Chapter 9: The Wolf’s Plan

“I’m Nio. I want to see Ashiborn!” Nio stood on the wooden bridge, shouting loudly at the house across from it.
No response.
Nio tried again, his voice carrying far in the quiet dusk.
Still no reply. Aside from that arrow shot like a revenant earlier, there was no sign of anything reviving in this village.
Nio waited patiently on the bridge, gripping his gun tighter the longer he waited.
Ashiborn was the village chief of Croop—someone even Lord Manmores treated with courtesy. Mentioning his name now was useless…
When circumstances were unclear, most people tended to think the worst, and Nio was no exception. Knowing human history, he thought, “In times of chaos, soldiers become bandits!” Throughout history, there had been countless soldiers who lacked the ability to fight enemies but caused great harm to the people!
Ten minutes later, anger burned within Nio. He turned and walked back. Shortly after crossing the bridge, *whoosh!* Another arrow shot from the attic skylight.
*Bang!* Nio turned sharply and caught the arrow firmly this time. With full confidence, he didn’t even try to dodge.
That arrow revealed the enemy’s hostility and their foolish optimism, further solidifying Nio’s resolve.
Mounting his mount, Nio rode away. He didn’t discard either arrow—these needed to be returned. Once he understood what was going on here, he would decide how to return them!
By the time he returned to the cave on West Cliff in North Bayleaf Forest with White Socks, it was already past 7 p.m.
As soon as she saw Nio, Millien, who was cooking, dropped her wooden spoon and rushed into his arms, hugging him tightly. Even though it wasn’t yet dark, she had been restless, repeatedly asking Dave, “Why isn’t Nio back yet?” At least a hundred times—Dave was depressed from hearing it so often.
After spinning Millien around, kissing her lips, and giving her cheek a light bite, Nio finally let go and asked, “How do you feel?”
“I miss you, and my hands and feet are cold,” Millien said innocently.
Nio smiled. “Well, there are solutions for both.”
Neither their financial situation nor the Manmores’ family rules allowed Millien to be a pampered lady who relied on others for everything. Though she hadn’t had much talent for crafts, she was excellent at cooking. With the same ingredients and soup, what she prepared was clearly richer and tastier than what Nio had made at noon.
Nio and Dave were used to praising Millien’s cooking in the simplest way—by eating more.
Seeing them gobble up the food, Millien was happy, feeling a slight sense of fulfillment. She didn’t have many expectations for the future. Heaven had already taken her father cruelly, and all she prayed for now was not to lose these two important men in her life.
After dinner, Nio had Millien sit comfortably in White Socks’ arms, covered her with a military blanket, and held her cold little feet against his skin. Then he began to slowly recount his experiences from the afternoon. Millien and Dave listened attentively, occasionally interjecting to discuss things. Before they knew it, over an hour had passed.

Whoosh! Neo threw a money bag at Dave and said, “50 dinars, 100 dirhams, 200 Bahraini dinars—keep them.”
“What’s this for? These are your spoils; I don’t want the money!” Dave instinctively caught the bag before pushing it back.
Neo explained, “But from another perspective, these are also the riches seized by the Dark Hands from the people—some of which probably belong to our town.”
Dave, who was about to throw the bag back at Neo, froze.
Neo continued, “Money can’t bring back the dead, but it can at least make the living work harder and perhaps feel a bit grateful. Can’t you expect to lead your people through recovery just with empty slogans? Besides, after being squandered by the Dark Hands, there likely won’t be much left in the town for winter. Even if they try to buy supplies elsewhere, with such extreme cold this winter and merchants taking advantage to raise prices, this money probably won’t be enough!”
Dave, who had been unsure before, now fully understood. He exclaimed in surprise, “You mean we need to pay to help the townspeople?”
He asked this because under Turesh’s rule, the people didn’t bear heavy taxes, and few households were tenant farmers of the Manmores—most were free citizens.
According to the Alliance laws, free citizens had the right to choose where to live. Under such circumstances, a local lord who wanted to attract more people to farm or work there had to offer favorable conditions, and since there was competition among lords, free citizens benefited as well. This was one of the key reasons the Alliance was able to break away from the Holy Order Kingdom and was a fundamental principle that could never be shaken.
To enjoy rights, one must also take on responsibilities and even risks. Put bluntly, one must bear their own profits and losses, so there’s no reason to pay only a small tax and still expect the lord to support them when they’re in trouble.
This applied to daily life as well as to the defense of cities, towns, villages, and settlements—this was the basis for the existence of militias. Take Tulip Town as an example: the Manmores were the lords of Turesh. There was a 20-person town guard responsible for maintaining order, plus their own private guards. According to Alliance laws, a lord’s or knight’s private guards could not exceed 10 people. Since the Manmores were involved in wine trading, as well as having forests, grain, leather goods, herbs, and other businesses, a guard force was absolutely necessary—full quota of 10 people. Even Neo was part of the Manmores’ household as a servant.
This number of people was fine in peacetime, but in times of war, it was far from enough. Thus, it was normal to require militia support for joint defense. Since it was everyone’s responsibility for defense, shouldn’t they all share the blame if something went wrong? But the Alliance code stated that only the lord was held accountable in such cases. That’s why being a lord in the Free Alliance wasn’t easy. The small taxes collected from free citizens, along with their own farmland and forests, were barely enough to cover basic expenses. Costs like maintaining an army and paying taxes to their lords required them to develop other businesses—usually by relying on local resources. That’s why Turesh seemed so prosperous; Black Iron Tulip was like an inexhaustible treasure chest.

