ ... ] [ So... Umm... Vlad-sama. What are we doing here? ] Lumi asked Shiro with a tilted head. After their meals, Shiro had ordered Nina, Lumi, and Sarah to go outside with him where the blinding sun is high in the sky. While he had ordered his two Vampire Brides to manage the other slaves and start to give them their roles and tasks in the mansion. The three with him right now are the ones with the highest levels among the slaves he had bought. They''re stronger than his two Vampire Brides when they''re on their debuffs, and they''re also close to the levels of the hero''s party members. A small amount of grinding and they might even become stronger than the heroes party themselves - with these thoughts inside his head, Shiro said to them with a straight face: [ Say, the three of you have potential in combat. I''d like to test your skills and abilities. ] Yes, that was why Shiro had gathered the three of them here; to test the limits of their skills. [ Vlad-sama... with all due respect. I don''t want to hear from someone weaker than me that I have potential. ] words filled with annoyance was thrown into Shiro. ( Huh...? ) Looking at the person who said those words, Shiro muttered, irritated - [ What did you just say...? ] [ As I said, Vlad-sama, the thing I hate the most is hearing from someone that is weaker than me that I have potential. I will only accept those words from someone who is stronger than me; you may punish me for saying these words, but I have my dignity as a knight. ] It was Sarah. The strongest among the three. She has the face of beauty but her eyes are those of a warrior. She looked at Shiro with an intimidating look on her face. Just looking at her face, one can see how she has absolute confidence in her self, especially to her strength. [ You''re supposed to be a knight, right? Are knights people who judge a person''s strength by their looks? You haven''t seen how strong I am yet; how are you able to say that I''m weaker than you? ] Shiro said with an irritated voice, but with a calm tone. Sarah was looking at him with an irritated look, so Shiro had intimidated her with his words. [ Tha-That''s...! ] Sarah stuttered, she was not able to find the words to reply to Shiro. [ How about this... I''ll show you. ] Shiro muttered as he raised a hand in front of her head. Her attitude had reminded him of Arthur, and Shiro didn''t like that. [ Huh...? ] [ Fear. ] ... ... ... ~~~ A heartbeat. In the absolute darkness that eats everything, she had heard her own heartbeat. Her heart was beating fast. It was beating loud. It was beating hard. ( Wha... What is this...? ) she could only mutter in the dark empty world of nothingness. ... ... A moment later, her brain started to work again. And she felt nothing but fear. Her lungs started to corrupt and wither, her limbs started to crumble and tremble, and her brain felt like it was being crushed by a huge rock. It was Fear. She felt fear she had never felt before. It was like all of the things she fears have combined together and has trapped her in this dark - empty space of nothingness. ( S... Stop this! ) A few more moments in this place and she will fall into madness. She will turn insane. She will die... ~~~ [ Clarity. ] [ Haa...! Haa...! Haa... ] As if she was just about to get drowned, Sarah started to catch her breath intensely. She was kneeling on the ground with her head pale and intensely sweating. [ Now, I trust you don''t have any complaints? ] Shiro muttered in a calm manner. [ Haa... Haa... No... No... Vlad-sama... ] she answered with fear written on her face. The spell Shiro had used was the lowest version of the spell \"Crippling Darkness\" which Shiro had used against Arthur. Seeing the despair on Sarah''s face, Shiro could only imagine the fear Arthur had experience by his spell. He wouldn''t be surprised if he suddenly wakes up insane. After a few moments, Sarah was finally able to catch her breath, she then stood up and bowed her head to Shiro. [ I... I''m really sorry for what I have said...! I promise... I will not do something like that ever again... ] Sarah shouted with respect to Shiro. Her previous intimidation turned to respect and amazement. [ I... I... I promise I won''t disappoint you, Vlad-sama! May... May I call you master!? ] ( Huh...? ) [ It''s fine... I guess. ] Shiro wasn''t expecting that she will turn out like this. In fact, she was expecting Sarah to hate him, yet, what happened was the complete opposite; her eyes are now gazing at him with respect and admiration. But still, Shiro felt contented by the unexpected result. And so, after positively answering Sarah''s question, he turned to the other two. [ How about the two of you? ] Shiro muttered to them with a calm expression on his face. [ Ma-Master! ] ( Lumi ) [ Please give me your babies, Ma-Master! ] ( Nina ) ( ... ) ... ... [ U... Un... I guess you two doesn''t have any problems... ] *** [ Summon: Devil Hounds! ] shouting those words, a total of 7 Devil hounds appeared before them. Their skin was the blackest and their fangs are sharp as swords. One bite and a limb would fall off. And so, facing his \"Slaves\", Shiro said to them - [ I want you to try and defeat them. ] As soon as they heard the words of their \"Master\", they immediately went into their fighting positions. Their eyes were fierce and their grip on their weapons was tight. Of course, Shiro had given them their own weapons to fight his summons with. Lumi was holding a crystalized longbow, and in her back was a quiver filled with arrows. Sarah was holding a golden sword. And the tanned Nina was wearing heavy gauntlets in both of her hands. [ Devil hounds, do not hold back. ] With those words, the corner of the hounds'' mouths started to form flames, and they started to growl towards the trio. [ Hehe... I''ll show master how strong I really am... ] swinging her sword into the air, Sarah muttered. [ I... Impress master and have his babies... ] the barbaric Nina formed a stance and bumped his fists together. [ I hope I get fishes from the master... ] whispering the words to herself, Lumi took an arrow from the quiver on her back and put it on the string of the bow. ... ... Hearing their words with his keen hearing, Shiro thought that they might be the weirdest ones among all the slaves he bought. But still, Shiro was sure that he felt they were confident about their strengths. ( I hope this works out... ) 26 Chapter 26 ~ Leveling up [ [ Haa... Haa... Haa... ] ] ( Nina: Level increased by 1! ) ( Sarah: Level increased by 1! ) ( Lumi: Level increased by 2! ) ~~~ ( It worked, huh? ) Beating his Devil Hounds, the three of them were able to level up. Looking at them, they are now catching their breaths hard. Sarah could only barely stand, Nina is kneeling on her knees, and Lumi is already lying on the ground; their figures now is a complete mess; It''s easy to say that the battle they had fought was intense. But nevertheless, Shiro was impressed by their combat abilities. The three of them clearly knows how to fight. At the beginning of the battle, Lumi immediately targeted the Devil Hounds'' eyes; her accuracy was 100%, none of her arrows had miss. Of course, because of this, Lumi was targeted by the Devil Hounds, but Nina immediately went to her side, protecting her by punching away the enemies that are jumping towards her. Sarah, on the other hand, had solo''d three Devil Hounds on her own, keeping them also away from Lumi and Nina. Shiro thought that their strategy was good. They could have easily get defeated if they didn''t help each other out, a little more work and their teamwork could get even better. [ How... How was that, master? ] Sarah asked Shiro, still catching her breath. [ Yes, I''m surprised. ] Sarah contributed the most during that fight. She fought 3 Devil Hounds by herself without needing help from the two. Surviving from fighting 3 Devil Hounds is a hard task considering the close gap in their levels. Shiro was also particularly impressed by how great she was at using the sword he had given her; she had proven that she really was a knight who knows how to fight. [ I-Is that so!? Th-Thank you, master! ] she bowed her head with gratitude. [ Master! Did Nina do great!? ] the barbaric Nina came into Shiro''s side and asks with enthusiasm written on her face. [ Yes. You did great too, Nina. ] Nina perfectly blocked all the attacks that she and Lumi were receiving from the Devil Hounds. Her attacks are not that strong but her defensive capabilities are high; if it wasn''t for her, Lumi might not be able to survive that fight. Additionally, she acted completely different from what Shiro had expected. It was said that she came from a barbaric tribe that values strength more than anything else, yet, she focused on protecting Lumi, rather than trying to defeat the enemies on her own to show the strength her tribe is most proud of. [ Thank you, master! I''ll impress master more! ] forming a fist, she shouted through the air with confidence. [ How about me, Vlad-sa... Master!? ] the demihuman, Lumi, ran to Shiro side with her ears twitching and her tail swinging. Her face too is showing a huge smile. Seeing her appearance and hearing her question, Shiro could only form a smirk on his face. [ Hu-Huh!? Ma-Master! ] seeing the smirk on Shiro''s face, Lumi''s enthusiasm instantly died. [ No. No. Don''t worry, you did great too. ] Shiro muttered to Lumi, turning his smirk into a smile. The truth was, Lumi was the one Shiro was the most surprised with. During the fight, her personality completely changed to what Shiro was not expecting. The color of her eyes went from blue to green, the care-free expression on her face turned serious, she was like a deadly hunter, ready to kill her prey. Not to mention, her bowing skill is almost perfect. All the shot she had thrown struck to where she wants it to, despite shooting her arrows at a very long-range, it was like she was shooting them at point-blank. [ Thank you, master! ] hearing Shiro''s words, a bright smile was formed on Lumi''s face. She then copied Sarah and bowed to Shiro too. Looking at the figure of his two combat slaves, Shiro was satisfied. At first, he was very hesitant when he had bought them, but now, he was more than happy that he did. ~~~ There were many reasons why Shiro wanted to see how capable the trio was. First was: unlike his summons, who mostly consists of monsters that might not be able to blend in the human society, Sarah, Lumi, and Nina, are in the races that people often see in this world. The only summons that Shiro could think of that might be able to accompany him outside are the Vampire brides and the Succubuses, but both of that summons have their own qualities that Shiro thinks will get him into trouble. As far as Shiro has seen, his two Vampire Brides are two capable servants, but in this world, they''re still pretty weak, especially when they''re on their debuffs. Additionally, to Shiro, Stella and Ayla are two important companions that are close to his lovers, he''s afraid to use both of them in combat. The second reason was: Shiro''s summons won''t level up anymore. The XPS they would gain will all only be distributed to Shiro''s. But Shiro''s also already at the max level, he wouldn''t be able to level up anymore too, and even if Shiro could still level up, with the amount of XP he would need to gain, the only thing that might get him to increase his level is to massacre entire cities. Shiro knows that his personality is slowly being changed by Vlad Alucard, but even if he''s current race is a Vampire that close to demons now, he was still a human who has sympathy for all things that are living. He is not insane that he would massacre people to try and gain an extra level. That was why he thought that leveling up his slaves to become capable fighters that can blend into the human society would be a better choice than him summoning his demonic and monstrous summons and using Stella and Ayla as his companions when he''s outside the mansion. [ Anyway, master... What was the reason why you wanted to see our skills in combat...? ] as Shiro started to think about all this stuff, Sarah had interrupted him. [ Well, I''m glad you asked that. ] And the third reason was - To make them his party members in the guild. 27 Chapter 27 ~ The Guild The sky was blue, and the sun was high. The noisy voices of people shouting and the sound of birds chipping resounded in every corner of the streets. Children, mothers, fathers, and old people can be seen walking on the streets, many of which are wearing casual Middle-Age-like clothes; there are also some that wear odd-looking clothes which consist of armors and some kind of weapons hanging on their waist. Shiro, Sarah, Lumi, and Nina are now walking together on the streets of Altair city. Shiro is still wearing his usual clothes that never stains and never wrinkles, while the trio has their own different sets of weapons and equipment. It has been a week since he had bought his slaves, and all of them are now slowly getting used to their jobs at the mansion, especially the trio who are always together with Shiro, increasing their levels up. [ Uwah... Everyone''s starin''... ] Nina muttered to herself. As usual, people are staring at Shiro and his companions, especially to the trio who has collars on their necks. They started to gossip and whisper to each other. They already know the figure Shiro, but the new three people that are with him had shocked the people. Looking at the collars on their necks, they''re clearly slaves, but unlike any other slaves, their clothes are decent and the expressions on their faces can only be described as happy and contended. But only ignoring the people''s stares and gossips, Shiro and his companion continued to walk. And soon, they have finally reached their destination - The guild. ~~~ The structure that stood before them was high and wide. It was the largest building Shiro has seen yet in this city; it was even bigger than his mansion. This was the first time Shiro had stood in front of this structure, which is the guild. He was only able to see it from a far distance last time. [ Haah... ] With a sigh, Shiro took a step and opened the large doors of the guild while his companions followed afterward. And so, they have finally entered. ... The room was spacious; three large chandeliers are hanging on the ceiling, lighting up the darkroom; wooden carved tables were placed all around, and chairs are scattered; looking up, there are also people that are sitting on the second floor of the large room. All kinds of people that are wearing odd kinds of weapons and armors are inside the room. Some of them have large physical structures, some were skinny, and there were some that still looks normal. But there is one thing that they all have in common right now; every single one of them is laughing and having fun. But that was until they saw the figure that just entered the room. ... ... The guild turned silent. None were saying a word. The people are staring only in one direction; the direction where Shiro and his companions are. They, of course, recognize Shiro''s face and figure. Everyone was there when Vlad Alucard had shown how superior his power was; they will never forget his face. Looking only ahead, Shiro and his companions started walking. As he walked in the middle of the room, he was able hear all kinds of gossips: \"Are they his slaves...?\", \"They''re slaves, right? I thought at first that they''re his mistresses...\", \"Why does he want to join the guild...?\" But trying to Ignore their gossips and gazes, Shiro continued to walk to the very spacious room. He looked towards the end of the room where the receptionists were. While the two receptionists beside the desk were sweating buckets, the receptionist in the middle of the receptionists'' desk is the only one who is trying to remain calm and the only one who is keeping a smile on her face. Shiro thought that she might already be used at her job. ... ... After a few moments, Shiro was finally able to arrive in front of the receptionists'' desk. [ He-Hello, my name is Diana, a receptionist... How can I serve you? ] the receptionist stuttered with nervousness written all over her face. [ Right, I came here to register as an adventurer. ] Shiro answered with a calm expression on his face. [ I''d like to register them too as my party members, is that alright? ] turning his direction to Sarah, Nina, and Lumi, Shiro added to the receptionist. [ Ah... Yes, of course. If that is so, the-then, can you all please write your names in this piece of paper. ] saying so, she handed Shiro a pen and a piece of paper. ( It''s time to show the result of my hard work! ) shouting those words inside his head, he took the pen and the piece of paper and wrote his name - of course -in the writing of this world. Of course, the slaves that he had bought who knows how to read and write had tutored him for the entire week. And just like that, Shiro is now able to read and write this world''s language even just a little. To Shiro, buying them was totally worth every single coins he had used. And so, after a moment, Shiro was finally able to finish writing his name, proud to himself. Satisfied, he passed the paper to his companions. Nina and Lumi too didn''t know how to read and write at first, but now, they''re able at least scribble their names with a pen after they have joined Shiro from being tutored by the other slaves. The only person from their group who has a decent hand-writing was Sarah, who had an experience being a noble of a country. And so, now that they all finish giving and writing their names, they gave back the piece of paper to the receptionist, Diana. [ Now, umm... Vlad-san... Vlad-sama... Can I ask you to please place your hands here...? ] after reading his name on the piece of paper, she muttered to Shiro and pointed both of her hands on a small orb beside her. The orb was black and Shiro was not able to see through it. It was an item he has never seen before in the game. [ Umm... Can I ask what is this? ] [ Ah, right, this is an orb that measures a person''s strength and magic capabilities. We just have to make sure that you have the strength required to become an adventurer. Bu-But of course! If you, Vlad-sama doesn''t want to be measured, I can personally ask the guild master to immediately register you without doing all this stuff! ] ( That''ll be very troublesome... ) [ No, don''t worry about it, I will follow the guild''s rules... But I would like to test them first to my companions. ] Shiro was cautious about the orb. If it measures magical capabilities, it would be very dangerous if it measures his. Compared to the level of his magical power to those from this world, Shiro will exceed theirs without a doubt. He needs to see first how it will react to his companions'' strengths. And so, Shiro turned her head to Sarah. Knowing what Shiro wanted, she nodded and immediately went to the front of the desk. Gazing at the orb, Sarah slowly placed her hands on top of it. [ Please relax and close your eyes. ] Diana, the receptionist, whispered quietly to Sarah. Following what she said, Sarah closed her eyes and took a deep breath. And then - Slowly, the orb glowed with a dim light. ... ... ( That''s it...? Only this little...? ) Shiro muttered inside his head with disappointment. The glow that the orb had shown was not as bright as Shiro was expecting. Diana, on the other hand - [ Uwah... This is... ] Diana exclaimed with a surprised expression on her face. [ It''s close to Alicia-sama... ] ( Alicia... Alicia... If I remember correctly... She was that angry girl in Hana''s party... She''s at level 54, I guess. Yea, if that is so, then I guess their strengths might really be close to each other. Now that Sarah is level 50 that is. ) Sarah was level 41 when Shiro had started to train them. Now, the result of a week of that training resulted in her level to increase to 50. In just a week, she''s now able to get close to one of the strongest people in the kingdom. ( I was really able to increase their levels that fast, huh? ) Even Shiro was surprised by that fact. If he could increase the levels of the people of this world that fast, just by giving them the opportunity to grind his summons, he might be able to create the strongest people in this kingdom in just a few weak; people who might get stronger even than Hana, the hero. But of course, Shiro doesn''t have that intention yet. He only cares about himself, Stella, Ayla, and his slaves so far. He doesn''t care what happens to anyone other than those he considers as his. With these thoughts inside his head, before Shiro knew it, it was now his turn; Nina and Lumi have already finished their turns. [ The-Then, Vlad-sama... ] Hearing her voice, Shiro went in front of the orb and slowly and confidently put his hands on top of the orb. ( Focus... ) In the first week, he had spent in this world, the first thing Shiro had done was to learn how to control his power; to adjust it. So now, he''s confident that he will be able to adjust the output of the magical power he will pour into the orb to not reveal how strong he really is. It would be very dangerous if he reveals his true power. Knowing the comparison between the average level of this world to his, Shiro was afraid that once he shows how powerful he really is, he might be considered as an extraordinary entity, a dangerous person, a threat to humanity, a hero, an angel, a savior... or even a god. And so, with this thought inside his head, he poured a small amount of his magical power to the orb and... [ Thi-This is!? ] 28 Chapter 28 ~ Alicia and Caiden - CharacterPOV#5 [ It''s already been a week and we still haven''t found a single clue about that guy! ] Alicia angrily raised her voice as she walked the narrow street together with the red-haired, tall guy, Caiden. [ Well, at least we now know where he lives... ] Caiden replied to the angry-faced Alicia. A few days ago, they have met with a certain famous merchant who told them where Vlad Alucard lives. He also mentioned that he was the person who sold him his residence, and he also added that just about a few days ago, he had sold him slaves to work in his residence. [ The only thing we need now is a plan to meet with him. ] [ I know...! But I want to make this as fast as possible! You heard what the messenger from the capital had said, right? No priests or mages from the capital were able to treat Arthur! And they''re considered the greatest! How can that be!? ] Hearing her angry complaints, Caiden only stared at her, not saying a single word. Caiden and Alice have been in the same party for about a year now, they can understand each other to some extent. And Caiden knows that he shouldn''t reply to her words yet. [ Haah... Shouldn''t he be punished for what he did to Arthur!? He almost killed him...! But now, the king and the council are requesting us to find a way for them to meet with this guy as if he was a hero or something instead! And our work as soldiers is already hard enough we also now have to deal with this stuff? ] she released with a sigh. [ Of course. It was said in the letter that the king and the council will try to convince that guy to cure Arthur, and they also mentioned that if they can, they will do everything to convince him to join our ranks. He might either become a big part of the kingdom, or a threat that needs to be destroyed... At this rate, I wouldn''t even be surprised if they offer him one of the princesses... ] knowing that she at least calmed down a little, Caiden finally said what was in his mind. [ I get what you''re trying to say... But still, I just can''t accept it... He''s a very dangerous guy. ] [ It''s the truth... He''s clearly more powerful than us... He might even be stronger than Hana... And she''s the hero. Of course, the kingdom will do everything they can to try and tie him down on this country... Personally, I would like that. I know that you''re driven by your anger towards him, but consider that he''s human too; he might be the complete opposite of what you think of him. Maybe just what his face looks like, he''s a good guy. ] [ Even if I hate him... I do hope that he turns out that way... ] she muttered to Caiden with a low voice. With that, their conversation ends and silence took over as they continued to walk in the narrow street. ~~~ Soon, they finally arrived at a place with a much larger road where a lot of people can be seen walking and doing their things. [ Anyway, we''re here... ] Caiden said, gazing his eyes in front of the large and tall structure in front of them. [ Yes... ] Where they have finally arrived at - was the guild. Shiro and Caiden have been visiting the guild since the day they have stayed in the city. On the surface, the reason why they''re on the guild was to subjugate hard tasks that were hard and none were brave enough to take. But that was not their real intention at all - Even though both of them are keeping it from each other, the real reason they''re constantly visiting the guild was because of how they have seen Vlad was a lot stronger than the two of them. They were inspired by how powerful he was. While Caiden had found someone that was a lot stronger than him, he wanted to get more powerful to at least get close enough that he will be able to defeat him. Alicia, on the other hand, felt weak after she had seen how powerful Vlad was, and so she wanted to increase her power so that the next time he sees Vlad, she will not feel fear again. Both of them has their own new reasons why they wanted to become more powerful than they are in the past. And so, with dedication and commitment to improving themselves, both Caiden and Alicia had opened and entered inside the large doors at the same time. ( ( ...!!! ) ) Entering the room, a bright light had pierced their eyes. [ Thi-This is...! ] Covering their eyes with their arms, both of them exclaimed in surprise. The two of them already know where the light is coming from. But inside their minds, they were not able to believe it. Going into this guild for the very first time, they have used the same orb to see how strong they were compared to each other. Their glows were bright, yes, they were bright, especially the glow that came from Hana. Yet - The light that shone inside the guild doesn''t even come close to any of theirs. ... ... ... Soon later, the light slowly dimmed. And at the end, the edge of the guild, there stood the figure of the person that was inside their heads for the entire week. The person they are afraid of, but at the same time, admires - The person was... He was Vlad Alucard. 29 Chapter 29 ~ Repeat of the Same Exchange A few minutes have passed since Diana went to another room inside the guild, leaving Shiro and the trio alone in front of the receptionists'' desk. She said that she just has something to discuss with the guild master, and thus she left. But as Shiro waited for her, he met with two people he was pretty much expecting to see again once he goes outside. [ Vlad-san... It''s nice to meet you again... Is it okay for me to ask why you''re here...? ] aked the guy in front of Shiro, Caiden. This is the first time he has seen Caiden up close; last time in the ring, they have exchanged their words in a faraway distance. But now that Shiro was able to see him this close, the first thing that came into his mind what that: \"So tall...\". Looking at the two of them, one could easily guess the difference between their heights, Caiden is at least 1/3 taller than Shiro. Shiro thought that Caiden was the tallest person he has ever seen in his entire life. [ Well, I came here to register myself as an adventurer... ] Despite getting overwhelmed by the difference of their heights, Shiro still answered in a very calm manner. [ Is that so... I suppose you have your reason? May I ask what is that? ] [ Of course. Well, I came here mostly because I want to see how the guild works. Well, but other than that, I won''t tell. ] [ Is that so? It''s okay, I get that you have something you better not telling others too... ] [ ... ] ( Was he always like this...? ) Seeing Caiden acts so submissive towards him, Shiro was baffled. Unlike the arrogant attitude he has shown the first time they met, he was now acting completely docile towards him. Shiro was only able to think of one explanation why he''s now very much a different person: it was because he''s afraid of him. Arrogant people will only be able to act arrogant to people they know are weaker than them, and Shiro is the complete opposite of weak; Caiden would never be able to act arrogantly towards him now that he knows how he was stronger than him. having this thought inside his head, Shiro noticed that Caiden had shifted his gaze to the three girls behind him. [ And them...? ] he asked, looking at the three people in Shiro''s side who has collars on their necks. [ Are they... Slaves...? ] Caiden whispered with a perplex look on his face. [ Ahh, yes, you can say that... But, the truth is... They''re more like my students... ] [ Students...? ] Caiden was only able to mutter in surprise. [ That''s right. We''re master''s slaves, but we''re also his students. ] Sarah stepped up, she stood beside Shiro and said those words with confidence and pride. [ Umm, excuse me, but may I ask what is your relationship with our master? ] she then added, while also glancing at the woman in the side of Caiden who was just silent since earlier. [ We''re members of the hero''s party... We met with your master just a few days ago... ] Caiden hesitantly replied. [ The-The hero''s party!? ] Sarah exclaimed in surprise. [ I-I''m sorry for my rudeness! ] bowing her head low, she apologized. [ Don''t worry about it. ] Looking at Sarah, a slave, Caiden thought: \"How is this person a slave...? She''s clearly being treated well by Vlad... Furthermore, she very much looks proud of being his slave...\" [ Master didn''t mention that he has connections with the heroes... ] Sarah muttered to herself. Of course, Shiro was able to hear her muttering but he just decided to brush it off. Caiden, on the other hand, removed his gazed at Sarah and turned his head towards Shiro again. [ By the way, Vlad-san... We''re having trouble treating Arthur... I know that this is rude of me to ask, but can you at least give us a clue how we might be able to cure his condition...? ] Caiden explained with a worried look on his face. He knows that what he said might get Shiro angered but he did anyway for the sake of his party. But hearing his request, Shiro did not even bat an eye. [ That, huh? I actually already forgot about that guy... it was Arthur, right? ] Shiro turned his head to the ceiling and muttered in a very quiet voice. [ That''s...! ] hearing Shiro''s muttering, Alicia finally moved and exclaimed in anger. She took a step towards Shiro but was stop by Caiden. As she almost pounds to Shiro in anger, the thought that was inside her head was: \"How were you able to forget the guy you almost beat to death!\" ( This girl really has real anger towards me... She''s the only person in their group that''s able to show her real emotions towards me. She must have some kind of relationship with that Arthur guy... ) Shiro thought as he continued his unwavering attitude. Realizing where the situation is going, Shiro took his eyes away from the angry Alicia and turned his head again to Caiden. [ Caiden... san, was it? I will say that I can easily treat Arthur''s condition, but I won''t give any clues about how to treat him, I will only if it will benefit me. ] [ That''s... ] it was now Caiden''s turn to say the same word Alicia has exclaimed earlier. [ Vlad-san... ] suddenly, Alicia called his name in a whisper as her angry expression finally calmed down. [ Vlad-san... You should already know that Arthur is one of the strongest and most important people in this country... if you think you can get away with what you did to him, I will tell you that you will not. This country will treat you as a criminal and will hunt you down. ] she explained to Shiro with a very angry tone. But despite what she said, Shiro still remained calm and did not even twitch, if anything, what she said was only able to make Shiro''s brows frown. ( She''s trying to scare me off, huh? But... ) [ Alicia-san, I know what I did. I know that Arthur is a very important part of this country and that I should be treated as a criminal for what I did to him... But let me ask you this, why is this country still not doing any kind of move against me? How am I still able to walk freely on the streets, getting away with what I did. ] ... ... There was no response. Caiden and Alicia were only able to stare blankly at Shiro''s unwavering eyes. Of course, everyone who has heard Shiro''s words already knows the answer to his question. Only they were afraid to voice it out loud - that Vlad Alucard - was simply an entity they don''t think they can handle. [ Tsk...! ] ( Will she calm down if I treat Arthur...? Still, there''s no way I will just suddenly treat him like that. His face still angers me. ) looking at the almost-crying Alicia, Shiro thought as he suddenly felt pity. ( There really is something going on between the two of them... Too bad it may be one-sided. ) [ Fine... I get it. We will find a way to treat his condition without relying on you. ] she answered as he looked at Shiro''s eyes with bloodlust. The atmosphere between the two of them became even heavier than it has ever been for the few minutes they''ve been talking with each other. ... ... [ Uwah... Why does master look like he''s the enemy here...? ] Lumi exclaimed with a baffled expression on her face. The other two slaves too can''t seem to be able to comprehend what is going on between their master, and the two people he''s arguing with. Seeing how their master who always treats them very nicely displays such an attitude had surprised the three of them. Yes, their master might be strict when it comes to their training, but he has never shown such a rude attitude towards the three of them. [ Ma-Master looks angry... ] Nina whispered. [ I... I can''t believe what I''m hearing right now... ] Sarah muttered to herself with a blank expression on her face. Alicia was able to hear their words and it made her face frown. It was easy to see that he treats his slaves very well, but Alicia thought: \"If he really treats his slaves this nicely, then how come he''s like this to us...!? Is he looking down on us? Are we lower than his slaves to him!?\" ... ... [ Haa... Haa... Haa... Vla-Vlad-sama... Sorry for making you wait...! ] suddenly, Diana, the receptionist, came out of nowhere, catching her breath as sweat also runs down her forehead. And upon her arrival, the heavy atmosphere was finally able to cool down . [ O-Oh! Alicia-sama! Caiden-sama! You''re here too? ] [ It''s nice to see you again, Diana. ] Alicia finally released her gazed to Shiro and turned to Diana. [ I-It''s nice to meet you again too, Alicia-sama. Ah, excuse me! ] she bowed and replied, she also bowed to Caiden. After - She then faced Shiro and said - [ Vlad-sama... The guild master is requesting a meeting with you...! ] [ Is that so? ] [ Yes, bu-but! He said that if you''re not ready to meet him yet, he can always wait. ] still, with her stuttering words, she added. [ No, it''s okay, I will meet him now. ] [ The-Then, please please follow me. ] she said, turning around and started to walk. Ignoring the existence of the two people in front of him, Shiro followed and also faced the other direction. While his slaves also hesitantly followed his back. [ Wait. ] suddenly, Caiden voiced interrupted. [ Can we come too? ] he asked with a serious look on his face. Alicia too has a serious face, as if they''re pressuring Diana to allow them to come. [ O-Of course, Caiden-sama! Alicia-sama! I''m sure the guild master will allow it. ] And so, the two of them also followed. ( I hope nothing messed up will happen again. ) looking at the people at the end of their line, Shiro muttered to himself. 30 Chapter 30 ~ The Master of the Guild and Subjugation Schemes [ Then, please enter here. ] After just a few seconds of walking, Shiro and his companions have finally reached their destination. And there stood in front of them is a door made of dark wood that''s carved with a figure of what seemed to be a man with a large sword on his waist, riding a horse. ( This is the guild master''s room, huh? ) Shiro muttered inside his head as Diana has finally opened the door for them and entered. And as the person in front, Shiro was the first to enter after Diana. ( ...! ) Entering the room, Shiro''s eyes were pierced by the bright light inside, forcing him to close them. ... ... Soon, just a blink later, Shiro opened his eyes again and what was revealed to him were neither light bulbs nor candles that can produce the bright light that had just pierced his eyes, but instead were sets of armors and different kinds of weapons that are all plated with gold and some unknown materials that reflected the light of the sun that was coming out from the large window at the edge of the room. Looking around the room further, other than the weapons and the set of armors hanging beside the walls, the only other furniture inside were two soft-looking sofas and a single glass table that separates the two sofas in the middle of the room... Besides them, there was nothing more notable thing or furniture that can be seen inside. After analyzing the room, Shiro finally turned his head to the old man that was sitting on the sofa in the other corner of the room. ( He''s the guild master, huh? ) Shiro thought as he looked at him. In the game Shiro had played, the term \"Guild Master\" is one of the names the leader or the person who created a \"Group\" or a \"Guild\" is called. In his time in the game, he never experienced being the leader of other players, that''s why he doesn''t know how the guild master was supposed to work, especially here in this new world where it might resemble a few things in the game, is still very different from it. [ Welcome, Vlad-san... sama... ] with his husky and deep voice, he welcomed Shiro with respect while also looking straight at his eyes. Even though his face was that of an old man, with a very long beard, a mustache, and lots wrinkles on his face, the structure of his body was completely different from any old person Shiro has seen. He was tall, his chest was large and his muscles are well built, his skin has the texture of an old tree, climbing with roots; rough and full of veins that are about to pop out. [ Please sit. ] saying so, he held a hand towards the soft-sofa just in front of Shiro. And so, Shiro followed and sat on the sofa. Instantly, he felt the softness of the cotton the sofa was made of. It may not match the softness of his own sofa, but it still managed to make him comfortable. Feeling comfortable, soon, all of the people that followed Shiro were now also inside, standing only behind him. Shiro is already used to seeing his trio do this, but seeing Caiden and Alicia also stand behind him while he sat on the comfortable seat made Shiro felt a little distressed. But of course, he immediately brushed off that thought and he turned his eyes to the guild master. [ It''s nice to meet you, guild master...? ] Shiro made his most casual greeting while also trying to intentionally ask the name of the person in front of him at the same time. [ Victor. Call me Victor. As you already know, I''m the guild master of this guild. I handle whatever things and events that happen in this guild and I decide what actions the guild should take. ] he introduced himself as such. [ Then, it''s nice to meet you, Victor-san. I''m Vlad Alucard, I''m still new in this city but I hope you treat me well. ] Shiro replied, reaching a hand to the old man, Victor, for a handshake. Seeing this, the guild master, Victor, turned a little surprised. And so with a surprised look on his face, he leaned his old body towards Shiro, took his hand, and shook it. As a Japanese worker, the words and action Shiro took was the normal thing to initiate to both people who have a lot more experience than him and is a lot older than him. But to the guild master, his words and action only surprised him. From the words that the guild master had received from his people, the words they described Shiro were \"Arrogant\", \"Rude\", and \"Has no respect\". But those thoughts about him were immediately crushed by the respect he had received from Shiro just now. [ U-Un... Anyway, Vlad-sama. It seems like you want to join the guild... There is no reason for me to disagree with that but... I just can''t help but get curious about what your reason might be... ] [ My reason...? ] ... ... ( Should I say it... ) muttering those words at the back of his head, Shiro turned his head to the two people that were standing behind him: Caiden and Alicia. ( The two of them are here... Tsk, if they didn''t come I would''ve been able to say it without any hesitation... It''s very hard to say while the two of them are here... ) [ Vlad-sama...? ] seeing the weird expression Shiro was making, the guild master interrupted. [ Haah... ] looking at the guild master, Shiro sighed in defeat. ( But I guess I still have to say it if I want to achieve my goal... ) [ Victor-san... Also, Caiden-san and... Alicia...san? The real reason why I wanted to join here in the guild was to get permission to subjugate the Vampire in the said ruins myself. It may be rude to for me to take the subjugation you''ve been planning to finish yourselves, but I will be selfish and ask to subjugate it myself. ] Shiro answered with a very serious look on his face. Shiro could go and subjugate the said \"Vampire\" in the ruins by himself, but as he gathered information by asking and using his slaves, he found out that it wouldn''t be that easy. There are just too many reasons why it would be very dangerous and stupid if he goes to that place by himself without the permission of the guild. First of all, the location of the ruins was now private and only a few selected people from the guild knows its location. Second, it was said that the old ruins is constantly being monitored by magic to prevent people from accidentally going inside; in Shiro''s guess, they''re using detection magic to detect any kind of changes that happens in the ruins. If they''re using some kind of special items to use such magic, even Shiro''s invisibility might be detected. And lastly, even if the chance is only small, once they detect him, they might even consider Shiro as an enemy and it will completely destroy his reputation now that he''s also being treated as some kind of threat by the people; his only logical choice is to ask permission from the guild. And so his plan is to safely get permission from the guild to meet with the Vampire himself. Of course, once he meets the said \"Vampire\", Shiro doesn''t have any plans of immediately killing him, he might get a lot of information from him now that he''s also a Vampire. Shiro wants to see the difference between him, and an actual vampire who was naturally born in this world. He might fake the vampire''s death or if he''s dangerous and will not cooperate with him, he''ll be left with no other choice but to kill him. And now that he has revealed his intention, he looked at the face of the two people behind him. And as he guessed it, they were surprised and angered by what he said. [ Is that so...? ] hearing Shiro''s answer, the guild master in front of Shiro suddenly turned serious. [ Vlad-sama... This may be rude of me to ask, but did you leave Arthur in the condition he is in now because of this reason? Was your plan to stop the hero''s party from their subjugation and to steal it by yourself? ] Hearing this, the expression on Alicia''s face suddenly turned sour and he looked at Shiro again with blood-shed eyes. Shiro was able to feel the gaze in her eyes but he ignored it and continued to answer the guild master. [ No, that was not my intention at all. It''s merely a coincidence. ] Shiro answered without any hesitation. ( Right. It was merely a coincidence. A good one. ) If it wasn''t for that extremely lucky coincidence, the vampire Shiro was so eager to meet might already get killed by the hero''s party. [ Is that so...? ] [ Yes. ] Shiro nodded. [ Then lastly... May I ask what is the reason why you want to subjugate the vampire? ] [ I''m sorry, but I won''t answer that question. ] [ Hmm... Fine... I will not ask any further... I will accept you as an adventurer without any examination. I''m sure there''s no examiner here in this guild who will be able to match with you so we will leave that be. ] he said to Shiro as he crossed his arms and leaned his back on the sofa. ( So there''s supposed to be some kind of examination, huh? ) [ But for your three other companions... ] he muttering those words as he looked at the trio behind Shiro. [ We will still need to examine their strengths... ] [ Is that so? I wouldn''t mind. ] [ Un, then, about the subjugation... Caiden-sama, Alicia-sama, I''m sorry but I think I would have to accept Vlad-sama''s request... ] [ [ Tha-That''s! ] ] Caiden and Alicia exclaimed at the same time. Of course, they have come to this city to subjugate the said vampire in the ruins, they would not simply allow someone to take their task away from them. [ Of course, but since Vlad-sama''s rank is still F... I will need people with higher ranks to accompany him... It''s not that I don''t understand how strong you and your companions are, Vlad-sama, but a group of rank-F going alone in such a hard dangerous task is forbidden in the guild. I hope you understand, Vlad-sama. ] [ But that''s... ] ( It would be very troublesome if my real intentions are revealed... ) Shiro muttered inside his head as his expression suddenly turned worried. [ That''s why, as veterans, I want Alicia-sama and Caiden-sama to accompany you and your group... ] [ ... ] ( ... ) As they all heard what the guild master has said, all the expressions on their faces went blank. ( This... This is not what I''m expecting to happen in the least...! ) 31 Chapter 31 ~ Pushing Through Dedication - CharacterPOV#6 [ Victor-san, I''m confident that I and my companions can easily subjugate the Vampire ourselves... We don''t need to be accompanied by anyone. ] [ As I said earlier, Vlad-sama, you and your slaves just joined this day, your ranks are all F, the guild will not allow you to take such task yourselves. If you want to do this task as immediate as possible, you at least need to be accompanied by someone at Caiden-sama and Alicia-sama''s levels. ] [ Can''t you reconsider...? ] [ No. ] the guild master ended the conversation with a serious look on his face. ... ... ( This is great. The guild master really is on our side... ) Caiden muttered inside his head. In this negotiation, everything is at Vlad''s disadvantage. The people here just won''t accept his request without gaining something for themselves, especially Caiden and Alicia. ( It''s a good thing we have discussed this topic with the guild master beforehand or we wouldn''t get this opportunity. ) The \"Topic\" Caiden was talking about was how they are planning to investigate Vlad Alucard and get closer to him. Additionally, the guild master also knows about the fact that the kingdom is trying to take Vlad on its side. By making them accompany Vlad in this subjugation, the guild master is trying to create an opportunity for them to either reveal some of his abilities and to see how strong he really is, or to create an opportunity to try and deepen their relationship with him. Either way, both are to their advantages. ( This is a chance to see how strong he really is... ) Caiden muttered inside his head as he gripped his hands tight. Just how strong he really is? Is he stronger than Hana, the current hero? Or is he even stronger than her by a lot? Is his power closer to the heroes of the past? Or is it even closer to the gods? - Caiden has considered that all these possibilities might be possible as he senses boundless power coming from Vlad. Furthermore, it''s very much obvious that he''s trying to hide his true power, Caiden thought that there must be a reason for it, and it makes him feel very uncomfortable. But all of these thoughts that going inside his head might be answered by this rare opportunity. The only thing they need right now is for Vlad to accept the condition the guild master has thoughtfully planned out. Caiden made a serious expression on his face and waited for Vlad''s answer. The worst thing that might happen is that he backs out. But Caiden thought that chance is unlikely, considering how far he went to the guild by himself, furthermore, to buy slaves and train them just so the guild will consider their number and allow them to take the subjugation themselves. ... ... A few seconds later, the tension on Vlad''s face finally disappeared and he relaxed his body on the sofa. [ Fine... I will accept that condition. ] he answered in defeat. But then his expression turned serious again just a second later. [ But... I want to make things clear. As everyone here already knows, the ruins and the enemy inside was said to be very dangerous, that''s why once we go inside, I will not care whatever happens to the two of them; I will prioritize my self and my own team. ] he said as he turned his eyes at the guild master with a serious gaze. [ Hmm... How about it, Caiden-sama? Alicia-sama? Are you able to accept that condition? ] turning his head to Caiden and Alicia, the guild master asked. Caiden knows what the guild master truly means by his words: he wants their permission to accept such a dangerous task where even if it''s low, they might lose their lives. But of course, it was an easy question for Caiden to answer - But before he could let out his words of acceptance - [ You don''t need to worry about us. I know that you''re underestimating us after you''re able to defeat one of our companions with only one spell, but I want you to know that we can take care of ourselves. ] Alicia voiced before he could let out his answer. [ Oho~? ] Vlad exclaimed as he turned his head to Alicia. A few seconds, he just stared at her, and Alicia also stared back. [ ... ] ( Alicia ) [ ... ] ( Vlad ) ... With his ears focused and his eyes unblinking, Caiden saw Vlad''s mouth take a small move, and he was able to hear a word that he has never heard before come out of it. ( What is that supposed to be...? Some kind of spell...? ) A moment later, the expression on Vlad''s face turned serious and he muttered - [ Are you so sure about that? I''m confident that even with the strength of you two combined, you will not able to survive the lowest part of that ruins. ] ( ...! ) Almost instantly, Caiden felt fear from his words. He was serious. Looking at his eyes, he was stating the truth. ( That must be that magic was for...! He was immediately able to find out how strong the monsters in that ruins are...!? How was that possible!? ) Caiden showed a surprised expression on his face, Alicia, on the other hand, is still remaining calm. [ You don''t know that. ] Alicia replied. [ Hmm... It''s not like I''m expecting you to believe me... But don''t expect me to rescue you two if you get into trouble. ] ( He''s basically saying that he''ll leave us dead if we ever face an enemy stronger than us... ) [ That''s fine. ] ( It''s great that Alicia is cooperating but... She''s being too rush... ) Caiden muttered to himself as he looked at the blank-face Alicia. [ Then, I guess it''s all settled. Guild master, I will accept taking them with me, but I won''t let them hold me back in any way. I will only focus on my self and those three. I hope that''s fine with you. ] [ Un, they already accepted. We won''t blame you in any way if they ever get into trouble. ] [ Haah... I hope that is the case. Anyway, when will those three will finish their examination? ] [ Don''t worry, they''ll be able to become adventurers this day if they''re able to complete their examinations without any problems. ] [ Is that so...? ] muttering so, Vlad finally stood up from his seat, turning then his body to Caiden and Alicia. [ You two, we''ll go there tomorrow, you''ll act as my guides. ] [ To-Tomorrow...!? ] [ That fast!? We will still need to prepare ourselves... ] Both of them exclaimed at the same time. But soon, after looking at the serious expression on Vlad''s face, they cooled themselves down. ( No... We have already trained ourselves hard for this past week... We''re stronger than we were then. Where are the guts I''m proud of went!? There''s totally nothing for me to be afraid of...! ) Caiden muttered inside his head as he tightens the grip on his fist. [ Fine... We''ll show you what the two of us are capable of. ] Caiden has never said this kind of thing to anyone except for his father, but right now, he was left with no other choice but to show Vlad his dedication and how proud he is to himself one more time. ( Vlad Alucard, we will definitely show you that we''re not to be underestimated! ) [ Oho~ I will keep your word on that. ] ( Yes, we will definitely! ) he shouted inside himself with dedication. He then turned his eyes to Alicia beside him and saw that she has the same kind of emotion he''s having right now. And so, looking at each other''s eyes, they both nodded. 