In the village square, the cavalry captain, who had ridden in with his men only a short time before, turned his horse and fought the giant wolf with a broadsword. A single blow drew streaks of blood from the wolf's mouth, but it did not truly injure the beast. Because he had swung the sword one-handed, his strength had not been enough, and the wolf knocked him from his horse. Had he not been experienced enough to roll clear in time, its claws would likely have torn him apart on the spot.
Panting, he leaped out of the giant wolf's attack range. Gripping the broadsword with both hands, he steadied his breathing, his eyes fixed on the wolf five meters away, his expression tense. A few drops of blood fell from his brown-red beard.
The crimson wolf did not rush after him. Instead, it stepped onto the warhorse the captain had ridden, tore open its neck with one bite, then clamped the horse's head into its mouth. The sound of bones cracking echoed from that bloody maw, sending chills of fear through everyone present.
'Hah... hah... hah...' With his chest almost trembling, the captain adjusted his breathing, his steps slowly shifting as he searched for a spot from which to strike.
While he nervously faced the wolf, battles were also breaking out elsewhere in the square. The orange-red Ti wolves that had charged in with the giant wolf bit at anyone they saw and clashed with the people guarding the square.
These Ti wolves varied in strength. Some had only orange fur and were not much stronger than ordinary wild wolves. Others could knock a person down with a single lunge and tear open throats with sharp fangs and claws. Out of fear and respect for their leader, they did not rashly join the confrontation at the very center of the square. Instead, they fought around the bonfire against the other people.
...
Chaos filled the square. Taliel pulled Xilutaiya along as they stumbled and ran toward a stone building in the distance. It was square-shaped and looked like a fort.
'Finally made it.'
Taliel pulled open the half-shut thick wooden door and led Xilutaiya inside, then closed it and dropped the crossbar into place. Only then did she lean against the wall and catch her breath.
Xilutaiya looked around curiously. There was an old wooden table, two chairs, some straw spread on the floor, and a pile of dusty junk in the corner.
Seeing the girl's curiosity, Taliel explained, 'This place is for defense. There's a small opening over there that can be opened to shoot arrows, but I don't have a bow right now, so we won't use it.'
'Is it always this dangerous here? That giant wolf looked very hard to deal with,' Xilutaiya asked.
'No. Usually it's only dangerous near the end of the Rising Wind Season and during the Gale Season. During those times, many beasts gain attributes and become fierce and strong.'
'Rising Wind Season, Gale Season?' Xilutaiya blinked and repeated the two terms.
'You don't even know that?' Taliel thought the girl's expression was a little strange, but she still couldn't help answering. 'Rising Wind Season, Gale Season, Deep Mist Season, Trade Wind Season. These are the Four Great Wind Seasons. Each one lasts more than ten years, and the situation differs from place to place, but overall it's a fifty-four-year cycle.'
As Taliel answered, a familiar feeling surfaced in Xilutaiya's mind. Following it, she said, 'During the Rising Wind Season, all things grow and animals breed in great numbers, so more and stronger beasts are born. That makes the wilderness dangerous. Then, during the Gale Season, the Blazing Sun attribute weakens. Plant growth slows, herbivorous animals decrease, and many beasts grow fiercer from hunger.'
'Mm-hm. So you do know,' Taliel said, finally satisfied with a nod.
'But that's knowledge from books. You've probably rarely gone into the wild. In the first few years of the Gale Season, because the continent sinks and enters the clouds and mist, rainfall becomes especially abundant. Food is still plentiful then, so the beasts actually enjoy a brief period of calm. That's when frogs breed in large numbers.'
'Heh, I know quite a lot, don't I?' Seeing how seriously Xilutaiya listened, Taliel felt very pleased.
'Did you go to school?' Xilutaiya asked, interested.
'No. Reading and writing are too much trouble. But my sister is very studious. She studied in the city before, and sometimes when she comes back she pulls me aside and teaches me what she learned. I got tired of listening, but I still remember some of it.'
'I see.'
'By the way, where are you from? I've never seen anyone as pretty as you. Are nobles all this beautiful? Does not going out in the sun really make your skin white? Can hair turn snow-white too? And how old are you?' Taliel finally couldn't hold back her curiosity and asked a string of questions.
'As for where I'm from, I can't really say now. Some accident happened, and I can't remember some things.' Pressing a finger lightly to her chin, the girl shook her head.
