Chapter 37: The Wolf (2)

Chapter 37: The Wolf (2)

When the staff broke, the woman and the wolves she commanded all fell to the ground.

She displayed powerful abilities thanks to the power of the relic staff but she had to pay the price when it broke.

Harkin who had been single-handedly holding down the wolves, rushed forward in a hurry.

He asked as he looked at the woman who died in such a miserable state.

Is she dead?

Yes.

Phew.

Harkin let out a sigh of relief. At last, his home village was free from the threat.

Dale surveyed the wolves lying scattered around.

They were numerous and large. It struck him how Harkin had remarkably managed to hold his own amidst them.

Have you improved your skills?

Haha. Im not so weak as to be defeated by mere beasts.

They were not creatures who could be called mere beasts. But Harkin just leaned against his shield and grinned.

Maybe its true that having something to protect makes you stronger.

Harkins growth was a welcome development.

Dale would likely have many more tasks for him in the future.

Lets take care of the aftermath then. Do you know how to skin them?

Fairly well.

Harkin pulled out a sharp dagger from his pocket and began to skin the wolves hide. Many had died cleanly by the blade, so the quality of the hides was decent.

Meanwhile, Dale approached the dead woman and searched through her belongings.

The loot was meager.

A couple of coins. A few daggers. Smelly jerky and rotten cheese.

She must have been a warrior or a thief before.

She had likely been skilled. He could tell just by looking at the state of her muscles that she had rigorous training.

Her ample combat experience was clear from her adept use of the relic staff.

Could she have been a soldier?

The thought suddenly crossed his mind.

However, there was nothing to confirm the womans identity.

Not even her name was known.

He had even tried to glimpse into her memories while absorbing her life force.

But the memories were unclear, like a video plagued with noise, rendering them unreadable.

In a way, it was to be expected.

Her mind had been corrupted by such a staff, so it was unlikely her memories would be intact.

Ultimately, one question remained.

How did she come into possession of this staff?

The relic staff could unleash tremendous power depending on how it was used. It was an object of desire for many and certainly held great value.

It seemed too much for an unknown woman like her to possess.

Of course, there was a chance that the woman had fortuitously stumbled upon a ruin and acquired it.

But the circumstances are too convenient.

Soldiers returning from the front lines, the appearance of a demons servant, a warlock and crossbowmen coming into the slums, and troublemakers scheming to bring chaos to the city.

In the midst of all this, it seemed unlikely that this woman had coincidentally come upon a powerful staff and decided to release a horde of crocodiles into the underground sewers.

There must be someone behind the scenes orchestrating these events.

Whoever it is, theyre causing quite the headache.

The feeling was that they were still testing the waters and only lightly probing.

It was as if they were throwing a few punches to see how the other side would react.

A proper response was necessary.

If they thought they were dealing with an easy target, there was no telling what they might try next.

Of course, devising a response strategy was not Dales responsibility.

That was for the citys rulers to handle.

Dales current priority was to become stronger.

After thinking about it, Dale approached Harkin to help him. Harkin was skillfully skinning the wolfs hide.

Ill help.

Thats alright. I can handle it. But That guys gaze is kind of intense.

There was a wolf standing where Harkin pointed. It was the one that had bitten off the arm of the woman.

The wolf, with a wound on its neck, looked at them with a sorrowful gaze.

It seems sad to see its familys hides being removed.

Ill deal with it.

No need. Its already sad enough having lost its family.

It was uncharacteristic of Harkin to say such things.

Normally, he would have been excited to hunt for an additional hide.

Perhaps he felt compassion for the creature who was now a lone wolf having lost all its companions.

Or maybe he saw his own past losses reflected in the wolfs plight.

Harkin was gradually changing.

In that case.

Dale sheathed his sword back.

Afterward, they devoted themselves to skinning the hides. The wolf only looked at them pitifully from a distance but did not come closer.

Since there was no hostility, Dale also left it alone.

After finishing all the work, the two returned to the village.

The village had completed all the preparations for the feast. As people saw Harkin and Dale, they exclaimed,

Harkin! What would we do if the star of the feast disappeared! We couldnt start without you But, are you alright?

