Chapter 214
Chapter: 214
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 214
>Chapter Title: Lycanthrope Lord (8)
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A vast and majestic snowy landscape stretched before his eyes.
Beyond the sheer ice cliffs, a high coniferous forest blanketed in snowflakes extended endlessly to the horizon.
As dawn slowly broke, the elegant silhouette of nature began to dye in gold.
*The view is truly spectacular. If only there were a way back...*
Seongjin, sitting despondently on the cliff's edge, scratched Max's ears as the dog kept nuzzling him and spoke up.
"Hey, Max."
Woof woof!
"I get the feeling you really don't like her, but could you call Louise here just one more time anyway?"
Max whimpered and whined, flattening his ears slightly as if he'd understood. It might have been his imagination, but it felt like the wolf dog was blaming him with a look that said, *Why would you say that?*
"...You hate her that much?"
The wolf dog, who had been gazing at Seongjin with bright eyes, pushed his head forward and licked the wound on his hand.
The bleeding had long stopped, but the fairly deep bite mark from the dog's sharp teeth was still vivid.
What could this mean? Watching Max's behavior, it didn't seem like a simple attack.
*Hmph. It's faint, but it feels like some kind of mental link has formed between you and that mutt through the wound.*
The Demon King, who had been examining the wound thoughtfully for a while, spoke in a slightly sullen tone.
*It might be related to how Lycanthropes control their kin. That mutt has imprinted on you in some way.*
*...Max made me his familiar?*
Seongjin tilted his head.
*I don't feel any different, though.*
The Demon King exclaimed in shock.
*How could it? Whether it's a demon's familiar or a beast's, a mental bond isn't always one-sided. This one was initiated by the mutt, but look at you two—it's obvious who's superior! Think about it, Seongjin. You converse with this great Demon King on a soul level, but you're not under my mental domination, right?*
True enough.
He had imagined familiars as puppets on strings, like how the Lycanthropes obeyed their Lord.
*That mutt probably didn't expect that either. He just created a new imprint on you to forcibly sever the connection with that Lycanthrope.*
Come to think of it, hadn't Max tried something like this before?
He'd gotten soundly thrashed by Louise and failed, though.
*Your Highness, the wolves of Sigismund Territory do not enter the demon realm. You must not allow that wolf pup descended from their blood to imprint so freely.*
Louise, usually so quiet, had overreacted that time. Perhaps she had known Max's intentions from the start.
*Then why didn't she stop him from even trying?*
He hadn't thought her intentions and Max's feelings were at odds from the beginning.
But he was her familiar, right? A bond that could be broken by a single casual bite? Were familiar controls that flimsy?
*From what I saw, that Lycanthrope had a strong mental presence. Rather than the mutt overcoming it on his own, maybe she never bound him that tightly to begin with.*
That could be.
It made him think that whatever Louise had tried on him might not have had as much coercive power as he'd assumed.
*One thing's for sure, at least.*
It seemed Louise had completely lost control over Max.
Given her personality from what he'd observed, there was no way she wouldn't have returned here already if she still could.
"So how do we get back now..."
From the ice wall base to here was roughly 15 to 20 kilometers, by his estimate. And it wasn't a straight shot across open terrain.
He didn't know the paths well, and walking would take quite some time.
Seongjin was fairly proficient with snowshoeing, but he didn't have the confidence to dash vertically down sheer cliffs like Louise.
Whine.
Oblivious Max nudged Seongjin's hand with his nose and wagged his tail.
*Not moving? We staying here?*
Somehow hearing a dog's voice like that, Seongjin chuckled and patted Max's back.
"Yeah. Not moving. You don't wander off blindly when you're lost."
*Why not?*
"This is all because of you, Max. What am I supposed to do now that you've sent Louise flying off without a plan? Can't you transform or use aura on your own without her?"
Gently scolded, Max rolled around in the snow, pretending not to understand while acting cute toward Seongjin.
At any rate, it was clear Max didn't know how to handle aura. The wolf dog had been frolicking around Seongjin, not even attempting snowshoeing and burying his sides deep in the snow.
*If they realize I vanished from the lodge, Sir Masayn is going to freak out again...*
The morning sun was rising higher. Sir Masayn, who woke early for training, was probably awake by now.