32 Chapter 32 ~ Vlad Alucards Slaves - P1/P2 CharacterPOV#7 ( Part - 1... ) Alice walked through the long hallway of his master''s mansion. Her small feet made loud noises of tap* tap* tap* every time they touch the floor. As she walks through the hallway, her face shows a big smile and her aura was nothing more than enthusiastic. Alice was happy. Knowing that her new home was the haven she was dreaming of and the home she was longing for. ~~~ Alice was only eight at that time - when she was suddenly sold to slavery. She didn''t know her father and her mother died just when she was six. Since then, she had lived on the streets; doing odd jobs for money and sometimes even stealing just to fill her empty stomach. In the streets, she had lived only to survive. And of course, she had done bad deeds to survive. And she knows, that one day, all those bad things she did will be paid off and she will get punished for it. Getting caught stealing had caused her to be sold into slavery, and being treated as a slave was pretty much close to being treated like livestock; they were pretty much treated like animals. They were only able to eat once a day; being able to eat twice was already a feast. At night, the only thing that covers their body from the coldness of the floor was their worn-out clothes. Each night they pray that they will be able to still be able to survive for the next day. And every single day, the only things they wish for are warm food and warm clothes. But of course, right now, all of those hellish experience was nothing more than the past; they are now nothing more than a bad dream. She and her other companions are now in a place they have only have dreamed of, a place where they will be able to eat decent food, and a place where they can comfortably sleep at night. They were saved by one person: their now master, Vlad Alucard. The day they had been bought, they were already treated as people, not as animals. They were given not just an ordinary hot soup, but they were given a complete meal that does not only consist of soup, but a hot meal that was filled with meat, vegetables, and spices that made it extremely delicious. That day, Alice was one of the slaves that ultimately cried their eyes out; that they when they have met their master. ~~~ A week had already passed since they had lived in this mansion. Each of the slaves was given different tasks for them to do themselves and tasks where they will have others to help them. Everything is balanced and none of them are getting overworked. In fact, after they were treated so nicely by their master, they have even asked him to give them even more things to do so that they can prove to him that they''re being loyal and obedient to him. But of course, their kind master didn''t approve and only replied: \"You don''t need to overwork yourselves, just follow the tasks given to you all for now. I don''t want any of you being overwork.\" Of course, their hearts were ultimately struck but in their minds, they were devastated. But still, they followed his words and had only tried to improve the efficiency and the results of their works instead. Alice just finished her task for the day and she''s now assigned to help one of her companions on her task. Alice is the youngest among the slaves, hence, she was given the easiest task: to water some plants her master has said he was experimenting on, saying: \"Just give them water every morning, then in the afternoon. They''re very delicate so be careful not to pour much water into them, okay? And don''t forget to water them on time or it would become very dangerous...! Anyway, if you have free time, then go help the other slaves. Understand?\" her master said to her while stroking her head very gently. She still remembers his words very clearly in her head as there was no way she will be able to forget the very gentle and sweet voice of his; Alice was confident that everything her master will say to her, she will remember. With these thoughts inside her head, Alice continued to walk to the long and huge hallway with the enthusiasm of helping her comrade slave. But as she continued to walk, she saw four figures outside the glass window. [ I-It''s master! ] she excitedly exclaimed. Looking outside the glass window, she saw her master, together with Nina, Sarah, and Lumi. [ Uwah... How lucky... They''re always with Vlad-sama... ] she pouted. Alice was jealous. Since the first day, she has been jealous of the three slaves. They have been sticking to their master almost every day while she and the other slaves are just standing in the sidelines. ( I guess Vlad-sama has his own favorites too, huh...? ) [ If I remember correctly... Master has only noticed and talked to me when he gave me my task... ] She looked outside the window with jealousy burning in her eyes. ( I want to get closer with Vlad-sama too... Will I be able to become closer to Vlad-sama if I become stronger too...? ) with the face of desperation, Alice muttered to herself, staring at the three people that are currently together with her master. *** ( Part - 2... ) [ Now... Let''s start our meeting... ] outside the bright sun, in front of the mansion, Sarah, Nina, and Lumi circled around each other and made serious faces. They looked at each other''s faces, and soon, the three of them turned red as if they have read what''s inside each other''s heads. [ Anyway, Le-Let''s start... About our operation: Make-Vlad-sama-Bed-Us-Like-Stella-sama-and-Ayla-sama... This may be the chance we were looking for...! ] Sarah muttered with fire in her eyes. Since the day their master had bought them, he didn''t even try to lay a finger at them and the other slaves. And so now, they needed a scheming plan to force themselves to him instead. They need to break through the gentleman''s side of their master and go straight to his beastly side. [ Umm... By chance... Do you mean the adventurer thing...? ] asked Lumi who has the most less enthusiasm in the group. [ Yes. That''s right. We need to show Vlad-sama how we''ve improved ourselves for the past week! I can feel it, that I''m much-much stronger than I was before! If we can impress Vlad-sama! He might take us to his room like Stella-sama and Ayla-sama! ] [ Un, Nina will show master how strong she is! ] clenching her fist and raising it to the air, Nina shouted those words. [ Then, master will give me his seeds! ] [ Shh! Shh! Shh! So-Someone might hear...! Also, Ple-Please don''t make it sound so indecent! ] Sarah shouted to Nina with a low voice while covering her mouth with her entire palm. Doing this, soon, both of them were able to calm down. [ Anyway... How about you Lumi...? ] turning her head to Lumi who only has a blank face, she asked. [ Well, umm... We demihumans have our own mating seasons... Our race usually doesn''t do sexual activities when the season is not right... but... ] [ Is that so...? Then, are you backing out from our plan... ] [ Hu-Huh!? Of course not! If master wants my body, then I will give it to him without any hesitation! My race won''t stop me from giving my love for master! ] she shouted with her ears and tail standing straight up. [ Right... That''s the dedication I was looking for... ] Sarah muttered, surprised by the sudden change of her attitude. [ I-I guess I need to prepare myself too... ] seeing the other two turn very enthusiastic, Sarah felt left out. She was the person who has devised the plan, but now she felt like she was the one who was the less prepared it. [ Anyway... We need to do our best with the subjugation! We also need to show master that we''re better than those two people from the hero''s party... I hate the look on that girl''s face... Did you see that girl''s look on master...? ] [ Yea... He was always staring at master... ] [ Un... She was like an animal ready to pounce at master... ] [ [ ... ] ] Silence fell. [ Yes... You two are right... She definitely wants master... ] Suddenly, their eyes turned serious as if they have suddenly found a sudden enemy. [ We can''t let her... No, the two of them, including the muscle-head to do better than us! ] [ Yes! Nina will do her best! ] [ Me too! ] With their fists clenched hard and their faces both serious and excited, they prepared have mentally prepared themselves for their task tomorrow. 33 Chapter 33 ~ Adventures Begin Outside the guild, there stood Caiden and Alicia, equipped with their best gears. Caiden is wearing his usual red-colored heavy armor that covers up the entirety of his body. While on his back was a sizeable well-detailed ax that shines to the sun. Alicia, on the other hand, is only equipped with a very light-looking purple robe and in her hands is a large weird-looking staff that might probably be crafted from a very special kind of wood. The two of them were ready - and it can easily be seen by the serious looks on their faces. [ ... ] ( They two of them are really enthusiastic about this, huh...? ) Seeing their figures, Shiro muttered only inside of his head. Shiro did not give a specific time to when their two groups will meet, but he still remembers that he told them they will meet in the morning. But still, Shiro left his mansion expecting that he would arrive earlier than the two. Looking at the sky, the sun is only rising up. The color of the horizon was still dark and blue, as the sun is still yet to give its light. [ Ohh...! Vlad-san... You''re finally here. ] with his arms crossed, Caiden has turned his body towards Shiro and his group as soon as his eyes were able to locate them. Shiro is, as always, together with the trio, Sarah, Nina, and Lumi; and like Caiden and Alicia, everyone in his party is enthusiastic and showing the aura of preparedness on their faces. They too have prepared for accomplishing this task, especially Shiro. Because of the unexpected turn of events, Shiro was forced to take Caiden and Alicia with him. Now, he needed to make new and difficult plans for this specific subjugation task; knocking his brains out all night to come up with such, particularly, in how he will keep the two alive. Using his Echolocation to a much wilder range than when he last used it, Shiro was able to detect monsters outside the city that has much higher levels than the people inside of it; but that was all he was able to figure out; he wasn''t able to exactly pinpoint the location of the ruins as there were many parts outside of the city that had blocked his magic and has prevented him from seeing where those high-level monsters he was detecting were located. His Echolocation magic can easily be blocked by any mid-level - high-level magic items as it was not that powerful. There were types of items that will be able to make a fortress completely undetectable from the map and an enemy''s tracking magic, especially from his Echolocation. The only two class jobs that are almost the only ones that will be able to detect them with their job skills are high-level thieves and archers classes with tracker job class. That was why even though he did not like the thought, Shiro had still accepted the two of them to be his guides. But while they act as his guides, he also needs to try and protect them. The differences in their levels and the monsters Shiro was able to detect was almost close to theirs. Once they encounter a large amount of them, they will only hardly be able to survive. [ Haah... ] And now, with his guides receiving them, Shiro took a sigh and walked towards them. [ Good morning, Caiden, Alicia. I did not expect to see you two so early... ] Shiro voiced his greetings, and soon, the trio also does theirs by bowing their heads to the two of them as a sign of respect. [ Vlad-san... We''re veterans, this much is expected. ] Caiden replied with confidence. ( Ahh... That''s right... I remember them saying: \"We will do our best\"... or something... ) Seeing the excitement on his reply, Shiro was only able to mutter. [ Is that so... Well, this will be my first time doing this kind of thing so I hope you will do your best to help me. ] That was a lie. What Shiro had said was nothing more than a lie. In his time being a hardcore player, subjugations, boss fights, and dungeon captures are things Shiro never misses as he plays the game every single day. Because of his experience, Shiro was able to guess that the ruins they''re going to go now have a high possibility of being a dungeon, more specifically, a mid-level dungeon, managed by a single or two bosses. Shiro is confident that his trio only has a very slight chance of dying as he had given them items that will help them survive, but Caiden and Alicia''s equipment couldn''t be able to possibly help them as much as the items Shiro had given his companions. The task would extremely be easy if Shiro will go by himself, but that was out of the question. ( Haah... This is nothing more than a pain... If I knew that it will turn out like this, I wouldn''t have come to the guild myself... I couldn''t possibly be able to refuse the guild master, as he said, this is the only way they will accept my request to subjugate the said vampire.. ) Shiro muttered in regret. But then he turned his head to Caiden and Alicia with a serious expression. He analyzed them again, as always, using appraisal. ( But still, they have increased their levels as much as I have increased Sarah''s, Lumi''s, and Nina''s. They must have got really frustrated about what happened to that Arthur, huh? I don''t have a reason to, but I still get curious about how they have improved themselves... It was like how I get frustrated when someone was stronger than me in the game. ) Even though the situation was different, Shiro was confident that he knows what the two are feeling. Just like Shiro, he started out as a weak player, and he always finds himself jealous and frustrated with players stronger than him. But of course, that fact only gave Shiro more reasons why he should become stronger too and increase his level. That''s why he knows - that the reason they have increased their levels was that they felt they were weak after seeing how strong Shiro was. [ Umm... by the way... Vlad-san... I''ve been curious about it since I first met you but... Why are you not carrying any kinds of weapons with you? ] Interrupting Shiro''s thoughts, Caiden asked. [ I don''t need any... ] [ Vlad-san... I thought you were a mage... yet, I haven''t seen you holding any kinds of weapons and materials us mages uses... ] Alicia added. ( Right... Alicia was the mage on their party... Our races our completely different but our job classes are pretty much close to each other... ) [ Well, I have many varieties of weapons but... I don''t really like showing them off when they''re not necessary. ] Shiro answered. [ Oh... Is that so? It would''ve been a great opportunity to see what kind of weapons a mage stronger than I use. ] ( Oho~ so she does acknowledge that I''m stronger than her, huh? I did not expect that.. ) [ Wh-Why are you looking at me like that...? ] [ No, I was just surprised. ] Shiro answered with a sneer. [ I-It''s not like you''re always going to be stronger than I am. You can laugh now but expect that I will be a lot stronger than you in just a matter of time. ] [ Well, all I can say is that will never happen. ] ( The difference is just too high. ) [ Hmph! Vlad-san, we''re clearly on the same age, yet the difference in our strengths is obvious, I hope you will not get angry about me saying this but... today, I will figure out what is the secret behind your strength. ] [ Alicia...! ] Caiden worriedly shouted at Alicia. [ It''s okay. You can do whatever you want. ] [ I-Is that so...? Then, I guess you wouldn''t mind us telling you the truth. Vlad-san, the real reason why we wanted to join you in this subjugation was to see how really powerful you are, and if possible, to reveal some of your abilities. ] steeling herself, Alicia revealed. [ A-Alicia! ] Caiden angrily shouted. [ No, Caiden, it''s already obvious, I bet Vlad-san already knows about it. ] [ ... ] ( Well, there''s no other reasons they will want to come with me other than that, it''s already obvious from the start. ) hearing Alicia''s words, Shiro only stayed silent and did not reply. [ Is that true, Vlad-san? ] Caiden asked. [ ... ] Still, Shiro did not reply. But both Caiden and Alicia, already knew that his silence meant that he truly already knows about their plan. [ If that is so, Vlad-san. Then, I hope you will not get angry. ] [ No, it''s alright. I don''t have any problems with whatever you two are planning to do, just do your job and guide me to where the ruins is. ] Shiro calmly replied. Shiro already knew from the start what they''re after, hence, he did not get angry in the slightest. But still, Caiden and Alicia were not able to believe to themselves that the Vlad they know of that can easily be angered did not even bat an eye after Alicia had revealed their plans. [ Then, I guess now that both our groups are not hiding secrets anymore, we can continue with our task. ] Shiro said, as the sun finally revealed itself to the earth. ( Buff Activated: Burning Light -50% to all stats ) and so, his debuff again reappeared itself in the corner of his eyes. [ Yes... I guess so. The sun is already up. We can reach the ruins before noon if we start walking now. ] Caiden replied to Shiro''s words. [ Is that so? ] [ Un, it looks like both our groups are already prepared. Vlad-san, please allow us to guide you to the ruins. ] [ Yes, I hope you two will guide me well. ] With Caiden''s very formal words, Shiro also replied trying to sound very formal. \"Yoroshiku onegaishimasu\" ( I hope you take care of me well ) - Shiro wanted to say those words to the two of them and then bow. As a Japanese worker, it was normal for Shiro to do such a thing to people he will owe something to. But realizing that it might destroy his image, he stopped himself from doing it and only smiled to the two of them. [ Un, we had a bad start, Vlad-san, but I hope we can still get along. ] ( He really changed his attitude towards me, huh? But still... that Alicia is still silent as ever. ) after his exchange with Caiden, he looked towards Alicia who was still silent as ever. ( It''s not really my type to act arrogantly, but I guess that''s how the two of them know as me now, huh? Maybe it was because of my race that''s close to undead and demons that I was constantly changing... But still, if I have a choice, I don''t like them thinking of me as an arrogant and scary guy. ) [ Then, let''s go now, Vlad-san. ] interrupting his thoughts, the big guy Caiden took the lead and started to walk straight to the street that leads to the city''s gates. Soon, Shiro, Alicia, and the trio followed as the sun lit up their faces. 34 Chapter 34 ~ Epilogue Vol.1 Almost exactly six hours had passed before they finally arrived at their destination. The location they''re currently in right now is a large forest with huge green mountains everywhere. And at the very moment, Shiro, the trio, Caiden, and Alicia, all stood before two large rusted iron gates carved with a figure of a girl that seems to be a deity. The figure of the girl was tall and slender. In her hands is a wand with a star-shaped decoration on its end. [ The Goddess Clair. ] Alicia muttered as she gazes at the large gates. ( ... ) [ The Goddess... Clair...? ] Shiro repeated her words, baffled. [ Ahh... Right. She''s the Goddes of life. ] she answered, turning her head to Shiro. [ She''s the Goddess who gives life to all. It was also said that she was the one who gives talents to people. Like how one will only have talent with the swords, archery, or maybe with magic; she''s the Goddess who gives people those talents. ] [ ... ] ( A Goddess, huh? ) muttered Shiro, stroking his chin as he gazes his eyes on the carved figure of the said Goddess. ( I died in my previous world yet I didn''t meet any kind of God, Deity, or something... If she really exists and she''s the Goddess of life... Isn''t she suppose to be the one who gave me my life here like any others...? ) Shiro muttered inside his head with his serious gaze. ( Either way... I feel like she''s related to how I was able to how I got in this world... ) Shiro can feel it. He can feel that the Goddess was somehow related to how he was able to get transported in this world. ( And now that I take a better look... I can recognize that figure of hers... It''s like I have seen her somewhere... It feels like I already met her... ) Shiro''s senses all focused on the figure of the said Goddess, a few seconds later and he felt alone together it. It was like the two of them were stuck in an Isolated room covered with nothing but darkness. [ Master? ] ( ... ) Shiro heard the call but did not respond to it. [ Master...? ] Finally, Sarah tagged Shiro''s clothes as if she was trying to take him away from his current daydream. ( ...! ) Only soon, Shiro was able to snap out. To Shiro, it felt like he was suddenly dragged out by the voice from the isolated room he was in. With his head now clear again, he turns his head to everyone who has varied looks on their faces: Caiden and Alice were baffled, while the trio has their faces worried. [ Sarah... Sorry about that. I doze off a little... ] with his hand stroking the back of his head, Shiro assured them. [ Un. ] Sarah nodded to his words. [ Anyway, Shiro-san, Caiden, and you guys, I hope you''re all ready. ] as she turned her body towards everyone, Alicia muttered. And after hearing her words, everyone nodded at the same time. And so, except for Shiro, everyone held their weapons tight in their hands and walked straight to the large gate. *** The scene was dark. The sound of small rocks dropping on the ground and the sound of flowing water resounded throughout the dark, rocky cave that is the inside of the large gate they just entered at. Looking straight ahead, they weren''t able to see anything but pitch-black darkness. It was the kind of darkness that makes the mind think that something evil will come out of it. The only thing that is keeping Caiden, Alicia, and the trio from running away from the cave was the bright light that was coming from the wide-opened gate behind them and the figure of Shiro that stood still, unwavering and brave in front of them. Shiro is looking straight ahead to the darkness that is the source of the fear of his companion; he is looking straight towards it as if he can see what was at the edge of the very dark cave. [ Nina, use your magic. ] Shiro calmly ordered. Nina already knew what he meant the soon she has heard his voice. [ Yes, master. Glimmering Light! ] nodding to her master, she shouted her spell - she then raised one of her arms at the same height of her shoulder, and soon, a small ball of green light appeared on top of her hand and it immediately brightens up the small part of the area in front of them. [ Alicia, can you use spells that can light up places too? ] Shiro questioned Alicia who was standing beside him. [ Of course. Luminescence! ] replying positively to Shiro, she shouted the name of her spell. She raised her large staff and soon, the purple orb in its edge glowed white and shines even bright than that of Nina''s. [ Good, Alicia, you stand in front, Nina, you light the back and watch out for anything. ] [ Yes, master! ] [ U-Un... ] Nina replied with enthusiasm while Alicia replied hesitantly. Alicia thought that she and Caiden will be the ones to lead Shiro''s group, yet right now, the one who is giving the commands was Shiro. But even if she was hesitant, she accepted his words as neither she and Caiden has any experience leading someone, and seeing how well Shiro initiated his command, she thought that maybe he has experience with giving commands unlike the two of them who has none. [ Let''s go. ] Shiro muttered and started to walk. Shiro and Alicia are in the front while the trio and Caiden are at the back. Shiro knows that this was not the most perfect formation, but it was currently the best that he can use to the current situation. With this formation, they continued to walk, heading straight to the dark horizon. ~~~ ( I wonder what that is... ) looking straight ahead, Shiro muttered. The edge of the room is far and dark but with Shiro''s vision, he can clearly see it as bright as the day. A small bottle - At the edge of the cave is a bottle filled with liquid that has the color of blood. It stood in a petite table in the middle of the circular room. It was bizarre. Why would such a thing be laid out so obviously in the middle of a large room? Just who would leave it there? Alone in the darkness? - these questions went over Shiro''s head as he stared at the bottle. ( Whatever it is... It will only lead to danger. ) Shiro muttered with worry written on his face. ( But still... How am I not able to locate everything...? My Echolocation can''t possibly be broken...! ) he shouted in frustration inside his head. Using his Echolocation, Shiro was only able to locate one corridor and one circular room, particularly, the corridor of the cave they''re currently walking in, and the circular room at the end of the dark cave. ( Either way... the enemy is not just strong... but also smart... he might possibly be blocking my perception with an item... ) As he continued to walk, he felt worried and concerned. With these emotions swelling up inside him, soon, his group finally reached the room at the edge of the cave before he knew it. ... ... [ Stop. ] Shiro ordered. SFX: Gulp* [ Thi-This is... ] [ What is this... master? ] As the light touches the room, everyone gulped in amazement. The room that stood before them was high and bats are flying everywhere. Tons of holes and doors are on the walls; every one of which leads to different rooms. Even though they still weren''t able to see all that is possibly the room could offer as their lights only lit up a small range of area, they were still undoubtedly amazed by the strange structure of the room. Shiro, Caiden, and the trio stood still; not stepping another foot to the room as Shiro had ordered. But of course, that was only the small part of why they had stood still, they are all really just amazed to see such a room. But their amazement turns to shock when they heard the loud voice of Alicia as it resounded and echoed throughout the entire room - [ That''s! ] Alicia is gazing her eyes to the small bottle that stood in the middle of the room. She immediately walked towards it, shouting: [ Caiden! I''ve seen this potion before in a book. It was said to heal any kind of injuries and mental illness! With this, maybe we can finally heal Arthur! ] ( ...! ) Seeing her do this action, Shiro immediately tried to stop her. [ Alicia! That might be a trap! Stay away from it! ] Shiro shouted in panic. ... ... But no matter what, Alicia only continued to walk towards the bottle with enthusiasm on her face. ( Tsk! She''s not listening at all! ) [ Alicia! Stop that! ] Soon, seeing how desperate Shiro was trying to stop Alicia - Caiden, Sarah, Nina, and Lumi''s faces started to form worried expressions. They have never seen Vlad Alucard this worried about something before. [ Tsk! ] with an annoyed but serious look on his face, Shiro runs towards Alicia. Alicia is already in front of the bottle, with her back to Shiro and the others, the only thing she needs to do was to pick it up, and leave the cave with it. ( This is such an obvious trap! How could she possibly fall for it! ) Shiro used his legs as fast as he could, looking at the back of Alicia - But before he even knew it... Alicia was already holding the bottle on her hands. SFX: Snap* Crackle* Pop* The ground shook and everything fell. *** Together with the rocks, the sands, and the stones... Alicia fell... Blinded by her greed and selfishness, she ignored Vlad''s voice and continued to take the bottle he told her not to touch. ( Haah... What happened to me...? ) she muttered inside her head as she continued to fall to the endless pit. ( All I wanted was to save a friend... A friend... Now that I think about it... that \"Friendship\" is now only one-sided... ) [ Haah... ] ( Am I really that stupid? The truth is... I think Vlad''s not that really arrogant and selfish... Seeing how he treated his slaves... hearing what the people say about him... and how he tried to stop me... he might really be a good guy after all... ) ... ... As Alicia continued to fall endlessly, she slowly loses hope. ( I''m gonna die now am I...? ) she muttered with a smile on his face. ... ... But then that smile slowly turns into a cry. As she falls, her tears also did. ( But... I... I don''t want to die yet...! I''m still young and I still have many things I want to do! I want to return the friend that I lost! I want to become the strongest mage in the kingdom! I want to defeat Vlad Alucard! Heck, I want to lose my saved up virginity! I... I don''t want to die yet! What was all those hard work for if I die here!? ) [ Someone... Someone! ] she shouted to the dark pit where she continues to fall. [ Someone... Please... I don''t want to die yet... ] Closing her eyes, she started to lose hope. ... ... ( ...! ) As she started to completely despair and lose hope, a warm feeling covered up and hug her entire body. ( What''s this...? It''s so warm... ) She can feel it. She grabbed it with her whole arms. She grabbed it tight. She hugged it very tight. ... ... [ How troublesome... ] ( ...! ) Alicia heard the voice very close to her ears. The voice was something she''s now familiar with. It was the voice of the person she truly hated. [ I... It can''t be... ] [ If you just followed my instructions then this wouldn''t have happened... ] [ Vla-Vlad Alucard!? ] And so, they continued to hug each other as their voice resounded as they fall. 35 Chapter 35 ~ Prologue Vol.2 [ Where... Where am I...? ] Caiden whispered to the dark nothingness he''s currently in. It was dark and nothing can be seen, especially now that his visions are blurry and his head, dazy. Trying to move, his limbs only twitched. Caiden could only barely move his muscles, but nevertheless, he decided and forced himself to stand up. Standing upon his knees, he felt pain suddenly struck his head. From the pain, he instinctively put a hand on his head, and he felt an odd liquid coming out of it. ( ... ) It was definitely blood. That sticky viscous feeling of wet liquid was definitely blood. ( Tsk! ) [ Everyone! ] with a click of his tongue, he shouted, rolling then his head to all directions. [ Everyone! Where are you guys!? ] he repeated. [ Alicia! Vlad-san! ] shouting his loudest, he called for his companions; never minding the blood that is flowing from his head. But then suddenly - SFX: Stumble!* ( Thi-This is! ) he stumbled to his feet. His legs are shaking and he can''t seem to be able to use them. [ Tsk! How did this happen? ] with this question, he started to reminisce about what had happened - It was that time in the odd room - Alicia fell for an obvious trap and Vlad had tried to stop him but she did not listen to him at all. Now, this is the result of her action: Everyone not just got separated, but also hurt. [ That Alicia...! She got too carried away...! ] His face twisted in both anger and pain as he shouted those words. \"How could she do this?\", \"This was clearly her fault.\",\"If she only listened to Vlad-san!\" - the words of anger and disappointment resounded inside his mind. [ She''s no different to Arthur...! ] he muttered, reminiscing what had happened to his other companion. ( Both blinded by something unnecessary... Just how stupid my companions are! ) with that shout of anger inside his head, he tried to stand up again, but this time, he used his hands to support his legs. ( Tsk! But I don''t have the time to think about that now... Any more of my blood and I''ll pass out. ) [ Whe-Where is it...? ] muttering so as he started to panic, he started to blindly search his body, particularly his armor, for the small bag he took with him. The bag he was searching for is not more than a pouch. It''s not Caiden''s style to bring a lot of items, especially bringing a large bag with him that might hinder his movements. ( There...! ) after just a few seconds, he was able to find it, hidden on the waist part of his heavy armor. He immediately opened the entrance of the pouch, and there, a piece of cloth and two bottles of potions with green liquid was found inside it. He used the piece of cloth and wrapped it around his head to stop his bleeding, then, he opened the lid of one of the potions and drank the green liquid inside it. [ Haah... The potion will take a while before it shows its effects... I need to rest for a while for now and think calmly... ] with those words, he tried to sit again and rest. But as soon as he lays his backside to the ground, the room he was in suddenly lit up. [ ...! ] ( Thi-This is...! ) shock run through Caiden as he saw the walls of the room he was in. The walls to which Caiden thought was just rough stones and rocks, turns out to be made of sturdy-looking bricks with a yellowish color. The walls are also now filled with torches, in which Caiden thinks are imbued with magic. ( ... ) [ So this is why it''s called ancient ruins, huh...? ] he muttered, still baffled. He then turned his head up and saw an obvious hole that''s now been covered up just above the ceiling. It''s the hole he came from. [ I hope everyone''s still alive... ] *** Sarah continued to walk to the bright corridor of the ancient ruins, or to be exact, the \"Dungeon\" as her master had called it. Maybe because of her luck, Sarah landed safely on the ground, sliding on the slope of the walls, unlike her other companions. [ I saw it... It seems everyone got separated... But like master had said, I need to keep calm in situations like this... ] she muttered to herself as she continued to walk with her guard up. That was right. After her master ran towards Alicia, she too, followed, but before she could follow up behind her master, an earthquake came and shook the earth, splitting it into numbers Sarah was not able to count. As the person who was in the middle, she was able to clearly see everyone else fall into the ground as she did, and none were left above the room they were in before. [ I need to find everyone... ] taking the sword placed in her waist, Sarah made a very serious expression. ( If I was able to survive that fall, that means everyone else also did. I need to immediately find them. ) [ Master had already predicted a situation like this and gave us all kinds of items that will help us survive. As expected of master; always prepared for everything. I need to meet his expectations. ] *** [ N-Nina! ] Lumi shouted, holding Nina''s pale shoulders. Nina and Lumi fell straight to the ground. But with Nina''s support magic \"Aura Shield\", which she cast on both of them before falling down, she was able to minimize the damage they took and she was able to make a safe landing for the two of them. But because of the large amount of mana her magic consumed, Nina fell limp on the ground, exhausted. [ Tha-That''s right...! Ma-Mana potions...! Ju-Just like master had said... ] panicking, Lumi immediately went for Nina''s bag on the ground. Opening it, she took two bottles inside: one filled with red liquid, and the other with blue. [ Master said the blue ones when exhausted...! ] saying so, she opened the lid of the mana potion and made Nina drink its content. SFX: Cough! Cough! [ Lumi-nee... ] immediately, Nina was able to open her eyes and she was now able to regain her lost energy, mana. [ Haah... ] Seeing her finally regain her strength, Lumi sighed in relief. [ Nina, are you feeling okay now? ] [ Un. ] Nina nodded to her question. [ Yosh! Yosh! Nina, now that you''re okay, we need to immediately find Sarah and master! I can smell Sarah and Caiden-san nearby but I can''t seem to track master''s smell at all... ] [ Ma-Master...!? Where is master!? Lumi-nee!? ] opening her eyes wide, she asked Lumi. [ I... I don''t know... But we need to find Sarah and Caiden-san first before we go to master... ] There are many reasons why Lumi chose that plan rather than to immediately go search for their master - [ It looks like master and Alicia-san went far below the dungeon... That''s why I can''t track their smell... Master had already taught us what we should do when we''re in this situation, right? We need to prioritize the closest people rather than the farthest ones... We need to prioritize Sarah and maybe Caiden-san. ] she said with a complicated look on her face. Lumi is having second thoughts. She''s been friends with Sarah for this past week, and between her and her master, Sarah is the easiest to reach, but her instinct and affection for her master are telling her to choose him. ( But master had said it himself... There''s no chance that he will perish in this dungeon... And our team needs to prioritize each other... ) [ Nina, we need to follow master''s orders. Let''s go for Sarah and Caiden-san first. ] Hearing her words, Nina also showed the same face Lumi has. She too wants to prioritize her master if possible. But still, as a slave and a disciple, she needs to follow the orders of her master. [ Okay... Let''s do it fast, Lumi-nee! Nina will support you! Find Sarah-nee first then we''ll go to master! ] [ Un! But we also need to search for Caiden-san too. ] [ Caiden... san? ] ( ... ) [ Don''t tell me you already forgot about him...? ] 36 Chapter 36 ~ Game Starts Shiro and Alicia landed safely on the ground. Falling down, Shiro did not use a single spell, except when they already got close to the ground in which he used the low-tier spell: \"Float\", a spell that can stop falling objects and even players mid-air. [ Uhh... ] Shiro and Alicia are now standing on the ground without a single scratch in their bodies. Recovering from the fall, Vlad looks ahead, and without the use of his night vision, he was able to see clearly what the corridor they fall at looks like - Thanks to the help of mossy vines and mushroom-looking plants that are dimly lighting up the entirety of the large corridors. The rough walls of the corridors are no different from the ''fake'' cave-like entrance of the dungeon. The only difference they have is that this floor is much larger and wider. After finishing observing the details of the floor they had fall at, Vlad turns a look at the ceiling above them where they fall at. And just as he expected, the hole that was supposed to be on the ceiling is now gone. ( The dungeon is controlled by a master, huh? ) Shiro guessed. In the game, dungeons that can revive itself means that it''s being controlled by one or two dungeon masters or bosses. Hence Shiro had reached such a conclusion. ( But nevermind that... ) [ Are you okay? ] he asked Alicia he''s carrying gently in his arms. [ ... ] Alicia only stared at him, wordless. ( ... ) [ A-Ah! Yes, I''m fine! ] with a surprised expression on her face, she pushed her self away from Shiro. Realizing what she meant by her action, Shiro immediately put her feet down onto the ground, and the soon as he did, Alicia distanced her self away from him. ( ... ) ( This girl... I saved her and this is what I get... ) Shiro muttered inside his head as he looked at the back of the girl beside him. [ ... ] [ ... ] After he had put her down, neither of them said a word. ( Should I start a conversation...? This seems pretty awkward... ) [ Umm... Vlad-san... ] [ Mm? What is it? ] hearing her suddenly call him, Shiro immediately faced her direction. [ Umm... I... I guess I should thank you for saving me... ] [ ... ] ( Oho~ I''m expecting it, but it still doesn''t feel real hearing her actually says it... ) Shiro muttered inside his head together with a blank expression on his face. [ Ju-Just know that this is not a big deal, you understand!? ] she shouted at Shiro as she hugs her staff tight with both of her arms. [ ... ] ( Now what is she talking about... ) [ Look, saving you is a pretty big deal for me. I ignored my companions just to save you, and you''ll call that \" Not a big deal\"? Are you even thankful at all? Also, if you didn''t fall for that trap, we wouldn''t be in this situation at all; are you even feeling sorry for what you did? ] [ Tha-That''s! I... I''m thankful... And I''m also really sorry... I am... ] ( I know that this all happened because of me and I''m at fault...! I also know that I probably now caused everyone trouble and has put our lives in danger... but... ) [ But to suddenly be saved by someone I hate... ] Alicia only whispered in silence. [ ... ] ( That''s it, huh? Even though I just saved her life... Is her hate for me really just won''t disappear? Or is it because of her pride...? ) Shiro voiced inside his head as he looks at the girl beside him. [ No, it''s fine. It''s not like I did it to gain your favor or something; it will be just troublesome if you just died like that. Knocking down Arthur is already giving me enough problems, letting you die here while I''m around will surely produce even more of those. ] he muttered, brushing off Alicia. [ ... ] Hearing those words, Alicia''s expression tensed and silence took over her. ( So that was it was about, huh...? ) Alicia thought as she turned her head downward. [ Anyways... We don''t have much time to waste, we need to immediately look for the others. It would be dangerous if we got separated for too long. My guess is that this ruin is huge and it would be better if we start walking and searching for our companions now. ] disrupting the silence, Shiro turned himself around and started to walk, leaving Alicia looking behind his tall figure. [ Ye-Yes... ] ( I hate him... I really hate him... But still... That time... That was the first time someone has hugged me so tightly yet so gently... I felt safe and comfortable... ) with this thought, she followed the back of Shiro. [ ... ] ~~~ [ Echolocation! Advance Appraisal! ] ( Advance Appraisal: Result: ) ( Ancient Ruins: Dungeon ) ( Enemies: 1897 - Humans1%/ Anthropomorphs44%/ Heteromorphs55% ) ( MaximumLv: 101 MinimumLv: 5 ) [ Oh! ] Shiro exclaimed. ( It finally worked, huh? A mid-level dungeon... This will take only a few hours if I was still in the game... I wonder how long it will take me to conquer a dungeon of this level in this world. ) looking at the map of the dungeon that is displayed in Shiro''s mind, he thought. ( This is...!? ) [ What is it, Vlad-san...? ] Seeing the surprised expression on Shiro''s face, Alicia who''s standing beside him asked with a baffled look on her face. [ Everyone seems to be doing well... Except for Caiden... ] [ Huh!? What happened to Caiden!? ] Alicia asked, worried. [ No... It seems he''s not in trouble yet... But he''s currently alone right now... I''m confident that Sarah, Nina, and Lumi can survive for themselves... but for Caiden... I don''t think he will be able to survive once he encounters a lot of enemies... ] Shiro had given the trio necessary items for them to survive, he also taught them what to do once this kind of event happens. Shiro is positive that the trio will be able to survive this mid-level dungeon, but for Caiden - [ Anyway, we need to gather everyone first before we head to the end of this dungeon. ] [ I''m... I''m really sorry... This is all my fault... ] ( So despite her attitude she definitely knows she''s at fault, huh...? Both her and Caiden... They''re like newbies you often encounter in the game... And I feel like it''s my obligation to teach them and guide them somehow when they make mistakes. Even if it''s just a little... ) Reminiscing something from his previous experiences as a gamer, Shiro felt a sense of responsibility towards the two of them: Alicia and Caiden. But despite that, Shiro was having conflicts in his thoughts as he wants to blame them for their incompetence and punish them for it. That was the feeling that is inside his heart, which extremely contradicts to what his mind and morals are telling him. Realizing this, Shiro put a grip on his chest to stop the emotion that''s lingering in the entirety of his being; the feeling of punishing the girl behind him who has caused him trouble. ( Tsk... This body is slowly contradicting both my thoughts and actions... When will the time come that I won''t be able to control it anymore...? ) *** In a dark desolate room. One figure sat on a large throne seat made of bones from clearly - different species. His appearance can''t be seen as it was hidden in the darkness, but his eyes, his eyes can easily be seen because of the red shining glow of its snake-like pupils. [ Hmm... None died in that trap, huh...? ] his voice resounded throughout the room and echoed back to his ears. [ Three years ago, when that same trap was activated, almost half of that group instantly died. Yet... Quality over quantity, eh? I wonder how really strong they are... ] As he muttered those words with a gentle tone that can attract both women and men, one of his hands move to his side and he moved it gently as if he was caressing something. A moment later, the rattling sound of a snake was heard, and there, in the person''s back appeared the head of a large snake. Just with the look of its size, one would agree that it will be able to swallow the body of an adult human. [ Vana, it''s been a while since the humans had provided us entertainment, we''ll be sure to play with them until we''re satisfied. Lit the torches so that they will not die too early.] 