I wake to the sound of a soft knock on the door.
Before I can respond, it opens, and a vampire dressed as a maid enters. She wears a perfectly pressed black dress with white trim, a lace headpiece, and white gloves. The whole outfit looks like it came straight out of one of those villainess otome manga.
She carries a basin of steaming water and sets it on a washstand near the window.
[Vampire Maid] "Good morning, Lord Wright. I've brought hot water for you to wash up. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes."
I blink, still processing the fact that a vampire is serving as a maid.
[Wright] "Uh, thank you."
She curtsies gracefully and exits.
I stare at the closed door for a moment. This is extravagant. Way too extravagant.
I get up and use the hot water to wash my face and hands. The water is the perfect temperature. There's even soap that smells faintly of lavender.
After getting dressed, I step outside.
The vampire maid is waiting in the hallway, hands folded neatly in front of her.
[Vampire Maid] "Please follow me, Lord Wright. I will escort you to breakfast."
[Wright] "Sorry for the delay."
[Vampire Maid] "Not at all."
We walk through the corridors. I'm not really ready for this noble life. Having someone wait outside my door just to lead me to breakfast feels excessive.
We arrive at the same dining hall from last night. The long table is set with breakfast.
And the food is incredible.
Thin crepes folded into delicate triangles, filled with a cream that shimmers faintly gold. Poached eggs resting on beds of sautéed greens I don't recognize, drizzled with a pale orange sauce. Pastries shaped like flowers, their petals crisp and golden, filled with what looks like spiced fruit compote. Sliced meats arranged in perfect spirals—some kind of cured game, judging by the deep red color. Fresh berries piled in crystal bowls, each one looking impossibly perfect. Small glasses filled with layered yogurt and granola, topped with honey that catches the morning light. Toast so golden it practically glows, accompanied by several types of butter and jam in tiny porcelain dishes.
And in the center of it all, a tower of what I can only describe as crystallized sugar sculptures shaped like tiny birds, purely decorative but beautiful.
Seraphina sits at the head of the table, looking as elegant as ever. Lucien is already eating, his plate piled high. Sylphaeris floats nearby, munching on a pastry with evident delight.
Vesper's seat is empty.
[Wright] "Where's Vesper?"
[Sylphaeris] "Still sleeping."
[Wright] "Of course."
Typical of her.
I take a seat and reach for one of the crepes. It's light and delicate, the cream inside sweet with a hint of citrus.
[Wright] "I'm surprised you're up so early, Seraphina. Do vampires not like sunlight?"
Seraphina smiles, lifting a wine glass that's already in her hand.
[Seraphina] "My group and I are a type of ancient vampire. We don't have those weaknesses."
She takes a graceful sip of wine.
[Seraphina] "Without that freedom, I wouldn't be able to enjoy sipping wine outside in the afternoon sun. That would be such a tragedy."
I glance at the wine glass, then at the morning light streaming through the windows.
[Wright] "You're drinking already? It's barely morning."
[Seraphina] "Wine is appropriate at any hour."
[Lucien] "That's just an excuse for day drinking."
[Seraphina] "You're just jealous because you can't appreciate fine wine."
[Lucien] "I appreciate it just fine. I just don't need to drink it with breakfast."
[Seraphina] "How dreadfully boring."
[Lucien] "How dreadfully responsible."
They're still at each other's throats this early in the morning.
Sylphaeris, completely unbothered, cheerfully devours another pastry.
[Sylphaeris] "You two should save your energy for the army that's coming."
[Seraphina] "Oh, we have plenty of energy for both."
[Lucien] "Unfortunately."
I try the poached eggs. The sauce is tangy and rich, perfectly complementing the greens underneath.
[Wright] "I'd love to get my hands on some eggs like these."
Seraphina glances over with a smile.
[Seraphina] "We can hand some over after breakfast. This mansion has a large stock of food in storage."
[Wright] "That would be great. Thanks."
[Lucien] "Planning to cook?"
[Wright] "Yeah. I run a farm."
Lucien pauses mid-bite, looking at me like he's trying to reconcile what he knows about me with the image of a farmer.
