2 — Chapter 2

I had heard Jack and Uncle Neef’s heroic tales—or rather, their nostalgic ramblings—so many times that I was sick of them. Both of them were former mercenaries, but after being injured, they could no longer live that life. Jack had lost an arm, and Neef could no longer use one of his legs.

One-armed Jack.

Lame Neef.

That was what the slums called them.

“I’ve been through a lot. Started mercenary work when I was seventeen.”

I knew that story by heart. For three years, he did nothing but grunt work. Then, by luck, he got hired to guard a merchant caravan and made real money for the first time. After that, things went smoothly—until bandits crippled them. That was when the two uncles were… how old again? I couldn’t quite remember.

“That’s why I can read the air here. I’m sure of it—it’s a ploy to wipe out the slums.”

“Why would they want to do that?”

This was our home. The place we lived.

“Do you pay taxes?” Neef’s question carried an empty weight.

“No.”

“To live in the territory, you need to pay taxes. Otherwise, you at least have to work to compensate.”

I nodded.

“But we don’t even work. So who would like us? From the lord’s perspective, we’re useless. We just take up space and cause trouble. Got it?”

“What trouble do we even cause?”

“Just existing here is the trouble.”

“That doesn’t make sense!”

I raised my voice, and Jack lifted his only fist. Instinctively, I hunched my shoulders.
He lowered it and spoke.

“When you go outside, how do people look at you?”

“…I hate it.”

I really hated it. The way people stared at me.

“Exactly. We’re the nuisance.”

“So they’re trying to drive us out?”

“That’s right. They’ll probably kick us out, flatten this place, clear it, maybe even rebuild it and bring in new people.”

“And from them they’ll get labor, or taxes, fattening the territory, and in the end, the lord’s belly too. That’s how it works.”

The two of them really were in sync. Maybe because they were friends.

“Where are we going, then?”

I asked for a conclusion. But they didn’t answer me.

“I think that public execution was a lie too,” Neef said.

“I thought so as well. It’d be hard for some slum-dweller to even cross paths with the lord’s daughter.”

“So it was staged ahead of time?”

“Most likely. Just an excuse to erase the slums.”

“The poor bastard who vanished with the dew of the execution ground was the only victim. From what I know, the daughter’s been in the capital studying for over a year already.” ¹

“Already? No wonder the territory was noisy around that time.”

“Still, this lord’s not completely heartless. Using this kind of excuse instead of outright eviction shows he’s thinking ahead.”

“He’s considering his reputation. If people think well of him, more will move here, and he’ll collect more taxes.”

Their conversation flowed naturally—until my shout cut in.

“Where are we going?!”

“I told you. We’re still deciding.”

Jack raised his fist again. I clamped my mouth shut and hunched my shoulders once more. And their talk continued on.

That night, I packed my things with the two uncles.

“Are we leaving right now?”

“No, in the morning. We should get some proper rest first.”

“Good, that’s a relief~”

“Tired, huh?”

“Yeah, from all the hits I took…”

When I rubbed my head lightly, the two of them laughed heartily.

“Sorry about that. Just learn some manners already.”

“I said I got it.”

“You sure about that?”

I hunched my shoulders again, and they laughed even louder. Their laughter made me laugh along too.

We fell asleep with smiles on our faces. By morning, we had a simple meal, strapped on our packs, and left the territory.

At the checkpoint where they monitored people going in and out, no one stopped us. I saw many others like us. Even kids I recognized from the slums were walking with bundles on their backs.

“Looks like they had the same idea?”

“Yeah. They probably felt the same unease and chose to leave.”

“What about the ones who stayed?”

“They’ll either die or be driven out.”

Neef’s cold words shut me up.

“It looks like some kind of refugee procession.” He muttered under his breath.

---

It had already been four days since we left the Bekumom Territory.

More than aching legs and back, the food problem was what worried me most. Yet, I seemed to be the only one worrying. Jack and Neef didn’t look concerned at all.

