Chapter 166: Good Dog, Bad Dog (3)

Meanwhile, Brad, who had drawn his sword and was aiming it at the wolf, suddenly felt a strong sense of discomfort.

It was because of the sound the wolf had just made when it saw the hero.

‘Did I hear that wrong? Just now, it sounded like a dog happily greeting its owner…’

Of course, that can’t be true. There’s no way the hero would raise a monster like that. In the first place, it’s impossible for anyone, let alone the hero.

I must’ve heard it wrong. Or maybe I confused it with someone else.”

[………]

Meanwhile, the ghost wolf that had spotted the hero paused and silently swayed in the sky, looking down at Sion.

Then, after a moment,

[Awooo–!!]

Suddenly, it raised its head high into the sky and began to howl.

The soldiers, who were bracing for an attack, looked stunned by the wolf’s sudden and unexpected behavior.

And they were even more surprised by what happened next.

[Awooo–!!]

[Awooo–!!]

[Awooo–!!]

“?!?”

Surprisingly, the exact same howling sound echoed from the left, right, and behind them, as if they were surrounded on all sides.

There could only be one meaning to this.

“Could it be… there’s not just one of them…?!”

One of the guards muttered, his face turning pale.

The monsters that had barely left them with a scratch, no matter how hard they fought, were not one, but several.

And all of them had infiltrated Anatolia.

This could no longer be dismissed as a mere “accidental intrusion.”

This was a well-planned, intentional crime, carried out by someone with malicious intent.

But if that’s the case, what could their goal be…

Whoosh!

At that moment, the wolf, having completed its call with its companions, swiftly plunged downward, aiming directly at the hero Sion.

Brad, horrified, shouted.

“Sion!! Dodge!!!”

At the same time as his warning, Brad instinctively rushed forward.

He infused his sword with magic and swung it forcefully at the charging wolf.

Normally, animals that can transform into spirits don’t have high defense. They don’t really need to make their bodies tough in the first place.

So, if you can strike at the essence of their being, they can be easily defeated, rendering any previous power insignificant.

For example, if you strike with an aura-enhanced blade, you can easily cut through a spirit.

As an instructor of swordsmanship in Anatolia, Brad was a highly skilled fighter and knew how to use sword techniques.

Therefore, despite the late timing, he succeeded in cutting off the wolf’s front right paw.

Whoosh, slash!

With the sound of air splitting, bright red blood splattered out. The wolf screamed in sudden pain.

[Kerrr!!]

“Get lost, beast! This is no safe haven!”

Brad shouted as he blocked Sion’s path.

In fact, this was just a natural response from him.

Anyone would draw their sword and swing it if a monster suddenly charged at an important human figure.

However, the wolf had neither the intelligence nor the desire to consider such complicated social circumstances.

From its point of view, Brad was just an annoying obstacle blocking its emotional reunion with its master. It even had its paw injured.

[Grarr…]

The wolf growled lowly, its fur standing on end as it glared at Brad with its left paw still gripping the wound.

All that filled its mind was the desire to tear the man in front of it apart.

Meanwhile, Sally, who was on edge and keeping a watchful eye on her surroundings, suddenly realized something and shouted.

“Brad! They’re bringing more of them! At least three or four more!”

“What? Could it be the ones that howled earlier?!”

Brad sighed quietly.

It seemed that the howling earlier was a signal to summon their allies. Otherwise, there’s no way they could have gathered so quickly.

“Sally, do you have any magic that can take them all out at once? A wide-area spell that won’t harm our side.”

“If you give me time, I could try using Chain Lightning…”

“That sounds good. Start casting it quickly! I’ll try to hold them off as long as I can!”

“Okay!”

Sally nodded grimly.

A moment later, other wolves appeared from the forest in a pack.

They looked around at the group for a moment, then spotted the hero and began howling as they circled the sky.

[Kang!! Kwang kwang kwang!! Kwang kwang kwang!!]

The mighty roar echoed throughout the forest.

If the person were attentive, they might have noticed that the emotion contained in the cry was not hostility.

However, the people gathered at the current location had no time to grasp that fact.

Of course, they couldn’t be blamed for that.

Anyone who saw the monstrous beasts, as large as elephants, rampaging in a group would find it hard to maintain their composure.

Sally bit her lip and muttered.

“Perhaps their target is the hero… In that case, we have to protect her, no matter what!”

