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setokayba2n: Funny you should mention that. I actually have a plan for curses interacting with each other later.

Chapter 40 – Action Break

Even with the sun barely risen above the horizon, Dante had more to take care of this morning. In a little while, he was to meet with a few more tribe heads that had showed up sometime yesterday evening. That was what one of the maids passed along from Werner before Dante retired for the short night's rest. He thought all the introductions were completed over a week ago.

Even so, that was one of the lesser things he had to worry about. The biggest thing was warning Erhard and the other shopkeepers about likely trouble in the future, and offering them all sanctuary. He really had no idea how that would go, since some of them likely spent their whole lives in Melromarc. He didn't know what—if anything—would happen if they stayed. It wasn't as if he had been seen in the capital all that much, outside of his meeting with Melty.

As he walked down the halls, another thought crossed his mind. This one was far less stressful, so it was a welcome distraction.

What's the male version of a loli-baba? I want to say shota…oja…oni…nope, can't think of the Japanese word for old man. I'll have to ask Reiko next time I see him.

"Why don't you just go home, old man? I'm more than enough here."

"Maybe if all you needed to do was hit things, that'd be true."

Dante had found himself wandering into one of the waiting areas near the throne room. There seemed to be two groups already there, and they were busy glaring at each other.

"Don't tempt me. I might just start with you."

"Sure, pick another fight. It's not as if you could make us any more late."

The two speakers were a woman and a man, both very well dressed. The woman wore a type of hardened leather armor, and a high quality one at that. Over that was a thick cloak of white fur, reaching to the ground. Her long blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail and reached halfway down her back. The man's armor seemed lighter and more decorative, though mostly black in color. His cloak was thinner, a little more than what Dante had worn in the past. His black hair reached just below his shoulders and was complemented by a thin goatee.

"Hmph. Once Lord Shield sees the two of us, he'll know exactly which of us is the better choice!"

"Never truer words have been spoken."

At first glance, Dante had thought the pair were humans, but their ears were a dead giveaway. They were longer than human ears, and ended in a point. He hadn't seen any elves yet, and was pretty sure there weren't any in this world. There was some mention in the books about them being in Glass' world though.

"If you think you're…oh." The woman was the first to take notice of Dante. A seven-year-old was pretty easy to miss. "Is that a human?"

The man looked down at him. "It seems to be. I didn't realize human slaves were being used here now."

Word about Dante's condition must not have gotten around. It likely wasn't something the leadership here would want to advertise. Plus, it wasn't revealed too long ago.

"I don't think he is. I don't see a slave seal on him." The woman held a hand to her chin.

"He must be a servant of some sort. The only thing he's wearing are those pants." The man pointed out.

Dante didn't see the need to trouble the castle's tailor with making new clothes for his shrunken form. They wouldn't be needed after today anyway, so there was no real point. He just had one of the maids fetch a pair of pants that would fit him, possibly belonging to her son. He didn't bother with shoes, mostly because walking around barefoot didn't feel any different anymore.

"Wait." The woman stepped around him to look at his back. "Do you see that?"

"Is that…" The man followed her gaze.

Well, it's about time they figured it out—

"That looks like a spiked shell on his back. He must be with Ushan." The woman concluded.

"Ah, makes sense. The old man did always have a soft spot for the less fortunate." The man nodded in agreement.

…So, first they argue each other, and now they're doing a comedy bit? I guess the Dark Tyrannosaurus Shield does look a little bit like a turtle shell, from a certain perspective. Wait, 'Ushan'? Isn't that the old genmu?

Dante had found the old genmu to be a fairly level-headed person, basically what he remembered from the books. Peace, or at least no current hostilities with Melromarc, was his position. Having third party confirmation of his character was nice.

"This kid must have seen hell. He's missing an arm, and look at all those scars." The woman pointed out the various blemishes on his chest and arm. "You think he was tortured?"

The man let out a dark laugh. "If he was, then that's one less piece of filth walking around. I heard Lord Shield had concerns over the treatment of slaves here. He possibly came across some Melromarc bastard during his time there who delighted in such a thing."

