"Is it true that the king is expecting my arrival?" Dracula asked, puffing out his chest like he was already royalty.
"He sure is," Princess Liana replied.
"But… how did he know about my arrival?" He narrowed his eyes, half-convinced she was spying on him.
"Whenever a summoning happens, a great light shoots up from the ground into the skies. It would be impossible not to notice it."
'So basically, I showed up like a giant magical lighthouse. Fantastic. Low profile? Gone. The entire continent probably saw me spawn in like some rare Pokémon.'
"And you're sure we're heading to… uh… where was it again?"
"The Artwine Kingdom," she said, almost amused.
"Right, Artwine." He cleared his throat, pretending he hadn't just forgotten. "Ruled by King Voldin Bravero Malvin."
She raised a brow. "You've heard of him?"
"Of course!" Dracula grinned. 'Thanks, Alivan, for that one random info dump. Saved my butt today.'
"What kind of king is he?" he asked, lowering his voice.
"Strict… fair… but intimidating. He does not like when people speak without respect."
'Great. I'm dead. I'll trip on the carpet, sneeze in his face, and boom, off with my head.'
Dracula nodded seriously. "Don't worry. I'll be respectful. Very respectful. The most respectful person you've ever seen."
She tilted her head. "How respectful?"
He held up a finger. "If he tells me to bark, I'll bark."
Liana laughed despite herself. "That won't be necessary."
'Yeah, well, you say that now. Wait until I get nervous and accidentally call him 'your potato' instead of 'your majesty.'
"The girl from back then, is she your girlfriend?" the princess asked suddenly.
'Wait… is she jealous? No way. Am I… hero material and a chick magnet now?'
"No," Dracula said, trying to look casual. "She's just… a girl I know."
"She was as beautiful as you, so I thought she might be your girlfriend."
'Oh, so that's how it is, huh? Testing me, are we? Fine, I'll play along.'
"True," he said smoothly, "she really is beautiful… but not as beautiful as you."
The princess's lips curved into a smile.
'Yes! Direct hit. Guess I've still got game, even in another world.'
But as his thoughts drifted, he caught himself. 'Wait… do I actually like Alisha? I probably do. But now I'm flirting with the princess too. Oh boy, this is either the start of a love story… or a future beheading.'
The dragon soared higher, flying above the clouds. All they could see was endless white, like they were gliding across a cotton sea.
Then the princess said softly, "We're here."
The dragon suddenly dipped, descending at terrifying speed.
"Not this again—!" Dracula clung to the dragon for dear life, his face squished by the wind.
From above, the Artwine Kingdom spread out before them. Majestic towers gleamed in the sunlight, banners fluttered across high walls, and the whole land looked like it had been ripped straight out of the kind of fantasy novel he used to read at night.
'Wow… a dream come true… and I can't even admire it properly because I'm too busy trying not to die.'
The dragon landed with a powerful thud, shaking the ground beneath its claws. Dracula slid off, legs wobbling.
'What a hell of a ride. Forget saving the world, my biggest achievement today was not falling off this dragon.'
The doors opened, and the princess led Dracula inside. The hall was quiet. Lined on both sides were knights in polished armor, standing in neat rows. They didn't speak, didn't move, just watched him carefully as he walked past.
Dracula glanced around. 'Why do they look like they're at a funeral? Smile a little, guys, you might scare the guests less.'
"They don't look so happy," he whispered.
"They are knights of Artwine," the princess replied softly. "Their duty is more important than their happiness."
'Ah, so they're paid in "responsibility" instead of gold. Makes sense.'
The two of them walked until they reached the throne, where the king sat tall in his chair, his crown glinting faintly under the hall lights.
"Welcome, Sir Hero," the king said with a steady voice.
'There it is again. Sir Hero. Do I look like a knighted sandwich to these people?'
"It is a great honor to see you in person. Tell me, what is your name, Sir Hero?"
Dracula straightened up and said politely, "My king, I am Dracula. It's nice to meet you."
The king nodded. "I see. That must be how you greet people in Earth."
