Episode 4

After Eric’s report, our family outing was moved up and its scale expanded significantly.

An excursion with the grand duchy’s knights accompanying the lord’s family was no longer an outing.

It was an inspection, a demonstration of authority, and a reaffirmation of land ownership.

For some, it was a chilling warning; for others, it was an exciting adventure.

“Wow!”

“Trevor, sit still.”

“Wowww!”

As our carriage entered the forest of fir trees, Trevor’s excitement reached its peak.

Usually a well-behaved child, Trevor in this state was utterly uncontrollable.

He squirmed and pushed against my lap, trying to get a better view out the window, his little toes pressing against me as he stood on tiptoe.

While I was overjoyed by my son’s energy, I couldn’t help but wonder—was it normal for a four-year-old to be this strong?

Seeing me struggle to keep him in check, Amy finally intervened, lifting Trevor into her arms with ease.

Now perched on Amy’s arm, Trevor pressed his nose against the glass, his eyes sparkling with wonder.

“Trevor, do you like it that much?”

“Wowww!”

Trevor was too mesmerized by the passing fir trees to even answer.

Chuckling at the sight of his completely focused little head, I turned to Amy, who was supporting Trevor’s weight with one arm.

“Thank you, Amy. He must be heavy.”

“Not at all, my lady. He’s not heavy at all.”

“Still, thank you.”

I expressed my gratitude once more, and Amy’s cheeks turned slightly pink as she smiled shyly—a smile exactly like the one I had first seen six years ago when we met.

Back then, she had been a frail, frightened girl trapped in a desolate castle after being kidnapped by Lian.

That little girl, who I had wanted to protect so badly, was now protecting me.

Though Anna, the captain of the imperial guard, had repeatedly offered her a vice-captain position, Amy had followed me to the Tilender Grand Duchy without hesitation.

Even when Aiden suggested making her the vice-captain of the Tilender knights, she had refused.

Amy could have earned distinction and risen to nobility by joining the guards or knights, yet she remained my lady-in-waiting.

I knew she must have faced difficulties in the unfamiliar environment of the grand duchy, but she never showed it. Instead, she always smiled at me, her gratitude and loyalty unwavering.

As I marveled at the curious twists of fate, Trevor suddenly jumped in Amy’s arms.

“Wolf! There’s a wolf! Mother, it’s a wolf!”

Waving his short arms, Trevor called me over excitedly. I leaned toward the window as Amy adjusted her stance to keep Trevor secure while making space for me to look outside.

The three of us crowded together at the window, peering out into the forest.

Trevor was thrilled by the sight of the wolf, but no matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t see anything.

“Where? Where’s the wolf?”

“There! There it is!”

“Over there?”

I tried to follow Trevor’s pointing finger, but still saw nothing.

When I turned to Amy for help, she too furrowed her brow, scanning the trees in confusion.

“Amy, can you see it?”

“It seems the young master has exceptional eyesight, my lady.”

“I suppose so.”

While Amy and I gave up, Trevor continued to insist the wolf was following us, his excitement unabated.

After traveling deeper into the fir forest, we finally arrived at the heart of the “Forest of Wolves.”

When the carriage stopped and the door opened, Trevor jumped out like a squirrel.

As Aiden helped me down, Trevor ran through the fallen leaves, yelling “Wowww!” at the top of his lungs.

Amy followed him closely, ensuring he didn’t stray too far, while Aiden watched them with an amused smile.

“How can he enjoy himself so much?”

“He said he saw a wolf and got excited.”

“A wolf? Did you see it too?”

“Didn’t you see it either? Trevor said it was following our carriage.”

Hearing this, Aiden scanned the surroundings, his expression sharpening.

Though Trevor was simply delighted, Aiden’s priority was always our safety, and this news clearly concerned him.

Wolves, no matter how dangerous, wouldn’t attack such a large group, but Aiden ordered Eric to check the area nonetheless.

The knights began scouting for signs of wolves while preparing the camp for our stay.

* * *

Since we had stayed in this spot last year, the remnants of our previous camp remained intact.