[Lucien] "Ah, Lady Sylphaeris mentioned that yesterday. That's... unconventional."
[Seraphina] "How delightfully eccentric! What do you grow?"
[Wright] "Vegetables, mostly. Eventually I'd like to expand into livestock for milk and eggs."
[Seraphina] "You must visit my vineyard sometime. I grow the grapes for my wine collection myself."
[Lucien] "You mean you have people grow them for you."
[Seraphina] "I supervise very closely. That counts."
[Wright] "We have Golden Grapples on our farm as well. Do those make good wine?"
Seraphina pauses, awestruck.
[Seraphina] "Those make the best wine. I heard the Voidleaf Wilderness is rich in energy, but I never knew you could cultivate Golden Grapples. You must sell me some!"
[Wright] "Well, right now we're giving them away to the refugees, but once the situation calms down I'd be happy to share some with you."
[Seraphina] "I very much appreciate it."
Seraphina smiles, elated at the prospect of getting her hands on the grapples. The light conversation continues over breakfast.
As we're finishing up, a vampire dressed as a butler enters the room. He's wearing a tailored black suit with white gloves and moves with the same practiced grace as the maid earlier.
I wonder if vampires just like dressing up to act the part, or if this is Seraphina's doing. I don't say it out loud.
The butler bows to Seraphina.
[Vampire Butler] "My Lady, the army has arrived. They're entering the city now."
[Seraphina] "Already? How prompt."
She sets down her wine glass and stands.
[Seraphina] "Well then. Shall we greet our guests?"
---
As we arrive outside, the courtyard has transformed. Several angels and vampires stand in formation, creating neat lines on either side of the mansion entrance. The vampires are now wearing armor—sleek, dark metal plates that look both functional and elegant.
I glance at them. Where are they getting all these outfits?
The gates are still broken from yesterday's attack, and beyond them, an army fills the streets.
Thousands of soldiers. They surround the mansion, forming a wall of bodies and steel. Banners bearing a noble crest flutter in the wind.
At the front of the formation, a man approaches.
He's tall and thin, his sharp features giving him a vulture-like appearance. His eyes are calculating, cold, the kind that measure everything they see. He wears elaborate noble attire—deep blue robes trimmed with silver, a jeweled pendant hanging from his neck. His dark hair is slicked back, and his thin lips curve into a smile that doesn't reach his eyes.
Behind him, five figures follow.
Kids.
They look completely out of place. They're wearing school uniforms—white shirts, dark pants or skirts, the kind you'd see in any Japanese high school. Their faces are younger than everyone around them, maybe fifteen or sixteen. And their features... I recognize them from the manga I've read.
Japanese.
These are the heroes. They're from Japan. The birthplace of manga!
I can barely contain my excitement, but I keep my expression neutral.
The thin man stops a dozen paces from us. He spreads his arms in a mockery of a welcoming gesture.
[Vareth] "I am Duke Vareth, and this is MY mansion. You will vacate it immediately."
Seraphina steps forward, her elegant composure replaced with cold disdain.
[Seraphina] "Your mansion? I claimed it. It's mine now."
[Vareth] "You cannot simply—"
[Seraphina] "I can, and I did. If you want to fight about it, then so be it."
Duke Vareth's smile sharpens.
[Vareth] "How bold. But you see, I have the advantage."
He gestures to the five students behind him.
[Vareth] "I have five heroes on my side, blessed by the Goddess herself. You may be powerful, but can you stand against divine favor?"
The five heroes all look terrified.
Their eyes are wide, darting between the angels and vampires. The girl with the ribbon has gone pale. The girl with glasses is gripping her skirt tightly. The shorter boy looks like he's calculating odds and not liking the numbers. The messy-haired boy has his hands in his pockets, body tense like he's ready to run. Only the athletic boy in front maintains any semblance of composure, though his jaw is clenched tight.
They clearly weren't expecting to be thrown into a battle, and definitely not against angels and vampires.
One of them—the athletic boy—calls out.
[Takeshi] "Wait! We won't fight!"
