Night fell, the campfire flickered, and the team members rested around it.
Layla and Sylvia, drained of Mana and exhausted both physically and mentally, had long since fallen into a deep sleep.
Haus and Pierce sat facing each other in silence, keeping watch.
Hanging from a crooked tree a short distance away was the corpse of the hawk demon, which Haus had strung up.
“Haus, does this little one think you’re its mother?” Pierce’s gaze fell on Haus’s shoulder, watching the fledgling bird bury its head in a piece of dried meat.
He lowered his voice and teased lightly.
Hearing Pierce’s playful remark, Haus smiled and shook his head.
The flickering campfire cast light around them as Haus pinched a small piece of dried meat and patiently fed it to the fledgling on his shoulder.
[Affection +2] The dried meat Haus fed it was brought and shared by Pierce.
Miss Slime had tasted it, and no issues arose.
So Haus fed it to the fledgling to increase its affection.
He continued munching on rice cakes.
“Haus,” Pierce suddenly looked at Haus’s chest, “your class is actually a Druid, isn’t it?” During their time together, he had already discovered Lilim’s presence.
Observing the intimate bond between Haus and Lilim, along with Haus’s exceptionally cautious behavior, Pierce had gradually formed a suspicion.
Haus likely hadn’t fully lowered his guard or been completely honest with them, which was why he hadn’t truly revealed his class.
Of course, this was understandable.
For anyone in an unfamiliar adventuring party, holding back was only natural.
Just like him and Layla, the two of them had also concealed their identities.
Pierce and Layla were not from Windchime Town; they came from elsewhere.
One was the grandson of a certain lord, while the other was the beloved daughter of a baron.
Unwilling to follow the predetermined path of inheriting their titles and being trapped in a monotonous life, Pierce and Layla yearned for the freedom of adventure.
In pursuit of this, they left their hometown together, quietly made their way to Windchime Town, and met Sylvia.
Not long after their acquaintance, the three formed this temporary adventuring party and encountered Haus, who approached them in the Adventurers’ Guild hall.
After hearing Pierce’s confession, Haus couldn’t help but pause slightly, a look of mild surprise appearing on his face.
Pierce’s initial recklessness and straightforwardness, combined with Layla’s often delicate and frail demeanor, had kept Haus from delving too deeply into their backgrounds.
He had only been thinking about how to safely conclude this adventure.
Now, with Pierce’s voluntary confession, some minor details and inconsistencies finally clicked into place for Haus.
“No wonder Layla looks so delicate…
so elegant.
So that’s how it is.” No wonder she got so tired after just a few steps.
And why she insisted on taking a carriage for an adventure.
Now it all makes sense!
Hearing Haus’s sarcastic remark, Pierce felt quite surprised.
Pierce had expected Haus to be shocked, reserved, or even show some reverence toward nobility.
But from start to finish, aside from a brief moment of surprise upon learning the truth, Haus remained calm and composed, showing no signs of flattery or restraint.
It was as if his identity as the grandson of a lord and his distinguished noble background meant nothing in Haus’s eyes.
“Aren’t you surprised?” Pierce asked instinctively.
Haus nodded and replied matter-of-factly: “I am surprised.
What about it?” How could one not be surprised to learn that their adventure companion was the future lord!
But a moment of surprise was enough.
One couldn’t just keep staring wide-eyed at the two of them!
“…” “…” The crackling of flames burning wood continuously broke the silence of the night.
Pierce fell silent.
He saw no trace of reverence for nobility in Haus’s eyes.
Is this what adventurers are like?
Completely different from the guards around his father.
A moment later.
After feeding the fledgling and seeing its affection stop increasing, Haus lay down and fell into a deep sleep.
This time, Pierce took the first watch, while Haus took the more dangerous second watch.
However, before sleeping, Haus answered the question Pierce had asked earlier.
Whether he was a Druid or not.
“Maybe.” Haus wasn’t sure about his own career path, as the original owner had never undergone a profession inspection.
According to the manual, someone like him, who contracted a monster and shared its abilities, was relatively close to a Druid.
…
Haus suddenly opened his eyes.
At that moment, the fledgling nestled on his chest was emitting sharp, high-pitched cries, piercing and urgent.
The abrupt sound shattered the camp’s silence, waking the sleeping Layla and Sylvia one after another.
Pierce, who had been drowsy and relaxed, instantly tensed up, his eyes wide open as he snapped awake.
“Haus…” Pierce wanted to say something, but Haus raised a hand to stop him.
Haus quickly stood up, drew his longsword, and scanned the dark forest around them with a vigilant gaze.
In the distance, under the crooked tree where the magic falcon was hanging, pairs of emerald-green eyes were fixed on Haus and the others.
Though he couldn’t make out what they were, they were certainly not friendly.
Otherwise, the fledgling wouldn’t be frantically emitting alarm-like cries while staring warily in that direction.
“How are you two feeling?” Haus asked without turning around, addressing Layla and Sylvia behind him.
“I’m fine.” Sylvia was the first to respond.
With her elven bloodline, her recovery ability in nature was stronger than that of an ordinary person.
Beside her, Layla, looking somewhat tired, indicated that she had also recovered enough to fight.
After confirming the team’s condition, Haus felt relieved.
If a fight broke out, he might not be able to look after both of them.
The pair of green eyes in the distance didn’t approach or make any sound, simply staring silently at Haus and the others.
The night was too dark, and unable to see what the creatures were, Haus and the others refrained from acting rashly.
The two sides remained in a standoff.
Until…
“Awooo~!” The cold moonlight pierced through the forest shadows as a low wolf howl suddenly rose from among the pairs of emerald-green beastly eyes.
Beneath the moonlight, Haus and the others finally saw their opponents clearly.
It was a pack of gray wolves, seven in total.
Leading them was an enormous gray wolf with a scar over its eye, measuring roughly three meters in length and nearly one point four meters at the shoulder, undoubtedly the pack leader.
The remaining six subordinate wolves were also powerfully built.
Though not as large as the leader, each was about two meters long and one meter tall.
Their presence was fierce and savage.
Haus’s gaze lowered, focusing on the wolf leader’s paws.
At some point, the magic falcon corpse that had been hanging from the crooked tree was now pinned beneath its massive claws.
The reattached head had already separated from the body and rolled to the side.
For a moment, the scene was chilling and oppressive.
Both sides maintained their standoff.
It wasn’t until the moon was obscured once more and the campfire’s glow at their feet dimmed that the pairs of eyes suddenly moved.
They were approaching!