When talking about these things, Dave couldn’t help but feel a bit resentful toward the townspeople. His father had died in battle, yet those people chose to live in fear, to be enslaved, allowing the dark forces to abuse their wives and daughters. Though the town was indeed the foundation of the Manmoris family, weren’t there also free people’s properties in the houses of the town and the fields outside? Was it really better to be humiliated and slaughtered like livestock than to fight bravely to defend one’s home? Dave thought such people were rather despicable.

Nio could somewhat understand Dave’s feelings. He said slowly, “You can’t expect the people to have the courage of professionals or the moral integrity of proper knights and nobles, but you must expect them to revive Tures rather than letting them starve and die on their way to seek refuge with relatives or friends. Do you still remember what Priest Norlund often said?”

Nio imitated Norlund’s tone in a very “operatic” way, saying, “Ah, you lost lambs, the light of the divine wisdom will show you the way.”

Pfft!

Nio’s pretense amused both Dave and Melian. Indeed, his imitation was quite similar. The atmosphere became much more relaxed.

Nio also smiled and said, “Only the divine knows whether the people are lambs or not. But when everyone is at a loss, a good leader is truly invaluable. In the past, the lord was Tures’ banner. From now on, Dave, you must take up that banner—that’s true inheritance, not just some piece of paper. What do you think?”

Dave thought for a moment and nodded. “Hmm, a true noble should indeed act that way. But considering practical issues, those damned documents are also necessary. Besides, it must be said that people in today’s society have almost lost their fine traditions. Even before the darkness invaded, the land of Edrith was already reeking of decay. Those revolutionaries were right—the Alliance needs reform, and bloodshed is acceptable.” At the end, Dave clenched his fist tightly.

Revolution, revolutionaries—these were traits unique to Frey. The people rebelled to improve their conditions and resist the cruel exploitation by the elite. Among the nobles as well, there were radicals who believed the Alliance’s laws were outdated and full of flaws. Only through reform could the Alliance be revitalized before it decayed like those fallen dynasties in history.

“I disagree with you on this point,” Nio said, expressing his own view. “Everyone sees the various flaws in the system, and I believe the revolutionaries have good intentions. But good intentions don’t necessarily lead to good results. Having just passion and wanting to carry out major reforms for the country will only result in bloodshed—yours, others’, and even those who will exploit you.”