37 Chapter 37 ~ Caiden and the Trio - P1 [ Haah... ] with a sigh, Caiden relaxes his muscles and put both of his hands on his legs to support himself standing up. He then picked up his axe that was on the floor and stores again the remaining potion back in the waist part of his heavy armor. Only a few minutes have passed since after he drank the recovery potion, and now, the wound on his head is finally healed, but still, he had kept the clothing that''s wrapped on his head to prevent the wound from opening up again. ( Haah... I don''t know which direction I should go to, but I need to start walking around this dungeon if I want to find Alicia and Vlad-san. The slaves too... Vlad-san-san trusted them enough to take them to this subjugation so I''m sure they can be of use. I just hope they''re still alive. ) Caiden is pretty confident that Alicia and Shiro are still alive. He knows how strong they were, especially with Shiro. Seeing how strong he is when he fought Arthur, his companion, Caiden ultimately believes that there is no way Shiro would die in this dungeon; it was the same for Alicia too, he believes that she''s still alive since he witnessed that Shiro had tried to save her. [ That''s no action of someone who is evil... I knew since the first day I''ve exchanged words with Vlad-san that he can be trusted... Or at least by the people he trusts too... ] Caiden whispered to himself in the dungeon as he reminiscent of both the first time he had met Shiro and this current time where how Alicia had disobeyed Shiro and have shamed themselves to him. ( I just hope Vlad-san would not get angry to the point of abandoning us here... If that would happen, I don''t think the both of us will be able to survive.... ) Caiden trusts his own capabilities, but he''s not an arrogant idiot who doesn''t believe in what other people say. Despite his wild attitude towards battle and survival, he is extremely open to the suggestion of others. Yes, he''s willing to fight someone stronger than him if it''s 1v1, but having to fight with multiple opponents all at the same time is not his style, the odds of him dying before he could actually defeat multiple opponents is higher than when he fights a single person, but of course, that''s only if those ''multiple'' enemies are all worthy fighter. And so with the case of him trapped inside this dungeon, the chances of him meeting with multiple opponents is high, and he might get exhausted before he could find its exit. That was why it''s necessary for him to find his companions immediately before he gets exhausted by the monsters that will keep on coming even if he rests in one area. He knows that he needs to immediately move, and so he had prepared himself up; both physically and mentally. He had fought with many enemies already, but right now, it''s different, he just doesn''t know what kind and how many the enemies that will come to him. *** Only a few minutes had passed since Caiden had started to blindly search around the dungeon, and now he had already met with a few of his enemies. *Swoosh!* With a slash of his axe, green-colored liquid splashed to the concrete walls of the dungeon. His current enemy resembles a dragonfly. The only difference there is between the two was that the one in front of him has an orange-colored exoskeleton that is much thicker and tougher than steel - They''re called Antlions and they have many different variations of species, and these insect-monsters live underneath the earth in which they will build their nests in and multiply. [ Haa... ] taking a deep breath, he removed the green sticky liquid that''s clinging on his axe by spinning it around in a very fast motion. And once again, after catching up his breath, Caiden had raised his axe above his head to prepare for his next attack. He looks to the figure of his enemy and... [ Haa!!! ] With one fell swoop, Caiden''s axe split the body of his enemy in half, making its blood explode in all directions. [ Haa... Haa... This is bad... There''re too many... It''s already hard enough to kill one in one swing... If I miss a move, it would be very dangerous... ] In the guild, Antlions are being considered as a B-level threat to an A-level threat base on what variations. In terms of level, on the other hand, they''re averaging 55 - with a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 60 levels. That was why despite Caiden''s already high level, killing one with only one hit doesn''t have a high chance of success. [ There''s only one last left... ] It didn''t take long before he was able to kill four of these Antlions, but compared to the usual effort Caiden pours in in his battles, this one undeniably has one of the most he had poured his efforts in. Trying to attack while dodging their flying attacks was very difficult for Caiden and it takes him a lot of energy doing so. [ I need to finish this fast! ] with a shout, he dashed towards the last Antlion. [ ...! ] But before he could leap and do his attack, the Antlion suddenly backed up and started to flap its transparent wings in a very high speed. Then, A second later, the Antlion made a loud screeching noise. With his ears suddenly distressed, his hand immediately went to cover his ears without his intention to do so. The eerie sound resounded to the whole dungeon and it almost shook the walls. [ Thi-This is! ] Lifting his head up to the enemy, Caiden realizes what it was doing. The Antlion... Was calling for its companions. *** [ Tsk! There''s too many! ] Sarah uttered in distress as she dodges the attack of one of the enemies by leaping into the concrete wall of the dungeon. Landing on the ground, she was faced again by numerous attacks from the enemies - from ranged-spikes attacks that can put holes on metal shields, to melee-pincer attacks that might be able to cut Sarah''s body in half. But all of these attacks were skillfully avoided by Sarah. ( With master''s training, both my power and skills have definitely improved... I can easily take out a single one of them, but with this many... I won''t last before exhaustion...! ) It might be a sight to look at how Sarah was carefully and skillfully dodging and blocking the attacks of her enemies, but none of those dodges and blocks hold value if she can''t use or land a single attack. [ This early...! I don''t want to use these items master have given me, yet! It''ll be a shame to master! ] The attacks of her enemies almost never tire. Bullets of spikes and sword-sharp pincers are attacking her endlessly. Sarah really is in a very difficult position and the only thing that she will be able to do is to use the items her master had given her - but of course, she was hesitant to use them. Of course, Shiro knew that it would turn out like this; that they would be hesitant to use the items he had given them as they respects and holds dear almost all the things he gives them. That was why he had given them instructions to only use them when their life is in danger or if they think it''s necessary because he knows that they won''t use them to make their task much easier, as they think that those items were very important to him. But still now, despite being in a really difficult position, she was still hesitant to use those items. And before she knew it, she was already surrounded... [ These monsters... ] with those two words exiting from her mouth, she finally took an item from her small pouch and prepared herself to use it. She was still hesitant but remembering what her master said - \"Your lives are more important than these items; don''t be afraid to use them when you''re in danger\" It was not a big deal for Vlad to lose the items he had given them, but for Sarah and the others, as his slaves, it was shameless for them to use their master''s personal items. But right now, Sarah''s life was more important than those items; she knows that her master will say the same thing - and so she took the courage to use them. Finally, she was gonna use it... *Screech!!! [ ...! ] But before she was able to use the item, a loud ear-piercing screech echoed and resounded through everywhere, and with that sound, the movement of her enemies suddenly pause and returned only to face the other direction where the screeching sound came from. They have lost interest in Sarah and they immediately rushed towards the other direction. [ Wha... What happened... ] Author''s Note: Umm... So as you may have noticed... I''m again is trying to get used of my own writing style since it''s been already too long since I wrote something. Anyway, please bear with it. 38 Chapter 38 ~ Caiden and the Trio - P2 [ This is bad! There''s no way I could run from this. ] A few minutes had now passed after the last Antlion Cainden was supposed to kill made an ear-piercing screech that called out its fellow Antlions of different variations. Of course, there''s no need to say that Caiden is now in grave danger. The ones he had fought earlier was only a single variation of the Antlions which resembles dragonflies, now, he''s fighting two other more that looks like ants and bees. All the ant-looking Antlions that comes close to his range to attack him with the pincers on their heads, he bashes them with his axe - the same he does to the dragonfly Antlions. Caiden wouldn''t have that much problem if those two variations were the only ones he was fighting, he was confident that he has a high chance of surviving their attacks. But of course, there were the bee-looking Antlions too - that shoot exoskeletal spikes that grow not only on their butts but also on all the edges of their many limbs. Having to defend himself from the sharp razor-like pincers and the polished fangs of the other two variations, Caiden was having a hard time dealing with the spikes that are being shot at him; he could barely dodge them because of his large body - also because of this particular attacks, his armour and his exposed skin are now cut and damaged. [ Haa! ] swinging down his battle-axe again to smash another Antlion''s head, his body was left wide open again for the spikes to hit him. [ Tsk! ] realizing that he was now about to get hit by another, he pulled his axe back again to block the attacks and then countering by swiping his axe very hard in a circle, clearing and knocking back off all the enemies in front of him. [ Aah...! ] but with his attack, he screamed in pain. It turns out, because of the speed of the unexpected and instant pulling of his axe up, he ended up spraining his muscles as he did so, and it causes him to feel intense pain. And because of the pain and the injuries he now suffered, he decided to take out his last vile of potion and drink it. It takes a few minutes before it actually works, but right now, at least, the pain went off and a little of Caiden''s anxiousness went away with it. But no matter what, as he faces his eyes in his front, the anxiousness that is telling him that he will not be able survive his current situation only grew bigger again. [ This... Will I able to survive this...? ] Caiden could only mutter as he looks at his enemies. Caiden''s front and back are now filled with Antlions. The ones in his back that just arrived are now just waiting for an opportunity to attack while the ones in front of him backed up a little when they saw their companions cornering their preys up. Now, all they need to do was to compete within themselves to see who first can kill their single prey. Caiden could see and understand the behaviour they were showing, and honestly, to him, he felt very proud of himself. Killing this many Antlions that all the country and the guilds all over the world are having trouble dealing with was worthy of praise, not to mention that the said Antlions are now afraid of him. They are afraid of charging at him even if they have the advantage at numbers. ( They''re afraid, huh...? So they''re no different than any armies and people I fought... They lose their formation and fighting spirit when faced with someone they know are stronger than them. ) seeing the actions they are now doing, he was reminded of the time he fought as a knight against an enemy country. ( But still... Right now... I don''t have the right to criticize them... ) Being called the ''Goliath of the Kingdom''s Knights'', Caiden''s strength and looks are not just for show. He really was a one-man-army who can drastically kill the enemies spirit just by showing off his strength, not to mention when he really gets serious. He was the kind of guy who recklessly charges to the enemy ranks without the thought of him dying from the enemy attacks. That what he was, but right now, he was not that Caiden; right now, he''s the Caiden who evaluates himself lower than his enemy. Right now, he''s a coward who thinks he would surely die from the enemies in front of him. [ Does seeing someone a lot stronger than I actually made my spirit weak...? Did I unconsciously lowered my evaluation of my self after seeing how strong Vlad-san was...? What is it that made me this weak...? ] ( No... I''m strong...! I''m stronger than the enemies currently in front of me...! I promised myself... That I will only coward from those who are stronger than me, and not those who are weaker...! ) with this realization, Caiden tightens his grip on his axe. He lifted his face and looks at the direction in front of him. [ They''re merely insects... There''s nothing for me to be afraid of! ] as he shouted those words, he immediately dashes to the enemies in front of him. [ Arc Slash! ] slashing his axe horizontally with his full power, he cuts through all the Antlions that was on the white visible arc his axe made. [ Haa!!! ] After that attack, he continues his rampage, not minding the consequences that he would get extremely exhausted as he just lost a ton amount of blood just earlier, and while also ignoring all the cuts he''s receiving from his enemies. *Swish! *Swoosh! *Slash Slashing sounds resounded from his heavy axe as he skillfully swings it around his enemies while also creating slashing winds that also cuts through the enemies. Carcasses, hard exoskeletons, and green goos were exploding every single time Caiden swings his axe. Right now, Caiden is showing the part of him that only thinks of fighting, surviving, and killing; not the weak one who only thinks of dying. [ Haa!!! ] ( Haa... This is bad... It hurts and my consciousness is fading... ) but as expected, his continues usage of the skill ''Arc Slash'' had caused his body to get extremely exhausted, and as the seconds past as he uses it, pain also gradually accumulated in his body. The enemies too seem to be never-ending as they keep calling out for their companions when they see other ones falls. [ Haa... Haa... Haa... ] ( Is this how I''m going to die...? Will I die because of my companion...? Or is it really just because of my weakness...? ) with these words, Caiden''s vision slowly blurred until it completely turned white... *** [ Heal! ] With those words, Caiden''s vision slowly turned clear again. It took a few seconds for him to escape his dazed state and to realize what was going on. [ Thi-This is! ] looking at his hands and his arms, Caiden turns shocked as all the cuts and bruises it had earlier are now completely gone. Still not sure what had happened, he turned to where he heard the voice that he heard vaguely called out ''heal''. There, he saw a small tanned girl blocking off attacks from the enemies with an almost non-visible green-coloured shield. There, also at her back is a cat-eared girl very accurately one-shoting the enemies. The skill he''s seeing from the girl was unbelievable. He has not seen an archer so accurate and so powerful in all of his experience as both a knight and a hero. [ Amazing... ] he could only whisper to himself. [ Caiden-sama! Here! ] then, he heard another person calling him, and of course, he immediately responds by turning his head over to where the voice came from. When he turned his head around, rather than seeing someone, the first thing he saw was a small glass bottle containing glittering blue liquid being thrown at him. He manages to catch it with his hand and as soon as he did, the voice called over to him again and he finally saw whose voice it was. [ Caiden-sama! Please drink it! It will store your energy! ] He knows her face, but he didn''t remember her name as he thought it was unnecessary, because she was a mere slave. But now, Caiden deeply regretted not remembering it. Seeing that the person he thought was a mere combat slave would be so strong, brave, and calm in a situation like this. She was the reincarnation of a warrior, of a knight. This was the thought that entered Caiden''s mind as he looks at her. ( Now I know why Vlad-san has trusted these slaves... ) with these words, he also trusted them and drunk the content of the bottle. As if all his lost energy came back to his body, Caiden felt alive again. [ Haha... Is that it? ] Caiden chuckled as he speculated the reason why they had given him the bottle. It was either because they wanted him to live or because they wanted him to fight with him. [ With these girls... We can surely defeat every single one of them. ] he whispered to himself as he looks at the trio one-by-one. ( I want to thank them for saving me... But... only if defeat all the enemies here! ) *** ( Thi-This is!!!? I... I can''t believe it... They''ve killed all of them... All the monsters of an entire floor... An entire nest... Unbelievable... I never expected they will be able to do that... Especially my trio... ) Shiro could only silently mutter inside his head as he watches the four people just a few floors on top of them wins a victory to almost a thousand of high-levelled enemies. ( Their levels must''ve sky-rocketed too... I guess it was right for me to bring them together with me for this subjugation... ) 39 Chapter 39 ~ A Rather Short Conversation - Filler Chapter In the game, low-level and mid-level dungeons were always controlled by NPCs, usually, monster type NPCs that are very high-leveled. They are considered as the ''bosses'' of the dungeons and they have advance A.Is that can command low-leveled A.I NPCs. They can also adapt to the players that enter their dungeons and make their own strategies to defeat them. With Vlad''s Echolocation skill, he can map all the areas in the dungeon, including the hidden ones that were supposed to be untrackable without the use of proper items. This skill also allows him to see through everything when he focuses all his senses. This was the very first skill Vlad had mastered using in this world. The only time when this skill had failed him was when he tried to track this dungeon. It seems like the dungeon has been shielded with a spell that blocks tracking magic such as his own Echolocation. He was only able to use it when he was actually inside the dungeon itself. Realizing this, and seeing how big, detailed, and how well the boss or bosses can control the dungeon they''re currently in, Vlad was in the conclusion that the dungeon must be a mid-level dungeon, if not, high-level. He thinks that if that is so, then there can be some unexpected scenarios that he will be put on to. [ So, Vlad-san... This ancient ruins... is actually a dungeon, huh? ] [ That''s right. Since there was not a single adventurer ever came back from observing this place, I guess the guild was not able to know of its existence. ] [ Un... ] Alicia nodded. She then turns her still worried eyes to Vlad and asks: [ Vlad-san... Can you tell me what''s Caiden''s current situation...? ] [ Hmm... He''s... He''s currently fighting against five Antlions. ] [ Five Antlions...!? ] [ Un. Don''t worry, it seems he''s doing well dealing with them. ] ( It''s just as expected. Now that Caiden''s level had improved a little since that time when I challenged him, dealing with five Antlions wouldn''t be much of a problem for him... That''s if they won''t suddenly multiple that is. ) Antlions also exist in the game Vlad had played. They''re common monsters found in mid and high leveled dungeons. Vlad knows the basics of how they act and how they work as a colony type monsters, and so he knows that Caiden''s situation might suddenly become dangerous. If Caiden lets one of them wails and calls the others, he''s finished. But of course, Vlad did not tell that to Alicia to not make her any more worried. [ Vlad-san... I''ve been wanting to ask since earlier... But what kind of magic do you use... You told us that you''re a mage, but I have never seen a mage that uses some kind of magic that lets them see through walls... ] [ Is that so...? I''m just an ordinary mage... Don''t think of me any further than that. About the magic I used... It''s a secret. ] ( Calling Echolocation ''magic'' had really helped me a lot. ) The difference between ''skill'' and ''magic''. Reading the books of this world, particularly ones that focus on magic, he realized that ''skills'' does not exist in this world. Even power-ups are considered as magic in this world when in the game, it was not. In the game, there''s a clear and obvious difference between the two, specifically, magic uses elements to work, such as fire, earth, wind, lighting, water, light, etc. While ''skills'' on the other hand are passive; often just used for power-ups, tracking, and support. Echolocation is one of Vlad''s race skills, which his race was already provided with. He told Alicia that it was his ''magic'' as to not confuse her what was ''skills'' if he says so otherwise. [ Still... I have never seen such magic... Even the magic you''ve used earlier, ''Flash'' was it? I have never seen such magic that can light up an entire floor of a dungeon... ] [ Is that so...? ] [ That was why... Can you tell me how did you learn those magic? What kind of mage are you? ] [ Hmm... I don''t have any obligation to answer that... ] [ ... ] Alicia turned silent after Vlad''s answer. Of course, Vlad was only avoiding answering her question because he can''t answer them. [ Vlad-san... If I say I want to be your student, will you accept...? ] she said, stopping her feet from walking and stood only straight beside Vlad. ( ... ) Vlad was stunned. [ Huh...? ] escaped Vlad''s mouth slowly, mixed with annoyance and confusion. With this reaction from Vlad, Alicia turned serious, her face frowned and she bit her lip hard. [ I... I want to be the strongest and greatest mage there is... I actually thought that I will be able to achieve that dream only a few years from now... but seeing and meeting you, I realized that there''s no way for me to achieve that dream... that is if I won''t be able to surpass you. ] [ ... ] [ I was the top student when I graduated from the academy. I didn''t even fight a single battle for the kingdom yet when I was recruited as one of the hero''s companions. I recognize my self as a prodigy, and so as everybody else. I thought I was easily going to be the best. ] After those words, she turned her head to Vlad''s face and said: [ I don''t think any experienced mage will be able to help me surpass you, other than you teaching me yourself. ] [ That... I''m sorry, but I already have some troublesome students of my own. ] [ Huh...? You mean those slaves...? Just what are you planning to do teaching them? If you''re already this powerful, why do you still have to teach your combat slaves...? ] she annoyingly asked. [ I''ve still yet to teach them magic and techniques, but I''m confident they''re more skillful than you are. ] [ Hu-Huh!? ] [ Unlike you, they already have much experience with all kinds of situations. With me as their guide, they''ve already fought with monsters much much stronger than any you have ever fought. ] In the past week, Vlad had trained them to their limits. Fighting foes that are much higher in level, only defeating them with skills, strategy, and teamwork. Vlad had also put them into situations where they could lose their lives, and he taught them ways that will allow them to survive. Right now... [ Those slaves... Unlike you, they will never make any mistakes that will trouble me. ] [ Are... Are you mocking me...!? ] [ Of course not... All that I''m saying is they''re no ordinary slaves, they''re my students. It''s better not looking down on them. ] looking back at Alicia''s eyes with seriousness, he replied. [ Hmm... And about why I decided to train them... That''s a secret too. ] [ Tsk! Enough of those slaves! Answer me! Will you teach me or not!? ] Pushing her question to him further with her whole face turning red in anger, Vlad was not able to immediately think of a reply. ( Well... It looks like she''s more trouble than those trios... I don''t think I will be able to handle this girl. Additionally... I have no reason to train her too at all... ) [ Come on! Which is it! I''ll pay you, just tell me how much you want! ] ( Hmm... ) Name: Alicia Silverstone Level: 62 Job Class: Mage/ Summoner Health: 1239/1239 ( Well... She definitely grew from when the first time I''ve met her... She''s the most compatible person I could teach, but... I don''t like her attitude.... ) [ Alicia-san... Why exactly do you want to become the strongest...? Why do you want me to teach you? ] Vlad asked the most trivial question. [ That''s... I just want to become a help to someone... To the person who said he''ll be the strongest... ] she replied hesitantly. ( It''s Arthur, isn''t it...? Should I call it lucky...? Or Unlucky? That bastard of a guy... I wonder what did he do to have this girl''s affection? ) Vlad muttered to himself, scratching the top of his head. [ Haah... I''m sorry, but I don''t think I will be able to teach you... ] ( Not with that shabby reason... ) [ Wh-why!? You accepted teaching slaves but you won''t teach a noble like me!? ] [ You are, huh? Well, it''s not surprising. ] [ You didn''t know...? Aren''t you a noble yourself!? My family''s name are known to all noble families even outside of this country! If you know that, then you should accept my request! ] [ Stop kidding around. I''m not a noble of some kind. I''m just an ordinary person. ] [ No-Not noble... An ordinary person... ] as if she was not able to believe what she just heard, she stared blankly stared at the face of Vlad. [ I can''t believe it... But then... That''s the more reason you should accept my request! If you''re a commoner, then you can''t disobey a noble! ] [ Is that how it works...? ] ( I guess it is, huh? And now she''s threatening me with it. She looks really desperate about it... ) 40 Chapter 4O ~ A Two-Person Team - P1 [ Vlad-san, your magic can locate anything in the dungeon, right? Is it right to assume that you also have already located the lowest floor? ] [ That''s right. ] Vlad casually answered. There was no way for him to hide his skill now. He had unconsciously mentioned to her that he was able to locate anything in the dungeon in the heat of the moment when they had fallen and Alicia had asked him if Caiden and the others were alright. But not hiding this skill actually had given him benefits since Alicia had became less worried and he also now has an excuse why he was able to casually walk the dungeon as if he had already been there. [ What does it look like? The lowest floor, I mean... ] [ Hmm... On the lowest floor, there''s a large room filled with unknown materials. There is only one figure of a chair and one of a table''s in it so I guess there''s only one person who manages this dungeon... ] Vlad did not check the lowest floor until now. The reason being he''s too busy checking out the routes, floors, and monsters of the dungeon. Additionally, he was also constantly checking the status of Caiden and the trio, hence why he didn''t have time for checking out the main room. But now that Caiden and the trio had finally regrouped, he finally removed his guard to them and he has now the time to check the room where the dungeon boss is. He had originally guessed that there should be two dungeon bosses inside seeing how well it was being managed. But now that Alicia''s curiosity reaches his, and now that he has the chance, he decided to also check it out and it turns out there were only two beings inside it: a large snake-like monster, and a huge human-like figure with horns. ( Haah... All I can see are figures and outlines though... ) Effective and useful his skill might be, it is not all that powerful. Vlad was only able to see everything inside the room as mere outlines. The furniture, the pillars, the walls, and the two beings that were inside the room, they are all only appears as thin outlines at Vlad''s view. There are three limitations to Vlad''s appraisal skill when combined with his mapping and locating skills: - Won''t work if the item or person being appraised is not in the view of the user. - Using it with a mapping or locating skills, the user will be able to appraise everyone in the range of those skills, but won''t be able to appraise their race, job classes, and total health. - Using mapping and locating skills, Vlad won''t be able to see the view, looks, and state of the person or item he hasn''t seen before, they will only appear as black shadows outlining the real structures of their body - this includes any items, furniture, and any non-living things within the range ( This means Vlad will only able to see the outlines of the creatures or items he hasn''t seen before in the game or in this world. ) With his continued use of this skill, he figured out both all of its advantages and downsides. ( I wonder if the boss really is a vampire... I''ve already seen all the races of Vampires in the game. Does this mean the boss is a creature I''ve never seen before...? Then what about those rumors about the boss being a Vampire...? ) Vlad was in deep thought. [ Vlad-san...? ] [ Hmm...? ] hearing her calls his name, Vlad turned his head to her direction and made a questioning look. [ Just for me to get ready in the final fight... Can you tell me what is the boss''s race...? ] she asked the question Vlad was figuring out what was the answer. [ I actually don''t know... There are limitations to my magic... ] [ Is that so...? ] [ Yes. That''s why it''s better for you to prepare for the worst. ] ( The highest level I detect here with my appraisal is 103. That''s definitely the boss. There''s no way Alicia and Caiden would win against someone of that level. ) A level that is higher than the hero, Hana. Vlad was expecting that the boss''s level would be high, but he never thought that it would be higher than the being that is called the ''hero'' of this world. That was why, despite him still not to the agreement of having Alicia and Caiden as his guide, he was still thankful that he was the one who was to subjugate the boss. It would be dangerous if the hero''s party had gone to this dungeon by themselves; they just might not be able to survive. [ Prepare, huh? I''ve been prepared for everything this whole time. ] Alicia confidently answered his words. ( Does that include the time you fell into the trap...? ) *** [ Alicia... There''re enemies coming. Prepare yourself. ] [ Yes! ] answering his call, Alicia gripped her staff tight, and as Vlad had mentioned her to do, she had prepared her self. Slowly, the footsteps of the monsters grew close to where they are. The sound of steel rods and chains colliding with another. The sound of strings being pulled and loosed. The sound of footsteps cracking on each step. All those sounds resounded in the room of the dungeon they''re currently in. Slowly, they revealed themselves to Alicia and Vlad. ... ... [ Skeletons...? ] [ Yes, but they''re no normal skeletons. ] [ I''ve only seen them in books and I''ve never actually seen them for real... ] Both Alicia and Vlad looks at the enemies in front of them quietly. The enemies in front of them sure are skeletons, but their much larger than any normal skeletons. Each of them has a horn on top of their skulls and the color of their bones differentiates with the normal ones too - they were pale red, like clothes stained with dried out blood. They''re also holding different weapons: shields, swords, bows, staffs, mazes, etc. The many varieties of their weapons indicate that they work in groups and that they''re much intelligent than normal monsters found in the dungeon. ( Really... The level of this dungeon is much higher than the average level of humans that are living in this world... Just with those Antlions, they could seriously wipe out the whole city if the hero''s party weren''t there... And now we have the foot soldiers of advanced-level dungeons in front of us... Orc Skeletons. ) If normal skeletons were called as the weakest in mid-level dungeons, and Oni''s at the high-level -Orc Skeletons are the weakest in the Advanced-level dungeons. But nevertheless, they''re much stronger than most monsters players will encounter in almost all dungeons. [ There''re too many... ] Alicia mutters in distress. Her entire body hugging her staff and her legs shaking. [ Are you afraid, Alicia-san? ] [ That''s... No... I''ve already prepared myself for any situations... I''m not afraid - ] *Swoosh! [ Shield. ] With her yet to finish her words, an arrow was shot towards Alicia''s head, only to be deflected by Vlad''s magic. If Vlad did not use his magic ''Shield'' to protect her, that arrow will pierce her skull. [ Please focus. There''re enemies in front of us now. Ready your spells. ] Vlad casually said as if nothing had happened. Hearing his voice, Alicia turned her head towards him. Seeing death comes close to her with just a blink of her eyes, she was left in a state of fear and shock. [ ... ] still not being able to comprehend what just happened, Alicia was only silent and was not able to respond. [ What are you waiting for? ] [ Ah... Ri-Right! I''ll chant my spell now! ] regaining her usual self, her eyes turned serious and she raised her staff high and started to chant. Looking in front of her, she saw that their enemies had already surrounded them and are ready to start their attack. Seeing this, she again stopped herself from chanting her spell. Their enemies are already surrounding them and she was overwhelmed by fear. But despite this... ( Vlad-san... Why is he still so calm in this situation...? He''s not even preparing a chant or taking out any kind of weapons... ) she thought as she looks at Vlad''s face that did not even knit a brow to the sight of their enemies. ( He must''ve got a lot of experience... I hate to admit and accept it, but... It seems like both Caiden''s and Hana''s impression of him are correct... I''m already dead if it wasn''t for him... ) [ Alicia-san, just focus on chanting your spells and I''ll deal with the attacks of the enemies. ] instructed Vlad. ( Tha-That''s right... There''s nothing of me to be afraid of when Vlad-san''s here... I''ll leave my defense to him and I''ll focus on my attack! ) with her now gaining the confidence, she started chanting her spell again, and... [ Flame Magic! Meteor Burst! ] *** It was the first time that Arthur''s face had slipped from her mind. It was the first time she had forgot about anything. Her hatred, confusion, and annoyance, all of them were cleared out from Alicia''s mind. All that was on her head was defeating the enemies in front of her, not minding all the attacks that were coming at her. All of these because she has someone she relies on; someone she trusts. Yes, in the midst of the battle, she forgot about everything and had trusted the person she had hated the most. It was the first time Alicia had not treated Vlad as mere trash of a person, but a companion who she can trust her life with. 41 Chapter 41 - A Two-Person Team - P2 [ Ice Magic! Crystalized Swords! ] Shouting the name of her magic, Alicia launches her attack. Swords made of Crystals flew on top of Alicia, and as she points her staff towards the enemies she''s targeting, the swords came flying at them. The swords collided with the thick and hard bones of the orc skeletons, breaking and cutting them as they did. The battle had already started since a while ago. The enemies are now starting to thin out and Alicia could already see their victory. Together with the guy who beat one of her companions with one shot, she''s expecting that they will be able to win, but she was not expecting that she was the one to kill all the enemies herself. Vlad, who she thought will clear the enemies together with her, or rather, will kill all the enemies without her help at all, is only occasionally attacking the enemies when necessary. He only focuses on blocking and shielding Alicia from the enemy''s attacks. And one thing Alicia was just only able to notice was that he''s also supporting her magic; making her spells stronger and lesses the mana they originally take. ( I wonder why he''s only supporting my magic...? If he''s so strong then shouldn''t he at least try to kill half of them...? Is he so strong that he feels that the enemies are not worthy of his magic...? No... He''s not that kind of person...? ) she thought as she turns an eye to Vlad''s direction for a second. ( But still... I never thought he would be able to support some so good with his magic... Is he the type of mage that focuses on support magic? No way that''s possible, considering how he took out Arthur with one shot... ) [ Great, their number is now cut in half. Do you still have mana? ] Vlad casually asked as he continues to block all their attacks with his ''Shield''. [ A-Ah! Yes... I can still keep going! ] Saying so, Alicia raised her staff again and started to chant. But as she did so, she unconsciously looks at again at Vlad''s direction. She was still confused about whether or not Vlad was really a good guy or not. Considering how many times he had saved her already, it''s only logical that he''s a good guy. But despite this fact, in the back of her head, there''s a voice that says he''s a bad guy - in the form of Arthur''s Voice who was supposed to be in the capital. What if he''s only doing it to gain her trust? What if he''s only doing it to influence and brainwash her. But that was not possible - she thought. Just what would he gain from doing those things? From their first meeting, they have asked him what does he want and he can''t figure out what it is. They have offered him money, influence, and women, but none of them had piqued his interest. But one thing Alicia has figure out today was that he''s not just powerful, he also has a lot of knowledge with dungeons and monsters. He acts as if he had already gone to many of them, and the way he reacts to the monsters inside that were suppose to be powerful says that he had already fought monsters that were stronger. She wonders why such a delicate looking person would be someone much experienced that her at all these things. ( Just what is he about? ) There are still many things she doesn''t know about him. But one thing she knows is right now, she could definitely trust him. [ In front, Alicia-san! ] [ Ye-Yes! ] With Vlad pointing out the enemies that are gathering in front of them, Alicia had launched her attacks towards. With that attack, their enemies had finally decreased by less than half their previous number. ( It''s an absolute win now, right...? With the number of spells I''ve thrown, my mana should already be wasted... But I guess with Vlad''s help I was able to survive... ) *** A while had passed before Alicia and Vlad were able to defeat all their enemies. Broken pieces of red-colored bones and all possible kinds of weapons were left on the ground; paused and unmoving. The two of them had beaten the very first enemies they had encountered. Looking at the appearance of Vlad, it would look like nothing had happened, but opposite his state, Alicia was exhausted and in the need of a rest. Just after they were able to defeat the last of the Orc Skeletons, Alicia had asked Vlad for a rest - in which Vlad immediately agreed to - considering that Alicia was human compared to him who has the traits of the undead. And so they rested - They sat beside the rough walls of the dungeon. They are still on the same floor where dim lights are being produced by the small mossy-looking vines hanging on the ceiling and unknown mushrooms-looking plants planted on the ground. Looking at them made Alicia feel a little more relaxed despite knowing that she''s in a rough and hard situation. [ Haah... ] she sighs. Then she turned her head to the guy sitting beside her - who''s looking not in the least tired. Looking at him made her reminiscent of the fight earlier... Alicia was surprised to learn that Vlad was able to support her perfectly, without any fault. Seeing how he fought Arthur with pure magic and strength, the thought of him being someone who has skills in support magic has only barely crossed her mind. She learned many things about him, but one thing that was still unclear to her was why Vlad did not fight or kill any enemies himself. With his strength, he could definitely defeat them by himself - this was Alicia''s honest thoughts. But knowing that Vlad was the very definition of a mysterious and secretive person, she knows that she will not get the answer that easily, even if she asks him herself. [ Alicia-san, I''ll deal with the next batch of enemies. You can go ahead and reserve your mana then. ] out of nowhere, Vlad said to her as he turns his head in her direction and looks at her. [ That''s what I''m planning to do... ] pressured by his stare, Alicia was only able to reply in the manner she always does. A moment had passed and no words came out from the two of them. Needless to say, now that everything seemed to have calmed down, they came back to their previous state in which they feel very uncomfortable with each other. Especially Alicia - who despite now trusting Vlad, still can''t like him as a person. *Growl... In the silence, the sound of grumbling stomach resounded. Vlad immediately turned his head towards Alicia for the second time. Since there are only two people there was in the large cave-like corridor, it was very much obvious where the sound came from. [ Thi-This is! ] she exclaims in panic. [ Ahh... Yea, don''t worry about it... Mages tend to get hungry when they exhaust their mana... ] A fact that Vlad had read in a book. Even though he was a very talented mage in the game, in this new reality - he was still not that well-informed and educated on how human mages and other classes that are not like his works. That was why studying and reading books he bought totally helps him in dealing with these sort of stuff. [ That''s right... I lost my stuff when we fall and I don''t have any mana recovery potions or food on me anymore... Without any of those it will take me long before I could completely recover my mana... ] she mutters in a very honest way. [ Hmm... Here. ] saying so, Vlad - as he always does - placed his hand inside his robe and took out something from his storage. [ This is...? ] One of the goods he stores in his storage - A bar of chocolate. Supposedly in the game, chocolate bars can be used in restoring not just a huge percent of mana and energy, but also a lower percent of health points. This item was one of Vlad''s favorite as it has a very cheap price, it fits his role, and unlike the other potions, it can easily be stacked by hundreds without even taking 1% of his storage capacity. Vlad thought at first that he should just give her a mana recovery potion, but since she''s hungry, too, it would be much wiser to give her something that will also help her fill her stomach. [ What is this...? ] The chocolate bar was wrapped around a red-colored cover - and Alicia was confused about what Vlad had just given her. [ It''s food that will help you recover your mana. ] [ Is that so...? But how should I eat it...? It contains something inside, right? Is it right to open it? ] [ Yes. That is how you''re supposed to eat it. ] With that said, Alicia looks at him with doubt, then she turns her head again to the chocolate bar. [ ... ] After observing it for a short moment, she found an opening to the cover and she gently peeled the bar open. [ Is... Is this what I think it is...!? Chocolate!? ] seeing the content of the cover made her exclaim in surprise. Sweets are a rarity in the world. Only nobles are able to try and eat them. Chocolate - in particular, was one of the rarest sweets even nobles are having trouble to get their hands on. [ Are you really okay with this...? Giving me something like this...! ] [ No. Don''t worry about it... ] The truth was, Vlad was already somehow expecting that kind of reaction from her - seeing how everyone reacts to everything he does and takes out. [ Huu... This is why I still can''t believe you''re not a noble... ] she whispers to herself in disbelief. *Growl... [ ... ] [ Hmph! But really, a food like this is something befitting for someone like me... I-I will humbly accept it. ] with that said, she took a bite and immediately her face swells up. [ Thi... This is good...! ] [ Really? Then, I''m glad you liked it. ] [ U... Un... ] she nodded in silence to Vlad''s words. [ ... ] ( Still... I can''t have myself eat this by myself... ) with that thought inside her mind, she cut 1/5 of the chocolate bar and handed it to Vlad. [ Thi-This is... Vlad-san... Thank you for your support earlier... And also this chocolate... ] Alicia said in a very quiet voice that even she could barely hear. She felt that she should at least express some gratitude. Thinking back, it if wasn''t for him, she would have immediately consumed by fear, run, and eventually, even die. But that time, unlike her, Vlad was calm and he knows what to do. Seeing his confidence made her come back to herself and she was able to brush off her fear. Because of him, she was