Chapter 58: Black Wolf
“Oh, so they’re your friends?”
I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until the murderous aura that had filled the air vanished.
For a moment, I had genuinely worried that he might actually draw his sword and cut them down.
Of course, I had to admit that this situation was partially my own doing.
“…They really are your friends, right? You’re not secretly being threatened by some weird guys or anything like that, are you?”
Although Black Wolf had withdrawn his killing intent, his gaze remained sharp and watchful. I couldn’t blame him.
After all, I’d given him plenty of reasons to be wary of me in the past.
If I think back to my earliest memories, I remember that he never seemed particularly fond of me. But if I ever ran toward the river or climbed onto a desk, he’d freak out and rush to pull me back to a safe spot.
Looking back now, I realized I had a habit of doing things that would make both him and Father panic.
For example, approaching noble elders just because they called me “cute” or running off to help a commoner who said they had an emergency.
In hindsight, I could see why they’d be worried.
Still, I felt it was a bit unfair. The nobles really were just complimenting me, and the commoners genuinely did need help.
Most of those situations ended on a positive note too.
But a happy ending didn’t reduce the amount of stress I caused them. As a result, it wasn’t too surprising that Black Wolf would grip his sword the moment anyone got too close to me.
I supposed I was somewhat responsible for that.
“They’re not weird or bad people.”
So it was my responsibility to clear things up.
“If Her Highness says so, then I’ll believe it.” Black Wolf nodded, but his eyes still stayed sharp.
“That aside… what brings you here?”
“Well… We’re here to buy some clothes!”
“Clothes, huh? You should’ve just asked your parents to send you some.”
“Keep it down…!”
It wasn’t that I disliked Father, but his taste in clothes was… questionable.
I wasn’t sure why. In my previous life, I used to wear whatever clothes my dad bought for me without a second thought. But at some point in this life, I started feeling reluctant to wear the things Father picked out.
Mother didn’t buy clothes for me as often, but when she did, she always picked out practical, durable, and comfortable outfits.
More importantly—why did he have to bring that up in front of my friends?!
I felt so embarrassed that I started to resent him a little.
“Since you were going somewhere unusual, I thought you’d been dragged away by some shady thugs. Glad to see that’s not the case.”
Seeing him finally take his hand off his sword, I felt relieved.
Of course, even without the sword, he was still strong enough to handle Dogeon and Anya in the blink of an eye, but I didn’t sense any signs that he intended to do so.
It seemed like he was thinking, “Well, since it’s Hoyeon, I’ll just watch and see what happens.”
“Father, you, and everyone else are too overprotective. I’m a grown-up now.”
I made it clear that I didn’t appreciate being treated like a child, though I still felt happy to see him. After all, it had been about a month since I last saw him.
“Oh, overprotective, huh? I still remember carrying you on my shoulders like it was just yesterday.”
Hearing him laugh so awkwardly like that somehow washed away some of my earlier resentment.
…If I thought about what he’d done on his way here, I might have felt differently, but how could I hate someone who came all this way just to check on me?
“…That ‘big bro’ title is a bit curious, and… who exactly are you? What’s your relationship with Hoyeon?”
It seemed that Anya’s curiosity had finally reached its limit. She had been holding it in for a while, but now she finally spoke up.
I had been wondering when she’d ask.
If someone I considered a friend suddenly had a super familiar guy calling himself “big bro,” I’d be curious too.
“Oh, where are my manners? I’m Black Wolf, and I hold the humble position of captain of the royal escort. Pleased to meet you, friends. Is that how I should call you?”
“I’m Anastasia. But you can call me whatever you like.”
“Anastasia… I feel like I’ve heard that name before… Ah, that’s right. You’re the only daughter of the Grand Duke of the North, aren’t you? My Hoyeon, is also an only child. I see, so that’s how you two became friends.”
He had just been on the verge of cutting them down, but now he was all smiles and friendly small talk. It felt a bit surreal, but at least things were peaceful now, so I had no complaints.
“So you’re the captain of the royal escort that’s been making all the rumors.”
Rumors, huh?
Considering he’d dueled with knights, taken hostages, and caused quite a commotion, I figured it was only natural for stories to spread. Still, this was the first time I’d heard that he’d become a “rumor” himself.
“Ah, those are just exaggerated tales. All I did was ask them to step aside when they blocked my path.”
Black Wolf waved it off like it was nothing.
That was just like him. He didn’t care about that kind of stuff, but you’d think he’d be at least a little embarrassed or maybe even a bit proud.
Nope. He didn’t care at all.
“…So you’re that escort captain.”
Huh?
Why was Dogeon, who was practically buried under shopping bags, suddenly acting like he recognized him?
***
The Black Wolf looked even more unreliable than how he had been described in the original story.
But in truth, he was one of the key allies in the second part of the story.
Not just a key ally—he was essential to the final battle.
Jeongho, for some unknown reason, had massacred Black Wolf’s tribe.
Despite fierce resistance, Black Wolf caught Jeongho’s attention, and Jeongho made him the captain of the royal escort.
Black Wolf resisted the role fiercely, but Byeolbi used some mysterious method to force him into submission.
Because of all that, Black Wolf harbored a deep grudge against the royal family.
