Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: The Elusive Silver Wolf
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The silver-furred creature transformed into a piercing streak of light, racing with desperate speed across the night-shrouded field.
Explosive, lethal barrages from magic artillery rained down from the heavens, while the treacherous ground beneath was riddled with hidden traps at every turn. Yet, the beast paid them no mind and kept running with unwavering focus.
Its physical body had already reached its absolute breaking limits.
The once beautifully glossy and majestic fur had lost its luster, and thick, dark blood oozed steadily from its emaciated and jagged wounds.
Its straining muscles and weary tendons were on the very verge of tearing and snapping under the pressure.
With the accumulated agony and crushing exhaustion piling up, it wouldn't have been strange if the creature had collapsed from utter depletion right then and there.
But so what if it were at its limit?
Even in its broken state, it ran.
It pushed itself far beyond its natural limits, running again and again with primal determination.
Then, a merciless and sudden barrage of violence rained down upon its path.
"You damn pest! Just die already and end this!"
At the necromancer's dark incantation, the shrieking undead burst from the earth and lunged at the beast with clawing hands.
But the creature didn't even bother to fight back against them.
Stopping here to engage in battle would mean getting caught by the relentless pursuers trailing closely behind.
With movements so graceful and swift they defied belief for a four-legged beast, it evaded the oncoming undead and bulldozed straight through the rotting horde with minimal effort.
Finally, watching its fading silhouette vanish into the distant, impenetrable darkness, Oracle executive Undertaker Ragnar Walter let out a heavy sigh and lowered his weary arms.
"We have lost it again."
Deciphering the ancient data Hans Wolf had handed over to Oracle had led them directly to it—that initial part of the operation had gone perfectly well. But that was where their success ended.
Its elusive and unpredictable movements made it hard enough to track in the first place, and even after spotting it, it slipped away with uncanny skill every single time. There was simply nothing they could do to stop it.
"If only we had successfully secured that Named Searcher device, this hunt would have been a lot easier for us."
As Ragnar let out another sigh at the thought of repeating this tiresome and exhausting hunt yet again, the creature was silently watching the situation from a short distance away.
Soon enough, Ragnar and the remaining Oracle operatives departed from the scene.
Confirming that the immediate danger had finally passed, the beast staggered onward with heavy steps.
The small, mysterious box dangling from the silver wolf's worn collar glimmered briefly in the cold moonlight.
"Grrrrr! It hurts! It hurts so damn much!"
Alina groaned in sheer agony as her brain and heart felt like they were being frozen solid, thanks to the lethal curse the Ice Devil had cast through her homunculus clone.
Any slight lapse in her focus, and her brain and heart would truly freeze over, killing her instantly on the spot. She knew she couldn't let her guard down for a second until the curse was fully neutralized.
How many grueling hours had passed in this state?
Finally managing to shake off the lingering curse, Alina panted desperately for breath when another casualty from the failed operation stumbled into the lobby.
"What, you look way better off than I had expected. Was I truly the only one who got completely wrecked out there?"
Alina flipped off Erich as he flailed the jagged stump where his left arm used to be, griping about his condition all the while.
"Screw you. I nearly met my end too."
"That is incredibly harsh to say to a guy who just lost a whole arm!"
Alina snorted with contempt at Erich's selfish complaint.
"Hmph. In your specific case, Sibyl can just reattach a new arm anytime if you only ask her nicely."
"Sure, she can, but the process still hurt like absolute hell."
"I have to say, I have never seen you take that much physical damage before."
Erich shrugged his shoulders at Alina's faintly intrigued and mocking tone.
"The Minister was nowhere in sight, but the 3rd Knight Order was waiting for me in ambush instead."
The 3rd Knight Order.
At those words, Alina recalled the specific name sitting right below the Minister's at the very top of the Imperial special forces list she had received from the Red Spider.
"Francesca Chirner? Was she truly that tough to handle?"
"She is a total monster. She would probably give even Matthias a real run for his money in a fight."
Alina vowed silently never to cross swords with Francesca Chirner, no matter what the circumstances.
"Besides those owls, who else was standing on your end of the battle?"
"The Ice Devil herself."
"Angela Barrmut? You truly had some rotten luck too, didn't you."
"Shut it. Unlike you, I could only utilize half of my true power."
To be entirely precise, the mental strain of controlling the clone capped his total output at only half strength.
"So you are claiming you wouldn't lose in a one-on-one fight?"
"Obviously I wouldn't."
"Hmm. A fight between the two of you would be quite a sight to behold. Invite me when you finally schedule it."
"Piss off."
After Erich headed upstairs, leaving Alina alone in the room again, she clutched her still-chilled head and chest, hunching over with gritted teeth.
The very day I finally obtain my Star, Barrmut... I shall make you feel this agonizing pain tenfold.
Returning to my office entirely alone with a bluebird perched comfortably on my shoulder, I greeted the bird as it hopped onto my desk.
"It has been quite a while, Your Majesty. I offer my respects."
The Queen of the Elves replied through the small bluebird at my greeting.
[The specific flow of time that humans perceive is truly fascinating. Yes, it has been a long while, Minister. I have much I would like to discuss with you personally, but our magical connection won't last long, so let's get straight to the point.]
I unrolled a detailed map on the desk, and the bluebird pattered over with tiny, rhythmic steps, pecking at one specific spot with its beak.
[We have received urgent reports of a group suspected to be Oracle chasing some kind of wolf near the border of our elven kingdom.]
