Chapter 100
“……”
“Wow, you’re tough. Well, a wound like that doesn’t even count as an injury, right?”
Mocking him, James quickly retreated. Having decided that they should withdraw for today, he let out a howl. Every subordinate nearby understood his signal and began edging back toward wolf tribe territory.
Watching this, Nox did not pursue James. Instead, he turned and headed toward a nearby archer.
“Bring me flaming arrows.”
“…Pardon? Ah, yes!”
Startled by Nox’s sudden approach, the archer answered belatedly and hurried to prepare fire arrows. Nox took the bow the archer was holding and ran toward the mountain range where the wolf tribe was retreating.
Moving nimbly by stepping across the trees, he climbed onto a thick, towering tree and surveyed the withdrawing wolf tribe. Then he spotted a group. Their clothing was different from the others who had been fighting, and they were dragging carts while scrambling madly through the mountains. Waiting for the right time, Nox drew the bowstring.
Pulling the string farther back than most archers could, he released the arrow toward the cargo piled on the carts, which was clearly food supplies. The flaming arrow flew true and embedded itself in the load. Without stopping, Nox fired every flaming arrow he had brought.
From far away, the sound of someone shouting curses could be heard. The voice belonged to James. Nox knew that what they truly wanted was food, so he was willing to let them retreat, but he had no intention of allowing them to take anything from his territory.
After burning everything they had been trying to steal, he watched the wolf tribe scramble frantically to extinguish the fire on the carts. Sensing a gaze, he turned his head. James was staring at him with a terrifying expression.
James locked eyes with Nox, who was vowing that if they crossed blades again, he would properly take James’s head this time. Then James irritably ran a hand through his hair and turned away.
After watching the wolf tribe cross the mountain range to the very end, Nox came down from the tree, and Dennis approached him.
“Your Grace, we have repelled the wolf tribe.”
The knights, exhilarated by the thought that they had won, burst into loud laughter, but Nox did not respond. He carefully inspected the condition of his subordinates, then gave Dennis an order.
“As soon as we return, increase the intensity of training.”
“…Pardon?”
“Will you always need my presence for you to be able to repel the wolf tribe?”
At his challenging words, Dennis placed a hand over his chest and answered loudly.
“No, Your Grace!”
“But today, it looked like that was exactly the case.”
“…Pardon?”
Normally, Nox rarely spoke at length to his knights, even though they were his own order. He had resigned himself long ago. He believed they would never truly accept him, a Duke with black fur, as their lord.
But from now on, things had to change. Even without him, his knight order and the territory’s guards had to be able to protect the land from the wolf tribe on their own. Only then could he protect his female.
And if he were to have offspring someday, he wanted to pass on the territory intact and unharmed. For that, his knight order’s abilities could not stop at this level.
“Those who were frightened by the wolf tribe’s fiercer-than-usual assault are to pack their belongings and leave as soon as we return.”
Nox fixed his gaze on several knights whom he had observed throughout the battle. They flinched and bowed their heads all at once.
“If you are my knight order, you shouldn’t be satisfied with merely driving off the wolf tribe. You should be thinking of pursuing them to the end and eviscerating each and every one of them.”
“……”
“So what did you do just now? The moment the wolf tribe retreated, you lowered your swords as if you had been waiting for it.”
At Nox’s grim voice, so unlike his usual tone, every soldier nearby swallowed dryly without realizing it. The powerful aura of a dominant male radiating from him made them want to bow their heads.
“Only those who want to properly protect your homeland even without me should remain. I don’t care if the numbers are small. Once we return, I’ll put you through training that won’t even compare to what you’ve endured so far… Honestly, it’ll be easier for me if only those who can endure stay.”
After finishing his words, Nox swung his sword broadly to fling off the blood clinging to the blade, then lightly pressed on the wound at his shoulder before releasing it. He quickened his steps, recalling what James had said.
‘Are you also looking for that human?’
The question echoed in his mind. It wasn’t entirely unexpected. The oracle had not been given only to the cat tribe.
But why did it make him so uneasy?
Nox quickly mounted his beloved horse and took the reins. He wanted to return to Sia as soon as possible.
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Mari