able to fight with all her might. [ Don''t worry about it. I just did what I had to do. But Alicia-san, don''t ever panic again like that. ] Vlad replied as he calmly accepted the 1/5 part of the chocolate bar he gave Alicia. [ I... I know... ] she answers, staring again at Vlad''s figure. She then turned her head to the chocolate bar she''s holding and stared at it. ( I wonder if we made the wrong decision of coming with him... At this rate, we''re nothing more than a piece of baggage holding him back... We forced him and we even involve the guild master to do so... ) Despite her not admitting it, if it weren''t for her and Caiden, Vlad would probably won''t have any problem subjugating this dungeon. She knows that. But because of her and Caiden''s curiosity, they''ve only caused him trouble. She was filled with guilt, and she guesses that Caiden probably is, too. ( It''s a miracle he still treats me like this... ) 42 Chapter 42 ~ Hidden Ancient Knowledge With his earlier fight with the monsters, Vlad was reminiscent of the past: Back when he was still in a guild; Subjagating dungeons and fighting enemies together with his friends. He has many experiences in things like these and he would never in one chance ever panic in any situation when subjugating dungeons. Vlad was not at all displeased by Alicia when she had panicked earlier in the battle, he had regarded that as the normal reaction of someone who has different standards than him. He tried to mention it again to Alicia that she should not panic - only because he was concern that she might cause him trouble if she ever panics again as she did earlier. ( ... ) Vlad turned his eyes to Alicia who''s walking beside him - who has seemed to let her guard down towards him, unlike what it was before. Seeing this, he reached the conclusion that she''s opening herself to him bit by bit as the time passes that they were together. Vlad felt that it was natural as he already did save and help her on many occasions already. But then again, he did something rather bad to Arthur - the person who she possibly likes and treasures. He did that to Arthur at the heat of the moment. Vlad''s emotions of glee and joy of tormenting Arthur had led him to almost kill him. But despite that, Vlad does not regret the thing he did to Arthur. In the first place, he was the reason he had turn out like that; he deserves it. But what Vlad didn''t expect and foresee was there was also someone who was hurt from his actions, and that was Alicia. It was a rough start but she''s starting to open herself towards him and her hate is also gradually being forgotten. *** A few hours had now passed and Alicia and Vlad are now on a completely different floor. Going this far, they''ve again encountered many enemies and Vlad took care of all of them; giving the chance for Alicia to fully recover her magic. Vlad gave Alicia the opportunity to fight all their enemies before for him to see her magic. A mage who has the same Job Class as his, he wanted to see what she was capable of. Additionally, if he fought that fight, Alicia would then never get the opportunity to fight at all. Vlad could just easily take them out with at least one to two spells. Giving her the reason to recover her mana had also given Vlad the opportunity to defeat all of the upcoming enemies for himself. It was not his real intention but it also worked out. [ FireBall. ] simple magic was cast. A small ball of fire then appeared at Vlad''s finger that is pointing towards the enemies - and in a blink of an eye, it grew to the size that was half of Vlad''s height. Then, the ball of fire was released. From the perspective of the enemies and Alicia, the projectile''s speed was slow, maybe because of its largeness, they can still follow it with their eyes. But one thing was for sure: it didn''t take long before it hit the enemies, exploding and then evaporating their flesh and their very bones. There were still a few that were left. But they abandoned the thought of attacking the two trespassers and they began to scatter and run from fear that the ball will be thrown towards them next. Fireball - One of Vlad''s most basic tier-1 spells. At low level, it can only be used against one enemy, but with Vlad''s level, he can turn it into something that can decimate a large group of enemies. So with this spell, he had yet again defeated another group of the enemies. [ Let''s continue. ] Vlad casually said to the stunned Alicia. [ U-Un... ] she nodded and immediately followed the back of Vlad. Alicia who just saw his magic was flooded with mixed emotions of both fear and admiration. All of the attacks he had used so far were all basic magic spells that mages learn from the academy. They''re not at all being used in real battles as they are ineffective and weak. Yet the basic attacks Vlad has thrown were all at a different level. Alicia could only imagine what are his advanced magic would turn out to be. His level of magic was clearly beyond what she was originally expecting. At this point, she had been surprised many times by what Vlad can do and what he is as a person. [ Alicia-san... We seem to be headed in a very large room... Prepare yourself just in case. ] Vlad warned her. Not because there might be a being stronger than him, but because an unexpected event might happen. Or maybe because it is also one of his habits that he gained from conquering the game. ~~~ Soon, the two of them arrived in front of a large metal gate. The gate was almost identical to the one outside the dungeon; from its size to the details of being molded and rusted. But unlike the one outside, this gate has a carving of an odd circular object drawn with strange patterns. [ I wonder what this room is for... ] Alicia mutters to herself. Alicia felt afraid, thinking that what is hidden behind the door would be something like the master of the dungeon or at least a very strong opponent. [ Well, there''s only one way to find out. ] with that said, Vlad placed one of his hands in the gate and opened it. Immediately, their eyes went to the ceiling which stood high. Spikes of stones are hanging all over it; with one shake of the dungeon and they will fall to the ground. Even if Vlad could easily fend them off if whenever they fall, looking at them still made him feel wary. Removing then his eyes towards the spiky ceiling and continuing to move forward, he looks in front and what he saw were just a bunch of statues and shelves storing books. They are lined up in a pattern neatly but it seems like they have not been taken care of for a long time. [ Vlad-san... What is this room...? Do... Do you think there''re any traps in here...? ] she asked Vlad in fear. Unlike before, she''s trying to act in caution and she''s now afraid of causing Vlad any more trouble - hence she asks. [ No. I don''t think so... ] As he said so, Vlad took a book from one of the large wooden shelves. He wipes off the dust and he looks at the title of the book. Vlad is still having trouble in reading and writing the language of this world, hence it took him a few seconds to completely read the title of the book. \"The History of the Elves\" was written in the cover. [ Elves... ] Vlad whispers in interest. So far, all Vlad had seen in this world are humans. Since this world is the same as the game he had played, it was only natural the different races also exist in this world. Interested, he stored the book inside his storage. He then took another book - read the title, and repeat. \"The Dragons of Brulhild\" \"The Gate: Mystery of Another Country\" \"The Kingdom, the Empire, and Other Smaller Countries\" \"Sacred Spells of Ancient Magnus\" \"Theories of Another World: Where did Goblins come From?\" \"The Dwarves of Mt. Pulu\" \"Legendary ''Device''\" \"Goddess Clair and the Holy Empress\" \"Advance Magic Spells: Fire Element\" \"All Known Countries\" \"Peace Between Races: Humans\" \"The Guild of Heteromorphs\" These were some of the titles Vlad had read. Some of it caught his attention and decided to store it. [ Vlad-san... Some of these books are ancient... I can''t believe they will exist in this dungeon... ] she mutters in disbelief as she also browses the shelves with great curiosity. ( The books here are mixed, huh...? Some look fake but there are some that look real and would be useful... ) he thought as he continues to take some of the books and read their titles one by one. And as he did so, he found one that got his interest the most than any other of the books. \"The Tales and Names of all Known Heroes\" 43 Chapter 43 ~ Royalty of a Knigh [ I can''t believe it... There are so many books here that I still haven''t read or even seen! ] [ Hmm... Is that really...? I think some of them are fake... ] Vlad responded with doubt. There were certainly many books that are stored in this large room. At first look, one will mistake that each book was different from another, but with proper inspection, some of them are exactly alike and just copies. There were also some books that are unfinished, books with missing pages, and some that are straight-up books with not a single word written on them. [ Well, that''s only natural Vlad-san. Books are very expensive; that''s why some people make fake copies of famous books to sell to us, nobles. ] [ Hmm... Yes, the books I''ve bought in the city, too, are really expensive. ] ( Appraisal... ) Name: \"Collected Maps of Legendary Swords\" Age: 241 Class: Fake - 1/150 copies Author: Unkown Name: \"The Tales and Names of All Known Heroes\" Age: 311 Class: Original - 1/10 copies Author - Akira ( That old, huh? A book from 300 years ago... It''s already outdated but it might still be useful. ) As he thought so, Vlad stored the book in his inventory together with the other ones he found interesting. [ I wonder what is this room about... ] whispered Alicia who out of nowhere went to Vlad''s side. [ Is doesn''t seem like it has any traps... It''s also not the dungeon boss''s room... ] ( I''ve also been wondering about this since earlier... Who uses this room? What is it for? My only guess is the dungeon boss... ) [ Well, Alicia-san, I think we should get going. ] [ A-Ah... Right... ] she replied hesitantly. [ What is it...? ] realizing she still has something she''s wanting to say, Vlad asked her. [ Well... I was just thinking maybe I could get some of these books... ] ( She''s really fond of books, huh? Well, if this was an anime, she would be the quiet type of girl who always hangs out in the library, reading books. It''s not really surprising she would say that. ) Vlad thought as he looks at Alicia''s appearance - Silver hair, average height, and a slender figure; quiet yet easy to be angered. Give her some glasses and she would easily become an eroge character. At least that what Vlad thinks of her. [ Well, we can always come back to this floor when we finish subjugating the dungeon boss. ] *** [ Haa!!! ] An arc of light appeared as Caiden''s swings his large battle axe. Easily, the enemies that were caught up on it were slashed into two parts. Seeing their numbers cut down to less than the number of their enemies, the monsters fled in defeat. [ Great! ] Sarah enthusiastically shouted. [ We''re getting close to Vlad-sama! ] [ Amazing...! Almost all the enemies we''ve encountered in the past floors are already defeated... Vlad-sama really is amazing...! ] [ As expected of the master... At this rate, we''ll be able to reach master in no time... ] The trio expressed their amazement and praise to their master, Vlad Alucard, who''s currently still in a separate area of the dungeon. [ Really... All of these are high-class monsters the guild are afraid of... I can''t believe the three of you are able to fight and defeat many of them... ] Caiden muttered in disbelief. He had experienced fighting with them for the past few hours and he realized that they''re no ordinary slaves. [ Well, master-shama trained us. We''ve fought stronger monsters than these, Caiden! ] as if she''s talking to a friend, Lumi casually reach an arm on Caiden''s shoulder and said those words with high confidence. [ ... ] ( Why is she acting like this...? She''s completely different from her serious state earlier... ) with an awkward and seemingly bothered face, Caiden muttered these words as he looks at the demi-human girl who''s trying to reach and put a hand on his shoulder. [ Hey, Lumi! Don''t act like that towards Caiden-sama! He''s a hero! ] Sarah, also with a troubled face, retorted to Lumi. [ Oh...!? Ehe~ So Caiden is a hero...? ] she mutters as her shocked face turns to a smirk. [ You did not know...? ] [ No... Because Caiden is my friend! But he''s not my hero, master-sama is! ] ( E-Eh~? ) [ Master-sama always gives me food! He gives me tuna! ] [ Unn... Master also always gives me my favorite... Lizard and frog meat... ] Nina added still with her seemingly tired voice. [ ... ] hearing their conversation, Caiden could only stay silent in both shame and confusion. [ You two! Stop bothering Caiden-sama and focus! ] acting as the leader of the trio, Sarah ordered them. ( Sarah-san... At least she seems normal... ) [ Sarah-san, I just want to ask, how exactly Vlad-san is training you... Honestly... You three seem more experienced in conquering dungeons than me and Alicia. From what I''ve heard, Vlad-san bought you just at least two weeks ago... How come you''re already this experienced...? ] He asked with both the feeling of shame and disbelief. He was ashamed as some mere slaves are more knowledgable than him, and he was in disbelief how the three of them became so accustomed to each other and their teamwork in just a mere matter of time. It could even be said that their teamwork a much better than Caiden''s and the hero''s party''s own teamwork. [ Well... I''m sorry Caiden-sama, but we can''t share the information on how Vlad-san trains us... ] [ Is that so...? Don''t worry, I don''t mind. Maybe I''ll just ask Vlad-san himself next time. ] [ Thank you for understanding. ] Sarah bowed and replied with respect. [ Hmm... By the way... It seems your style of fighting is almost identical to that of the knights... no, rather, it almost seemed that you''re accustomed to it... are you perhaps...? ] [ Yes. I served as a knight in another country before I became a slave. I was also a noble, but because of the large debt of my parents, it was decided that I was to be sold. ] [ Sarah-san, your strength is higher than even high ranking knights of this country... I say you serve again as a knight... ] [ What do you mean by that...? ] [ I''m saying that we free and buy you back from Vlad-san and make you serve again as a knight, or even better, one of us heroes... ] Sarah turned silent. She was a knight. Since she was a kid it was her dream to become someone powerful, not just to prove herself to other people, but to also help them. If she could get the opportunity, she would definitely grab it without hesitation. Not now she''s being offered a second chance to become a knight again, not to mention, she''s also being offered a position as a hero. But right now... [ That is a great offer, Caiden-sama. But the chance was already gone... I''ve already declared both my service and the entirety of myself to Vlad-sama; I would not betray him or leave his side. ] [ You will be freed from being a slave, are you sure you want to become someone''s property rather than be freed? ] [ Caiden-sama... After Vlad-sama had bought us from slavery, he also asked us the same thing. ] [ Huh...? ] [ He said that he will free us from becoming slaves and he will remove these collars from our neck. ] she said as she grips the slave collar that is on her neck. [ The-Then!? ] [ We did not accept. ] [ ... ] Caiden was dumbfounded from what he had heard. Becoming free from slavery. Definitely all slaves in the world will say ''yes''. It was not their choice to become slaves in the first place. Yet right now, he''s standing beside a slave who chooses to become one rather than to be freed. [ I don''t know if Vlad-sama had planned it from the start... Giving us the chance to take baths and giving us clothes... Giving us delicious food to eat and a comfortable place to sleep... In just a single day, he was able to get our trust and affection... When we wake up, he immediately asked us if we want to be freed; he said that he will remove our collars and we will get the chance to live our lives normally again. But since the first time we taste the dishes he gave us, we already know our answers. ] Caiden was stunned. It was the first time Caiden has heard someone do that; to free the slaves they bought with their own coins. [ Either way, I already made a vow that I will only use my sword for Vlad-sama''s. Becoming a knight for a second time will never happen. ] Sarah was serious. Caiden could see that in her eyes. There was no way he could get her to his side; Nina and Lumi, too, would definitely say the same thing. [ Haah... Vlad-san really knows how he handles his women, huh? ] [ Eh-Eh~!? No-no! Vlad-sama already has Stella and Ayla-sama! ] with a blush on her face, she tried to brush away Caiden''s thought. [ Ho~? I wonder about that...? ] ( I wonder if I could also make my own harem by giving women fishes and lizards though... ) *** [ Sarah-san... There''s an enemy approaching... ] Inside a large room filled with books and bookshelves, Lumi gave her instruction and had everyone prepared for the enemy that''s coming towards them. At the other end of the room, a bright, round, and red light were seen. It was the enemy. The ground shakes and a few spikes from the ceiling fell down; making a ''bam!'' sound as it falls down and destroys the shelves that were storing the books. [ Sarah-san... I feel like this enemy is a lot stronger than anything we''ve encountered so far... I don''t we will stand a chance... ] [ Tsk! Was it able to escape from master? Either way, we need to fight it...! ] Caiden prepared his ax and made a stance, Sarah holds grip to her sword tight, Lumi took exactly three arrows from her quiver and put all of them on the string of her bow, and Nina bumped her fists with iron gauntlets against each other. They prepared themselves for the enemy that puts pressure on them without even seeing its form. 44 Chapter 44 ~ The Silent Predator of the Dungeon [ ...! ] The ground shook and the spikes hanging on top of the ceiling fell after another - making large and loud impacts as they crash to the ground. Not a second later, smokes of dust hid everything that can be seen and fills the room, making the group anxious as the enemy they''re anticipating to come is now hidden. [ Nina! ] [ Hai! ] With Sarah''s signal, Nina used one of her magic. [ Wind Shield! ] An invisible yet solid wind was unleashed from Nina. It throws and blows away the clouds of dust that surrounds them, giving them the chance to regain the view of the entire room that was just taken away from them. One of Nina''s support magic - Wind Shield. Its original purpose was to shield herself and her allies. But with Vlad''s creative thinking of how one can use magic in many ways, he was able to teach Nina some other use for it. [ Prepare yourselves! ] Again, Sarah gave the command as the quake that was shaking the ground disappeared and silence took over. They guarded each other''s backs to have eyes on all corners of the room. And as what she told them to do, she also prepared herself and gripped and the long sword she''s equipped with. [ ... ] A cold sweat ran through her cheeks as she waited for the enemy to show itself. ( This enemy is clearly on a different level than the enemies we fought before...! ) Experiencing the intensity of the presence of the yet, unseen enemy, Sarah had reached this conclusion. [ ... ] Silence... A minute had passed yet there was still no sign of an enemy coming. It was not just Sarah who was thinking there''s something wrong; everyone in the group was not letting their guard down for a single moment - their eyes were all focused and their muscles are all tense. [ Lumi! ] [ I... It''s still here... It''s waiting for the chance to attack...! ] Lumi replied with fear written in her eyes. Her instinct and very body are telling her to immediately run. But as she looks at her allies that are currently experiencing the same fear as she is, she was able to resist doing so. [ Tsk! Don''t break formation! ] [ Sarah-san... It''s here... It''s close... I can smell it... I can feel its presence... ] again, Lumi trembles as she warns them. Lumi felt on her skin that the enemy was just a swing of a sword close to them. It felt as if death is standing close to them. *Hiss... [ ...! ] Sarah, Caiden, Nina, and Lumi were all focused on each corner of the room, particularly, in both the entrance and exit. They did not expect in the least... [ Above! ] [ Shield! ] Nina cast her strongest shield spell above them. A green and transparent, orb-like shield caved them and protected them from the large fangs that attacked them from above. *BAM!!! Tch... A total of six fangs longer and sharper than swords bit the shield that was cast. And only a second and it was able to penetrate it like a needle, and after that, it didn''t take long for the shield to crack by itself. [ Everyone! ] There was no need to say it. Everyone already knows what they need to do. *Crack... ... *Crack...! ... *Crack!!! ... The group immediately jumped out of the shield the second it breaks into pieces... And the second they did, they were able to see the terrifying appearance of their expected enemy. The mix of the king of snakes and a draconic hydra - the enemy has a long and large body; its edge was three heads growing apart from each other. Its skin was the same color as the ceiling; its only features that have different colors are its red-ruby eyes and its white-sharp fangs. It was then they just realized - It purposedly created the clouds of dust to hide away from their vision as it quietly and swiftly hangs itself on the ceiling. And hide and waited for the right moment to attack. \"The Perfect Hunter\" The title fits its owner. The ''Draconic Snake-Hydra'' - was said to be the natural and perfect assassin in all of the known and existing monsters. It was intelligent and it has all the abilities to adapt to all kinds of hunting methods. [ Sa-Sarah-san...! We... We''re done for! ] Lumi - who knows most of all the predatory monsters in the wild was the most afraid in their group. Her instinct is telling her that she would die. No, they all will. A spit of its poison can melt iron. Its fangs can penetrate the strongest armor. Its large body can crash the bones of all living creatures. Furthermore, it can hide its self physically with camouflage and it can also make itself undetectable to magic - if it tries again, it will be able to hide from them for the second time. There was no way they could win. All that was left for them to do was to run. Yet in fear, all they were able to do was to stare at its terrifying appearance. [ M-Master... ] Lumi whispered the name of her master - her owner and the strongest person she knows. She did so to believe that she would be saved. To hope that he would save her. Yet this action only backfired as her voice only gathered the attention of the enemy. [ ...! ] She stares to the deep, red eyes of the enemy, afraid. She felt like she was being sucked in. *Hiss... The enemy made its hissing sounds, Lumi on the other hand, only trembles in fear. And before she knew it... [ Lumi! ] The enemy''s fangs are ready to penetrate her body. ~~~ Her life flashes before her eyes - The village she lived at - where she learned all the basic skills that serve as the foundation and base of her skills and knowledge. The Prison that was in the form of the slave market - where she experienced hardships and abuse. And there was also - Probably the best experience she had in life... The short yet fun and satisfying life she spent in her master''s mansion. In her mind, she saw all the food her master''s bride, Ayla, had cooked for them; she saw the faces of all the slaves that were bought together with her, and she saw the face of her kind, beloved master she ''probably'' wants to mate with. But those memories all came to an end when the fangs of the enemies strucked and penetrated her body. 45 Chapter 45 ~ Teamwork - P1 Her entire body was pierced by the large fangs of the enemy. It penetrated her limbs and cracked her bones. And blood came running like showers wetting the fry floor of the dungeon. It was a sight only seen in nightmares. She died... Or at least she thought so... [ Lumi-nee...! ] ... ... As she hears the voice of her companion, Nina, the illusion created by her instinct disappeared like smoke. She blinks her eyes and realized that she was still alive; kneeling behind the back of Nina. Everything she just saw was created by the fear she felt when she looked at the enemy''s eyes. She thought death was certain. But it seems that was not the case. [ Lumi! Nina! ] Sarah, who''s standing in panic, far on the other corner, shouted her name. [ Lumi-nee! I...! I won''t be able to hold much longer...! ] [ ...! ] Because of the confusion and shock, it was a little slow for Lumi to realize, but as soon as she did, she started to panic. Nina is holding off the relentless bites and headbutts of the numerous heads of the enemy. She and Lumi are both inside a sphere-like, transparent shield that at any moment - will be destroyed. *Crack...! *Crack!!! Immediately, Lumi made her move. She rushed and took Nina''s body that seemed to have been taken off all of its strength and immediately dashed away from the pursuit of the enemy''s attacks without hesitation. ( Tsk! This is my fault! ) looking at Nina''s limp body, who had reached its limit protecting her, Lumi could only blame herself for not being able to do anything. Carrying Nina''s body, she turned her head upwards to the enemy who''s still hanging half of its body on the ceiling. Its eyes are red in anger. She feels its irritation - probably because of its two prey escaping from its attack. ( ...! ) opening its mouths, it spits at them. Green liquids were shot towards them. Nina knows what that attack was. It was said that the spit of a Draconic Snake-hydra can easily melt metal. It was more than dangerous to get hit by it. She leaps small distances every time the shots were about to hit them - it, being effective and none was able to hit their target. Lumi was dodging all of the enemy''s attacks with her nimble body, not letting a single one hit her and Nina. Every second felt like a while as the enemy continues to pursue her. Her master will always put them into harsh and impossible situations, but in the end, she knows that he won''t let them die from it. What''s happening right now is completely different from that - with one wrong move, she, and her companions will die. [ Lumi! ] Sarah, who seemed to have already caught up, attacked the enemy with her sword, cutting one of its head. Being in shock, the enemy stopped its tracks and look at the figure of Sarah who has her guard up, gripping the hilt of her sword tight. There was also Caiden, who also tried to attack the body of the enemy but failed to injure it. [ Lumi! Give her master''s potion! ] [ A-Ah! ] Maybe because she was panicking and was under the pressure of the enemy that she forgot to give Nina the potion her master had given them, but either way, she needs to eventually and immediately do it. Taking out a blue-colored bottle from her pouch, she looks at the face of the girl she''s holding in her arms. She bit and open the lid of the potion and made Nina drink its content. [ Come-on, Nina! ] *Cough! *Cough! The effect was immediate, Nina was able to regain consciousness just seconds after drinking the potion. She opens her eyes and looks at Lumi. [ Lu-Lumi-nee... ] she says in a voice that seems to be whispering. [ Ni-Nina! I thought you were going to die! Huhu~! ] Lumi cried, hugging the limp body of Nina who is still in a dazed and confused state. It was a heartfelt scene if not for the enemy who was pursuing and attacking them. [ Nina! Lumi! Mind if you help us here!? ] called Sarah. It was only a few seconds of holding off the enemy, but Sarah and Caiden are almost at their limits. Sarah''s armor is almost torn off, showing her bare skin, leaving it in exposure to the enemy''s attacks. Caiden also has his axe almost melted away from blocking the enemy''s spit with it. The enemy, on the other hand, has already recovered from its injuries. Regenerating its cut-off head and started to attack again. [ Ri-Right! ] [ Un! ] the two people on their backs replied. And they immediately got in their positions. In a blink of an eye, Nina was already in front of the two knights, creating a shield that blocked the attacks of the enemy and protecting the two of them. With this, Sarah and Caiden regained their composure and they also get in their positions. [ Sarah-san... This guy almost killed me earlier... I''ll make sure he pays for it, Sarah-san! ] says Lumi from the back who has her bow and arrows already prepared to shoot the enemy. [ Yes, now that it has itself exposed to us, it won''t be able to ambush us like before... It was just lucky we didn''t notice his presence before... ] [ You guys seem to already have a plan... I''ll just try to get along with it, okay? ] [ Don''t worry Caiden, my friend, we''ll kill this guy before you can even cut it with your large ax! ] with a tone as if they''re familiar with each other, she gave her reassurance. [ Okay! ] [ Nina, we''ll leave the defense to you! ] [ Un! ] Now that they regain their formation, they''re now confident they can beat the enemy. *** Or so they thought... [ Sa-Sarah-san! Whe-Where did it go!? ] [ I-I don''t know! Just prepare yourselves! Never let your guard down! ] With their backs against each other, they prepared themselves and their weapons for the upcoming attack of the enemy. [ I thought you already have a plan!? ] Caiden complained. [ I didn''t know it can bury itself underground! Just how it was able to do that? ] [ Sarah-nee, by joining its head together as one, it can go and dig underground. But with this floor this hard, I''m sure it''s also hurting itself by doing so... ] Nina replied to Sarah''s question. [ Tsk! What should we do now!? Just dealing with its growing head is hard enough! Now we also have to deal with it burying underground!? Just how worst our situation can possibly get!? ] Caiden shouted with his face serious and worried. *BooOOoom!!! The ground shook again and smoke came out just beside the four of them. [ Shield! ] The enemy attacked again as soon as it unburied itself underground. Its joined heads separated, and again, it started to spit and tackle at its prey. 46 Chapter 46 ~ Teamwork - P2 *BooOOoom!!! Again, the floor behind them blasted open and the enemy came out, attacking them with its usual headbutts and bites; it seems to be never tiring. [ Shield! ] Nina blocked the attacks again with her shield magic. With the enemy''s relentless attacks, the shield started to crack. Just with little enough push, it will break and they will be exposed to the enemy. But Nina will not let that happen, she pushed herself and her magic to the limit to keep the shield stable. But just after just a few seconds of holding off the enemy, her arms and legs started to shake from the pressure and pain the attacks of the enemy are doing. Even though her magic only consumes her mana, it still started to hurt her physically as she already used the same magic many times already and exhausted her body. [ It''s burying itself again! ] shouted Sarah. *CraaAAaash! [ Haa... Haa... ] Nina pants in exhaustion. Thankfully, the enemy had buried itself again underground before her magic gives up. [ This is bad...! I don''t think Nina would last longer... We''ve also almost used up all master''s potions... If we don''t come up with a plan now, we won''t survive... ] Sarah says as she looks at Nina''s current state. [ I thought your master was always prepared for everything!? I thought you all said your master has trained you for all kinds of situations, did he also prepare you for this!? ] [ Vlad-master-sama did! It''s just that this enemy is much stronger and we''re at a huge disadvantage in this place! ] Lumi reverted to Caiden with an angry expression on her face. [ Then, you can come up with something, right? Sarah-san! ] turning her eyes away from Lumi to Sarah, she asked for her answer. [ I... I can think of something... but it will need someone to act as a bait... ] she hesitantly says as she looks at both Caiden and Lumi. [ For this plan to work... one of you will need to act as bait. ] with serious eyes, she stares at them, waiting for them to reply. Even if the current situation needs immediate action, she will respectively wait for one of them to take the task. She thought that it will take a while before they will come out with an answer, but... [ Make Caiden do it. ] Lumi''s answer was immediate. [ Nina and I already almost died just earlier, it''s now Caiden''s turn. ] Both Caiden and Sarah were shocked by her immediate cruel reply, but with their current situation, they were more than glad that someone was able to give an answer. [ ... ] [ ... ] They stared at Lumi for a second, before... [ Fine, I''ll do it. Since you three work best together, I might as well act as the bait. I will just guess that you''ll do something before I get killed. ] with determination, he gripped the handle of his axe tight. He''s now giving his trust to the three people he just met and worked with today. Normally, he wouldn''t risk his life for some slaves he just spent a short time with, but the short time he had spent with them created an exhilarating friendship like the one he wishes to share with his knight companions. And so, like the leader of knights fighting for their survival, he wouldn''t mind trusting his life to them if it will also help him save his own. [ I will do it. ] [ Un. ] Sarah nodded to Caiden. But it was not a nod that someone will give to a friend, it was a nod full of respect to someone superior to them. *** And so... With his axe tied behind his back, Caiden ran as fast as he could to the other side of the room. Even though it was a rather small room compared to the other ones seen in normal dungeons, it still felt twice its actual size as Caiden ran through it knowing that something might suddenly appear from below him that can actually kill him. ( This is bad...! I never been afraid my whole life! ) In the battlefield Caiden always fights in, he was the superior being. He knows that there were only a few who could actually kill him, namely, the \"Heroes\" like him. But other than them, there was no one who can stand up against him. He himself is a hero. But unlike the leader of their group, Hana, he was not dubbed as the \"Heroes of the Prophecy\", which only a few heroes were bestowed out in the church. He is confident of his strength but he always doubts that he was a hero, he just never consciously saved someone, he just did so because it was part of his job. But right now, he will try to become the hero of those three slaves he just met. They save him back when he was alone instead of going to their beloved master, if it wasn''t for them, he would be dead by now. Now, he will pay that debt back by risking his lives for their survival. [ I hope this is worth it...! ] ( I''m risking my life for a bunch of slaves I just met when I can just run away like a coward... but I''m not a coward...! ) [ Haah!!! ] *BooOOoom!!! With his shout, the multi-headed enemy appeared again below the ground, creating smokes of dust in the air. The enemy separated its joined heads that was almost shaped like a drill for the last time and blasted its toxic spits towards him. He tried to dodge all of them, but some still grazed his armor and some even touched his skin. But he did not weaver and he continued to run. ( Just how far is the entrance...? It''s close...! ) his eyes were instantly filled with hope as he saw that his goal is now close to his reach. ( But it''s not over yet...! ) Muttering so inside his head, he took the axe that was tied behind his back and grip it tight. ( I still need to hold it off a little before Lumi and Nina can finish preparing their attacks. ) [ Haa... ] he sighs as he stopped in his tracks and looks back in front. He had reached his destination. The rotting-metal gates stood high in the ceiling of the cave-like room, and he stood below it. There are large rocks scattered everywhere from the time the enemy showed up and shook the room, and just in front of him, there, already catching up was the enemy. As soon as the enemy caught up to him, it leaps its large heads over him. It showed its large fangs that are longer and sharper than swords. They are ready to impale his body. [ It''s been a while since I last use this... But... this is the kind situation I need to use it the most... ] ( A sword technique my grandfather passed down to my father and passed down to me... It was never meant to be used with an axe, but... ) With those words, Caiden took his stance, and as soon as he did, time seems to have stopped. It was almost the same as Arthur''s strongest attack - he powers himself up and releases a very powerful strike. But this one is different, it was just not a single strike. Visible air enters his nose as he inhales and... With one second - [ Sixfold Sword Strike! ] *Swooooosh!!! ... ... Blood came showering and multiple heads flew in the air and drop to the ground just a second later. *Splash *Splash * Bam! The enemy was cut all of its head. Only its tail-like body was now left limp in the ground. [ Haa... Haa... ] panting, he looks at the bloody body of the enemy in the ground. Looking at it, he can see that there is still something in it that''s still breathing. It was its heart, or rather, its hearts. [ I guess my luck isn''t just that high... ] he says as he drops his now blood-stained axe to the ground and finally gave up as he was not able to defeat it with his strongest attack. Apparently, the enemy has multiple palm-sized hearts that circulates in its body, making it hard to hit, and even if you manage to hit one or two, it will still survive with one left. Caiden failed to hit all of them. [ Haa... ] But still, he knows that he won''t be able to in the first place... [ I''m all exhausted now... There''s nothing left to do but leave the rest to them... ] he mutters as he looks at the now regenerating enemy. With just a minute, it was already able to regrow almost half of its heads. And the now regrown heads are staring at Caiden with killing intent. ... ... Another minute had passed and it was already able to regrow all of its head. And they''re ready to pounce at Caiden. But Caiden did not weaver and only stared back on its eyes... Before long, the enemy finally attacks and... !!! 47 Chapter 47 ~ After the Battle [ Still, I can''t believe you guys were really able to take it down. ] [ Of course! It was easy, it won''t even compare to master''s pets! ] Lumi replied with a carefree smile on her face. But despite what she said, it was definitely nothing that she meant. It was a tough fight. One wrong move and their companion, Caiden, could''ve died. They really can''t tell what his relationship with their master, but they know that he doesn''t show him hostility, unlike the other girl he was always with. They never really had the intention to work with him but it was their master''s order. It was hard for the three of them at first, but after they had shared multiple life-threatening events, they have accepted him as a friend. [ Haha... That was really tough... ] Caiden made an empty laugh. Remembering what had happened... ( Just... what really happened there...? ) Just a second... One late second and he might not be able to make the laugh he did just now. If Sarah did not come exactly as she did in the fight, cutting off the few heads of the enemy and then blocking away the others, he might''ve been dead right now. And if Lumi and Nina did not use their strongest attacks, then both he and Sarah would not survive the relentless attacks of the enemy. He only vaguely remembers it; an attack that shone and annihilated the enemy. And it was not able to regenerate again. ( ... ) [ I did not really see what happened, but can you tell me what that attack was? ] he asks Lumi. [ Hmm...? Should I tell you? ] she replied with a big smirk on her face. [ You know, I really want to brag about it, but master said that it should be a secret... ] [ oh... ] ( A secret, huh? Just what is that guy teaching these slaves...? ) Caiden relaxes and rests his body on the floor, giving up on his curiosity. [ Haa... ] he breathes a long sigh. Caiden and Lumi exchange their words with Nina listening to them. The three of them are now only lying exhausted and almost lifeless on the ground, leaving Sarah staring at them in silence. A while had already passed and they had also used all of their remaining potions to recover their exhausted mana, they should already have enough energy to stand and continue their journey, but instead, they just laid themselves there, relaxing as if nothing had happened. [ You guys... ] The three wanted to rest as they are the most that got exhausted in the battle. Sarah, on the other hand, wants to continue their search for their master. [ Now, now, Sarah-senpai, we''ve exhausted ourselves like crazy, you know? If it wasn''t for us, sacrificing ourselves, none of us would''ve survived... Can''t we at least rest for a little bit more? ] Lumi voiced as she looks at the annoyed look on Sarah''s face. [ Do you remember what master always says to us whenever we finish training? If he''s here, he will say, \"Rest is necessary after hard work, take a rest\" ] [ Can you please not imitate him? ] her shoulders down, she mutters. [ That''s right, Sarah-san, we''ve exhausted ourselves not just physically, but also mentally, a few minutes won''t be that much. ] with his hands behind his head, Caiden supported Lumi. [ Not you, too, Caiden-sama... ] whispers Sarah with disappointment as she looks the knight captain she respected wasting time together and being close with the laziest person she knows. [ Let''s just relax for now and look for your master later. If we go exhausted like this to your master and danger suddenly shows up, don''t you think we''ll only cause him trouble and hold him back? I''m sure they''re also waiting for us, let''s conserve our strength first so that we can fight together with them equally when we regroup. ] [ Well... that''s true... ] she replied with a worried look. *** [ Haah... ] And so, the four of them rested their tired bodies on the ground and breaths a sigh of satisfaction. [ This is the best! ] says Lumi. [ I never thought doing this in a dungeon would be so refreshing... This is the first time I''ve been relaxed in such a dangerous place... ] Caiden added. [ Un... ] Nina nodded to their conversation. Now that the battle that almost took their lives is over, it was now their time to rest. [ ... ] Sarah, on the other hand, only stared at the rough walls with blank eyes. ( Aren''t we supposed to be looking for master...? ) Sarah mutters inside his head as she looks at the three people with her resting as if they have already forgotten what they were supposed to do. ( Haah... I say that but I also want to rest... Even though I really want to look for master... \"Priorities always come first\"... That''s what master always says... But even though I want to follow that... My body just won''t listen... ) [ I wonder what he would say if he sees us like this...? He would - ] - Sarah mutters to herself, but before she could finish her sentence... [ What are you doing...? ] [ definitely get angry... ] ( ... ) [ ... ] Silence took over, before... [ [ Ma-Master!!!? ] ] *** It happened a few minutes after they left that particular room. *Crack...! *Crack!!! The ground shook and a loud crashing sound resounded from the direction they came from. [ What was that, Vlad-san...? ] [ I don''t know, but I got a bad feeling about it... ] as he says that, he immediately did his Echolocation skill and check the status of Caiden and his slaves. The direction they just came from - should be the room the other group will arrive at. At first, he was constantly observing them, but ever since he and Alicia fought their first enemy, he removed his eyes on them. ( Just what was that sound? There should be no enemies left on those floors... ) He and Alicia had already defeated all the enemies in all the floors they walked in, because of this, Caiden''s group should be easily able to catch up to them, hence why he had also abandoned the plan of going to the other direction and regrouping with them first. But it seems like Vlad''s calculation was incorrect. [ ... ] It took a few seconds after his skills reached the four of them, but as soon as it did... ( This is!? ) There was an enemy. The other group is currently fighting an enemy he and Alicia had missed. ( No, we already defeated all of them, where did it come from? ) as he asks himself that question, he looks at the figure of the enemy the four are currently fighting. He remembers it, it was one of the two figures he saw in the boss''s room; it was an entity that never existed in the game. He realized that, but as soon as he did, another question came in his mind: just how was it able to move past them? The only answer was it traveled underground. [ Alicia-san, we need to go back. ] [ Huh? Why...? ] [ Caiden and those three are in danger. ] *** ( So they gained so much level that their bodies are now adjusting, huh...? This always happens to them when I train them, I wouldn''t mind if they rest for a bit, but... ) [ ... ] [ Ma-Master! This is not what it looks like! I was - I was! ] Sarah tried to deny her actions. But Vlad only stood there, ignoring her, reason because there was Lumi, apologizing in her own way, too... [ Master-sama! I''m really shorry-ry! It was Caiden''s fault that we rest first before we look for you! ] Lumi came apologizing with tears on her eyes, hugging and tugging his clothes, making it wet with her tears. Looking at her only made Vlad irritated. [ I''m really sorry I did not prioritize you, master! It was really Caiden''s idea! Then, after he was able to force me, my body started to not listen to me! Ple-please! Spare me the punishment, master! ] The two of them apologized. Nina, on the other hand, is just quietly standing beside Vlad, waiting for her chance to brag about defeating one of her tribe''s rivals and then ask for her reward. Caiden is just smiling awkwardly on the side, scratching the top of his head as he looks at them. [ [ Ma-Master...! ] ] ( ... ) and Vlad stares at his student slaves, realizing again just how abnormal they were. ( I should''ve just let them by themselves... that way they will be able to rest properly and they won''t be able to irritate me like this... I really regret coming back for them... ) 48 Chapter 48 ~ The Final Room Vlad used his Echolocation skill and mapping skill again to observe the room for the final time. His vision widened and he was able to freely observe everything that was in his skill range. But he only focused on one room, in particular, the room they''re about to enter. Almost everything inside the room was blackened and are only outlines in Vlad''s vision, but he can clearly guess what they are. The outlines of the furniture, weapons, and other treasures inside can easily be guessed, the only thing that Vlad was not able to properly guess was the figure of the only creature that was sitting in a throne-like seat. ( Finally, this is the goal... ) *** [ This is the boss''s room...? I can''t believe we''re able to reach this far with not even half a day... ] Alicia whispers to herself in amazement. They had already gone down many holes and many stairs to reach this final floor. Now, they only need to push open the door that was in front of them. Everything that had happened felt very fast. [ Let''s prepare ourselves...! ] With those words said, they all nodded and made serious faces as they prepare their weapons. They