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Chapter 29. Shadow Wolves
Cliff recalled the time when he had first arrived in the territory.
The report Nigel had given him.
‘A giant snake in the southern lake, a giant in the eastern mountains, and Shadow Wolves in the western mountains, was it?’
Nuisances inhabiting a territory that already had few advantages.
The Serpent was impossible to hunt.
Ĕ.ñum̌ ä .і ḋ
The Cyclops yielded little even if one went through the trouble of killing it.
And even if Shadow Wolves were hunted, nothing came out of it.
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Because of that, he had thought the territory’s environment was truly the worst.
Cliff looked at Nigel and asked,
“Do Shadow Wolves ever come down from the mountains?”
“It does not happen often. However, as you know, Acting Lord, the western mountains also do not have many prey suitable for Shadow Wolves…”
Е́nu mа̃.і̀ d̆
Cliff’s expression hardened.
“Do they eat people?”
Perhaps later, but for now, even if they attacked villages, there were no livestock.
There were a few geese now, but that was recent.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Before that, there had been none at all. If so, what would hungry wolves choose to eat?
‘I seem to recall reading that they do not eat people…’
Ё n ú m̆а̀
But Shadow Wolves were a rare species with a very small population to begin with.
Even if this territory was one of their habitats, across the continent, including here, their habitats could be counted on one hand.
That meant proper research on them was unlikely to have been conducted.
‘So was that information wrong?’
Above all, there were stories of humans who, when starving, even ate their own children.
Even if they were half-spirits, it was hard to believe that Shadow Wolves, being wolves, would never eat people.
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“To my knowledge, there have been cases where they injured people, but there has never been a case of them eating anyone.”
At least from Nigel’s report, the knowledge from books was not entirely wrong.
That did not mean the threat was gone.
“…So they do harm people?”
“Yes.”
Nigel’s face darkened.
Е̂ n uḿ а . іd̂
“Usually, it happens when someone enters the mountains and is bitten or torn apart by a wolf. But even when wolves come down from the mountains like this… there have always been reports claiming it was the wolves’ doing.”
“Then how was it handled at the time?”
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Children learn by watching adults.
From the standpoint of a successor, Cliff was curious about how his predecessor had responded. But Nigel’s answer was disappointing to the point of angering him.
“…There was no response.”
“Huh?”
Еňu̇ m̄а̄
At first, he thought he had misheard.
“The lord simply let the wolves return to the mountains. Since they were not coming down to eat people to begin with, they were not a species that deliberately hunted humans. He merely prohibited entry into the western mountains.”
It was a response he had never even considered.
Yet it might have been wise.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
‘…Considering the state of the territory before I arrived, subjugating the wolves would have been impossible.’
Moreover, Shadow Wolves lived in packs.
Wе̂bnо̆v е́_l Ē ǹ u̇m̈ a
One or two might be manageable, but once a pack exceeded ten, the Elimis Territory would have struggled to deal with them.
‘And they are intelligent.’
If provoked carelessly, they would even seek revenge.
No matter the situation, if they had been sighted below the mountains, a response was necessary.
“Prepare a few soldiers familiar with the terrain. And call Theobald, the beastfolk, and Leticia as well.”
“A-are you thinking of hunting the wolves?”
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“That remains to be seen. I simply want to investigate. From a lord’s perspective, doing something is better for reassuring the people than doing nothing when wolves appear.”
What Cliff said was reasonable.
He glanced at Nigel’s expression.
The old man’s face had stiffened considerably at this new crisis facing the territory.
“Relax your expression, old man. You already look scary enough as it is.”
“Acting Lord…”
Ӗn u ṁ а . i d̈
Rather than relaxing, Nigel frowned even more at the joke.
But there was a saying.
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One cannot spit at a smiling face. Cliff deliberately tugged the corners of his mouth upward in an exaggerated manner before Nigel.
Snrk.
Seeing that, Nigel finally let out a quiet, defeated chuckle.
‘Well, the Acting Lord does have a point. Frowning here will not solve anything…’
Е̊ň ŭ m а.іd̊
Cliff said,
“Nigel, stay here and pray to the gods.”