Stirring the logs in the campfire, Neo said with a wistful expression, “While I was imprisoned in Sors’ jail, I witnessed several radical revolutionaries. They were so fanatical—every day, as long as they were awake, they would shake the iron bars and loudly proclaim their revolutionary ideals. But do you know what they did? They killed government officials, set fires, robbed, and destroyed shops… They committed acts of thuggery, destroying the city’s functions and causing chaos and panic among the people. That was their ‘revolution.’ They claimed that history would one day clear their names. I think that’s the history of demons, isn’t it?”
Neo snorted coldly and said, “In my view, they were exploited. How do dark forces corrupt people’s hearts? How do they lure people into degeneration? How do they exploit people’s grievances and anger? These tactics aren’t that hard to expose, but first, you need to stay calm.”
“But without more forceful measures, it won’t work at all! Was my father kind enough to the townspeople of Tures? Kind enough to his servants and subordinates? What was the result? And that Carlon we relied on—did he ever show any gratitude? And those townspeople… being tolerant, appeasing, indulgent—this is what happened!”
“More forceful measures? Look at what the people are doing! A revolution? In such a situation, choosing more forceful methods is like trying to stop an enraged person with brute force—you just have to hit them. Cruel rule and bloody suppression—these are the methods used when dynasties fall in history. If you choose that path, I dare say even the ruling class will be exploited. The Frey Alliance will create another miracle of downfall, even faster, turning all achievements of civilization into rubble. There will be no victors, because the remaining side will suffer the true devastation from the dark forces, and even before that, they’ll have exhausted each other under the dark forces’ clever balancing tactics.”
“What about Ode? What about Kyles? Just standing by and doing nothing?” Dave said defiantly.
“Foreign intervention? Do you want to drag the Aemera continent into a world war?”
“Uh…” Dave choked up, struggling for words before saying, “Nothing works, nothing’s right—is there really no proper solution?”
“The current state of decay didn’t happen overnight; it’s the result of years of accumulation. It’s like rheumatism in the joints, and the demons are like bad weather. Can you amputate a joint just because of a rheumatism flare-up? From another perspective, is it really your father’s alone merit that the Manmoris family is in this situation now? It’s the result of generations of hard work, right? The same goes here. If, in your old age, you can see Frey thrive again and regain its vitality, then I say you’ve at least witnessed a magnificent era in your life.”
Dave opened his mouth for a long time before saying dejectedly, “That sounds really boring!”

Nio shrugged and said, “There is indeed something to it. I must admit that I haven’t fully understood the issues related to civil governance myself. The Phemis Dynasty, once infamous for its cruel rule, experienced brutal battles where entire cities perished as people killed their own children during its downfall at the hands of the Eroson. As for the Ambat Dynasty, praised for its prosperity and lenient policies, its officials and soldiers sent their last king in a prison cart to the barbaric Kurus Empire.”

“Being lenient may lead to contempt, while being harsh may destroy the people. Finding the right balance has always been a challenge for rulers throughout history. Even after thousands of years, no one has truly succeeded—or at best, only achieved temporary success. If there is a model worth emulating, it should be the Radiant Church. After all these years, they still seem able to go on. Though we’ve seen corrupt and greedy church bureaucrats, we can’t deny the nobility, even greatness, of those warrior monks.”

Dif and Milien looked at Nio in surprise. The Frey Alliance was indeed the human realm where the Radiant Church’s influence was weakest. But it was extremely rare to find someone as rational as Nio discussing the Radiant Church from a mundane perspective. Moreover, given his status—slave, gladiator, servant, death row inmate—such insights and attitudes were truly challenging to imagine.

Nio didn’t seem bothered and continued, “For now, I think we should be more tolerant. Dif, they’re not perfect, and neither are we. The dark forces have already brought them enough suffering and lessons. When it’s your turn to rule, guidance through kindness should be more effective than whips and swords. Suffering reveals kindness from brutality. If you wield a whip at such times, you’ll only erase their goodwill, hopes, and even their lingering guilt toward the Manmoris family.”

Dif fell silent, frowning as if deeply considering Nio’s words. After a while, he suddenly laughed self-mockingly, “Look at what we’re talking about. One might think it’s a conversation between a duke and a werewolf clan leader, but in reality, it’s just the ramblings of two people whose lives are in danger.”

Nio shook his head and said, “I can’t accuse you of being wrong, because you’re focused on the present, while I’m talking about fundamental principles. Here, I just want to tell you that in my hometown, there’s a saying: ‘A wolf travels a thousand miles to eat meat; a dog travels a thousand miles to eat dung.’”

It was a crude saying, but Dif and Milien pondered it. The more they thought about it, the more they found it meaningful.

