“…Hmm, Kris, do you know that I actually don’t like dogs very much? Well, if you look at it, I admit that they have a certain cute appeal, but I can’t help but prefer cats over dogs. In that sense, there’s something I want to ask you. Are you a dog person? Or do you prefer cats?”
Iris spoke to Kris in a relaxed tone, as if she were on a leisurely outing.
Unfortunately, Kris was in no condition to respond to the Princess’s words. Right in front of them, wolves, much larger than a decent-sized cow, were brandishing their sharp claws at her!
Kagha-ghaghak!
Barely fending off the wolves’ relentless attacks, Kris fought the urge to lash out with the same reckless abandon she had felt several weeks ago when she had readily agreed to embark on this perilous journey.
It felt like madness!
As soon as Iris heard the news of Cain von Estel and Bianca del Castana’s engagement, she had exuded a murderous intent so intense it was palpable. Eventually, she decided to personally visit the Castana Marquis family. The official reason for her visit was to ‘celebrate the engagement,’ but Kris could not imagine the princess going to the Castana Marquis family and quietly applauding them.
Additionally, Iris insisted that she and Kris travel alone to the Marquess of Castana, arguing that traveling by carriage would make it impossible to arrive by the date of the engagement ceremony. Naturally, the emperor disapproved of her leaving for the Marquis of Castana without any escort, leading to a lengthy verbal battle between Iris and the emperor.
Kris did not know what kind of conversation transpired between them, but one thing was certain: Iris eventually defied the Emperor’s wishes and secured permission to travel alone with Kris to the territory of the Marquess Castana.
What followed was a grueling, forced march reminiscent of hell.
There were no breaks. When a horse got tired, they abandoned it, bought a new one from the nearest village, and continued on.
Throughout this agonizing journey, the princess showed no signs of fatigue, only emitting an ominous aura as if holding back something, saying nothing.
They reached the Marquisate of Castana in just a few weeks.
And that’s when the real problems began. They received troubling news that several wolves were blocking the only road leading from the island to the Marquis of Castana.
Of course, they couldn’t afford to wait for the wolves to clear the way. However, since it was unthinkable for the noble princess to hunt down wild animals, Kris, her escort knight, had to step in.
Now, Kris stood gasping, raising her sword at the wolves glaring at her. Against normal wild animals, her swordsmanship would have already sent them to the afterlife. As Iris’s escort knight, Kris possessed that level of skill.
But these were no ordinary wolves. They were enormous, and above all, they defied his common sense. A wolf wasn’t supposed to have such absurd durability, to the point where his sword bounced off their flesh as if they were made of steel, even when his strikes were precise. Furthermore, their intelligence seemed advanced as they coordinated their attacks, weaving formations reminiscent of elite soldiers. There were six wolves in total, each compensating for the others’ weaknesses, exploiting every gap in Kris’s defense.
Kaang!
Kris’s sword clashed head-on with a wolf’s claws. Surprisingly, the claws showed no signs of breaking, despite the impact against a steel-forged sword. Cold sweat ran down Kris’s back. At this rate, she feared she might falter and show weakness before the princess.
“…Tsk.”
Seeing Kris struggle, Iris clicked her tongue in annoyance. She couldn’t shake the thought that if Cain had been there, the outcome would have been quite different.
“You’re weak. At this rate, it’s hard to tell who is escorting whom.”
As she murmured, Iris thrust her right hand toward the wolf that was aiming at Kris’s side, its claws ready to strike. To any observer, it appeared to be a reckless, suicidal move.
“Princess!”
Kris looked at her in shock. He knew the princess was strong, but to face such a terrifying creature without even drawing a sword? Kris imagined, for a split second, the princess’s body being torn apart by the wolf’s claws.
However, the situation unfolded quite differently from what Kris had feared.
Huung!
The moment Iris’s hand and the wolf’s claws met, the wolf’s claws veered aside, as if commanded not to touch her. It was the power of the Flowing Star, an ability that manipulated all kinds of ‘flow’ within a certain range.
“To show its teeth carelessly toward people, it must be a dog that doesn’t know its place. Then, shall we give it a lesson on behalf of the owner?”
With those words, Iris formed her thumb and forefinger into a playful gesture and flicked the wolf’s head.
Kwaang!
Instantly, a deafening sound echoed, one that seemed impossible to have originated from a mere human’s skin.
Flop!
There was no cry of pain. The wolf’s head, struck squarely, evaporated in an instant. Its headless body crumpled to the ground, and soon, what remained turned to dust and began to disappear. It was an absurd, unreal scene, as if pulled from a fantasy.
“…Hmm, you’re weaker than I thought. Compared to ten years in the future, your durability has significantly decreased. After all, this is clear proof that she is still very immature.”
While Iris muttered this, watching the wolf’s slowly disintegrating body, the remaining wolves began to howl menacingly, looking at her with fury as she turned her back on them.
Though they hadn’t intended to kill on orders from their master, their minds were now set on punishing the arrogant woman.
Kuaa!
With her back turned, the wolves seized their chance. One of the remaining wolves lunged at her with lightning speed.
In that fleeting moment, as if the wolf’s claws were about to rip into her back, Iris slowly turned to face it. She whispered to the wolf in a soft, disdainful tone.
“…Old habits die hard. How dare you attack a woman? It seems the lesson was insufficient.”
Quak-heuk!
In the next moment, Iris grabbed the wolf’s paw and twisted it violently. The overwhelming force, amplified several times by the Flowing Star, tore through the wolf’s flesh, causing its bones to protrude grotesquely.
“…Ugh.”
Kris winced involuntarily at the sound. Even though the beast had attacked, it was still unsettling to witness its skin tearing and bones protruding before his eyes.
HELP:
During the recent unrest in the country I am from, our family hardware store was broken into and looted by thugs. I don’t know why they did it, since my family has always been minding our own business, without bothering anyone else. I’m guessing some people are taking advantage of the current lawless and chaotic state of the country.
Anyways, the incident now leaves me as the only earning member of my family. Long time readers know that I was already dealing with a mountain of trouble (that I inherited from my father), and was already struggling. I had created a plan of action, and was steadily moving forward. But this incident destroyed whatever plans I had, again. I don’t know why bad things keep happening to me again and again. I might as well be cursed or something.
So here I am, after much hesitation, once again asking for your support. If you are reading this, please help if you are able to, I repeat, help only if you are able to. I am not asking something for free, you can become a Patron at Patreon to gain access to more chapters, or sponsor as many chapters you can from any of the novels you enjoy on Goblinslate here at BuymeaCoffee. Or if you just want to help, you can donate any amount at the Wishlist at BuymeaCoffee.
Thank you.