Chapter 11: Reason, Fate, and extra Firepower.
Town of Gerth, Residential District
. …
"So... that woman is still after us, even after we fled the nation...?" Ash furrowed his eyebrows with a sharp look towards Daniella. "... Just because I killed her soldiers during the Siege of Lescatie?"
Elen held Daniella by the collar while sticking the blade near her throat. The Dhampir of the Demon Lord's Army stuttered.
"Th-That's right! The Fourth Born is sending agents to get rid of someone capable of killing mamono!"
"Seriously? Why him out of all of us?" Reginald asked while curiously raising his eyebrow and shrugging. "I mean, my sister and I have killed a lot of monster girls in our travels."
"Even the old lad Siegward Catarina himself," Andre added before taking another sip of warm milk from his mug. "The Onion Knight doesn't hesitate to kill a mamono if anyone's safety is concerned."
"Then why me?" Ash scowled under his helmet visor.
"B-Because your actions have gained the attention of the Fourth Born herself! We, the mamono, were just trying to help each other to find their husbands!" Daniella speaks out, but her spine chilled once she sensed a pressuring aura that suddenly emerged from him. "A-A-And y-you... you k-killed them for it!"
As her words struck him, Ash slowly delivered a glare at her with eyes filled with rage. He knew how conflicts raged in his past life and knew that love and reasoning have no place on the battlefield before becoming undead. In a battle, anyone may fight or flee.
'...By the flames... is it because of this pathetic excuse?!'
Meanwhile, Sasha and the orphans anxiously watched the interrogation before the Warrior Nun felt a wave of anger coming straight from the Silver-Blue Knight that made her shudder to the core and caused her immense worry. Ash had heard enough; none of those words made any sense before the Knight of Astora slowly stood up and balled his hand into a fist.
He punched the wall behind him and left cracks without batting an eye. Daniella gulped in fear, seeing his act before a dark, scowling face that showed no hint of mercy on his side.
Then Ash leaned towards the pale-blonde dhampir.
"What kind of stupid leader do you follow that thinks this is what war is?" He growled. "Is it a brothel you were expecting to wait for men that meet your desires?"
At this moment, Daniella is silent and unable to answer. Ash continued, "No, war is filled with death and destruction. Not for love and reasoning."
"B-But we aren't bloodthirsty killers!" Daniella desperately raised her voice. "We were meant to spread love and kindness-"
"Yet your folks have turned those human citizens into monsters against their own will by awakening their sickening desires." Ash spat back. "Spreading love? Kindness? Nay, you're erasing their meaningful existence as what it's like to be a human."
Daniella was taken aback by his words. She couldn't take this whilst his words offended the ideals of the Fourth Born and tried to reason him.
"B-But they accepted after what they have become!"
"That doesn't matter," Ash replied scornfully. "From what I've seen, they're no longer humans in the way they act."
"Y-You're wrong. They still remember who they are!" Daniella then spoke up with teary eyes. "All we did is to make their lives better and improve their daily lives from their weak state!"
...
"Thank you for returning my father! How could I ever repay you?"
Ash then heard voices of people and flashbacks that slowly surfaced in his mind; realising those voices belonged to the people he saved during his time on the outskirts of Lescatie.
"Thank you, Mr Knight, for finding papa! If it weren't for you, then my older sister would've died!"
"I thank you for returning our son to his rightful family. I can now feel the joy of our deceased daughter-in-law, happy to see him reunite with his children again."
"...Wrong? Making their lives better?..." Ash then spoke up. "Is that what you think of it?"
"Th-Thank you for returning our uncle. My little brother is getting better... If our parents were still alive, this shouldn't happen to us."
"It's been a week and my brother hasn't returned home. My sweet little Isabella died of an illness just a couple of days ago, and now my poor son is next. I don't want to see him suffer the same fate as my husband and my little daughter. I tried my best to make him better!"
"When I began to hunt down your kind... I saw how many families have been broken apart."
"I'm glad that you return with papa! Older brother Axel can walk again!"
