Chapter 14

“Oh no.”

Knight Shane stared at the silver wolf before him with a tense expression.

It wasn’t often that Shane, who was highly respected for his skills in the northern region of the Empire, felt this nervous.

Even when fighting the barbarians who had once invaded the Empire, Shane hadn’t been this tense.

Back then, he had bravely led the charge and repelled the barbarians. So much so that the barbarians would tuck their tails and run at the sight of him.

Yet here he was, nervous over a mere wolf—not even a monster.

Of course, the silver wolf before him wasn’t ordinary.

This silver wolf exuded a mysterious aura, and its massive size made it clear that it was no ordinary beast.

Still, if Shane put his mind to it, he could definitely defeat it.

Even the Ice Trolls that roamed the north weren’t much of a challenge for Shane.

But that was when Shane had no one to protect.

Right now, standing behind Shane was a boy around ten years old.

With snow-white skin and jet-black hair, this handsome boy was the heir to the Kastark family, the rulers of the northern Empire.

Kal Kastark.

The Kastark family held absolute power in the northern Empire.

The head of the Kastark family and Kal’s father, Gildain Kastark, was known as the Guardian of the North and the King of the North.

So, the boy Shane was protecting, Kal Kastark, was a young lord destined to become the future King of the North.

Keeping Kal safe was Shane’s duty.

No wonder Shane was tense.

If the opponent had been a low-intelligence monster like an ogre or a troll, it wouldn’t have been a big deal.

Such monsters would charge recklessly, and Shane could just cut them down.

But the silver wolf before him seemed highly intelligent.

Even ordinary wolves hunt their prey with calm precision, so this silver wolf wouldn’t recklessly charge at Shane.

Even now, the silver wolf growled and glared at Shane, but its attention was clearly on Kal Kastark behind him.

Instinctively, the wolf seemed to think that while Shane was unbeatable, the boy Kal was an easier target.

And that was true, which was why Shane couldn’t move carelessly.

If Shane took even a single step to attack, the silver wolf would leap over him and sink its teeth into Kal’s neck.

Then it would dash away faster than Shane could follow.

“Young master. You must not leave my side.”

Shane spoke to Kal while keeping his eyes on the silver wolf.

The best outcome would be for the silver wolf to back off, but that seemed unlikely.

After all, Kal had already attacked the wolf.

Shane and Kal had been on their way to the Imperial Capital.

They were heading there to attend Princess Illiana’s birthday party in a few days.

Rumors were spreading in the Empire that Princess Illiana and Kal, the young lord of the north, would eventually marry.

Both were still young, but their beauty and status matched perfectly, so everyone, including the Emperor, was pleased with the idea.

Moreover, Princess Illiana was completely smitten with Kal. She had fallen for him at first sight during his previous visit to the capital.

So, Illiana had invited Kal to her birthday party.

No one would refuse an invitation from the Princess.

Naturally, Kal headed to the capital, with Shane as his escort.

Shane was not only an outstanding knight of the north but also Kal’s swordsmanship instructor. It was only natural for him to accompany Kal.

The journey had been uneventful.

Given Kal’s high status, dozens of knights and soldiers had surrounded him, leaving no gaps in his protection.

But Kal, perhaps bored by the journey to the capital, had asked Shane to go hunting after arriving in the nearby city of Sierra.

He wanted to see what kind of monsters inhabited the forests of the Empire’s central region, different from the northern mountains.

He even insisted on going alone with Shane, leaving the other guards in the city, saying that a large group would draw too much attention and be cumbersome.

“Sir Shane is more than enough. The other knights and soldiers wouldn’t be much help anyway.”

Shane somewhat agreed with Kal.

Having too many guards would only attract attention and complicate things. Shane alone was enough to protect Kal.

So, Kal and Shane left the city and entered the forest.

Shane had warned Kal beforehand.

Whether it was a monster or a beast, he shouldn’t attack recklessly.

