# Serenia Castle, Central Fountain.
Zentia sat on a bench with a cigarette in her mouth, gazing at the central fountain. A stone statue of a beautiful woman holding a jar aloft stood above the fountain. From the jar flowed a stream of cool water, and lovers passing by the fountain laughed.
Merchants had set up stalls to sell goods to the lovers, families, and mercenaries or adventurers out for a break. All were permitted by the lord, so the stalls were uniform and neat, with no aggressive hawking, keeping the noise level low. They dealt only with customers who approached naturally.
Armed soldiers patrolled regularly to ensure no illegal shops popped up and to prevent fights among the crowds, maintaining good order.
What a peaceful scene.
Unless it rained, it’d be hard to see this plaza empty. Puffing on her cigarette and watching passersby while waiting for Yuda, Zentia noticed two men approaching her.
They seemed seasoned adventurers, well-armed and physically trained. Catching her eye, one even winked cheekily. She frowned in disgust and turned away, but they weren’t the type to give up easily.
“Hello! You must be a beastkin! We saw you from afar, you’re stunning… We just wanted to chat for a bit. If it’s not rude, mind if we sit and talk?”
They asked permission but were already moving to sit. Zentia furrowed her brow and replied without a second’s hesitation.
“No, don’t sit. Get lost.”
Her sharp, menacing words made the man pause awkwardly mid-sit, but he plopped down anyway, flashing a sly grin.
“Come on, it’s not like the bench has an owner. It’s made for anyone to sit on.”
“Really? Then I’ll get up. Enjoy the seat all you want.”
Zentia rose from her seat as if there was nothing more to hear. Having received countless advances from men during her mercenary days, her rare beastkin heritage and striking beauty were often the cause. At first, she had been clueless and found it hard to refuse, but now, she had become skilled at brushing them off. All she had to do was show no opening.
Hesitating even slightly often let them worm their way in. Usually, walking away worked, but persistent ones kept talking, sometimes forcing her to use force. Luckily, these two were the former and backed off naturally.
The bench had been pleasant to sit upon, but Zentia figured that she could find another empty seat.
Where should I go? She had to wait here until Yuda arrived. Strolling leisurely around the plaza, Zentia noticed a crowd gathered at the central bulletin board.
There hadn’t been anything special earlier.
Curious, she walked over. Because of the many people gathered, she couldn’t see the notice that has been posted. Instead, she listened to the conversation of those nearest the board who read the notice.
“Wow, looks like the wolves are expanding into the eastern forest.”
“Pushed out by the white wolves, maybe? What else could it be?”
“White or black, no wolf is good news. Anyway, herb prices are gonna spike for a while.”
Gentia prickled her ears as she listened to the murmuring around her. She could now roughly guess the contents of the notice: Black Wolves had appeared in the eastern forest.
She would have to squeeze past people to go and read, so she thought about it for a moment. It took her a short time to decide it wasn’t worth the hassle, so she decided to patiently wait whilst smoking. People chatted with each other as they left their spots, creating space for those behind them.
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Lord Chapelin Piercen declares:
Recent reports confirm sightings of black wolves from the southern forest in the eastern forest.
By luck, no victims have been reported yet, but the future is uncertain.
Encountering these aggressive black wolves could cost you your life, so please refrain from entering the eastern forest for the time being.
The eastern gate won’t be fully closed, so entry is free, but we can’t guarantee your safety.
However, for lumberjacks and herbalists whose livelihoods depend on it, we’ll provide soldier escorts temporarily so gather at the times listed below in front of the guard post.
Assembly Time: 9:00 AM.
Escort Hours: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Assembly Location: Eastern Gate Guard Post by 8:30 AM.
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So they’ve put up a notice like this after all. She vaguely had expected it.
Even so, she had noticed an unusual number of black wolves while passing through the eastern forest to the southern one. Those who encountered them and survived to report to the lord were lucky.
Just a few days ago, Yuda had nearly been hunted by black wolves. After reading the notice, Zentia stepped away from the board like those before her, letting others see. A vacant bench near the board caught her eye. She hurried over with quick steps and sat down. Sitting was definitely more comfortable. Smoking her cigarette, she sank into thought.