It wasn't intentional, but nothing ever went his way.
Seongjin sighed softly and stood up.
*Time to decide.*
He knew the general direction, so he could make it back alone, even if it took days.
The one worrisome variable was someone who could locate him arriving here faster than he could return alone.
Whether it was Louise or someone else.
*The reason lost children are hard to find is usually because they don't stay put and wander around.*
So maybe it was best to stay here obediently? Not that he was a child.
That was when Seongjin was pondering.
[...Eek!]
Suddenly, the Demon King let out a low scream.
*'Huh? What's wrong?'*
Startled, Seongjin asked urgently, but there was no reply. The Demon King was huddled deep in the spirit crystal, trembling.
*'What's going on? This feels familiar...*
Then, whoosh.
A soft breeze, different from the cutting wind, brushed past his body.
*...No way?*
Sensing something, Seongjin looked around and soon stared wide-eyed at his hand.
A ticklish sensation came over him, and whoosh—the bite mark from Max vanished without a trace in an instant!
"Haha..."
A dry laugh escaped him involuntarily.
He couldn't not know what this meant.
*Arenza will contact the group soon!*
Then there was nothing more to worry about.
He just needed to think about what to do next.
With a much lighter heart, Seongjin plopped back down.
He amplified his aura sight to the max and began meticulously observing the surrounding terrain and the Lycanthropes' movements.
* * *
"Your Highness! Your Highneeeess!"
That morning, the ice wall base went into high alert.
The Third Prince of the Holy Empire, whom they had been guarding so closely, had vanished without a trace from his lodge overnight—a major incident.
"...How on earth?"
Masayn muttered in exasperation, his face pale as he scoured the entire base.
It was maddeningly absurd.
With full-scale war against the beasts looming, all those troops had guarded the base ironclad through the night. How had His Highness slipped past their eyes and vanished?
His vision went dark for a moment, but since this wasn't the first time, Masayn quickly regained his composure and reported it to Captain Bruno.
The captain immediately sought out Sir Sharon to urge contact with Arenza.
The exorcist, who had been channeling toward the capital since the crack of dawn, rubbed her dark-circled eyes and sighed in relief.
"We've found him. His Highness is at the northern boundary of the territory."
"The north?"
"Yes. Near the mountain glaciers and canyons. He's safe, so no need to worry. He's not far from the outpost in the canyon and says to meet him there."
"Ah..."
Overwhelmed by relief, Masayn staggered, his legs giving way. Sir Sharon, looking at him with a hint of pity, added,
"Oh, and she said it's no one's fault. His Highness got caught in an accident, so don't scold him too much when you meet."
"Ugh!"
Masayn clamped his mouth shut, struck right in the heart.
It was true—after the relief washed over him, a simmering fury began to rise in its wake. He had been ready to yell the moment he saw the prince's face.
At any rate, now that they knew his location, there was no time to waste. The group hastily prepared to depart, barely touching breakfast.
"...The northern canyon?"
Border Count Hendrick naturally frowned upon hearing the news.
He hadn't counted the prince's group as full combat force anyway, so their departure timing didn't matter much.
But the northern canyon out of nowhere? Was that even possible?
"See? I've been saying the canyon area feels off. How about sending a few more troops there while we're at it?"
Old man Vincent nodded along from the side.
The prince had gone missing inside the Sigismund Territory base—what careless talk was this! Even if the prince's group said nothing now, if they were held accountable later, how would they handle it?
Border Count Hendrick, his face stiff, cut in coldly.
"As I've said repeatedly, that's highly inefficient."
"You stubborn fool. Anyway, what about it? Did Prince Mores leave that sword behind?"
Old man Vincent perked up hopefully, but deflated upon seeing Masayn emerge carrying the elegantly wrapped sword.
"Still, we can't just let them go like that. They need guides to the canyon, and we should send a token search party at least..."
A perfect volunteer appeared right on cue.
"I'll go with them."
Orden, fully geared up, had brought two Wolf Knights and a few soldiers to join the group.
The third wave of several hundred troops handpicked by the guard captain was due to arrive at the ice wall soon anyway. He figured his absence wouldn't cause issues.