"Thank you... Thank you, Mr Silver-Blue Knight, for saving my older brother. Our grandfather will no longer be ill!"
"I've seen mothers, sisters, elders, and orphaned children; both sick, hungry, and frail. They were waiting for their beloved sons, brothers, and fathers to their return to support and care for their lives, yet none came back and they died out shortly afterwards. Never able to see them coming home and ultimately forgotten. If they were to follow them, then your kind will turn into one of them as well."
Then a whistled pang struck her. Daniella couldn't find anything to reason with him. His words were literally like sharp knives that struck her excuses as if the monsters of her faction were truly malicious and evil. She tried to shake those thoughts off, but because of her nature as a dhampir that shares the same common sense as humans; his truth is indeed harsh. Were they really evil all along?
"Your leader doesn't care about their lives and their existence as humans... and I do have some good reasons to hate the intention of your kind who hailed from the Demon realms. You heavily rely on us only as if we're mere slaves with nothing to care in this world for what we've been trying to strive for." Ash tilted his head sideways in disappointment and raised his voice with a growl and clenched his fists. "Their dreams and ambitions, yet your radical intentions for the nature of humanity is extinction! This war between humans and the monsters of this world is truly indeed becoming more ridiculous. But if you're up against a person such as me..."
All of a sudden, Ash quickly unsheathes his bandit knife and whipped the blade towards her before the tip pauses only a millimetre away from her nose bridge. Daniella held her breath as if she felt it was milliseconds before her death.
"Then you should abandon your so-called "love" and "understanding"." His glare intensified. "Even fighting against other beasts and monsters from the lands I hailed from, there will be no hesitation or it will be your death... And as a Knight of Astora. I, who witnessed how your kind turned those citizens of the city into one of your own... without anybody to disagree... I will never forgive such acts."
'Wait... is he working for the Astora Family!?'
Daniella felt her heart race, not out of the heat with lust but out of fear. This person was truly not someone to be toyed with, nor even tempting words to sway into their lust. Reasoning with him was also fruitless and even her pleading look made Ash scowl further before he turned away from her, disgruntled.
"I am done with this talk." He hissed while glaring back at her. Once he left the living room, Daniella calmed down slowly in relief for a few moments before turning to the Farron Siblings and asking. "M-May I go now? I've talked about everything you wanted to know about."
"Oh really? Forget it." Reginald replied amusingly with a scornful look while crossing his arms, which led Daniella to sweat nervously. "What will you do once we let you go?"
Meanwhile, Sasha was worried to see Ash leaning back against the wall while slapping a palm on his face in frustration and uttering a long, drawn-out sigh. After hearing his outrage about his experience with the mamono tearing human families apart, it sent another pang of guilt into her heart.
'Did I really do the right thing?'
Sasha began remembering her time as a former Heroine in Lescatie, helping mamono escape executions and aiding their families to safety from Order soldiers in her belief that she can atone for her sins. But now she realised her sympathies for the mamono led her to forget that men have their own families to support them and the mamono that have acquired men as their husbands were once widowed men and desperate people that had tried to help their forgotten friends and families.
These thoughts conflicted with her to the point that she had to reflect on her previous actions; did she really make the right choice as the protector of their smiles and happiness?... No, she realised her goals were indeed selfish in her own nature.
'I don't know what to think anymore... How could I be so selfish?' Her thoughts spoke down, guilt-ridden. 'This is... all my fault.'
Jenny, the little orphan girl looked up to her big sister and noticed Sasha expressed a teary-filled face of sadness. The little girl did not know what was happening.
"Big sis, are you okay?" Jenny asked worriedly. "You look sad."
"Oh?... Oh, yes..." Sasha replied while wiping off her tears. "It's because... Ash is angry."
"I-Is it because big bro Ash is angry?" Emiyu asked nervously before looking up to the disgruntled Knight with his arms crossed. "He looks scary when angry."
"Y-Yeah, because we heard that the mamono of the demon realm were still following us!" Henry speaks up. "I hope they don't find us here!"