all equipped themselves up, all except one, Vlad. [ No, I''ll take care of this myself. ] he said as he turns his head towards them. [ ... ] [ Huh...? ] [ Master...? ] Every one of them lowered their guards and stared at Vlad with confused faces. [ What do you mean, \"I''ll take care of this\"? We''ve already reached this far, let us fight with you! ] [ You are all now exhausted. Caiden and my students won''t be able to fight with their full power. And Alicia, you have also already reached your limit, isn''t it? ] That was right, in this world, ''level ups'' affects the body much as like getting exhausted in a fight or getting one''s mana depleted completely. They have fought and beaten many stronger enemies on their way here, they have clearly gained much experience their bodies can handle in such a short time. Even if they restore their mana and energy with potions, they still won''t be able to simply remove its effects, hence, they won''t be able to fight properly. [ But that''s... but I''ve already recovered my mana! I''m still able to fight! ] [ Didn''t you hear what I just said? You know your own body best, I''m sure you''re only forcing yourself to stand up. You won''t be able to fight like that. ] [ ... ] with those words, she turned her head down and went quiet. [ Then, are you saying you will do this your own? ] Caiden stepped forward and asked. [ Isn''t that what I just said? ] Caiden did not reply and only stared at him with an empty look. It was obvious that Vlad was serious, it was like what he had witness before, he was sure of his victory before he even sees his enemy. [ Then, what are we supposed to do? ] [ You can watch if you want. ] carefree, he said. [ That''s... that''s the worst insult someone will be able to throw at us... Do you expect us to watch while you fight the strongest enemy alone? We''re heroes! Really! How are you still not able to realize that!? ] Alicia, like what she always does, had snapped and shouted at Vlad. Just looking at the expression she has on her face, it was easy to see that she was desperate - desperate to prove herself to Vlad. [ At least acknowledge us as one! Let us fight! ] ( ... ) [ Haah... Again, as I said, you won''t be able to fight properly, you''ll only hold me back. I can deal with this myself. ] with a sigh, Vlad replied to her. [ At least we''ll try to! ] she again revolted. [ Alicia! Stop. ] Caiden shouted, stopping her from saying any more than she did. [ Like Vlad-san had said, we should let him take care of this. Do you realize the consequences of your actions? Alicia, you''re the reason those three slaves and I had almost die! At least try to avoid making the same mistake again, I thought you were the intellectual, yet you''re the one making unreasonable decisions! ] Caiden shouted and let out the anger he accumulated till now. [ Let Vlad-san handle this. ] [ We''re heroes, Caiden! ] [ Are you really...? Did you ever save anyone on purpose? Did you ever fight for anyone other than yourself? Are you really one? The word \"Hero\" was just a title given to us because we''re strong. It''s also not something you use to do and say unreasonable and stupid things. ] [ Tha-that''s! ] [ Just let Vlad-san handle this. Fighting that last enemy is not the reason we came here, we came here to see just how powerful Vlad-san really is, and this is where we get the chance. ] he blatantly said with Vlad still listening. [ You''re beeing too unreasonable, Alicia, it irritates me. ] he says to Alicia with eyes of annoyance. [ Caiden... You''re acting really weird, did those slaves do something to you!? ] trying to remove the blame from her, she turns to the three slaves of Vlad. [ [ Huh...? ] ] all of them could only exclaim in surprise. Only Vlad was able to stay calm. [ Alicia! Are you really going to go there!? That''s just stupid! ] Caiden defended himself. [ Ri-Right! Caiden is just a friend! We have master! Don''t say anything like that in front of master! ] Lumi shouted at her. [ Un. ] Nina nodded. [ Why you! You mere slaves! ] Alicia came walking towards Lumi, about to attack her - it was the usual response of a noble to a slave, but before she could reach her, Vlad interrupts. [ Vlad-san...! ] [ Alicia-san, if you really want to fight, I will say this to you: even if you, Caiden, and these three fought with the boss of this dungeon, you won''t stand a chance, even if you regain your normal states. ] [ But... how would you know!? ] she shouted with the face of desperation. [ You know... I really thought you''re finally will be able to get over your hatred after I rescue you and after I help you fight with the enemies, but it seems that was not the case, you''re still that stupid girl that was far from the hero I imagined. ] Those words stunned Alicia. He was still blunt as always, but he has never been this hurtful and direct before. [ It seems no one will really be able to convince you. Do what you want, I won''t stop you if you want to be killed, just don''t hold me back, or I''ll kill you myself. ] Everyone was shocked. Not because they''re scared, but because how he was able to say those words so casually. [ Let''s stop this nonsense and continue. ] saying so, he left Lumi''s side and walked past Alicia. [ ... ] Alicia, hugging her huge staff, looks at the back of the person she was supposed to prove herself to. [ Why...? ] *** With him in the front of the formation, he opened the door. A dark black room immediately entered his sight. His night vision instantly activated and he was able to see clearly, but that was not the case with his companions... [ Holy Light! ] Instantly, the room was filled with light, leaving no shadow behind. Vlad used the spell that can light up even the darkest corner of any room; a countermeasure for anything that might suddenly appear, attacking his companions while he fights the boss. [ [ Woah! ] ] everyone gasps in amazement. [ Really... What incredible magic... ] it was his first time seeing Vlad uses his magic. All the magic work, he had left it for his slaves and so he did not really use anything earlier. But now that he had seen it for himself, he was in amazement. But that feeling immediately fades away as his eyes turn ahead. [ Vlad-san... ] his expression turned serious and he immediately called for Vlad. But without him saying it, Vlad already knows. He was already looking ahead and he had already seen its figure before they can even notice its presence. There he saw a throne seat layered with gold and other kinds of minerals. And there sitting was the huge figure of what can only be described as a demon. It was the dungeon boss. Its face is hidden behind what seems to be a demon mask. It has two large horns and a total of four wings covered in black solid feathers. Its body was twice as large as Caiden''s and its weapon, a trident, was also twice as large as his axe. It was surely intimidating. Any normal person won''t have the guts to even enter its line of sight, but Vlad was not an ordinary person. ( It''s clearly not a Vampire... ) [ Haah... ] ( I''ve been in a lot of trouble and it was not even what I was expecting it to be... This is disappointing. ) [ Stay here. ] he says as he started to walk towards it. [ [ Go-Goodluck, master! ] ] unlike the expression Caiden and Alicia were showing, Sarah and Lumi were smiling and are confident in the victory of their master. Vlad did not turn to them and only continued to move forward. And as he does, he looks around the entirety of the room. A throne room. It was definitely a throne room. A throne room that is flooded with treasures and thousands of gold coins from this world. ( Maybe with this I won''t need to trade with Carla-san again... ) with a smirk, he jests. He continued to look around, and after he was finished, he looks ahead again. [ Appraise. ] Name: Unknown Race: unknown Level: 102 Job Class: Dungeon Master/Fighter Health: 12094 ( Yep, they''re definitely going to get killed by this guy. ) [ Hmm... I can kill it if I want to... But maybe I should try some things to it first...? ] with his hand on his chin, Vlad mutters to himself. [ Haah... It''s been three years, huh? It''s been lonely, this is definitely what I''m looking for... Hehe... This one''s pretty cocky, too...! This would be good! ] suddenly, a deep excited voice was heard from the top of the throne. [ ... ] Vlad turns his head to it, and... [ Three years... If I remember correctly... That was the time the guild sent their last adventurers in this dungeon... ] he replied to the voice. [ Adventurers? So that what those guys are called, huh? ] [ Yes they are... ] [ So, are you an adventurer, too? ] [ That''s. Right...? ] [ ... ] [ ... ] [ [ Huh!? ] ] they both exclaimed in surprise at the same time. 49 Chapter 49 ~ Boss Fight - P1 Vlad stood in front of the high throne-seat of the enemy. Unlike all the floors Vlad and his group had gone in to, this particular room was all grandeur. It''s as if they went into a real castle instead of a dungeon. In the ceiling that stood high were golden flickering lights and a golden chandelier layered and filled with different colored stones. In the walls were pillars of pure white and statues of steel-armored soldiers holding weapons of all kinds. And on the floor was a blood-red carpet that stretches from the entrance to the end of the room and treasures unkempt lying on its sides. People will awe in the sight of the room. But that was not the case for Vlad. He was relaxed and had expected that the boss''s room will be of something like this. He casually stared at the enemy, and... [ So you can talk, huh? I guess I shouldn''t be surprised since my Vampire slaves can, too... But aren''t you supposed to be a monster? Hmm... But considering you''re a high-level NPC, you might really be able to... ] he mutters, without the worry of being attack by the person he''s talking to. In the game, monsters weren''t installed A.I dialogs. Bosses were supposed to have their own dialogs, but it was still rare to see low-level and mid-level dungeon bosses to have one. Because of this, Vlad felt lucky to meet a high-level dungeon boss that can actually talk. [ This is great. How about we talk a little? I have many things to ask about. ] Vlad casually said. [ No... aren''t you supposed to be human? How are you able to understand me? ] the demon-looking boss asks Vlad with a confused tone. [ Mn? Does that mean humans aren''t supposed to understand your language? ] [ Yes, and not just humans, even elves, demons and other races except monsters aren''t supposed to understand me... Then how are you...? ] [ Well, you can consider me as none of those. ] ( I still don''t have any experience talking with other races except humans and my summons... But if I can understand this guy''s language, does that mean I can understand the others, too? ) [ You... just what are you? To come here by yourself without even the fear of getting killed... ] with a heavier gaze much than before, he asked Vlad. [ Hmm... You don''t have the smell of a living being, I thought that you mask it with a skill or an item, but that doesn''t seem to be the case. And you''re also showing no fear... There''s only one kind of monster I know that will not show any fear... Are you one of the Undead? ] ( ... ) Since the moment he had stepped on the room, Vlad had shown no fear towards the enemy. After his fight with Arthur, Vlad had learned the obvious truth that levels work here the same as it was in the game, meaning that all enemies that have weaker level than him, he can defeat. At first, he was warry and afraid that might not be the case, but having experienced it himself, he gained the confidence he has right now. But right now, hearing the words of his enemy in front of him, he had shown his serious side again. It was the first time someone was able to figure out his real existence. It shocked Vlad and he reacted negatively to it. [ It seems you''re perspective... ] he gazed back at the enemy. ( It''s a good thing I prepared a sound barrier. If Alicia and Caiden will know my true identity, I will have no choice but to erase their memories. It would be dangerous if that would happen. ) Vlad has many spells that influence the minds of his enemies, one of those spells is called \"Hypnosis\". In the game, it was used to paralyze, impair the movements of the enemy, and control weaker-level newbies, but in this world, it can also be used to erase the memories of one or more people. But since Vlad hadn''t tried it to anyone yet, he was afraid he might make a wrong move and remove memories that were not intended or to even delete all their memories. He was thankful that he was able to prevent that from happening - a compliment to the spell he had used just after he left his group - Since Vlad was expecting the boss, even if it was just a little, that it will be able to talk, he had prepared a spell that will block any sound-based attack, it works in a way in which no sound will enter nor will go outside. [ I''ve lived many years, I know what my instinct, guts, and senses are telling me. ] he replied to Vlad''s small words of flattery. [ Your guess was right, I''m one of the undead. My race is a vampire. ] with no chance of hiding it anymore, he admitted. He then frowned his eyebrows and looks at the being in front of him. He doesn''t exactly know what the creature is other than it''s the dungeon master and it looks like a demon. He''s not afraid but he''s being warry. He asks himself the question - ( Just what the hell is this guy? ) [ A vampire, huh? Three years ago, a vampire had visited this dungeon, too... They came to ask for help. Will you ask for the same thing? ] ( Vampire? So there really was a Vampire that took shelter here three years ago? I guess the rumor was true, except that the dungeon boss itself is a completely different being from a vampire. ) and so, he replied with this thought in his mind - [ No, I did not come here for that. ] [ Then, did you come here to challenge me, undead? ] [ No, I just came here because I was curious. I want to ask things about vampires. ] [ Ohho~? You came here just for that? You''ve killed my pet and my minions just because you were curious? What a strange person! ] he spat with a smile on his face that almost turned into a laugh. ( Seriously... Just what is this guy? ) Vlad murmured on his mind as he gets annoyed by the response of his enemy. Other than the creature''s level, everything about it won''t register on his appraisal skill. It was surely not one of the monsters and beings he knows of and existed in the game. [ That''s right, I came here only because I was curious and want to know something. ] [ I hear so. And it seems you''re really serious. ] [ Yes, and now you''ve got your answer, it''s now my turn to ask. ] he cut off his laugh. [ I''ll assume you won''t be able to provide me with an answer more than I already have, so I will change my question: what are you? ] From wanting to know more about the race of vampire in this world, Vlad changes his question for the curiosity that gone over him just now. [ What...? Are you serious? You don''t know what I am? I am the dungeon master. I am the dungeon itself! ] he laughs at Vlad. [ This body is just a part of this dungeon; a part of me. I am called the ''boss'' outside of this dungeon, but I call my self the master of it. I never thought that the current people outside will be this stupid! ] he leaned his large body forward and he mocks him as if he''s looking at a child. He''s looking down at Vlad as if he''s trying to intimidate him. He showed a small smirk on his face and waited for Vlad to react in fear, but no matter what, he was still the same, unmoving. [ Why are you not afraid...? Are you so afraid that you can''t even show it properly? Or are you really just an arrogant asshole? ] with his brows frowned in annoyance, he asks Vlad. [ I''m neither of those. ] Vlad replied without a hint of fear on his eyes. [ Then, are you so proud of your strength that you don''t fear me? I can crush an ogre''s head with my bare hands, I can kill a wyvern with just my fist, I can stand on ground with ancient dragons. Hearing that, do you still not fear me!? ] he voiced as he raises and grips one of his hands in an exaggerated manner. But still, despite his self-proclamation of strength, Vlad remained unmoving, only staring at him with threatening eyes, and then he says with his usual voice: [ I can probably do all of those things too if I get the chance. No, I can probably kill all of them without even moving a muscle. The same works for you, too. ] Silence took over... [ This is the first time I see an Undead looking down on me... ] he was stunned. He had never received such a reaction from anyone in his lifetime. And so, they remained there, only staring at each other. Until... [ You mere Undead! I won''t take this humiliation! ] he stood up from his seat and shouted. [ Undead. How about I give you the chance to die for a second time? You will have no chance! Even if you''re Undead, I''m sure I''ve lived a much longer life and had experienced much than you, you will regret acting too arrogant! ] he shouted as he pointed his trident to his front. *Cling *Crank *Crack! Then, all the steel-armored statues came to life and surrounded Vlad. [ You will be punished for even thinking you can defeat me! ] [ I asked that we talk properly and this is what you will do? ] ignoring the enemies that had now surrounded him, he continues to stare at the boss. ( But since it had turned out like this... ) [ You said that you are the dungeon itself, right? Hmm... I wonder what would happen if I kill you? ] [ Huh...? ] [ Will the dungeon collapse? Or will it survive on its own? In the game, you''re supposed to revived after a day, but I wonder how will it work here? ] [ What nonsense are you blabbering about!? ] [ I hope you survive this since I still have many things I want to ask you. ] 50 Chapter 50 ~ Boss Fight - P2 [ Now.... it wouldn''t be that fun if I fight with my full power, right? ] as always, Vlad said those words in a very casual tone. It made the dungeon boss not just confused, but also humiliated. His enemy is not taking him seriously, he can see that his enemy is confident of his victory. [ You know, I never actually fought with swords before. But since it would be boring if I end this quickly, I might as well try this out. ] With that said, he lifted one of his arms upward and opened up the hand that was raised as if he was grabbing something in the air. [ Summon: Necromaner''s Living Sword. ] he shouted the name of the spell. Soon, a sword glimmering in the color of green appeared on his hand. Its blade was like that of a Chinese sword. Its hilt was a bone with unreadable words written on it. Its guard was two small horns and a devilish eye, and on its edge was a purple-colored tail. Vlad can never hold a weapon outside his class. But he can if it was a weapon summoned by his own magic. ( I never actually tried this in a PVP battle, but I at least took the time to train with it in this world. ) There was a satisfied look on his face as he looks at the blade he was holding. There were many collections of weapons that can be summoned by the classes of summoners. They''re weaker than normal weapons of players that have the same level as them, but they work fine for conserving many and for fighting hordes of weak enemies. Necromancer''s Summoned Weapons: Lv120 Knife -----> Short sword -----> Long sword -----> Bow ------> Shield -----> Mace -----> Axe -----> Spear These were the weapons that can be summoned with the necromancer''s class. And other than Vlad''s necromancer summoner class, he can also summon weapons from his Evil Monarch class, which are a lot stronger. [ To summon a weapon out of thin air... ] as he mutters so, he grips his own weapon, his trident. [ Now, let''s see how strong that weapon is. I hope it''s not just for show. Attack him! ] the enemy gave his command. The enemies in front of him started to move, and Immediately, they rushed towards Vlad and attacked him with their own weapons. *Sweep!!! *Bam!!! *Clang!!! All of their attacks missed its target. With Vlad''s highten senses, he able to dodge them all with ease. ( Appraisal: Result ) Name: Armored Golems LV: 85 Health: 6000 ( Too weak! ) Now, it was Vlad''s turn to rush towards them. *** [ Whe-Where did that weapon come from...? ] a silent voice whispered in the room. Alicia gave a shock expression on her face as he saw Vlad, who was surrounded by the enemy suddenly produced a weapon out of thin air. All that Alicia knows was that Vlad was a mage. Why would he hold a sword? No, why is he planning to fight the strongest enemy in a battle he was the weakest of? Even Caiden and the others were not able to hide their confusion. They just stared at him with unblinking eyes. They were so focused at his back and the sword he was holding that before they could even notice it, the enemies had already started its attack. An enemy leaps over Vlad and swings its axe towards him. Vlad''s enemies were at least twice as big as him, and so are their weapons. The eyes of normal people will immediately be covered in fear just by looking at them, but Vlad did not even blink his as he blocks the axe that was probably heavier than boulders with his sword. *Clang!!! An ear-piercing sound was produced by the colliding of their weapons. The waves of the sound were almost visible to their eyes and they were only left stunned as they witness what was currently unfolding at the edge of the room. [ Amazing... ] Sarah whispers the word that everyone has in their minds. What they are witnessing right now was the person they know is a lot stronger than them. They knew he was strong, but they did not expect to see this level of intensity he will produce with his power. Not to mention, that he was not even fighting with his real weapon yet, which is his magic. It was like he was toying with his enemies. [ A mage that uses a sword... ] As they watch in awe, the battle continues. Vlad continued to blocks and parry all the enemies'' attacks with his own weapon. Each colliding and meeting of their weapons results in banging and screeching sounds. *Clang!!! The blade of Vlad''s weapon was thin. One would expect to see it break if it collides with thicker and harder material, but that seems to be not the case. Vlad''s weapon continues to thrive while the enemies'' started to crack and soon break, giving Vlad the opportunity to attack their bodies and cut them little by little. *Swoosh!!! An arm was cut... A leg... The head... Soon, all limbs were cut off... Until dozens of enemies had stopped moving and were left lying in pieces on the ground. [ This is unbelievable... ] [ Is he really a human...? ] Those were all the words they can say as they stared at Vlad''s back. Even the trio was not able to deny Caiden''s words, as they too, couldn''t believe that their master was still human. [ Imagine that power turning against us... He could kill us off easily... Not even Hana... ] *** [ Thi-This is!? ] [ I guess my training paid off... ] Vlad mutters as he brandishes his sword. All the golems that surrounded and attacked Vlad are now dead in pieces on the ground. All their parts that were harder than steel were cut clean and even. No one would believe that they were all cut by the same sword. [ You! You''re not just an ordinary Undead! Tell me, what are you really! ] with a shout, he demanded Vlad. [ I thought I told you already...? I''m a Vampire. ] [ To hell with that! Did you really thought I believed you!? Don''t take me for a fool! Even Vampires have the smell of blood on them! ] [ ... ] ( So he did not really believe me when I first said I was a vampire, huh? I guess that''s why despite I told him that, he still continued to call me undead... ) Everything went quiet for second as they observe each other, until... [ No... It can''t be... An unsoiled vampire...? ] those words came sudden from his mouth. Vlad didn''t understand why, but that word had stroke a chord in him. [ An unsoiled vampire...? ] Vlad repeated the word and asks. [ A vampire that hasn''t drunk blood... The purest of the race, yet the weakest... ] [ That''s... ] Hearing the truth came from his mouth for the second time had stunned Vlad, and he was not able to reply immediately. He was amazed by how perspective and how smart his enemy was. ( As one would expect from a person who lived for hundreds of years... It''s true that I haven''t drunk blood yet... I''ve been suppressing it all this time. ) [ I really can''t believe it... ] the dungeon master whispers to himself as he puts a hand on his forehead. [ Haa... ] he sighs... But that sigh soon turns to a blast of laughter. [ Hahaha! I can''t believe it! You''re more than everything I had expected! For an unsoiled vampire to be this strong! Just imagine what would happen if you ever drink blood for the first time... You''ll grow more powerful than you are now and you will go on a rampage, thirsting for more! With that power, one rampage could destroy entire countries! ] [ ... ] ( Me... Rampaging...? ) Again, Vlad could only listen to his proposition. Vlad cannot really cut off the possibility of everything he had said to ever happen. Just from the smell of blood, Vlad loses control over himself for a short duration of time. He could only imagine what would happen if he drinks blood for real. [ I admit that you are strong, but I want to see for real just how strong you really are! This time, I''ll fight you myself! ] He stood firm on the ground. His form was shown clearly to everyone in the room. Even Alicia and the others that were looking in the faraway edge of the room could see the fine details of his body. He was wearing a black armor that compliments the color of his folded wing. In his head were two horns and in his hand was the trident he was holding for all this time. [ Tell me your name. ] [ That''s... it''s Shi-... Vlad... It''s Vlad Alucard. ] [ Vlad Alucard... A name befitting of your race. ] he compliments. [ Vlad Alucard. I will remember that name. So even if you die here, I will continue to remember it for myself. ] [ You know, that will never happen. ] *** It was legendary. The ground shook as the two figures afar from them started to fight. It''s as if they''re looking between the fight of a hero and the king of demons told in the stories they have listened to as a kid. [ Hell Spikes! ] the spell was shouted and a bunch of large spikes came appearing on the ground, each one of which can impale even the thickest of skins. *Swoosh! But before they could even reach their targets, they were all got cut by a sweep of the enemy''s sword. With Vlad now getting the chance, he dashed towards the enemy and prepared his sword for another sweep. [ Hmph! You won''t reach me that easily! Hellish Fire! ] Blood-red flames were produced from the end of the dungeon boss''s trident and it struck Vlad. But... [ ...! ] Vlad only continued to dash forward, blocking of the flames with a shield he had also produced out of thin air just now. ( You won''t get me with these mid-tier spells of yours! ) But before Vlad could reach the enemy... [ You fell for it! ] *BAM! A large pillar of stone appeared from the ground, throwing Vlad to the air. Falling down, Vlad was able to regain his balance and landed perfectly. [ You got me good with that... ] he says as he wipes off the dirt that got on his clothes. [ As I said earlier, I am the dungeon itself. I can freely control everything here without using my own set of magic. That''s the greatest advantage I have. You wouldn''t know when you''re about to get crushed. ] [ It wouldn''t be as much fun if you can''t even do something like that. ] [ Is that so? That arrogance of yours is really something... Come, I''ll crush your entire body this time that you won''t be able to regenerate! ] [ Well, I guess you need to do something even better than that. That last attack had barely even scratched my skin. ] [ Really? Then I''ll do just that! ] And so, the battle continues... With the dungeon boss using all kinds of spells to attack and defend himself, while also pressuring Vlad with his control over the ground and walls of the dungeon itself. [ Walls of spikes! ] [ Summon golems! ] [ Draconic Burst! ] All kinds of magic were thrown towards Vlad. But Vlad was able to block and parry all of them by using different varieties of weapons on his hands. He switches from swords to bow, shield to mace, knives to spear - Vlad uses all his weapons, avoiding the use of his magic attack spells that could end the fight in an instant. The two continued to throw their attacks at each other. They continued to parry each attack with their own and the battle lasted much longer. But soon, it became clear that no matter how many times he throws him off and blocks of his attack, Vlad still relentlessly kept on going, dashing towards him and cutting both of his attack and defense. *** It only took a few minutes, but to the two people involved, it lasted for much longer. The battle was finally over. One stood tall on the ground while the other knelt on it. [ I guess your arrogance was justified... ] the dungeon boss mutters as he stares at his enemy, Vlad. Before they started to battle, Vlad had already shown his confidence that he would win the battle. He was never afraid of him and was sure of himself. At first, the dungeon boss hated it, but as they battle, he soon respected it. [ I was not arrogant. Arrogance is a word only used for people who boast but doesn''t really have the power to prove it. I''m merely confident with my own power. ] he says as he stared down at the dungeon boss. And soon, Vlad had put his sword beside his enemy''s head, signing that he''s ready to cut it off. [ Mn... Is that so? Then... I guess this is it... ] [ Yes, it is. ] [ Then, can I have my final word? That fight... The years I''ve waited, all was worth for that single fight. ] [ I hope so, I had a good time, too. ] [ Really? You did not even use your spells... You''re a mage yet you did not use any... ] [ You knew...? ] [ Of course, just how will you be able to summon such a fine legendary sword out of thin air? Plus, I''ve watch everything that had happened before you were able to reach this place. Hmm... I bet you did that to have fun, right? ] [ That... That was, right... ] [ Undead... No, Vlad Alucard... I don''t have a name... I will die without even no one remembering who I was... I ask you, at least remember the battle we fought... ] he begged. He''s still holding his broken weapon and his back was still firm. He did not show Vlad his weak side even for the last time. [ Remeber me. ] Everything was silent and their figures seems to be the only thing that can be seen in the room. The dungeon boss finally lowered his head and waited for Vlad''s answer... And so he gave his answer: [ No... I won''t do that. ] Those were the final words he had heard before his head got cut off clean. It was cruel. 51 Chapter 51 ~ Epilogue Vol.2 Three days had passed after Vlad had finished conquering the dungeon. Caiden and Alicia went back to their group and had reported back what had happened in the ancient ruins; the dungeon. After that, they also went back to the capital to report what they had seen, how powerful Vlad was, and what magic he uses. To observe Vlad - that was the reason they forcefully came together with him. And Now that they have completed their mission, they now don''t have a reason to stay with Vlad. With their reports, and with proof gathered by the guild itself, the city has recognized Vlad as the subjugator of the dungeon; together with Caiden, Alicia, and his slaves that were registered as his teammates. And soon, the story even reached the other cities. A day after their reports, the guild has sent a few adventurers to observe the state of the dungeon. And as they have reported to the guild, the dungeon is already dead. It was nothing more than a large empty cave with no monsters spawning inside. At first, it was only known as an old ruin, but with Vlad, they have discovered that with actually a dungeon hidden from the world. Only a day had passed since it was discovered, but now it was bound to be forgotten again. Their subjugation was a complete success, because of this, Vlad''s, Alicia''s, and Caiden''s name became even more famous. With Vlad''s even reaching other cities and the capital itself. His name is already publicly known. *** [ Sarah, Lumi, and Nina... ] Vlad sat on the table inside a large well-decorated room. He considers it as his office and this is where he was usually found when he was not messing around with his magic or when he''s not training and giving his slaves instructions. Right now, he called for his slaves that went together with him on the subjugation. After the said subjugation, he had given them the rest of the day and the day next to it to relax and rest. Now, he calls for them again to give them something. [ The reward for the subjugation finally arrived. ] [ Re-Really, master!? ] again, Lumi was the noisiest of the three. [ Yes. The reward was a total of four thousand gold coins. That includes a large part of the treasures that were found in the dungeon. There was also the fact that we discovered it was actually a dungeon. ] [ ... ] [ ... ] [ ... ] As he said those words, the trio went quiet and turned into stones. They did not move a muscle or even blinked. [ But since Caiden and Alicia were also part of the subjugation, they also received a part of it. They got 25% and we got 75%. ] [ Wha-what!? ] Lumi exclaimed in surprise. Her reaction seems to be disagreeing with what Vlad had just said. [ That''s... ] Sarah too, was a bit speechless. [ Master! No, Vlad-sama! They did not even do anything! Why do they get a part of the reward!? 25%... That''s three 1500 gold coins! ] [ No, it''s only two 1000... ] [ S-Still! They only come along with us and they did not even do anything! ] [ Well, we can''t do anything about it. They contributed too, even if it was little. You do know they guided us to the dungeon, right? ] Vlad explained, trying to convince her. Vlad doesn''t really care about the money in the first place, and even if he disagrees with the contribution of the reward, he will still not be able to do anything about it since it was the guild who had decided it. Additionally, he didn''t want to look more villain than people already think he is. [ Well, we still got the higher sum, so it''s fine. ] [ If you say so, Vlad-sama... ] she dropped her shoulders in defeat. Sarah too seems disappointed. After they fought a group of monsters or two, everything went easy as her master already defeated all the monsters they were supposed to meet. She had also witnessed his last battle with the boss, seeing it makes it clear that her master did the most in the subjugation. She doesn''t want the reward that was supposed to be given to his master to be shared with others. But still, she remained quiet and did not say a word. [ So, Vlad-sama... Why did you call us here for...? Will you make us train again? It''s been two days and we still haven''t done anything... ] regaining her usual self, Lumi ask. And as she did, she looks at the small yet cute-looking imp that was floating in the air beside her master. [ Don''t worry, you''ve been doing nothing but training all this time, you can go ahead and rest for now. ] [ Mn? Is that so, Vlad-sama? ] with a tilt of her head, she replied. She was confused that her master had allowed them to rest since it''s been every day that he trains them. [ Yes. Also, I''m planning to split the reward. ] [ [ ... ] ] [ Vlad-sama? ] [ Yes, we''ll split the reward 50/50. ] Vlad took out three pouches filled with gold coins and put them on the table. Seeing this, the trio, again, went quiet. [ Vlad-sama? You mean you''ll share that money with us...? ] it was Sarah who asked the question. Lumi and Nina were only silent. They couldn''t believe what they just heard. [ That''s right. ] [ Vlad-sama... That''s... We''re your slaves; you don''t need to share it with us... ] [ Yes, you three are my slaves, but you three went with me in that dungeon as my teammates, it''s only natural that we share the reward. ] [ Bu-But Vlad-sama! ] [ Accept it. Work needs to be paid, you know? You can share it with the other workers if you want, you can save it or you can even buy the finest armory in the city. I won''t care whatever you use it to. ] [ But... But that would be unfair to you, Vlad-sama! ] [ It wouldn''t. Since your my slaves, I won''t pay you for the work you do. This is your chance to get something for yourself and the other workers too. ] [ I know... But Vlad-sama... What if we buy our own lives back? What would you do...? ] again, she mutters those words with worry written on her face. It was obvious. Just by looking at her, Vlad already understood what she meant. [ Sarah. When I first bought you, I gave you the chance to get your normal life back. I''ll make it clear again. That was the only chance you will ever get. You can never buy your life back without me agreeing. ] his voice was serious yet sincere and gentle. [ ... ] Sarah turned her head up and gazed at him. [ You''ve already agreed that you''ll forever become my slaves. No, that word leaves a bitter taste... What I meant was, you''ll forever become my workers. ] he shakes his head and scratched his chin as he rephrased his words. Ever since he had developed a cool image, Vlad had avoided looking and acting weird towards others, but yet again, this time, he had shown that side of him. Seeing his unusual side, the trio looked at each other and made a small laugh. [ We get it Vlad-sama... We''ll split this reward to the others too and make sure they will use it well! ] saying so, they all took the pouches lying on the table. [ Vlad-sama. ] [ [ Thank you very much!!! ] ] they all bowed at the same time. [ We promise to even work harder! ] [ Un. ] Vlad nodded at the three of them. *** In the same room. [ To gain their discipline and trust without using force. You really are something. ] A tiny girlish voice was heard from beside Vlad who was still sitting on the table. Vlad turned his eyes on where the voice came from and replied: [ You know, back then, I always worked hard for the company I worked at that I will even put my life on the line... Yet my salary was still the same... I don''t even get any bonus for my extra work... I really hated my boss that sometimes my mind wonders into killing him off... Even though it''s different, I don''t want to be that kind of boss to them. Work needs to be paid. ] he said the same thing as he said to the trio. [ Hmm...? I don''t really get what you''re saying but I will still commend you... ] ( ... ) Again, Vlad turned his head to the person he''s talking to and went silent. It was then he finally decided to ask the thing that was in his mind since earlier. [ By the way... Can you remind me again why are you in that form? ] [ Well, this is the same image as one of the vampires I told you that had visited me years ago. I use this form all the time since It''s easier to move around. I don''t have to make heavy movements and I don''t need to flap my wings every time. ] [ Really... I can''t believe that the dungeon boss I just fought three days ago will suddenly turn into a little girl annoying me with my work... ] Vlad mutters in annoyance. [ Aren''t you supposed to be my boss now? You resurrected me, you should take responsibility. ] [ Yea... And resurrecting you was a mistake... ] [ What? I thought you were already satisfied with the information I gave you? Isn''t that why you came to the dungeon in the first place? I shared all of my knowledge to you, I even promised to help you build your own dungeon! Now you''re saying you regret resurrecting me!? ] [ Haah... Right, right... Just... Don''t interrupt me right now... ] [ Hmph! At least call me by the name you gave me! ] she pouted. Yet Vlad still ignored her and brushed her off. [ Don''t ignore me! Just what are you looking at!? ] she peaked at the piece of paper Vlad was holding. [ Can you please stop annoying me? Haah... Anyways... This is an invitation letter. ] Vlad replied to her with a sigh. [ Huh...? An invitation to what? ] she asked back, tilting her head to the side. [ It''s an invitation to the capital... ] he replied with a serious tone. 52 Chapter 52 ~ The Butler Shin You might be wondering why am I still alive... Well, even I still wonder about that, too. I should already be dead right now, yet, I was given a second time to become myself again; the same person who had lived for hundreds of years already. Well, I did not exactly remember everything that happened after I got killed by him. But the second time I opened my eyes and regained consciousness, I was already outside my body, outside the so-called dungeon I''ve built. [ You''ve said earlier that you don''t have a name yet, right? ] The second I''ve heard the voice, I already knew who the person was; it the same person who just killed me, Vlad Alucard. [ How about Shin? That sounds like a cool name. ] [ Shin? ] I didn''t exactly know what he was talking about then, as I was only able to regain consciousness, but I still humored him and did not stay silent. [ The heart, mind, and soul. ] [ ... ] [ That''s you, right? ] My head was still in a daze, but I can still remember it... The day that I got my name... Shin... *** Vlad told me the reason he came to my dungeon. He said that he did because he thought that there would a vampire living in my dungeon. At first, they didn''t really know that the place was a dungeon, they thought it was just an abandoned ruin. There were many adventurers that were sent there to investigate, but since no one ever came back, the guild wasn''t able to know of my existence. Vlad said that he was disappointed that he was not able to see what he was expecting to, but after that, he had also said that he got interested in me. He asked me all about the vampires I mentioned that had taken shelter in my dungeon. He said that he was just recently been transformed into a vampire and wanted to know everything about his new existence. I had many things I wanted to ask him about, too: like how he was able to become so powerful and what was his previous race, but he did not give me any answers at all. But despite that, I gave him all the answers I know of. And I also told him about my existence. It seems that Vlad isn''t really that knowledgeable about the existence of us, dungeon masters. And so I''ve educated him and told him everything he wants to know. *** A knock was heard from the door, and one of his Vampire slaves entered. [ You have a visitor, Vlad-sama. ] [ Ayla-chan! ] A voice came in delight. It was not Vlad, but Shin, who had now taken the form of a man wearing a suit. [ Shin-sama. ] Ayla bowed as she turns to Shin. [ Still as gorgeous as ever, Ayla-chan. ] again, he said those words with delight, like he was a different person from both his demon and loli form. [ Thank you, Shin-sama. ] she says, finishing their usual exchange, then turns to Vlad. [ Who is it, Ayla? ] [ It''s Carlo-sama. ] [ Oh? It''s Carlo-san again, huh? I wonder what it is this time...? ] Vlad furrowed his brows as he heard the name of his visitor. It has been a week since they have conquered the dungeon, and since the invitation to the capital was sent. The fact that Carlo was the person who had delivered the letter to him concerns Vlad that he must have visited his mansion again to bring the topic of him going to the capital. [ Carlo? Who is this person? ] [ Yes, he was the first person I''ve ever made relations in this city. In fact, everything I currently own, I bought from him. ] [ Really? So you owe this person, Vlad? ] [ Again, call me Vlad-sama or master when you''re in that form. ] Vlad muttered, annoyed. [ Umm... That''s right... I''m never familiar with calling someone ''master'' since I was the master just a week ago... But I will try my best. ] [ Haah... Ayla, you can bring Carlo-san to the guest room, I will follow soon. ] with a sigh, he gave his order. [ Un. ] again, Ayla vowed and left the room, leaving him and Shin again alone. [ Carlo-san... She acts like a superior worker and I hate it... She could''ve been my boss if I was still in Japan... I don''t want to say this, but Shin, don''t act so rudely towards her. ] Vlad had finally taken off his cool act and finally went to his usual self. He only shows this side of him to Shin and sometimes to Ayla and Stella; the real Kagayami Shiro. [ Vla-Vlad!? I mean, master!? You''re actually showing some worry for the first time...? ] [ No, that''s not it. I was still a little confused when I first met her, and I acted in a really embarrassing way... Ever since then, I just can''t seem to act rude and cold towards her... ] [ Really? I wonder what kind of person this is... ] [ Well, I still don''t know how she works beside her business with mine, but it seems she''s really famous not just in this city, but the whole country itself. I heard bad rumors about her, so the idea that she''s just acting nice towards me to get me into her business might be possible, well, not that I care. ] Vlad had this thought inside his head ever since he got his first interaction with Carlo. Vlad thinks that it might be due to the fact that she''s hiding her true gender that makes him warry of her. Every time he''s near her, his senses peaks, trying to inform him that what''s in front of him is his natural prey, a young woman. This makes it difficult for him to focus on their interactions. [ I really just can''t understand what''s their difference... ] The picture of the girl she just can''t seem to like appeared on his mind - Alicia. They''re both young ladies yet the other one stands out more than the other. ( My blood raises when I see Carla, while it boils when I see the other... No, I can also definitely see Alicia''s appeal, too, but Carla seems really just... the purer one... ) [ Is it the face? The attitude? Is the other one a virgin while the other is not? Or is it really just my personal taste? I should''ve read books about vampires more back in Japan... The only vampire I know of is Vlad from Bad******, and like him, I never even tasted blood yet... ] again, Vlad mutters those words, ignoring the confused look on Shin''s face. [ If you''re really that curious, why don''t you go to the demon country where your race lives? If you can beat them into submission and ask them, you''ll get your answer. ] [ Yes, that''s what I''m actually thinking. ] ( I would go there now if it wasn''t for another mysterious person... That hero Hana is also someone I need to investigate... Tachibana Hana, she definitely has Japanese blood on her, that will mean that I''m not the first to be transported here... Other than the creatures here in this world who already lived thousands of years gaining experience, people like me are the only ones who can match my character... ) Vlad turns serious as he mutters those words. [ All I need to do is choose where I should go first... Will I go to the capital? Or the Demon country? Which will it be? ] [ Vlad-sama, since that Carlo person might probably here to convince you, how about you decide it then, after your meeting...? ] [ That seems to be a good idea. ] As he takes his words to it, he stood up. [ Then, let''s go meet with her. ] *** [ Another servant I wasn''t aware of? Is he also one of your family''s servant? ] [ That''s right. He has a very rich history with our family. ] Carla, who''s sitting just across Vlad looks at Shin with a very curious expression. [ A butler... his face looks similar to eastern countrymen... It''s too ordinary and bland. ] [ ...! ] Those words almost made Vlad spit out the coffee he was drinking. He turns to look Shin again. Yes, it was definitely a very familiar face. A slim, middle-aged looking man with deep eyes and black hair wearing a butler suit. It was the image he had projected to Shin to make him take its form since he doesn''t have a normal-looking one. And shortly to say, Shin''s current form was Vlad''s real Japanese appearance, it was the very look of Kagayami Shiro. And Kagayami