Above all, Prince Mores was Amell's beloved little brother and a guest he'd invited to the territory himself. As the family's heir, it was only right for him to step up when his safety was at stake.
"But, young lord, is it really true the prince is in the north? How did he get there alone overnight?"
Sir Oscar asked, puzzled.
It was a natural question.
To reach the canyon from the snowfields, one had to pass through the second and first ice walls back to the territory first.
From there, it was another half-day trek through treacherous paths to the canyon. Impossible unless you were a Decaron Knight like old man Vincent.
But Orden's thinking was exceedingly simple.
*Well, it's His Highness, so...*
Come to think of it, hadn't he once been swept away by butterflies, flown off somewhere, and returned via a beam of light? It somehow seemed plausible for that prince.
"Come on, let's hurry. His Highness is waiting."
As soon as Sir Masayn spoke, the group—including Orden—left the base and sped toward the second ice wall.
* * *
"...A leave request?"
The head butler eyed the girl handing over the document with a stiffened face, asking quizzically.
She was the type who worked diligently without taking even her allotted vacation days. Why suddenly now, when the territory was in turmoil?
"I have an urgent matter I must attend to. Please approve it."
Louise's voice was resolute, almost grim.
"Well, that's not hard, but..."
The head butler scanned her unusual attire up and down with a baffled expression.
Loose shirt with sleeves rolled up high, pants with hems dangling. The oversized cloak dragged on the ground to her ankles—clearly borrowed from her father.
And though hidden by the cloak, the silhouette protruding to one side was unmistakably a sword's hilt and pommel.
*What in the world is this about...*
She had submitted a proper request in neat handwriting, showing no consideration for possible rejection. It felt like she'd bolt out without permission if he refused.
Deeply uneasy, the head butler could only nod.
"Fine. You've worked hard until now, so it's time to rest. Safe travels."
Leaving the somewhat reluctant head butler behind, Louise exited the count's manor.
Walking the familiar shortcut through the back gate, she soon reached the hunting hounds' kennels.
Whimper! Whiiiine!
The dogs huddled terrified in the corners of their pens. Some couldn't bear the encroaching fear and soiled themselves on the spot.
Pitiful, but Louise couldn't properly control the ferocious aura surging from her at the moment.
Max had escaped her control.
And the Holy Empire's prince was isolated in the snowfields.
The worst possible scenario.
*The canyons are freezing cold...*
Keeping her secret aside, she first worried how long the prince alone could survive there.
Even when they first met, he had shivered uncontrollably, unable to warm himself with aura.
*This is all my fault!*
She had made a hasty judgment in her panic.
Her opponent was the Holy Empire's prince, son of the Holy Emperor called God's proxy. Not someone she could easily handle.
And despite knowing Max's fondness for the prince, she hadn't anticipated the dog rebelling like this!
*I have to fix this as best I can.*
Without causing more trouble for her parents, who were doing everything to protect the territory from the beasts.
Reaching the territory's boundary, Louise stopped, removed her shoes, and undid the belt cinching her waist, stuffing them into her pack.
"Hoo..."
Finishing her preparations, the girl inhaled the cold morning air and quietly closed her eyes.
She contemplated her inner self in a way she'd never tried before—but one clearly etched in her ancestors' memories.
Whoosh.
In an instant, aura dormant for years burst forth. The ominous purple aura laced with demonic energy rippled visibly on her skin's surface.
Her slender frame, no different from other girls her age, began expanding outward. Crack, crack. Her bones twisted, swelling until her father's large clothes grew tight.
Grrrrrr.
Her exhalations deepened, laced intermittently with a beast's low-frequency growl.
How much time passed?
What finally emerged was a juvenile Lycanthrope draped in a large cloak.
The only clues it was Louise were the pale flaxen fur matching her hair color and the deeply sunken black eyes.
Sniff sniff.
Habitually scenting the air, Louise gauged the canyon's direction and broke into a swift run.
Awooooo—
Then, from afar, a menacing howl strongly warning her rang out.
The Lycanthrope Lord of the demon realm had sensed the birth of another Lycanthrope Lord—a signal flare.