Chapter 30

Three wolves sat quietly in place. They fidgeted awkwardly, like new recruits who had just been transferred in.

"What should I do with these guys?"

It was an unexpected situation, and Woojin found himself a little flustered. Scratching his chin, he looked over each of the wolves' faces before suddenly turning his head toward Rex.

Rex was lying flat on the ground, watching Woojin carefully. For some reason, his posture was stiff. This usually sly wolf seemed unusually tense.

Thinking about why that might be…

It seemed he was waiting for permission. Whether or not to accept the wolves into the pack was a decision only the highest-ranking leader could make.

After a moment of thought, Woojin opened his mouth.

"Rex. If they cause trouble, you'll be the one held responsible. Are you prepared for that?"

At the question, Rex nodded without hesitation. Who knew how long that resolve would last, but what mattered was that he had given his word.

Woojin rummaged through his coat and pulled out a pouch of jerky. He immediately tossed one piece to each wolf. The wolves looked confused, but Rex—who understood the meaning—brightened visibly.

"Eat."

Though they didn't understand his words, the wolves picked up the jerky placed before them and ate it, reading the situation. With that, the simple welcoming ceremony came to an end.

"That's three more mouths to feed."

He wondered if this had been the right choice.

Still, with several more companions joining him, the journey would hardly be boring.

He walked toward the city with the wolves.

He had been slightly worried about how he would feed them… but it turned out to be needless concern. The wolves hunted nearby demonic beasts on their own to fill their bellies and voluntarily offered the inner cores those beasts carried to Woojin.

Thud.

Rex placed an inner core at Woojin's feet and stepped back. This made the third one he had received in tribute. It was starting to feel strange.

"He's not the type to do something this commendable…?"

In the past, he would have secretly swallowed the core and pretended not to know anything about it. Ever since gaining subordinates, Rex had begun acting like a loyal hound—something that didn't suit his fate at all.

Perhaps he was trying to show respect for the hierarchy in front of his subordinates. Thanks to that, inner cores rolled in one by one even while Woojin simply sat still.

"Here. Take it back."

Woojin handed the core back to Rex.

He had accepted it once or twice out of appreciation for the gesture, but since he felt no noticeable change from absorbing them, it seemed better to let Rex have them.

Rex then began giving the inner cores exclusively to one wolf—a pretty one with light gray fur, the only female in the pack.

"The others are going to grow dissatisfied."

It looked like the female might end up eating all the cores herself, so after that, Woojin personally distributed the remaining cores to the other wolves. As a result, the two previously neglected male wolves began to revere Woojin even more.

Thinking back on it now… it seemed this too had been part of Rex's design.

Perhaps because he had experience enduring under a ferocious werewolf, Rex naturally took control of the hierarchy. Thanks to that, Woojin didn't have to worry about how to manage the wolves.

"Come to think of it, I should give these guys names."

It was a trivial yet important matter. Woojin wasn't particularly good at naming things.

Rex himself was proof of that. He had simply slapped on the name of a man who had been bitten to death by a wolf because he had been too lazy to think of something else.

This time, he had three wolves to name. What names should he give them? As he pondered the question, their destination gradually came into view.

The Third Pioneer City. Woojin headed toward its entrance with the wolves.

"I'll have to bring the wolves inside the city."

That was the conclusion he reached.

When it was only Rex, he could leave him outside without much concern. But now there were four wolves. If he let them roam around near the pioneer city, an accident seemed inevitable.

Besides, separating from the wolves every time he entered the city and then reuniting later would be a hassle. Since things had come to this, pushing through once didn't seem like a bad idea.

As he walked toward the city…

As expected, the guards at the entrance recoiled in shock and leveled their spearpoints at him.

"Step back immediately!"

At the shouted command, the wolves seemed stirred and bared their fangs in unison.

Grrr.

Their throats vibrated with threatening growls. Just as the startled guards were about to call for reinforcements, Woojin whistled.

Fweeet!

A short, sharp whistle. The moment the signal was given, the wolves snapped their mouths shut and quietly sat down in place.

The guards stared in disbelief. The wolves were obedient like well-trained hunting dogs. No one had ever seen or heard of such a thing.

Judging that the situation had mostly calmed down, Woojin rummaged through his coat and pulled out a recommendation letter.

"There's no need to be on guard. I was invited here by Elder Bow."

"… Let me see that."

A man who appeared to be the most senior among the guards gathered his courage and approached Woojin. After checking the recommendation letter, he made an odd expression.

"The name engraved here… isn't Elder Bow's."

Woojin checked the letter as well. The name stamped on it was none other than Archbishop Conrad.

"Ah, right. I received another one."

He had been so distracted training the wolves that he'd forgotten. Slightly embarrassed, Woojin rummaged through his coat again and pulled out another letter.

"This should be the correct one."

"… Yes. Confirmed."

The guard's attitude became noticeably more respectful than before. However, Woojin could not enter the city immediately.

"I'm sorry, but could you wait here? Allowing a pack of wolves into the city is highly unprecedented… I believe we need to report this to the Church Alliance first."

"Do as you must."

With permission granted, the guard clutching the recommendation letter hurried into the city. Woojin waited with the wolves, chewing on jerky until the guard returned.

