It had been two weeks since Claude last "contracted" three cacodemon. The creatures had grown alarmingly over the past five months, doubling in size from feeding on his blood.
He now stood in the clearing, arms crossed as he watched his wolves—Sun, Moon, and Star—tearing into the flesh of another unfortunate monster.
This time, it was a smaller, weaker cacodemon. Contracting it wasn't worth the cost; he couldn't spare more blood to feed their relentless hunger.
"If I take on one more, I'm done for," Claude muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as the wolves finished ripping their prey apart.
'They had grown voracious, almost insatiable. "Gluttons," he thought bitterly.
"It's like they crave more power with every bite." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his gaze fixed on the three beasts.
Information on cacodemons was scarce—almost nonexistent.
The only library in this backwater town held nothing on the creatures except vague warnings of their ties to dark magic.
Everything Claude knew came from painstaking observation and experimentation.
He didn't even know the official name of his wolves. "Cacodemons" or simply "wolves" was the best he could come up with.
What he had learned, though, was that cacodemons were solitary by nature. They rarely tolerated others of their kind, preferring to either form tight pacts or remain alone.
Claude's brow furrowed as he considered his options. 'I need more information. But how do I gather it without drawing attention to myself?'
Dark magic was taboo, strictly outlawed by the Photenosia religion, which held unwavering dominance across the lands.
Anyone caught practicing it faced a grim fate—dark mages were hunted, tried, and burned at the stake in the town square, their executions treated as public spectacles for the cheering crowds.
'If anyone finds out I've contracted these creatures, it's over for me,' Claude thought grimly, his fist tightening as unease crawled up his spine.
He exhaled sharply, his gaze drifting back to the three wolves that stood silently by his side, their forms wreathed in dark, flickering shadows.
'But someone sent them here—there's no way these three just wandered to the outskirts of the forest by chance.'
Blackwood was nestled on the border of the Silvana Forest. The outskirts of the forest were relatively safe, thanks to the adventurers and Holy Knights who patrolled the area.
The adventurers hunted daimons that occasionally strayed too close to the town while they would report cacodemon to the holy knight.
For them, the forest was a treasure trove; daimon skin, fangs, and other parts were valuable commodities, used to craft weapons, medicines, and even armor.
Together, they formed an uneasy alliance, both serving to maintain Blackwood's safety.
When the wolves finished their meal, they padded over to him and sat, their glowing eyes fixed on him expectantly.
Claude sighed, crouching to their level. "Alright, tell me—who sent you to the forest outskirts two weeks ago?"
The wolves tilted their heads in unison, as if mocking his question.
"Right," Claude muttered, dragging a hand down his face. "Why am I even asking? You wouldn't know."
Just then, Sun, the largest and most commanding of the trio, stepped forward. It turned around and crouched slightly, its back offering itself to Claude like a mount.
"You… want me to ride you?" Claude asked hesitantly.
Sun let out a low rumble, its shadowy form shifting as if urging him on. Slowly, Claude climbed onto the wolf's back, his fingers curling into its thick, dark fur.
The moment he settled, Sun's feet dissolved into shadows, and they ascended into the air. Each step left a dark purple cube glowing in its wake, forming footholds in the sky.
Claude's eyes widened as he clung tighter. "Where are you taking me?" he wondered aloud. His thoughts raced.
Could they understand what he meant earlier?
After a while, they descended toward the town. Shadows enveloped them, allowing the wolves to flit silently from rooftop to rooftop.
Claude marveled at the smoothness of the ride, though his grip on Sun's fur never loosened.
They stopped at the Everbright Church, the towering structure surrounded by ancient trees.
Sun halted beneath the shadow of a massive oak, just outside the church's sanctified grounds.
Claude slid off, landing softly on the grass. He frowned, glancing at Sun.
"The church? What are we doing here?"
Sun tilted its head but said nothing. The wolves melted into the surrounding shadows as Claude crouched behind the tree.
Voices broke the stillness, and Claude stiffened.
"Oi, have you found those cacodemons yet?"
Claude peeked around the tree to see two men standing near the church's entrance.
One, a burly man in the white and gold uniform of a holy knight, had a hand clamped on the shoulder of the other—a leaner, blond man he recognized immediately.
Enzo shrugged off the knight's hand with visible irritation. "Ron, stop pressing me. I'll find them soon enough."
Ron folded his arms, his scowl deepening. "Hah! You're the one who was supposed to guard them in the first place. Don't you care? Those things nearly killed your son!"
The mention of Enzo's son made his jaw tighten, his expression darkening. "Shut up," he snapped.
"I'm investigating, alright? You just keep your nose out of it."
Claude's hands clenched into fists as he listened, his blood boiling.
Ron scoffed, shaking his head. "Tch, that guy. All he's got going for him is his looks, even his wife is a witch and his bastard son."
"Useless otherwise. How the hell did he become a holy knight?"
The knight's grumbling was interrupted by the faint sound of cracking branches. He froze, his eyes darting toward the tree.
"Who's there?" Ron barked, stepping closer.
Claude held his breath, already astride Sun's shadowy form.
By the time Ron reached the tree, they were gone, retreating back into the forest under the cover of darkness.
As they moved deeper into the forest, Claude's thoughts churned, a storm of fury and bitter amusement.
"He sent them," Claude muttered, his voice barely audible over the rustle of leaves.
His fingers curled into fists, nails biting into his palms. "That bastard sent them, knowing they'd kill me."
A laugh bubbled up, low and humorless. "Twice now, he's tried to take me out. And twice, I've survived. Does he think I'll stay quiet?"
He glanced at his wolves, their glowing eyes unflinching in the darkness. They mirrored his rage, their loyalty solid and unwavering.
"No," he said, his voice hardening. "I won't just survive. I'll make him regret everything!"
The wolves seemed to sense his intent, standing at attention as they awaited his next command.