I couldn’t gather my senses from their intense stares and aggressive attitudes.
They were asking me to go with them into a wolf den, where there were only wolves.
Even the two wolves here were terrifying enough. My pupils trembled uncontrollably as I lost my composure.
At that moment, a new status window appeared above Ed’s head.
「Quest Activated!
<Depart for the Louvre Estate with Ed>
Accept Billy’s proposal and depart for the Louvre Estate.
Success reward: 10% reduction in the appearance of choices.
Penalty if Affinity Gauge drops below 0%: Death.
*Note: Affinity drop stops once 100% is reached.」
…So, this means I have to go to wolf territory and raise the affinity, right?
If we stay apart, the affinity will naturally drop.
Refusing Billy’s proposal would mean death by penalty, wouldn’t it?
“You’ll come with us, right?”
“Well, um…”
The heavy gazes of the two wolves bound me as if they had no intention of letting go.
Glancing back and forth between the status window and Ed, I barely managed to open my lips.
“I… I guess I have to go, right?”
“I knew you would say that. Take your time getting ready; we’ll be waiting.”
“Lady Remi, it’s a wise decision!”
The two wolves, who had forcibly pushed their way through, left the parlor first.
Thud—
I collapsed onto the floor, staring blankly at the disappearing status window above Ed’s head.
● ● ●
“Ahhh!”
While Remi was busy packing to head for wolf territory, Zeb Hose was running for his life, unable to understand why he was in this situation.
“When will I reach the entrance of the tower?!”
No matter how much he ran, the mage tower that seemed just within reach wouldn’t come any closer.
It was clearly in front of him, visible, but unreachable!
His legs moved faster in desperation.
Although he prided himself on being a skilled magician, in this dark forest where magic had no effect, everything was useless.
For that reason, all he could do was run away.
Growwwl—!
Fleeing from the monstrous creature chasing him, looking as if it would kill him any second.
‘I can’t go on like this.’
Suddenly, bright light burst from Zeb Horse’s body, and moments later, a large, striped zebra appeared in his place.
Running at breakneck speed, Zeb Horse cursed the wizard who had sent him to this place.
The wolf in that tower was clearly far stronger than him—an apex predator. And Zeb, being a herbivore, couldn’t even think of standing up to a carnivore, especially a wolf from such a distinguished family.
‘That guy… called him his nephew, right?’
Could it be that just because he had bullied that nephew, he was thrown into this hellhole?
All Zeb had done was enforce the rightful social order!
‘I had even planned to secretly take that slave and punish him further!’
The first time he had sent a marriage proposal to the Morton family and visited, he had seen Ed by Remi’s side.
Instantly, he recognized Ed’s potential.
No one in the sheep’s territory seemed to notice Ed’s talents, but Zeb did.
It drove him crazy that Raymond had purchased such a talented slave before him.
So, Zeb started visiting the Mortons more frequently, laying groundwork every time he saw the slave. He would tell Remi that he wouldn’t take Ed with them, even if they got married.
Remi seemed to take good care of the slave, and Ed seemed to follow her loyally.
Zeb was sure that by threatening to separate them, Ed would beg him to take him.
He knew how much children without protectors clung to the adults who took care of them, so he was confident.
Once he got Ed to his mansion, he planned to siphon off his magical power endlessly under the guise of serving Remi.
‘And I’ll make sure to get revenge for the humiliation he caused me in front of Lady Morton!’
Last time Zeb had visited the Morton estate, someone had cast a spell that made him fall out of his carriage in a ridiculous manner. Zeb was sure it had been Ed’s doing.
Just thinking about that humiliation made his teeth clench.
Screeech—!
Zeb’s bitter thoughts were cut short when a massive bird swooped down, grabbing him by the back with its talons.
‘What the hell?!’
As his body was lifted into the air, Zeb squeezed his eyes shut in panic.
The bird carried him for a while before dropping him abruptly onto solid ground.
The place the bird had dropped him was within the very walls of the mage tower he had desperately tried to reach.
“Welcome.”
Startled, Zeb raised his head. In front of him, standing out against the dark purple sky, was a wolf with a strikingly noticeable face.
“I don’t like filth being brought into my workplace, so let’s end this here.”
End… what?
The man in front of him was clearly a far stronger mage than Zeb.
‘They said the tower’s owner had recently changed. Is this the new master?’
Zeb, who always submitted to stronger beings, didn’t dare resist and merely lowered his head, acting as meek as possible.
His submissive behavior would have shocked the servants at Horse state, who were used to his usual arrogance.
Caw, caw—!
Zeb’s gaze, full of anxiety, fixed on the crows circling the tower as his vision slowly filled with the cold, menacing figure of the wolf mage.
● ● ●
Rattle, rattle-.
The carriage that had been running smoothly seemed to have entered a bumpy road, as it now rattled a little more than before.
I had heard that when a beastman is exposed to extreme danger, their body stiffens and becomes rigid instead of trembling.
“If you keep sitting like that, it’s going to be uncomfortable.”
Billy spoke with a hint of amusement in his voice, seeing me sitting in perfect posture with both hands placed on my thighs, as if I had turned into stone.
‘Being in the same carriage with you is the most uncomfortable thing!’
The words that I couldn’t bring myself to say echoed only in my heart.
Ed, who had chosen to sit next to me instead of his uncle, had fallen soundly asleep, leaving only Billy and me awake.
The road from the sheep’s territory to the wolves’ was a continuous stretch of dense forest, so there wasn’t much to see out the window either.