Nio continued, “I think it’s first a matter of ambition, and then habit. Whether to eat meat or dung is a choice made early on, often unconsciously, and one that never changes throughout life. One would rather die without meat than wait to turn from dog to wolf. Without such resolve, if one secretly chooses to eat dung, that’s the fate of a dog, not the path of a wolf.”

Dif stared at Nio intently and said, “My father is right. You’ve chosen the path of a wolf!”

Nio grinned. “In your eyes, slave, gladiator, servant—these are identities I can never shed. But before I was rescued by slave traders, I was the son of a werewolf clan leader. By our clan’s traditions, that’s equivalent to the son of a king in human kingdoms. What do you say to that?”
Hearing Nio speak like this, not only Didv but even Milien widened their eyes.
Nio said, “I’m telling you this just to reiterate the truth: ‘Life is equal, but reality is not.’ Throughout history, many founding kings were sons of farmers, slaves, or prisoners. If I had no ambitions, how could I marry your sister? You don’t think my life goal is just to be a secret lover, do you?”
Didv’s face turned red. After a long while, he said, “I really didn’t expect you to have such ambitions. I must say, you don’t have much time left…”
Milien gazed at Nio affectionately and said, “No matter how long it takes, I’ll wait for you.”
Nio hugged the feet in his arms tighter but said nothing. Milien’s words only reflected the sincerity and depth of her love, while Didv’s words were more realistic. If he hadn’t been imprisoned and sentenced to death, Nio would already be on his way home. If that were the case, he might never get another chance to see Milien again. The twists and turns of fate were truly intricate.
There was a brief silence in the cave.
It was Nio who first brought his thoughts back to reality. He said to Didv, “I still have a long journey ahead, but you’ll start as an apprentice lord inshortly.”
“You mean… Cropp?” Didv was praised by his elders for a reason—he had his merits. Hearing Nio’s earlier account of going to Cropp, he connected the dots now.
“Smart,” Nio praised him, then analyzed, “It seems that place hasn’t been corrupted by the Dark Claws. There are a few strangers here, probably not many. Otherwise, with force at their disposal, they could have let me in instead of just driving me away. The pulpit in the church isn’t dusty, which means it was wiped clean no later than this morning. After last night’s storm, no household could have stayed completely dust-free. There are no signs of destruction in the houses, which further indicates that the villagers are safe for now.”
Didv followed up, “Okay, Cropp is a starting point. So, in your opinion, how should I inherit my father’s legacy?”
Nio organized his words and said, “If I were in your position, I’d look at things from outside this circle.”
He first presented a broad concept, letting Didv think for a while. Seeing his confused expression, Nio then explained in detail, “In my view, Tures is like a special gem coin. Though it’s of great value, it’s not indestructible. The key is whether spending it is worth it.”
“Many people desire Tures, right? I won’t compete with you. On the contrary, I’ll give it to you as a gift—along with the brewing technique for Black Iron Tulips, the whole package!”
“Ah?” Milien exclaimed in surprise.
This time, Didv spoke up in Nio’s defense, “Wait until you hear the rest. It’s not that simple.”

