Vlad followed me through Ridgebrook like a shadow made of pure malice.
Every step he took sent villagers scrambling—ducking into doorways, hiding behind barrels, squeezing into animal pens. Anywhere was better than standing within stabbing distance of him. I tried to look calm and confident, but inside my mind was screaming.
Why did it have to be Vlad first!?
"Chief," Borrik called from the training square, completely unaware of the walking war crime behind me. "We're wait—"
He stopped.
His eyes widened.
His soul briefly left his body.
"What… what in the frozen hells is that?"
Vlad tilted his head politely.
"Vladislav Drăculea," he said calmly. "I value discipline, loyalty, and long walks spent impaling traitors."
Borrik dropped his spear.
Somewhere behind us, a child started crying.
I clapped my hands loudly. "Alright! Everyone breathe! This is fine! Everything is fine!"
It wasn't fine.
Not even a little.
Lira approached carefully, hands trembling but jaw set with that stubborn courage she wore like armor.
"Liam… he's dangerous."
Vlad smiled at her. It was elegant and polite—and somehow worse than a threat.
"You have a healer's hands," he said softly. "Soft. Valuable." He turned to me. "Shall I remove anyone who disrespects her?"
Lira nearly fell over.
I raised both hands. "No removing! No stabbing! No… anything you normally do."
Vlad looked mildly disappointed.
The villagers whispered among themselves.
"Is he a demon?"
"He smells like death!"
"He's too handsome to be human!"
"That's the problem!"
"Shut up, Old Merin!"
I cleared my throat and forced myself into chief mode.
"Everyone, this is Vlad. He's a warrior I… hired."
One brave idiot raised his hand.
"Where did you hire him from?"
I stared at him.
He stared back.
Vlad leaned forward slightly.
"A place far beyond your nightmares."
The man sat down immediately.
I coughed. "He means… the north."
"The north?" a woman squeaked.
"Yes," I lied smoothly. "Very north. Extremely north. So north it loops back around."
The villagers nodded like this made perfect sense.
Lira leaned closer and whispered, "You can't hide him. People are terrified."
"I'm terrified," I whispered back. "And I summoned him."
Vlad scanned the square like a king inspecting a new territory.
"You lead this village," he said calmly, "yet your walls are weak. Your men untrained. Your livestock poorly guarded."
"That's why we're training today," I said quickly.
Vlad cracked his neck.
"Good. I will teach them discipline."
Borrik swallowed. "Chief… is he safe?"
"No," I admitted. "But he's on our side."
"Is that better?"
"Hopefully."
Training went badly.
Within minutes, Vlad had disarmed half the men, knocked two unconscious, and pinned another against a fence with his boot.
"This is weakness," Vlad said, clearly disappointed. "Where are your warriors? Your champions? Even your competent farmers?"
One man quietly cried into the dirt.
"Vlad," I said carefully, "maybe… go easy? We're not trying to traumatize them."
"Trauma is education," he replied.
"That's not reassuring."
Lira glared at him. "The village doesn't need that."
Vlad studied her.
"You fear death yet stand close to it. Interesting."
"I'm not afraid," Lira said, stepping back.
Vlad smiled faintly.
"Everyone is afraid." He glanced at me. "Even your chief."
"I'm not afraid," I lied.
He raised an eyebrow.
I coughed. "Okay. Maybe a little."
"Good," Vlad said, amused. "Fear sharpens men."
Then the Summoner's Ledger chimed in my head.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
[VLAD III SUCCESSFULLY SUMMONED]
[ALL SUMMONS BEGIN AT RANK 1]
[VLAD'S GROWTH POTENTIAL: HIGH]
[NEW FUNCTION UNLOCKS UPON FIRST BATTLE]
I blinked.
A new function already?
Of course the system would do this now.
"Liam?" Lira asked. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," I said quickly. "Just… brain problems."
She sighed. "You worry me."
"Join the club."
Training ended at sunset. Villagers collapsed into the dirt, exhausted and traumatized. A child whispered, "If we pray hard enough, maybe he'll leave."
Vlad spent the afternoon beating grown adults with wooden sticks while lecturing them on posture and bone alignment.
Strangely…
No one died.
I counted that as a victory.
As people scattered, Vlad approached me, cloak moving like a living shadow.
"Your village is weak," he said bluntly. "But with discipline, I can shape them."
"They're farmers," I said. "Not soldiers."
He smiled. "Then I will make them soldiers."
"Don't break them," Lira said firmly.
Vlad looked at her, then nodded slightly.
"I do not break what belongs to my master's domain."
I opened my mouth—
And froze.
A howl echoed from the forest.
Low.
Guttural.
Wrong.
Villagers stopped mid-step.
Borrik grabbed his spear. "Chief… that wasn't a normal wolf."
Lira's face went pale. "Ranked beast."
Another howl answered.
Closer.
Vlad's smile widened.
"At last," he said. "A proper welcome."
He stepped toward the forest, eyes burning with excitement.
I stared after him.
Then at the trees.
Then at the trembling villagers.
"Well," I muttered, "guess we're about to unlock that new system feature."
Vlad disappeared into the shadows—
ready for slaughter.