Several days passed, and Dracula had grown accustomed to his role as a cleaner. Back in the castle, he used to clean, and now it was no different here. At least no one would beat him up because the roses at night weren't beautiful enough. Thinking about that, Dracula felt at ease with his job. Wearing an old gray apron that once belonged to Matthew, he swept the walls carefully, clearing away every cobweb.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" The old front door was knocked on loudly. Dracula grumbled as he walked over to greet the first ray of sunlight of the day. "Welcome to the Petty Vampire Inn," he muttered.
A small figure remained in the doorway, her hand still raised mid-knock. She was a little girl, about 4'4" tall, dressed in a strange leather skirt. Her bright red curls shimmered under the sunlight.
Dracula immediately reacted like a startled lizard, spreading his wings and baring his fangs as he stared her down. "A dwarf?" he hissed.
The girl pulled a hammer from behind her back. The weapon, taller than she was, gleamed with a silvery head, one side tipped with a sharp spike, making a stark contrast with her petite figure. "Filthy vampire, why aren't you staying in the Shadow Forest?" she growled.
The two glared at each other for what felt like an eternity, but eventually, Dracula backed down. He folded his wings and ran deeper into the inn, shouting, "Help, Matthew! There's a dwarf outside trying to kill me!"
Sissie gently patted her chest, exhaling a sigh of relief. Unlike other dwarves in M Continent, who loved fighting or hammering molten metal, she dreamed of becoming a chef. Her culinary creations were celebrated in her clan, but she was often regarded as a joke. A few days ago, while out gathering spices, she got lost in the forest and accidentally stepped into a white magic circle, which brought her here.
Looking at the open door, Sissie cautiously stepped inside, her palms sweating as she tightly gripped her hammer.
The room had been cleaned by Dracula, but the old furnishings, dim lighting, and creaky wooden floorboards gave it an eerie vibe. It was straight out of one of the horror stories her Uncle Bol told by the fire. And here was this Matthew, who somehow forced a proud vampire to do housekeeping. He must be a terrifying demon lord.
Tap, tap. Footsteps echoed in the darkness. Suddenly, a piercing bell rang out of nowhere. Sissie, panicking, closed her eyes and screamed as she swung her hammer with all her might.
Matthew, scratching his head in irritation, looked up just in time to see the massive hammer shimmering with cold light descending toward him. Screaming, he threw himself to the side with all his strength, narrowly dodging the blow.
Sissie, curious about the sound, cautiously moved her hammer aside. The wooden floor now had a ten-centimeter-deep hole, and next to it sat a disheveled man on the ground. His messy gray hair looked like a bird's nest, his beard was unkempt, and his face showed utter exhaustion. The owner of this inn was now staring at her with lake-blue eyes.
Realizing she had almost hurt an ordinary person, Sissie bowed repeatedly in apology. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were also captured. I'm here to defeat the demon lord Matthew!"
"Huh? I am Matthew," he replied, brushing the dust off his clothes as he stood up. Then, as if ignoring her entirely, he picked up a ringing phone. "Hello? Yeah, 5 Prewett Street. Just leave the pizza by the door."
"God, just let me rot away like a piece of sludge in the gutter," Matthew muttered, sighing heavily. At first, taking in Dracula had been a mix of whimsy and faint kindness. But now it seemed these bizarre incidents had entirely entangled his life.
The cause? Likely that piece of enchanted paper hidden behind the price list, left there by his father. As far as Matthew knew, his dad had run this apartment inn his entire life. About five or six years ago, though, his father's drinking habits and the inn's declining conditions drove away most of the guests, forcing it to close. But Matthew knew nothing about his father's life before starting this business.
Vampires in M Continent were universally disliked and lived hidden in castles, dark coffins, or cemeteries. When the moon turned blood-red, they would swarm out like locusts, using blood to rejuvenate their shriveled skin.
It took some effort, but Matthew eventually convinced the two to sit down together. Rubbing his temples, he said, "A half-baked vampire, a dwarf… Who's next? Goblins? Dragons? Or maybe hobbits?"
Dracula, unable to learn magic due to his position in the clan, and Sissie, whose kind relied on brute strength, could only shrug when Matthew voiced his concerns about the mysterious magic paper.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Matthew recalled how he used to hate taking the stairs as a child. Instead, he'd always slide down the banister from the third floor, only to get caught by his father every time, who would then knock him on the head in scolding. Resolving to fix up the rundown inn, he decided to head into town to buy some wooden planks and copper pipes. If he could find those $5 packs of assorted light bulbs like in the old days, that would be even better.
Sissie, on the other hand, was a naïve young girl. After just half an hour of conversation, she was fully convinced that neither Matthew nor Dracula bore her any ill will. At just 76 years old, she was a minor by dwarven standards, too young even to drink. Of course, no dwarf ever abided by that rule; the moment their feet could touch the ground, they'd dive into their parents' wine barrels, bathing in liquor so strong a single sip would knock out an average person for three days.
For the first time, the two began to notice this strange new world. Matthew gave them a perfunctory explanation of things before retreating to his sofa, leaving them to explore on their own. Sissie was reminded of swamp creatures called softbone monsters as she watched him laze about.
Why did pressing a switch make round glass objects light up? Why did turning a knob on the stove summon fire without magic? These mysteries piqued their curiosity as they set out to uncover the answers.
Matthew, meanwhile, pulled an old Dodge out of the garage. Its exhaust spewed black smoke as it rumbled to life, sounding like an elderly man coughing while recounting his life's story.
Sissie's eyes sparkled with excitement as she eagerly examined every detail of the vehicle. When Matthew motioned for her to sit, she gleefully jumped into the passenger seat, swinging her legs happily.
Dracula, on the other hand, was thrown into the truck bed. Throughout the drive, Sissie kept poking and prodding at everything in sight, which made Matthew tense. He wasn't entirely sure her monstrous strength wouldn't accidentally trigger the airbags with a single curious jab.