Mellian blushed. Neo gave her a gentle smile and continued, “By giving it away, the initiative naturally falls into my hands. And it can’t be given for free. I only ask for one thing: to eliminate the dark forces and avenge my father and the townspeople who sacrificed themselves. It’s also to relieve the people of Eldrit from the oppression of the dark forces.”
By now, Dave had begun to understand.
Neo went on, “I want to make this decision known throughout the entire realm, even across the whole country. I want to make a promise before the gods. I want to hire a notary from the Church. I want to be on the front lines. If I’m unable to fight, I can be a beheader; I’ll do whatever I can. Finally, I’ll give Thures and the brewing techniques to those who have made the greatest contributions in the war against demons, and I’ll personally persuade the people to pledge loyalty to the new lord, ensuring a smooth transition of power.”
Dave was stunned and murmured, “It’s indeed quite grand. Hmm, if we consider this a deal, what do I get? Reputation, virtue?”
“That’s right! Honor, and virtue!” Neo took over Dave’s words and said solemnly, “By losing Thures, I gain a broad path ahead. I will become a true noble in the eyes of the people. With this, I’ll be able to enter the gates of the Glorious Church. I’ll study at one of its institutions. When I return to this land, I’m sure I’ll gain even more.”
“As long as I have power and the backing of the Glorious Church, even without Thures, I’ll conquer Monstoke and broader territories, letting the light of the gods shine over wider lands—westward, all the way to the shores of Storm…”
Neo concluded, “Money and noble status aren’t true glory. It’s struggle that matters! Think of past Dukes of Ensbass—who do people remember most? King Lionel, the lion who expanded the lands, or Leonard, who strengthened the Duchy of Sanvest. The others were just embellishments. Which kind of person will you be?”
This was the first time Neo had spoken about his ambitions in front of his siblings. Before this, not even indirectly, had he ever expressed his thoughts so clearly. Dave had only heard from his father that Neo had long-held ambitions and was highly ambitious—BULABULA. Only now did he realize this wolf actually had the heart of a bear and the courage of a leopard!
Dave felt his mouth go dry and said tremblingly, “Is that possible?”
“What’s impossible?” Neo retorted. He continued, “It’s well known that the Alliance and the Church are secretly at odds. The representatives of the Alliance are the current elite class. You’ve surely seen their ugly faces. If they had any hope, we wouldn’t be here worrying about your succession.”
Dave nodded and said, “So, I’ll take advantage of this invasion by the dark forces to show the virtues of a true noble and the determination of a quasi-saint. In that way, given the family and national grievances, no one can accuse me of leaning toward the Church. I’ll have the justification of upholding justice.”
Neo gave a thumbs up. A 14-year-old boy with such capabilities proved that his political education at home hadn’t been in vain.

Nio said, “It’s true that the current Glorious Church can’t compare to that of the Sage Era. But what does it matter if you’re just one of the Church’s pawns? Isn’t even a lowly noble a pawn in the eyes of a king? As long as you can prove your worth, the Church will value you as a pawn. They need renowned noble families like yours to act as anchors, driving the light of the gods back into the hearts of the Frey Alliance’s people. By then, even if you’re a hypocrite, you’ll have to strive for the guise of ‘honor and virtue.’ What’s the difference between a lifetime hypocrite and a true noble in the eyes of others?”
Dive laughed angrily. “I’m not a hypocrite.”
“At least this path is filled with deceit and opportunism. Our goals aren’t pure, nor are they noble.”
“That’s true,” Dive admitted. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Alright, let’s do it!” Convinced by Nio, he felt his blood boil with excitement, envisioning himself leading the Church’s forces and his own army to slaughter the enemy in droves. By then, even the marquises and dukes of the Sanveste Duchy would have to treat him with respect…
“What’s so great about that?” Nio dampened his enthusiasm. “Let’s understand the situation first before making a decision. I already suspect the delay in reinforcements is due to problems on Sors’s side. Besides, though the future may be bright, it requires suffering beyond what ordinary people can endure. If you can’t stand out, no matter how good the path seems, it’s useless. Let’s take Croop first! Once we have a small base, I’ll go gather information.”
Dive was left utterly frustrated, scratching his head. “There shouldn’t be any major problems on Sors’s side, right?”
“Don’t pin your hopes on others. I advise you never to have such naive thoughts again.”
Dive stuck out his tongue—now he truly looked like a young boy.
Nio analyzed seriously, “If I were the devil and attacked Sors City, I’d naturally take care of the main assault myself, but not alone. I’d first go to Monstoke to persuade those barbarian tribes, telling them that one day, the Westwind Battle Legion’s base would be undefended and undermanned. If they wanted to avoid starving their young in this cold winter, they might as well attack and seize the base. Not only would they get all the winter supplies there, but the southern plains and northern mines of the Erdrit Domain would be completely open for them to plunder. On the other hand, if the devil hides Sors City’s supplies, the Westwind Battle Legion and the Eagle Knights, who rushed to aid Sors earlier, couldn’t bring much food or supplies. How can they move under such weather? And what will happen to Sors City once they do?”
“If that’s the case…” Dive was drenched in cold sweat.
At the same time, Nio felt Millien’s body trembling.
“There are no ‘ifs,’” Nio said decisively. “We need to take Croop now! After that, we can plan further. If not, it’ll still serve as a supply station. With just the temporary food we have, we won’t last long. If things get bad and we have to flee eastward, we need better preparations.”