Chapter 42: A Helpless Plan
Bats chirped in a dark corner of the castle.
"Alexander, is that vampire coming again? It feels like the gaps between his appearances are getting longer and longer," Kate asked, eyes gleaming with anticipation for another vampire attack.
The vampire had emerged from every possible corner multiple times, but each attempt was thwarted by the ever-confident Kate. Alexander only displayed the power of an ordinary young wizard, never showing anything extraordinary—but still, the vampire hadn't uncovered anything.
Kate had noticed the vampire always tried to drive her toward specific locations. It was clearly a trap, but she avoided them each time. Alexander even suspected she had somehow activated a full-map awareness. Once, when the vampire attacked Alexander mid-transformation, Kate ambushed him from behind—so effectively that even Alexander hadn't noticed. She was, without question, a natural-born assassin.
Another fifteen minutes passed. Just as Kate was beginning to fidget with impatience, Alexander noticed the vampire's presence again and began to voice over its actions in a comically exaggerated tone.
A bolt of black lightning flashed from a dark corner. Alexander stepped aside in time to block the sudden bat strike. Kate pounced and used both hands to grab the fluttering black figure.
Alexander didn't bother to tell her that it wasn't actually the vampire—just a bat controlled by one. Spoiling the moment would ruin the fun. Sometimes, it was better to play along.
As Kate held the bat triumphantly, a swirl of black mist—too subtle to be seen by the naked eye—drifted into the space behind them. A pale, ordinary-looking vampire emerged from the shadows, clearly aiming for the torch, the silver net, or the garlic necklace.
Such a cunning vampire.
Perhaps fate had compensated for his below-average looks by gifting him above-average intellect.
"You little brat! Why do you keep calling me 'ordinary'? Are you mocking me?" the vampire shouted in exasperation, standing still as if he'd given up. Was it the collapse of civility or the death of humor?
"Shut up!" Alexander retorted. The vampire's ferocious expression somehow made him look a little more handsome.
"Really?" the vampire beamed with happiness.
"Wait—can you read minds? How did you know what I was thinking?" Alexander blinked innocently.
"You said it out loud!" Salvatore, the vampire, cried.
"Yes, Alexander, you were muttering to yourself again—but it was pretty funny," Kate said, trying to suppress a laugh.
"Dear guests, shall we continue?" Salvatore took a deep breath and forced a charming smile, eager to survive the encounter with dignity—and maybe keep his job.
"Of course! I remember besides you, there are quite a few traps left to explore," Alexander replied casually.
"But you and this charming lady never run away… and you never split up." Salvatore looked helpless.
"Alexander, he called me 'ma'am'—and charming! See, vampires aren't so useless after all!" Kate twirled in delight, accidentally voicing her thoughts out loud.
Salvatore pretended not to hear. He didn't want to suffer more damage to his pride. A desperate idea formed in his mind—a plan he never thought he'd actually use in his entire career.
"Mr. Smith, Miss Kate, behind this castle lies the largest dragon reserve in Romania—and arguably the world. From the rooftop, you can even observe dragons in their natural habitat," he said smoothly.
"How about I guide you on a tour of the rare ecological landscape behind this historic castle?" he added with a practiced flourish.
For the next few hours, the well-dressed vampire transformed into a gentlemanly butler, leading Alexander and Kate through the first-floor traps and secret passages. While Alexander found them mildly dull, Kate was thrilled. These traps—mechanically triggered and intricately designed—were exactly her style.
Eventually, it was time for lunch.
Soft music floated through the halls. The torches relit, and the bats vanished. The whole atmosphere felt like Alexander's high school lunch hour in his previous life. Even though they'd only explored the first floor, it had been full of hidden paths and clever contraptions. The castle had five floors total, and at the very top, you could view the natural habitat of the Romanian Longhorn Dragon. With some luck, you might even spot one.
Why "luck"? Because for safety reasons, a specialized version of the Muggle-Repelling Charm—called the Dragon-Repelling Curse—had been placed over the area.
This kind of spell was surprisingly common in Muggle society. Otherwise, how had no Muggle ever seen a dragon in a major city? It proved how closely wizard and Muggle societies overlapped.
Even the Malfoy estate—owned by proud pure-bloods—was right next to a Muggle road.
Kate's nose twitched—she'd clearly caught the scent of lunch. After all that chasing, even a ghost hunter would be hungry.
When they entered the auditorium, they were greeted with a feast: cabbage rolls, sausages the size of fingers, meatball sour soup, beef stew with potatoes, roasted pork knuckles, and generous helpings of cornmeal.
"Mr. Smith, Miss Kate, allow me to introduce today's menu," said Salvatore, bowing deeply.
"This is papanash, a doughnut dessert topped with jam and yogurt," he said, pointing to a pink-tinted treat that Alexander barely noticed—or rather, wasn't interested in.
Kate, however, was instantly smitten.
The staple food was cornmeal. After some explanation, Alexander learned it was called mămăligă, served with yogurt and cream.
"Oh no, what kind of devil's dish is this?" Alexander muttered. "Thank Merlin there's still bread."
The meatball sour soup had fresh lemon juice. Though it wasn't Alexander's preferred flavor, it was unexpectedly good. Salvatore even produced a spice called lavriga, claiming it was the secret ingredient.
Salvatore went on to explain the traditional way of eating each dish.
The cabbage rolls were stuffed with pork and beef, eaten with mămăligă. The sausages came with bread, mustard, and—surprisingly—crispy lard bits on the side.
Yes, you heard that right: lard residue. Alexander felt like he was back in China. Salvatore explained the proper way to eat it—with raw onions, bread, and plum brandy.
It wasn't salt and pepper, which blew Alexander's mind. Every dish was intensely flavored. He half-joked that the chef might be the reincarnation of the Salt King—but honestly, it was all quite tasty.
As for the pork knuckle: "I peeled the skin off. Hmm, not soft enough. Kinda like roasted pigskin. Not my favorite," Alexander mumbled.
Salvatore, proud of his performance, admitted he'd been preparing this menu introduction for a long time—but no guest had ever let him finish it before.
"There's a low-level fear charm embedded in your clothing. Didn't you notice?" Alexander commented through a mouthful of cabbage roll. "If I hadn't been here—and if the Phoenix's peaceful aura hadn't neutralized it—normal wizards wouldn't have been able to eat at all."
After the hearty meal, Alexander and Kate continued their exploration—now heading to the second floor, guided by their well-dressed vampire tour guide, hopeful that the next stage would be even more thrilling.
---
----------------------------------------------------------
If you like the story please give it some power stones and reviews. And if you want to read 30 advance chapters or just want to support me please join my patreon at patreon.com/Translatingfanfics