Chapter 66
“Honestly, change your position and think about it. What would you have thought of first? You’re just going to kill me in that situation?”
“Uhn.”
“Hey, you may not care a d.a.m.n thing about that, but I feel uncomfortable! We’re all normal, we feel uncomfortable!”
“That’s right! That’s right!”
Boom.
The sound of thunder outside an empty pub sounded really loud. I wondered how he found out I was here, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask.
So with Andymion, I bowed my head and pretended to nibble on chocolate. It was so sweet.
“So you secretly made things up behind my back?”
“Hey, it’s…”
“Tempting my naive wife outwith chocolate?”
I quickly pulled my hand out of my chocolate pocket and started touching the bracelet on my wrist instead.
Izek, who hadn’t been raising his voice at all since earlier, looked even more terrifying.
The scene of his iron-fist clenching and unclenching was truly eerie. It was not long before a thud sounded.
“Argh! Why, why me……”
“Stop eating.”
“A-Agh, fine.”
Andymion, who was beaten for no reason while eating chocolate without noticing, appeared very upset.
Everyone looked very upset. In particular, Sir Camu had a sulky look.
“Hey, don’t you honestly think that’s too much? In a nutsh.e.l.l, we……”
“W-Wait a minute!”
Somehow, I felt like the atmosphere would only get worse, so I shouted without realizing it.
The shout drew four angry pairs of eyes to me in unison.
Help me, ahh.
I coughed as my mouth grew dry, and looked at Izek.
Always lovely to see those blood-red eyes burning like h.e.l.lfire.
“Iz, smile. Like this….”
“…….”
“Don’t be angry. I just wanted to be of some help to you.”
Once I opened my mouth, I could hear words pouring out, ones that I didn’t even think of.
Of course, this was followed by a low roar straight away, making me suffocated.
“Didn’t I tell you not to go out without contacting me? You can’t be sure that all of them are good just because you spend some time together, and you don’t even know what exactly they want from you. So what if they just came to you for help? Do you think these guys have a lot of experience fighting frost wolves?”
“Is he looking down on the elites? Hey, I even had a confrontation with the Frost dragon. What’s the big deal?”
“Why don’t you close your mouth? At least the lizard cub didn’t shamelessly throw rotten feet at my wife. You shameless b*stards.”
My sshameless dragon cub gave me a big, beautiful jewel instead of a severed foot. Oh G.o.d, this situation wasn’t going anywhere.
“I remember everything you said. But I was sorry that I’ve only caused inconvenience to the people here. I thought it would be nice if I could at least lend a little bit of help….”
“Who’s saying such nonsense? That you’re an inconvenience…?”
No, why are you so focused on that again, you jerk!
I had an urge to slap my husband’s big back, whose mind constantly went in the wrong way, but I held it in.
“I didn’t mean to say that, but everyone had a hard time looking for me for a few days and it could have been dangerous. I wanted to be of any help. I’ve never done my duty right here, and I’ve always been in trouble, so I thought I could be of some use to you. I’d be more……”
I was out of breath because I spat out words as fast as I could.
The atmosphere was a bit strange when I was looking for the next thing to say while catching my breath.
A strange sense of doubt rose.
The faces of those standing around an old pub table and staring blankly at me were exactly the same as they were when I appeared on my husband’s birthday the other day.
I wondered if I had another nosebleed.
“W-w-why are you all so……”
As I was about to ask if they were staring at me, Izek, who looked at me with a weirdly complex look, angry or s.p.a.cing out, finally turned his head and headed out with his shameless colleagues.
“So, is this the owner of the foot?”
The owner of the severed foot in question was a drooping wolf with a muzzle that emitted an unidentified blue light.
At first, I thought the wolf was dead, but its stomach, covered in gray fur, was going up and down weakly.
“We-We went to collect frost mushrooms to treat it. We found it trapped in a net by poachers….”
“Look at the wolf’s condition. Treat it? If you really wanted to, you should’ve thrown it some frost mushrooms and let it go. Why did you go to collect it in the first place? Do you have any other monsters in your house?”