Ash slowly gazed up at Sasha with a cold look and the Warrior Nun couldn't help but look away before hushing the orphans back to their rooms. Once the children vacated the area, she looked back at him while expressing anxiety and worry.
"Is everything... alright?" She asked meekly.
"... no, I just felt... conflicted," Ash replied in a gruff tone. "We thought that we're just safe here..."
"... And Druella is still following us," Sasha looked down with a sigh. "What will we do now?"
"If her agents knew our location, then I would just cut off their throats." His reply made a frigid chill through her spine. "Just... to make sure that they won't mess with me."
"S-Such a dark response," Sasha states with a horrified look.
"I'm a Knight, a warrior. But I am no noble." Ash said in a blank tone. "You need to know this... I just have to do what I need to protect."
"Ash..." Sasha tries to speak up, but she couldn't find her words. 'Just why? How come you're so... stubborn...'
"Having a hard time?" Ash perks up his head before turning around and seeing Andre come up to the entrance hallway. "I never thought that the daughter of the demon lord is on your trails."
"Yeah, it irritates me to no end." Ash nodded in agreement before making an annoyed gaze. "I presume that killing her would be a good option."
"Hmmm… I'm not sure if that act could stop the conflict alone, but... Oh, I still have something that goes into my mind." Andre then spoke upon realisation. "Ash, I've got something in my workshop to test out my prototype."
"A prototype?" Ash curiously raised his eyebrow.
"Yes, indeed." Andre then smiled widely with a grin and pride. "It's a firearm, but a new one. Not the likes of the ''ol folks."
...
Pandemonium
...
"You lie!" The Dark Valkyrie cried out in anger before unsheathing her sword and pointing it directly toward the banshee. "There is no way a mortal such as he, could kill her!"
"There is no other way..." The banshee tilts her head sideways. "Fate has decided."
"But how?! What's the cause of her fate?!" The Dark Angel blurts out with a horrified tone.
"Hel received a vision which was given to me. Your Fallen God will burn to ashes once after you successfully turned his beloved maiden into a monster." The Banshee explained, hopeful that the Fallen God can heed her warning. "She will be stabbed to death by a twisted, coiled sword, wielded by a mortal warrior wrapped in darkness and flames."
"That... that will not happen!" The Fallen God seethed while raising her voice before clenching her fists. "This, my so-called "Fate" that Hel describes, thinks a mortal can surpass me?! Me, a God?!"
"My apologies. There is nothing we could do." The Banshee spoke with a pained expression. "Please, heed this warning!"
"Grr!... Then I shall send out my adherents to prevent this. And prove that this mortal should not mess with a divinity!" The Fallen God declared while raising her right arm, pointing her fingers to the Dark Valkyrie and the Dark Angel. "Alina, Daria. Send my message to the Dark Priests in the mortal realms; find Sasha Fullmoon and lure her Knight to the Fallen Tower."
The Dark Valkyrie, Alina, and the Dark Angel, Daria, stood up straight and saluted the Fallen Deity.
"At your command, your Unholiness!"
Once the two-winged beings vacated the temple, the Banshee stood mortified once the Fallen God had made her reckless act.
"Such ignorance, please. Stop this! It's for your own sake!"
"My own sake...?" The Fallen God squinted her eyes towards the Banshee with a scornful look. "Return to your domain at once! I will no longer hear further about my so-called Fate."
The Banshee was shocked by her response; she knew that this Fate of the Fallen God is nothing to be toyed with, and trying to prevent it would be considered a sign of death. Yet to her disbelief to know how a Fallen Goddess herself would be too arrogant to go this far.
The banshee couldn't help but bow to the Fallen Deity before taking her to leave.
"In my expectation… I just hope that you can understand." The Banshee spoke mournfully while shedding a single tear. "This may be... our last goodbye."
With that, the banshee vacated the Temple of the Fallen God through the great doors. The Fallen God felt her hands tremble as she sits down on her throne while giving out a long, frustrated sigh.
"How can this be...? I still have my desire to corrupt that last heroine." She muttered out of anger before leaning down while her hand held up her head. "It's impossible... There is no way that I could die to a mortal."
