Dracula sat up in confusion, Kirie still clinging to him, crying uncontrollably.
"There, there—stop crying first. Tell me what's going on," he said, patting her head gently.
"Because… because your life, Lord Dracula…" Kirie's voice trembled. "It's just so tragic… Compared to you, I'm lucky—my parents only died, and I was dragged off to be a bride. I'm practically living a blessed life!"
Dracula was speechless. Sure, she was trying to sympathize, but the comparison still stung.
{Oh? So you can feel upset. With your kind of luck, that was actually one of the better outcomes.}
The system, silent for days, suddenly chimed in with a snide remark.
"Bullshit. And where the hell have you been the past few days?" Dracula asked. "You vanished completely."
{This system was compiling data from this world, intending to create a few magical tomes for your companions to study. Not that you'd be interested, of course.}
"Exactly. Useless to me," Dracula muttered, pulling out a handkerchief to dab at Kirie's tear-streaked face. Then, he left his bedroom.
Opening the door, he ran straight into Jeanne d'Arc.
"Yo, morning Jeanne," Dracula said casually.
Jeanne, however, rushed forward and grabbed his hand, shaking it fervently.
"Dracula, I will no longer judge you by your identity. You are brave. You are strong," she said tearfully. "I will support you always!"
She released his hand, crossed herself over the chest, and turned to leave.
"…Jeanne!" Dracula called after her. "Don't cross yourself in front of a vampire. It's rude!"
Jeanne paused to bow respectfully before continuing on.
Dracula kept walking, Kirie by his side. Next, he encountered Nero and Mordred.
Nero stepped forward and firmly grasped his hand. "You are a warrior of resilience and courage. Even if the false gods refuse to acknowledge you… I will."
She pounded her chest. "By the name of the Emperor of Rome, I recognize your deeds!"
Mordred said nothing. She simply walked over and gave him a solid punch to the chest, then tapped her own. Her gaze conveyed a silent camaraderie—comrades-in-arms.
And then they, too, departed.
"…Man," Dracula muttered, dragging Kirie along. Sure enough, they soon ran into Elizabeth and Kiyohime.
"Piggy! You poor thing! Let me comfort you!" Elizabeth cried, arms outstretched for a hug.
"Back off, overgrown lizard!" Kiyohime snapped. Then she stepped in with a soft, doting smile, wrapping Dracula in a warm embrace. "Yoshi yoshi, my dear Master… let me fill that aching void in your heart…"
"Enough!" Dracula stopped both girls with a hand to their foreheads. "Now spill it—what exactly did you all see in my dream?!"
---
In the great hall of the Demon Castle, Dracula sat stiffly on the newly purchased couch—clearly the centerpiece seat.
Across from him, the six girls sat obediently in a line, heads bowed.
"…So listen," Dracula concluded his lecture. "I've moved on from all that. So please—stop bringing it up. Got it?"
The six girls all nodded obediently.
Dracula let out a sigh of relief, picked up the glass on the coffee table, and took a sip to moisten his throat.
Just then, the newly purchased and installed large-screen television in the Demon Castle's hall—courtesy of Kagarino Kirie—suddenly began broadcasting a news report.
As for how the TV even had a signal in a place like this—well, don't overthink it. If Dracula wills it, he can broadcast anything he wants on any screen in the world.
On the screen, a female reporter stood in what looked like the aftermath of a fire. She faced the camera solemnly and reported:
"Last night, a major explosion and subsequent fire broke out at the Hyatt Hotel in Fuyuki City. Fortunately, thanks to the quick response of the fire department, the flames were swiftly extinguished. According to our investigation, the incident caused no casualties…"
"Lil' Mo," Dracula commented while stroking his chin, "looks like your father found himself a pretty intense Master… Blowing up hotels without a second thought—what a goddamn thrill ride."
"Hmph! That guy only won because of pure luck," Mordred huffed, crossing her arms with visible irritation.
Although her words were clearly meant in spite, Dracula actually found himself agreeing—at least for this particular Holy Grail War.
In terms of raw power, Saber Artoria was no match for Gilgamesh or Iskandar, the two kings. As for wits? Well, Saber's intelligence in the Fourth Holy Grail War was… let's say, below average. Even Lancer Diarmuid, the most honest of knights, managed to deceive her.
And when it came to verbal sparring? She was utterly outclassed by both the King of Conquerors and the golden bastard. Not to mention Zhuge Liang, the true god-tier trash talker.
So honestly, if Saber made it to the end of the Fourth War, it really was just dumb luck. Her Master, Kiritsugu Emiya, was the strongest of them all—whether in direct combat or underhanded tricks.
As for her victory in the Fifth War? That came down to two things: Gil being too cocky, and her and her Master being full-on cheats.
Taking out Heracles' seven lives in a single blow, tanking Ea with her face—it all felt like they'd completely abandoned the laws of physics.
"Well, in any case, she's not going anywhere anytime soon," Dracula shrugged. "Your daddy may not be the best, but she's a beam-spamming menace. Her Master won't let her die that easily."
"If you really want to deal with her, Lil' Mo," he continued, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "then tonight might be your chance. Try heading out to the Einzbern manor in the countryside—things are gonna get real heated over there tonight."
"Einzbern manor, huh…" Mordred repeated the name slowly, committing it to memory. "Got it. Thanks, Mr. Dracula."
With that, she turned and ran upstairs.
"Oi! Where are you going? It's not even night yet!" Dracula shouted after her.
"To sharpen my sword!!" she yelled back, already gone into her room.
"I think you'd better go with her," Dracula said to Nero. "I'm seriously worried that brat might go off the rails…"
"Leave it to me, Mr. Dracula," Nero replied with a confident smile.
"Well then, time for us to head out too!" Dracula suddenly stood up. "Nero, Elizabeth—let's move!"
"Mr. Dracula, where are you going?" Kirie shouted from the kitchen. "Lunch isn't ready yet!"
"We'll eat outside!" Dracula waved dismissively. "As for where we're going… we're off to find the perfect stage for our group's debut!!"