Vlad straightened his clothes and ignored the unconscious Amelia.
When he stepped into the hall outside the room, he saw the little loli Sonja curled up on the sofa. Her cheeks were flushed, her clothes slightly messy, and she was sound asleep.
Perhaps the weather had turned cold. Sonja, now afraid of the chill, hugged her arms around her chest as she slept.
Seeing this, Vlad shook his head helplessly. He gently picked up her small frame, carried her back into the bedroom, and covered both her and Amelia with the quilt.
In her half-sleeping daze, Sonja seemed to sense something odd. She saw Vlad's face looming close.
Mumbling softly, she whispered, "Wuu wuu~ I'm not ready yet, Vlad... can you stop imitating..."
Hearing her words, Vlad's eye twitched involuntarily.
He watched as Sonja smacked her lips, rolled over, hugged Amelia tightly, and slipped back into deep slumber.
Vlad took a deep breath and turned to leave the room.
"Master."
Outside, Verona stepped out of another room, having noticed Vlad's presence.
Seeing her, Vlad said, "Verona, you don't need to follow me this time. I can manage alone."
"But—"
Verona hesitated. Marcus had warned that danger was involved, and she couldn't help worrying about Vlad's safety.
But as she met Vlad's stern gaze, she swallowed the words she was about to say.
Seeing her fall silent, Vlad said gently, "I'm doing this for your own good. What if something happens and I can't protect you?"
"Mmm~" Vlad softly caressed her cheek.
Their eyes locked for a moment before Verona nodded in reluctant agreement.
"Once I'm gone, there'll be no reason to stay here. You can take them back."
With that, he didn't linger. Leaping from the terrace, he disappeared toward the northern border.
It was noon.
A lone figure in a large black cloak appeared in a ruined village.
"So desolate..." Vlad muttered, eyes scanning the scene.
The village was overrun with weeds. Dilapidated houses stood barely upright. Rats scurried by. Not far away, hundreds of graves lay scattered.
As Vlad walked steadily forward, the village's past ruin unfolded before him.
"Didn't they say a stream used to run around the village? Where is it now?" he muttered.
Clang~
A sudden metallic clatter rang out.
"Who's there!?" Vlad halted and looked sharply in the direction of the sound.
He saw a half-collapsed courtyard wall, a rooftop overgrown with weeds, and a slightly open door still creaking on its hinges.
"Come out. I know you're in there."
"If you don't, don't blame me for being rude~." Vlad narrowed his eyes, voice growing colder.
A hot, blood-red flame ignited in his palm.
Still no reply.
Losing patience, Vlad snorted coldly. "Hmph~ fine then."
He thrust his arm forward, and the flame surged into the shape of a blood-red dragon, rushing toward the house.
"Don't—!!"
Boom—!!
A frightened, childlike voice rang out just as the fire dragon exploded.
Smoke billowed into the sky, house fragments flew in every direction, and a strange figure was thrown outward by the blast.
When the smoke cleared, the house had been reduced to rubble, a wide crater left in its place.
But Vlad wasn't concerned with the destruction.
His attention was focused entirely on the unusual figure.
A beautiful girl with long brown hair and a flawless face lay unconscious on the ground.
Ignoring her lower body, she would've been considered a rare beauty by any standard.
But as Vlad looked further down, his eyes widened in shock.
She had the torso of a human—but the body of a horse.
"A centaur!?" Vlad exclaimed.
He quickly stepped forward for a closer look.
The centaur girl wore crude leather armor. Her four strong, muscular legs were fully exposed—round, powerful, and shapely.
A ragged cloak covered her wide, plump rear, and when Vlad lifted it, he saw a dark brown tail swaying gently.
From the knees down, her legs narrowed and ended in sturdy hooves.
"Her skin is smoother than a human's," Vlad muttered, rubbing his chin in fascination.
It was his first time encountering a creature from legends and games—something he'd only seen in his previous life's myths.
Overwhelmed with curiosity, Vlad forgot his original purpose and was consumed by a desire to understand.
As he continued examining her, the centaur girl's breathing quickened under the leather armor, her chest rising and falling.
When her face flushed even deeper, Vlad quickly pulled his hand away.
Looking at her pointed ears and flickering eyelashes, he said calmly:
"Stop pretending. I know you're awake."
The girl obediently opened her tear-filled eyes.
When she looked at Vlad, her gaze was filled with a mix of fear, horror, embarrassment, regret, unwillingness—all at once.
It was the first time Vlad had seen someone express so many emotions in a single look.
Clearly, the centaur girl's heart was in chaos.
"Please... don't kill me... I just came out to find food..."
"I've been starving... I didn't mean to offend you…"
She trembled as she spoke, clearly traumatized by the earlier fiery blast.
Vlad could tell—she wasn't just afraid of him, but of the world beyond the ruins.
Seeing her desperate pleas, he softened his expression. With a gentler tone and a soothing hand on her head, he tried to calm her frightened heart and ease her wariness.
The warmth of his touch, coupled with his quiet voice, slowly brought peace to the trembling girl.
She could feel it—this terrifyingly strong man bore her no malice, no prejudice.
Once her panic faded, Vlad met her gaze and asked softly:
"What's your name, and where are you from?"