This chapter is told from the perspective of the magic swordsman of the Four Heavenly Kings Subjugation Party.
My name is Wolfgang.
I was once the magic swordsman of the Hero’s party. After a certain individual cursed me with a pair of wolf-ears, I spent my days traveling to find a way to break the hex. However, I was suddenly summoned back to the Royal Capital. By royal decree, I found myself appointed as the leader of the Four Heavenly Kings Subjugation Party.
When the nation faces a crisis, one does what must be done. I decided that if the Hero refused to do his job, I would do everything in my power to fill the void.
Our new party consisted of six members.
There was me, the leader.
Anna, a magic sword user and the granddaughter of Great Sage Otfried.
Rudiger, a member of the former Hero’s party and the son of the Kingdom's Knight Commander.
Diesel, a bald mercenary hired by the Saint of the Lamp.
Hoffmann, the Knight Commander of Tower City, who served as our guide.
And finally, the woman in charge of the entire operation: Nina, the Saint of the Yellow Wings.
The six of us had traveled a long way from the Royal Capital to the outskirts of Tower City near the border. Currently, we were staying in a small village one stop away from our destination. We had decided to stop here to gather intelligence on our target: the Crimson Flower Princess Alraune, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King’s Army.
We had spent the day scattered throughout the town, and now, as evening fell, we were gathering at the inn to share what we had found.
"Alright, let's hear it. Report your findings one by one," I said.
Hoffmann, the Knight Commander of Tower City, was the first to raise his hand. It turned out he had already attempted a surprise attack to eliminate the Crimson Flower Princess. He had used local adventurers and collaborators from the city to try and burn down the forest.
The attempt had failed, but he claimed that one of his hired hands had managed to strike the Alraune with a flame arrow. According to his Intel, she might be in a weakened state. That explained the group we had passed on the road earlier; they must have been Hoffmann’s men.
However, I had my doubts. He said a single arrow hit her, but would a monster of the Four Heavenly Kings' caliber really be brought low by something so trivial? Back when I was with the Hero, we managed to take down one of the Kings, and that creature hadn't even flinched after being peppered with dozens of arrows.
The Crimson Flower Princess was likely unscathed. I decided not to put much stock in Hoffmann’s report.
The others began to weigh in with their findings.
The Lord of Tower City was apparently obsessed with the Alraune. A new food called Saint Nectar was the latest craze in the city. A wooden giant lived in the woods. The forest was crawling with insect-type monsters and "Running Trees." Furthermore, the trees in the entire region had suddenly become remarkably vibrant starting from a specific day.
Most of it felt like fluff, but the Lord’s obsession was a red flag—it suggested he might be under the monster’s control. The giants and the strange trees were almost certainly the Alraune’s subordinates. While the Saint Nectar seemed irrelevant, the rest was valuable data I couldn't ignore.
Finally, Diesel, the mercenary, spoke up. Despite being a mountain of a man with a fearsome bald head, he was a sucker for cute animals and was currently cradling his pet cat.
The moment he opened his mouth, my composure shattered.
"Regarding this Crimson Flower Princess Alraune... word is she looks exactly like Saint Iris, Boss."
—Exactly like Iris?!
Diesel stroked the cat on his lap and held out a wanted poster. "Take a look for yourself, Wolfgang-danna."
The sketch on the poster depicted a girl who was the spitting image of Iris—my cousin and my childhood friend. I couldn't wrap my head around it. How could the monster we were sent to kill look identical to her?
I wasn't the only one shaken. Nina, the Saint of the Yellow Wings, had gone pale, casting her eyes down as cold sweat beaded on her brow. I knew she idolized Iris, so her reaction made sense.
But it was Rudiger who had the most violent reaction. He slammed his fist onto the floor and roared.
"An Alraune that looks like Saint Iris?! There’s no way in hell that’s a coincidence! There has to be a reason!"
Like me, Rudiger was a childhood friend of both myself and Iris. I knew that when we were younger, he had harbored a secret crush on her. He used to brag that he would become a knight just to protect her. After she became engaged to the Hero, his love evolved into a deep, knightly devotion.
But when news broke that Iris had betrayed the Kingdom and her comrades to defect to the Demon King’s Army, his adoration curdled into pure rage. Now, the mere mention of her name sent him into a fit.
"A Saint as powerful as Iris wouldn't just die without a plan," he would often mutter. "She must have left something behind to destroy us eventually."
No one had taken his delusions seriously before, but the appearance of an Alraune who looked like her changed everything. Especially since we were so close to the site of Iris's death. Was there a connection...?
No, that was impossible. Iris was dead. I had to put those thoughts aside.
