The next day, Vlad woke up feeling refreshed.
The first thing he saw was a completely messy bedroom.
Traces of the three of them were left in every corner of the room—clothes scattered across the floor, tabletops cluttered, chairs knocked over, and various items in disarray.
It was clear that Vlad had spent considerable effort last night "educating" the two inexperienced girls.
He glanced at the whip still in his hand and casually tossed it aside.
"Hmm, something's tickling me."
Turning in confusion, Vlad reached behind him to grab the fluffy sensation.
"Mmm~!"
A soft moan, sultry and suggestive, suddenly escaped.
Startled, Vlad looked back—his expression instantly turning awkward—only to realize he was holding a white, fluffy fox tail.
He immediately recalled the scene from last night, when Marishka had looked mysterious and whispered that she wanted to show him "something good."
"Tch, this little girl has more tricks than I do."
Looking at Aleera and Marishka, both lying there exhausted and pale, it was easy to imagine how fierce the "battle" had been the night before.
"Sigh… having a strong body isn't always a blessing."
Shaking his head, Vlad shot a helpless glance at the two sleeping women before quietly getting dressed.
He didn't wake them—after all, they'd only been asleep for less than three hours. They needed the rest.
With that thought, Vlad opened the door and stepped into the main hall of Muriel's magic house.
There, he found Muriel seated, yawning repeatedly as she sorted through documents.
Vlad raised an eyebrow and curved his lips into a faint, mischievous smile. Looking at the obviously sleep-deprived Muriel, he said with a teasing tone:
"Muriel, were you up late working last night?"
Startled, Muriel stood up abruptly, her face tinged with panic.
She looked like a girl who'd just been caught doing something wrong—her eyes shifting, expression awkward.
"Relax. Sit down. Why are you so nervous? Am I really that scary?"
Muriel looked at him, puzzled.
Seeing the relaxed smile on his face—one that didn't seem like he was angry or accusing—she secretly let out a breath of relief.
Did he not notice what I did last night?
With that thought, her tense nerves slowly relaxed.
But the moment she recalled what she had seen—and what had happened after—her heart started racing again, her mouth dry.
"What's wrong, Muriel?"
It wasn't until Vlad looked at her in mild confusion that she snapped back to reality and quickly composed herself.
"Ah—no! I was just preparing to report on last night's arrangements."
"Alright, go ahead."
Vlad sat down with a calm expression, showing no sign that he knew what Muriel had witnessed. He casually motioned for her to sit as well.
Trying her best to stay composed, Muriel quickly focused and began her report, carefully recounting the arrangements made last night and some important details.
Watching her, Vlad took another moment to study her.
She was someone who understood her responsibilities, clear-thinking, well-organized, and able to separate personal emotions from her official role. A mature and dependable woman.
What puzzled him, though, was her fondness for eavesdropping.
"My lord," Muriel began, "including myself, we now have thirty-two Black Witches. I've instructed them all to prepare for relocation at any moment."
"Excellent. From now on, they'll be under your command. Don't let me down."
"I won't!" Muriel replied with enthusiasm.
Her eyes were filled with admiration. The country Vlad had described—a realm ruled by powerful beings—was something she deeply yearned for.
If she'd had doubts before, then after seeing Vlad's overwhelming power last night, she had none left. She now firmly believed he was someone worthy of her allegiance.
That kind of world was no longer a dream.
Seeing the sudden fire in her eyes and sensing the shift in her emotions, Vlad smiled faintly. This was exactly what he intended when he acted so boldly last night.
It was all part of the plan.
What he hadn't expected, however, were the more complicated feelings hidden beneath that passion.
Should I give her a warning? he wondered.
"Last night's performance… how was it?" Vlad asked suddenly, a half-smile tugging at his lips.
"Yeah." Muriel nodded reflexively, caught off guard. It wasn't until the words left her mouth that she realized what she'd just admitted.
He knows?!
Looking at Vlad's teasing expression, panic flared inside her.
Her body trembled slightly, and just as her heart tightened with dread, she blurted out:
"Ah—I didn't expect your power to be so… incredible!"
"Not just me—everyone, even the other witches, now looks at you with newfound respect and anticipation."
Watching Muriel scramble to redirect the topic, Vlad simply smiled. He didn't press the matter.
As long as his objective had been achieved, he didn't mind the details.
Teasing a mature, composed woman like Muriel had its own charm. It was different from teasing a younger girl.
Muriel, seeing the deep and unreadable look in Vlad's eyes, felt her heart pounding.
Just as she was about to nervously explain again, Vlad suddenly stood and walked toward the door.
Muriel stared after him in confusion, still stunned, when his voice drifted to her:
"Come take a walk with me."
"Y-Yes! Of course, my lord." She quickly stood and followed him out.
The two took to the skies and soon arrived at the location where Vlad had demonstrated his terrifying power the night before.
It had once been a lush forest, filled with towering trees and dense greenery. But after the catastrophe, that scene was completely gone.
In its place was a massive clearing, nearly a thousand meters in diameter, the entire area leveled to the ground.
Even the terrain had sunk inward unnaturally, forming a giant depression.
Seeing the devastation, Muriel's breath hitched, her face filled with disbelief.
Even though she had imagined the scale of the destruction, seeing it firsthand was another matter entirely.
When she looked at Vlad again, her gaze could no longer hide the awe, admiration—and something more complex—growing inside her.
Glancing casually at the ruins below, Vlad said calmly:
"Let's go."
"Y-Yes… right!"
Muriel snapped out of her daze and hurried to follow Vlad, who looked relaxed and indifferent, as if what they saw was nothing remarkable.
But in her heart, a storm had already begun to brew.