Gulp.
Ludger unconsciously swallowed.
For someone as composed as he usually was, his instinctive reaction showed just how shocking the human-trafficking knight’s words were.
Objectively speaking, he could understand it.
Grander’s outward appearance was that of a girl barely in her early teens.
She was doll-like and beautiful, dressed in clothes that perfectly matched that fragile image.
Even if one met her deep in the forest, it would be natural to feel puzzled rather than wary.
But sometimes, ordinary logic simply didn’t apply.
And this was one of those times.
—Hehe.
A laugh slipped from Grander’s lips.
The sound made every hair on Ludger’s body stand on end.
Ah. That man was done for.
The instant he saw Grander’s crimson eyes curve like crescent moons, Ludger could only pray for the fat knight’s soul.
—Boy, take that child and leave this place. What I’m about to show you is still too early for your eyes.
—...Understood.
With Freuden slung over his shoulder, Ludger quickly withdrew and took Rine with him.
—O-Oppa?
—We have to get out of here.
—Why?
—I’ll explain later.
Despite her young age, Rine didn’t whine or argue—she obediently followed.
Just as Ludger reached the edge of the forest—
Boom!
A massive wave erupted from the forest’s center, followed by a towering crimson pillar.
The blood-colored light made Ludger’s expression freeze.
Rine turned as if to look, but Ludger covered her eyes with one hand.
—Can’t see.
—It’s nothing. Don’t look.
When the crimson pillar faded, an eerie stillness fell over the forest.
Ludger stood silently, gazing back into the darkened trees.
Though it was still broad daylight, the coniferous forest was shadowed and dim.
From that darkness, a pair of red eyes emerged.
Grander walked out slowly.
—Is it over?
—The others nearby have been dealt with as well.
It was the abduction of the heir to one of the Empire’s three great ducal houses—the Ulburk family.
Naturally, the knight hadn’t been acting alone.
Their network spread across the whole forest. Yet Grander said she had taken care of them all in mere moments.
If someone asked whether that was possible, Ludger would have answered yes.
Impossible for others, perhaps—but not for Grander.
And when Grander said she had taken care of them all, that meant no bodies remained.
They had become mere blood—now inside her.
—Ugh, drinking such tasteless blood after so long... leaves me in a foul mood.
Grander crooked her finger at Ludger.
Knowing exactly what that meant, Ludger sighed and laid the unconscious Freuden down on the ground.
—Rine. Watch over this brat for a moment.
—Okay!
—And cover your eyes, understand?
—Okay!
—Count to sixty before you look.
Obedient as ever, Rine did as he said.
The only rule she failed to follow was keeping her counting silent.
—Fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty! All done!
When she opened her eyes, she saw Ludger fixing his shirt sleeve while Grander smiled in satisfaction.
—Oppa, your face is pale.
—Guess I’ll have to eat some meat tonight.
Shaking his head, Ludger hoisted Freuden back over his shoulder.
—Who’s that kid, anyway?
Grander, curious, followed alongside him.
—No idea. Looks like a noble kid who got kidnapped. Judging by his clothes and his attitude, he must come from quite a wealthy house.
—Hmm. A noble’s child kidnapped in a place like this—how amusing. Well, whatever. We’ll take care of him.
—Not we, ma’am. We need to tell Rine’s mother about it.
—Same thing.
Arrogant as ever—but that was just how Grander was, and Ludger didn’t bother arguing.
—By the way, you’ve been out a lot lately, Master. Seeing you back means your business is done?
—Not yet.
—Not yet? That’s unusual for you.
—What, trying to butter up your teacher? Sorry, but this vampire of yours isn’t omnipotent. There are things even I can’t do.
—You mean like cleaning or tidying up the house?
—That’s something unnecessary, isn’t it? I already have a diligent child who does it for me.
—My convenience clearly doesn’t factor into your plans.
Freuden woke about three hours later.
—How dare you lay hands on me!
The moment he opened his eyes, he remembered Ludger hitting him and began thrashing about.
Ludger looked down at him and clenched his fist again.
The brat still hadn’t learned. He’d have to fix that.
Maybe Freuden sensed it, because his mouth snapped shut at once.
—Quick on the uptake. Good.
Ludger relaxed his fist.
Freuden glared at him sulkily, then puffed out his cheeks and spoke.
—Contact my family. I am Freuden Ulburk, heir to the Ulburk Ducal House. If you escort me safely back, you will be richly rewarded.
He wasn’t as brazen as before, but his arrogance was still clear.
Still, considering the name he bore, it wasn’t empty talk.
The problem was that no one here had the slightest reaction to the great Ulburk name.
—What a funny name!
Rine laughed brightly.
Freuden stared, dumbfounded.
—F-Funny? The Ulburk family with its centuries of history and prestige?
—Yeah! It’s funny!
—You mean you’ve never heard of it?!
—Hmm? Never before!
Rine, who lived quietly with her mother, had never heard of such noble families.
But Freuden was so shocked by that fact he could hardly close his mouth.
—Anyway, want some?
Rine offered him a plate.
It was food left over from dinner earlier.
Freuden had missed the meal while unconscious, so she had brought him some herself.
—Why should I eat this kind of food!
He almost said he wouldn’t touch anything not made by a famous chef—but stopped.
Growl.
Come to think of it, since being kidnapped, he hadn’t eaten anything but water.
When the kidnappers had tried to feed him, it was mashed potatoes with salt—made by their filthy hands. He’d refused, of course.
Compared to that miserable slop, the meat on Rine’s plate looked downright tempting.
Normally he would have turned up his nose, but hunger left him no pride.
—...Well, I suppose accepting something like this is a noble’s duty.
—Oh my.
Rine’s mother smiled warmly at the sight of him.
For a girl of her age, Rine’s oddly mature charm only made her cuter.