Oh, so it seems the elves were well aware of Oracle's existence too.
That is an impressive intelligence network they have.
That aside...
"A wolf, you say...?"
Were they merely out hunting? But the Elf Queen certainly wouldn't contact me just for some ordinary, mundane wolf.
[Yes. Witnesses have described it as having uniquely beautiful silver fur.]
A wolf with silver fur?!
That sounds absolutely awesome.
I really wanna see it!
[Given that Oracle was pursuing it so relentlessly, there is a high chance it is connected to the Key they are searching for. Conveniently, the last sighting had it heading toward imperial territory. Why don't you investigate the matter personally, Minister?]
That is exactly what I already planned to do.
I absolutely have to see this creature with my own eyes.
"Thank you for sharing this intel with me. If I may ask, why exactly are you passing such crucial information to me?"
As I timidly wondered if she would demand some exorbitant price for the tip like an info broker, the Elf Queen simply chuckled in response.
[Hee hee. It is a simple reason. Oracle is our common enemy, is it not? They are a threat to the elves too. To oppose them effectively, we must cooperate fully.]
How remarkably magnanimous of her.
The intelligence chiefs of various nations—we all agreed to share info before, yet they have all been incredibly stingy with their secrets. They should truly take a page from the Elf Queen's book. Myself included.
More importantly, how exactly did she know that Oracle was our mutual foe?
Elves are seriously and terrifyingly capable.
[Well then, I shall end the connection now. Oh, if you ever have the time, I would love for you to visit the elven kingdom again. There is much I want to discuss regarding my daughter.]
"Yes, understood."
I silently vowed to myself never to go as the bluebird took flight from the desk and soared out through the window.
I think it every time I see it, but that magical communication sure looks convenient.
Why exactly don't we have something like that in our department?
Musing on the thought, I rummaged through my desk drawer for the Named Searcher and stood up.
A silver-furred wolf? I absolutely have to go and see it for myself!
I'll have my subordinates do the actual grunt work of searching, but either way, I am definitely witnessing this with my own eyes. With that firm resolve, I left the office.
This situation is real trouble.
After several days of searching with the Named Searcher, the Intelligence Department agents had finally located the silver-furred wolf the Minister had ordered them to find. But they were completely stumped.
The Minister had stressed one thing: under no circumstances were they to attack or harm the wolf in any way.
They were just to watch it from afar without losing sight of it until he arrived on the scene.
They had initially thought it would be a simple task. But they realized their grave mistake the very moment they encountered the wolf.
It is fast, strong, and incredibly clever. Is that thing actually a wolf?!
Reluctant as they were to admit it, without the Named Searcher, they would have lost it several times over by now. The wolf was just that swift.
It sensed their presence the instant they got too close—like a vengeful ghost—and sometimes even launched a counterattack.
Fortunately, there were no deaths or serious injuries yet, but the consensus was that if the wolf had been in peak condition, at least three agents would be dead.
"It hasn't eaten or drunk anything properly in days, yet how is it moving like that with those severe wounds...?"
As the agents watching for days began to feel a sense of genuine awe toward the wolf, the Minister finally arrived.
Escorted by the members of Owl, he entered the dense forest where they were keeping watch and spoke astonishing words.
"No one is to approach."
With that command, the Minister took a single, confident step toward the wolf's hidden position.
Naturally, the Owls and agents freaked out and tried to stop him, but they all froze in place the very next instant.
The wolf had revealed itself from the shadows.
"Minister...!"
Christina and a few others tried to rush forward, deeming the situation dangerous, but John held them back with a firm hand.
"You must trust the Minister."
"But...!"
That was exactly when it happened.
The wolf charged straight at the Minister with full force.
The Owls could have easily intercepted the beast, severing the wolf's neck before it ever reached him.
But they found themselves unable to move.
In that split second of action, they saw it.
The Minister was actually smiling at the wolf lunging toward him.
"...Huh?"
The Minister was undeniably smiling.
He was smiling so purely, letting out a clear and genuine laughter.
That sight alone was shocking enough to root them to the ground. But what followed next was utterly and completely incomprehensible.
The wolf that had charged so fiercely reared up on its hind legs and lavished the Minister's face with affectionate licks.
While wagging its tail so furiously that it looked like it might actually snap off.
"What in the world...?"
"Did that wolf always act that friendly and loving with people?"
"Don't be ridiculous. Do you have any idea how many times it nearly killed us over the last few days?"
The ferocious and majestic beast that had tried to rip out the agents' throats was nowhere to be seen now.
As if the majestic aura that had inspired awe had vanished completely, the wolf clung to the Minister, frolicking like a happy puppy—then suddenly dropped back to all fours, removed the collar from its neck with its teeth, and offered it to him.
The Minister took the collar, gently stroked the wolf's head, then tossed the collar toward the waiting Owls.
"...A box?"
John picked up the collar and opened the small, attached box.
It was entirely empty.
While they were puzzling over the empty box's cryptic meaning, the Minister pulled some medicine from his pocket and applied it to the wolf's wounds, then fed it the water and meat he had brought along.
Afterward, he draped two warm blankets over himself and the wolf.
Huddled close together, the pair spent the entire night together just like that.
Occasionally, the Minister would playfully stroke the wolf's head, or the wolf would lick his face—but there was nothing more. No other movements were made.
When morning finally came at last...
The silver wolf no longer stirred.
Having fulfilled its final duty, it had slipped into an eternal slumber with a deeply satisfied and peaceful expression.