Chapter 177 [Bonus ] 33: A Bittersweet Misunderstanding!

The Silvan village, home to the silver-back Lycan tribe, all gathered in the village centre, looking at the beaten figure of Zell, his handsome face now bruised and filled with cuts from the mother of Edelgard punishing him.

However, despite this, the cute Lycan did not thank her mother or the villagers that promised to protect her, instead as if a masochist addicted to his abuse helped tend to his wounds, rubbing her body and tail against his, as if to cover him in her scent, looking at the other women with a strange and territorial look.

'Oh my? My little girl, is she doing this subconsciously?' Freyja thought to herself, stroking her chin as her strong muscles contracted as she watched the man's actions; if his hand slapped her ass again, may the all-mother save his soul.

Zell felt his body was still aching from that blow that sent him flying, almost killing him instantly.

The pain he received had been so severe it would have killed any normal human being, but thanks to Edelgard, who healed most injuries upon contact by using her healing powers on him, Zell could move about normally, though feeling like an old hag.

"You're lucky she didn't kill you," Edelgard said, watching over him carefully while removing some of his clothes for cleaning. "Are you okay? Is there anywhere that still hurts?" She almost pressed her face against his, her soft fluffy tail wrapping around his body, stroking along him as if searching for painful areas.

'This girl... she's become so strange since I teased her!' Zell thought, his hand naturally resting on her wide hips, the soft flesh comfortable and springy, but when he almost slipped further down, a sudden sense of impending death filled his entire soul as he noticed in the distance her mother's glowing eyes, like a distant star threatening to crash into his face and murder him.

He quickly removed himself, hiding behind Edelgard as she turned back towards him, giving him a confused look. He then saw a small smile cross her lips before turning to her daughter, making sure no one else was close enough to hear them speak their thoughts out loud:

"...your mother is scary..."

A faint sigh escaped Edelgard, followed by a wry smile on her face, with her shoulders sagging slightly. Her gaze shifted away from the young man, staring at the night sky above.

Freyja looked at her cute daughter becoming a woman, her heart pained as the male she chose wasn't a Lycan and also seemed to like teasing her cute Edelgard, noticing how he hid behind her daughter, unable to meet her eye. It made her feel happy inside, knowing she had put a sense of fear into his body.

'Hmph, see if you make my cute Edelgard cry! I will pull it off and feed it to the pigs!' Freyja thought, her hands gripping tightly onto the axe handle, ready to strike down anyone that dared harm her precious family.

[Distributing Reward]

- Increased affection from the NPC "Edelgard Silvarén."

- Reputation with Silvan Village increased significantly. (When Edelgard tells the truth of what happened.)

- NPC Marriage feature unlocked.

- Edelgard Silvarén Now marked as ineligible for Marriage or bonding with other players.

Zell felt a sudden burst of information entering his brain before a sudden thud impacted the back of his head, and everything went dark again.

When he awoke next time, he found himself lying naked on a pile of blankets and thatch, Edelgard sitting beside him, smiling gently, stroking her fingers through his hair. A gentle kiss landed on his forehead, which caused him to blush deeply, wondering why she kissed him, even if only briefly. But then she leaned forward, planting another soft peck on his lips.

Edelgard, since Zell teased her, began to want to taste that strange pleasure again, sneaking kisses from him despite her mother's pained face each time she saw her little girl parting away from her with this stupid male.

She pulled away, leaving him dazed; when he blinked, he realised he was surrounded by dozens more female Lycans, each wearing nothing but their fur, showing off their breasts and bottoms, many of whom were licking their lips hungrily.

They all stared at him with hungry eyes, making him feel like some prey; those eyes were more fearful than any demon before the soft sound from Edelgards throat filled the room before she began to push them out of the small room, her tail swaying as if angry and delighted.

Zell's reaction was quite amusing as he blushed and looked for something to cover himself causing Edelgard to chuckle softly.

"Okay, don't intimidate him with your lustful eyes... just because he's a good male; go to your chores and work!"

It was customary for the female wolves of the Silvarén tribe to all inspect a male that the youngest female brought back upon awakening to their female instincts; they didn't do anything excessive, but would all be naked and make sure that the male would react to them completely, thankfully Zell's reaction was almost instantaneous and caused them all to swallow their saliva, a member superior to anything they had seen.

Some even want to abandon their mates for years to test this monster's evil weapon under the guise of "testing the groom's ability to satisfy Edelgard."

Unlike humans, the Lycans didn't have the same idea of romance or love; it would start with physical or mental attraction, and then the couple would be pushed together and slowly build their love and affection over time.

Female Lycans were extremely loyal and devoted, so their hearts would rapidly open to the males who took their bodies. In contrast, the males would be filled with a desire to protect, provide and treasure the woman that allowed them to enter; most of the time, Lycan couples lasted their entire lives, never seeking another male or female, even when the change happened.

Thus their words before were just jokes, and they would never betray their husbands. Still, envy towards Edelgard was quite large in the small village as they began to bustle around, the wooden huts and small bonfire smoking with thick flames and black smoke as most of the village was preparing a feast; not only did Edelgard return safely, she finally showed interest in a male!