"Maybe I'll be able to convince him to push for war." The woman smirked. "I'm sure there's no shortage of abused slaves in Melromarc. Wasn't that bastard Rabier rumored to kill his slaves?"

"Idol Rabier is dead." The man sighed. "Is your information network really so lacking?"

"You got something to say?"

"You're a brute who's only good at killing things. I've made that perfectly clear to you."

She looked ready to tear into him, both figuratively and literally.

"Boy! Fetch us some tea." The woman demanded. "I need something to help me relax so I don't kill this old man."

"You would have a one-armed child try to carry a tray of tea?" The man sighed.

"If he couldn't perform tasks like that, Ushan wouldn't have hired him. He's not that philanthropic."

"That's a big word for you, isn't it?"

"What was that?!"

Dante left the two to their arguing. The entire experience was a bit surreal to him. He hadn't gotten the chance to say a single word or set the record straight. The woman seemed pretty hot-headed, and the man looked to be rather condescending. The woman likely wasn't all there either, since she kept call the other one old. Both of them looked to be in their early 20s, by Dante's guess.

"Lord Shield? Is there something more I can help you with?" With some time to kill before the meeting, Dante figured he might try his hand at tea making. He found one of the kitchen staff he bumped into before.

"Can you show me how to make tea?" He asked.

"I can make some for you, Lord Shield." The staff member said with a bow. He had been pretty persistent about making the food when Dante came in before.

"No, no, that's alright. I'd like to do it, just with some help." Dante reaffirmed.

"Of course, Lord Shield." Likely seeing the pointlessness of arguing, like before, the man pulled out a stool for Dante to work on. "Is there any particular reason?"

"I met one of the tribe heads." Dante said, climbing up. "Probably. I wasn't sure who it was."

From the conversation, Dante figured it could be one of two things. Either the woman was the head and the man was some sort of advisor or something, or the man was the head and the woman wanted to take on the responsibility of talking to Dante. There were other possibilities, but something like those two seemed most likely to him, given what little he got from the pair.

Aside from waiting for the meeting, Dante thought it'd be funny to see their reactions when Lord Shield gives them some tea. He blamed his decision on his current age, though he might have done something like this regardless.

The tea was simple enough to make. His cooking skill and EP should help balance out his inexperience with preparing it. Before he could take it out, he heard a call from outside the room.

"Papa!" Dio's voice carried through the hall as the sound of heavy footsteps came closer.

"In here!" Dante returned, hopping down from the stool.

Dio slid into view and rushed toward him, wrapping her large wings around him. "Why did you go? I was so scared!"

"I just had a few things to do before we started for the day." He told her, trying not to be smothered by her feathers. "You should still be sleeping. We had a long night."

"But we have to protect you!" Dio argued. "Joey and Sadie are worried too!"

"No one needs to protect me." Dante's voice was becoming more muffled. "Could you please transform?"

"But I can't help you get bigger when I'm small." Dio protested.

That was a lesser reason why Dante got up so early, and for his lack of sleep. Since his age had regressed, he postponed his scheduled night with the two shusaku women. They seemed disappointed by that, and Dante hoped it was for the right reason. Regardless, he spent the night with Sadeena, Dio, and JoJo. For some reason, Dio got it in her head that Dante would grow up faster if she lied on top of him in her filolial queen form. She had tried to 'hatch' him, as she explained it.

"I'll be big again by tomorrow. You don't need to worry about that."

She clung to him for a little longer before releasing him. After she did, she gave a slight nod and transformed. Dante instantly regretted it. He hadn't thought too much about it, but he could clearly see his 10-year-old-looking daughter was taller than him.

"Oh yeah, bird-guy was looking for you." Dio said.

"I guess it's time to meet the tribe heads, then." Dante nodded. Last night's attack would likely be discussed too. He turned to the kitchen staff member. "Can you have someone bring the tea to them?"

"At once, Lord Shield." The man bowed.

The pair left the kitchen, Dio holding his hand as they walked. It felt a little strange, but Dante was more than fine letting her do that. They ran into JoJo on the way. Or, more accurately, he barreled into Dante in a similar fashion to Dio. At least he didn't try to hatch him like Dio had. Since he had shrunken in size, Rat wasn't able to attach his new arm yet. Without a second hand to hold, and being too short for JoJo to cling to his pant leg, JoJo settled for holding Dio's other hand.

