CH 25

Chapter 25: War Past 2

Five years had passed since his first battle, and Ivan had turned nineteen years old.

In that time, battles ranged from small to large and he had lost count of how many he had participated in. The only thing he could say for certain was that recently, Shenka had been dominant.

Werewolf warriors were strong. They did not fall behind in battles against cavalry or even firearms, their prowess shaking the world and making nations fear them.

“Golden… A golden werewolf! Could it be Prince Ivan?!”

They grimace in fear.

Ivan slaughtered the enemy soldier with a swift sword strike. Despite taking down a handful of soldiers, they kept coming as if infinite.

“You damn demon… Go to hell!”

The man, on the verge of dying, spat out curses and blood simultaneously. Ivan had heard too many curses to have any emotions left.

——Don’t worry, I’m going to hell anyway. I have taken this many lives, after all.

Noticing the booming sound of the drums, Ivan slowly raised his head. Even if the battle at this moment were to end, an endless battlefield was spread out in front of him as if mocking him. For Ivan, who carried many burdens on his shoulders, it was a cruel sight.

Without breaking his cold and indifferent expression, he gave instructions to his subordinates.

Then, after flicking off the red liquid from his sword and putting it back in its sheath, Ivan himself turned back to assess the situation.

As the darkness of night enveloped the encampment, Ivan went alone into the nearby forest.

He liked nature. The capital, Rashtovka, was a mountainous defense city where one could find peaceful places such as forests and fields a short distance away. Ivan had always played in nature since he was a child, and the same was true for the people of Shenka, regardless of their rank.

There was no other reason for his walk than just because. While stepping on the damp soil, he contemplated about the future of his country.

Another warrior had lost their life today. When will this battle end? How can he bring peace to them?

The werewolves are able to establish close relationships with wolves, but not with humans. Is it really so difficult and sinful to be able to transform into both forms…?

At that moment, Ivan thought he heard a groan as if someone was biting down on their back teeth.

He stopped and listened attentively. While his senses were human-like in his human form, he could discern even distant sounds when in his werewolf form.

At the same time, he sensed a faint scent of blood and instinctively kicked the ground without thinking.

He ran towards the source of the sound until he found a silver wolf lying on its side. Ivan first thought it was a werewolf, but it was different. It was a genuine wild wolf.

[Are you a werewolf? What are you doing here?]

[I am a werewolf warrior, Ivan. I have set up camp nearby.]

The injured wolf asked with a pained breath. Ivan replied in the wolf’s language, and the wolf seemed to nod in relief.

[Oh, I see… You guys have been protecting this forest.] Ivan said.

[Anyway, we need to treat your injury first.]

Ivan took out some cartilage inflammation medication from the bag hanging on his waist. He poured water from his water bottle and confirmed that the wound wasn’t life-threatening.

[A sword wound. Who did this to you?]

[It was a human. I happened to come across them and they were armed. I drove them away though.]

[What? There were scouts in this forest?]

Recently, the Leutravia soldiers have learned how to mask their smells to avoid being detected by the werewolves, but considering this situation, it’s best to assume that the enemy has already found out their hidden camp in the forest and the mountains.

Ivan treated the wolf’s wound with antiseptic and bandaged it.

[Thank you, Wolf-dono. Thanks to you, we may be able to avoid being outsmarted by the enemy.]

[That goes for me too, werewolf warrior. I appreciate your help.]

[If you can still walk, you should return to your home and protect your family.]

Ivan thought it was only natural to say that. However, the wolf blinked once and slowly shook his head.

[They’re not there anymore. We got separated during the war. I’ve been living here alone.]

The young wolf declared with a dignified gaze of hawk-like color.

The victim of the conflict between humans and werewolves was now in front of Ivan’s eyes.

[We lost many of our kind in each fire that destroyed our forests. I am still young in the pack, and all I wanted was to let our leaders and the young escape safely.]

This wolf was brave and had a proud heart.

If this wolf was alone and wounded, it was ultimately their fault. They brought the war to their habitat.

[I see.]

Ivan said only that and stood up. He actually wanted to apologize, but he knew that the young wolf didn’t want that.

Until the Exiled Duke’s Daughter,...

[Well then, why don’t you come with me? Just for as long as you feel like it, and I’ll share some food with you.]

So at least he spoke words that would not leave this wolf alone.

[Is it alright? Food is valuable during the war.]

[Then we’ll go hunt. We are a hunting tribe by nature.]

[I… I see.]

The wolf stood up elegantly, shining with its silver fur. Even though it must have been in pain, there was neither hesitation nor suffering in its gait.

[Hey, what’s your name, Wolf-dono?]

[Who cares about that?]

