Demon Wolf

A barrage of bangs assailed the tavern room’s door, nearly unhinging them and startling Wolf to death.

A powerful contralto followed in a blitz, leaving no room for recovery. “Young Master Hillman! Young Mistress graced you with a lunch request. Dress properly and head downstairs. You have five minutes.”

The departing footsteps echoed in Wolf’s buzzing ears as he recovered from yet another near stroke.

“Fuck your mother,” he muttered, his hands shaking.

He darted his eyes about before his gaze lingered on the cramped bathroom’s door. Should I read on the toilet? It’s not as comfortable, but the extra wall would muffle the noise. And what the hells did they make this door from? Did they build a resonance box in?

Wolf went to the restroom, a regional atlas tucked under his arm and muffled curses lingering on his lips. He expected the lackey would return in five minutes, bashing at the innocent door because he had refused their invitation.

He was wrong. Three minutes later, a considerably softer tap came.

“Young Master, please go to the lounge,” the proprietor begged, her voice quivering. “Young Mistress Daseldoff and Young Mistress Grundhoffer booked my establishment for the day. They expect your company. I beg you, don’t make things hard on me.”

Wolf’s eye twitched. His ears buzzed as blood rushed to his head.

“Fuck them,” he exclaimed, slamming shut the Wonders of Boreo.

‘Well, yes,’ the elderly woman almost said, but kept her lips sealed. She had to observe propriety, even if her guest did not.

“Um, they are eager to make your acquaintance. Apparently, they heard you’re a beauty the likes of which they might not see in their lifetime, so they wish to meet you.” She paused, but Wolf’s continued silence forced her to speak. “Will you follow me downstairs, please?”

Wait. I can go down, grab a drink, blow them off, and come back to study. Otherwise, they may continue pestering me. As The Ruler’s Way states, yielding ground now leads to greater gains in the future.

Wolf wanted to place the geography book on the washbasin, then shook his head at the near absent-minded sacrilege.

“I’ll be down shortly.” He left the restroom and replaced the tome atop the pile on the room’s desk. He took a deep breath, calming his mind with his new realization.

They are rational people. This country has regulations. There’s nothing they can do to restrain my freedom, as long as I don’t break Boreo’s laws. Still, Wolf could not help but think about Fermion’s legal system. Figures of authority got away with rape and murder by exercising discretion. Most frighteningly, the empire was so big, it happened daily.

Wolf grit his teeth, recalling how thugs tried to kidnap him in the slums years ago. Gods knew how many children disappeared off the streets and became fertilizer or dog food.

Without realizing it, Wolf tapped his nail against the wooden desk, striking hard enough to chip the lacquered wood.

Finally, noticing what he had been doing, Wolf shook his head.

“That was then and there; this is here and now. Then, I eradicated the scum targeting me, and if I meet them now…” Wolf muttered, his words trailing off.

He had already dressed himself and did not bother checking his appearance in the mirror. As for his rumpled clothes, he did not give a damn. He stored the borrowed books into his holdingring and went to meet two ladies seeking his company.

Just like the proprietress, presumably Agnes, had claimed, the lounge was empty save for two young ladies and their four stern-faced guardians. The bodyguards standing at ease were unusually burly. Wolf could not tell whether the bulging mass under their uniforms came from mammaries or pectorals.

These bodyguards look like they have bears in their ancestry. Probably parents.

Even though he inwardly joked, Wolf sensed the poorly disguised murderous aura they leaked. This baleful air was nowhere near the remnant resentment clinging to him; but then again, he only met a handful of individuals who had massacred as many sentient beings.

After confirming that the bodyguards posed a real, yet survivable, threat, Wolf shifted his attention towards the young ladies. One was fit and wiry, sitting with scholarly bearing. Unfortunately, her elongated face resembled a donkey’s. Other than her athletic figure, the only thing good about her appearance was her perfect skin, which suggested she either took great care of it, or, more likely, that her realm was high for her age. Vibrant complexion and flesh were a sign of Qi saturation in one’s body. Wolf realized that through his own observations, long ago.

He dismissed her after a glance. The other one, however, captured his attention. Just like her friend, she was fit and her skin was good, but rather than being dominant attributes, those characteristics merely embellished her shapely body and graceful face.