'Nobles probably look a little better because they do less labor and have money to maintain themselves, but that isn't absolute. Not going out in the sun can make one a little fairer, but it can't change skin color. Hair color can't be changed just by avoiding the sun either. As for age, I should be about the same as you.' Her memory was exceptionally good now. Even though Taliel had asked many questions in a row, she could answer each one clearly and in order.
'Wow, is that so?' After hearing Xilutaiya's answer, Taliel felt inexplicably happy. The other girl had actually listened carefully to every word she said and answered patiently. The last time she had felt like this was with her sister. Other adults had always been impatient with her strange and curious questions.
'So are you trying to find the way home now?' Taliel looked the silver-haired girl up and down, trying to guess her origins from the style of her clothes.
'Yes.' But her 'home' would probably require crossing worlds, the girl thought silently.
'Hmm... I think Grandpa Hyde should be able to help you.' She propped her chin and recalled the people she knew.
'Who is he?'
'He's my sister's teacher, a scholar in Burnt Stone City. They say he used to be an advisor to a noble, but he's very old now and lives alone in a small building in the city.'
'Let me tell you, Grandpa Hyde isn't an ordinary teacher. He has certification from the Candle Fortress School and is a scholar with the Brass Book Emblem.'
'Candle Fortress School...' The girl murmured the name. It seemed a little familiar, and a vague, hazy sense of recognition rose within her.
'If I get the chance, I'll visit him.' Right now she urgently needed to learn about every aspect of this world. If she could find a knowledgeable teacher, that would be best of all.
As the two talked, they gradually grew more familiar with each other, until shouts and the sound of something collapsing came from outside, drawing their attention.
Leaning close to the closed little window, Taliel opened the shutter and carefully observed the situation outside. Xilutaiya followed behind her and looked out too.
Burning firelight spread across the square. Many of those who had fought earlier had fallen, but there were even more wolf corpses on the ground. Aside from the crimson giant wolf, only a few scattered Ti wolves were still roaming and fighting. The cavalry captain was now covered in blood, the surcoat across his chest torn to shreds, and the mail beneath split by a long gash. Dark red blood dripped continuously. One arm hung limply, apparently broken, while the other barely managed to grip the sword hilt.
The remaining cavalry and villagers were still holding off the giant wolf. The crimson wolf's body was also stained with blood. One eye was shut, dripping thick black blood, and faint white steam rose from where it touched the ground.
Under normal circumstances, an injured Fang Beast like this should have fled long ago. But influenced by the Blazing Sun attribute, the giant wolf was stubborn and fierce, and its injury had made it even more savage. Judging with what intelligence it possessed, the few battered soldiers before it were extremely weak. A few more attacks, and it could kill them all.
Stimulated by both appetite and the desire to kill, the crimson wolf growled low and slowly moved through the firelight. Even when it occasionally stepped on red-hot coals, it showed no fear. Its strength had indeed declined, but it had become more cunning and more dangerous.
The situation was worrying. If that cavalry captain fell, things would immediately take a turn for the worse. The girl frowned slightly, worry rising in waves.
Unfortunately, at present her only advantage was in appraisal. She had no other abilities. Even if she rushed out, she would be of no help. This made her long for power.
She must find a chance to learn some ability to protect herself, Xilutaiya decided silently.
'Almost there...' Taliel's eyes were fixed intently on the stone platform to the side of the square. She murmured quietly.
'What's almost there?' Xilutaiya did not understand.
'I can't explain it clearly. Look over there. You'll know in a moment.' Taliel pointed outside the square. Several people were climbing onto the stone platform and smearing something on it with lime.
'Done yet?' In the square, the injured cavalry captain shouted again, urgency in his voice.
A few seconds later, a delighted voice rang out in the night. 'Good, it's done!'
To everyone else, nothing seemed to have changed. But in Xilutaiya's eyes, the stone platform was now giving off a transparent, gray-white ripple. And not just that one. There seemed to be other stone platforms in the village as well. The ripples from all six platforms collided with one another, finally converging at the center of the square. A strange force field came into being and spread across the entire village.
[Royalty School · Six-Stone Tower's Protection] (Castle)
'A classic ritual array of the Royalty School. It can suppress the power of attributes other than the Castle attribute within the barrier area, and slightly strengthens abilities of the Castle school.'
As the gray-white ripples spread out, the crimson giant wolf's fur grew several shades darker. In the girl's eyes, its boiling-hot blood cooled considerably, and the aura and pressure radiating from it had eased by about a third.