With a firm resolve, she immediately began chanting. Magical energy transformed into the shape of blue lightning, crackling and flowing out from the tip of her staff.

Meanwhile, the newly appeared wolves, seemingly oblivious to anyone else, began charging toward Sion, competing with one another.

In response, Brad also infused magic into his sword and took a defensive stance, preparing for a massive horizontal slash.

At this rate, a head-on collision would result in at least one of them suffering a serious injury, creating a tense standoff.

Just then,

“Wait! Wait a minute!”

At the moment when Brad was about to swing his sword, the hero’s sharp shout stopped him.

The wolves, too, reacted to the shout, instinctively halting their movements and standing still.

Brad, having missed the timing, frowned and looked back.

“What’s going on? Not only are you not helping with the fight, but you’re also getting in the way.”

“Please wait a moment. Something’s strange.”

“Strange? What do you mean?”

At Brad’s question, Sion gave a vague expression, then glanced at the wolves before clenching her hands tightly and speaking.

“I just heard the voice of one of those wolves. It sounded like it was calling for help… maybe these wolves aren’t like regular beasts. There might be a way to calm them down without fighting…”

“What?”

Brad’s frown deepened.

That was nonsense. Beasts couldn’t be tamed; that’s just how beasts were.

Creatures born from the demon realm, no matter what they were, shared the trait of having no morality, and the beasts were no exception.

To control them, powerful mental restraints were needed.

Without such means, beasts would simply carry on their massacre, driven by their innate instincts.

Yet here Sion was, suggesting calming them without any preparation?

Did she think she was some kind of Saint Esther?

“Look, I know you think you’re great, but there are things that can and can’t be done in this world…”

“I won’t ask for something unreasonable. Just let me try, just once. If it doesn’t work, I’ll admit it and won’t say anything more.”

Sion’s voice was full of earnest pleading, her expression filled with sincere desperation.

Brad scratched his head awkwardly for a moment, then turned to Sally for her opinion.

“What should we do?”

“Maybe we should let her try. She’s asking so earnestly…”

“But what if something goes wrong, and someone gets seriously injured? It’ll all be our responsibility.”

“I’ll be preparing a shield spell, ready to act quickly if something goes wrong. At least we can avoid a fatal injury. If it’s not a serious wound, we can take them to the priest.”

“Hm…”

Brad narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. But after a moment, he made a quick decision, nodding.

“Alright, hero Sion. Try it your way.”

“Thank you for allowing me.”

Sion lowered her head slightly, showing her gratitude, and stepped forward. She looked up at the wolves floating in the sky with sorrowful eyes.

Sympathy, pity, and even a strange sense of longing were reflected in her gaze.

Everyone held their breath and watched the hero, silent.

“…….”

Sion took a deep breath, then slowly extended her hand forward.

“Will you come here?”

A simple request, nothing special.

And in the next moment, everyone gathered in the forest witnessed a miracle.

-Sss….

The wolves, which had been floating in the sky in their ghostly form, truly descended at that one command.

They released their ethereal state and walked forward, kneeling before Sion and bowing their heads.

The hostility and tension that had been felt just moments ago melted away, disappearing completely.

One of the soldiers blinked in disbelief.

“What? No way, really?”

“Woof!”

As if responding to that, one of the wolves wagged its tail and barked happily.

By this point, there was no trace left of the fierce, wild beasts. Instead, there were only five large dogs, eager for affection, bowing before their master.

Sion gently petted their heads and softly spoke.

“Good, good. You’re so good… my little ones.”

With a soft, warm smile and a voice full of compassion that embraced everything in the world, it was an unreal scene that resembled a holy painting, as if the goddess Lafrei was gently caressing her children.

“Oh my…”

Brad couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.

They were witnessing something that had never happened in the long history of Elpidion.

Without any use of holy magic or sorcery, the beasts voluntarily knelt before a human and bowed, following them willingly.

If this wasn’t a miracle, then what should it be called?

‘I’ve never seen a scene like this in any memoir…’

One of the soldiers muttered in admiration.

Perhaps this was the true nature of hero Sion. A girl who could forgive sins, not by wielding a sword, but by opening her arms and embracing them with love.

This was a clear proof that a pure and righteous heart could even save beasts, more certain than any theory.

The people gathered in the forest, without a doubt, realized at that moment.

This scene was the true image of a hero who fit the ‘Era of Peace,’ and the true beacon of the current age.

And thus, a new achievement was added to the legend of hero Sion.