"There you are, little Dante." Sadeena greeted them just outside the throne room, accentuating her normal speech. She seemed to temper what worry she had with her usual carefree attitude.

None of this was to say the others weren't worried about him too. Seeing the man that saved them fall under the effects of another curse wasn't too reassuring. Of course, after the initial shock, most of their moods improved. Keel was the most thrilled. Something about not being the shortest anymore. That was the leading factor in the improved atmosphere in his party, aside from knowing the length of the curse.

Then there was Rifana. Dante would need to have words with her later.

"Well, let's get this over with." Dante said as they entered. Werner and a few other members of the nobility were already present. They made their way to the throne, where Dante hopped on top of it. He had to stifle a laugh at how oversized it felt, letting his legs dangle over the edge.

"All things considered, I don't think it's appropriate for you to lie on top of me." Dante whispered to Sadeena, receiving a very fake pout in return.

"The tribe heads are here!" A servant near the door called out.

The two Dante saw before entered, along with the group. Dante had hoped for an initial reaction to seeing him on the throne, but the man and woman were too busy with their continued glaring contest. The others that were with them, however, stopped in their tracks, barely making it through the doorway.

Well, that's something, at least.

The group regained their senses and quickly took their places lining up. The pair continued their walk forward, stopping before the throne. They both took a knee and bowed their heads to Dante, keeping their eyes to the floor.

"It's an honor to serve you, Lord Shield." They said as one.

"…Ah. Right." Dante acknowledged and looked to the door. No one else entered before it was closed. It seemed both of them were tribe heads. If there was a difference in their races, Dante couldn't spot it. "Rise."

At his word, the two of them stood. When they did, they finally looked at him. The same shocked expressions from the group were now on their faces.

It's still funny. I better not laugh, though. Although…

"Did you enjoy your tea?" Dante asked, his expression serious. At least, he tried to have a serious expression on his face. He was still trying to hold back his laughter.

God, I'm so immature now.

"You…I—"

"L-Lord Shield! Um—"

"We didn't…I didn't…"

"What…you…"

"Hahaha! I'm just messing with you!" Dante couldn't contain himself any longer. He had to hold cover his mouth to hold back his laughter.

"Little Dante…" Sadeena chided, though it was halfhearted.

"Ahem." Werner cleared his throat, trying to reestablish the mood of the circumstances. "Lord Shield, these are the heads of the vampire tribe."

"Vampires?" That caught Dante's attention. "Well, that would explain the…er, 'heads', you say?" He barely caught himself before talking about their ears. "I was under the impression each tribe had only one head."

"That is normally the case, Lord Shield." Werner confirmed. "However, the vampire tribe has been more divided than most. The two most prominent families represent them. Together, they vote as one tribe on laws and policies when assemblies are called."

Now that he mentioned it, Dante noticed two different crests on the other vampires present. Werner gestured to the vampire heads, who both had crossed an arm over their chests.

"Donavan Tepes, House of the Dragon." The man said.

"Nisha Belmont, House of the Morning Star." The woman followed after.

"Ugh…" Dante held his head in his hand.

"I-Is something wrong, Lord Shield?" Donavan asked.

"No, no, it's nothing." Dante sighed. It wasn't a problem. He wasn't at all bothered by the fact that, not only were vampires a thing here, but two of the family names referenced vampires. One was the family name of the man who was the inspiration for Dracula, and the other was the family name of well-known vampire hunter character. Even their house names were relevant.

Reiko, I need you here! I have no one to talk to about this!

"In any case," Dante pushed those thoughts aside, "why are you here now? All of the other tribes already came."

Donavan and Nisha gave each other a hard look before swiftly turning away.

"We've had…ongoing conflict between our houses, Lord Shield." Donavan answered.

"Is that what you call?" Nisha interjected. "Your niece attacked one of our trade caravans."

"Which was in response to your uncle stealing from one of my vassal's." Donavan shot back.

"That was because—"

"Stop, stop, I get it." Dante broke up the emerging argument. They were nobles who fought for power and influence between their families. It wasn't a difficult concept for him to grasp.