Hmm, do wolves normally leave their territory?
Black wolves were more magical beasts than animals, but even so, they wouldn’t leave their territory without good reason. Typically, animals only abandon their turf when a stronger predator appears or they lose a territorial fight.
Since wolves were the forest’s apex predators, she could only guess they’d been pushed out by white wolves in a power struggle.
That sounds dangerous.
If all the black wolves were moving to the eastern forest, hunting them there would be suicidal. But heading straight to the southern forest through the south gate was just as risky. Both options were perilous.
Lost in thought for a moment, someone sat beside her without a word. Her tiger-like sharp eyes flicked sideways.
Who dares sit next to me so rudely without asking?
With a mix of displeasure and irritation, she scanned the person beside her. It was a cute black-haired boy, Yuda. Just before their eyes met, Zentia’s demonic glare softened into an angelic one. The shift was instantaneous—her murderous look turned warm and affectionate in less than a second. She spoke gently.
“You’re here?”
“Yeah, I called from afar, but you didn’t respond.”
“I was lost in thought for a bit. Did you get the bread?”
Yuda opened the bag in his hand, revealing its contents. The wrapped sandwiches were all her favorites. Seeming intent on eating here, she deftly pulled one out. She snuffed her pipe and unwrapped the sandwich as he watched.
“So, what were you thinking about?”
“A notice went up on the board.”
“A notice? Oh, that’s why people were gathered. Hold on, I’ll go check it out.”
At Tia’s words, Yuda stood to take a quick look, but she grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down. She clearly wasn’t letting him go.
“Don’t go. I’ll explain it.”
With no choice, Yuda sat beside her. He considered eating a sandwich too, but he wasn’t hungry.
“The black wolves from the southern forest seem to be moving their territory to the eastern forest. Other hunters besides us have spotted them too, so the notice says to avoid going there. The rest isn’t really relevant to us.”
“That’s great.”
“Huh? Why? What’s great?”
“We’re already hunting black wolves to gain experience, so why not think of it as doing a good deed? It might be dangerous, but it shouldn’t be a big deal.”
It was an optimistic take. Tia chewed her sandwich, quietly watching Yuda, who showed no fear. True, worrying about danger was pointless. They were planning to hunt black wolves anyway—what did it matter if there were a few more?
If it comes to it, I’ll just grab Yuda and run.
Others might find it impossible, but she was confident.
Unless hundreds surrounded them in a tight formation, she could easily get Yuda out of there.
“Then how about we camp in the eastern forest for a few days and hunt wolves?”
“Black wolf pelts sell for a lot. Let’s make some money while we’re at it.”
As Yuda said, black and white wolf pelts fetched high prices. Compatible with magic, they were used by mage towers, and their fine texture, warmth, and durability made them popular with clothing shops. Plus, Yuda had his 〈Inventory〉—what Zentia assumed was a subspace—so carrying them wouldn’t be an issue once skinned.
“Hmm, not a bad idea. Split’s 4:6, right? I get the 6, of course.”
Yuda nodded without hesitation. He didn’t mind.
“Alright, then—how about some shopping today for a change?”
“A date?”
At his playful tone, Tia ruffled his hair as if he were adorable and smiled.
“Of course. What, don’t want to date your master?”
Yuda didn’t reply. Wait, does he not like it?
Just as she started to feel a bit annoyed, Yuda reached out.
“You’ve got something there.”
With that, he wiped her mouth. Some salad from the sandwich stuck to his finger. He popped it into his mouth, ate it, and grinned broadly as he answered.
“How could I not like it? Let’s go. I might not want to with someone else, but with Tia, I do.”
His words made Tia’s heart skip a beat without her realizing it. Wasn’t there a term, “heart flutter”? Is this it?
“I thought you were just a kid. Where did you learn to say stuff like that?”
“Why? Did you not like it?”
Tia gave a vague, “Well…” expression.
“It wasn’t bad.”
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***Author’s Note**
Indeed. Blessings come to those who believe.
Oh, and some of you said my writing skills are great. Makes me happy, but please don’t gild me too much. I’ll get cocky. Haha.
Even with all this praise, there’s no extra reward, but it feels good, so I’ll post one more chapter and head to bed.