Shiro''s face and structure is none other than bland and ordinary. It was just something he wanted to experiment at, but since everyone has already started to know Shin with that face, he decided to just let him keep it, at least for now. There was also another reason why Vlad had done this: he wants to see his slaves'' reaction to his real appearance. At first, they were wary of him but soon took him as a normal person in the house. Their reaction was quite normal, and it was very different from the current reaction of Carlo in front of him; a noble. [ I honestly think that he''s not fit to be your servant, how about I introduce you again to some slavers? ] ( ... ) Vlad looks at her straight to the eyes for a second before he answers: [ No... That won''t be necessary, I''ve known that face since the day I was born and I won''t be able to get rid of it. ] he said as he put down his coffee on the table. [ Oh-ho? Is that so...? Well, it seems he''s a really important person to you... ] [ Yes, he is... ] Vlad answered with a dejected tone. [ Boss... was that what you call sarcasm...? ] Shin whispered on his side. ( ... ) [ Anyway, what did you came here for, Carlo-san? ] ignoring Shin, he changes the topic of their conversation to remove the awkwardness. [ Right... I know you already know it; I came here to inform you again of the invitation to the capital. ] [ Yes. ] Vlad nodded as he was already expecting her to say that. [ Now, Vlad-san. The last time I came here, the higher-ups from the capital only gave me a simple invitation to give you. Well, this time, they gave me another one. ] [ Really? ] Carlo reached a letter to Vlad. Immediately, Vlad turned to read it. ( ... ) he moves his eyes from left to right, and when he was finished reading the paper... [ This is... ] [ Yes, even I was surprised. ] [ ... ] again, Vlad took a look at the message written on the letter. ( So they finally managed to remove my curse, huh? I was expecting it to be a little bit faster since it was not a high-tier spell, but it''s still surprising to hear they were able to finally remove it. ) [ Really... I show my powers once and stronger people will show up... ] Vlad mutters as if he''s talking to his self. [ Was that your actual plan? You did that to him to see stronger people? ] [ No, that''s just mere coincidence. ] [ Is that so...? ] [ Yes, anyways, tell me more information about this. ] 53 Chapter 53 ~ Invitation to the Capital [ Arthur was finally able to recover, huh? ] [ That''s right. ] Carla answered his question, sipping the tea Shin had serviced her. [ Can I ask who was the person who treated him? ] Vlad knows that it should be someone stronger than Arthur. The spell he had cast to Arthur was a lot stronger than he can handle, there was no way someone of the same level as he would be able to remove it. Hence, the healer should be a lot stronger than Arthur. [ That... They also didn''t give me any information about. Hmm... I don''t know anything but I''m guessing this person has a high status in the kingdom. ] [ How''d you say so? ] [ Well, first of all, only people with strong blood receives unique powers. The heroes are most of the examples. ] [ Strong blood? ] Vlad furrowed an eyebrow as he heard that word. [ That''s right. Social standings are not just there to balance the rich from the poor, it also does to the powerful and weak. ] [ What do you mean by that...? ] [ You see, Vlad-san... There''s a reason why nobles are nobles and commoners are commoners. Because of their strong blood, they''re gifted with talents and powers only commoners could dream of. ] as she says so, she leaned her body forward, closed her fingers against each other, and looked at Vlad straight. [ That''s how things work here, Vlad-san. You''re not a noble, right, but even though you''re not, you still have this wealth. It''s obvious this was the result of your strength; and like the nobles here, their wealth was also the result of their dominance in power and talent. ] [ Is that so...? ] Vlad stares at her as he comprehends her words. Power will result to power. Like in his previous worls, Inheritance is the biggest factor of someone''s wealth. ( So it works like that here, huh? ) [ Un. I understand what you''re saying. ] Vlad nodded, satisfied with what he just heard. ( Power equals to social standing... If you have power, you have wealth and respect. ) It was completely different from the rules he knows of from the game. In the game, you have to grind and grind experience to become powerful and earn a skill, yet in this world, it seems that skills are gifted from birth. Furthermore, only nobles with strong blood will be able to receive such skills. [ So what I''m getting at is: only a person with a higher standing than Arthur can cure him. There are only a few, but I would say, it has a high possibility that it was a member of the royal family. ] [ The royal family? ] Vlad repeated the word with a mutter. ( A member of the royal family... If what Carla-san meant with talent and power were skills, then does that mean that the royal family will have many and stronger ones? I mean... that''s how it works with my trio... they all have high social standing before they were turned into slaves. ) Sarah was the daughter of a famous noble family who went bankrupt. Lumi was the daughter of their tribe pack, and Nina was the daughter of their tribe''s chief. The three of them have their own unique skills. In particular, Lumi''s ''Hunter''s Bow,'' and Nina''s ''Predatorial Instincts'' he had access to when they became his slaves. [ Carla-san. What about the hero''s party? They all have said that they''re nobles but I don''t recall them being a member of the royal family... ] Vlad was reminiscent of the heroes. He wasn''t interested enough with them to want to know their unique skills, but he had asked still. [ Ohh... There is one. While Caiden, Alicia, and Arthur''s family have a strong presence in all of the nobles, they will still not be able to hold a candle against Anna. ] ( So... that shy and meek girl is actually a princess, huh? Well, her attitude actually fits the princess I have in mind... ) [ Anna... the healer, right...? ] [ The priestess, Vlad-san... Anyways, she''s the 8th princess of this country. ] she said as she drops her shoulders. [ Oh...? How about her other siblings? Why is she the only hero? ] [ Well... For the girls, only a few were trained in combat and are brave enough to be one... While the males of the royal family are not allowed to be named heroes. I mean, who would want to marry their own sisters as a reward? ] ( Oh... So that''s why, huh? ) [ What about Caiden and Arthur? ] [ Yes, they''re both guaranteed to marry a princess. And they also can still marry other smaller nobles and commoners if they will. ] ( That makes me a little jealous... I mean, I have Stella and Ayla, but other than my own summons... I think my slaves would be okay with it... But I don''t want to be a bastard about it... I mean, they were still traumatized by their previous masters... ) Not a month had yet to past since Vlad had bought off his slaves; he''s still careful on how to treat them. That was why he''s keeping their work minimum and he never stresses them. [ Then, how about you, Carla-san? Are you a noble, too? ] brushing off his thoughts, he asks. [ You can say that. But I already cut off my relationship with my family. I''m not a proper noble anymore, now, I''m just a very famous and lucky merchant. ] her tone was a bit dejected and Vlad was able to sense that. Knowing that if he questions her more, she will get offended, and so he did not further the topic anymore and only replies: [ Is that so? ] [ That''s right. ] she nodded and... [ Vlad-san, that''s all I came here for. I wouldn''t be bothering you if I was not asked a personal request from the higher-ups in the capital, but still, I won''t force you. If you have any plans to accept the invitation, please inform me; I was also invited, we can go there together. ] she stood up and says so. [ I''ll give it a thought. ] [ Un. Thank you again for your time, Vlad-san. ] [ You''re always welcome to come here, Carlo-san. I would''nt have been able to buy this place if it wasn''t for you. ] [ Then I will. ] she bows. [ Un. ] and Vlad nodded and reaches a hand towards her, asking for a shake. And of course, Carla immediately took and shook it. 54 Chapter 54 ~ Shin and Alice [ So, what are you planning to do now, Vlad? ] Carla had finally left, leaving Vlad and Shin alone talking in the same room. [ Well, I think going to the capital, for now, would be the better choice... The Demon Country is far from here and it will take some time before I could reach it. Also, I think I need to prepare for when that happens. ] [ Is that so? I remember you telling me that you hate formal events like this, so how about I go with you? I may not have the experience, but I definitely have the talent. Acting is what I''m good at. ] [ I''m considering it. But since it''s the capital, I think I''ll bring Ayla and Stella, too. It''s been a while since the three of us went outside. ] Vlad stood up as he answers. Since Vlad had been busy figuring out his spells and training up his slaves, he barely had any time for himself. And even though his body doesn''t need to rest, he still keeps a fair amount of time sleeping, just out of habit. [ Also, I might be able to confirm the existence of people like me. ] [ People like you? ] Shin tilted his head. Vlad always shares his thoughts and problems with Shin, and sometimes even his previous life, but he keeps what he says at a minimum and he never lets Shin figure out he came from another world and he''s just an ordinary person. [ Yes, Hana, the hero is one of them. I tried to go to their base here in this city, but it seems like Hana had already gone to the capital. I will wait for her to return but since I''ve already received this invitation, I might as well go there for her myself. ] In the past few weeks, Vlad had been so busy that he was not able to receive the reward he was promised when he fought Arthur: to have a chat with Hana was that deal. But despite that, Vlad was still satisfied. Within the past few weeks, he had learned many things more than he first expected. First was how the ''skills'' in this world works. Unique abilities or powers, what skills are called here. Vlad already has natural access to his summons'' abilities and stats, but not to the people in this world. He can freely manipulate their skills set if they have enough levels, but he still won''t be able to make them past their limits. The best example would be his two Vampire brides: Stella and Ayla. Vlad was also able to discover that he can manipulate his slaves'' skills set, such as what he did with the trio. And just recently, he was also been able to have access to Shin''s. He still doesn''t know how it had worked out, but he guesses that it was because the trio are registered as his slaves by their slave collars while Shin is now registered as he summon. Other than that, there''s also was the existence of his current race. He was able to learn a few things about them from Shin. It was said that vampires are a large and noble part of the demon country, easy to say, they''re one of the strongest. There were many behaviors he was informed of, one, in particular, Vlad had taken serious precaution off, was his race''s rage tendency when their thirst for blood surpass their ability to suppress. Luckily, Vlad still hasn''t passed his limit. ( A lot had definitely happened since I got here... ) he sighs. [ Shin, I''ll go to my room and rest. You can do whatever you want for now... just remember: don''t cause any trouble. ] he says as he then walks away. ( I might as well conserve my energy for now... ) [ Wait, Vlad, I thought I was supposed to be your butler? Aren''t I supposed to be always on your side? ] [ That''s Ayla''s and Stella''s work. Find your own for now. ] *** [ Now, what to do... ] Shin mutters to himself as he walks inside one of the hallways of the mansion. He has his eyes frowning and his arms crossed against each other, thinking of what he should do for the free time he was given by Vlad, his boss. He worked his head and started to think, but before he could think of one, he had already reached the edge of the hallway and a large wooden door is now standing in front of him. He reaches for the knob and opened the door, and as he does, he was instantly greeted by the gentle sun. Immediately, he covers his eyes with a hand to block the sunlight. [ Haah... I''m still not used to this brightness. ] He had been living in a room only filled with darkness since the day he was born. The big bright circular object that is the sun is still new to his eyes and they''re still adjusting to it. [ ... ] Still covering his eyes, he continues to walk without any actual plan of what to do. Soon, he had reached a large garden full of all kinds of plants and flowers. There, he also saw one of the servants. [ Oh, if it isn''t Alice. ] he greeted as he walks towards her. Shin had already memorized all the servants'' names. He took the time to remember them each by their own appearance and their own names. Alice was one of the easiest he was able to know and memorize since she''s the youngest and smallest of the servants. [ O-Oh!? Shin-sama! ] as Alice saw his figure, she begins to panic and stutter. Although they were the first to become servants, Shin is still considered as their ''senpai'' at work. This makes Alice a bit cautious and anxious towards him. [ Wha-What are you doing here, Shin-sama...? ] [ I don''t have anything to do for now. Boss had asked me to leave him be for a while, he said he wants to rest. ] [ Vlad-sama wanted to rest? Un... maybe because he''s been busy doing all kinds of stuff that he''s tired... ] she says as she turns her head down a little. [ Are you worried about him? ] he asked casually. Alice turns her head upward to look at him, and answers: [ Un... I heard from Sarah-san that Vlad-sama has been working and studying all day and he doesn''t even sleep at night. I''m worried about Vlad-sama''s health... ] [ Well... don''t worry about it, boss is always fine. ] [ I-Is that so...? Do you honestly think? ] [ Yes, I''m always with him so I know. ] he said to comfort Alicia who''s face now showing her worry. [ Un. ] she nodded to his answer. ( Vlad really knows how to treat his servants right, huh? Everyone views him in a positive way... Honestly... with that power, he could be as rude and greedy as he wants but he still treats these weak humans with care... ) He''s been observing Vlad all this time, and none of the people he had met so far views him in a negative way. There were those who feel threatened by him but they are never aggressive and still respect him. The two of them are completely different from each other, but still, he can''t help himself but respect Vlad for what he is. With these thoughts, he looks at again the girl that was in front of him. If he was still the dungeon that he was, he will not hesitate to kill this person, but now that he''s the same as her, a servant of the same master, he definitely won''t. [ Anyway, what are you doing? ] he turns to look at the plants Alice was watering. [ This are...!? ] he was immediately shocked by what he just saw. [ U-Un! This is my job! These are master''s favorite plants and he had assigned me to water them every day. It''s really nice to have a job that takes care of Vlad-sama''s favorite things, you know? ] she said with joy, as if her depressed state earlier suddenly disappeared. [ Boss... ] he whispers as he looks again Alice in her eyes with a very concerned expression. ( I really just can''t understand that guy... Even I would have a hard time dealing with this many strong monsters all at ones... I can''t believe he assigned a single small human girl to water them... ) What he saw were the same kind of monsters that disguises themselves as plants and flowers. He had the same kind of monsters in a certain room of his dungeon that Vlad was able to annihilate, but even the monsters of that room won''t compare to the density of the monsters that are planted in front of him. [ Alice, you should be careful when you water these plants, okay? ] [ Un! Vlad-sama had reminded me also to be extremely careful! I always do my best, Shin-sama. ] [ O-Oh... Is that so...? ] Shin could only worry of the innocent girl who is facing death every day without her even knowing about it. ( I just really hope that these guys are already tamed by that Vlad... One snap and Alice''s head would fall off... It''s not that I''m concerned, but as fellow servants... ) 55 Chapter 55 ~ Ladies Night in the Manor [ Sa-Sarah-san! Wha-What should we do with this money!? ] [ Wait, Lumi! Calm down! ] In their shared room, Sarah, Lumi, and Nina had another meeting - on how they should spend the coins their master had rewarded and given them. But as one would expect, they can''t seem to be able to have a proper one. [ I''ve been taken by my emotions then, but... this amount... we really just can''t accept this...! ] [ A-Are you saying that we should give it back to master? To Vlad-sama!? ] [ But Sarah-nee, Lumi-nee, master said that this is already ours... Isn''t this a sign of courtship from Vlad-sama...? ] the quiet Nina voiced her own opinion and it shocked the two of them. [ Yo-You''re right, Nina! ] [ Nina-chan... I didn''t know you''ve had it in you... ] The two of them had been looking for reasons to accept that amount of money since earlier, but they were not able to find a proper one that they could agree on. But then there comes Nina, who was able to convince the two of them with her own unexpected opinion. [ In Nina''s tribe, males will have to give females treasures to have them as their bride... I''m sure Vlad-sama is... ] Of course, as they all reached their own conclusion, their minds started to wander off. Sarah - as a noble, her master giving her off his riches to her as an act of buying her hand for marriage. Lumi - her master offering her father chief all his foreign treasures to him to exchange her heart with. Nina - imagining her master defeating his father in a glorious fight and winning, then having him offer him his treasures and hunts to have his way with her body. And all of those fantasies ending with them bedding with him. Even though none of them sounds like a normal romance, those fantasies were definitely what they are dreaming of to happen. [ [ Huu... ] ] their faces turn red and smoke seems to have appeared on top of their heads. [ A-Alright... We will not back out now... Master had already given this to us... It will be an insult if we give it back... ] [ [ Un... ] ] they all nodded. [ But since this amount is really too much for us... ] [ Yea... Let''s follow Vlad-sama''s advice and share it with the others... ] [ Of course... ] *** [ [ Vlad-sama gave you what!? ] ] It was already midnight and none of the slaves were doing their tasks. They have all now removed their uniforms and now in their nightgowns; it was this time that they rest, but that was not the case this time... Hearing Sarah''s words, they all exclaimed in surprise. Every single one of them has a shocked expression on their faces and there are even some who have grim ones. [ Shh-shh! The walls might be thick but when you all... at the same time...! Vlad-sama and the others are already asleep, we won''t risk waking them up. ] [ [ Un... ] ] they all nodded, then, they all look at each other in the eyes, deciding who should talk first. Soon, a representative was chosen and asks with a worried face: [ Sarah-san... What does this mean...? Is Vlad-sama finally asking us to leave this mansion? I mean... We haven''t done anything to offend him yet, right...? But... considering Vlad-sama''s kindness... he would definitely bring us back our freedom and get rid of our collars... ] [ No, that''s not at it at all. Remember when Vlad-sama took us with him as adventurers? The money came from that. He said that it should be our reward for working hard. ] [ Did Vlad-sama really? ] again, they gasped in disbelief. It was true that Vlad had never actually given them any kind of money of their own, but as slaves, it was only natural. Being paid with the comfortable shelter that is his mansion and getting to eat not just decent food, but delicious ones are already enough for them to not care about getting money off their own. [ Bu-But why would he do that...? ] [ We don''t know ourselves... He just said that he wants to give it to us as a reward for our work... He also said that we should split it and share it with you guys. ] [ Did you try to give it back to him? ] again, another worried voice came asking out. [ O-Of course we did! But master insisted on it so much that we were not able to convince him! You know how hard it is to resist masters kind face! You know how irresistible that face is! We''re not able to do anything when he gave us that look...! ] [ Uuhh... ] [ A-Anyway... We''ve already worked here for almost a month and we definitely now know our master''s personality... His kindness and logic is out of this world... That''s why if he insist on it, we will obey, isn''t that what we all agreed on? ] [ [ ... ] ] they all went silent. [ As Vlad-sama had said... We will split all of these coins for ourselves... But of course, we will save and keep some just in case. Does anyone agree? ] Sarah made sure her voice was clear as she searches and turns her eyes on all of them one by one. [ Well... Master had said so... ] [ Un... ] [ For us slaves to receive such amount of money is ridiculous... But if master really insisted... ] There was no negative reply from anyone. Seeing this, Sarah nodded in satisfaction, but before she could start talking again, someone voiced: [ But, Sarah-san... Isn''t that a bit unfair to the three of you...? I mean... You''re the ones who had earned that money... is it really okay to share it with us? ] [ Of course. ] there was no pause in her reply. [ As Vlad had said when we first met him, we''re all equal in his mansion... Also, we three are pretty much a burden in this mansion, unlike you guys... I mean, you guys all have proper jobs while we three only laze around and train... You''re all as important to Vlad-sama as we are. ] [ Sarah-san... ] [ Also, we''re all comrades aiming for Vlad-sama''s heart! Isn''t it natural for us to share? ] she gave a big smile as she said those words. [ [ Sa-Sarah-san! ] ] as she gave her short speech, the other girls started to tear up and cheered her. [ I really can''t believe you were a noble, Sarah-san! You''re nothing like any other! ] [ That''s right, Sarah-san, you''re like our eldest sister! ] *** [ Now... As the smartest person in this room, Lisa will divide and give us our first share. ] Sarah in the middle of a now circular crowd, introduces to everyone Lisa - a meek-looking girl wearing glasses. [ Ple-Please, don''t introduce me like that, Sarah-san... ] Lisa, like Sarah, was a former noble. She was educated well in almost every subject there is, except combat. She is like the complete opposite of the confident Sarah. Her hair is ponytailed and she has a few freckles on her face. Her hair is rather unique, as she was the only one who has purple hair in the group. She was also one of the most expensive slave Vlad had bought. She was smart and a former noble. She is also, like the other slaves, is pretty and a virgin - Hence, she had fetched a high price. [ A-Anyway... I''ve already calculated everything... Since we''re keeping some for emergency and for other times, we will only give each 30 gold coins for now... As Sarah-san had said earlier, you can use it any way you want. ] [ Oh! Oh! ] suddenly, in the middle of her explanation, Lumi, sitting on the crowd, interrupted and raises her hand. [ Umm... Yes, Lumi-san... ] [ Since we''re all girls and comrades here, how about we give suggestions on how we will spend the coins!? ] she excitingly said. [ That''s a good idea, Lumi! ] someone from the opposite side of the crowd complimented. And again, they all started to make noises of their own. [ Is that so? Then, I will suggest one! How about we use it to eat food in the city? ] [ No! We should spend it on gifts! We should give Vlad-sama a gift! ] [ Ohhh~!!! That''s a nice idea! ] [ Lisa! Note that one! ] [ U-Un! ] Lisa nodded in pressure. [ Dresses! ] [ Foods! ] [ Gifts! ] *words and noises... All kinds of suggestions came running to Lisa like a storm that she could only barely scribble anything. [ Whooh! Now, let''s wrap this out. ] As the noises finally calm down, Sarah urges Lisa to start again, nodding in her direction. [ U-un... then, we will start again... first, and the most important on our list would be: we will all give Vlad-sama each of our own gifts. \"This would be our chance to pay Vlad-sama''s kindness.\" Everyone agrees that that''s our main priority. ] she reads the paper she written her notes on. [ [ Un. ] ] [ Then, we will buy clothes, perfumes, and other stuff that might get Vlad-sama interested in us... ] she reads those words in a very slow manner as she started to get red. [ \"These things are necessary to seduce Vlad-sama...\" ] [ [ Un. ] ] they all nodded in sync again. [ And finally... The leftover coins will be spent on food and personal things... A-Are there any questions...? ] *** [ These girls... ] The moon is already high in the sky, and the manor of Vlad Alucard bathe on its dim light. [ I really can''t get enough of everyone in this place... ] Shin, the previous dungeon master peeks on one of the windows of the manor, looking at the beautiful ladies gathering in one particular room of the mansion. He had transformed himself as a small lizard to avoid their attention. One would think that this act is out of his lust for girls, but that is not the case at all. This is another job given to him by Vlad, his boss. His body doesn''t require rest and hence he was given this task - to guard the manor in the night. There are other summonses spread throughout everywhere in the perimeter of the mansion, but it was much safer to have him guard the mansion by himself. It was an odd work, but he doesn''t mind at all. The view of the moon in the night was a sight Shin never gets tired of. it was beautiful, he thinks. He was finally outside of the dungeon underneath the ground. The thought of going outside of his dungeon didn''t even cross his mind back then, but now, he was more than glad he was able to. He felt he was free. He works as Vlad''s servant now, some even say that he''s his slave, but he doesn''t mind that at all. For him, Vlad was the one who gave him freedom; he was the one who freed him of his boredom. He was his boss. And everyone underneath him is his co-workers, they''re his equals. He won''t mind a job that protects them. [ Haah... Apparently, it seems I want to give Vlad something like a gift too... ] he whispers to the quiet night as he continues to observe the girls that were having fun inside the room. 56 Chapter 56 ~ A Summoners Breakthrough Another day had passed in Vlad Alucard''s resident. Everyone is minding their own business - The slaves are doing their usual work: cooking out food, cleaning the rooms, watering the plants, and so on; Ayla and Stella are cleaning Vlad''s personal room where the two of them had also slept in; and finally, Vlad and Shin are minding their own business. Everything is back to normal... [ Ooohhh! ] Shin exclaimed in amazement. [ It''s finally finished... It took almost three days of time, but this is all worth it...! ] There, Vlad unsheath and raised the glimmering sword he''s holding. The light that was illuminating the room seemed to have sparkled off its edge. The sword was plain and not that much different from the others, but its blade is definitely sharper than a normal one. It also emits power that Shin can feel on his skin. [ I can definitely feel strong power coming from it, but isn''t it a bit too plain? Won''t you get ridiculed for its appearance? ] he complained. [ Of course not. ] as Vlad denied, he swift the sword into the air and it became enveloped in flames. The sword transformed itself completely. Its hilt and blade turned fiery red and its blade had started to emit powerful flames. [ Wow... ] Shin gasped, impress. [ Hmm... ] But Vlad still looks unsatisfied and slashes the air again. And just as expected, the sword transformed again into a completely different look. Its color is now jet-black, even the blade - and an aura of purple had surrounded it. If the other one would be would fiery, this one would be demonic. [ It works completely as I planned it to... ] Vlad says as he looks at the sword, satisfied. ( A sword I created my own that never existed in the game... This proves that I can still past the limits of my power... ) After his fight with Shin, Vlad had discovered an exhilarating way of fighting, and that is: fighting with swords. The swords he used that day were living summons, they''re not proper swords and they could be killed. That was why Vlad wanted a sword that can adapt to a certain level, from lowest to the highest, with an endurance that has the highest possible, which means: the sword can become Lv1 - Lv150 in Vlad''s will while its endurance and toughness never decreases and always stays at the max level - 150. This will help him savor and learn from his battle instead of killing them off with one shot of his spells, and it will also a huge help if an unexpected powerful foe appears with him having no mana. The sword also has its ''class change function'' that Vlad had worked much hard on - a function that lets it change not just it''s appearance, but also its base class. Druid from - it has the most variety. The class relies on elementals which means that it can transform base on what element of summoning Vlad wants. With this, he can change the element of the sword to fire, wind, lightning, water, and others. So in the case of fighting other element-based creatures, Vlad can use this to his advantage. Necromancy form - is supposed to be the deadliest. It can apply negative effects on whatever it hits: decay, wither, poison, blind, darkness, and many others. Devil form - at the same level, druid and necromancy form would be no match with the devil form. At level 150, it is the best and strongest weapon. This is where Vlad is probably the most pleased about. His Evil Monarch summoner class is the most expensive with mana, but with this, he will be able to use it without even spending the most little of it. The sword is pretty much an unofficial cheat-item he had created. It''s powerful, it can be used by summoners, and it doesn''t expend mana. ( I have many weapons at my disposal, but this is the strongest one would be yet... ) Vlad thought. This is his first breakthrough to his ability since he became level 150. Because his abilities are now not limited to the game, he can now take them to another level; all he needs now is the talent and knowledge for it. [ I guess it was a good thing I was one of the game''s developers. ] it was the first time he became grateful to such a thing. [ I don''t know why, but it feels really good to have a weapon of your own. Not to mention, it being the only kind in this world. ] as he says so, he put swiped it again, turning it back to normal, he then bought it to its sheath again. [ Maybe I''ll make a gun next time. It would be a lot harder, but if the result will turn out to be something like this, then I won''t mind. ] 57 Chapter 57 ~ Meanwhile, in the Capital Nina walked inside one large corridor. The corridor''s walls were white and not a single dent can be found hanging on them. The walls has many cross-shaped holes that allow the light to past, and every two meters, small statues of angels can be seen were unlit candles are placed on. [ I... I wonder if I''m late now... ] Nina said to herself as she continues to walk. Holding her staff with both of her hands, she tried to fasten up her pace. Sweat then began to appear on her forehead. One would say that she sweats because of the energy she was spending, but to those who knew her well, they know that it was because of her nervousness. Looking ahead, a large door can be seen; it stood at the end of the corridor. *Gulp As she saw the door, she began to slow down. And at the moment she arrived in front of it, she had stopped at her tracks. It has been a few weeks since she has been on a mission; a task. This day, for the first time, she was called again. But of course, she came here prepared; she already know why they had called her, and what are they going to talk about. Vlad Alucard, as always, would be their topic of discussion. But this day, he is not all there is that they will talk about; there is also the successful recovery of Arthur, her co-hero. As she stood there, she starts to recall everything that had happened. How the two had fought and how it ended up to be. She remembers it. They were humiliated. That person, Vlad Alucard, had said that he wanted to try the strength of the heroes, and in the end, he said that he was disappointed. They were more than humiliated. ( Vlad Alucard. ) she remembers his name. He was an honest person - that what''s Nina thinks of him. She wanted to think of him as an arrogant person, but she just can''t seem so. That day, he had spoken everything that was on his mind with honest truth. How he wanted to test their strength, how he said he was disappointed, how they were weak, and how he had refused to remove the spell he had cast on Arthur just because he says he doesn''t deserve it. He was frank at almost everything, and he was not afraid of them. Her companions were all devasted, their pride had been stepped on, but that was not the case for Nina. Instead of being angry, she had only respected Vlad, and that was because of his strength that equals the level of his arrogance. Unlike the other people she knows of, who only have arrogance yet no strength to prove it. [ ... ] *tap But as her mind started to wander off, she felt a hand on her shoulder. [ Nina-sama... What are you standing here for? Aren''t you going to enter? ] [ Ce-Cedrick-san...? ] she stutters as she looks at the face of the person standing beside her. [ Cedrick-san... I''m sorry, I was a bit late and it seems I got nervous I might get scolded again... ] she replied to the person, Cedrick. [ Don''t worry about it, Nina-sama. No one will scold you for being late, on the other hand, I will be the one that will get scolded. ] as he said so, he began to caress her shoulder. Nina felt uncomfortable. He looks at Cedrick''s face again, and she felt a little creep out by the smile he was showing. It''s almost the same smile he sees Arthur makes. Cedrick - the youngest member of the council and an advisor to some of the kingdom''s princes. He is known as one of the smartest people in the kingdom, and one of the most renown. He is also the oldest brother of her companion, Arthur. [ Umm... Cedrick-san... You''re always the earliest to attend these council meetings; may I ask why are you late this time...? ] she asks as she tries to brush off his hand. [ Oh? Are you perhaps curious, Nina-sama? Well, there is really nothing to it... I just attended to my dear little brother and ask him personally about this Vlad Alucard person. ] [ I-Is that so...? ] as she hears his word, she showed a distressed look on her face. Even though they were not close, she quite knows about Arthurs''s personality. He will surely be biased to everything he will report. [ Well, it''s not that I will side with him that much just because I''ve heard his side. I''m sure this Vlad person is still as reasonable as you all say. ] as if he had read what was inside her mind, he reassures her. [ Umm... May I ask what Arthur-san said...? ] [ Nina-sama... Well... all he said was that he regrets fighting off Vlad Alucard. ] [ Umm... I-Is that really all...? ] she senses he was lying and so she asked again. Hearing her ask again, Cedrick knit his brows at her. [ Of course, there''s nothing else. ] as he replied those words, he finally let go of his hold on her arms. [ Nina-sama, they will get angry if we get any tardier than this. How about we enter now? ] [ Ahh... Yes. I''m sorry. ] [ No, I''m sorry, it seems you''re about to enter when I arrived. I have delayed your entry. ] he bowed a little to her and soon continued to walk towards the large door. [ Let''s go, Nina-sama. ] [ Ye-Yes! ] she followed behind him with hesitation. A creaking sound was heard as Cedrick opens the large doors. And as it became fully open, he enters inside - stops - and waited for Nina to enter too. As the person with the higher status, her entrance was the most priority. And so, Nina took his sign and walk passed him. And as she enters, a circular table full of people was revealed to her. The circular table was big enough for 50 people to fit, and so almost 50 are already sitting. Some of the people sitting are familiar people to Nina. Some Dukes, Marquises, Counts, Viscounts and other people with higher and smaller titles are sitting all over the place, including the heroes. [ Nina, you''re a princess and hero at that too, you can''t be late as always like this. You also, Cedrick. You''ve never been late at anything like this before. ] an old odd-looking man complained. He''s the current advisor of her father, the king. Guro - a marquise - he came here in place of the king. [ I''m sorry. It took time for me to prepare... ] Nina apologizes, turning her head down. Nina might be the princess, but as the king''s advisor and a major part of the kingdom, she was ought to show him respect. [ For me, I took some matter with my brother. He just recovered and I wanted to talk to him as both his brother and as a part of this council. ] he explained with short words. [ There will be no excuse next time. You two, have a sit. ] Immediately, two servants cleared up two chairs for the two of them. Nina sat on the other side of the table, away from Cedrick but close to her companion. There, she saw Caiden, Anna, and Alicia. They all nodded at each other, recognizing their existence. ( So Caiden-san and Alicia-san are already here, huh? I will greet them later properly... ) she thought as she looks at them. But soon, she turns her head away from them and looks at the person in the center which voiced: [ Now, let''s begin. ] Everyone turns quiet and they look to focus their eyes on the person that was in the center. [ Our plan to get this Vlad Alucard person a part of this country. A person who can defeat a hero with one spell... The result of our invitation will result in either him, becoming our ally, or becoming our enemy. He is just too strong to be left alone. ] Different responses from people listening were formed. Some took serious faces while others have carefree and seems to be not caring. Those who have met him definitely know how strong and scary he was, and those who don''t, don''t care, most of which are the nobles with high status. [ Also, as some of you already know, we will also have another visitor. We also need to prepare for that. ] [ Ohho~? Do you mean the vessels from the Holy Empire? ] That''s when suddenly, the faces of those who were uninterested brightened up. [ Of course, we will have two large individuals coming, and we can''t be able to show them any disrespect. We will have this event to have good relationship with them. Introduce your family and make relations. ] [ The holy empire and Vlad Alucard... I wonder how this event will turn out to be... ] 58 Chapter 57 ~ Preparations The tapping and neighing sound of horses can be heard. Outside Vlad''s manor were two carriages both larger than the one Carla had used when she first met Vlad. Both carriages are decorated and plated with expensive-looking materials and are both pulled with two horses each. And just beside them, there stood Carla, who seems to be waiting for her clients. A week had now passed since Carla''s last visit, and now, she had come again to get Vlad. Carla has a large influence in the capital. She''s a renowned merchant whose name everyone knows. And her fame equals the range of her business. Because of her immense talents, she is often getting called by the castle and the royal family themselves to do business. And even sometimes, she would be sent as an envoy and emissary representing the merchants'' faction of their kingdom. Needless to say, she was an important figure and a person who receives important tasks. And right now, as she was also invited for the event, she was asked to convince Vlad to go with her; she would not be paid money for it, but she did it for the sake of her name and relations. As she waits, she fixed her tie in boredom. She then looks at her servant Gerald and nodded at him, signing to get the carriage and horses ready. *Creak... The door in front of her creaks and it opened wide, revealing Vlad Alucard and three of his servants, Shin, Stella, and Ayla. Vlad is now wearing clothes that have a much lighter color than what he usually wears. But nevertheless, it has the same high-class quality on it. One more thing she noticed most was the sword hanging on his waist. She had never seen Vlad carry any weapons before, it surprised her to see him now carrying one - she thought that it might be a precaution or just fashion. His servants, too, are wearing clothes she had never seen them wear before. The maids are wearing dresses with colors in contrast to each other: one was wearing a purple frilled dress layered with black edges while the other one is much simpler and with yellow and orange colors. They were already beautiful in their usual clothes, but they became more attractive as they were their unusual clothes. Then, she turns her head to the butler, she doesn''t remember his name, but she definitely remembers his looks. And as usual, he was bland and the same. He was still wearing his butler clothes and still have his odd-looking face. The only thing that was probably change was the style of his hair, which is now straight on edges and slick. [ Thank you for coming, Carlo-san. ] Vlad called her made-up name as soon as he gets his distance close to her. He then reached his hand to her for a handshake. [ No, I''m the one who should thank you for accepting the invitation. I don''t know what excuse I would say if I was not able to convince to come, I''m just glad you accepted it. ] she replied as she shakes his hand. But despite her saying that, it was not that of a big deal for her even if Vlad did not accept. She can always say to them that she did her best but he didn''t accept, they will not question her and will think that he did not accept because he really did not want to. That''s how trusted she was. [ I was planning to accept it in the first place. I was actually thinking of visiting the capital for a while now, so this would be a great chance. ] [ Really? Then, I''m glad that I will be the one to take you there. It would be an honor. ] she bows. Carla has her experience as a knight; she knows how to show respect to people that deserve it. She raised her head straight again and said: [ Vlad-san, how about we get going now. It will take for at least four hours to get into the capital with horses, if we go now, we will arrive there just before noon. ] [ Of course. ] Vlad responded. *** Vlad looks outside as the carriage rodes inside the city of Altair. He is now quite familiar with the city for the weeks he had spent living in it. The main cobblestone road is now already familiarized in his mind and there''s no way he would get lost walking on it. The houses too are now a normal sight to him unlike when he first arrived in this city. [ I''m surprised you''ve bought your butler with you. ] the voice came in front of him, it was Carla. The two of them are sharing one carriage while the other three are on the other. Vlad is already used to Carla''s presence and it doesn''t bother him being together with her alone anymore. She always visits his mansion and it became normal to him and his servants to see her sitting - drinking tea in the living room of their mansion. [ Yes, he is definitely my butler, but he also serves as my bodyguard. He''s more reliable than anyone I could find. ] turning his eyes away outside, he replied to Carla. [ He doesn''t look like it, but if you say so. I trust your opinion on everything, honestly, I know when you are lying, Vlad-san. ] she humored with a small smile on her face. ( It really seems she has some kind of trouble with my real face... I guess it is really rare to see someone that has the same face as mine here. ) Vlad thought as she looks at the smiling Carla. [ But really... I can''t believe that you suddenly became involved with the heroes like this... the country itself... You were just a guy having trouble when I first met you, but now... You''re more troublesome than I thought you would be, Vlad-san. ] again, she says those words in a playful tomboyish manner. She is now acting completely different from when she is doing her merchant business. Like Vlad, this is how she acts to those she''s close with, and Vlad is one of the few people she feels comfortable with and trusts. She knows that Vlad is not the same as any noble or any merchant she''s been dealing with. Just by seeing how he lacks arrogance and malice, and by the way he treats his servants, she knows that he''s a nice person. She trusts him and she knows that she will not be in danger when he''s around him, and before she knew it, his presence became normal to her that she starts to sometimes forgot that she was hiding her real identity. [ Vlad-san... I know you''re a nice person, but for you to knock a hero unconscious for almost a month is something you cannot do. This was all because of that. ] Vlad again turns his eyes on her as he hears her words. [ Well, I was not able to control my self when we fought... ] ( My Bloodthirst and frenzy for violence in battle might be the one which caused it... ) [ Either way, even if I did not do that to him, my power will eventually be noticed and I will get involved in something like this. ] [ Well, your strength will definitely not go unnoticeable... ] she replies. She then leaned a little closer to Vlad and asks: [ You''re not yet married, right? Vlad-san? ] ( .. ) her question caught Vlad off guard for a moment. The word ''marriage'' is something he often gets asked back then, and now, he was reminiscent again of his 30 years of experience of not having a single woman looking at him. But then again he realized he was not Kagayami Shiro anymore, he was now Vlad Alucard. He was able to regain his composure. [ Well, I don''t have any plans. ] he replied. [ Then, I will give you an advice: if you don''t want to get bombarded with marriage proposals, you will need a woman with you to introduce as your bride or your fiancee. But if you want to find a partner... I have someone to introduce to you. ] [ Someone to introduce to me to? ] [ That''s right. All this time, everyone I have ever introduced you to are slaves, well this time, how about someone who has a high position? As I say, I have many connections with the nobles of this country. ] [ No, I think I will decline. ] as Carla finishes explaining, Vlad immediately replied. ( That sounds something like an arrange marriage... ) he thought. [ Why though? ] [ In the first place, a commoner marrying a noble... is that even possible? ] [ If you have enough fame and wealth to offer, it is. ] Vlad made a little thought before answering... [ I don''t really worry that much about women... I have Ayla and Stella, two women are already far enough for one man. Furthermore, marriage is something two parties should agree on; and agree not because of wealth but because of their likeness for each other. ] [ [ ... ] ] The answer had silenced the two of them. Carla made a serious expression with a glint of shock on her face as she looks at Vlad with a pause. And Vlad had thought of what he just said as something very out of his character. [ Well, it seems I underestimated you, Vlad-san... I was sure everyone would agree with me offering them women, but it seems the case is different with you... ] [ Well, I will think about it in the future... ] [ Un, anyway, I ask you to prepare yourself because I''m sure you will get many proposals at the party. Introduce one or both of your maids as your partner. ] [ I will... ] And so... The two of them continues to have a chat like this for a while... 