"Even so, they should have put their hostilities on hold and greeted you immediately." Werner scolded the two vampire heads.

"It's as Werner says, Lord Shield." Donavan bowed his head.

"We apologize for our tardiness." Nisha did the same.

"Well, you're here now." Dante leaned forward on the throne. "I know you've heard some rumors about me, given your earlier discussions." They both winced at that, but Dante simply waved it off. "Are you aware of the current arrangement I have with the tribe heads?"

"Of course." Nisha spoke first. "But…"

"Don't worry." Dante chuckled as she gestured to his size. "I got hit by a curse. I'll be older again tomorrow."

"In that case, I've prepared some gifts for you, when you have the time to see them. You'll be impressed with the quality, I'm sure." She finished.

"As do I, Lord Shield." Donavan returned. "You'll be able to see firsthand which of our houses is better positioned to serve you."

"I look forward to seeing them." Dante smiled. Part of him knew that these vampire families fighting wouldn't be good, but his now childish nature was clouding that a little.

Werner stepped forward. "With formalities complete, I believe we should discuss what to do going forward, considering last night's events."

"Right…" This wasn't something Dante as looking forward to, but it needed to be done. "Won't the other tribe heads be coming for this?"

"I haven't shared this information with anyone else yet." Werner informed him. "It seemed best not to escalate things if that was not your desire."

"Good, good. Then…" Dante looked over to the vampires.

"I believe they should be here, Lord Shield. Their territories are some of the closest to Melromarc." Werner said.

"Melromarc?" Dante could see a twinkle in Nisha's eyes at the mentioning.

"Alright then. I'm not sure what Eclair and Fiadia said, but after the wave…"

Dante told the assembled nobles what had transpired near the end of Zeltoble's wave. From seeing Imiya and Tolly's HP dropping, to the attack on Reichnott, and ending with the assault and assassination of the Melromarc baroness. Sadeena had to fill in her name, since Dante hadn't remembered it. His tunnel vision on killing her had blocked that out. He didn't mention killing Idol. Either someone heard him talking with Fiadia or they didn't, but he wasn't about to offer that up just yet.

"War with Melromarc." Donavan shared Nisha's view on the matter.

"It's seeming more and more likely." Dante admitted.

It wasn't entirely a secret that he came to Siltvelt. Melty hadn't known when he met with her, but that could have changed. Surely some spy had seen him by now, or at least heard of his arrival through gossip and rumors. By boat, someone could have arrived in Melromarc around now if they knew he was here on the first day, or even while traveling before reaching the capital.

"Has your position on the matter changed, Lord Shield?" Werner asked.

"No, but what I want and what I've been doing seem to be pushing in two separate directions." Dante sighed. "I don't want Siltvelt to march to war. But, if Melromarc demands turning me over to face punishment—"

"We will not allow that!" Werner shouted.

"Yeah, I figured as much."

"If such a demand is made, we'll begin preparing for war at once." Werner said, looking for approval.

"Yeah…"

Dante really wasn't seeing a clean way out of that route. He could try speaking with Melty and explaining the situation, but that was a long shot, even if she did believe him. When it came to Dante, her father seemed to disregard anything she had to say.

"If it pleases you, Lord Shield, allow our families to strike first when the time comes." Nisha said, nodding to Donavan.

"Our race is powerful. Victories from the vampire tribe will deter more attacks from Melromarc." Donavan agreed.

"Really?" Dante asked.

Donavan nodded. "You may not be aware, but vampires are able to drink blood from other races. If we drink their last drop, we receive a large, temporary boost to our stats for almost a week, and a smaller, permanent boost as well."

"That is a pretty good ability." He had a shield that shared a similar power.

That begs the question of why vampires aren't more prominent here. That seems like something they could have used to rule Siltvelt, or the whole world during that war.

Werner seemed to pick up on his confusion. "The vampire tribe was the first target during the war with Melromarc. They suffered heavy casualties under the Wise King's tactics."

"I see." That would certainly explain it. "While I can see revenge for your ancestors to be a reasonable excuse to attack, losing will weaken your tribe even more. I know it's weird coming from me, but you're young. You shouldn't rush to war over something I did."