“Oh, no, no! How can you say that, we’re just trying to set a trap for the gnomes….”
“And what about that muzzle, holy and baptized? Do we look like idiots? Where did you get all those? Didn’t you buy them at a premium sale on the black market? Do you think we’ve never met a bunch of poachers? Do blacksmiths run these on the side these days? Is it hard to make ends meet? Do you really want to make it hard for me to live?”
The other day, the equipment that poachers encountered in the cave had been the same, and I had heard about the issue of holy artifacts being sold in the black market.
The newly joined priests and paladins earn money by selling them on the black market.
What should one do in a world where it was strictly illegal to sell holy materials, but the pope is already disgusting enough to have children openly?
Romagna, the main distribution site itself, had developed a huge international black market, so it would be impossible for the northern part to not be a part of this problem.
While Sir Ivan, like blood-covered flowers, worked his sword in the quiet blacksmith’s shop, the rest carried the giant frost wolf outside.
I sat on the frozen fence and watched in a relaxed manner, as if I was really watching my husband work.
“Andy, are you here to play?”
Andymion, who was sitting with me and just looking around, heard his name being called.
Sir Galar had called him, but Andymion did not take his words lightly.
“Unlike my shameless brother, I have a duty as Lord Izek’s servant to guard him.”
Sir Galar looked at Izek instead of answering back.
Izek, who was shaking his hand after putting the frost wolf on the floor, looked around and raised his eyebrows.
Andymion quickly jumped off the fence.
“Even if I can help you……”
“What do we do now? Should we just bring the wolf to them?”
The feisty Sir Camu scratched his chin in confusion. There were low growls coming from the banks of the river.
“I can’t believe these guys chased us all the way here. Were the frost wolves originally such kind of monsters?”
“I don’t think this is a simple monster. This is a female. Her size is not the same as a normal pack member.”
As Sir Galar pointed out, the frost wolf, whose left front leg was tied with a dirty cloth around the cut area, looked about the same size as the leader of the pack we saw earlier.
Were they an alpha couple?
Everyone probably thought the same as me.
Just as the chaotic atmosphere began to subside ominously, Sir Ivan stormed out the door.
“F*ck, I’m going to arrest every b*stard…… Hey, why are you guys s.p.a.cing out all of a sudden? Why don’t you take it back? What’s wrong?”
No one answered back, we were all looking over the fog to the banks of the river.
So, Sir Ivan swerved his gaze towards the still Andymion.
Andymion was startled.
“What’s wrong with you all?”
“Well, according to my brother, this poor wolf is a female, and she doesn’t even seem to be a regular pack member.”
“What’s that? Then, what’s that over there…… Oh, d.a.m.n, I got it. Well, just bring her back like this, and they’ll probably walk away.”
The rain was already stopping.
I sneaked down from the fence and crept up to the poor monster lying on the floor.
With my move, all eyes fell on the top of my head at once, but I didn’t mind them and squatted down.
“Hey……”
Her closed eyelids slowly opened over the huge snout tied to a rugged muzzle.
Dark red eyes, shaped like jewels, stared at me with a painful look.
I thought of Popo and Griffin in vain. They should have recovered well after that.
“Her eyes are still fine……”
“That’s a relief. It’s a relief we pulled her out when she was still breathing.”
“Why didn’t he pick them out right away?”
“He was going to, but I guess he was scared to see them swarm in.” Izek, who muttered sarcastically, sat down on one knee beside me.
I thought he might just kill her, but he just untied the cloth wrapped around the front legs of the troubled monster.
“Grruu……”
The wolf trembled with a feeble groan. Her severed leg shook and soon began to tap on my foot.
Rather than threatening, she looked as if she was asking for something.
“Can’t you do anything about her feet? Maybe you could treat her if she’s been cut by a trap.”
I was just asking just in case, but my husband suddenly bowed his head.
Then came a breathless laughter above my head.