59 Chapter 59 ~ Arrival It''s still morning and the heat of the sun is still gentle. The sky was bright yet the wind is cold. It was the same morning Vlad experiences in this world, yet he feels more refreshed than anything he had experienced before. It was his first time traveling like this in this new world. Riding a carriage is a completely different experience from flying with his own wings; though both felt rewarding. [ Vlad-san, we''re about to reach the capital. ] Carla says. They''ve passed a few smaller villages and towns and now, they are on a clear field, where all they can see were green plains of grass. [ Is that so? I guess we''ve talked so much that I wasn''t able to feel the time. ] Vlad replies. [ It''s the same for me. There are really some interesting things to talk about. I''ve been dealing with you for quite a time now, but this is the first time I realize you were that smart with business. You would be a great merchant. ] she compliments. The two of them had talked varieties of topics, but the one that piqued Carla''s interest was his knowledge of basic economics. Although it was not the subject Vlad was best at, he still knows many things about it. Trading business, the concept system of selling and buying is something of common knowledge in his previous world, and he''s more than educated to share that knowledge in this world. And as a person dedicated to business, Carla was interested. Since the topic had started, she did not stop talking and asking everything that comes into her mind. To her, it was the first time she was able to share and chat with someone with the same knowledge as her. Since many merchants and traders inherited their jobs, most of them don''t even know what they are doing. The concept and principles of trading are almost unknown to some that sometimes they will sell their products with prices much higher the normal amount, or with much lower. And that''s where Vlad comes in. He fully understands how trading and money works. It was like he was the only person she can talk about her goals and interest with. Because like Vlad, she also studied economics when she was a kid, though only on her own. [ I''m really glad I was able to be acquainted with you. You won''t mind if I talk with you about this subject again, right? ] [ Of course, you''re already a familiar acquaintance; I''d be happy to. ] They again conversed with the same energy they had when they first started, and before they knew it, they had already reached the gate where they should arrive at. Like the gates and entrance of Altair city, there are many people lining up for entry. Most are wearing rags and normal clothing, and there are some who also have carriages for carrying their supplies. They all turned their eyes to Vlad''s carriage and they went quiet. The people who were standing on their way immediately moved to the side, allowing them to past the line of people waiting. This was how it was supposed to work - nobles take priority - it was basic knowledge. Their carriage then moved slowly, and they continued their pace until they reached the guards. *Creak... *Tap, tap tap... The carriage stopped for a moment as it arrived just under the tall gates. The rushing sound of footsteps was heard and a guard came peaking on the window beside Carlo and says: [ It''s nice to see you again, Carlo-sama. ] a greet came from the guard. Judging by how casually she was greeted by the guard, it would seem that they know each other, but that was not the case. Due to Carla''s fame, almost every soldier, knights, and nobles knows her name and her face, her carriage is already familiar to them as it always goes back and forth in many different places. [ We''ve been informed of your arrival, you''re free to pass, Carlo-sama. Some of your servants are here to receive you, too. ] [ I expected as much. Tell them to follow. ] she casually replied, and as she did, their carriage, again, started to move. And as they leave the shadow of the gates, they were greeted by the same bright sun, but unlike earlier, right now, there were also the tall connected buildings inside the city. [ Vlad-san, welcome to the capital, Diamond city... ] The scene was completely different from when he first arrived in Altair city. Unlike the houses of different styles in Altair, the building here looks completely similar to each other, only a few were different. Most of the structures were clean and painted in white with some having a mixture of blue on them. It definitely looks cleaner and organized than Altair''s. The city almost felt one generation ahead than theirs. But like Altair, this city also has many people walking and enjoying themselves outside. The roads here are much wider than that in Altair and it can fit more people, but if compared, Altair still has a decent amount of adventurers that will equal the number of people in this city. [ A different view, right? This is your first time coming here, so I will explain the difference between Altair and this city. ] she mutters to Vlad as she also took a glimpse outside. [ People here are much wealthier than the people living in Altair. Most people that live here are nobles; either here to study, live away from their parents, or to socialize with other nobles. Those commoners you saw outside were mostly here to sell their products or people who want to work as servants. Also, the reason why you don''t see any adventurers is that there''s no branch of the guild built here. If the people want to task someone, they will ask the knights or even their own slaves. ] she continues to explain. [ This city is the heart and center of this kingdom, the capital, Diamond City. It would be better if you know how this city works. ] Vlad quietly listened to everything she had said. And as he thought what it would be, the capital really has higher standards than Altair. Commoners here are nobles and adventurers are knights, it was almost the same yet not at the same time. [ Un, thank you, Carlo-san. ] Vlad responded. A thought then came to his mind and asks: [ By the way, Carlo-san, I know it''s already too late to ask, but where should I be staying at? ] [ Oh? Haven''t I told you yet? There''s someone already waiting for you. ] ( Huh...? I haven''t heard anything like that... I''ve also never read anything about someone receiving us from the letter... ) Vlad made a confused look on his face. [ Can I borrow your invitation letter, Vlad-san. ] Ask she asks, Vlad took the first letter he received from Carla and brought it to her. [ Vlad-san, this crest here is from the noble family who is supposed to receive you. That family would serve as your guide and you will be their guest of honor until the event happens. Normally, no noble family would allow a commoner into their homes, but since the next head of this family is quite close to you and you already have enough fame, the current head volunteered to make you their guest of honor. ] [ Oh? I didn''t know anything about this... About this next head of the family you said I''m close with... Who is it? ] [ It''s the son of the war general Cristov, Caiden Lionheart. A lion is the symbol of their crest, as you can see here. ] she says as she pointed at one of the corners of the letter she''s holding. [ So it''s Caiden, huh? ] [ Yes, Alicia''s family also accepted, but in the end, Caiden''s family won. Their family is actually the reason you were not labeled as a criminal for what happened to Arthur. They recognize strength and their head, General Cristov, took interest in you, no matter how Arthur''s family wanted you dead, they were not able to do anything about it because of him. ] ( Oh...? Does this mean I owe their family? I''ve heard that General Cristov is a major part of this country and their family is recognized by strength... it''s not like I wished for it to happen, but I guess they saved me the trouble. ) [ Hmm... I just want to ask, am I allowed to refuse? I thought there were supposed to be many Inns in the capital? ] [ Of course, you can always refuse and find your self a place to stay at. But not accepting it would be rude and disrespectful. They and the other nobles might take it as a bad sign. I personally haven''t seen anyone refuse an invitation like this, especially from a family like the Lionhearts. ] [ Is that so? Well, it''s just a thought... ] [ Well, even if you wanted to, I think it would be too late to refuse now... We''re about to arrive in their residence. ] 60 Chapter 60 ~ The Den of Lionhearts Finally, they were able to arrive at their destination - the residence of the Lionheart family. [ Carlo-sama, it is nice to see you again. We''re really sorry for this, we could''ve had sent our own vessel to Vlad Alucard, but we were refused. We''re sorry for your time that we had consumed. ] [ Don''t worry about it, I was actually glad I was the one asked to get Vlad-san. ] In front of Vlad and Carla were two people: a tall man with bulging muscles and a tanned and tall girl with ponytails. They both wear an incomplete set of armor - only chest plates, shoulder pads, and knee pads. The two of them have the looks of warriors ready to go on a battlefield. Vlad was actually shocked to see their figures. Carla had told him before they came here that the Lionheart family servant will receive them in front of their residence, he was not expecting at all to see two people with honed visible muscles to show up instead. [ You must be Vlad-Alucard... Sir, I will refer to you as Vlad-sama, can I? ] their wording too was different from normal people. [ You can... ] but ignoring their odd looks and behavior, he replies. [ I thank you. ] the man bowed and the woman also followed. [ Then, I will leave you here, Vlad-san. I also have my own business to deal with. The celebration will happen a few days from now, I hope to see you there again. ] Carla interrupted as she turns to Vlad''s direction. [ I had a good time. ] she bowed her head a little towards him. [ Thank you, Carlo-san. I will see you, too. ] *** [ Again, it''s nice to meet your acquaintance, Sir, Vlad-sama. My name is Guardo, a humble servant of the Lionhearts. ] [ The name''s Gina, I also work as a servant to the Lionhearts. ] The two servants introduced themselves to him. They bowed their heads to the lowest and stand back up again to their normal postures. [ We will now take you to the mansion. The head is expecting you, Vlad-sama. ] [ Please do so. ] [ Un. ] they bowed again and started to walk. Vlad follows, and with him are Shin, and the twin Vampire Brides. ( Hmm... I guess their residence is really bigger than what I had in mind... Mine wouldn''t even compare... ) Vlad thought as he looks at the wideness of the land of the Lionhearts. Carla had said to him that all he sees right now is a part of the residence of the Lionhearts. There are many trees around that can be seen. Though it was not autumn yet, their color is orange. They follow the breeze of the wind and they sway to it. Looking far ahead, there can be seen a large mansion; a mansion that wouldn''t even compare to his - his would look like an ordinary house. The mansion almost looks like a castle. There was its huge base and two tall towers on each side where their crest is decorated on. In front, where they are currently walking, is a paved-cobblestone road that splits into two: one going straight ahead, and the other, circles to the back. There are also many decorations in places, such as the lion statues and different colored-flowers. In this world, a family nobles'' residence and mansions represent their wealth and influence to their country. Every family nobles have to have their own mansion that will show their wealth or else they will become a laughing stock to the others. Definitely, this manor of the Lionhearts is one to be praised and owed. Soon, they have arrived in front of its two large doors, again, carved with faces of lions. [ We''re here, Vlad-sama; please prepare to meet our master, Cristov-sama. ] The two servants placed their hands on the doors handles and slowly, they''ve opened them. [ [ Welcome! Vlad Alucard-sama! ] ] as soon as it opens, he was greeted with the voices of maids and servants inside. Like the two servants, Guardo and Gina, there were servants who are wearing light armors, but most of the maids and other servants that are gathered right now are wearing proper maid uniforms and butler suits. One thing Vlad had noticed is that the ones who are wearing armors are taller people and well-built than those who aren''t. Maybe like the two, they''re warriors or soldiers, or at least that''s the conclusion Vlad had come up with. He knows that the Lionhearts are a family who prioritizes and acknowledge strength; it would be logical. [ Un... ] he only nodded a little and continues to walk at a much slower pace - towards the people waiting in the middle of the room. Looking ahead, there were the people lining up, one of whom is Caiden. Almost all of them are tall, well-built, and has red hair, all except one person, the woman in the middle who has average height and blonde hair. ( What is this family...? ) If not a family, they would be a gang - that what Vlad thought as he looks at them. All have intimidating looks and scary stares. If they change the color of their hair, they would look like a certain race from the anime he had watched as a kid(DBZ) *Tap, tap tap... And so, Vlad stopped as he reached a close enough distance. [ Umu. You must be Vlad Alucard! Welcome to the Lionhearts! ] the tallest man in the middle shouted and welcomed him. Like the others, he has red hair, but his is much darker in color and much fierce-looking. [ My name is Cristov Lionheart; the head of this family. I welcome you. ] ( Here comes the dad... ) [ Un, thank you for your hospitality. ] [ Ohho~ Really... I didn''t know that the guy who beat my student up with one spell would be this fragile-looking... Hmm... I guess you really can''t judge a book by its cover... ] ( ... ) [ Vlad-san! I would love to see how powerful you really are... ] As he says this, his and all of his kids'' eyes flared up red in excitement. And they slowly became like a pack of wolves ready to pounce on their prey. They were like beasts finally out of their cages. Except of course, for Caiden, who already knows him, and the woman with the most different traits. ( Seriously... What''s up with this family...? ) Sensing danger, Stella and Ayla began to heighten up their senses and Shin put one of his hands on his back secretly to pick up his weapon. ( Is this how you treat a guest...? ) [ Hehe... Vlad-san... How about a spar...? ] General Cristovs showed a creepy smile on his face as he says so. Slowly, the atmosphere became dangerous. Two sides showed bloodlusts and killing intent. [ Come-on...! I just want to see - ] That was until... [ I think you should stop with that, my dear. ] a silent, sweet yet matured voice was suddenly heard. It came to the smallest one in the group and the only one who has blonde hair. [ [ ... ] ] every one of them went back to normal almost immediately, even the excited Cristov who is the head of the house. It was almost invisible, but Vlad was sure that he saw a cold sweat appeared on Cristov''s forehead. [ I-I''m sorry, dear... I think I went too far... ] Cristov whispers in an apologetic manner while scratching his head. [ It''s okay, you can greet Vlad-san here properly. He''s our guest. You''re the head of the house. Shake his hand. ] [ O-Of course... I''m really sorry about that, Vlad-san... Let me introduce myself once more... My name is Cristov Lionheart. This ''young'' sweet woman here is my wife, and this are my children... Pleased to meet your acquaintance... ] she says in a much different manner than before. And as what his wife had said, he also shook Vlad''s hands. [ Un... ] ( What the hell just happened...? ) The atmosphere earlier had now completely disappeared. They suddenly became the normal-like family Vlad was expecting and it confused him. He then looks at the woman that tamed the wild beasts. [ As he introduced, I''m his wife, Karen. ] she smiles and shook Vlad''s hands. ( She looks completely different from her sons and daughters... She''s their complete opposite... Furthermore... she''s like the alpha in this family... Is that how it really works...? ) [ My name is Cole. ] [ I''m Cette. ] [ Cain. ] [ I''m Casper! ] [ It''s nice to meet you again, Vlad-san. ] Like their father, they are now well-behaved unlike before. They introduces themselves to Vlad with Caiden greeting him last. [ Un. Again, My name is Vlad Alucard. ] he didn''t actually introduce himself properly earlier since he wasn''t given the chance, so now, he did. ( What a weird family... ) 61 Chapter 61 ~ The Monster and the Beasts Vlad sat on the table, the opposite side of the family. The table can fit at least 20 people in total. And like any other furniture in the house, its texture and quality are high. They''re not better than the furniture found inside Vlad''s mansion, but they would definitely be considered the average or even high in the faction of nobles. The room Vlad is currently in is larger and wider than his mansion''s living room where he always makes his guests stay - A total of six pillars stood equally on each side of the room, where the symbol of their family is decorated at. There are many flickering lights hanging on the walls of the room, giving light to even the tiniest corners, even the pillars which are supposed to make shadows behind, cannot escape their lights. And finally, there''s the golden chandelier slowly spinning around above the ceiling. [ So, Vlad-san, I''ve heard that you''ve recently conquered a dungeon, together with my son Caiden. I heard stories about you from him and from the castle too. There have been many rumors. ] [ Rumors? ] [ Yes, there have been many rumors about you going around in this city, and in my guess, in the other cities, too. You know, rumors like how you conquered the dungeon within an hour, defeat the last boss with one spell, and even rumors that you might not even be human... ] There was a bit of suspicion in his eyes. He stares at Vlad, observing almost every move he makes. Appearance-wise, he''s like the older version of Caiden. Only except, Caiden would look like a kid when placed next to him. His face definitely looks similar to Caiden, but it a lot rougher and intense. There''s a huge scar on his face and a huge beard that covers the entirety of his chin. He is also much more muscular than Caiden and any of his siblings. Even though he was not wearing clothes that reveals a lot of skin, you can still see the bulges of his muscles. He was almost the exact picture Vlad has on his mind. [ Well, I will just say that none of those are true. ] sipping on the alcohol serve to him, he replied. There is much food served in front of Vlad, and like the others, he slowly eats his, giving the opportunity for him to chat with the leader of the house. Even though he was now an undead, he still craves for the food of his hometown, the food made by Ayla and Stella. And this was the first time he was served food other than theirs. [ Finishing a dungeon in an hour is impossible. No matter how powerful you are, you can''t. About the dungeon boss... I did defeat him, but not with one spell. Cristov-san, I''m the kind of person who would take pleasure in a fight before ending it; there will be no joy in a fight that ends in seconds, I''m sure we both agree to this. ] [ Ohho~ you''re right about that. Then, does that mean there was no pleasure when you fought Arthur? He''s one of my students. I''m a bit frustrated about what happened. ] [ Hmm... Honestly, for someone titled as a ''hero'', he was weak. ] ( His and Hana''s level doesn''t even compare... I bet even Hana can one-shot him... Just how do they give that title so recklessly? ) This thought has been in Vlad''s mind for the longest time. When they first met, Arthur''s level was 67 while Hana''s was 97. He had heard that Hana was named the hero assigned by the church, but then what does that make the others? Caiden, Alicia, Nina, and Arthur are only called ''heroes'', and sometimes they would even be mistaken for the ''hero''s party members'' - This - Vlad still doesn''t know any about. [ That was really straight-forward for you to say. Is it arrogance? Or your standard on strength is just different? You''re a really fascinating person; I''m glad I invited you here. ] [ I just really don''t know what the standards of this country are. ] [ Oh, that''s right. Caiden told me that Vlad-san came from another country, is it true? ] Karen joined their conversation with a curious smile. [ What...? Caiden, you didn''t tell me about this. ] [ You didn''t ask. ] [ I thought I told you to tell me everything! ] [ ... ] Caiden did not respond and Cristov only gave an empty sigh. [ Haah... I''ve been curious about it... But this explains why I haven''t heard of you until now... Say, Vlad-san, which country did you come from? I know a lot of famous and strong people in other countries, but I still haven''t heard anything about you... Is it a new or small country, perhaps? Or did you came from the east? ] ( The east...? What''s the difference? ) [ Hmm... You can say that. It''s true that I came from another country and it''s still not that long after I came here. ] [ Umu, yet you''ve already accumulated enough fame to be invited here in the capital. The king himself had pondered about this idea and asked me to take care of you. Really... I was shocked when I heard that you actually came and accepted the invitation this fast. Caiden had told me that you were a guy that''s hard to convince. It was a rush preparation; it''s actually rare for us to have a guest. ] [ Well, I wanted to see the capital myself and try to enjoy my stay. It would be a waste to visit for only a single day. ] [ That''s true. Well, there would still be a day or two before the other visitors will arrive. ] [ Other visitors? ] [ Yes, as you''ve read in the letter, this event is for the celebration of nobles. It''s an event we do every year to pass down titles on people; either to promote their ranks or demote them. But this time, it would be different. Relationship with the Holy Kingdom and this country needs to improve, and so they have sent emissaries from their country to join the event. Everything that had happened for the past year would be tackled for this event, which includes your sudden existence and the successful recovery of Arthur. ] [ Is that so? ] [ Needless to say, you were invited because of your powerful self and sudden influence and fame. You''ve conquered a dungeon and you''ve defeated a hero with one spell, there''s no way you will not be included in the party. ] [ Uhn, Vlad-san, your appearance was a shock to the whole nobility. I''m sure there would be a lot of people that will gather around you. ] [ Yes, I''m sure that would happen. You should be careful out there, Vlad-san. Women will gather around you like a storm and you will not be able to do anything about it; it sure happens to me, like, every single time. ] he said with a smirk on his face. [ ... ] ( Oh... You''ve spat out something outrageous again... ) [ Hmm... Dear? ] Karen breath his name with a vein popping out of her head. Her smile is still the same, but Vlad was sure that she emits an aura more dangerous than Cristov and any of her children. [ T-That is until I''ve met my wife, of course... ] [ Uhn, until I met him, right, dear? ] [ Hmm... That''s right... Vlad-san, you should not be fooled by the appeal of a woman. Stay true to only one, such as myself. ] [ ... ] ( I really can''t believe that this is one of the most fierce individual in this country... No, Karen-san gave birth to all these monsters so she might be more terrifying... I''m glad I have proper control over Ayla and Stella... ) [ Right, Vlad-san? ] [ I will try. Thank you for the advice. ] [ You''re welcome. Anyway, let''s talk about something different. Vlad-san, I got too excited earlier, but I will ask properly this time: how about a spar? I''ve heard that your butler is strong too, let him join. ] [ A spar, huh? ] Vlad looks at them and as what it was earlier, they all have red bloodthirst-filled eyes. Too bad, Vlad was now alone without his servants as they took his things to the room they will stay at and prepares it. There was no one on his side this time to counter the aura they showing off. [ I''m sure that sword of yours is not just for decoration. ] Again, Cristov is back to his usual self. Like Caiden - a battle maniac. [ I actually never tried it in a battle yet. I would love to test it, but a spar would be too bland for it. ] Vlad is now finished eating his meal and is now also prepared. And even though he was now alone, he will not let them threaten him like this. And so he stared back at them with his dead eyes. [ Ohho~ That''s what I''m talking about! You will see the power of the great general Cristov! The power of Lionhearts! ] as he shouted those words, the sound of necks and fingers popping from his children followed. [ Just so you know, Arthur would not even compare to me. You can one-shot him, but not me; I''m way too powerful and experienced. ] [ I would like to test that out. But I did not agree that I will fight you yet. How about this: if you defeat my butler, I''ll fight you. ] [ ... ] Cristov gave a dissatisfied look but he did not change the energy on his eyes. He knows that Vlad is a strong person just by his achievements and the rumors about him; although he did not accepted his challenge, he knows that it is justified; he''s allowed to refuse. He did not disrespect him at all, as one would think. He was the one asking for the fight and so he needs to accept his condition. [ Fine. Your butler, is it? This would be a 2v6 fight. If one of my children defeats your butler, then it''s over, you''ll fight me then. ] [ That''s right. ] [ This would be an unfair fight, but since it''s you, Vlad Alucard, it wouldn''t at all, right? ] They stared at each without blinking. Like beasts fighting off a single monster, their family gave that atmosphere. ( The Lionhearts, huh? I wonder how Shin will handle them... ) he thought as he looks at them on their eyes. Their auras gave off the most dangerous atmosphere; no one knows one might suddenly pull out an attack. That was until she interrupts, again with the sweet yet scary smile on her face... [ Now-now... We still have to have our desserts. Our maids and I did our best to make those sweets, I won''t let them go to waste. Please finish that first and then rest for a while. ] [ Ahh... Right... We''ll have to wait for now, Vlad-san. ] [ Sure... ] 62 Chapter 62 ~ Shin vs Cain and Casper 1/3 Shin and the twins came back to Vlad''s side after his short chat with General Cristov. Although Vlad had never intended and made them follow the proper rules of servants in his manor, here, they will need to as they are titled his maids and butler. Because of this, they were taken by the other servants of the mansion to guide them to the room their master will stay at, the room the three of them will stay at, and teach them the rules of the residence itself. There are almost no rules in Vlad''s mansion so Shin, Ayla, and Stella felt as though their moves are being limited for the very first time. But knowing that this is for their master, Vlad, they did not mind at all. After they were finished touring and listening to the other servants, they were allowed to attend again to their master. And here they are now, standing just beside Vlad - or at least that was the case for Ayla and Stella. [ Hehe! Try to keep up with us ojii-san! ] [ Un! We''re not to be underestimated! ] Shin stood on an open field, clear with everything. This location is the backyard of the gigantic mansion. The field that Shin is standing at has a rectangular shape. There is nothing to be seen inside the rectangular field, but outside its lines, the place could not be more relaxing. There are many flowers decorated throughout the entire area. Benches and tables are placed all around for guests and soldiers that are either here to relax or watch other people fight. Statues of a knight, tiger, dragon, and a king are also placed out on each corner of the empty field. But among all those, the thing that will definitely get the attention of everyone was the large fountain that is almost taller than the first floor of the mansion. [ Cain is already 12 and Casper is just about to turn 10 this month. They''re two years apart from each other but I trained them at the same time. The butler, Shin, it seems that you''re a strong fighter since Vlad-san trusts you a lot. I''m sure you can at least defeat the two of them both at the same time. ] [ I will try. ] like a proper butler, he bowed to the acquaintance of his master. The two opponents that are standing far in front of him are nothing more than kids. Sure, they about as tall as his co-workers Ayla and Stella, but to Shin and everyone else, they''re nothing but two battle maniac kids. ( Yep, they''re goblins... Vlad had appointed me a fight with two goblins... Just what is he thinking...? ) Shin stares dead eyes to Vlad. Vlad only stared back at him with a nod. And Shin thought that he heard the word \"go on\" escape his lips. [ Tsk. ] ( Seriously... Hmm... But after this, I will also need to fight the others... At least someone is decent enough to have a fight with me. ) his eyes focused on General Cristov as he surveyed the other fighters he will need to fight. [ Prepare your self, ojii-san! ] the two kids called out to him again and he turns his eyes on them. ( Un, so all I need to do is to knock down these two goblins... Fair enough... ) *** [ Start! ] As they heard the signal, Cain and Casper immediately ran off to their opponent. Both holding their swords, they rushed towards him. [ Haah! ] One sword fell down on Shin and he immediately blocked it with his bare arms. *Thud! As the sword hits, it made a loud sound as though it hit something even harder than itself. ( Seriously...? ) Shin complained in his head as he was left unsatisfied with the weak attack of the opponent. With a dissatisfied look on his face, he pushed the kid back with a thrust of his arm on his own weight and he went flying. Shin is not holding any kind of weapon and is fighting only with his bare hands while the two both have wooden swords. He was given the chance earlier to choose from a variety of weapons, but he refused, saying that it would be too unfair for the young masters. But the real truth was, he just felt he''ll be dragged down too far in shame if he uses any kind of weapons with opponents as weak as goblins. And he can''t be further than glad that he did so. *Swoosh! Another swing of a sword came towards his abdomen. The other kid ignored what had happened to the other and went for a reckless attack when he thought he saw an opening. But the attack was too easily foresaw by Shin, and so, he immediately grabbed the sword by its wooden blade and stopped the attack just before it hits him. And like what he did to the other kid, he sent him flying to the other edge of the field. *Bam! The two mercilessly landed on the ground. [ [ Tsk! ] ] Cain and Casper clicked their tounges in disapproval over what just happened. They did not expect in the least that the enemy would throw them off and take their hits directly without even dodging. [ [ ... ] ] they stared at Shin with their beastly eyes and Shin stared back at them, only with no interest at all. Humiliated, they stood their stance properly and fixed their hold on their swords. They then looked at each other in the eyes and nodded - as if they figured out a plan to successfully land a hit on him. Again, they rushed towards Shin, only this time, they split mid-way to both sides of Shin; surrounding him and leaving him guarding on both sides. Shin turns a glance at the two of them: one on the right and one on the left. To him, it was easy to predict what they are going to do. *SwooOosh!!! With a speed not normal for 10 years old kids, they dashed towards him. They hold their sword opposite its hilts and they swing at him. BAM!!! But instead of hitting their target, they hit each other instead. They fell again on the ground with a thud. As they were about to hit Shin''s neck, he suddenly disappeared, forcing the two of them to bump at each other. Trained by their father, they know how to respond to attacks; but never on unexpected things they did not even know or have seen yet. [ O-Ouch...! ] Scratching the part of their heads that were hurt, they look for their enemy. [ Wh-Where is he!? ] [ That bastard ojii-san! ] They both shouted with angry expressions on their faces. They look both their left and right and they were not able to find him. That was until... Bam!!! A fist came landing on top of their heads - knocking the two of them out, unconscious. [ Hmm... ] Shin stared at their limp bodies on the ground. ( At the very least... strategy-wise, they''re better than goblins... ) as he thought so, he immediately looks at the butler who is acting as the referee. [ Shin-san wins! ] the referee shouted. But although he won, he did not celebrate or even smiled, he only looks at his next three opponents before he could fight General Cristov. There were Caiden and two other unfamiliar faces with creepy smiles. ( Who''s next? ) He made sure they understood what is inside his head as he stares back at them with his back straight up and with his hands inside his pockets, trying to intimidate them. 63 Chapter 63 ~ Shin vs Cole, Caiden, and Cette 2/3 The first battle was finally over. It was an easy win for Shin; he didn''t consider it as a fight nor even a warm-up; the two of them were just far too weak compared to him that he felt he was humiliated. [ Next fight would be between Cole-sama and Vlad-sama''s butler, Shin-san! ] the referee shouted to the audience. General Cristov and his family are currently sitting on a different table than Vlad''s and his twin maids. The servants are standing still - also watching the fights unfold. Many of the servants are experienced fighters and were trained in combat - this, as a requirement to become a servant of this family. Many of them nodded as they observed the first fight, regarding Shin as a decent fighter. They know that he was still not serious then, but still, their bet to who will win this round is Cole, the second daughter of the family. [ Butler, I''ve observed your fight and I''m a bit disappointed. I could''ve beaten the two of those kids to death in just a second, yet you took far more time than that. ] Cole: like any other member of their family, has red long hair and a tall structure. She''s now wearing some kind of light female-armor that almost only covers the corners of her body, allowing her to move more freely and have lighter movements. And almost the opposite of Caiden, who uses large and heavy weapons, she uses knives as her weapon and she has tons of them on her belt. [ I''m really sorry for disappointing you. But regarding why I took more than time than necessary with that fight was merely because I was giving them a chance to land a hit on me. Too bad, they were not able to. ] he says with a bow to show respect. [ Then, I will expect you to go all out on me, since I''m nothing like those two kids. ] [ Of course. ] [ Don''t disappoint me. ] as she says so, she took two knives on her belt and prepared a stance. [ Fight! ] *** The fight ended in seconds. [ Shin-san wins... ] [ Wha-what the hell...!? ] she shouted and complained to the referee as she holds her pained stomach. [ I hope I did not disappoint you, Cole-sama. I thought you would hate it if I give you the chance to land a hit on me as I did to the young masters, so I ended the fight as fast as I could to not disappoint you. ] [ You bastard...! ] [ [ ... ] ] It was then they realized just how serious their opponent was. The fight was so one-sided that they were only able to stay quiet in disbelief. ~~~ Except for one person... [ Hahaha! Your butler did not show mercy at all! He punched a woman straight to the guts without even blinking an eye...! I''ve never seen anyone do that before! Even more so, for a mere servant to do it...! ] Cristov laughs to the scene in front of him. ( His daughter is almost dying and this is his reaction...? ) [ Vlad-san, I want to know where did you get that guy! ] [ ... ] Vlad only stares at him as he continues to laugh. [ I''m really sorry about this, Vlad-san... This is a normal occurrence in our household, I hope you get used to it. ] Karen apologizes to him from Cristov''s side. [ No, I''m the one who''s sorry, I think my servant went a little too far... ] it was a genuine apology from Vlad. He just couldn''t help but feel guilty as he looks at the girl that is rolled over to herself on the ground coughing to death. [ Please don''t worry about it, they''re already used to it. ] [ Oh...? Is that so? ] ( I think I will accept this as normal for now... ) Vlad again thought as he looks at Cole. [ The next battle would be Shin-san against Caiden-sama and Cette-sama! ] the referee took their attention and announce the next fight. And as the referee had said, Caiden and Cette are already standing on the opposite side of Shin. ( Wait... Isn''t this a bit too much...? The oldest sister has the same level as Caiden... a hero... If Shin was a normal butler, this would be an overkill... ) as he reaches this conclusion, he realized: ( They would do everything to win, huh...? I thought they were fair fighters, but I guess I was wrong... ) [ I''m sorry about this Vlad-san, your butler is just too strong... Although I laughed at it, he''s abnormal... I don''t think they will win at all if they fight him in a fair fight. I want the two of them to defeat him so I can have a fair fight with you. ] Cristov interrupted his thoughts. [ I think even I will have a bad time dealing with your butler. I''ve never defeated my own daughter like that in a battle before, yet your butler did. ] although he still has a smile on his face, he was serious. [ I want to have a fair fight with you Vlad-san. I will not be able to do that if I''m already exhausted fighting your butler. ] [ I get what you are saying, Cristov-san. But don''t worry, this fight is still fair. I don''t think Shin will have a hard time dealing with the two of them. ] Despite the situation, Vlad was still confident. He was the only one who can see the difference in their power, so he knows he shouldn''t worry. [ ... ] Cristov was in disbelief, seeing how Vlad accepted the fight so casually and confident. He stares at Caiden and Sett and he lost the confidence that they would win against Shin. What Vlad had said is not at all impossible, he just couldn''t remove the possibility that his butler will still win against his oldest son and daughter. ( We''ll see about that... ) Cristov utters inside his head as he prepared himself for the upcoming battle. *** [ Fight! ] As the referee swangs his hands downward, the battle began. With his usual weapon, Caiden threw a swing to Shin, only to be dodge by Shin by stepping a foot back - one would think that this is the end of their first interaction, but that was not the case at all. *Swoosh! Another weapon came dashing towards Shin as soon as he landed his foot on the ground. *Bam!!! It was the first time Shin was not able to dodge and was hit. It was an unexpected attack, and he was not able to react to it that fast. [ ... ] He put his fingers on his face to feel the wound, and immediately, he felt a stinging pain coming from it. [ Hmph... ] a satisfied look appeared on the person who was able to hit him. Cette - the eldest daughter of the family. In height, she''s taller than Caiden. She''s also a bit rough-looking, but she''s definitely still recognizable as a woman. Her face won''t lose to other nobles; and although her body has obvious muscles, it still cannot hide the curves of her feminine body. She is the perfect illustration of a woman in the family of Lionhearts. Like Caiden, Cette is also a knight. They''re both captains and have high popularity among others in the noble factions. And although she was not named a hero, she was still recognized as a powerful individual in the ranks of knights and nobles, there are even those who say that she should be the one who should inherit the title of her father. [ Don''t let your guard down, nee-san... ] Caiden came to her side and said. [ I know. ] Caiden has a lot of respect for his older sister and he considers her someone who has a higher rank than him; both as a Lionheart and a knight. In the first place, she taught him as much as his father and he had never won a battle with her before. [ Vlad-san''s servants are nothing like ours... ] [ Definitely. I never thought that I will ever have an unfair fight with a servant like this... ] As she looks at Shin, she prepared her sword again, ready for the next attack. [ Caiden. ] she called to him to sign her next attack. [ Un. ] [ [ ... ] ] they nodded to each other and... *Thud! Swooosh! Cette came first. She attacked Shin endlessly, using all kinds of attacks she could probably throw: slashes, kicks, punches, she used all of them to Shin, hoping she could land a hit. *Bam! Thud! Dud! But as expected, all of them were blocked by Shin by only using his arms and legs. ( Tsk! Just what is this guy made of!? His wound had also already healed! It did not even bleed! ) she made a dissatisfied and angry look on her face as she continues her rush at him. [ Caiden! ] she shouted. As she did, a glimpse of shock appeared on the eye of the enemy. Her plan was a succeed: to get him busy dodging her attacks and turns her attention away from Caiden. [ Haa!!! ] It was then a huge attack had finally hit Shin... *BAM!!! BOOM!!! Shin was thrown to the opposite side of the room, appearing a loud crashing sound as he did. [ Haa... Haa... This guy... Just what is his body made of...? I can crash any boulders with three hits of my sword yet he took all my attacks without even blinking an eye as if it was nothing... ] Cette buried the edge of her sword to the ground as she tries to catch her breath. She sweats endlessly and her clothes started to drip wet from the amount she produces. As she turns her head down, her sweat poured and wet the floor. [ Is he still even human...? ] she just couldn''t believe that those words all are she could utter. [ I want to believe he is... ] They again look at where their enemy was thrown, and as they expect, he was still yet to stand. [ A normal person should already be dead with that attack... ] They have no intention to kill Shin, but with almost all Cette''s attack not even bruising him or hurting him up, there was no other choice but to use their most powerful attacks. Their family is known for their brutal tendencies and ferocious dangerous attacks. There''s even a myth about their family - \"Any Lionheart can cut a man in half with a wooden sword\" But today, in contrast to that myth, they have found a man that they can''t penetrate The ground where Shin is are already all messed up and is almost dug up. His body is limp lying on the ground. His butler clothes are almost all torn off and already unusable. One would think he''s already dead - as everyone who is watching are. [ The winners are - ] It''s already over, they thought. *Crack... Crash...! Until the person they already though dead or knocked out came standing back up. [ Tsk...! ] [ What the hell is this butler...? ] Shin stood up with his butler appearance already gone. He removed his suit, leaving him with his white buttoned-up shirt. *Crack! Pop. Pop. He pops his head and fingers and turns to look at Vlad, ignoring his two enemies. In his gaze, Vlad nodded. \"You can\" - are the words he receives from his eyes. [ You... What are you...? ] Cette called out to him with an empty voice. [ Cette-sama, am I right...? ] he asks back. He then finally turned his whole body towards her and says: [ To your question... ] His eyes were serious and full of malice. [ ... ] He was a being who was not afraid to kill anything... He was a powerful entity who controlled everything he can stand above onto... He is... [ I''m only just an ordinary butler... ] 64 Chapter 64 ~ Shin vs Caiden and Cette 3/3 Shin''s current form is the appearance of Kagayami Shiro, that was why Vlad wasn''t able to watch their fight with such seriousness. That black hair, slim figure, and ordinary face - was his. But definitely, Shin''s appearance is much better than his; he doesn''t have baggy eyes, obvious wrinkles, or messy hair, it would be the looks he would wish for if he was still Kagayami Shiro; it would be his look if he did not overwork himself too much. But if there is one obvious difference between the two of them, it would be the expression they make on their faces. Vlad had never really made a malicious face before. He had never shown anger or any intent to hurt someone ever, yet right now, he''s seeing that unseen expression of his just in front of him. Shin had turned his head at him with his eyes asking the question, \"Am I finally allowed to?\" Although, as always, he felt like he was looking in the mirror, it felt different this time. Shin is a totally different person than him. He was his own person and personality. He realized that now. And he will not go on his way to change that. And so he nodded. *** [ [ ... ] ] Caiden and Cette stare quietly at their enemy as he swings his weapon up and down. After he stood up, he requested a weapon from the referee and took one small shield and a tiny sword usually used by Cain and Casper. \"What is he doing?