“When will we get there?”

“Soon.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, you insolent brat.”

“Tch.”

Was Uncle Jack tired too? Normally he would’ve raised his fist without a word, but this time he let it slide.

We walked for a long while until the sun was high in the sky. The heat was unbearable.

“That up ahead is the Kapro Forest, right?”

“Yeah? Looks like it.”

The two uncles quickened their pace as they spotted the treeline.

“Wait for me!”

I hurried after them, but catching up to their long strides was impossible. By the time my lungs burned and I was gasping for air, they finally stopped.

“What’s with you? You’re young and already struggling?”

“I’m not young, I’m just a kid.”

“Come on, put your pack down.”

By the time I caught up, they were already resting with their gear unpacked. It made me sulk for no reason. I dropped my own load and flopped onto the ground.

“Ahhh, this feels good…”

Strength drained from my body as drowsiness washed over me.

“Let’s just have some porridge for lunch. We’ll arrive before sunset anyway.”

“Really?!”

I bolted upright. Neef, busy preparing, answered half-heartedly.

“Yeah. If you’ve got nothing to do, help get things ready.”

“Okay!”

Suddenly I had energy again. If we were arriving today, that meant I could finally rest. I dug through the packs and pulled out bowls and utensils.

Grr!

Grrrr…!

I froze. A chill ran down my spine. The bowl in my hand stiffened as my grip went rigid.

“Wolves?”

I heard Jack’s voice, and some of the tension drained from me. I lifted my head toward where the growls came from. Something dark shifted in the distance.

“Judging by the howls, it’s wolves… but since we don’t have fire yet, grab a weapon. Kark.”

“Huh?”

“You, get the fire going. We’ll use it to drive them back. Beasts are afraid of fire.”

Jack pulled a dagger from inside his clothes. Neef did the same. Even with their injuries, they always claimed their weapon skills hadn’t dulled. That thought alone gave me courage, and the trembling in my hands eased.

“Okay!”

I quickly scrambled around for dry twigs and leaves to start the fire.

“Doesn’t seem like an ordinary wolf to me,” Neef muttered.

“…Hmm. Kark, move aside.”

“What?”

Neef snatched the tinder from my hands and lit the fire with practiced speed.

Arf! Arf!

Grrr!

The howls grew closer. I turned my head just in time to see a wolf’s fur glinting in the dim light. It was strange—blood red, as if soaked in gore.

“Damn it! Dire wolves!”

Jack snapped.

Neef’s hands moved even faster to build the fire.

Fwoosh!

Flames sprang to life.

“Phew! Phew!”

He blew on the embers until the blaze grew stronger.

“They’re coming closer…”

Jack rose to his feet, dagger raised.

I froze, unsure what to do.

“Here, take this.”

Neef thrust a burning stick into my hands. He held another torch himself, dagger in his free hand.

“When they come at you, don’t be scared. Swing it, and they’ll back off.”

“But you said they’re dire wolves?”

“Doesn’t matter. They’re still wolves.”

“They’re the strongest kind of wolf though!”

Neef’s gaze cut toward me, sharp.

“Jack told you that?”

“Yeah.”

“Then all the more reason to do what I say.”

“…Fine.”

“Good. Then tonight we eat meat.”

I wanted to believe him. Dire wolves… there were a lot of them. But maybe not more than ten.

One of them lunged forward with a bark. Jack’s dagger flashed, and the beast collapsed with a strangled yelp.

Arf!

It hit the ground and didn’t move again.

Arf! Arf! Arf!

The rest charged, snarling. Jack and Neef fought with daggers and torches, cutting them down one by one.

I didn’t even know how they moved. All I knew was that they were holding their ground, slaying the beasts steadily.

Arf!

“Ugh!”

A sudden cry right beside me made me jump. My hand slackened, and the torch slipped from my grip.

Arf!