I was puzzled. No, what was this? He probably has multiple personalities. Why was he laughing all of a sudden?
Andymion kindly explained to me, who was puzzled, covering his mouth with his hands.
“Madam, they’re not just wolves, they’re monsters. So there’s nothing to worry about. If they go back to the cave and pick up some frost mushrooms, their legs will grow back soon.”
Oh, really? Well, I didn’t know that. Why are you laughing at me? I became confused for no reason.
“Then, we don’t have to worry about them being angry. But what’s a frost mushroom?”
“What you threw on my face then.”
I closed my mouth at the sound of Izek’s dry reply. Wasn’t it time to forget that?
“Anyway, you’re still an innocent princess.”
My cold-hearted husband then smirked at what was so funny and pushed my head away with his palm. Did he want to see her?
“But she doesn’t like her legs like this….”
“Did she tell you?”
“No, no. It’s not that, but I don’t think she wants to show her injured parts. I guess she doesn’t like it this way.”
The cloth that was originally wrapped around her legs was too dirty.
Izek had a strange look for a moment and turned his head when he saw her legs alternately.
“Andymion, give me my cape.”
I didn’t have time to wonder what he was doing.
Whether the alpha wolf smelled her or not, the growling sound from the river bank turned into an angry howling.
“Izek?”
“I’ll take her there, and you take care of the wound.”
Izek, who had a precious Paladin cape tied firmly on the monster’s front legs, lifted the drooping frost wolf up in his arms.
I couldn’t tell who the monster was and who the ordinary being was.
Suddenly, I felt worried.
Wouldn’t it be too much for a group of disorganized frost wolves to come at him?
“Will you be alright? They’re so angry, what if they suddenly come at you?”
“…are you worried about me?”
“O-Of course you’re very strong, but you are……”
My crooked husband seemed to think that I underestimated the power of the best knight in the north.
Otherwise, there’s no way he would stop and stare at me like that.
Sir Ivan suddenly slapped Izek on the shoulder.
“What day is it today? This guy and that guy, all are going crazy. My lady, don’t worry. This is the one who played with dragons alone during his trainee days. Rather, we have to worry about the frost wolf.”
“But… then I’ll come with you.”
“What? That’s…”
“No.”
Sure enough. I faltered while rolling up my sleeves resolutely, due to his straight refusal.
“But I..”
“No, you’ll be waiting with Andymion.”
“But what if they attack you all of a sudden, and you can’t even communicate? What am I supposed to do if you die like this?”
“Oh, who’s going to die? If you…”
“Grrrrrr.”
I didn’t spit out the growl, of course.
The sound was made by the frost wolf, who was drooping like a cotton doll on Izek’s arm.
I didn’t know what suddenly happened, but I didn’t miss this opportunity and quickly approached to pat the wolf’s thighs.
“Shhh, it’s okay. You’re going back home, it’s okay.”
“There there… Yes, yes… Quieten down…….”
I turned my head and looked triumphantly at the dazed knights.
Izek kept a straight expression even with his mouth half open.
“But you can’t.”
“But what if you die…!”
“No, who the h.e.l.l would die……”
“You just saw it, I have to come with you! I’ll be there for you!”
And no one opened their mouths anymore.
While Izek strode along with his long legs, I grabbed the wolf’s tail from the side and followed him.
What a bad picture.
Technically speaking, the main character, with his buff, was never going to die of a frost wolf.
To be honest, I think I was more worried about the frost wolf side.
The closer we got, the sound of howling that served as a horn, was slowly dying down.
After pa.s.sing the foggy mist and reaching the river bank, a swarm of frost wolves with glowing eyes just like the previous scene, appeared.
“Grrrrrrrrrr….”
As soon as the leader wolf saw us, he lowered his head and gave a warning growl.
I felt a shudder run down my spine.
As a human being like the poachers, I felt that I should kneel down and apologize.
Of course, Izek wouldn’t have such a warm sentiment.
A cold glare came on as he stared at the bunch of monsters gathered.
* * *