Red Riding Hood - Chapter 5

‘Then, could it be that the Lord Wolf is not something else?’

If the wolf was truly a man, it might be fine to help him.

Cinq, testing the idea, grabbed one of the legs of the ‘wolf’ and tried to pull it.

Unlike Vinya, who had reluctantly been dragged along, the wolf didn’t budge an inch. It was as though his back had fused to the ground.

She tugged at his leg a couple more times when—

“…little one, what are you doing?”

The wolf, regaining consciousness, growled as he called out to her.

Cinq lowered his leg and replied,

“I was trying to move you, Lord Wolf.”

“With those flimsy arms of yours? You’ll be lucky to knead dough properly, let alone move me.”

The wolf groaned as he propped himself up into a sitting position, then shook his head vigorously like a dog. It seemed he was trying to clear his mind.

After a moment, the wolf spoke.

“I need to take this off. Give me a hand.”

Cinq helped him by detaching the cloak fastened to his armor and unfastening the hinges securing the pieces together.

With a metallic clank, the armor fell away.

Grunting, Cinq moved the heavy armor aside, and the wolf rose with a long, pained groan.

“Lord Wolf, please lie down on the bed.”

Cinq slipped her arm under his massive one, supporting his broad waist as she helped him. His clothes were stiff with dried blood.

With her help, the wolf staggered into the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed.

“Please lift your feet, Lord Wolf.”

The wolf complied, raising one foot.

Cinq grabbed the boot and tugged it off.

She immediately regretted it. A terrible stench rose from his sock-covered foot.

Holding the boot in hand, she grimaced deeply.

Should she put it back on?

But that felt akin to closing the lid on a chamber pot without emptying it. Even with the lid shut, the chamber pot would remain, wouldn’t it?

The wolf, looking genuinely apologetic, said,

“Sorry about that, little one.”

“It can’t be helped. Lift the other foot.”

The wolf raised his other foot, and Cinq closed her eyes, holding her breath as she pulled off the second boot.

She removed his knee guards and then reached for his belt to unfasten it.

However, as her hand moved toward the belt, the wolf twisted his body away, avoiding her touch.

“That’s enough. I’ll handle this myself. A little one like you shouldn’t be messing with such things.”

“Then go ahead.”

The wolf fumbled noisily with his belt, eventually managing to remove it by himself.

Observing his blood-soaked, hardened garments, Cinq asked,

“Lord Wolf, where are you injured?”

The wolf, sprawled on the bed, growled in response.

“Injured? little one, I’ve just returned from war. I was beaten and pierced by spears and swords. It felt like being hammered on an anvil, with every strike meant to purge impurities. Though, unlike a hunk of iron that becomes finer steel the more it’s struck, all I gained was being reduced to a bloodied mess.”

His clothes, soaked with blood and pus, had hardened from prolonged neglect.

As Cinq carefully peeled them off, she listened to his tale.

“When I regained consciousness, neither my enemies nor my knights were left. I was utterly alone.”

Indeed, his wounds looked severe.

His body was covered with dark bruises and gashes, and beneath his armpit, unprotected by the armor, was a deep stab wound. A sword had also left a cut on his right thigh.

His entire body was swollen and inflamed from the injuries, radiating heat as if steam would burst forth any moment.

“The death I had so often gifted to my enemies finally found its way to me. I leaned on my spear, waiting for the end to come. But then, I heard the voice of my mentor, the great paladin, Sir Philip.”

The wolf’s voice was strained with pain.

“It wasn’t just Sir Philip’s voice that awakened me. The faces of my parents, who were always disappointed in me, the beautiful landscapes of my hometown, and the faces of my dear friends came to mind. That’s when I realized it wasn’t my time to die yet.”

The wolf continued with a faint, weary smile.

“I climbed back onto my horse and fled into the forest to evade pursuit. When I came to my senses, I was here.”