Chapter 9 — A Name Begins to Spread
The plaza of Mondstadt was louder than usual that afternoon.
Adventurers gathered around the notice board outside the headquarters of the Adventurers' Guild, arguing about commissions and monster sightings across the surrounding region.
Aiden stood near the edge of the crowd with his spear resting casually on his shoulder.
He wasn't here to socialize.
He was here for work.
One of the adventurers pointed toward the board.
"That hilichurl camp near Whispering Woods got cleared already."
Another frowned.
"By who?"
The first man shrugged.
"No idea."
Aiden quietly looked away.
He had no interest in attention.
But word traveled quickly in a city as small as Mondstadt.
The receptionist spotted him immediately.
"You again."
Aiden stepped up to the counter.
"…Hi."
She sighed.
"You're becoming a regular visitor."
Aiden shrugged.
"Is that a problem?"
"Only if you start dying on commissions."
She flipped through a few papers.
"There's another request today."
She tapped the board behind her.
"Wolves near Wolvendom."
Aiden glanced at the notice.
The request mentioned attacks on passing travelers.
That wasn't unusual.
But it was more dangerous than fighting hilichurls.
The receptionist looked at him carefully.
"This one might be too much for you."
Aiden folded the commission paper calmly.
"I'll manage."
Before she could argue—
A familiar voice spoke from behind.
"Let him take it."
Aiden didn't need to turn around to recognize the speaker.
Diluc stood nearby, his crimson hair bright beneath the afternoon sun.
The receptionist sighed again.
"You keep supporting him."
Diluc's voice remained calm.
"I support results."
She handed Aiden the commission slip.
"Fine."
"But if you get hurt, I'm blaming him."
Aiden smiled slightly.
"Deal."
Wolvendom was quiet.
Too quiet.
The dense forest stretched endlessly across the hills west of Mondstadt, its towering trees blocking most of the sunlight from reaching the ground.
Aiden moved carefully through the undergrowth.
His spear remained ready.
The forest smelled different here.
Wild.
Untamed.
And dangerous.
He crouched beside a fallen tree trunk and studied the ground.
Tracks.
Fresh ones.
Large paw prints marked the dirt path.
Definitely wolves.
But something about them bothered him.
The size.
The depth.
These weren't ordinary wolves.
Aiden stood slowly.
"…Great."
A low growl answered him.
Three wolves stepped out from the shadows of the trees.
Their fur was darker than usual.
Their eyes glowed faintly in the dim forest light.
They circled him carefully.
Aiden tightened his grip on the spear.
"Alright then."
The first wolf lunged.
Aiden reacted instantly.
The spear thrust forward and struck the creature's shoulder.
The wolf tumbled aside but quickly recovered.
The second attacked from the left.
Aiden spun the spear and struck downward, forcing the beast back.
The third wolf circled behind him.
Aiden stepped backward, keeping them in front of him.
Three against one.
Not ideal.
But manageable.
The wolves attacked together this time.
Aiden moved fast.
Block.
Step.
Strike.
The spear shaft cracked against one wolf's jaw.
Another lunged toward his leg.
Aiden jumped and kicked the creature aside.
The third wolf hesitated.
Animals could sense confidence.
Aiden stepped forward aggressively.
The sudden pressure made the wolves retreat slightly.
Good.
But before the fight could end—
A deeper growl echoed from the forest.
Aiden froze.
Something bigger stepped out of the shadows.
A massive wolf.
Twice the size of the others.
Its glowing eyes locked onto him.
"…Well."
Aiden sighed quietly.
"That explains the commission."
The smaller wolves moved aside as the larger beast approached.
Clearly their leader.
Aiden adjusted his stance.
This would be much harder.
The giant wolf lunged forward with terrifying speed.
Aiden barely managed to block.
The impact threw him backward several meters.
He rolled across the ground and stood again quickly.
"Okay…"
He wiped dirt from his face.
"Not normal wolves."
The beast charged again.
Aiden dodged sideways and thrust the spear into its shoulder.
The weapon struck muscle but didn't slow the creature much.
The wolf snapped its jaws toward him.
Aiden jumped backward again.
His breathing slowed.
Focus.
Speed.
Strategy.
The same approach he used against the Ruin Guard.
The beast lunged again.
Aiden stepped forward this time instead of retreating.
The spear swung low.
Crack.
The strike hit the wolf's front leg.
The creature stumbled.
Aiden immediately followed with a second strike.
The spear shaft slammed into the wolf's neck.
The beast collapsed briefly before scrambling back to its feet.
But the smaller wolves were already retreating.
Their leader had been injured.
Animals understood defeat.
After a tense moment—
The giant wolf backed away slowly.
Then disappeared into the forest with the others.
Aiden lowered the spear.
"…That worked."
He exhaled slowly.
His arms trembled slightly from the impact of the earlier attack.
But the mission was complete.
The travelers would be safe now.
When Aiden returned to Mondstadt that evening, the sun had already begun setting behind the windmills.
He handed the commission slip to the receptionist.
She checked the scout report.
"…Wolves dispersed."
She looked up at him.
"You actually did it."
Aiden shrugged.
"Barely."
She handed him the reward pouch.
"You're starting to build a reputation."
Aiden tilted his head.
"…Already?"
She smiled slightly.
"The adventurers noticed."
Aiden glanced toward the plaza.
Several of them were already whispering among themselves.
Apparently the rumors had started spreading.
The receptionist leaned forward slightly.
"You might want to register officially soon."
Aiden smiled faintly.
"Maybe."
As he stepped away from the counter—
He noticed Diluc standing near the fountain again.
Watching.
Aiden walked over.
"You planned that."
Diluc raised an eyebrow.
"Planned what?"
"The wolves."
Diluc didn't answer immediately.
Then he said calmly,
"I wanted to see how you handle pressure."
Aiden sighed.
"So this is a test."
Diluc nodded slightly.
"Yes."
Aiden rested the spear on his shoulder.
"Well?"
Diluc looked toward the forest beyond Mondstadt.
"You're improving."
Then he walked away.
As always.
Aiden watched him disappear into the evening crowd.
For now, life remained simple.
Training.
Commissions.
Working at Angel's Share.
But Aiden knew something.
This quiet beginning was only the first step.
Because somewhere beyond Mondstadt…
A much larger world waited.
And he intended to reach it someday.