"We need to discuss our next move," I said, steering the conversation back to the mission. "There’s an issue. The road leading to the city has been closed."
Tower City was preparing for a spring festival. Apparently, high-ranking officials were attending, and the city was on lockdown to keep outsiders away. The Lord had issued a strict decree: no Church members and no nobles allowed.
Even though we were on a mission from the King himself, we had been turned away with a list of excuses. They claimed the roads were still being repaired after the winter snow, or that the forest rituals were sacred and couldn't be seen by outsiders. We could have forced our way in, but I wanted to avoid a diplomatic incident with our intended base of operations.
"Leader, are you saying we’re just going to sit here until the festival is over?" Anna protested, her hands hovering over her twin slender swords. She clearly wasn't the type to wait around.
"Relax, Anna. We aren't waiting. We’re going to bypass the road and cut straight through the forest."
The walk from here to Tower City was roughly half a day. Even if we had to fight our way through the woods, we could reach the Alraune’s lair in two days. Hoffmann and Rudiger complained about the trek, but with the support of Nina, Diesel, and Anna, the decision was made.
"The forest might be a dungeon now. Stay sharp."
The following morning, I found myself standing outside the Saint of the Yellow Wings' room. The rumors about the Alraune looking like Iris had haunted my sleep. I wondered if the Saint had seen the creature herself during her time in Tower City.
I was about to knock when I froze. I heard voices coming from inside.
Nina was supposed to be sharing the room with Anna, but I had just seen Anna head out for her morning training. I’d even helped her with a few drills before she ran off. Nina should have been alone. Yet, I could clearly hear another woman's voice through the door.
My wolf-ears gave me hearing far beyond that of a normal human. I strained to listen.
"I didn't think you would be in this town. I'm so great for finding you. It's good to have met you."
"I... I can't believe it. You're...?"
Who was she talking to? Was the Saint of the Yellow Wings in league with someone else?
As the party leader, I couldn't ignore the possibility of a traitor. I knocked once and pushed the door open before she could respond.
Nina was sitting in a chair by the window. Her eyes snapped to mine. On the windowsill, I saw a single white bird perched, but there was no one else in the room.
"I heard talking," I said, scanning the area. "Are you alone? Where’s Anna?"
"I... yes, I’m alone. Anna was just here, but she... she just jumped out the window. You must have heard her voice from the hallway."
She was lying. I knew for a fact Anna had left the room ages ago. Why would a Saint lie about something like that? Who had she really been talking to? Was she so embarrassed about talking to herself that she felt the need to make up a story?
I looked at the bird. It looked familiar—strangely like the ungrateful creature I’d rescued last summer that had flown off with my wallet. But surely it wasn't the same bird.
A Saint who talks to birds. It was almost a charming thought. Perhaps I had just misheard a bit of playful chirping as human speech.
"Lord Wolfgang, was there something you needed so early?" she asked.
"I wanted to ask about the Crimson Flower Princess. Regarding her resemblance to Iris..."
The moment the name left my lips, Nina clutched her chest and began to tremble.
"Lord Wolfgang, I... I’m fine. I just felt a bit lightheaded..."
She pulled a black tube from her pocket and pressed it to her lips. I knew she had a frail constitution and required regular medication. A "sickly Saint"—the kind of phrase that made every soldier in the Kingdom want to pick up a shield to protect her.
"Lord Wolfgang, my heart is still racing. If you'll excuse me, I think I need to lie down."
"Of course. I’m sorry for barging in."
I stepped out into the hallway. I felt a pang of guilt for startling her. We were scheduled to rest today anyway, so she had time to recover.
Still... that medicine she always took had a distinct, sweet aroma. I wondered what it was. I’d have to ask her about it eventually.
I went outside and found a spot in the shade to meditate. With the forest trek starting tomorrow, I needed to sharpen my mana control. Combat with the Demon King’s Army was inevitable.
As I settled my mind, I felt a presence above me. I looked up and saw the white bird taking flight from the Saint's window.
It was still there? A strange, heavy aura clung to the creature. Looking back, the whole situation in the room had been wrong. That was no ordinary bird.
I realized my mistake. What if that bird was a spy for the Demon King? If it was, our entire plan was compromised.
I stood up and began to run, keeping my eyes fixed on the white speck in the sky. I would tail it. If it was just a bird, then no harm done. But if it was an agent of the enemy, I would do whatever was necessary to protect my comrades.
So, it's been a while since we've seen things from the wolf-eared Wolfgang's perspective. His point of view appeared quite some time ago, but I’m finally able to weave his story back into the main narrative.
Next time: The Lone Wolf Magic Swordsman Challenges the Forest Dungeon — Part 2.