Most men and women worked hard, building new houses, clearing trees, harvesting crops and hunting games. In exchange, they got food for themselves and their families, and occasionally traded with other nearby villages, making them quite wealthy due to the abundance of resources.

In the meantime, Edelgard sat near the fire, enjoying her meal as the others prepared theirs, watching Zell eat with a slightly embarrassed look; Zell was clueless about what was happening and thought this was only a greeting feast.

Still, the sullen look on Freyja's face should have taught him that it wasn't.

His naked upper body was now painted in several terrible markings, weird sigils and paw-like symbols around his neck and body. Still, Zell didn't understand their meanings and was happy to match Edelgard, who wore a light dress, hiding only her most private places, while the black and red paint covered the rest of her body.

'This welcome is so amazing!' Zell thought, enjoying the soft taste of a boiled rabbit with strange seasoning; the rabbits in the game were huge, almost the size of small dogs.

While eating, he glanced at Edelgard, who smiled brightly as she ate her dish, wolfing down the meat, chewing loudly with a satisfied expression, clearly very pleased with her choice.

Suddenly, he heard a voice call from outside the hut where he was sitting, making everyone turn their heads to the door, seeing Freyja's tall form glaring at Edelgard.

There was something different about how she walked, too - her steps were heavier, more powerful and purposeful. Her golden hair was braided and tied with a bow, the long strands framing her beautiful face and piercing blue eyes.

On her left arm, a tattoo of a snake coiled around a staff adorned her wrist, matching tattoos running across her shoulder blades, with a pair of snakes wrapped around each ankle.

Perhaps it was her age or maturity, but Freyja had grown into a gorgeous creature that would enchant and allure all men's gazes. Still, she was aloof and ignored them, instead speaking in the strange language of the Silvarén, a mixture of growls and barks, which Zell just smiled politely and acted respectfully.

Since he woke up for the second time, there was only Edelgard that spoke in common language, while the other's were speaking in that strange language, so he was clueless about what this even was, what it entailed, and as Freyja looked towards him, her look sullen and filled with a slight sorrow, she spoke to him directly.

"Zell. I hope you can promise to take care of my daughter, protect her from danger and avoid letting her suffer alone."

He presumed this was part of the quest before straightening himself out, looking directly into Freyja's eyes, ignoring the pressure from her mighty body, which made his bones feel like they were being crushed under a huge rock before his lips opened.

Zell was now filled with confidence and not wanting to fail the quest as his deep and magnetic voice filled the small gathering area, the flickers from the bonfire embers almost moving along with the rhythm of his voice.

'This is for my own life!!!'

"No matter what dangers we might face (during this quest), I will do my best to protect her from danger and guide her into a better path (To get better rewards and avoid death). As long as I am here, she will never suffer alone! (Until the quest ends, Griselda can do it!)."

Oh, poor misguided Zell...

When his words sounded, his defiance of Freyja initially caused a frown. Still, when the colour of his eyes never changed under her watchful gaze, her frown and aggressive nature transformed into a warm smile, opening her huge arms wide and pulling Zell into her muscular and busty chest with a tight squeeze.

The feeling of her smooth skin against his bare flesh sent shivers through him, the heat coming from her body filling his senses as she held him firmly in place, pressing her ample bosom against him, her lips close to his earlobe before whispering into it:

"...Take care of my daughter..."

Zell, once again, still a little dizzy, thought this was the final part of the quest; his life was almost safe! So he tightly hugged her back, thinking this might be a Lycan custom, before copying her actions, not noticing the cute furry ear of Freyja tremble as many of the villagers gasped, then began to cheer loudly, barking and howling into the moon that began to appear.

"I will do everything I can to protect both of them." When speaking, Zell bit his tongue, saying the word "vem" instead of "them", but this wasn't much of a difference, but "vem" in the language of Lycan means "you".

Thus, his words took on a different meaning as the pair parted, Freyja looking strangely confused as she pushed him towards Edelgard.

To distract herself and the racing heart caused by a boy more than 100 years younger than her, Frejya lifted her arms to the rest of the tribe and began to cheer and chant in Lycan as the party began to move away to the second bonfire, leaving only Edelgard, looking shy, her face red from the strong wine and flickering flames of the bonfire, her eyes glazed as she looked towards him with a strange look.

'It's t-too soon... but this, is this how it feels to become bonded to a male? It feels so nice!'

Her thoughts continued to increase as she watched Zell approach her.

[Quest Complete!]

[Nightmare Difficulty]

- Gain the trust and avoid your death from the mother of Griselda and Edelgard

Hey... Uhm... Good luck!

Reward: Your life, ???

Zell wondered why the flavour text always seemed to sound foreboding as he sat beside Edelgard, feeling a sense of comfortable fatigue as he drank the warm red wine, filled with tones of dark chocolate, but as if made with the cocoa directly, an earthy but strong taste, with various tangy berries added to the after effect, a strong and potent drink that he enjoyed drinking.