[Then I’ll call you Mikolash. It’s a good name, isn’t it?]

[That’s fine, but where did you come up with that name?]

Mikolash looked up at him suspiciously, and Ivan laughed loudly with his split open mouth.

[The other day, my cousin gave birth. It was a name that was prepared for when it was a boy.]

[Hey! You’re picking a rejected name! You’re just too lazy to come up with one!]

[It’s an auspicious name. I thought it was a waste to let it go.]

[That’s not auspicious at all! Hey, Ivan!]

Leaving behind a noisy howl, they left the forest. Then, when they arrived at the campsite, they met Theodor, who seemed to be wandering around as well. It was strange that he was in human form, but that question was quickly answered.

[Hey, Theo. What are you doing here at this time?]

[Visiting “her”. How about you? Are you jealous?]

Theodor had a strangely refreshing smile on his face and showed an obscene hand sign using both hands. Mikolash next to him seems exasperated.

Come to think of it, Johan said something about it. The guy supposedly has a girl he likes in a nearby village lately.

“I see, that’s good for you.”

“Hey, don’t give me that indifferent reaction! Aren’t you going to ask what kind of girl she is or something?!”

Nodding absentmindedly, Theodor insists in an exaggerated manner. Ivan sighs and looks straight at his noisy friend.

“Well, if you’re going to make a move on her, you must be prepared. If that’s the case, there’s nothing for me to say.”

“Ivan…”

Theodor opens his red eyes widely and stares back at the future king.

“You’re a really good guy. I’ll introduce her to you sometime.”

“Yeah, you better keep me in a good mood. When I become king, I’ll stamp the marriage certificate with my seal.”

“When will that be? Haha…!”

Theodor was laughing hysterically, his humor contagious as Ivan also laughed out loud, a rare sight.

“Hey, by the way, I’ve been wondering. What happened to that wolf?”

Several more weeks had passed.

Even amidst the grueling battles, there were breaks. Warriors who had set up camp in the wilderness before the final battle gathered around the fire to take a short rest.

“Your Highness! Are you drinking?! This is our chance to go home! It would be a waste of provisions if we don’t drink! Please drink!”

“Ah, that’s right. Let’s have a drink.”

Ivan, who was surrounded by warriors like Yamil, took a cup and downed it completely.

Instantly, the area erupted, and the party began to get chaotic.

Amid the noisy soldiers, the prince momentarily regretted drinking too much.

——I drank way too much.

He felt Mikolash’s confused gaze from beside him. Although it wasn’t enough to affect him tomorrow, he wanted to go somewhere a little cooler.

Driven by an instinctual desire, Ivan quietly slipped away from the drinking party. The king was sitting at the head of the table, and there would be no problem even if one of the commanders disappeared.

[Hey, Ivan, you okay?]

[I’m fine…]

After walking with the wolf, he arrived at a small pond. The wind passing over the water’s surface was refreshing on his flushed cheeks, and the sound of the grass rubbing against each other was gentle on his ears.

Ivan sat down heavily and directed his unfocused gaze at the full moon reflected on the surface of the water. It was the werewolf’s night, but it was irrelevant to his body, which always took on this form.

[Mikola, did you come all the way here?]

[Yeah, I did. You were acting reckless, even though you’re a prince.]

[That’s rich, coming from you. You were the one crying because you didn’t have a family.]

[I wasn’t crying about that, don’t mess around.]

As they exchanged trivial conversation, two presences were felt behind them. When they turned around, he saw the figures of his two best friends.

“What, did you come here?”

“We’re the semi-protagonists after all. We came to look for you because you disappeared.”

Johan sat down next to them looking grumpy, and Theodor sat cross-legged even further next to him.

“You can’t handle your alcohol, can you? I thought you’d be like this.”

[I brought some meat for Mikola. Here you go.]

Johan was as calm as usual, but everyone noticed that he cared for Mikolash more than anyone else. Proof of that was the gentle gaze he gave to the happy wolf devouring the meat, which was unlike anything else.

“Here, water. Drink plenty of it.”

“Thanks, Theo.”

Ivan received the water, grabbed it with one hand, and drank it all in one go. The bottom of the bowl, which was left with only droplets of water, no longer reflected the full moon.

“I’m sorry for coming out here, but I have nothing to talk to you about.”

Because this wasn’t the end yet.

Tomorrow will be a tough battle, but that’s nothing special, something they already know.

The two of them laughed as if they already knew it. It was a bold and daring, yet friendly smile.

“I don’t have those kinds of feelings either, it’s gross! We just have to win, right?”

“Yes, you’re right.”

Mikola’s voice followed soon after.

As the drifting clouds obscured the full moon, the young people believed in their future.