Andras Ibos - Wolfheart
Volume II. - Firestorm
Contents:
Arc 09 - Dancing with Wolves
Arc 10 - Fireburp
Arc 11 - The Hidden Tomb of the First Wolfwoods
Arc 12 - Dragonshroom
Arc 13 - Firestorm
Arc 14 - The Royal Hunt
Arc 15 - Wildfire
Genre:
Fantasy – Isekai – Adventure – Drama –
Sword and Sorcery
Arc 9 – Dancing with Wolves
Kingdom of Riel, 15 years after the Demon King's reincarnation.
Royal Whitefort — the royal capital.
At the Wolfwood House residence.
On the night before the semifinals of the Royal Knight Tournament held in honor of the Hero, young Wolfwood stood beneath the clear sky, watching as the three moons of Neptunia bathed the capital in silver light. His thoughts drifted to the mission Uriel the Archangel had entrusted to him: to save the Hero from the White Witch's curse, and perhaps, in doing so, protect Neptunia itself from the Demons.
Andras's thoughts:
No matter how many times I see it, this sight always leaves me breathless.
The way the three moons illuminate the night all at once…
In my previous life, on Earth, we only had one moon. And even that was beautiful on a clear night, when the stars shone bright.
But this… this is something else entirely.
A three‑mooned sky like this always reminds me how lucky I am to live here.
It's already been a decade since I came to Neptunia.
I have a half‑elf maid, Noelle.
I'm not even sure what I like more: her pointy ears, or the way she smiles while baking those delicious biscuits for me.
Then there's my other maid, Ironclaw… though she's more like a household pet than a maid.
A wolf‑type Beastkin girl.
I blamed her "nose" for recognizing bandits, so no one would suspect that it was actually my magical eyes seeing through their disguises.
And of course, my two female knights, Andrea and Anita.
True warrior maidens.
I honestly can't decide which sight is more beautiful: when they swing their swords, or when they wash the sweat off their bodies in the river after training.
I mean—
It's not like I was spying on them.
I was just… watching over them.
In case a dragon attacked from the sky.
They didn't have their swords with them, after all.
And my holy sword was right there, ready to serve them.
Speaking of dragons…
My Master, Sakura Dry, once told me she had ridden on a dragon's back.
She said they crossed the entire continent in a single day — from the eastern edge of the Empire to the western border of the Kingdom.
A trip that would take at least two months on horseback.
Maybe I should get myself a dragon too.
A dragon maid who could also serve as my private jet.
Two‑in‑one.
Doesn't sound bad at all.
According to Master Florian, only two dragon species live on the continent: Fire Dragons and Frost Dragons.
Well… riding a Frost Dragon would probably freeze my ass off.
But a Fire Dragon?
That would be like having heated seats.
Alright, decision made.
I want a female Fire Dragon as my maid! — he thought to himself.
Young Wolfwood stood on the balcony of the residence, leaning his elbows against the cold stone railing. Royal Whitefort lay quiet beneath the glow of the three moons, wrapped in a strange, peaceful stillness. The air was crisp, the bustle of the city long faded; only the distant footsteps of a few patrolling guards echoed faintly across the cobblestones.
The door behind him creaked softly, and Anita stepped out onto the balcony.
The female Wolf Knight moved with her usual light grace, coming to stand beside him as she, too, rested her arms on the railing.
"Getting a bit of fresh night air before bed?" she asked with a smile.
Andras glanced sideways at her.
"Shouldn't you be sleeping already? You've got a tough day ahead of you tomorrow."
"I figured I'd breathe in a little more fresh air and then—ah."
Anita suddenly turned her head aside and let out an explosive fart.
Andras blinked slowly.
"That sounded like someone stressing over her duel with the Hero."
"Maybe," Anita shrugged, as if nothing had happened. "But I think it was that big mug of honeyed milk I drank earlier."
"Then try not to drink milk before the duel," Andras replied dryly. "Unless you're planning to defeat the Hero with poisonous gas."
Anita burst out laughing, her voice bouncing between the nearby buildings.
"Hahaha! If she inhaled that, she'd pass out instantly!"
Her laughter faded, and her expression shifted to something more serious.
"But really… if you were in my place, how would you fight her?"
Andras looked up toward the moons, thinking.
"Hm… if it were a fight to the death, I'd coat my short sword and dagger in a poison strong enough to drop a dragon. But this is a knightly duel. If you used poison, they'd notice immediately and disqualify you."
Anita tilted her head.
"Then is there something I could use that they wouldn't notice?"
A faint smile tugged at Andras's lips — one with a darker edge hidden beneath.
"I have a few ideas… but I'm saving those for the Demon Generals."
"So they're dangerous enough that even the Hero's life would be at risk, huh?" Anita asked, half curious, half teasing.
"The Hero absolutely cannot die until she defeats the Demon King," Andras said quietly. "What she does after that… I don't really care."
A gentle breeze stirred Anita's hair, and for a moment, both of them fell silent.
The three moons cast a silver glow over them, as if Neptunia itself were watching.
Anita stared out over the city for a moment, then turned back to Andras.
"So… is there no way I can mess with her a little?" she asked with the same casual tone someone might use to ask where the salt shaker was.
Andras snorted.
"Listen, Anita. From what I've seen in the Hero's previous duels, her basic abilities are only slightly above Andrea's. What really makes her stand out is the Light element she received from the Goddess. But Light magic only works against demons. She can't use it against us."
Anita raised an eyebrow.
"So that's why she only used Fire in her duels so far? I thought she was saving Light as a trump card."
"No," Andras shook his head. "She has been using Light — just not offensively. She's been constantly healing herself with it. Her regeneration is basically on par with mine."
Anita's eyes widened.
"Oh, come on! Then how am I supposed to beat her?!"
Andras leaned on the railing, thinking.
"Hm… you can maintain your feral mode for ten minutes right now. Let's agree on this: if you can stay on your feet against the Hero for those ten minutes, then as far as I'm concerned, you've already won — even if you lose the duel officially. In other words… you'll get your reward."
Anita practically lit up.
"Seriously?! So it doesn't matter if I lose, as long as I last ten minutes against the Hero?"
"It's still not an easy task," Andras pointed out. "You're dueling the Hero, after all. Use every dirty trick I've ever taught you."
Anita clenched her fist, a fierce grin spreading across her face.
"Now I definitely want to mess with the Hero!"
"Yeah, don't hold back," Andras laughed. "Any minor injuries she gets will heal instantly anyway. Hahaha!"
Anita pushed herself away from the railing and stretched.
"Alright then, I'm off. I'll get some sleep for tomorrow. Good night, young Wolf!"
"Sleep well," Andras nodded.
The girl glanced back at him once more before disappearing through the door.
Moonlight continued to spill across the balcony, as if the heavens themselves were watching over the quiet moment before the coming duel.
Andras remained on the balcony for a while longer, watching as Anita disappeared through the doorway. The light of the three moons glinted silver on the railing, and a faint smile crossed his face.
She was probably worried about what I'd think of her if she lost to the Hero, he thought.
Now that I've taken that weight off her shoulders… I wonder what she'll be capable of in the duel. I can't wait to see it. I should get some sleep too. Tomorrow I get to watch two fantastic matches.
With that, he turned his back on the night and returned to his room.