Williamsk met the eager stares of Qiao San, Mo Yan, and the others with a sigh.
"Why should I tell you? Even if you knew the truth, what would it change? Getting too involved in someone else's business won't do you any good."
"But if you don't tell us, how are we supposed to understand?" Kaelin retorted, hands on her hips.
Williamsk shook his head. "Naive. This matter has dragged on for five hundred years. If it could be resolved, would it still be festering to this day?"
"Then just tell us what it is already!" Kaelin snapped impatiently.
Williamkaz stepped in with a helpless smile. "Sorry, everyone. That's just how my brother is. On one hand, he can't stand being slandered by humans. On the other, he doesn't want anyone getting too deeply involved in our affairs."
"Oh? And what's that supposed to mean?" Kaelin huffed, shooting Williamkaz a pointed look.
Scratching his head, Williamkaz gave in to the pressure. "Alright, if big brother won't say it, then I'll explain. It all started five hundred years ago—"
"Kaz."
Williamsk's sudden interruption made everyone tense.
He let out a long breath. "Fine. Since you're all so determined to know, I'll tell you. But whatever happens after… you're responsible for your own choices."
"Yeah yeah, just get on with it already," Kaelin muttered.
"Hmph, princess sure is hard to please," Williamsk grunted. "Alright, listen up."
He cast a glance aside before beginning.
"As the shopkeeper mentioned earlier, our ancestor met Evilbane when he was on the brink of death. Evilbane saved him. In return, our ancestor became his first contract partner."
"Due to the power of the pact, our ancestor gradually gained sentience. He began to take on human traits and eventually even a human form. Evilbane gave him a name: Williamnir. From that day on, he saw himself as human, and fought alongside Evilbane to uphold order across the Darklands. Before long, he became known to the people as a guardian."
Qiao San nodded. "Yes, that matches what the village elders always said."
Williamsk continued, "But peace didn't last. When Williamnir's name began to spread, some corrupt nobles and power-hungry elites started stirring up dissent. They wanted Evilbane to step down. Hah… who were they to even suggest such a thing? But with no solid evidence, and facing rising public pressure, Evilbane had no choice but to exile our ancestor to this mountain."
"Yet Williamnir held no resentment. He returned to the mountains, and because of the contract he bore, the wolves who lived with him began to awaken—gaining sentience and humanoid forms. That's how we came to be known as wolfkin."
"I heard about that," Qiao San added. "That's when the mountain was officially renamed Direwolf Mountain."
Williamkaz nodded. "That's right. Though unlike our ancestor, we don't have the ability to freely shift between human and wolf forms."
"And what about the 'demon' part of the legend?" Kaelin pressed.
Williamsk looked up at the sky. "That happened ten years after the exile. The same nobles who had orchestrated the smear campaign against Williamnir attempted a coup against Evilbane. But you all know—Guardians are divinely appointed. Overthrowing one isn't that easy."
"Sure enough, Evilbane crushed their forces in a single day. The ringleaders—those same corrupt nobles—fled here, to Direwolf Mountain."
"Then what happened?"
"They refused to accept defeat. Deep within the mountain, they performed a forbidden ritual, sacrificing their souls and flesh to summon a demon from the Abyss. But the demon didn't go after Evilbane right away. Instead, it remained hidden in the mountain, quietly gathering strength. Williamnir sensed this, and went to face it alone."
At this point, Qiao San spoke up. "That part's new to me. What I've always heard is that after Evilbane left the Darklands for a while, people saw a massive wolf-shaped shadow appear over the mountain. That's when the rumors of the Direwolf Demon began."
"That's because you never knew the full truth," Williamsk said with an edge in his voice. "But I remember it clearly. I saw our ancestor leap into the sky, soaring toward the mountain's heart… and then vanish. None of us knew what happened after that. Only Evilbane fought in that battle, and when he descended the mountain, he said nothing."
"No way… Williamnir died, and Evilbane didn't even explain?" Kaelin asked softly, her voice tinged with sadness.
Williamsk shook his head. "Nothing. He only said that Williamnir and the demon perished together. Then… he passed the contract onto me."
With a clenched jaw, he punched the stone wall beside him, his voice filled with fury.
"Who the hell wanted any of this?! That bastard…"
Zhao Heng turned to Qiao San. "Mr. Qiao, did the village elders ever mention what Evilbane said when he came down the mountain?"
Qiao San quickly responded, "Yes, actually. Like Mr. Williamsk said, Evilbane just gave a brief overview of what happened. But the elders… they never really believed him."
"Of course they didn't," Williamsk growled. "Because Evilbane never defended our ancestor. He offered no explanation, no truth—just a vague statement that left Williamnir's name tarnished for centuries."
"That's so wrong…" Kaelin murmured, then turned to Tianlang. "Hey, Tianlang. You said you know Evilbane, right? Don't you know anything about this?"
Tianlang thought for a moment. "I've heard bits and pieces… but Evilbane never shared the full story with me, so I never felt it was my place to ask."
"What? But wasn't Williamnir his contract partner? Doesn't Evilbane care at all about his partner's honor or even his life?" Kaelin asked, her voice heavy with emotion.
Tianlang looked awkward. "Uhh… I'm sure there's a reason. I know there are some Guardians who are indifferent like that, but I swear, Evilbane isn't one of them. He must've had a reason…"
"Hmph. And here you are sticking up for him," Williamsk said, turning his gaze toward Tianlang. "Is that the bond of friendship between the Moon Saint and Evilbane?"
"Eh?" Tianlang froze.
At that moment, Qiao San chimed in with a realization. "Wait a minute… Tianlang, if you know so much about Evilbane, does that mean you're also a contracted one—a Guardian's pactbearer?"
"Ah… y-yes," Tianlang said awkwardly. "Like Mr. Williamsk said, my power comes from the 'Moon Saint.'"
From the side, Kaelin whispered with a smirk, "Pfft, now look who's suddenly being modest. Acting all high and mighty before, and now he's playing the humble card."
Mo Yan chuckled. "Well, he was probably just keeping his identity under wraps. Can't exactly go around announcing you're under a Guardian's contract to everyone you meet."
"Fair enough."
At that moment, Williamsk stood from his stone seat and silently walked into the cave.
[To be continued in Chapter 18: Shadows of the Past]
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