"This is..."

The knight Shane looked at the silver wolf in front of him with a tense expression.

It was not often that Shane, recognized for his skills in the northern empire, became tense.

Even when fighting the barbarians who had invaded the empire in the past, Shane did not tense up like this. Back then, he bravely led the charge and defeated the barbarians more valiantly than anyone else. The barbarians would even turn tail and flee at the sight of Shane.

Yet now, Shane was tense in front of a mere wolf, not even a monster.

Of course, the silver wolf before him was no ordinary creature. This silver wolf exuded a very mysterious aura, and judging by its massive size, it was undoubtedly a spirit.

Even so, if Shane set his mind to it, he could easily defeat it. The ice trolls inhabiting the northern regions were not difficult opponents for Shane.

However, all that applied only when Shane had no one to protect.

Currently, there was a boy of around ten years old standing behind Shane's back. This handsome boy with snow-white skin and jet-black hair was the heir to the Castarck family that ruled the northern empire.

Carl Castarck. 

The Castarck family held absolute power in the northern empire. Gildain Castarck, the head of the family and Carl's father, was known as the protector of the north and the king of the north.

So this boy Carl Castarck, whom Shane was guarding, was a highborn young master destined to become the king of the north.

Shane's duty was to keep Carl safe. It was only natural for him to be tense.

If the opponent had been a dull-witted ogre or troll, it would not have been too difficult. Those kinds of monsters would charge recklessly until their dying breath, so Shane could simply behead them and be done with it.

But the creature, silver wolf before him seemed to possess considerable intelligence. Even regular wolves hunted their prey with composure. This silver wolf was unlikely to foolishly charge at Shane.

Even now, while growling and glaring at Shane, the silver wolf's attention seemed focused on Carl Castarck behind Shane's back. 

Shane had the intuition that while he could not defeat it, the silver wolf considered the boy Carl Castarck a worthwhile target.

And that was the truth, which was why Shane could not move carelessly. 

The moment Shane took even a single step to attack, the silver wolf would likely leap over him and sink its fangs into Carl's nape before Shane could react. Then it would swiftly flee to a place Shane could not follow.

"My lord, you must not stray from my side under any circumstances" Shane told Carl as he watched the silver wolf intently. 

The best scenario would be for the silver wolf to simply retreat, but that seemed unlikely.

Carl had already attacked the silver wolf.

Originally, Shane was escorting Carl to the imperial capital. They were headed there to attend Princess Illiana's birthday party in a few days. 

There were currently rumors in the empire that Princess Illiana and Carl, the prince of the north, would eventually marry. Although still young, they were both renowned for their beauty and of suitable status, so everyone, even the emperor himself, welcomed the prospect of their union. Above all, Princess Illiana had fallen head over heels for Carl after seeing him during his previous visit to the capital.

So Illiana had invited Carl to her birthday party this time. 

No one could refuse such an invitation from the princess.

Naturally, Carl set out for the capital, with Shane as his escort. Shane was not only a renowned knight of the north but also Carl's martial arts instructor, so it was only natural for him to accompany Carl.

The journey had been uneventful until they reached the nearby city of Sierra. Apparently bored by the trip to the capital, Carl told Shane he wanted to go hunting. He wanted to see for himself what kind of monsters inhabited the forests of the empire's heartland, not the northern mountains.

He even insisted on leaving the other escorts behind in the city and going with just Shane, claiming a large group would draw too much attention and be cumbersome.

"Shane alone is enough. The other knights and soldiers wouldn't be of much help anyway," Carl had said.

Shane had agreed to some extent. Having too many escorts would indeed draw unnecessary attention and cause complications. He was sufficient to protect Carl.

So Carl and Shane had left the city and entered the forest. 

Shane had at least cautioned Carl not to recklessly attack any monsters or beasts they encountered.

Shane had confidence that he could handle most monsters, but just in case, it wouldn't hurt to slowly assess the situation before hunting.

