Chapter 81: The Young Fox of the Blacksmith

“This news… comes at far too convenient a time,” Venigo frowned. “The moment I capture this little one, someone just happens to mention the method for werewolves to awaken the Dragon Vein, right in front of you?”

“I found it strange as well, but… do you want to try it?” Old Ronny countered.

Venigo nodded without hesitation.

“But Arcana…” Sophie began.

“No doubt, she would want to,” Venigo turned to Sophie and explained, “She’s not like us… The instinct to pursue great power is branded into her very blood.”

Sophie fell silent for a moment, then nodded.

“That information was just a bonus. Now then… may I invite you to join us in the Wyvern Desert to hunt Thunder Lizards? You know, we’ve gathered so many people this time—it’s a rare opportunity…” Old Ronny chuckled. “And it happens to be Thunder Lizard egg-laying season. If we can get our hands on some eggs, the High Council would pay handsomely.”

After sending Old Ronny off, Venigo carefully studied the notebook he’d left behind. As expected, the little Wolf Princess was the masterpiece of Nua, that master of genetic science.

She was a remarkable being. Nua had used genetic modulation to infuse dragon blood into the girl, then had the Ghost Wolf perform a werewolf transformation ritual to turn her into a werewolf. In this way, since the girl’s own bloodline was so vibrant, her wolf traits were not very pronounced.

However, this transformation seemed to have suppressed the vitality of the dragon blood. The Wolf Princess still possessed the physique of a young dragon, but could not wield the vast power of that bloodline. Instead, the werewolf aspect flourished fully in her.

Agility, swiftness, and with the wind-manipulation skill Nua granted her, the Wolf Princess’s mobility was extraordinary. If only her dragon blood could be further awakened, her lethality would soar…

Venigo, for one, would never dare face such a Wolf Princess in single combat.

Nua had outlined his own theories in the notebook, but clearly, Venigo’s interference had brought his experiments to a halt. Sometimes Venigo wondered if that mad researcher had deliberately left the Wolf Princess behind as a means to observe him.

Yet, driven by a similar passion, Venigo didn’t mind lending Nua a hand—to truly turn the Wolf Princess into a Dragon Vein Werewolf and see what fruit Nua’s vision would bear.

Isn’t it fascinating?

The Wolf Princess cocked her head; she didn’t seem to mind that Venigo was making decisions for her. She was more curious about what other treasures this shape-shifting oddball had in his pockets.

Honey tilted her head as well, though her gaze moved between Venigo and the Wolf Princess. Little Honey was both wary and intrigued by this small monster, who was about her own age but possessed far greater combat prowess—especially since this little wolf loved candy just as much as she did!

And Venigo’s candies were always in short supply…

Because of this, the Wolf Princess and Honey were often at odds, though their contests were gentle. Fights were rare—after all, the Wolf Princess’s strength was formidable, and unless Honey called on Cait Sith, she had no chance of winning.

But the Wolf Princess didn’t dare provoke Honey either; the Arrow of Light was devastating to werewolves, and if Honey got lucky and landed a successful Enslave spell… that would be far more than just embarrassing. The Wolf Princess was reckless, but not foolish.

“Come to think of it, our team seems a little… unusual,” Venigo mused, eyeing his companions.

A sword maiden altered by magic, a little priestess subjected to even harsher modifications, a Wolf Princess who was practically a monster, and an alchemical creature—a talking great cat, Cait Sith…

And, of course, Venigo himself—a shape-shifting archfiend with no fixed form!

What a merry, harmonious band they were—ha!

“This is for you,” Venigo suddenly remembered, patting his head and quickly pulling a pair of claw-gauntlets from his pack. He tossed them to the Wolf Princess. “Try them on.”

Her eyes lit up, and she forgot all about wrestling Honey for candy. She strapped the gauntlets onto her wrists, giving them a few experimental swings.

Venigo had drawn inspiration from assassin’s claws in his memory and crafted these “Wolf Spiders” especially for her. They fit snugly over her forearms and the backs of her hands—secure, comfortable, and very much to her liking.

The Wolf Spiders were razor-sharp and sturdy, excellent for both slashing and parrying. Venigo had even imbued them with spells of sharpness and resilience, making them all the more practical.