While speaking to herself, the temple was silent, and no other fallen servants were ever-present. Only the Fallen God herself sat on her throne; wondering of her next move.
"Maybe I should call one of my loyal subjects to track her down." She said before closing her eyes.
...
Gaul, Viola Uncharted Region: Unknown Location.
...
Within the forest of the uncharted areas of the Western Viola region, stood a small temple of the Fallen Order and within this structure, a person kneels in front of the Fallen Altar, praying for her deity for guidance. The figure was a brown-haired Dark Priest with pig-tails and she was uttering a prayer until she heard a familiar voice in her head.
"Hello Janeline, It's been quite a while since we have talked to each other."
"Huh?... Fallen God, is that you?" The Dark Priest stopped praying before looking up into the air with a face filled with joy. "Your Unholiness, I am happy to hear your voice! P-Pardon me. I haven't found my desired husband yet."
While the Dark Priest expressed her embarrassment, the Fallen God just simply scoffed before speaking out.
"My dear, I have a mission for you and this is something you shouldn't ignore. It's important."
Upon hearing her words, the Dark Priest went wide-eyed as she heard her request; her deity is giving her a mission. Receiving such a request from her deity is something that she could not ignore and considered a prestige to be chosen to do her mission, not just any ordinary, but an important one at that. Janeline bowed deeply in front of the fallen altar.
"Oh~! I will do anything! Such an important mission bestowed by the Fallen Goddess herself is truly prestigious!" The Dark Priest smiled with lust-filled eyes. "If a man is to be involved, then I shall take him as a reward!"
"Hmm, such confidence you have there. But please heed this. It will be a hard task you should take."
"... A hard task?" The Dark Priest questioned whilst having a confident smile on her face. "And what will that be, your unholiness?"
"I need you to track down the Last Heroine of Lescatie, Sasha Fullmoon. She currently resides within the town called Gerth."
"Sasha Fullmoon... I've heard about her as the most famous heroine in Lescatie," Janeline stated. "I presume you desire to corrupt her?"
"Indeed, but beware of her Knight. He is of foreign origin, whilst she is his most beloved acquaintance."
Janeline then raised her eyebrow curiously in question. She never thought that the most famous heroine of Lescatie had a foreign Knight to her side. Yet a male knight on her side could be an easy feat if the Heroine herself has her affection for him and the mana corruption will do it in no time. The Dark Priest bowed down once more.
"And who might this Knight be?"
"The Silver-Blue Knight of Lescatie, I presume you've heard of him."
In an instant, dread suddenly fills the atmosphere once she hears his moniker. Janeline's most confident smile turned down into a fear-stricken expression. The Silver-Blue Knight of Lescatie, the rumoured mercenary who hailed from an unknown land, and his reputation of killing mamono are well known since after the Fall of Lescatie.
She has heard the news about the Knight decimating an entire company of orcs and leaving a brutal carnage behind before escaping the siege along with the human refugees. Other stories she heard that mentioned his moniker as spoken by Lescatian refugees and some local Gaul citizens that previously witnessed his presence made a chill across her spine.
"Th-The Silver-Blue Knight himself..." Her voice suddenly trembles before swallowing a lump through her throat. "Such a task is..."
"Difficult, I know, and you must prepare. Capture Sasha and lure her Knight into the Fallen Tower to make sure that he will be swayed to my side."
"I-I will do what I can!" Janeline bowed down once more with zeal. "I shall take this mission and we can ensure that the Heroine will be one of us!"
At this moment, the Fallen Goddess sighed deeply in relief.
"Then do not fail me."
Once her voice was gone, the Dark Priest stood up and sighed deeply before her face expressed full of determination with a purpose to fulfil the mission.
"I won't fail you... Fallen God."
…
Viola Region, Western Forest.
...
"The nearest settlement we're heading to is Gerth," Arcturus said while holding the map while his eyes scanned the different ways and locations. "I've heard that Grandfather Artos fought in that town about 80 years ago."
Elaine whistled as she was mesmerised by its history. "Indeed. That settlement has quite a history. The most famous one is the Battle of Gerth, as we know from the history books."