“That there will be no casualties, you mean?”
“Tsk, tsk. Old man. Would that not be disappointing? They are shadows that yield no hide or meat even if hunted. This is the perfect chance to capture them and have them pull our territory’s carts.”
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Nigel was horrified by Cliff’s words.
“Acting Lord! They are ferocious beasts with demonic traits! They are not dogs or cattle that can be tamed!”
W е̃b ṅ о̀ v̇ е̄l Е̌ ňŭ ḿă
Cliff thought the same.
But no matter how he thought about it, it felt wasteful.
“Old man, there is not a single line in the holy texts that says Shadow Wolves cannot be tamed.”
In fact, even on Earth, wolves were considered untamable.
They might live alongside humans for a time, but they were beasts whose dangerous instincts could awaken at any moment.
‘That is true. But…’
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Cliff recalled the Snow Bear already living in his territory.
Of course, that one was not a bear made of flesh, but a being formed from gathered snow.
‘By that logic, are those not just shadows as well?’
***
Spirit beasts.
That was the term for spirits that took the form of beasts.
W̃е́ b̌n̊ о̄ v̈еl̊ Én u m а
They were also described as beasts that possessed the power of spirits.
Because of that, among those who studied them deeply, there was debate.
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Were spirit beasts truly beasts, or were they spirits?
Grr.
Each time that debate arose, the species that drew the most attention from researchers was the Shadow Wolf.
They were spirits that lived in the material world.
W е̊ bn о v̂ė ľ Еnu_m̄ȧ
Spirits were originally beings that belonged to another dimension known as the spirit realm.
However, Shadow Wolves did not belong to the spirit realm, but lived in the material world. Because of that, some claimed that the true bodies of Shadow Wolves resided in the spirit realm, while only their avatars remained here.
In any case.
They were the representative spirit beasts that drew immense interest from the spirit beast academic circles.
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One Shadow Wolf left its pack and headed toward a village where humans lived.
Sniff. Sniff.
Е̃ n_u m a
The Shadow Wolf flared its nostrils, taking in the scent.
What had drawn it here from the mountains was instinct.
A certain smell was guiding it. It felt as though it had to go where that scent originated.
But just as it took a step forward, the Shadow Wolf abruptly stopped.
Whiiine.
And unbelievably, a pitiful whine escaped from it.
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The wolf gazed toward the distant village.
It lifted a forepaw as if to step forward, then stopped again and retreated.
AWWOOO.
At some point, the Shadow Wolf let out a howl.
A mournful howl echoed in all directions.
As if announcing its presence, or calling out to its companions.
Е n̊ ŭḿа . і̊ d
AWWOOO.
From a very distant place, a response came to the Shadow Wolf’s howl.
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A companion was coming.
Not just one.
AWWOOO.
Another wolf howled, asserting its presence.
Е nu_m̆ а́ . i ď
This one was much closer.
The pleasant scent had drawn more than one Shadow Wolf. Wolves that had lingered nearby, unable to approach the powerful presence, now responded to the howl and gathered around the first wolf.
Grrr.
Wolves were creatures that lived in packs.
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Once the pack gathered, confidence they had not possessed before welled up.
At this level, even the master of this area beyond them would not be able to treat them lightly. Thus, the Shadow Wolf pack moved toward the place from which the delicious scent emanated.
Ẇ е b ň о̃ve l Е̄ṅú mа̇
Just as they drew closer.
KYUAAAWOOONG!
A roar burst forth from the being that frightened the wolves.
The wolves, who had been moving confidently, halted again and trembled. They exchanged glances with one another.
Lowering their bodies and watching all directions, the Shadow Wolves chose to continue advancing. Only then did the villagers notice their presence.
“W-wolves! Wolves have appeared!”
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“Shadow Wolves!”
“Damn it, how many are there?!”
The startled voices of the village militia rang out.
The village fell into chaos.
The wolves grew excited by the commotion as well. But there was one presence that erased it all in an instant.