Mandy’s prettier, Wolf thought, biased. I bet that if I awaken my senses, I would see plenty of growths and disgusting crawling lifeforms.

However, her breasts were to his liking, capturing his attention for a moment too long. The twins stood proudly, slightly too big to fit his hand.

Silver would curse me right about now for what I’m thinking. I wonder what grade I’d give her on a scale from one to a hundred? Wolf asked himself, but the seventy-nine he expected from Silver never came. Instead, what came was an unexpected compliment.

“Beauty is a manifestation of secret natural laws, which otherwise would have been hidden from us forever. I must thank you for bestowing me with such a monumental revelation,” the thin young lady said. Her pleasant words flowed like a stream, carried by her melodious voice.

The statement shocked Wolf for a moment. I should memorize that. I think Mandy will squeal when I whisper such sappy rubbish in her ear.

While Wolf smiled, slightly impressed, the other young miss applauded graciously.

“As eloquent as ever, Marie,” she said, her voice smooth and rich, but lacking her articulate friend’s perfect diction.

“Many thanks, Senior Apprentice Sister Daseldoff. It’s just a silly line I read once, nothing worth repeating in public.” Marie chuckled, concealing her buck teeth with a folding fan. “But you truly are a marvel of nature, boy. And your luck is preeminent. We were simply passing through this provincial settlement in which my mother has a minor estate. Just imagine, if you hadn’t met us, your beauty would’ve gone wasted…”

Wolf looked at the orator, struggling to maintain his neutral expression. Are you going to keep yapping nicely veiled insults while I stand here, or will you ask me to sit down?

The senior apprentice sister Daseldoff either guessed Wolf’s thoughts, or had enough common sense to offer him a chair.

“Come, please sit.” She beamed a reassuring smile, her pearly whites shining against the lush, dark lips.

“Thank you,” Wolf replied, grinning lightly, and sat. For a moment, he focused his senses, noting the wooden chair’s tension. 

Not having Featherweight sucks. To protect his secret, he decided to maintain a sitting position, without touching the stool.

“So, you’re from the uncivilized lands?” Miss Daseldoff asked and continued without waiting for a response. “Our Brilliant Gate learned a Lindworm has appeared in the wilds. We have the beast’s location. I wonder if you would be interested in guiding us there?”

Damn! Maybe I should’ve read their letters? If I had known she wanted to propose a business transaction, I would’ve come down and rejected them outright. But how do I word this properly?

Wolf cleared his throat. “I apologize. I can’t guide you. I don’t know where Lindworms live. But I believe plenty of explorers pass through Whitesheep. Finding someone to lead you shouldn’t be difficult—”

“We are interested in you. Fascinated in fact. I shall accept no other guide. That’s final.” Marie folded her fan, glaring at Wolf as if he were stupid. She wanted him, he would submit.

“Marie, don’t be so stiff. You’re scaring the young man,” Miss Daseldoff chided, but her lips maintained a harmonious smile. “You don’t have to decide yet.”

She turned away from Wolf and clapped her hands. “Server! The finest spread we ordered.”

Wolf blinked once. Are they playing good girl, bad girl or something? The donkey-faced one plays the foil, helping Daseldoff appear noble…

Wolf smiled. Well, if they want to con me, I’ll con them till they cry.

No. That’s childish. I should read books and find a way home…

He pushed his chair back, scraping it against the polished stone floor. Wolf moved to stand, but Miss Daseldoff grasped his hand. In contrast to her vise-like grip, she gave him an amorous look.

“I hope you’re not planning to leave our company?” she asked just as Wolf opened his mouth to speak.

Hearing those words, two bodyguards moved, sealing Wolf’s escape routes.

One, two…

Wolf eased back into his sitting stance. … five. After refining Qi from those blood crystals, I reached the twelfth stage of Qi Gathering. My body is volatile. Until it settles, I’m capped at ten percent of my strength, lest I risk injuries. If we’re just competing in raw power, I can probably beat up one of these bodyguards. If I awaken my senses, I can probably fight the four of them to a draw.

But I know nothing about them, about their techniques, nor how much combat experience they have. Based on the murderous aura they ooze, they should be competent combatants. Should I unleash my aura, rush and kill them before they turn hostile?

Random Roll -

sleepydad88 the young ladies’ looks. An unfortunate 9 for Grundhoffer and a very decent 79 for Daseldoff.