However, Carl ignored Shane's caution and immediately drew his bow the moment he saw the silver wolf.

The silver wolf, which had been walking with a rabbit in its mouth, didn't get hit by the arrow but seemed extremely angered.

It let out a rough roar "Kyaaang!" and tried to attack Carl.

Fortunately, Shane drew his sword and blocked it, but if his reaction had been even a bit slower, the silver wolf would have immediately sunk its fangs into Carl's nape.

And now they were in a tense standoff.

Neither the silver wolf nor Shane dared to move recklessly.

'Damn it.'

Shane was regretting his decision.

If he had brought just one more knight or soldier, he wouldn't have to worry about the silver wolf right now.

If someone could just protect Carl, Shane was confident he could plunge his sword right into the silver wolf's neck.

'But in this situation...'

That's when something dropped down between the silver wolf and Shane.

With a light thud, the one who landed on the ground was a young girl.

Shane looked at the girl with a cold sweat.

The girl had approached so quickly that Shane hadn't even noticed her presence.

If the girl was an assassin, Shane would have lost his life without even realizing it.

The girl with flowing silver hair faced Shane.

She looked to be around ten years old, around the same age as Carl standing behind Shane's back.

However, her gaze was calm and expressionless, almost seeming hollow at first glance - a composed look that even Shane, who had overcome numerous crises on the battlefield, found it difficult to read any emotion in her eyes.

As the girl brushed her disheveled silver hair behind her ear, her pointed ears were revealed.

The girl was none other than an elf.

"......"

Shane didn't know how to take this situation.

He couldn't tell if the elf girl was an ally or an enemy.

For now, the girl was facing Shane with the wolf behind her back.

Just like how Shane was protecting Carl Castarck behind his own back.

"Is that wolf... yours?" Shane asked.

As he asked, he realized the silver wolf and the girl shared some resemblances. Their silver hair and red eyes were exactly the same.

"My wolf," the girl answered in a monotonous voice that didn't sound like a child at all.

"Don't bother it."

Shane inwardly felt relieved at the girl's words.

If the wolf's owner had appeared, they might be able to resolve this situation favorably.

At any rate, not fighting was the best option right now.

"I understand, there was a brief misunderstanding with your wolf, but if you retreat, we have no intention of attacking."

Shane sheathed his sword and straightened his posture.

"I am Shane, a knight serving the Castarck family of the north. And the one behind me is the heir to the Castarck family..."

Before Shane could finish his introduction, the girl had turned around and was stroking the wolf's chin, standing on her tiptoes.

"Ahem..."

Feeling awkward, Shane cleared his throat and spoke to Carl behind him.

"My lord, let's return to the city for now. Today is..."

At that moment, Carl stepped out from behind Shane and shouted at the elf girl.

"Hey, elf! How insolent! How dare you ignore me! I am Carl Castarck, the crown prince of the north! Immediately state your name and show your respect!"

"...!"

Shane's eyes widened in surprise.

It was rare for Carl, who was usually cautious and prudent despite being a bit arrogant, to shout at a complete stranger like this.

The elf girl didn't react much to Carl's outburst.

To put it bluntly, she gave Carl a dismissive look as if wondering why this dog was barking, then nimbly hopped onto the wolf's back.

A small smile appeared on the girl's lips.

"Hey! Elf!"

Carl became even more enraged by the girl's smile.

"Get off that wolf right now! Can't you hear me speaking! Such insolence!"

If this had been in a city and the other person was a common merchant, Carl's status would have held weight.

They would have immediately bowed their heads to Carl.

But this was a forest, and the other person was an elf.

As a forest dweller, the elf wouldn't care about Carl's status.

The elf girl stroked the wolf's head gently, as if it were the most adorable and lovable thing, and whispered,

"Let's go, Ghost."

Then, with the girl on its back, the wolf sprang off the ground and swiftly dashed deeper into the forest.

Shane and Carl, left behind, could only stare blankly in the direction the wolf had disappeared.