“Everyone, be quiet!”
E n.um̄ӓ . ĩ.d̄
It was Cliff.
He infused mana into his voice and spread it outward.
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By now, operating it to this degree had become easy even for him, who did not know magic.
‘Is it thanks to raising so many skills?’
Cliff headed toward the village entrance.
Behind him, Theobald and Leticia took positions to his left and right.
Е̌n u mа̌
Behind them followed four beastfolk.
The territory’s private soldiers, who had received cloaks from Cliff, followed tensely as well.
“…About ten of them. If their numbers increase any further, it could become troublesome, but at this level, it is no problem. I will handle it.”
It was Theobald.
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He was brimming with confidence.
Perhaps because he had not been able to properly exert his strength while staying with Cliff, he seemed excited at the chance to finally show his abilities.
W̄e b̄ n ov̈ е̃l̇ Е n̈ ùm̆ а́
Grrr.
The Shadow Wolf pack sensed Theobald’s fighting spirit and revealed their hostility.
Their wariness toward him surged.
Cliff clicked his tongue.
“No.”
“Huh?”
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Theobald had not expected to hear that.
“Let me see. One, two, three… all ten. Is that correct?”
“Yes, ten, but…”
Theobald blinked.
Cliff let out a small chuckle and recalled what he had said to Nigel earlier.
He had first heard about the wolves’ appearance and had been on his way to the village closest to their habitat.
Ė.n um̌ ӓ
Yet before even reaching that village, the wolves appeared in a village roughly halfway there.
And there were exactly ten of them.
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‘But were wolves always this big?’
That had been Cliff’s first thought upon seeing them.
The Shadow Wolves were larger than he had imagined. At a glance, they resembled bears more than wolves.
And he was satisfied.
W̄е b̊ ǹо v̊ еl Ênû_ṁ а̊
‘At this size, you could even ride them around like in animations.’
If only he could tame them, he would want nothing more.
Cliff wore a contemplative expression.
How could he tame them? The deliberation was brief, and Cliff ultimately turned to the expert in this field.
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“Leticia.”
“Yes, Master.”
Ė n um̂ а̊
Like Theobald, she glared at the Shadow Wolf pack with wary eyes.
Cliff spoke.
“How does one form a contract with spirits?”
“Huh?”
She looked at Cliff in shock and asked back.
“A spirit… contract? With those?”
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“Yes.”
“But Shadow Wolves are not spirits…”
Leticia stared at Cliff in disbelief.
Through her reaction, Cliff realized something new.
Even to an elf who knew spirits best, Shadow Wolves did not appear to be spirits.
‘So what?’
Wеbń о̃ v̇е̄l Е̄ n ü m̂а
< Tame the Shadow Wolves >
Description: The territory is currently emitting pheromones favored by spirits.
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The closest spirits have been drawn in by the scent. Guide them and pair them with good companions.
They will willingly lend their strength to the territory for the sake of their friends.
Conditions
-Form contracts with Shadow Wolves (0/10)
Е ñ u m̊ а̃ . ї d
Rewards
-Territory experience +100
-Lord experience +50
The message that had appeared the moment he left the lord’s residence.
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Coincidentally, the number of wolves the quest required him to contract with was ten.
And right before his eyes stood ten massive wolves.
Е_ñü_ḿ a . ìd̃
Was that not an extraordinary coincidence?
‘So far, quests have never asked me to do something impossible.’
Which meant this, too, was a quest that could be completed.
In other words—
“No. These wolves are spirits.”
Cliff declared with certainty.
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They were spirits.
And if they were spirits, he could form contracts with them and become friends.
“So how do you form a contract with spirits?”
“That differs for each spirit, so I am not entirely sure… Usually, one forms a contract through a summoning circle. You pour mana and will into it, the spirit is summoned, and through conversation, a contract is…”
But that would not work with the Shadow Wolves standing before them.
Cliff said,
Wėb̊n о̌ v е̄ ľ Е̌n ǔ.m̊ ӑ
“Hm. So, conversation, then?”
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