Different world and culture aside, war shouldn't be something to look forward to. Even if Aultcray wasn't what he used to be, the church probably still had that weapon.

"That's…" Donavan glanced at Nisha.

"What is it?" Dante looked between them.

Nisha spoke up. "Lord Shield, we both participated in wars with Melromarc."

"You…what?" Looking at them both, they seemed to be around 22 years old, maybe 25 at the very oldest.

"Unlike other demi-humans, we vampires don't age as we gain levels." Donavan explained. "Instead, we can retain our youth and live longer by drinking blood."

"Wow…"

Vampires really are powerful. Taking stats from their victims while extending their lives? Even Siltvelt would be wary of letting them get too strong and influential. I imagine if they did try to conquer all the races here, they might succeed. Winning one battle would lead to another and another. Even if they were defeated, the cost of doing so would be high.

"Wait, so how old are you two?" Dante asked.

"48." Donavan answered.

"39." Nisha did the same.

"Huh." Dante wasn't sure what he was expecting. If anything, staying young seemed to make both of them more rash. He could relate to that. "Anyway, this is all based on a 'what if'. Be prepared, but don't be too eager. My desire is still to avoid war, but defend yourselves if you're attacked."

"Yes, Lord Shield!" They shouted as one.

"Alright then." Dante hopped down from the throne. "If there's nothing else, I have something I need to take care of in Melromarc."

"L-Lord Shield!" Werner sputtered. "After that attack…"

"It's highly unlikely they've done anything yet." Whatever monster that knight used to carry off that recording crystal, it probably didn't have enough time to arrive for them to spread the news all that much. "Besides, I look like a child. No one is going to see me and think I'm the Shield Hero. I'll just change out my shield and put on a small cloak."

"Besides, little Dante will have us with him~." Sadeena chimed in.

"No I won't." Dante said, looking up at her. Sadeena's mood instantly changed. "On the off chance they've already spread the word, you all are pretty well known in the capital as my party members."

"But Dad…" JoJo hugged his side, with Dio joining him.

"No buts." Dante was confident he would survive any attack thrown at him there. He couldn't say the same for his party. The knights, the church, the adventurers, it'd be too much. Besides, most of his party was still asleep. They had a long, rough night, in addition to a wave.

"We can prepare an escort for you." Werner offered.

"No good." Dante shook his head. "Demi-humans in general will draw attention. I'll be in the capital, after all."

"That's even more reason to bring guards." Werner argued.

"My decision stands."

They worried too much. All in all, he'd be there less than an hour. He could spend most of his time hiding in Beloukas' tent if things were too hot there.

"What about us?" Nisha raised her hand. "Our ears are easily covered, and we can retract our fangs. With my retainers, you'll be able to move around easily."

"My warriors and I would be more than happy to escort you, Lord Shield." Donavan stepped forward.

"I assure you, we'll be more than a match for any opposition you might face."

"House Tepes will see you where you need to go."

"We—"

"Enough!" Dante called out. "I'll take the two of you and no one else. It's an hour, not a journey across the country."

While taking the two of them together could get annoying, leaving one might stir up more house conflict. He just learned Siltvelt had these powerful demi-humans living here, he wasn't about to let them fight each other.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, little Dante?" Sadeena whispered to him.

"I'm prepared for the headache." Dante replied in kind.

"I meant they might fight with each other in Melromarc." Sadeena clarified.

"I'll rein them in."

It did feel strange to him, basically playing babysitter to people older than his original age. But with how long they planned on being in Melromarc, it wouldn't bother him too much.

"However," Dante spoke to the assembled vampires, "I expect no fighting between your two families while we're gone. I'm taking both family heads to not play favorites, and so everyone will relax about me going."

"Yes, Lord Shield!"

~The Wrong Hero~

Just outside Beloukas' tent, Dante and the two lead vampires appeared. To help conceal his appearance, Dante was provided with a different style of cloak than before. This one wrapped around his front completely with fabric to spare, helping to insure no errant gust of wind revealed his missing arm.

"Where to first, Lo—young one?" Donavan asked, looking at their surroundings.

