The King's gaze fixed upon Andras.
"Young Wolf, word has reached me that you drove the bandits from Wolfwood. For years now, not a single bandit has attacked your villages. No robberies have occurred, and the Royal treasury has suffered no loss from Wolfwood's lands. This too is a knightly deed, worthy of reward. Do you have any request of me in this matter?"
Andras straightened slowly, his eyes serious, his voice ringing with firm resolve.
"In this matter, I do have a request for Your Majesty."
The King leaned forward, watching the young lord with keen interest.
"And what would that be? Speak, I am listening."
Andras Wolfwood stepped forward before the King, his gaze serious, his voice ringing firmly through the great hall.
"As Your Majesty surely knows," he began, "the hunting down of the bandits was made possible by the keen senses of my Hound, Ironclaw. She is a Beast half‑blood, and for this reason I have a proposal for Your Majesty. If the Beast‑kins were henceforth trained and treated better, they would be of far greater use to the Kingdom than they are now. Nothing proves this more clearly than Ironclaw's usefulness. With their sharp senses and instincts, Beast‑kins could save dozens of lives from the demons' wicked claws."
Andras's voice grew stronger as he continued:
"Therefore I, Andras Wolfwood, propose that Beast‑kins be treated with greater respect from now on. Let the Kingdom welcome those fleeing slavery in the Empire, treat them fairly, and train them to fight against bandits and demons."
The King stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Hmm… this is indeed a thought‑provoking proposal," he said slowly. "What say you, Master Albert?"
Master Albert stepped forward, his eyes flashing, his voice clear.
"In my opinion, this is a good idea. The canine Beast‑kins are especially loyal folk. In the Empire they are kept as slaves and treated cruelly. If we welcome them and treat them better than the Empire does, they will love and respect us, while continuing to hate and despise the Empire. And more than that—if we succeed in training Hounds like Ironclaw from among the canine half‑bloods, then not only in Wolfwood, but across the entire Kingdom, we will be able to hunt down bandits. These Hounds will also be invaluable in the fight against demons. I support the Young Wolf's proposal."
The King's eyes lit up, and he raised his hand decisively.
"I understand! This serves the prosperity of the Kingdom. Very well! I declare that henceforth we shall treat the Beast‑kins well. We shall welcome them, train them! They shall become citizens of the Kingdom, and our allies against the Demon Army!"
The hall erupted in cheers. Guests applauded loudly for both the King and the Young Wolf. The thunderous ovation echoed against the walls as though the very heart of the Kingdom beat in unison with hope: new allies were born, and humanity grew stronger against the darkness to come.
The King spoke again, as though something had just come to mind.
"Ah, I nearly forgot, Young Wolf," he said with a smile. "As a reward for your bandit‑hunting, I prepared another small gift. A dagger of pure gold, fit for a noble's side. Forged by our finest smith: its hilt and sheath are pure gold, its blade the finest steel. May it serve you well!"
Andras accepted the gleaming weapon and bowed respectfully.
"Thank you for this fine gift. I would say this dagger will slit many bandits' throats… but alas, in Wolfwood we have already run out of bandits."
The King burst into hearty laughter, and the guests joined in with good cheer. The laughter filled the hall, easing for a moment the solemn tension that had accompanied the ball's grandeur.
At the Wolfwood table, Lord Bandorn Wolfwood smiled with satisfaction, as though he himself had accomplished the feat. Lady Carla, however, was truly proud of her son: she knew that at such a young age, no noble youth had ever done so much for the Kingdom as her Andras. Master Florian, meanwhile, was already preparing in his mind for the secret plan—he would have to distract Master Albert later that evening.
The King then raised his voice once more so all could hear:
"The royal dance begins at ten o'clock tonight. Until then, eat, drink, mingle, and enjoy yourselves! Thank you for your attention!"
The guests applauded again, then slowly returned to their conversations. The Young Wolf and Christina Silverwood walked back with dignity to their table, bearing their gifts. Andras carefully placed his new magic staff and golden dagger upon the table, as though to signal that he was ready—to fight for the Kingdom in the battles yet to come.
Noelle leaned curiously closer to the magic staff laid upon the table.