\" - was the question they have on their head. His enemies have way bigger and effective weapons, yet he chose the smallest and cheapest weapon he could possibly pick among various ones. But thinking he had fought them until now with only using his bare hands, they could only imagine how those two weapons will affect his strength. [ Are you ready, Shin-san? ] the referee asked. [ Umu, I think this would be enough. ] As Shin answers, he faced his two enemies and quietly made his stance. He hides the hand with the shield behind the back of his waist and pointed the tiny sword to them. It was the complete opposite of how it should be. ( There are too many surprises... I can usually read the enemy''s move before they could even pick their weapons... Yet him... I can''t understand what he''s thinking at all... ) [ Caiden-sama, Cette-sama. ] their names were called asking if they''re both ready. [ [ Un. ] ] The battle had only just begun. And Caiden and Cette can''t be more anxious and scared of their enemy. *** [ Aach! ] as Caiden blocked Shin''s sword with his axe, he was thrown a meter from where he was at. ( What the hell!? With that force, that sword would bend and even break! Yet it managed to knock me back this far!? ) At first, Caiden and Cette were the aggressors, but as soon as Shin got a hold of his weapon, it becomes the opposite. Shin relentlessly attacks the two of them with both his sword and shield. The style of fighting he is using is completely odd and deviant to what a normal fighter would do; in fact, it''s the complete opposite. Shin is using his sword to block, parry, and even open their guard up while he uses the shield to attack. He also sometimes switches to bait and confuse them. They just can''t seem to read far ahead on his attacks. *Thud! Crash! As soon as Caiden blinked an eye and had an opening, Shin bashed his small shield on his face mercilessly - he fell onto the ground and both the shock and pain had knocked his head unconscious for a moment and only manages to recover after a few seconds. [ Argh... ] he groaned in pain. He then used his legs to guide himself up and look at the scene in front of him. ( Thi-This is! This is just impossible! ) Their enemy is now completely different from what he was when he fought the first two fights. He is now serious and full of murderous intent. Although it was not that kind of battle, Caiden felt that he would get killed if he makes the wrong move. His sister - Cette - is still continuing her fight with him. Since her first successful strike on Shin''s face, she was not able to land a hit again at all. Caiden can see that his sister is at a disadvantage. Shin can block her sword with his own and then counter with his shield, he sees his sister takes hit in front of him and he was not able to do anything. And although both he and his sister have strong bodies and their defense was high on average, every strike of Shin pains and stings their very bones. [ Nee-sama! Let''s retreat for now...! ] he forced himself to shout. And as Cette hears him, she nodded and immediately jump back, away from Shin and towards Caiden. Shin did not follow and only observed the two of them. [ You have a plan? ] [ N... No... ] [ Tsk! This guy isn''t just too strong... He''s also very skilled. He has to be some kind of joke... His weapons should already be destroyed by ours by now, yet there''s not even a dint on them yet... ] [ It must be some kind of enhancement magic... But... I''ve never seen someone use it on their own weapon before... ] [ just how would we be able to defeat this guy...? ] [ He must have got some kind of weakness. This fight is nothing like any normal one... It actually feels like we''re fighting a demon. But demons also have their weaknesses; I''m sure he has one... ] Caiden and Cette did not expect that their enemy would be this powerful. They know he was strong, but not to the extreme that they won''t be able to land a single attack. They treated him as an ordinary servant at first, but that was definitely not the case now. He was as powerful as their father, if not, even stronger. [ This is just ridiculous... He''ll tire us out before we could even find one... Is he really just a mere servant...? ] Cette questions to herself as she looks at Vlad. ( Just how is he able to get hold of this guy...? He''s not even his slave... How is he able to make such a powerful guy into his servant...? Don''t tell me... He''s even more powerful than this butler...? ) She just couldn''t believe that a guy this strong would settle on being a servant. He must''ve seen something about him that made him accept to become his servant. Is it money? Women? Cette won''t believe that it was because of that. With his strength, he can gather all of those by himself. There was only one acceptable answer she could think of - the strength of his master, Vlad. [ Caiden, there''s no other choice...! We need to take this seriously... We can''t make a shame of our name with this butler...! ] [ Of course! ] [ Let''s give this guy everything we''ve got! ] Caiden and Cette had been fighting side by side for a long time now. They''ve only recently got separated in the ranks of knights, but they still know how each of them works and perform in a battle; there was no need for them to shout every single one of their moves just to sync to each other. *Swoosh!!! They dashed towards their enemy and the enemy dashed towards them, too. They fought head-on and attacks with everything they''ve got. The colliding sound of metals can be heard, each of which felt as though lighting strikes. ~~~ ( Seriously... You give that guy anything and he''ll turn it to a murder weapon... ) *Bam!!! Again, one of the enemies came flying to the ground. Vlad watches the fight in front of him with not that much interest. He already knows who would win since the fight began, and as he watches it right now, he couldn''t become more confident to his guess. He had observed Shin fight with his slaves and his summons many times already. He knows his style and the things he can do. In the past, Shin specializes in manipulating the land, but it was different now; he now specializes in manipulating his weapons. There were many things dungeon masters can do. Other than to summon creatures and manipulate their territory, they can also create and enhance their own weapons - this was the case for the shield and sword Shin is holding right now; no ordinary weapon can match with the endurance of the weapons he enhances, and so, no matter how powerful Caiden and Cette''s weapons are, they will not be able to break his shield or cut his sword. There''s also another aspect to Shin that makes him truly a flexible fighter and a companion to Vlad - no matter what weapon Vlad gives him, he immediately masters it. And since no one actually teaches him how to use them, he invents his own style of fighting with those weapons, making him an unpredictable enemy in combat. Shin''s physical strength is also his highest attribute. Without the help of Vlad''s spells, skills, and weapons, Shin might be able to pull a chance of getting a tie with him. With a weapon such as Caiden''s and Cette''s, they will only be able to cut his skin but never bruise it. ( This is to be expected... Now, I wonder what Cristov-san would think of this... ) Vlad thought as he looks at Cristov who, like him, is watching the fight quietly. *** A swing of the sword. Its blade shone as the light from the sun illuminates it. The fight is over. ( It lasted longer than I expected... ) Shin pointed the blade to his enemy''s face and thought so. Shin was able to beat Caiden fast but Cette was able to survive and even have a decent fight with him to the end. [ Haa... Haa... ] Cette, who''s sitting exhausted on the ground, catches her breath as she looks at Shin. [ For... For a mere butler... ] Shin smiled as he hears those words and pulled his sword away. [ It was a good fight, Cette-sama. ] both his words and smile were genuine, and Cette could on look at him. Shin has a personality that enjoys battles. He was a dungeon master, he was destined to fight with numerous individuals. And he couldn''t get even more than being with his master. Right now, although he was not given the chance to kill, he was still satisfied with the fight. That was why his thanks to her were honest. [ I hope we could fight again. ] He wishes for it. But next time, it should be in a real battlefield. *** Lionhearts recognizes strength. They do. It was the reason they have invited Vlad to their manor. [ It was a good fight, Cette-sama. ] Cette sat there, looking at the face of her enemy, Shin, the butler. She still feels ashamed and distressed with her loss, but those feelings seem to have suddenly faded away as she looks at the genuine smile on her enemy''s face. [ ... ] As if a button was pushed and his deadly atmosphere earlier had dissapeared. He smiled at her. There was a feeling of comfort on his smile and she remains staring at it, quiet and expressionless. [ I hope we could fight again. ] 65 Chapter 65 ~ As a Man The fight is now over and everyone is expecting the next opponent to come up to the stage. [ How about it, Cristov-san? It''s your turn now. ] The deal Vlad had made to Cristov was that he will only fight him if he or any of his children manages to defeat Shin. Shin had already defeated all of his children and he is the only one left. This was the worst conclusion their deal could probably get. As it turns out, Shin was more powerful than he originally thought. There was just no way for him to fight Vlad after getting exhausted by Shin - that is if he even manages to defeat him. [ I give up, Vlad-san. I doubt I will even be able to defeat your butler. And if you''re even stronger than he is, then there''s no way I would win. I get that now. ] He knows that Vlad is stronger than Shin, and seeing how strong Shin was, he could only imagine what it would be for Vlad. He could only back out. But he did not because he was afraid, but because he already knows what would the conclusion be. [ You''re giving up? This might be the only chance I will give you. ] [ If I was in my prime, I will do everything I can to fight the strongest person I see. But I''m too old for that now; I don''t think I will win against two strong youth. I also think I won''t be able to handle it if even I get defeated by your butler. ] Cette and Caiden are two of the strongest fighters he has in his house, and they got toyed by another person''s servant. He could not humiliate their name even further. If even he gets defeated by Shin, it would shame the name of his family; and he can''t afford other nobles looking down on him. ( Even though he was so enthusiastic about it earlier... ) [ Though it might become a regret that I will not be able to fight you and see just how powerful you really are. ] as he says those words, he stood up. [ Vlad-san, I''m sorry but I will need to make everything that had happened here a secret. If a word gets out that I backed out from a fight against a servant, my family name would be tarnished. ] Even though his tone was not as arrogant as it was before, it definitely still has integrity and respect in it. [ Don''t worry, Cristov-san, your decision is the right one. ] And there was a reason why it is... ( My Bloodlust increases when I fight living creatures. Fighting humans would be too dangerous for me. ) At first, Vlad didn''t really understand how his racial ability: Bloodlust works, but after he had fought with Shin, he finally understood. His Bloodlust won''t work on non-living creatures like Shin. He still doesn''t know if it will work against high-level monsters, but it definitely does to high-level humans such as Arthur and everyone else in the hero''s party. This ability is so far one of his most dangerous ones. With this ability passively activated, he gradually loses control of himself and he gets the urge to kill his opponent. In the game, it only increases his stats over time, but here in this world, it also gives him the urge to kill, which is too dangerous. That was why it was best for him to avoid fighting with high-level individuals. [ Thank you, Vlad-san. The opportunity is already enough. ] And so, Cristov had backed out on his plan to fight Vlad. When Cristov had asked him for a fight, he didn''t want to refuse. He felt as though they were looking down at him and so he accepted. But Vlad cannot allow himself to fight with them as what happened to Arthur might happen to them, too. That was why he had asked Shin to fight them instead. And so, just as he had planned, by using Shin, he made them realize the comparison of their strength without fighting them by himself. ***Extra*** The sky is already dark and the moon has now shown itself to the sky. Vlad again was invited to a dinner with the Lionhearts earlier, and now it''s finished, he lied down on the bed of his temporary room, resting. [ Boss... Aren''t you a vampire? Your race doesn''t require rest yet this is what you always do every single night. ] Shin complained as he looks at the figure of Vlad. [ Shin, as I said before, I was not born a vampire. I still have my previous habits. ] [ Haah... Boss... ] he sighs. [ By the way... Why are you keeping that a secret to Ayla-san and Stella-san? ] [ ... ] The sudden question seemed to have turned Vlad quiet and unresponding. Vlad had been keeping the fact that he was originally a human to his vampire slaves, and he doesn''t seem to have the intention to reveal it. There was much reason for why he''s keeping it a secret, but one was that they''ve already grown to Vlad, the vampire, and not to Shiro. [ Both of them are very loyal to you so I don''t think it will change their outlook on you. ] as though he was able to read what was inside his mind, he says to him. *Knock knock It was then that a knock came to the door. [ It''s us, Vlad-sama. ] Stella''s and Ayla''s voice was heard outside the room. [ Shin, aren''t you supposed to have another job? Stop asking me these questions and get going. But open the door first before you go. ] [ Oh... It''s that time again, huh? ] [ What do you mean by that? ] [ No... It''s just that I''ve been wondering... ] [ What is it...? ] [ I mean... Aren''t the three of you undead...? Just what is the reason you do ''that''? ] [ Y-You...! Just open the door and be quiet. ] he spat at Shin. But as he does, he was put into deep thought... ( Tha-That''s right... It was supposed to be natural for Vampire brides to do that kind of thing... But now that I think about it... Do we really do it just because of that...? Because it''s ''natural''? ) [ [ Good evening, Vlad-sama. ] ] the two vampire brides entered the room and interrupted his thoughts. [ [ Good evening to you too, Shin-san. ] ] their words again were sync and their tone was the same. The two of them already know about the existence of Shin; about him being a dungeon master, and him being close to their master. So they were not surprised about the fact that Shin was in Vlad''s private room. [ I should be going now, Vlad-sama. ] as he said those words, he transformed into an imp and flew off outside the open window. And now, as always, Vlad and his two vampire brides were left in the room. [ [ Should we join you, Vlad-sama? ] ] ( ... ) [ Un... ] Vlad sat up on the bed and nodded, and immediately, his two vampire brides came to his side. ( Haah... I really just can''t get used to this... ) although he has the perfect composure outside, Vlad''s emotions are already rising steadily inside. Even though they were supposed to be vampires, and at that, undead, they have an allure Vlad would only wish for back in his previous world. Their sweet smell and soft skin are beyond a dream come true. [ Vlad-sama... ] they whispered his name as they look at him with glittering eyes; inviting him over. They were like succubuses praying on their man. They lured him with their charm, but unlike what always happens after, this time, Vlad only stares at them back. ( Hmm... Maybe this is a good chance to ask them about it... ) [ Ayla, Stella... What do you two think of me? Not as your master, but as a man? ] [ [ ...! ] ] Their eyes went wide and they went quiet. And after staring at Vlad for a few seconds, their expressionless faces turned bright and they turned their faces away from him. ( Eh...? ) not properly seeing the reaction on their faces, Vlad took their action as a bad sign. [ U-Umm... Vlad-sama... Why are you suddenly asking...? ] [ Di-Did we do something wrong...? ] Flustered, they stuttered their words. [ No... You did nothing wrong... I was just curious. That''s all. ] Vlad also became confused with their replies but he answered them nonetheless. [ [ ... ] ] but despite what he had said, the two of them were still quiet and seems to be shivering. Vlad started to become anxious and... [ Stella. You answer first. ] as he was not able to get his answers immediately, he urges them to answer one at a time. [ ...! ] as her name was called, her body twitches. [ Stella. ] [ Ye-Yes! Umm... I... I really like Vlad-sama... N-No! I mean, I love you, Vlad-sama! ] ( O-Oh! ) [ ... ] Vlad had never really heard them telling him that before so it became a shock to him to hear them say those words now. Even if it were an ordinary girl to say that, Vlad would be happy, but hearing his beautiful vampire brides say those words had given him emotions he can''t explain, the only thing he knows was that he was in euphoria. [ Vlad-sama is cool and kind... Be-Being with you is satisfying and comfortable... It''s also fun when you take us to dates... You-You''re the only person I''ll love, Vlad-sama! ] [ Oh...? is that so? Then, I guess there''s nothing wrong with that... ] ( I''m beyond happy with that, Stella... ) Although Stella''s words, tone, and action suddenly become like Lumi, he didn''t mind at all. [ Hh-hmm...Ayla. ] he turns to Ayla. [ Umm... Yes... Vlad-sama... As a man... ] she whispers with a flushed, red face as she also fidgets uncontrollably. ( Ju-Just what is adorable creature!? ) Vlad had the urge to hug her but he restraint himself and waited for her to answer. [ Vlad-sama is really strong and I always feel safe when Vlad-sama is around... You''re kind and gentle... It also feels good at night... A-And also, just like what Stella said... Vlad-sama is the only person Ayla will give her love to! ] They poured their entire hearts on those words and conveyed their feeling to Vlad as best as they could. Their faces are still red and their eyes seem to be teary in embarrassment, but they continued to look at Vlad and try to and cuddle their bodies on his. ( Ahh... Is this what you call a paradise...? I''m glad I asked them... ) Vlad was more than happy that his anxiousness had finally disappeared. 66 Chapter 66 ~ The Representative of the Holy Kingdom A luxurious carriage rode the large streets of Diamond City. There are many carriages that can be seen on the road, but this particular carriage took all the attention of the people walking on the side of it. The carriage is pulled by two warhorses, which are stronger and larger than normal horses. The carriage itself is large and varied in color. Its designs are also unique. But if there''s one thing that had especially caught the attention of everyone, it would be the crest that is carved on its opening. It was the crest of the Holy Kingdom. There was not a single person in the crowds that don''t know it. ~~~ [ Zereal-sama! We''re about to arrive so you better behave your self! ] [ Come-on, this is the first time I came to this country''s capital, it''s only natural that I would get excited. ] [ Zereal-sama... At least wait until we arrive at the inn... ] [ I know, I know. ] There were two people inside the carriage: one is a man dress in a white robe and the other is a young man wearing a light suit. They talk with each other with familiarity as if they already know each other for a long time. [ If you have accepted those noble families'' invitations, we wouldn''t have taken a long time arriving in this city... ] [ Do you really think I will do something as to accept things like that? They would just become a hindrance. ] [ A hindrance, you say? ] [ That''s right. We''re not a citizen of this country, we have no obligation to accept a noble family''s invitation. If we accepted their residence as a place to stay, we would be bombarded with nonsensical socialization with those families. ] his face showed a bitter expression as he said those words. [ If we came here to have a private meeting with the king, then we wouldn''t have to look for an inn since we would be allowed to stay in the castle, but this is not that kind of event and there will be other influential people other than us that will come. It''s better to treat this event as something like a vacation rather than a social and private meeting. I don''t want to get involved in things I don''t like at all. ] Zereal doesn''t like to interact with nobles of different countries so he did not accept. To him, if he won''t be allowed to stay at the castles chambers, it would be better to look for his own place to stay at other than to accept a greedy noble''s house. Since the event has the purpose of gathering many people, none would be given the treatment of having the chance to stay at the castle until the event happens, they can only either get invited personally or look for their own place. A private meeting with the royal family would be different, staying and looking for a place to stay in would be unnecessary, since they will have a specific goal: either to have a meeting with a royal family or to have relations, they would be allowed to stay in the castle itself. Zereal would accept if that was the case. But since it was not, he did not. [ There are just too many reasons why I don''t want to stay at a noble''s place. ] [ Well, I understand that you were a commoner before, I wouldn''t be surprised to see that most of your reasons are just your personal problems with nobles. ] [ That''s not it at all... You know... There was this time when I was invited to a noble''s house... I wasn''t able to move at all. That family''s daughters cling themselves too much on me, I couldn''t breathe... It has gotten even worst when the mother also started to flirt with me... A wyvern would be no match to me, but that... I really thought I was going to die... ] his head pales as he tells his story. [ No matter how many times I told them I already have a fiancee... They didn''t stop... ] [ But with your title, it''s only natural to have multiple wives, you know? Even a princess would be a match. ] he jokingly said to him, but though that was the case, there was a bit of truth about it. [ No, no, that wouldn''t happen... ] Zereal only brushed him off. He then soon fixed his composure and finally turned his expression serious. [ Haah... Anyway... I didn''t want to come here myself, but you''ve heard about it too, right? ] he stares outside the window of the carriage as he asks. [ About what? The person who defeated one of this country''s heroes with one spell? ] [ Umu, that''s right. It was also said that he was able to conquer a dungeon in just a day. If it wasn''t for that story, I would be resting in my own room by now... Except for that Hana, all the other heroes are no match for me... But to defeat one of them with one spell is something even I wouldn''t be able to do... ] [ That''s just a baseless rumor, Zereal-sama. ] [ No, I believe it''s real. ] [ Hmm... It might just be propaganda made by the adventurers guild... If I remember correctly, this person in the story is an adventurer, so it wouldn''t be a far guess to say that it is. ] [ Well, if the story is indeed true, then he would be invited to this event. I''m sure they would offer him a noble title or something like that. ] [ Of course... ] Although the title of nobles is hereditary, it can still be earned with fame, wealth, and influence, even the poorest kid can become a Baron if he becomes the strongest. This way, they can make them a part of the country itself and have their royalty. It was only natural for a man capable of doing such a thing to be given a title by the king. [ Haah... ] a long breath of air came out of Zereal. [ Well, even if it''s true or not, I will need you to do a proper job at this event. Don''t get side-tracked. I know you''re only motivated because there would be many strong people there, but just make sure it wouldn''t affect your job if you get disappointed. Just leave a good impression of our country and it will all soon be finished. ] [ I don''t know about that... I''m not good when it comes to talking with people, especially with nobles... All the things they know to talk about is their own wealth. But, of course, it''s for our country, so I will do my best. ] 67 Chapter 67 ~ Lurking Danger The noble family of Alexander has been one of the oldest members of the noble faction in the kingdom. They pride themselves as both a house of strong military power and intellectual individuals that provides tactics for war and defense of the country - at least that was the case for their father - a war veteran with the title of marquis - General Francis Alexander. Although he was under the shadow of General Cristov Lionheart back then, he was still able to get the favor of the king than any vassal he had. And there was a reason for that - it was because he was the most loyal servant he had, and he will do only everything that will provide help and benefit for him. But after the war, he had finally retired and made his way to become the principal of the Knights Academy while also having his own land as marquis to govern. His life seems to have been peaceful for the past years... but that was only until his youngest son came back to him demanding to execute a man in public for humiliating their name - also -in public. [ What is he doing now? ] he asks with his husky voice. Francis, right now, is sitting on his table in his own office in the Knights Academy. There are only a few furniture inside the room: there are only a few pictures of the previous principals in the walls and a smaller chandelier in the ceiling. Compared to his room in his castle, this is much smaller, but he feels more comfortable here. [ He''s together with his brother... And they seem to be gathering mercenaries and some of our own soldiers... They''re planning to attack a particular residence... ] He was talking about Arthur. Arthur is Francis''s youngest son and like him, he started off as a soldier before he got his title given to him by the king. And because he was his son, the king was in favor of him, in fact, the king had already planned to give his son the title before even he gets the chance to earn it by himself. Francis knows his son best more than anyone. In fact, he''s sure that he got his short temper and bad bad attitude from him, his father. [ Those stupid kids...! ] he slammed his fist on the table as he hears the news his servant had told him. [ It''s not even been a week after his recovery and this is what he''ll do? ] As he said, Arthur was only able to recover just recently. The person who had treated him is still unknown to the nobility, even to himself, but the fact that he was now able to recover, he will surely cause a ruckus. [ I have no problem with what they''re doing... But this is just ridiculous... They''re planning to become enemy with a man that can kill him with one spell! If they failed and this goes out, the king''s intention to have relations with that man will fail, and our family would be the one to be blamed for it! ] his face turns dark in anger as he shouted those words in desperation. He had already heard about everything that had happened. He was not surprised at all about the fact that his son, again, had intended to duel someone in public to show what he''s capable of, but what he was surprised about was the fact that someone other than his companions was able to beat him. Francis has a history working with many strong individuals, his son would be a stronger fighter than he is when he was at his age, but the fact that a person was able to defeat him with one attack was unheard of. If a man capable of doing that really existed, he would either become a threat or a strong pillar of the military. Right now, the king is walking the path where he will take this man as his vassal and make him serve under the military, but it seems that his son is planning to mess around with that path. [ Francis-sama, should I go and stop them...? ] [ That should be obvious! Do everything you can to stop that kid! ] [ O-Of course! ] With his command, his servant immediately ran out of the room, leaving him alone again. [ Haah... ] a large, empty sigh came out of his mouth. Francis has his work in the Knights Academy and he just can''t go back in his own land, abandoning his position. He will go there by himself to stop his son, but because of his current situation, he just can''t. [ That Arthur... ] *** Two days had already passed since Vlad had left his mansion. Sarah, Lumi, and Nina, since they''re the only ones who can fight, were asked by Vlad to guard the mansion while he''s away. For the past week, the three of them had been working in the guild as Vlad had asked them to do. He had made the three of them raise their ranks in the guild, and now, the three of them are rank-b adventurers. In just a week, they became really famous and they''re the fastest to ever raise their ranks. But now that he was away, they were now not allowed to go out of their way to the guild. And they are only to stay here, keeping guard of everyone in the mansion. [ Haah... I wonder when will master will come back...? ] ask Lumi, who is sitting crossed-legs in front of the mansion. She looks far ahead to ahead hoping to see Vlad come back, like a dog waiting for its master, she wags her tail down. [ Hmm... For these kinds of noble events... It usually takes three whole days to finish... And since master is planning to stay in the capital for a while... It may take a week... ] Sarah - who has experience being a noble - answered her question. [ Tha-That long!? ] [ You shouldn''t be surprised about it... ] as she whispered those words to her, she pauses for a while, and... [ Sa-Sarah-san! ] though they were just beside each other, Lumi shouted her name. [ What is it...? ] [ Wha-What if! Vlad-sama comes back here... together with a bride!? ] [ ...! ] as soon as she hears those words, her calm composure breaks, and like Lumi, she was put into shock, leading to deep thoughts. [ That''s right...! With Vlad-sama''s popularity... It wouldn''t be a shock to see him come back here with a bride or two! ] [ What!? ] [ [ ... ] ] The two of them were left staring into nothingness, unblinking. [ Oh! Sarah-nee! Lumi-nee! ] the voice of a kid called to them. It was Alice, the youngest servant in the house. She came from inside the mansion together with Nina. [ Oh... It''s Alice-chan... and Nina... Where are you two going? ] [ Umm... Lisa-nee asked us to buy some materials... Since I don''t have anything left to do, I volunteered myself to go outside and buy them... ] [ Is that so? And Nina''s coming, too? ] [ Un, Alice-chan might get attack by some weirdos outside so I will come with her. ] she nods and answers. Since they are still slaves with their collars on, it''s not unusual for them to get attacked when they''re not with their master. But since Nina is an adventurer - and a famous one at that - that possibility would be lessened. [ Well... Just come back before the sun goes down... Master had set a curfew, and every one of us would only be allowed to go outside until night and only with a guard... ] whispers Lumi. [ That''s right. I don''t think master has any enemies, but it''s better to be safe than sorry... ] [ Un, I''ll take care of Alice-chan. ] It''s still noon and the sun is high in the sky. Attackers usually only attack people at night, so they felt it would be safe to go outside at this time. But if only that was the case... 68 Chapter 68 ~ First Day It''s been two days and the time has finally come. Vlad is now inside a huge hall; even wider than the hall in the mansion of Lionheart. There are bright lights on each side of the walls and there was no corner that left a shadow. Many tables are placed on the sides of the room, and there are comfortable seats people can sit onto. The people inside, together with Vlad, are all wearing formal clothes: for men are suits and dresses for women. Although it may not look like it since everyone is wearing formal clothing, but the people inside are actually grouped. Nobles are with nobles, knights are with knights, merchants are together with their friend merchants, adventurers are with adventurers, and those who are not well-known are alone or trying to join their own group. Vlad is in the former. [ Thank you all for coming here to the castle to join this annual event! ] on top of the stage in the middle edge of the room is a young man wearing pretty much the most luxurious clothing Vlad has ever seen. He has a slim and tall structure and his face is well-proportioned. As soon as he got the attention of everyone, he introduces himself as such: [ I''m the first prince of this country, Prince Kurth. My father gave me the opportunity to prepare this reception; I hope you will find yourselves satisfied! Many things will happen on this night and I hope that everyone will get the chance to enjoy themselves. ] as he finishes his statement, he immediately went down on the stage and the music from the band began playing. Vlad stood there in the middle of the audience holding a glass of wine that was served to him earlier. ( So that''s the first prince, huh? ) Since this is the first time he had ever been in this kind of formal event, he had taken the last day of his stay in the Lionheart manor to study and have knowledge of what was about to happen. [ I heard that they will introduce the heroes again and the king will finally give them their rewards for the previous war. I also heard they''ve grown much more powerful now! I can''t wait to see them again! ] [ Is that so? Maybe they''ll be given their own noble titles now that the war with the demon country had finally paused... Their family must be very lucky... ] As soon as the introduction of the prince was over, the people surrounding Vlad had given their attention to each other and started to chat endlessly, filling the room with noise. Some took this opportunity to chat with people with high status and others looked for a chance to get a partner. There were a bunch of people that are looking towards Vlad, especially women, but none of them were brave enough to come to him. And that was because Vlad currently has Ayla as his muse. Ayla is currently wearing a purple dress with frills. Because of the pale color of her skin, it suits her almost perfectly, and the other young nobles can''t take their eyes on her as well. Since this event will happen for not just within a day, he decided to take Ayla and Stella one after the other only. Just from Vlad and Ayla''s appearance, the people were immediately regarded them as people with high social standing without knowing who they truly are. But also because their identity is unknown, no one dared to come up to them. [ Oh! If it wasn''t Vlad-san. ] a familiar voice came to his side. Looking to where it came from, he saw Carla, wearing her usual suit. She came walking towards him in her usual manner. And together with her, is an old-looking man with a beard, locking arms with also - an old woman. [ Carlo-san. ] he called her made-up name, ignoring the two people together with her. Vlad had never really figured out why she was hiding her gender, and he never really questioned her about it. But as far as he can remember, she''s the closest he''s with outside the people of his mansion. Questioning her about it might affect their relationship. [ I see you took my advice... ] she murmurs as she looks at Ayla. She then turned to all nobles that are all only just looking and says: [ Well, it seems to be working... ] [ I really can''t thank you enough for it. ] he gave his thanks with much exaggeration. [ Carlo-sama, may I ask who this person is? ] the old man with a beard asked, looking at Vlad with curiosity. [ Ahh... Right, this person is Vlad Alucard. If you haven''t heard if his name yet, he''s the person who had just recently conquered a dungeon together with the heroes. ] Shocked gasping of the people around was heard as Carla introduces Vlad. They began to whisper to each other and gossip as they look at him. [ Ohho~! So it''s him? ] Richard''s face full of shock, he looks at Vlad. [ Sir Vlad, it''s really nice to meet you! I''ve heard so much about you this past week and I just can''t wait to meet you! ] he holds out a hand to Vlad, waiting for a handshake. [ Thank you... And you are...? ] [ Vlad-san, this person is the chairman of the merchant guild, Richard. And this lady is his wife. ] Carla answered in his place. [ I''m a friend of Victor, the guild master in Altair city. I''ve heard many things about you from him. ] [ Is that so? I wonder what are the things he told you? ] [ Nothing much... I will never believe in rumors, but he told me personally about your achievements so they can''t be anything but true. Well, when we talked, he only kept on comparing you to the heroes and as I said, your achievements. I was really looking forward to this meeting to see personally who was the person behind those stories. ] [ Is that so? I hope those stories are not exaggerated... ] [ Not at all. I believe they are all true. ] still, with a smile on his face, he answers Vlad. Vlad continued to humor Richard and soon, the five main people of the event arrive... The heroes: Hana, Caiden, Alicia, Nina, and Arthur arrive on the stage. [ It''s the kingdom''s heroes! ] [ Oh! It''s really them! ] Everyone''s attention immediately went towards them, even Vlad, Carla, and Richard who are currently enjoying their talk had paused to look at them. The five of them kept huge smiles on their faces as they were greeted by each people they met. But their eyes seems to have halted when it reaches the sight of Vlad. 69 Chapter 69 ~ Although they have already seen Vlad, Hana and the others did not come to accompany him immediately; they were busy greeting the people that celebrate their achievements and they weren''t able to come near him at all, especially Hana - who is wanting to have a talk with Vlad. [ It''s nice having a chat with you, Vlad-sama. I would like to accompany you until the end, but it seems I still have my own job to do. ] as soon as the Heroes had arrived, the merchant Richard tried to excuse himself from Vlad. [ No, don''t worry about it. ] [ Thank you very much. Carlo-san, I''ll leave Vlad-sama with you. ] she turns to Carla, and again, turned to Vlad and bowed - [ Please excuse me. ] Again, Vlad, Ayla, and Carla were left together. [ Vlad-san, how about we look for a place, we can''t be standing here the entire time. ] [ Ahh... Right. ] Vlad is currently standing in the middle edge part of the room. Since there were no tables placed there, Vlad had remained standing. Most people that are sitting on the tables are in at least a group of three people. And now that Vlad has someone he can chat with and is not alone anymore with Ayla, he figured it would be good to sit in a table. And so, Vlad and Carla came to find a table they can seat onto. And they were able to immediately find one. [ Thank you for accompanying me, Carlo-san. ] [ Don''t worry about it. The truth is, we just finished our meeting in the merchant guild, I still have a lot to do as its representative, so it would be nice to take a small break for now. ] ( Hmm... I guess being a merchant is much exhausting than I thought... Now that I think about it, Carlo-san takes only a few days of breaks on her schedule and he mostly spends those days in my mansion, drinking tea or having a chat with me... I wonder what he thinks of me... We''re just friends, right? No, we''re more like a merchant and his client... ) Vlad knows that Carla treats him as her client, but sometimes, it was more than that, she visits him without even the intention of discussing business, she just goes to his mansion to sometimes see how he is doing or to have a chat with him. So Vlad thought that maybe she sees him more than her client, but rather, as a friend. [ I thought you came here to see the hero - Hana? ] Carla asks. [ That''s right, but It would be better if we talk alone... There are many things I would like to talk to her about. ] [ Oh? I''ve heard it many times already, but can you tell me what are those things? ] [ Hmm... Carla-san, do you know where Hana-san came from? She''s also a noble, right? So that means so as her parents? ] [ No, Hana is an orphan. She was raised by the church. Each generation, the church will name at least one or two orphans as \"The Hero of the Prophecy\", or something... I don''t know about Hana''s history, but the fact that she''s now one of the most important people of the kingdom, it doesn''t matter anymore. ] as she answers, Vlad was put into deep thought. [ Is that so...? ] ( It seems that my guess was right... If Hana really is a Japanese person... Then it wouldn''t be a shock that someone like me would also exist in this world... I guess I should''ve asked her about this much earlier... ) The reason why Vlad had come here in the first place was to ask Hana of her history - to know if there exist other people like him - people who were transported from the other world. Those people would be most likely be Hana''s parents, but now that he learned that Hana was orphaned, then it would be hard to get in touch with them at all. It would even be possible that they already died. And for all Vlad knows, Hana herself might be a transported person herself. Pretty much, Vlad would like to understand why he was sent here in this world. If he can live peacefully, he will, but there will be people that will become a threat to him, and there are also circumstances where he needs to act to fulfill what he wants. Knowledge about this new world is what Vlad wants. And where better should he start is to understand his own circumstances - in which he can start with the existence of Hana. [ Is perhaps... Hana is what you''re aiming for? ] [ What do you mean? ] [ As a partner. Hmm... For a man like you, I guess your standard with the ladies will also be high, I wouldn''t be surprised if I find you being partners with Hana. ] [ That''s not it at all, it''s just my curiosity. How about you, Carlo-san? You''re already at that age, yet you still don''t have any lovers of any kind, right? ] Vlad asked with a smirk on his face; as if he was trying to tease Carla. In terms of age, Vlad would be much older than Carla. That was why he talks with her in a manner where he seems to be more experienced. [ Lovers, huh? It''s unnecessary for my business... And in any case, I don''t see any guys that will fit my criteria. ] she answered in a very casual manner, with her eyes seemingly tired and with her chin laying on her fist - looking far ahead towards couples flirting. [ [ ... ] ] Maybe because of the familiarity between the two that she slipped up; maybe she was tired, or maybe it was her intention, but one thing is for sure, they were both shocked with her answer. [ Umm... You can forget that I said that, Vlad-san... What I meant was there''re no ladies here that fits my criteria... ] there was a blush on her face as she tries to cover her mistake. ( Should I play ignorant here or what...? ) Vlad is having thoughts if he should reveal that he already knows. Vlad had already known the fact that Carla had been hiding her real gender since the first time they had met. He had never asked her about it, but as Vlad thinks through it for a moment, he thought that this might be a good chance to finally ask her the very question that''s been lingering inside his mind for the longest time - every time he''s with her. ( Well, I won''t lose anything even if I ask her, won''t I? ) [ Umm... Vlad-san? ] as he stays quiet for a moment, Carla started to become anxious and called out his name. Because of her close familiarity with Vlad, she made the worst mistake she''s trying to avoid the most. But then, Vlad only stared at her and finally says: [ You don''t really need to hide it from me, Carlo-san. ] [ ... ] Carla became silent as she hears what Vlad had said. But nevertheless, Vlad still has a straight face and continued - [ I already know from the start. ] [ ... ] Carla tried to open her mouth for a reply, but she can''t seem to find any words anymore to try and say anything to defend herself. As she looks at Vlad''s eyes, she realized that he was serious; she realized that he really does already know. [ I... I - ] she again tried to reply, but then she was interrupted... [ Excuse me, but can we take this sit here? ] There - on the same table, a man wearing a piece of glasses turns to them and asks. And together with him is a young man that seems to be on his teen. [ ... ] The man waited for them to reply with a smile on his face as he holds one of the empty chairs on the table. [ Ahh... You can take it. We won''t mind. ] Vlad was the one to respond. Although Vlad had wanted to ask Carla about why he is hiding her real identity, he figured that this would be a bad time since many people are currently gathered in their location. Although he was still not satisfied, telling Carla that he already knows her secret seems to have lifted a weight out of his chest. Now, he just hopes that it wouldn''t change their relationship. [ Thank you very, much. ] the man bowed, he then turned to his companion and said: [ Hey, Zereal, you give them your thanks too! ] he said as he forcefully tried to turn the head of his companion down. [ Yea, yea... Thank you very much... ] 70 UPDATE!!! HELLO GUYS!!! Lately, I''ve been enjoying writing chapters for this novel. I actually do many works and I have about 10 ideas I already made at least one chapter of, and then, you know, I don''t continue it... But since this one got a lot of attention(I honestly don''t know why...)I decided to continue it. I do writing as a hobby. It''s kinda like a game to me, and as everyone knows, you''ll eventually get tired of it. But don''t get me wrong, I love it. It''s just sometimes, it gets messy, boring, and not fun anymore. Like any other authors in this platform, toxicity, bad comments, and bad reviews, I can get affected by... or at least back three months ago or so. Honestly, I learn how to handle all those stuff because of Pewdiepie... Yea, the YouTuber. I just turned 18 this week and there''s a lot goin'' on... Nope, it''s actually the opposite... There''s actually nothing goin'' on... Everything is still the same... I still feel like a 10-year-old kid... I want to cry... I want to kill my self... Anyways... I want to share my thoughts with this write - yep... that''s what I''m planning to do... It''s 3 am guys... Continue... Unlike my other works, this one I made with the intention of only making one or two chapters. Yea, that''s the kind of writer I am... So, every chapter that came in next to those two chapters(The Company Slave, Kagayami Shiro, and the Prince of Darkness, Vlad Alucard), especially the newer ones, I actually all made with a rush... Almost everything that had happened: the heroes, the dungeon, and now the kingdom, everything was on the spot... The story just formed itself... by itself... I don''t know how the other authors like me made their stories, but that was how this story came to be. I''m just a guy who knows how to write in English. Anyway, it''s not like I think the story is bad, I just think it''s bland, lacking something, and almost forced... now that I think about it... it was forced... My real style of writing is comedy... I want weird things to happen... the first thing I wanted to do was to make the MC feel uncomfortable with his new environment and make him a little bit... something of a wimp - if you guys would describe it... Yea, but then I tried to do that and everyone just fuckin'' flamed me in the comments... Yea, I felt frustrated about it and I immediately changed whatever interactions the MC when on to. It was a frickin'' mess... So umm... there are still some comedic aspect in the story(I think...)but most of them were definitely changed and influenced by you guys, the people who flamed the MC is stupid and a pussy... WooOOoo~! Fuckin'' cringe... I didn''t want the MC to have $3X with his own summons you know! Nah, Nah... I''m just kidding... That should be included. I just think it''s a bit rushed and was not built up well... Well, it''s for the sake of keeping the audience! So, umm, yeah... I just want to fucking die... Please don''t flame me... Also, please don''t report me... Hmm... I just want to share my thoughts... remind me again. [ I want to share my thoughts about this write. ] That''s it... Anyway, there''s really no meaning into this... I just want to share my thoughts... just to share it... just to share it with you guys... I''m having a mental breakdown writing this shit... Umu! Yes! Now that I gave you guys my thoughts! Give me yours! I''ll get disappointed if I don''t get comments equivalent to my collections! No, just kiddin'' write anything if you want to. If you want to support my emotional state, write something positive, something like, \"You''ll get a girl eventually!\". Something like that. I''m a pretty lonely guy that in the needs of a companion... By the way! No girl simps! I won''t allow female readers to comment anything! Girls lie to you and do not deserve to be trusted! Only guys can emotionally support me! No homo though... Anyway, it''s not like girls exists irl... Anyway... updates! I''m drunk! I''m 18 and I''m finally legally able to drink alcohol! Yes! Gotta post this shit on Instagram! Fuckin'' die already! WhoOohoo!!! It''s 4 O''clock! Finally, I just want to say, I won''t be able to update as frequently again... NCOV fuckin''... This fuckin'' thing... I have it, man... Just gotta do my best! best! best! What a weird pace in life... Almost a thousand words already! I just frickin wasted your time, you idiot! Fuckin'' flame me again as you guys always does!!! Try to take this fuckin novel down!!!