Blood with the Wolf (1)
Blood with the Wolf (1)
"Here, have some water first."
"Ah, thank you."
An unnamed guild employee handed the man a cup of water.
The man gulped it down in one go before finally exhaling deeply.
The employee spoke in a calming tone to the now slightly composed man.
"Now, tell us slowly what happened."
"Right. Of course."
I listened intently to his story.
To summarize, he was a merchant whose caravan had been attacked by wolves, losing his wagon and barely escaping.
He repeatedly emphasized how terrifyingly large the alpha wolf leading the pack had been.
"In all my years, I've never seen anything like it. Just locking eyes from a distance made my spine tingle."
The merchant shuddered, his shoulders shaking.
For wolves bold enough to attack a caravan, this was certainly no ordinary threat.
"Anyway, do you have any mercenaries available right now? I need to recover my wagon, so preferably someone skilled."
"Well, there happens to be a Silver-ranked mercenary here who's free."
Daygan pointed at me with his finger.
I was slightly taken aback by the sudden nomination.
The merchant frowned skeptically and stroked his chin as he looked me over.
"Hmm. Silver rank? You're certain?"
"I guarantee it. She'll be more help than five average men. She's an Aura User."
"Oh ho. In that case..."
Not that I'd actually agreed to take the job yet.
Somehow, I'd already been hired without my input.
When my eyes met Daygan's, he subtly gave me a thumbs up.
A proud gesture, as if he'd done me a great favor.
He must have stepped in to help me find work since I'd been looking.
The story sounded interesting enough that I'd been considering it anyway.
I walked over to the merchant.
"Can we depart immediately?"
"I'm relieved to hear you're Silver rank. But we're still short on hands. We'll need to prepare horses and laborers too."
Of course—there was no way the wolves would have spared the draft animals.
We'd need separate horses to pull the recovered wagon.
"Head to the eastern gate first. I'll gather two or three more mercenaries and meet you there once preparations are complete."
"Understood."
After confirming the payment, I headed straight for the city gate.
Taking a day off from wolf hunting wouldn't hurt.
Or perhaps the pack might still be lingering at the attack site.
Either way, the change of pace was welcome.
I'd been growing somewhat tired of combing through forests hunting wolves.
As I walked, I neared the eastern gate.
Just as I was about to stand around waiting, I spotted a familiar, welcome face.
"Nunim?"
"...Tir?"
It was Tir, one of the companions I'd traveled with over the mountains to Rivaid.
We shared some rather heated memories in the forest together.
"Long time no see. Has it been over three weeks?"
"It's so good to see you, Nunim!"
His respectful yet familiarly affectionate attitude hadn't changed.
I looked around, tilting my head at seeing him alone.
"What brings you here? Where's Seyron-nim and the other workers?"
"Ah, I'm waiting to help an acquaintance of my uncle. They said their wagon was lost in a wolf attack."
Wolf attack. Lost wagon.
My eyes widened at the matching details.
"Huh? That's exactly the job I just took."
"Oh. Really?"
What a perfect coincidence.
Had I gone wolf hunting alone as usual, we wouldn't have met like this.
"Seems we're fated to cross paths."
"D-destiny. That's a nice word."
For some reason, Tir scratched his neck awkwardly.
The employer wouldn't return for a while yet.
We moved to a shaded spot to catch up.
Apparently, Tir had been a Wood-ranked mercenary but recently got promoted to Bronze.
Without a word, I showed him my Silver badge.
His wide-eyed surprise made showing off worth it.
By the time we finished chatting, the merchant had returned from the distance.
With him were two mercenaries, two horses, and several laborers.
"Everyone's here. No time to waste. Let's depart."
Our group of nearly ten exited through the city gates.
With four armed members, we had enough strength even if the wolf pack reappeared.
After some travel, the merchant spoke urgently.
"From here onward, everyone must stay alert."
At his words, I drew my sword.
The others also readied their weapons, advancing with tense expressions.
Guarding the merchant and horses, I carefully scanned our surroundings.
No immediate threats stood out.
Following the roadside, we soon came upon the carnage.
Two horses, their flesh torn apart.
Cargo spilled chaotically in all directions.
The dirt was stained red, unpleasantly damp.
Enough blood had pooled to form small puddles.
"You were lucky to escape back to the city."
"...The laborers bought me time. Honest, brave lads they were."
Meaning he'd fled while they served as sacrifices.