The protagonist and their party eventually learned of this and convinced Black Wolf to help them bypass security and infiltrate the royal palace.
Black Wolf’s plan was to tie down Jeongho while Byeolbi handled the protagonist’s party.
But as shown in the ending… Everything went horribly wrong.
Byeolbi didn’t even see the protagonist’s party as opponents, treating the “battle” more like a playful game.
He slowly took down the party one by one, and when he finished off the protagonist, Jeongho arrived from afar, walking slowly toward them.
And that’s where the novel ended.
How was that supposed to be a harem ending?
Anyway, with such a grim backstory, Black Wolf was basically broken when he first appeared in the story.
But the way he was acting right now was a little different from how he had been portrayed in the original.
Instead of a man who had given up on hope, he was acting like a laid-back uncle who pretended to be humble but was clearly reliable.
Was this another effect of the “Hoyeon Snowball” that kept rolling bigger and bigger?
I couldn’t be sure.
But one thing was certain—I had to make sure I left a good impression on Black Wolf.
“Oh, so that guy’s your boyfriend?”
“Didn’t you once say the only men you’d ever meet were me and Father, Hoyeon?”
“N-no! I mean, he is my friend, but…! He’s not…!”
Seeing the amused look on Black Wolf’s face as he glanced back and forth between me and Hoyeon, I got the feeling I’d at least left a good first impression on him.
“Yes, as Hoyeon said, I’m just a friend.”
I decided not to add the unnecessary detail that Hoyeon frequently visited my room.
Unlike Jeongho, Black Wolf actually cared about Hoyeon, so I didn’t want to say anything that could be misinterpreted.
“Yeah! Just a friend! No, not just a friend—a best friend, but…!”
Hoyeon eagerly backed up my words, firmly denying Black Wolf’s assumptions.
Since she put it like that, he finally relented.
“Ah, I see, I see. Then we’ll go with that. So, ‘best friend,’ what’s your name?”
“My name is Han Dogeon.”
“Oh? From the Eastern Continent, are you?”
“Technically, my parents are from the Eastern Continent. They fled to the Western Continent during the war, and I was born here.”
“Is that so… Must’ve been tough on your folks. War’s never easy.” He nodded solemnly before his eyes shifted to the paper bags I was carrying. “Anyway, want me to help with those bags? I can see your legs shaking.”
I had been using mana to circulate through my body just to stay upright, but it seemed that a master like him could still see through me.
When I first started carrying the paper bags, I hadn’t thought much of it. But as the number of bags increased, so did my regrets.
I wondered if Anya’s wallet could handle all these purchases. Did she plan to buy everything she saw that she liked? And why was Hoyeon just silently wearing everything Anya picked out without complaint?
Sure, I got to enjoy the view a few times along the way, but no amount of mental satisfaction could overcome physical exhaustion.
For the past two hours, I’d been lugging around a load heavier than my own body weight, and my legs were on the verge of giving out.
I started seriously worrying about how I’d make it back to our lodgings. So when Black Wolf offered to help, I had no reason to refuse.
“…Yes, I’d be grateful if you could carry some of it.”
The moment he approached to take some of the bags—
“…If you try anything, you know what’ll happen, right?”
“…Y-yes, sir.”
It was brief, but in that instant, I felt something.
It wasn’t as wild and uncontrolled as Hoyeon’s aura. No, it was far more precise—a focused, crushing intent.
Unlike Hoyeon’s oppressive energy that spilled in every direction, this was like being skewered by a single pinpoint of deadly pressure.
With just a few words, he had managed to completely shrink me down.
“Be good.”
I wasn’t sure exactly what he meant by it, but it sounded an awful lot like, “If you touch Hoyeon, I’ll kill you.”
Before I knew it, Black Wolf had taken half of the bags from me, and he had already returned to his usual lazy, unreliable demeanor.
“…Oi, ladies. I think it’s about time you stop buying clothes. This guy’s shoulders are about to give out.”
“Don’t be such a baby, Big Bro,” Anya replied with a pout.
“No, seriously. That guy’s only holding on because he’s too stubborn to complain. If you tried carrying it, your shoulders would pop out immediately.”
“…It’s really that bad?”
“Yep. Anastasia, you do have a plan for carrying all this home, right?”
“U-uh… I thought Dogeon could handle it…”
“Sorry, Anya. I’m at my limit.”
If we visited one more floor, I was sure I’d get buried under a pile of clothes and suffocate.
“…Hoyeon, is this much really enough? It feels like we didn’t get everything we needed…”
“…If I’m being honest, I think we bought too much. Let’s go back.”
“…Huh? Was I… the only one having fun?”
Yes.
Even Hoyeon, the reason we came here in the first place, said it was too much.
The moment she realized she was the only one enjoying herself, Anya lowered her head, clearly embarrassed.
“Th-then… shall we head back…?”
With Anya finally giving in, everyone else quickly began moving toward the exit.
The only one who looked like they wanted to stay was Anya, but even she had started walking.
As I dragged my exhausted body along, a random thought crossed my mind.
Do beastfolk have some kind of racial ability that lets them release killing intent?
That brief moment of terror I felt earlier kept replaying in my head as I struggled to move my heavy legs.