Another dire wolf leapt at me. Up close, its fur looked like it had been drenched in blood.

“Move!”

I didn’t even know whose voice it was, but I obeyed on instinct. My body threw itself sideways.

Arf!

The wolf collapsed mid-leap, a dagger buried deep in its throat. My eyes followed the hand that gripped the blade—it was Neef’s, his other arm hanging bloody and empty. His torch was gone.

Arf! Arf!

Another wolf lunged. Neef stepped in front of me, slashing with his dagger. But from the side, another one came barreling toward me.

Jack had always said that in a true crisis, fear would paralyze your body. He was right. I couldn’t move at all.

A black shadow blocked my vision. A massive back loomed in front of me.

Yelp!

---

Neef was bitten in the side while saving Kark. He managed to drive his dagger into the wolf’s skull, but there were still plenty left.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Neef muttered through gritted teeth. His eyes tried to reassure Jack, but every movement twisted his face with pain. Jack wasn’t fooled. He knew how dire wolf fangs worked—sharp enough to crush wood like meat, strong enough to crack bone. A graze was already a grave injury.

“Stay sharp, Kark!”

Jack barked.

Kark’s eyes shook violently, unfocused, frozen in fear. He hadn’t broken down crying—remarkable for someone not even ten years old. But survival didn’t allow such luxuries.

“Run!”

Arf!

Kark flinched, shrinking at the sudden howl.

“Run!”

Jack roared again.

The words snapped him back, but fear still gripped his body. His limbs refused to move, shackled by terror.

So Neef slung him onto his shoulder and tried to flee. But his side wound slowed him down. Jack held the wolves off, retreating step by step.

Then his foot snagged on a rock. He fell, a dire wolf clamping onto his leg. He stabbed it through the neck and hurled it aside, but his leg was mangled. Every movement sent jolts of pain up his body.

Six wolves remained. Jack and Neef locked eyes, then nodded once.

“Kark. Listen carefully. We can win. You understand what I mean?”

Through tears, Kark nodded. His throat ached from crying, his chest burned from sobbing, but Neef’s words rang clear.

“Yes, we can win. But our wounds are too severe. Even if we kill them, we won’t make it. So, Kark… go to the village. Get help.”

---

I understood. I nodded again, harder this time.²

“Good. Go quickly. Only if you bring help can we live.”

I turned to Jack. Blood drenched his arm, dripping onto the ground.

“I’ll be quick!”

My voice shook, but I forced the words out. My eyes couldn’t leave Jack’s bloodied arm.

Jack’s arm bled endlessly, drops splattering onto the dirt. Around us, the wolves howled without pause.

“Thank you.”

Neef placed his huge hand on my head and ruffled my hair. Behind his smiling face, a wolf’s glowing eyes glared at us. My skin crawled.

“Go, now.”

His hand pushed me forward. My mind cleared, and I ran as fast as I could. The nearest village was Benjamin—our intended destination. I remembered hearing it had about a hundred households. Just a little further, they’d said. But this had happened instead.

Arf! Arf! Arf!

I glanced back as I ran. Wolves were swarming Jack and Neef.

“Aah!”

My foot caught on a rock, and I crashed to the ground. Pain shot through my knee and jaw.

I scrambled up and sprinted again, lungs burning, chest ready to burst. Tears blurred everything. The world turned hazy and white.

---

By the time Kark returned, much time had already passed.

What awaited him was a scene of horror.

In a daze, he staggered through the battlefield, searching desperately for his uncles.

Jack and Neef lay with their eyes closed, drenched in blood too mingled to tell whose was whose. Their bodies were intact, but corpses of dire wolves littered the ground around them. The earth was soaked red, the stench of iron suffocating.

“…They never let go of their weapons,” one of the villagers whispered behind him.

But Kark didn’t hear.

The villagers shook their heads and gathered the two bodies.

Kark still couldn’t move. Not even then.