To this end, Venigo had gone so far as to pour in divine power, conjuring the skills of a level-30 “Forge Master” from Tales of the Swordsmith to craft these blades. Only such a being—masterful in both forging and magic—could truly customize magical properties to fit their wielder.

The class offered some combat ability, but compared to its value in forging mighty weapons, its martial prowess hardly justified its exorbitant reputation.

The expenditure of quicksilver was one thing; the divine power consumed was something money couldn’t easily replace. All told, Venigo had spent more than he would have to buy a weapon of similar caliber. But the advantage was clear: this weapon was perfectly tailored for the Wolf Princess.

But Venigo’s efforts were repaid. Once she tried out the Wolf Spiders, the Wolf Princess pounced on him, planting a noisy kiss on his cheek.

Then she dashed off, claws raised, to test her new toys on any hapless plants and flowers she could find.

The next day, Venigo, fully prepared, strapped his reorganized pack beneath Ramen’s belly harness and donned his own bags, arranging his gear for quick access and nodding in satisfaction.

He opened the door to find Sophie and Honey already enjoying breakfast in the inn’s common room.

“Where’s the Wolf Princess?” Venigo asked, puzzled.

“She got too excited—said she was going hunting,” Honey pouted. “Didn’t even take me along…”

“Hunting…” Venigo chuckled wryly. “Aren’t you worried she’ll be mistaken for a werewolf and captured? Well, I suppose she is a werewolf.”

“Don’t worry. Fewer than three people in Black County could catch her—and none of them are in town,” Sophie replied seriously.

Venigo grinned, about to speak, when the main door banged open. He looked up to see the Wolf Princess lugging a juvenile Thunder Lizard into the kitchen, brimming with excitement.

“I have to admit, I underestimated her…” Venigo said, wiping the sweat from his brow.

A little while later, Old Ronny arrived with his team. There were about fifteen of them, each clearly battle-hardened and skilled, attesting to Old Ronny’s prowess—you couldn’t lead such an elite group without real authority.

“Did I miss something?” Old Ronny asked, eyeing the adventurers in the inn, all of whom looked as though they’d seen a ghost.

“It’s nothing, nothing—please, have a seat,” Venigo said, pulling out a chair and grinning. “We’re all set, ready to go at any time…”

He hadn’t finished speaking when a commotion erupted from the kitchen. Soon the Wolf Princess bounded out, dragging a bag nearly as big as herself, which she dumped onto the table—roast meat spilling everywhere.

Beaming, she flexed her claws, evidently pondering where to start. Venigo slapped his forehead, seized the Wolf Princess, plopped her onto a chair, and tied a napkin around her neck.

“Try to be a little ladylike, will you?” Venigo admonished.

“What’s a lady? It doesn’t sound tasty,” the Wolf Princess replied, blinking.

“Never mind, then.” Venigo drew a utility knife and deftly sliced the roast into thin pieces, sharing them with Honey and Sophie. As for the Wolf Princess and the big cat… they probably preferred their meat whole.

He had to admit, the Wolf Princess’s roasting skills were impressive.

She finished her share quickly, but instead of reaching for more, she fixed her red eyes unblinkingly on Old Ronny.

“What’s wrong?” Venigo asked, cutting a slice, slathering it in his own sauce, and handing it to her. She bit down, but kept staring at Old Ronny.

“Haha, what a grudge-holding little wolf,” Ronny chuckled, stroking his grizzled beard.

The Wolf Princess chewed down her meat, then suddenly sprang forward, swiping a claw at Old Ronny.

“Naughty!” Ronny was quick to react—he left the long spear on his back alone and unhooked a short spear from his belt, meeting her claws with speed, parrying several times before tossing her aside.

The Wolf Princess cried out, twisted sharply, and appeared behind him, aiming a stab at his neck.

“Arcana, stop that!” Venigo barked.

She reluctantly retracted her claw, bounded back to Venigo, and hugged his waist, giving him a hard nudge with her head.

“There, there. Don’t be so petty,” Venigo laughed, slipping her a candy unnoticed.

Her scowl vanished; she ran to Honey’s side, brandishing her claws and slicing roast meat, generously sharing a few pieces.

The two girls happily ate together, though the scene was a bit surreal. Old Ronny clearly hadn’t encountered such an introduction before. He paused, then asked, “So, what’s your answer?”

The answer? It was plain enough…