"Mhm, but enough talking about history. We got company." Gerome glanced back in caution once he caught the hulking figures and the clanking of metal rushing on their way. "They're here, get ready!"
Elaine pulls out her Great Axe while Arcturus unsheathes his sunlight sword before making a defensive position. With a single glimpse, Arcturus caught his first opponent. A tall, hulking knight figure wearing a blue cape raised its massive sword and Arcturus immediately rolled aside before the Lothric Royal Guard would cleave the human in half. Arcturus quickly stood on his feet before lunging forwards and plunged the blade through the hollow's neck, killing the Knight and sending it to the ground.
Elaine caught another Knight with a red cape that came from behind, and the hollow raised its spear. The Orc quickly made a sidestep to avoid the attack and raised her Great Axe with her two hands. The Lothric Knight blocked her attack with a great shield in her first swing, but the second hit staggered the hollowed in its place. Elaine swung her axe to the edge of the shield and flung it into the air and she caught the opening and swung the blade through the hollow's torso in one swift move, killing it.
Gerome pulls out a talisman and imbued his lighting miracle on his longsword once he caught a third knight rushing through the trees while raising its Greatsword, The hollowed Knight leapt into the air and Gerome rolled to the left before the blade of the Greatsword crashed into the ground like an explosion, leaving dust flying into the air. Gerome held his breath before rushing in and quickly struck his sword with the miracle buff that staggered the Hollow in its place, electricity coursing through the armour.
The Knight of Sunlight held his longsword two-handed and jabbed his blade through the chest. The hollowed Knight groaned in pain before it died down. After the fight, the three hollowed knights dissipated into ash, leaving some bones and skulls behind while the three Knights of Sunlight breathed heavily until Arcturus caught something glittering on their corpses.
"Oh, it seems this guy left these behind." Elaine kneels on the corpse of the Lothric Knight and held up a sizeable greyish titanite shard. "I don't know what kind of stone this is... it could be something valuable."
"It's been a couple of days since we're out of Ansur," Gerome stated while crossing his arms. "A lot of strange beings and weird knights were appearing out of nowhere, the likes we've never seen before."
"Yeah, typically far worse than an ordinary mamono, and lest not we forget that you almost got knocked out by some strange Mushroom creature," Elaine said with a mischievous smug. "Hell, those fists from that giving you a real beating."
"Shut up, little sis." Gerome groaned, much to his annoyance towards his Orc sister, while looking away from her. "Their fists are not something easy to deal with."
"So how long are we near Gerth?" Arcturus asked curiously as he raised his eyebrow.
"Hmm... about an hour or so." Gerome guessed while cupping his chin, wondering. "We've been to that place last year, and this road is the only way we're heading to the settlement."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Elaine spoke while slinging her Greataxe behind her back before Gerome and Arcturus followed the suit.
Half an hour passed by, and the three Knights of the Sunlight felt dread and death on their way.
They encountered some bloody corpses of both humans and mamono on the ground which littered the couldn't help but try to ignore the dead, but the more they walked through, the more corpses and broken caravans they saw.
"Ugh, it looks like a massacre happened here," Elaine stated with nausea before she turned around and saw a pile of dead bodies on one burning stake. "I think I'm going to be sick."
"It feels like a bandit attack..." Gerome said while looking around and spotted one corpse of an unfortunate lesser succubus whose body and limbs were torn into pieces. "But it isn't..."
"It could be the handiwork of those knights," Arcturus stated before a cold sensation shuddered his spine. "But I felt that there's something... coming nearby."
As Elaine looked over at their surroundings, she felt a tremor through the ground and looked back at the source. She saw a giant bulbous creature with green skin, a horn on its head, and a single eye. The entire being resembled a mixture of a cyclops and a hippo from the desert regions. She stood back in surprise to see the creature that seemed to grin at them as if they were its prey.
The massive creature rushed in and jumped, exposing its belly to squish them to the ground.
"Watch out!" Elaine warned before they rolled aside from the incoming attack. The massive ogre crashed to the ground, leaving massive dust in the air.