They were concerned about Harkins disheveled appearance.

Harkin responded with a hearty laugh and then presented Mary with the wolf hide.

Heres a freshly skinned wolf hide! Tan it well and sell it!

Oh, is this a gift?

Of course, but you have to pay for it.

He looked to be clearly regretting having promised to give his share to this man.

Harkin who did not know that fact grew flustered and quickly added.

I-it was just a joke.

As the party was preparing to leave, Mary approached Harkin. And she spoke to him with a worried look on her face.

Are you leaving?

Yes.

Take care of yourself. Make sure you eat properly and do your laundry regularly. And find someone to marry soon.

I will.

And tell that guy Youre sending too much money. We can live well with less. Dont overwork yourself for our sake; earn less if you need to, but stay safe. You got that?

Yes, Ill let Quill know.

Harkin rambled in his response with an awkward expression on his face.

Ah, I might have drunk too much last night. I need to go relieve myself before we depart.

With that, he quickly vanished.

Mary, looking worriedly at his retreating figure, spoke to Dale.

Sir Knight.

?

Please take good care of Harkin. He might be a bit impulsive and silly at times, but hes a tender and good person at heart. Hes even hiding the death of his friend and taking on the responsibility for that friends family all by himself.

Dale paused briefly before asking,

You already know?

Mary smiled sadly.

How could I not, after all the time weve spent together? When he kept making excuses for not coming to the village, I had my suspicions. Seeing his face this time confirmed it.

Harkin must have been sending money home and covering for Quill as well.

I wondered why he kept complaining about being short on money. That explains it.

Mary then pulled out a heavy pouch. She opened it to reveal sparkling silver coins inside.

This is all from Harkin. I havent spent a single coin; Ive been saving it.

Thats a lot.

Yes. If Harkin ever quits being a mercenary, I want to help him make a fresh start. So, please Im asking you. Could you make sure that Harkin returns safely?

After gazing intently at Mary for a moment, Dale responded.

Ill do my best.

Mary nodded her head. She seemed to be satisfied even with his gruff answer.

She attempted to take money out of the pouch to hand to Dale, but he refused.

The fee for a request is to be received upon its successful completion, not in advance.

Meanwhile, Harkin had returned.

Eh? What are you two talking about?

Nothing important.

Then lets get going! We have a long journey ahead.

Harkin, having gathered his belongings, started walking with a vigorous stride.

Dale and Mazel followed behind him. After walking for a while, Dale suddenly looked back.

Mary and her children were still waving their hands.

A relationship where they deceive each other for each others sake

Though not related by blood, they were undoubtedly a family.

Dale felt a sense of envy towards Harkin.

A place to return to.

On the day Harkins adventure ended, he would return here.

But on the day Dales adventure ended, could he really return to the embrace of his family?

Suddenly, Harkin who was leading the way clenched his fist tightly.

Ive made up my mind!

What is it?

Didnt I say I would even become your servant if you would help me this time? I will follow Sir Dale for the rest of my life, even if it leads to a pit of fire!

Dont say things you dont mean.

Dale had been given a request by Mary just a moment ago, so he couldnt possibly throw him into a pit of fire.

Harkin, who had been smiling foolishly at the blunt reply, suddenly lifted his head to look at the sky.

Oh. The rain has stopped.

A ray of sunlight broke through the gloomy clouds, pouring down below.

The rainy season was ending, and the seasons were changing.

Summer was approaching.

But it wasnt just the seasons that were changing.

.

Dale looked at the gradually brightening sky and the crows leisurely preening their feathers on an oak tree and he eventually lowered his head.

It was time to return. He needed to go back and conclude this affair.

The party strode vigorously along the pathway.

***

At the mercenary guild.

A visitor arrived in Garlands office.

Kadal, the busy captain of the guards, was overwhelmed with various matters these days.

He handed over a document to Garland without saying much.

Take a look at this.

Haha. Whats so urgent?

Garland scanned the document with curious eyes.

His expression soon turned serious.

Are you serious?

If we just sit back and do nothing, wont that be a problem? The citizens are getting anxious.

Still, to go to such lengths

Garland murmured to himself and swallowed a sigh.

The city will be noisy again for a while.