About ten minutes passed.

In the distance, a familiar old man approached under the escort of a guard. Woojin smiled and stepped forward to greet him.

"It's been a while."

"Indeed it has. Thank you for accepting my proposal. Though… you truly have a knack for choosing actions that draw attention."

That was likely why Conrad had given him a recommendation letter as well.

Muttering so, Bow approached the wolves. Even as the unfamiliar man drew close, the wolves remained seated without reacting.

At that, Bow chuckled as if amused.

"Hah, they look like young demonic beasts, yet their patience is remarkable… But this alone isn't enough. May I confirm whether they're truly tamed?"

"I don't mind."

The moment Woojin gave permission, Bow swiftly reached out and plucked a few strands of fur from one of the wolves. The wolf flinched for an instant—but it did not move, maintaining its posture.

Crunch!

Bow then stomped on the tip of the wolf's tail. The wolf's body trembled from the pain. Not stopping there, Bow walked back and forth as if on a stroll, alternately stepping on each wolf's tail.

Anyone would likely get angry after being treated like that…

Yet the wolves squeezed their eyes shut and endured. Their patience was astonishing even to an onlooker. Bow, apparently impressed, nodded repeatedly.

"There's no sign of anger at all. Good. Well-behaved pups deserve a reward."

Bow gestured to a guard. A guard approached carrying something in his hands. It looked like a thick belt.

Bow personally fastened it around each wolf's neck. Seen up close, it wasn't a belt but a type of collar—a dog collar engraved with the emblem of the Church Alliance.

"It's an official token certifying that these wolf-beasts have been tamed. Show this collar, and they'll be able to freely enter any city."

"Thank you for your consideration."

"No need for thanks… In any case, you've all heard this. Open the way."

At Bow's words, the guards gathered at the entrance stepped aside. Woojin and Bow entered the city, followed leisurely by the four wolves.

Citizens walking the streets stared at them in shock. Ignoring the stares, Woojin casually chatted with Bow.

"I don't see Sir Raymond. I thought he would certainly be pleased to see wolf-beasts."

"He's busy acting as a courier these days. Judging by the signs, the expedition will likely begin soon… To be honest, it still doesn't feel real. And yet we're actually going to go through with it."

Bow muttered that, then added as if something had just occurred to him:

"Is there anything you need? Just say the word. We're offering various forms of support to those participating in the expedition. As long as it's not an unreasonable request, I'll grant it."

As it happened, Woojin did want something.

"If possible, I'd like to properly learn Mana Arts. Is there any way?"

Bow hesitated briefly before replying.

"If you wish, I can teach you a little myself… but it will be difficult to teach advanced techniques. They aren't easily mastered, and they're secret arts that must not be leaked."

"Teaching me the basics would be more than enough."

"Then follow me to the training hall."

Since the topic had come up, they decided to begin immediately. True to his impatient nature, Bow headed straight for the training hall. Woojin followed willingly—it was something he had wanted as well.

As before, the two men stood in the center of the training grounds. The wolves curled up in a corner, watching them.

"Do you know how to sense mana?"

"I've learned at least that much."

"Show me."

Woojin sat down without hesitation and practiced the breathing method Claire had taught him. Seeing this, Bow's expression turned slightly peculiar.

"… Where did you learn that breathing technique?"

"From a close friend who's a mage. Is there a problem?"

"It's simply such a classical method that I was surprised. It's difficult to master, so most people these days avoid it… How curious."

Drawing mana in through the crown of one's head.

That visualization was not easy to learn. The entry barrier was so high that most people shunned it. Yet in terms of efficiency, few methods could match it.

"With this, I should be able to teach you the basics within today. Jin, have you ever heard the term 'Inner World'?"

"I've heard it often."

The Inner World.

It was a term he had heard many times while studying magic with Claire. It referred to the manifestation of a person's strength, abilities, and disposition—taking shape like a world of its own.

Depending on how one lived, each person developed a different Inner World. In that sense, the Inner Worlds of those who pursued martial arts were simple.

How can one create attacks that are faster, stronger, and more efficient? The 고민 and bone-grinding training endured in pursuit of that goal. Through such relentless refinement, the Inner World became ever sharper.

"Mana Arts shine only when one possesses such an Inner World. It is a technique that draws into reality, through mana, the ideal pursued by one who has mastered martial arts. Incidentally, you've done this once before."

"… I have?"

As Woojin looked puzzled, Bow grinned and spread his palms as if about to clap.

At that gesture, realization dawned.

That day, here in this very place, their palms had collided. The impact had torn the back of Woojin's hand, and Bow had been hurled backward into a wall. It had nearly resulted in serious injury.

At the time, Woojin had thought he had simply misjudged his strength and sent Bow flying.

"… Did I unconsciously use mana?"

"Indeed. You imitated my attack method. Thanks to that, I took quite a hit. If you can recall that memory clearly, you should be able to use Mana Arts again."

"I don't even know how I did it…"

It had been so instinctive that he had no recollection of what he had done back then. At that, Bow smiled meaningfully.

"If you get beaten like you did then, the memory might come back."

As always, it seemed he would have to learn the hard way.