-194- [ Vampire ]

France, Orleans.

As the French Army's campsite erupted into revelry, Orleans was now under an unprecedented pressure.

If someone were around Orleans, they would see wyverns flying in from all directions, returning to Orleans as if migrating birds returning to their nests.

At the same time, in the central square of Orleans' castle, within the Audience Hall, Jeanne Alter was not seated on the throne. Instead, she stood at the center of the hall, holding the flag of the Evil Dragon, letting it flutter.

It wasn't until a certain moment that the second person arrived.

"Jeanne."

Naturally, the person who appeared was Caster.

More accurately, it was Gilles de Rais, who had long died and become a historical villain, infamous for sacrificing hundreds of children, falling into madness and evil.

With "Prelati's Spellbook," in hand, this marshal appeared in the Audience Hall. He bowed before Jeanne Alter like a pilgrim and, with excited fervor in his voice, delivered a report.

"All the wyverns across the entire territory of France have been summoned back. Tomorrow, we should be able to gather the largest legion to defend Orleans."

Gilles had come to report this.

"Very well," Jeanne Alter replied coolly. "And the others?"

As soon as this question was asked, two figures seemed to emerge from the shadows and appeared in the Audience Hall.

"Naturally, we have returned as well."

Lancer, carrying a lance akin to an iron stake, spoke up regally.

"While the blood collection is not yet sufficient, since you were so eager to call us back, there must be a significant killing to be done to compensate for this loss, right?"

Assassin, bearing instruments of torture resembling the Iron Maiden and laughing like an evil aristocrat, had a low and amused voice, showing no displeasure at being summoned back.

Jeanne Alter cast a glance at these two Servants.

If d'Eon, Martha, and Atalanta were originally noble heroes of integrity who wouldn't side with Jeanne Alter, then these two Servants in front of her were quite the opposite.

Both of them belonged to the extremely bloodthirsty and cruel faction, not only indulging in slaughter but also siphoning blood. They saw the people of France as prey, extracting the blood of all humans and committing acts that defied common sense.

Facing such Servants, even Jeanne Alter couldn't trust them.

If she let her guard down, these two might seize an opportunity when she wasn't paying attention, pounce from behind, and bite her throat until they drained her of blood.

Of course, even if it wasn't the case, Jeanne Alter wouldn't trust anyone.

Apart from Caster, she wouldn't give her trust or reliance to anyone.

This straightforward Jeanne Alter succinctly explained the situation.

"Archer and Rider have been eliminated."

This straightforward statement made both Lancer and Assassin raise their eyebrows.

Following that...

"That's quite a pity."

Lancer's expression remained unchanged as she elegantly commented with a tone that was neither heavy nor light.

"I should have collected their blood if I had known those two were so easily dealt with," Assassin expressed this thought without any hesitation, wicked and merciless.

Jeanne Alter didn't expect these two to make any reactions worth anticipating. She spoke expressionlessly.

"Among the three pursuing Servants, only Saber has returned."

As Jeanne Alter's words fell, a knight who was neither fully male nor female entered the Audience Hall from outside.

"The enemy's strength has been significantly increased. The number of their Servants has gone from just one to a full six," d'Eon got straight to the point without any pleasantries.

"It's estimated that in the coming days, the enemy will attempt to attack this place once again," d'Eon concluded the report.

With this in mind, Jeanne Alter had summoned Lancer and Assassin back from their slaughter outside.

"While it's true that as long as we have the Holy Grail, we can summon Servants as much as we need but the Holy Grail seems to be acting spontaneously, summoning more neutral Servants as a result, and until necessary, I don't want to use this method," Jeanne Alter explained.

"You will stay in Orleans, ready to face the attacking enemies at any time," she continued.

But it wasn't just anyone who voiced their opinion first; it was d'Eon.

"I have a request," d'Eon said quite suddenly. "I must be the one to deal with the enemy's Rider."

Hearing this, Jeanne Alter frowned.

At this moment, Laner and Assassin also voiced their intentions.

"I just need blood," Lancer said indisputably. "As long as their blood is mine, then I have no problem."

"That won't do," Assassin immediately retorted. "The blood of all beautiful girls belongs to me. I've said this before."

"That's quite a dilemma," Lancer wrinkled his brows similarly, appearing as if he was giving it a though and didn't care at the same time. "Then, the blood shall belong to the person who hunts them down."

This statement made Assassin sarcastic.

"When it comes to hunting, who can match your Noble Phantasm, Vlad III Călugăreşte?"

Laner's true name, Vlad III Călugăreşte, was revealed by Assassin.

Vlad III Călugăreşte.

If someone else heard this name here, they would surely be surprised, right?

Because in Romania, the name's fame was no less than that of the Greek hero Hercules or the British king of knights, King Arthur.

He was a voivode of Wallachia, a renowned hero in Romanian history, who upheld Wallachia's independence. He was also a Christian believer, so much so that he was called the Shield of the Christian World, and he was an honorable warrior.

His father, Vlad II, was a member of the Order of the Draul founded by Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund. As his father proclaimed himself "the Dragon duke," his son Vlad III Călugăreşte received the name "Dracula," meaning "son of the dragon," signifying his intention to inherit his father's will and protect the Christian world.

Unfortunately, in the present world, Vlad III Călugăreşte had become one of the most famous monsters.

To protect Wallachia's independence, Vlad III Călugăreşte had resorted to ruthless means, leading the Turks, his enemies, to view him as a demonic existence.

His most famous feat was in the defensive war against the Turkish invasion. With a mere ten thousand troops, he confronted a relentless torrent of a hundred and fifty thousand Turkish soldiers. He not only successfully repelled the invaders but also impaled tens of thousands of enemy soldiers on the battlefield.

This terrifying feat not only earned him the epithet "Impaler," but also turned his other name, "Dracula," into a synonym for monster. After years of fabrication and dissemination, he eventually became the prototype for the famous vampire Count Dracula, causing the title "Dracula" to spread throughout Europe and become inseparable from the term "vampire."

Thanks to this, this voivode, originally a Christian believer, became rumored to be a vampire, just like Elizabeth.

Now, this voivode had been summoned as Laner's class and had been given Madness Enhancement. Coupled with changes in people's beliefs, he had gained vampire powers and was now indiscriminately sucking blood and slaughtering the people of France.