"May I look at it?" she asked softly, with almost childlike excitement.
"Go ahead," Andras replied, sliding the weapon toward her.
Noelle's fingers gently traced the staff, then she looked up.
"The Naga's magic crystal is stronger than that of a giant slime, isn't it?"
"Stronger," Andras nodded, "but the Naga's crystal is more suited to supportive mages than attackers. That's why I'm giving this staff to you."
Noelle's eyes widened.
"Really? It can be mine?"
"I already have two staffs, and you only one," Andras explained. "Besides, this staff is too long—it doesn't fit my fighting style. But you prefer weapons like this. You'll make better use of it, and now you'll have two."
Noelle hugged the staff joyfully.
"Oh, thank you so much! You're so kind! I adore you!"
Andras smiled.
"The dagger, however, I'll keep. I only have one short sword anyway."
Anita leaned closer with a playful smile.
"I thought you were going to give me the dagger."
"If I handed you a pure gold dagger, people would think you were my lover," Andras replied half‑jokingly.
Anita laughed coquettishly.
"Then forget the dagger… just be my lover!"
"Your father is a smith," Andras shot back. "You can choose from the finest daggers in Wolfwood."
Andrea then spoke in a serious tone.
"If you had received a longsword, would you have given it to me?"
"To you," Andras nodded. "But it was logical that I'd be gifted a staff, since I'm a mage. Besides, you'll inherit our legendary sword anyway, because I don't like using longswords."
Andrea's eyes lit up.
"The Wolf Fang can be mine?!"
"If you win the Royal Knightly Tournament, Arpad will give it to you immediately," Andras promised.
"I will win the tournament!" Andrea declared with determination.
But Anita wasn't about to let it go.
"And what if I win? I don't want that longsword. I know! I'll ask for a kiss. A big, smacking one!"
Andras laughed.
"If you win the tournament, you'll get two from me—wherever you want them."
Anita flushed with excitement.
"Seriously?! I'll be the winner!"
At that moment, Ironclaw the Hound lifted her head and loudly interjected.
"Do I get a reward too, Master?"
Andras shook his head with a smile.
"You're not even competing in the tournament…"
"Oh come on!!!" Ironclaw growled in disappointment, and the whole table burst into laughter.
Christina Silverwood was the first to arrive at the Wolfwood table, greeting her old friend Carla Wolfwood. She toyed with the wine in her glass, then spoke cheerfully:
"Have you tasted the wine yet? Royal quality!" she laughed.
Carla smiled as she swirled the ruby‑red drink in her own glass.
"It seems tonight we'll be drinking wine, not beer."
Christina leaned closer, her voice turning a little more confidential.
"I brought my niece, Amelia, with me. I'll introduce her to you later."
Carla's eyes sparkled playfully.
"I thought you wanted my son for yourself, Christina."
Christina laughed coquettishly, almost deliberately loud.
"If your son chooses the Silverwoods, he'll get two women at once!" she teased, raising her glass for another sip.
Carla's reply was more serious.
"I do like you, Christina, but you know I have no say in my son's affairs with women."
Christina's eyes gleamed mischievously as she glanced around the hall.
"If Bandorn heard us, he'd die of envy!"
Carla quickly gestured for her to lower her voice.
"Quieter… or he really might hear."
The two ladies then shared a smile, as if forging a secret alliance amidst the bustle of the ball—while the guests around them remained unaware of the playful yet dangerously sharp truths hidden behind their words.
Not long after Christina's arrival, Floralys Greenwood approached the Wolfwood table to greet Carla.
"Floralys, come here, I'm right here!" Carla waved cheerfully.
"Greetings, Carla," the elven lady smiled. "I see you're enjoying yourself."
Carla rose to introduce the two women.
"Let me present you to each other. Floralys, this is Christina, my best friend… well, after Noelle," she laughed. "Christina, this sharp‑eared beauty is Floralys."
"A pleasure," Christina bowed politely.
"The pleasure is mine," Floralys replied with dignity.
Christina turned to Carla with curiosity.
"I didn't know you were acquainted with the Greenwoods."
"We only met a few days ago," Carla explained. "We happened to cross paths in a restaurant and shared the capital's finest pastry together."