Chapter 64: I Stole Yeuju's First Love
At Karina's words, Raymond ran towards the knights approaching him.
Even if he were to help her, it was clear that his assistance would be futile.
âIt couldnât be helped.â
Even as he fled, Raymond felt dirty.
He had hated that woman so much, yet instead of feeling relieved, he felt increasingly heavy-hearted.
Just as he was about to face the knights, the person who rushed out from the front was the emperor.
He approached Raymond, looked around, and asked,
âShe was attacked by a monster halfway through...â
Aster's face showed disdain.
Without a word, the emperor hurriedly ran back the way he came.
Behind him, other knights, Andrew, and Wilhelm appeared one by one.
They alternated their gaze between the emperor's retreating back and Raymond, frowning.
Even Wilhelm said such words and disappeared. Raymond, with his head bowed, muttered curses.
He had survived, but his face burned with humiliation.
Despite gaining power, fame, and position, he felt as miserable as he did when he was young.
No, he felt even more at rock bottom.
Raymond stood there for a long time, rooted to the spot.
When I opened my eyes, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling. No, it was more like the raw appearance of a cave.
The sharp ends of stalactites pointed towards me.
I stared blankly at them when a wolf's face suddenly appeared in my field of vision.
Startled, I jumped up and retreated. Only then did I grasp the situation.
Dozens of wolves were watching me.
My body trembled, fearing they might eat me.
Then, the smallest wolf in the pack approached and tugged at my clothes with its teeth.
âDoes it want me to follow?â
I cautiously stood up, and the wolves parted to either side.
I began walking along the path they cleared.
Despite being inside a cave, it was strangely not dark. The walls emitted a faint light.
If it werenât for the wolves surrounding me, I would have marveled at the beauty of this place.
As we went deeper into the cave, I saw a spot where light fell through a hole in the ceiling.
There, a wolf with familiar blue eyes sat.
The bloodstains under its eyes suggested it was the wolf I had shot during the hunt.
The wolf's piercing blue eyes fixed on me.
At first, I thought I had misheard. But there was nothing around except the wolves.
It was clear the wolf was speaking.
âDid you bring me here?â
I tried to rationally assess the situation.
If the wolf had harbored ill will over the incident, it would have killed me the moment it found me.
There must be something it wants from me.
âWhat do you want from me?â
[There is something I want to ask you.]
The wolf's gaze shifted to my hand.
[Where did you get that bracelet?]
Only Tatiana and I knew about the special power of this bracelet.
It was not something a mere monster could know.
When I didnât answer, one of the wolves behind me pushed me forward.
It felt like a threat, urging me to speak.
The wolf, watching this, rose to its full height.
[I am the master of this Golden Forest. Humans call me a demigod.]
In this world, gods did not exist.
Before the current empire, demigods with divine power had lived in the world.
These demigods, known as the descendants of the gods, existed in various forms.
Divine power was the force that created miracles.
A power that surpassed mortals and a strength that only a demigod could kill.
The age of demigods, which was thought to be eternal, ended in a war.
A war among the demigods themselves.
They all died in the war, and the power that created miracles in this world disappeared.
I thought they had all vanished, but there was still a demigod surviving.
[What I want to know is what power resides in that bracelet. If you answer honestly, I will let you go.]
The wolf, claiming to be a demigod, made a promise that was essentially a threat.
âI donât know who made it, but the bracelet does have special powers.â
The demigod wolf nodded, as if urging me to continue.
âI can see the affection levels of certain people towards me, and sometimes I can see choices that can increase those levels.â
The demigod wolf tilted its head and asked,
Its expression seemed skeptical.
Perhaps there were other abilities of the bracelet that I didnât know about.
I asked the wolf to get a hint.
âIs that not the answer you wanted? I only recently discovered these abilities of the bracelet.â
âIf so, I will refuse.â
[Do you really think Iâm making a proposal?]
The demigod wolf bared its teeth and growled, as if it were about to kill me.
I decided to be more assertive.
âIf itâs not a request, are you going to kill me? This is an important matter, so you must have brought me here for a reason.â
The demigod, who didnât know about the outside world, only tilted its head.
[Plants have absorbed the excessive magic power by growing faster, but the monsters had no way to do so.]
The story that followed was terrifying. Some of the monsters, unable to handle the overflowing power, began to go berserk.
[The problem is that I, too, am feeling the limits of the magic power I am absorbing.]
The thought of a demigod, who could create miracles, going berserk was chilling.
More than anything, it bothered me that the increase in magic power and the bracelet were related.
Clearly, something was happening in this world that I didnât know about.
It didnât seem like a bad idea to help the demigod.
The bracelet must have many more abilities that I didnât know about.
At least, a demigod could tell me about the impact of the bracelet on this world.
âIf I bring Tatiana here, what can you give me?â
The demigod wolf laughed, as if finding my request absurd.
âTo bring Tatiana here, I have to take risks. You canât expect me to do it without any compensation.â
The power of a demigod was a story that didnât exist in the original work.
I, a passionate fan who had seen all the endings of the male protagonists, didnât know about this condition.
If Tatiana was also a reincarnated soul, the power of a demigod could be a trump card.
[Humans are truly shallow beings. Do you not know what will happen if I go berserk?]
âBefore that, if I die while trying to help you, it will be of no use.â
The demigod wolf pondered for a moment and then shook its head.
It seemed to think there was no other way.
âI want the power to protect and assist me. Something that can help me right now.â
My magic power was not enough to protect someone or overcome such a formidable opponent.
The male protagonists who protected Tatiana all had exceptional abilities, making it difficult for me to protect myself, let alone her. Hadnât I almost died just a moment ago?
[Very well. You are a weak human, so I will give you a special helper.]
The wolf that had brought me here poked its head out from behind the demigod.
[Itâs nice to meet you. My name is Fio.]
It seemed the wolf had chosen a smaller one for my sake.
But it was still huge compared to other animals.
The wolfâs ears and tail drooped as if it understood my words.
The demigod wolf slightly frowned and infused Fio with power.
Its body gradually shrank until it was about the size of a puppy.
Of course, it was still a wolf, but it looked small and insignificant.
âItâs too small now.â
[If you prefer, I can return it to its original size.]
âThat would be better.â
Fio, whether angry or sulking, remained silent with its mouth wide open.
[Go. When you get outside, there will be monsters to guide you back to the humans.]
As if in a panic, Fio barked and protested to the demigod wolf but was ignored.
It looked like nothing more than a cute puppy.
Fio, seemingly displeased, clung to me with its mouth tightly shut.
When we stepped outside, two wolves were waiting for me.
They nodded, indicating I should follow them.
The sun had already set. With the wolves' help, I could easily navigate the forest path.
After walking for a while, I began to hear human voices in the distance.
The wolves bowed and turned around, as if their job was done.
I took a deep breath and headed towards the voices.
Fio, who had been quietly in my arms, suddenly started barking.
Startled, I turned around to see a wolf staring at me.
While the other wolves had grayish-blue eyes, this oneâs eyes were red.
âCould it be going berserk?â
I looked around, but the wolves that had brought me here were nowhere to be seen.
Just as Fio, in my arms, leaped up, the giant wolf lunged at me.
At that moment, someone enveloped me in a warm, familiar embrace, a long-lost scent filling the air.