"First, I have some business with this slave trader, then the shopkeepers I know. I'll do all the talking." Dante said before walking into the tent.

"Ugh, it reeks in here." Nisha commented. "Is this how Melromarc slave dealers keep their merchandise?"

"I wouldn't know." Dante had only been to one. He looked around and found the man he was looking for. Beloukas was checking over a cage with one of his employees when Dante approached.

"Ah, good morning, valued customers!" The slave trader said with his signature smile. "How might I be of service to you?"

"We have an ongoing deal, Beloukas." Dante told him. He had already switched the shield on his back to his Humming Shield.

Beloukas looked down at Dante in confusion for a moment, before his smile returned to his face. He dismissed his worker before speaking again. "I must say, you sure do like to surprise me, Sir Shield Hero. Yes sir."

"This is temporary." Dante tried to wave him off, but the cloak got in the way. "What do you have for me?"

Beloukas sighed. "Well, your original request still has not born any fruit, and I don't believe I'll be seeing any more lumos here."

"Why's that?"

"The price for that type of beastman has dropped in Melromarc recently, but they are becoming more popular in Zeltoble."

Dante sighed in return. "Well, that's not terrible. I suppose I'll just need to speak with your uncle about them going forward."

Even with Imiya dead and Tolly gone, Dante was still looking to free those lumos. Morally, he was to try making amends for what happened at Reichnott's to Imiya. Pragmatically, if they would come to the village he planned on constructing, their skills with their hands would be useful.

"Have you heard any other rumors lately?" Dante pulled out a piece of silver and tossed it to the slave trader.

"Why, it seems Sir Shield Hero has been seen in Siltvelt, yes sir." Beloukas said, eyeing the coin. It wasn't Siltvelt's currency, so Dante knew what he meant.

"Yeah, that figures." It would have happened sooner or later. Dante was just hoping for later. Although, if no one knew about last night's attack, that was a small plus. "What else?"

"If you're looking for big news, there hasn't been much else happening." Beloukas said. "Although, something did happen in Mirso village."

"…What?" Dante didn't want him to say what he thought he would.

"It seems there's an epidemic there, yes sir."

Dante grit his teeth in frustration. "Was the Sword Hero there recently to slay a dragon?"

"Why, yes he was, Sir Shield Hero!" Beloukas swiveled his cane. "You seem quite well informed."

Dante's eye twitched. "We are leaving."

The two vampires followed Dante out of the slave trader's tent. Not 10 paces away, Dante started stamping his foot on the ground.

"Shit, shit, SHIT!" He yelled. "I told him to leave! He said he would leave! That stupid dragon!"

"Lord…young man, what's wrong?" Nisha knelt down next to him.

"The dragon Ren killed! He wasn't supposed to be there anymore!" Dante tried to explain, but his frustration got in the way.

"I don't understand." Nisha tried holding out her hand, but seemed to reconsider. "Please, young man, calm down and tell us so we might help."

It wasn't as simple as Nisha made it. Dante could really feel the difference in his heightened emotions. He tried taking deep breaths, but he ended up pacing back and forth in front of the tent.

Eventually, he was able to work himself down. He turned to his vampire companions to speak. "I knew Ren, the Sword Hero, would take a quest to kill the dragon in the mountains near that village. I got there first and had him leave, or so I thought. His rotting corpse is the cause of the outbreak."

It seemed like another good thing Dante tried to do didn't even make a difference.

"Forget it." Dante shook his head and started toward the alley. "If Gaelion is dead, then I guess that's that. I'm not about to bring my party back here and travel to the village just to clean up a mess they caused."

If circumstances weren't what they were, he wouldn't be saying that. Just because no one seemed to know about what happened yesterday yet didn't mean they wouldn't by the time he was done here.

"If it's important, allow me to take you there." Donavan offered as he followed after him.

"It takes around a day to reach the village, and that's with one of my kids pulling the carriage." Dio and JoJo were much faster than horses and normal filolials, even more so now than when they first went to the village.

"We won't take a carriage." Donavan shook his head. "I can fly us there."

"Fly?" Dante stopped and looked back at the older vampire. Nisha seemed to make a face at the idea.

