Lancer is one of the Servants that the protagonist faces off against in the fourth round.
His Master is Run Ru.
He wears black armor with a blood soaked cloak. He is an insane blood-starved knight.
His true name is Vlad III. Lord of Wallachia.
He is a famous hero in Romanian history who fought to maintain Wallachia’s independence. He also served as a shield for the Christian world.1
He was alive in the 15th century, and in order to protect Wallachia from the Turkish Army [the Ottomans] he purged the corrupt nobles of Wallachia and impaled 20,000 Turkish troops.
His incredible sadism inspired the novelist Bram Stoker to write his Vampire Dracula books.
Dracula is the nickname Vlad III had given to himself, which meant “Dragon’s Son.”
The origin of Dracul comes from his father Vlad II, who was part of the Holy Roman Empire’s Dragon Knights.
Lancer’s fanatical and crazed beliefs often make people think of him as being one step away from being a Berserker, but he has an excellent aptitude for battle and strict a personality. He is a military man who greatly values morals.
Lord Vlad believed in loving the Lord. He thought it the responsibility of the nobles to eliminate injustice, so that’s what he did.
However, the noble lords of the land, drowning in the wealth they gained as part of the privileged class, hated Lord Vlad’s philosophy of being content with honest poverty, so they schemed behind his back and disposed of him.
Lord Vlad always protected the beliefs of the people and never betrayed their good faith, yet he lost his life due to their betrayal.
As a Servant now, all he has left are anger and grief. Angry at being killed, and lamenting the greed of the people.
“In this land, love for one’s Lord…
true love… does it no longer exist?”
However, his grief was soon soothed.
This is because he witnessed true love in his Master Run Ru.
“Covet love that is exactly as you desire, my fasting Master.
Your sadness is different from that of the beasts that eat to live.
Your focus is on a different level than the humans who seek petty entertainment.
There is no falsehood in you. Just fierce desire. A pure and true search for love.
Your budding love torn from you too soon.
As a person of this world I cannot but sympathize, I’m sickened by the cause.
Alas! This is why—”
“Driven mad by love. Beautiful.”
…After that, Lancer starts to call Run Ru his wife, and carries out slaughter just as she desires.
To Lancer, the Holy Grail War is just like a holy crusade that he wasn’t able to complete when he was alive.
Translator’s Notes
- ^ He protected Christian countries from the Ottomans.