Rather than make excuses, the merchant acknowledged their sacrifice.
So I didn't blame him further.
Anyone would turn tail in the face of death.
"The wolves seem to have retreated. But just in case, I'll scout further."
"Understood. We'll handle cleanup here. Don't wander too far."
Tir and the two mercenaries were enough for guard duty.
While surveying the area, I approached the dead laborers.
Their calves, arms, stomachs, and necks were riddled with wolf bites.
Not a single corpse remained intact.
Many parts were stripped to the bone.
The pack had feasted thoroughly.
But the laborers' resistance wasn't entirely in vain.
Two wolf carcasses also lay nearby.
True to the merchant's word, they'd fought valiantly against overwhelming odds.
At least their bodies would return to their families.
The merchant didn't seem stingy in that regard.
The dead would receive last rites before burial in proper graves. Unlike what I could give Rubyia.
I closed my eyes briefly before turning away.
Suddenly needing to confirm a growing unease.
The two horses fallen near the wagon.
However sudden the wolf attack, this seemed excessive.
No mere wolves should have killed draft animals so effortlessly.
Even skittish beasts would have kicked or thrashed in resistance.
All living things instinctively protect themselves.
Yet no signs of struggle were visible.
Only one conclusion made sense.
Overwhelming force.
Their lives were taken too swiftly to resist.
Kneeling, I examined a horse carcass closely.
Most was too mangled to discern details.
Swatting flies away, I finally found evidence near its neck.
A gaping puncture wound.
Far too large for ordinary wolf fangs.
The work of that terrifying alpha the merchant described.
The puzzle pieces fell into place.
While lesser wolves fought the laborers, the alpha feasted on the horses.
The merchant's escape was pure luck.
A wolf capable of killing two horses instantly.
Seeing the carnage firsthand changed my perspective.
This was no opponent to underestimate.
I recalled Daygan's offhand remark days earlier.
About the recent surge in wolf attacks.
All potentially linked to the appearance of a Dire Wolf.
An evolved wolf-type monster, the Dire Wolf.
Their size and strength varied, but all ranked as mid-to-low tier monsters. At least Hobgoblin-level threats.
Daygan had dismissed it as uncommon, saying not to worry.
Dire Wolves rarely strayed this close to cities, except perhaps in remote border regions.
His extensive experience made his judgment reliable.
No need for baseless worry. Probably just an oversized wolf.
Occasionally humans grew over two meters tall—wolves could too.
Nothing more to investigate here.
Leaning against a tree, I crossed my arms.
The cargo sorting and body recovery seemed nearly finished.
I was enjoying the rare moment of peace, admiring nearby wildflowers, when the two mercenaries approached.
Men hired like Tir and me to guard the merchant.
"Hey there, nice to meet you. Things were too hectic for introductions earlier."
I looked up at them.
Their overly familiar tone made me briefly wonder if we'd met.
But these faces were definitely new to me.
"Likewise."
"Ooh. Cold reception."
"Yeah. No need to be so frosty, Rene."
Had my normal greeting come across that way?
More surprising was them using my name.
"I don't recall meeting you before. Do you know me?"
"Know you? More men in the guild know you than don't."
Had rumors spread that far already?
A rare female mercenary reaching Silver rank would draw attention.
As I stayed silent, one man snorted.
"Ha! Don't play dumb."
"About what?"
"We know you moonlight as a whore."
So that had leaked within a week.
News traveled faster than I'd thought.
Now I understood their approach.
Typical thuggish Bronze-rank behavior.
"And?"
"What?"
"Why bring that up now? Here of all places?"
I asked flatly.
The other mercenary answered.
"No big deal. How much for a quick suck here?"
For a moment I doubted my ears at the absurd question.
I stared blankly at the approaching mercenary.
"...A blowjob? Here?"
"Yeah. You could do it quick with that mouth. What, too hard?"
Hard wasn't the issue.
Teasing was one thing.
But some lines shouldn't be crossed.
"You do realize this isn't the time or place."
What kind of idiocy was this amidst blood and corpses?
No respect for the dead whatsoever.
I opened my mouth to reprimand them further when—
"How dare you insult her like this!"
Tir. Flaring up in rage, he stepped between me and the mercenaries.
I barely twitched my lips at his sudden intervention.
...Now Tir would learn about my prostitution too.
Against my wishes, the secret was out.
I sighed quietly, watching Tir's escalating argument with the mercenaries.