'Yep, totally. Sometimes we also greet with fist bumps, but I'll save that lesson for later.'
"I am curious," the king continued. "What is your power?"
Dracula froze for a moment. 'Asking the hard questions right away, huh? What's next, my GPA and my blood type?'
He quickly replied, "With respect, I prefer not to say. If there are spies from the demons listening, they might use it against us. I hope you understand."
The king studied him, then gave a small nod. "Cautious. That is a good quality in a hero."
"Well, it's fine," the king said, voice calm but heavy. "But tell me this, I am interested. Who summoned you?"
'That's easy enough…'
"I was summoned here automatically," Dracula answered.
"So it is true," the king murmured. Then, with a sudden motion, he struck the tip of his sword against the marble floor. The clang rang out like thunder.
Dracula's eyes widened. The sound hadn't even faded before the knights moved in perfect unison. Spears and swords pointed directly at him, a wall of steel closing in.
'What—? Why are they pointing weapons at me?'
Before he could even raise his hand, glowing ropes erupted from the ground, wrapping around his arms and chest. The force was overwhelming. His knees hit the floor hard.
"What is the meaning of this?" he roared, his voice trembling with both rage and disbelief. "King Voldin Bravero Malvin, is this how you welcome the hero you claimed to await?"
'This can't be real. Did I do something wrong? No, this is a setup. It happened too quickly. Too precise. They planned this from the start…'
The king's expression didn't falter. His eyes bore into Dracula's like blades, sharp and merciless.
Dracula's breathing quickened. He turned his head, searching desperately for Princess Liana.
'She'll explain this. She brought me here, she knows the truth. Where is she—?'
But she wasn't there. The spot beside him was empty.
His stomach sank. The hall felt colder, heavier.
"Are you looking for someone?" the king asked. His tone was calm, but each word struck like a hammer.
"Where is Princess Liana? What have you done to her? Answer me!" Dracula's voice echoed through the hall, raw and furious.
The king's expression didn't change. "Princess? I don't know what she told you. But she is no princess."
Dracula froze. "…What?"
"You were being played," the king continued, his tone cutting like steel. "She was the one who gave us the information about you."
'I should've known. No one offers a free ride on a dragon that easily. She was carrying me straight into a trap. That… that bitch.'
"Why?!" he screamed, struggling against the glowing ropes. "Tell me why!"
The king stepped closer, each footstep echoing like a drumbeat in the silent hall. "Who are you really?" he demanded. "No summoning can happen without a spellcaster. Not only that, an enormous amount of magic is required. And you expect me to believe you were summoned automatically?"
"I don't know about the sense of logic in your world," Dracula spat back. "But what I said is true!"
"Then explain your name."
'What is wrong with my name?'
The king's eyes narrowed. "That name belongs to a demon that almost destroyed our entire world once. Nobody from your world could know that name."
Dracula's heart skipped a beat. He could feel the eyes of every knight in the hall piercing into him.
'A demon? My name? What are they even talking about…?'
"So that only leads to one conclusion, you're in league with the demons."
'These idiots. How do I explain that the name belonged to some blood-drinking man? Say that, and they'll insist only a demon would dare the name. I thought it sounded badass. Guess I miscalculated.'
"A name does not define a soul."
'What am I even saying?'
"Listen well. When the demons threatened our world, the greatest mages performed a forbidden rite, a summoning to bring warriors from other worlds. Those were the Heroes. Seven in all, each pledged to a kingdom. There are already seven. You are the eighth. You arrived too late."
"Perhaps I should question your villagers, was it Futama?"
"You will not touch that village. They know nothing."
The king fixed him with a cold look, then spoke with finality. "Launch an investigation into Futama. Find the truth. Until then, you will be detained. Take him away."
The hero screamed. 'why is this all happening? Why are they all against me? What am I suppose to do if I came late.'
"Disgusting creature" the king said by thinking he was a part of the demon king's army. Those words only increased the rage of the hero."
'Ill kill you and watch your kingdom burn.'