On the outskirts of the slums, within a lush and dense forest.
A bright moon hung high in the sky. Deep in the forest, a cold and strikingly beautiful woman, her steps unsteady and her clothes in tatters, staggered forward while clutching the trees for support as she fled.
Awooo!
Not far away in the forest, more than a dozen pairs of glowing green eyes fixed themselves on the injured woman, howls echoing endlessly through the night.
That injured woman was none other than Elsa.
After being severely wounded by Shendu, she had fled for her life. Before she could even catch her breath, the starving wolves behind her had already begun their relentless pursuit, making her realize something.
"Damn it... Are these beasts conjured by that woman? They're quite troublesome."
Taking in the scene before her, Elsa frowned. She glanced at the wounds on her body, which were slowly healing, and let out a faint sigh of relief.
As a half-vampire, Elsa possessed an innate advantage—her regenerative ability was exceptionally strong. As long as the injury wasn't fatal, she could recover quickly.
But this time, after suffering Shendu's attack, the regenerative power she had always been so proud of had been utterly useless. If she had been even slightly careless just now, she would have been killed instantly by that monster.
While she spoke, more than a dozen wolves lunged at her at once, leaping to tear at her throat.
However, having recovered a little of her strength, Elsa had no intention of sitting still and waiting for death. Her figure flashed as she barely evaded several snapping jaws.
After experiencing the brink of death once, Elsa had become far more protective of her life. She immediately drew the curved blade in her hand and fought back with everything she had.
A few minutes later, every wolf that had pursued her lay dead.
Elsa dropped to one knee, her body covered in bite marks. Fortunately, her vampiric constitution meant the injuries would not cause serious harm.
"Hah... That woman called Shendu—remember this well. I will come back for revenge."
Bleeding all over, Elsa gradually disappeared into the deepest part of the forest.
What she did not notice was that at the very top of the forest canopy, a red-eyed owl was watching every movement below.
Meanwhile, inside the dilapidated stolen goods warehouse, Shendu was already aware of Elsa's movements—but she did not care in the slightest.
A mere crawling insect escaping from her grasp. If it could survive, then so be it.
After confirming the direction of Elsa's escape, Shendu lost interest in pursuing her. The wolves had carried her magic within them, and she had already branded that assassin with a mark.
If she dared to come back looking for trouble next time—
Shendu would make Elsa understand why flowers were red.
Once Shendu gave up the thought of chasing Elsa further, Emilia slowly walked over. Looking at Felt, who was lying in Old Man Rom's arms, her expression gradually turned serious.
"You're called Felt, right? Return my item to me. Right now."
After making up her mind, Emilia fixed her gaze on Felt and demanded her belongings in a stern tone.
"Alright... just a moment."
Seeing the displeasure in Emilia's eyes, Felt did not dare complain.
She quickly began rummaging through the warehouse, which looked like a pile of ruins. After searching for a while, she finally found the dragon-emblazoned insignia beneath a table.
At a glance, it was clear that the object was extremely valuable. Shendu only needed a brief look to understand why Emilia was so anxious about it.
It seemed to carry some kind of special significance.
"Here. Take it back. In the future, keep a better eye on your own things."
Felt stuck out her tongue. She still did not particularly like the silver-haired half-elf girl, but at the very least Emilia had saved her, so she could not maintain too poor an attitude.
Still, Felt felt somewhat guilty. After all, this entire incident had started because of her. If she had not stolen the insignia, none of this would have happened.
After taking back the insignia, Emilia carefully tucked it into her chest. Looking around at the chaotic scene, she felt a little embarrassed.
As a kind silver-haired half-elf, coming to the stolen goods warehouse and turning it upside down was indeed somewhat inappropriate.
...
After returning the insignia, Felt turned her head toward Shendu. Looking at the silver-haired, red-eyed beautiful girl, she used her Divine Protection of Wind to appear in front of her.
She knelt stiffly before Shendu, tears filling her eyes, her gaze brimming with gratitude and apology.
"I'm sorry, Lady Shendu. I caused you trouble. It's all my fault for stirring up so much mess and dragging you and Grandpa into it."
At her core, Felt was only a fourteen-year-old girl. She had never truly understood the weight of her actions. Nearly losing the person closest to her this time had changed her state of mind.
Her heart was filled with goodwill toward Shendu. She could be impolite to Emilia, but toward Shendu before her, she showed nothing but the utmost respect.
"It's also this old man's fault. I have no real ability. I couldn't give Felt a better future. I let her rely on the world's Divine Protection to do these improper things."
Old Man Rom sighed helplessly. In the slums, this was how people survived. Without a skill to rely on, one could only walk crooked paths.
Felt was fortunate to have a giant grandfather who loved her. Yet she was also unfortunate—using her special ability to commit wrongdoing was hardly the mark of a good girl.
"No, you haven't caused me any trouble. But living like this... perhaps nothing will happen at noon, yet sooner or later, something will go wrong."
"Are you truly willing to continue living this way?"
Shendu's blood-red eyes carried a trace of temptation as she looked at Felt and spoke meaningfully.
Her tone was light, almost humorous, but Felt could not laugh. Tears gradually welled up in her eyes.
If I remember correctly, Felt should also have the qualifications for the Royal Selection. If I pull her to my side, how will the story change? I'm rather looking forward to it.
"What choice do I have? Living in the slums—even if I had some skill, I'd never become someone important. I could never become a noble. I have no opportunity to change anything."
"And if I don't 'borrow' things... then my future will end up just like other women's."
Felt burst into loud sobs, pouring out all the contempt she had endured since childhood, along with the anger buried in her heart.
Watching the crying Felt, Shendu pulled her into her embrace and gently patted her back in comfort.
"Then... do you want your wish to come true? I can help you. As a traveler, I can help you—no matter what it is."
Shendu looked at Felt, the red glow in her crimson eyes growing ever brighter.
"Really?"
The moment those words fell, Felt stopped crying. Looking at the older sister who was only a head taller than herself, she suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of security, and she did not believe for a second that Shendu was joking.