The same night he returned to Stahurt and found Walley, the half-wolf prepared to go hunting the mysterious monster that haunted the lives of adventurers in this great city. Luckily, the location the monster was in was a region that Luke Lange was merely used to.
The region in question was north of Stahurt, where there were some mountains and a larger one, where the Monument and Hazor's dojo were located. This locality had a mountainous part and a very flat part, the latter bordering the forest and love.
As Luke Lange didn't know where to start looking for the monster, he asked Walley to accompany him on this mission.
In great fear, the corrupted accepted, a sentiment that Luke noticed and couldn't help but question as they walked to the site.
"Walley, you control monsters and you're still scared? What's up?" Luke was surprised by Walley's behavior. "You weren't even afraid to enter the regions full of corruption."
The white-haired man gave a nervous smile and began to scratch the back of his head shyly. "I know, but I get goosebumps just thinking that this monster managed to escape the controlled hordes. You know, if this monster managed to evade the dozens of Melkian Soldiers that control the hordes, there must be a reason for it."
"Well, you're right. If we're lucky, we won't find an ordinary monster, but the demon itself that is here." Luke said and slapped Walley on the back to cheer her up.
If Walley was already fearful before, the half-wolf's words only intensified that anguish. "D-don't say something like that with a smile on your face!"
"Alright, alright. I'm sorry." Luke laughed at the man's reaction.
Watching the half-wolf smile so naturally, Walley sensed that there was something different about Luke tonight. Luke's mood wasn't as bad as it normally was, nor did he have a reflective look on his face, in fact, he looked happy for the first time in a long time.
'Killing a demon made you feel so relieved? He must really hate these guys.' Walley thought, staring at Luke.
"Walley, can I ask you something a little more personal?" asked Luke. They had just left the region with buildings and entered a wood whose trees had no leaves.
"Guys? It is clear! We are mates after all!" Walley's eyes lit up as he listened to the half-wolf.
"What is it like to be a father?"
Luke Lange's question hit Walley's heart like a swift, silent, deadly arrow. This was a subject Walley avoided thinking about as much as possible, but no matter how hard he tried, the world always reminded him of it.
"What is it like to be a father? This is a difficult question. In the beginning, it's very difficult, very difficult, having to take care of a baby's needs was not easy. Bathing, eating, caring, teaching, all these things are complicated, and I tried to give everything I didn't have to my daughter."
Walley stopped in the middle of the woods and looked up at the sky, just as Luke had done a few minutes ago. The clouds were slowly dissipating, and the sky was already brighter than before.
"But despite all the difficulties, there is certainly nothing better than being. When I first held Fhanys, my eyes filled with tears. I wanted to protect that little girl, I wanted to see her happy more than anything else in the world. Her hair was exactly the same as my wife's, her eyes too, but her gaze was like mine, I think maybe the way I see the world is today too." Walley said and then looked at Luke.
"Do you think she is far from her father?"
"Our village is small and is on an island isolated from all routes of hordes of monsters and corrupted regions. My wife and daughter were definitely fine when I chose to leave them."
"Do you regret leaving this peaceful island then? I mean, you betrayed your own nation."
Walley looked down and then looked at the half-wolf with determination. "Yes, I regret every night that I left them behind to fight a false war, for a false leader, and for false ideals. However, I definitely do not regret having betrayed the Melki Empire, I believe that only when this is all over will I be able to return to my home with a smile on my face."
When Luke heard those words, he smiled and turned around again. "Alright, when this is all over, I'll ask Ogen to take you to his village, so you'll look nice in front of your daughter."
"Hey, my daughter already thinks I'm really cool!"
"Alright, alright."
"Seriously, man!" Walley had to trot a little to catch up with Luke.
It took Luke Lange and Walley fifteen minutes to reach the vineyard, but when they did, they were presented with a truly beautiful backdrop to the Melki Empire. The region was very flat, full of grape plantations, which were not natural trees, but wooden supports that followed in a straight line for tens of meters, and on top of these supports the roots from which the grapes sprouted grew.
In the background of this rural setting, it was possible to see the small mountains of the region and a strong wind came from them that night. To the right was a forest of tall, pine-like trees, only the leaves were orange, as if it were always autumn.
In the center of the vineyard was a large white house, surrounded by low walls and small wooden buildings.
Walley and Luke walked to the entrance of this house, because they wanted to talk more with the person who had proposed the contract, after all they had no concrete information, just some prominent rumors and tavern conversations. Also, the wind from the mountains blew away all the smells the half-wolf could smell.
Even though it was night, it wasn't that late yet, at least that's what Luke thought. It had been less than two hours since sunset, so it must be less than nine hours at night, so there must be someone awake.
All the lights in the house were off, and Luke thought about just heading into the nearby woods to investigate without talking to anyone about the monster, but as soon as they got far enough into the property, the dogs heard the sound of Walley's footsteps and started barking frantically.
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