We planned to spend the night here and return to the grand duchy the next day. The knights, however, would proceed to the forest’s outskirts near the border with Count Munsen’s estate, staging a show of force.

If there were ulterior motives on the part of either Count Munsen or the Emperor of Neudyk, they would surely respond.

For now, the plan was to gauge their official stance before deciding our next course of action.

As we discussed these matters, Amy’s voice rang out from a short distance away.

“Young Master, you mustn’t wander too far!”

Trevor was undoubtedly off on another of his adventures.

While the knights were spread out around the area, making it unlikely for anything to go wrong, Aiden and I instinctively moved toward Amy’s voice.

“Trevor, come here,” I called.

Hearing me, Trevor stopped bounding through the forest and turned back, his face alight with excitement.

“Mother! There’s a wolf over there!”

“Alright, but come here first. You have to go with your mother and father, right?”

“Quick! Quickly! The wolf is over there!”

Trevor dashed toward me, wrapping his little arms tightly around my legs as he bounced with excitement. He pointed eagerly into the woods, urging us to follow.

Aiden and Amy instinctively rested their hands on the hilts of their swords.

Though I knew Trevor’s fascination with wolves, I decided it was time to scold him for putting himself in danger.

I crouched to meet his eyes when suddenly, a low, resonant howl echoed through the forest.

The sound was so close it startled me.

While wolves were an expected presence in these woods, their cautious and intelligent nature usually kept them at a distance. It was unusual for one to come so near.

Clutching Trevor to my chest, I turned to Aiden, who had already drawn his sword and was scanning the area.

Something was off.

The air felt charged, heavy, as though the atmosphere itself had shifted. A chill ran down my spine as I turned, realizing Amy was no longer behind me.

“Aiden, don’t tell me…”

“It seems so,” he replied, his gaze fixed on a mist-shrouded part of the forest.

From within the fog emerged a massive wolf, its gray fur streaked with silver and its crimson eyes glowing eerily in the dim light.

“Wolf!!”

Trevor’s exclamation echoed through the trees, his emerald eyes shimmering with delight.

I knew my son was no ordinary child, but shouldn’t any child be frightened of a wolf this size? It was as large as a bear!

“Wolf! Wolf!”

Trevor clasped his arms over his chest and hopped up and down, his unmistakable gesture of pure joy.

While Trevor’s delight left me a bit bemused, the wolf’s lack of hostility kept me from panicking.

The giant creature stopped at a distance, its massive maw opening—not to attack, but to speak.

“Do you remember me?”

Its words, clear and articulate, left me stunned.

I would certainly remember meeting such a colossal wolf, yet none of the wolves I’d encountered in my life had been anything but ordinary.

The gray fur streaked with silver felt vaguely familiar, and then it clicked.

“The wolf from before? The one with Olina?”

“Yes. I am Totuga.”

It was indeed the same wolf.

I recalled the strange glance it had given Aiden when we met Olina and returned the wolf’s claw.

Aside from its immense size, its gaze was unmistakable.

“You’ve grown a lot,” I remarked.

“I have become a spirit. The snowy mountains and this forest are now my domain.”

“The snowy mountains too? And Olina?”

“Lady Olina has returned to the world of spirits.”

So, there was a world of spirits. It made sense, I supposed. They had their own circumstances, just as humans did.

The reason for the recent changes in the snowy mountains’ climate now seemed clear.

If the spirits’ abilities were tied to natural forces, as I suspected, then Olina’s departure had likely caused the climate to shift, leading Neudyk to covet the land.

Though spirits were considered mythical beings, their influence on the human world was undeniable.

Regardless of the circumstances, Totuga’s presence in this land meant he would inevitably affect the Tilender Grand Duchy.

Just as I prepared to ask why he had approached us, Totuga turned his attention to Aiden.

“Once one of us, now a human. Let us make a deal.”

“No,” I answered instinctively, my voice firm and unwavering.

There was no need to consider it. Deals, contracts, oaths—whatever the name, they were things I refused outright.