At the door
Eris was already close to punching the door when it finally opened.
Little Daisy stood there — sleepy, but with a surprisingly cheeky expression.
"Hi! I'm here to see the Wolfwoods," Eris said politely.
Daisy raised an eyebrow.
"The iron‑sucker Hero, Eris!"
Eris froze.
"Iron‑sucker?!
Who taught you to talk like that?!"
"Everyone knows you're an iron‑sucker."
"Everyone?!
That's not true!
I am a pure, untouched maiden — I would never do anything improper!"
Daisy shrugged.
"Sure. And you're only here because you want to play with Young Wolf's magic staff."
Eris's face turned bright red.
"I am not— … never mind.
I'm not arguing about this with a child.
I'm here to speak with Andrea and Young Wolf."
Daisy smiled innocently.
"So you want to play with Andrea's honey‑cup and Young Wolf's magic staff at the same time?"
Eris nearly exploded.
"What are the Wolf Knights teaching children in this house?!
No!
Forget all those indecent things.
Just take me to them, okay?"
Daisy nodded as if this were the most normal conversation in the world, and led her inside.
In the kitchen
Noelle had just taken a tray of fresh, fragrant cheese scones out of the oven when Eris walked in.
The half‑elf didn't even look up.
"Good morning, Hero. Scone?"
The scene perfectly captured the Wolfwood household's morning chaos:
a Hero, red‑faced and desperately trying to regain her dignity,
a little girl who had clearly overheard far too many adult conversations,
and a half‑elf who had been baking since six in the morning.
The day had barely begun —
but Eris Scarlett already knew this morning would be unforgettable.
"The iron‑sucker Hero is here," Daisy announced.
"I figured," Noelle said. "Christina and Floralys are knocked out, they're not getting out of bed today."
Eris tried her best to remain dignified.
"Hi, Noelle! Smells really good in here. What are you baking?"
"Good morning, little Hero. What do you want?"
"I see everyone here is so welcoming… I came to see Andrea."
"She's in her room. Daisy, please show the Hero the way."
"Understood."
In front of Andrea's room
Daisy stopped in front of a door.
"This is the room. I'm going back to help Noelle."
"Okay, thanks," Eris said.
The girl ran off, and Eris was left alone in the hallway.
Her heart was pounding.
She was excited… and, for some reason, embarrassed as well.
She pressed her ear to the door.
Nothing.
No sound, no movement.
"All right… I just have to go in. Just go in…"
She took a deep breath, knocked—then suddenly opened the door.
A sight no Hero was prepared for
The Hero stepped in confidently, already opening her mouth to greet Andrea.
Then she stopped.
Froze.
Even the air seemed to stop around her.
On the large bed, four people were sleeping:
in the middle, Young Wolf, fast asleep
on his right, Andrea, breathing peacefully
on his left, Anita, half‑curled against him
at their feet, crosswise, Ironclaw, lying on her back, mouth open, snoring loudly
Eris's face went white.
Then red.
Then purple.
The pure, innocent maiden's heart simply could not process what she was seeing.
Words stuck in her throat.
Her thoughts shattered.
"Wh… what is this…?
What is happening here…?
Why… why are they sleeping together like this…?
Why is Young Wolf in the middle…?
Why is Anita there…?
Why is Ironclaw there…?!
Why… why… WHY?!"
Eris Scarlett, Hero of the Kingdom, terror of demons…
…completely broke down.
Eris Scarlett was still in shock.
Her eyes were wide, her face bright red, and her dignity… somewhere on the floor.
On the bed, the four sleepers slowly began to wake.
Andrea stretched.
Anita yawned.
Ironclaw snorted loudly.
Young Wolf mumbled something with half‑closed eyes.
Eris finally burst out:
"W‑What on earth is going on here?! This is improper!"
Young Wolf blinked up at her, still half asleep.
"Why does the morning rooster sound like the Hero…?"
Andrea squinted at Eris.
"It doesn't just sound like her… it looks like her too."
Ironclaw sniffed the air.
"And she smells like the Hero."
Anita rolled onto her side with a lazy smirk.
"What's wrong, Eris? Don't tell me you want to join us too."
Ironclaw nodded as if this were perfectly logical.
"This is wolf territory. There is no place for a Hero here."
Eris's face turned even redder.
"Who would ever want to join you in bed?!"
By now Young Wolf was sitting up, scratching his hair.
"What time is it? Noelle's not here, so the scones must be ready."
Eris stomped her foot.
"Yes, the scones are ready! But don't change the subject! What improper thing were you all doing?!"
Young Wolf stared at her, genuinely confused.
"Which part of sleeping is improper?"
"It's not the sleeping! It's that you're all sleeping in the same bed!"
Young Wolf shrugged.
"Don't you sleep in the same bed as the Princess?"
Eris froze.
"T‑That's… different. We're both girls."
Young Wolf continued calmly:
"My female knights are simply doing their duty as bodyguards.
I never know when a Demon or an Imperial assassin might attack me.
And Eris… you know very well that you'd still have to sleep beside the Princess even if you had been born a boy.
There's nothing improper about it."
Eris lowered her head.
Her ears were still red.
"Maybe you're right. I'm sorry… I overreacted."
The four wolves nodded in perfect unison, as if this were the most natural conclusion in the world.
And the Hero slowly regained her dignity —
or at least tried to.
Andrea was fully awake now, her hair messy around her shoulders, squinting suspiciously at Eris.
"But you still haven't explained what the iron you're doing in Young Wolf's room," she said.
Eris immediately raised her hands in defense.
"I didn't know this was Young Wolf's room! I asked Noelle where you were, and that other young girl led me here. I thought you'd be alone, Andrea."
Andrea nodded as if everything suddenly made sense.
"I see. You want a rematch because our duel ended in a draw."
"You misunderstand! I'm here for a different reason."
Young Wolf rubbed his eyes with a yawn.
"You came to confess your love to Andrea?"
Andrea reacted instantly.
"Sorry, Eris. You're not my type."
Eris nearly exploded.
"No!! I came to ask you, Andrea Wolf, to join the Hero's Party."
Andrea's expression hardened.
"Absolutely not. Forget that nonsense."
Eris stared at her in shock.
"Why not? The entire Kingdom already knows you're the most worthy choice."
Andrea shrugged, as if the praise meant nothing.
"I don't care what people think of me. I am Young Wolf's sword. My fate is to protect him and fight at his side against the demons. I'm not interested in heroics. I will never join the Hero's Party — not now, not ever. I hope you can understand that, so drop the subject."
But Eris didn't give up.
"And what if Young Wolf could join the Hero's Party too?"
Young Wolf was fully awake now, and he looked at her seriously.
"Eris, I've already told you. Travel the continent, look around, and find your own team. The world is a huge place, full of strong people. There's the Elven Kingdom, the Dwarven Kingdom… even the Empire has powerful swordsmen who could join the Hero's Party."
His voice was calm, but firm.
"You still have time. Your path as a Hero is only beginning. You don't need to rush just because you met one strong opponent."
Eris lowered her head.
Her enthusiasm hadn't faded, but her words failed her.
She could feel they were both right —
and that this conversation was far from over.