Chapter 048
Four days had already passed since they had arrived at the beach villa.
During that time, Theo had gotten so tanned that he looked like a countryside boy. It was no surprise—once he went outside, he never wanted to come back.
While Theo and Stephanie were busy evolving into strong fish, Cassius was anxiously waiting for news from the imperial city.
He had sent multiple urgent messages to the emperor every day, but the imperial palace kept avoiding giving a response.
Cassius gritted his teeth.
If he could, he would have gone to the capital himself, grabbed the emperor by the collar, and shouted:
“Do people have to die before you take this seriously?! Are you just going to let the North suffer and die?! Don’t you realize the capital will be next?!”
His frustration boiled over as he clenched his jaw.
Tonight was the full moon. They had searched every inch of the forest, determined to capture at least one of the werewolves, but they found nothing except traces of them. It was clear—they were playing with him.
“Damn it.”
Cassius muttered a curse.
To prepare for the night, he had ordered the port’s guards to remain on high alert. Every single guard would be on duty, patrolling all night.
He hoped nothing would happen. But if an attack did come, it was at least a small measure to save as many lives as possible.
He bit his lip hard.
As he left the forest, he spotted Theo in the distance, happily playing in the water again.
The sky was a brilliant, blinding blue, yet danger was creeping closer by the minute.
Theo, completely unaware, laughed as the sunlight reflected off his face.
Cassius’ gaze deepened.
“Please, give me the strength to protect that smile.”
He tightened his grip on his sword.
At the Imperial City
“Your Majesty, a request for aid has arrived from the North.”
The chamberlain bowed deeply as he delivered the message.
The young emperor, Carlos, narrowed his eyes and scoffed.
“Did I not say there was no need to report on the North? Those fools. The North’s problems are their own!”
His cold gaze flickered dangerously.
“For years, the North has enjoyed tax reductions because they risked their lives fighting monsters and frost giants. If they remember that their prosperity came from the mercy of the Empire, then they should solve their own problems!”
Carlos spoke with a chilling certainty.
The chamberlain’s expression darkened. He knew there was no changing the emperor’s mind.
The palace was filled with corrupt officials whispering in the emperor’s ear—The North is useless. The North should be abandoned. The capital’s stability is what matters.
The chamberlain barely suppressed a sigh.
Carlos continued.
“If the North fails to stop the monsters and those vile creatures invade our lands, it will be their fault. I will punish them for it!”
The chamberlain closed his eyes tightly.
As long as these corrupt nobles controlled the emperor, there was no hope for the North.
His gaze shifted to Viscount Redfield, a man who had suddenly risen to power by mysteriously acquiring vast amounts of gold.
And Redfield was the worst of all the emperor’s advisors.
“If you bring me another message from the North, you won’t keep your head. Understood?”
The chamberlain bowed deeply.
There was nothing more he could do.
The Night of the Full Moon
As soon as the sun set, people locked their doors and hid inside.
A full moon hung in the sky.
The city guards, suddenly increasing their patrols, warned the port residents to stay indoors after 5 PM.
Rumors spread—The Duke of Istheria’s family was staying at the seaside, yet there was a curfew? Something serious was happening.
Cassius watched the silent streets.
Guards stood at their posts, alert and ready for anything.
He tightened his grip on his sword.
His breathing felt heavy, as if something was pressing down on his chest.
A strange ringing echoed in his ears—
Screams. Cries.
The nightmare from his past resurfaced before his eyes.
“Cassius, run!!”
His mother’s desperate voice filled his head.
He had closed his eyes and run as fast as he could.
That day, there was nothing Cassius could do.
Until the Northern knights defeated the monstrous disaster that had swept through his home—
He had run, and run, and kept running.
When they finally found him, he had been hiding inside a rice barrel, deep within a storage shed.
Even now, he could almost smell the faint scent of rice.
“Cassius, take care of your brother. You two are all that’s left.”
“I’m sorry for leaving such a heavy burden on you.”
“Cassius, the North is a dangerous land. It hides poison beneath its riches. If you can, run. Run as far as you can.”
The last words of his parents clung to him like chains.
Cassius clenched his teeth.
A sharp pain filled his mouth as the taste of blood spread across his tongue.
“Don’t be a fool, Cassius.”
These were just ghosts.
Fears and anxieties were creating illusions in his mind.
Awooooooooo!
A chilling wolf’s howl tore through the night air.
Cassius lifted his gaze to the moon.
Clank.
He drew his sword from its sheath.
Somewhere in the darkness, the sickening sound of bones being crushed and flesh being devoured filled the air.
“Outside the walls!”
Cassius held his breath. At any moment, the creatures could climb over and enter. With a single hand gesture, he signaled his knights to stay silent.
If the predators in the darkness showed themselves, they would attack all at once.
But that night… nothing happened.
At dawn, the exhausted guards, who had stayed awake all night, found something horrifying outside the walls—mangled corpses of snow beasts.
“Your Grace! You need to see this!”
Cassius hadn’t slept either. His dark eyes scanned the bodies of the slain snow beasts, sprawled out as if mocking them.
“…They’re all young ones.”
Cassius gritted his teeth in frustration and punched the nearby wall.
Once again, the werewolves had played with them before vanishing into the darkness.
He could almost hear their laughter echoing from the deep shadows.
Cassius stared at the slaughtered bodies.
The young snow beasts had barely reached adulthood. They had always been a problem in the north—not particularly aggressive, but they would attack villages when food was scarce.
Every year, about five people die because of them.
Yet, seeing them butchered like this still left a bitter feeling in his chest.
With a heavy voice, Cassius gave his order.
“Bury the bodies.”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
They couldn’t just leave the corpses lying in the open where people passed by.
Cassius turned away coldly, his steps heavy with anger. His eyes hardened.
I will hunt them down. I will make sure they never dare to look down on humans again.
His fists clenched tightly.
When he returned to the villa, Charlotte was waiting for him, unable to sleep.
“Cassius!”
Without thinking, he pulled her into his arms. His embrace wasn’t strong—it was hesitant and fragile.
Charlotte didn’t push him away. Instead, she rested her head against his chest.
She understood better than anyone how much Cassius had endured through the night.
Despite his strong appearance, inside, he was hollow and broken. The disaster in the north had left deep scars on his soul.
It must have been a night of torment for him.
Charlotte closed her eyes and hugged him tightly.
It was a simple, human gesture of comfort.
If she could, she would have told him, No one died last night. You did well. You’re okay.