"Come on, let's get out of here!" Arcturus yelled before Gerome and Elaine got back on their feet and fled from the creature's sight.
"By Gwyn! Wh-What was that!?" Elaine cried out loud. "I've never seen that thing before!"
"Damnit and it's an actual monster, no sweat!" Gerome clenched his teeth while panting for air. "Just where do these creatures keep coming from!?"
"Hah!...hah!...hah! Did we lose them?" Arcturus panted heavily whilst his palms resting on his knees. "Is it still following us?"
Gerome looked up and squinted his eyes. He saw the giant ogre within a distance and it seemed to stop its tracks before pulling back.
"It looks like it lost interest in us," Gerome said before sighing in relief. "Whatever that thing was, we need a ballista to get rid of it."
"Or just a few Black Firebombs could do the trick," Elaine stated while holding up a black firebomb. "Especially a Lightning Miracle. That could beat that ugly guy if you haven't spent them all for a few knights."
"Save them for future use." Gerome waved his hand dismissively. "We must save some of our items for emergencies."
...
Town of Gerth, Blacksmith Workshop.
...
Ash revisited the Workshop while following Andre before the Old Blacksmith stopped in front of a door leading into a warehouse. The old stocky Astoran pulls out his keys and opens the lock and entered a room full of armaments.
Much to the surprise of Ash Cyrus, he caught several firearms hanging on the walls that resemble a musket, but the design is different because of its firing mechanism that differed from the usual musket. Andre grabbed the gun and showed it to Ash.
"This is my latest creation. These firearms truly piqued my interest when some merchant made a demonstration and I started making my own with a revolutionary design."
"A revolutionary firearm?" Ash raised his brow while looking down at the gun's mechanism.
"Hmm... Interesting."
The former Ashen One carefully scanned the trigger mechanism of the firearm. The hammer seems to be in the middle, in front of the end of the barrel instead of the usual traditional hammer that was positioned on the sides. Andre made a demonstration by "breaking" the stock from the barrel and trigger.
"This type of mechanism I called it known as "Break-action", It makes it easy to reload by using this bullet," Andre explained before holding up an unusual bullet. The projectile has a conical shape while it was held up by a metallic case. "Although this bullet is also one of my revolutionary designs. I've put an amount of black powder inside this metallic case with a rim at the end and wah-lah! No need for an extra stick to stuff gunpowder before the bullet. However, this gun can get greasy after how many times you shoot and needs to be cleaned up."
Then Andre added another explanation. "However, I also made experimental bullets with magical substances."
"Then should I try this out?" Ash asked. Andre grinned.
Andre then smiled. "Of course."
...
Outside the Blacksmith Workshop, Sasha and the two orphan girls, Lisia and Emiyu, went to the side of the building and peeked out to see Ash and Andre enter the shooting range. She saw Ash trying to take a test with a new weapon and demonstrating an unusual pistol that Sasha had never seen before.
The Silver-Blue Knight took aim towards a porcelain jar with a target marked on the centre and fired his first shot; it produced a loud bang. The jar exploded before Ash ejected the bullet from the breach and inserted a new bullet into the chamber and opened fire on the next jar to the left. Sasha was amazed to see how he performs with a new firearm unlike a musket pistol and its reload speed is even faster than the usual reloading method.
"Huh, it's even accurate." Ash wondered before turning to Andre.
"I've been also working with the grooves inside the barrel to increase accuracy and range," Andre explained while crossing his arms. "I called this method known as "Rifling". This helps the bullet stabilise and will fly while spinning, like an arrowhead that spins while flying towards the target."
"Rifling... Huh, say Andre. Does this gun have a name?" Ash asked.
"I haven't come up with a name," Andre said while tilting his head sideways. "Maybe you should give it."
"Alright... then I should call this a Breaker Pistol." Ash declared before the Blacksmith raised his eyebrow in confusion. "It may have a resemblance to a Musket pistol, but it's another kind of firearm. The reason why I called it a "Breaker" is due to having this break-action mechanism along with its rifling grooves inside this barrel."
