The torchlight gleamed upon the armor in the knight's hall, the air vibrating with tense anticipation. Christina Silverwood's eyes flashed sternly as she stepped forward.
"Then you understand how dangerous this monster is," she declared firmly. "It has already slain eight Silver Knights. In my judgment, at least two Knight‑Captains are required to defeat it, and two legendary swords must be wielded! That is why we ask for your aid."
Bandorn Wolfwood leaned back slowly in his chair, then snorted with mocking laughter.
"So, you want the Captain of the Wolf Knights himself to march with his men, and to wield the Fang of the Wolf against the beast. Have I understood correctly?"
"Yes," Christina nodded. "On our side, I myself, Captain of the Silver Knights, and my own elite unit will stand against the monster. Together with the Wolf Knights, two Knight‑Captains will be able to bring it down!"
Bandorn turned toward his son.
"What do you think of this, my boy?"
Andras stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with determination.
"I understand Christina's reasoning, but she built this plan without knowing the true strength of the Wolfwoods and the Wolf Knights. Do not blame her—after all, she has not set foot in Wolfwood for fifteen years. That is a long time, isn't it, Father?"
"How true, hahaha!" Bandorn laughed, his voice echoing beneath the vaulted arches.
Christina did not yield.
"Forgive me, but I believe you are gravely underestimating the power of the Blue Ogre!"
Andras's eyes flashed, his voice calm yet resolute.
"Do not misunderstand me, Captain of the Silver Knights! In the forest, even eight armored men could be dealt with by Ironclaw alone, suffering at worst only minor wounds."
Ironclaw lifted her head, her eyes gleaming fiercely.
"The forest is my domain! Eight armored bandits? I would tear apart twenty if need be!"
Christina's gaze hardened.
"You compare our knights to mere bandits?"
Andras raised his hand, signaling for the tension to ease.
"Peace, Christina! I have already told you once not to misinterpret matters here. Now I will explain the true situation. I hope you will understand."
Christina nodded slowly, her eyes glinting with curiosity.
"Very well, Young Wolf. I am listening."
The hall fell into silence. Every gaze fixed upon Andras. The Wolf Knights watched grimly, the Silver Knights stood taut with expectation. The next words would decide whether a new alliance was forged—or whether the old feud between the houses would ignite once more.
The torchlight gleamed upon the armor in the knight's hall, the air thick with tense anticipation. Andras stepped forward, his eyes flashing with resolve.
"The blue Ogre's magical element is lightning," he declared firmly.
Christina nodded.
"Yes, we are aware of that. I neglected to mention it earlier. The monster indeed wielded lightning."
Andras's eyes shone with pride.
"And lightning is a very rare element. As far as I know, I alone possess it in the entire Kingdom—alongside my water element. Is that not so, Master Florian?"
Master Florian leaned forward, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Yes, I can confirm it. Among the royal mages, not a single one wields lightning. Water, however, is the magical element of House Wolfwood. Of course, water is a common element in the Kingdom. There are many Water Mages among the royal magi."
Christina's gaze hardened as she looked at them.
"If you understand so well how rare this monster is, then surely you can grasp why the strength of two Knight‑Captains is required!"
Andras stepped closer, his voice calm yet sharp.
"Do you know what a mage's staff is made from, Christina?"
"From the magical crystals of monsters?" the captain replied, a hint of suspicion in her tone.
"My staff was forged from the crystal of a Giant Water Slime," Andras explained. "It suits my water element well, but it is not truly compatible with my lightning element."
Christina furrowed her brow.
"I don't understand what you are implying."
Andras's eyes gleamed with determination.
"I mean—what kind of staff could be crafted from the magical crystal of a Blue Ogre?"
Christina slowly nodded, her eyes flashing with comprehension.
"One that would match your lightning element?"
Master Florian burst into loud laughter.
"Hahaha!"
Christina's eyes narrowed, her voice turning grave.
"I see. So you want the monster's crystal. If it becomes yours, then you will help us slay the Blue Ogre?"
Andras straightened firmly, his words falling heavy into the air.
"The Blue Ogre's crystal will be mine. And you will be rid of a dangerous magical beast. Do we have a bargain?"
The hall fell into silence. The Wolf Knights watched grimly, the Silver Knights stood tense and resolute. The weight of the words pressed upon all present: this was not merely an alliance, but a pact—one that could shape the fate of both houses in the days to come.
The torchlight gleamed upon the armor in the knight's hall, the air thick with tense anticipation. Christina Silverwood stood sternly before the Wolf Knights, her eyes flashing with resolve.
"Very well!" she spoke at last. "Then for the slaying of the monster, will the Captain of the Wolf Knights and the Fang of the Wolf aid us, along with a few of his men?"
Arpad, Captain of the Wolf Knights, stepped forward, his voice resounding deep.
"One word from you, Young Wolf, and I will gather my finest knights. With the Wolf Fang in my hand, I will cut down the beast!"
But Andras straightened firmly, his eyes gleaming with determination.
"No. The Blue Ogre is my prey!"
"My master's prey!" Ironclaw interjected, her voice wild with joy.
Christina's eyes flashed, her tone sharp as steel.
"You think this is a game?!"
Andras calmly raised his hand, his voice cold yet clear.
"Dear Christina. If it were a Red Ogre we were hunting—one that wields fire and is at least as strong as a Blue Ogre—then perhaps I would send the Captain of the Wolf Knights with the Fang of the Wolf in his hand, accompanied by a small elite unit. Say, six elite Wolf Knights. But now our target is a Blue Ogre. And let me reveal a secret to you: Ironclaw is a half‑beast Earth Wolf, the strongest of her kind. Do you understand now? Ironclaw's earth‑element defenses and attacks are the natural counter to the Blue Ogre's lightning element."
Christina nodded slowly.
"So you believe she could defeat the Blue Ogre?"
"I'll crush the beast's skull!" Ironclaw cut in, her eyes gleaming wildly.
But Andras remained calm.
"Perhaps she could defeat it alone, perhaps not. But that does not matter in our case. With my own elite unit, we can exhaust the monster enough that all you need do at the end is strike its neck with the Silver Slash. Of course, that legendary blade could deal a fatal wound to its body as well, but an Ogre's greatest weakness is its neck—where the skin is thinnest and the muscle least. To put it simply: against a Blue Ogre, we do not need two Knight‑Captains and two legendary swords. Against a Red Ogre, yes—but now, fortunately, our target is a prey far easier for us."
Christina lowered her head slowly.
"I understand. And I regret raising my voice. It was born of ignorance—please forgive me."
Andras's eyes gleamed seriously, but his tone was conciliatory.
"Think nothing of it. A Knight‑Captain bears responsibility for the people of the land. In such matters, it does not matter whether one is of the Wolves or the Silver Knights."
Christina answered with a faint smile.
"Your wisdom, even at such a young age, rivals that of an old mage."
"As I've said before, save the flattery for—"
"The Princess, of course!" Christina interrupted, her eyes flashing playfully.
At that moment, the hall doors opened, and Noelle entered, carrying a tray of freshly baked scones.
"Forgive me, at the Young Wolf's command I have brought the scones."