Everyone turns to look at him.
His voice is firm despite the fear. The kind of person who steps up even when scared.
[Takeshi] "There are angels on the other side. Aren't they on the side of the Goddess? Why would we fight them?"
Duke Vareth's expression darkens.
[Vareth] "Those angels are heathens. Muscle-bound fools with no brains. They attacked this city and killed countless people. Look around you—the city is completely deserted! They slaughtered everyone!"
The girl with glasses frowns.
[Yuki] "But if they killed everyone, where are the bodies? The streets are empty, but there's no sign of battle."
Good catch.
The shorter boy nods.
[Daichi] "Yeah, and if they wanted to kill people, why would they stick around? Tactically, it makes no sense."
Duke Vareth's face flushes with anger at being questioned.
I can't stay quiet anymore.
[Wright] "Nobody was killed."
The Duke's gaze snaps to me.
[Wright] "The people fled. And not just here, but all across the kingdom. Aldencrest has been condemned by Goddess Jyne herself."
Duke Vareth's face twists with fury.
[Vareth] "Lies! The Goddess stands with us! And who are you, some ordinary-looking peasant, to speak to a Duke?"
[Wright] "My name is Wright. I heard all about how awful the Kingdom of Aldencrest really is from Goddess Jyne herself."
The five heroes' eyes light up.
The girl with glasses steps forward first, her voice shaking with hope but her eyes sharp and focused.
[Yuki] "Wright? Are you the Wright that Goddess Jyne mentioned?"
[Wright] "Oh, Jyne sent you a message?"
I smile.
[Wright] "Yes, I'm that Wright. I've come to take you away from here."
The shorter boy blurts out, hope and desperation mixing in his voice.
[Daichi] "Can you bring us back home?"
[Wright] "Back to Japan? I'm not sure, but we can ask Jyne about that when we get back."
The change is immediate.
All five of them light up with relief so profound it's almost painful to watch. The athletic boy is the first to move, rushing forward with the others close behind.
[Takeshi] "Thank you! Thank you so much!"
His voice cracks slightly with emotion. Genuine gratitude, the kind that comes from thinking you were trapped with no way out.
The girl with the ribbon has tears in her eyes.
[Aiko] "We've been so scared. We didn't know who to trust."
The other girl pushes her glasses up, trying to maintain composure but failing as her voice wavers.
[Yuki] "We didn't know what to do. The message said to wait for you, but we weren't sure if—"
The messy-haired boy doesn't say much, but his shoulders drop with visible relief.
[Kenji] "Finally, someone we can trust."
His voice is low, controlled, but there's a weight lifted from it.
The shorter boy just looks like he might cry from pure relief.
[Daichi] "I thought we were going to die fighting demons or something. This is way better."
They reach my side, their gratitude pouring out in a jumbled mess of words and emotions.
Duke Vareth stands frozen, his mouth hanging open.
He's alone now. Standing in front of an army, but without the heroes he was counting on.
His face turns red with fury.
[Vareth] "Get back here! NOW! You're helping the demons!"
The athletic boy turns to face him, his earlier fear completely replaced with righteous anger. His brown eyes are hard.
[Takeshi] "We never trusted you in the first place."
His voice is steady, confident. A natural leader finding his footing.
One of the girls pushes her glasses up, her analytical mind cutting through the Duke's bluster with calm precision.
[Yuki] "It was weird that your so-called 'training' was just parading us around the city saying we had the Goddess's blessing. That's not training—that's propaganda."
The girl with the ribbon crosses her arms, her usual cheerful demeanor replaced with surprising steel.
[Aiko] "Besides, the king looks like a typical evil noble from every story ever. We're not blind."
The shorter boy snorts.
[Daichi] "Yeah, seriously. Even in a game, he'd be the obvious villain. The character design alone gave it away."
The messy-haired boy doesn't say anything, but the way he's standing—relaxed now, hands still in his pockets—speaks volumes. He's done pretending to go along with this.
I can't help it. I chuckle.
Smart kids.
[Wright] "Alright. We have to deal with this army first."