"By the way, teacher, during your hunting trip, I visited the shop run by one of Old Ba’s followers. The shop owner, a meatball-like guy, is actually named Evans and was a merchant before he was transformed."
Although the Scarlet Plague in Ximu Town was alleviated thanks to Old Ba’s dedicated guidance, some unresolved mysteries still lingered. "He mentioned another chosen one who had previously consulted the book ’Scarlet Plague’ before me. Maybe this is related to the witch you mentioned."
"This witch is a bit peculiar. I’ve never heard of such a person before."
The cat said, "Moreover, her magic is strange. Most witches who believe in Bazatous are female magicians; causing the Scarlet Plague or setting up summoning rituals are typically witchcraft skills, but controlling puppets and brewing magic potions belong to different paths. What’s even stranger is the Beast God."
"The Beast God is a creation of the Hunting Goddess Cynthia, and only the most fanatical high-ranked devotees can nurture such a being. Why was a summoning ritual set up by a Bazatous follower capable of summoning Cynthia’s familiar?"
She felt something odd yesterday in the mountains, but all Miss Keroy and the others cared about was eating. What useful information could she possibly get from two foodies?
"Her faith is eclectic, it seems she knows a bit of everything. Being Bazatous’s chosen one might not even be her true identity."
The cat fell into thought, unintentionally leaning against Ethan’s face.
Everything about the witch remained an unsolved mystery, and they couldn’t discern the motive behind her instigated invasion. This made her slightly uneasy. "Perhaps the witch’s skills are not beneath mine."
Ethan nodded. Bian and Rowena, who were ambushed outside the town, communicated through the energy crystal.
The brown hard-boiled egg and his men were already ’at the city’s gates.’
The two spent an entire afternoon finding a perfect spot to watch the event and even brought snacks made from Beast God meat, with drinks being guava juice Rowena brewed in the afternoon.
Both of them valued the viewing experience and were ready to critique the impending war.
The brown hard-boiled egg faced his subordinates, delivering his pre-battle speech.
"In the town, there’s a sheriff named Ave, a blonde woman whom the witch specifically wants. Don’t be blind, as for others, the old rule applies: whoever sees them first gets them!"
According to the spy he had planted in the town, Ave was the eldest daughter of a high-ranking noble family from the Imperial Capital, an exceptionally stunning beauty, which was quite a rarity in a border town.
It’s a pity he couldn’t touch her.
The brown hard-boiled egg gazed at the town shrouded in the night, which was eerily quiet, with only a few sporadic guards. At this time of night, Ximu Town’s residents were either asleep or most had succumbed to the plague.
With a command, he raised his head and let out a loud wolf howl towards the night sky.
Bian and Rowena, upon hearing the howl, froze and exchanged glances, reading each other’s confusion.
"Did you understand it too?"
Rowena asked in astonishment. The meaning of the howl was "Follow me,"—the brown hard-boiled egg was calling his wolf pack.
But why could they understand it?
Just as the two were puzzled, they heard rustling behind them. Turning around, they saw several gray wolves, their ghostly green eyes fixed on them.
Bian held the wolf’s gaze for a moment, then suddenly realized something and howled back, "Awooo (Go home)——!"
The gray wolves seemed very confused, glancing at each other for a while, then retreated into the bushes.
The brown hard-boiled egg listened to the echoing wolf howls in the mountain and, after waiting for a long time with no response, howled again, "Awooo (Come quickly, charge)——!"
The gray wolves that had retreated suddenly poked their heads out again.
"Awooo (Dammit, get over here)——!"
Rowena watched as the gray wolves paced back and forth in the bushes several times. Even the lead wolf grew impatient and howled together with Bian and the brown hard-boiled egg, "Awooo (Should we charge or go home?)——!"
Why were there two leaders giving opposite orders?
"Awooo (Go home!)——!"
Rowena joined the fray, raising her head to howl.
This time, the gray wolves understood, coordinated perfectly and retreated into the bushes, ignoring the brown hard-boiled egg’s calls.
The situation was clear, the vote was 2 to 1, with one more vote supporting going home.
After a simple consideration, the lead wolf concluded that wolves were pack animals, and obeying the majority was their excellent tradition.
The brown hard-boiled egg waited again for a long time. The howling stopped in the mountains, yet he couldn’t see hide nor hair of his wolf pack. Annoyed, he cursed. Although these gray wolves weren’t strong fighters, they could be used as cannon fodder for charging. They needed only to stay aside until the guards were worn out by the wolves, then deliver a surprise fatal blow.
This was his tactic for raiding caravans; even those high-paid guards hired by the caravans succumbed to his wolf pack strategy.
But what was wrong with the gray wolves today?
They had never been so disobedient.
He just couldn’t accept it!
The brown hard-boiled egg once again lifted his neck, but this time, the howl stuck in his throat. He heard the sound of wind mingled with electric arcs, felt a sudden heaviness in his chest, and the following sensation wasn’t pain, but numbness.
He incredulously lowered his head, gazing at the huge hole in his chest, through which he could see the scenery straight from one end to the other.
The bandits behind him didn’t escape unscathed either, their chests pierced, or shoulders shattered.
The sudden turn of events was so abrupt that cries of pain and panic erupted in the crowd much later.
However, those sounds were moving away from him.
The vision of the brown hard-boiled egg blurred, his limbs no longer obeying him. He kneeled on the cold mud and then toppled over.
Hagrid, witnessing the scene, let out a long sigh of relief.
The brown hard-boiled egg, the leader of this bandit crew, had just been shot through the chest with one of his arrows.
It was supposed to be a tough mission, but the unexpected turn of events made it all flow smoothly.
Hagrid thought that the brown hard-boiled egg must have been out of his mind, howling aimlessly in the clearing in the middle of the night as if afraid no one would notice him, all the while staring at the sky, oblivious to what was happening around him.
Hagrid never imagined seeing such an easy target, completely defenseless, at a battle. But he learned something new today.
Damn! This brown hard-boiled egg was incredibly foolish!