That young guard came from a village outside the city. In the village, there was a childhood companion of his who had the misfortune of being bitten by a werewolf. On one full-moon night, he transformed into a werewolf, killed his own parents, then fled the village and vanished without a trace.
The village chief reported the matter to the Durlag Union, and the sheriff issued a wanted notice, but because the portrait was inaccurate and the bounty was low, nothing came of it.
Today, that werewolf suddenly entered the city, together with several refugees, claiming to be from Claw Bay.
That claim did not arouse suspicion, because in recent days, many refugees had been entering the city every day, from dozens at the low end to hundreds at the high end, and they were basically all from the Claw City-State.
After a human transforms into a werewolf, both body size and appearance undergo considerable changes, yet the young guard, who was familiar with him, saw through him at a glance.
"They didn't notice, did they?" Anser asked.
"They probably didn't. After the guard informed the captain, the captain didn't dare follow them. After using a spyglass to see them enter a certain residence, he immediately sent someone to notify us. He's waiting downstairs right now," Quentin replied.
"Very good." Anser paced back and forth, thinking through the details.
A single werewolf sneaking into the city was not strange, but mixing in with refugees to enter through the south gate, and having accomplices at that, made it somewhat unusual.
Combined with the Emerald Enclave's warning yesterday, he felt there was definitely something going on here.
He came to the end of the corridor, opened the window, and set up "Far-Reach Vision." The Amnian military camp three or four dozen kilometers away came into view.
He did not see any obvious increase in the number of tents, and there were not many people on the training grounds either. It looked no different from yesterday.
"Not the Amnians?" He was somewhat puzzled. A werewolf alone could not possibly be this bold, could it?
A fully transformed werewolf was very strong, but their numbers were limited. If they wanted to seize Durlag, none of the factions in the city could possibly allow it. There was no possibility of coexistence; they would undoubtedly be defeated.
"Do you have a way to identify werewolves?" Quentin felt this was the most troublesome part.
"Many spells can see through a werewolf's disguise, but if you're judging only by appearance, it's a bit difficult. Werewolves have protruding canines, a red gleam in their eyes, and thick body hair, but those traits are not unique to them," Anser said with a slight shake of his head.
"Are werewolves afraid of silverware and garlic?" Quentin pressed.
"They're not afraid of garlic, but they are afraid of silver. Silver is equivalent to a magic weapon. It deals greater damage and can also weaken their regenerative ability," Anser recalled.
"Then I'll have people prepare it at once, and notify all the councilors as well."
"Go ahead. Bring that guard up here."
"Alright." Quentin hurried away.
Taking the opportunity, Anser focused and cast the 4th-level spell Arcane Eye, creating an invisible magical eye that floated in the air and could not be harmed. He then controlled it and sent it flying toward the south gate.
Every scene along the way was transmitted into his mind through their mental connection, even more clearly than what he could see with his own eyes.
Arcane Eye did not move very fast, only about as fast as an ordinary person running. Before it had gone very far, the young guard came clattering upstairs.
"P-President." He was not very old, around eighteen or nineteen, gripping a long spear, his posture stiff and restrained.
"Don't be nervous. You've rendered a great service." Anser patted him on the shoulder, then got up and went to the window on the other side of the room. "Do you know where the werewolf is?"
"Yes." The young guard took a deep breath, and his expression calmed considerably.
Anser adjusted "Far-Reach Vision" and handed it to him. "Show me."
His room was very high up, and from this window he could see the south gate perfectly.
"Yes, sir." The guard set down his long spear and wiped the sweat from his palms haphazardly on his clothes before taking the spyglass and looking toward the south gate.
The distant scenery seemed as if it were right before his eyes, so clear that it was hard to believe. The guard could not help widening his eyes. It took him quite a while to calm himself before focusing on searching for the target.
"Over there." He did not know how to describe it. Holding the spyglass in one hand, he pointed forward with the other. "That one— that courtyard. There's a pile of wood in the corner, and the tiles on the roof are broken…"
After listening to his rambling description, Anser finally located that residence.
