Bella stopped and looked at the girls.
"And not just that. I heard three knights were killed nearby. All of them dried out — like something drained the life from their bodies."
Her gaze shifted to Cica.
"Did you see which direction it flew?"
"Uh… I'll show you," Cica said, pointing toward the direction she had seen.
Bella's eyes widened.
"Southwest…" she whispered. "That's toward Greenwood. And the Royal Hunt will be held in Greenwood!"
Lazuro shot to his feet.
"Then it really was a demon! We have to alert the Wolves immediately!"
Bella eyed him up and down.
"How much have you had to drink?"
"Just two beers. No problem," Lazuro replied — though his tone suggested "two" was closer to four.
Bella sighed, but there was no time to argue.
Demons had appeared in the capital.
And they were heading toward Greenwood.
She quickly assessed the situation. In the dim storage room, the girls were still catching their breath, and Lazuro clutched his mug as if it gave him strength to process the weight of the news.
Finally, Bella pointed at him decisively.
"Fine. Your horse is the fastest," she said, her voice brooking no argument. "Ride to the Wolfwood border crossing. Give the password and request a fresh horse. You must ride without rest if you want to reach Wolfwood in time. Hurry! You must reach Young Wolf before they depart for Greenwood."
Lazuro sobered instantly. He set down his mug and headed for the door.
"I'm leaving right now!"
The Black Horse – Lazuro's Ride to Wolfwood
The adventurer known as the Black Horse hadn't earned his name by accident. His coal‑black stallion moved like a shadow driven forward by the wind. Lazuro saddled him, swung into the saddle, and in the next heartbeat he was already galloping out of the city.
The light‑orb lantern hanging from his saddle cast a strong, pale glow ahead of him, allowing him to ride through the night without slowing. The horse's hooves clattered against the stone road like the heartbeat of the night itself.
By dawn, he reached the borders of Wolfwood.
Two Wolf Knights stood guard at the gate, the wolf‑head crest on their armor gleaming silver in the early morning light.
"Who are you, and what business do you have here?" one of the guards growled.
Lazuro pulled the reins, panting.
"An adventurer," he replied. "Wolves thrive in the night."
The guard's eyes narrowed.
"And what do they use? Their claws or their fangs?"
A grin spread across Lazuro's face.
"That big, shaggy tail of theirs."
Both guards burst into laughter.
"He's one of ours! Let him through!"
Lazuro leaned forward in the saddle.
"I bring urgent news for Young Wolf! A demon! I need a fresh horse. I'll leave mine here — take good care of him."
The guards' expressions darkened instantly.
"A demon?! Again?" one muttered. "Alright! Bring the fastest horse we have! And get this black one into the stables to rest! Move it, for the Goddess's sake! Are you all asleep?!"
The soldiers sprinted into action. Lazuro nodded gratefully.
"Thank you for understanding."
"Don't mention it. We're part of the same pack," the guard replied. "And news of demons cannot wait."
Lazuro switched horses quickly and set off again. The fresh steed surged forward with powerful strides, as if it too sensed that every moment mattered.
The sun was already high when he finally saw the dark stone walls of Wolfwood Castle rising in the distance.
By noon, he reached the gate — and the news he carried might very well change the fate of the entire Kingdom.
Wolfwood Castle
Lazuro had barely dismounted from the fresh horse when he found himself in the castle courtyard. The Wolf Knights stood in a half‑circle, watching him approach, breathless, clothes covered in dust, face pale from riding through the entire night. Andras arrived from the training grounds, still carrying the momentum of his morning drills in every movement.
When he saw Lazuro, he raised an eyebrow.
"Lazuro… and on a brown horse?" he remarked. "I assume you were in a hurry and switched mounts at the border. Your news must be urgent."
Lazuro bowed, still struggling to catch his breath.
"As expected of Young Wolf," he replied. "Yes. Cica — the cat‑girl — saw a demon fly out of a brothel window."
Andras's expression darkened.
"A demon wasn't there for the company of human women."
"In the last ten days, three Royal Knights were killed in the alleys," Lazuro continued. "All three corpses were dried out."
Andras's eyes narrowed.
"A Succubus."
His voice was cold as steel.
"Which brothel is she hiding in?"
"The Honey Pear," Lazuro answered. "The Knights' favorite place."
"Damn it…" Andras muttered. "Then she's gathered a lot of information."
"Yes. And Cica says she flew toward Greenwood."
Andras fell silent for a moment, staring into the distance as if he could already see the danger approaching.
"That's where we leave tomorrow," he said quietly. "And everyone who matters in the Kingdom will be there. Those filthy demons are planning something."
"Bella came to the same conclusion," Lazuro nodded. "That's why I rode through the night."
Andras finally turned back to him and clapped a hand on his shoulder.
"This is first‑class information. You'll be rewarded accordingly."
Then he smiled.
"I assume you haven't eaten yet, and it's already lunchtime. Join us."
Lazuro scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"A nobody like me can't sit at the nobles' table."
"Relax," Andras waved him off. "We eat in the kitchen. Everything's within reach there."
"In that case, I accept," Lazuro said. "And what about the Succubus?"
Andras sighed, glancing toward the castle walls as if his thoughts were already wandering through Greenwood's dark forests.
"We don't know how many demons are in the capital. We can't start a public demon hunt. And with the Royal Hunt tomorrow, I don't have time to deal with her. Who knows what awaits us in Greenwood."
"Couldn't you send a few Wolf Knights to take care of her?" Lazuro asked carefully.
Andras laughed — but there was no joy in it.
"The Fire Demon who came to Wolfwood was at knight‑captain level."
His tone hardened.
"Do you really think they'd send a weaker one to the capital? That Succubus has already killed three knights and devoured their souls. She's at full strength. Sending my knights after her would be sending them to their deaths."
Lazuro nodded silently.
"And those who could defeat her are needed in Greenwood," Andras continued. "So for now, all you can do is watch that brothel and endure that there will be more victims in the alleys."
His words fell heavy in the air.
"Listen. After Greenwood, I'll go there myself," he said at last. "I refuse to believe the demons won't exploit this opportunity. Our King is unbelievably foolish. And if they attack us during the hunt, it won't be just three knights who die."
Lazuro took a deep breath.
"Understood. We'll only observe. No reckless moves. But if we do run into her… or any demon… how do we defeat them?"
Andras looked at him grimly.
"Face‑to‑face? You don't," he said. "Trap them. Use the environment to your advantage. Then maybe the casualties won't be too high."
Silence settled between them — a silence heavy with the weight of the storm drawing near.