"I have a therianthrope form capable of flight. We can go straight there and avoid any obstacles." He said proudly.

"Hm. Let me think about it." Dante said, continuing on his path. Even with his anger at what happened, there wasn't too much to consider. There were people there that Dante didn't want to let die. Young people.

Once out of the alleys, they came to one of the main roads in the capital. It didn't seem that different from any of the others times Dante was there. The helmets Donavan and Nisha wore kept their ears hidden from view, and they left their fancy cloaks in Siltvelt. The three of them also walked next to each other. Otherwise, it would either look like a child was leading them, or they were walking after one. Dante borrowing a pair of shoes for the short journey also helped.

Before long, they found the blacksmith's shop. "Welcome!" Erhard greeted them as they entered the shop. "What can I do for you?"

Dante looked around and found no one else in the shop. He approached the counter with the vampires. Dante looked up at Erhard as the blacksmith stood behind the counter. "It's Dante, Erhard."

"Wha…Kid!" Erhard raced around the counter. The two vampires prepared themselves, stopping Erhard from approaching.

"It's fine." He told the pair and stepped forward.

"Geez, Kid, what crazy things have you been up to?" Erhard scratched the side of his head.

"That's why I'm here, actually…" Dante took in a breath. "Have the knights given anyone here more trouble? Concerning me?"

Erhard shook his head. "Not after Simmond and Ann had their stores vandalized, no. Why?"

"Things might get a bit more rough around here." He began. "You'll be hearing some news about me pretty soon."

"I've been hearing things already." Erhard told him. "Some false rumors about you stopping caravans and robbing villages."

"This will be a bit more true."

Dante told him of the baroness who attacked Reichnott, and Dante's retaliation. He also mentioned the czar shroom she likely used to kill people, which explained his younger age.

Erhard's expression changed from interest to deep concern. "Kid…"

"Not one of my better ideas, I know, but it needed to be done." Dante said, shrugging under his cloak.

"And Tolly…why did you tell me this?" Erhard asked.

"Because you deserve to know what happened to your friend, and I don't know what will happen to the people who have helped me here." Dante said. "And…to offer you a place to stay in Siltvelt."

"Siltvelt?" Erhard sighed. "Kid, that's a bit…"

"I know." It was a pretty big change. It would be even more so for the ones who had family in Melromarc. "I can help you get somewhere else if you prefer."

"Listen, I appreciate the offer, but I won't go." Erhard said. "I'll be fine here."

"It's not just you I'm worried about." Erhard was an adventurer and Agatha a witch, but Simmond and Ann were neither. "Look, can you go around and tell the others who helped me my offer? I know Siltvelt can be a little…much, but I'll make sure they stay safe." He wouldn't let what happened to Korokan repeat itself.

Erhard nodded. "Yeah, I can do that."

"Good." With any luck, nothing would happen to any of them. It didn't help that these knights had acted like he thought Siltvelt would from the books. "Oh, and one more thing."

"What is it?"

"Tell me about the knights who started causing trouble before. I want to add their names to my list."

"What list?"

"The list of people I mean to kill." Dante said plainly.

"Kid—" Erhard started, but Dante shook his head.

"Knights who go around doing what they did don't deserve to call themselves knights. If you don't tell me, I'll just get the information from someone else."

Given the news about what he did, Dante doubted the others would want to hold back that information. That was especially true for the ones who had their stores broken into.

Erhard sighed. "Alright, I'll ask around." He clearly knew these knights might be a problem going forward.

"Thanks. I'll be back later."

With everything else going on, Dante had gotten a little too relaxed about some things. He hadn't gotten any calls from Reiko recently, and there was nothing new about the villagers from Lurolona. Now he had more time on his hands. Dante needed to step things up.

First things first. Mirso village awaited.

Author's Notes:

Hate me if you must, you'll never stop me. Vampires exist, so says witch lady from volume 2. So, we've got JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Doom, StarCraft, and now Castlevania, with a small reference to Mario RPG. You can't be too mad about the vampires. Shield Hero has all those places named after them, after all.

It's a bit shorter than I wanted, but still normal size I guess. I couldn't find as much motivation for this chapter.