Turning her gaze to the cavalry captain, she saw that his condition had improved a little. His eyes were firm again, and even his breathing had steadied.
Name: Unknown (Cavalry Captain)
Race: Human (Mortal Body)
Status: Injured (two fractures, three wounds)
Talent:
Tenacity [Good Grade]: Your body is inherently somewhat more tenacious than ordinary people. But do not rely too much on this talent, because it is not strong. Instead, it may cost you your life through carelessness.
Destiny Card: [Iron-Armored Guard (Bestowed)] (first-order - Castle). The gray-stone border is a standard rectangular block. Inside the card stands a soldier in chainmail holding a sword. His figure is upright, his stance proper, and his face bears pride.
'You were enfeoffed by Baron Horin and became a loyal guard under his command, thereby gaining the Castle attribute rank of Iron-Armored Guard.'
Effects:
[Iron Armor Blessing lv.2]: Makes the iron armor you wear stronger in protection and more tenacious, so that ordinary weapons have difficulty piercing it. It can also slightly reduce impact force and spread damage.
Ability Cards:
[Steel-Edge Blade lv.2 (Bestowed)] (Castle): Temporarily grants your weapon the strength of steel and increases its sharpness, allowing it to penetrate weak defensive barriers.
[Breathing Method lv.2] (Blood Law): Regulates the rate of blood flow through breathing, driving and enhancing the strength and reaction speed of the entire body. This ability places a burden on the heart and body and cannot be used for long. (Recommended use: no more than 3 minutes per day.)
After gaining this brief advantage, the cavalry captain immediately began issuing loud commands. He had the remaining villagers and his cavalrymen keep distracting the giant wolf's attention. While these people shot arrows and struck weapons and shields to draw the wolf's eyes, he gripped the broadsword tightly, searching for his moment and constantly moving about. After several such rounds, he suddenly darted forward. The sharp blade thrust straight into the giant wolf's lower jaw, piercing flesh and sinking into its mouth.
The intense pain drove the crimson wolf into frantic leaps and struggles. Its violent strength ruined the captain's plan to finish it off. Perhaps it was only now that the wolf truly felt the threat of death. It no longer fought to the end. Instead, with the broadsword still lodged in its lower jaw, it fled into the darkness.
Blood dripped along its path, but the wolf moved like the wind. In an instant it vanished into the dark, and no one present could match its speed. The only remaining warhorses were either injured or had fled to the edge of the village; they were useless now.
'Damn it!' Spitting out a mouthful of bloody foam, the cavalry captain could only glare hatefully as the giant wolf escaped into the night and disappeared.
With that vicious crimson wolf gone, the remaining Ti wolves sensed that things were going badly and prepared to flee. But their speed was not as great. The captain, with stifled anger pent up in his chest, used the Breathing Method again. His face suddenly flushed crimson, and his steps quickened. He caught up to the Ti wolves, and in moments several bloody wolf heads flew into the air and rolled into the weeds and mud.
'Whoo—' A long breath of hot air escaped his mouth. The captain could no longer hold on. The side effects of the Breathing Method began to take their toll, and a tide of aching soreness surged through his body, nearly making him lose his footing.
'Captain!' A cavalryman quickly supported him and shouted for someone to find a doctor.
'Hurry up and call for help. There are still many injured here. If we can't stop the bleeding in time, many people might die.' The bites of ordinary Ti wolves were not that strong. Unless they clamped onto a throat, they would not kill quickly.
Hearing this, the remaining villagers ran off into the village to call for help.
...
The night was noisy. Many pine-resin torches and temporary braziers were set up in the square. Seeing that the battle was over, villagers who came running began treating the wounded, while some finished off the Ti wolves that were not quite dead yet.
'How many died?' The village chief walked out of his house looking exhausted, his voice heavy as he asked.
'Not sure. At least five or six. Some are still being treated. If they can't survive the night, then...' A sturdy villager answered beside him, his face also grim.
'This Ti Wolf Festival has been unusually dangerous.' The merchant Fandexi, who had been hiding earlier, slowly walked over. Two mercenary guards followed closely at his side. The pair wore full suits of mail, along with helmets and shields; they were the strongest in the caravan.
'Hmph.'
Seeing Fandexi only now show himself, the village chief's expression turned displeased. He knew perfectly well that this man had surely found a safe place far away to hide. If he had thrown all his guards into the defense, the village's losses would have been much smaller.