"Hmm... make sense." Andre agreed. "A Breaker, huh? Now we got its own name."
While Ash gave back the rifle in Andre's hand, he sensed someone nearby before turning around and seeing Sasha peeking out from the corner. The Warrior Nun noticed Ash caught her presence before slowly making a nervous smile while waving her hand as she greets. The two orphan girls similarly greeted him back.
"...Sasha?"
"Oh, Ash! I... uh, just came by with a new request!" Sasha smiles before pulling out a request sheet. "We went to Siegward to pick up a mission."
"And don't forget about us." Sasha turned around and saw Elen and Reginald come by her side. "We left Daniella in good hands."
"To whom?" Sasha raised her eyebrow.
"Siegward. He's making sure that she doesn't do anything suspicious." Reginald plainly replied. "Although, Sieglinde is making her a job in Horseback Inn."
...
Horseback Inn.
...
"No, No and no. This is how you cut onions." Sieglinde said in a disgruntled tone.
"But-, But I can't do it!" Daniella pleaded while wiping her tears away. "It makes my eyes too irritating! It hurts!"
"Then don't worry, you can get that through!" Sieglinde grinned jovially while patting her on the back of her shoulders. "Besides, it's just an onion. Doesn't make any harm thou."
"Yet this is... torture..." Daniella mumbled in distress before cutting another piece of onion. "I hate this..."
...
Blacksmith Workshop.
...
Sasha made a comical sweat drop on her forehead to think incredulously that they let their captured dhampir agent of the Demon Realm be put under watch by the Family of the Onion Knight.
"So what's the mission, anyway?" Sasha turns towards Ash, who placed the pistol back on the wooden table. "W-Well it's about this."
The Warrior Nun held up the request sheet before Ash read it out loud.
[Sightings of a Large Wolf Creature in Vallier Valley. Successful Subjugation or capturing this beast shall be handsomely rewarded with 2.500 Gold.]
"A large wolf creature?" Ash raised his eyebrow curiously. 'It seems it's not related to any Werewolves and Hellhounds, thus that's out of the case... But I have a feeling that the locals have encountered a Great Grey Wolf from my world.'
...
Viola Region, Vallier Valley
...
"There it is!"
"Get it!"
A mob of villagers full of farmers and hunters scoured the forest with torches, pitchforks, bows, and arrows. The creature they were chasing is unlike anything they've encountered. This massive being resembles a grey wolf. The Giant Great Grey Wolf leapt out from the prying eyes of the mob while dodging arrows and hunting spears that were flung towards the beast.
'These humans... it seems they haven't seen a Great Grey Wolf in their life.' The Wolf said mentally to itself. 'I need to find a shelter to hide.'
The Grey Wolf found the nearest cave, much to his relief, and went inside to avert them before they could come in a few moments later. The mob of villagers passed through the dark areas of the forest and never noticed that the massive being they were hunting was just nearby.
'They would have understood my intentions... if Sir Artorias were here...' The Wolf made a sigh. 'After almost a year in this unknown place, it's been a while that I haven't seen any humans since my death... just my luck.'
Once the mob was gone, the Wolf peeks out to see if the coast was clear. When his paws took a few quiet steps outside, he heard a noise of a single stick being stepped upon. He spun around and saw a family of werewolves and one incubus among them. They huddled in fear and awe in front of the Great Grey Wolf of Lordran.
'Pardon me. It seems I intruded your home without my caution.' He spoke to them through mental communication. 'I should take my leave.'
Just before the Wolf exited the cave, a young, curious werewolf stepped out and asked. "Wh-Who are you?"
The Grey Wolf stopped before he reared towards the young monster girl.
'I am Sif, the Great Grey Wolf of Sir Artorias.' He spoke with a hint of pride in his voice. 'I may not know the knowledge of this place nor your kind. But please, stay with your family for your own safety. Farewell.'
From that moment, Sif leapt from the cave and vanished from their sight and left the werewolf family in awe. From now on, as if fate would be intended, the Great Grey Wolf will make its legend throughout the new world.
…
Chapter 11: End