He controlled Arcane Eye and guided it all the way south. Silently, it entered the residence, slipped through a hole in the old window, and went into the room.
Inside it was extremely dim, with very poor lighting. But Arcane Eye had darkvision, allowing him to see the situation in the room clearly.
There were five people in the wooden house. Three looked human, and two were half-man, half-wolf. All of them were devouring some unknown half-raw meat in large bites, and none of them spoke.
'Heh, their beastly nature hasn't changed.'
Just now he had been thinking about how to distinguish werewolves and whether he should try reading their lips. He hadn't expected that as soon as they hid in the room, they would reveal their true nature. He had clearly overestimated his opponents.
Werewolves were classified as monsters. Maintaining their werewolf form made them feel more comfortable.
Anser took out ten gold coins from the Treasure Coin Pouch and handed them to the young guard. "This is my personal reward for you. What comes next is very important. Go back and inform your captain not to act rashly. Make sure you hide well and don't let that werewolf recognize you."
"Yes… Thank you, President." The guard accepted the gold coins with both hands, grabbed his long spear excitedly, and hurried away.
Anser put away his smile and continued controlling Arcane Eye, searching the surrounding residences one by one. There was no need for careful identification—he only needed to go inside and take a quick look to judge the situation roughly.
He took out a sheet of paper and sketched a rough map, checking and recording as he went.
This method seemed rather clumsy, but it was extremely effective. He soon discovered the traces of two more groups of werewolves.
Each group also consisted of five people, wearing the same refugee disguises. One group hid in a woodshed in the back courtyard rented out to refugees, while the other concealed themselves in a room at an inn. They did not go out or cause trouble—apart from eating, they only slept.
'This is clearly organized.' Anser's heart grew heavy.
He did not know what the other side was planning or when they would act, but the time left for him was certainly not much.
Because a werewolf's temperament was extremely unstable, they found it difficult to control their own rage or bloodthirst. If he were the commander, he would never allow werewolves to remain hidden for too long—given enough time, something was bound to go wrong.
After marking it down, he continued searching, and found another group in an abandoned residence.
This scene was rather explosive: four male werewolves and one female werewolf were naked and wildly entangled with each other. The scene was frenzied and intense. When they became excited, they even bit randomly, and blood had already been drawn.
'So that's twenty werewolves. And it looks like they're all mature werewolves.'
When facing ordinary guards, a werewolf fighting one against ten was normal as long as there was enough space. They also had to be careful not to get bitten, which made fighting them even more restrictive.
Thud, thud, thud—Quentin returned, with Graham and Diero beside him.
Diero's full name was Diero Pisaka, a Level 4 Fighter and also a member of the joint council. He belonged to an outsider noble family. Normally he kept a low profile and ran a timber and furniture business.
"I've notified everyone. Should we assemble the guard?" Quentin suggested.
"This matter isn't that simple." Anser handed him the rough map and said in a deep voice, "In just this short time I've already found four groups—twenty werewolves. They're lurking inside the city, and their intentions are unclear."
Graham's gaze tightened slightly. "How about sealing the city? Launch a large-scale search and force them out?"
Better to force them to act than to wait until they are fully prepared. Cutting losses in time was also a kind of strategy.
"Send someone to notify Fort Jacqueline and borrow part of their forces to quietly enter the city. Before three in the afternoon, I'll try my best to determine their numbers and locations. We'll divide into groups to watch them, each led by an elite professional."
"Then we strike simultaneously and try to wipe them out in one wave. We can't allow too much chaos or casualties…" Anser pondered.
"Elite professionals… we might not have enough people." Quentin showed a troubled expression.
"Have you checked that tiefling warrior and the bearded man under Sarberg?" Anser suddenly remembered that mercenary group.
"The Thieves' Guild said it needs a little time. But that tiefling warrior belongs to a certain mercenary group and has already separated from Sarberg. He's currently staying at an inn in the west of the city."
"Help me invite them over. I'll talk with them."
"Yes."
Durlag hid many elite professionals. Spending a little money to reduce casualties—why not?
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