'Heh heh, Elder Pang De~' Fandexi knew his earlier actions had displeased people, but he truly could not put his own safety second. He could only greet the chief with a smile full of friendliness and try to smooth things over. 'The village has indeed suffered an unexpected loss this time. As an old friend of Linden Village, I should do my part to help. How about this: I'll give you a twenty percent discount on these goods—no, thirty percent!'
He made a pained gesture.
The village chief did not answer. He simply shook his head and turned away to look at the wounded being treated.
'How is Lord Frien doing?' He came before the injured cavalry captain. So this was the man's name: Frien.
'I'm not going to die right now.' Frien grimaced as one of his men wiped at the long gash across his chest. Charred black and bright red flesh churned within it; it was quite frightening to look at.
The chief did not object. He glanced at the wound and nodded slightly. He had been an adventurer in his youth and knew that although the injury looked frightening, it was not too serious.
'That's a relief.' If this capable captain under Baron Horin died here, he would have a real headache. It would be hard to explain to the baron.
'How are the others?' Only then did he have the leisure to observe the other members of the cavalry unit. Many were injured. Although they wore leather or chainmail armor, the battle they had been through was far fiercer than anything the villagers faced, and their casualties were more severe.
'Four died on the way here, and three more have died now. Several others are unconscious. It's hard to say what will happen to them.' Frien shook his head, his mood low.
Many of these men had been trained by him personally. They were like sons and nephews to him, so of course he was grieved.
Just as the two were discussing how to handle the aftermath, two figures crossed through the firelight of the square and approached.
'Grandpa, Miss Tiya says she can help.' Taliel brought Xilutaiya over, her eyes occasionally drifting to the wolf corpses on the ground. There was some fear in them, but also some excitement.
Thus Xilutaiya came before the village chief once more. The appearance of the silver-haired girl also drew a look of surprise from Frien. He had no idea the village was hiding such a person.
After a brief introduction, he learned the girl's situation. There was no time for a detailed conversation now. He could only hope this girl could come up with a way to save his men.
'I know a few methods for cleaning wounds, and I can stitch up simpler ones.' As a child, she had learned a little needlework from her grandmother, and in university she had also received some training in first aid. Perhaps such things were quite common on Earth, but the villagers' methods of treatment were too crude. She had found it hard to watch, which was why she had offered to help.
This would also help build some goodwill. After all, she would need to ask the locals for many favors later. Having made up her mind, she had come over with Taliel.
The village chief and Frien were half doubtful about the girl's words, but they still let her try. The process that followed proved that her methods were indeed effective, and the two relaxed.
...
Standing beside the boiling hot water, Xilutaiya nimbly cleaned the dirty blood and mud from wounds, straightened some fractured and displaced bones, then carefully bandaged them and secured them with wooden splints. Taliel stood beside her assisting, holding down the injured or steadying the splints.
Their cooperation went from awkward at first to increasingly skilled. Working in an orderly fashion, they remained busy until late at night, when the treatment was finally complete.
Xilutaiya washed her fingers in warm clean water and shook them dry. Only then did she have a moment to spare to carefully wipe the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.
'Don't. You shouldn't wipe sweat with clothes like that. Use this.' Taliel handed her a clean cloth.
'Thank you.' Xilutaiya wiped her face and set the cloth down, then suddenly thought of something.
'Cloth should be fairly valuable, right?' She had seen that most villagers wore linen, while only a few wore wool sweaters.
'It's rather expensive. My sister brought it back from the city for me before,' Taliel answered.
'But it's worth it just to wipe your sweat.' She looked carefully at the girl's face again in the lamplight.
'No matter how I look at it, you're beautiful. I don't think even the prettiest girl in Burnt Stone City could compare to you.' She took back the cloth Xilutaiya returned and carefully tucked it into an inner pocket of her clothes.
Miss Tiya was rather charming while she worked, too. That focused, earnest look could even make someone as playful as her fall quiet.
The two rested by the lamp for a while. Later, one of the village women brought them something to eat.
'Eat quickly. I just baked these pies. I really wore the two of you out tonight.' She affectionately touched Taliel's brown-red hair, then looked toward the silver-haired girl sitting in the firelight.
'What a beautiful person...' She let out the same sigh Taliel had made.
'You two should rest early. You've been busy for so long. I'm going to bring some food to the others.'
After she left, this night in Linden Village was destined to leave many people sleepless.
Chapter 3