—Hm? What’s this flavor? Who cooked this dish? They should be brought into our household immediately as our chef!
After taking a bite of meat, Freuden’s eyes sparkled as he heaped on the praise.
Rine giggled at his reaction.
—That’s great! Oppa, he said the meat’s delicious!
—What?
Freuden looked at Ludger with a face that said, No way.
Ludger glanced back at him, then let out a quiet snort and curled one corner of his mouth.
That alone was enough to tell who had made the food.
—Grrr...
Freuden clenched his fist in frustration, yet couldn’t stop eating.
No matter how proud and arrogant a noble he was, it was hard for a hungry child to resist a hot plate of meat.
—This humiliation... I’ll repay it someday.
—Sure. You’d better start practicing your cooking first, then.
In that moment, Freuden made a resolution.
He would create food so delicious that he could crush that insolent man’s arrogance with it.
But for now, he had no means to do that—so he swallowed his anger and turned his attention elsewhere.
—Hey, you. What’s your name?
—Hm? Me? I’m Rine. Hehe. What about you?
—Hey! Don’t talk so casually! How old are you?
—Me? Seven!
—I’m eight! I’m older, so you should speak politely to me.
—Wow! I got another oppa!
Rine jumped up and down in excitement for reasons only she understood.
Freuden watched her with an unreadable look.
Born into House Ulburk, Freuden had never truly seen people as people.
No—perhaps it was more accurate to say he couldn’t.
Everyone who approached the heir of Ulburk did so with obvious motives.
Either they were schemers trying to curry favor in hopes of gaining a position someday—
or they were those consumed by jealousy and spite, looking for a chance to drag him down.
Freuden had been clever enough to sense those intentions from a young age.
So he had always acted arrogantly.
Because the smiling masks of others would crack easily in the face of a haughty child.
He enjoyed exposing those masks—and so he maintained that attitude deliberately.
But Rine was different.
The world Freuden had grown up in was entirely gray—
a lifeless blend of black and white, stripped of warmth and color.
And within that monochrome world, he met a girl who shone like a vivid flower petal.
Pure, untainted, and sincere to the core—Rine showed no hidden intent.
Freuden felt as though he were under a spell.
—Let’s play together!
Perhaps that was why, when Rine grabbed his hand that night and dragged him out to watch something, he couldn’t refuse.
He didn’t even notice Ludger getting up with a resigned sigh to follow after them.
That night, Rine, Freuden, and Ludger headed to a small pond in the nearby forest.
There, Freuden saw the dazzling glow of lights dancing in the darkness.
—Look! Isn’t it pretty? Hehe.
Fireflies fluttered through the air, illuminating the woods in soft light.
Their glow reflected off the pond, mixing with the starlight from above.
In the moonlight pouring down between the trees, Rine’s laughing face shone—radiant and almost holy in his eyes.
Thump.
He was just a naive child—
or perhaps, a boy forced to act mature precisely because he was too smart for his age.
That night, for the first time, he came to know the feeling called love.
* * *
The wolf ran.
It pounded across the earth, rode the wind—faster than any train.
‘Ah.’
Freuden opened his eyes.
It had been a long time since he’d dreamed of the past.
‘To remember something from nearly ten years ago so vividly...’
Fully awake, Freuden lifted his head and realized he was riding on the back of a wolf.
‘Ah, right.’
He was still traveling, astride the great wolf.
The Wolf Spirit King—calling it extraordinary would be an understatement.
Even though Freuden had fallen into a deep sleep on its back, he hadn’t felt the slightest discomfort.
At such speed, he should have been battered by the wind or sick to his stomach—but he wasn’t.
Warm. Gentle.
He could have released his grip and spread his arms wide without feeling a single tremor.
It was as if his body had merged with the wind itself.
Tap-tap!
The enormous wolf sprinted at impossible speed, yet no one so much as glanced their way.
A passing woman, a farmer harvesting wheat, a driver steering his carriage—
they simply closed their eyes, savoring the breeze as it brushed past.
‘This is the spirit that has protected our family for generations.’
The sacred wolf said to dwell only in the forest bordering House Ulburk’s lands.
Now it was carrying him swiftly toward some unknown destination.
‘But where exactly are we going?’
Freuden wasn’t sure if the wolf even knew the location he sought.
Still, seeing how its stride never faltered, there must have been something waiting ahead.
The wolf ran as if crossing the entire continent—
and finally stopped when the horizon beyond the cliff revealed the sea.
“The ocean?”
They stood atop a coastal cliff.
The crashing waves below told him they had reached the edge of the continent.
The wolf raised its head, sniffed the air, and stared toward the distant horizon.
“Don’t tell me... Rine’s beyond that?”
The wolf nodded.
Freuden’s face hardened.
If she were somewhere on the same continent, he could have found her eventually—
but across the sea?
“Thank you for bringing me this far. You should return now.”
Still, he couldn’t give up.
He planned to find a ship in the nearest town or city.
But when he thanked the wolf and moved to dismount, it snorted in amusement—
as if refusing his request.
“What’s wrong?”
Just then, the wolf’s body flared with magical energy.
And before Freuden ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) could react, it leapt straight off the cliff.
In an instant, he felt his body lift weightlessly, the waves rushing up to meet him.
“Wai—!”
Before he could finish, the wolf’s paws struck the waves—
and instead of sinking, it raced effortlessly across the surface.
Looking closely, its feet weren’t touching the water, but the air just above it.
“...Incredible.”
He hadn’t expected it to run on the sea itself.
But that meant they would reach their destination much faster.
“All right. Forgive me for imposing, but please—let’s go.”
At his words, the wolf let out a thunderous howl and sprinted across the ocean.
Behind it, storms rose in its wake, towering columns of water spiraling skyward as it ran.