Shane was confident he could handle most monsters, but you never know.

It was better to assess the situation slowly and hunt carefully.

But Kal ignored Shane’s warning and immediately drew his bow when he saw the silver wolf.

The wolf, carrying a rabbit in its mouth, wasn’t hit by the arrow but seemed extremely angry.

It let out a fierce howl and tried to attack Kal.

Fortunately, Shane drew his sword and blocked the attack. If Shane had been even a second slower, the wolf would have bitten Kal’s neck.

And now, they were in a tense standoff.

Neither the silver wolf nor Shane moved.

‘Damn it.’

Shane was filled with regret.

If he had brought even one more knight or soldier, he wouldn’t have to worry about the silver wolf right now.

If someone else could protect Kal, Shane was confident he could immediately strike the wolf’s neck.

‘But as things stand….’

Just then.

Something dropped between the silver wolf and Shane.

With a light thud, a girl landed on the ground.

Shane, sweating coldly, stared at the girl.

She had approached so quickly that Shane hadn’t even sensed her presence.

If she had been an assassin, Shane would have met his end without even realizing it.

The girl, with her silver hair fluttering, looked at Shane.

She seemed to be around ten years old, about the same age as Kal standing behind Shane.

But her eyes were calm and emotionless, almost eerily empty.

Even Shane, who had faced countless dangers on the battlefield, found it hard to read her expression.

As the girl brushed her disheveled silver hair behind her ear, her pointed ears were revealed.

She was an elf.

“…….”

Shane wasn’t sure how to react to this situation.

He couldn’t tell if the elf girl was a friend or foe.

For now, she stood facing Shane with the wolf behind her.

Just like Shane was protecting Kal by shielding him behind his back.

“Is that wolf… yours?”

Shane asked.

As he spoke, he noticed that the silver wolf and the girl had similarities. Both had silver hair and red eyes.

“It’s my wolf.”

The girl replied in a monotone voice that didn’t match her youthful appearance.

“Don’t bother it.”

Hearing her words, Shane felt relieved.

If the wolf’s owner had appeared, the situation could be resolved peacefully.

For now, avoiding a fight was the best option.

“Understood. There was a misunderstanding with the wolf, but if you back off, we have no intention of attacking.”

Shane sheathed his sword and straightened his posture.

“I am Shane, a knight serving the Kastark family of the north. And behind me is the heir of the Kastark family….”

Before Shane could finish his introduction.

The girl turned and began stroking the wolf’s chin, standing on her tiptoes.

“Hmph….”

Feeling awkward, Shane cleared his throat and spoke to Kal behind him.

“Young master, let’s return to the city. For today….”

But then Kal stepped forward and shouted at the elf girl.

“Hey, elf! How dare you act so arrogantly! Do you know who you’re standing before? I am Kal Kastark, the young lord of the north! Reveal your name and show respect at once!”

“……!”

Shane’s eyes widened in surprise.

Though Kal could be a bit arrogant, he was usually cautious and reserved. It was rare for him to yell at someone he just met.

The elf girl showed no reaction to Kal’s outburst.

If anything, she looked at him with a bored expression, as if a dog were barking at her, before hopping onto the wolf’s back.

A small smile appeared on her lips.

“Hey! Elf!”

Kal grew even more furious at her smile.

“Get down from that wolf right now! I’m talking to you! How insolent!”

If this had been in the city and the other party had been a mere merchant, Kal’s status might have worked.

They would have immediately bowed their head to him.

But this was the forest, and the other party was an elf.

The forest-dwelling elves had no reason to care about Kal’s status.

The elf girl gently stroked the wolf’s head, as if it were the cutest, most lovable creature, and whispered.

“Let’s go, Ghost.”

With that, the wolf, carrying the girl, kicked off the ground and dashed into the depths of the forest.

Left behind, Shane and Kal could only stare blankly in the direction where the wolf had disappeared.