“This is how I usually sit.”
“Oh, really?”
He clearly didn’t believe me.
‘How did I end up in this situation?’
The more I thought about it, the less I could believe this situation.
“I’ll follow behind with the second group. I still need to gather my belongings.”
“You’ve already packed everything. Sir, you can take Remi and leave right away!”
Thanks to Raymond’s eagerness after hearing about the connection to the magic tower, we couldn’t even delay our departure.
He forcefully shoved me into the carriage and closed the door, smiling brightly as he waved us off.
The carriage, now headed to the wolves’ territory, set off immediately.
‘What? He told me to settle down and establish a connection with the magic tower?’
Remembering what Raymond had whispered in my ear made me furious.
Even though he disliked his younger sibling, sending off his only remaining family member to the wolves’ territory like this!
I sneaked a glance at Billy, who still had a bright smile on his face, as if there was something funny.
To think he would suggest going to the wolves’ territory with a sheep like me and then smile so brightly. I couldn’t figure out what he was thinking.
‘But his voice sounds familiar.’
I was sure I had heard it somewhere before. That low voice.
There shouldn’t have been any reason for me to hear Billy’s voice, but it kept nagging at my mind. It gave me a strangely uneasy feeling.
On top of that, from what I knew, Billy wasn’t supposed to be this easygoing. In the original story, even from the brief lines and actions described, he was a completely different kind of beastman.
‘Did his personality change as he got older?’
While I was lost in my thoughts, glancing at him, he suddenly spoke again.
“You’re staring so hard, you’re going to bore a hole through me.”
Maybe he had felt my gaze for a while now.
With the wind blowing in from outside the window, Billy spoke with a calm, amused voice.
His fair skin showed beneath his perfectly fitted black shirt, and his sharp features and dark, ocean-like hair fluttered in the wind.
It was a scene as flawless as a well-painted picture.
In the original story, he was an arrogant man, full of self-love, cold, and not very affectionate toward his nephew.
But now, here he was, occasionally making sly comments, throwing casual jokes, and smiling easily—nothing like the character I remembered.
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
Embarrassed that I’d been caught stealing glances, I turned to look out the window, trying to shake off the awkwardness.
Then Billy spoke once more.
“We’ll be arriving at a village soon. Let’s spend the night there.”
At his words, I peeked out the window and saw the entrance of a village coming into view in the distance.
The carriage quickly entered the village.
● ● ●
Ed had been pretending to sleep the entire time the carriage was moving and had almost fallen asleep for real.
A while ago, a wizard had appeared out of nowhere and taken care of that wretched Zeb Horse for him. That wizard introduced himself as Ed’s uncle and suggested they go to his estate together.
‘So, I’m not an ordinary kid after all.’
Ed, who had been quick-witted and skilled ever since his days as a street urchin, had often wondered if his parents might have been extraordinary beastmen.
His strangely noble-looking appearance only fueled that thought.
And now it turned out he really was from a noble bloodline, from none other than a family that held the position of leader in the wolves’ territory.
As soon as Billy told him, Ed quickly accepted the situation, glancing over at Remi, who was sitting with her mouth hanging open in shock.
‘If I follow this wizard, will I never see Remi again?’
Of all the adults he’d met, Remi had been the least bad. She had fed him well, let him sleep in a nice bed, and barely made him work.
Even though he no longer needed to stay at Morton’s place, thinking about being separated from Remi left him feeling strangely sad.
Moreover, the servants at Morton’s place were all terrible to Remi.
They constantly gossiped behind her back and disrespected her to her face.
Ed had quickly seen through their two-faced behavior and hated how they treated her.
‘Wouldn’t it be better if Remi came with me? Once we leave this estate, maybe…’
With that thought in mind, he decided to give it a shot and make a fuss.
Hoping that the wizard who claimed to be his uncle would understand his intentions.
Luckily, it seemed that the wizard, quick-witted as he was, got the hint, and he suggested that Remi come with them.
Remi agreed to go to the wolves’ territory with them.
Thinking back to that moment, Ed almost smiled contentedly but quickly caught himself and suppressed it.
It seemed like the engagement between Morton’s family and Zeb Horse was off.
After all, there was no way that striped beastman would dare invade the wolves’ territory.
‘At least for now, I don’t have to worry about Remi marrying some ridiculous guy.’
What was most important was making sure Remi was treated well at the Louvre estate and lived comfortably.
As Ed imagined the future, where they would be welcomed at the estate, one concern popped into his head.
What if the adults in the Louvre family were all terrifying or cruel?
What if Remi, unable to endure, ended up marrying someone from another species and fleeing?
‘No! Remi has to stay by my side, no matter what.’
His closed eyes tensed as the thought filled his mind.
He had watched Remi all this time.
Thinking of how clumsy and poorly treated she was by the servants made him feel like he had to take care of her.
Maybe he should find a suitable marriage partner for Remi among the wolves?
“That stare is intense enough to bore a hole.”
At that moment, the wizard who claimed to be his uncle playfully spoke to Remi.
“Oh, sorry.”
And Remi’s reply followed, her voice trembling strangely.
“…Huh?”
A bright light flashed in Ed’s mind.
This was it!
As a clever smile crept across Ed’s face, he thought,
‘This will solve everything.’
Satisfied with the solution he had come up with, sleepiness quickly washed over him.
Not long after, the soft sounds of breathing filled the quiet carriage.
☆ ☆ ☆
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