Whoosh…
The sound of waves breaking against the ship filled the air. Lucas stood at the bow, gazing at Sedona City's port in the distance, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
"Finally back," Lucas said, his right hand clasped behind his back, black hair fluttering in the wind as light snowflakes drifted down. Behind him stood Mina and Nicole.
"Yeah, we've been away from home for nearly twenty days," Nicole said, tucking her wind-tousled hair behind her ear, smiling brightly. "I kinda miss Annie, Helen, and the others."
"I wonder what they're up to. Maybe they've got a surprise for us?" Mina tilted her head, shaking snow off her cat ears and brushing her tail, which felt cold in the chilly wind.
"Who knows~~" Lucas drawled lazily. "It's snowing lightly on the day we return. Is this some kind of welcome?"
"I want a big meal when we get back," Mina declared, raising her hand. "Lean meat porridge. No fish for now."
She'd eaten fish for nearly twenty days straight and figured it was time to ease up before she got sick of it.
"Hehe… looks like I won't get to rest when we get back. Annie and the others might complain," Nicole said, tilting her head with a finger on her chin. She knew the fox-eared girls' tastes had been spoiled by her cooking.
"Ha!" Lucas chuckled, shaking his head. If the beast-eared girls at home went out without Nicole's cooking, they'd probably lose a ton of weight.
"Lower the sails! Half sail! Full sail down!"
Shouts rang out as the crew scrambled, guiding the ship toward the port.
"Drop anchor! Drop anchor!"
With the anchor dropped, the ship steadied at the port, and a gangplank was lowered. The War Wolves disembarked first to secure the area.
Tap, tap, tap…
Lucas, Nicole, and Mina stepped off the ship, only to see Freya waiting with a carriage, her expression grim.
Seeing the wolf-eared girl's face, Lucas, Mina, and Nicole frowned. Has something happened in Sedona City? Freya's usual demeanor wouldn't be this serious otherwise.
"Lord, welcome back," Freya said solemnly.
"What happened?" Lucas asked calmly. "Someone causing trouble?"
"No, my lord. It's best if the princess explains back at the castle," Freya replied, shaking her head and lowering the carriage steps.
"Alright."
Lucas climbed into the carriage, followed closely by Mina and Nicole. The joy of returning home was dampened significantly.
"Young master, could it be one of Annie's pranks?" Mina asked, her eyes flickering. Knowing the fox-eared girl, she might pull a stunt to "welcome" them.
"No, not this time," Lucas said, shaking his head. He could tell from Freya's demeanor that if it were a prank, Annie would've shown up herself to trick him.
Tap, tap, tap…
Freya drove the carriage swiftly. It was around 2 p.m., six hours since Elisa had left Sedona City.
Twenty minutes later, the carriage entered the castle. Freya saw Annie, Ayesha, and Helen waiting nearby.
"My lord, we've arrived," Freya called to the carriage, lowering the steps and leaping down.
Creak~~
Lucas pushed open the carriage door, stepped out, and looked at the serious faces of the beast-eared girls. Frowning, he asked, "What's going on?"
"Young master, (Lord) welcome back!" Annie, Helen, and Ayesha shouted in unison.
After the greeting, Annie bounced forward, rushing to Lucas in a few steps, holding up a letter. "Young master, read this first."
"Alright." Lucas raised an eyebrow, took the letter, opened it, and began reading.
"City Lord, I am Elisa, an elf. I'm sorry for hiding this from you for so long, and for leaving without saying goodbye. As an elf, my identity could bring you great trouble… For the sake of your hard work, I have to leave."
"Maybe one day we'll meet again. I hope by then, your Sedona City, your ideals, will shock me once more. Please stay true to yourself."
"What a foolish woman," Lucas blurted out after finishing the letter. "So foolish it makes me want to spank her."
"Huh???" Everyone present stared at Lucas, stunned. They never expected him to say something like that after reading the letter.
"Explain. What's the situation?" Lucas strode toward the study room. He was still a bit confused. What was so special about Elisa's identity? Just an elf, right?
Sedona City already had plenty of beastkins—would one more elf make a difference? Lucas wanted to see who had the guts to come to his city and snatch someone.
"Young master, it's like this. Yesterday, a provocative rumor spread about elf slaves in Moth City. Then last night, two men spreading the rumor were killed. Today, Ayesha went to the pizza shop…" Annie hurried after Lucas, recounting the events of yesterday and today.
"Moth City? That small city? It's not far from us," Lucas nodded, pushing open the study door. "Let me see the other letters."
He glanced at the aloof Amelia sitting in a chair, with Hazel quietly hugging her panda, Caesar, nearby. The atmosphere in the castle told the two girls and the beast that now wasn't the time for antics.
"Alright." Ayesha jogged into the study room, grabbed the wooden box from the desk, and handed it to Lucas.
Lucas pulled out the letters and skimmed them. They were mostly similar, aside from some personal girlish secrets.
"Seriously? That foolish woman went to save people all by herself?" Lucas rolled his eyes, turning to Annie. "Order the War Wolves to eat immediately, gear up, and prepare to move out. Destination: Moth City. We're going to save that idiot."
"Yes, sir!" The fox-eared girl began writing the orders at once.
"Mina, bring the compound bow," Lucas said, loosening his collar. Turning to Nicole, he added, "Prepare my armor. I'm going too."
"Yes… wait, what?" Mina responded instinctively, then froze.
"What?" The other girls in the room were equally stunned.
"What's with the surprise?" Lucas tossed off his coat, his voice firm. "I made a promise back then, and I'm not about to break my word."
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